CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. (1852 – 1916) • the History of the Jehovah's Witnesses Begins with Charles Taze Russell, Who Was Born Near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1852

A Study of Denominations

1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV 1900) - 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. The Jehovah’s Witnesses - Introduction

• The Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious group which had its formal beginnings in the early twentieth century. – Several present-day denominations exist as the fruit of the "Adventist Movement" inaugurated by William Miller. – “It gave rise to numerous denominations all of which are premillennial and place great emphasis on the imminent return of Christ and the study of biblical prophecy together with “reading the signs of the times” to discern the the timing of the Parousia” – They are the Advent Christian Church, Church of God, Churches of God in Jesus Christ, Evangelical Adventists, Life and Advent Union, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church & Jehovah’s Witnesses • Through the years, this religious group has been characterized by a missionary zeal • The Jehovah's Witnesses teach several major false doctrines; hence, in their missionary work, they confuse people who have little or no Bible knowledge. The Jehovah’s Witnesses - Introduction

Fast Facts—Worldwide • 240—Lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses worship • 8,579,909—Jehovah’s Witnesses • 10,079,709—Free home Bible courses conducted • 20,329,317—Attendance at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death • 119,954—Congregations

Buenos Aires, Argentina—2019 “Love Never Fails”! International Convention • Dates: December 13-15, 2019 • Location: Estadio Único de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina • Program Languages: Argentinean Sign Language, English, Spanish • Peak Attendance: 47,555 • Total Number Baptized: 563 The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. (1852 – 1916) • The history of the Jehovah's Witnesses begins with Charles Taze Russell, who was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1852. • His parents were Scotch-Irish and he was raised a Presbyterian but at age 15 joined Charles Taze Russel a Congregational Church. • As a teenager, he came to question his religious upbringing, in particular the doctrine of eternal punishment. • At the age of eighteen (1870), he came under the influence of Adventism, which had come out of the Millerite movement. Here he was further influenced by teachings that promoted the non-existence of eternal torment, and other doctrines about the second coming of Christ and Biblical chronology. • He began a study group in Pittsburg which eventually elected him "Pastor” in 1876. • He began crystallizing his new views in writings, the most important of which was his founding in 1879 of the new publication, Zion s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ s Presence (this eventually became The Watchtower publication in 1931). The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

CHARLCHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. (1852 – 1916) • The Zion s Watch Tower Tract Society was formed in 1881 and incorporated in 1884 with Russell as president. • As Russell's theology developed over the years, he wrote a series of books called the Charles Taze Russel Millennial Dawn series, the first of which was The Plan of the Ages (1886). Six other volumes appeared (1889,1891,1897,1899, 1904, and 1917). • Russell wrote six of the seven volumes himself in which he denied eternal punishment, the Trinity, the soul of man, and advanced the notion of a millennial earth (these volumes would later be titled Studies in the Scriptures). • In the The Finished Mystery, he is acclaimed the "special angel" or "messenger of the Church of Laodicea," one whom the Lord made "ruler over all His Household," to whom "the Lord gave the 'key," "a member of the great High Priest" and "Christ’s representative in the world, the sole steward of the 'meat in due season."' His "warnings to Christendom" he affirmed as "coming direct from God.... He said that he could never have written his books himself. It all came from God, through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit." (Introduction; pages 483 and 387.) The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. (1852 – 1916) • Russell claimed that his writings were more enlightening than the Scriptures themselves: "people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself" and without Russell's books one "goes into darkness." The plagues of Rev. 22:18, he Charles Taze Russel says, "will be . . . that he will have to read Seven Volumes of Scripture Studies, and get the matter straightened out in his mind.” (Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1910; The Finished Mystery (Vol. VII); Scripture Studies, page 338) • It is somewhat of an embarrassment to modern Jehovah's Witnesses that the "Pastor" encouraged the study of these books as being of greater value than reading of the Bible alone (Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1910). • In 1908-1909, Russell moved his headquarters and printing business to Brooklyn, New York, where is found the present day Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. • The years from 1893 until Russell's death in 1916 saw some growth in the movement, but also controversy, trials, and scandals in Russell's own life and work. The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. (1852 – 1916) • He was involved in numerous legal battles, publicly exposed as a perjurer, charged by his wife and others with immoral conduct, implicated in fraudulent business schemes. (High Court of Ontario: Russell vs. Ross, March 1913; the files of the Hamilton, Ontario Police Charles Taze Russel Court, Dec. 9, 1912 and Feb. 7, 1913; Brooklyn Daily Eagle, issues of Jan. 1, 22-25, 27-29, 1913; et al.) • All of these situations were viewed by his devoted followers as simply signs of the persecution which was to be expected from the wicked enemy, "organized religion.” • The secrets of his success included his personal magnetism, usage of Scripture in a way that those ignorant of the Bible could not readily see his error. • He offered a message that appealed to those who did not want to believe in an eternal hell and propagated his message far and wide through the printed page. The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

