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Comprehensive List of False Dates Set by the Watchtower

1776" is the year the year to which the claim refers. Where no specific date is claimed, the earliest date of publication by WTBTS of the quoted text is shown. The list is sorted by this date.

 

The section following that, within " ", is the quotation. Anything within brackets ( ) therein was also bracketed in the original. Anything in " " within the quoted text has been altered to ' ' for clarity. Text has only been omitted for brevity, without changing the meaning of the quotation - omitted text is replaced by ..

 

The source publication is identified in { } - here BATT refers "C.T.Russell: Studies in the Scriptures IV - Battle of Armageddon (till 1910, called The Day of Vengeance), 1897, 1904-20, 1923-5, 1927". The key-list of publications appears at the end of Part 3/3. As no date is shown against the abbreviated name, the quotation is present in the earliest version (and is likely to be present in all versions, as there is no reference to the contrary). 584 refers to the page number on which the quotation is to be found in the version referred to.

 

Text within [ ] represents (my) commentary. It may well contain other quotations in " ".

1776 "And this long persecution, in which 'many were purified and made white and tried,' and in which the Mother of Harlots was 'drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus' (Rev. 17:6) ended as we have already shown, practically in 1776.." {BATT 584} [Also see 1799]

1780 "signs in sun, moon and stars [of] Matthew 24:29" {WR Jan 1885 711}

1780 "Are these signs to be regarded as literal or as symbolic? and have they yet been fulfilled? We answer that they have had a literal fulfillment, and are now having a symbolic fulfillment much more momentous. On May 19, 1780 (still 'in those days,' the 1260 years of Papal power, but after that power had begun to wane and the brunt of the tribulation had passed) a phenomenal darkening of the sun occurred, for which scientists of that time and since have never been able to account.. This unaccountable day, except as a sign from the Lord, is reckoned to have extended over 320,000 square miles - an area about twenty-five times the size of Palestine, to which the signs of the first advent were limited. Indeed, the fact that these signs were chiefly confined to the New England and Middle States need not surprise us, when we remember that the first movement amongst the 'Virgins'* (Matt. 25:1-5) was chiefly in the same locality. And that God should use the 'land of liberty' for sending the message of these signs to the world, is no more wonderful than that he has been pleased to send from the same quarter many of the modern blessings and inventions and lessons, recognized by the whole world, and aptly emblemized by the gift of the great French artist, Bartholdi, to New York harbor - the statue of 'Liberty Enlightening the World.'" {BATT 585-8}

1798 "Start of 'the last days'" [i.e. after the end of 1260 days of Rev 12.] {HOTW 1147}

1798-99 "Having thus furnished grounds for establishing the identity of this character (Napoleon), whose deeds mark the beginning of the 'Time of the End,' the prophecy proceeds to show which particular event of that time is to be understood as definitely marking the exact date of the beginning of the 'Time of the End.' This event is shown to be Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, which covered a period of a year and nearly five months. He sailed May, 1798 and, returning, landed in France Oct. 9, 1799. This campaign is graphically described in a few words in verses 40-44. Verse 40: 'And at the (fixed) Time of the End shall the king of the South (Egypt) fight against him, and the king of the North (England) shall come against him like a tempest, with chariots and with horsemen (the Egyptian Mamelukes, etc.) and with a great navy. (The English forces consisted of a navy under Admiral Nelson.) And he (Napoleon) shall enter into the countries, and shall destroy and pass through (victoriously).'" {TKIC 44-5}

1799 "After the three and a half years, 1260 days, when Elijah returned from the wilderness, the errors of Jezebel's priests were manifested, the true God was honored, and copious rains followed. 1 Kings 18:41-45. At the end of 1260 years the power of the truth and its witnesses was manifested (A.D. 1799)" {TIAH 256}

1799 ".. this great apostasy or falling away mentioned by Paul has come, and that this Man of Sin has been developed, has sat 'in the temple of God' (the real, not the typical), has fulfilled all the predictions of the apostles and prophets concerning his character, work, etc., has been revealed, and now, since A.D. 1799, is being consumed by the spirit of the Lord's mouth (the truth), and will be utterly destroyed during this day of the Lord's wrath and revelation with flaming fire of retribution, already beginning." {TIAH 272-3}

1799 "Henceforth we deal with the Antichrist, whose gradual development and organization from secretly working ambition are a fitting prelude to the terrible character displayed after the coveted power had been grasped - from 539 A.D. to 1799 A.D., 1260 years." {TIAH 296}

1799 "1799 .. start of 'the last days'" {WR Jan/Feb 1889 1093}

1799 "THE 'Time of the End,' a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures.. Though our information pointing out the date of this period is furnished in Daniel's prophecy, we know that he understood nothing at all concerning it, as he said: 'I heard, but I understood not.' (Dan. 12:8). In answer to his anxious inquiries he was told that the words were closed up and sealed until the Time of the End. It follows, therefore, that no one could understand the prophecy before 1799 .. But 1799 was only the beginning of the period known as 'the Time of the End,' within the limits of which every vestige of that system shall pass away.. We have thus shown that 1799 began the period called the Time of the End; that in this time Papacy is to be consumed piece-meal" {TKIC 23-4/48/59} [Did every vestige even of the Papacy pass away in 1914?]

1799 "The length of time this persecution was to continue is not stated here, except that it will be concluded as appointed, at the Time of the End. From other scriptures we learn that it was a period of 1260 years, which ended with A.D. 1799, a date prominently noted by Daniel and the Revelator as well as in history." {TKIC 38}

1799 ".. the Lord's little flock of consecrated followers, now living, enjoy greater enlightenment than was ever the privilege of any of their forerunners; for in this period all the rays of prophetic testimony reach a grand focus, illuminating to the eye of faith the plan of God, including its developments, past, present and future. Since the beginning (1799) of the Time of the End, God has been preparing his consecrated 'holy people,' his 'Sanctuary,' for the great blessings he intended to pour upon them during these forty years of harvest: which blessings are also intended as special preparation for their entering with Christ into full joy and joint-heirship with him, as his bride. At the exact 'time appointed,' 1799, the end of the 1260 days, the power of the Man of Sin, the great oppressor of the Church, was broken, and his dominion taken away. With one stroke of his mighty hand, God there struck off Zion's fetters, and bade the oppressed go free. And forth came, and are coming, the 'Sanctuary' class, the 'holy people,' weak, and halt, and lame, and almost naked, and blind, from the dungeon darkness and filth and misery of papal bondage. Poor souls! they had been trying to serve God faithfully in the very midst of the lurid flames of persecution, clinging to the cross of Christ when almost every other truth had been swept away, and courageously endeavoring to emancipate God's 'Two Witnesses' (the Old and New Testaments), which had so long been bound, and which had prophesied only under the sackcloth of dead languages. 'Rev. 11:3'. In his wisdom, God did not overpower them with the great flood of light now granted to the saints..." {TKIC 122-3} [The last sentence means, it was all hidden - predicting events which cannot be verified is relatively safe! TIAH 256 and WR Apr 1880 87 have the same theme]

1799 "The predicted Man of Sin, the Antichrist, has also made his appearance, and accomplished his long and terrible reign; and at the exact 'time appointed' (1799) his dominion was taken away. The cleansing of the sanctuary was also accomplished as predicted." {TKIC 129}

1799 "At the end of 1260 years the power of the truth and its witnesses was manifested (A.D. 1799) .. The saints will be changed from earthly to heavenly conditions.. The present little season, before the storm-cloud bursts upon the world, is a most favorable time for the work of the Elijah class, and corresponds to the successful days of both Elijah and John." {TIAH 256-7}

1799 "We have noted the fulfillment of the 1,260 days, or the time, times and half a time, of Papacy's power to persecute, and the beginning there, in 1799, of the Time of the End." {TKIC 306}

1799 "The Papal dominion (and much of the abject reverence of the people for ecclesiasticism in general), as already shown, was broken down at the beginning of the Time of the End - 1799; and, though the subsequent process of consumption has been slow, and there have been occasional signs of apparent recovery, which never seemed more flattering than at present .." {BATT 37}

1799 "The fact is that the entire Gospel age has been a period of tribulation referred to in Matt. 24:9-12, and now in verse 29. (1) The early Church was persecuted by civil Rome, while later, when Papal Rome got control, all who refused to approve her abominations were persecuted by her (Jezebel) directly, or indirectly by the civil powers to which she was wedded (Ahab). And they were given into her power, and she wore out the saints of the Most High for a time, times and a half time - 1260 years - until A.D. 1799. And this long persecution, in which 'many were purified and made white and tried,' and in which the Mother of Harlots was 'drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus' (Rev. 17:6) ended as we have already shown, practically in 1776 and actually in 1799 when the Pope and his authority were humiliated before the World." {BATT 584}

1799 "Napoleon began this Egyptian campaign in 1798, finished it, and then returned to France on October 1, 1799. The campaign is briefly, yet graphically described in the prophecy, verses 40-44 [Daniel 11:40-44]; and its being completed in 1799 marks, according to the prophet's own words, the beginning of 'the time of the end'." {CREA 293, THOG 1925 ed 228-9}

1799 "'The time of the end' embraces a period from 1799 A.D. to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of Messiah." {CREA 319}

1799 "Twelve hundred and sixty years from 539 A.D. brings us to 1799, which is another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of 'the time of the end'. This also shows that it is from the date 539 A.D. that the other prophetic days of Daniel must be counted." {CREA 294}

1799 "'The time of the end' embraces a period from 1799 A.D." {THOG 236}

1799 "The time of the end is from 1799.." {WT Nov 1 1922 333/346}

1799 "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the "time of the end" began in 1799 .." {WT Mar 1 1922}

1799 "In Biblical symbology a time means a year of twelve months of thirty days each, or 360 days. Each day is considered for a year .. Here are mentioned, then, three and a half times of 360 prophetic days each, or a total of 1260 prophetic days, equal to 1260 years. The Prophet then was shown that 1260 years would mark the beginning of the time of the end of this beastly order. Twelve-hundred sixty years from A.D. 539 brings us to 1799 - another proof that 1799 marks the beginning of the 'time of the end'. This also shows that it is from the date 539 A.D. that the other prophetic days of Daniel must be counted." {THOG 229-30}

1799 "Some Roman Catholics have claimed that Jesus Christ's thousand Year Reign ended in 1799 when French armies captured Rome and deposed the pope as its ruler, so that he was deported as a prisoner to France, where he died." {WT Sep 1 1989 12}

1800 "As, prior to the year 800, Papacy was rising, supported by the Roman 'beast' (people) and by its 'horns' (powers), so since

1800 it has been cast off from temporal authority over kings and peoples, and has been torn and pillaged by those who formerly gave it support. (Rev. 17:16,17)" {TIAH 354-5}

1829 [End of the 1290 years (from 539 A.D.) of Daniel 12:11, when W.Miller's movement started.] {TFIM 40/60/163, OLOR 27}

1829 "Though our information pointing out the date of this period is furnished in Daniel's prophecy, we know that he understood nothing at all concerning it, as he said: 'I heard, but I understood not.' ('Dan. 12:8') In answer to his anxious inquiries he was told that the words were closed up and sealed until the Time of the End. It follows, therefore, that no one could understand the prophecy before 1799; and before leaving the subject we shall show that the prophecy indicates that it would not begin to be understood before 1829 .. We have seen how the 1,290 days marked the beginning of an understanding of the mysteries of prophecy in the year 1829." {TKIC 24/306}

