Monday, March 20, 2017

JW Claims and Russell's Expectations Regarding 1914

One, in leaving the JW organization, has set forth many of his reasons for leaving that organization. We are not so concerned about all things that he has stated, but we are concerned about statements made pertaining to Charles Taze Russell. We do not entirely blame the author for his statements, since he probably was not very familiar with what Russell actually taught or believed when making the statements.

First, we will say that we are not associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses and do not defend that organization. What many of the Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as most other people, do not realize is that Charles Taze Russell was never associated with, nor did he believe in, such an organization as the "Jehovah's Witnesses." There were no "Jehovah's Witnesses" in the days of Russell. Russell did not believe in the same things that the JW leadership teaches, nor should Russell be held responsible for the JW leadership. Russell did not believe, and he spoke against the idea of "visible" organization such as Rutherford later created. See: Russell, Authority and Organization

The JW leadership is faulted for making false statements concerning what was being expected for 1914. A quote is given from Awake! 1973 January 22 p.8
Of all men used by God to prophesy, Jesus is outstanding. Based on what he said, along with the words of Daniel and John, Jehovah's witnesses pointed to the year 1914, decades in advance, as marking the start of "the conclusion of the system of things."
Those who are familiar with what Russell wrote know that it was not until 1904 that Russell came to the conclusion that the time of trouble was to begin, not end, in 1914. This was one decade -- not decades -- before 1914 had arrived. Before 1904, Russell had believed that the time of trouble was to end, not begin, in 1914.

There are also many other statements that have been made that would, in effect, rewrite history.
For instance, in 1954, we find this statement:
Why, then, do the nations not realize and accept the approach of this climax of judgment? It is because they have not heeded the world-wide advertising of Christ’s return and his second presence. Since long before World War I Jehovah’s witnesses pointed to 1914 as the time for this great event to occur. -- Watchtower, July 15, 1954, page 370.
According to this, long before World War I, "Jehovah's Witnesses" had pointed to 1914 as being when Jesus was to return. In fact, as far as we know, no one amongst the Bible Students was expecting Christ's return in 1914. Nevertheless, Russell was not expecting the parousia to begin in 1914; he believed that Christ had returned in 1874. Russell died in 1916, still holding to the belief that Christ had returned in 1874.

One is also left with the impression that the "Jehovah's witnesses" organization had been in existence "long before World War I". In fact, there was no such organization back then -- at least not among the Bible Students; Russell was still preaching against any centralized human authority until the day he died in 1916. Russell was certainly not the member of any kind of organization that he preached against. It is not true, as has been claimed by the JW leadership, that there were "Jehovah's Witnesses" in Russell's day pointing to 1914 at all, since the Jehovah's Witnesses, their organization, and their peculiar beliefs, did not come into existence until after Russell died in 1916.

The JW leadership is faulted for stating that the JWs had predicted the last days to begin in 1914. As far we know, we don't know of anyone who was predicting that the "last days" were to begin in 1914. Russell believed in the "last days" from several different standpoints, depending on what scriptural reference is used. Although Russell expressed the thought several times that we are "in the last days" of the present age, we haven't as yet found any reference in which he definitely set forth specific dates for either the beginning or the ending of the "last days". Russell did point to 1799 as the beginning of the "time of the end," and he held to that view until the day that he died in 1916. If one associates the term "last days" as being the same thing as "time of the end", then one could say that Russell believed that the "last days" had begun in 1799. However, it is questionable  -- at least after 1904 -- that Russell was expecting the days of the "time of the end" to be over in 1914. His later views (from 1904 onward) as to when the "time of trouble" was to be ended does not give any specific date for its full ending, although several dates were suggested by different Bible Students along this line. Nevertheless, the specific point to be made is that Russell was not expecting the Gentile Powers to suddenly cease to exist in 1914, but that they would continue to exist for an unknown period of time after 1914.

Regarding Armageddon, what many do not realize is that Russell never believed in the "Armageddon" that the JWs preach at all. The idea that Jehovah is going to eternally destroy billions of men, women and children still in the blindness of Satan was totally foreign to Russell's way of thinking, since he believed in the "ransom for all." Thus, Russell viewed Armageddon as a period of time in which the peoples of the nations are chastised, not eternally destroyed. The modern JW viewpoint of "Armageddon" is often projected back on Russell, when, in reality, he did not believe what the JWs teach. He was certainly not expecting the general idea usually expressed by the term "the end of the world", nor was he expecting the JWs' visualization of "Armageddon" in 1914. He did not believe in either.

