The Jehovah's Witnesses
and The Second Coming
Of Christ


This book replaces ' 'Did Jesus Christ Return in 1914?
1st printing 10,000

THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
AND
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Of all of the doctrines taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses, their teaching concerning the Second Coming of Christ is the most fantastic. It is pathetic that their prophetic teaching leads the followers of the Watchtower Society into the very thing that they think they are seeking to escape Armageddon! I have read many of the books published by the Watchtower Society, and these books exhort the reader to work hard and be a faithful witness for Jehovah so that he will escape Armageddon. Yes, Armageddon is still before us and no one in his right mind wants to be on earth when this terrible battle is fought.

JW's have been duped into believing that Christ returned in 1914. Anyone who studies the Scriptures apart from the WT literature will see the folly of believing this. Think of the dismay of the hundreds of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses when Jesus "descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God," and when "the dead in Christ shall arise," and when "we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16,17). What folly to believe that the events described here took place in 1914. If you will allow the spirit of Jehovah to teach you, you will be able to discern the error of the Watchtower System. Let us review the WTS teaching concerning the 1914 date.


Pastor Russell and The Second Coming

Even though present day Jehovah's Witnesses do not claim to be the followers of Pastor Russell, it will be interesting to see what Pastor Russell had to say about the Second Coming of Christ. In his STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, page 170, Pastor Russell made this statement: "The next chapter will present Bible evidence that 1874 A.D. was the exact date of the "Times of Restitution,' and hence of our Lord's return." He said 1874 was the exact time of the Lord's return, but when this did not work out, he had to change the date. Pastor Russell wrote this concerning the Kingdom of God, "Its influence and work will result in the complete destruction of 'the powers that be' of 'this present evil world,' political, financial, ecclesiastical . . . by the close of the times of the Gentiles, October. A.D. 1914," MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. 4, page 622. On page 99, Vol. 2, Russell further states, "The final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914."

In Vol. 3, page 228 of STUDIES OF THE SCRIPTURES, Russell wrote, "That the deliverance of the saints must take' place some time before 1914 is manifest, since the deliverance of fleshly Israel, as we shall see, is appointed to take place at that time, and the angry nations will then be authoritatively commanded to be still, and will be made to recognize the power of Jehovah's Anointed. Just how long before 1914 the last living members of the body of Christ will be glorified, we are not directly informed: but it certainly will not be until their work in the flesh is done; nor can we reasonably presume that they will long remain after that work is accomplished."

When this was not fulfilled in 1914, the next printing of STUDIES OF THE SCRIPTURES was changed from reading "before 1914" to "very soon after 1914."

One would think that Judge Rutherford and present day Watchtower writers would profit from the mistakes of Pastor Russell, but it is not necessary for them to profit from the mistakes of their predecessors. They have brain-washed their readers in such a subtle way that the readers of Watchtower literature believe whatever is published by the Watchtower Society.

In 1920 Judge Rutherford wrote the MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This title would have been true if he had said MILLIONS NOW LIVING MAY NEVER DIE. On page 89 of his book, Judge Rutherford states: "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews, chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection."

THEN IS FINISHED THE MYSTERY OF GOD was copyrighted by the Watchtower Society in 1969. From page 214 of the book I quote the following words: "Late in the following year (1921) the 384-page bound book entitled THE HARP OF GOD, dealing with the prominent fundamental doctrines of the Bible, was published and began what was to be a phenomenal circulation of 5,819,037 copies in 22 languages." The book was written as a textbook for beginners in Bible study. I quote from chapter nine of the HARPS OF GOD, "Our Lord's Return." "In this chapter we hope to prove the fact of the Lord's return, how he would return, when, and for what purpose, and that he has already come." Please notice the uncertainty in this sentence. They have already changed the date of the Lord's return three or four times before this and have had to change it several times since then. How gullible can people be?

I quote again from THE HARP OF GOD, page 234, "In Biblical symbology a time means a year of twelve months of thirty days each, or 360 days. Each day is considered for a year . . . Here are mentioned, then, three and a half times of 360 prophetic days each, or a total of 1260 prophetic days equal to 1260 years . . . Twelve hundred and sixty years from 539 A.D. brings us to 1799, another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of 'the time of the end.' . . . Applying the same rule, then, a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A.D., at which time, according to Biblical chronology, the Lord's second presence is due. If this calculation is correct. (Editor's note: It was not correct, because they have had to change it several times) from that time forward we ought to be able to find some evidences marking the Lord's presence.

"There are two important dates here that we must not confuse, but clearly differentiate, namely, the beginning of 'the time of the end' and of 'the presence of the Lord.' 'The time of the end' embraces a period in 1799 A.D. as above indicated, to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah. The time of the Lord's second presence dates from 1874, as above stated . . .

"These physical facts cannot be disputed and are sufficient to convince any reasonable man that we have been in 'The time of the end' since 1799 . . . From 1874 is the time of the Lord's second presence, as above stated (page 236)."


"Proof" that Christ Returned in 1874

"It was in the year 1874, the date of our Lord's second presence, that the first labor organization in the world was created. From that time forward there has been a marvelous increase of light, and the inventions and discoveries have been too numerous for us to mention all of them here, but mention is made of some of those that have come to light since 1874, as further evidence of the Lord's presence since that date, as follows: adding machines, aeroplanes, aluminum, antiseptic surgery, artificial dyes, automatic couplers, automobiles, barbed wire. bicycles, carborundum, cash registers, celluloid, correspondence schools, cream separators. Darkest Africa, disc plows. Divined Plan of the Ages, dynamite, electric railways, electric welding, escalators, fireless cookers, gas engines, harvesting machines, illuminating gas, induction motors, linotypes, match machines, monotypes, motion pictures. North Pole. Panama Canal, pasteurization, radium, railway signals, Roentgen rays. shoe-sewing machines, skyscrapers, smokeless powder, South Pole, submarines, subways, talking machines, telephones, television, typewriters, vacuum cleaners, and wireless telegraphy (page 240)."


1874 or 1914?

What overwhelming evidence that Christ came in 1874! Now what is the right date 1874 or 1914? In the 1960's the WTS began beguiling unstable souls with the teaching that Armageddon would be fought in the fall of 1975. Many of their followers were so exercised by the "proof" of the 1975 date that they gave up their jobs and sold their homes. However, by mid-summer of 1975, JW's were denying that the WTS had even published the 1975 date! More about this later.

In 1946 The Watchtower Society published LET GOD BE TRUE. I quote the following statements from that book. "Christ Jesus came, not as a human, but as a glorious spirit creature" (page 185). "Some wrongfully expect a literal fulfillment of the symbolic statements of the Bible. Such hope to see the glorified Jesus coming seated on a white cloud where every human eye will see him . . . Since not earthly men have ever seen the Father . . . neither will they see the glorified Son." (page 186). "It does not mean that Christ is in the way or has promised to come, but that he has already arrived." (pages 187, 188).

