1914 was a significant year, but Russel and the others were mistaken about just HOW important it was. They thought everything would happen at once.
The 1975 thing is actually something of a misnomer. It was suggested that something might happen, but never specified. Too many people took this tidbit and ran with it. The society never actually advocated the idea that the end would come in 1975.
Jesus himself said that nobody knows for sure the day and hour that Jehovah has already chosen to bring about the end. While researching Biblical prophecies, Russell and some others perhaps got overly eager to find the time set for the end.
But to the finger pointers, instead of concentrating on the few times some of JWs have erred in statement/speculation, what about the many things we've been right about? Careful inspection of the King James Bible shows that the trinity and immortal soul concepts are foreign and unscriptural. Eternal life on Earth is clearly shown as the future for lovers of righteousness as opposed to living in heaven. The error in celebrating holidays with pagan origins and accepting blood transfusions (which is still risky business even now) as well as smoking and abusing drugs has been pointed out by the Watch Tower Society.
Hey, even Jesus' apostles thought that he'd be "restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time", which showed that even though they had divine backing, they were mistaken in their assumptions.
2007-06-19 06:43:37
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answer #1
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answered by DwayneWayne 4
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When you were a child, where did you think babies came from? Were you wrong? Did you change?
The fact is, as we grow in knowledge and experience, we learn more. We know with 1914, the world changed as a whole. Since then, everything started heading for the dumpster. When will the end of this wicked system come?
Jesus did not know. He said only Jehovah knew and would tell him when the time was right. (Mark 13:32) He only had to be ready. It is a guess on human's part. Something we can't see yet might have happened in those years, but not the end.
We often must let history decide. The point is he was right on most things or at least a beginning in the right direction.
Not just the Canadian government, many governments including the USA and Germany, and Russia have tried to stop the witnessing work we do. Proof that it has God's blessing and direction is the fact we are still here bigger and better than ever. Many of the freedoms you take for granted would not be here if it were not for JWs. You take free speech to say the most ridiculous things for granted. JWs went to the Supreme Court many times to make sure you could. Do you really think the past few administrations would allow the freedoms you have if it were not already tested in court?
The fact is though we aren't perfect, we try. That's a good thing. We study and learn. We do as 1 Thess. 5:21, "Make sure of all things. Hold fast to what is fine." We "test the inspired expressions to see if they originate with God." (1John 4:1) We follow the example of the Beroeans who "with greatest eagerness of mind, examining the Scriptures to see whether these things were true." (Acts 17:11)
In Germany during WWII, 10,000 JWs went into the camps. All they had to do was stop being JWs and salute Hitler and they could walk out. They didn't. Many died. When Germany fell even more JWs came out than went in! Many saw the example those JWs set and came to believe.
2007-06-19 10:14:13
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answer #2
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answered by grnlow 7
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For one thing they are thinking, if they are familiar with their history, that you have got some facts wrong. Yet they themselves don't seem to know all the facts, either.
First of all, the founding father, CT Russell, never believed that Jesus would return in 1914 because he believed until the day he died that Jesus had returned invisibly in the year 1874. He believed that Jesus had begun ruling in the midst of his enemies in 1874, and after a "harvest" period of 40 years, which would last till the year of 1914, then Jesus would take the rulership of the earth completely away from the Gentile nations, and his Kingdom would totally rule the earth.
He died in 1916, and he didn't choose 1975 as the return date of Christ, because as already stated, he never wavered in his firm belief that Jesus had returned and been invisibly present here in the earth since 1874.
Anyone familiar with Russell's writings know what I've said is true. You can verify that by checking in the Jehovah's Witness history book "Proclaimers of God's Kingdom" on page 47 (at the very top of the page) or on page 133, or any of the other references that are listed.
It appears the WT then changed 1874 to 1914 without acknowledging, at that time, that they had previously taught and had been wrong about 1874.
2007-06-19 18:28:48
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answer #3
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answered by steervase 2
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The return of Christ did happen in 1914. During the first half of 1914, the world seemed secure and safe from war. But peace was suddenly shattered with the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne by a Serb on June 28, 1914 thus WWI began where the very words of Jesus found in the book of Matthew 24....(signs of Jesus' return) were fulfilled.
When Jesus’ disciples asked him: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Jesus responded by giving them a detailed description of that future time..... again, found in the book of Matthew chap 24. I suggest that you read that whole chapter.
The return of Christ is not literally visible to human eyes. If it were, why would Jesus spend so much time giving his followers a sign to help them to discern this presence?
As of 1975, the Society never confirmed that this is the year of Armageddon. As a matter of fact, Bro. Franz made a comment about it.
He said (about Armageddon being fulfilled in 1975)
"‘It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don’t any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that.’"
