Charles Taze Russell

Charles Taze Russell, (February 16, 1852 - October 31, 1916), founder of the Bible Students Association, which developed into what is today Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA. He was the second son of Joseph L. Russell and Ann Eliza Birney, who were Presbyterians of Scottish-Irish descent. Russell was a skilled businessman. He became a partner with his father in a lucrative clothing store at the age of 11 and opened several shops of his own. By the time he was 18, Russell had left both Presbyterianism and Congregationalism because he could not reconcile the idea of an eternal hell with God's mercy: "A God that would use his power to create human beings whom he foreknew and predestinated should be eternally tormented, could be neither wise, just nor loving. His standard would be lower than that of many men." Russell was no atheist though, he just could not accept the teachings of the churches: "Gradually I was led to see that though each of the creeds contained some elements of truth, they were, on the whole, misleading and contradictory of God’s Word." Turning away from church creeds and searching for truth, Russell examined some leading Oriental religions, only to find these unsatisfying. His faith in the Bible was rekindled by Adventist Preacher Jonas Wendell. Adventists introduced him to the idea that the Bible could be used to predict God's plan of salvation and Christ's return. In Russell's own words: "Seemingly by accident, one evening I dropped into a dusty, dingy hall, where I had heard religious services were held, to see if the handful who met there had anything more sensible to offer than the creeds of the great churches. There, for the first time, I heard something of the views of Second Adventists [Advent Christian Church], the preacher being Mr. Jonas Wendell . . . Thus, I confess indebtedness to Adventists as well as to other denominations. Though his Scripture exposition was not entirely clear, . . . it was sufficient, under God, to re-establish my wavering faith in the divine inspiration of the Bible, and to show that the records of the apostles and prophets are indissolubly linked. What I heard sent me to my Bible to study with more zeal and care than ever before, and I shall ever thank the Lord for that leading; for though Adventism helped me to no single truth, it did help me greatly in the unlearning of errors, and thus prepared me for the Truth." Thus, in 1870, Russell and some of his aquaintances began a systematic study of the bible. One member of the group described: "Someone would raise a question. They would discuss it. They would look up all related scriptures on the point and then, when they were satisfied on the harmony of these texts, they would finally state their conclusion and make a record of it." As they researched the Bible, they concluded that immortality was a gift to be attained by those who became corulers with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom. (Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 2:6, 7) They saw the doctrine of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the opportunity that this provision made possible for humankind. (Matt. 20:28) They concluded that although Jesus first came to the earth as a man in the flesh, at his return he would be invisibly present as a spirit person. (John 14:19) They further found that the reason for Jesus’ return was not to destroy everyone, but to bless the obedient families of the earth. (Gal. 3:8) Russell wrote: "We felt greatly grieved at the error of Second Adventists, who were expecting Christ in the flesh, and teaching that the world and all in it except Second Adventists would be burned up." Russell acknowledged assistance from other individuals as well as Jonas Wendell, two whom Russell were most fond of were , George W. Stetson, pastor of the Advent Christian Church in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and George Storrs, publisher of the magazine Bible Examiner, in Brooklyn, New York. In 1873, at the age of 21, Russell published a booklet entitled The Object and Manner of the Lord’s Return. Around 50,000 copies were published. In 1879, he began publishing Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, now known as The Watchtower. Convinced of the need to promote what he considered to be the truth of the Bible’s message, Russell dissolved his partnership in his father's haberdashery business and devoted his entire fortune, approximately a quarter of a million dollars, to the promulgation of the Christian religion and the distribution of Bible literature. With the help of tutors, Russell managed to master the use of Hebrew and Greek dictionaries to study the Bible. Russell (who was never ordained by an institution) dedicated his life and his fortune to preaching Christ's millennial reign. In 1884 he founded the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, which became a flourishing publishing enterprise. His own books and booklets (notably seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures) reached a circulation of 16 million copies in 35 languages, and 2,000 newspapers published his weekly sermons. Russell died at the age of 64 on a train in Pampa, Texas, while on a lecture tour of the midwestern and southern parts of the United States.

Interest in pyramids

Russell believed that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh was "the stone Witness". This is often reflected in his life and writings. Even in his death, he had a huge pyramid structure dedicated to him, which can still be seen to this very day in Rosemont United Cemetery. During his life, Russell looked to the pyramid of Gizeh for collaboration for his prophecies. He did this by using a system of measurments: "In the passages of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh the agreement of one or two measurements with the present-truth chronology might seem accidental, but the correspondency of dozens of measurements proves that the same God designed both pyramid and plan..." (Watchtower 1922 June 15 p.187.) The second president of the Watchtower Society, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, eventually began to distance the organisation from some of Russell's teachings and doctrines. One of the many things he rejected from Russell's teachings was his teaching on the Great Pyramid. \n \n\n\n\n