The TRUTH THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE was published in 1968. On page 81 of this book we read, "So Christ's return does not mean that he returns as a man to live on earth. Rather, it means that he takes up his kingly rule toward the earth and that he resurrects his little flock' from the dead to their reward in the heavens."

THEN IS FINISHED THE MYSTERY OF GOD was published in 1969. On page 249 of this book we read: "This reminds us that the second coming and second presence of Jesus Christ will be invisible to eyes of men on earth, because now he is a glorious heavenly spirit, and men on earth 'see' him by discerning from the manifestations of his power that he is invisible present, exercising his authority in heaven and on earth, Matthew 25:31-46, 28:18. "


The Watchtower

A comprehensive statement about the Second Coming of Christ was published in the August 15, 1969, issue of THE WATCHTOWER starting on page 483. I quote extensively from that article: "Today professed Christians generally give little thought to Christ's return. The Bible's teaching on such related subjects as the end of this system of things and Christ's second presence, also termed the parousia or second advent, is largely neglected. Those who really believe these Bible teachings frequently are considered fanatics or extremists. However, such is a serious mistake, for the truth about Christ's return is of the utmost importance to you and all others living on earth today.

"Jesus Christ repeatedly stated that he would return {Luke 18:8: John 14:2,3}. The hope of Christ's return was strong and loomed large in the minds of Christ's early followers. In fact, according to R.A. Torrey's book WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES, Christ's return is referred to 318 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

"More than that, when we once understand the purposes of Jesus' first and second coming or presence, we see that the second has to follow the first as clearly as night follows day. At his first presence he might be said to have purchased a valuable property. By reason of his faithful course and sacrificial death, Jesus purchased the life rights of the human family, as well as his right to head God's kingdom. At his second presence he takes possession of God's kingdom and will bestow upon purchased mankind life and Kingdom blessings. Matthew 13:44-46: John 6:51; I Corinthians 7:23.

"As we contemplate what has taken place during the past fifty years or so, we must conclude that the words of Jesus have a striking fulfillment particularly since 1914.


How Has Christ Returned?

"The fact that people who look for Christ to return generally expect to see him in the skies with their natural eyes no doubt helps explain why so many today fail to take seriously Christ's return. However, could it be that Christ has returned but is invisibly present? That is exactly what the Scriptures teach.

"But perhaps you are now asking, "Then how are we to understand the words of Revelation 1:7: Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him?" The Bible speaks of two kinds of sight. Thus Jesus on one occasion said that his religious opposers were 'blind guides leading the blind and that both would fall into a pit' (Matthew 15:14). Obviously Jesus did not mean that they were literally or physically blind, but that they were blind as to their understanding.

"So in this sense it can be said that Christ's second advent or presence has taken place even though he actually resides in heaven. He has returned in that he has turned his attention to the affairs of the earth at God's due time, even as Jehovah indicated to him in the prophecy that says: "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet." Psalms 110:1.

"There is reason to believe, from Biblical parallels, such as Jesus' cleansing the temple three and a half years after his being anointed as King, that it was three and a half years after Jesus was installed as King, or in 1918, that Jesus in heaven turned his attention to the judging of his faithful followers who make up the spiritual temple.

"Your destiny, as well as that of all persons now living, is fixed by the course of action taken toward Christ's followers. There is no middle ground. As Jesus said: "He that is not on my side is against me. and he {hat does not gather with me scatters." Matthew 12:30.

"To help you and all other lovers of God to take the course that merits the approval of Jesus Christ the Judge is one of the main purposes of the Christian witness of Jehovah and of the magazine you are reading. If you take your stand for Jesus Christ and with his followers, you too can hope to hear the blessed words: "Come, you who have my Father's blessing, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world." Matthew 25:34.


The Second Presence of Christ

On page 691 of the November 15, 1969 issue of THE WATCHTOWER we read these words, "It was through The Emphatic Diaglott that the Society's first president, C.T. Russell, learned that the inspired Greek Scriptures speak of the second 'presence' of Christ, for the Diaglott translated the Greek word 'parousia' correctly as 'presence' and not as 'coming' like the King James Version Bible. Accordingly when C.T. Russell began publishing the new Bible magazine in July of 1879, he called it Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence.

"Dr. Robert Young published in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Bible translation called 'Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible' and in this translation the Greek word 'parousia' is translated as 'presence' and not as 'coming.'."

It is amazing that good, solid people who exercise reason and common sense in other areas of thinking are so easily deceived when it comes to matters of religion. The WTS make much of the fact that Pastor Russell learned that the Greek word "parousia" should be translated presence and not coming. They do not advertise the fact that Pastor Russell claimed to read Greek, but in court testimony had to admit that he could not do so. The gullible JW's, without thinking, believe that Pastor Russell made a discovery that bonafide Greek scholars had overlooked.

When a witness swears in court, he promises to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." The Jehovah's Witnesses in this case and in many other cases have failed to tell "the whole truth." It is true that the world "parousia" can be translated "presence." The NWT translates it that way in every instance; the King James Version translated it that way two times, and several of the modern translations translate it as "presence." But there are two basic facts that the Jehovah's Witnesses did not tell you: (1) There are at least six Greek words that refer to the Second Coming of Christ, and each of these words make it clear that a literal, visible, bodily coming is meant. (2) They did not tell you that in most instances the context shows that "parousia" should be translated "coming" and not "presence."

The first Greek word is "parousia." The second Greek word is "erchomai" which is translated "come" or "coming" over 6,09 times in the New Testament. "Parousia" is found 24 times in the New Testament. In at least 18 instances "erchomai" refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Let us look at one or two of those references where "erchomai" is used. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" {Matthew 24:44}. "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him"
{Matthew 25:6]. Who went out to meet Him in 1914? "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations"
(Matthew 25:31,32). Did this happen in 1914? "And they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27). Did this happen in 1914?

"Behold, He cometh with clouds: and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all the kindred of the earth shall wail because of him" (Revelation 1:7). Come now! Honestly, was this fulfilled in 1914! "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according to his work (Revelation 22:12). Who was rewarded in 1914? Have you met any of these people? Have you seen anyone who has met them?

