Aunty Jane
Well-Known Member
We believe that Russell’s death was actually a measuring stick to see who were followers of the man rather than followers of the Bible’s teachings. When Rutherford took the helm after Russell’s death many chose to end their association with the Bible Students and retain the teachings of Russell. But the revelation of truth is progressive and things must move forward as JW’s have always done. If there were adjustments in our understanding as time and knowledge progressed, we made them. But some got stuck in the past and did not want to move forward. I believe that God does his sifting from time to time to test whether we are genuine followers of Christ and the Bible.....or followers of men.This piece seems to detail the differences between Russell's teachings and the JWs, but not the commonalities.
Concerning Russell, Wiki also states:
His Scriptural interpretations differed from those of Catholics, and many Protestants, in the following areas:
- Hell: He said there was a heavenly resurrection of 144,000 righteous, as well as a "great multitude", but believed that the remainder of mankind slept in death, awaiting an earthly resurrection, rather than suffering in a literal Hell...
Just to clarify.....the 144,000 are those “bought from among mankind as firstfruits” (Revelation 14:1-5) whereas the “great multitude” (Revelation 7:9-10; 13-14) are survivors of the “great tribulation” which occurs on earth. The remaining ones of the 144,000 are taken to heaven before Armageddon, and the tribulation survivors come out of that turmoil to form the nucleus of the “new earth”. (2 Peter 3:13)
Those of the 144,000 are raised to heavenly life to be “kings and priests” for mankind on earth. (Revelation 20:6) These are resurrected “first”. A general resurrection was to follow, whereby the ruling king Christ Jesus would call all the dead, both “righteous and unrighteous” from their graves. (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15)
Russell was on the right track, but like the apostles in the first century, got the timing a bit mixed up.- Christ's Second Coming. Russell believed that Christ had returned invisibly in October 1874, and that he had been ruling from heaven since that date. He believed that a 'time of trouble' began then that would mark a gradual deterioration of civilized society leading up to the end of the "Gentile Times" with a climactic multi-national attack on a restored Israel, worldwide anarchy, and the sudden destruction of all world governments in October 1914. After the outbreak of World War I, Russell reinterpreted 1914 as the beginning of Armageddon.
They came to understand that 1914 was not the end of the system of things, but the beginning of the last days, and as the events unfolded they saw all the features that Jesus has foretold. Unprecedented war, food shortages, pestilence and great earthquakes. Increasing lawlessness and the love of people, one for another, growing cold (Matthew 24:1-14; Luke 21:5-18) Often prophesy is only fully discernible after the fact.
Ask and you will receive.....Aren't these two teachings that are still retained by Jehovah's Witnesses to this day, or no? I appreciate the heads up, btw. I'm not a Jehovahs Witness, and have had to study them only because there are several JW members on this forum now, making it unavoidable if I wish to converse with them.