Posts by Doug Mason

20

In depth research reveals....

by Deltawave in

something i have noticed over the years is how much harder it is to research the history of the watchtower society from its own literature.

people have thrown away old publications in place of the watchtower library.

i beleive soon the watchtower library disk will be discontinued in place of the online library.

Doug Mason

nicolau,

All Watch Tower magazines from 1879 to the present are available plus most books, magazines, newspapers and tracts.

Doug

20

In depth research reveals....

by Deltawave in

something i have noticed over the years is how much harder it is to research the history of the watchtower society from its own literature.

people have thrown away old publications in place of the watchtower library.

i beleive soon the watchtower library disk will be discontinued in place of the online library.

I have scans of the 1943 version and the 1968 (revised 1981) version of "The Truth Shall Make you Free". Being somewhat colour-challenged, I am not certain if the covers are blue or mauve, purple, etc., but I suppose these are the scans you are looking for.

These are large files so that I could only send them to you via DropBox. This means you would need to email me your email address. You will find my email address at: http://www.jwstudies.com/contact_me.html

Doug

20

In depth research reveals....

by Deltawave in

something i have noticed over the years is how much harder it is to research the history of the watchtower society from its own literature.

people have thrown away old publications in place of the watchtower library.

i beleive soon the watchtower library disk will be discontinued in place of the online library.

Doug Mason

I am currently working on a Study that provides about 350 Watch Tower quotations, starting at its beginning. You will need to give me another month or so to complete the task, which I shall publicise at the "Bible Research" part of this site.

If you have ideas that you think could help me, please PM me directly as I do not trawl through all of this site.

Doug

2

The 1917 schism

by Doug Mason in

this has more than likely been referred to here before, so i apologise in advance.. i stumbled across this site:.

https://archive.org/details/folkscanomy_religion.

look at the list down the right.. in my case, i was interested in the harvest siftings in which rutherford puts his slant on the 1917 schism:.

Doug Mason

This has more than likely been referred to here before, so I apologise in advance.

I stumbled across this site:

https://archive.org/details/folkscanomy_religion

Look at the list down the right.

In my case, I was interested in the Harvest Siftings in which Rutherford puts his slant on the 1917 schism:

https://ia801402.us.archive.org/0/items/1917WatchtowerBibleStudentSchism/1917_Watchtower_Bible_Student_Schism.pdf

Doug

48

May’s ‘study WT’ admits having taught “far-fetched” ideas

by wheelwithinwheel in

not on the front page, not in the study articles, but carefully camouflaged in the questions from readers on page 18 (watchtower march 15, 2015).

you can bet most jws wont even read it..

there is no apology...just the usual excuses..

Doug Mason

Russell said that Nebuchadnezzar was the Type of the Gentile nations and that his mad state typified their wild state, which would come to an end after 2520 years, in 1914. This meant that at that time peace would come to the earth, and Jerusalem would be released from Gentile domination, Hence he promoted the return of the Jews to Palestine.

Doug

7

An earlier date when the "great multitude/crowd" was first named: "Jehovah's witnesses"

by Doug Mason in

unlike the fonz, i can and do get things wrong..

the 1946 book let god be true ascribed the name jehovahs witnesses to the great multitude:.

page 232 of the 1952 edition.

Doug Mason

A quick search shows me that Rutherford started to link "witnesses" and "God's name" with the January 1, 1925 Watchtower.

Doug

7

An earlier date when the "great multitude/crowd" was first named: "Jehovah's witnesses"

by Doug Mason in

unlike the fonz, i can and do get things wrong..

the 1946 book let god be true ascribed the name jehovahs witnesses to the great multitude:.

page 232 of the 1952 edition.

Doug Mason

I notice that the return of the Jews to Palestine consistently figured as a feature up until 1930. (See: Light (Book 1), page 140, published 1930).

I also notice that in 1931, when Rutherford introduced his "Jehovah's witness" name to the "little flock", that at the very same time, he said that the Jews return to Palestine had nothing to do with God’s Word. (See: Vindication, Book One, page 206, published 1931)

The following year, he said that all Biblical references to Israel and the Jews actually applied to “God’s anointed remnant” (See: Vindication, Book Two, page 113, 1932)

Doug

9

The change in the Memorial

by Doug Mason in

up until 1954, the watch tower society said that the symbolism of the memorial loaf included the little flock and that the wine represented their sharing in jesus death.

(one example: the loaf pictures not jesus fleshly body but his body members, the christian congregation.

the watchtower, march 15, 1954, page 174).

