JW thesis.pdf

“Since we do not want our worship to be in vain, it is important for each one of us to examine his religion. We

need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with

which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with God’s Word, or are they based on the

traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination. It should be

the sincere desire of every one of us to learn what God’s will is for us, and then to do it.” - ( The Truth That

Leads to Eternal Life 1968 p.13 “Why It Is Wise to Examine Your Religion”)

“Can there be false religion? It is not a form of religious persecution for anyone to say and to show that another

religion is false. It is not religious persecution for an informed person to expose publicly a certain religion as

being false, thus allowing persons to see the difference between false religion and true religion.”- ( Watchtower

November 15, 1963 p.688 “Execution of Divine Judgment upon False Religion”)

“An open mind is free from the fetters of prejudice, which by one dictionary is defined as follows: 'A judgment

or opinion, favorable or unfavorable, formed beforehand or without due examination; a mental decision based on

other grounds than reason or justice; especially, a premature or adversely biased opinion.'

“A necessary part of life is that we make decisions and reach judgments. But decisions made 'without due

examination' or judgments reached 'on other grounds than reason or justice' are evidences of a closed mind.

“Having an open mind, on the other hand, means to be receptive to new information and ideas. It means being

willing to examine and to evaluate information without a biased attitude. By retaining what is worthwhile and

rejecting what is worthless, we can reach definite conclusions on a solid basis and still leave our minds open to

further revision should additional information become available at a future time. He who feels he has learned it

all can be sure that this attitude will prevent him from ever learning more.

“Why People Have Closed Minds

“A closed mind may indicate lack of knowledge. We may know so little about a subject, or have information so

distorted or incomplete, that the facts necessary to reach proper conclusions are missing.” - ( Awake! November

22, 1984 pp.3-4 “An Open or a Closed Mind—Which Do You Have?”)

Keeping these quotes in mind, we can clearly see that we should examine our own religion with an open mind.

The Watchtower itself encourages such examination. In fact “The Watchtower… invites careful and critical

examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures.” ( Watchtower August 15, 1950 p. 263)

So then, let's ask some critical questions, shall we?

– What is the biblical basis for asserting that Jesus Christ returned “invisibly” in 1914?

– If Jesus returned in 1914 and chose the Watchtower organization* as his “faithful and discrete slave”,

what made it so especially different from the rest of Christendom?

– If the Watchtower organization was, in fact, chosen by Christ in 1914, has it continued to remain

“faithful and discrete” in its teachings and actions?

– Can a member of the Watchtower organization ask these basic questions without repercussions?

* ”Watchtower” and “Watchtower organization” is used in this thesis synonymously with the collective “organization” comprised of the

Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (CCJW), the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (WBTS of PA.), the

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York (WBTS of NY), the International Bible Students Association (IBSA), and other smaller

affiliate corporations, congregations, committees, etc.

What is the biblical basis for asserting that Jesus Christ returned “invisibly” in 1914?

An appendix article on page 215 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? attempts to address this

question in an section entitled “1914—A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy”. I will now duplicate that article

in full, including footnotes. I will also offer commentary on its statements in bold italicized text at certain

points.

DECADES in advance, Bible students proclaimed that there would be significant developments in 1914. What

were these, and what evidence points to 1914 as such an important year?

What "significant developments" did "Bible students" proclaim exactly? Did the "significant developments"

they proclaim actually occur?

As recorded at Luke 21:24, Jesus said: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times

of the nations [“the times of the Gentiles,” King James Version ] are fulfilled.” Jerusalem had been the capital

city of the Jewish nation the seat of rulership of the line of kings from the house of King David. (Psalm 48:1, 2)

However, these kings were unique among national leaders. They sat on “Jehovah's throne” as representatives of

God himself. (1Chronicles 29:23) Jerusalem was thus a symbol of Jehovah's rulership.

Okay...

How and when, though, did God's rulership begin to be “trampled on by the nations”?

Wait a second... We jumped here. In the first paragraph the article stated that "Jerusalem was thus a symbol

of Jehovah's rulership". Christ indeed prophesied that Jerusalem would be trampled upon by the nations, but

there's a distinct but important difference between a symbol of God's presence on Earth and God's literal

sovereignty itself.

This happened in 607 B.C.E. when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. “Jehovah's throne” became

vacant, and the line of kings who descended from David was interrupted. (2Kings 25:1-26)

Did it really? Why is it that both biblical scholars and secular historians agree that Babylon invaded

Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in either 586 or 587 B.C?

Would this 'trampling' go on forever? No, for the prophecy of Ezekiel said regarding Jerusalem's last king,

Zedekiah: “Remove the turban, and lift off the crown. ... It will certainly become no one's until he comes who

has the legal right, and I must give it to him.” (Ezekiel 21:26, 27) The one who has the legal right to the Davidic

crown is Christ Jesus. (Luke 1:32, 33) So the 'trampling' would end when Jesus became King.

