A family member is searching for the original book "The Three Worlds" and sent me the following info:
THREE WORLDS, Or, Plan of Redemption, and, The Harvest of This World.
Published by Nelson H. Barbour and Charles Taze Russell. 1877.
This 197 page softcover is a brand new REPLICA of the expensive and
extremely hard to find original 1877 edition.
While this book was authored by the Second Adventist, Nelson Barbour, it
would have not been published if not for the urging, endorsement, and
financial backing of the assistant editor of Barbour's Adventist
magazine,
Charles Taze Russell. Two years later, Russell stole Barbour's end-time
prophesy interpretations, Barbour's HERALD OF THE MORNING mailing list of
Second Adventists, Barbour's followers John H. Paton, B. W. Keith, and H.
B.
Rice, and started his own competing Zion's Watch Tower magazine.
This book establishes that the WatchTower's teachings that the "last
days"
started in 1798/9, that the "invisible Parousia" started in 1874, and
that
the 2520 years of the "Gentile Times" would end in 1914, (as well as many
other associated dates and prophecy interpretations) were ALL already
being
taught by Barbour and his branch of Second Adventists before Charles Taze
Russell joined their sect.
This book also includes the "no soul" and "no hellfire" teachings, which
were also taught by Second Adventists (except for the "Evangelical
Adventists sect) long before Russell came on the scene.
Russell had been studying and associating with Second Adventists since
1869.
Russell first attended the Allegheny Advent Christian Church which was
pastored intermittently by both Jonas Wendell and George Stetson. After
Stetson moved to Edinboro, PA in 1873, the record goes cold as to who
succeeded him as Pastor and what happened to the Allegheny Advent
Christian
Church. Years later, Russell's sister mentioned that she, her father, and
Charles had all been re-baptized in 1874. (It is believed that Second
Adventist George Storrs was the Adventist that immersed the Russell
family
and other members of the Allegheny Advent Christian Church. As much
boasting as there has been about Russell being the most published authors
of
his time, and the most traveled speaker of his time, there is no record
of
his ever mentioning his 1874 "immersion", much less who did the dunking.
Wonder why?)
In late 1875, Russell traveled on business to Philadelphia (probably to
meet
another of Russell's influencers, Joseph Seiss) and was one day
"surprised"
to find a magazine he professed to have never seen before named "Herald
of
the Morning" (Barbour's magazine) just happening to lie on his desk.
(Nelson
Barbour had been a well known Second Adventist since the late 1860s; the
leading proponent of the "Second Advent in 1873/4" teaching. There was
practically no possibility that Russell was not acquainted with him and
his
magazine prior to this trip to Philadelphia.) At any rate, Russell paid
Barbour to travel to Philadelphia, where they formed their partnership.
This book also teaches that William Miller's "Millerite movement" of the
1830s and 1840s was the start of the fulfillment of end-time prophecies
contained in Christ's parable of the Bridegroom and Ten Virgins. This
book
also claims that the Barbour-Russell "movement" was a continuing
fulfillment
of those same prophecies, thus providing the tie that connects the
WatchTower Society not only to the Second Adventist movement, but also
the
Millerite movement. (Russell continued to publish this interpretation
throughout his lifetime.)
Amazingly, after Russell broke off from Barbour in 1879, Russell
continued
to teach Barbour's prophey interpretations until he died in 1916, while
Barbour continued to refine those teachings over the years as he received
"brighter light".
Even more amazing was the fact that Russell denied ever having been a
Second
Adventist, and even stated that he never received a single truth from his
Second Adventist teachers. This LIE flies in the face of documented
historical record.
