1917-Present

Recent Bible Student History

Rolando Rodriguez

History teaches that after the death of a charismatic leader, chaos reigns. The events that took place after the death of Pastor Russell are no ­exception. After forty years of pastoral work, of editing, writing, and publishing The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, Studies in the Scriptures, countless booklets, tracts and special interest papers, plus organizing Bible study classes throughout the United States and abroad, it all came to an end—or so it seemed.

On October 31, 1916, on a train eastward bound through Texas, “Pastor Russell” passed away. The news of his death spread rapidly, and for a time those who knew and loved him for his work’s sake could think and speak of little else as they met one another, except that “Brother Russell is dead.”

What would the tens of thousands of Bible Students do? Would they stay faithful to the man or to the organization he left behind? Would their allegiance be to God and Truth? For some, separating the three was impossible, and rightly so. Pastor Russell was the organization and for others he spoke for God. Still others clamored, “Not the messenger but the message.”

But now he was dead! That he died while still active in the missionary field did not alter the fact that he no longer could be the pacesetter for the brethren who loved the truth they received through him and who would lay down their lives to give it to others. He was gone, and the brethren were stunned. What now?

Siftings, Schisms, and Separation

After the death of Pastor Russell, the Bible Student movement was in chaos. 1914 failed to bring about the glorification of the saints; many of the brethren were still somewhat at a loss. Some had even fallen away from the association in disappointment. But if this were not enough, a bitter power struggle occurred at Watch Tower headquarters over control of the Society.

In 1917 Joseph Franklin Rutherford succeeded Charles Taze Russell as Watch Tower president. He tried and succeeded in gaining complete control over the Society’s activities. The illegal introduction of new by-laws gave the President full control over the affairs of the Society. However, this was not Pastor Russell’s wish. In his last will and testament he had provided for a seven-man board of directors to succeed him. Four members of the Society’s Board of Directors, a majority of the Board, took strong exception to what they regarded as Rutherford’s high-handed behavior and opposed him. Eventually tension between Rutherford and the directors grew and on July 17, 1917, Ruther­ford simply announced to the Bethel family in Brooklyn, New York, during meal time that he had replaced the four directors with his own appointees, using the legal jargon that the directors who had opposed him did not hold their positions legally under Pennsylvania law.

As early as 1917 Bible Students  classes and individuals were withdrawing their support from the Society. The four directors formed an institute to continue the work of Pastor Russell independent of the Society. Others would form corporations of their own. Some Bible Students followed the lead of their favorite elder or teacher. Still others, leery of organization and societies, stayed independent of all others.

As the years went by, more and more of the brethren seeing a change of direction and attitude within the Society soon departed and thus the exodus started. By 1930 the majority of the brethren who worked closely with Pastor Russell had left the Society—many had been forced out. By this time, all of Pastor Russell’s writings were discarded in favor of the writings of Ruther­ford, writings that contradicted each other. By 1929 over a hundred changes in doctrines had been made; the Society no longer resembled that which was established by Pastor Russell and his early associates. The Society had a new look and a new attitude. No longer was it simply a publishing house for the dissemination of Bible literature. Now it was “God’s Theocratic Organization.” To disagree with it was tantamount to treason against God himself.

A New Name

In 1931 Rutherford decided to make a distinction between the independent Bible Students and those loyal to him. He changed their name to “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The Society had become what they themselves ­abhorred in Christendom—a little Babylon. Those Bible Students remaining within the Society heard the admonition, “Get out of her my people!” and fled.

Even today the Watchtower organization describes members of the Bible Student community of that day as “wearing unclean garments,” being “contaminated by apostasy,” being “guilty of wrong practices,” and having “displayed characteristics that were weed-like,” “manifested fear of man,” and having “sold themselves because of wrong practices.” Today, although many of the original Bible Students have died, their children carry on. Children and grandchildren born decades after the events of 1917, even newcomers, are shown no mercy from the Society. These are considered evil and apostate, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are to have nothing to do with them. The Society has even gone so far as to state that Bible Students no longer exist, that they have died out and none remain.

A House Divided

After the death of Pastor Russell it was clear that the work he started should be continued. But who would continue it and how? It was obvious that the Society had no intention of carrying out his wishes as set forth in his last will and testament. The four ousted directors, having failed to secure their position on the board, along with other prominent Bible Students as individuals, congregations, and publishing houses, decided to do the job.

On August 15, 1918, the four ousted members of the board, along with former pilgrim Paul Samuel Leo Johnson, considered publishing The Bible Standard and Herald of Christ’s Kingdom. They would soon have a falling out, and Johnson would go on to found what is today the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement [one of the unincorporated names used by Pastor Russell and the early IBSA] and publish independently of all Bible Students, introducing a new dispensation of views and doctrines. In December, 1918, Johnson published The Present Truth and Herald of Christ’s Kingdom; in 1920 he published The Herald of the Epiphany [later renamed The Bible Standard and Herald of Christ’s Epiphany]. Johnson taught that since Pastor Russell was the Parousia Messenger during the Lord’s parousia, he must be the Epiphany Messenger during the Lord’s epiphany. Johnson was a prolific writer; he penned the fifteen-volume Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, two volumes of which were added after his death in 1950.

P. S. L. Johnson

As was the case after the death of Pastor Russell, a number of schisms occurred after the death of Johnson. Raymond Jolly, a former Watch Tower pilgrim, took the reigns. No sooner than he did, disagreements occurred between Jolly and John Hoefle of Mount Dora, Florida, and John Krewson of Fort Myers, Florida, both pilgrims for the Laymen’s. Hoefle, who left the Society in 1928 and joined Johnson, was eventually disfellow-shipped from the Laymen’s in 1956. He began publishing a newsletter under the banner of Epiphany Bible Students Association. John Hoefle died in the 1980s; his wife, Emily, continues the work.

John Krewson was disfellowshipped in 1955 and formed the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement in Philadelphia. He claimed that since Pastor Russell was the “Parousia Messenger” and Johnson the “Epiphany Messenger,” he must be the “Apokalypsis Messenger” since he believed we are now living in the apokalypsis stage of the Lord’s presence. He published the three-volume Apokalypsis Studies in the Scriptures, and the monthly The Present Truth of the Apokalypsis. Krewson died in the 1970s; the work continued until1990 when it stopped.

Pastoral Bible Institute

After Rutherford’s victory, a number of prominent brethren withdrew their support. The first Bible Student Convention held independent of the Watchtower Society took place on July 26-29, 1918, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In November a few months later two to three hundred people attended the second convention in Providence, Rhode Island. It was at this meeting that the Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) was formed to resume Pastor Russell’s pastoral work independent of the Society. December 1918 saw the first issue of The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom; it was edited by R. E. Streeter until his death in December 1924. Today the Institute continues to publish The Herald along with other literature.

Watchers of the Morning

In the 1930s, some prominent members of the PBI influenced by the writings of both E. C. Henninges and M. L. McPhail—two prominent pilgrims who left the Society in 1909 ­because of some doctrinal disagreements with Pastor Russell—began to deny that Christ was present and other important doctrines held by the brethren. In 1936 Isaac Hoskins, a director of the Pastoral Bible Institute, and others withdrew from that association in a dispute over doctrinal matters and began publishing The Watchers of the Morning, a journal which continued until June 1957.

The Dawn Bible Students Association

By 1931 most of the Bible Student groups were falling apart or functioning as independent classes or individuals. Along came Norman Woodworth, a man who created the Society’s radio program and left in 1928 to run his own radio program with the help of the Brooklyn  congregation of Bible Students. They produced a little paper, The Bible Students Radio Echoes, containing highlights of their radio program which was called Frank and Ernest. In 1931 a board of directors was elected. “Radio Echoes” evolved into The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence, a bi-monthly journal in 1932. Later it became a monthly. The Dawn was able to re-gather many of the independent Bible Students. In the decades of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s the Dawn association grew as a result of an influx from disenchanted Jehovah’s Witnesses who had grown weary of the Watchtower’s doctrinal changes. The Dawn republished Studies in the Scriptures, countless books, booklets, and tracts. Today it continues to produce video and audio cassettes, The Dawn magazine, and other literature for the Bible Student community. Its radio and television programs are broad­cast around the world.

The Christian Millennial Fellowship

The Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, Connecticut, withdrew their support from the Society in 1928 and changed their name to Millennial Bible Students Church, then to its current name Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc. (CMF). In 1940 they began publishing The New Creation—a Herald of Christ’s Kingdom. However a few years later Gaetano Boccaccio began to be influenced by the writings of Henninges and McPhail. The CMF eventually discarded most of Pastor Russell’s writings as error. Gaetano Boccaccio was its leader since its inception. He had been with the Society since 1917 and died in 1996. For over fifty years he led this group from Hartford. The group eventually reorganized and has relocated to New Jersey where it is headed by Elmer Weeks.

