I have a question. I hope that you can help me. In the past there were things put in the old documents that today has been brought to light concerning the scriptures. I understand that in the beginning, what they thought they understood was eventually brought to proper understanding. Like Christmas and so on. On thing I wanted to know is why it was encouraging for early Bible Students to read the book "Women and Demons". It was brought to my attention and I did read it. The thing is, I know the book exists. I saw it myself while on a tour in the Bethel library. I even asked the sister why they would have such a book in there in the first place. So, I thought if it was in the Bethel Library, then it was ok to read. If it was indeed encourage reading, is it not on the border of demonism? Do they still believe that there are still good demons and bad ones? Like in the book, there was one that said he would not do any more wrong, in order to still serve Jehovah God in the right way, even though he would be destroyed? Or something to that thought. What does Bethel think now, and do they still have the book in the library?...Anyway, that is the question, I wanted to know.

The book you are referring to is actually entitled Angels and Women. It was authored by a Mrs. J. G. Smith and originally published in 1878. She was not in any way connected with the early Bible Students. (Interestingly, the book was published the very year the Watchtower began publication.) Mrs. Smith claimed to be a channel for a benevolent fallen angel, who supposedly gave an accounting of the antediluvian world.

Evidently, Charles Russell read the book and thought it had some merit because it verified the Bible’s account of the pre-flood world. After Russell’s death, one of the Bible Students revised the book and reprinted it. In 1924, the Golden Age magazine reviewed the book and endorsed it as recommended reading! However, later the Society repudiated their earlier endorsement. As for whether the book is still in the Bethel library, I am in no position to say. Perhaps it should be, not as recommended reading, but as one of the many historical oddities of our spiritual heritage?

Charles Russell was obviously a very open-minded man, but he was also naïve in many respects. His fascination with pyramidology is another example of how his naivety led him down a false path. He and the early Bible Students supposed that it was possible for some of the fallen angels to repent. We know now that that is simply not true. Interestingly, in one of his many illustrations, Jesus Christ referred to an unclean spirit (demon) repossessing a man by taking along ‘seven spirits more wicked than itself.’ So, it is not a question of whether some fallen angels are good, it is merely a question of one demon being more or less wicked than the others.

Since the beginning of Christianity, the Devil has demanded to sift Christians as wheat. The Watchtower’s numerous blunders into spiritisim should serve as a sobering reminder of the fact that Satan and the demons are ever intent on insinuating themselves into the Society in order to exert some measure of influence over us. The Watchtower’s recommendation of Angels and Women is merely one of the Devil’s more blatant attempts to over-reach Jehovah’s people and stands as another sobering warning of what can happen when Christians fail to keep awake.

To be sure, the demons are insidious deceivers—posing a constant threat to our spirituality. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we do not want to be ignorant of Satan’s designs—as Paul said. But, rather than worry about Satan’s past successes at slithering his way into our midst, shouldn’t we be more concerned about Satan’s designs upon us at the present moment?

As I continue to read your articles with enthusiasm, there are a few questions I must ask: "When does the appointed time of the nations end?" Is it when the son of man is given the kingdom or is it when he and the holy ones "dash the nations to pieces" at the symbolic battle field of Armageddon? As I read your articles, it seems that the appointed time of the nations end when Christ is given the kingdom, an event which will precipitate the unleashing of the winds of the great tribulation, which are thus far being held back by the four angels mentioned in the book of Revelation. So based on your presentation of these prophecies, it appears that the seven times of Daniel has not yet been fulfilled. Could you please also elaborate on those seven prophetic times of Daniel?

The context of Jesus’ remarks concerning the appointed times of the nations had to do with the allotted time God would allow his holy place to be trampled underfoot by a disgusting thing. There does not seem to be any justification in the Scriptures for our applying the appointed times, or Gentile times as some call it, to the original destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Jesus was foretelling the future destruction of Jerusalem and its holy temple.

The book of Revelation, however, was written after the city of Jerusalem and its temple were razed to the ground by the Romans in 70 C.E., yet it foretells of another temple and holy city that will be trampled on by the nations for an appointed time. Revelation 11:1-2 read: And a reed like a rod was given me as he said: “Get up and measure the temple sanctuary of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, cast it clear out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed in sackcloth.”

(See essay: Was 1914 the End of the Gentile Times?)

The holy city and temple courtyard that are given to the nations to trample for 42-months is the congregation of Christ. The Watchtower Society’s 2,520-year period assigned as the appointed times of the nations is a wholly artificial interpretation. If we are to allow the prophecy to interpret itself, we should recognize that the appointed times of the nations that Christ was referring is of 42-months duration.

When will the trampling begin? According to the context of Revelation, it commences with the coming of Christ. The oft-overlooked 10th chapter of Revelation presents to us a vision of the coming of Christ, where it says: “And I saw another strong angel descending from heaven, arrayed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet were as fiery pillars, and he had in his hand a little scroll opened. And he set his right foot upon the sea, but his left one upon the earth, and he cried out with a loud voice just as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices.”

The strong angel coming down to stand astride the earth and sea symbolizes Jesus staking his claim of ownership of the world. The coming of Christ sets in motion the final conflict between God’s kingdom and the nations of the world under Satan’s control. It is after Christ’s coming with the legal right to world rulership that the nations are given an extended leash to their own rulership. So, for a brief period of three and one-half years, both Christ’s kingdom and the Devil’s political kingdom rule the earth as two competing kingdoms. After the appointed times expire the nations are destroyed by Jesus Christ.