Joesph F. “Judge” Rutherford (1869 – 1942) • The second most important historical figure in Jehovah's Witness history is Joseph Franklin ("Judge") Rutherford. • He was a lawyer and for a time was a magistrate circuit substitute in absence of the regular Joseph F. Rutherford judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Booneville, Missouri. • Rutherford was elected president of the Society in 1917. It was during his time that the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" was adopted at Columbus, Ohio in 1931, to differentiate between the Watchtower and those who had left the movement over the years to form other groups. • A strong effort was being made at this time to vindicate Jehovah’s "name" which is reflected in the choice of the title "Jehovah's Witnesses" (which is based on the words of Isaiah 43:10). • Rutherford wrote a number of books during his tenure, including Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920), in which he claimed that millions of people that were alive at that time would never die. • Other doctrinal changes and developments took place during these years (refusal to salute the flag, to bear arms in war, participate in political affairs of government, etc.). Rutherford died in 1942 and was followed by Nathan H. Knorr who was president until 1977. The Jehovah’s Witnesses - History

1940s To THE PRESENT DAY • In the mid twentieth century, the two main publications of the Jehovah's Witnesses were The Watchtower and Awake! • From 1950-1960, a new translation of the Old and New Testaments, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, was produced and it reflected the particular doctrinal views of the Witnesses (e.g. Jn. 1:1; Col. 1: 16-17). – John 1:1 (KJV 1900) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1 (NWT) In the beginning was the Word, a and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. • This time period also saw some significant changes: 1. Numerous anonymous books published with only the authorized "stamp" of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. 2. Modern Kingdom Halls built for worship and organizing of large conventions. 3. The training of members with a developed door-to-door ministry. 4. Silence in handling members who leave and write critical reviews. The Jehovah’s Witnesses – Watchtower Society

THE SOCIETY • There are two societies that form the operation for the Jehovah's Witnesses. 1. The Watch Tower Tract and Bible Society of Pennsylvania is the parent organization that serves as the international society. 2. The Watch Tower Tract and Bible Society of New York is the United States Branch organization. THE ORGANIZATION • "From the top down the Society is composed of the chief officers, the Board of Directors, then to the Branch Servant, District Servant, Circuit Servant, Congregational Servants, Special and General Pioneers, and then the lowly Kingdom Publisher" (Maurice Barnett, Jehovah s Witnesses Volume 1, p. 5). • Under Russell and Rutherford, each congregation was independent with its own leaders. However, by 1938 the Society was making all positions appointments of the Society. • "It is now quite evident that, despite the claim of this movement to depend on the Bible alone, the real source of authority for Jehovah’s Witnesses is the interpretation of the Bible handed down by the 'anointed class' at Watchtower headquarters. To use their own language, the Witnesses insist that the Watchtower Society is ‘the instrument or channel being used by Jehovah to teach his people on earth. '" (Anthony A. Hoekema, Jehovah s Witnesses, p. 35). The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Prophecies

