Suprising statement by C.T.Russell in first Watchtower

dmouse

There's a website that has reprint of lots of old watchtower, and I happened to look at the first one, dated July, 1879.

http://www.mostholyfaith.com/bible/Reprints/

In a supplement to the issue, by C.T.Russell, he offers a suprising (to me) viewpoint which seems to echo the arguments of many 'apostates' here, namely, that to kill billions at Armageddon would be unloving and unscriptual.

We reasoned that, if Christ's coming were to end probation, and bring irrevocable ruin upon ninety-nine in a hundred of mankind; then it could scarcely be considered desirable, neither could we pray with proper spirit, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come quickly!" We had rather request--much as we should "love his appearing"--that he remain away and our sufferings and trials continue so that "if by any means we might save some." Not only so, but great masses of scripture referring to the Millennial glory and teaching that "All nations which thou hast made shall come and worship before thee," &c., &c., would be left unfulfilled if at His coming there should be a wreck of matter and a crush of world.

Am I reading this right?

Zico

Yes! Russell taught that the Great Crowd were a second HEAVENLY class.

He thought, that everyone who didn't go to heaven would be resurrected on Earth. The Bible Students still believe this.

Rutherford changed this belief, saying the Great Crowd had an Earthly hope, and that anyone who was not a JW would die at Armageddon. Probably to keep a stronger hold on them with fear.

yaddayadda

You're talking about something else zico. Yes you are right dmouse, that's what Russell taught and believed and its still believed by most of the bible students. When I learned this some years ago it was an epiphany for me. It confirmed what I had felt in my heart all along, that the JW version of Jehovah and the hope for mankind is twisted + sick. It was something that allowed me to leave the org holding my head up.

sir82

Others who have researched this more than I have can probably answer better, but as I recall...

CTR taught that "Armageddon" would be a battle between God and the "kings and armies" of the earth. The majority of mankind would survive and live on into the paradise earth. This was the teaching until the 1930's when the "Great Crowd" was reinterpreted as an earthly class, and Armageddon would be a battle that would destroy 99.9% of the earth's population.

TD

You've read it correctly dmouse. Russell believed in "Ransom for all" --That everyone would in some way, benefit from it. The Bible Students still teach this.

Zico is correct in pointing out that it was the great crowd teaching that made JW views on salvation exclusivistic

M.J.

Up until 1935, the Bible Students/JWs promoted the idea that only government and religious instistutions would come to an end at Armageddon, and most of mankind would survive and simply undergo a "changing of the guard" from man-rule to heavenly rule. But since the "great multitude" had changed in meaning from a 2nd class of heaven-dwellers to a "new" class of legitimate JW earth-dwellers, these new JW earth dwellers had to have SOME KIND of advantage over general NON-JW mankind! Something HAD to change. General mankind now had to be whacked. And Rutherford did it, with the stroke of a pen.

Non-JWs would all die at Armageddon. They were displaced by the Great Multitude.

dmouse

Thanks!

This was something new to me, I never realised there had been such a massive reversal of belief - one of those 'how the hell did they get here from there' sort of moments!

Mary

While Bro. Russell had some strange ideas, he was definitely more laid back in his thinking than what Rutherbooze was. Maybe it was all that bathtub gin that addled his brain cells, or maybe he was just a mean ol' bastard, but when you look at the list of things Rutherford changed, the religion was barely recognizable after Russell died. It was under Rutherford the Nazi (after illegally seizing control of the religion), that really changed things. He invented the two-tierd Christian classes, 1935, he moved The End from 1878 to 1914, got rid of Xmas, birthdays and any other celebrations that resembled the word "fun", encouraged people to forsake marriage and having children or even going to the doctors, and attempted to sell his soul to Satan (Hitler). And this is the kind of guy Jesus wants ruling in heaven?

heathen

We had rather request--much as we should "love his appearing"--that he remain away and our sufferings and trials continue so that "if by any means we might save some."

This is pitiful .Doesn't he mean stay away while my book publishing corporation defrauds everybody and I get to enjoy all the attention and publicity? Jesus did say braod and spaceous is the path to destruction but cramp and narrow the road to salvation and few are the ones finding it . Mathew 7:13,14 .

becca1

This is news to me too! Can somebody tell me what Russell taught concerning the earth? Does it get destroyed? Who gets to live on earth ? Can you provide scrips to back his belief?

Suprising statement by C.T.Russell in first Watchtower

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