Posted by Camryn [camryn] on October 30, 1999 at 07:21:24 {G0PnT/qYmkCAoFoSdQ9.DroBvA4afs}:
Shorty... You asked, 'Even if Russell never realized that Jesus had returned in 1914, what difference would that make' - (or something like that). The following is why it looks to me that it would have made a difference to Jesus...
Note: This assumes that Jesus did in fact return in 1914 to begin his second coming or "invisible presence."
In Luke's account of Jesus' "faithful and discreet slave" illustration Jesus said he expected to find his true disciples 'waiting and watching for him when he returned in 1914.' (12:36) Then he said, "Happy are those (disciples) whom (I) on arriving (in 1914) find watching (for my return)." (12:37)
Well then, was anyone connected with the Society found watching for Jesus' return to begin his invisible presence in 1914? No. Why not? Because they all believed he had returned 40 years earlier.
They were not only not watching themselves, but they were telling everyone other religion to stop watching for Jesus' second coming (just like they do today). In 1914 they were telling all other religions that they were wrong to be living in expectation of Jesus' second coming (just like they do today).
And so, of all the religions that claimed to represent Jesus Christ, the only one that Jesus did *not* find waiting and watching for his return in 1914 *was the Watchtower Society!*
It looks to me that according to verse 12:37 Jesus would therefore would not have declared them "happy" since they were not doing what he said they must be doing at his arrival - i.e. waiting and watching for that event to happen.
Back in verse 36 he said that "at his arriving and knocking (in 1914) they may at once open to him." But if the Society didn't realize that Jesus had returned in 1914 until 1943 (according to the Proclaimers book), that means that Jesus had to knock for *29 years* before they "opened to him!"
The Point: In view of the fact that there wasn't anyone connected with the Watchtower Socitey that had been faithfully and discreetly watching for Jesus' return in 1914, what are we to think was the answer to Jesus' question in 1919, "Who really is my faithful and discreet slave?"
What reason do we today have to believe that Jesus would have 'awarded' the Society with that title in 1919 when they still didn't know he had returned in 1914 and they were not going to know it for another 24 years!? Especially in view of the fact that they continued to unfaithfully and indiscreetly insist that Jesus had returned in 1874 - even announcing that fact on every cover of the Watch Tower magazine ("Hearld of Chist's Presence (since 1874)"!
It is difficult for me to believe that the above would not have mattered to Jesus and therefore appointed the Society even though they didn't meet his stated requirements set out in his F&D slave illustration.
Camryn