• In addition to teaching a number of false doctrines, the Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious group which has made numerous predictions which have not come to pass. – 1889 - "Remember that the forty years' Jewish Harvest ended October A.D. 69, and was followed by the complete overthrow of that nation; and that likewise the forty years of the Gospel age harvest will end October, 1914, and that likewise the overthrow of 'Christendom,' so-called, must be expected to immediately follow." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, p. 245) – 1925 - Rutherford predicted that " 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction He said, "millions now living shall never die” (Millions Now Living Shall Never Die, p. 97). – 1929 - This was the year that the Witnesses built Beth Sarim, a house for the Old Testament worthies who were supposed to be resurrected in a very short time. – 1941 - The book Children was written to recommend that Witnesses put off marriage until after Armageddon, which was soon to come. – 1975 - The Witnesses predicted that Armageddon was to come that year. • Other prophecies which were equally as wrong as these could be cited. However, the Scriptures warn, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him" (Deut. 18:22). The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

The Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus Christ. 1. The Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is "God with us" (Matt. 1:23). The apostle John wrote, "In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn. 1: 1). 2. In commenting on this verse, the Witnesses state that "the Word was a powerful godlike one" (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, p. 24), but deny that He was God. 3. They teach that Jesus is a created being, not having the same deity as God the Father. The bible declares the deity of Christ. 1. The child to be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt 1:23) was to be called, "Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). 2. Thomas confessed Jesus saying, "My Lord and my God" (Jn. 20:28). 3. Paul said that in Jesus "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). He stated that Jesus existed on an equality with God prior to coming to this earth (Phil. 2:5-9). Jesus was "God manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:15; Jn. 1:1,14). 4. Jesus accepted worship (Matt. 8:2; 9:18; 14:33) and said he and the Father were “one.” The Jews understood that he was declaring himself equal with God (John 5:17-18; 10:33). 5. He even took the name “I AM” — a name reserved for the Father (John 8:58; Exod. 3:14) The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

The Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of the Holy Spirit. 1. The personality of the Holy Spirit is denied by the Witnesses. They describe Him as "God's active force" (see Let God Be True, p. 108; The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, p. 24). 2. They deny that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead by teaching that neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit is God. 3. With reference to Jesus, they affirm that He was a created being; with reference to the Holy Spirit, they assert that He is merely "God's active force,” denying that He is a separate personality from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit has personality. 1. He speaks (1 Tim. 4:1), witnesses (Jn. 15:26), teaches (Jn. 14:26), and guides.(Jn. 16:12-13). 2. He has mind (Rom. 8:27), knowledge (1 Cor. 2:11), affection (Rom. 15:30), and will (1 Cor. 12: 11). 3. He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30), despised (Heb. 10:29), blasphemed (Matt. 12:31-32), resisted (Acts 7:51), and lied to (Acts 5:3). He has all of the attributes of personality; He is not an impersonal, active force. He has the attributes of deity. 1. Including eternity (Heb. 9:14), omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-11), omnipotence (Mic. 3:8), and omnipresence (Psa. 139:7- 10). He is called God in Acts 5:3. The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

Witnesses teach that the kingdom of God was not established on earth until 1914 (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, pp. 87, 99). – Jesus said that the kingdom of God would be established within the lifetime of those who heard Him speak (Mk. 9:1) within a short period of time (cf. Mk. 1:14-15). – The kingdom and church are the same (Matt. 16:18-19). Those in the church were citizens in the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13-14; Eph. 2:19). – Those who were "born again" were born again in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Jn. 3:3,5; Cf. 1 et 1:22-23). – The kingdom was to come with power (Mk. 9:1). The power was to come when the Holy Spirit came (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8). – The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). On this day, the kingdom or church (Matt. 16:18-19) was established (Acts 2:47). By teaching that the kingdom of God was not established until 1914, the Witnesses make a number of errors. 1. They make Jesus mistaken when He promised to establish His kingdom within the lifetime of those to whom He spoke (Mk. 1: 14,15; 9:1). 2. They make the prophecy of Daniel 2 in error. Daniel stated that the kingdom of God would be established during the days of the fourth kingdom (Dan. 2:44). The fourth kingdom from Daniel was the Roman kingdom. If the kingdom was not established during the days of the Roman kings, Daniel was mistaken in his prophecy. 3. They make the new birth useless prior to 1914. Men were born again in order to enter the kingdom (Jn. 3:3-5). If the kingdom did not come into existence prior to 1914, there was no need for men to be born again prior to that time. The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

