by Monte Wolverton
Y
ou are comfortably settled in your recliner behind
the sports section of the newspaper, and halfway
watching world news on T.V. Your wife, whose turn
it is to cook tonight, is in the kitchen preparing
your favorite dinner of lasagna, caesar salad and garlic
bread.
The doorbell rings.
Annoyed, you drag yourself out of the recliner, walk to
the door and look through the peephole. Outside are two
JULY/AUGUST 2007
well-scrubbed young men in
dark slacks, white shirts and ties,
each carrying Bibles, magazines
and other literature. You already
know they are either Mormons
or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Either
way they are selling religion
and you don’t want any.
You open the door. “Sorry—
not interested—we already have
a church.”
As you begin to close the
door, the more earnest-looking
of the two pleads, “Sir? We have
something we’d like to leave
You feel a little sorry
with you that we think you
might find thought-provoking.”
for them….They try
He thrusts a Watchtower magaso hard, and they are
zine toward you as the other
probably rebuffed at
young man chimes in, “I see
that you’re watching the news,
most homes. Even
sir. You know, conditions in the
so…the lasagna and
world are getting worse and
worse—if you read this, you’ll
garlic bread are
find the answers!”
starting to smell
“To what question?” you retort cynically as you take the
really good.
magazine and gently but firmly
shut the door on their disappointed faces. You watch
them through the peephole as they return to the
sidewalk. You feel a little sorry for them, and a little
guilty that you were brusque. They try so hard, and
they are probably rebuffed at most homes. Even so,
you toss the magazine in the waste basket and return to your recliner and the newspaper. The lasagna
and garlic bread are starting to smell really good.
Thankfully, for the time being, most people are
more interested in lasagna than the Watchtower
Society. But that may be changing if the movement
continues to grow at its alarming pace. With a
current worldwide membership of 6 million (13
million including families and non-member attendees), conservative estimates place Watchtower
membership by 2090 at 195 million. It is, according to some scholars, the fastest growing religious
movement in the Western world.
Watchtower missionaries, a volunteer army of
some 40,000 men and women are, in fact, not rebuffed at every home. They are invited in for a
discussion—the Watchtower magazine gets read
— the ideas find fertile ground — the families
become part of the Watchtower organization—and
husbands, wives and children find themselves
inducted into that army, knocking on doors and
“witnessing”—promulgating the bizarre religious
stylings of one Charles Taze Russell.
A Cult Is Born
Charles Taze Russell was born in 1852, in Allegheny,
Pennsylvania. In Russell’s early teens, his father
19
Thankfully, for the time
being, most people are more
interested in lasagna than
the Watchtower Society. But
that may be changing if the
movement continues to grow
at its alarming pace.
made him a
partner in his men’s
clothing store. Raised as a Presbyterian, Russell was preoccupied
with religion. He joined the Congregational church at age 13. In his
late teens, challenges to his faith
led him to investigate other religions and philosophies such as
Buddhism, Hindusim, Taosim and
Confucianism.
In 1870 Russell heard an Adventist preacher, who convinced him
that the return of Christ was imminent. Russell’s subsequent studies
led him to sell his clothing business
and use the money to further his
religious ideas, helping to finance
the publications of Millerite Adventist minister Nelson Barbour.
Russell and Barbour asserted that
the Rapture would occur in 1878.
The Rapture, of course, did not
occur that year, yet Russell believed
Selected Events in Watchtower History
This timeline highlights key developments, events and
predictions related to the Watchtower organization up
to 1975. It is not comprehensive, but is intended to
help our readers gain a perspective on the origins and
history of the Watchtower Society.
that Jesus had actually come invisibly as early as 1874. In 1879, Russell parted ways with Barbour and
began publishing Zion’s Watch
Tower and Herald of Christ’s
Presence. In 1881, he formed Zion’s
Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society. Determining the exact times
and events involved in Russell’s
early prophetic chronology is
confusing, as he revised, reinterpreted and re-spun so many of his
predictions.
As Russell cranked out his publications, tracts and books, the
numbers of his followers swelled.
He relocated his headquarters to
Brooklyn, New York. In 1903 his
sermons began syndication in
newspapers worldwide, with an
estimated readership of 12-15 million in the United States alone.
He was not without detractors. Many Christian leaders
regarded his teachings as
heretical—but the more controversy he encountered,
the more famous he became.
Dramatic growth of Jehovah's
Witness membership 1945-2005
Russell’s private life was no less
controversial than his theology. He
had married in 1879, agreeing to a
“mutually celibate” relationship so
that he and his wife could devote
their energies toward preaching the
“gospel.” In 1897 they separated
and later divorced, with implied
allegations of sexual improprieties
on Russell’s part with a Watchtower
stenographer (who was also their
foster child).
