Charles Taze Russell: Dates, Expectations, Predictions, Apologies, Response, Relevance

[Witness]

On 7/6/2021 at 12:38 PM, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

I'm sorry but your 'teachings' are so totally different that you have to follow through with all situations regarding all peoples to be able to make sense of the scriptures.  

I’ll try to answer your questions.  Really, the answers are all connected together, and the best help to understand is to go to the links I frequently provide.

Rev 20:1,2 - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

When Satan was abyssed, it was a restriction of his power to deceive Christ’s faithful anointed, because we know there were those whose hearts were not faithful to truth, and who left Body and disconnected from Christ. (1 John 2:19; Col 2:18,19)   But, we have the account in Luke 10:17-20 when Satan was abyssed – not able to “perceive” how to enact a great deceptive plan to gain authority and power over the anointed.

And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ¹⁸ So he said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.” 

This was the beginning of the “thousand year” reign of Jesus Christ.  He never said his reign would be one of peace, as the Wt teaches, but division. (Mal 3:18; Matt 10:34; 1 Cor 1:11; Heb 4:12)  It is a time period of spiritual war. (2 Cor 10:4,5; James 4:7)  His faithful ones fought it with truth, and entered into the “kingdom of the Son He loves”. (Col 1:13,14)   The unfaithful were won over by Satan – they became the enemies at the foot of Jesus Christ and the Father. (Ps 110:1-3; 1 Cor 15:24,25)

 These faithful ones, never fell spiritually captive to the Wild Beast from the sea in Rev 13:1,2. They did not “worship” it, which is stated in Rev 20:4. (Eph 6:10,11; Rev 13:4)  But, in the time of the end, before the Kingdom of God is ushered in, we find the anointed “kings of the earth”, (Rev 1:5) “overcome”/”conquered” by the falsehoods it promotes. (Rev 16:13-16; Rev 13:5-7)  They had no “authority” to “trample snakes and scorpions”. (Rev 9:3,4)    This time period is when Satan is free from his symbolic chains of “not perceiving” (the meaning of “abyss”).  He then knew how to enact his plan to desperately preserve his kingdom and destroy those in Christ.  (Rev 12:12,17; Ezek 21:21,22; Rev 13:1,4; 20:7,8; 16:13-16; 1 Tim 4:1; Rev 13:7,10; Col 2:8; Luke 21:24) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev+12%3A12%2C17%3B+Ezek+21%3A21%2C22%3B+Rev+13%3A1%2C4%3B+20%3A7%2C8%3B+16%3A13-16%3B+1+Tim+4%3A1%3B+Rev+13%3A7%2C10%3B+Col+2%3A8%3B+Luke+21%3A24&version=NKJV

So, In Rev 20, we see first of all, that Satan is abyssed.  It is followed by the declaration of those heavenly faithful who never “worshiped the beast”. (Rev 20:4)  They did not become slaves to men and to their idol/organization. (2 Cor 11:20; Gal 1:10) But then, Satan is let loose. (Rev 20:7)  He gives the “key”, the inspiration, to a fallen anointed one and his dark plan to deceive the last group of anointed, is enacted. (2 Cor 11:13-15; Rev 8:10; 9:1) The organization begins developing. (Rev 13:5,11,13,15-17) From there we see that the “camp of the saints and the beloved city” – the last of the anointed on the earth – are gradually and then fully surrounded by “Gog of Magog”, including people from all nations with them. (Rev 20:7-9)  The “beloved city” is “New Jerusalem”, the New Covenant promise of life that they are under. (Gal 4:26) Gog of Magog is another description of the two Beasts of Revelation 13 – One, comprised of “Gentiles” (iron); one coming from the earth, “Jews”, those under covenant with Christ. (clay). (Dan 2:40-43; 7:23; Rev 9:7-9 ) (Isa 64:8; 2 Cor 4:7; Isa 41:25)

 They together, are the feet of Daniel’s vision of the statue, and the last power to come over God’s holy people.   Is it not true, that the governing leadership has chosen to rule with, and as “Gentiles”, their army of elder helpers; while rejected the anointed “army” of God?  (Mark 10:37-45; 1 John 4:20; 3:15;Matt 24:48-51; Rev 13:15,11)

