Many statements have been made to the effect that all of Charles Taze Russell’s expectations concerning 1914 were a failure. However, for those familiar with Russell’s writings, it is obvious that what is being said is only partly true. Yes, not all Russell expected for 1914 came to pass, but his main expectation, that the “time of trouble” was to begin in 1914, we believe did come true. We also believe that his expectation that the end of the Gentile Times ended in 1914 were true.
Many love to quote from an earlier edition of the book, Thy Time Is At Hand, page 101, the following: "The 'battle of the great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14) which will end in A. D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced." One states: "For years, Charles Taze Russell and the Watchtower had prophesied that in 1914 God would bring a cataclysmic judgment on the world, destroy all the kingdoms of the earth, and set up Christ’s millennial Kingdom on earth. (The Time Is At Hand, 1888, pp. 76-77)". Russell, however, consistently denied being a prophet, or that he was presenting his conclusions -- based on the Bible -- as being prophecies.
The truth is that after 1904 Russell was no longer expecting all human governments to be immediately overthrown in or before 1914. Nevertheless, Russell did present many expectations that did prove to be wrong; he did later acknowledge that he was wrong concerning many of his expectations, but this does not mean that the year 1914 itself was a failure. His expectations concerning the “change” of the church by 1914 or vy the end of 1915 and the New Covenant established with Israel by end of 1915 did fail. He expected the harvest to end in 1914 (or 1915), but after 1914 he evidently came to be believe that the harvest had not ended. Nevertheless, while realize that these expectations did not come true in 1914, we do believe that other expectations did come true. He also expected that anarchy would set in, especially upon the nations called “Christendom”, by the end of 1915. Of course, Russell never claimed to be making “prophecies”, nor did he claim that the calculations he presented were infallible. Indeed, he disclaimed such many times, and even cautioned several times that he could be wrong concerning what he was expecting for 1914 or 1915.
Some things Russell was expecting have come about, although not as soon as he was expecting, and often not entirely in the manner he was expecting. The events of and following World War I saw the ascendancy of Israel to political autonomy and eventual life as a nation, one of the major steps in the setting up of God’s kingdom. The year 1917 saw the ousting of the Turks from Jerusalem by General Allenby, and Britain’s commitment, through the Balfour Declaration, to establish a homeland for the Jewish people. The Land of Israel reappeared on the world political map.
Did we see the full establishment of God’s Kingdom in 1914/1915? What exactly did Russell expect regarding this? Russell believed that the full setting up of the earthly phase of God’s kingdom would follow the time of trouble that was to begin in 1914; he had stated that he did not know how long that the time of trouble would last, but that he “expected” it to be over shortly after 1914, probably by the end of 1915. He was short-sighted in this regard, but this does not do away with the overall picture.
Please note that we don’t defend each and every statement that Russell said (nor do we believe Russell himself would do so), and Russell himself said over and over all throughout his ministry that his expectations were not infallible, and that he could be wrong on some things expected at certain dates. Unlike the JW leadership, Russell never claimed that his conclusions regarding prophecies were to be accepted as essential doctrine, and he did not speak for any organization such as the Jehovah's Witnesses who would disfellowship their members for not accepting the prophetic views of their leadership. Russell claimed no such authority, not for himself, nor for the Watch Tower Society of his time.
Nevertheless, when viewed from God’s standpoint, we are still “shortly after” 1914. Although Russell himself did not think the time of trouble would be this long, he did allow that it could be. Brother Russell believed that the time of the end began in 1799, and that it would end in 1914. After 1904, he evidently still believed that the time of the end was to end in 1914, although we have not been able to find any place where he harmonizes such a thought with his view the that the "time of trouble" was to begin in 1914. Russell believed, howeer, that the scriptures do not tell us how long the time of trouble was to last. Some Bible Students believe that it is possible that the time allotted for this "time of trouble" is 120 years (1914+120=2034). Nevertheless, if this is true, it would not designate 2034 to the end of the present heavens and earth, since these days will be “cut short”. Thus, it would mean that some time before they are allowed to reach their end the present heavens and earth will pass away. However, we present here our own observation that Brother Russell evidently never noticed that the Hebrew word for "time" in Daniel 8:19 is the same word used in Daniel 12:7. Without claiming that we know this for a fact, or that we are claiming to a divinely inspired prophet, this would seem to indicate that the length appointed for the "time of the end" is 360 years, making it end in the year 2159 (1799 + 360 = 2159). Nevertheless, this would not indicate that the present heavens and earth are to pass away in that year, since the days are to be cut short, else no flesh would be saved. It still leaves no specific date for the end of the time of trouble, except that, if this is true, it would mean that the time of trouble could end at any time between now and 2159. (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20) We still do not know when the present heavens and earth are to pass away. (Matthew 5:18; 24:35-36; Mark 13:30-32; 16:17; 21:33; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1) However, no one should view these expectations as being "prophecy."
Nevertheless, it is important to realize that Russell, after 1904, expected the spiritual phase of God’s Kingdom (which he believed had already been set up over the years from 1874 to 1878) to bring in, not an immediate total destruction of the Gentile Kingdoms, nor that God’s Kingdom would immediately bring peace to the nations in 1914, but rather just the opposite, a time of trouble, which would eventually bring in the Kingdom rulership all over the earth. Before 1904, he had believed that the time of trouble began in 1874 and that it was to end in 1914; but in 1904 he began to see 1914 as the “beginning” — not the end — of the time of trouble. This somewhat overrides all of the earlier statements concerning the consummation of things in 1914.
He certainly didn’t believe that 1914 would be “the end of the world”, as that term is usually used. Early in 1914, an issue of The Bible Students Monthly was issued with the large bold heading “END OF WORLD IN 1914″. Some have quoted the large headline of this tract as proof that Russell was expecting the “end of the world” in 1914. However, such would have to neglect the subheading under the larger headline, which states: “NOT THE VIEW OF PASTOR RUSSELL NOR OF I.B.S.A.” A scan of this is presented below:
Russell viewed the end of the age, often rendered as the end of the world, as a period of time, which he believed had begun in 1874, and, at least after 1904, he believed that it would be over within one or two years after October 1914, although he did state he could not be certain how long the time of trouble would last after 1914. One could say that there was an “age” that ended in 1914, but many Bible Students view the “end of the age” as a period of time covering 1874 to whenever Satan is sealed in the abyss so that he is not able to deceive the nations. Please note that never did Russell gives his expectations as being prophecies, nor did he claim to be a prophet (except that that term can be applied in the broader sense); he never claimed to be an infallible, inspired seer of future events, and he stated such many times.
Many who criticize Russell are often totally ignorant of what Russell taught concerning 1914 between the years of 1904 to 1914. They tend to quote from what Russell wrote before 1904, thus readers do not receive the full picture concerning what Russell wrote in the ten years preceding 1914.
We are reproducing in separate parts some of the things Russell said concerning 1914, the time of trouble, and the “end of the age”, etc. The main focus of these quotes is between the years of 1904 to 1915.
Note that we do not necessarily agree with everything he said (nor do we believe Russell himself would agree with everything he stated). We also note that in Russell’s day there was no central governing body amongst the Bible Students, and there were some Bible Students who disagreed with many of Russell’s conclusions during the times he made these statements, as one can see from the quotes below. We do believe that many of his statements expressed great confidence, although he often cautioned against being overconfident regarding his expectations. As one can see, however, Russell stated that these were his own surmisings as a result of his study of the prophecies. He never tried to force anyone to accept his expectations. One should also realize that some of his statements were “spur-of-the-moment” statements that were recorded and put into print.
We now expect that the anarchistic culmination of the great time of trouble which will precede the Millennial blessings will be after October, 1914 A.D.–very speedily thereafter, in our opinion –”in one hour,” “suddenly.”
Universal Anarchy: Just Before or After October, 1914 A.D.? ZWT, July 1, 1904, page 197, Reprints 3389
However, we caution that much that is stated in article assumes some knowledge of what Russell had already presented in his Scripture Studies. Without that background, it may be easy to misintepret what Russell stated, as many do with many things Russell stated.