Scripturally, one might consider that "Armageddon" includes more than just the battle of the Great Day, for it also includes the gathering leading up to that battle, with the battle itself as a the climax.
Russell, however, did speak of the Battle of Armageddon as "the final phase of the great Time of Trouble." (What Pastor Russell Said, Q:426:3)

The statement is made that "nothing Russell pointed to about 1914 has come to pass." Russell's thoughts concerning what he was expecting in 1914 have been so misrepresented that for many it is difficult to ascertain the truth. Most quotes from Russell's writings are taken from what he had written before 1904, and express his earlier views, and not the views that he had come to believe in 1904, ten years before 1914. Russell was not expecting "the end of all things" in 1914, but rather, at least from 1904 onward, he was expecting the "beginning" of the "time of trouble" in 1914, or soon after 1914, and that the Gentile Times would end in 1914. In 1904, Russell stated: "We now expect that the anarchistic culmination of the great time of trouble which will precede the Millennial blessings will be after October, 1914 A.D." (The Watch Tower, July 1, 1904, page 197, Reprints page 3389) In 1905, Russell stated: "The time of trouble, the awful time of anarchy, to our understanding, commences really there [in 1914], though like the dust of the whirlwind there will be and is now trouble preceding the awful anarchy. As to how long it will last I do not know, but I cannot imagine how it could last long." (What Pastor Russell Said, Q71:1) In 1910, Russell stated: "In the world of mankind, I shall expect a time of great trouble, which the Bible marks out as having its beginning about October, 1914, but I think, dear friends, that it is more important, instead of telling of the time of trouble, to tell about the good things." (What Pastor Russell Said, Q76:1) In other words, Brother Russell was definitely not expecting the end of all things in 1914, but rather the "beginning" of the time of trouble. We believe that he was right, and that we have been living in the period of the "time of trouble" ever since 1914. The climax of the trouble (the battle of the Great Day of God Almighty) has not yet come, however. We also believe that it is true that the lease for Gentile domination ran out in 1914, as he was expecting.  Because of this, we do not believe it is true that "nothing Russell pointed to about 1914 has come to pass." We believe that at least these two events did come to pass, as Russell had been predicting. Russell, however, disclaimed being a prophet, and stated that no one should view any of his writings as "prophecy".

Nevertheless, Russell did not believe that Armageddon would be fought to eternally destroy the unenlightened unbelievers, as in the JW teachings, but that it would rather be for the humbling of the unenlightened unbelievers in preparation for the blessings to be given in the age to follow. While our views are not entirely in agreement with Russell's, we are in general agreement with what Russell stated, as far as the purpose of Armageddon is concerned.  -- Ronald R. Day, Sr


Saturday, March 18, 2017

Russell and the Year 1925 (moved)

 Moved to:
https://ransomforall.blogspot.com/2023/04/1925.html

Did Russell "Await the Rapture" On the Mount of Olives?

By Ronald R. Day, Senior, 
Restoration Light Bible Study Services, 
ResLight, RLBible

The claim is being made that Charles Taze Russell took his followers to the Mount of Olives to await the rapture that didn't happen.

Of course, Russell certainly did not take the thousands of Bible Students worldwide to the Mount of Olives at any time, nor do we know any reason that Russell would have for going to the Mount of Olives to wait "for an entrance into heaven". Such would not harmonize with what Brother Russell believed.



Some are using the above picture taken in Palestine in April 1910 with the claim that some of the Bible Students went there to wait for the rapture. The picture appears the September 1, 1910 issue of the Watch Tower.

An author on one site states:
I wonder how many Witnesses know that Russell and Rutherford journeyed to Jerusalem in 1910: the year they expected that all the “faithful” would be gathered to heaven 2. The photo below (from the Sept. 1910 Watchtower, page 282 - click to enlarge) shows them posing on a fitting spot: the Mount of Olives (where Jesus supposedly ascended into heaven.) This seems to suggest that they were expecting to be carried bodily up into heaven. But Russell was not a believer in a physical “rapture” into heaven (made popular in recent times by other Christian fundamentalists and the Left Behind series of books): he thought the faithful had to die first in order to be “instantly with the Lord.”3
I wonder how long they waited before they dejectedly returned to America; depressed that they were still alive on Earth: their hopes dashed.
The author of the above does not mention that the picture was taken in April of 1910. If by "bodily" above, the author means physically, the author is correct: Russell was not expecting a "rapture" of physical bodies being taken to heaven. He believed that all the "saints" would have to die physically and be changed in the resurrection.