1829 "And note, further, that both of these measures are given in answer to Daniel's question as to what would occur to God's holy ones after their power (the truth) would be released from Papal crushing, (that is, after 1799), and before the setting up of the kingdom of Messiah - Michael. The reply in substance is that Daniel need not hope to understand further, but that in thirty years after the beginning of the Time of the End (1260 + 30 = 1290), a purifying, cleansing, refining work would begin among the holy people, in connection with which an understanding of the prophecy would be granted to the wise among this tried, cleansed, separated class; yet the knowledge would be so communicated that the ungodly and unpurified would not receive or believe it. It was shown, further, that the right understanding of the vision would be far from complete or full; in fact it would be deficient in some of its chief elements until 45 years later (1290 + 45 = 1335), or 75 years after the beginning of the Time of the End, A.D. 1799 (1260 + 75 = 1335). This is clearly indicated by the Hebrew text, which represents the matter as though the watchers, who already have seen something, and are waiting patiently, would suddenly (when '1335 days' had passed) get a full, clear view, far beyond their expectations. 'Oh! the blessedness of him!'. Reckoning from A.D. 539, the 1290 symbolic days ended in 1829 .. A religious movement .. generally known as 'Second Adventists' and 'Millerites,' .. began about 1829.. Thus it will be seen that the separating work of the 'Miller movement' had its beginning at the time foretold - at the end of the 1290 days, 1829." {TKIC 83-4/88}

1829 " Those who choose might without inconsistency say that the century or generation might as properly reckon from the last sign, the falling of the stars, as from the first, the darkening of the sun and moon: and a century beginning 1833 would be still far from run out. Many are living who witnessed the star-falling sign. Those who are walking with us in the light of present truth are not looking for things to come which are already here, but are waiting for the consummation of matters already in progress. Or, since the Master said, 'When ye shall see all these things,' and since 'the sign of the Son of Man in heaven,' and the budding fig tree, and the gathering of 'the elect' are counted among the signs, it would not be inconsistent to reckon the 'generation' from 1878 to 1914 - 36 1/2 years - about the average of human life today." {BATT 604-5} ["the genea of 1833"]

1829 "This message concerning Michael's Kingdom, gradually opening from 1829 onward, is symbolically represented in the book of 'Revelation (chap. 10:2,8-10)' as a 'little book,' which the 'wise' of the 'holy people,' represented by John, are instructed to eat" {TKIC 89}

1833 "signs in sun, moon and stars [of] Matthew 24:29" [had their fulfillment in a mysterious event in 1833] {WR Jan 1885 711}

1833 "Half a century passed before the next sign appeared, the falling of the stars from heaven, as when a fig tree casteth her unripe fruit when shaken of a mighty wind. Our Lord's words found a fulfillment (though not their complete and only fulfillment, as we shall see later) in the wonderful meteoric showers of the early morning of Nov. 13, 1833. Those inclined to quibble by urging that 'the fixed stars did not fall' are reminded that our Lord said nothing about fixed stars falling, and that fixed stars could not fall: their falling would prove that they were not fixed. the event of 1833 seems to have accomplished the purpose of the sign; and indeed, in connection with the preceding sign, it evidently had considerable to do with the first arousing of the Virgins to meet the Bridegroom, prophesied in the next chapter. Matt. 25:1-5.. these literal signs served their designed purpose in drawing general attention to the Time of the End" {BATT 589-91}

1840 "We need not here repeat the evidences that the 'seventh trump' began its sounding A.D. 1840, and will continue until the end of the time of trouble" {ZWT Nov 1880 1}

1844 "But in each case only a few are able to recognize the Deliverer and enlist under his banner in the service of the truth. In the Jewish harvest, there was a going forth of many to meet the Lord when all men 'were in expectation' of him (Luke 3:15), at the time of his birth, thirty years before his anointing as Messiah at the beginning of his ministry; and so there was a corresponding expectation and movement on the part of many (afterward called Adventists) led mainly by a Baptist brother named William Miller, in this country, and by Mr. Wolff and others in Europe and Asia. This culminated in the year A.D. 1844, just thirty years before A.D. 1874, when Christ the Bridegroom and Reaper actually came, as shown by the Jubilee's teaching. In this we find another striking time-parallel between these ages; for those thirty years corresponded exactly to the thirty years from the birth of the babe Jesus unto Messiah the Anointed - baptized, and introduced as Bridegroom and Reaper, at the age of thirty. Matt. 3:11; John 3:29. In both cases there was a disappointment and a tarrying-time of thirty years, during which all slumbered, and only a few in each case awakened at the proper time to a realization of Messiah's presence. The great nominal mass in both houses fail to recognize the visitation, because overcharged and lukewarm, neglecting the command to take heed and watch. Thus will be fulfilled the prediction by the Prophet --'He shall be for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel.' ('Isa. 8:14') The fleshly house stumbled because they had made void the law of God through giving attention to traditions ('Mark 7:9,13'), and so had not a proper conception of the manner and object of the first advent. For that reason they were unprepared to receive him in the way he did come, and so stumbled over him and his work of sacrifice." {TIAH 240-1, also references in WR Oct 1879 3941, TKIC 84}

1846 "Then, 1810 years (prophetic, symbolic days) must be the measure from the close of the seventy weeks to the time when the Sanctuary class will be cleansed from the various defilements of Papacy--the desolating abomination which has for so many centuries defiled the temple of God. The death of Messiah, as shown, was in the spring of A.D. 33; and this was the midst or middle of the last week of the seventy, the full end of which was therefore a half week, or three and a half years later--in the autumn of A.D. 36. Therefore, 1810 years from the autumn of A.D. 36, viz., the autumn of 1846, marks the end of the vision of the 2300 days, and the date when the Sanctuary was due to be cleansed. This prophecy being fulfilled, we should expect, in this as in other cases of fulfilled prophecy, to find the facts proving its fulfillment clearly set forth on the pages of history; for, though historians are often unbelievers in the Bible and the God of the Bible, yet, unknown to them, God has overruled their work, so that wherever a prophecy has been fulfilled, the facts have unmistakably passed into history, and always on good and reliable authority. And so it has been in this case of the cleansing of the Sanctuary." {TKIC 107-8}

1846 "We have marked, too, the fixed dates to which the Prophet Daniel calls attention. The 2,300 days point to 1846 as the time when God's sanctuary would be cleansed of the defiling errors and principles of Papacy; and we have noted the cleansing there accomplished." {TKIC 305-6}

1846 [Start of] "spiritistic" "evangelical alliance" [between protestant churches.] {TFIM 163}

1846 "Although the Evangelical Alliance was organized in 1846, it has not been able to accomplish its purpose, because it did not know how to operate." {BATT 9}

1872 "In this chapter we present the Bible evidence which indicates that six thousand years from the creation of Adam were complete with A.D. 1874; and hence that, since A.D. 1872, we are chronologically entered upon the seventh thousand or the Millennium - the forepart of which, the 'Day of the Lord,' the 'day of trouble,' is to witness the breaking into pieces of the kingdoms of this world and the establishment of the Kingdom of God under the whole heavens." {TIAH 1913 ed 33}

1872 "THERE ARE EVIDENCES THAT - Six thousand Years from Adam ended in A.D. 1872." {DPOA A17}

1872 "No, they are not accidental: undoubtedly the same all-wise One who taught us through the Chronology that six thousand years from Adam's creation ended with A.D. 1872, and that the seventh thousand, the Millennial age, began there; who through the Jubilee cycles taught us that the Lord would be present and the Times of Restitution begin in the fall of 1874; and who through the Times of the Gentiles showed us that we must not expect these things to be done in haste, but by seemingly natural means covering a period of forty years, has in these Parallel Dispensations marked by Israel's 'double' given us evidence which not only itself teaches clearly the Lord's presence, the harvest and the restitution (beginning with favor to fleshly Israel), but at the same time furnishes a proof of the correctness of the other prophetic evidences and of the Chronology. For be it distinctly noticed that if the Chronology, or any of these time-periods, be changed but one year, the beauty and force of this parallelism are destroyed. For instance, if the Chronology be altered but one year, more or less - if we add one year, say to the period of the Kings or the Judges, or if we make it one year less - it would spoil the parallelism. If we should add one year it would make the first of Israel's periods 1846 years long, and the double or other half of it would thus be thrown one year later, while, on the contrary, by such a change of the Chronology the Jubilee cycles would be thrown one year earlier, i.e., A.D. 1873; and it would make the 6000 years end in A.D. 1871, while the Gentile Times would not be affected by it at all. All can see that the harmony or parallelism would thus be utterly destroyed. Or, if one year should be deducted from the chronological reckoning the confusion would be just as great, the changes to the several periods being in an opposite direction. Thus these various time prophecies corroborate each other, while the parallelism of the two dispensations clinches their testimony." {TIAH 241-2} [So exactly A.D. 1872 is.. it]

1872 ".. the exact Bible Chronology points to October 1872 as the beginning of the seventh thousand years, or Millennium .." {TKIC 1905 ed 127}

1872 ".. six thousand years from the creation of Adam .. ended with the Jewish year which began in the autumn of A.D. 1872, and we are, therefore, already in 'the great day of the Lord'; or seventh thousand." {HOTW 67}

1872 "We are already living in the seventh millennium - since October 1872." {TIAH 1915 ed 363}

1872 "Six thousand Years from Adam ended in A.D. 1872." {DHMB 6 from end}

1872-3 ".. showing the year 1872 A.D. to be the year of the world 6000, and 1873 A.D. the commencement of the seventh thousand-year period, the seventh millennium .." {TIAH 1913 ed 53-4}

1872-3 "Here we furnish the evidence that from the creation of Adam to (but not including) A.D. 1873 was six thousand years. And though the Bible contains no direct statement that the seventh thousand will be the epoch of Christ's reign, the great Sabbath Day of restitution to the world, yet the venerable tradition is not without a reasonable foundation." {TIAH 39} [the venerable tradition referred to is of a a Lutheran minister from Philadelphia named Joseph A. Seiss, editor of The Prophetic Times, in whose Jan 1870 issue Vol VIII No 1 p 12-3 appears "1870 brings us to the commencement of the Seventh Thousand of the years since the present world began .. We lay no great stress upon the arithmetic of prophecy; because the starting-points, as well as many of the integers of the calculations, lack in certainty.. It has been a very old, and a very widely accredited theory, that the world, of which Adam was the beginning, is to continue 6000 years in its secular, ailing and toiling condition; and that the seventh thousand is to be one of glorious sabbatic rest, ushered in by the winding up of this present age or dispensation."]

