RF,
A very interesting essay you wrote!
I have read the finished mystery myself and found it stunning that all the negative symbols are now explained as symbolising them in some period. A good example are the locusts, a symbol of blindly following leaders depicted the Methodists. Now it depicts them!
about Satanic thoughts...
C. J. Woodworth, who wrote the Revelation part of The Finished Mystery, wrote something very interesting on page 126 and 127:
Have you enjoyed this work so far? Are you convinced it is of the Lord-- prepared under His guidance? Have you carefully and prayerfully read the comments on Rev. 7:1? Then brace yourself for the truth that it is evidently God's purpose soon to allow the minds of many of His little ones to become an open battle ground, upon which the fallen angels shall be judged, and the manner in which we meet the tests will prove our worthiness of crowns at the same time that it proves these disobedient spirits unworthy of life on any plane. This is something with which some but not many are yet familiar.... without actual experience it is quite impossible to conceive of the intensity of such struggles.... The base of the brain is seized as in a vise. Interpretations of Scripture, ingenious, but misleading beyond description, are projected into the mind as water might be projected through a hose. Visions may be tried, wonderful illuminations of the mind as by a soft but glorious greenish or yellowish haze. Seductive suggestions may be made, based on circumstances of the environment. Offers of inspiration may be made. The privilege of sleep may be taken away for days at a stretch. All this with the object of forcing the unfortunate into at least a temporary insanity.... the mind may be flooded with thoughts that are vile beyond description. THEN REMEMBER THE VOW.
He refers back to some quotations of Russell on Rev 7:1 from 1911 and 1914 Watch Towers. In them Russell said the fallen angels that have been chained or restrained in darkness since the flood will be let loose soon and be judged by the church and by their actions. Russell said they will first attack his followers and try to invade their minds. For example on page 124 of The finished Mystery we read:
There is only one way, so far as we can see, in which these fallen angels can have a trial, their trial consisting in having a fuller opportunity to sin, if they so desire, or an opportunity to show, if they wish, that they are sick of sin and desire to return to harmony with God.... we reach the conclusion that the trial of these fallen angels is in the near future; perhaps to some already begun.C. J. Woodworth claimed such an atack and fulfilled this "prophecy" by Russell. In his comments quoted above he appears to be speaking of personal experience. His description of demon possession is quite disturbing: The base of the brain is seized as in a vise. Interpretations of Scripture,... are projected into the mind as water might be projected through a hose. Visions may be tried,... as by a soft greenish or yellowish haze... He did even say that without personal experience it is impossible to grasp the intensity of the struggle one could have against demon possession.
He had such battles with demons, or at least thought he did. This is also documented by his own testimony of it at the 1913 Convention of the Bible Students in Asheville, North Carolina. His confession came during his talk on the Vow. From the Thirteenth Souvenir Convention Report, page. 274 and 275:
I WISH to speak to you of something that I certainly never intended mentioning at this convention. I presume you have all taken the vow, but perhaps some of you have not.
He said he didn't accept the Vow at first and thought it was something Russell "brought up himself" and that he wouldn't accept it unless he found it in Scripture. He then says:
Then began my troubles. I began to pray and to fight it in my own way with the Scriptures. After a few months the Scriptures apparently began to open up... demonstrating its unscripturalness. I thought that... Brother Russell was wrong...After corresponding with Russell on the issue he said his nonacceptance of the vow led him to eventual demon possession and even automatic writing:There was a time for five consecutive nights when I never slept a wink; then came a time when the strain was too much; my mind became unbalanced, and I came directly under the influence of evil spirits, so much so that for three days I was as completely under demonical control as was Mrs. Eddy when she wrote "Science and Health."Previous to this time I had prepared a 36-page book against the Vow, printed in double column, in which all scriptures which seemed to be directly or indirectly against the Vow were arranged. I know now that all these Scriptures were suggested to my mind by the evil spirits. One of the suggestions was... (and this I believe was a truth, for these "lying spirits" do sometimes tell the truth) that in the fifteenth chapter of Numbers where it mentions the "Ribband of blue," it had reference, anti-typacally, to the Vow. But then these lying spirits turned the truth into a lie by claiming that the Vow had been suggested to Brother Russell by the evil spirits. See how clever they were!
He goes on to say that after Russell pointed out a "mistake" in his book he took all his copies and burned them. He then said:
Until this time I had never settled in my own mind that Brother Russell was "That Servant.".... I never settled the matter until I yielded and took the Vow which he advised all the Lord's saints to take.... I firmly believe that this "ribband in blue" is the Vow and inspired of God...
So there is something really weird with this book! It is not strange the society wishes to remove this book from public knowledge...
By the way, Rutherford made Woodworth editor of The Golden Age from its inaugural edition in 1919 up until 1946.
Greven