Post by ResLight on Oct 2, 2013 19:06:54 GMT -5
I just responded to a post in one of the Yuku forums, and I am reposting the response below:
I just came across this today.
I am not with the Jehovah's Witnesses, nor was Charles Taze Russell ever a member of that organization. Russell was still preaching against such even a few weeks before he died.
Since I do have beliefs similar to Russell's, and have been studying Bible Students' writings (including that of Charles Taze Russell) for more than 50 years, I would like to set some things straight.
The statement is made:
Russell did indeed believe and presented studies related to God's witness in Egypt, if that is what is meant by "pyramidology". Russell believed that astrology is of the devil and plainly stated so. Russell did not believe in "sungod"s at all, nor did he believe in "sungod" emblems. Russell did make use of a "sun of righteousness" illustration on his books. Nor was Russell interested in "Masonic imagery" per se. Some of the things he presented are very similar to some of the images used by the Knights Templar, who profess to be Christian.
It was stated:
While Bible Students do have some "pyramid charts*", the chart being spoken of is not a "chart of the pyramids"; rather it is the Chart of the Ages of God's plan. It does present the outworking of God's divine plan as illustrated by various pyramids, representing various stages of development; many corporations utiltize similar pyramid charts. At any rate, there is nothing at all wrong with Russell's usage of such pyramid imagery to illustrate the various features and development of God's plan.
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*These pyramid charts are NOT related to "pyramids" (plural), but rather show that features of the divine plan as related to God's witness in Egypt.
The two following quotes are misleading:
By making reference to the 1916 edition, this makes it appear that this change took place in 1916; actually it was in the 1905 edition that this change first appeared. The problem was that no one had actually measured the floor of the desceding passageway because it was filled with debris. Even in 1905, it still had not been measured, thus that measurement was projected from Smyth's measurement of the ceiling of the decending passageway; as it turned out, the Edgars later removed all the debris from the descending passageway and found that both of the above measurements were wrong.
Some have used the quotes such as given above to make it appear that because of the alleged failure of 1914, Russell changed the date to 1915; in reality, this change was made in 1905, long before 1914 had arrived. The date 1915, however, as used by Russell as the beginning of something, denoted October 1914 as beginning of the year 1915. In other words, by saying that 1915 marks the beginning of the time of trouble, he was actually counting 1915 as beginning in October of 1914, since the chronology he adopted from Barbour runs from fall to fall. He many times referred to 1915 as beginning in the fall of 1914.
It is stated:
As best as I can determine, Barbour -- not Russell -- originally obtained the date 1914 from his studies of Bible prophecies and parallels. God's witness in Egypt simply confirms those conclusions.
Originally, Russell believed that Armageddon would end in 1914, which conclusion he had adopted from N. H. Barbour. In 1904, however, he came to realize that the "time of trouble" begins when the "times of the Gentiles" end. Thus, from 1904 onward, he was expecting the "time of trouble" to begin in 1914 and that it would end sometime after 1914. Russell was never looking at all, however, for the JW kind of Armageddon that would allegedly eternally destroy millions of unbelievers. Russell believed that Armageddon was a period of time in which the people of the nations are chastised (not eternally destroyed) in preparation for the coming blessings of God's Kingdom.
Russell, of course, believed that Christ had already returned in 1874, so any statements made by the JWs or anyone else that he was expecting Christ to return in 1914 is false.
For a lot of the research I done concerning Russell, see:
ctr.rlbible.com
I am not with the Jehovah's Witnesses, nor was Charles Taze Russell ever a member of that organization. Russell was still preaching against such even a few weeks before he died.
Since I do have beliefs similar to Russell's, and have been studying Bible Students' writings (including that of Charles Taze Russell) for more than 50 years, I would like to set some things straight.
The statement is made:
Charles Taze Russell delt in pyramidology , astrology , sungod emblems and Masonic imagery.
