Did Russell take measurements of pyramids to mark the year 1914 as Christ's return?
The claim was made: "Russel took measurements of pyramids and used them to mark the year 1914 as Jesus Christ’s return." This statement is made in the context of the claim that Russell was using some kind of pagan numerology.
Evidently, none of this is true.
1) Russell himself apparently did not take any measurements of any pyramid. Russell did use the measurements provided by Charles Piazzi Smyth of one pyramid (not pyramids, plural) related to corroboration of the Bible.
2) In 1876, Russell accepted Nelson Barbour’s conclusion, based on Biblical prophecies, that the Gentile Times were to end in 1914. While I cannot be certain as to who first presented the date 1914 as being the end of the Gentile Times, I do know that long before Barbour, E. B. Elliott in the year 1844 came up with the date 1914. {"Horae Apocalypticae" (1844), pages 1429-1431) Russell died in 1916, still holding to the belief that the times of the Gentiles had ended in 1914.
3) However, the year 1914 was not based on the measurements of the God's Witness in Egypt, but several measurements in that Witness do confirm the date 1914, as well as many other dates related to the Bible.
4) Neither Barbour nor Russell, however, made a claim that Christ's return was to be in 1914. In 1876, Russell accepted Barbour's conclusion, based on Biblical time prophecies, that Christ had already returned in 1874. Russell died in 1916, still believing in the application of those time prophecies of the Bible that point to 1874 as the date of Christ's return. Russell never presented 1914 as the date of Christ's return.
Nevertheless, in 1876, Russell also accepted Barbour's conclusion that the measurements of God's Witness in Egypt corroborates the Bible, including the dates 1874 and 1914.
6) Russell's Biblical study of God's Witness in Egypt certainly has nothing at all to do with any kind of pagan numerology.
For links to more related to Russell and the Great Pyramid:
For links to more related to Russell and 1914:
For links to more related to Russell and 1874:
