ON THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: SOME ISSUES
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ON THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF DIVINE DIRECTION?
1972 - IDENTIFYING THE "PROPHET"
"So does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers, and to
declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who
is this prophet?...This "prophet" was not a man, but was a body of men and
women. It was a small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that
time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's
Christian Witnesses...of course, it is easier to say that this group acts as 'a
prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it ."
THE WATCHTOWER 4/1/72 "I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen
like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all
that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen
to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.
But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have
not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of other gods,
that prophet shall die. And you may say in your heart, "How shall we know the
word which the Lord has not spoken?" When a prophet speaks in the name of the
Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the
thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously; you
shall not be afraid of him." [Deuteromony 18:18-22 NAS Bible]
1897 --"Our Lord, the appointed King, is
now present since October 1874,"
Studies In The Scriptures, Vol.4, p. 621
1899--"...the battle of the great day of God Almight (Revelation 16:14), which
will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership,
is already commenced."
The Time Is At Hand, p. 101 (1908 edition)
1916--"The Bible chronology herein presented show 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."
The Time Is At Hand, p. ii, (forward).
1918--"Therefor we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named
by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection."
Millions Now Living Will Die, p. 89
1922--"The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than
1914."
The Watchtower 9/1/22, p. 262
1923--"Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to
Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith that Noah had
upon which to base his faith in coming deluge."
The Watchtower 4/1/23, p. 106
1925--"The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christian have looked
forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the
body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during this year. This may be
accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God will accomplish his
purposes concerning his people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned
about what may transpire this year."
The Watchtower 1/1/25, p. 3
September 1925--"It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the
minds of the consecrated, the thought that 1925 should see an end to the work."
The Watchtower, p. 262
1926--"Some anticipated that the work would end in 1925, but the Lord did not
state so. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond
reason; and that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to
throw away everything."
The Watchtower, p. 232
1931--"There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful
ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918, & 1925, which disappointment
lasted for a time ... and they also learned to quit fixing dates."
Vindication, p. 338
1941--"Receiving the gift, the marching children clasped it to them, not a toy
or plaything for idle pleasure, but the Lord's provided instrument for most
effective word in the remaining months before Armageddon."
The Watchtower 9/15/41, p. 288
1968--"True, there have been those in times past who predicted and 'end to the
world', even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The 'end' did not
come. They were guilty of false prophesying." Why? What was missing?... Missing
from such people were God's truths and the evidence that he was using and
guiding them."
Awake 10/8/68 see Luke 21:8
1968--"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 1975?"
The Watchtower 8/25/68, p. 494
The information in this document was taken from actual Watchtower publications
and can be verified in you local Kingdom Hall Library."
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2004-2010