Our Lord’s presence, as shown in MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. II., dates from October, 1874, where the forty years’ harvest began, of which he is the great Chief Reaper. The date for the final anarchy in no sense affects it. April, 1878, marks the date of the establishment of the Kingdom, as shown in the same volume. At that date was due the resurrection of the sleeping saints who died “overcomers.” Thus the establishment of the Kingdom commenced: it has since progressed as one after another of the same class have since died and been “changed” in the moment of death. The Kingdom will be fully established or “set up” by October, A.D. 1914, as already pointed out; for that date closes the forty years of “harvest” and accomplishes its design–the gathering of all the wheat into the garner of the heavenly condition.
***
So then, dear friends, it is evident that the coming of universal anarchy after the “harvest,” after October 1914 A.D., has nothing whatever to do with either the presence of the Reaper or the setting up of his Kingdom. Indeed, the guidance and overruling of that anarchy will be under the control of the glorified Church – the Christ. Thus those days of anarchy will be shortened and not permitted to go on to their reasonable end–a general strife, “every man’s hand against his brother” – which would in the end mean “no flesh saved.” On the contrary, the glorified Christ will permit the trouble to go only so far as to teach the world a great lesson: that its rule of selfishness means in the end destruction – to be devoured one of another. It too will teach the foolishness of human boastings in re present wisdom, civilization, etc.
Just another word on this subject. We find that some have concluded that because anarchy destroyed the Jewish nation in the one year following their “harvest,” therefore we should expect that the one year, from October 1914 to October 1915, following the Gospel age “harvest,” would measure the period of universal anarchy coming. We cannot agree to this conclusion, because the type or parallel goes no further than the end of the forty years’ “harvest” in both cases–October 69, where the year A.D. 70 began, and October 1914, where the year 1915 A.D. will begin (Jewish reckoning). The anarchy period lies entirely outside of any dates or reckonings furnished us. It may be one year or more. The “elect” are not to be in it, and as for their interest in friends who may experience its sorrows we now know our Father’s character and plan so well that we dare trust our friends as well as ourselves to his loving care, assured that God’s provisions will be the wisest and best.
“Fear Not, O Zion”, ZWT, August 1, 1904, Beginning on page 229, Reprints 3405
The fourth testimony of the angel respecting the great time of trouble closing “the time of the end” is not yet fulfilled; but on every hand we can see that the precedent conditions are ripening. This fourth feature is expressed in the words, “And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.” From other prophetic Scriptures we glean that this great trouble lies 10 years in the future. It will be ushered in at the expiration of what the Scriptures designate the “times of the Gentiles,” October, 1914 A.D.
“Lessons Drawn From St. Louis Exposition”, October 2, 1904, Pittsburgh Gazette.
Russell believed that "the time of the end" had begun in 1799 and that it was to last 115 years, that is, until October of 1914. (Thy Kingdom Come, page 108). As pointed out earlier, we conclude that the time of the end is a period of 360 years. At any rate, Russell speaks of the clossing of "time of the end", which he was expecting to be in 1914. Nevertheless, he points out that he was expecting "the time of trouble" to begin "10 years in the future", that is, in 1914, when he was expecting the "times of the Gentiles" to expire. This shows that he was no longer expecting the end of all Gentile Kingdom before or in 1914, as he had previously expected.
The third and fourth verses of our lesson, we believe, are near fulfilment. In the Revised Version it reads, “Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased her joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.” The nation of Israel is much increased today, the estimate at the present time being between ten and twelve millions. Their joy is not yet accomplished because this great deliverance here mentioned has not yet been accomplished. It is to be accomplished in the day of trouble, shortly after October, 1914, we believe. The reference here to their deliverance being similar to that in the day of Midian signifies that, as in the days of Midian the Lord specially manifested divine power by which Gideon and a handful with him smote an immense army and delivered Israel from the oppressor, so here in the end of this age the glorified Lord and his glorified Church, the little flock, the antitype of Gideon and his band, will deliver Israel with a similar mighty manifestation of divine power. -- “Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:1-7: ZWT, December 1, 1904, page 364, Reprints 3468
In the above, Brother Russell places the time of Israel's deliverance from blindness as bein during the time of trouble, which refers to as "shortly after 1914". While we do find that Israel had been restored as a nation during this time of trouble, we haven't seen Israel's blindness yet removed. Some believe that the blindness is taken away before the passing away of the present heavens and earth, however, we believe that it is possible that Israel's blindness will not be taken away until after the present heavens and earth has pass away, and Satan has been abyssed.
First of all I hasten to assure you that I have never laid claim to infallibility. I do not expect to be infallible until by the Lord’s grace I shall share a part in the First Resurrection; then, that which is perfect having come, that which is in part shall be done away; we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known. We accept the writings by the twelve apostles as being so supervised of the Lord as to be free from any error. He himself said of the writers, the apostles, Whatsoever ye shall bind, enforce, on earth will be that which is recognized as bound or enforced in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose or release from on earth shall be loosed or released from in heaven. Hence we may regard the presentations of those twelve men, intended of the Lord to be his special representatives under the holy Spirit’s dispensation, as being infallible, true, inerrant. But there is no ground for believing that any others than the apostles have been so miraculously holden by the power of God as were those twelve, or that we have any authority in the Word of God for considering the words and writings of others as being above or beyond testing and proving by the Scriptures. This has invariably been our presentation. It has been our endeavor to present the Word of God faithfully as he has given us to understand it–to our own Master we stand or fall. Nevertheless we trust that our course has the approval also of such of the Lord’s dear people as, led by his Spirit, are now walking in the light of present truth. – "Infallibility and Church Eldeship" Watch Tower, March 15, 1906, page 90.
The above quote is not directly about what Russell was expecting in 1914, but we included it here because of his plain statement that he did not consider himself to be infallible. One should realize that all that what Russell wrote of his expectation related to 1914 and after 1914 were not given as though divinely-inspired propheties, despite how many may quote them and misrepresent that this or that expectation as a "prophecy". Nor was Russell speaking as though he were the "central authority" of an organization, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. Nevertheless, the letter reproduced in article does reflect the thinking of many, if not most, of the Bible Students at that time. Many were indeed teaching that Russell was a prophet, although Russell consistently denied such many times. Indeed, we have met some Bible Student in our time who claimed that Russell was a prophet, which, of course, is self-contradcitory, since if Russell was a divinely-inspired prophet, then Russell was divinely-inspired in claiming that he was not a divinely-inspired prophet.
A DEAR Brother inquires, Can we feel absolutely sure that the Chronology set forth in the DAWN-STUDIES is correct?–that the harvest began in A.D. 1874 and will end in A.D. 1914 in a world-wide trouble which will overthrow all present institutions and be followed by the reign of righteousness of the King of Glory and his Bride, the Church?
We answer, as we have frequently done before in the DAWNS and TOWERS and orally and by letter, that we have never claimed our calculations to be infallibly correct; we have never claimed that they were knowledge, nor based upon indisputable evidence, facts, knowledge; our claim has always been that they are based on faith. We have set forth the evidences as plainly as possible and stated the conclusions of faith we draw from them, and have invited others to accept as much or as little of them as their hearts and heads could endorse. Many have examined these evidences and have accepted them; others equally bright do not endorse them. Those who have been able to accept them by faith seem to have received special blessings, not merely along the line of prophetic harmonies, but along all other lines of grace and truth. We have not condemned those who could not see, but have rejoiced with those whose exercise of faith has brought them special blessings–”Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.”
