C. T. Russell and year 1925
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C.T. Russell (died 1916), the founder of the Watchtower Society and its President, most likely had nothing to do with 1925. In the light of his death in 1916 it can be assumed the boundaries of his and his friends’ statements were those that pointed to the years 1918 and 1920 and suggested 1921 (7 years after 1914). Here they are:
We see no reason for doubting, therefore, that the Times of the Gentiles ended in October, 1914; and that a few more years will witness their utter collapse and the full establishment of God's Kingdom in the hands of Messiah. But by that time, the Elijah Class will have passed beyond the Veil; for “when He [Jesus] shall appear in His glory, we [the Church] also will appear with Him.” (...) Incidentally we remark that some historians put the end of the Jewish Time of Trouble as April A. D. 73, which would correspond to April 1918. (The Watchtower September 1, 1916 p. 5950-5951, reprints).
See Pastor Russell’s Sermons 1917 p. 287.
When he called upon me I said, ‘Since the year 73 A. D. saw the complete overthrow of nominal Natural Israel in Palestine, so in the parallel year 1918, I infer we should look for the complete overthrow of nominal Spiritual Israel; i. e., the fall of Babylon. (Rev. 18.) Brother Russell replied: ‘Exactly. That is exactly the inference to draw.’ (The Finished Mystery 1917, 1926 p. 129).
Six years dividing the land. Great time of Trouble until 1920 (The Watchtower June 15, 1905 p. 3579, reprints).
[Question, year 1910] We believe them. We have believed them from the first; we are acting upon that belief. But, my dear friends, if October, 1915, came, or October, 1920, came, and no great time of trouble, and no change of all the Church came, it would not overthrow my faith in the divine plan of the ages for a moment. (What Pastor Russell Said. His answer to hundreds of questions 1917 p. 556).
QUESTION (1909) — How long after 1914 do you think the present conditions of sickness, suffering, and the Adamic death will continue?
ANSWER — (...) Some things in the Scriptures imply that it might last for seven years, and others one year, but there is nothing definite. (What Pastor Russell Said. His answer to hundreds of questions 1917 p. 647).
Everything indicates that C.T. Russell’s successor, i.e. J. F. Rutherford, is the one who introduced the doctrine of 1925 for the Watchtower Society.
But that is not all. 3 years after the death of C.T. Russell the Watchtower Society attributed year 1925 to none else but to Russell itself.
Many years ago Pastor Russell pointed out from Holy Writ that Jerusalem is to be the capital of the world, when the new era is fully established, probably from the year 1925 on; and that from that center the natural seed of Abraham would bless all mankind. (The Watchtower February 15, 1919 p. 6391, reprints).
Pastor Russell pointed out that the Jubilee cycles instituted by God to be observed by Israel “when they entered into the land” was a period of 3500 years and would expire in 1925 (The Golden Age August 16, 1922 p. 731).
In discussing the jubilees in Volume Two of SCRIPTURES STUDIES Brother Russell pointed out that the last typical jubilee should merge into the antitypical jubilee, and might, therefore, be properly considered as the beginning of the antitype. In the type, the year 1925 would have been confined to the natural Israelites. (The Watchtower February 15, 1925 p. 56).
C.T. Russell shortly before he died in April 1916 continuously rejected the 1925 prediction. When asked about this date by one of the Watchtower female readers, he said:
Otherwise they would know from its columns that we are not looking forward to 1925, nor to any other date. (The Watchtower April 15, 1916 p. 5888 [reprint]).
We know where the counting of the Sabbath cycles began, namely, when God's Chosen People entered the land of Canaan. The record is that their first year was a Sabbath Year, during which they neither sowed nor reaped, but "ate the old corn of the land." In the above quotation the Lord distinctly tells us that the entire number of Jubilee Years they would have had is seventy. So we can easily count when and where the antitypical Jubilee would be due to begin. Each cycle was forty-nine years, and its Jubilee, the fiftieth year. Seventy times this number would be 3,500 years. And this period measured from the time Israel entered Canaan marks the year 1925 as the time when the antitypical Jubilee will be due to begin. However, there is still another method of reckoning the matter, which, we believe, is the proper one, namely, to count nineteen cycles with their Jubilees partially observed totaling 950 years, and then to count the remaining fifty-one cycles as forty-nine years each, because the Jubilees were omitted. This would total 2499 years plus 950 years with Jubilees totaling 3449 years. This period of 3449 years reckoned from the entering of Canaan ends October, 1874. (...) It was about that time, 1875, that favor began to return to God's Chosen People – of course then, as yet, only in a limited manner and so differently from what many of them had expected it that few of God's Chosen People yet recognize that Divine favor toward them is returning. It is our understanding that the period of time from 1875 to 1915, forty years, will witness the full return of Divine favor to that people. (the article God’s Chosen People – Their Sabbath and Jubilee published in the book What Pastor Russell Wrote for The Overland Monthly p. 100-101; See: http://mostholyfaith.com).
A comprehensive description of the 1925 concept, sent to Russell by the Watchtower Society supporter, was published in one of the journals in 1911 (See The Watchtower, March 1, 1911, pp. 4778- 4780, reprints). J. F. Rutherford used that date in his work (?) throughout 1917-1925 years!
Interestingly, when publishing the mentioned letter, Russell didn’t take any position referring to the concept described in it. It is therefore not surprising that some of Russell’s opponents accuse him today of promoting 1925 and make him responsible for this date.
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