Did C.T. Russell believe Jesus was God?

by leaving_quietly 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  leaving_quietly

  The Finished Mystery is available for free on Google Books.

  http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Finished_Mystery.html?id=dDQSOQV2RBIC

  I was reading the Preface last night and shook my head over the ridiculousness of this. How this ever became a religion is beyond me. However, one thing popped out. On pages 3 and 4 of the Preface, it quotes whas Russell said in The Watch Tower, July 1, 1898 p. 203. The part that stuck out was this (highlighting mine):

  "(3) The fire from heaven--an epoch of Divine judgements and chastisements upon a maddened but unconverted world, wild in anarchy, as other Scriptures show us. The results of their wars, revolutions and anarchy, in the failure of their schemes, will have a humbling effect, and will prepare mankind for God's revelation of Himself in

  "(4) The still small voice. Yes; He who spoke to the winds and the waves of the Sea of Galilee will, in due time, 'speak peace to the peoples.' He will speak with authority, commanding the observance of His long neglected Law of Love. 'And whosoever will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off from among His People.' (Acts 3:32.)"

  So, God's revelation of Himself = He who spoke to the winds and the waves of the Sea of Galilee... sure sounds to me like Russell believed Jesus was God.
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  villagegirl

  Russell probably did believe in some version of Christ and God

  being one or as Jesus being the divine extension of Jehovah in physical form.

  Remember Russell derived all his doctrines from the Millerite movement

  and the Adventist movement peculiar to the US, in the late nineteenth century.

  He was primarily and Egyptologist and a fanatic about chronology and

  calculations and numbers and borrowed the "Plan of the Ages" from popular

  street prophets and reactive groups who were formed in protest to conventional

  churches at the time. It was a time of questioning everything and Russell saw

  opportunity for his own personal promotion and he was a boring but prolific writer.

  He was an egomaniac with visions of personal glory , like most founders of

  those many American based religions and cult leaders. It was time of fear mongering

  of upheaval, social, political and religious. The history of this time period shows all

  the influences he copied.
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  Pterist

  Well said Village Girl !
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  designs

  I think there are other sections in the 7 Volumns where Russell describes Jesus as being God of the New Covenent or God of this Dispensation Age.