***
But let us suppose a case far from our expectations: Suppose that A.D. 1915 should pass with the world’s affairs all serene and with evidence that the “very elect” had not all been “changed” and without the restoration of natural Israel to favor under the New Covenant. (Romans 11:12,15) What then? Would not that prove our chronology wrong? Yes, surely! And would not that prove a keen disappointment? Indeed it would! It would work irreparable wreck to the Parallel dispensations and Israel’s Double, and to the Jubilee calculations, and to the prophecy of the 2300 days of Daniel, and to the epoch called “Gentile Times,” and to the 1260, 1290 and 1335 days, the latter of which marking the beginning of the Harvest so well fulfilled its prediction, “Oh, the blessedness of him that waiteth and cometh unto the 1335 days!” None of these would be available longer. What a blow that would be! One of the strings of our “harp” would be quite broken! [[We believe Russell actually overstated this matter. Even if 1914 had failed to produce anything at all, in reality it has no effect on the 1260, 1290 and 1335 days, for these would still be intact. — Ronald R. Day]
However, dear friends, our Harp would still have all the other strings in tune and that is what no other aggregation of God’s people on earth could boast. We could still worship a God so great and grand that none other could compare with Him. We should still see the grandeur of His salvation in Christ Jesus–”a Ransom for all.” We should still see the wonders of “the hidden mystery,” our fellowship with our Redeemer in “His death” and also “in His resurrection” to “glory, honor and immortality” –”the Divine nature.”
If, therefore, dearly beloved, it should turn out that our chronology is all wrong, we may conclude that with it we have had much advantage everyway. If the attainment of our glorious hopes and present joys in the Lord should cost us such disappointment as our friends fear, we should rejoice and count it cheap! If the Lord sees it necessary for the arousing of the “Virgins” to permit a false note upon the time bugle, let us take it joyfully as one of the “all things” working together for good to those who love Him, to the called ones according to His purpose. But let us not forget that the parable shows that the second awakening of the Virgins was no mistake! The Bridegroom came! The “wise virgins” had the necessary faith to follow; the others, too worldly-wise, lacked the faith and missed the high honors accorded to the Bride class, though privileged later to be her companions at the “marriage supper of the Lamb.”
“Knowledge and Faith Regarding Chronology”, ZWT, October 1907, page 294, Reprints 4067
See also:
https://www.htdbv8.com/1913/r5367.htm
1908:
From the foregoing it will be seen that to our understanding Christendom entered upon the final seven years of harvest time in October, 1907. Promptly on time the present panic gave Christendom a convulsive tremor, and it is our anticipation that the entire seven years thus started will witness a succession of panics and difficulties, each pressing a little more upon the interests of mankind, the rich as well as the poor, and each bringing conditions to a little harder plane than its predecessor, until, with the close of the seven years, during 1915, according to the Bible, we expect that anarchy will gain the upper hand of control throughout Christendom, overthrowing present institutions, civil and religious, financial and social, and in a general way plunging the poor world into the most awful trouble it has ever experienced–a trouble so dark, so terrible, that in referring to it the Master said, “Except those days be shortened there would no flesh survive.” But then he added, that because of the Elect the days would be shortened. The Elect Church, at that time in glory with the Lord, and assuming the authority of the world, will at the proper moment intervene, and with divine power and wisdom bring order out of the confusion, and establish in the world righteous conditions, which the Scriptures assure us will then be welcomed by all mankind. Those now disposed to fight for present conditions will then, as a result of the chastening experience, be glad to look for and accept the new order of things–the reign of righteousness and love under the Millennial rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords, with whom in his throne will be associated [R4110 : page 5] the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife–the Elect Little Flock of this Gospel Age.
We are not prophesying; we are merely giving our surmises, the Scriptural basis for which is already in the hands of our readers in the six volumes of SCRIPTURE STUDIES. We do not even aver that there is no mistake in our interpretation of prophecy and our calculations of chronology. We have merely laid these before you, leaving it for each to exercise his own faith or doubt in respect to them; but showing our own faith by our works. Even our enemies must concede, and many of them do concede, that the facts as they have developed year by year since we began these presentations in 1876 have most wonderfully, most remarkably, corroborated our expectations and continue to do so. For instance, the Jews had not thought of returning to their own land when, in 1878, we pointed out that the time for favor to that people had chronologically begun, in fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith my God. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her appointed hour is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40:1,2.) Zionism was not dreamed of at that time, and began to take practical form seventeen years afterward.
“Views from the Watch Tower”, January 1, 1908, page 3, Reprints 4109
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r4109.htm
1909:
SICKNESS–Re Ceasing After 1914.
Q647:1:: QUESTION (1909)–l–How long after 1914 do you think the present conditions of sickness, suffering, and the Adamic death will continue?
ANSWER–I have just answered this. I suppose the brother means 1915. Some things in the Scriptures imply that it might last for seven years, and others one year, but there is nothing definite. Adamic death, sickness, pain and suffering will last until the individual accepts Christ — there is no life outside of Christ. It shall be made known to every creature, and this knowledge and blessing and outpouring of the Holy Spirit shall go to Israel and gradually to the whole world, to all families, and they will recognize the Mediator and the Covenant and the channel of God’s providences to Israel in the flesh, and see the earthly kingdom established, and as they come into harmony with this, sin and death will gradually fade away, and they will live. He that hath the Son hath life, but he that hath not the Son shall not see life, he shall still continue in death.
What Pastor Russell Said, Q647:1
1909::
The work done in Judea during the thirty-seven years following our Lord’s crucifixion and closing with the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70, was a harvesting work to that nation. During that time we may be sure every grain of “wheat” was separated from the chaff and gathered into the garner–the higher or Gospel dispensation–into the spirit-begotten condition. That Harvest extended beyond Palestine, but even then it always applied “to the Jew first,” until A.D. 70.
A similar work, the Harvesting of this age, we [R4337 : page 58] understand has been in progress since 1878, and will terminate in 1914, with the beginning of a great time of trouble upon Christendom, corresponding to and antityping the trouble which destroyed the Jewish nation. The harvest work there had a radius of but a few hundred miles. The harvest of today extends all over the civilized world, a circuit of about ten thousand miles. Since the reapers are few, how necessary it is that the Lord should provide the extraordinary agencies which are now at our disposal for the circulation of the harvest message–for the gathering of the wheat. May we not well say that the Lord times the inventions of our day so as to provide for the necessity of this harvest work, that every grain of wheat the whole world around may be found and gathered into the garner of the high dispensation, the heavenly? We believe that the principle noted in our Golden Text is still applicable–that the Lord does not wish his consecrated people, when they come into the light of Present Truth, to congregate specially in special cities, States, etc., but rather wills that they be scattered abroad, so that everywhere the Truth shall be preached and that they shall have the inestimable privilege of proclaiming it, serving it, and thus being blessed and upbuilt themselves and prepared for a share in the glory of the Kingdom.
“Lesson Review” March 21, ZWT, February 15, 1909, page 57, Reprints 4336
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r4336b.htm
1909::
These 2520 years we believe will expire with October, 1914; at that time we believe the Gentile lease of power will expire, and that the God of heaven will set up his Kingdom in Israel. We do not expect universal peace to immediately ensue because Christ is styled the Prince of Peace. On the contrary, to our understanding the collapse of the nations will be through a fierce strife, “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,” in which “there shall be no peace to him that goeth out, nor to him that cometh in,” because God will set every man’s hand against his neighbor. Our belief is that the warfare between capital and labor, emperors and peoples, will be short, sharp, decisive, and bring untold calamity upon all concerned. If people could only discern it, they would avoid it, but their eyes are holden; they see not, neither do they understand. All the parties to the conflict are plunging into it, each intent on gaining its point, and each oblivious to its own best interests.
“Times of the Gentiles”, The National Labor Tribune, July 11, 1909
1910::
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 [date suggested by John Edgar], came, or October, 1920 [date suggested by U. G. Lee], 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.
What Pastor Russell Said, Question 555:4
1910::
Q76:1:: QUESTION (1910)–1–Should we consider it necessary to call attention to other Prominent dates than 1874, 1878, 1881 or 1914? Should 1911 be included.?
