The Watchtower has settled on 1914 as the date that Christ came back on earth - invisibly. Why 1914?
2007-10-22 11:21:33 · 11 answers · asked by Nina, BaC 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So if Jesus returned in 1914 then what is keeping him from doing all the stuff that we know from scripture that immediately follows?
Where's the resurrection of the dead, judgment day, and all that other stuff?
Don't they have those things in Brooklyn ... or did all that already happen (invisibly of course) too?
It's never smart to set a date ... because once you do ... against the express advice of Jesus himself ... you are STUCK with it!
2007-10-22 19:55:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
True, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that Jesus will physically return to the earth. They believe that his coming or presence will be invisible.
Jesus gave a composite sign which would signal the beginning of his presence.
The Greek word 'parousia', often translated 'coming' (Matthew 24:3), literally means a 'being alongside' and became the official term for a visit of a person of high rank, especially of kings and emperors visiting a province. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states: "[Parousia] denotes esp[ecially] active presence." And concerning the presence of Christ Jesus, the book The Parousia states: "The Scriptures never speak of a 'second Parousia.' Whatever was to be its nature, it was something peculiar, having never occurred before, and being never to occur again. It was to be a presence differing from and superior to all other manifestations of himself to men."
Jesus disciples asked: "When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?" (Matthew 24:3).
Jesus then gave a series of signs which would mark the time period of his presence. Wars, earthquakes, famine, disease, increasing of lawlessness and a global preaching campaign. (Matthew 24:4-14, Luke 21:7-11) It must be noted that Jesus did not say that wars, earthquakes, famines, Jesus said: "All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress." (Matthew 24:8).
Even historians agree that the world changed in 1914 and the things that Jesus foretold have increased dramatically since that year and not just the result of better reporting.
Incidentally, being a Christian is not about believing in a date. A Christian means to be a follower of Christ. Jesus said that one of the signs of his presence would be that the "good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) It is unlikely that this preaching would be carried out by unbelievers. Surely it would be done by Christians - followers of Christ who are eager to obey Christ's commands, even though it may not always be conveient for them to do so. It cannot be denied that this work is something that Jehovah's Witnesses take very seriously.
Jesus commanded at Matthew 28:19, 20 "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." This preaching and teaching would continue down to the 'conclusion of the system of things' and anyone who considers themselves a Christian would surely take this command seriously.
Though the Witnesses at the time did not understand the full implication of events about to take place, the Watch Tower magazine as far back as December of 1879 pointed to 1914 as a marked date in regard to Bible prophecy. And the March 1880 issue of the Watch Tower linked God’s Kingdom rule with the ending of what Jesus Christ referred to as “the appointed times of the nations,” or “the times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24; Authorized Version) That Watch Tower said: “‘The Times of the Gentiles’ extend to 1914, and the heavenly kingdom will not have full sway till then.”
2007-10-22 11:31:11 · answer #2 · answered by Iron Serpent 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
For the Son of guy will come like the lightning which flashes around the finished sky from the east to the west. "everywhere there's a ineffective physique, the vultures will collect. "quickly after the hardship of those days, the solar will advance dark, the moon will now not shine, the celebs will fall from heaven, and the powers in area would be pushed from their classes. Then the sign of the Son of guy will look interior the sky; and all of the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of guy drawing near the clouds of heaven with capacity and great glory. the great trumpet will sound, and he will deliver out his angels to the 4 corners of the earth, and that they're going to collect his chosen human beings from one end of the international to the different. Matthew 24:26-31 everyone with an enterance much less that the only defined above is a pretend prophet. i think of you would be attentive to while He arrives.
2016-11-09 05:32:29 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Christ returned as Jesus, since that time Jesus the Christ has never left us. Jesus the Christ was cast down to the earth as the Word of God, He became the living Word of God, that was given to us in our hearts, when we were born in the spirit. He dwelt with us, and left us His Words.Those who have heard his Words and believe He dwells within them, they are His temple, and He is their Shepard
He (His Words) have never left us.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
We (our released souls) upon death, will meet Jesus in the air, coming in His kingdom. Jesus will never come back to the earth, we shall go to Him.