The third Greek word that is used to describe the Second Coming of Christ is "apokalupsis" which means an uncovering or unveiling. This word is translated "revelation" 12 times. The key verse is Revelation 1:1, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." Fifty-three times we read the words "And I saw" in this book. This book is the revelation or unveiling of Jesus Christ. In the Gospels Christ is seen in His humiliation; in the Revelation He is seen in His glory. The last book in the Bible is not a book of revelations (plural), but it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. "Apokalupsis" is translated "appearing" in I Peter 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing (apokalupsis) of Jesus Christ." Was this fulfilled in 1914? "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (I Peter 4:13). Not even the little handful of Watchtower students rejoiced in 1914, and certainly not the Jehovah's Witnesses, because they did not begin to use the name until 1931! "And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed (apokalupsis) from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thess. 1:7-9). Dear friend, let the Spirit of God begin to speak to your heart and show you the folly of believing that Christ came in 1914.

The fourth Greek word that the Watchtower writers never mention is "epiphaneia" which is translated "appearing" five times in the New Testament. As you read the references where this word is found, you will readily see that it blasts the Watchtower theory. Judge for yourself and see if what I tell you is true. "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing (epiphaneia) of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, the Lord of lords" (/ Timothy 6:14.15). Did Christ appear in 1914, and at that time did he show himself to be King of kings and Lord of lords?

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (the living) and the dead at his appearing (epiphaneia) and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1). The Jehovah's Witnesses may claim that He judged the dead in 1914, but who can claim that He judged the living at that time? See also 2 Timothy 4:8. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing (epiphaneia) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Was His "presence" in 1914 "a glorious appearing"? Multiplied thousands of dedicated Christians in all parts of the world are still looking for and are waiting for "the Blessed Hope." We believe that the Bible teaches that when Christ comes the second time, there will be peace and righteousness on the earth. Every one will know when He is here!

The fifth Greek word which the Watchtower writers do not mention is "phaneroo." This word is translated "appear" 12 times and "make manifest" 19 times. Let us look at some of these references. "When Christ who is our life, shall appear (phaneroo) then shall we appear (phaneroo) with him in glory" {Colossians 3:4). Did we appear with Him in glory in 1914? "When the chief Shepherd shall appear (phaneroo), ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (I Peter 5:4). "Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear (phaneroo), we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). Who was made like Him in 1914, and who saw Him as He was at that time?

Let us look at three references where the word "phaneroo" is used where it does not refer to the Second Coming of Christ to show that this word means a literal, physical appearance. "Afterward he appeared (phaneroo) unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen" (Mark 16:14). What is the meaning of the word "appeared" in this case? Did the disciples really see him? Or did He appear to them as "a spirit person"? "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (phaneroo) in these last times for you" (I Peter 1:20). "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested (phaneroo) unto us" (I John 1:2). Both of these verses (1 Peter 1:29 and I John 1:2) refer to the first coming of Christ, and the word "phaneroo" is the same word that is used in connection with the Second Coming of Christ. These statements were made by Peter and John who lived with, ate with, slept with, walked with Jesus for three years. Did they just imagine that He was a real person? Was Jesus a real baby when He was born at Bethlehem? Was He a real man as he walked the shores of Galilee? Was his body really nailed to a Cross, or to a torture stake as the Jehovah's Witnesses say? The same word that is used to describe His life in the first coming as a man to the earth is used to describe His Second Coming. How about being consistent?

The sixth Greek word that refers to the Second Coming of Christ is "optomai," and is found in Hebrews 9:28. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."


The Parousia

Now, keeping in mind the meaning of the above Greek words as they are used in connection with the Second Coming of Christ, let us study some of the 24 references in the New Testament where we find the word "parousia." In 22 instances the King James Version translates this word "coming" and in two instances "presence." In all 24 instances the NWT translates it "presence."

"Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming (parousia), and the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3). In this instance, does the word "parousia" refer to the literal Second Coming of Christ, or does it refer to His "presence" which is purported to have taken place in 1914? Since the signs that are connected with the parousia are literal, it is evident that the parousia is also literal.

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming (parousia) of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:27). Do you think that "coming" or "presence" is the correct word to use in this verse? Do you think that this verse was fulfilled in 1914?

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming (parousia)" (I Corinthians 15:22,23). What is the right word to use here? Who was made alive in 1914?

' ' For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming (parousia) of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep" (I Thessalonians 4:15). Presence or coming? The next two verses clearly show that parousia should be translated coming in this case. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the. voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be. caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

Here is how "Judge" Rutherford explains these verses away. I am quoting from 268 of THE HARP OF GOD: "At that time, then, we should expect the resurrection of those saintly ones who died before the second coming of the Lord; and should expect that these would be awakened out of death and gathered unto the Lord, thus to be forever with him. And therefore those believers who were alive at his coming, WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR THEIR DEATH, (caps mine--I am astounded!) would experience an instantaneous change from human to spirit beings."

Talk about twisting the Scriptures! Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18 for yourself, and determine who is right and who is wrong. The Scriptures teach that when Jesus comes for His church (the rapture of the saints) every truly born-again Christian will be instantaneously changed into the likeness of their Lord. What about the following Scriptures? "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:51,52). "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:20,21). "Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). These Scriptures are irrefutable, but Rutherford says that when the saints die they will be changed from human to spirit beings! What an awful thing to have to face a Holy God who has given you His Word, but instead of believing His Word to have believed Satan's lie! Yes, the Watchtower writers are masters of deception.

Here are some other references where "parousia" is used. "And then shall that Wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming (parousia)" (2 Thess. 2:8). Was this fulfilled in 1914? Was the Antichrist destroyed in 1914?

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming (parousia) of the Lord" {James 5:7). If this refers to the presence of the Lord in 1914, then it has no meaning for us now, nor does James 5:8, "For the coming (parousia) of the Lord draweth nigh."

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming (parousia)? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:3-7).

Watchtower writers apply these verses to Christians who scoff at the Watchtower doctrine that Christ returned in 1914. If Christ did return in 1914 as the Jehovah's Witnesses say, we would have to change verse four from reading, "Where is the promise of his coming (parousia)?" to "Where is the evidence of his coming (parousia)?" Yes, I have read the "evidence" that they offer in their books and magazines, but such evidence is not in harmony with the Bible. What is the Scriptural position, to believe in the promise of his coming, or to manufacture the evidence of his presence?

"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear (phaneroo), we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming (parousia)" (I John 2:28). Who was made ashamed at the "presence" of Christ in 1914? No one, but tens of thousands of Christians (including thousands of born-again Christians who have been deceived by the Jehovah's Witnesses) will be ashamed before Him when He returns the second time.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth, "I am glad for the coming (parousia) of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus--" (I Corinthians 16:17). What does the word "parousia" mean in this instance? Was Paul rejoicing that three men had come as "spirit persons" and that he was glad for their invisible "presence" or was he rejoicing that three men in flesh and bones had come who were able to meet a real need in the ministry? A bit later he wrote to the same church, "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming (parousia) of Titus; and not by his coming (parousia) only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you" (2 Corinthians 7:6,7). If Paul was to be comforted by the "presence' 'of Titus, Titus had to be there in person. "A spirit person" could not get the job done!

