Posts by reslight2

If there is such a thing as "the illuminati Russell bloodline", the implication of such as it is used by Fritz Springmeier, David Icke, and many others, would be that anyone of such a bloodline cannot possibly be saved through the blood of Jesus. Such a teaching would, in effect, deny the basis of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, and yet Russell, probably more so than anyone else of his day, spent a great deal of time defending the atonement through the blood of Jesus. One cannot believe that such an "Illuminati bloodline" exists and believe in the redemption of Jesus as given in the Bible without self-contradiction. Anyone who believes that Russell was of some kind of "illuminati bloodline" would have to be almost totally ignorant of what Russell actually believed, or else believe that Russell spent almost his entire life sabotaging what he is often attributed as secretly supporting.

http://ctr.reslight.net/?s=illuminati

24

Beware of Jehovah's Witness

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

have you ever been at home, heard the knock on the door, and found a pair of nice looking people wanting to give you a free magazine?

where the magazine is titled awake!

or watchtower?

reslight2

StopTheTears stated:

The Jehovah’s Witnesses got their start in 1884, when Charles Russell formed Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, though their true roots sprang up fourteen years earlier from a Bible Study Russell organized in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.

Charles Taze Russell himself was a non-sectarian, and did not believe in starting a new religion, nor did he believe in an authoritarian/sectarian organization such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah's Witnesses religion and organization actually was formed after Russell died at the hands of Joseph Rutherford.

http://ctr.reslight.net/?cat=484

20

Defenders of Pastor Russell speak out on FREE MINDS' debunk

by Terry in

jw
friends

http://ctrussell.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/examining-freeminds-discover-the-legacy/#comment-1584.

an article i wrote on charles taze russell, j.f.rutherford and fred franz for freeminds asserted that they were not professionals in their field.

because they took the illegitimate course of self-proficiency.

reslight2

I will be forever thankful to God and Jesus that Russell did indeed study the scriptures, and for his works as a result, which have answered from the Bible some of the major questions of my life. Praise Yah!

I am working on a response to Terry's comments, but it may be several days before I post that response.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus! -- Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.

30

Do the R&F really know where the WT came from?

by tornapart in

this is eye opening!

no wonder they want to keep the history of the wts a secret!!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjcijm2cquk&feature.

reslight2

The evidence is overwhelming that the Great Pyramid was designed by God; Russell's and the Bible Students' study of this from the Biblical standpoint has nothing to do with occultism, spiritism, demonism, etc.

http://gp.reslight.net

http://ctr.reslight.net/?cat=14

30

Do the R&F really know where the WT came from?

by tornapart in

this is eye opening!

no wonder they want to keep the history of the wts a secret!!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjcijm2cquk&feature.

reslight2

The Watch Tower Society as Russell originally designed it was not meant to be used as a headquarters for an authoritarian religious organization such as the Jehovah's Witnesses.

30

Do the R&F really know where the WT came from?

by tornapart in

this is eye opening!

no wonder they want to keep the history of the wts a secret!!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjcijm2cquk&feature.

reslight2

The Watch Tower Society as created by Russell and his associates had nothing at all to do with the Masons, the occult, or "Enochian Magic".This has all been conjured up in the imagination of men who seek to find what they wish to find.

http://ctr.reslight.net

7

What would you say in reply?

by outsmartthesystem in

i am in a discussion about jeremiah the 25th chapter.

(and jehovah "calling to account against the king of babylon and against that nation") my argument is very basic.

how did god call to account against the king of babylon (thus supposedly ending the 70 years of desolation) in 537bc.....2 years after babylon fell?.

reslight2

paulnotsaul stated:

In this book I'm reading it says that Russell at the age of eighteen got interested in just when Christ was to come.

At the age of 18, Russell became interested in the return of Christ, but he held little interest in "when", as far as setting any specific date. According ot this own words, he did not become interested in any date pertaining to Christ's return until about 1876.

paulnotsaul stated:

To solve this problem, he began to study the bible.

Russell did not begin to study to the Bible to solve the problem of "when" Christ was to return, but he became interested in the purpose of Christ's return. This is what led him to study the Bible.

