See the Wikipedia articles on William Miller and Great Disappointment
"Jonas Wendell, an Adventist preacher, experienced periods of weak faith after 1844. After studying Bible chronology, he came to the conclusion that the Second Coming would be in 1868, and in 1870 he published a booklet concluding it was to be in 1873.
Charles Taze Russell was in turn influenced by Jonas Wendell (as well as by the Millerites in general). One-time Millerite ministers George Storrs, George Stetson, and Nelson H. Barbour were also influential in Russell's doctrinal development. Like Wendell, Barbour had also predicted Christ's return in 1873, and when that failed, he revised the prediction for 1874. Soon after that disappointment, Barbour's group came to believe that Christ had returned in 1874 but invisibly. Russell met Barbour in 1876 and accepted the teaching of an invisible presence of Christ from Barbour. Russell developed an elaborate chronology with 1914 being viewed as the end of a forty year "harvest period." A schism in the movement occurred after Russell's death. In the early 1930s, the leadership changed the date of the Second Coming to 1914. The main branch of that movement came to be known as the Jehovah's Witnesses, while many members refused the change; Bible Students today still hold that the Second Coming was in 1874."
Two points on the Scriptures concerning this point of an invisible return of Christ:
(1) No one knows the time or date of the return of Jesus. If anyone predicts the date, it can't be the right date.
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. - Matthew 24:, 3,36
(2) "Like a thief in the night" can mean unexpectantly or without notice. It doesn't need to mean quietly or invisibly. In fact, thieves are not invisible...especially if you turn on the light.
1Th 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Date setting diverts people's attention from Jesus to a date. It builds expectations that will be shattered by disappointment. That disappointment will, in turn, produces embarrassment and disillusionment.
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14 comments:
You nailed that right on the head.
Excellent critical analysis
Big mistake. Presence and coming are refering to two different situations. this is why we need some knowledge to have an effect on our hearts. A sign is needed for Christs presence because it is not obvious or visible. The coming will be the final war to end Satans system. This basic, all the love in the world cannot change how important this understanding is.
Point 1 and point 2 are not talking about the same thing.
Jesus' presence is invisible, that is why his followers needed a sign.
His actual arrival will be as a thief, unexpected.
Why does Jesus need to be present invisibly to do anything? Hasn't He been invisible ever since his resurrection except for the times He appeared for brief periods of time? Does an invisible presence give Him any more power? The whole invisible presence thing seems like a cover up for a failed chronology.
The presence has to do with Jesus becoming King in heaven at the end of the Gentile times in 1914. Yes he did become more powerful.
Understood...but those dates and events are quite debatable...and one of those things that just isn't relevant to our lives. Does it make me love God anymore? Does it help build my character virtues the way God would like? I'd put it in the category of things I'd discuss as interesting...but not defend or die for in any sense of the word.
The sign of Christs presence includes many disturbing realities here on earth. The Kingdom being established means that Satan and his system has a "short period of time" Mt 42:14 among other verses show that the new of the Kingdom would be preached. People need to know. A government to die for is active in heaven that will eventually destroy mans governments and rule the earth.
Why is the sign given by Jesus?
In God's view even 1000 years is a "short period of time". The Kingdom has been preached ever since Christ's death...and the urgency has been the same. We should always be ready for and pray for Christ's Kingdom to come. I see no change since 1914. The one lucky thing was that WWI started that year. What about WWII? Wasn't that a big sign, too? Now it's been nearly 100 years since that date... The connections between the events, the Bible, and dates is just too ambiguous to be useful. We shouldn't need to predict...and if it's already occurred it should be obvious.
so why all the information and instruction to go with it?
the last days would be marked by men who go from bad to worse.........WWII? Wars are not the only part of the sign, over 40 parts are listed. Peter said that ridiculers would sarcastically ask "when is this promised presence...all things continue just as they always have"
Historians who lived through WWI saw the drastic changes that the war to end all wars had on all parts of society. The general attitudes of people changed. Religion backed the war and lost credability with the people. The last days are filled with the many facets of the single sign Jesus gave. WWII would just add to the evidence when WWI was never to be allowed to happen again by men. Instead of the world getting better, it is getting worse. Evidence of the last days, the sign of Christ's invisible presence. 1914 has always been the end of the Gentile Times. The same chronology is used to identify when the messiah would arrive.
To deny the scriptural account because of the date of 1874 does not change what Jesus said.
Why did he give a sign?
All Jesus said was certain things would happen when the end was NEAR, then he said,at that time, no one knows the day or the hour and that you should keep on the watch. He didn't want us to predict when he's coming back or when is armageddon!I guess some people are hard headed and think they must play the prophet game!!
What if the events of Dec. 2012 make what happened in 1914 look like a folk dance? Would the sign of Christ presence be changed to that year?
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