About our work being banned by Canadian Government? Our preaching work and our publications have been banned on and off not only by the Canadian goverment but by Russia, Korea, USA, Britain...and during Hitler who swore to the public that he will annihilate all Jehovah's Witnesses...and yet we are still here growing and much stronger than ever. WHY? Because we have Jehovah on our side.
If we have what you all accused of Jehovah's Witnesses have (false teachings/cult) do you think that Jehovah will allow this group of people to grow and become more and more each year?
We've been abuse verbally and physically by all sorts of goverment, religious groups, and people because of what we believe in and what we preach. None of these (you) have accomplished your mission.
2007-06-19 10:41:46
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answer #4
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answered by Agape 3
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I am a JW and I know that the reason that The Watchtower is still being published. It is because Jehovah God's Spirit is with us....even when people like Hitler threatened to get rid of us all he failed as did any other....as of the 1914 thing....I'm just a teen and I dont really understand this much but I will do my best to explain...Two lines of evidence point to that year. 1. Bible chronology and 2. the events since 1914 in fulfillment of prophocey. Read Daniel 4:1-17. Verses 20-37 show that this prophocey had a fulfillment upon Nebuchanezzar. But it also has a larger fulfillment. We know that because verses 3 and 17 show a dream that God gave to King Nebuchanezzar deals with the Kingdom of God and God's promise to give it "to the one whom he wants to ... even the lowliest one of mankind." The enitire bible shows that Jehovah's purpose is for his own son, Jesus Christ, to rule as His representative over mankind. The Bibles dicription of Jesus shows that he was the "lowliest of mankind." The prophetic dream, then, points to the time when Jehovah would give rulership over mankind to his own son.
2007-06-19 06:55:54
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answer #5
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answered by Anya Rainey 1
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Gianny, there ought to be some differences with Jehovah Witnesses, like the blood transfusion that i do no longer understand. the accepted and simplier distinctive theory of Jehovah Witnesse concerns that they call God merely Jehovah. i'm a Methodist and in translating the Hebrew to English we and maximum diverse Christian religions have distinctive names for God. El Shaddai is almighty, Abba is the very own fatherly God, Shalom is the God of Peace, Elohim is a greater distant God that we only might desire to obey, and Yahweh replace into the commencing up of God as he replace into, even above a acceptance. with the aid of actuality those look indoors the Hebrew, and the previous testomony is a e book extraordinarily approximately them and there journies, then i ought to apply the fairly some names. All church residences determination. And once I lived in Alabama met some Jehovah Witnesses who've been very style and tolerant human beings, and attended a style of their centers, whether I belonged to a Methodist church. the situation I now stay visited one between their church residences the situation this replace into no longer quite the case.
2016-12-13 07:22:20
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answer #6
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answered by nations 4
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Stella, What is with this?
You you know you have several facts mixed up.
Bro. Russell didn't comment on 1975.
Not only did Canada ban Jehovah's Witnesses, but so did the US, and Britain.
In WW 2 they repeated the ban along with Germany, Japan, and Italy.
The belief of a paradise earth is still being taught, because that is what the bible says.
PS. 37:9-11, Rev 21:3,4
As to Br. Russell, never being correct, I have found him to be correct on many things. NO hellfire, NO trinity, just to name two.
As to being a false prophet, No one in the organization has ever claimed to be an inspired prophet, nor do we claim to be infallible.
2007-06-19 07:10:51
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answer #7
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answered by TeeM 7
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JWs are not Prophets they are Jesus disciples. Jesus gave a mandate to preach about the kingdom and HE was the one that prophesied the end of the system of things would occur when the preaching work is done over the entire earth. JWs like the Jews of the past await for Jesus, knowing from Jesus signs of his presence that it will occur soon and warn others to stay awake!
Mat 24:42 - "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming."
2007-06-20 06:11:16
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answer #8
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answered by keiichi 6
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The scriptures are clear on this...no one knows the day or hour.....but there have been many men who have looked at world events and signs like at Matthew when Jesus described wars and reports of wars, earthquakes in one place after another........
Nostradamus, and others like the Mayans also said the end would come in 2012.
So it isn't nice to put people down by telling you to get ready...Jesus himself and John the baptist told everyone to repent for the kingdom of heavens was near.
2007-06-19 06:36:00
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answer #9
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answered by debbie2243 7
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Remember People's Temple? Remember the Branch Davidians? Remember those nut jobs who thought aliens were coming in the Hale-Bopp comet to take them away?
Don't underestimate the ability of weak people to buy into any kind of nonsense in the guise of religion (and kill and die for it) no matter how absurd it is and no matter how often it's proven itself wrong.
2007-06-19 07:13:40
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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