From the very beginning, Jehovah’s Witnesses were right up front about this.
The truth of God’s Word is a progressive truth.
In 1882, C. T. Russell wrote: “The Bible is our only standard, and its teachings our only creed, and recognizing the progressive character of the unfolding of Scriptural truths, we are ready and prepared to add to or modify our creed (faith—belief) as we get increase of light from our Standard.”—“Watch Tower,” April 1882, p. 7.
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”—Proverbs. 4:18, 19, New International Version.
Note that the shining of light on the path of the righteous is progressive. It keeps “shining ever brighter.”
We might illustrate this by a man who gets up before daybreak and who sets out on foot to travel through the countryside. He might see an outline of a building in the distance, but at first cannot tell whether it is a barn or a house. Gradually as day dawns and he gets closer he can see that it is a house. After a while he is able to tell that it is a wooden, not a brick, house. Then, later, he can make out the color of the house, and so forth.
The experience of God’s servants has been just like that. Viewing certain matters from a distance in time and with only a little light on the subject often we have had an incomplete, and even an inaccurate, view of things. In such situations we may well have been influenced by previously held views. But as the light gets brighter and we draw much closer to events, then our understanding of the outworking of God’s purposes becomes clearer. Prophecies open up to us as Jehovah’s Holy Spirit sheds light upon them, and as they are fulfilled in world events or in the experiences of God’s people
It is not wrong to be interested in the coming Kingdom of Christ Jesus.
Recall the interest that Jesus’ own apostles showed: “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” Jesus replied: “It does not belong to you to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.” (Acts 1:6, 7) Those words carry the basic message that he had conveyed on the Mount of Olives: “You do not know on what day your Lord is coming. . . . At an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.” (Matthew 24:42, 44)
We need to keep reminding ourselves about that counsel. Some may be tempted with the attitude, ‘Maybe I should just slow down a bit and take things more casually.’ Never would we want to allow that to happen.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, in their eagerness for Jesus’ second coming, have suggested dates that turned out to be incorrect. Because of this, some, who dislike the Witnesses, have called them false prophets. Never in these instances, however, did they presume to originate predictions ‘in the name of Jehovah.’
Never did they say, ‘These are the words of Jehovah.’ The Watchtower, the official journal of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has said: “We have not the gift of prophecy.” (January 1883, page 425) “Nor would we have our writings reverenced or regarded as infallible.” (December 15, 1896, page 306)
The Watchtower has also said that the fact that some have Jehovah’s spirit “does not mean those now serving as Jehovah’s witnesses are inspired. It does not mean that the writings in this magazine The Watchtower are inspired and infallible and without mistakes.” (May 15, 1947, page 157)
“The Watchtower does not claim to be inspired in its utterances, nor is it dogmatic.” (August 15, 1950, page 263)
“The brothers preparing these publications are not infallible. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers. (2 Tim. 3:16)
And so, at times, it has been necessary, as understanding became clearer, to correct views. (Proverbs. 4:18)”—February 15, 1981, page 19.
Jehovah’s Witnesses stand on equal ground with everyone else. We all have God’s Word. We are all similarly equipped. It is how we act upon God’s Word that matters.
Sources cited.
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