1873 [Six thousand Years of man's existence ends in A.D. 1873] {WR Apr 1880 88}

1873 "Here we furnish the evidence that from the creation of Adam to A.D. 1873 was six thousand years. And though the Bible contains no direct statement that the seventh thousand will be the epoch of Christ's reign, the great Sabbath Day of restitution to the world, yet the venerable tradition is not without reasonable foundation.. If, then, the seventh thousand-year period of earth's history be an epoch specially noted as the period of Christ's reign, we shall, by showing that it began in A.D. 1873, be proving that we are already in it." {TIAH 1915 ed 39-40}

1873 "Thus the Word of God corrects the few slight errors which have crept into it by any means.. God has so guarded his Word that the few trivial errors of copyists are made very manifest, and the full harmony of his Word gives ample foundation for faith .. So, then, whereas Usher dates A.D. 1 as the year 4005 from the creation of Adam, it really was, as we have shown, the year 4129, according to the Bible record, thus showing the year 1872 A.D. to be the year of the world 6000, and 1873 A.D. the commencement of the seventh thousand-year period, the seventh millennium, or thousand-year day of earth's history. {TIAH 53-4}

1873 "The Bible chronology herein presented shows that the six great 1000 year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great 7th Day, the 1000 years of Christ's Reign, began in 1873." {TIAH 1916 ed Foreword 2}

1873 "If, then, the seventh thousand-year period of earth's history be an epoch specially noted as the period of Christ's reign, we shall, by showing that it began in A.D. 1873, be proving that we are already in it." {TIAH 1915 ed 40}

1873-4 "For instance, as we look back and note that the Scriptures marked 1873 as the end of six thousand years from Adam to the beginning of the seventh thousand, and the fall of 1874 as the beginning of the forty-year harvest of the Gospel age and day of wrath for the overthrow of all the institutions of 'this present evil world (or order of affairs),' we can see that facts have well borne out those predictions of Scripture." {WR Jul 15 1894 1675}

1874 "The Scriptures show that the second presence [of the Lord] was due in 1874 .. This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874" {WT Mar 1 1923 67}

1874 The next chapter will present Bible evidence that 1874 A.D. was the exact date of the beginning of the 'Times of Restitution,' and hence of our Lord's return." {TAIH 170-1}

1874 "Hence the 2500th year, which would be the great 50th Jubilee, must be the antitype, the real Jubilee or Restitution. But instead of being a year, as in the type, it will be larger; it will be the beginning of the great thousand-year Jubilee - the Millennium. Just so it has been in the fulfillment of every type in which time was a feature. Thus the Pentecostal outpouring of the holy Spirit came upon the typical day of Pentecost - or fiftieth day. Christ, our Passover sacrifice, died in the same night in which the typical lamb was appointed to be killed - a day before or a day after would not answer. So here, not the year after nor the year before the 2500th, or closing of the typical cycle, would do; but that very year, beginning October, 1874, must have begun the antitype of Restitution times." {TIAH 181}

1874 "We have marked with special delight the 1,335 days, pointing, as they do, to 1874 as the exact date of our Lord's return; and we have since that time experienced the very blessedness promised--through the clearer unfoldings of the wonderful mysteries of the divine plan." {TKIC 306}

1874 "Christ came in the character of a Bridegroom in 1874 .. at the beginning of the Gospel harvest." {WT Oct 1879 4}

1874 "[Entering] age of .. Laodicean church.. C.T.Russell is .. messenger or 'angel' of [that] church." {WR 1918 6212}

1874 "The fact of our Lord's second coming is definitely settled by the Scriptures.. The Scriptures show that his second presence was due in 1874.. This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874 .. The indisputable facts, therefore, show that .. the Lord's second presence began in 1874." {WT Mar 1 1922 67-}

1874 "The Lord did not come in 1844, and the world was not burned up with fire .. this was a great disappointment to those 'holy people' who had so confidently looked for Christ ('Michael') then to appear and to exalt them with him in power and glory. But, notwithstanding the disappointment, [Miller's] movement had its designed effects - of awakening an interest in the subject of the Lord's coming, and of casting reproach upon the subject by reason of mistaken expectations. We say designed effects because without a doubt the hand of the Lord was in it. It not only did a work corresponding to that of the first advent movement, when our Lord was born, when the wise men came from the East and when 'all men were in expectation of him' ('Matt. 2:1,2'; 'Luke 3:15'), but it corresponded with it in time also, being just thirty years before the anointing of our Lord, at thirty years of age, at the beginning of his work as Messiah.. we recognize that movement as being in God's order, and as doing a very important work in the separating, purifying, refining, and thus making ready, of a waiting people prepared for the Lord. And not only did it do a purifying and testing work in its own day, but, by casting reproach upon the study of prophecy and upon the doctrine of the Lord's second advent, it has ever since served to test and prove the consecrated .. it was the beginning of the right understanding of Daniel's visions, and at the right time to fit the prophecy. Mr. Miller's application of the three and a half times (1260 years) was practically the same as that we have just given, but he made the mistake of not starting the 1290 and 1335 periods at the same point. Had he done so he would have been right. On the contrary, he started them thirty years sooner - about 509 instead of 539, which ended the 1335 days in 1844, instead of 1874." .. The disappointment of 1844 is briefly recorded in the parable, by the statement that 'the Bridegroom tarried' - i.e., he seemed to the expectant ones to tarry. And the confusion and darkness experienced by all, and the many false and visionary views entered into by some who were there disappointed, are shown in the parable by the statement: 'While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.' Yea, and in their darkness and slumber many of them dreamed strange, unreasonable things. But the parable shows a second movement, similar, and yet different, among the same virgins. The same general class is referred to but not necessarily the same individuals. As the first movement was the result of light upon the prophecy, regarding the time for Messiah's second advent as the Bridegroom of the Church, so was the second movement. But there are several differences. In the first, the lamps of all the virgins burned alike, and the company expecting the Bridegroom was mixed; whereas in the second movement, while all will be aroused, only those will be led out who have the spirit of the truth in their hearts, as well as a knowledge of the Bible - a trimmed lamp. Disappointment was predicted for the first movement, and waiting for the 1335 days was necessary; but the second was not a disappointment, and a waiting was no longer necessary; for fulfillment came exactly at the close of the 1335 prophetic days - in October 1874. " {TKIC 85-93}

1874 [Division between the "wise and foolish virgins" was over the 1874 date of the return of the bridegroom] {WR Apr 1880 88} [This matter was not raised when C.T.Russell was divorced by his wife for sexual misconduct with a maidservant/secretary]

1874 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A.D., according to the testimony of the prophets .." {BATT 1913 ed 621}

1874 "[end of the] tarrying time [of Christ, corresponding to 30 years from Jesus' birth to his baptism]" {TIAH 240, WR Oct 1879 3941} [also Adventist's end of the world per W.Miller]

1874 "Prophecy can not be understood until it has been fulfilled or is in the course of fulfillment. From 1874 to 1914 the prophecy concerning the Lord's coming was being fulfilled and could be understood, and was understood, by those who were faithful to the Lord and who were watching the development of events, but not by others." {CREA 290}

1874 "Thus we find that the twenty-five hundredth year began with the beginning of the year A.D. 1875, which in Jewish civil time, by which this is reckoned (Lev. 25:9), began about October, 1874. So, then, if the great Jubilee were to be only a year, like its type, it would have commenced October, A.D. 1874, at end of 2499 years, and would have ended October, A.D. 1875. But this is not the type, but the reality; it was not a Jubilee Year, but the antitypical Thousand years of Restitution of all things, which commenced October, A.D. 1874." {TIAH 187}

1874 "Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in the year 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy is otherwise designated the physical facts; and these facts are indisputable." {WT Nov 1 1922 333}

1874 "Applying the same rule then, of a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A.D. brings us to 1874 A.D. at which time, according to Biblical chronology, the Lord's second presence was due." {CREA 298} [the day for a year basis is a technique used in Astrology known as Progressions]

1874 "We have no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of 1874 .." {WT May 15 1922 150}

1874 "The most important thing to which all the prophecies point and for which the apostles looked forward has been the second coming of the Lord. It is described by the Prophet as a blessed time. Daniel then says: 'Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.' (Daniel 12:12). The watchers here, without question are those who were instructed by the Lord to watch for his return. This date, therefore, when understood, would certainly fix the time when the Lord is due at his second appearing. Applying the same rule, then, of a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A.D. brings us to A.D. 1874, at which time, according to Biblical chronology, the Lord's second presence is due. If this calculation is correct, from that time forward we ought to be able to find some evidences marking the Lord's presence." {THOG 229-30}

1874 "No one can properly understand the work of God at this present time who does not realize that since 1874, the time of the Lord's return in power, there has been a complete change in God's operations." {WRT Sep 15 1922 278}

1874 "The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D." {PROP 65}

1874 "The Scriptural proof is that the period of his presence and the day of God's preparation is a period from A.D. 1874 forward. The second coming of the Lord therefore began in 1874 .." {CREA 310}

1874 "[C.T.Russell taught that 1874 marked] "the start of the Battle of Armageddon" {TIAH 101}

1874 "(Revelation) 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door. Some of the Scriptures, which, when understood in their connections and significance, prove that the Lord's Second Advent occurred in the fall of 1874 are as follows: [a jumble of Biblical verses follow as 'proof'] and these are but 88 of the proofs hastily collected." {TFIM 68-71}

1874 "Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874." {WT Jan 1 1924 5}

1874 ".. this measurement [of a length of an interior passageway discovered inside the Pyramids - it has no reference in Scripture] is 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years .. This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble" {TKIC 1897 ed 342} [In ZWT Nov 1 1904 326, he further justified the "3416 inches" by writing "We cannot therefore see how any longer measure for the passage could be possible." It is strange then that TKIC 1916 ed was changed to read: "We find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years .. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning of the time of trouble .." It should be noted that C.T.Russell, the founder of the Watchtower Bible and tract Society, was a pyramidologist, a spiritist, a Knights Templar (Free)Mason (of York Rite, Allegheny Pa.), and believed in healing-handkerchiefs, phrenology, the Winged-Sun-Disk, Enochian Magical planes and many other strange things, a few of which are illustrated by quotations later in this text. There is space for less than 1% of what could have been included! The symbolisation of years as inches is a complete nonsense, as the ancient Egyptians never used the inch as a measuring unit!]

1874 "From year A.D. 1 to A.D. 1875 (Jewish time, beginning Oct. 1874) .. Thus, the year which began October 1874 was the 2500th [calculated as 50 x 50 Jubilee cycles] year, but since the antitype is larger than the type - 1000 years instead of one year - 1875 (beginning Oct. 1874), instead of being a Jubilee year was the first of the 1000 years of Jubilee." {TIAH 186}

1874 "And since the entire number of typical Jubilees, designed to precede the antitype, is thus proved to be seventy, we are thus furnished another means of calculating when the antitype is due to begin. The calculating of this prophetic statement of the entire number of Jubilees is simple and easy; and, as we should expect, its results agree exactly with those already obtained by the method of counting furnished by the Law. The entire number being seventy, and nineteen of these having been observed in a half-hearted way by Israel before the desolation, it follows that the remaining fifty-one (70-19=51) mark the period from the last Jubilee which Israel imperfectly observed, down to the great antitype. But here note a difference in the manner of counting. Under the Law reckoning, we counted the future as well as the past cycles of forty-nine years with the fiftieth or Jubilee Year added; for the Law shows things as they would have been, had Israel carried them out properly. But prophecy records things just as they will actually occur. We are now examining the prophetic statement, remember, and hence should now reckon these cycles as they have occurred - cycles of forty-nine years, without Jubilees; for Israel did not observe a Jubilee since their nineteenth one. The first nineteen cycles had Jubilee Years, but the fifty-one since have had none; hence we must reckon fifty-one cycles of forty-nine years each, or 2499 years (49 x 51 = 2499), from the last typical Jubilee observed by Israel to the antitype. This calculation, though entirely distinct from the other, ends exactly as shown by the Law method of reckoning previously examined - October, A.D. 1874." {TIAH 193) [actually, all that he is saying is that 50x50=2500 and (50+1)x(50-1)=2499, which differ by 1. He seems unaware this would happen no matter what number was used in place of "50"!]