The Greek word for “thousand” in Rev 20:2 is χίλιοι chílioi meaning:“plural of uncertain affinity; a thousand”

“The adjective χιλιοι (chilioi) means a thousand, but note that in the first century, people didn't maintain as strict an arithmetic standard as we do today. There weren't many instances of the number thousand (one thousand of the same things is quite rare in the real world) and when such a thing occurred, it was rarely necessary to precisely count them. In other words: our adjective χιλιοι (chilioi) rather means "a whole bunch; probably somewhere near ten groups of roughly a hundred each".” https://www.abarim-publications.com/DictionaryG/ch/ch-i-l-i-o-i.html

Revelation is symbolic, a book of signs. (Rev 1:1)  To denote that a “thousand years” is a literal fixed time period in a symbolic book, goes against the meaning of the Bible’s “thousand”, in general.  Even in the Hebrew scriptures, Jewish scholars seem to agree that “thousand” indicate a large approximate number.  If Jesus’ thousand year reign lasted almost 2,000 years, this doesn’t contradicted the Bible’s meaning of a “thousand”.  

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  2 Pet 3:8

We know that “death will be destroyed” when Armageddon comes to an end. (1 Cor 15:26)  How then, could death be resurrected a literal thousand years later?  The scriptures say that when Satan is free of his chains, he misleads “a number as the sand of the sea”. Those who do not escape his deceit, are destroyed. (Rev 20:8,9) The Beast of Rev 13:1,2 rises out of the sea.  Isa 57:20 tell us what “sea” can refer to.

“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud”. 

So, from the “wicked”, the organization/Beast that “makes war” and surrounds the anointed, is born. (Rev 13:1,2; Rev 20:9) 

Also, the “saints” cannot be surrounded a thousand years into the Kingdom, since they will be reigning with Jesus Christ. All who reign with him during the Kingdom had already conquered evil, death, and Satan’s deceptions. (Rev 12:10,11;  But again, who surrounds them now?  The elder body/man of lawlessness who has trampled down the Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16,17). (Matt 24:15,16; Mark 13:14,21-23; 2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 11:1,2)  They have the authority to rule over them, given to them by spiritual “harlots”/false prophets. (Rev 13:11,15; 17:3-6)

We have only this life, this time period to be judged.  To think we must gain our physical youth and perfect mental awareness during a trial period in the Kingdom, is well, deceitful stupidity, and a slap in the face of Jesus Christ. Didn’t Satan use a similar tactic with Eve?  Both Adam and Eve had life placed before them, but they chose to reject it.  They broke their covenant with God.  We have life placed before us in Jesus Christ.  If we choose men, not inspired, to judge our spirituality, telling us “you will not die” if we remain under their corrupt influential organization, are we not like Adam and Eve, as we fall for their consistent 100+ year old lies?  (Hos 6:4-10)

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”  John 5”24-27

Anyone who believes and obey Jesus Christ’s teachings does not need to be tested one more time a thousand years into the Kingdom of God. Even the unrepentant wicked do not need to be tested one more time.  We are all judged by what we do in this lifetime.  

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

I think we need to keep in mind that the teaching of a thousand years of peace is taught by the Wt.  How many times have they deceived and twisted the scriptures over the years?  Should we trust any of their teachings? (Matt 7:15-20)

 Can we imagine faithful Job, Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, Deborah, having to face yet another test after all they went through while on earth? How absolutely unfair of God to allow Satan to have another go at them.   It would be unfair to promise that these will receive eternal life, only to withdraw that promise by allowing Satan to deceive them again, once tasting the bounty of God’s blessings.  They, and so many more faithful held on to the promise of eternal, forever, never interrupted…life.  These pillars will not need to be taught by anyone, as GB Splane sarcastically explained when speaking about David’s resurrection.  He and his false teacher companions have sold  their soul to the devil.  (Luke 4:5-7).

