Post by ResLight on Dec 17, 2013 21:49:16 GMT -5
Russell stated (1891 Edition):
The 1911 Edition reads:
I do not have any editions between 1891 and 1911, so I am not sure when the above revision was made to Thy Kingdom Come. I do see it in the 1911 edition. It could have been in some earlier editions between 1904 to 1911, but, at the present time, I cannot say when this revision was made. However, whoever provided the revision as it appears in the 1911 edition did not fully revise the sentence to harmonize with with Russell's change of view since 1904. The first part of the latter sentence was not revised to harmonize with Brother Russell's view since 1904, but the final part of the sentence was revised and does agree with Brother Russell's view since 1904. The revision leaves the statement "before the full close of the time of trouble which end the Gentitle Times" which appears to contradict the later statement, "the anarchous trouble which will follow October, 1914."
The online edition on the mostholyfaith.com site reads almost the same the 1911 edition, but the word "four" was changed to "a few":
The sentence in Paul Johnson's edited edition of 1927 reads:
Brother Johnson gives a note (page 415) on this which states that
What did Brother Russell say on pages 77 and 555 of What Pastor Russell Said?
Page 77:
Page 555
How long this sifting of the consecrated will last, during which some will be granted the crowns of those adjudged unworthy, and their names written instead of some whose names will be blotted out (Rev. 3:5,11), the Scriptures do not, so far as we have yet seen, indicate; but this date, 1910, indicated by the Pyramid, seems to harmonize well with the dates furnished by the Bible." And he continues: "It is but four years before the full close of the time of trouble which end the Gentitle Times; and when we remember the Lord's words -- that the overcomers shall be accounted worthy to escape the severest of the trouble coming upon the world, we may well accept as correct the testimony of the Great Pyramid, that the last members of the 'body' or 'bride' of Christ will have been tested and accepted and will have passed beyond the vail before the close of 1910.
The 1911 Edition reads:
How long this sifting of the consecrated will last, during which some will be granted the crowns of those adjudged unworthy, and their names written instead of some whose names will be blotted out (Rev. 3:5,11), the Scriptures do not, so far as we have yet seen, indicate; but this date, 1910, indicated by the Pyramid, seems to harmonize well with the dates furnished by the Bible. It is but four years before the full close of the time of trouble which end the Gentitle Times; and when we remember the Lord's words -- that the overcomers shall be accounted worthy to escape the severest of the trouble coming upon the world we may understand the reference to be to the anarchous trouble which will follow October, 1914; but a trouble chiefly upon the Church may be expected about 1910 AD.
I do not have any editions between 1891 and 1911, so I am not sure when the above revision was made to Thy Kingdom Come. I do see it in the 1911 edition. It could have been in some earlier editions between 1904 to 1911, but, at the present time, I cannot say when this revision was made. However, whoever provided the revision as it appears in the 1911 edition did not fully revise the sentence to harmonize with with Russell's change of view since 1904. The first part of the latter sentence was not revised to harmonize with Brother Russell's view since 1904, but the final part of the sentence was revised and does agree with Brother Russell's view since 1904. The revision leaves the statement "before the full close of the time of trouble which end the Gentitle Times" which appears to contradict the later statement, "the anarchous trouble which will follow October, 1914."
The online edition on the mostholyfaith.com site reads almost the same the 1911 edition, but the word "four" was changed to "a few":
It is but a few years before the full close of the time of trouble which ends the Gentile times; and when we remember the Lord's words -- that the overcomers shall be accounted worthy to escape the severest of the trouble coming upon the world we may understand the reference to be to the anarchous trouble which will follow October, 1914; but a trouble chiefly upon the Church may be expected about 1910 A.D.
The sentence in Paul Johnson's edited edition of 1927 reads:
It is but a few years before the full close of the Gentile Times; and when we remember the Lord's words, that the overcomers shall be accounte worthy to escape the severest of the trouble coming upon the world we may understand the reference to be not to the anarchrous trouble after 1914, but a trouble chiefly upon the Church about 1910.
