As I mentioned last time, Don Cameron1, a one-time Jehovah's Witness (JW) elder, has tabled 48 doctrines which the Watchtower Society (WtS) was teaching from 1876 to 1919 but now no longer teaches.
The WtS believes now that Jesus Christ returned invisibly in 1914 and began inspecting the societies, organisations and religions of the world according to various criteria. Four criteria were to be applied to the teachings of these organisations according to the JW historian of the WtS, Frederick Franz, in Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (Proclaimers) (1993)* (free pdf download from the Internet) p. 47:
a) teaching must be correct
b) teaching must be at the proper time
c) teaching must be found in the Scriptures
d) teaching must be rejected if found to be based on tradition (as summarised by Cameron).
We can't cover all the 48 beliefs cited by Cameron but I will cover 3 of them in some detail below and then list others below these below.
Three Early Major WtS Beliefs
1. One of these doctrinal beliefs was the important year, 1874, which the Watchtower claimed was the year in which Jesus' second coming or 'presence' took place invisibly.
They kept teaching this 1874 date until it was quietly changed by J. F. Rutherford to 1914 in 1943 (which I can confirm) or perhaps even earlier in 1930 (-I haven't been able to confirm this earlier date though a number of JW authorities cite it). For example see http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/JWBoastfulLies72.htm
However, the point is that if Jesus Christ had inspected the WtS in 1919 this 1874 date would not have fulfilled the criterion of being spiritual 'food in due season' because even the WtS has agreed that the 1874 date was wrong. Hence, the Society would have failed to receive Christ's approval in 1919. It would have FAILED Jesus' test.
2. Charles Taze Russell was believed to be the 'faithful and discreet slave' mentioned in Matthew 24.45-47 (see Proclaimers p. 142f); although this teaching was not confirmed by Russell publicly it was voiced publicly by his wife in 1891. It appears he did hold this view as can be seen in Zion’s Watch Tower (April 25, 1894, p. 59 cited from Crisis of Conscience2 by Raymond Franz p. 59f, seen in a reproduction of the actual text). It is recorded again in The Finished Mystery Vol VII, Studies in the Scriptures (first published 1917, see preface) by C. T. Russell, edited by others after his death.
The WtS does not hold this belief now but it did hold it in 1919 and beyond until it was changed. However, the fact that it did hold it in 1919 means that it could not have passed Jesus' judgement as the 'faithful and discreet slave' (in 1919) and was no better than any of the other religious organisations in existence.
In fact, it was worse because the WtS has continued to claim that it passed the test when it is patently obvious that it couldn't have possibly done so by simply examining its own published documents.
3. The WtS taught that the Millennium had begun which Russell based on the end of the 6th millennium in 1873. (Russell instanced the perfecting of the sewing machine as a portent of this new age!) But after Russell's death in 1916, J F Rutherford in 1918 changed Russell's 1873 date to 1925!
Rutherford made much of this announcement in a sermon, (later a book) entitled, 'Millions Now Living Will Never Die!' He compounded his proclamation by stating that Old Testament saints (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets) would be resurrected in 1925 to rule God's Kingdom on earth!
We can only wonder what the inspecting Lord Jesus made of this organisation in 1918 which through one sermon altered a focal date such as this original year (1873) shifting it 52 years into the future! Needless to say, nothing happened in 1925 relating to Rutherford's prophecy and Beth Sarim ('house of princes') (a special mansion built to house the saints of old) became the residence of Rutherford himself!
Moreover, what is astounding is that the WtS doesn't see what this monumental blunder in inaccurately predicting what Jehovah was about to do implies about the Society itself.
For the clear inference from the 1925 failure is that the Society was not giving correct doctrine at the proper time when Rutherford gave his sermon. Hence, the Society wasn't and couldn't be chosen as Jehovah's unique organisation on earth as Rutherford was only giving a man-made oracle.
Further Failed Prophecies
4. All Gentile Nations Would Be Destroyed by the End of 1914 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
5. God's Fire Would Fall From Heaven On Christendom In 1918 (Rutherford) -Not Fulfilled
6. Battle of Armageddon would end in 1914 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
7. 'Anointed' Christians taken to heaven soon after 1915 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
Any readers wanting to follow this type of approach to JWs might like to follow up some of the information given in this post and former posts on this subjects as there is a notable amount of basic WtS literature on the Internet.
See http://bit.ly/1OnejcL , a shortened page using a similar argument against the WtS as above. See also http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1919-derived.php
Another site with a similar argument as above but based on one WtS book is
http://ex-jw.com/the-finished-mystery-the-book-jesus-approved
An excellent Roman Catholic site on the WtS is worthy of mention because of its links to WtS historical sources. http://bit.ly/1Onf8SG
In realising that JWs will be coming to our doors and may become true Christians if we are faithful to the Lord and are well-prepared, we could also consult this source:
http://cftf.com/rescue/index.htm
* This history of the JWs is vague in parts and blurs where it could be more clear but it is worth reading.
1. Cameron, D. (2005). Captives to a concept. (Anatomy of an illusion.) Morrisville, NC: Lulu. This book is available from Amazon electronically to desktop, and Kindle quite cheaply.