1874 [Significance of this date was proven by measurements of the Tabernacle] {WT May 15 1919 159}

1874 "'The time of the end' embraces a period .. to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah. The time of the Lord's second presence dates from 1874, as above stated. The latter period is within the first named, of course, and in the latter part of the period known as 'the time of the end.'" {THOG 236}

1874 "It is on the basis of such and so many correspondencies - in accordance with the soundest laws known to science - that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of 1874 .. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search out things to come." {WT Jun 15 1922 187}

1874 "The Scriptural proof is that the period of his presence and the day of God's preparation is a period from 1874 A.D. forward. The second coming of the Lord, therefore, began in 1874 .." {CREA 289/310}

1874 ".. the battle of the great day of God Almighty.. so great is our confidence in the Word of God and in the light of present truth shining upon it, that we could not have doubted its testimony whatever had been the appearances.. beginning dating from October, 1874." {ZWT Jan 15 1892 repr 1355}

1874 ".. the beginning of the Times of Restitution in 1874" {TFIM 64}

1874 "Actual Presence of the Lord as Bridegroom and Reaper - October, A.D. 1874." {TIAH 1923 ed 247}

1874 "Nor will we here, again present the conclusive Bible proof that our Lord came for his Bride in 1874, and has an unseen work as Reaper of the first-fruits of this Gospel Age." {ZWT Nov 1880 1}

1874 ".. the Lord became present in October, 1874 .." {TKIC 1923 ed 235} [many other references in HOTW, TIAH 170, OLOR 27, HIS2 133]

1874-8 "Our Lord's presence as Bridegroom and Reaper was recognized during the first three and a half years, from A.D. 1874 to A.D. 1878." {TIAH 1913 ed 239}

1874-8 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A.D .. and the formal inauguration of his kingly office dates from April 1878, A.D." {BATT 621}

1874-8 "The natural harvest was used by the Lord to illustrate his harvest of Christians. In the Jewish natural harvest it was customary to glean the field after the regular harvest was over. We should therefore expect to find a harvest period from 1878 to 1918, and thereafter for a time a gleaning work to be done, which we will indicate. The question now is, Do we find a period of harvest in the gospel age after 1874 which serves as a fulfillment of the prophecy of the Lord?" {TFIM 236}

1874-8 "The Scriptures disclose a complete parallel concerning the Jewish and gospel ages. The parallel exists with reference to time as well as events. The Jewish age ended with a harvest, which harvest began with the ascension of our Lord in the year A.D. 33. By the term 'harvest' here used is meant the gathering of the remnant of the Jews to Christ. Jesus' statement plainly is that the gospel age will end with a harvest, during which time he would be present, directing the work of that harvest. In the earth three and a half years from the time of his consecration and baptism, Jesus was preparing the Jews for the harvest of that age. We should expect to find a parallel of this reference to the harvest of the gospel age, and we do find it. Counting three and a half years from 1874, the time of his presence, brings us to 1878. During the presence of the Lord from 1874 to 1878 he was making preparation for the harvest of the gospel age." {THOG 235-6}

1875 "Besides, when we shall shortly show that, reckoned from the beginning of the seventy years desolation under Babylon, the great cycle ends with the year A.D. 1875, it will be manifest to all that it could not have commenced at an earlier date, prior to that Babylonian captivity; for if we place it even one Jubilee earlier, it would locate the termination of the cycle fifty years earlier than A.D. 1875, namely A.D. 1825; and surely no Jubilee age of restitution began with that year." {TIAH 183-4}

1875 "[End of] Great Jubilee Cycle .. End of 1335 days in Dan 12:12 .. The invisible resurrection of the saints started" [C.T.Russell held that the "Biblical year" 1875 started in Oct 1874, later both replaced by 1878] {HOTW}

1876 "For forty years the Lord has been present, feeding those who have been hungering and thirsting for righteousness. For forty years Pastor Russell - that faithful servant of the Lord - has set forth clear and unmistakable evidence of the presence of the Master. He nailed the banner of Christ's presence on the title page of The Watch Tower; and it shall never come down until the kingdom is known in the earth." {WR Dec 15 1916 6015} [the banner came down in 1939, and now the WT banner only claims 'Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom']

1876 "Furthermore, the remnant of spiritual Israel had for decades, yes, since 1876, been looking forward to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles .." {MSWD 136}

1876 "CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.. The number of years since A.D. 1, necessary to complete the cycle of 2500 years - 1875 years" {TIAH 185}

1877 "The End Of This World; that is the end of the gospel and the beginning of the millennial age is nearer than most men suppose; indeed we have already entered the transition period, which is to be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation Dan. 12:3." {HOTW 17}

1878 "So it was in this harvest also up to A.D. 1878 the time prophecies and the fact of the Lord's presence, substantially as here presented, though less clearly, was our message. Since then the work has widened, and the view of other truths has become brighter and clearer; but the same fact and scriptures, teaching the same time and presence, stand unchallenged and incontrovertible." {TIAH 1915 ed 236}

1878 "[In this year] Christ Jesus is present [and has] assumed office of King .. choosing a 'servant' [identified in the same article as clearly being C.T.Russell] on earth to represent him." {WR 1906 3811} [Article written by Mrs. C.T.Russell]

1878 "Be not surprised, then, when in subsequent chapters we present proofs that the setting up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophecy as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end .. with the complete overthrow of the earth's present rulership, is already commenced." {TIAH 1915 ed 101}

1878 "Until 1878 the nominal church had been in a sense God's sanctuary or temple" {TFIM 484}

1878 "End of gospel age .. the rapture of the saints .. to heaven" {HOTW 68, HIS2 632, HIS1 19} [in 1881, C.T.Russell explained rapture was invisible and occurred at death of individual saints]

1878 "in the spring of 1878 all the holy apostles and other 'overcomers' of the Gospel age who slept in Jesus were raised spirit beings .. we, therefore, conclude that their resurrection is now an accomplished fact .. the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom, and that the setting up of that Kingdom has actually been in progress since the year 1878; that there the resurrection of all the dead in Christ was due; and that therefore, since that date, not only is our Lord and Head invisibly present in the world, but all these holy messengers are also with him." {TKIC 1923 ed 234/305} [By contrast, Matt 24:23-27 says the Lord would come like "lightning" and Rev 1:7 says even his enemies would see him]

1878 "the awakening of the sleeping saints in the Spring of 1878.. The awakening of the sleeping saints, A.D. 1878, was just half way (three and one-half years each way) between the beginning of the Times of Restitution in 1874 and the close of the High Calling in 1881." {TFIM 64}

1878 "And it was in 1878, then, that the process of setting up the kingdom began. There our Lord raised the sleeping saints from the tomb and joined them to himself .." {WT Jun 1 1922 174}

1878 "And though, in a sense, the grandeur and blessing of the new dispensation began at the birth of Jesus ('Luke 2:10-14,25-38'), yet the Great Pyramid should, in some way, indicate the full length of Israel's favor. This we finally found to be most ingeniously shown. The granite 'Plug' proved to be the exact length to fill out this period to the very limit. Then we knew why that 'Plug' was so securely fixed that none had succeeded in displacing it. The great Master-Builder had placed it there to stay, that we might hear its testimony today corroborating the Bible, as to both its plan and its chronology. In measuring this passage with its 'Plug,' we should consider it as though it were a telescope, with the 'Plug' drawn out until the upper end reaches the place originally marked by the lower end of it. The distance downward from the north entrance of the 'Grand Gallery' to the lower end of the granite 'Plug' is 1470 inches, to which if we add the length of the 'Plug,' 179 inches, we have a total of 1649 inches, representing 1649 years; and the one inch-year of difference between this and the 1650 years shown by the Bible chronology of that period is easily accounted for when we remember that one end of this granite 'Plug' had been considerably chipped by those who endeavored to force it from its fixed position in the passageway. Thus, exactly, does the stone 'Witness' corroborate the testimony of the Bible, and show that the period from the exodus of Israel from Egypt until the full end of their national favor, A.D. 36, was 1650 years. But let none confound this period with the period shown in the Parallels of the Jewish and Christian dispensations - showing the two ages to be each 1845 years in length, the one from the death of Jacob to A.D. 33, and the other from A.D. 33 to A.D. 1878." {TKIC 346-7}

1878 [Many other references to Heavenly resurrection of dead saints, 3 1/2 years of Christ's ministry on earth, a "sifting out" is occurring among those who don't accept 1878 as the coming of the Bridegroom, and God's favor returning to the Jews, with the Kingdom of God starting to exercise power] {WT Oct 1879 repr 39-41, TNCR 1904 ed 663, MLND 27-8, THOG 236/44} [references are omitted in THOG 1928 ed]

1878-81 "The same year, 1881, is prophetically marked as the time for the final withdrawal of favor from the churches, a favor which had begun to be withdrawn in 1878 - the year in which the clergy were cast off as representatives of the Divine Word, and when Pastor Russell began his work by the publication of 50,000 copies of Object and Manner of the Lord's Return. In 1878 the stewardship of the things of God, the teaching of Bible truths, was taken from the clergy, unfaithful to their age long stewardship, and given to Pastor Russell. In the interim, until 1881, the new steward was setting the things in order, getting the truths of the Bible in logical and Scriptural form for presentation, until the last great item of the Hebrew tabernacle types, was ready. Then, in 1881, he became God's watchman for all Christendom, and began his gigantic work of Witness." {TFIM 1921 ed 386-387}

1879 "[God's] position is contrasted with men and angels, as he is Lord of both, having 'all power in heaven and earth'. Hence it is said, 'Let all of the angels of God worship him' (that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God) and the reason is, because he has 'by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.'" {WT Nov 1879, bracketed comment in the original} [So Jesus is the chief angel, Michael. But Heb 1 says that Jesus is definitely not an angel. The Watchtower and the Bible cannot both be correct. Also, the apostle John says Jesus possesses the very substance and nature of God, though not the Father]

1880 "But understanding genea here, as elsewhere, to mean generation, and recognizing that our Lord's words were a prophecy covering the entire Gospel age, we have no difficulty in understanding the statement to mean - 'This generation (which will witness the signs inquired for by the apostles and just enumerated by our Lord - namely, the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars) - this generation shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled.' In other words, the signs mentioned will occur within a generation-epoch in the close of the age. The sprouting of the fig tree may have been but a casual remark, but we incline to think that it was not. The peculiar circumstance narrated of our Lord's curse upon a fig tree which bore no fruit, and which withered away directly (Matt. 21:19,20) inclines us to believe that the fig tree in this prophecy may be understood to signify the Jewish nation. If so, it is being signally fulfilled .. A 'generation' might be reckoned as equivalent to a century (practically the present limit) or one hundred and twenty years, Moses' lifetime and the Scripture limit. (Gen. 6:3) Reckoning a hundred years from 1780, the date of the first sign, the limit would reach to 1880; and, to our understanding, every item predicted had begun to be fulfilled at that date .." {BATT 603-4}

1880 "[Restoration of Jews to Palestine and the conversion of 144,000 literal Jews due before 1914.] {WT Jun 1880 108}

1881 [Rapture of the Saints, including C.T.Russell and other Bible Students] {WT Jan 1881 repr 180, WT Dec 1880 repr 172} [denied from WT May 1881 224]

1881 "the close of the High Calling in 1881." {TFIM 64}

1881 "[C.T.Russell supports the] Faith Cottage Pink Cure" {WR 1881 226}

1881 [Close of "high calling" to be among the 144,000 .. Fall of Babylon] {HIS2 632} [In 1922 "1881" replaced by "1918", later to "1935", see WT Jun 15 1992 23, HIS2 166]