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, "That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming (parousia) to you again" (Philippians 1:26). Were the saints at Philippi comforted by the invisible "presence" of Paul or by his actual, personal, bodily presence?


The Biblical Description of the Second Coming

Bible scholars use these six words to describe the Second Coming of Christ: (1) literal, (2) personal, (3) visible, (4) bodily, (5) pre-millennial, (6) imminent. Let us examine the meaning of these words. "Literal" means that Christ will actually come, and that He will not come in a figurative sense. He will not come in a spiritual sense, or as "a spirit person." When Jesus came the first time, He came literally. He was actually born like any other baby was born (I am not now referring to the supernatural aspects of His virgin birth). Christ lived as a literal man; He died a literal, physical death on the Cross, and as the word of God clearly teaches, He was literally, physically, and bodily raised from the dead on the third day. This is where the Jehovah's Witnesses go astray. Since they deny His literal, physical, bodily resurrection, they must also deny His literal, physical, bodily Second Coming. In chapter ten of our book, HEART TO HEART TALKS WITH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES we have seen that Christ's resurrection was physical, literal, and bodily, and we will give you ample proof from the Scriptures that His Second Coming will be the same.

"Personal" means that Jesus is a person just as you and I are persons. He is not a nonentity. He will come in His own person, and not in the person of the Holy Spirit as some say. The Bible says, "The Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout" (/ Thess. 4:16), and it says, "This same Jesus . . . shall so come in like manner" (Acts 1:11).

"Visible" means capable of being seen, exposed to view. The Bible says that every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). Jesus said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). Since this did not happen in 1914, the Watchtower writers have to explain this fact away.

"Bodily" means that He will come in His glorified, physical body. This body is described for us in Revelation 1:12-18. He is in this same body at His revelation as described for us in Revelation 19:11-16. When Jesus came into the world He said, "A body hast thou prepared for me" (Hebrews 10:5), and we are sanctified through the offering of Christ's body (Hebrews 10:10). "He bare our sins in His own body" (I Peter 2:24). Satan's lie is that His body was dissolved into gases, or that it is somewhere preserved as a grand memorial. Pure fantasy! If you can give me one line of Scripture to substantiate such statements, I will join the Jehovah's Witnesses!

"Pre-millennial" means that Christ will return before the millennium (the thousand year reign of Christ)(Revelation 20:1-10), and that He will reign on the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords for a thousand years. All of this is discussed in our booklet "The Significance of the Believer's Attitude Toward the Second Coming of Christ in Faith and Conduct." You can have a copy of this booklet by writing for it.

"Imminent" means threatening to occur immediately; impending. It means that Christ can come at any time, at any moment. No Scriptures have to be fulfilled before Christ can come the second time. The Bible calls this "The Blessed Hope" (Titus 2:13). In this sin-cursed world that is filled with suffering and hatred, and that is torn by strife and by war, it is indeed a blessed hope to know that Christ may come at any moment and that by His coming He will bring about the peace and righteousness that the Bible promises. How does this compare with the Jehovah's Witnesses theory that the Kingdom (the Theocracy) will be brought about through their efforts?

Here are a few of the hundreds of references in the Bible that tell us about the Second Coming of Christ. As you prayerfully read these references, see if you think that they fit in with the Watchtower theory that Christ returned in 1914.


Signs of the Times

The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is the greatest chapter in the Bible on the signs of the times. This chapter opens in this way: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:1-3).

Notice the three questions that the disciples asked: (1) When shall these things be that is, when will Jerusalem be destroyed? (2) What shall be the sign of thy coming, in other words, what events will take place before you return? (3) And of the end of the world more correctly the end of this age? Jesus gave the answer to the first question in Luke 21:20-24. He answers the second and third questions in Matthew 24:4-26. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all of the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand,) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should 'be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:4-24).

The Jehovah's Witnesses use these verses to prove that Christ came in 1914. Jesus did not give these signs to show what would take place when He began to reign, but to show the conditions that would be on the earth BEFORE He began to reign as King. Please ponder this prayerfully.

Then Jesus said, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:27-31).


Face It Honestly

Were these verses fulfilled in 1914? Jesus' last words before His ascension from the Mount of Olives is recorded for us in Acts 1:8, "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-11).

The men in white apparel said, "This same Jesus." They did not say, "A phantom like spirit," nor did they say "a spirit person," but they said "This same Jesus . . . shall so come in like manner." How did he go? He went personally. Therefore, He will return personally. He went bodily. Therefore, He will return bodily. He went visibly. Therefore, He will return visibly. He went from the Mount of Olives. He will return to the Mount of Olives. "Then shall the LORD (Jehovah, yes Jesus) go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet (Yes, notice FEET . . . does "a spirit like person" have feet?) shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, (not some mystical mountain in heaven, but the Bible says that He will return to the same mountain from which He ascended), and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" (Zechariah 14:3,4).

Concerning the Lord's supper, in I Corinthians 11:26 we read, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." When we take the Lord's supper we look back to the Cross to be reminded of what Christ has done for us, and we look forward to His Second Coming in anticipation of what He will do for us. This memorial feat is to be observed "till He come." Since the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Christ came in 1914, why do they still observe the Lord's supper?


How The Jehovah's Witnesses Arrive At The 1914 Date

For readers who are not acquainted with WT literature, it will be interesting to see how the WTS arrived at the 1914 date. Their reason for believing that Christ returned in 1914 is based on: (1) the YEAR-DAY theory, (2) the time of the Gentiles, (3) the starting date of 607 B.C., and (4) 39 signs of the times.


1. The Year-Day Theory

This theory is based on two verses of Scripture, Numbers 14:34 "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise," and on Ezekiel 4:6 "And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year."

Neither of these verses gives the slightest Scriptural warrant for the assumption that in the study of prophecy a day is equal to a year. In Numbers 14:34, it is evident that days mean literal days and that years mean literal years. In the Ezekiel passage, the literal days were typical or symbolical of years, but to take this verse and develop from it the interpretation that in the study of prophecy days should be counted as years has no warrant.

Pastor Russell learned the year-day theory from the Seventh-Day Adventists who still use this method of computation. The fact that all of the computations of both the SDA's and JW's have been futile should be sufficient to cause us to turn from this method.


II. The Times of The Gentiles

In Daniel's tree vision "seven times" is mentioned four times: Daniel 4:16,23,25,32. The JW's tie this in with the "a time, times and half a time" of Revelation 12:14 (being three and a half years), and they multiply the 1,260 days of Rev. 12:6 by 2 and come up with 2,520 days which is seven years (7 x 360 2520). Premillennial Bible scholars recognize the 2,520 days as being the length of the Tribulation, but there is no warrant for applying the 2,500 days or years to the times of the Gentiles.