Brother Johnson gives a note (page 415) on this which states that
one of the pertinent measurements was by [Brother Russell] understood to mean that the Church would leave the earth by Oct., 1910; but after 1904, as a result of his seeing that the time of trouble would begin, not end, in 1914, he concluded that the Church would remain until Oct., 1914. This moved him to change the thought first held on the measurment understood as marking Oct., 1910, as the date of the deliverance of the church into the thought that is now expressed thereon in the pertinent pages. But before Oct., 1910, came, as can be seen from the questions and answers on that date in the book, What Pastor Russell Said, pp. 77 and 555, he gave up that thought. But he never changed the subject matter on this point on pp. 362-364, the condition of the plates doubtless making the changes impracticable.
What did Brother Russell say on pages 77 and 555 of What Pastor Russell Said?
Page 77:
QUESTION (1910)--1--What event is to take place in 1910, which is pointed out in the Pyramid?
ANSWER.--I do not know. There are many people who can tell you a great deal more about 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913 than I can. All I know is there are certain dates that seem to be well fixed as far as we understand the Scriptures--1874, 1878, 1881 and October, 1914. I do not know about anything between at all. If other people do, they have a right to talk about it.
But do you not say something in the third volume of Scripture studies about 1910? Yes, I said we might take a measurement up over that step. We do not know whether there is anything to be measured that way or not, but suppose we do take a measurement over the top of that step: It would indicate about the year 1910. But I do not know whether God meant something to be marked for 1910 or not. I think by the time we have passed that time, we might see something perhaps for 1910. Perhaps we have gotten up on that step now, for all I know. Things are going along pretty rapidly just now, dear friends.
ANSWER.--I do not know. There are many people who can tell you a great deal more about 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913 than I can. All I know is there are certain dates that seem to be well fixed as far as we understand the Scriptures--1874, 1878, 1881 and October, 1914. I do not know about anything between at all. If other people do, they have a right to talk about it.
But do you not say something in the third volume of Scripture studies about 1910? Yes, I said we might take a measurement up over that step. We do not know whether there is anything to be measured that way or not, but suppose we do take a measurement over the top of that step: It would indicate about the year 1910. But I do not know whether God meant something to be marked for 1910 or not. I think by the time we have passed that time, we might see something perhaps for 1910. Perhaps we have gotten up on that step now, for all I know. Things are going along pretty rapidly just now, dear friends.
Page 555
PYRAMID--Date 1910.
QUESTION (1910)--4--What importance do you attach to the date October, 1910, in view of the suggestion in the Pyramid?
ANSWER--In the chapter on the Pyramid, in the third volume of Scripture Studies, we made mention of the fact that a measurement might be taken up the front of that large step, you remember, that is at the top of the Grand Gallery; that it could be measured up that step and along that step to about the junction line. We did not have the [Q556] exact measurement of that, but we took what is termed a paper measurement. That is to say, if anything is drawn to a scale, you can, by measuring very carefully with a piece of paper, estimate pretty closely, and our estimate of that, as I remember it, and as recorded there in the third volume, was that the point of time in inches would seem to represent October, 1910; but we did not give that as anything positive, nor as anything we know. I do not know anything about October, 1910. It is merely a suggestion. When it comes to October, 1910, I think it will be very well for you to have both eyes open and look around and see if you see anything. But the dates that are given to us prophetically are the ones I think we ought to especially give heed to. Now these prophetic dates seem to be, 1874, October; 1878, in the spring; and then 1881, in October; and then October, 1914. Now these, as far as we can tell, are the dates marked in prophecy, and to these we do well that we take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place, as St. Peter says. That does not mean that we know now, or that we ever knew, nor that we say now, nor that we ever said, that the suggestions made respecting these dates which are based upon prophecies are indisputable; nor that we have ever claimed infallibility in the interpretation of the prophecies in connection with them. What do we say, in the Scripture Studies, you will remember, is this: That to our understanding, this teaches this, and that teaches that, and the other teaches the other. We do not see any other way they could be held together, or any