The Stand Fast Bible Students ­Association

The Stand Fasters get their name from their determination to “stand fast on war principles that our dear Pastor Russell announced.” Charles E. Heard of Vancouver and many others felt that Rutherford’s recommendation in 1918 to buy war bonds was cowardice and a sacrilegious perversion of the harvest work. Feeling that Christians should not support the military in any way, including the buying of Liberty Bonds or involvement in non-combatant service, the Stand Fast Bible Students Association was organized on December 1, 1918, in Portland, Oregon. It published Old Corn Gems and organized conventions throughout the United States. The Stand Fasters accepted the seventh volume and were quite successful, especially among those who did not accept what they saw as compromises over the war issue.

They felt that the harvest was over, organizations were relatively unimportant, and they were organized simply to help each other learn about Pastor Russell’s teachings. Their opposition to public witness was the main reason they were one of the first groups to disintegrate. From the original twelve hundred adherents in 1919 in the northwest and near Wisconsin, this movement eventually disappeared.

The Elijah Voice Society

The Stand Fast was not without its schisms. In 1923 John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray along with nearly 300 from the Stand Fast Bible Students organized the Elijah Voice Society to engage in an ambitious re­gathering and witness work. They published the Elijah Voice Monthly and numerous tracts, becoming one of the most prominent “seventh volume” groups. They felt they were “called to smite Babylon.” Long before Jehovah’s Witnesses they refused to salute the flag, buy liberty bonds, or contribute to the Red Cross. This group eventually disappeared.

The Servants of Yah

Probably the strangest of all Bible Student groups was headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and led by C. H. Zook. They believed that Satan’s name was Jehovah, so Jehovah’s Witnesses were really Witnesses of Satan. They were Universalists who deny Armageddon, the flood, water baptism, the ransom, restitution, etc. They had branches in Levittown, New York, and Vienna, Austria. Their doctrines were similar to the Jehovah’s Witnesses; only the 144,000 are destined to discover the hidden meaning of the Scriptures and enter heaven. The meaning is hidden partly because they believed our Bible texts were altered. They saw the Bible as primarily prophecy, most of which relates to the present century. They believed that everyone who ever lived will live forever in an earthly paradise except the 144,000 who will live in heaven. This group eventually disappeared.

Schisms Abroad

In other countries many Bible Students did not know what was really happening in the U.S. in 1917; it took time for some to analyze the events and leave. The British Board of Directors took control of the “London Tabernacle” and formed the Bible Fellowship Union. They began publishing The Bible Students Monthly in 1924, later renamed The Bible Study Monthly so as not to be mistaken with the new Watch Tower which previously published a paper by that name. Albert O. Hudson became the general director and served in that capacity until his death at age 101 in 2000. Today it is run by an editorial committee.

Albert O. Hudson

William Crawford, an original member of the British Board of Directors, caused its first split. He founded Old Paths Publications and produced the monthly journal Old Paths. Countless booklets, books, and tracts were produced.

In 1922 the New Jerusalem Fellowship was formed. They produced a monthly journal and numerous books and booklets before going out of existence in 1992.

At the time of the split in 1917, the Forest Gate Church was the second largest Bible Student group in England. F. G. Guard, father-in-law of William Crawford, led the class in ­divorcing themselves from the Society. In 1939 they started publishing The Forest Gate Church Bible Monthly, along with booklets and tracts. This group disbanded in 1979.

William Robertson formed the Bible Student Publishing Co. before the major split of 1917; he published a quarterly journal The ­Bible Student that was critical of both Pastor Russell and Rutherford. There were certain IBSA ­officials who joined after the split in 1917. This group stopped operations in the 1920s.

The Goshen Fellowship was formed as a result of the ministry of Jesse Hemery. He was undoubtedly the most prominent Bible Student in England, serving as Vice President of the IBSA, a position he held until 1946 since his appointment by Pastor Russell in 1901. He was disfellowshipped by N. H. Knorr in 1951. Although he accepted much of Pastor Russell’s interpretations, he did reject the second presence as being a current reality. Believing Revelation was to be fulfilled in the future, he wrote a few commentaries on Revelation and other books of prophecy. He died in 1955 shortly after founding the “Goshen Fellowship” in 1951. Frank Lewis Brown headed the group for many years, publishing Zion’s Herald, a monthly journal beginning in 1965.

Adam Rutherford, a pyramidologist, found­ed The Institute of Pyramidology. A Bible Student who got most of his inspiration from the Great Pyramid, he published an extensive four-volume set on the Pyramid and it’s teachings, as well as the journal Pyramidology Monthly. He wrote numerous books, booklets, and tracts. His institute ceased operations a few years ago.

The Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society

This organization was founded by Alexander F. L. Freytag who was branch manager of the Swiss Society and who disagreed with some of Pastor Russell’s views even while the pastor was alive. Yet Pastor Russell appointed him in 1898 as Branch Manager. In 1917 he started publishing his views using the Society’s presses and paper. He was ousted in 1919 by Rutherford. He published a four-volume set of Scriptural writings, mostly published in French. His writings have been translated from French into English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch. He published his own hymn book (he wrote and composed all the music) as well as his own devotional book. He also wrote numerous booklets and tracts. He published two journals, a monthly The Monitor of the Reign of Justice and a weekly Paper For All. There are branch offices in Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy. Members of this group view Freytag as “that Faithful and Wise Servant” of Matthew 24:45-47. This group also goes by the name Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man, and The Church of the Kingdom of God, Philanthropic Assembly.

Berean Bible Institute (Australia)

This Bible Student group officially separated from the Society in 1918. It publishes the monthly The Voice and, since 1917, the monthly People’s Paper as well as other books, booklets, and tracts.

New Covenant Fellowship

In 1908-09 E. C. Henninges, the Australian branch manager of the International Bible Students Association, and M. L. McPhail, pilgrim for the IBSA, withdrew their support causing the second largest split in the Society’s history, second only to the 1917 split. They produced a monthly journal The New Covenant Advocate and Kingdom Herald and ­numerous books, booklets, and tracts. After Henninges’ death, his work continued for some years; operations ceased by 1944. Most of the New Covenant Bible Students were left to fend for themselves. Many did not survive and splintered off into non-existence. The Free Bible Students, as they call themselves today, make up the largest Bible Student group in Australia. In recent years there has been a resurgence of Free Bible Student rallying under the new leadership of the Christian Millennial Fellowship.

The Christian Truth Institute

This organization was founded by Frederick Lardent of England. It published the monthly Gleanings for Truth Seekers as well as various booklets and tracts. This group died out.

The New Covenant Believers

Former Watchtower pilgrim M. L. McPhail, supposedly the most loved Bible Student next to the pastor himself, led the “New Covenant” Bible Students in the United States. He published a few books independently, mostly ­relying heavily on the writings of E. C. Hen­ninges. In 1908 they began publishing The Kingdom Scribe which ceased publication in 1975. They also published the Berean News, a small newsletter beginning in 1956; it continues today under the imprint of the Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard, Illinois.

Bible Students Today

Despite the many schisms in the past, today there are many  ecclesias throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, India, Asia, South America, and Africa, congregating during conventions, exchanging speakers and literature. Many Bible Student ecclesias publish their own monthly newsletters, tracts, and booklets; some have their own journals and ministries. There are many Bible Student committees made up of Bible Students of various ecclesias, to help others in poorer countries. There are Bible Student Retirement Centers in both the U.S. and Europe. They provide good opportunities for studies and fellowship.

Since 1982, International Conventions have been held throughout Europe, beginning first in Austria, then Germany, The Netherlands, France, Hungary, and Poland. There are various Bible Students camps for children during the summer. Dozens of conventions are held each year, lasting one to six days each, providing ample fellowship and spiritual food.

Since the fall of communism, brethren have been found throughout the former communist nations. What binds these brethren together? It is the Truth! It is a belief that Jesus Christ died once for all mankind, that through his ransom sacrifice he purchased every man, woman, and child. The first to benefit are his followers during the Gospel age, those who sacrifice their humanity to follow in the footsteps of their master and become joint heirs with him in the thousand-year kingdom to bless the world of mankind. The next to benefit is the world of mankind who will learn the truth during the kingdom and grow in grace and knowledge and eventually actual perfection. This is the theme of the Scriptures and a theme that has been carried forth by Bible Students since the days of Pastor Russell.