After Russell’s death in 1916, his
successor, Joseph Rutherford,
changed certain doctrines, restructuring the society into the form it
takes today. He coined the term
“Jehovah’s Witnesses” and centralized organizational authority. His
predictions rivaled those of his
predecessor in sheer oddness (including the return of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob and other prophets
to govern the earth in 1925—he
even built a palatial home for
them in San Diego, and then lived
there himself when the patriarchs
didn’t show up).
In spite of the failed predictions of
its past, the society has continued
to flourish. Currently, the organization brings in an annual revenue
of around a billion dollars, much of
which goes into its massive publishing operations.
Biblically Deviant Teachings
Their success in numbers notwithstanding, The Society’s teachings run contrary to biblically
based histori-
1844
John Aquila Brown
End of the 2,300 days of
Daniel 8 and return of Christ,
according to John Aquila
Brown. This idea, adopted by
Adventist movement founder
William Miller, proves to be
wrong when Christ does not
return this year.
Charles Taze Russell
1870
1823
John Aquila Brown interprets Seven Times
of Daniel 4 to mean 2,520 years, beginning
604 BC and ending in 1917, marking the
“full glory of the kingdom.”
William Miller, founder
of Adventist movement
Millerite prophetic time chart from
1843, about the prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation.
C.T. Russell along with Millerite
Adventist ministers, begins a
study of popular Christian doctrine
and end-times chronology, finding
what he believes to be significant
errors and discovering what he
believes to be new truth.
The Jehovah’s Witness missionary who knocks on your door and interrupts your evening dinner may seem
confident, sincere and free. But in reality, he or she is a prisoner….
cal Christianity. In addition to
their always incorrect and often
revised end-time schedules, they
teach (or have taught) the following:
• The Trinity is satanic.
• God the Father is the “supreme
God” whose real name is Jehovah.
• Christ is not Jehovah, but
rather a created being (known originally as Michael the Archangel)
who received his divinity after the
cross.
• The Holy Spirit is merely the
power of God—not a divine person.
• Jesus rose only spiritually, not
bodily, from the dead.
• Christ’s second coming occurred
spiritually in 1879 (or 1914—take
your pick). He will not physically
return.
• Pyramidology plays a key role
in end-time prophetic calculations.
• Humans do not have an immortal soul—most dead humans
are unconscious—awaiting a resurrection either to eternal life or the
the second death.
• Eternal life in heaven is limited
to 144,000 special saints. The rest
of the faithful await resurrection to
eternal life on earth.
• There is no ever-burning hell.
Unrepentant sinners are destined
for a one-time annihilation in the
Lake of Fire.
Additionally, Russell was one of
the earliest preachers to promote
the idea that the establishment of
a state of Israel was essential in
the fulfillment of “end-times”
prophecy.
The Watchtower Society has
created its own version of the
Bible, the New World Translation,
necessary to support its various unorthodox teachings.
Yet this short synopsis of the history of the Watchtower Society
and a list of its doctrinal aberrations does not give a sense of the
culture of the group — what it is
actually like to be a member —
where all family, friends, time,
effort, thought, worldview and
sense of self are engulfed, regulated
and controlled by a single monolithic organization.
Raymond Franz—A Leader Who
Tried to Reform the Watchtower
Most Christians enjoy the personal
freedom of being able to decide
when and where they will worship,
or with whom and how they will
meet. If they don’t like a particular
church or fellowship, they can
walk down the street to another.
They can even attend church on
the Internet if they prefer. But
members of the Watchtower
Society and similar “Christian” cultic groups believe they have no
such choice. They are either members of the “one true church” or
they are not. If they are dissatisfied
with something, their only
recourse is to attempt internal reform. This doesn’t happen very
often, however, as cultic leadership
usually does not react well when
its authority is challenged.
The Society has withstood
its share of such internal reform
movements—where a group within the organization attempts to
change the status quo. Sometimes
these events are driven by those
who have recognized unbiblical
teaching or flawed biblical interpretation. One such challenge occurred
in the mid-1980s when various
Watchtower leaders began questioning some long-held beliefs.
In his book Crisis of Conscience,
Raymond Franz, a former writer and
editor for the organization’s publications and a member of the
Governing Body of the Watchtower
Society, recounts his experiences as
it became clear to him that many
Watchtower teachings were unbiblical.
Franz had spent most of his life
in the service of the Watchtower
Society. For years, he took a series
of foreign missionary assignments
Zion’s Watch Tower,
first issue 1879
1873
1877
1878
Adventist N.H. Barbour
adopts John Aquila Brown’s
interpretation of Daniel 4,
changing the starting point
to 606BC, ending in 1914.
Barbour predicts Jesus will
arrive in 1874. Barbour
begins publication of
periodical The Midnight
Cry, later called Herald of
the Morning.
