I recently received copies of the Herald of the Morning magazine that was edited by N.H. Barbour. C.T. Russell is named as one of the assistant editors. The issues I have are from July 1878 until June 1879. The last issue (June 1879) does not have Russell's name on it and we all know the next month he started Zion's Watch Tower (July 1879).
Does anyone know the publishing history of the Herald of the Morning? I remember reading it was defunct for awhile before C.T. Russell signed on. I'm assuming that was in 1876. I've been told that the book The Three Worlds was serialized in the Herald. Is that true? Which issues contained the serialization? Did the Herald publish continually in 1878 or was there a gap in publication when the rapture did not occur in the Spring? I'd be intersted in any info that details the publishing history of the Herald. Thanks!
Herald of the Morning magazine
by cabasilas 13 Replies latest watchtower bible
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cabasilas
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Kenneson
You might find helpful info in "Jehovah's Witnesses--Proclaimers of God's Kingdom," pages 46-48, 131, 575, 619-620, 714
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Doug Mason
In my papers, I have a 1978 letter from a library that might (only "might") be a help to you -- if that library still exists.
The letter comes from "The Institute for the Study of American Religion" (ISAR) of Evanston, Illinois 60201. It is signed by "J. Gordon Melton" as the Director.
In that letter he told me they had (at that time) a small collection of 20,000 volumes which included some Bible Student material. He wrote: "I spent much time during one year when our budget was quite limited on assembling Bible Student materials. ... We are currently working on an exhaustive bibliography of Bible Student literature, in concert with a number of private JW collectors."
Writing of his Australian items, he wrote: "We have only small samples, primarily of the Hennings' books".
Items were not available for loan but they could (at that time) provide photocopies.
They might still exist, they might have material you are looking for. They might not.
Doug -
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cabasilas
Thanks for the feedback. I'll check out these resources. I've found quite a few earlier issues of Herald of the Morning online at:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/history/11%20Herald%20of%20the%20Mornings%20Part1.htm
These seem to cover March 1874 to March 1876. The last one hints the magazine will stop publishing for awhile.
I seem to remember that there was an interruption of issues of the Herald until C.T. Russell infused cash into the movement. Does anyone know what the rest of the publication schedule of the Herald was for the rest of 1876 through 1878? As I mentioned before, I've heard that they serialized the material from the book The Three Worlds in some issues. That book was published in 1877 so that might account for many of the issues. I know they didn't miss any issues from July 1878 onwards. I would think they would have been going full steam when the 1878 rapture prediction failed in the Spring.
Anyone out there seen issues between April 1876 and June 1878?
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AlanF
: Anyone out there seen issues between April 1876 and June 1878?
Those issues were never published. Rather, they were published as the Three Worlds booklet in 1877. The Midnight Cry stopped publication about October 1874. I'm not aware of any extant copies from 1873 or 1874, except one from April 1874 (going from memory here). Barbour started up a revised publication of The Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning with the June 1875 issue, and stopped with the March 1876 issue. Copies of these exist, but are almost impossible to come by.
AlanF
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stev
See link below. Peters in his book "The Theocratic Kingdom" quotes from Herald of the Morning, Aug. 1, 1877. There are many references to Barbour and Russell in this book. Conley helped to support the book financially, and is mentioned at the beginning of the third volume. Perhaps Conley was the point of contact between Barbour/Russell and Peters.
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cabasilas
Thanks, Stev, for the reference. Not only does Peters refer to the August 1, 1877 issue but he also refers to a June 15, 1878 issue (though I thought the Herald was only published monthly). I believe Russell said that he poured money into the operation so the Herald could start publishing again and with the events they were expecting by 1878 it would seem they'd have concentrated on keeping the Herald going.
Does anyone know if the Herald of the Morning was ever microfilmed? Has anyone ever visited the Jenks collection at Aurora University in Illinois? Does it have items related to Barbour? I've sent them an email but haven't heard back yet. -
stev
The Herald of the Morning was available on microfilm. I think it was done by University Microfilms or the Theological Association that Melton was/is connected with. Years ago I did see it on microfilm but cannot recall where it was. If my memory is correct, C. T. Russell had an article around 1878 reporting on his attendance at the Prophetic Conference of 1878, as I remember, in New York; this was a non-denominational conference attended by premillenialists. He had a favorable and positive attitude toward the conference. As I remember, Barbour did not go, and was opposed. This was before Russell believed that God had cast off the "nominal church". Russell appears to have been more open and receptive to new ideas during the 1870s than later in his life.
The articles on the atonement that Barbour and Russell and Paton wrote are there in the Herald around 1878. Russell had a notice in the Herald inquiring if there was an interest in another paper, but there was not. This was around 1878/9. I read the Herald up until the turn of the century. I recall reading around the late 1890s that Barbour in referring to Russell, said that his followers believed Russell to be the wise steward of Luke ( "that wise and faithful servant" ?). Barbour also referred to Russell's money interests in iron ore, perhaps around 1880.
The Herald is not an exciting read. Barbour was a narrow sectarian, overconfident in his opinions about the endtimes, condemned any who disagreed with him. Barbour probably inherited this attitude from the Millerite Movement, and Russell to some extent took it over as well. Russell was popular enough that he was able eventually by the 1900s to address his message to the general public in the newspapers, lectures, tracts, and the Watchtower. This had the effect of broadening and tempering his writings, they became more mainstream as the Bible Students tried to become more respectable, and the writing style is quite polished, in the Victorian style. Russell shows signs that he might have been ready to abandon much of his chronology as 1914 approached. But the World War started, as Russell regained confidence in his dates, increased the emphasis on Armageddon, and the narrow sectarianism triumphed.
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Old Goat
I emailed the person who wrote the Barbour article. He says that The Herald of the Morning started as The Midnight Cry in December 1873. It became Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning and was published thus until the October 1874 issue, when publication was suspended. It was reactivated as The Herald of the Morning in June 1875 and published until the March issue 1876. There was no February 1876 issue. It was reactivated as a quarterly in 1877 to publish Three Worlds in parts. It continued until the mid-1880s. It was thereafter published with some long breaks until 1903. Apparently Barbour reactivated it in 1896, predicting end-times events about 1907. He says Peters was in error listing a June 15 th issue. There is a June issue. It was a monthly.
He says that as far as he knows, with the exception of one issue of The Midnight Cry, all issues are privately owned.