Daughters of the Tower
Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement
Epiphany Bible Students Association
Laodicean Home Missionary Movement
Pastoral Bible Institute, Inc.
Watchers of the Morning
Dawn Bible Students Association
Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc.
Stand Fast Bible Students Association
Elijah Voice Society
Servants of Yah
Bible Fellowship Union
New Jerusalem Fellowship
Old Paths Publications
Forest Gate Church
Bible Students Publishing Company
Goshen Fellowship
Institute of Pyramidology
Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society
Berean Bible Institute
New Covenant Fellowship
Christian Truth Institute
New Covenant Believers
Associated Bible Students

More often than not, the first time you met Bro. Russell he would likely ask you: “Are you Consecrated?” Bro. Russell was a believer of being on time to meetings and if the brethren began a habit of strolling in late he would have the doors locked. Rutherford on at least on occasion locked the brethren in, not letting them leave. Bro. Russell had a quick wit and tried on a few occasions to suppress it but the brethren complained that he seemed sick when he did this. The original “Miracle Wheat” grew to over 6 feet tall. But it had to be planted with enough space or it would produce no better than ordinary wheat. The First Volume was so widely published in Bro. Russell’s day that the only book in the world that had greater distribution was the Bible. It’s possible, contrary to some of the stories passed down, that even had the nominations and election not been fixed, Rutherford would have been elected the President of the WTBTS anyway. In 1915 he had published a book defending Bro. Russell and was considered brilliant in his debates with a well known minister in Los Angeles. He was a rising star with the all the appearances of a leader. Bro. Russell planned for significant change in the way things were controlled upon his death which the board tried to enforce. Rutherford, by thwarting Bro. Russell’s plans, made it possible for himself to step into Bro. Russell’s place in the minds of the majority of the Brethren. Rutherford disregarded Bro. Russell’s wishes but won the political support of most brethren. $162,000, a lot by 1916 standards, held in the safe at Bethel, disappeared after the Pastor’s death. Much of it may have been from and held in trust for a wealthy sister living at the Bethel. Upon Rutherford’s take over that money was never seen again, and the sister was asked to leave.

The Governing Body of the Watchtower Society has a similar function for the Christian congregation as a guide dog for a blind person.  The sight-impaired person is unable to know the right direction to take or what obstacles might lie in their path. A guide dog is selected among many other animals for their reliability, temperament and alert diligence to the needs of its master.  The service the animal provides is indispensable and a bond of affection develops unlike any other.  At least, in theory.

After all, the guide dog is not the master and the service provided does not originate within the mind of the animal.  Ultimately the test of service is not the love of the dog, its willing eagerness to please or its loyalty and friendship. The actual guidance is key.  The guidance of such a serving animal must meet  immediate needs at the proper time and present no distress, false information or wrong turns.  This sort of behavior would immediately alert the owner that something was indeed wrong and the animal (no matter how agreeable otherwise) would need to be replaced.

So too, what would alert the Christian congregation that the guidance they are provided by the Governing Body was not meeting their needs, taking them in wrong directions or creating unnecessary distress?

Is there any way of knowing for certain?

A sight-impaired owner of a guide dog could not allow affection, loyalty or wishful-thinking to interfere with the decision to face the problem squarely: am I being placed in jeopardy by the error of my guide?

Performance alone would identify the problems involved and the solution to be addressed.

Error cannot be tolerated when life and limb are at stake. Guidance is as guidance does.

Conversely, failure to face a problem is a failure of will to address reality.  A choice between what we wish and what really is takes courage and integrity.

Stepping outside our analogy for a moment, let us consider the function of a guide of any sort.

A guide acts as an agent. The bottom line assumption is that a guide knows something we do not know and can be effective at using that special knowledge on our behalf.

An insurance agent represents the insurance industry just as a car salesman represents a car dealership.

Both offer to “guide” a prospective buyer through the process of getting from point A to point B to our satisfaction. Our goal is to have our needs met.  But, what is the agent’s goal?  When are they honest and diligent and effective? When are they feckless, insidious and untrustworthy?

We all know the answer to that question.  If our mutual needs are met on an open playing field with all that can be known provided for decision, then and only then, are we properly guided.  Otherwise, we are led astray, bamboozled and often imperiled by hidden agendas.

Observe the following conversation with a prospective buyer of a guide dog and a salesman advertised as the Sole Provider of Excellent Guide Dogs.

The sales agent offers the following points for you to consider:

1.There is a really reliable guide dog that will fill your needs.

2. We have been entrusted with the duty of providing really reliable guide dogs for people when they need them. You need one.

3.This particular guide dog could possibly be a reliable one. How fitting it would be if this particular guide dog was reliable and filled your immediate needs.

4.This is no time to be indifferent or complacent! Our most reliable research marks this particular guide dog as the very one promised to meet your needs.

5. Time is short, time is running out—act now! You can expect the immediate future to be filled with the thrilling prospect of owning a reliable guide dog! Without one you could die!!

Yes, this has a familiar ring to it.

We can substitute a particular year of Bible Chronology in place of the guide dog and the analogy will be apparent.

The history of the “guidance” of the Governing Body is most obvious in the realm of Bible Chronology.

The focus of the ministry, the message itself in the preaching and printing work of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been directed on the sole basis of the concrete belief in the accuracy of certain dates.

The dates are the foundation of all the doctrines and all the door to door efforts of the rank and file believer in the Watchtower New World Society.

The orthodoxy stands or falls on this foundation. Whatever else may be true or not–if the foundation is faulty the structure must topple.

It is the difference between a bowl of beautiful waxed fruit and an actual one. One is worthless as food although it exactly resembles it and the other is healthy and nutritious.

Up to this point what you have read has not stated one way or the other whether the guidance of the Governing Body is good and proper or wrong-headed and wayward. To determine this what do we need?  We need a means of determining the veracity of the guidance and the manner in which it has been offered.  Fortunately, there is a history of performance that can be examined.

Here is a quiz. Answer each question to the best of your ability.

1.When God has sent a prophet to speak in His name, what is the standard of result that must be met?

2. If a prophecy fails; what does it indicate about the prophet?

3. How many chances should we give a prophet who foretells an event which does not occur?

Just as we might love our guide dog and feel the closest possible affection for him; if he leads us astray and takes us off in the wrong direction, whatever else we might feel; we must admit he is not performing the very task and function he embodies: guidance. So too with our religious leaders.

When Charles Taze Russell wrote Studies in the Scriptures and authorized the door to door work that would distribute that work, the message contained therein was guidance; it was intended as such.

Russell would be the agent or go-between with inside information offering to lead (as our guide dog in the above analogy) others to the actual true message hidden in the Holy Scriptures.

That message revolved around an understanding of the nature of Christ’s return and the nature of his Kingdom.  A methodology was offered as guidance to understanding those points of knowledge.

The source of Russell’s inside information is most telling.

One was a system of Bible Chronology presented as “God’s dates; not ours”.

The other was a system of determining prophetic events in history by measurements made in the Great Pyramid of Egypt.  Together, this methodology was the foundation of Russell’s guidance.

Here are two questions worth asking about Charles Taze Russell’s guidance.

1.Did Pastor Russell’s dates contain factual information provided by God that matched reality?

2. Did God use the Great Pyramid and an elaborate chronological system to convey to Russell the date of his son’s return in 1884 and the Battle of Armageddon in 1914?

3. Was Russell correct or incorrect? Does this reflect on him or on his sources?

4. To the extent Russell’s elaborate methodologies were false; were they honest mistakes? Does it matter?

5.If Russell’s description of what would happen and what the meaning of events would be proved to be wrong and he was speaking on behalf of God; why would he be rewarded with further responsibility?

An examination of the original writings, magazines, books, etc. of Pastor Russell reveal constant revisions of words and phrases the go from “certainty” to backpeddling.  Yet, the unmistakable tone of those writings is absolute confidence that it is from God and not from men.  Why the revisions?

Here we meet for the first time and confront an uncomfortable fact.  There was an intractable willingness to use the majesty of God as revealer of Truth in the service of an agenda. That agenda was apparently (in retrospect) the obsessive focus on setting dates and justifying them as revelations.

The Great Disappointment which struck devout believers in the rhetoric of Adventist preachers with all their charts and arithmetic was a stunning setback for true believers.  It had looked too good not to be true. It had to be true!  Yet, it wasn’t.

A humble person; an honest-hearted person confronted with the failure of facts to conform with certainty of belief is to back down and admit failure.  “I was dead wrong and I’m sorry. It looked good to me; but, I was wrong.”  That sort of admission did not take place!

At this point a character flaw was revealed.  The Greeks had a word for it: hubris. What does it mean?

” Arrogant, excessive self-pride or self-confidence”

Yes, Russell had too much self-confidence that he was correct to ever back down. Instead he sought an alternative means of supporting the apparent “no-show” of Jesus in his return as predicted. The result was found in the word “parousia”.   With that Greek word and its secondary meaning Russell and others developed the astonishing non-testable assertion that Jesus was now reigning–but–he was invisible!

A modern parallel is worth considering. President George W. Bush took his country to war on the basis of inside information that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The threat was so imminent and real there was no other course of action possible. At least that was his guidance. Once the invasion was completed there was nothing found.  Would the President humbly admit his inside information was wrong? Or, would he proudly assert that his motives were pure and other good had been accomplished?  History tells the tale.  Good motives with wrong information leads to failure and a test of humility.

Imagine being Pastor Russell. You’ve sunk your entire fortune on an enthusiasm for a bill of goods you have been sold by some persuasive people with charts and graphs and fancy arithmetic that find all sorts of parallels and “proofs”.  You spend your money collecting these fanciful “proofs” and edit them together into a patchwork quilt of beautifully written speeches persuading the world at large that something special is about to happen to change the course of human history.  Russell was on the cusp of history. So he believed. And worse–hundreds of others believed because of Russell’s sincerity and powers of persuasion.  Would you give up the adoration?  Would you call your investment a dead loss and pack up and go back to the clothing business?  Or, would you find a way to prove you were right even though you appeared to be the laughing stock?  It is only human to defend yourself and your pride.

