Post by ResLight on Jun 18, 2014 22:30:55 GMT -5
The claim is made that
As far as I know, NONE of the Bible Students were expecting a return of Christ in 1914; Russell was most certainly NOT expecting a return of Christ in 1914. You cannot find anywhere in Russell's writings that he thought that Christ was to return in 1914. Not having any such expectations regarding 1914, Russell had no reason to have "turned it around and said Christ had returned invisible!!!"
In 1876 (two years after 1874), Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874. Russell reported that he and the group he was associated with had already concluded that Christ would not return physcially, but rather in the spirit, although they had not set any date for such a return.
Russell wrote concerning this:
The Watch Tower, June 1, 1916, page 171
Thus, in 1876, Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion that Christ had already returned in 1874, and he never said anything at all about Christ returning in 1914. Russell died in 1916, still holding to the belief that Christ had returned in 1874.
the Bible Students did expect a return of Christ in 1914 this also failed. Russell turned it around and said Christ had returned invisible!!!
As far as I know, NONE of the Bible Students were expecting a return of Christ in 1914; Russell was most certainly NOT expecting a return of Christ in 1914. You cannot find anywhere in Russell's writings that he thought that Christ was to return in 1914. Not having any such expectations regarding 1914, Russell had no reason to have "turned it around and said Christ had returned invisible!!!"
In 1876 (two years after 1874), Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874. Russell reported that he and the group he was associated with had already concluded that Christ would not return physcially, but rather in the spirit, although they had not set any date for such a return.
Russell wrote concerning this:
It was about January of 1876 that my attention was especially drawn to the subject of prophetic time, as it refers to these doctrines and hopes. It came about in this way: I received a paper called, The Herald of the Morning, sent by its Editor, Mr. N. H. Barbour. When I opened it, I at once identified it with Adventism from the picture on its cover; and I examined it with some curiosity to see what time the Adventists would next set for the burning of the world. But judge of my surprise and gratification when I learned from its contents that the Editor was beginning to get his eyes open on the subjects that for some years had so greatly rejoiced our hearts in our class in Allegheny--that the object of our Lord's Return is not to destroy, but to bless all the families of the earth: and that His Coming would be thief-like, and not in flesh, but as a spirit being, invisible to men; and that the gathering of His Church and the separation of the "wheat" from the "tares" would progress in the end of this Age without the world's being aware of it.
I rejoiced to find others coming to the same advanced position, but was astonished to find the statement very cautiously set forth, that the Editor of The Herald of the Morning believed the prophecies to indicate that the Lord was already present in the world unseen and invisible that the Harvest work of gathering the wheat and tares was already due; and that this view was warranted by the time prophecies which but a few months before he had supposed had failed.
Here was a new thought: Could it be that the time prophecies, which I had so long despised, because of their misuse by Adventists, were really meant to indicate when the Lord would be invisibly present to set up His Kingdom?-- a thing which I clearly saw could be known in no other way. It seemed, to say the least, a very reasonable thing to expect that the Lord would inform His people on the subject, especially as He had promised that the faithful should not be left in darkness with the world, and that although "the Day of the Lord" would come upon others as a thief in the night (stealthily, unawares), nevertheless it should not be so to the watchers, the earnest saints.--1 Thessalonians 5:4.
I rejoiced to find others coming to the same advanced position, but was astonished to find the statement very cautiously set forth, that the Editor of The Herald of the Morning believed the prophecies to indicate that the Lord was already present in the world unseen and invisible that the Harvest work of gathering the wheat and tares was already due; and that this view was warranted by the time prophecies which but a few months before he had supposed had failed.
Here was a new thought: Could it be that the time prophecies, which I had so long despised, because of their misuse by Adventists, were really meant to indicate when the Lord would be invisibly present to set up His Kingdom?-- a thing which I clearly saw could be known in no other way. It seemed, to say the least, a very reasonable thing to expect that the Lord would inform His people on the subject, especially as He had promised that the faithful should not be left in darkness with the world, and that although "the Day of the Lord" would come upon others as a thief in the night (stealthily, unawares), nevertheless it should not be so to the watchers, the earnest saints.--1 Thessalonians 5:4.
The Watch Tower, June 1, 1916, page 171
Thus, in 1876, Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion that Christ had already returned in 1874, and he never said anything at all about Christ returning in 1914. Russell died in 1916, still holding to the belief that Christ had returned in 1874.
