
AWAKEN                                                     Issue #33
 
1874 - WHAT THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
       HAD TO SAY ABOUT WHAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAPPENED THEN.
 
This issue will comprise mainly of quotes from Watch Tower publications.
Present day Jehovah's Witnesses are unlikely to be aware of any of this
material. Why ? The Watch Tower had changed it's theology and does not
bother to let it's followers know facts about the past especially since
the present theology is totally contradictory to what was promoted in the
past. Both sets of incompatible conjectures were promoted as being found 
and proven in Scriptures. Prior to 1943 if a follower of the Watch Tower
questioned any of the Watch Tower's teaching about 1874, that person
risked getting kicked out of the group thus risked being shunned by
his/her family and any friends who followed the Watch Tower. After 1943
the teaching regarding 1874 was totally changed by the Watch Tower.
 
Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 3, Thy Kingdom Come, first published in
1891, from page 234 :
    "...a most reasonable inference...that in the spring of 1878 all the
     holy apostles and other 'overcomers' of the Gospel age who slept in
     in Jesus were raised spirit beings"
 

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 4, The Battle Of Armageddon, first
published in 1987, from page :
    "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October
    1874 A.D.... and the inaugural of his kingly office dates from
    April 1878, A.D."


Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, first published 
in 1917, from page 58 :
     "The Laodicean period of the Church extends from the fall of 1874
     to the spring of 1918, three and one-half years of preparation,
     and forty years of harvest."


Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 60 :
     "Fall 1874 A.D. Second Advent of the Lord"
 
 
Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 64 :
     "the beginning of the Times of Restitution, A.D. 1874"


Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 301 :
     "...six thousand years of evil which ended in 1874."

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 386 :
     "The Millenium began in 1874, with the return of Christ"


Creation, first published in 1927, from page 289 in early editions and
page 310 from later editions :
     "The second coming of the Lord therefore began in 1874"


Creation, from page 291 in early editions and page 312 from later
editions :
     "...the clergy would not understand these times and seasons,
     because they form a part of Satan's organization"

Creation, from page 291 in early editions and page 312 from later
editions :
     "To understand the events concerning the Lord's second presence
     from 1874 to 1914 requires one to be spiritually minded; and the
     clergy are not spiritually minded"
 
Prophecy, first published in 1929, from page 65 :
     "The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord
     Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D."


Watchtower, Oct 1890, from page 1243 :
     "...the Scriptural declaration that the Millenium of peace and 
     blessing would be introduced by forty years of trouble, beginning
     slightly in 1874 and increasing until social chaos should prevail
     in 1914"
 
Watchtower, Jan. 15, 1892, from page :
     "The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked
     in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its
     beginnings dating from October, 1874"


Watchtower, Dec. 01, 1916, from page 5998 :
     "Pastor Russell...believed and taught that we are living in the
     time of the second presence of our Lord, and that his presence
     dates from 1874"
 

Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1922, from page 278 :
     "No one can properly understand the work of God at this time
     who does not realize that since 1874, the time of the Lord's
     return to power, there has been a complete change in God's
     operations"

Watchtower, Mar. 01, 1923, from page 67 :
     "The Scripture show that the second presence was due in 
     1874...This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874"


Watchtower, Jan. 01, 1924, from page 5 :
     "Surely there not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of
     a truely consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present 
     and has been since 1874"


The Watch Tower maintained that Jesus's second coming occured in 1874.
This was in effect until 1943 when the new book "The Truth Shall Make
You Free" was published. From then on the theology and chronology as
presented by the Watch Tower changed and it's followers were expected
to again NEVER question what the Watch Tower was teaching.
 
The Truth Shall Make You Free, first published in 1943, from page 152 :
     "From Adam's creation to the end of 1943 A.D. is 5971 years. 
     We are therefore near the end of six thousand years of human
     history"
 

God's Kingdom Of A Thousand Years Has Approached, first published
in 1973, from pages 209-210 :
     "In the year 1943...published the book The Truth Shall Make You
     Free...This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's
     existance into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away
     with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of the return of the Lord
     Jesus Christ"
 
This is a perfect example of why I wonder how anyone can trust any
chronology as presented by the Watch Tower. Scripture was said to
show that the second presence BEGAN in 1874. The Millenium also
began in 1874, with the return of Christ. The Watch Tower stated
that the clergy did not agree with the Watch Tower about Christ's 
second presence beginning in 1874, because they were being
influenced by Satan. 

The Watch Tower's present day teaching regarding 607 B.C.E. are not
supported by ANY Archaeological evidence found since the middle of the
last century. 
 
The Watch Tower's present day teaching regarding 1914 is totally 
different from what it taught in the past.
 
As I have shown above, the Watch Tower's present day teaching about 1874
differs dramatically from what was taught as the truth in the past.
 
Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses will cheerfully claim that they are members in 
the Truth. I guess that would depend on some new definition of the Truth,
because it sure does not match the dictionary definition of Truth. If Jesus
did not return in 1874, then for OVER FIFTY YEARS the Watch Tower had
MISLED it's followers. The Watch Tower's present day chronology which
is fixed on the date of 607 B.C.E. for the destruction of Jerusalem is
INVALID and the Watch Tower KNOWS. There is NO EVIDENCE to support the
date 607 B.C.E. ALL THE EVIDENCE points to 586-587 B.C.E. Again, the
Watch Tower knows it (see the file AWAKEN31.ZIP for complete details),
but they totally disregard such facts.
 
How can Jehovah's Witnesses be sure that the Watch Tower is not still
misleading them as was the case with 1874. Any Encyclopaedia will show
that Jerusalem was destroyed in 586-587 B.C.E. There is no evidence that
Jehovah's Witnesses are in the Truth. Quite the contrary, it seems that
they can never be sure of what exactly the Truth is, since the Watch Tower
given time can and has changed what it presented as being Truth.

George Orwell, in his classic book 1984, wrote :
     "The key word here is BLACKWHITE...Applied to a Party member, 
     it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when 
     Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability 
     to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black
     is white, and to forget that one ever believed the contrary."
 
     "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.
     It was their final, most essential command."


    ============= end of AWAKEN Issue #33 ================


Please share the info found in these issues of AWAKEN with other
members of the faith to which you belong. Consider using this
info within publications issued to members of your faith. One
example is to use this info within Church bulletins. People need
to become informed about the Watch Tower and it's teachings. Why ?
Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door preaching whatever the
Watch Tower has told them to preach. They are trained weekly to
respond to any and all objections to their preaching. They are
told by the Watch Tower that the Watch Tower is the only TRUTH
and that the Watch Tower is the only TRUE religion. They are 
told by the Watch Tower that all other faiths, teach
false teachings because all other faiths are agents of SATAN.
They have no qualms attacking any and all aspects your belief
system, when they come on their un-asked for visits. They are
trained to SELL you on the Watch Tower's teachings, just as they
themselves had been SOLD. 

By becoming informed about the Watch Tower, one will be better 
prepared to decide whether one should get involved with this group.
 
 
Copyright (C) 1993 by Vince Banial, Toronto Ontario Canada.
All rights reserved. This material cannot be incorporated into any 
book without the empress and written permission of Vince Banial. 
This file may be freely uploaded to any BBS, as long as it remains unchanged.  

Please Upload this file to every BBS which you call. Thanks in advance.

            