It is very important to consider the question of agency in all this. Pastor Russell, his writings, his methodology all flowed from people’s respect for Holy Scripture and their need and fervent desire for GUIDANCE.  Just as Russell himself was convinced; so too was he able to convince. But, the message and the foundation of that conviction was not borne out by reality.  How do we know that?

The proof is in the changes. There is a popular saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  The constant changes in Watchtower doctrine needed fix after fix after fix.   This was characterized as a light growing brighter and brighter. But, is that the case?

Imagine Moses having to go back to Pharaoh and tell him, “I know I said ten plagues, but, what I really meant was five”.  Imagine Noah having to tell his contemporaries, “I know I said it was going to rain and it is–but, not when I said it would happen……soon…but, not when I said.”   How would that have gone over?

The descriptions of what 1914 meant or would mean was changed over and over. At first it was the Battle of Armageddon.  When it proved otherwise it was changed.  Proof is hard to ignore.  The fact of the matter is that World War I broke out and that is all that happened.   Read any and all of the Watchtower publications and you’ll not see anything other than false predictions of the final war of God Almighty. This event was pushed ever forward. Wording in previous magazines and books was changed to cover the errors.  Chronology was the basis of all these mistakes and revisions.

The worst thing that ever happened to the Pastor Charles Taze Russell and his convinced hangers on was the event of World War I.   Something had happened. Something had finally happened! Something big had actually happened.  But, it was definitely not what had been foretold. Notice: it is only WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS that tests the truth of a prophecy.  Look at how a prophecy works.

1.The prophet tells what will happen in advance and what the consequences will be.

2. The event happens just as predicted. Or it fails. Conclusion: True prophet vs False Prophet.

Nowhere in scripture will you find a variation in that unfolding.  Even the change of heart Nineveh experienced after Job’s preaching cannot parallel what Russell was offering the world at large.

Russell was preaching a message of destruction which did not reveal Armageddon. Armageddon was not postponed because the world listened to Russell and changed its collective behavior.  Armageddon did not happen. Armageddon was what Russell’s writings foretold.  It is a matter of written record.

1914 brought one of many large wars in history and nothing more. Yet, it unhinged seekers of prophetic dates and convinced them they had the power to foretell events by Divine and mysterious means.

Mysticism has three elements.

1.An agent or guide mysteriously “chosen” to impart secret information

2. Willing and eager listeners ready to hear and believe

3.An unexplained process whereby the guide receives the information as the sole channel.

An example of such is a seance. Another example is the “infallibility” of the Pope in matters of Faith and Morals. Still another example is the Greek Oracle of Delphi. History is filled with charlatans who are well meaning “authorities” speaking on behalf of the supernatural. There has never been a shortage of mouthpieces of divine warnings or eager listeners willing to listen and act accordingly.

For Russell and his International Bible Students the events of WWI were too stimulating a coincidence to ignore  At least something visible happened in 1914 unlike 1884. Further, Adventists had staked out that date.  Differentiating themselves from the crackpots was a vital necessity. Eventually, many years later, the 1884 arrival date of Jesus was simply moved forward. Why?

Let it not escape our notice that the arithmetic involved in pinpointing 1884 and all the certainty, the persuasive arguments, the invoking of God’s Holy word were simply abandoned. Just like that!

The arguments were jerry-rigged into supporting 1914 instead.   The date of 606 B.C. had been used as a starting point. But, an embarrassing fact was pointed out to the Watchtower chroniclers.  There was no year zero. No problem.  The starting date conveniently became 607 B.C.  Simple as that.  The fact no scholar in the world agrees with that date does not faze the current Governing Body.

Take an hour out of your day and search all the reference books to verify this.  There is simply and honestly no support from anywhere that 607 B.C. is a valid historical starting point.  But, that date is the lynch pin and it must be maintained with an iron grip or else the structure of  Watchtower “truth” ends.

Following the death of Pastor Russell and the takeover of the legal framework of ownership of the Watchtower Society, Judge Rutherford was faced with a problem.

Most of the enthusiasm of the rank and file Bible Student adherent of Russell’s views were loyal to the excitement of the imminent chronology and to the personality of Charles Taze Russell.

Rutherford became the new “guide” replacing Russell by propping him up for a limited period of time.

The FINISHED MYSTERY was published under Russell’s name with 97 pages added resulting in legal turmoil.  The “meaning” of prophetic dates were all confirmed and the future war of Armageddon was just as close to completion. Changes would occur; must occur as events proved those dates wrong.

When those extra 97 pages led to arrest and trial and imprisonment, Rutherford seized the opportunity to turn it to advantage.  The events of 1918 became the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy.  The legal dispute was a signal. It demonstrated Jehovah was cleansing His temple class and putting His Holy Spirit on their work.

What “guidance” followed?

More predictions  would fail. 1925 did not bring the resurrection of the “Ancient Worthies”. Once again Armageddon was elusive. It was both carrot and stick for date chasers world wide. It was annoying and frustrating to everybody involved. The embarrassment was turned into a badge of honor by all involved in a kind of modern miracle of reinterpretation. It became a means of proving faith and loyalty no matter how much reproach accrued to God or Jesus or the validity of the Holy Bible.

One is reminded of a gambler losing hand after hand in Las Vegas whose losses keep mounting, but, who will not simply get up from the table and accept the result. The excitement, the giddy addiction to brinksmanship causes the loser to redouble the bets again and again and again.  Only in the case of Watchtower “guidance” the losses were with other people’s money.  It was the honest obedience in hours, lifestyle, preaching, personal sacrifice and life or death loss that fueled the amazing stubbornness.

Watchtower policy became a kind of new law around the necks of the rank and file. The GOVERNING BODY added absolute obedience to their dictates to the burden of acceptable faithfulness.

1. The issue of “neutrality” resulted in imprisonment for draft age young men who were not allowed to perform community service in hospitals in lieu of military duty.

2. Blood transfusions became a matter of life and death.

3. A “thumb in the eye” door to door message provoked anger and resentment from other religious groups because of the vitriol of Jehovah’s Witness’ sermonizing.

4. A woman threatened with death by a would-be rapist had to “prove her faith” by screaming lest they be executed by God himself for fornication!

5. Private sexual preferences between married persons was forbidden.

6. Bestiality and child molesting were pronounced “no grounds for divorce”!

7. Every manner of personal expression not guided by Watchtower policy was declared a thought-crime and punishable by disfellowshipping.

Let us keep this in mind: Witnesses were admonished to produce statistical results as proof of their spiritual health and faithfulness.  The results of all this activity resulted in a fortune in cash. With the cash a great acquisition of buildings, stocks, investment portfolios accrued to the Society.  Armageddon was going to happen any day and yet a fortune was being invested in the “…dying, wicked old Satanic system of things.”  In New York the Watchtower Society is in the top 10 of financial empires.

What exactly was the “food at the proper time” being flooded into world by all the preaching activity?

What does an examination of the “spirit-guided” and “angel directed” publications reveal?

They contain crackpot notions and fanatical weirdness mixed with stultifying fulminations. Read those books if you will; read those magazines. See for yourself the message that set Jehovah’s Witnesses apart from all other religious groups.

1. Germs don’t cause disease.

2. Aluminum cookware will poison you.

3. Prohibition laws against alcohol are the Devil’s work

4. Olive oil will cure appendicitis

5. The prophecies of the Bible were written to point to Rutherford himself and his corporation buddies as the fulfillment of end time predictions!

6. Black people can pray and change their color to white!

7. The Great Pyramid was built under God’s direction.

8. The Great Pyramid was built by Satan.

9. The Book of Ruth is not prophetical.

10. The Book of Ruth is prophetical.

11. The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah: a.Will b.Won’t c.Will d. Won’t be resurrected

12. Reading the bible is not as good as reading Watchtower explanations of the bible.

13. The strong desire to worship God is due to the shape of the brain!

14. The shape of a man’s head determines his thinking ability.

15. The Holy Spirit was taken away in 1918

16. The Holy Spirit was given in 1918

17. Vaccination never prevented any disease and never will

18. There is no such thing as rabies

And so on.

What kind of guide is this? What sort of agency does this reveal?

When “fact” after “fact” proved to be wrong what did the Watchtower say?

“Some times the Lord has let His people look for the right thing as the wrong time, and more frequently they have looked for the wrong thing at the right time.” and “…it will be the other fellow that will have to do the explaining, and not we.”

Governing Body leadership after Judge Rutherford was actually more of the same.

The foundation of 1914 and Millions Now Living Will Never Die kept the adrenaline pumping. The thrust of the urgency was like having an “almost” sneeze ever ready to happen. Yet, history shows, no matter how much the volume was pumped up on Armageddon it did not happen.

Jesus had returned invisibly?  His gathering work was being done by Jehovah’s Witnesses? Millions alive in 1914 would still be alive when Armageddon came? Only Watchtower writers were the mouthpiece of God and were the sole channel of truth?

What does history reveal? What do facts demonstrate? Remember: If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it.