Didn't Jesus say in Luke 21:24 that Jerusalem will be [future tense] trampled? What is there in Luke 21 to

indicate that Jesus was prophesying something that occurred in the past ?

When would that grand event occur? Jesus showed that the Gentiles would rule for a fixed period of time. The

account in Daniel chapter 4 holds the key to knowing how long that period would last. It relates a prophetic

dream experienced by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He saw an immense tree that was chopped down. Its

stump could not grow because it was banded with iron and copper. An angel declared: “Let seven times pass

over it.” Daniel 4:10-16.

In the Bible, trees are sometimes used to represent rulership. (Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:2-5) So the chopping down

of the symbolic tree represents how God's rulership, as expressed through the kings at Jerusalem, would be

interrupted. However, the vision served notice that this 'trampling of Jerusalem' would be temporary--a period of

“seven times”. How long a period is that?

Revelation 12:6, 14 indicates that three and a half times equal “a thousand two hundred and sixty days.” “Seven

times” would therefore last twice as long, or 2,520 days. But the Gentile nations did not stop 'trampling' on God's

rulership a mere 2,520 days after Jerusalem's fall. Evidently, then, this prophecy covers a much longer period of

time. On the basis of Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, which speak of “a day for a year,” the seven times would

cover 2,520 years .

Is it just me or does this sound terribly convoluted? The "seven times" of Daniel 4:16 along with the tree

itself are both clearly explained in Daniel 4:20-27. To get 2,520 years out of "seven times" in Daniel is poor

exegesis to say the least.

First the article states "In the Bible, trees are sometimes used to represent rulership". Absolutely, in this case

it was used to represent the rulership of King Nebuchadnezzar as explained for us in the account of Daniel

itself (Daniel 4:22). From there it goes on to state "So the chopping down of the symbolic tree represents

God's rulership, as expressed through the kings at Jerusalem, would be interrupted." That statement does not

follow the previous one. Where in scripture does it ever indicate that the tree represents "God's rulership, as

expressed through kings at Jerusalem"? The article is quite literally reading in to the scriptures something

that's not there.

The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E., when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and the Davidic king was

taken off his throne. The period ended in October 1914. At that time, “the appointed times of the nations” ended,

and Jesus Christ was installed as God's heavenly King.*--Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 7:13, 14.

William Miller 1 used this exact line of reasoning to prove how the world would end in 1843. Suffice it to say

he was disappointed. He used a bogus start date of 677 B.C for the fall of Jerusalem. Is 607 B.C.E really any

more valid?

C. T. Russell later used this reasoning, adopted from the Second Adventists, to first predict the return of

Christ in 1873 2 . When that failed, he later claimed that Christ really did return, but did so invisibly in 1874 3 .

He then predicted that the world would end in 1914 4 . When that failed, he predicted it would end in 1915 5 .

The end finally came in 1916... for Russell. Rutherford then predicted that Armageddon had indeed started in

1914, but that the world would finally come to an end in 1925 6 . When that failed as well, the "invisible

return" idea was re-dated to 1914 7 from 1874.

What all three of these men failed to understand was Acts 1:7 where Jesus said "It is not for you to know the

times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."

Just as Jesus predicted, his “presence” as heavenly King has been marked by dramatic world developments--war,

famine, earthquakes, pestilences. (Matthew 24:3-8; Luke 21:11) Such developments bear powerful testimony to

the fact that 1914 indeed marked the birth of God's heavenly Kingdom and the beginning of the last days of this

present wicked system of things.--2Timothy 3:1-5.

Actually, Jesus Christ specifically warned against false prophets that would claim He had returned

"invisibly" (Matthew 24:24-27).

[Footnote]

* From October 607B.C.E. to October 1 B.C.E. is 606 years. Since there is no zero year, from October 1 B.C.E.

to October 1914 C.E. is 1,914 years. By adding 606 years and 1,914 years, we get 2,520 years. For information

Joshua V. Himes. For information in summary, consult Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/ ) or any other such exhaustive online

Encyclopedia for the “Great Disappointment” or “William Miller”.

2 See Evidences for the Coming of the Lord in 1873; or the Midnight Cry by Nelson H. Barbour (a close associate of Russell's, compare

Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom [1993] p. 120)

3 The Time Is At Hand (Studies in the Scriptures Vol. 2) (1906) p.240, Thy Kingdom Come (Studies in the Scriptures Vol. 3) (1908) p.216

4 Watchtower October 1890 p.1 (r1243), 01/15/1892 p.1355, 07/15/1894 p.231 (r1677)

5 The Time Is At Hand

Prophetic Chronology Selected from Manuscripts of William Miller with a Memoir of his Life

(1915 Edition) pp. 39, 40, 77, 99, 101, 235, 242

6 Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920) pp. 88-90, 97, Golden Age 01/04/1922, p. 217, Watchtower , 05/15/1922 p. 150, Ibid.