The ancient faithful ones…“But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”  Heb 11:16

God is the God of the “living”, not of the eternal “dead”.  Matt 22:32   Any faithful ones in the memorial tombs who have lost their physical life, are “living” to God.

So again, the thousand years of Christ’s reign is the “kingdom of the Son he loves”.  This is when the anointed over the centuries are judged according to their love of truth, or their rejection of it and rejection Jesus Christ as their Head.  It is a divisive spiritual battle that rages even until the end.  (Eph 6:10,11) and a gathering of his priests to reign with him in the Kingdom.  (Rev 5:9,10)

I mentioned that Wt. is Satan’s “magnum opus”, his greatest work of deceit against the remaining holy ones.  Satan was “let loose” to put the plan in action on how to deceive the elect.  (Mark 13:22) The advent of the organization, and particularly the lie of 1914, coincides with Satan’s release from the abyss. This event leads to the Great Tribulation/Armageddon now in progress. (Matt 24:21,9,15)  It is not something seen in the world, as the Wt. says and which Satan plays into their proclamation, but it is spiritual.  His “short period of time”, his “little while” to do his dirty work covers the life of the organization.  (Rev 20:3)

Those who grab hold of the skirt of the (spiritual) Jew, come to the banquet, the understanding of Revelation’s scrolls -  the “Marriage Feast of the Lamb”…even now.  These “little dogs” who are leaving the now “apostate city”, (the organization and its leadership) and are searching for truth are just as important to God as are His priests who serve them, which is the assignment God has given to His “royal priesthood” - to be “ministers” to His children.  (Mal 2:7;1 Pet 2:5; Heb 1:14) 

Jesus didn’t turn his back on the woman who wanted her child healed.  He would not turn his back on any who desire to find wisdom and truth. (Matt 15:27)  To this “mountain” of knowledge in the faithful anointed Temple, Isa 2:2 tells us that just after Armageddon, “all the nations shall flow to it”.  Isa 60:1-5; 11,14; Rev 21:24-27; Rev 3:9; 15:4; Isa 2:3,4  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa+60%3A1-5%3B+11%2C14%3B+Rev+21%3A24-27%3B+Rev+3%3A9%3B+15%3A4%3B+Isa+2%3A3%2C4&version=NKJV

Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said, ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come. (foolish virgins, Matt 25) ⁴ He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, ‘I’ve prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses. (the duties and attention to “Jehovah’s organization”)   ⁶ The rest grabbed the king’s servants, mistreated them, and then killed them. (disfellowshipping of those anointed who speak truth, Matt 23:34; Rev 13:15)

⁷ “The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.  (Rev 11:1-7; Jer 23:29)

⁸ “Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don’t deserve the honor. ⁹ Go where the roads leave the city. (leave the organization, Rev 18:4-8) Invite everyone you find to the wedding.’ (Isa 55:1-5;John 13:20; Rev 22:17 The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes ⌞provided for the guests⌟. ¹² He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?’

“The man had nothing to say. ¹³ Then the king told his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.’ 

¹⁴ “Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay.” Matt 22

 

As I mentioned before, total, eternal peace and life, with no looming threat of possible death, will reign in the Kingdom of God because that is what is promised. (Rev chapter 21)  It will not be interrupted by an attack of Satan a thousand years into this Kingdom of eternal life.  I cringed when I heard the GB member mention the Wt doctrine of a thousand years after Armageddon, during his video on the king of the north. Almost every doctrine offered by the Wt. either began tainted, or became tainted… or is totally opposite from what the scriptures teach from the get go.  This is the poisoning of the “waters” by the fallen “star/anointed one.  Rev 8:10,11

 

 

Why must Satan be released from the abyss?

 

 

 

 

[Witness]

16 minutes ago, Witness said:

I mentioned that Wt. is Satan’s “magnum opus”, his greatest work of deceit against the remaining holy ones.  Satan was “let loose” to put the plan in action on how to deceive the elect.  (Mark 13:22) The advent of the organization, and particularly the lie of 1914, coincides with Satan’s release from the abyss.