III. The Starting Date of 607 B.C.

Professor Edmond C. Gruss devotes several pages of his book THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND PROPHETIC SPECULATION to show that the date of 607 B.C. for the fall of Jerusalem is untenable.


IV. The Mathematics of Reaching 1914

By using the YEAR-DAY theory and by taking the figure of 2,520 and the date of 607 B.C. the mathematics is very simple in reaching the year of 1914 as being the date for the Second Coming of Christ. A child can see that 607 B.C. plus 1914 A.D. equals 2,520 years! In more recent writings the JW's do not use 1914 as the date for the Second Coming of Christ, but use this date "for God's kingdom to be fully set up in heaven." May I ask where do the Scriptures ever speak about "God's kingdom being set up in heaven?" They use the 1914 date for the "cleansing of the sanctuary," and they also use it as the beginning date for the Tribulation.

However, in the HARP OF GOD, written by J. F. Rutherford, chapter nine is "Our Lord's Return," and Rutherford refers to the Lord's return as the Second Coming. There are a number of interesting statements in this chapter. Rutherford, as did Russell, tells us that English "coming" is properly translated presence. Using a different starting date than do present day WT writers, Rutherford states, "The time of the end embraces a period from A.D. 1799, as above indicated, to the time of complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of Messiah. The time of the Lord's second presence dates from 1874."

On page 244 Rutherford writes, "The length of the gentile times is definitely fixed in the Scriptures as a period of seven symbolic times of 360 years each, or a total of 2,520 years. This period beginning with the year 606 B.C. necessarily must end in 1914 A.D." On that same page Rutherford makes this statement, "We should expect, then, to find 1914 as the beginning of the end of the old world or order of government. And that this would take place during the presence of the Lord he definitely stated."

The June 15, 1922, issue of the WATCHTOWER published the following statement: "It is on the basis of such and so many correspondencies--in accordance with the soundest laws known to science-that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of 1874, 1914, and 1918. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search out things to come.

". . . Many years ago all these matters were deeply considered by Pastor Russell, and he declared, in an article that we will soon re-publish, that a change of one year would destroy the entire' system of chronology."

On the basis of their own testimony, the WT system of chronology is thus destroyed. Rutherford used the starting date of 606 B.C. and present WT writers use 607 B.C.; the WT writer in 1922 stated that "a change of one year would destroy the entire system of chronology."

Alas! We see the WATCHTOWER crumble before our eyes.


V. The Signs of The Times

Orthodox prophetic scholars believe in and study the signs of the times. The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is the key chapter in the Bible on the signs of the times, and Luke 21:28 is the key verse: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." THE KING IS COMING, published by the MISSIONARY CRUSADER, gives ninety Scriptural signs which indicate that the coming of the Lord draws near. (This book can be ordered from the publishers for $1.00). We believe that the signs of the times indicate that the coming of the Lord draws near; the WTS use the signs of the times to prove that Christ has been enthroned in heaven. Pages 337 to 344 of MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS give a list of 39 signs. We find this statement on page 337 of that book: "Occurrence of one or even several happenings together is not sufficient to constitute evidence; all must occur concurrently upon one generation in the foretold series or sequences to make up the one composite sign. At least 39 happenings comprise the sign."

Edmond C. Gruss in his book THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND PROPHETIC SPECULATION summarizes these signs in this way: "1. Many False Christian Religions. 2. World Wars. 3. Widespread Famines. 4. Unusual Number of Earthquakes. 5. Persecution of Christians. 6. Christians Betrayed by Relatives and Friends. 7. Christians Hated World-wide over Kingdom Issue and for Upholding Christ's Exalted Office. 8. Organized Opposition of Kingdom Work by World Leaders. 9. Increased Lawlessness. 10. Many Forsaking Christianity. II. World- wide Preaching of the Established Kingdom as Good News. 12. Formation of the League of Nations and the United Nations to Stand in Place of Established Kingdom of God. 13. Earth-wide Tribulation on Satan's Organization. 14. Lying Signs and Great Wonders Performed in God's Name. 15. Presence of Christ and Impending Doom of Satan Discernible Universally. 16. 'Moon' of Enlightened Man- Rule becomes Dictatorial, Oppressive Rule of Men. 18. Wisdom of World's Starlike Wise Ones Perishes. 19. Nations Confused and Perplexed as to Course. 20. Men Becoming Faint Out of World-wide Fear. 21. Restoration of True Worshippers. 22. People Overly Concerned with Everyday Affairs of Life. 24. God's Choosing of Christians Not Dependent on Family or Friendship Ties. 25. Indifferent, Sleepy Condition of World but Wakeful, Studious Attitude of Christians. 26. One Organization Selected by God as His Faithful Representative. 27. Unfaithful Ones Exposed, Separated and Punished as a Class. 28. Separating the People of the Nations into 'Sheep' and 'Goats'. 29. World-wide Expansion of Clean Worship. 30. Sore Pestilences and Diseases. 31. Moral Degeneracy in Public and Private Life. 32. Widespread Juvenile Delinquency. 33. Instability and Insecurity World-wide Despite Claims of Leaders. 34. Men Seek Relief in Make-shift Organizations, Clubs, Institutions. 35. Organized Clergy of Christendom and Evil Slave Manifested in Open Disobedience. 36. Improper Restrictions Placed on Marriage and Eating of Food. 37. Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Stopped in 1918. 38. Many will Ridicule Sign Though Evidence Conclusive. 39. World Powers Say 'Peace and Safety' as Final Event.

Watchtower writings make the date of 1914 to be very significant. In the TRUTH book (THE TRUTH THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE) it is stated that the last days began in 1914 when Jesus Christ was enthroned as king in the heavens. In the book LIFE EVERLASTING IN THE FREEDOM OF THE SONS OF GOD on page 357 we read, "The 'Great Tribulation' that Jesus Christ predicted in harmony with Daniel 12:1 began in the year 1914 C.E." l

How do we know that the JW's are not right about the 1914 date? How do we know that the kingdom of God was not set up in heaven at that time? How do we know that the Great Tribulation did not begin in 1914? The answers to these questions is found in a verse that we have used over and over. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah ;20). It is a very simple matter to see how the Scriptures describe the reign of Christ and then to judge for ourselves to see if those events have been taking place since 1914.

"In his days shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (Psalms 72:7,8)..

' 'Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him" (Psalms 72:11).

"His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed" (Psalms 72:17).

"And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen" (Psalms 72:19).

Dear friend, please keep in mind that one day you will be judged by the Word of God (John 12:48), and honestly ask yourself if these events have been fulfilled since 1914.