Many fixes followed. Doctrinal changes were a regularity. They were necessary. Why? Letters from the readers of the Watchtower forced changes.  Outside criticism was the ONLY moderating force acting upon the hubris of convinced minds.  Constant corrections poured in to the Brooklyn headquarters. Errors of argument were always a dash of cold water in the face.  Indefensible positions became untenable.

Who were the Superior Authorities? Russell said it was the secular governments placed in their positions by God himself.  Rutherford and Knorr said it was not. Then, it was yet again.  Yes. No. Yes.

Guidance by Holy Spirit?

Then, Freddy Franz became a loose canon.  He was an old fire horse when it came to bible chronology.

He dusted off an old Watchtower argument about the end of six thousand years of human existence on earth. Russell had (under Holy Spirit) revealed that 1872 was that end date.  Freddy Franz used the eraser on his pencil. He started his chronology all over again and came up with 1975.  This, of course, meant that Russell was 102 years wrong.

The end result of this “guidance” was a repeat of what Russell and Rutherford had wrought on the naive and eager rank and file brothers and sisters around the world.  They were conditioned to trust. Who were they taught to trust? The Governing Body. What were the faithful trusting followers supposed to do?

1. Forget higher education.

2. Take part time jobs and preach from door to door.

3. Get ready for Armageddon

4. Put off plans to marry or have children and don’t worry about planning financially for the future.

Remember, Russell had provided this “guidance” before.

Rutherford had provided this same “guidance”.  The arguments were the same. The dates and reasons and “facts” were changed to make the argument appear accurate.

Credit for this preaching message was given to God himself and the angels and the Holy Spirit.

But, they were WRONG!  Who paid the price? WHO PAID THE PRICE?

Question:  If you are called JEHOVAH’S Witnesses and you predict something enthusiastically that doesn’t happen; who gets the blame and who looks foolish? Hint: Whose Witnesses?

The Great Disappointment in 1844 and 1914 and 1918 and 1925 and 1975 were “god’s dates; not ours”.

When the whole world sees you make a fool of yourself do you have any recourse but to admit you made a mistake?  None at all. And yet, the Watchtower exonerated themselves by telling everybody they were not false prophets. Why? In their daffy explanation: “False Prophets do not admit making mistakes”.

 What other choice did they have? The whole planet saw absolutely nothing happen in 1975!

Can we answer our question about the guide dog now?  What sort of guide leads you in the wrong direction?  What sort of agent makes an appointment and doesn’t show up?  What do we say of people who tell us, convince us, demonstrate to us and exhort us to believe something without any substance to it?   Do we say they were over eager and motivated by our best interests? Do we trust them again?

The worst comes next.  The new Great Disappointment motivated many to re-examine the veracity of the dates used to support the feckless Chronology of Freddy Franz and the Watchtower Society.

Unaccustomed to internal criticism, hubris set in again and a wave of Inquisition began. Events spiraled out of control. A shakeup in the internal structure of the Brooklyn corporation ensued. Changes came fast and furious.  The congregations felt the brunt soon enough. A crackdown was inevitable. The message became an ultimatum.

1. Don’t pay attention to that man behind the curtain.

2. Believe everything we tell you or you’ll be executed by God

3. Criticism means Satan has you under his control

4. Inform on your family and your brothers and sisters; report dissatisfaction.

5. Conform or hit the road!

Instead of Freedom flowing from this “truth” a claustrophobic strait-jacket was tightening. A brother could not even grow a well-trimmed beard without condemnation!

But, wait!  One event loomed on the horizon that could rescue the Bible Chronology of the Watchtower foundational doctrine! For decades they had preached, written, taught, argued and extolled the evidence that the “generation” which saw the events of 1914 would not die until Armageddon arrived!  This was TRUTH and it was revealed by Holy Spirit.  This would exonerate the Governing Body and prove once and for all that they were not blind guides; but, faithful and discreet slaves giving the body of Christian congregations the necessary food at the proper time.

Question: What was the result?

If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it.

Well, it was broken all right. It was dead wrong. Time ran out. The collective noses of all those Witnesses throughout the decades who faithfully mouthed the words of their guides, the Governing Body, were rubbed in yet another change. New light!  Thousands of words of argument went down the drain. Hundreds of paragraphs in countless books and magazines preached from door to door were now deemed old light. What is old light?  False information that has to be changed.

And the beat goes on……….

History shows what the nature of the guidance is offered by the writers of Watchtower articles and other publications.

1. It says it is based entirely on the Holy Scriptures.

2. It is enthusiastically promoted as unveiling a truth previously hidden and revealed only through the Watchtower Society.

3. It is always controversial and promotes vigorous activity by the rank and file

4. It is presented as absolutely verifiable by “facts”.

5. It changes and is then explained an entirely different way and called New Light.

6. The change is to be taken without complaint. The New Light then becomes the new agenda.

In view of all the above we need to ask ourselves a question.

What sort of faithful slave has the Governing Body proven itself to be?  Has it given freedom or has it been binding the other slaves with rules, regulations, observances, disciplines and penalties and warnings?

The TRUTH shall set you free.  Free from what?  What would this freedom resemble?

A blind man with a worthy and faithful guide dog would have freedom of movement that would give meaning and purpose to life otherwise impossible.  But, an undisciplined and ill-trained guide dog would make his master afraid to move for fear of consequences dire and uncertain.

Examine the history of the Watchtower guidance.

What has been the result?   Are they reliable agents of a God who cannot possibly lie?

I think the facts should speak for themselves.  Any group or person who is afraid to listen to honest criticism without an iron fist of reprisal and a ready explanation is not honest and sincere.

If there is another explanation for all the above I am open to hearing it.  After all, if we are not willing to be wrong we cannot know if we are right. Dialogue sets matters straight. Honest and open dialogue is what the Watchtower society needs.  Why do they avoid it?  The answer seems obvious.

Terry Walstrom

Differences Between Russell’s Views and Rutherford’s

(sample selection)

Prohibitions on Jehovah’s Witnesses

Russell:

Russell celebrated birthdays and Christmas, tolerated his followers who were in the Army, did not consider Acts 15:20 a permanent prohibition against eating blood, allowed his followers to attend other churches, and believed in the historic cross of Christ. Russell also believed in worshipping Christ, though he rejected his Deity. The American flag could be displayed.

Rutherford: Rutherford banned the celebration of birthdays and holidays as pagan, disfellowshiped those who joined the military or attended other churches, banned the use of blood, and rejected the cross as a pagan symbol, saying that Christ died on an upright stake. Rutherford taught that Jesus Christ was Michael the Archangel, and could not be worshiped. The American flag was not to be displayed or saluted. (Index of Watchtower Errors, David A. Reed, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990.)

The Name Jehovah’s Witnesses

Russell:

We always refuse to be called by any other name than that of our Head- Christians- continually claiming that there can be no division among those continually led by his Spirit and example as made known through his Word. (WT Reprints, March 1883, p. 458.) And so by whatsoever names men may call us, it matters not to us; we acknowledge none other name than the only name given under heaven and among men” - Jesus Christ. We call ourselves simply CHRISTIANS and we raise no fence to separate from us any who believe in the foundation stone of our building mentioned by Paul: `That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and those for whom this is not broad enough have no right to the name Christian.” (Watchtower, Feb. 1884, p. 2.)

Rutherford:

Brother Rutherford told me himself that he woke up one night when he was preparing for that convention and he said, `What in the world did I suggest an international convention for when I have no special speech or message for them? Why bring them all here? And then he began to think about it, and Isaiah 43 came to his mind. He got up at two oclock in the morning and wrote in short-hand, at his own desk, an outline of the discourse he was going to give about the Kingdom, the hope of the world, and about the new name. And all that was uttered by him at that time was prepared that night, or that morning at two oclock. And [there is] no doubt in my mind - not then nor now - that the Lord guided him in that, and that is the name Jehovah wants us to bear and were very happy and very glad to have it. (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, quoting A.H. Macmillan on the invention of the name Jehovah’s witnesses, p. 151)

By giving his people a new name Jehovah has branded his people so that there can be no mistake as to their identity. These will henceforth stand out separate and distinct from all professed followers of Christ Jesus… We have been waiting for something of this kind, so that we could be clearly discerned from those who claim to be servants of God. (The Watch Tower, 9/15/31, p. 279)

Faithful & Discreet Slave Class

Russell:

Though he would not admit it publicly, Russell privately admitted to being the slave of Matthew 24:45. No other identity for the slave was given or allowed.

Rutherford:

The faithful slave was a class of believers, specifically those 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 & 14. These would be all those who would rule with Christ in heaven. Though Russell could allow that these were scattered about in different churches in his early writings, Rutherford demanded that they must now be a part of Gods organization: All who have taken their stand on the side of Jehovah must abide in his organization under Christ, if they would live. There is no exception to this rule.

The name `Jehovah’s witnesses applies specifically to God’s anointed ones who have been taken out of the world and made witnesses for Jehovah, and these alone bear the new name… The official organization on earth consists of his anointed remnant, and the Jonadabs who walk with the anointed are to be taught, but not to be leaders. (WT 8/15/34, p. 249)

Note: While Rutherford developed the doctrine that the Watchtower Society (meaning the 144,000) was God’s channel of communication, he apparently never believed it, as he was said to have written all of the Watchtower articles and books during his presidency, and no one else was consulted in the process.