ANSWER–I am glad that question is there, my dear brothers and sisters. You will notice that in my own teachings and writings I am careful to avoid any other dates than these. I know nothing about other dates. In the third volume of Scripture Studies there is a suggestion, but it is offered only as a suggestion, merely that a certain measurement in the Pyramid (not in the Word of God) looks as though it might point down to 1910 or 1911, but we do not say that it does mean anything, but merely throw out a suggestion. Don’t anticipate, don’t say things are to occur, for we do not know, at least I don’t, and don’t believe anyone else does. My advice is to follow the Apostle when he says, “We speak those things that we know.” Don’t say anything about those things that you do not know. Quite likely you will wish you had not after a while. Nineteen hundred and fourteen is the time when the “Gentile Times” will end. What does that mean? I do not know, but I think it is when God lets go in a general sense of the word, and permits things to take their course; and we can readily suppose, as the Apostle says, that the course of nature would be set on fire, because of strife. In the world of mankind, I shall expect a time of great trouble, which the Bible marks out as having its beginning about October, 1914, but I think, dear friends, that it is more important, instead of telling of the time of trouble, to tell about the good things. The poor people who get into the time of trouble will have all they want of it then. I have enough now, and so have you. The Scriptures say that through much tribulation shall we enter the kingdom, and if we pay attention to our duties, we will get enough without taking time to tell them about the time of trouble. The world will not be profited by our telling, either. We do not wish to scare anybody. We see the bad effects of this scare-religion in times past. While we can tell them that there is a storm coming, we can also tell them that God is going to make that a blessing, and we are glad for the whole world of mankind, that this time of refreshing is near, “Speak of the time of rest that nears.” They have enough tribulation, and I advise not to talk too much about the tribulation.
I think of one brother who had a large bump of imagination, who told his wife all about the time of trouble and told it as though he had been there already, telling her what flour would be a barrel at that time, etc., etc., so that his poor wife was almost afraid of the Truth. If he had said, My dear, there is a time of trouble coming and those who make the Lord their refuge, he will have a supervising care over them, I think it would have had a better effect. I {Page Q77} have very little faith in any kind of scare religion, it does not work well.
Another thing while at it. It is not quite in this question, but it is kind of a second cousin to the question.
To what extent should the Pilgrims and other brothers preach “Brother Russell”?
I say, not at all. You have plenty, dear friends, to preach and the Apostle says, “We preach Christ.” Brother Russell is very glad if the Lord has used him as a finger-board to point the right road for your eyes, that you can see wonderful things in the Word of God, but it is not Brother Russell, but it is the Lord that has used him. As you see the finger-board points out it is so many miles to Jamestown, it is not the finger-board, but the person that painted and put it there that is to be appreciated. So my advice is that you do not search the Scriptures to find anything about Brotner Russell, but that you search to find things about the “glorious One” whom we all reverence. You remember we had already pointed to it 15 years ago and made this statement applicable. You remember that John the Revelator had seen this and that, and other things, and he said he fell at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, saying, “See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” That is the right thought, but there is a tendency in this direction, and a danger to worship the creature, or instrumentality, rather than the Creator who uses the instrumentality. Let us not make that mistake. I do not want any to make that mistake through any inadvertency on my part.
What Pastor Russell Said, Question 76:1
1910::
CHRONOLOGY–Pyramid Re 1910.
Q77:1:: 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.
What Pastor Russell Said, Question 77:1
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/bsl/Library/Russell/Questns/Whatsaid.pdf
1911:
RESURRECTION–How Long After Gentile Times?
Q589:3:: QUESTION (1911)–3–How long after the end of the time of the Gentiles will it be before the first of the dead are awakened from the tomb.?
ANSWER–I don’t know. I might do a little guessing. Guessing would not be very satisfactory, but our guess would be that after the times of the Gentiles come to a conclusion there will be a great time of trouble as the Scriptures clearly point out — trouble as never was since there was a nation. Then, following that trouble would come the reign of righteousness, blessings, increase of knowledge, God’s favor among men, and the living nations would all be more or less brought to a knowledge of the Lord. How long that would require I do not know. I should think that taking in all of the hundreds of millions of the heathen, there would be a good deal of work to do for fifty or a hundred years, at least. As soon as the living nations are all brought to a degree of development and uplifting, I would expect then to come a time when the earth would yield her increase, would be able to sustain the larger population, and that awakening of every man in his own order would proceed until all mankind would be recovered from the tomb.
What Pastor Russell Said, Q589:3
1911:
But let us suppose, for instance, that October, 1914, should pass and that no serious fall of Gentile power would occur. What would this prove or disprove? It would not disprove any feature of the Divine Plan of the Ages. The ransom-price finished at Calvary would still stand the guarantee of the ultimate fulfillment of the great Divine Program for human restitution. The “high calling” of the Church to suffer with the Redeemer and to be glorified with him as his members or as his Bride would still be the same. There would still be the two salvations–the one on the spirit plane to which we are called now; the other to the human plane under the terms of the New Covenant during Messiah’s blessed reign. It would still be true that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It would still be true that it is for the called to be faithful, in order to be chosen–to make their calling and their election sure. The only thing effected by the chronology would be the time for the accomplishment of these glorious hopes for the Church and for the world.
“The New Year’s Outlook.” The Watch Tower, January 1, 1911, page 5, Reprints page 4736.
http://agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r4735.htm
1911::
The following are not the words of Brother Russell, but rather the words of David P. Jackson. However, Brother Russell printed Brother Jackon’s letter in the Watch Tower without comment.
The fact that God’s lease of power to the Gentile nations expires in 1914 does not necessarily imply that they will all fall to pieces in that year. Gentile nations existed for centuries before God gave them a lease of power; and as for anything we actually know they may continue to exist for a short time after that lease expires. Both of these events the time prophecies show are due in 1914–namely, the expiration of the Gentile lease and the completion of the Harvest Period; and yet nothing may happen in that year which the daily papers would specially record. The affairs of the world might apparently go on uninterrupted just the same as before.
“Some Interesting Letters”, The Watch Tower, January 15, 1911, page 29, Reprints 4571
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r4751.htm
1911::
Our readers know that for some years we have been expecting this Age to close with an awful time of trouble, and we expect it to break out with suddenness and force not long after October, 1914, which, so far as we can understand the Scriptures, is the date at which the Times of the Gentiles –the lease of earth’s dominions to the Gentiles–will expire; the time, therefore, when Messiah’s Kingdom will be due to begin its exercise of power, which the Scriptures declare will dash the nations in pieces as a potter’s vessel. By that time we think the Scriptures indicate that the Church will be complete and will have passed beyond the second veil into the “most holy” and to perfection of spirit nature by a share in the First Resurrection. Nevertheless, how this is all to come about, as we have heretofore declared, is not plain to us–how it will be that all of the Church class will die before that date, changed in the moment of their dying, “in the twinkling of an eye.”
“Loosing the Four Winds of Heaven”, May 15, 1911, page 146, Reprints 4822
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r4822.htm
1912::
We are expecting in October, 1914, that a great change will be due. Now, how quickly will it come? Whether on the stroke of the clock or not we do not know. We believe that it will land upon humanity by that time. Perhaps some of it will come before that, but we believe it will be stayed off until that time. Now, dear friends, what if it does not? We are just as well off as the rest. That is what the Bible states. If it does not state that to you, we have no quarrel. And if it does not come we will not try to bring it about. But, on the contrary, we will try to practice peace and holiness withal. We are children of peace and peacemakers, not strife breeders. But we believe the Bible teaches October, 1914, as the time. If that is incorrect for a year, or five, or one hundred years, no matter, it is coming some time, whether we have it right or not.
Convention Sermons Report
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/bsl/Library/Russell/CONVRPRT/crs.pdf
1912::
We sought specially to impress the necessity for character development on the part of all hoping to share Christ’s Kingdom. We emphasized the brevity of the time for so great a work, provided our understanding of God’s times and seasons be correct. We freely admitted, as we have always done, that we are walking by faith and not by sight. But we pointed out that the evidences seem more and more to corroborate our expectations. At the same time we suggested that should our expectations for October, 1914, not be realized – for years thereafter – this delay would not invalidate God’s Great Plan nor our faith therein. Our consecration vow calls for faithfulness, “even unto death” – whenever death may come.
“Our European Conventions”, ZWT, October 1, 1912, page 310, Reprints 5109.
