Lesson 19: "Take a closer look at the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses"

 

Questions about the Spiritual / Theological Roots of the Watchtower

Origin of Charles Taze Russell's theology

William Miller movement of the 1800's (freemason)
Miller had 2 false prophesies of world ending in 1843, 1844 - great disappointment
Some decided that the Lord returned invisibly - the start of 7th Day Adventism

Russel joined & studied with the Adventists starting in 1873 
Former Millerite, now SDA George Storrs teaches Russel doctrine soul is not immortal & no hell

Joined up with former Millerite, now SDA Nelson Barbour who was already printing magazines
Barbour 'calculated' that Christ would return in 1874. (6000 years since the creation of Adam ended in 1873 and that Christ would return in 1874). Didn't happen.
Russel said it happened invisibly - Barbour thought it was nonsense because that's what was said with the Millerite failed prophecy & they parted ways. 

Russel starts printing Zion's Watchtower 1879
Double downed on theology that Jesus returned invisibly in 1878
Prophesied Armageddon & the rapture in 1914 
Incorporated in 1884 
1914 - world didn't end, so prophesied again for 1918, died 1916

Question:
Since the following doctrines all originated with the Adventists (SDA):

• ransom doctrine
• heaven on earth (paradise earth)
• soul sleep after death
• memorial celebrated once a year
• dates calculated for Christs return
• denial of the immortality of the soul and hell
• Jesus is Micheal the Archangel

Is it fair to say that origin of the Watchtower is just an SDA sub-sect?


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Method of calculating dates:

Introduced to pyramidology by the adventists. Russel used Pyramidology to calculate important dates. 

Russel called the great pyramid "God's Stone Witness and Prophet" 
-Thy Kingdom Come (1891), 3rd volume of Studies in the Scriptures.

Pyramidology is using a pagan symbols & numerology for divination. 

 

 "We find it to be 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years from the above date, B. C. 1542. This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years B.C. plus 1874 years A.D. equals 3416 years. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1874 was the chronological beginning of the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation-no, nor ever shall be afterward." Thy Kingdom Come p.342 1891 Edition

Watchtower belief in pyramidology continued under Rutherford until 1925.

"In the passages of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh the agreement of one or two measurements with the present-truth chronology might seem accidental, but the correspondency of dozens of measurements proves that the same God designed both pyramid and plan. Watchtower 1922 Jun 15 p.187

"In the great Pyramid of Egypt, standing as a silent and inanimate witness of the Lord, is a messenger; and its testimony speaks with great eloquence concerning the divine plan." Watchtower 1925 May 15 p.148

Rutherford changed his mind in 1928, calling pyramids the "Satan's Bible" and an idol to be cut off.  

Question:

1) If the pyramid was "Satan's Bible" all along, why did God's supposedly chosen "faithful and discreet slave" promote it as divine truth for nearly five decades? 
Why didn't Jesus correct this teaching when he inspected and approved the organization in 1919?

2) Why would God choose an incorporation that used pagan, occult divination practices? 

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Freemasonry:  

Russel was a Mason. 
"I am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our Masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to Masonry, and we also are Masons. I am a Free Mason. I am a free and accepted Mason, if I may carry the matter to its full length, because that is what our Masonic brethren like to tell us, that they are free and accepted Masons. That is their style of putting it. Now I am a free and accepted Mason. I trust we all are. But not just after the style of our Masonic brethren. We have no quarrel with them. I am not going to say a word against Free Masons. In fact, some of my very dear friends are Masons, and I can appreciate that there are certain very precious truths that are held in part by our Masonic friends."
San Francisco in 1913, during a sermon titled "The Temple of God."

Watch Tower, Golden Age, Jehovah, New World Order, 'the term Great Architect', the term 'brotherhood', the symbols of the all-seeing-eye, winged sun disk, two columns, pyramids, wreath -  all symbols of & terminology of Freemasonry

Rutherford:

The Governing Body
Now that they do videos, we can see masonic rings on current governing body members. Many elders also wear masonic rings. 
Stephen Lett wearing a blue masonic ring

 

Here is the issue: 
Freemasonry is an occult-based secret society. 
At the lower level, they also call the God of the Bible Jehovah, but secretly, they worship Baal. They makes demonic oaths at every degree, declaring curses on their families & in the name of a different demon at every level beyond the 3rd. They swear secrecy & elegance to the society above everyone & everything else. It's not until reaching the 32nd degree that the mason learned that the society actually worships Satan & for the 33rd degree, participate in child S.A. & human sacrifice. 


Question:
Would God choose an organization as the true church if the leader was involved with the occult, satanic masons?  
 Would God continue to appoint leaders who are freemasons? 

 

1919 Bible Student Convention Report : it was Russels wish to have the masonic pyramid monument built at his gave site. 
" In the exact center of the Bethel lot will be erected diagonally the Pyramid Shape Monument as designed by Brother Bohnet, and accepted by Brother Russell as the most fitting emblem for an enduring monument on the Society's burial space. The size of this structure is nine feet across the base, and its apex stone is exactly seven feet above the ground surface level."  Souvenir Report of the Bible Students Convention, Pittsburgh, PA. 1919 Jan 2-5 p.7

* Monument removed by Watchtower in 2021

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Other occult Symbols in the Watchtower

Pagan Winged Sun disk - Egyptian god Ra & masonic

Pagan All-Seeing-Eye

Question:
Why does God's organization use so many occult / pagan symbols? 

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Racism in Watchtower History

Russel: 
Black people can't volunteer because they are uneducated & insufficient  - Zion’s Watch Tower, April 15th 1900, page 122

White people are superior over black people - Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15th 1902, pages 215-216

Forced segregation at screening of the Photodrama of Creation at The Temple - The above excerpt is taken from Zion’s Watch Tower, April 1st 1914, pages 105-106

Rutherford: 
insinuation that all “southern negroes” are drunkards - The Golden Age, October 15th 1919, pages 105-106

"Even in the case of the human family, if the father and mother are of different races the children are sometimes unfit for brain work. Wonderful are the fixed laws of God." - Golden Age, Jen 7, p241

Mocked black people in The Golden Age, July 25th 1928, page 684

 

“(God) has specially blessed and favored certain branches of the Aryan race in Europe and America. But the fact, that the white race has been more abundantly blessed with the light of the Gospel than others - The Bible versus Evolution p.30

"South Africa's whole color policy is conditioned by this fact and this fear: 80 per cent of her population is black; if the color bar is breached, what new dike can stop a black flood from overflowing and destroying the civilization with which white man have displaced the wilderness?" Awake! 1953 Oct 8 p.6

QUESTION:
Why would God choose leaders / an organization as the one true religion if they are racist?