Doug Mason

Up until 1954, the Watch Tower Society said that the symbolism of the Memorial Loaf included the “little flock” and that the wine represented their sharing in Jesus’ death. (One example: “The loaf pictures not Jesus’ fleshly body but his body members, the Christian congregation.” The Watchtower, March 15, 1954, page 174)

I am not aware of a relevant statement in any 1955 Watchtower.

In the following year, The Watchtower announced a complete reversal: “The one unleavened loaf does not symbolize this ‘one body’ under Jesus. That loaf symbolizes the human body that Jesus sacrificed.” (The Watchtower, January 15, 1956, page 56). That particular article makes a several similar statements.

For some reason, the Watch Tower Society recently felt it necessary to acknowledge they had made this change: “At one time, God’s servants felt that … the bread meant “the body of the Christ,” the congregation of anointed ones. In time, however, it was appreciated that both reason and Scripture indicate that the bread represents Jesus’ human body. … Thus, at the Lord’s Evening Meal, the bread represents that physical body in which Jesus ‘bore our sins’.” (The Watchtower, December 15, 2013, page 25)

Doug

14

The Evidence / Proof That Jehovah Witnesses / I.B.S.A. Have NEVER Been Gods Spirit Directed Organisation .

by smiddy in

this is a topic i think every ex jw should have oppurtunity to contribute toward .. it has been 144 years since c.t.russell first published "zions watchtower and herald of christs presence" in 1879 .. red flag 1 " zions watchtower " ?

obviously c.t.russell had sympathy with the zionist movement of the day.. "christs presence" in 1879 ?

that is right and armageddon was to occur in 1914.. when that did not occur 1916-18 was promoted.

Doug Mason

What Russell wrote in The Watch Tower magazine of November 1914 shows his focus:

Gradually the Jewish people have been emerging from their down-trodden condition—persecuted for eighteen centuries. The time is here when the message has been and is still being delivered to them, as recorded in Isaiah 40:1, 2: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.–Isaiah 40:1, 2. This prophecy was fulfilled, as pointed out in the STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, in the year 1878; and ever since that time, the star of Judaism has been rising; the Jews have become more prosperous ever since, as they themselves realize. Nowhere have they been so prosperous as in these United States, where they have received their greatest blessing; while in Russia and Germany they have been persecuted to some extent, but not in the same degree as formerly.

JERUSALEM NO LONGER DOWNTRODDEN

The treading down of the Jews has stopped. All over the world the Jews are now free—even in Russia. On September 5, the Czar of Russia issued a proclamation to all the Jews of the Russian Empire; and this was before the times of the Gentiles had expired. It stated that the Jews might have access to the highest rank in the Russian army, and that the Jewish religion was to have the same freedom as any other religion in Russia. Where are the Jews being trodden down now? Where are they being subjected to scorn? At present they are receiving no persecution whatever. We believe that the treading down of Jerusalem has ceased, because the time for the Gentiles to tread down Israel has ended. (The Watch Tower and herald of Christ’s Presence, November 1, 1914, reprints page 5567)

14

The Evidence / Proof That Jehovah Witnesses / I.B.S.A. Have NEVER Been Gods Spirit Directed Organisation .

by smiddy in

this is a topic i think every ex jw should have oppurtunity to contribute toward .. it has been 144 years since c.t.russell first published "zions watchtower and herald of christs presence" in 1879 .. red flag 1 " zions watchtower " ?

obviously c.t.russell had sympathy with the zionist movement of the day.. "christs presence" in 1879 ?

that is right and armageddon was to occur in 1914.. when that did not occur 1916-18 was promoted.

Doug Mason

Russell was a Zionist before Herzl came on the scene. If you want detailed information, I suggest: "Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An early American Christian Zionist" by David Horowitz.

Russell's position was that Leviticus 26 showed that Jerusalem and the Jews would be downtrodden for 7 "times" ending in 1914, at which time God would return Jerusalem and Jews to favor. In parallel, the madness of Nebuchadnezzar at Daniel 4 showed the "mad" state of the Gentiles, which would also end in 1914. These were two parallel periods.

Russell also said that the Church (his people) would be "changed" to the High Calling before the Jews became the dominant power on earth. He thus saw two parallel salvations: one for his followers, the other for the Jews.

Rutherford said that the return of Jews to Palestine was a sign of the 1874 Presence. He ditched the idea in 1931, at the same time that he said the Anointed were to be known as "Jehovah's witnesses". It took another 15 years before the name "Jehovah's witnesses" was extended to the "great multitude".

Doug