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/htdb0257.htm
1912::
The closing scenes of the Gospel Age will be the most remarkable of the world’s history. The Church will then be completed. We are not at liberty to guess when the end of the trouble will be. Whether all of the trouble will come in the next two or three years we do not know. But we think that the most serious part of the trouble will occupy a very short time.
Let us remember that we are living in most wonderful times. More can be accomplished in one month now than could have been done in years some time ago–more in one hour than in days formerly. We are still in the waiting attitude, so that the Lord can indicate His will in the matter to us. We believe that the year 1915 will be even more wonderful than the present. We fully believe that the year 1914 will see the end of the Gentile Times, for we cannot find even one flaw in our Bible chronology. But we do not claim infallibility. To err is human. If, therefore, the Father permits us to blunder in respect to His Word in this matter, nevertheless, He will undoubtedly have a great blessing for us. And if it should be that the year 1914 should not mark the close of the Gentile Times, we would still believe that the time could not be very far distant; for the nearer we come to that time, the nearer we see the fulfilment of the things which the Scriptures indicate will then occur.
“Spared in the Day of Trouble”, ZWT, October 1, 1912, page 326, Reprints 5119
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/htdb0257.htm
1913::
MENDING, NOT ENDING.
Pastor Russell at once attacked the doctrine that the world will some day be consumed in fire and come to an end. All the predictions which have been made, he said, concerning the end of the world are founded on mistaken impressions of what is contained in the Bible. When St. Paul wrote that the earth was to be burned up with fire, he meant, said Pastor Russell, not that the world was to come to an end, but that the nations of the world were to pass through a period of trial and suffering from which they would emerge a better people, inhabiting God’s kingdom upon earth.
Press Report: Old Earth Will Go Rolling On, Convention Reports, page 403
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/bsl/Library/Russell/CONVRPRT/crs.pdf
1913::
We say that according to the best chronological reckoning of which we are capable, it is approximately that time–whether it be October, 1914, or later. Without dogmatizing, we are looking for certain events: (1) The termination of the Gentile Times–Gentile supremacy in the world–and (2) For the inauguration of Messiah’s Kingdom in the world. The kingdoms of earth will come to an end, and “the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom.” (Daniel 2:44.) The Scriptures do not say that the trouble will come in an hour, or in one day, or in one year. The intimation is that the catastrophe coming upon our civilization will be a very sudden one. (Revelation 18:8,10,17,21; I Thessalonians 5:3.) But it will be very sudden if it comes within twelve months. The Flood required many days to come, and many days to assuage.
***
The lease, or permit, to govern the world was given to the Gentiles at the time it was taken away from the Jews in the days of Zedekiah–606 B. C. And during the 2,520 years in which the Jews were to have no government of their own, the Gentiles were to have the privilege of maintaining such governments as they could. One nation after another has tried to govern the world–first [R5328 : page 308] the Babylonian, then the Medo-Persian, then the Grecian, then the Roman–including Papal Rome–which was the fourth to attempt universal empire. We are waiting for the time to come when the government of the world will be turned over to Messiah. We cannot say that it may not be either October, 1914, or October, 1915. It is possible that we might be out of the correct reckoning on the subject a number of years. We cannot say with certainty. We do not know. It is a matter of faith, and not of knowledge. “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
***
As we understand this matter, the Church will be glorified before that time. When the lease expires, it would seem that the new tenants will be ready to take possession. And we cannot see how the new tenants could be ready to take possession unless they were glorified beforehand. If they were still in the flesh, they would not be ready to take possession. So if the Church is here in 1915, we shall think that we have made some mistake. We do not understand how they will all die between now and the close of 1914–how so many people, all over the world–people of one mind–will all pass beyond the veil in so short a time.
But we can see how the Lord might purposely leave us in a measure of ignorance in this matter. We do not know positively that the month of October, 1914, will see the Church all glorified, and the time of trouble ushered in. We merely say, Here are the evidences. Here are the proofs. Look at them for yourself and see what you then think. It is for each to accept or reject the facts. (See STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. II.)
So far as we can reason, this chronology is reasonably correct–a good basis for faith. “We walk by faith, and not by sight.” God did not tell us that we should know the exact hour. But we have certain valuable information, and events seem to be fulfilling our expectations more and more as the days go by.
***
Another thing we have been expecting is the return of the Jews to Palestine. There is more and more now [R5329 : page 309] being said about the Jews returning to Palestine, and more interest is being aroused in the matter. When we first began to draw attention to this subject of the return of the Jews to the Holy land, there was no movement at all of this kind. It has all come since. It has not as yet reached as great development as we might have expected, but it is coming. So when October, 1914, comes or October, 1915, or some other date (the Lord knoweth) and the Gentile Times terminate, it does not follow that there will be an outburst that will revolutionize the world, all in a day. But we believe that it will do so not very long thereafter.
“Resume of the Ending of the Times of the Gentiles”, ZWT, page 307, R5328.
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r5328.htm
1913::
Another letter received inquired respecting the proper treatment to be given to a member of the Class who insisted on opposing the chronology and denouncing all faith in October, 1914, either as respects the gathering of the Church or the inauguration of the world’s great Time of Trouble. Our reply may be applicable in other cases. It is to the effect that nobody should be specially encouraged in such an opposition; for a bad spirit is always objectionable, injurious. However, we should not denounce those who in a proper spirit express their dissent in respect to the date mentioned and what may be there expected; nor should we feel aggrieved toward them. We should recognize the individual rights of all, and treat everybody according to the Golden Rule. Nor should we feel at liberty to express our views more dogmatically than we would think right for others to do in expressing their views.
***
The fact is that, notwithstanding the strength of our position and our hope that it may be true, it is nevertheless of faith and not of knowledge. To some, faith in the matter may become almost as strong and convincing as knowledge. Nevertheless, it is not knowledge, it is faith. We must admit that there are possibilities of our having made a mistake in respect to the chronology, even though we do not see where any mistake has been made in calculating the Seven Times of the Gentiles as expiring about October 1, 1914.
If others feel equally convinced respecting some other date which does not appeal to us, we should not on that account reject them as members of the Body of Christ. Rather, we should say, Whether you or we have the date correct, we must all agree that the signs of the times as we read them indicate clearly that the Master is nigh, even at the door; and that His Kingdom is soon due to begin to take control. This means that, whether within one year or within ten or twenty years, the things which we are expecting will surely be accomplished. The Church will be gathered, the Messianic Reign of Righteousness will begin, preceded, as foretold, by the great Time of Trouble.
***
Our statement in October 15th issue that we have never mentioned October, 1914, as an infallibly sure date, either for the ending of the “Times of the Gentiles” or for any particular occurrence, has been called in question by one of our readers. We are cited to the following words of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. II.: “Now bear in mind the date already found for the beginning of these Gentile Times, viz., 606 B.C., while we proceed to examine the evidence proving their length to be 2520 years–ending A.D. 1914….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 1914.”
We hold that nothing in these quotations declares the infallibility of the theories we suggested respecting 1914. In these statements, and in all of our statements, we have merely informed our readers respecting our views and the processes of our reasoning on the Scriptures which we have brought to their attention. Thus we have asked each reader to think and judge for himself, and to agree or disagree with us according to his own judgment of the facts.
Notice that in the above quotations no dogmatic statement is made, but that the reader is requested to use his own intellect. For instance, note the words, “bear in mind”; again, “while we proceed to examine the evidence”; again the reference to “Bible evidence.” In the last sentence the author sums up his own views, declaring what he considers to be the truth established by the evidences which he sets before his readers
In this respect we believe that THE WATCH TOWER presentations differ considerably from others. We state with positiveness the opinions of the writer and the reasons therefor, but leave the final decision with each head and heart in all matters, without attempting more.
“What Course Should We Take?”, ZWT, November 15, 1913, page 341, Reprints 5348
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r5348.htm
1914
CHRONOLOGY–October, 1914, Re the High Calling. Q89:1:: QUESTION (1914)–1–Dear Brother Russell, in the event of October of this year coming and going, and you should still be in the flesh, do you think that that would be an indication that the Lord had left you out of the High Calling class?