The Witnesses deny the existence of Hell (cf. The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, pp. 41,44).

The scriptures are clear on this along with the fact that Jesus spoke about Hell more than any other person in the Bible. 1. He used it in Matthew 5:22,29; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15; Mark 9:43,45,47; and Luke 12:5. 2. The place of eternal torment of which Jesus spoke is described as follows: • a place of outer darkness (Matt. 8:12; 22:13); • a place of pain (Rom. 2:5, 8-9); • a place of fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8); • a fate worse than death without mercy (Heb. 10:29) • a place of torment (Rev. 14:11). • There is a place of eternal torment prepared for those who disobey God. Wicked men are not annihilated at death; rather, they will be raised from the dead (Jn. 5:28-29) and judged (Matt. 25:31-36). The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that our only hope is on this earth. 1. They teach that this earth will be here forever, and when Jesus returns, he will make this world into a paradise, akin to Eden, in which the righteous will live forever. 2. They teach that only 144,000 will go to Heaven, a misinterpretation of Revelation 14:1,3.

Use of “For Ever” 1. Jehovah's Witnesses take passages from Psalms, a book of poetry, which speak of the earth abiding for ever and conclude that the earth will never be destroyed or depopulated (Ps. 37:29; 78:69; 89:36-37; 104:5). 2. “For ever” is used two ways in the Scriptures: 1. an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity; 2. period of time, age. 3. Other passages will show that the earth is only for a limited period of time and will be destroyed. (Cf. Gen. 8:22; Ps.102:25-27; Heb. 1:10-12; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10-11) 4. Wonder why Jehovah's Witnesses do not keep the Sabbath or observe the Passover~ since these were "forever" (Ex. 31:16-17; 12:14, 17, 24)? The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

The Bible says that God wants all his children with Him 1. Not just part but all are invited (Rev. 22:17; Matt. 11:28-29; Mk. 16:16; John 14:1-3; Rom. 10:13- 17; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Tit. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:3-4)! LITERAL OR FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE? • The Jehovah's Wi1nesses are good at picking and choosing what they want to be literal and what they deem as figurative. They tell us that the 144,000 of Revelation 14 is a literal number. IF THIS Is LITERAL LANGUAGE. • Let’s agree, for argument sake, that the 144,000 is a literal number. The rest of the context then has to be taken literally as well and one must live with the consequences of the interpretation: – Only Jews are of this number (Rev. 7:4; 14:4), Just men are included (Rev. 14:4). – Virgins only are in this group (Rev. 14:4). The Jehovah’s Witnesses – False Doctrine

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that their name is given by God. 1. They will use Isaiah 43:10, and 44:8 to prove this. They will often cite Acts 1:8 for “proof” of their name in the New Testament.

What does the bible say 1. The context in Isaiah 43 & 44 is in regards to God’s care and deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity. 2. The problem with this is that in Isaiah (56:5; 62:2; 65:15) God promises to call his people by a “new name,” a name he would give them! 3. This name was given in Acts 11:26 — Christian! 4. Acts 1:8 was not speaking to all people in general. Rather, Jesus was speaking to his apostles who were about to go into all the world to preach (Cf. Lk. 24:48). Who had specific qualifications (Acts 1:21-22)