by EndofMysteries 147 Replies latest watchtower scandals
And the symbols used are the same on knights templar things, etc. Why did they copy so many mason symbols vs making up their own.
Has anybody ever found the court papers showing the rothschild funding the WT? I seen it said it was proven but trying to find scanned originals.
And this shows were the traditions of holding hands and singing around the grave began. I seen threads or sites rumor how those things may go on even yet today.
"
"On Monday, a party of about 150 was conducted by Brother Bohnet to the grave of Brother Russell. Upon a hillside, sloping towards the south, we joined hands around the grave and sang: ‘Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.’ "
The problem, EOM, is that the masonic building is not even a part of the cemetary property and was not built until the 1990's. Russell's pyramid is also NOT his grave site. Also, the cemetary was the Rosemont Untited cemetary when Russell died. It had no links to Masons.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many buildings that Russell and other preachers teached in WERE Mason temples. This did not make them all masons. The masons would rent out the space. Russell also taught in Baptist churches occasionally, and that did not make him a Baptist.
Here is a photo of Russells burial site in 1916. No masonic buildings to be seen:
In Russells last will and testimony, he stated where he desired to be buried. Again, no mention of masons: "I desire to be buried in the plot of ground owned by our Society, in the Rosemont United Cemetery, and all the details of arrangements respecting the funeral service I leave in the care of my sister, Mrs. M. M. Land, and her daughters, Alice and May, or such of them as may survive me, with the assistance and advice and cooperation of the brethren as they may request the same. Instead of an ordinary funeral discourse, I request that they arrange to have a number of the brethren, accustomed to public speaking, make a few remarks each, that the service be very simple and inexpensive and that it be conducted in the Bible House Chapel or any other place that may be considered equally appropriate or more so." - Last Will and Testament, 6/29/1907.
If you read the quote often given (myself included) that Russell was a mason, it fails to show what he stated further. Russell said: "Now, I am a free and accepted mason. I trust we all are. But not just after the style of our masonic brethren."
Russell further stated "True Bible believers may or may not belong to the masonic fraternity, but they are all masons of the highest order, since they are being fashioned, chiselled and polished by the Almighty to be used as living stones in the Temple Built Without Hands. They are free from sin, and therefore accepted by the God of Heaven as fit stones for the heavenly Temple." BUT later in his address he stated plainly "I have never been a mason."
And finally, here is what Russell himself said about the masons:
"We note also that the Order of Free Masons, if judged by its past history, has some secret object or scheme, more than fraternity and financial aid in time of sickness or death. And, so far as we can judge, there is a certain amount of worship or mummery connected with the rites of this order and some others, which the members do not comprehend, but which, in many cases, serves to satisfy the cravings of the natural mind for worship, and thus hinders it from seeking the worship of God in spirit and in truth—through Christ, the only appointed Mediator and Grand Master. In proportion as such societies consume valuable time in foolish, senseless rites and ceremonies, and in substituting the worship of their officers, and the use of words and symbols which have no meaning to them, for the worship of God, in his appointed way—through Christ, and according to knowledge and the spirit of a sound mind—in that proportion these societies are grievous evils, regardless of the financial gains or losses connected with membership in them." —June, 1895, Zion's Watch Tower, page 143
They did build the pyramid though. Rutherford also believed in the pyramid, I think he used it to support his 1925 false prophecy, he said a spiritist who communicates w/ demons was also predicting 1925 so maybe the demons also knew, it wasn't until his false prophecy didn't come true that he later in the 30's said the pyramid was satanic.
I forgot if either my family or of the WT denies building that pyramid. Somebody said they were told that the apostates built it and never the WT, so if they ever did say that and it's in print, then that PDF I linked (2nd one was correct) will show that as a flat out lie.
when I said my family i meant them telling me that the WT didn't do it....or if it was really in print.
No, the Watchtower does not deny building the pyramid. And they do not deny using the Great Pyramid of Giza to support their prophecies of 1914. They speak about it in the proclaimers book. They chalk it up to the light getting brighter, and emphasize that Rutherford eventually rejected use of the pyramid.
The Bible Students used to refer to it as God's Stone Bible or God's Stone Witness. However, Rutherford changed it to Satan's bible.
November 15, 1928 Watch Tower reversed its teaching, saying instead that, "If the pyramid is not mentioned in the Bible, then following its teachings is being led by vain philosophy and false science and not following after Christ." (page 341) And, "Satan put his knowledge in dead stone, which may be called Satan's Bible, and not God's stone witness." (page 344)
But if you go on to read further, Russell shows that he is was not a mason in the sense of actually belonging to the organization of Masons.
The Masons are a secret society with many fronts. They have their own version of theocratic warfare. When an organization has no problem with lying to the public at large it completely shrowds itself in mystery and intrigue, just like the Watchtower. Believing Russell had a secret connection to the Mason's isn't an implausible theory. However, since both the Watchtower and the Masons are secret societies there will always be facts hidden in time that will thwart even the most persistent conspiracy theorists.
-Sab
If your family is denying the pyramid teaching, then they are not really educated in WT history. The WT itself admits to it. All you need to do is show them some photos of Russells books showing the pyramid:
Or the sun disk:
The famous New York assembly hall with the sundisk:
Why did they copy so many mason symbols vs making up their own.
Because the symbols commonly shown to belong to Masons are not strictly Masonic symbols. The cross and the crown symbol was used by many churches of that day. Russell's use of the winged solar-disk originated from his understanding of Malachi 4:2, which denotes a sun with wings, as a symbol that Christ's millennial Kingdom had begun to emerge.
Regarding Sabs claim of both being secret organizations, I don't see any reason for the Masons THEMSELVES to hide that Russell was a Mason. It serves no purpose. Especially since they are willing to release the names of other famous Masons.
http://www.irish-freemasons.org/
http://www.valleyofpittsburgh.org/
Page 640,641 of Volume VI of the Studies of Scriptures
"The New Creation "
" This puts in front of us the quite complete problem of orders, societies,
etc., and privileges which possesses New Creation face of these
organizations. Is it suitable that new creatures take part in these
societies?
We answer that if associations of churches are purely religious and trade
union movements of mutual aid are laic, generally ,, there are the others
else who have religious aspects and laic aspects. As we understand, for
example the Freemasons, Odd-Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, etc., carry out
certain rites and certain ceremonies of religious character. Naturally we do
not pursue any hostile campaign against the members of these different
orders, no more than we make it against different sectarian religious
systems. We put on the same foot all the systems which understand ceremonies
and educations with religious character, etc. And we all consider them as
parts of Babylon, whose certain parts are more clean and the others less
clean, but that nevertheless are all full of confusion, error, contrary to
the divine intention such as reveals it the organization of the primitive
Church, and in the instructions that gave to them, by the word and by the
example, the inspired Founder and his twelve apostles.
We advise the New creation to have nothing to do with some of these
societies, clubs, orders, churches with semi-religious character, but " go
out from the middle of them, be separated and not touch what is impure " (2
Corn. 6:17) "
Now answer this: Why would Russell condemn the organization of Masonism if he himself was a mason? It just doesn't add up.