1881 "Further, where the special favor of the general Gospel call ceased (October, 1881), the blessing upon the world would seem to be due to have a beginning. The 'Well,' which marks at its upper end the ransom which secures the coming blessing, should, it would seem, at its lower end (where it connects with the downward passage) mark the date when restitution blessings would begin to reach the world. It seems to say, Here the benefits of the ransom will begin to bless all the families of the earth, when the elections or selections of the Jewish and Gospel ages are completed. Now if we adopt the clearly marked close of the special call and favor of the Gospel age, 1881, as the date at which the call to restitution blessings was due to have a beginning, and if we regard the lower terminus of the 'Well' as marking that date (1881), we find something of interest by measuring back along that 'Entrance Passage' to the original entrance of the Pyramid. This distance we find to be 3826 pyramid inches, thus representing 3826 years. And if our supposition be well founded, 3826 years before A.D. 1881 some notable event must have occurred. And as we search the historic records of God's Word to see if any notable event occurred at that time, we find a remarkable confirmation of our supposition; for, just 3826 years before A.D. 1881, which would be B.C. 1945, Isaac, the typical seed of promise, became the heir of all his father Abraham's wealth, and was thus in position to bless all his brethren - Ishmael, the son of Hagar (type of fleshly Israel), and the many sons and daughters of Keturah, Abraham's second wife (typical of the world in general). Thus the 'Entrance Passage,' from the outside edge down to the nearest edge of the passage connecting with the 'Well,' marks in year-inches the period of time from the day the typical Isaac (in whom typically centered the promise of blessing to the world) became heir of all, B.C. 1945, to A.D. 1881, when the blessing was actually due to the world through the antitypical Isaac - the Christ, the heir of all things. Gal. 3:16,29. We measure the time from the date of Isaac's inheritance, and consequent privilege of blessing his brethren, to the year A.D. 1881, thus: Isaac came into possession of his inheritance at the death of his father Abraham, which occurred 100 years after the Abrahamic Covenant was made (for Abraham was 75 years old when the Covenant was made, and he died at the age of 175 years). Then from the Covenant to the death of Jacob, Isaac's son, was 232 years; and from the time that Isaac came into his inheritance - 100 years after the Covenant was made - to the death of Jacob would be 132 years (232 years less 100 years). To this we add the 1813 years from the death of Jacob to our Anno Domini, and we have the date 1945 B.C., the date when the typical Isaac came into possession of all that Abraham had. ('Gen. 25:5') And this 1945 years B.C. added to the 1881 years A.D. makes the 3826 years indicated in the Pyramid inches as the length of time that must elapse between the typical blessing of his brethren by the typical seed, Isaac, and the blessing of the whole world through the antitypical Isaac, the Christ. Does the question arise with any, what beginning of restitution work was marked by October, 1881? We answer: Nothing occurred which the world could discern. We still walk by faith and not by sight. All the preparatory steps toward the great restitution work since the date 1881 are to be reckoned as droppings of the great shower of blessing which shall ere long refresh the whole earth. That which occurred in 1881, like that which occurred in 1874, can be discerned only by the eye of faith in the light of God's Word. It was the date of the close of the high calling, and hence the date for the beginning of restitution announcement - the Jubilee trumpet. About that date the author, and, so far as he knows, no one else, had noticed the distinction between the call to the divine nature, open during the Gospel age, and the opportunity for restitution of human perfection and all that was lost in Adam, due at the close of the Gospel high calling." {TKIC 365-7}

1881 "To our understanding the general call to this joint heirship with our Redeemer as members of the New Creation of God, ceased in 1881." {TNCR 1915 ed 95} [Route to heaven closed in 1881 - but there are many changes in mind in the future on this one!]

1881 "As in the type that date - three and a half years after the death of Christ - marked the end of all special favor to the Jew and the beginning of favor to the Gentiles, so we recognize A.D. 1881 as marking the close of the 'high calling, ' or invitation to the blessing peculiar to this age - to become joint-heirs with Christ and partakers of the divine nature." {TIAH 1915 ed 235}

1883 "God [had] placed the Great Pyramid [of Gizeh in Egypt]" {WR Sep 1883 525} [compare with claim that Great Pyramid of Gizeh in Egypt was built under direction of Satan, made in {WT 1928 339-45/355-62}]

1886 "The outlook at the opening of the New Year has some very encouraging features. The outward evidences are that the marshaling of the hosts for the battle of the great day of God Almighty, is in progress while the skirmishing is commencing.. The time is come for Messiah to take the dominion of earth and to overthrow the oppressors and corrupters of the earth, (Rev. 19:15 and 11:17, 18) preparatory to the establishment of everlasting peace upon the only firm foundation of righteousness and truth.. In the battle already beginning, we are clearly told that there will be a general division of the world into two contending parties. The kings, chief men, and mighty or influential men, the wealthy and the worldly great, are all on one side the battle, and with them the symbolic beast (Papacy) and Protestantism." {ZWT Jan 1886 repr 817}

1888 "we present proofs that the setting up of the kingdom of God is already begun .. that the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16: 14) which shall end .. with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced." {TIAH 101}

1892 ".. the battle of the great day of God Almighty.. so great is our confidence in the Word of God and in the light of present truth shining upon it, that we could not have doubted its testimony whatever had been the appearances.. It is already in progress .." {ZWT Jan 15 1892 repr 1355}

1894 "A few more years will wind up the present order of things, and then the chastened world will stand face to face with the actual conditions of the established Kingdom of God. And yet the course of the Church is to be finished within the space of time that intervenes." {WT 1894 56}

1897 "The distillery, the brewery, the saloon, the brothel, the pool-room, all time-killing and character-depraving business will be stopped; and their servants will be given something to do that will be beneficial to themselves and others .. Similarly, the building of war-vessels, the manufacture of munitions of war and defense will cease, and armies will be disbanded. The new Kingdom will have no need of these, but will have abundant power to execute summary justice in the punishment of evil doers .. The banking and brokerage business, and other like employment's, very useful under present conditions, will no longer have a place; for under the new conditions the human race will be required to treat each others as members of one family, and private capital and money to loan and to be needed will be things of the past. Landlords and renting agencies will find new employment also, because the new King will not recognize as valid patents and deeds now on record.. namely, that with present conveniences, if the whole people were put to work systematically and wisely, not more than three hours labor for each individual would be necessary." {BATT 633-635}

1898 "Notice that there is no command in the Scriptures against military service" {WT Aug 1 1898 231} [And re-supported in 1903 in "There could be nothing against our conscience in going into the army. Wherever we would go we could take the Lord with us, the Captain of our salvation, and wherever we would go we could find opportunities to serve him and his cause" {WT Apr 15 1903 120}. So what is the gigantic objection now?]

1898 "God .. evidently has been a respecter of races, and has specially blessed and favored certain branches of the Aryan race in Europe and America.. the white race has been more abundantly blessed with the light of the Gospel than others .. the elect Church will probably be composed chiefly of the highly favored white race.." {EVOL 30-1}

1900 "There are probably as many as a hundred colored brethren on the Watch Tower lists, some of them very clear in the truth, and very earnest in its service, financially and other-wise .. [but they are not allowed to participate in the "pioneer work" as] although we have received letters from several of these, who had intended engaging in the volunteer work, expressing surprise that in the call for volunteers in the March 1, 1900 issue we restricted the inquiry to white Protestant churches. .. The reason is that so far as we are able to judge, colored people have less education than whites - many of them quite insufficient to permit them to profit by such reading as we have to give forth. Our conclusion therefore is based upon the supposition that reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted, and a very small percentage indeed likely to yield good results. We advise, therefore, that where the Watch Tower literature is introduced to colored people it be not by promiscuous circulation, but only to those who give evidence of some ear for the truth. We avoid, so far as possible, putting the pearls of present truth into the hands of the vicious and depraved .." {ZWT Apr 15 1900 122}

1900 "Though, once as black as charcoal, the Rev. Mr. Draper is now white. His people say that his color was changed in answer to prayer. . Many years ago Draper was employed by a fair-skinned man, and he was often heard to remark that if he could only be white like his employer, he would be happy. While in the white man's service Draper 'experienced' religion." {WR Oct 1 1900 2706} [Michael Jackson ceased to be a Jehovah's Witness in 1987]

1901 "'It too often happens that, while the negro rapidly masters the rules and regulations of the Christian religion, he still continues to be gross, immoral, and deceitful. They (missionaries) may have succeeded in turning their disciples into professing Catholics, Anglicans, or Baptists; but the impartial observer is surprised to find that adultery, drunkenness, and lying are more apparent among the converts than among their heathen brethren.' And again: 'I regret to say that, with a few - very rare - exceptions, those native African pastors, teachers, and catechists whom I have met have been all, more or less, bad men. They attempted to veil an unbridled immorality with an unblushing hypocrisy and a profane display of mouth-religion which, to an honest mind, seemed even more disgusting than the immorality itself. While it was apparent that not one particle of true religion had made its way into their gross minds, it was also evident that the spirit of sturdy manliness which was present in their savage forefathers found no place in their false, cowardly natures.." [Given as a quotation by Russell without adverse comment] {ZWT Aug 15 1901 266}

1902 "The Negro Not a Beast .. that Ham's characteristics which had led him to unseemly conduct disrespectful to his father, would be found cropping out later, inherited by his son, and prophetically he foretold that this degeneracy would mark the posterity of Canaan, degrading him, making him servile. We are not able to determine to a certainty that the sons of Ham and Canaan are negroes; but we consider that general view as probable as any other.. We are not to forget, either, that Africa is inhabited by various tribes or nations of negroes - some more and some less degraded than the average.. While it is true that the white race exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other, we are to remember that there are wide differences in the same Caucasian (Semitic and Aryan) family.. The secret of the greater intelligence and aptitude of the Caucasian undoubtedly in great measure is to be attributed to the commingling of blood amongst its various branches; and this was evidently forced in large measure by circumstances under divine control. It remains to be proven that the similar commingling of the various tribes of Chinese for several centuries would not equally brighten their intellects; and the same with the peoples of India and Africa." {ZWT Jul 15 1902 216}

1903 "The second runner, Cushi, or literally a Cushite - that is, a negro - was probably one of the king's household servants .." {ZWT Nov 1 1903 410-1}

1904 "Can The Ethiopian Change His skin color? No. But.. what the Ethiopian cannot do for himself God could readily do for him. The difference between the races of men .. have long been arguments against the solidarity of the human family. The doctrine of restitution has also raised the question. How could all men be brought to perfection and which color of skin was the original? The answer is now provided. God can change the Ethiopian's skin in his own due time.. Julius Jackson, of New Frankfort, Montana, a negro boy of nine years, began to grow white in September, 1901, and is now fully nine-tenths white. He assures us that this is no whitish skin disease; but that the new white skin is as healthy as that of any white boy, and that the changed boy has never been sick and never has taken medicines.." [and so God can and will change blacks to whites in the New World]" {ZWT Feb 15 1904 52-3}

1904 "Even though Christmas is not the real anniversary of our Lord's birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of his human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord's birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We may as well join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - 'Christmas day.'" {WT Dec 1 1904 364} [What changed?]