ANSWER–I would not. Our understanding, dear friends, respecting October, 1914, is that to the best of our judgment–judgment of the Scripture testimony, of how to read the chronology furnished in the Bible, to the best of our judgment the year 1914, the month of October, will mark the end of the Gentile times.
Now we do not know that it will be so, because there is a difference between faith and knowledge. Now we know in part on any subject more or less distinctly seen some have more accurate judgment and some less. But God does not propose that His people in the present time shall walk by sight, but by faith. That is His intention. He has not, therefore, given us on some lines that which will be positive evidence so that we may walk by sight. As for instance, He has told us about the “crown of life” laid up for us, but you have never seen it except by the eye of faith, and yet that is the very thing you are running for and spending your life for, and unless you have full faith in that crown of life, you would not be laying down your present life and seeking to live in the future.
In the matter of chronology, we remind you of what we said in the Studies in the Scriptures. It is not a thing that can positively be known. We pointed out in the Second Volume that the chronology there set forth is the best, and most accurate, according to the Bible, that we are able to determine; but we also pointed out that the Bible does not pretend to give the day the week and the month chronologically: that it gives certain periods in a lump sum, and therefore there will be always occasion to exercise faith in {Page Q90} connection with the chronology. We told you that in our judgment this chronology was correct, though it was admitted to be fallible and possibly might vary for a year or a few years; but that it seemed to be corroborated and made strong by the fact that certain prophecies of the Bible seemed to intermesh and interlock with it and it made the chronology of the Bible appear to us that He meant it to be used, and I am using it in my faith and I am acting according to this chronology. I believed these prophetic parts fitted into it and that it is connected with all of God’s doings. There seems to be a fitness all the way down and I cannot see how they could so fit together unless God intended it, and if so, these things were for our admonition, for our instruction. So I placed upon each reader the responsibility for thinking the matter out for himself. We have as much in the Bible as we ever had, and I merely pointed out how the matter looked to me, and asked you to use your judgment.
I think the same about the chronology that I ever thought. I see no place where there is a flaw. I would not know where to put my finger on any item there and say, that is a mistake. I do not know any such place. It all looks to me as it did thirty years ago.
Why then, Brother Russell, here it is 1914. And have all of the things occurred that you thought would occur by this time?
No, that is true. They have not all occurred.
How do you account for that?
Perhaps I was expecting more to occur than I should have expected. I see nothing whatever to indicate to me that the chronology is in error, that our expectations are wrong. I am more convinced every day that I live that the great Divine Plan of the Ages is the only plan that could be a Divine plan; that no human being could possibly have concocted that plan. When you compare the Divine plan in the Bible with all of the human plans and theories how simple and absurd all human theories are.
Think of the thoughts given us about the doctrine of election. I need not single out any one. Take all of the creeds that have come down to us, and there is not an intelligent man in the world that would think of defending any of those creeds. They are all too absurd for the light of our day, and when we hold up the Plan of the Ages everything else on earth is put to shame and wants to get into the dark. Whether they like it or not it is so. The Great Plan shows God’s knowledge of the affairs of the universe; God provided a “Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” God permitted the sin, the fall. Why He permitted sin, His intention respecting the fallen ones that they should be redeemed in due time, the time or restitution, that it should come in due time, and in the interim God would select a Church to be joint heirs with Christ in the kingdom work, is all shown in this Great Plan. You cannot make me believe that any human being could make such a plan. Sometimes I see such futile efforts of humanity for making plans. For more than 6,000 years men have been making plans for God, and they are all silly, and the part that is not silly is devilish. {Page Q91} So then, nothing that could happen in 1914, or any other time, would change my mind one whit in respect to the great Divine Plan of the Ages.
What about it being near the time when the Kingdom is to be established?
I think, so many times, that every added indication shows that it is near, even at the doors, that I cannot doubt, whether the culmination comes in 1914, 1915 or some other year, it is near, even at the doors. When I see from the Bible the record given us, as I understand, as we have presented and you have read that we have been in the harvest time ever since 1874, that this is the harvesting of Christendom, I am astonished at how true every feature of that work seems to be, of the demonstration that we are in the harvest and the work is in progress. We have had forty years of this harvest, or will have in a few months. What have we seen? According to the Bible we have understood that during this harvest time the great Chief Reaper was to be present, not known to the world but to His sheep the knowledge of His presence coming out gradually from one to another and it has been so. The parousia, the presence, unknown to the world that Jesus foretold when he told us that his coming would be “as a thief in the night,” of which the Apostles said the world would all be taken by surprise and that they would not know what hour he would come, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief” because ye are children of the light and of the day, therefore God would make known to you enough of the light on this subject to give you the information that we might not be in darkness with the world respecting the presence of the Lord. What are some of the evidences?
I answer Jesus himself told us what would be the special work He would do at His second coming and before He was manifest as present to the world. Before He would manifest himself to the world He would be present and do a work for the Church and that would be this. He told of the parable of the talents and the pounds, how He gave certain pounds and talents to His servants and went into a far country, Heaven itself, to be invested with kingly power and authority On His return He would first call His own servants and reckon with them. Has it been so during the past forty years? Yes. There has been a reckoning with the Lord’s servants and a giving of account of how they have used the talents and blessings and opportunities that have come to them, and in proportion as they were found to have received and used these well in that same proportion they have entered into the joys of their Lord. I am not wishing to say that you and I have entered fully into the joys of our Lord yet. No, there is more. That part where we shall have rulership over two cities, five cities, etc., that will be entering into the joys to the full extent. All who have been found faithful in this harvest, when the Master has called their name and they have been found faithful to the talents they did have, will be lifted up and given the high reward of being joint heirs with Christ. These are now learning to know of the love of God which passeth understanding. This has been going on for forty years. {Page Q92}
The Bible says that at the time there would be such a blessing on the loyal ones of the Lord, there would be another class–a nominal class–with whom things would not be so favorable, and I believe it has been so; and I believe that is what the Bible calls a spewing out of the mouth by the Lord in connection with certain persons who have not been loyal to Him; and that work of separation has been going on as a separation of the wheat from the tares, the tares to be bound in bundles for the burning.
I will not attempt to go into details, merely touching points known to every one of us, and I am doing this merely to stimulate your pure minds by way of remembrance, rather than to say anything new. We have said all this in print and you have read it before. We are merely reminding you of it. I have believed in all of these things for over forty years and I still do.
What is the next step in order? The Bible tells us it will be the Epiphania of Jesus. What is that? The shining forth. What is to be revealed? The one whom we recognize already. We already recognize the presence of our Savior the present One, the Great Reaper, but the world knows Him not. Just as it was at the first advent. Jesus was present but the Jews knew Him not. John the Baptist said of Him, “There standeth One among you whom you know not.” We believe there has been One with us during these forty years here, the Present One, the King, God has appointed, and the world knows Him not. He is not revealed unto them. He has come “as a thief in the night,” getting the bride class ready, gathering out a people peculiar to himself. He is gathering the jewels, seeing to the finishing touches of their polishing, getting them ready to be set in the great diadem in the hand of God. God is getting ready these jewels, the mounting of these jewels in the diadem frame will be the installation of the Church in the Kingdom. Their change in the resurrection which we are hoping will come to the Lord’s people soon and in which we are hoping to participate.
Now further, we have seen and been expecting the Jews would be going back to Palestine, and at the beginning of this harvest time no Jew in the world had thought of going back to Palestine. They were all looking to their own chronology which has a difference of several hundred years from ours. There is nothing to be expected until the end of the 6,000 years. I think that is 350 years yet according to their chronology. In the last twenty years the Jews have been waking up, paying no attention to their chronology and hoping for the restoration to Israel and hoping God would grant them a national existence again–the very thing that according to the Bible is now due to be accomplished. We expect a larger enlightening of those, posssibly, than we have seen. We thought more Jews would go than have, but we were not wise enough to know how many were going. What we do see is a sufficient number to fulfill God’s word–a gathering of some of the most earnest Jews from all parts of the world. Not always the richest Jews, but it is said some eighteen millionaires are living at Jerusalem now. God tells how the Jews will be regathered there, with considerable wealth at about this time, possibly not this year or for several years, but all of these things are {Page Q93} coming our way and my faith in the ultimate carrying out of all these things is the same that it ever was.