other conclusion that could be reached; and for my own part, therefore, I believe that those dates signify such and such things. That is all we have ever said; we never said we were infallible in these things. We believe them. We have believed them from the first; we are acting upon that belief. But, my dear friends, if October, 1915, came, or October, 1920, came, and no great time of trouble, and no change of all the Church came, it would not overthrow my faith in the divine plan of the ages for a moment. God is selecting a Church as the Seed of Abraham, and that Church as the Seed of Abraham is predestinated to do the work of blessing all the families of the earth; whether 1915 is the exact time for that to begin, or the trouble that will introduce that time of blessing, is another matter. I believe October, 1914, is the time when we may expect that great time of trouble, because it seems to our judgment, as far as we can understand the Scriptures, that is the time when the Gentile period of lease, or tenure, will expire, and when, therefore, we may expect that the time of trouble shall be ushered in; and that time of trouble we understand is the one the Scriptures tell about--a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, a time of trouble which shall overwhelm all sorts of government, and every institution of the present time; and a time of trouble which thus will make ready and prepare mankind for the glorious reign of Christ and his Church, for the blessing and uplifting of all the families of the earth.
QUESTION (1910)--4--What importance do you attach to the date October, 1910, in view of the suggestion in the Pyramid?
ANSWER--In the chapter on the Pyramid, in the third volume of Scripture Studies, we made mention of the fact that a measurement might be taken up the front of that large step, you remember, that is at the top of the Grand Gallery; that it could be measured up that step and along that step to about the junction line. We did not have the [Q556] exact measurement of that, but we took what is termed a paper measurement. That is to say, if anything is drawn to a scale, you can, by measuring very carefully with a piece of paper, estimate pretty closely, and our estimate of that, as I remember it, and as recorded there in the third volume, was that the point of time in inches would seem to represent October, 1910; but we did not give that as anything positive, nor as anything we know. I do not know anything about October, 1910. It is merely a suggestion. When it comes to October, 1910, I think it will be very well for you to have both eyes open and look around and see if you see anything. But the dates that are given to us prophetically are the ones I think we ought to especially give heed to. Now these prophetic dates seem to be, 1874, October; 1878, in the spring; and then 1881, in October; and then October, 1914. Now these, as far as we can tell, are the dates marked in prophecy, and to these we do well that we take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place, as St. Peter says. That does not mean that we know now, or that we ever knew, nor that we say now, nor that we ever said, that the suggestions made respecting these dates which are based upon prophecies are indisputable; nor that we have ever claimed infallibility in the interpretation of the prophecies in connection with them. What do we say, in the Scripture Studies, you will remember, is this: That to our understanding, this teaches this, and that teaches that, and the other teaches the other. We do not see any other way they could be held together, or any other conclusion that could be reached; and for my own part, therefore, I believe that those dates signify such and such things. That is all we have ever said; we never said we were infallible in these things. We believe them. We have believed them from the first; we are acting upon that belief. But, my dear friends, if October, 1915, came, or October, 1920, came, and no great time of trouble, and no change of all the Church came, it would not overthrow my faith in the divine plan of the ages for a moment. God is selecting a Church as the Seed of Abraham, and that Church as the Seed of Abraham is predestinated to do the work of blessing all the families of the earth; whether 1915 is the exact time for that to begin, or the trouble that will introduce that time of blessing, is another matter. I believe October, 1914, is the time when we may expect that great time of trouble, because it seems to our judgment, as far as we can understand the Scriptures, that is the time when the Gentile period of lease, or tenure, will expire, and when, therefore, we may expect that the time of trouble shall be ushered in; and that time of trouble we understand is the one the Scriptures tell about--a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, a time of trouble which shall overwhelm all sorts of government, and every institution of the present time; and a time of trouble which thus will make ready and prepare mankind for the glorious reign of Christ and his Church, for the blessing and uplifting of all the families of the earth.