Russell's own words:

I have been a Bible student since I first had my attention called to the second coming of our Lord, by Jonas Wendel, a Second Advent Preacher, about 1869, who was then preaching the burning of the world as being due in 1873. But though he first awakened my interest on the subject, I was not a convert, either to the time he suggested nor to the events he predicted. I, in company with others in Pittsburgh, organized and maintained a bible class for the searching of the Scriptures, meeting every Sunday.
We reasoned that, if Christ’s coming were to end probation, and bring irrevocable ruin upon ninety-nine in a hundred of mankind; then it could scarcely be considered desirable, neither could we pray with proper spirit, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come quickly!” ( Revelation 22:20 ) We had rather request — much as we should “love his appearing” — that he remain away and our sufferings and trials continue so that “if by any means we might save some.” ( 2 Timothy 4:8 ; 1 Corinthians 9:22 ) Not only so, but great masses of scripture referring to the Millennial glory and teaching that “All nations which thou hast made shall come and worship before thee,” &c., &c., would be left unfulfilled if at His coming there should be a wreck of matter and a crush of world. — Psalm 22:27 ; 67:2 ; 72:11 ; 86:9 ; Isaiah 2:2 ; 25:7 .
We first saw Millennial glory — then the glorious work which is offered us as His Bride; that we are by faith the “seed of Abraham;” and as such, heirs of the promises, &c., in whom “all the families of the earth shall be blest.” (Galatians 3) This most certainly points to a probation in the future after He has come. Thus, speedily, steadily and surely God led us to recognize the second coming of our Lord as being not the sunset of all hope to mankind, but the “rising of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings.” — Malachi 4:2
http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=346

Note that initially Russell did NOT accept the time elements of Christ's return; he was interested in the purpose of Christ's return. It was not until around 1876 that Russell became interested in the time of Christ's return.

paulnotsaul stated:

He very soon published his findings in a pamphlet entitled The Object and Manner of the Lord's Return. For centuries, great minds of the church have wrestled with the problem of the Second Coming, but Russell felt that he had solved it in almost no time at all. Russells pamphlet consists of a lengthy, complicated, and incorrect interpretation of unrelated Scriptures combined with an intricate method of computing time. The end result of his labors was the statement that Jesus Christ would return in 1874.

Actually, the book, The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return, never mentions 1874; that book was about the "obejct" -- purpose -- and the manner of Christ's return. This book was published in 1877, and thus even if it had mentioned 1874 -- which is does not -- it would not have been a statement that Christ was to return in 1874, since 1874 had already passed. Nor was this book the result of some hasty preparation, for it was he result of about eight years of study. At the time of the publication of this work, Russell was not longer 18 years old, but was about 26 years old.

Russell stated:

The Lord gave us many helps in the study of His word, among whom stood prominently, our dearly beloved and aged brother, George Storrs, who, both by word and pen, gave us much assistance; but we ever sought not to be followers of men, however good or wise, but “Followers of God, as dear children.” ( Ephesians 5:1 ) Thus growing in grace and knowledge for seven years, the year 1876 found us. — 2 Peter 3:18 .
http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=346

The book, The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return, may be found online at:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/russell/object.pdf

paulnotsaul stated:

Later,Russell changed the date to 1914

In 1876, Russell spent much time with N. H. Barbour, from whom Russell accepted the date 1874 as when Christ had already returned. He never changed the date of Christ's return in 1874 to 1914; Russell died in 1916 still with the belief that Christ had returned in 1874. The year 1874 came about a result of decades of study by many different people; not that all of these people arrived to the year 1874, but their work contributed to realization that the time prophecies point to that year.

paulnotsaul stated:

This return was not to be a physical one, but a spiritual one. In other words, when Christ would return, He would not be seen. This of course contradicts Revelation 1: 7.

Revelation 1:7 is obviously symbolic, being part of book that is using symbolism throughout. Obviously, however, the person who wrote this never actually read the book, "The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return", and evidently does not realize that if Christ returns in the flesh that he sacrificed for sin, then there has actually been no real sacrifice of Jesus for sin.
Jesus Died in the Flesh, Raised in the Spirit

Jesus Died a Human Being – Raised a Spirit Being

65

Attention Governing Body: October 2, 2014 is only 940 days away...