The JW's do not use B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (in the year of our Lord), but rather use C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era). Early JW writers did not wish in any way to honor the Lord Jesus Christ, and many JW's looked on Christ as being "The Father's Errand Boy." Later JW writers, while denying the deity of Christ, claim to honor the Son in the same way that they honor the Father. They do this to give Christian people the impression that they do honor Christ.
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:2-4). Were these events fulfilled in 1914, or have they been fulfilled since 1914?

Read Isaiah 11:1-12 and read Isaiah 35:1-10. Then ask yourself if these events have been fulfilled since 1914.

Read the first six verses of Revelation 20 and ask yourself if these things have been fulfilled since 1914.

Let us make the same test about the Great Tribulation. The WTS teaches that the Tribulation started in 1914 and that it was cut short in 1918 to allow for an interval of interruption for the sealing of the "chosen ones" (meaning the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7). Let us look together as some of the terms used to describe the Tribulation.

"Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:" (Isaiah 2:10-12).

"And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth" (Isaiah 2:17-21).

"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible" (Isaiah 13:9-11).

We have seen and are seeing some perilous times, but can you honestly say that the above events took place 1914-18, or have they taken place since that time?

Read Revelation chapter 6-19 and ask yourself if the events described in these chapters have taken place.

My dear friend, no longer be deceived by the masters of deception who control the WTS. Yes, I believe that Armageddon is "just around the corner," and I believe that the Bible teaches that the Great Tribulation may begin at any time (after the Rapture). The Kingdom of God will not be set up on the earth until Christ returns the second time as described in Revelation 19:11-16. Read these verses and ask yourself if Christ returned in this manner in 1914. Study prayerfully the Outline of Coming Prophetic Events as given below.


An Outline of the Coming Prophetic Events

1. The Next Great Events: The resurrection of the righteous dead, and the rapture of the saints.
"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:51-58).

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).


II. Events in Heaven after the Rapture

"For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live said the Lord (Jehovah), every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:10-12).

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

"For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon, but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:9-15).

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God" (Revelation 19:7-9).

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:7-9).


III. Events on the Earth after the Rapture

  1. The Great Tribulation described in Revelation 6-19, and in many Old Testament passages.
  2. Reign of Anti-Christ Revelation 13.
  3. Armageddon" And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (Revelation 14:14-20).

    "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth from the fig tree. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea" (Isaiah 35:1-6).

    "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth" (Isaiah 63:1-6).

    The Scriptures clearly reveal that the battle of Armageddon will be fought in the last 31/2 year period of the Great Tribulation (42 months), but the Watchtower writers make the 3 1/2 years or the 42 months to be the period between 1914 and 1918. They keep looking for Armageddon to take place very shortly, and they keep using it as a club to compel the members of their society to work hard and to witness so as to escape Armageddon. Am I not telling the truth?

    Another very interesting thing that I want to call to your attention is they make Armageddon to be a literal physical battle (and so do I) to be fought on the earth in the valley of Megiddo, and yet they spiritualize all of the other truths in connection with the Lord's return. Is this being consistent?
  4. The Re-gathering of Israel. The Holy Scriptures are filled with such prophecies (Jeremiah 23:3-8; 29:14: 32:37,38: Ezekiel 11:17, 20:34,41,42; 34:12,13:37:1-14), and the Scriptures are being fulfilled before our eyes (See our book ISRAEL: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE available for $1.00). But, instead of applying these Scriptures to Israel they make themselves to be the 144,000 of the tribes of the children of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8). What folly!



IV. The Revelation of Christ

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:11-16). What folly to think that this was fulfilled in 1914!


V. The Millennial Reign of Christ

--" And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4).
  1. The Judgment of the Nations-- "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations (notice that this is an earthly and not a heavenly scene) and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from his goats" (Matthew 25:31,32).
  2. Christ Reigns on David's Throne" And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:30-33).

    Where was David's Throne? Can you show me anywhere in the Bible that David had a throne in heaven? Notice that there are eight promises that the angel Gabriel made to the virgin Mary. (1) "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb." This was literally fulfilled. (2) "And shall bring forth a son." This was literally fulfilled. (3) "and shalt call his name Jesus." This was literally fulfilled. (4) "He shall be great." This was literally fulfilled. (5) "and shall be called the Son of the Highest." This was literally fulfilled. (6) "and the Lord (Jehovah) God shall give him the throne of his father David." Was this literally fulfilled when Jesus came the first time? Certainly not! What folly to say that this was fulfilled in 1914! Under the next heading we will show that when Jesus reigns on the earth, there will be peace and righteousness on the earth. Will peace and righteousness be brought about by Armageddon? Certainly not. Will peace and righteousness be brought about by the dissemination of Watchtower literature? Or through education, or through science, or world Communism, or through the United Nations, or through the preaching of the Gospel of the Grace of God? The answer must be NO to all of these proposals. There will be peace and righteousness when Jesus Christ reigns as a literal king, on a literal throne with Jerusalem as the capital of the world. Are there any Scriptures to substantiate these statements?
  3. Peace and Righteousness on the Earth "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, "and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him: and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him" (Psalms 72:6-11). "His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen" (Psalms 72:17-19).

    "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:2-4).

    "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand fop an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:1-12).

    "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God" (lsaiah35:l,2).

    "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days come saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, the Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. But, the Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land" (Jeremiah 23:5-8).

    "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44).

    This is the Theocracy that the Jehovah's Witnesses write about, but can never bring about. It will be brought about when Jesus Christ reigns in person as King of kings on the earth.
  4. The Final Rebellion" And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be fermented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:7-10].
  5. The Second Resurrection" But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:5,6).
  6. The Great White Throne Judgment" And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:11-15).


VI. The New Creation The New Heaven
And New Earth The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22).

If you wish more details than we have given here write to us for our booklet OUTLINE OF THINGS TO COME--$.40.


Three Great Events

There are three great events in time and in eternity: the Creation, the Cross, and the (Second) Coming of Christ. This glorious event is still in the future, and it may take place at any time. When Christ comes the second time, it will be with power and with great glory. All of the world will know about it.

Your parents believe in, and your grandparents before them believed in the personal, literal, visible, bodily, pre-millennial return of Christ to earth. The great evangelists and missionaries of all time have believed in this way. Godly Christians through the centuries have believed this way. The great Christian leaders of the present believe this way.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are very subtle in their presentation of each of their doctrines. The excerpts from their writings that we studied at the beginning of this chapter appear to be very Scriptural, but they are not. People would never believe their doctrines if they study the Bible as it is. The only way that people can believe the Watchtower doctrines is to learn them through Watchtower literature. Think this through and see if I am not right. When Satan talked with Eve in the Garden of Eden, it sounded good to her. The forbidden fruit was "good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise."