The end of the world is the end of the Age, No one has ever died, we are spirits. Judgment Day will be in the year 2800 AD. All those left on the earth after 2800 AD worship the beast. and they will go into the lake of fire.
2007-10-22 12:22:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christ hasn't returned yet. What's the Watchtower?
2007-10-22 11:27:31 · answer #5 · answered by michelle 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
They are not Christians even if they call themselves Christians.
They suggested many dates, but yes, they settled to this date. Why? So that they do not make any more blunders about it. How convenient to claim that His Second Return was invisible!
2007-10-22 12:07:18 · answer #6 · answered by Ulrika 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The term "Christian" refers to a follower of Christ. The concept does not seem to be complicated by a belief that Christ's [second] presence has been a reality since 1914.
Regarding 1914, the Scriptures do show that Jesus sat on the throne of the Messianic Kingship that year. In hindsight, most of humankind can see the historic upheaval that began with World War I. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that mankind in general has seen a wide range of specific signs since 1914, and that anyone can perceive these as significant without even opening a bible.
Yet the bible DOES comment upon it! Jesus foretold this specific collection of signs as evidence that his "presence" or so-called 'second coming' had arrived. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that "presence" to be Jesus' presence as the King of God's Kingdom. Citations are from both New World Translation (NWT) and Youngs Literal Translation (YLT).
(Matthew 24:3, NWT) disciples approached [Jesus] privately, saying: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence
(Matthew 24:3, YLT) the disciples came near to [Jesus], saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence...?
(Luke 21:7,24, NWT) Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are destined to occur?
(Luke 21:7,24, YLT) Teacher, when, then, shall these things be? and what is the sign when these things may be about to happen?'
Amazingly, since the 1870's, Jehovah's Witnesses had recognized 1914 as a significant year according to the chronology indicated in bible prophecy. Decades before 1914, Witnesses noted that Jesus' discussion of his second "coming", or second "presence" specifically mentions "the appointed times of the nations", which Jehovah's Witnesses believe to be a centuries-long period of relative godlessness when God's rulership through the Davidic kingship was interrupted (the line of hereditary kings beginning with King David of Israel). Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that the Davidic kingship ended in 607 BCE when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and would begin again during the fulfillment of the composite "sign" of Matthew 24 and Luke 21.
(Luke 21:24, NWT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.
(Luke 21:24, YLT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] shall be trodden down by nations, till the times of nations be fulfilled.
How long would "the appointed times of the nations" last? Daniel chapter 4 contains a prophecy in which God's rulership, through the Davidic kings is represented by a "tree". That tree is kept down for "seven times", which seems to be seven periods of 360 "days" (See Rev 12:6,14). So Daniel 4:15 seems to be referring to 2520 "days" when God's governmental rulership would not be seen.
(Daniel 4:11-17, NWT) The tree grew up and became strong, and its very height finally reached the heavens, and it was visible to the extremity of the whole earth. ...14 He ["a holy one"] was calling out loudly, and this is what he was saying: "CHOP the tree down... 15 However, LEAVE its rootstock itself in the earth... let seven times pass over it. 17 ...that people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that to the one whom he wants to, he gives it and he sets up over it even the lowliest one of mankind.
(Daniel 4:11-17, YLT) Become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land...14 He ["a holy one"] is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree...15 but the stump of its roots leave in the earth...and seven times pass over him; 17 ...that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.
But in history, 2520 days is not a significant amount of time. Jehovah's Witnesses look to Scriptures such as Num 14:34 and Ez 4:6 and re-examine the history using 2520 YEARS instead. From 607 BCE to 1914 CE is 2520 years; so many significant things happened that year, and World War I was only one part!.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm
2007-10-22 15:52:40 · answer #7 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
lol.. The whole world will know when Jesus returns, thus why he has NOT returned yet. Many crazy ppl claim to be Jesus.
2007-10-22 11:24:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
It will be very loud when Christ returns.
They can call themselves Christians but they are not.
2007-10-22 11:46:25 · answer #9 · answered by The Daughter of the King, BaC 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
people say christ is coming back all the time no one knows when this is happening not even christ himself so idk why people keep saying stuff like that
2007-10-22 11:25:47 · answer #10 · answered by lizardklutzz 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