Post by ResLight on Apr 30, 2013 19:48:07 GMT -5
I had posted some comments regarding some statements made about Charles Taze Russell at:
prophecyportal.com/do-jehovahs-witnesses-use-ya-to-fight-pretend-battles-with-ex-members/
As yet, my comments have not appeared. I am reposting and adding more below:
It is stated that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the "organization" that is run by the governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses. This is true today, but it was not true in Brother Russell's time. Russell, by means his will, the original WTS charter, and his statements in the Watch Tower, had sought to keep the Watch Tower from becoming what it did become after his death.
It is stated that the Watch Tower Society claims to be the "sole channel of information between God and humanity". Again, this is true of the Watch Tower Society today, but not as it was originally. It is stated the this claim is based on a chronology that was developed by Nelson Barbour. I don't know what connection thought to be the chonology of Barbour and the idea that the governing body of the JWs claim for themselves that they are the "sole channel" of information from God; the governing body of the JWs has rejected much of the chronology that Barbour presented, but I don't see that chronology as having anything that provides a basis for the claim of the governing of body of the JWs as being the "sole channel of information between God and humanity". Indeed, the chronology and that applications of time prophecies to that chronology that Barbour and Russell presented would deny that claim.
See:
Russell and Only Channel
It is claimed that "International Bible Students" was an early name of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and Russell is indirectly implicated as being the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell was a non-sectarian who did not believe in starting a "cult", or any such an organization as the Jehovah's Witnesses; the true founder of the JWs was Joseph Rutherford, who, after Russell died, began to preach such an organization. By 1928, the vast majority of the Bible Students (much more than 75%) had rejected Rutherford's "Jehovah's visible organization" dogma, and thus the Bible Students in general did not take the name "Jehovah's Witnesses", nor did they ever become members of the Rutherford's alleged "Jehovah's visible organization". The author presents this being due to the failure of 1925. The various writings by prominent Bible Students of that time, however, show more concern over many other issues with Rutherford than the date 1925.
See:
Bible Students Did Not Become Jehovah's Witnesses
It is falsely claimed that Russell was "a high level freemason"; since I have refuted this idea elsewhere, I will not go into this again here.
See:
Russell and the Freemasons
Regarding 1914:
The Jehovah's Witnesses' leadership have rejected most of what Barbour and Russell presented concerning 1914, save that of Daniel 7 (posted correction to "4"). Thus, the arguments that the JW leadership present for that date appear much weaker than that of Barbour and Russell.
It is claimed that the chronology stated (?) that end of the Gentiles would be in 1914 and that in that year "Jesus would come to judge the earth and annihilate the wicked." Russell did not believe in the kind of Armageddon that the JWs preach, so to say that he was expecting that the wicked were to be annihilated beginning in 1914 does not actually represent what he taught. Russell believed that the annihilation of the wicked takes place after Jesus' millennial kingdom, not before it. Armageddon, he believed (and as the Bible teaches), is a time of chastisement of the people of the nations, not the time of eternal destruction.
See:
Russell and Armageddon
From 1904 onward, Russell was expecting that 1914 was to see the beginning of the time of trouble, and that sometime after 1914 God's kingdom would bring peace to the earth. Although there were several time parallels produced by various Bible Students giving various dates for the end of the time of trouble, Russell never, before 1914, presented any date beyond 1914 as what one might consider the "official" WTS teaching. Russell refused to accept "authority" that would restrict any of the Bible Students' own liberty to accept or reject what he believed concerning chronology and time prophecies.
See:
The Time of Trouble - Quotes From Russell
Russell had long before 1914 stated his expectation that the setting up of God's kingdom in 1914 WOULD NOT see the end of the Gentile rulership (a reversal of his earlier expectation), thus there was no disappointment concerning such, at least as far as Russell himself was concerned. Russell died in 1914 still with the belief that the Gentile Times had ended in 1914, and the time of trouble (Armageddon) had begun in 1914.
I conclude from some of the things that appeared in the WT (long before 1914) that some of the Bible Students were proposing the date 1918 as the end of the time of trouble; some were indeed proposing the date 1915 as the end of the time of trouble, and some were proposing the date 1920 as the end of time of trouble. Russell presented the arguments by two brothers for those dates back in the year 1905.
Russell himself, however, never officially accepted any date as the end of the time of trouble. After 1914, he did present somebody's parallels which suggested that the harvest would end in 1918, but even with that Russell did not say that such would mean the end of the time of trouble, as he indicated that if even if the harvest did end in 1918, garnering could continue for some time after 1918, which would mean also that the time of trouble could continue for sometime afterward.
Russell himself seemed to have an aversion to looking at the parable of the four servants, because his wife had asserted that he (Russell) was the faithful and wise servant, and many of the Bible Students had taken this as being true. Nevetheless, his final statement concerning finding Russell in the Bible was, "I do not find it there. Some of them say that I am blinded on that subject, that they all can see better than I can. Perhaps they can, I do not know, but I think, dear friends, that there is a danger in that direction, and I would like to put you all on guard."