God’s Organization

Russell:

We always refuse to be called by any other name than that of our Head- Christians continually claiming that there can be no division among those continually led by his Spirit and example as made known through his Word. (WT Reprints, March 1883, p. 45

For the same reason that Jesus did not organize congregations while present with his disciples in the Jewish harvest, we do not consider expedient or necessary organizations even simple and unsectarian as those established by the apostles. (WT Reprints, Oct. 1883, p. 536)

Rutherford:

Some claiming to be fully devoted to Jehovah find it difficult to learn to be obedient to organization instructions… If you find it difficult to be in harmony with the organization instructions, that is sufficient reason for a careful self-examination to see what is your standing before the Lord… angels are delegated by the Lord to convey his instructions to the members of his organization on earth. Just how this is done is not necessary for us to understand. (WT, 12/1/33, p. 364)

All who have taken their stand on the side of Jehovah must abide in his organization under Christ, if they would live. There is no exception to this rule. (WT 8/15/34, p. 249)

The Earthly Hope

Russell:

The Great Company (Great Crowd of Rev. 7:9) is a secondary heavenly class, not as dedicated as the 144,000. They will be in heaven but as companions of the Bride (servants of the 144,000), and there will be a very great difference in the degrees of glory. (WT Reprints, March 1883, p. 45

Russell taught that the Great Multitude were half-hearted Christians:

It is because they fear the reproaches of Christ that they shirk present privileges and opportunities for walking with him in white… [and] must be treated like the hypocrites and pass through the great tribulation in order to their purification. (WT Reprints, June 1, 1897, p. 2161)

Rutherford:

Rutherford claimed that Christ returned to his temple in 1918 (establishing the identity of the faithful and wise servant), and that he cleansed the temple in 1932 (allowing him to understand the identity of the Great Multitude in a new way). These are not less-faithful ones as Russell taught, but they are fully faithful to Jehovah. However, they are now understood to have the altogether different hope of living on a paradise earth. (The Watchtower, August 1 & 15, 1935, pgs. 233-252)

Prophetic Dates

Russell:

1799 was beginning of time of the end, 1874 was the invisible return of Christ, and 1914 would be the end of the world. (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, 1897, p. 621; Zion’s Watch Tower, Jan. 15, 1892, p. 21-23)

Rutherford: Rejection of significance of 1799 and 1874, and 1914 changed to be the invisible return of Christ. 1925 would bring the new order, the millenial reign of Christ, and the resurrection of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the earth.

1940: Armageddon is just ahead… the great climax has been reached. Tribulation has fallen upon those who stand by the Lord. (The Messenger, 9/1/40, p. 6)

1941: [We are] in the remaining months before Armageddon. (The Watchtower, 9/15/41, p. 28

Rutherford (center) and his bodyguards

Undoing the Judge:

“Jehovah’s Organization” or Joe’s Organization?

by Randall Watters
Though Charles Taze Russell founded the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1879, the spirit of the modern-day organization could more aptly be attributed to its second president, Joseph Franklin Rutherford.

The “Judge,” as Joe was often called, was born in near-poverty in Missouri on Nov. 8, 1869. Rutherford studied law under an apprentice system and passed his bar exams in 1892, later serving on occasion as a substitute judge, from which occasions his nickname was derived. What was the “Judge” like? Watchtower historian M. James Penton writes of Rutherford,

“Rutherford was a big man, who, by his very presence, could demand respect. He had a loud, booming voice, and looked every inch like a southern or border-state American senator. In relating to friends he could be despotic; in dealing with enemies, ruthless… He was moody and sometimes blunt to the point of rudeness with an explosive temper that could occasionally excite him to physical violence. He also had a streak of self-righteousness which caused him to regard anyone who opposed him as of the Devil. But most curious was the fact that while in some ways he was a Puritan of Puritans, in others he was thoroughly dissolute. He used vulgar language, suffered from alcoholism, and was once publicly accused by one of his closest associates of attending a nude burlesque show with two fellow elders…” (Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, 1985, p. 47-4

Though many attached themselves to the Watchtower movement in its early years due to the pleasant and kind personality of its founder C. T. Russell, it is also true that many joined themselves to the Watchtower in later years due to the commanding and authoritarian personality of Rutherford. Not surprisingly, the dominant personality of Witnesses during the twenties through the forties closely resembled that of Rutherford. Witnesses were bold and often rude, stopping at nothing to preach their message, and quick to “shake the dust off their feet” if no favorable response was met. Sound cars paraded up and down the streets of Catholic communities condemning the pope and his lackeys, and preaching a judgment of fire on the rest of the religious and political world. Portable phonographs were taken door-to-door, and the householder was blasted by one of Joe’s railings against the politicians or the Catholic Church. During WWII it was not uncommon for JWs to be literally kicked off the stairs of irate patriots or Catholics, their phonographs tumbling down with them.

Claimed Source of Truth

Russell had believed that he was the Seventh Messenger of Revelation 10:7, God’s sole instrument of truth on the earth in his day. He was the “faithful and wise servant,” (later coined “faithful and discreet slave”), by his own admission to his friends. Even after his death in 1916, Rutherford wrote of him,

The Scriptures indicate that Russell was chosen of the Lord from his birth. The two most prominent messengers were Paul and Pastor Russell. Russell is the servant of Matthew 24:45-47.(WT 11/1/17, p. 6159)

When asked who the faithful and wise servant was, Russell would reply, “Some say I am while others say the Society is”; both are true, since Russell was in fact the Society. (WT 3/1/1923, p. 6

With Rutherford however, this soon became a thorn in his side: Many of Russell’s followers claimed Rutherford had merely “muscled into town” to take over the affairs of the Watchtower after Russell’s death, an opportunist in storm boots.

As far as Rutherford was concerned, teachings were prone to change. The next 25 years of Joe’s absolute control over the Watchtower’s teachings and practices confirms that as a fact.

By 1927, Rutherford not only changed the teaching of the “servant,” but even lied about what they had previously said about Russell:

“That Faithful and Wise Servant” does not apply to one individual and not to brother Russell. Russell never made that claim himself. (WT 2/15/1927, p.56)

Hogwash. The trail of lies began.

How Joe Got His Light

Joe engineered a transition of the attention given to Russell towards himself as the “servant.” New Light, as it was later called. Soon discovering that feigned modesty was more effective than telling what he believed to be the truth, Rutherford began claiming the SOCIETY was the “Faithful and Wise Servant,” a collective class of believers who had been chosen to reign with Christ in heaven. God somehow revealed truth to them via angels:

These angels are invisible to human eyes and are there to carry out the orders of the Lord. No doubt they first hear the instruction which the Lord issues to his remnant and then these invisible messengers pass such instruction on to the remnant. The facts show that the angels of the Lord with him at his temple have been thus rendering sacred service unto the remnant since 1919. (Vindication, 1932, vol.3, p.250)

It was supposedly a secret how the “anointed” (Joe, in reality) obtained new or revised doctrines :

The remnant do not hear audible sounds, because such is not necessary. Jehovah has provided his own good way to convey thoughts to the minds of his anointed ones. To all on the outside of the organization of Jehovah his is a secret organization. (Preparation, 1933, p.64)

Yet to those inside the organization, how “truth” came to be was no secret at all. It was common knowledge that Joe wrote virtually all of the Watchtower articles and books during his presidency, and inside sources indicate that the rest of the “remnant” were never consulted. For example, the 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses (p. 151) quotes A.H. Macmillan on the invention of the name Jehovah’s witnesses:

Brother Rutherford told me himself that he woke up one night when he was preparing for that convention and he said, `What in the world did I suggest an international convention for when I have no special speech or message for them? Why bring them all here? And then he began to think about it, and Isaiah 43 came to his mind. He got up at two o’clock in the morning and wrote in shorthand, at his own desk, an outline of the discourse he was going to give about the Kingdom, the hope of the world, and about the new name. And all that was uttered by him at that time was prepared that night, or that morning at two o’clock. And [there is] no doubt in my mind not then nor now that the Lord guided him in that, and that is the name Jehovah wants us to bear and we’re very happy and very glad to have it.

