"Napoleon Removed the Pope" - an Unbiblical Sign for False Predictors

 "Napoleon Removed the Pope" - an Unbiblical Sign for False Predictors

What False Misinterpretations (Predictions) Did Russell Make? What Was He Based On? And How Can It Affect Us, If We Believe Him?

1798 Wrong Year! - Russell considered the end of the 1260 days (which he converted into years) of Revelation chapter 12 to be in this year. Source: "Three Worlds", a joint publication of Barbour and Russell, 1877, p.114. This explanation was later changed, 1798 being changed to 1889. But these days of Revelation 12 have not yet occurred, but will occur 1260 days before Armageddon! They are days, not years. Be very careful! Russell converted days into years and placed them preferentially in history. What a big mistake he made.

The Year 1798 Wrong! - Russell considered this year to be the beginning of the "last days." By Napoleon's removal of the Pope, he considered the 1260 days described in Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:1-3 to have been fulfilled. Source: The Watch Tower, January - February 1889, Studies in the Scriptures Volume II, p 256, Studies in the Scriptures Volume III, p 58, 63, 64, written by C.T. Russell. Daniel 7:25, has not yet occurred, but will occur three and a half times (three and a half years or 1260 days) before Armageddon! Daniel 12:7 should not be included in this calculation, for it is a prophecy that was fulfilled during the time of the cruel king Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated the temple in Jerusalem.

The year 1829 given wrong! - Russell considered the end of the 1290 days as years, set forth in Daniel 12:11, believing that they began in 539 AD. Russell thought that this was a very important date, because that was when William Miller’s work began and in fact the Bible Students originally came from there. Source: Lothar Gassman, Jehovah’s Witnesses, p 9, Studies in the Scriptures Volume III, p 40, 60, 163. According to the Bible, the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11 are related to the trouble that the Jews had during the time of the cruel king Antiochus Epiphanes, who was to be removed after those days. A careful Bible student cannot come up with such erroneous explanations taken completely out of context and placed out of place in history.

The year 1844 given wrong! - According to Miller it was considered the year of the "end of the world" (first expected in 1843, date changed to 1844, both being wrong), according to Russell it was the beginning of the 30 years of "probation", which in his opinion corresponded to the 30 years of Jesus' life, elapsed from his birth as a man to his baptism in the water of the Jordan. Source: Studies in the Scriptures Volume II, p 240. It is noteworthy that Russell and his collaborators believed that any Biblical event, which occurred in antiquity, had to have another fulfillment, then in the future! On this wrong way of interpreting the Bible, all their speculations were built. And it is no wonder why there was so much speculation about dates. But by doing so, the Bible can be endlessly misinterpreted, calculating years and creating dates of fulfillment at will. The 2300 evenings and mornings of Daniel chapter 8 were fulfilled during the reign of the cruel king Antiochus Epiphanes, who persecuted the Jews to death. They were about the 2300 lamb sacrifices (not days) that were to be offered evening and morning at the temple in Jerusalem, which could no longer be offered, due to the desecration of the temple and the abolition of these sacrifices by the mad king, Antiochus.

The year 1846 given wrongly! - Russell considered the end of the 2300 evenings-mornings for the sacrifice, set forth in Daniel 8:14, as expiring in that year. He considered the year 1846 to be an important date because then George Storrs and other top collaborators of Russell, abandoned the wrong teachings of Christians ("Christendom") and thus the "sanctuary" was cleansed. It was also considered the year in which the "evangelical alliance" between Protestant groups began, which was classified as "spiritism". Source: Studies in the Scriptures Volume III, p 108. The 2300 evenings-mornings cannot be turned into days-years just like we think! How foolish carelessness can be in man and how harmful is that spirit of considering oneself the navel of the earth that knows everything.

The year 1873 given wrongly! - Russell considered the year 1873 to be the date of the completion of 6000 years from the creation of Adam and the entry into the 7000th year, the thousand years of the book of Revelation, the "day of the Lord". Source: Studies in the Scriptures Volume II, Preface, p 39. If 6000 years were completed then, 149 years have passed since then and nothing has happened with death, sin and all evil. However, the fanatics of this movement see in technological progress the "proof" that the Lord Jesus is "ruling" the world. How far can a man be blinded and fooled?

The year 1874 given wrongly! - Russell considered the year 1874 to be the date from which the invisible presence of Christ begins. It was the most important date in Russell's eschatology. Source: “Three Worlds,” p. 175, Studies in the Scriptures Volume II, p. 170, “The Return of Our Lord,” p. 27.