There is another matter. What is going to slip past in October, 1914? I suppose you think the Gentile times won’t end there?
I do not know anything of the kind.
I do not know but what they will.
You do not know.
Nobody else can say they will not end there. Let us wait and see.
What is meant by that anyway? says one. I will grant, dear friends, perhaps three-fourths of this audience know exactly what is meant by the term “Gentile Times” now as well as after I give a more detailed explanation but for the sake of the one-fourth I will say God in times past had given a kingdom to Israel and it was typical of Messiah’s kingdom that was first of all recognized in King David, and we read of him that he sat upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord. Now lots of other kingdoms today claim to be the kingdoms of the Lord, but they make the claim without Bible authority. David sat on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord, and God said of the fruit of his loins there should be some one to sit on that throne forever, that He would never lack some one to sit on that throne–God’s throne. And He never has. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord in the room of his father David. Then followed Solomon’s sons down to the last king, whose name was Zedekiah, and he was the last of David’s line to sit on the throne of Judah over the people of God as representative of God’s kingdom. What then occurred? In his day God said to him, “O thou profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end. Thus said the Lord God; Remove the diadem and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.” Do you get the thought? There was the typical kingdom continued from David to Zedekiah and then taken away from the earth never to be replaced until the Messiah should replace it as God’s true kingdom at his reign. And it has been so. There is no failure of that prophecy. Have the Jews not had a king since? None that God recognized. What about Maccabean, Herod, etc. The Maccabeans did not come from the line God recognized, and the Herod family were not only not of David’s line, but were not Jews at all. They were the sons of Esau. It has been true that from Zedekiah down to the present time, there has been no king of David’s line, and the next one to reign is the Messiah. What of that? That time from which their kingdom was broken off until Messiah would come, we believe was mentioned when He told them through Moses about how He would overturn them and punish them seven times–seven years. Not seven literal years, because they werc punished much more than seven literal years, many times more. What does this mean? Seven times as much as they ought to be punished? No. What does it mean, then? We believe that he meant that God would punish them seven symbolic years for their sins. How much is that? {Page Q94}
According to the Bible a symbolic year is 360 years–360 days to a lunar year and a day representing a year, so a symbolic year is 360 years. What of that? Seven times would be seven times 360 years, or 2,520 years. Where would they begin? They would begin the very time that God took away the crown and the diadem from Zedekiah. Where would they measure to? To the time when Messiah would take His kingdom. When will that be? To our understanding, my dear brothers and sisters, Zedekiah lost his crown in the year 606 B. C., and from here–606 B.C.– measuring down 2,520 years to the best of our knowledge and belief, will expire with October, 1914. Now if anybody else can change that, let him do so. We have not found anyone that can. We do not say it is infallibly true, but we have not found anything wrong with it but we see that the right time for Him to receive His authority in the world will be October, 1914. Perhaps that is wrong, but I do not think it is far wrong. It does not seem probable. Those were years of Jewish punishment for their sins. They did not relate to the other punishment and how they got their great punishment, had their national existence taken away when they rejected Jesus, and they have had no national existence since the year A. D. 70. And they will have none until the day in which they will delight to say, “‘Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord Jehovah.” They will be glad to see him. How do you know they will? The Bible says so. The Bible says He is going to pour upon them fire, symbolical for trouble. I will pour upon them the spirit of prayer and of supplication, and they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced. They will look with the eye of their understanding just as you have. Have you seen Him? Yes. Have you looked at Jesus? Yes. May not the Jew also? Yes, and he is about to do so, we believe. We understand one of the first things of the new order of things will be pouring upon Israel their share of the blessings and their eyes will be opened to recognize Him whom they rejected more than eighteen hundred years ago.
Looking from another standpoint, Jesus said in prophesy that “Jerusalem would continue to be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled.” Was it trodden down in his day? Yes. Were they not governed from Rome? Surely. Now, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, does not that imply that there are certain times of the Gentiles? Yes. What does that mean? Did God give the world over to the Gentiles for a time? Yes. How do you know? Jesus said so, and you can go to the Bible and find the proof. God took the kingdom from Zedekiah and the crown was taken from him. Then God recognized the Gentile governments for the first time. Prove that. That is easy enough.
You remember Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, when exercising his power in overthrowing Zedekiah and utterly destroying Jerusalem, taking many of them captives, was the beginning of that period–the overturning of the crown–and to show us clearly where the authority went according to the divine view. God gave a vision and an interpretation of that. I will remind you of it. Eighteen years before Zedekiah’s {Page Q95} kingdom was taken from him, a young man of a noble family of the Jews was taken prisoner with others, and that young man was Daniel; and he was put among the wise men of the land of Babylon to have special education and privileges, and he had been in Babylon for eighteen years. And when this time came represented in the dream, the king sent out word that he had had a dream, and called upon all of the wise men to come in the morning, and when they came in, he told them that he had had a dream the night before and it was very interesting and puzzling, and one of the most puzzling things was that the dream had gone from him and he could not remember it, and he told them that he wanted them to tell him the dream and what it meant. The wise men told him that no king had ever asked such a thing of his wise men before, that if he would tell them his dream they would give him some kind of an interpretation of it. The king answered them that he could see very easily how a man could make up some kind of an interpretation of it if they had the dream told them; but that if they had the divine power they could tell the dream and the interpretation also. “If you cannot do that I will have you put to death as imposters, letting on that you have connection with the gods which you have not.” They were frightened, but when Daniel heard of it (it seems he was not with them before the king) he said to the king, “Why is this haste? If you will allow a certain time to be granted, there is One who is able to answer the king and give him the dream and the interpretation. That is the God whom I, Daniel, serve. “Very well, time will be granted.” And at the time appointed, Daniel came before the king and told him the dream, and you remember it well.
“Thou, O King, sawest, and, behold, a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass. His legs of iron, and his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” “You have got it right,” said the king. “That is exactly the dream. Now tell the interpretation.” And Daniel proceeded to say, “The God of Heaven hath revealed unto the king this thing.” That was from God. “Thou art this head of gold.” A king over kings. You are the first one represented in this great image. This represents all of the Gentile governments that would ever bear rule over the earth. That represents the time between when God took away the typical kingdom and the time He would restore it. The description shows us that the head was the kingdom of Babylon, the next was Medo- Persia, the next Grecia, and the next the Roman Empire, represented by the legs, and the next in order was the holy Roman Empire, represented by the feet of iron and clay. The iron in the feet, by the way we understand, {Page Q96} represents the powers of the state. The Roman Empire still exists, not in the form it was first recognized, but in the fact that it was a combination of church and state, and the two uniting sought to rule over all Europe and the world, and generally there has been a disintegration between the iron (civil) and the clay (ecclesiastical) powers. Some places the iron is more prominent and some places the clay. The iron, which has the strength, is usually the most prominent. The clay, representing ecclesiasticism in the mixture, corresponds, shall I say, is the counterfeit of the stone? In other words, this power in combination with the civil power claims it was God’s kingdom, claims that instead of smiting the image and destroying it, the stone itself had taken on the divine character and was ruling.
The great kings of Europe today, practically all of them, claim that they are God’s kingdom, and yet that they are civil powers. On the one hand they are currying power with earthly kings, and on the other hand they claim to be God’s kingdom. Such kingdoms claim that the Emperor Joseph is reigning there by divine authority, also Emperor William, Czar of Russia, etc.
We are living down in the days of these kings represented by the feet and more particularly the toes. What is the next thing in order?
According to the Bible, the next thing is that the whole image is going to be broken in fragments, and “become the chaff of the summer threshing floor,” and be completely removed. The Bible says, Choose whom you will serve and whom you will believe. I think we have learned to put our confidence in the Word of God. We believe what it tells us, no matter what it says to anybody else.