1908 The negro and Latin races will probably always be inclined to superstition." {ZWT Apr 1 1908 99}

1910 [Expected "Rapture of the Saints", based on measurements in corridor in the Great Pyramid of Gizeh] {TKIC 364} [Omitted in TKIC post-1910 editions]

1911 "According to our expectations the stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912" {TNCR 1904 ed 579}

1911 "Rather we should seek for dependent Bible study, rather than for independent Bible study." {WT Sep 15 1911 4885}

1912 "Sister Smith of Nebraska recently discovered one stalk of beans which she declares yielded so prolifically that she calls it the Millennial Bean.. Sister Smith writes that they should be planted one bean to the hill, and the hills six feet apart. They should be planted in April. They keep bearing right along for weeks, and five should supply a small family." {ZWT Jan 15 1912 26}

1912 "It is known that only about three out of every one hundred operated upon for appendicitis really have a diseased appendix needing removal. We give below a simple cure for appendicitis symptoms. The pain in the appendix region is caused by the biting of worms near the junction of the transverse colon with the small intestines, low down on the right side of the abdomen. This remedy is recommended also for typhoid fever, which is also a worm disease. The medicine is Santonine dose, 3 grains, an hour before breakfast; repeated for four mornings, or until all the symptoms disappear. Then one dose per month for three months to eradicate all germs. This recipe is of INCALCULABLE VALUE. Not only will it save the surgeon's and hospital fees of perhaps $200, but it saves weeks of ill health, inconvenience, convalescence and loss of salary." {ZWT Jan 15 1912 26}

1913 "just use the Bible [and reject all developed theology in the history of Christianity]" {WR 1913 5156}

1914 "In this chapter we present the Bible evidence proving that the full end of the times of the gentiles, i.e., the full end of their lease of dominion, will be reached in A.D. 1914; and that the date will be the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men. And be it observed, that if this is shown to be a fact firmly established by the Scriptures, it will prove; Firstly, that at that date the Kingdom of God, for which our Lord taught us to pray, saying, Thy Kingdom come, will obtain full, universal control, and that it will then be set up, or firmly established, in the earth, on the ruins of present institutions.. It will prove that he whose right it is to thus take the dominion, will then be present as earth's new Ruler; and not only so, but it will prove that he will be present for a considerable period before that date .. It will prove that some time before the end of A.D. 1914 the last member of the divinely recognized church of Christ, the 'royal priesthood' 'the body of Christ,' will be glorified with the Head .. It will prove that from that time forward Jerusalem shall no longer be trodden down of the Gentiles, but shall arise from the dust of divine disfavor, to honor .. It will prove that by that date, or sooner, .. the full number from among the Gentiles, who are to be members of the body or bride of Christ, would be fully selected .. It will prove that the great 'time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,' will reach its final culmination, and end, at that date .. The condition of things spoken of in symbolic language as raging waves of the sea, melting earth, falling mountains, and burning heavens, will then have passed away .. It will prove that before that date, God's kingdom, organized in power, will be in the earth, and will have smitten and crushed the Gentile image .." {TIAH 76-8}

1914 "And, with the end of A.D. 1914, what God calls Babylon, and what men call Christendom, will have passed away, as is already shown from prophecy." {TKIC 153}

1914 "The time of the end is .. to 1914." {WT Nov 1 1922 333/346}

1914 "The Watchtower, and its companion publications of the society, for forty years emphasized that fact that 1914 would witness the establishment of God's kingdom and the complete glorification of the church. During that period of forty years God's people on earth were carrying on a witness work, which work was foreshadowed by Elijah and John the Baptist. all of the lords people looked forward to 1914 with joyful expectation. when that time came and passed there was much disappointment, chagrin and mourning, and the lords people were greatly in reproach. they were ridiculed by the clergy and their allies in particular, and pointed to with scorn, because they had said so much about 1914, and what would come to pass, and their prophecies had not been fulfilled." {LIT1 194}

1914 "The 'Time of the End', a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures." {TKIC 1923 ed 23}

1914 "In this chapter we present the Bible evidence proving that the full end of the times of Gentiles, i.e., the full end or their lease of dominion, will be reached in A.D. 1914; and that that date will be the farest limit of the rule of imperfect men.. That at that date the Kingdom of God, for which our Lord taught us to pray, saying, 'The Kingdom come,' will have obtained full, universal control, and that it will then be 'set up,' or firmly established, in the earth.. Church taken home in a rapture .. It will prove that some time before the end of A.D. 1914 the last member of the divinely recognized Church of Christ, the 'royal priesthood,' 'the body of Christ,' will be glorified with the Head; because every member is to reign with Christ, being a joint-heir with him of the Kingdom, and it cannot be fully 'set up' without every member." {TIAH 76-7}

1914 "It is on the basis of such and so many correspondencies - in accordance with the soundest laws known to science- that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of .. 1914 .. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search out things to come." {WT Jun 15 1922 187}

1914 "we present proofs that the setting up of the kingdom of God is already begun .. and that the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16: 14) which shall end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership .. The gathering of the armies is plainly visible from the standpoint of God's word." {TIAH 101} [TIAH 1915 ed contains '1915' instead of '1914']

1914 ".. the overthrow of the professedly Christian kingdoms, really 'kingdoms of this world', and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God in the earth at A.D. 1914 .." {TKIC 1905 ed 126}

1914 "The 'Gentil Times' prove that the present governments must all be overturned about the close of A.D. 1914" {TIAH 242}

1914 "Can It Be Delayed until 1914? .. Seventeen years ago people said, concerning the time features presented in Millennial Dawn, They seem reasonable in many respects, but surely no such radical changes could occur between now and the close of 1914: if you had proved that they would come about in a century or two, it would seem much more probable. What changes have since occurred, and what velocity is gained daily? 'The old is quickly passing and the new is coming in.' Now, in view of recent labor troubles and threatened anarchy, our readers are writing to know if there may not be a mistake in the 1914 date. They say that they do not see how present conditions can hold out so long under the strain. We see no reason for changing the figures-nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. We see no reason for changing from our opinion expressed in the view presented in the Watch Tower of January 15, '92. We advise that it be read again." {ZWT Jul 15 1894 repr 1677}

1914 "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." {TPAS 70}

1914 "Remember that the forty years' Jewish Harvest ended October A.D. 69, and was followed by the complete overthrow of that nation; and that likewise the forty years of the Gospel age harvest will end October, 1914, and that likewise the overthrow of 'Christendom,' so-called, must be expected to immediately follow." {TIAH 245}

1914 "If nature favors the colored brethren and sisters in the exercise of humility it is that much to their advantage, if they are rightly exercised by it. A little while, and [their] humility will work out for [their] good.. those who have been faithful .. will be granted new bodies, spiritual, beyond the veil, where color and sex distinctions will be no more.. A little while, and the Millennial kingdom will be inaugurated, which will bring restitution to all mankind - restitution to the perfection of .. color, to the grand original standard, which God declared "very good," and which was lost for a time through sin, but which is soon to be

restored by the powerful kingdom of the Messiah." {WT Apr 1 1914 110}

1914 "Ever since the 1870's, Bible Students had been serving with a date in mind - first 1914, then 1925. Now they realized that they must serve for as long as Jehovah wishes." {WT Nov 1 1993 12}

1914 "We find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years .. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning of the time of trouble .." {TKIC 1916 ed} [TKIC 1897 ed 342 stated ".. this measurement is 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years .. This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble .." - but 1874 had passed.]

1914 "Complete destruction of the 'powers that be' of 'this present evil worlds - political, financial, ecclesiastical - about the close of the Time of the Gentiles; October A.D. 1914." {BATT 622}

1914 "Recognizing that it meant either the success or the failure of the enterprise of the [Photo] Drama as respects the whites, we have been compelled to assign the colored friends to the gallery, which, however, is just as good for seeing and hearing as any other part of The Temple. Some were offended at this arrangement. We have received numerous letters from the colored friends, some claiming that it is not right to make a difference, others indignantly and bitterly denouncing us as enemies of the colored people. Some, confident that Brother Russell had never sanctioned such a discrimination, told that they believe it would be duty to stand up for equal rights and always to help the oppressed, etc. We were obliged to explain the facts, assuring all of our loving interest in the colored people, and of our desire to do them good, and not injury. We again suggested that if a suitable place could be found in which the Drama could be presented for the benefit of the colored people alone, we would be glad to make such arrangements, or to cooperate with any others in doing so.. Our explanations were ... it is a question of putting either the interests of God's cause first, or else the interests of the race first. We believed it our duty to put God first and the truth first--at any cost to others or to ourself! We explained that we thought that all the colored brethren should know .. that we love to serve them in any way possible and to give them the very best we have to give of the Gospel message; and that it is only a question of whether our giving to them in one way would entirely deprive us of giving the truth to others" {WT Apr 1 1914 105} [Racial segregation justified in order to achieve goals]

1914 "1914 Final overthrow of Nominal Christendom .. 1521 - PERIOD of 393 YEARS FROM THE DIVISION OF CHRISTENDOM TILL ITS FINAL OVERTHROW - 1914" {ZWT Jun 15 1905 repr 3575}

1914 "Studying God's Word, we have measured the 2520 years, the seven symbolic times, from that year 606 B.C. and have found that it reached down to October, 1914, as nearly as we were able to reckon. We did not say positively that this would be the year." {WT Nov 1 1914 325} [However, Jerusalem, according to Bible chronology, fell in 587-6 B.C. and not 607-6 B.C. Compton's Encyclopedia of History: "David, king of the Israelites, captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites in about 1000 BC. King Solomon, his son, extended the city and built the great temple that stood until 586 BC when it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. In the 50 years of their Babylonian captivity .." Columbia Concise Encyclopedia: "Babylonian captivity in the history of Israel, the period from the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.) to the reconstruction in Palestine of a new Jewish state (after 538 B.C.). Following the capture of the city by the Babylonians, thousands of JEWS were deported to Mesopotamia. In 538 B.C. the Persian King CYRUS THE GREAT decreed the restoration of worship at Jerusalem."]

1914 "Pastor Russell's mission, in large part, was to advise Christendom of its impending end, in the time of world-wide trouble. It is the Divine judgment upon the nations.. There will be no chance of escaping from destruction, through the nations.. The trouble is due to the dawning of the Day of Christ, the Millennium. It is the Day of Vengeance, which began in the world war of 1914 .." {TFIM 404}

1914 "We see no reason for changing the figures - nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble." {WT Jul 15 1894 266 repr 1677}

1914 "Firstly, that at that date [1914] the Kingdom of God, for which our Lord taught us to pray, saying, 'Thy Kingdom come,' will begin to assume control, and that it will then shortly be 'set up,' or firmly established, in the earth, on the ruins of present institutions." {TIAH 1915 ed 77}

1914 "1914 ended the Gentile Times." {WT Sep 1 1922 262}

1914 "'The Times of the Gentiles' extend to 1914, and the heavenly kingdom will not have full sway till then, but as a 'Stone' the kingdom of God is set up 'in the days of these (ten gentile) kings' and by consuming them it becomes a universal kingdom - a 'great mountain and fills the whole Earth.'" {ZWT Mar 1880 repr 82}

1914 "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." {WRDM 308}

1914 ".. ending with the times of the Gentiles in 1914, when the kingdom of God (soon to be set up or exalted to power) will have broken in pieces and consumed all earthly kingdoms." {ZWT Aug 1880 repr 124}

1914 "When Uranus and Jupiter meet in the humane sign of Aquarius in 1914, the long-promised era will have made a fair start in the work of setting man free to work out his own salvation, and will insure the ultimate realization of dreams and ideals of all poets and sages in history." {WT May 1 1903/6 130-1 repr 3184}

1914 ".. the end of 'The times of the Gentiles,' A.D., 1914, and that it is the trouble of this 'Great day,' .. which is here symbolically called the voice of the Archangel when he begins the deliverance of fleshly Israel.. At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince (Archangel) which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Dan. xii. 1" {ZWT Nov 1880 1}