I must admit that the Watchtower writers are masters of deception. So, we are back at our original proposition. Who are you to believe? How can you know who is right? I come back to my original answer, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). I invite you to compare what I believe the Bible teaches about the Second Coming of Christ with what the Watchtower Society teaches, and if after making this comparison, you are convinced that they are right, I will continue to pray for you.

I have finished reading their book THEN IS FINISHED THE MYSTERY OF GOD which is a commentary on the book of Revelation. This is the third time that they have had to change their interpretation of the book of Revelation, and the way they interpret it is ridiculous.

What will you believe the Word of God, or do you choose to rest your faith on the teachings of men who repeatedly have to change their doctrines in order to make them fit. What folly to follow the latter course!

One day you and I will stand in the presence of the Lord, and what a terrible thing it will be to have spurned His Word, and to have believed Satan's lie as it is spawned by the Watchtower Society. I pray to God that you will not do this.


What About Armageddon in 1975??

There is always the temptation for man to delve in the unknowable. Many men both pagan and Christian have toyed with the idea that the first 6,000 years of man's existence would be followed by a 1,000 year period of Sabbath rest. The Seventh Day Adventist popularized this theory and came up with the date of 1873 as being the end of the world. Pastor Russell explained how N. H. Barbour, a Seventh-Day Adventist, convinced him that 1873 was the end of 6,000 years and that 1874 was the right date for Christ's second presence. But the year 1873 came and went and the world still stands.

We have seen that the Bible clearly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, and we have seen that the Bible gives many signs whereby we can know that the coming of the Lord draws near. Read the author's book THE KING IS COMING in which 90 Scriptural signs are given that indicate the imminent return of the Lord. It is my conviction that from the very beginning of the Christian dispensation it has been and now is the will of God for every Christian to maintain an attitude of constant expectation for the return of Christ.

The question may be raised, "Why then do you find fault with the JW's for maintaining an attitude of expectation?" The answer should be obvious they are looking for the wrong thing! The Bible does not teach us to look for Armageddon, for the Great Tribulation, or for the end of the world, but the Bible teaches us to look for the return of Christ.

"Looking for that blessed hope,' and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
"Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Matt. 24:42).
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 25:13).

Please keep in mind two things as you read the following quotes from WT literature: 1. The many times that they have changed their dates, and 2. the fact that they are looking for Armageddon and not the coming of Christ. I have arranged the quotes from the Watchtower literature under three headings: 1. General Prophecies, 2. Dates That Are Connected with Armageddon, and 3. Armageddon in 1975?

1. General predictions made by the WTS through the years concerning the end time.
1877 "The END OF THIS WORLD . . . is nearer than most men suppose"
1894 "The skirmishing is already beginning all along the line" "The end of 1914 is not the date for the ending, but for the end of the time of trouble"
1904 "The stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912culminating . . . October 1974"
1917 "We anticipate that the 'earthquake' will occur early in 1918, and that the 'fire' will come in the fall of 1920"
1920 Emphasis on 1925: "The old order of things, the old world, is ending" "We are standing at the very portals of that blessed time!" (Golden Age of the Kingdom) "Deliverance is at the door!"
1922 "The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914"
1923 "Our thought is that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge."
1925 "The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during this year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God will accomplish his purposes concerning his people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire this year."


'Millions Now Living Will Never Die'

1925 "... Scriptures definitely fix the fact that there will be a resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other faithful ones of old, and that these will have the first favor; we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death ... ' '

"Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will make the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter II, to the condition of human perfection." "Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world, is ending and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 will make the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die."

"The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914--"
"Our thought is that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures."
"It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated the thought that 1925 should see an end to the work."

1926 "Some anticipate that the work would end in 1925, but the Lord did not state so. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond reasons; and that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to throw away everything."
1929 "God's purpose now to shortly dash to pieces the Devil's organization" "Satan knows that shortly he must fight the Lord."
1930 "The great climax is at hand." 1931 "There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918 and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time. Later the faithful learned that these dates were definitely fixed in the Scriptures; and they also learned to quit fixing dates for the future and predicting what would come to pass on a certain date, but to rely (and they do rely) upon the Word of God as to the events that must come to pass."
1940 "The day for final settlement is near at hand." "The witness work for THE THEOCRACY appears to be about done."
1942 "THE NEW WORLD IS AT THE DOORS . . . The time is short!"
1943 "The beginning of the final war is dangerously near."
1944 "The end of the world arrangement is now near."
1946 "The final end draws near."
1950 "Jehovah's time has come to settle definitely the issue."
1966 "A climax of man's history is at the door!"
1968 "True, there have been those in times past who predicted an 'end' to the world, even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The 'end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing? Missing from such people were God's truths and the evidence that he was using and guiding them." "One thing is absolutely certain, Bible chronology reinforced with fulfilled Bible prophecy shows that six thousand years of man's existence will soon be up, yes, within this generation!" (Matt. 24:34).
1969 "There is only a short time left."
2. Dates concerning Armageddon
1886 "Marshalling of the hosts for the battle of the great date of God Almighty is in progress while the skirmishing is commencing. ' '
1889 "The 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' . . . which will end in A.D. 1914 . . . is already commenced."
1914 "The great crisis, the great clash . . . is very near." "Armageddon may begin next spring."
1915 "The Battle of Armageddon, to which this war is leading."
1915 "The present great war in Europe is the beginning of the Armageddon of the Scriptures."
1931 "God's kingdom has begun to operate. His day of vengeance is here, and Armageddon is at hand and certain to fall upon Christendom, and that within an early date. God's judgment is upon Christendom and must shortly be executed."
1939 "The abundance of Scriptural evidence, together with the physical facts that have come to pass showing the fulfillment of prophecy, conclusively proves that the time for the battle of the great day of God Almighty is very near and that in that battle all of God's enemies shall be destroyed and the earth cleared of wickedness. .."
1941 "Armageddon is surely near . . . soon . . . within a few years."
1946 "Armageddon . . . should come sometime before 1972."
1953 MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS, published by the WTS, is a compilation of Scriptures under seventy main headings. Two and a half pages of Scripture are given on Armageddon. No dates are set, but it is stated that Armageddon will come in this generation."
1955 "The war of Armageddon is nearing its breaking out point. YOU MAY SURVIVE ARMAGEDDON INTO GOD'S NEW WORLD was published in 1955 but did not give a specific date for Armageddon."
1969 AID TO BIBLE UNDERSTANDING is a 1696 page book that was first published by the WTS in 1969. HAR-MAGEON is discussed, but instead of setting the date for Armageddon, this statement is made: "Its coming is certain and it will take place at the time set by Jehovah God." All of us agree that this is true.
3. Armageddon in 1975?

