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Author: David Englund (page 3 of 85)

“This Generation” Means the 1914 Generation

As I described in last week’s post, for some time after the 1925 debacle the Watchtower stopped proclaiming specific dates for the “last days,” preferring instead to tie them to “this generation.”

According to president Joseph “Judge” Rutherford, this meant everyone in the new creation—from Jesus’ original disciples down to Rutherford himself and all 20th century “anointed” ones.

At least some of “this generation”—the anointed—would be on earth when Armageddon came.

Once Rutherford explained that there are two classes of Christians—the 144,000 anointed and the great crowd of other sheep—it was no longer clear who the anointed were.

This amorphous concept was open ended and did nothing to fuel end times fervor. Continue reading

“This Generation” Means the New Creation

In 1931, Watchtower president Joseph Rutherford admitted that “God’s faithful people on earth emphasized the importance of the dates 1914 and 1918 and 1925. They had much to say about these dates and what would come to pass, but all they predicted did not come to pass.” (Vindication, Vol. 1, p. 146).

He further asserted that they had learned to quit fixing dates or making specific predictions.

There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918 and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time. Later the faithful learned that these dates were definitely fixed in the Scriptures; and they also learned to quit fixing dates for the future and predicting what would come to pass on a certain date, but to rely (and they do rely) upon the Word of God as to the events that must come to pass. (Vindication, p. 338-339)

In fact, after 1925, the Watchtower had a dilemma.

They wanted to continue growing by fanning the flames of the nearness of Armageddon, but they didn’t want to prophesy about another specific date and risk a repeat of the failures of its prophecies regarding 1914, 1918, and 1925.

So Watchtower president Joseph Rutherford focused on Jesus’ phrase “this generation.” Continue reading

Beth Sarim

Beth Sarim is not the name of a woman.

It’s the name of a house—a house that was built in San Diego by the Watchtower organization in 1929.

The Watchtower says that it was built for Watchtower president Joseph Rutherford’s use: “In time, a direct contribution was made for the purpose of constructing a house in San Diego for brother Rutherford’s use. Concerning this property the 1939 book Salvation stated: ‘At San Diego, California, there is a small piece of land, on which, in the year 1929, there was built a house, which is called and known as Beth Sarim.’” (Yearbook, 1975, p. 194)

But that’s only a half truth.

It was actually built for King David and the Old Testament patriarchs, whose return was expected at any time. Continue reading

1925—Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Contrary to the Watchtower’s prophetic pronouncements:

  • The end of the world’s governments did not come in 1914.
  • The churches were not destroyed wholesale in 1918.
  • The “earthquake” did not come in 1918.
  • The “fire” did not come in 1920.
  • The republics did not disappear in 1920.
  • A “spasm of anguish” greater than that of World War I did not come upon Christendom in 1920.

The Watchtower leaders could have admitted their ignorance and stopped prophesying.

Instead, they charged ahead, proclaiming boldly that the resurrection of the Old Testament patriarchs would occur in 1925 and that “millions now living will never die.” Continue reading

The Finished Mystery

The next president of the Watchtower, Joseph “Judge” Rutherford, eventually rejected many of his predecessor’s teachings, but he couldn’t do so right away because Charles Taze Russell was revered by his followers.

When Russell died in the fall of 1916, the Watchtower leaders moved quickly to bridge to the future.

In 1917, they published The Finished Mystery. It was presented as Volume 7 of Studies in the Scriptures, the posthumous book of Russell.

In fact, it was written by other men.

The Watchtower now claims that in 1918-1919, Jesus Christ personally inspected all the world’s religions. He found the Watchtower organization to be spiritually cleansed from past errors and faithfully dispensing spiritual food. Accordingly, he designated it to be the “faithful and discreet slave” of Matthew 24:45 and gave it dominion over all of his affairs on earth.

In effect, it became Jehovah’s one true religious organization on earth, authorized to speak and act on his behalf.

Given that The Finished Mystery was the last book it published and promoted before Jesus’ claimed inspection, I want to take some time to discuss it. Continue reading

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