Until 1904 Russell believed that Armageddon had begun on this date and that this battle would culminate in 1914 with the overthrow of all human institutions in a world anarchy, after which men would be “enlightened” to “willingly” surrender the government of the world into the hands of Christ.

In 1889, the following statement was made in the English book, “The Time is at Hand,” p. 101: “We give evidence that the establishment of the Kingdom of God has already begun…and that the battle of the great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14) which will end in 1914 with the complete destruction of the present government of the earth, has already begun.”

How arrogant, reckless, foolish, and deceitful!

But after 1904 they began to waver about Armageddon, preparing excuses in advance if the year 1914 did not bring any radical event in human society. Although unsure of what was to happen, hundreds of missionaries carried the Russellite slogan throughout the world: “Look to 1914!”

The height of embarrassment came in 1914, when the outbreak of war was interpreted as “clear proof” of Russell’s predictions! The fascinated members of the sect burst into odes and praises of Russell, believing that the wicked world was about to end.

In 1914, after the outbreak of war, a US newspaper published an article about a group of Russellite representatives who went to the then US president and asked him to "voluntarily" surrender the rule of Christ, because according to the Bible, world rule by humans ended in 1914. The US president, not being clear about their ideology, told them that if they wanted "US rule", they should run for office and if the people elected them, he was willing to leave. However, fearing anarchic consequences, the US government ordered all the leading Russellite leaders to be arrested, for inciting anarchy.

Source: Studies in the Scriptures Volume II, p 101.

The Bible clearly shows that the coming or glorious appearance (Greek "parousia") of Christ does not last for years in a hidden activity, perceptible only to the initiated, as Russell believed, but is powerfully manifested for all the world, both believers and unbelievers, generating a great cry on earth on the day of the appearance of the sign of His glorious presence on the clouds of heaven (comp. 1 John 2:28 with Luke 17:30). The parousia is swift as lightning that appears and is visible to all (Matthew 24:27):

Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)

Behold, he is coming on the clouds. And every eye will see him; and they which pierced Him (i.e. those who rejected Him). And all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him! Yes, Amen. (Rev. 1:7)

1875 Year Misplaced! - Russell considered 1875 the year in which the "great jubilee" ended, as the conclusion of the 1335 days set forth in Daniel 12:12. It was regarded as the year in which the saints were resurrected, invisibly. Source: "Three Worlds", p 108. Later, in 1881, the date of the invisible resurrection of the Christian saints was moved from 1875 to 1878.

The 1335 days set forth in Daniel 12:12 refer to the deliverance of the temple from the dominion of Antiochus Epiphanes and its rededication to the pure worship of God.

The year 1878 wrongly given! - It was considered the date when the gospel age ends and the rapture of the congregation of Christ's saints, the faithful Christians, occurs. Russell and company expected to be raptured in that year. Source: "Three Worlds", p 68, "The Proclaimers" p 632, "Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Plan", p 19.

The rapture not taking place, Russell was left with swollen lips again, but as usual, he was not left without crazy ideas.

If the rapture had taken place in the year 1878 then the reign of Christ would have begun, according to Revelation 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17! But Christ's plan did not correspond to Russell's plan. After this failed crazy attempt, one would have expected Russell to have come to his senses. No way! Russell launches a new date: 1881.

The year 1881 was given incorrectly! - Russell believed that in that year the door to heaven would close. Then, as usual, he is forced to reformulate, after the year 1881 passes and nothing happens. Whoever thinks he knows a lot and does not investigate, but goes by his own or others' imaginations, risks knowing nothing.

Conclusion: Russell was a freemason (pyramidologist) from the lodge of self-exaltation, whom only his money made what he became. Grinded by a syphilitic disease, which had no cure, he ran after a cheap salvation, which he saw as around a corner. Without this money, he would have been a nobody, a ridiculous biblical scholar, whom no one would have taken notice of; but having a lot of money, he also had many admirers who flocked to the cheese, thinking it was free. But that saying, cheese is only free in a mousetrap...

Russell's pattern is well represented by an old man from Cluj, who since the Twin Towers in New York fell, has been waiting every autumn for the Russians to come and conquer Europe and then Israel. It doesn't matter that he fails every year, if he doesn't see "another, better option". If you think the "only option" is you, you deserve your madness.

Answering the questions:

What did he rely on? And how can it affect us, if we believe him?

Russell relied on himself and if we rely on ourselves, we end up like him. RIDICULOUS...

Paraphrasing: For everyone who exalts himself will be humiliated, but he who humbles himself will not be despised." (Luke 14:11)

Published by Jehovah's Witnesses Reformation (Revival) Movement