The Kingdom of Promise and ProphecyWhiteside, Robertson L.
Religion
The Kingdom of Promise and Prophecy
Whiteside, Robertson L.
Bible -- Prophecies
Both Russell and Rutherford taught that “the times of the Gentiles,” of
which the Bible speaks, is the time in which God permitted the Gentiles
to rule in the governments of the earth. Their language is too plain to
admit of any misunderstanding. Mr. Russell taught that the saints should
be submissive to Gentile governments up to the close of the times of the
Gentiles, or to the limit of their right to rule. With these people the
times of the Gentiles began “when the diadem was taken from Zedekiah,”
and lasted till A. D. 1914. In the 1912 edition of _The Time Is at
Hand_, Vol. 2, (“copyright 1889”), Mr. Russell says: “In this chapter we
present the Bible evidence proving that the full end of the times of the
Gentiles—i. e., the full end of their lease of dominion—will be reached
in A. D. 1914; and that date will be the fartherest limit of the rule of
imperfect men.” (Pages 76, 77.) “So, then, Gentile rule had a beginning,
will last for a _fixed time_, and will end at the time appointed.” (Page
78.) During the times of the Gentiles the saints were to “render to them
due respect and obedience,” but “to keep separate from the kingdoms of
this world as strangers, pilgrims, and foreigners.” That eliminates them
from citizenship in any government of the world, in so far as one can
eliminate himself. “Foreigners” are not citizens. And their submission
to Gentile governments was to end when the times of the Gentiles ended,
when this new order would enter in full force. In the “Finished
Mystery,” published in 1917, we have this: “Their united testimony is
that the times of the Gentiles have expired, the reign of Christ has
begun, all earthly potentates—civil, social, ecclesiastical, and
financial—must give way to the new order of things, and will not give
way peaceably, but must be ejected.” (Page 231.) This volume was written
and published after Russell’s death. After all the date setting for the
end of Gentile governments, we have this: “There is evidence that the
establishments of the kingdom in Palestine will probably be in 1925, ten
years later than we once calculated.” (“Finished Mystery,” page 128.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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