Virtually all of the myriads of books and booklets published during Joe’s reign (1916-1942) had imprinted on the inside title page,

Author: J.F. RUTHERFORD

“Dissed” the Spirit

Rutherford soon claimed that the “holy spirit” was no longer needed as a Helper to the church, since Christ was now invisibly present and would direct the organization in person through his angels! Note:

By his spirit, the holy spirit, Jehovah God guides or leads his people up to a certain point of time, and thus he did until the time when “the comforter” was taken away, which would necessarily occur when Jesus, the Head of his organization, came to the temple and gathered unto himself those whom he found faithful when he, as the great Judge, began his judgment, in 1918. (Preservation, 1932, p.193-194)

With the coming of the Lord to his temple and the gathering together unto himself of the chosen ones (2 Thes. 2:1) the holy spirit would there cease to function as a paraclete or advocate for the church. (ibid., p. 46)

Rather than an inanimate “holy spirit” directing things from afar, Rutherford taught that the angels, or ministering spirits, were now communicating directly with the organization:

Jehovah has made the necessary arrangements within his organization to instruct his people, and all recognize that for some years The Watchtower has been the means of communicating information to God’s people. That does not mean that those who prepare the manuscript for The Watchtower are inspired, but rather it means that the Lord through his angels sees to it that the information is given to his people in due time, and he brings to pass the events in fulfillment of his prophecy and then invites those devoted to him to see the same. (Riches, 1936, p.316)

Note the denial that either Rutherford or The Watchtower were inspired. The claim, as clarified in the following quote, is that Jehovah and Christ Jesus do all the interpreting of the Bible, and this interpretation is passed on by angels to the Society through those who prepare The Watchtower:

This does not signify that the faithful remnant or society of Jehovah’s anointed witnesses are an earthly tribunal of interpretation, delegated to interpret the Scriptures and its prophecies. No; Christ Jesus the King has not entrusted that office to them. THE SUPREME COURT STILL INTERPRETS, thank God; and Christ Jesus, the Court’s official mouthpiece of interpretation, reserves to himself that office as Head of Jehovah’s “faithful and wise servant” class. He merely uses the “servant” class to publish the interpretation after the Supreme Court by Christ Jesus reveals it. (Watchtower, 7/1/43 p.203)

How did these angelic spirits communicate this “interpretation” to Rutherford, so he could publish it?

These angels are invisible to human eyes and are there to carry out the orders of the Lord. No doubt they first hear the instruction which the Lord issues to his remnant and then these invisible messengers pass such instruction on to the remnant. The facts show that the angels of the Lord with him at his temple have been thus rendering service unto the remnant since 1919. (Vindication, 1932, vol.3, p. 250)

Certain duties and kingdom interests have been committed by the Lord to his angels, which include the transmission of information to God’s anointed people on the earth for their aid and comfort. Even though we cannot understand how the angels transmit this information, we know that they do it; and the Scriptures and the facts show that it is done. (Preparation, 1933, p.36, 37)

Familiar Spirit Returns

Rutherford died in 1942 and was succeeded by N.H. Knorr, a more subtle autocrat with a heart of steel and a countenance to match. With Joe gone (and Knorr being the no-nonsense man that he was), the emphasis on angels was dropped, and the one “holy spirit” was reemphasized.

Knorr was not especially good at authoring books, so he often enlisted the help of the organization’s resident seer, Frederick W. Franz, long-time student of the Bible. With a voice like an old-time Baptist preacher and a keen mind, Franz was often looked to as the source of “new light.” One could be sure that if he were to lecture at large assemblies of Witnesses, new teachings would be outlined, to the thrill of the audience. With every new convention came a set of new books, each often revising older Watchtower teachings.

Knorr and Franz were the “faithful and discreet slave,” at least up until the mid 70’s. Their technique was to draw attention to the organization, “God’s Organization.” Knorr coined the term, “New World Society” in reference to the Witnesses, fully believing that these would be the ones who survived into the new heavens and new earth spoken of in Rev. 21:1. The emphasis on exclusivity remained, as this quote from The Watchtower of 7/1/73 reveals:

Consider, too, the fact that Jehovah’s organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God’s holy spirit or active force. (Zech. 4:6) Only this organization functions for Jehovah’s purpose and to his praise. To it alone God’s Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book…. How very much true Christians appreciate associating with the only organization on earth that understands the “deep things of God” ! (p.402)

Thus there was a complete about-face from Rutherford’s teaching that the “holy spirit” had ceased to operate as their Advocate after 1918.

HOLY SPIRIT–The Force Behind the Coming New Order! was the title of a publication released in 1976. After tracing the work of the “holy spirit” from Pentecost on through the book of Acts, the book attempts to prove that this “holy spirit” energized the eight ruling members of the Watchtower organization who were in jail in 1919, to begin a work of preaching “the good news of God’s established kingdom.” The book states:

It was for such worldwide Kingdom preaching that “spirit of life from God” had entered into the suppressed witnesses in 1919 C.E. (p.146)

The Holy Spirit book continued to emphasize that the purpose for the spirit being given the “anointed remnant” was to prophesy the truth about Christ and the Bible to the world. Since one who prophesies is a prophet, and the channel of these prophecies claimed to be inspired by this “holy spirit,” one must conclude that this “holy spirit” was speaking through them:

The holy spirit, which Jehovah prophesied that he would pour out in the last days, has not ceased to operate, for the remnant are still baptizing disciples of Christ in the name of that spirit….The announced purpose behind God’s pouring out of his spirit upon all sorts of flesh was that the recipients thereof might prophesy. The facts substantiate that the remnant of Christ’s anointed disciples have been doing that prophesying to all the nations for a witness in favor of God’s kingdom. Logically, then, they must be the ones upon whom God’s spirit has actually been poured out. That spirit is behind their worldwide preaching. Why argue about it? (Holy Spirit, p.14

Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd

The monopoly on inventing new truths soon ended for Knorr and Franz, starting with the publication of their Bible dictionary/encyclopedia, Aid to Bible Understanding in 1971. After some consideration, a new “body of elders” arrangement had been instituted in the local congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses (now numbering about 27,000 worldwide, with 1.5 million active Witnesses). Other members of the token “Governing Body” of Jehovah’s Witnesses residing at WT headquarters decided that they deserved a piece of the prophetic pie and some, including the current President Milton Henschel, even became vocal about it during closed sessions of the “Bethel elders meetings,” attended by about 300 elders. 1 Much to the chagrin of both Franz and Knorr, who preferred the old arrangement and their absolute control over the affairs of the Society, they relented and allowed a “rotating Governing Body” arrangement (which later stopped rotating) to go into effect. Knorr died shortly thereafter, and Franz was appointed as the “token” President, but in effect had little or no say in organization affairs from this point until his death. Milton G. Henschel, vice-president, succeeded Franz.

Aside from covering up several of F.W. (”Freddy”) Franz’s doctrinal blunders, as well as his well-known expectations regarding 1975 as the date for the end of the world, this newly empower-ed Governing Body (ranging from 11 to 18 men) had to come up with some fancy explanations for Rutherford’s and Russell’s failed prophecies.

After a major shakeup involving the failure of the date 1975, much opposition, some quite vocal, began appearing at their door as well as in the media worldwide. “False prophets!” Murderers! Charlatans!” were some of the accusations, most of which were based in reality. The response of the Governing Body was to either ignore the hecklers or call them names, hoping they would be shamed or embarrassed and go away. They knew that to address the concerns of their opposers would do more damage than good, as many loyal Witnesses would be shocked to learn of their inner secrets and methodologies. When pushed into a corner, they resorted to name calling: “Liars!” “Worms!” “Leeches!” “APOSTATES!”

However, after being repeatedly confronted with their prophetic failures, a new explanation regarding how they arrive at “truth” was published in the December 1, 1981 Watchtower (p.27):

However, it may have seemed to some as though that path has not always gone straight forward. At times explanations given by Jehovah’s visible organization have shown adjustments, seemingly to previous points of view. But this has not actually been the case. This might be compared to what is known in navi-gational circles as “tacking.” By maneuvering the sails the sailors can cause a ship to go from right to left, back and forth, but all the time making progress toward their destination in spite of contrary winds.

While they have on occasion gone back to previous views, more often than not, as we have seen, the Watchtower leaders have chosen entirely new views, sometimes the exact opposite as before! Even if they were honest in this matter and were to admit their complete failure, one cannot but question why this “holy spirit” would not tell them outright what is doctrinally correct. Nor would it excuse them from fitting the Biblical pattern of a false prophet. (Deut. 18: 20-22) In 1972 they told us to review the record of these self-styled prophets:

Who is this prophet?… Today they are known as Jehovah’s Witnesses…. Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a “prophet” of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show? (Watchtower, 4/1/72, p.197)

Time has revealed enough to demonstrate that the Watchtower has a worse prophetic record than most spirit mediums and soothsayers! After dozens of failed dates, expectations and changes in teachings, as well as their life-dishonoring and grossly hypocritical stand on blood transfusions, they can no longer sing this song! Alas! Time for more new explanations!

1914 Generation Change Demands New Light

The recent rejection of their concept of the end of the world occurring within a generation of 1914 has promp-ted much alarm among the Witnesses as a whole, though in public conversation they deny it being that significant of a change. Even if a small percentage did not believe in certain prophesied dates given for the end of the world, they ALL expected the end of the world within their lifetime, their generation.” Since the mid-40’s, the Watchtower had taught that some of those alive during 1914 (WWI) would not pass away before the end of the world and the establishment of a “new earth of righteousness.” Now running out of time for this prophecy, they had to change it to save face.

History changed (i.e., was rewritten) with the release of the November 1, 1995 Watchtower magazine.

According to Newsweek magazine of December 18, 1995, Watchtower leaders deny yielding to pressure to change their doctrine regarding the generation:

“`The end is still close,” says Witness spokesman Bob Pevy. `We just can’t put numbers on Jesus’ words.’” (p.59)

Yet the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have prepared for the worst, and are sending out a form letter in response to inquiries regarding their shifting doctrines. (See next page.)

