In 1919 they were still celebrating birthdays and Christmas, had a masonic crucifix on the magazines, called the apostles "saints" and Adam "the first Pharaoh". Both Russell and Rutherford went to their graves teaching that the Bridegroom had already come in 1874 and made king in 1878, so neither were in expectation of him in 1914 and therefore could not have been "happy" if "on arriving he found them watching for his return."
They believed strongly in occult Pyramidology, said Tartarus was the Earth's atmosphere, taught Jehovah lived in the Pleiades, said Samson prefigured socialism (photodrama), and taught that the ancients were to be resurrected in 1925 and so built a mansion (Beth Sarim) for them to live in. They allowed smoking and pictured the Edenic snake with legs. They said the "behemoth" from Job 40 was the stationary steam engine, the "leviathan" from Job 41 was the locomotive and the "valiant men" in Nahum 2:3 are the locomotive conductor and the fireman, and that train travel fulfilled Dan 12:4 "Many will run to and fro".
They said that spirit mediums grew tentacles, and spirits lived among us wearing tweed and drinking whisky but were not able to bleed ("Talking with the Dead" p. 116-126).
They taught the horseman on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 is the Pope, the "7 messengers" in Revelation are Paul, John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe, Luther and Russell, the "stars that fell from the heavens" in Revelation 6:13 refers to a meteor shower on November 13, 1833, the "Time of the End" started in 1799, Michael the Archangel is "the Pope of Rome" and the angels are his bishops. The four rivers of Eden represented the little flock, great crowd, ancient worthies and world of mankind.
They declared that all churches would be destroyed by 1918, promised that those alive back then would never die, saluted the flag, worshipped Jesus, said the "Great Crowd" were second class Christians with a heavenly hope, and according to the WT "the end" has been coming "soon" for over 130 years now.
All these teachings were said to be light and truth from Jehovah, were "without question" and "cannot be disputed" (1925 Our Lords Return p.29). Why? wt 1922 Dec 15 p.396 - "those who have seen, held, and taught present Truth, most assuredly have believed that our late beloved leader, Brother Russell, held that position of steward. And this we most certainly hold, both as both a fact and as a necessity of faith."
Do you think it remotely plausible that Jesus examined this group and decided they were more accurate and earnest than every other Christian group?