This is the proclamation that the "day of the Lord" has arrived.  2 Thess 2:1,2  tells us that this announcement will appear to be from faithful anointed - even those who compare themselves to the apostles.  2 Thess 2:3,4 describes the existence of the Beast from the sea as the "man of lawlessness" taking over the Temple of the anointed priesthood.  (Mark 13:14; Rev 11:1,2; Rev 13:1,2,5-7).  False apostles give power and authority to the elder body/man of lawlessness to represent and prevent the priesthood from becoming one body in Christ.  (2 Cor 11:13;)  

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of of the Lord had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars"  Rev 2:2

[Srecko Sostar]

1 hour ago, Witness said:

Can we imagine faithful Job, Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, Deborah, having to face yet another test after all they went through while on earth? How absolutely unfair of God to allow Satan to have another go at them.   It would be unfair to promise that these will receive eternal life, only to withdraw that promise by allowing Satan to deceive them again, once tasting the bounty of God’s blessings.  They, and so many more faithful held on to the promise of eternal, forever, never interrupted…life.  These pillars will not need to be taught by anyone, as GB Splane sarcastically explained when speaking about David’s resurrection.  He and his false teacher companions have sold  their soul to the devil.  (Luke 4:5-7).

WTJWorg’s explanation is that people need to achieve "perfection" in NW, so that they are then overtaken by the “last test” that will finally prove their faith, devotion to God and give the final answer to the “universal issue”.

Thanks for the comment Witness. Namely, you set a good example with the old patriarchs. But I would add more, if I may. Regardless of past or present faithful people, they prove their faithfulness to God as “imperfect” people. Why then should we prove the same as "perfect"? Well, isn't victory over evil greater and more glorious when you are imperfect than when you are perfect?

On second, about GB member Splane. What special "spiritual truths" would GB members told David or other people from past. Perhaps about "overlapping generation" or "monthly report", "clergy-laity distinction", how to use "lawyers" in Court cases about CSA, "blue envelops", "shunning policy" ...,?? 

[Witness]

4 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

On second, about GB member Splane. What special "spiritual truths" would GB members told David or other people from past. Perhaps about "overlapping generation" or "monthly report", "clergy-laity distinction", how to use "lawyers" in Court cases about CSA, "blue envelops", "shunning policy" ...,?? 

How to use lawyers in court, seems to be their expertise - that and the basic elements of running an earthly organization.  But that is the irony, isn’t it?  Men who have failed to interpret the spiritual meaning of God's word over and over again, are telling JWs that they will teach the pillars of faith from the past.  And that there is no doubt that the leaders will be in a literal heavenly office (using their knowledge of running a corporation on earth) when their Armageddon breaks out.  They, will be exalted over all.  But, about these uninspired men, the leadership said in 1959, An accurate knowledge of the future cannot be gained from such people.”  Wt 1959/7/1 pg 389-390

How then, will they be able to teach those who were “inspired”?  Isa 28:7-10   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+28%3A7-10&version=LEB    

[Thinking]

6 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

WTJWorg’s explanation is that people need to achieve "perfection" in NW, so that they are then overtaken by the “last test” that will finally prove their faith, devotion to God and give the final answer to the “universal issue”.

Thanks for the comment Witness. Namely, you set a good example with the old patriarchs. But I would add more, if I may. Regardless of past or present faithful people, they prove their faithfulness to God as “imperfect” people. Why then should we prove the same as "perfect"? Well, isn't victory over evil greater and more glorious when you are imperfect than when you are perfect?

On second, about GB member Splane. What special "spiritual truths" would GB members told David or other people from past. Perhaps about "overlapping generation" or "monthly report", "clergy-laity distinction", how to use "lawyers" in Court cases about CSA, "blue envelops", "shunning policy" ...,?? 

I remember GB member Dan Sydlik writing or saying in a talk….he had a hard time with brothers trying so hard to be righteous….and said they…just needed to do their best and leave the rest to the ransom."…..

[Pudgy]

1 hour ago, Thinking said:

I remember GB member Dan Sydlik writing or saying in a talk….he had a hard time with brothers trying so hard to be righteous….and said they…just needed to do their best and leave the rest to the ransom."…..