1914 "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." {GEPT 178-9}

1914 "Jesus Christ began to rule as king of God's heavenly government [in 1914]" {YCLF 141}

1914 "Furthermore, the remnant of spiritual Israel had for decades .. been looking forward to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles in the autumn of 1914. They were expecting God's Messianic Kingdom to be fully established in the heavens by then and also for the remnant of spiritual Israel to be glorified with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom at that time. All understanding of the Holy Scriptures was slanted in that direction or adjusted to that idea." {MSWD 136}

1914 "That the Lord must be present, and set up his Kingdom, and exercise his great power so as to dash the nations to pieces as a potter's vessel, before A.D. 1914, is then clearly fixed; for it is 'in the days of these kings' - before their overthrow - i.e. before A.D. 1914 - that the God of heaven shall set up his Kingdom." {TIAH 170}

1914 "According to our expectations the stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon .. culminating with the end of the 'Times of the Gentiles', October, 1914." {TNCR 1904 ed 579}

1914 "1914 [is] a marked year. 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." {TLEL 91}

1914 "Such activity in publishing God's kingdom and clearing his name of the Devil's reproaches by religion was mistakenly given a place secondary to the making of the bride of Christ class ready for the marriage with him in heaven, in 1914 as some thought." {TNWD 273-4}

1914 "Prior to the latter part of the year 1914, many Christians expected Christ to return at that time and to take them away to heaven. Thus, in a discourse given on September 30, 1914, A.H. Macmillan, a Bible Student, stated: 'This is probably the last public address I shall ever deliver because we shall be going home (to heaven) soon.' Clearly, Macmillan was mistaken, but that was not the only unfulfilled expectation he or his fellow Bible Students had.. Consequently, A.H. Macmillan explained later: 'I learned that we should admit our mistakes and continue searching God's Word for more enlightenment. No matter what adjustments we would have to make from time to time in our views, that would not change the gracious provision of the ransom and God's promise of eternal life .. Indeed, God's promises can be trusted! It is humans who are prone to error. Therefore, true Christians will maintain a waiting attitude in obedience to Jesus' command. They will keep awake and ready for Christ's inevitable coming as God's Executioner. They will not allow false predictions to dull their senses and cause them to ignore the true warning of the world's end." {AWAK Jun 22 1995 6-9} [why no mention of Russell's belief in exactly the same thing?]

1914 "There is absolutely no ground for Bible students to question that the consummation of this Gospel age is now even at the door, and that it will end as the Scriptures foretell in a great time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. We see the participants in this great crisis banding themselves together .. The great crisis, the great clash, symbolically represented as a fire, that will consume the ecclesiastical heavens and the social earth, is very near." {WR VI May 1 1914 5450}

1914 "We have no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of .. 1914, .. It was on this line of reckoning that the dates .. 1914 .. were located; and the Lord has placed the stamp of his seal upon 1914 .. beyond any possibility of erasure. What further evidence do we need?" {WT May 15 1922 150}

1914 "We see no reason for doubting, therefore, that the Times of the Gentiles ended in October, 1914; and that a few more years will witness their utter collapse and the full establishment of God's kingdom in the hands of Messiah." {WR VI Sept 1 1916 5950}

1914 "That the deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914 is manifest, since the deliverance of fleshly Israel, as we shall see, is appointed to take place at that time, and the angry nations will then be authoritatively commanded to be still, and will be made to recognize the power of Jehovah's Anointed.. Just how long before 1914 the last living members of the body of Christ will be glorified, we are not directly informed .." {TKIC 228}

1914 "Many of such had been looking for the Lord to come and take them to heaven, and had particularly fixed the year 1914 as when this should be done. The year 1914 was a marked date; but these had merely contemplated something to happen which did not come to pass." {PROP 1,589,000 ed 89}

1914 ".. the battle of the great day of God Almighty.. so great is our confidence in the Word of God and in the light of present truth shining upon it, that we could not have doubted its testimony whatever had been the appearances. The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874." {ZWT Jan 15 1892 repr 1355}

1914 "As far back as 1880 The Watchtower pointed to A.D. 1914 as the date marking the end of the world, at which time great trouble would come upon the nations; but at that time it was not seen by God's people on earth that the trouble would be the battle of Jehovah against Satan's organization. For many years it was believed by them, and so stated in The Watchtower, that "the time of trouble" would be a terrific clash between the various elements of the earth, such as capital and labor." {WT Feb 1 1938 35}

1914 "The prophecy of the Bible, fully supported by the physical facts in fulfillment thereof, shows that the second coming of Christ dates from the fall of the year 1914." {WHAT} [written in 1932: see next quotation]

1914 "In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book 'The Truth Shall Make You Free.' In its chapter 11, entitled 'The Count of the Time,' it did away with the insertion of 100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted the spell-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures. This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's existence into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or parousia." {GKTY 209} [Claim that 'parousia' change from 1874 to 1914 came only in 1943, not in 1932 in WHAT, when the WTBTS completed a new chronological system, which included moving Jerusalem's destruction from 606 B.C. to 607 B.C.E. to keep the 1914 date while finally accounting for the non-existing zero year. Also see HIS2 133]

1914 "True, it is expecting great things to claim, as we do, that within the coming twenty-six years all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved.. In view of this strong bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A.D. 1914 .." {TIAH 1908 ed 98-9}

1914 "We did not say positively that this would be the year." {WT Nov 1 1914 repr 5565} [Failed Prophecy..]

1914 "Even if the time of our change should not come within ten years, what more should we ask? Are we not a blessed, happy people? Is not our God faithful? If anyone knows anything better, let him take it. If any of you ever find anything better, we hope you will tell us." {WT Dec 15 1914 376} [The words of a False Prophet]

1914-8 ".. the years 1914 and 1918 are specially marked dates with reference to his coming." {CREA 289/310}

1914-8 "Like Elijah of old, they became quite disconsolate, uncertain of life, thinking the end of existence and work was at hand. This was especially the case since the remnant was part of the virgin class espoused to Christ as his Bride and she failed to realize her hopes of being glorified to heavenly life with him both in 1914 and now in 1918." {LYNS 313}

1914-8 "Ezek. 5:2, 12, 16, 17, relate to features of the destruction of literal Jerusalem in 606 B.C. and 70-73 A.D. and of Christendom in 1914 to 1918 A.D." {TFIM 398}

1915 "The 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14) which will end in A.D. 1915 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced. The gathering of the armies is plainly visible from the standpoint of God's word." {TIAH 1915 ed 101} [original TIAH used "1914" instead of "1915"]

1915 "[C.T.Russell promotes] Dr Park's cure for pneumonia [which] seems to effect a cure every time." {WR 1915 5691}

1915 "In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished near the end of A.D. 1915. {TIAH 1915 ed 99}

1915 "While it's possible that Armageddon may begin next Spring, yet this purely speculation to attempt to say just when. We see, however, that there are parallels between the close of the Jewish age and this Gospel age. These parallels seem to point to the year just before us part particularly the early months." {WR VI Sep 1 1914 5527}

1915 "we consider it an established truth, that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God will be accomplished by A.D. 1915. At that time the prayer of the church, ever since her Lord took his departure, - 'Thy kingdom come' - will be answered; and under its wise and just administration, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord" {TIAH 1915 ed 99} [Original contains '1914' instead of '1915']

1915 "The Gentile Times prove that the present governments must all be overturned about the close of A.D. 1915; and Parallelism above shows that this period corresponds exactly with the year A.D. 70, which witnessed the completion of the downfall of the Jewish polity." {TIAH 1915 ed 242}

1915 "Furthermore, Science declares that there is a far mightier Center, around which these countless millions of suns revolve, accompanied by their planets and satellites. This great Center seems to be associated with the Pleiades, particularly with Alcyone, the central star of this renowned group. For this reason the suggestion has been made that the Pleiades may represent the Residence of Jehovah, the place from which He governs the Universe. This thought gives new force to the question which the Almighty asked the patriarch Job: "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth the constellations of the Zodiac in their season?"-- 'Job 38:31,32'. There seem to be fewer stars in the North than in any other part of the heavens. Thus the North seems to have been given a very prominent position, the other points of the compass giving it homage, as it were. This fact was observed by the ancients, as the Prophet Job declares--"He stretcheth out the North over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." ('Job 26:7'.) Throughout the Scriptures the North seems to be closely associated with Jehovah's government of the earth. {ZWT Jun 15 1915 185} [This nonsense was a frequent theme - also see TKIC 327, ZWT May 15 1895 repr 1814, ZWT Dec 1 1896 repr 2075, GA Sep 10 1924 793-4. The belief persisted in the Society at the highest levels, long after C.T.Russell's death - see 1927-8 entries. Further, the associated pre-eminence of the North was in line with C.T.Russell's belief that northern (i.e. white) races were likely to be the chief component of the elect Church of the future - see EVOL 30-1 for 1898]

1915 "While the glorified members of the Kingdom beyond the veil are doing a work in shaping the current of present events and preparing for the glorious reign, those on this side of the veil have also an important work." {TKIC 1915 ed 303} [And also "Additionally, such should remember that they themselves, on the other side of the veil, will have still as good an opportunity of watching over the interests of their loved ones as they now have, and a much better opportunity than now to exercise a protecting care over them - a providential guidance in their affairs under divine wisdom, with which they will concur absolutely." {TNCR 1915 ed 555-6}. So claims from the Society that there is conscious life after death. But "Now Satan knows that his time is very short until the great fight at Armageddon takes place, and he hastens to drive all men into spiritism or devilism and therefore against God; and for that reason at the present time there is a great turning to spiritism and spirit mediums throughout the land." {RICH 101}. So the Society is driven by Satan. And the belief in spirit mediums continues into 1988 - see REVE 125]

1915 "The Battle of Armageddon, to which this war is leading, will be a great contest between right and wrong, and will signify the complete and everlasting overthrow of the wrong, and the permanent establishment of Messiah's righteous kingdom for the blessing of the world.. Our sympathies are broad enough to cover all engaged in the dreadful strife, as our hope is broad enough and deep enough to include all in the great blessings which our Master and his Millennial kingdom are about to bring to the world. {WR VI Apr 1 1915 5659}

1917 "The present great war in Europe is the beginning of the Armageddon of the Scriptures (Rev 19:16-20). It will eventuate in the complete overthrow of all the systems of error which have so long oppressed the people of God and deluded the world. We believe the present war cannot last much longer until revolutions shall break out." {PRSS 676}

1917 "Following the election Brother Rutherford, addressing the the meeting, said in part: 'The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is the greatest corporation in the world, because from the time of its organization until now the lord has used it as his channel through which to make known the glad tidings..'" {WT Jan 15 1917 22}

1917 "The Scriptures indicate that Russell was chosen of the Lord from his birth. The two most prominent messengers were Paul and Pastor Russell. Russell is the servant of Matthew 24:45-47." {WR Nov 1 1917 6159}

1917 "No doubt Satan believed the Millennial Kingdom was due to be set-up in 1915" {TFIM 128} [So did the Society]

1917 "[In Revelation] Abaddon-Apollyon [refers to] Satan" {TFIM} [But according to TFMG 232, it refers to Jesus Christ!]