by Alfred in

in 1823, john aquila brown (a man who is not mentioned in any wt publication) came up with a bizarre mathematical calculation which totalled 2,520 years (in an unauthorized attempt to predict the end of the gentile times).... several religions recycled this bizarre calculation, including the adventists and the bible students... when armageddon didn't come on the variety of early 20th century dates predicted by several "dooms-day" religions of that time (including charles taze russell's bible students who predicted that the big a would start in 1914), they all finally realized that this 2,520-year calculation was nothing more than arbitrary mathematical speculation derived from erratic biblical extrapolation.... except for the bible students who continued to move up the date for armageddon 2 more times (1918, 1925) and then decided to use wwi as the starting point for the "last days".. all the while, one thing that seems to remain intact is the october 2, 1914 date.

oddly, for the watchtower bible & tract publishing cult, this particular date still marks the end of the 2,520-year period (that john aquila brown referred to in his bizarre 1823 book "the even tide")... again, no mention of this in any watchtower publication.

but, for jws, that date still remains the starting point for the period of time often referred to as the "last days" or even "the generation that shall not pass".. because of this, the governing body has been forced to change the definition of "the generation that shall not pass" countless times since the early 1970's.

reslight2

Alfred stated:

Charles Taze Russell's Bible Students who predicted that the Big A would start in 1914

I am not sure what is meant by the "the Big A". Russell was expecting the "time of trouble" to begin in 1914. Russell died in 1916 still with the belief tha the time of trouble had begun in 1914.

Alfred stated:

except for the Bible Students who continued to move up the date for Armageddon 2 more times (1918, 1925)

I cannot be certain, but it appears that most of the Bible Students continued to hold that the time of trouble (Armageddon) had begun in 1914. I know that this is what I believe, and I know of many other Bible Students who also believe this. By 1928, the majority of the Bible Students had rejected Rutherford's new organization. Rutherford wanted to use the prophecies to bolster support for his new organization, and thus he rejected much that Russell had taught concerning 1799, 1874, 1914, etc.

http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/bsllinks/Doctrine.htm

87

WTS successfully counters claims it is a "false prophet"

by trthskr in

greetings.. http://www.jehovah.to/xlation/fp.html.

"do not interpretations belong to god?".

but as the saying goes; you can never satisfy a critic.. .

reslight2

Terry stated:

What is honest about speculation if it is not labeled SPECULATION or OPINION upfront? When Russell brackets his speculations with "god's dates, not ours" it sounds less like Opinion and more like "channeling" as the "mouthpiece" of god. Or am I missing something?

Russell's words are often quoted out of context and placed in the context of the claims of the JW organization. What Russell actually stated, was:

"They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours." Russell, using an editoral "we" -- stated his "belief" -- his "opinion" -- that they are God's dates, and he was firm in stating his belief; he was not being dogmatic. He was not saying that everyone had to accept what he believed, nor was he claiming that he knew for a fact that what he believed was beyond error. Indeed, in the context of those words, he stated, "But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. We see no reason for changing from our opinion expressed in the View presented in the WATCH TOWER of Jan. 15, '92." (Watch Tower, July 15, 1894) Note that he did indeed use the words "opinion" and "view".

I will not, however, that his statement here regarding 1914 being the date for the end of the time of trouble is stated evidently because there were some of the Bible Students who were saying that they believed that the time of trouble was to begin -- not end -- in 1914. Russell had accepted Barbour's view that the time of trouble was to end in 1914, and for many years he did not seem to understand why some of the Bible Students were thinking otherwise. However, evidently after much discussion, in 1904 (ten years before 1914) Russell changed his "view" from that he had held to earlier, and which he expressed in 1894 in the article referenced, and came to accept that 1914 was to see the beginning -- not the end -- of the time of trouble. Thus, from 1904 up to 1914, Russell held to the view that the time of trouble was to begin in 1914, and he believed until he died in 1916 that the time of trouble did begin in 1914. However, to get the proper perspective of all of this, one has to take Russell out of the context of the organization concept of the JWs, or out of the context that many present him as being a prophet, and realize that he was did not regarding himself as the dictator of any such organization, and certainly not as a prophet.

There were several different viewpoints amongst the Bible Students when Russell was living, and Russell never considered himself as one to demand his view on all the Bible Students. Indeed, he many times presented differing viewpoints in the pages of the Watch Tower.

Nevertheless, I can also firmly say that I believe that they are God's dates; I do not mean that to be dogmatic. I admit that what I believe in this regard may be wrong, even though I firmly believe it to be correct; I can only say that God will reveal to all whatever is in error in His own due time.

Yes, Russell believed himself to a mouthpiece for God, but he also believed that all true Christians, regardless of denominational ties, are God's mouthpieces.

http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=530