1874 as Christ’s Return and Judge Rutherford’s "Scriptural Proof"

If you are talking with any Jehovah's Witnesses today and get on the topic of Christ's return, they will tell you that he returned in 1914. If asked how come no one else knows this important fact, they will tell you that you must have "eyes of understanding" because He came back invisibly. Where you get these “eyes" no one knows, and also if He was invisible, how would anyone know for sure that He returned?

In any case, this is a major doctrine of the organization, and any doubt on this important event undermines their credibility in every other area of their teachings. For such a major doctrine, one would think there would be volumes of evidence from that time period. If any one should know and be absolutely sure about when Jesus Christ returned, it surely should have been the President of the Society. Let’s see what he said on the topic and apply a common sense look at the issue to see if it could be true.

Questions to ask every Jehovah’s Witnesses:

You believe and base many of your main doctrinal teachings on the fact that Christ returned in 1914, is that correct?

They will answer that 1914 is the date the Jesus Christ returned to the earth and their organization had foretold this even many years before it happened.

You do have a scriptural basis for this event, don't you?

They will reply that support for the 1914 return of Christ is found in the Scripture.

Who was the President of the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization at that time of Christ’s return?

 Judge J.F. Rutherford they will tell you if they know. They may have to look up their own history if they are new to the organization.

Is 1929 after 1914?

Of course, they will reply.

Have you ever read Rutherford's book "Prophecy" published by the your Watchtower Society?

Most Jehovah’s Witnesses have not read their Society’s “Prophecy” book.

Let’s look at what the Jehovah’s Witness president (Judge Rutherford) said in 1929.

See the pictures below of the pages from Rutherford’s “Prophecy” book. Ratherford writes, “The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1974 A.D.” NOTE that the book was published in 1929.

The Watchtower Society sold these books as “spiritual food” and advertised them on their order forms as late as the 1950s. So much for their own “eyes of understanding”. Rutherford’s Prophecy book is copyrighted 1929 by Judge Rutherford and published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. If Jesus came back in 1874, why is it that the Society did not know this even in 1929? Does this mean that there were NO “eyes of understanding” in 1914? How is it that Jesus Christ could return to the earth to rule and reign and not a single soul knew about this return in 1914? Good questions for Jehovah’s Witnesses. More claims for 1874 are below the pictures.

Additional claims to 1874 and Christ’s return

"The Millennium of peace and blessing would be introduced by forty years of trouble, beginning slightly in 1874 and increasing until social chaos should prevail in 1914…"

The Watchtower Reprints, October 1890, p.1243

"The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874."

The Watchtower Reprints, January 15, 1892, p.1355

"For instance, as we look back and note that the Scriptures marked 1873 as the end of six thousand years from Adam to the beginning of the seventh thousand, and the fall of 1874 as the beginning of the forty-year harvest of the Gospel age and day of wrath from the overthrow of all the institutions of 'this present evil world (or order of affairs),' we can see that facts have well borne out those predictions of Scripture."

The Watchtower Reprints, July 15, 1894, p.1675

Charts showing 1874 date.

The Battle of Armageddon, (SS-4), 1912 ed., p. 621

"Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A. D. according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear it..."

The Watchtower Reprints, July 15, 1905, p. 3576 

"No one can properly understand the work of God at this present time who does not realize that since 1874, the time of the Lord's return in power, there has been a complete change in God's operations."

The Watchtower, September 15, 1922, p. 278

"The Scriptures show that his second presence was due in 1874. This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874."

The Watchtower, March 1, 1923, p. 67

"Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874..."

The Watchtower, January 1, 1924, p. 5