I find that all this "1914 Overlapping Generation", "Gog of Magog", and "King of the North" stuff does nothing but distract me ...and even if it is all true, it SOUNDS phony, and destroys any credibility that I might otherwise perceive.

I have resolved to put such things, and all similar things that have no practical, real life consequences ON THE GROUND, where the "rubber meets the road" on a mental "suspense list" shelf, and ignore it completely.

Otherwise, I agree with GB Member Dan Sydlik, and will try to do the same.

[Kick_Faceinator]

10 hours ago, Witness said:

 

 

[Thinking]

4 hours ago, Pudgy said:

I find that all this "1914 Overlapping Generation", "Gog of Magog", and "King of the North" stuff does nothing but distract me ...and even if it is all true, it SOUNDS phony, and destroys any credibility that I might otherwise perceive.

I have resolved to put such things, and all similar things that have no practical, real life consequences ON THE GROUND, where the "rubber meets the road" on a mental "suspense list" shelf, and ignore it completely.

Otherwise, I agree with GB Member Dan Sydlik, and will try to do the same.

Does that go for the aliens thing too.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

On 7/8/2021 at 11:35 AM, Pudgy said:

I find that all this "1914 Overlapping Generation", "Gog of Magog", and "King of the North" stuff does nothing but distract me ...and even if it is all true, it SOUNDS phony, and destroys any credibility that I might otherwise perceive

An Edler once said to me ' Things written in the Bible are there for a purpose, not just to fill up space'.

The overlapping generation is NOT written in the Bible. But the other things are.

The probelm is, the GB / Leaders / helpers of the Watchtower / JW org, just cannot be humble. They cannot just say 'We don't know'.   They are always pretending there is 'new light', which is funny as they now admit that they are not inpsired by God's Holy Spirit. so yes, they destroy their own credibility. 

[JW Insider]

I think that this topic now contains sufficient overgrowth so that my next comments will end up being of much less interest to those who have much less interest. My comments here --just my opinion, of course-- are a follow-up on previous comments about why I would not think of Russell and his associates, specifically, as the fulfillment of Malachi 3. One reason, of course, is that Malachi 3 was already said to be fulfilled in John the Baptist, and this explanation came from Jesus himself. I don't think we have a right to try to one-up Jesus' explanation. Also, the only reason it seems necessary to turn Russell's work into the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is our unique chronology surrounding 1914. So far, imo, all the Biblical evidence indicates against 1914. And, even if something like that could be claimed, there would still be nothing pointing to 1919, which is apparently the real reason behind the Malachi 3 application. 

I don't want to rehash some of what is already in a topic linked below, but there was a point that Anna brought up in that topic which is worth considering:

https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/topic/47934-charles-taze-russell-was-he-recently-canonized/

On 10/29/2017 at 5:37 PM, Anna said:

... it is a difficult thing for man to stay humble when he believes he has an important mission to accomplish. I believe his motives must have been noble though, why else would a man spend his fortune on something that would not profit him financially?

I'm sure you are right, Anna, that it can be difficult for a man to stay humble when he believes he has an important mission to accomplish. This is especially true when one's chronological worldview has painted him into a corner. And there is a pedestal placed in that corner. The problem is that Russell did a lot of that painting himself.

The Day of the Lord had already begun in 1874, the Millennium had begun around 1873, Jesus had come and was now present on earth since 1874, although invisible. He was right then calling the last of the marriage guests, the remaining members of his Bride. If he didn't take them in 1878, then he must have meant for all of them to begin changing at the moment of their death (or rapture?) after October 2, 1881. The "door was shut" on that date, and there would be no more new members called, with the possible exceptions necessary to replace any who had proven unfaithful before their death. Between 1881 and 1914 (or well before) all of Christ's Bride would be with Christ having been rewarded with their spiritual bodies. And Russell was now God's mouthpiece for those "wise virgins" who would prove themselves faithful.

It's difficult to imagine a person who "puts his money where his mouth is," and "sticks his neck out" to convince people how close we are to the end as having ulterior motives. If he is not sincere, he is only asking for shame and notoriety. And I don't accuse him of ulterior motives. And I'm sure he wasn't looking for shame. But I'm also a big fan of the Bible's admonition:

(Romans 3:4) . . .let God be found true, even if every man be found a liar, . . .

