Prophetic Dates of Jehovah's Witnesses-1833

Charles Taze Russel sure liked his Bible prophecy. In 1833, there was a spectacular meteor shower. He explained that this was a sign foretold in the Bible.

"Half a century passed before the next sign appeared, the falling of the stars from heaven, as when a fig tree casteth her unripe fruit when shaken of a mighty wind. Our Lord's words found a fulfilment (though not their complete and only fulfilment, as we shall see later) in the wonderful meteoric showers of the early morning of Nov. 13, 1833." -Studies in the Scriptures IV-Battle of Armageddon, page 589

See also the article on 1780.

Watchtower Comments for Week of 3/3/08 (Counted Worthy to Receive a Kingdom)

Is There a Child Custody Packet?

Jehovah's Witnesses have a custody packet that is meant to assist with child custody cases where religion is an issue. It is frequently mentioned in the Our Kingdom Ministry (a monthly Jehovah's Witness publication). It's strange that this elder claims to have never heard of it while he is testifying under oath. Actually, it isn't that strange if you are familiar with their practice of theocratic warfare.

An Elder Testifies Under Oath

STAY ALIVE 'TIL 75!

1975 was a bad year for Jehovah's Witnesses. They expected Armageddon to come then. Many witnesses postponed marriage, having children, or surgery because they thought the end was so close. Others quit their jobs or sold their homes. Afterwords when nothing happened, the leadership failed to apologise and indicated that their members were to blame coming to the wrong conclusion about 1975. This recording of a talk from around 1967 by Charles Sunutko gives an indication of how 1975 was hyped by their leaders.

STAY ALIVE 'TIL 75! (Talk by Charles Sunutko)

Also consider what was said in the May 1974, Kingdom Ministry on page 3, "Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end."

Please also see this page for many more direct quotes about 1975.

Prophetic Dates of Jehovah's Witnesses-1829

The founder of the Watchtower Society, Charles Taze Russel, was strongly influenced by the Millerite movement. Russel even claimed that the beginning of the Millerite movement coincided with Bible prophecy.

"Thus it will be seen that the separating work of the 'Miller movement' had its beginning at the time foretold - at the end of the 1290 days, 1829." -Thy Kingdom Come (1891)

Watchtower Comments for Week of 2/25/08 ("Rightly Disposed" Ones are Responding)

Jehovah's Witnesses and Secret Trials

Jehovah's Witnesses use secret trials in their excommunication process. The accused isn't allowed representation or a way to record the proceedings. The person in this video brought a hidden recording device and posted the recording here.

Jehovah's Witness Disfellowshipped

Does a 14 Year Old Have the Right to Die?

See also:
This article at Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood, and Sacrifice
Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood

Silent Lambs in the News

An Ex-JW Describes Cult Life

Crazy Quotes #9, Medical Advice

"Air baths are good for preventing colds... What you do is strip naked mornings and evenings and then bob up and down for a while." -The Golden Age (now Awake!) of February 10, 1926 page 310

"All human ailments have their start in the intestines." -The Golden Age of November 28, 1928 page 133

"Sleep on the right side or flat on your back, with the head toward the north so as to get benefit of the earth's magnetic currents. Avoid serum inoculations as they pollute the blood stream with their filthy pus... Stop chewing gum, as you need the saliva for your food." -The Golden Age of November 12, 1929 page 107

See also this article on The Watchtower Society and Medical Quackery.

Prophetic Dates of Jehovah's Witnesses-1799

Jehovah's Witnesses used to think that 1799 was a very important date. The Watchtower of March 1, 1922 said, "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the "time of the end" began in 1799..."

The actions of Napoleon were seen as confirmation of this important prophetic date.

"Having thus furnished grounds for establishing the identity of this character (Napoleon), whose deeds mark the beginning of the 'Time of the End,' the prophecy proceeds to show which particular event of that time is to be understood as definitely marking the exact date of the beginning of the 'Time of the End.' This event is shown to be Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, which covered a period of a year and nearly five months. He sailed May, 1798 and, returning, landed in France Oct. 9, 1799." -Studies in the Scriptures-Thy Kingdom Come (1915) page 44

They also thought 1799 was significant because it was 1260 years after the fall of the Ostrogothic monarchy in 539 AD. Daniel 12:7 mentions three and a half times or 1,260 days. They just converted the days to years. Jehovah's Witnesses now believe that these 1,260 prophetic days refer to the 684 days (from June 21, 1918 to May 5, 1920) that the second president of the Watchtower Society, Joseph Rutherford, spent in prison on charges of espionage.

See also this page of Watchtower quotes about 1799.

Fun With Covers #21

Another News Report About Pedophiles Among Jehovah's Witnesses

Prophetic Dates of Jehovah's Witnesses-1780

The Bible makes numerous references to celestial signs. Charles Taze Russel took these seriously and looked for visible fulfillments of these prophecies. In 1780, a combination of clouds, fog, and smoke from forest fires caused a great darkness that made it necessary to light candles in some places. For most of us, this is just just an interesting historical curiosity. For Charles Taze Russel, it was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy! Consider his comments in Studies in the Scriptures IV - Battle of Armageddon, page 585.

"On May 19, 1780 (still 'in those days,' the 1260 years of Papal power, but after that power had begun to wane and the brunt of the tribulation had passed) a phenomenal darkening of the sun occurred, for which scientists of that time and since have never been able to account.. This unaccountable day, except as a sign from the Lord, is reckoned to have extended over 320,000 square miles - an area about twenty-five times the size of Palestine, to which the signs of the first advent were limited. Indeed, the fact that these signs were chiefly confined to the New England and Middle States need not surprise us, when we remember that the first movement amongst the 'Virgins'* (Matt. 25:1-5) was chiefly in the same locality."

See also the article on 1833.

Watchtower Comments for Week of 2/18/08 (Pay Attention to Your "Art of Teaching")

Jehovah's Witnesses are an Abusive Religion

Crazy Quotes #8, Physiognomy

"The size of the nose, as also the size of the eyes, is not without significance. The small-nosed man cannot have a judicial mind, whatever his other excellencies may be. And a man whose nose upturns can no more be expected to administer justice than a pug dog can be expected to act as a shepherd." -Golden Age (now Awake!) of January 19, 1921 page 224

Jehovah's Plan

A New Video Site About Scientology

I started this blog because I believe videos are a great way to learn about cults and high control groups. I was pleased when I learned of a site that takes a similar approach with Scientology. The website Scientology Victims Testimonies contains numerous videos of former scientology members who are speaking out about their mistreatment at the hands of the Church of Scientology. It's well worth a visit.

See also the Committe on Religious Shunning. They also have some videos of former memebrs discussing Scientology.

Jehovah's Witnesses and College (Talk by Gerrit Lösch, Governing Body Member)

This is from a talk in Monza, Italy. One of the leaders of Jehovah's Witnesses discusses their view of college and higher education.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Higher Education-Gerrit Lösch

Silent Lambs March in New York

Watchtower Comments 2/11/08 "Keep Watching"

Prophetic Dates of Jehovah's Witnesses-1776

It's a little known fact that Charles Taze Russel, the first president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, thought 1776 had prophetic significance. He thought that year marked the end of a period of persecution.

"And this long persecution, in which 'many were purified and made white and tried,' and in which the Mother of Harlots was 'drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus' (Rev. 17:6) ended as we have already shown, practically in 1776..." -Studies in the Scriptures IV, page 584

Jehovah's Witnesses no longer discuss 1776 as a prophetic date in their literature. It is comical that they also had problems with dates that they discussed after the fact and didn't involve any type of prediction.

Is the Watchtower Society a False Prophet?