Many—perhaps most—Jehovah’s Witnesses have no idea that passageway measurements of the Great Pyramid of Egypt had anything to do with the Watchtower’s end times predictions.

But it did.

In fact, there were three contradictory stages in Watchtower pyramidology.

Stage 1: In 1881, the Watchtower proclaimed the Pyramid to be “God’s Stone Witness.”

Charles Taze Russell was convinced that measurements (in inches) of the main passageway of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh confirmed these end-times prophecies. In his 1881 book, Thy Kingdom Come (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. III (1903 edition), pp. 313-314), he called the pyramid, “God’s stone witness.”

Why should this pyramid be confirmation of anything at all? Russell cited Isaiah 19:19-20 as his proof text: “In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt.”

He commented: “Viewed from whatever standpoint we please, the Great Pyramid is certainly the most remarkable building in the world; but in the light of an investigation which has been in progress for the past thirty-two years, it acquires new interest to every Christian advanced in the study of God’s Word; for it seems in a remarkable manner to teach, in harmony with all the prophets, an outline for the plan of God, past, present, and future.” (emphasis added).

After showing these quotations to Jehovah’s Witnesses, two good questions to ask are:

• Why should a measurement in inches be relevant? The unit of measurement in the Bible was cubits.
• Why doesn’t the Watchtower teach this pyramidology today?

Stage 2: In 1907, the Watchtower deliberately altered a supposed Pyramid measurement by 41 inches  to match its changed chronology.

The March 1, 1979 Watchtower (p. 24) made this defense of its prophetic changes: “The increasing light on God’s Word as well as the facts of history have repeatedly required that adjustments of one kind or another be made down to the very present time. But let us never forget that the motives of this ‘slave’ were always pure, unselfish; at all times it has been well-meaning.”

But is this true?

Here is an excerpt from Russell’s Studies in the Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come, Series III, p. 342. The boldface shows the changes between the measurements reported in the 1897 and 1907 editions of the book:

1897 edition:

“Then measuring down the Entrance Passage from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the ‘Pit,’ representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years from the above date, B.C. 1542. This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years B.C. plus 1874 years A.D. equals 3416. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1874 was the chronological beginning of the time of trouble…” (Russell, Studies in the Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come, Series III, p. 342, 1897 edition)

1907 edition:

“Then measuring down the Entrance Passage from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the ‘Pit,’ representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years from the above date, B.C. 1542. This calculation shows A.D. 1915 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years B.C. plus 1915 years A.D. equals 3457. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning.” (Russell, Studies in the Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come, Series III, p. 342, 1907 edition)

fter showing them this, you can ask Jehovah’s Witnesses:

• Did the Entrance Passage of the Great Pyramid really grow by 41 inches between 1897 and 1907?
• Didn’t the Watchtower simply alter reported measurements to make them appear to support its new chronology?
• Was that honest?

Stage 3: In 1928, more than 10 years after Russell’s death, the Watchtower denounced the Pyramid as “Satan’s Bible.”

The November 15, 1928 Watchtower (p. 344) said as follows:

Is it not passing strange that if God intended his church to be taught by the measurements of a pile of stone neither Jesus nor any of the apostles has one word to say about it, but, on the contrary, emphasize the necessity of adhering closely to the Word of truth and unselfishly serving it? If, therefore, God did not intend his church to be taught by, of and concerning the great pyramid of Gizeh, then to teach it in the church is a waste of time, to say the least of it. It is more than a waste of time. It is diverting the mind away from the Word of God and from his service. If the pyramid is not mentioned in the Bible, then following its teachings is being led by vain philosophy and false science and not following after Christ (The Watchtower, 11/15/28, p. 344).

As I mentioned in a post several years ago, you can show the Witnesses this reversal and ask them:

• Why did they say that the pyramid isn’t mentioned in the Bible when the earlier publication taught that Isaiah 19:19-20 specifically refers to it?
• Is the Watchtower saying that from 1881 until 1928, when it was stressing the importance of the Pyramid and verifying its chronology by its measurements, it was “being led by vain philosophy and false science and not following after Christ?”
• If so, why would Jehovah choose the Watchtower organization in 1919 and call it his channel of communication and his faithful and wise servant?

In the same article, the Watchtower also denounced the pyramid as satanic! “The Devil, by the use of the descendants of Ham, set up Egypt, or the land of Ham, as the first great world power. Then Satan put his knowledge in dead stone, which may be called Satan’s Bible, and not God’s stone witness. In erecting the pyramid, of course, Satan would put in it some truth, because that is his method of practicing fraud and deceit.” (The Watchtower, 11/15/28, p. 344).

Ask the Witnesses:

• Which organization was it that cited the measurements of the Great Pyramid as proof of the truth of its chronology?
• Isn’t the Watchtower admitting here that for many years it was being deceived by Satan rather than communicating prophetic truth from Jehovah?
• Given these facts, please help me understand why we should consider the Watchtower to be a reliable channel of communication for Jehovah.

You might also remind them of the Watchtower’s question of April 1, 1972 (p. 197): “Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a ‘prophet’ of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?”