And I don't think it's too much of a stretch to see that Russell sometimes lied.

I'm not talking about those times when he contradicted himself in the Watch Tower, claiming he hadn't said something that he had, for example. I'm talking mostly about trying to manipulate the legal courts with untruths. These occasions seem obvious when I look at the court case he lost to his wife. (Personally, I think anyone who only reads the uncontested testimony would think of what Russell did to his wife as absolutely disgusting.)  But those issues will be chalked up to "he-said-she-said."  But there were occasions when Russell committed perjury, and had to carefully walk back his own previous testimony to avoid the consequences. (If anyone really cares, this information is already public, so I can point it out if necessary.)

There is also this claim that Russell was an extremely successful businessman who spent his fortune on something that would not benefit him financially. Well, people do this all the time, especially if they think they might get something else out of it besides financial gain. But then again, it was his father who had proven himself financially successful before Russell was born. 

And, then when Russell was sure there were only the few months left before the Bride's "rapture" between early 1876 and Spring 1878, did he really spend that fortune? Russell admitted in the Watchtower that he only gave a maximum of about $700 in total to that entire effort before Spring 1878. And he gave every indication that he thought that enterprise could even be profitable, if it weren't for mismanagement and unnecessary spending by Barbour. He knew exactly how much profit came from the selling of hymn books, the Three Worlds, and the "Object and Manner" tracts he had written himself. And in any case, it spring-boarded his name from a co-editor of the Herald, to the editor of the Watch Tower.

That doesn't make him dishonest, of course, but I started thinking of Russell as a little less than perfectly honest when I noticed that he wrote articles containing ideas from other people and never credited his source for those ideas. Instead, he wrote it was now God's time to begin revealing his plans in advance to his servants, that it was God's time to give the key, to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom. Although he goes to the trouble of asking for the self-promoting endorsement of  the primary expert on the Great Pyramid (Piazzi-Smyth) over the accuracy of many of "his" pyramid claims, he never gives credit to the person he copied so much of it from (Seiss). His article on the "seven times" published by George Storrs is the same. You would think he came up with it himself.

But did Russell actually "spend  his fortune" or "sell his business interests" even after 1881?

According to the 1907 court case, Russell was involved in many investments and businesses many years after he sold the clothing stores. There was real estate and rental properties. Also there were Coal Syndicates, Rock Run Fuel and Gas, Silica Brick, Brazilian Turpentine, Pittsburgh Asphalt, Pittsburgh Kaolin, U.S. Coal and Coke Company. And, of course, United States Investment Company which was his own holding corporation, then later used to handle Watch Tower Society assets.

Also, there were his interests in the Solon Society promoted in the Watch Tower, for which Russell was accused of defrauding some of the brethren. And, the better known issue of selling bags of wheat seeds through the Watch Tower whose claims for it were obviously exaggerated.

Also, even before I read the Pennsylvania Superior Court Reports, which reviewed 150 pages of previous testimony in 1908 when C.T.Russell appealed his loss, I was already in agreement with what I later read that the Superior Court concluded:

". . . the verdict [against CTR] was fully warranted . . . . His course of conduct toward his wife evidenced such insistent egotism and extravagant self-praise that it would be manifest to the jury that his conduct towards her was one of continual arrogant domination, that would necessarily render the life of any sensitive Christian woman a burden and make her condition intolerable. The indignities offered to her in treating her as a menial in the presence of servants, intimating that she was of unsound mind, and that she was under the influence of designing and wicked persons fully warranted her withdrawal from his house, and justified her fear than he intended to further humiliate her by a threat to resort to legal proceedings to test her sanity. There is not a syllable in the testimony to justify his repeated aspersions on her character or her mental condition . . . other than that she did not agree with him in his views . . . He himself says that she is a woman of high intellectual qualities and of perfect moral character . . . the general effect of his testimony is a strong confirmation of her allegations."

