AWAKEN ISSUE #3 THE WATCHTOWER STRETCHES THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZEH AND OTHER WATCHTOWER TEACHING ABOUT PYRAMIDS The following section has been written by Mr. Rich Griese: How knowledgeable are you about the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society? I have done some research, have talked to a few JWs and come away more confussed about the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society that when I started. I would be interested in talking to you about both Watchtower theology and its evolution over the years, as well as the growth of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society corporation polocies and procedures. Maybe we could initially begin with a quick readers digest version of original theology, and see where we go from their. My understanding of the original theology from reading Studies in the Scriptues, by Charles Russell the founder of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, was that God offeres a eternal reward to all men. Man, being imperfect, finds it impossible to attain this eternal reward (Due to Adamic sin which we can deal with in more detail at a latter date). Christ, as a ransom sacrafice, repaid the Adamic debt. And since that debt has been paid all can once again attain this eternal reward. As to how the eternal reward are collected my understanding of Studies in the Scriptures was as follows. The decision to Join God or not would be made by all men during the 1000 Millenial reign of Christ. Upon Christ's return the world as we know it would be destroyed, and all men (with the exception of a select few that will live through the end to act as verifiers of the facts) would be killed. Then a new process would take place. All humanity would begin to be ressurected from the dead, be made "perfect", and be educated in the Ways of God. Once made "perfect", and educated the would live for at least 1000 years in their new form, and at the end of that time would be put to a test (similar to the test that brought on Adamic sin). If the test is past, that individual would be granted eternal life and would live in communion with God forever. The purpose of our present life to to accumulte knowledge and experience of good and evil, so that we can come to understand that without the help of God, human could never achieve a satisfactory existence. It is almost like an object lesson in the value in listen to God. Except for a few select individuals (which we can discuss later) none of us can do anything in this life that will either exclude or garantee our eternal reward. All the tests will be faced in our ressurrected life, after we have been made "perfect" and have come to a full knowledge of God. This original theology is quite different than current dogma. Early Watchtower theology included looking for clues for the end of time in the "Great Pyrimid". The Watchtower has been able to do amazing things in their history, including streching the size of the structure 41 inches in one direction from 3416 to 3457 inches. Of course the changes in dates "just happened" to re-enforce the time that the world was supposed to end. In fact both of these figures are wrong, the length of this particular measure is 3384.904 inches. Yet it is interesting that different editions can use the exact same words except different numbers for the measure of the pyrimid. From the Watchtower published book called Studies in the Scriptures, Vol 3 (early edition) Russell : "... This measure is 1542 inches, and indicates the year B.C. 1542, as the date at that point. Then measuring down the "Entrance Passage" from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the "Pit", representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years from the above date, B.C. 1542. This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years B.C. plus 1874 years equals 3416 years. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1874 was the chronological beginning of the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation-..." Studies in The Scriptures, Vol 3 (1923 edition) Russell : "... This measure is 1542 inches, and indicates the year B.C. 1542, as the date at that point. Then measuring down the "Entrance Passage" from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the "Pit", representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years from the above date, B.C. 1542. This calculation shows A.D. 1915 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years B.C. plus 1915 years equals 3457 years. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 was the chronological beginning of the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation-..." Of course all JWs know the date 1914 as the date who's "Generation" will by no means pass away before the "New System" comes. Of course that makes this "Generation" 77 years old. Is the Watchtower running out of time? What will they come up with next? Most JW do not even know about this information, the only date that is important to a JW is the date the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society is currently pushing. The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society has had lots of experience setting and changing date, and are much harder to catch these days. They have become much more nebulas about their dates. These days they are simply saying that Armegedon is very, very close. Rich Griese --------------------------------------- Mr. Griese has researched the Watchtower's teachings. In future issues of AWAKEN, we will bring you more results from his findings. Right now I would like to add to Mr. Griese's finding with the following quotes from other Watchtower publications. Please note that Jehovah's Witnesses get all their doctrine from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society via their publications. THE WATCH TOWER magazine, 06/05/1922, page 187 : "The chronology of present truth might be a mere happening if it were not for the repitions on the two great cycles of 1845 and 2520 years, which takes it out of the realm of chance and into that of certainty. If there were only one or two corresponding dates in these cycles, they might possibly be mere coincidences, but where the agreements of dates and events come by the dozens, they cannot possibly be by chance, but must be by the design or plan of the only personal Being capable of such a plan - Jehovah himself; and the chronology itself must be right. In the passages of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh the agreement of one or two measurements proves that the same God designed both pyramid and plan - and at the same time proves the correctness of the chronology. The agreement of the chronology with certain measurements of the Tabernacle and the Temple of Ezekiel further stamps the chronology as true. It is on the basis of such and so many correspondencies - in accordance with the soundest laws know to science - that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of 1874, 1914, and 1918. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search things to come" THE WATCH TOWER magazine, 05/15/1925, page 148: "The great Pyramid of Egypt, standing as a silent and manimate witness of the Lord, is a messenger; and its testimony speaks with great eloquence concerning the devine plan (Isaiah 19:19)" So we see that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania was preaching about Pyramids up to 1925. You should also note that the Watchtower "stated" in no uncertain terms that GOD desiged the Great Pyramid of Gizeh. I bet you that no Jehovah's Witness has ever called on you to tell that they once preached such things. Most if not all Jehovah's Witnesses do not know this. Most don't even know that the founder of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania asked to be and was buried under a huge pyramid shaped tombstone. Please share the info found in these issues of AWAKEN with other members of the faith to which you belong. Consider using this info within publications issued to members of your faith. One example is to use this info within Church bulletins. People need to become informed about the Watchtower and it's teachings. Why ? Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door preaching whatever the Watchtower has told them to preach. They are trained weekly to respond to any and all objections to their preaching. They are told by the Watchtower that the Watchtower is the only TRUTH and that the Watchtower is the only TRUE religion. They are told by the Watchtower that all other faiths, teach false teachings because all other faiths are agents of SATAN. They have no qualms attacking any and all aspects your belief system, when they come on their un-asked for visits. They are trained to SELL you on the Watchtower's teachings, just as they themselves had been SOLD. By becoming informed about the Jehovah's Witnesses, one will be better prepared to decide whether one should get invloved with this group. Copyright (c) 1991 by Vince Banial, Toronto Ontario Canada. This material cannot be incorporated into any book without the empress and written permission of Vince Banial. This file may be freely uploaded to any BBS, as long as it remains unchanged.