See:
The Faithful and Wise Servant and Other Servants
prophecyportal.com/do-jehovahs-witnesses-use-ya-to-fight-pretend-battles-with-ex-members/
As yet, my comments have not appeared. I am reposting and adding more below:
It is stated that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the "organization" that is run by the governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses. This is true today, but it was not true in Brother Russell's time. Russell, by means his will, the original WTS charter, and his statements in the Watch Tower, had sought to keep the Watch Tower from becoming what it did become after his death.
It is stated that the Watch Tower Society claims to be the "sole channel of information between God and humanity". Again, this is true of the Watch Tower Society today, but not as it was originally. It is stated the this claim is based on a chronology that was developed by Nelson Barbour. I don't know what connection thought to be the chonology of Barbour and the idea that the governing body of the JWs claim for themselves that they are the "sole channel" of information from God; the governing body of the JWs has rejected much of the chronology that Barbour presented, but I don't see that chronology as having anything that provides a basis for the claim of the governing of body of the JWs as being the "sole channel of information between God and humanity". Indeed, the chronology and that applications of time prophecies to that chronology that Barbour and Russell presented would deny that claim.
See:
Russell and Only Channel
It is claimed that "International Bible Students" was an early name of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and Russell is indirectly implicated as being the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell was a non-sectarian who did not believe in starting a "cult", or any such an organization as the Jehovah's Witnesses; the true founder of the JWs was Joseph Rutherford, who, after Russell died, began to preach such an organization. By 1928, the vast majority of the Bible Students (much more than 75%) had rejected Rutherford's "Jehovah's visible organization" dogma, and thus the Bible Students in general did not take the name "Jehovah's Witnesses", nor did they ever become members of the Rutherford's alleged "Jehovah's visible organization". The author presents this being due to the failure of 1925. The various writings by prominent Bible Students of that time, however, show more concern over many other issues with Rutherford than the date 1925.
See:
Bible Students Did Not Become Jehovah's Witnesses
It is falsely claimed that Russell was "a high level freemason"; since I have refuted this idea elsewhere, I will not go into this again here.
See:
Russell and the Freemasons
Regarding 1914:
The Jehovah's Witnesses' leadership have rejected most of what Barbour and Russell presented concerning 1914, save that of Daniel 7 (posted correction to "4"). Thus, the arguments that the JW leadership present for that date appear much weaker than that of Barbour and Russell.
It is claimed that the chronology stated (?) that end of the Gentiles would be in 1914 and that in that year "Jesus would come to judge the earth and annihilate the wicked." Russell did not believe in the kind of Armageddon that the JWs preach, so to say that he was expecting that the wicked were to be annihilated beginning in 1914 does not actually represent what he taught. Russell believed that the annihilation of the wicked takes place after Jesus' millennial kingdom, not before it. Armageddon, he believed (and as the Bible teaches), is a time of chastisement of the people of the nations, not the time of eternal destruction.
See:
Russell and Armageddon
From 1904 onward, Russell was expecting that 1914 was to see the beginning of the time of trouble, and that sometime after 1914 God's kingdom would bring peace to the earth. Although there were several time parallels produced by various Bible Students giving various dates for the end of the time of trouble, Russell never, before 1914, presented any date beyond 1914 as what one might consider the "official" WTS teaching. Russell refused to accept "authority" that would restrict any of the Bible Students' own liberty to accept or reject what he believed concerning chronology and time prophecies.
See:
The Time of Trouble - Quotes From Russell
Russell had long before 1914 stated his expectation that the setting up of God's kingdom in 1914 WOULD NOT see the end of the Gentile rulership (a reversal of his earlier expectation), thus there was no disappointment concerning such, at least as far as Russell himself was concerned. Russell died in 1914 still with the belief that the Gentile Times had ended in 1914, and the time of trouble (Armageddon) had begun in 1914.
I conclude from some of the things that appeared in the WT (long before 1914) that some of the Bible Students were proposing the date 1918 as the end of the time of trouble; some were indeed proposing the date 1915 as the end of the time of trouble, and some were proposing the date 1920 as the end of time of trouble. Russell presented the arguments by two brothers for those dates back in the year 1905.
Russell himself, however, never officially accepted any date as the end of the time of trouble. After 1914, he did present somebody's parallels which suggested that the harvest would end in 1918, but even with that Russell did not say that such would mean the end of the time of trouble, as he indicated that if even if the harvest did end in 1918, garnering could continue for some time after 1918, which would mean also that the time of trouble could continue for sometime afterward.
Russell himself seemed to have an aversion to looking at the parable of the four servants, because his wife had asserted that he (Russell) was the faithful and wise servant, and many of the Bible Students had taken this as being true. Nevetheless, his final statement concerning finding Russell in the Bible was, "I do not find it there. Some of them say that I am blinded on that subject, that they all can see better than I can. Perhaps they can, I do not know, but I think, dear friends, that there is a danger in that direction, and I would like to put you all on guard."
See:
The Faithful and Wise Servant and Other Servants