C.T. Russell finances
Barbour’s book, Three
Worlds; or Plan of
Redemption, marking
1914 as end of the
“Times of Gentiles”
C.T. Russell also
publishes his own book,
The Object and Manner
of our
Lord's
Return.
Rapture does not occur.
Russell becomes assistant
editor of Herald of the
Morning. According to
Russell this year marks the
“Fall of Babylon the Great”
and the beginning of
Christ’s “Kingdom Rule.”
Nelson H. Barbour
1874
Jesus arrives, but “invisibly.”
Beginning of Jesus’ “invisible
presence,” and beginning of
“harvest of the saints” (to end in
1914). C.T. Russell is rebaptized
by Millerite Adventist minister.
1876
C.T. Russell meets N.H.
Barbour, accepting his
prophetic chronology,
slating 1878 as the date
of the the Rapture.
Russell sells his
business, to pursue
ministry full time.
1879
Russell and
Barbour disagree
over why the
Rapture failed to
occur. Russell
launches his own
publication, Zion's
Watch Tower and
Herald of
Christ's
Presence.
Russell
marries.
Charles & Maria Russell
Charles Taze Russell,
founder of Watch
Tower Tract Society
1881
Russell founds Zion's
Watch Tower Tract
Society (chartered in
1884). Resurrection to
heaven begins for
“anointed” Christians
who lived from time of
Christ onward.
“Why put up with all this nonsense? Why not just leave?” ...members of such groups are so deeply connected to
and dependent on the organization that it would cause major emotional pain for them to step outside the group...
where he and his wife lived in
modest conditions, braving persecution, political violence and
disease to help proclaim what he
thought was the gospel. In 1965 he
was brought back to the society’s
headquarters in Brooklyn to write
for the publications.
In 1966, as Franz settled into his
labors in the Writing Department,
the leadership of the Society issued
a startling prediction. After years of
re-examining and revising their
chronology, they set a new date for
the beginning of the Millennium
—1975. This year, they asserted,
would mark the end of 6,000 years
of human rule and the start of the
thousand-year Sabbath—the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
But this kind of prediction was
nothing new for the Watchtower
organization. When earlier predictions had failed, the leadership
engaged in revisionism and blamed
the “brothers”—the rank-and-file
members—for misunderstanding
the predictions. Yet in every case,
the published version of the
predictions was dogmatic and
absolute. Members had been disfellowshipped for questioning these
teachings.
Would 1975 be any different?
That same year, Society president
Nathan Knorr embarked on a
worldwide speaking tour, warning
members of the difficult months
immediately ahead before the
anticipated apocalyptic events.
1896
Of course, the apocalyptic events
didn’t happen. Headquarters was
silent. No explanation was forthcoming until 1980, when it fell to
Raymond Franz to write an explanation of the failed prediction—with
a positive spin.
The Governing Body, which had
recently taken on most of the powers wielded by the president, had
to deal with fallout from the failed
prediction of 1975. Membership of
over two million was beginning to
decline. Leaders were concerned.
Additionally, the culture of the
‘70s was rubbing off on some
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Members
were beginning to think freely—
to study their Bibles and talk
amongst themselves. Longstanding
assumptions and doctrines were
being questioned. The reaction of
the Governing Body was to tighten
control, beginning at their Brooklyn headquarters. In the late 1970s
and early 1980s, special committees
were appointed by the Governing
Body to investigate reports of
“heresy” and “apostasy.” This,
ironically, in an organization
whose core doctrines are heretical
by the standards of historical
Christianity.
Franz’ book describes how members were subjected to stressful
inquiries and interrogations —
how they faced “judicial committees” and vainly attempted to
defend themselves — how they
spent sleepless nights waiting to
1914
Beginning of Kingdom of
Russell
God on earth does not
1906
separates from
happen. Russell explains
his wife in
Russell’s wife
that Jesus has come
dispute over
sues for
“invisibly,”
changing his
control of Zion’s
divorce.
earlier dates (either 1874
Watch Tower
or 1878) for this
publication.
occurrence. Watchtower
Society will later mark
Joseph F. Rutherford
this year as the
beginning of “last days,”
1917
the end of the “Times of
Joseph
F. (Judge)
Gentiles,”
Rutherford
and the beginning of the
elected president
“harvest of the saints.”
of Watchtower
Society. He moves
some prophetic
1916
events that had
C.T. Russell dies.
been slated for
1914 to 1918.
Charles Taze Russell in 1911
hear a verdict, and how they were
finally given the sentence of disfellowshipment.
Franz continued to fulfill his
responsibilities, to sit on the Governing Body, to visit regional
offices and to speak as a representative of Brooklyn headquarters,
until his turn came to be put on
trial for holding views that were
contrary to the teachings of the Society. As a result, he chose to resign
from Watchtower employment.
Several months later, living in Alabama, he was disfellowshipped
for having shared a meal with a
person who had voluntarily left
the fellowship.