09/01/1922 p. 262, 04/01/1923 p. 106

7 Watchtower 03/01/1925 pp. 67-74, “Birth of a Nation”

1 See Views of the Prophecies and

(Studies in the Scriptures Vol. 2)

on Jerusalem's fall in 607B.C.E., see the article “Chronology” in Insight on the Scriptures , published by

Jehovah's Witnesses.

It's interesting to note that both Miller and Russell made the "zero year" mistake.

Miller originally proclaimed the world would end in 1843. People got on their rooftops in white robes

expecting Jesus to return on one particular night that year. When nothing happened they were

understandably disappointed and stopped following Miller. When Miller realized there's no 0 year, he

adjusted his prediction to 1844 and gained even more followers (who were subsequently disappointed).

Russell originally claimed that Jerusalem fell in 606 B.C. 8 , and from that derived 1914 via Miller's 2,520 year

mumbo jumbo. When the world failed to end in 1914, he realized there's no 0 year and moved the date up a

year just like Miller to 1915 and was similarly disappointed.

Now here's where it gets really interesting however...

After Russell died, it was realized that WWI seemed too significant to just pass up. Rutherford, therefore,

retroactively changed history (which he did frequently with old Watchtower reprints 9 anyhow) and moved the

date for the fall of Jerusalem back one year from 606 to 607 in order to preserve 1914 10 . I think any rational

person would start to wonder about the historical validity of 607 B.C.E based on that fact alone.

So, basically to paraphrase... In order for 1914 to have any kind of validity at all, 607 B.C.E must first be a valid

historical date. I would like to emphasize here, however, that this is not a matter of secular history versus the

biblical record.

The truth of the matter is that the Bible is simply silent on the matter. The Bible does not give absolute dates,

but only relative dates. The date of 586/587 B.C.E is based on the same evidence we use to establish the date of

the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E. The 70 years referenced in Jeremiah 25:11 could not possibly be a period from

607 B.C.E. to 537 B.C.E. How could it be when it explicitly states “these nations will have to serve the king of

Babylon seventy years”? The “king of Babylon” was dead for two years in 537 B.C.E. He was killed when

Babylon was overthrown two years earlier in 539 B.C.E.

It would be much more logical and historically coherent to assert that the “seventy years” of Jeremiah 25 were

those of servitude beginning in 609 B.C.E. When Judah rebelled against Jehovah's servant, Nebuchadnezzar

(Jeremiah 25:9), the temple was destroyed and the nation was taken into captivity in 586/7 B.C.E. This would

be historically accurate, harmonize with prophecy, and would really be the most sound biblical interpretation

overall.

There's only one problem here, however... According to the October, 15, 1988 edition of The Watchtower "The

Babylonians came in 607 B.C.E. and stripped Jerusalem bare. Her people and her wealth were carried off to

Babylon. The city was destroyed, the temple was burned, and the land was left desolate.” We thus see that the

destruction of the temple and the decimation of Jerusalem are tied to the same year (which is historically true).

However, that year is cited as being 607 B.C.E. If we substitute 607 B.C.E for the historically accurate and

biblically sound date of 586/7 B.C.E we come to 1934/5 not 1914. That's assuming that the “seven times” can

be reasonably interpreted as a period of 2,520 years (which is a convoluted supposition at best).

8 Revelation: Its Grand Climax At Hand! (1988) p.105 (Box)

9 For instance, compare editions of The Time Is At Hand prior to mid-1912 with editions after mid-1912, p. 101. The change was done in

the middle of the printing run for the 1912 edition of 1,209,000. The March 1, 1915 Watch Tower called attention to some of these

changes, on page 5649 of Reprints . It said: "We call attention to a few slight changes which have been made in four pages of Vol. II. and

six pages of Vol. III., 'STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES.' These are all trivial and do not alter the real sense and lesson, but conform to

the facts as we have them today." Then are listed the changes pointed out above, from pages 77-81 of The Time Is At Hand , but for some

reason the changes on pages 99-101 are not listed. As to the claim that the real sense is not altered, the reader may judge for himself. The

proper way of handling changes such as these is to label the changed books as "Revised Editions."

10 One has only to search for “607 B.C.E” on any search engine (i.e Google.com ) to see how particular this year is to Watchtower

chronology. While Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and others claim Jerusalem fell in 606 B.C., and actually reliable historians claim

it was either 586 or 587 B.C, it is only the Watchtower organization that claims it was 607 B.C.

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