Russell did indeed believe and presented studies related to God's witness in Egypt, if that is what is meant by "pyramidology". Russell believed that astrology is of the devil and plainly stated so. Russell did not believe in "sungod"s at all, nor did he believe in "sungod" emblems. Russell did make use of a "sun of righteousness" illustration on his books. Nor was Russell interested in "Masonic imagery" per se. Some of the things he presented are very similar to some of the images used by the Knights Templar, who profess to be Christian.
It was stated:
Jehovahs Witnesses Proclaimers of Gods Kingdom 1993, pg 162, Has picture of a chart of the pyramids. See actual pull out chart from Studies in the Scriptures, The Devine Plan Of The Ages Volume 1, 1910
While Bible Students do have some "pyramid charts*", the chart being spoken of is not a "chart of the pyramids"; rather it is the Chart of the Ages of God's plan. It does present the outworking of God's divine plan as illustrated by various pyramids, representing various stages of development; many corporations utiltize similar pyramid charts. At any rate, there is nothing at all wrong with Russell's usage of such pyramid imagery to illustrate the various features and development of God's plan.
=======
*These pyramid charts are NOT related to "pyramids" (plural), but rather show that features of the divine plan as related to God's witness in Egypt.
The two following quotes are misleading:
Thy Kingdom Come 3, 1897, (Studies in Scriptures), pg 342, Then measuring down the Entrance Passage....3416 inches symbolizing 3416 years ....This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of trouble.....the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1874 was the chronological beginning of the times if trouble....
Thy Kingdom Come 3,1916, (Studies in Scriptures), pg 342, Then measuring down the Entrance Passage....3457 inches symbolizing 3457 years ....This calculation shows A.D. 1915 as marking the beginning of trouble....the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 was the chronological beginning of the times if trouble....
Thy Kingdom Come 3,1916, (Studies in Scriptures), pg 342, Then measuring down the Entrance Passage....3457 inches symbolizing 3457 years ....This calculation shows A.D. 1915 as marking the beginning of trouble....the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 was the chronological beginning of the times if trouble....
By making reference to the 1916 edition, this makes it appear that this change took place in 1916; actually it was in the 1905 edition that this change first appeared. The problem was that no one had actually measured the floor of the desceding passageway because it was filled with debris. Even in 1905, it still had not been measured, thus that measurement was projected from Smyth's measurement of the ceiling of the decending passageway; as it turned out, the Edgars later removed all the debris from the descending passageway and found that both of the above measurements were wrong.
Some have used the quotes such as given above to make it appear that because of the alleged failure of 1914, Russell changed the date to 1915; in reality, this change was made in 1905, long before 1914 had arrived. The date 1915, however, as used by Russell as the beginning of something, denoted October 1914 as beginning of the year 1915. In other words, by saying that 1915 marks the beginning of the time of trouble, he was actually counting 1915 as beginning in October of 1914, since the chronology he adopted from Barbour runs from fall to fall. He many times referred to 1915 as beginning in the fall of 1914.
It is stated:
Russell got the date 1914 originally from the pyramid measurements
As best as I can determine, Barbour -- not Russell -- originally obtained the date 1914 from his studies of Bible prophecies and parallels. God's witness in Egypt simply confirms those conclusions.
The 1914 date was to be Armageddon as Russell preached, not Christs presence as taught today.
Originally, Russell believed that Armageddon would end in 1914, which conclusion he had adopted from N. H. Barbour. In 1904, however, he came to realize that the "time of trouble" begins when the "times of the Gentiles" end. Thus, from 1904 onward, he was expecting the "time of trouble" to begin in 1914 and that it would end sometime after 1914. Russell was never looking at all, however, for the JW kind of Armageddon that would allegedly eternally destroy millions of unbelievers. Russell believed that Armageddon was a period of time in which the people of the nations are chastised (not eternally destroyed) in preparation for the coming blessings of God's Kingdom.
Russell, of course, believed that Christ had already returned in 1874, so any statements made by the JWs or anyone else that he was expecting Christ to return in 1914 is false.
For a lot of the research I done concerning Russell, see:
ctr.rlbible.com