The Word of God tells us that the next thing in order is for the stone to smite the image, and after the smiting the stone will fill the whole earth. I believe just what the Bible says. It need not make any difference to you what I believe, either, but what the Bible says. We are going by God’s Word and not by each other. We have had bad enough experience in trying to follow men. We are not following men, but God. These things are sure. The Lord said so. No matter whether the smiting of the image will occur in 1915 or not. God only knows; but according to the best knowledge I have of the Bible, that will be the time when we shall expect that the image will be smitten in the feet. Why say 1915 and not 1914? Because these Gentile governments, represented by the image Babylon, Medo-Persia, etc., were given their places to occupy for a certain specific time, between the time Zedekiah’s crown was taken away and the time when Messiah’s Kingdom would be established. All of that time they must have. It is like a lease given to you. If you received a lease expiring October, 1914, why then, just as soon as the lease would expire it would be time for you to get out of the premises. Suppose you did not know that your lease had expired; it was long and you had forgotten it was for October 1st, 1914. You were building, planting and fixing up the house as though you were expecting to stay there forever. Now your lease has run out; what would you then expect? You would receive some notice to get out. Suppose you did not go? You would be put out. {Page Q97}
What we see about the Gentile Times is that God gave a lease to the Gentiles when He took away the kingdom from the typical Israel. He said to the Gentiles, I am going to give you the lease or opportunity in which you may take hold of the affairs of the world and see if you can bring to the world such things as make for peace.
We want to say here, some of these Gentile nations have done wonderfully well. I congratulate many of them on having done splendidly, all we could expect, all beastly governments, they have done the best they could. Who could bring perfection out of an impure thing? What do we think today as we are nearing the close of the Gentile Times, the 2,520 years, beginning 606 B. C. and expiring October, 1914? Have they brought in everlasting righteousness? No. Have they brought happiness to the world? No. Have they brought that which will be the desire of all nations? No. What must we hope for? What God has declared He will bring, and Messiah’s Kingdom will bring to mankind “the desire of all nations.”
Are any of the nations getting ready to move? I have not heard of it. Don’t they know the Gentile Times have expired? I guess not. The truth has gone all over the world? Yes, but it is foolishness to them. If the emperor heard anything about the times of the Gentiles he would laugh. So would the king of England, or the czar of Russia. Even the Emperor William would have a good laugh at the thought that God had anything to do with a better government than his. How could God get a better one? It would naturally occur to these gentlemen that God could hardly choose a better king or ruler than is now in office. All of these men are imperfect and are all laboring under more or less of a delusion and the false doctrines of the past, and are so bewildered and weak they could not do better if they did not know how.
Their lease will expire and God who gave it to them will take back things in His control and set up the Kingdom in the hands of the Messiah that Jesus taught us to pray for, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
What do you expect, then, Brother Russell, in October, 1914? I expect October will come and the kings of the earth –the Gentiles–will not know that their lease is expired. What then? A thunder clap out of a clear sky, that will begin to show these kings that a new Ruler is taking possession of the world. How will it come? I do not know the particulars. I have merely the outline. The first thing in order will be the manifestation of God’s kingdom. How? The revealment, the making known. What do you mean? The Epiphania. He has been here and is to continue a thousand years. His parousia will not end in this forty years.
None others are made aware of these things yet. “Ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
Next in order will be (the apokalupsis) the revealment. How will that be? “I have my idea,” some one says. “I think that He will come and will sit on the circle of the Heaven and every eye will look up and all fall down and weep and howl.” Not a bit of it. I think the Bible way of telling that matter is this way, dear friends: “He shall be {Page Q98} revealed in flaming fire taking vengeance.” What is that? A great system of judgments will begin at that time. Flaming fire, outward manifestation of judgment. Why did you say fire? Because the Bible uses that as a symbolical expression just as He said the fiery trials which are to try you, and the gold is being prepared by fire. It is said of the world, not the Church, “He shall be revealed in flaming fire taking vengeance.” That will be after October, 1914? Yes. How long will it take? I do not know. Have you any guess? Guesses are very dangerous things, and if I will do any guessing I will give you the reason why I guess. In this case we have seen the parallel in the ending of the Jewish age. The city was destroyed in A. D. 70. The ending of the Gospel Age and the baptism of trouble will come, the elements will melt with fervent heat, the capitalistic elements and all, the whole world will become like a furnace, every man’s hand against his neighbor. That is the Bible description of it. The fire will come on the men in a natural way. It is their own fire that they built. It is because they are not living up to their grant. The Bible indicatcs that this condition would have come long ago if God had not held it back. When the right time comes God will no longer hold the four winds back, and the conflagration will be thorough, and swift, and terrible. Jesus said, speaking of that time, “Unless those days be shortened no flesh shall be saved. But for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
What about the elect’s sakes? What about them? The elect are going to set up the Kingdom and stop that. They will interfere and bring order out of confusion.
How long did it take for the trouble that came upon the Jews to destroy them? About one year. After the forty years are ended, what might be expected here? Perhaps one year here might be enough of this trouble. God only knows. We are merely offering an idea. So I will expect 1915 will be a very severe year.
Where will the Church be then? Part of the question here. I am giving a liberal interpretation of this question and answer at the same time a half dozen other questions that will be asked. What about the Church? I do not know. I can only guess, and as I said before, guesses are very unsafe. Our supposition would be what we have always understood that when He would appear, when He would be manifest in the flaming fire, we would appear with Him. That would imply that we would be gone from here.
Another Scripture says, “Watch, that ye may be able to escape these things.” That implies that we shall be gone, we think. It is implication. We are not sure. We would naturally suppose that the Church gathering would be before the end or by the end of the Gentile Times, but we are not certain. We call your attention to one of the Psalms and the statement therein made. “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishment upon the people. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron. To execute upon them the judgments written: This honor have all the saints.” {Page Q99}
We pointed out in a recent Tower, dear friends, some of these things that seem to imply that the saints shall enter into some kind of glory this side the veil. We are not sure. We do not wish to prophesy. We are merely trying to read a prophecy. Our thought has always been that we would have nothing to do with the judging of the world until we had passed beyond the veil; but this seems to imply that some of the work would be done this side, because the bed seems to represent ease, the sword the Bible which is the Word of God. We say to ourselves while we might have the high sounding praise of God in our mouths on the other side of the veil, we would not need to be on the bed of rest or have the sword of the Spirit. On the other side we will have something more perfect. These are for use here under present conditions.
Therefore, there is something in that Psalm which seems to me to say the reward referred to may be here. What of it? Apparently the next verse says they are to share with all the saints in the execution of the judgments written. What would that mean? It might seem that some of God’s people might remain on this side of the veil, while others would be on the other side, and the two were one complete body acceptable to the Lord and might jointly engage in some work, they there and we here. There is a thought we might take. There is a possibility of it, and I am merely keeping my eye of faith and understanding open to see. I am not saying it is so, but we are in a place where we do not know. Our faith is strong, but whether all of our expectations in respect to the changes will be fulfilled by October 1st, or a year afterwards, I do not know, but whatever is God’s will for you, is your will, I trust. Whatever is God’s will for me, is my will; and if God has something beyond what I had thought, I will be very glad to have His will be done. Aren’t you? I am sure you are.
I understand there are some of the dear friends at the Convention whose faith is shaky and they feel like selling out. I would like to find them. How much do you want for what you have gotten? Count up all you have received. What will you take for it? Say the word. Will you take $1,000.00?
(From the audience.) No.
Will you take $1,000,000.00? No.
Will you take the whole world? No, no. Y
ou have a great bargain anyhow. Whatever comes you have a good bargain anyway. You are laying hold upon and appreciating what Jesus told us about the pearl of great price– a priceless pearl. Sell everything you have to obtain this pearl. You sold out your own will once and you have nothing to say whether God’s plan is October, 1914, or 1940. It is none of your business. You gave all to the Lord. It is His.
Content whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
What Pastor Russell Said, Question 89:1
For some comments by Bible Students concerning 1914, see:
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1968_4.htm#_Toc31128081
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