Jehovah's Witnesses and Pyramids James K. Walker Arlington, Texas Today's Jehovah's Witnesses fiercely believe that 1914 marked the invisible second coming of Christ and the start of the generation that will see "the end." They believe this to be clearly marked in scripture and have been shielded from the real source of the 1914 date. The year 1914 is a major piece in the puzzle of Witness chronology. Witness leaders did not develop this system of dates from studying the Bible. There are really two sources for the date of 1914 and for JW chronology as a whole: 1) The dating scheme of William Miller whose followers began the Second Adventist and Seventh-day Adventist Movements. 2) Pyramidology, based on speculations concerning the measurement of the interior passageways of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The Adventist connection is well documented in Carl Olof Jonsson's, The Gentile Times Reconsidered. Briefly, William Miller was a Baptist preacher who developed a system of Bible dates which "proved" that Christ would return in 1843. The date was changed to 1844, but still the end did not come for Miller and in 1845, disillusioned, he rejected his system. (Religion in America, by Winthrop Hudson, pp. 195-97). Some of his disciples, however, including Nelson Baurbor, who became a Second Adventist, concluded that the date was right but the event predicted was wrong. An upgraded version, complete with new dates, was formed. Charles Russell, founder of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, met with Baurbor in 1876 and was convinced of the truthfulness of Baurbor's dates. (Zion's Watch Tower, July 15, 1906, pp. 230, 231). Russell's original system had Christ returning invisibly in 1874 and the end coming in 1914. This, too, was modified after a series of false predictions to form the present system. (The Studies in the Scriptures: The Time Is At Hand, Series II, 1906 ed., p. 101). Russell never gave William Miller credit for his contribution to Watchtower Chronology, but surprisingly, he did admit that he used pyramidology as a major source of revelation. Today, pyramids are finding popularity as a power source by New Agers and occultists. However, historically the pyramids of Egypt have been investigated not for their secret occultic powers, but for a mysterious secret message. This is known as Pyramidology. Most systems involve elaborate calculations attempting to match measurements of the pyramid with past history and projecting them to predict the future events. It has no basis in science or theology and is not really different from developing "mathematical formulas" to predict the future by astrology or tarot cards. In the book, The Black Arts, Richard Cavendish describes pyramidology as a form of the larger "science" of Numerology. He explains: "Pythagoras, the father of modern numerology, is supposed to have initiated at least one of his followers into the art of foretelling the future by numbers, but he and his modern disciples are mere tyros compared to the supermen who designed the Great Pyramid of Gizeh and built into it a detailed numerological prophecy of events up to and beyond our time," (p. 66). Pyramidology was not a new subject in Russell's time. Like the systems of Miller and Baurbor, Russell relied upon the work of others who had gone before him. The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology gives a brief history: "The Pyramidology cults which ascribe occult significance to the dimensions and measurements of the Great Pyramid date back to the 1830's after Colonel Howard Vyse blasted a way inside and took measurements. "The British mathematician John Taylor and Scottish astronomer Charles Piazza Smyth claimed that the pyramid embodied divine revelations and prophecy... which also showed that the Second Coming of Christ was due in 1881," (2nd Ed., p. 1107). Russell wrote to William M. Wright allowing him to review the manuscript of his work on the Great Pyramid before it went to press. Russell wrote: "Accordingly he made a type writer copy of the MS., and by permission mailed it to Prof. C. Piazzi Smyth, who is generally accorded a greater knowledge of the Great Pyramid's construction and measurements than any other man in the world.... We thank Bro. Wright and Prof. Smyth for their kindness, and have followed the corrections indicated..." (Studies in the Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come, Series III, 1909 Ed. p. 311). In the 1897 edition of the same book the measurements of an interior passageway was reported. Russell declared, "...this measurement is 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years.... This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble...." (p. 342). However, in the 1916 edition the pyramid measurements were subtly changed. For no apparent reason the same passage of the pyramid was given new dimensions. "We find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years.... Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning of the time of trouble...." (1916 ed.) This allowed the pyramid to agree with the evolving Witness chronology. Pyramidology has historically been practiced by occultists, cultists and even sincere, but misled, Christians. Ex-Mormon Dee Jay Nelson (of Book of Abraham fame) as well as Dr. Gene Scott, the bizarre late-night TV "evangelist" are just two proponents of pyramidology today. (Obviously the dates and measurements have been updated.) The practice which has, to date, only led to false prophecies should be classified as superstition at best. The honest Jehovah's Witness should re-examine the roots of Witness chronology recognizing it for what it is. -------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/apl/jw: jw-060.txt .