However, regarding April of 1910: The problem is that we do not know of anytime that Russell ever wrote or spoke of any expectation that the remainder of the 144,000 would be glorified in April of 1910. Russell had earlier presented the possibility that one of the measurements of Great Pyramid that points to October (not April) of 1910 may indicate that the remainder of the saints could be changed at that time, but he also pointed out that there is no Biblical verification for October of 1910.

Russell wrote regarding this in Thy Kingdom Come, pages 363,364:
How long this sifting of the consecrated will last, during which some will be granted the crowns of those adjudged unworthy, and their names written instead of some whose names will be blotted out (Rev. 3:5,11), the Scriptures do not, so far as we have yet seen, indicate; but this date, 1910, indicated by the Pyramid, seems to harmonize well with the dates furnished by the Bible. It is but a few years before the full close of the time of trouble which ends the Gentile times; and when we remember the Lord's words — that the overcomers shall be accounted worthy to escape the severest of the trouble coming upon the world we may understand the reference to be to the anarchous trouble which will follow October, 1914; but a trouble chiefly upon the Church may be expected about 1910 A.D.
The above was actually written before Russell's change of viewpoint regarding the time of trouble in 1904, in which he had come to the conclusion that the time of trouble was not end in 1914, but rather that it was to begin in 1914.

At any rate, it appears to be someone's imagination that has connected that picture taken in April of 1910 with the idea that Russell and his companions were on that trip went there "to await the rapture."

It seems that, however, some among the Bible Students had thought that the spring of 1910 was significant. Apparently, early in 1910, before spring had come, someone asked Brother Russell:
A thought is being advanced among the friends that the work will close next spring. Do you find any Scriptural proof for such thought, and are you in sympathy with the advancing of such theory?
Brother Russell's reply was:
I do not find any ground for such a thought. I am not in sympathy with the advancement of such a theory. I think it would be far better for the dear friends not to speculate about things of which they have no knowledge. At least, I will say that I think I would do best not to speculate about things of which I have no knowledge. If they have any knowledge on this subject, they have some knowledge I do not have, and if they are sure that they have knowledge, of course to their own Master they are responsible for the using of it. But so far as I can see, dear friends, discussing such matters as that merely takes away from the friends opportunities for usefulness, and we would far better stop talking about such things and be busily engaged in the harvest work, doing what we can do, never minding whether it is going to stop next spring or not. I will tell you next spring how it will be. In the meantime, as far as I can see, we all have plenty to do. Do not anybody stop for lack of work. -- What Pastor Russell Said, Q320:1
Evidently, at the beginning of 1910, Brother Russell was asked:
What event is to take place in 1910, which is pointed out in the Pyramid?
Brother Russell's Reply:
I do not know. There are many people who can tell you a great deal more about 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913 than I can. All I know is there are certain dates that seem to be well fixed as far as we understand the Scriptures -- 1874, 1878, 1881 and October, 1914. I do not know about anything between at all. If other people do, they have a right to talk about it.
But do you not say something in the third volume of Scripture studies about 1910? Yes, I said we might take a measurement up over that step. We do not know whether there is anything to be measured that way or not, but suppose we do take a measurement over the top of that step: It would indicate about the year 1910. But I do not know whether God meant something to be marked for 1910 or not. I think by the time we have passed that time, we might see something perhaps for 1910. Perhaps we have gotten up on that step now, for all I know. Things are going along pretty rapidly just now, dear friends. -- What Pastor Russell Said, Q77:2.
Thus, it appears that Russell had little, if any, hopes regarding either the spring or fall of 1910.


Alleged Trip to Jerusalem in 1914

Some, however, have imaginatively misrepresented the matter even further by falsely claiming that the picture was taken in October of 1914. This idea is being presented on several sites. Someone has produced a totally false history regarding the picture taken in April of 1910, and with the claim that it was taken in 1914, and states such as having been fact:
In 1914 the Watchtower were expecting great things. The Watchtower believed that their work on earth had been completed and 1914 would be the year that they would experience the “Rapture”, whereby all true Christians are taken from Earth by God into Heaven before other events associated with the end of the world take place. They believed in this so much that in 1914 the Watchtower organized a trip to Jerusalem so that they would be first to experience the Rapture.
Similar statements have been repeated in various forums online.

Of course, in reality, no such trip to Jerusalem took place in 1914; indeed, on October 2, 1914, Russell was in Brooklyn. It is reported that, on October 2, 1914, he announced at the Bethel breakfast table that the Gentile Times had ended. If the picture had been taken in Palestine on October 1 (as some have claimed) of 1914, in those days, it would have been impossible for Russell to be in Brooklyn the next day.

Additionally, Russell had no expectations of the "end of the world" for 1914 and he had plainly stated such.