1917 "Thou wilt lengthen out leviathan (the locomotive) with a hook (automatic coupler) and a snare (coupling-pin) which will cause his tongue (coupling-link) to drop down." {TFIM 84-6} [Biblical reference to Leviathan is fulfilled by the arrival of the Locomotive Engine]

1918 "The parallel, therefore, would establish definitely that the harvest would close forty years thereafter; to wit, in the spring of A.D. 1918. If this is true, and the evidence is very conclusive that it is true, then we have only a few months in which to labor before the great night settles down when no man can work." {WR Oct 1 1917 6149}

1918 "The data presented .. in the light of the foregoing Scriptures, prove that the Spring of 1918 will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that experienced in the Fall of 1914 .. The travail that is coming is to be upon nominal Zion - 'Christendom' .. 'Babylon'; and it will be a great and sore affliction- 'A Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.'" {TFIM 62}

1918 "Comments on Revelation 11:13 .. We anticipate that the 'earthquake' will occur early in 1918" {TFIM 178}

1918 "Pastor Russell's mission, in large part, was to advise Christendom of its impending end, in the time of world-wide trouble. It is the Divine judgment upon the nations.. There will be no chance of escaping from destruction, through the nations.. The trouble is due to the dawning of the Day of Christ, the Millennium. It is the Day of Vengeance .. which will break like a furious morning storm in 1918." {TFIM 404}

1918 "[Since] "the death of the apostles .. the gospel of the kingdom of God and of his Christ was not preached until after 1918 A.D." {WT Dec 1 1928 364} [thereby cutting off all of C.T.Russell's work!]

1918 ".. He was from then [1878] on, culminating in 1918, to remove it with a stroke or plague of erroneous doctrines and deeds Divinely permitted. The Church was the strength of Christendom, that about which its life centered, and around which its institutions were built. It was the desire of the eyes of the people, that which all Christians loved. Nevertheless, God was to make manifest the profanation which ecclesiasticism had made of the Christian Church, and to cause the church organizations to become to Him as one dead, an unclean thing, not to be touched, or mourned. And the 'children of the church' shall perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy, and by the Sword of the Spirit be made to see that they have lost their hope of life on the spirit plane - that 'the door is shut.'" {TFIM 484}

1918 "By his spirit, the holy spirit, Jehovah God guides or leads his people up to a certain point of time, and thus he did until the time when 'the comforter' was taken away, which would necessarily occur when Jesus, the Head of his organization, came to the temple and gathered unto himself those whom he found faithful when he, as the great Judge, began his judgment, in 1918." {PRES 193-4}

1918 "[False religion, especially Christendom, to be destroyed. Demons would enter the minds of clergy, the] swine class [causing them to do stupid things that provokes] the masses [to destroy them] .. It seems conclusive that the hour of Nominal Zion's travail is fixed for the Passover of 1918. (See Rev. 3:14.) That will be 7 years prior to 1925. At that time there is every reason to believe the fallen angels will invade the minds of many of the Nominal Church people, driving them to exceedingly unwise conduct and leading to their destruction at the hands of the enraged masses, who will later be dragged to the same fate.. [Question] 'in the parallel year 1918, I infer we should look for the complete overthrow of nominal Spiritual Israel; i.e., the fall of Babylon. (Rev. 18.) [Answer] Brother Russell replied: 'Exactly. That is exactly the inference to draw.'" {TFIM 128-9}

1918 "Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of 'Christianity'." {TFIM 485}

1918 "The natural harvest was used by the Lord to illustrate his harvest of Christians. In the Jewish natural harvest it was customary to glean the field after the regular harvest was over. We should therefore expect to find a harvest period .. to 1918, and thereafter for a time a gleaning work to be done, which we will indicate." {TFIM 236} [Written in 1917 to extend the period claimed to end in 1918]

1918 "The Jewish harvest covered a period of forty years, ending in A.D. 73. We should expect, then, the general harvest of the gospel age to end in 1918." {THOG 236}

1918 "It is on the basis of such and so many correspondencies - in accordance with the soundest laws known to science - that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of .. 1918. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search out things to come." {WT Jun 15 1922 187}

1918 "And when the year 1914 ended amid the flames of World War I and the remnant of spiritual Israel found themselves still here on the earth, then they were inclined to think that they would be glorified in the year 1918, three and a half years after the end of the Gentile Times." {MSWD 136}

1918 "We have no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of .. 1918, .. It was on this line of reckoning that the dates .. 1918 were located; and the Lord has placed the stamp of his seal upon .. 1918 beyond any possibility of erasure. What further evidence do we need?" {WT May 15 1922 150}

1918 "As the fleshly-minded apostates from Christianity, siding with the radicals and revolutionaries, will rejoice at the inheritance of desolation that will be Christendom's after 1918, so will God do to the successful revolutionary movement; it shall be utterly desolated, 'even all of it.'" {TFIM 542}

1918 "In accordance with the resolution of Congress of April 2nd, and with the proclamation of the President of the United States of May 11, it is suggested that the Lord's people everywhere make May 30th a day of prayer and supplication. God was graciously pleased to cause this nation to be formed and to grow under the most favorable conditions in the world for the preservation of liberty, civil and religious. This is the land divinely 'shadowed with wings' - overshadowed by the providential watchcare of God's Word - where God has lifted up an ensign on the mountain (kingdom), and where he has blown the trumpet message of the truth.." {WT Jan 6 1918 174} [Worse still, an "ensign" is a "flag"]

1918/9 "The preservation of the remnant of spiritual new creation to the end of World War I in 1918 and their being kept alive in the flesh in the postwar year of 1919 came as a wondrous surprise." {WT Sep 1 1989 13}

1919 "So by 1919 Babylon the Great had fallen" [and The Bible Student / Watchtower movement chosen by Christ to be only "channel" of communication from God to men] {REVE 260} [still current doctrine]

1919 "TIME OF INSPECTION BY THE SLAVE'S MASTER .. Without a question of doubt, it was a real time for inspection of the Master's 'slave' class. All the facts of the case argue that the Master came for the work of inspection at the time. Such a thing was to be expected according to the prophecy of Malachi 3:1-5. Of course, the sectarian churches of Christendom had made a wartime record for themselves, an open record that had a heavy bearing on their claim to be disciples and slaves of Jesus Christ. Could they, by even their latest record down till 1919, prove that they themselves were the composite 'faithful and discreet slave' class of the heavenly Lord and Master, Jesus Christ? He as Judge would indicate what his findings were by the way he thereafter dealt with the hundreds of religious sects of Christendom." {GKTY 349}

1919 "There would, however, be a further application of Joel 2:28-32. Indeed, this prophecy has had remarkable fulfillment since September 1919. At that time a memorable convention of Jehovah's people was held in Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A. God's spirit was clearly manifest, and his anointed servants were stimulated to embark on the global witnessing campaign that extends into the present day." {WT May 1 1992 13}

1919 "Even years ago it was known by some people that the use of pacifiers by babies is one of the chief causes of diseased and enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths, which results from the suction." {GA Nov 26 1919 153}

1919-22 "Particularly in 1919 and 1922 were there modern outpourings of Jehovah's spirit, especially in connection with the two conventions of Jehovah's dedicated people at Cedar Point, Ohio." {WT Jun 1 1981 30}

1920 [Intravenous drug use would become common during the Millennium - it would be used by The Christ (the 144,000 and Jesus) to help mankind become perfect and free of all diseases] {GA Mar 17 1920 808}

1920 "As the fleshly-minded apostates from Christianity, siding with the radicals and revolutionaries, will rejoice at the inheritance of desolation that will be Christendom's .. so will God do to the successful revolutionary movement; it shall be utterly desolated, 'even all of it.' Not one vestige of [Christendom] shall survive the ravages of world-wide all embracing anarchy, in the fall of 1920. (Rev. II: 7-13)" {TFIM 542} [TFIM 1926 ed replaces "fall of 1920" with "end of the time of trouble"]

1920 "'Life and the Life-Giver' .. The Radio-Solar Pad [The Society's second president, J.F. Rutherford, claimed he wore the Pad to help his pneumonia on the advice of his doctor, J.W. Coolidge - The Golden Age printed his article and the Rutherford's endorsement] " {GA Jun 23 1920 606-7} [Advertisements for it followed in GA Jan 19 1921 239, GA May 11 1921 480, etc. This "medical radiesthesia" being promoted by the Society was an occult philosophy that unknown and invisible rays, waves and "vibrations" can be used to diagnose and cure diseases - for example, even at a distance using a handwriting sample, picture, blood sample or other personal item. The Society now views this as "spiritism"]

1920 "And the mountains were not found. Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found. Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy." {TFIM 258} [TFIM 1926 ed omits this]

1920 "Comments on Revelation 11:13 .. Some interesting developments in connection with the setting up of the Kingdom may occur in 1920, six years after the great Time of Trouble began. It would not be strange if this were so, when we recall that after forty years wandering in the wilderness the Israelites came into possession of the land of Canaan after a further six years. As these matters are still future we can but wait to see. We anticipate that .. the 'fire' will come in the fall of 1920." {TFIM 178} [TFIM 1926 ed replaces "come in the fall of 1920" with "follow in due course"]

1920 "Milk is the greatest curative food known." {GA Dec 8 1920 146} [Mr. Rutherford preferred a Prohibited alternative, in excess]

1921 [Chiropractor A.G.Eckols treated Society President J.F.Rutherford's pneumonia in San Diego.. this led to the construction of Beth Sarim, see 1929 entries, perhaps also for the 'princes'] {GA Apr 27 1921 437} [Chiropractors were supported by Society publications, because they were like Osteopaths, and believed all disease was caused by subluxations of spinal vertebrae which constricted nerves. The 'vital', 'life' force expresed itself this way and was hindered by subluxations, which were treated by 'adjustments' to the spine, without any anesthetic or drugs; Jack Raso: Alternative Healthcare - A Comprehensive Guide (Prometheus Books, 1993) 148]

1921 "The cross of Christ is the greatest pivotal truth of the divine arrangement, from which radiate the hopes of men." {THOG 142} [Picture of crucified Christ is on page 113 of both editions of this book, as it is on CREA 265/336. A picture of Christ carrying a cross appears in LIFE 198]

1921 "'Radium - Earths Most Valuable Substance' .. honest demons [speaking through mediums or Ouija Boards said that in discovering Radium, mankind was getting close to the] secret [of life - though] lying spirits [were involved,] even liars will sometimes tell the truth." {GA Feb 2 1921 260} [the author had in GA Jun 23 1920 606-7 directly promoted the use of Radium in protracted close proximity to the human body, with radiation poisoning a certain result]

1921 "Vaccination never prevented anything and never will, and is the most barbarous practice .. Use your rights as American citizens [i.e. participate politically!!] to forever abolish the devilish practice of vaccination." {GA Oct 12 1921 17} [GA, CONS and AWAK articles until the 1960s contain far too many examples of medical imprudence and quackery to quote from other than sparingly. GA advocated the Grape Cure which was purported to cure cancer by fasting and only eating grapes, which (according to its founder, Johanna Brandt, who the Society endorsed) worked because grapes were 'magnetic' and rejuvenated your mind with the sun's healing 'vibrations']

1922 "This chronology is not of man, but of God. Being of divine origin and divinely corroborated, present-truth chronology stands in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly correct .." {WT Jul 15 1922 217}

1922 "But Jehovah raised them up by his spirit and word of truth. Shortly thereafter, at their 1922 convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, they loyally determined to advertise the King and Kingdom. Jehovah has been guiding them since then, so that his name and kingdom have become known worldwide." {WT Dec 15 1980 19}

1922 "There is no one in present truth today who can honestly say that he received a knowledge of the divine plan from any source other than by the ministry of Brother Russell, either directly or indirectly.. C.T. Russell was the 'faithful and wise servant' of Matthew 24:45.. Then to repudiate him and his work is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord.." {WT May 1 1922 132} [Mrs. C.T.Rus