A Special Alert for Jehovah's Witnesses and friends of C.T.Russell.....
First of all let me assure this is not an attack on your beliefs, but information that you can confirm with some effort on your part from sources you can trust.
In 1916, on October 1, Charles Taze Russell re-wrote the introductions to almost all of the Studies in the Scriptures. In those new introductions he asserted firmly and repeatedly that mankind was in the "Time of Trouble" or the Great Tribulation. And 30 days later this very kind, gentle Bible teacher died on the anniversary of Noah's flood, October 31. (Surprisingly the Studies in the Scriptures are still being printed. These volumes are printed by the Dawn Bible Students Association, New Brunswick Bible Student Congregation and the Fort Worth Bible Students, and possibly others. These last editions will confirm what I have just said. [There are only 6 volumes written by C.T.Russell, the seventh was an assemblage of Russell's thoughts by others]).
C.T.Russell's personality, zeal, reasonableness, and decency earned him the trust and loyalty of many people. Perhaps more than he would have wished.
Had Russell
lived 3 or 4 more years, he would have recognized his mistake that
mankind had not, in fact, gone through the Great Tribulation. However
it was not until well over 50 years later that F.Franz, in 1969,
explained that the Great Tribulation had in fact, never started. Up
until that time Jehovah's Witnesses believed and taught that the Great
Tribulation had begun in 1914,
had stopped temporarily, and would resume with the final event, the
destruction of 'Babylon the Great'. Find an old-timer in your group and I
mean an old, old-timer,
from the 1950's, and ask them and they (if they remember) will confirm
this. Or read in your older books. (This is why Witnesses think that the
Great Tribulation
will begin with the destruction of Babylon the Great, when, in fact,
that
is the last event. Read Revelation chapter 16, hey, I'm not making this
up. In the first century Jerusalem was destroyed at the end
of the 3 1/2 years not
the beginning.) Who does Jerusalem picture? In point of fact, not only
will Babylon
not be destroyed at the beginning of The Great Tribulation, but during
that time she will rise to a level of power and glory unprecedented in
human history, it will be jaw-dropping and on an order of magnitude
that
will literally 'beggar the imagination'. (Link
1, 2,
3,
)Factor in this comment by Jesus about the 'Great Tribulation' at
Matthew 24:24,25; "For
false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs
and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look!
I have forewarned you". How could false Christs and false prophets be
performing great signs if Babylon the Great is dead? They would have to
be part and parcel of 'Babylon'. In reading Revelation 18 it is obvious
that Babylon is destroyed at the peak of her powers 'in one
hour'. This dramatic rise in the power and glory of Babylon the Great
may be a new thought to you, but just take a minute or two to
re-consider it. (this additional thought should really
put you over the top; The Destruction of Babylon the Great takes place after
Armageddon. And on top of that, there is no such thing as the Battle
of Armageddon mentioned in the Bible. Re-read Revelation 16:16. Note
Har-Magedon
is described as a place, not an
event. Verse 19 goes on to
show that Babylon is "remembered" after
the nations
are gathered at Har-Magedon. And then after the Nations destroy
Babylon,
they in turn are dealt with by God. hmmmm.... now, that's a little
different.
note: this is not an interpretation, it's merely reading the sequence
of
events as written in the Bible.)
Unfortunately for over 50 years (c. 1919-1969) prophecies that only have application to the Great Tribulation and beyond were mistakenly (but with no dishonest intent) applied to 1914. It was not until as recently as 1999 (May 1) that Russell's correct understanding of the Great Tribulation being 3 1/2 years was re-recognized (at least for the first century). Also at that same time (May 1, 1999) it was recognized that the 'disgusting thing that causes desolation' had not yet stood in a holy place. Originally Mr. Rutherford had applied this to the League of Nations in the early years after WW 1. And it had been re-applied to the UN after WW 2. *
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Bible Students are morally wonderful people. Interestingly they are usually the first target of a tyrannical government i.e. Nazi Germany, Russia, etc. However, in terms of Bible prophecy they are in URGENT need of re-calibration.
*Ask yourself two questions.
1. What's the most disgusting thing the UN has ever done?
answer: nothing
2. How much desolation have they ever caused?
answer: none
Now ask those same questions about the Soviet Union/Russia......
Also
consider this. What was the 'disgusting
thing that causes desolation' in the first century?
Answer: The militarized arm of the then-dominant world power, Rome.
Who is going to be the dominant world power in the near future?
Answer: The 'King of the north'. Not an NGO (non-government
organization)*
Russia/re-formulated Soviet Union also fits the beast that 'was but is not and will ascend' out of the abyss.
Hey, don't have a cow, just think about it.
*Bonus point riddle: Why would a known enemy secretly
go to great lengths to prove to you that what you already know is true,
is true?
You might need to read that twice, I'll wait......
Answer: Because what you believe to be true is not true and it is to
your enemy's advantage for you to keep on believing it.
The Point? Around 1985-6, at the time that the 'Generation of 1914' was
near it's end the U.N. suddenly started becoming very powerful, right
on time for the apparent fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and then in the
early '90s it all went away. It looked so perfect and then it all went
away and nobody said "hey, wait a second, I smell a Rat...."
Click on this Link
to read about an amazing Historical/Biblical discovery
All who agree with you are not your friends, all who disagree with you are not your enemies.