Which Watchtower admitted to being wrong about 1799 being the beginning of The Time of the End?

Question

Also, is it mentioned in the Jehovah's Witness Proclaimers history book? If so, what is the page number?

gmlow
I know the WT wasn't printed in 1799, but once it began to be printed, it said that 1799 was the beginning of the Time of the End, and 1914 was the End of the Time of the End. In 1925 the book "The Harp of God" still said that the TOTE had begun in 1799, so it was sometime after that date that it was changed.

Since Jehovah's Witnesses always humbly admit their errors, there must be an apology or retraction or something, in one of the WT publications. I'm just trying to find out which one. (The reason I mentioned "apology" is because the Harp of God stated that "any reasonable mind" would be convinced that it began in 1799, so it would seem that an apology would be in order to anyone with a reasonable mind, who disagreed. )

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Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses do not teach that the year 1799 has particular biblical significance. If they did at one time, it seems nearly certain that every Witness alive at the time is long dead.

Here is everything of interest that Jehovah's Witnesses have published in the last six decades regarding the ideas of others regarding 1799:

The Watchtower of September 1, 1989, page 12
[quote]
Some Roman Catholics have claimed that Jesus Christ’s Thousand Year Reign ended in 1799 when French armies captured Rome and deposed the pope as its ruler
[unquote]

The Watchtower of April 15, 1967, page 234
[quote]
Aurelius Augustine, who spread such an interpretation of Revelation 20:4-6, lived 354-430 C.E. In harmony with his view that the millennial reign of Christ was being fulfilled in the Roman Catholic Church on earth, it was later thought that the millennial reign of the Roman Catholic Papacy in a literal way was from the year 800 C.E., when Pope Leo II crowned Charlemagne in Rome as king of the Holy Roman Empire, to 1799 C.E., when Pope Pius VI, already deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte, was taken as a prisoner from the Vatican on February 20, and deported to Valence, France, where he died on August 29, 1799.
[unquote]

Answer 2

None.

Danny below says: "Christians, by definition, are disciples of love." Excuse me? "Christians" by definition are followers of the teachings of Christ. Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians?

Although the beliefs of Jehovah’s witnesses frequently differ from what Christendom considers as orthodox, they are Scriptural. It is believed by the Witnesses that persons who die are in a condition similar to sleep, a condition of unconsciousness. The hope for the dead is to awaken to life by resurrection. This belief is Scriptural, for Jesus himself compared death with sleep. He said: “Lazarus our friend has gone to rest, but I am traveling there to awaken him from sleep. Jesus had spoken, however, about his death.”—John 11:11, 13; Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 9:10.

The fate of the wicked is another point of difference between the beliefs of the Witnesses and those of orthodox religions. Instead of preaching that the wicked are tormented in a fiery hell after death, they contend that the wicked go into eternal death. This too is according to God’s Word. It is written: “Jehovah is guarding all those loving him, but all the wicked ones he will annihilate.”—Ps. 145:20; Rom. 6:23.

A popular belief in Christendom is that God is three persons in one, all three persons being coequal and coeternal. Jehovah’s witnesses reject this belief because it is not found in the Bible. It is, instead, found in Hinduism and in other pagan religions. The Witnesses follow the Scriptural teaching that the Father and the Son are different persons, with the Son having been created by the Father. It is written that Christ was “the beginning of the creation by God.” (Rev. 3:14) Jehovah is his Father and the God whom he worships. This was stated by Jesus himself: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.”—John 20:17.

Human salvation is recognized by the Witnesses as being possible by no other means than by Christ’s ransom sacrifice. This too is a Scriptural teaching. (Matt. 20:28) The kingdom over which Christ was made King is proclaimed by the Witnesses as a heavenly government that will rule the earth. It is a very real government.—Isa. 9:6, 7; 1 Cor. 15:24.

What about holidays? Jehovah's Witnesses avoid holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween? Why? Because they are of pagan origin.

Jehovah's Witnesses have never claimed to be infalible. They have made mistakes in the past, but they make adjustments when there is a need for it. For example, They used to celebrate Christmas like most other churches. But when they found that Christmas and other religious observances were wrong, they changed. Can the churches make the same claim. In Catholic and Protestant encyclopedias, you will find they admit that holidays like Christmas and Easter are pagan. They also admit that doctrines like the trinity and hellfire are also pagan-based. But those religions STILL practice pagan beliefs.

I wonder if Danny is aware of that.

Answer 3

None, there were no Watchtowers in 1799.

Answer 4

The entire basis of the Jehovah’s Witness teachings is Armageddon. This one point is what the whole religion is wrapped around. It’s correct on one point, since the rest of Christianity is also concerned with the coming of Jesus, but the Watch Tower takes it a step further and crosses the line into being unscriptural.

The Watch Tower has repeatedly made predictions of Armageddon. The only ones I know of off-hand was a prediction around 1914 because of WWI, and another in 1975 because of the oil crisis of the 70’s. Obviously they were wrong both times. By making these predictions in the first place, the Watch Tower attempts to do what Jesus Himself said no one can do – know the hour when He will come. Jesus told us that no one knows the hour but the Father. However, JW’s conveniently ignore this and continue in this erroneous practice. In doing so, it throws the focus off of faith and making sure you’re right with God. The rest of Christianity knows that none of us can know WHEN Jesus will come. This teaches us to focus on our faith and love of God. The other reality is that most of us may not even live to see Armageddon in the first place. We anticipate living to an old age, but how many people dies each year from cancer, AIDS, heart disease, car accidents, etc.?

The JW predictions are actually a way of sidestepping faith, because if a person could figure out when Christ would come, they would possibly have a free ticket to do whatever they want and then suddenly repent at the end and be saved. This is the mindset this practice sets up. Additionally, if it COULD be figured out, then humans would be proving God a liar, because we would have figured out the time of Christ’s second coming when God Himself said we couldn’t. See my point?

Christians, by definition, are disciples of love. That’s what Jesus taught us – love one another and He loved us. Our job is to focus on our faith and love of Him and nothing else. That’s how we get to heaven.

God bless and take care.

Answer 5

1799? 1799?

That was before any JW book was printed.