In last week’s post, I mentioned that when its 1914 prophecies failed, one of the options the Watchtower exercised was to recalculate and reinterpret Scripture.

In this post, I will detail some of the changes they made.

Most Jehovah’s Witnesses are completely unaware of the Watchtower prophecies I have documented so far in this series.

In fact, they have been taught and believe a whitewashed version of Watchtower prophetic history.

  • “Under the guidance of God’s spirit of freedom the magazine today known as the Watchtower but known back there as Zion’s Watch Tower, began to be published in July, 1879. In the first year of its publication it pointed to the date 1914 as marked in the Bible.” (What Has Religion Done For Mankind, 1951, p. 308)
  • “Years in advance Bible Scholars realized that 1914 was to be a year of great significance. They expected great changes to take place, and the facts confirm that 1914 was, indeed, a marked year.” (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968, p. 91)
  • “This remnant of anointed ones have identified themselves on the pages of history since 1914 C.E. Before this year members of this anointed remnant had been earnestly studying God’s Word apart from Christendom. They put the Holy Bible ahead of man-made religious traditions. As early as 1876 they were publishing that the Gentile Times of 2,520 years would terminate in the year 1914. Events that have taken place from that year onward prove they were not wrong.” (God’s “Eternal Purpose” Now Triumphing For Man’s Good; 1974, pp. 178-179)
  • “As far back as 1876, Jehovah’ s Witnesses realized that Bible prophecy marked the year 1914 C.E. as a time when major events would take place that would have far-reaching effects on human affairs. They gave the reason for this fact wide publicity.” (True Peace And Security, 1986, p. 70)

But look at the significant differences between what the Watchtower proclaimed as “truth” in Russell’s day (“then”) and today (“now”).

 

Then: The last days began in 1799.

Now: The last days began in 1914.

 

Then: Jesus returned invisibly in 1874.

Now: Jesus returned invisibly in 1914.

 

Then: Jesus started ruling in heaven in 1878.

Now: Jesus started ruling in heaven in 1914.

 

Then: 1874 began a 40-year gospel harvest period which would end in 1914.

Now: 1874 was nothing special and a harvest period of unspecified length began in 1919 when Christ designated the Watchtower organization as his “faithful and discreet slave.”

 

Then: 1914 was the end of the Gentile Times, which meant:

  • Armageddon would end then.
  • All false religion would be ended then.
  • All earthly governments would be destroyed then.
  • Heavenly and earthly resurrections would occur then.
  • Christ’s millennial kingdom / earthly paradise would begin then.

Now: 1914 was the end of the Gentile times, which means:

  • Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth then.
  • All of the events listed above must occur before the “generation of 1914” passes away. (future posts will discuss changes in the Watchtower definition of “generation”)

Earlier in this post, I said that the Watchtower has given Jehovah’s Witnesses a whitewashed version of its prophetic history.

In fact, it’s worse than that.

They have frequently misrepresented what it was that they prophesied:

  • “As for the time of Christ’s second presence, Daniel’s prophecy is again the one that gives the chronology for it. (Dan. 4:16) It was figured out as pointing to A.D. 1914, and The Watchtower called notice to the significance of 1914 in the year 1879.” (The Watchtower, November 1, 1952, p. 658)
  • “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.’” (Awake!, January 22, 1973, p. 8)
  • “The Watchtower has consistently presented evidence to honest hearted students of Bible prophecy that Jesus’ presence in heavenly Kingdom power began in 1914. Events since that year testify to Jesus’ invisible presence.” (The Watchtower, January 15, 1993, p. 5)
  • “Jehovah’s Witnesses have consistently shown from the Scriptures that the year 1914 marked the beginning of this world’s time of the end and that ‘the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men’ has drawn near.” (The Watchtower, August 15, 1993, p. 9)