The interesting thing is that if you remove the letterhead and signature, and weren’t aware of the history of the Watchtower organization and its leaders, the explanation given would closely resemble that of any modern-day church denomination, at least with regards to deciding on matters of policy and their source of inspiration, approval and correction. The difference, of course (aside from their even knowing who or what the Holy Spirit really is), lies in how they carry out their policies, and how they treat those who don’t agree with them.

Softening Joe’s Organization

Big changes are in the works for the Watchtower Society. No doubt some in leadership positions are quietly biding their time until some of the older, more hard-line members of the Watchtower staff (including the Governing Body) pass away. Efforts of the old-timers to search out and destroy such ones will ultimately not succeed, for a new life and a new spirit are needed within the Watchtower organization. It has reached its growth peak in many parts of the world, and in order to survive must compromise and go mainstream in order to maintain its assets, or “go for broke” and become more radical than ever. Since the latter scheme is only typical of failing religious sects, as a last ditch attempt to survive and maintain the authority and position of its leadership, my guess is that the Watchtower will seek to survive and maintain its assets, currently in the billions of dollars. Its assets also include an active following of over 5 million, with a total “believership” of about 11 million. No small change, by any standards!

Legal issues appear to have influenced this direction already. In recent months, articles have come out allowing school sports to Witness youths, allowing for college education, and even the article, “Giving, Is It Expected?” in The Watchtower of 12/15/95 (p.3-7) discusses birthdays, holidays and Christmas WITHOUT the ever-so-typical blasting of them for their “pagan” origins. Could the next step be to allow these celebrations under certain conditions?

Other doctrines of a more serious nature still must be dealt with to stop their corporate bloodguilt, such as their complete hypocrisy on the blood issue (See article on page 10). Many Jehovah’s Witnesses are still needlessly dying, due only to the fear of backlash by members of the Governing Body whose very lives could be in danger were they to admit they have been wrong. (The emotions of some Witnesses who have lost love ones over this issue could easily explode.)

Perhaps the changes are a test, not only for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but for their critics as well. Some will not accept the changes as sincere, as they have been victimized by Joe’s organization. It is also true there is no sign as yet of a true spiritual reformation, as has happened recently within the Worldwide Church of God (and which has split that church as well). Current changes are merely driven by necessity and legal issues, hardly matters of the heart.

One thing is for sure, however:

Joe’s image is fading from the Watchtower organization.

What is the “Layman’s Home Missionary Movement”? The LHMM (also called “the Bible students”) is a small and obscure religious group which is neither “Christian” nor “Jehovah’s Witness”. The following statement was made by a LHMM spokesman:

Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses - So What’s the Difference? Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for visiting our website and learning more in regards to the Bible Students, their history and their doctrinal differences with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We appreciate your earnest spirit. The Bible Students movement is the outgrowth of the events of the early nineteenth century. As you probably know, it was at that time that Bible Societies came into being. Their work of printing and distributing the Scriptures was unprecedented in both volume and geographical reach. Even those of meager means were enabled to have the Word of God. This resulted in much personal study of the Bible as well as a great deal of international Christian sharing through various publications.

One area of renewed interest was the Second Coming of our Lord. This gave birth to the Second Adventist movement (not to be confused with the Seventh Day Adventist movement). At that time the Christian world largely ignored this doctrine being almost exclusively Post Millenialist in its prophetic understanding. (The churches believed they would convert the world for Christ and then He would return). Renewed study of the scriptures regarding the second coming revived the historic Reformation doctrine of pre-millenialism. Thus premillenialism is a comparatively recent phenomenon. There is a direct line of heritage through the Second Adventist leaders to Pastor Charles Taze Russell.

Pastor Russell WAS NOT the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was the founder of the Bible Students’ Associations in the 1860’s. In 1879 the Watch Tower publishing house was established by Charles Taze Russell. Following his death in 1916 Joseph Rutherford forcibly seized control of the Watch Tower. He dismissed the majority of the Board of Directors, began to instil a revisionist theology and established dictatorial authority. Within the first year of his takeover one fourth of the Bible Students left Rutherford and remained true to the teachings of the late Pastor Russell.

Aggressive promotions by Rutherford resulted in a large increase in new members but generated opposition from the Bible Students remaining from Pastor Russell’s era. In response to this opposition Rutherford embarked on a campaign from the years 1925 to 1931 to purge Pastor Russell’s followers. Thus, by 1931, over three quarters of those associated with the Bible Student movement in Pastor Russell’s day separated from Rutherford to remain faithful to the teachings promulgated by Charles Russell. The lineage of today’s Bible Students congregations traces back through these separatists to Pastor Russell their founder.

In 1931, fifteen years after Pastor Russell’s death, Jehovah’s Witnesses was founded. Its founder, Joseph Rutherford, presented a startling resolution entitled A NEW NAME which was adopted at their international convention on July 26, 1931. The resolution first observed that neither “Russellites” nor “Bible Students” were any longer appropriate names (over 75% of Bible Students from Pastor Russell’s era had already separated. Thus there was little opposition to Rutherford’s resolution). Henceforth they would call themselves “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

The separation between Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses was, and still is, rigidly enforced by the Watch Tower leadership. Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses can read the writings of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics & etc., but if they read the writings of Charles Taze Russell they are subject to excommunication.

Recent history has not been kind to Pastor Russell, as he is his name is synonymous with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This, as can be seen from the above history (which is well documented), is not so - it is a well known misconception.

Bible Student congregations today are autonomous. There is no central authority or publishing house. There are no membership rosters. There is no solicitation for funds. We meet as an association and strive for the organizational simplicity of the early church. We find our head or central authority in our one Lord and Master, Christ Jesus.

We acknowledge that there are a few similarities of belief between Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses. As well, one might speak with a Roman Catholic regarding their doctrine and then with a Presbyterian. There would be obvious similarities; but to say that the two are the same because of their obvious similarities is inaccurate.

The major doctrinal difference between the Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses regards the breadth of salvation. Shortly after Rutherford founded the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931, they developed a “narrow salvation” theology similar to that taught by evangelical Christians. Both of these groups teach that one must accept Jesus now (through the “window” of their doctrinal systems) or else be eternally lost. That means that comparatively few of the groaning billions of earth’s humanity may expect to enjoy the salvation our God has provided in His son. This places evangelical Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses poles apart from Pastor Russell’s and the Bible Students’ “Broad Salvation” theology which will extend to all.

Another major difference between Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses is in regard to the Jewish People. Joseph Rutherford claimed that his Jehovah’s Witnesses replaced the Jewish people as such. All the promises of future blessing to Israel after the flesh were “confiscated” and applied to Rutherford’s organization. (Interestingly, the Jehovah’s Witnesses “Replacement Theology” follows the pattern of the Christian church’s historic anti-Semitic position regarding the Jewish People). Pastor Russell taught and the Bible Students still teach that the Jewish people have a separate and distinct destiny from the Christian Church that the Jews are still in covenant relationship with God. We are sharply criticized by both Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelicals for our beliefs regarding the Jews which, of course, we trust are in fullest harmony with the word of God.

There are many more areas of difference between the Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding Justification, Sanctification, Salvation, Prophecy and Christian living. Some of the differences are vast, some are subtle but important.

We hope that this information is helpful to you. We realize the unfounded stigma associated with the name of Pastor Russell but choose not to delete his name from such works as THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES. The message must stand on its own Scriptural merit and sometimes the Lord permits tests of association “can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” If you haven’t already done so, we hope that you will take time to read the book. It presents the Plan of God in beautiful clarity. May the Lord be with you and thank you for visiting.

Just as there are differences and similarities between each of the orthodox groups, there are differences and similarities between LHMM and them. We accept the Bible as the inspired word of God. We accept that salvation comes ONLY through Jesus Christ. Being a Biblestudent does not give us any advantage or monopoly on salvation. Within the various religious groups there are many individuals who are saved and serve the Lord. Unlike the JW’s who classify all outsiders as non Christian, we accept that in order to be a Christian, denominationalism is not a pre-requisite. To be a Christian requires that one accepts and recognizes that he/she is a sinner in need of salvation, accepts that Jesus’ death on the cross was paid for sin. Also that the resurrection of Christ, in turn guarantees that all will be resurrected. As Biblestudents we do not accept the Trinity, immortal soul or Hell fire.

I trust that this answers your questions. If I can be of further help please contact me. In His service. Alan Tennuchi.

(1873-1912) Charles Taze Russell

  Since 1873 we have been living in the seventh millennium . . . the lease of Gentile dominion. “The Times of the Gentiles” will expire with the year 1914; and … the advent of him whose right it is to take the dominion was due in 1874…. 1874 is the exact date of Our Lord’s return…. Only twenty-four years of the harvest period remain, the close of which will witness the end of the reign of evil and the ushering in of the glorious Millennial day; and within this period the dark night of the world’s greatest tribulation must find place. Charles Taze Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Volume III, Thy Kingdom Come (1891), pp. 211, 305-06