And of course, Russell had already tried to smear her reputation in the pages of the Watchtower itself. The pettiness of those Watch Tower articles has always bothered me. It's widely known I think that it was his wife who did a lot of the work and even the writing of "Divine Plan of the Ages" and perhaps large parts of additional volumes, yet when Russell sent men to kick her out of her living quarters, Russell also took her money and kept her purse, which would force her into the care of the same people (relatives) that Russell claimed (in the Watch Tower) were the bad influences on her sanity.

Instead of paying her alimony, even as appreciation for her work on the Studies Volume that sold about 5 million copies, Russell ended up letting Watch Tower readers take up a collection to pay her and the court costs. In 1909, he emptied the money from the Pennsylvania corporation and transferred about $300,000 in value to the New York Corporation and all of his personal investments were now held by the NY corporation. Therefore he claimed that he didn't have a penny to give her.

None of these specific issues will mean much on their own, due to the nature of divorce cases and the like. But, in my opinion, when you combine the probability of uncontested testimony with his more obvious perjury in court, and the fact that he still refused to give his ex-wife alimony after losing the case, it tells me that he wasn't actually as "justified" as he claimed to be. (By "justified from birth" Russell said that he meant he didn't have the same need for contrition since he was free of purposeful sin.)

This is off the original topic of Russell's apology, to be sure, but I haven't found it yet. And I think that some of this information will be relevant even when I do find it.

Also, this doesn't mean we can't appreciate Russell's excellent Bible commentary and emphasis on Christian doctrines and Christian character. It reminds me of when Jesus said:

(Matthew 23:2, 3) “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. Therefore, all the things they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but they do not practice what they say.

[JW Insider]

I just re-read what I wrote, and realize it gives a much worse impression of CTRussell than I intended. I believe what I wrote above, so I don't see a need  to rewrite it. Much of it came from notes when I tried to defend Russell against some things that Edmond Gruss had written, along with my own attempt to use what Rutherford wrote to defend Russell in "A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens" (1915).

But I don't think of Russell as Pharisaical in any way in spite of Matthew 23:2,3. I do think that Russell played a key role in congealing the "Great Awakening" and "Restoration" movements into a much more "Christian" brotherhood. He realized early on just how different the particular set of "best practices" and "best doctrines" were from the other Christian organizations. And although he didn't like the use of the term organization, it made no difference, because he wanted to organize a more Christian brotherhood "out of Babylon the Great" as early as 1881. This doesn't mean that Babylon fell in that year, or even in 1919. But it was some of the most important progress made in the whole 19th century.

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

14 hours ago, JW Insider said:

I just re-read what I wrote, and realize it gives a much worse impression of CTRussell than I intended.

You are strange JWI. As I've said before, you write something then you basically apologise for it. 

We all know that Almighty God, and Christ, read hearts. I cannot imagine God or Christ using Russell, going by what you've written. 

14 hours ago, JW Insider said:

that it can be difficult for a man to stay humble when he believes he has an important mission to accomplish. 

 

14 hours ago, JW Insider said:

it tells me that he wasn't actually as "justified" as he claimed to be. (By "justified from birth" Russell said that he meant he didn't have the same need for contrition since he was free of purposeful sin.)

Um I don't see much about being humble there. And you seem to have proven that Rusell commited lots of purposeful sin.

14 hours ago, JW Insider said:

And of course, Russell had already tried to smear her reputation in the pages of the Watchtower itself. The pettiness of those Watch Tower articles has always bothered me.

What can one say. By what you are telling us, Russell used what was supposed to be, God's way of 'getting His message to people, the Watchtower, to smear his wife's reputation.  What does that say about this man ? 

15 hours ago, JW Insider said:

There is also this claim that Russell was an extremely successful businessman who spent his fortune on something that would not benefit him financially. Well, people do this all the time, especially if they think they might get something else out of it besides financial gain

Um, sounds familiar. The GB come to mind. Real estate comes to mind. 

if they think they might get something else out of it besides financial gain. Yes indeed. 

Well Russell wasn't a JW, but the GB do seem to be like Russell . Self centered in seems.