1919 and Jesus' selection of the Watchtower corporation

by biometrics 44 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  reslight2

  biometrics stated:

  15. Promoting the pagan "winged sun disk" - (1918 The Finished Mystery)

  Although "The Finished Mystery" was not written by Charles Taze Russell, it does carry, not a pagan "winged sun disk", but rather Russell's rendition of a "sun of righteouness" illustration. (Malachi 4:2) This signified the prophecies that foretell the rising of a new sun in the new heavens to take the place of the present sun of vanity. -- Ecclesiastes 1:2,13-15; 2:11; 4:7; Malachi 4:2; Romans 8:19-22; Revelation 21:1-5.

  See:

  http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=322

  Nevertheless, from the JW perspective, I am sure that they would not approve of such an illustration, and thus they would have it that God would not approve of the use of such an illustration either.
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  Finkelstein

  Taking in consideration of the fact that the WTS. was always a profiting commercialized publishing house, it really

  doesn't come surprising that the WTS. would self proclaim themselves in this manner to create a semblance of viability

  around their published works and of the organization itself .

  There was an obvious advantage for the WTS. in doing so with little repercussions to any factual evidence of the contrary

  of this proclamation to not being true. This really comes to light when one considers the fact that many millions of pieces of

  literature were sold by the WTS. and all of that money is still being used within the organization years after those publications

  have gone out of print. Additionally to the fact the WTS. discourages their members today from reading those old publications.
• 

  reslight2

  biometrics stated:

  16. Promoting Masonic symbols - (1918 March 1st Watchtower)

  I could not find anything in March 1st Watch Tower that promotes Masonic symbols. Nevertheless, since much of symbolism of the Bible has been adopted by the Knights Templar, in a round-about way one could say that much the Bible's symbolism is also used by the Masons, at least, by the Knights Templar. This is not to say that the Bible is a Masonic book (which some have claimed); it just means that the Knights Templar may be using similar symbolism of the Bible.

  Nevertheless, I am sure that the present-day JW leadership would not approve of some of the illustrations that appeared in the Watch Tower of that time, and thereby would have it that God would not approve of such.
• 

  reslight2

  Finkelstein stated:

  Taking in consideration of the fact that the WTS. was always a profiting commercialized publishing house...

  The WTS of Russell's time was certainly not a profiting commercialized publishing house; it was indeed a publishing house, but it was funded by Russell's wealth, side enterprises (aside from the Watch Tower itself), and voluntarily contributions. The WTS in those days were certainly not getting rich by the sell of books by colporteurs, nor from subscriptions; indeed, as I understand it, books were provided to colporteurs at or below the cost of printing those books. I know when I was colporteuring for the LHMM, I saw the invoices that showed how much it cost to print the books, and the cost per book was more than what I was being charged for the books. Thus, the books were provided to colporteurs by means of subsidizing the difference in cost from voluntary contributions.

  The WTS in Russell's day distributed millions of pieces of literature without charge at all. The WTS as Russell left it, however, was viritually destroyed within a few months after he died.
• 

  reslight2

  biometrics stated:

  23. The Watchtower was in the middle of an internal power struggle from 1916-1928 following Charles Taze Russell's death. - (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose 1959 p69)

  Indeed, the struggle for "power" was mostly from Rutherford; he claimed power and authority of such that Russell had preached against. By 1928, the Bible Students movement as a whole (represented by the vast majority) had rejected Rutherford's grasping for power and his new "organization" gospel. By 1928, over 75% of the Bible Students had rejected Rutherford's new organization.
• 

  Finkelstein

  

  Reslight2, you'll note that there's a Cross & Crown on the top left, which is still used today by Free Masons and a Knights Templar symbol

  on the top right.
• 

  Finkelstein

  I think it would safe to say that Russell was a plagiarizer of many things. religious theologies as well of symbols from other organizations

  including the Free Masons. Anything that he thought would attract attention to his published goods and of himself.

  It is true that the WTS. would give away magazines to those who claimed they were impoverished, particularly in Russell's era,

  but it also has to be realized that most of the publications produced by the WTS. had a profiting number figure placed on each item ($),

  for example the books and bibles which were sold for decades at the many Kingdom Halls.
• 

  Nambo

  If the GB had fullfilled the Prophesy of Daniel 12 v 11 in 1919

  then something much more exciting than an Assembly in 1922 would have occurred to confirm the validity of thier claim to fullfill the prophesy, Dan 12 v 12

  You cannot fullfill half a prophesy.
• 

  reslight2

  biometrics stated:

  17. Falsely prophesying the end of the world in 1918 - (1918 The Finished Mystery page 485)

  I could not find any statement of the end of the world in 1918 on page 485 of The Finished Mystery; possibly what is being referred to is:

  Also,
  in the year 1918, when God destroys the
  churches wholesale and the church members by
  millions, it shall be that any that escape shall
  come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the
  meaning of the downfall of "Christianity."

  http://archive.org/details/TheFinishedMystery

  I suppose one could consider this to be a statement of the "end of the world", although I highly doubt that the author of that statement at that time meant "end of the world" by that statement. I could not find the phrase "end of the world" at all in the book, "The Finished Mystery".
  
  This statement, however, shows a sentiment that later developed into the "join us or you may be eternally destroyed" doctrine that Rutherford gradually developed; this attitude led Rutherford in 1938 to full rejection of Russell's view of Armageddon, as well as the "ransom for all".

  Russell never made any statement that church members would be destroyed by the millions, etc. He did believe that symbolically the tares would be destroyed in the symbolic furnace of fire, but he stated that this does not mean that they would be destroyed as individuals; that, as individuals, they would still receive the blessings of the kingdom.

  At any rate, I agree that the JWs today would certainly not approve that statement, and thus, in effect, would be claiming that God would not have approved of such a statement.
• 

  Finkelstein

  If a person would assume Christ would choose an obviously false commercialized prophet such as the WTS. Corporation, then they

  would most likely assume the Great Pyramid of Giza, in its proportional dimensions would hold God's plan for all mankind.

  Ignorance and stupidity seem to attract one another so many times.

  The WTS. under J Rutherford who made this pertaining announcement in 1919 was a deliberate attempt to publicly validate himself

  in a assertive self supporting way, a marketing ploy to support his own published works.

  Since Russell's and Rutherford's time there have been many religious charlatans who have taken on this very same identity in promoting themselves.