Trapped by the Watchtower
As I read these accounts I found
myself asking, “Why put up with
all this nonsense? Why not just
leave?” The answer (as I very well
know from my own background in
an authoritarian religious group)
is that members of such groups
are so deeply connected to and dependent on the organization that
it would cause major emotional
pain for them to step outside the
group into the freedom that Christ
offers.
Raymond Franz’ story is not dissimilar to the stories of hundreds
of thousands of people who have
had the traumatic experience
of leaving a cult. Why classify
the Watchtower Society as a cult?
1918
This year is
marked for the
complete
establishment
of God’s
Kingdom. It is
also the revised
date of the
resurrection to
heaven of
“anointed”
Christians who
lived from time of
Christ onward.
1919
Events slated for
1918 moved to
1920.
Beth Sarim “House of the Princes”
1920
1930
Rutherford slates 1925
as date for return of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and other O.T.
“worthies” to help
prepare for Millennium.
Palatial
“Beth-Sarim” house
built in San Diego,
California, to house
Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob whenever
they do arrive.
Rutherford later
moves in to occupy
this house until
ancient “worthies”
arrive.
1925
Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob fail to show up.
“Why Be Divisive?”
n recent years, there has been a movement in Evangelical Christianity to invite representatives of cultic
groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons to
participate in Christian conferences. In a related development
over the last decade, Jehovah’s Witnesses and especially
Mormons have begun to use Christian terminology.
For example, 30 years ago, Mormons would have been
reluctant to identify themselves as Christians, because they
wanted to be distinct from conventional Christianity. Yet now,
Mormon missionaries will insist that they are Christian, even
though they believe in a markedly different Christ. Their definitions of such basic words as gospel, salvation and sanctification
are also very different. Apologists observe that both Mormons
and Jehovah’s Witnesses have recently made a deliberate
effort to polish their image among Christians.
I
Three reasons:
False doctrine: Its doctrines are
contrary to the core historical, biblical doctrines of the Christian
church.
Authoritarianism: It exercises
extraordinary control and micromanages people’s lives, demanding
nothing less than complete conformity among its members.
Religion: It advocates human
effort and religious observance to
attain salvation — over the completed work of Jesus Christ.
The Jehovah’s Witness missionary who knocks on your door and
interrupts your evening dinner
may seem confident, sincere and
free. But in reality, he or she is a
prisoner in a religious hell-hole.
Sadly, there is nothing you can
do or say to release them from
their captivity. There
Are Christian leaders falling for a clever public relations ploy? One Christian pastor tours the country with a
Mormon, dialoguing and promoting good will. Prominent
evangelical leaders have apologized publicly to Mormons for misrepresenting their beliefs or opposing them
(and of course it is probable that Mormon beliefs have
been misrepresented). One well-known Baptist leader,
who included Mormons in his pastor’s training programs,
asked “Why Be Divisive?”
Perhaps such evangelical leaders believe that creating a friendly dialog with cultists will afford a better
chance for the true gospel to penetrate cultic defenses.
Is this true, or will Christians of the next century find
themselves a minority in the shadow of groups formerly
regarded as cultic? Time will tell.
is no doctrinal argument that you
can present that they have not
been programmed to answer.
The good news is that God is
able to work (and is working) in
the lives of many such cult members, just like he worked in the life
of Raymond Franz. It is God who
gives people the ability to have
a “Crisis of Conscience”—to have
the capacity to think, to question
and eventually to wake up to the
realization that they are religious
captives.
Those of us who live in the
freedom of Christ can help, as opportunities arise, by planting seeds
of the real gospel—even seeds of
doubt and questioning — in the
1941
1950
The return of
1942 Abraham, Isaac and
Rutherford
Jacob is officially
dies. Beth
abandoned in a
Sarim house
speech by
sold. Nathan Watchtower viceKnorr elected
president Fred
president.
Franz.
Rutherford tells
young people to
postpone
marriage until the
return of the
ancient
“worthies,” who
will direct the
selection of
mates.
For more infor mation on cults
and biblical Christianity, write for
PTM’s free booklet, Contending for
the Faith (item K191). For even
more resources and inspiring stories of
people who have been rescued from
cults and religious legalism, visit
“First Aid for Legalists” at http://
www.ptm.org/legalism/.
Chart showing end would come
in 1975—Watchtower Society’s
magazine Awake!—in1968.
Fred Franz
Nathan Knorr
minds of such people. We can also
point them toward sound apologetic resources, publications and
websites where cultic teachings
are confronted. And we can equip
ourselves to better understand differences between cultic teachings
and the core doctrines of historical
Christianity. ❑
1975
The Millennium
does not begin.
1966
Watchtower vice-president Fred
Franz suggests (citing the 6,000
year, day-for-a-year model) that
the Millennium will begin in 1975.
Raymond Franz,
author of Crisis of Conscience