1966 The date of 1975 was first stressed in the WT book LIFE EVERLASTING IN FREEDOM published in 1966. A three-page chronology is given showing that 6,000 years of history will run out in 1975. "Since the time of Ussher intensive study of Bible chronology has been carried on. In this twentieth century an independent study has been carried on that does not blindly follow some traditional chronological calculations of Christendom, and the published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man's creation as 4026 B.C.E. According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. So six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation."
1968 In the August 15, 1968. issue of THE WATCH- TOWER, it was stated that the WT writers did not claim infallibility but that the calculation that 6,000 years of Adam's creation will end in 1975 is reasonably accurate.
1969 Professor Edmond C. Gruss in his book THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND PROPHETIC SPECULATION makes this statement: "The LOS ANGELES HERALD-EXAMINER of July 21, 1969, carried an article with the headline: 'ARMAGEDDON DUE IN 70's, WITNESSES TOLD.'
The paper went on to report:
' 'Armageddon-The end of the world for all but the Jehovah's Witnesses-is just around the corner, according to Watchtower Society President Nathan H. Knorr who addressed 81,032 Witnesses in the stands and on the playing field yesterday at Dodger Stadium.
"Although he did not pinpoint the predicted date, Knorr did narrow it down to the 'mid-seventies. ' The year 1975 has been specifically mentioned in Witness publications. "


The following statements are taken from a report issued by the RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE in Los Angeles in March of 1975:
"Jehovah's Witnesses are having problems with eschatology. In recent years, a good deal of publicity has centered on the idea that the sect was expecting the end of the world to occur in 1975. But now, leaders of Jehovah's Witnesses are saying that Armageddon may not be imminent.
"After mounting expressions of concern, including reports of members selling their property to engage in evangelistic and missionary work, the sect's attitude towards 1975 was modified somewhat. An item in the Watchtower magazine last October said, 'The publications of Jehovah's Witnesses have shown that, according to Bible chronology, it appears that 6,000 years of man's existence will be completed in the mid-1970 s. ' But these publications have never said that the world's end would come then."


There has been some difference in what the publications technically said and how they were generally interpreted. Ken Guindon of Van Nuys, who left the sect in 1973 after 14 years of full-time missionary work, declared that it is the Watchtower publications which are responsible for any and all speculation about the world's end in 1975. They have driven their poor, sincere disciples to a frenzy of futile activity.

An article in the sect's 1975 yearbook noted that the importance on 1975 "was deeply impressed on our minds back in 1966" by a Watchtower Society book. But it quoted F.W. Frenz, vice president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the sect's official name), as having cautioned a Baltimore gathering not to "be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975."

Although Witnesses are not now identifying 1975 as the end of the world, they are continuing to warn against taking a complacent attitude as the "last days" approach. In a recent address to 20,100 Witnesses at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, Mr. Frenz urged them to keep preaching "as we approach these crucial years or months that are ahead."

In June of 1975 the JW's were denying that the WTS had ever published 1975 as the date for Armageddon.

In the early years of the sect, Jehovah's Witnesses were anticipating Armageddon to occur in 1914. When it did not, the Watchtower Society began teaching that that year marked the beginning of the "last days" before the end of the world.

The book THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND PROPHETIC SPECULATION by Professor Edmond C. Gruss was printed in October of 1972. Professor Gruss devotes a chapter of this book to prove that the WT 6,000 chronology is wrong. I am writing this booklet in May of 1975, and I now affirm that the WT chronology and the date of 1975 for Armageddon is wrong since Armageddon did not take place in 1975. In April of 1975 we published the first printing of the twelve-page paper printed in the general format of the WT magazine with the main heading ARMAGEDDON IN 1975??

On the back page of that paper, I wrote the following article: World War III can start at any time. Every one knows that we are sitting on a powder keg. The battle of Armageddon will be fought at the end of THE GREAT TRIBULATION. Revelation 14 and 19 make this very plain. The Tribulation does not begin until after the Rapture of the Church. This is being written on April 14, 1975, and up to this point the Church has not been raptured, though it could be raptured (caught up to meet the Lord in the air) at any time.

The rapture is described for us in I Thess. 4:13-18. "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Dear friend, stop kidding yourself, and no longer be deceived by the Watchtower Society. This event did not take place in 1914.

What will happen now that the 1975 date has been proved false? Yes, the die-hards will continue to be deceived by the masters of deception, but already many JW's are turning from the WT false, Satanic system. To whom will they turn? Many times in our literature we have stressed that we are not trying to get people to change from one system to another. We are not trying to get people to come out of one organization to join another. We simply want people to turn from the WTS to Christ.

The question has been asked how sensible people can continue to be deceived by the WTS. The answer to this question is obvious: The WTS has convinced these good people that it is Jehovah's Theocratic Organization and that it is Jehovah's sole channel for the dissemination of truth. In their witnessing, JW's proudly point to the unity of the WTS as being one of the marks that it is the "one true religion." This unity must be maintained at all cost, even to the extent of believing error. Since JW's believe that the WTS is Jehovah's Theocratic Organization, they are held captive by the fear of being disfellowshipped if they discover or teach doctrine other than that which is promulgated by the WTS.

My dear friend, in the name of Jehovah God, and in the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, I appeal to you to do one thing. Simply study the Bible apart from the literature put out by the WTS and you will soon discover that the teachings of the WTS are not in harmony with the teachings of the Bible. I constantly make this appeal to JW's through literature, through personal letters, and in personal testimony. How can you possibly go wrong by doing this? You will NEVER learn the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, and the truth concerning salvation, if you continue to study the Bible with the help of the WT literature.

My dear friend, you are not really studying the Bible when you study it following the guided tour method of the WTS. I will state again, as I have stated hundreds of times before, Jehovah's Witnesses do not know the message of the Bible. It is utterly impossible to be a JW and know what the Bible really teaches.

I do not ask you to take my interpretation of the Bible. I do not ask you to read books that I have written explaining the message of the Bible, but in the name of Jehovah God, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to study prayerfully the following Scriptures either in the KING JAMES VERSION or in the NEW WORLD TRANSLATION:

John 5:24
I Corinthians 15:1-4
I John 5:10-13
Chapter 24 of Luke
The entire book of Romans

Do not just read these Scriptures and shrug them off. Read them prayerfully asking the Spirit of Jehovah to guide you into all truth. He has promised to do this (John 16:13). Yes, and in this verse, He promises to show us things to come. None of us can understand the Prophetic Scriptures apart from the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.

How wonderful to know that eternal life is a present possession and not a future attainment!

How wonderful to be looking for the Blessed Hope of Christ's return instead of looking for Armageddon!

How wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again as King of Kings and as Lord of Lords, and to know that at His Coming there will be righteousness, peace, judgment and justice on the earth.

My dear friend, in the name of Jehovah God, I plead with you to turn from Satan's delusion to the wonderful, all-sufficient Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.