2. This book can be downloaded as a pdf from Internet and is highly recommended.
The WtS believes now that Jesus Christ returned invisibly in 1914 and began inspecting the societies, organisations and religions of the world according to various criteria. Four criteria were to be applied to the teachings of these organisations according to the JW historian of the WtS, Frederick Franz, in Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (Proclaimers) (1993)* (free pdf download from the Internet) p. 47:
a) teaching must be correct
b) teaching must be at the proper time
c) teaching must be found in the Scriptures
d) teaching must be rejected if found to be based on tradition (as summarised by Cameron).
We can't cover all the 48 beliefs cited by Cameron but I will cover 3 of them in some detail below and then list others below these below.
Three Early Major WtS Beliefs
1. One of these doctrinal beliefs was the important year, 1874, which the Watchtower claimed was the year in which Jesus' second coming or 'presence' took place invisibly.
They kept teaching this 1874 date until it was quietly changed by J. F. Rutherford to 1914 in 1943 (which I can confirm) or perhaps even earlier in 1930 (-I haven't been able to confirm this earlier date though a number of JW authorities cite it). For example see http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/JWBoastfulLies72.htm
However, the point is that if Jesus Christ had inspected the WtS in 1919 this 1874 date would not have fulfilled the criterion of being spiritual 'food in due season' because even the WtS has agreed that the 1874 date was wrong. Hence, the Society would have failed to receive Christ's approval in 1919. It would have FAILED Jesus' test.
2. Charles Taze Russell was believed to be the 'faithful and discreet slave' mentioned in Matthew 24.45-47 (see Proclaimers p. 142f); although this teaching was not confirmed by Russell publicly it was voiced publicly by his wife in 1891. It appears he did hold this view as can be seen in Zion’s Watch Tower (April 25, 1894, p. 59 cited from Crisis of Conscience2 by Raymond Franz p. 59f, seen in a reproduction of the actual text). It is recorded again in The Finished Mystery Vol VII, Studies in the Scriptures (first published 1917, see preface) by C. T. Russell, edited by others after his death.
The WtS does not hold this belief now but it did hold it in 1919 and beyond until it was changed. However, the fact that it did hold it in 1919 means that it could not have passed Jesus' judgement as the 'faithful and discreet slave' (in 1919) and was no better than any of the other religious organisations in existence.
In fact, it was worse because the WtS has continued to claim that it passed the test when it is patently obvious that it couldn't have possibly done so by simply examining its own published documents.
3. The WtS taught that the Millennium had begun which Russell based on the end of the 6th millennium in 1873. (Russell instanced the perfecting of the sewing machine as a portent of this new age!) But after Russell's death in 1916, J F Rutherford in 1918 changed Russell's 1873 date to 1925!
Rutherford made much of this announcement in a sermon, (later a book) entitled, 'Millions Now Living Will Never Die!' He compounded his proclamation by stating that Old Testament saints (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets) would be resurrected in 1925 to rule God's Kingdom on earth!
We can only wonder what the inspecting Lord Jesus made of this organisation in 1918 which through one sermon altered a focal date such as this original year (1873) shifting it 52 years into the future! Needless to say, nothing happened in 1925 relating to Rutherford's prophecy and Beth Sarim ('house of princes') (a special mansion built to house the saints of old) became the residence of Rutherford himself!
Moreover, what is astounding is that the WtS doesn't see what this monumental blunder in inaccurately predicting what Jehovah was about to do implies about the Society itself.
For the clear inference from the 1925 failure is that the Society was not giving correct doctrine at the proper time when Rutherford gave his sermon. Hence, the Society wasn't and couldn't be chosen as Jehovah's unique organisation on earth as Rutherford was only giving a man-made oracle.
Further Failed Prophecies
4. All Gentile Nations Would Be Destroyed by the End of 1914 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
5. God's Fire Would Fall From Heaven On Christendom In 1918 (Rutherford) -Not Fulfilled
6. Battle of Armageddon would end in 1914 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
7. 'Anointed' Christians taken to heaven soon after 1915 (Russell) -Not Fulfilled
Any readers wanting to follow this type of approach to JWs might like to follow up some of the information given in this post and former posts on this subjects as there is a notable amount of basic WtS literature on the Internet.
See http://bit.ly/1OnejcL , a shortened page using a similar argument against the WtS as above. See also http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1919-derived.php
Another site with a similar argument as above but based on one WtS book is
http://ex-jw.com/the-finished-mystery-the-book-jesus-approved
An excellent Roman Catholic site on the WtS is worthy of mention because of its links to WtS historical sources. http://bit.ly/1Onf8SG
In realising that JWs will be coming to our doors and may become true Christians if we are faithful to the Lord and are well-prepared, we could also consult this source:
http://cftf.com/rescue/index.htm
* This history of the JWs is vague in parts and blurs where it could be more clear but it is worth reading.
1. Cameron, D. (2005). Captives to a concept. (Anatomy of an illusion.) Morrisville, NC: Lulu. This book is available from Amazon electronically to desktop, and Kindle quite cheaply.
2. This book can be downloaded as a pdf from Internet and is highly recommended.
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