INSPIRED BY ADVENT CHRISTIANS
Charlse T. Russell was born in Allegheny, Pennsyvania in the United States on February 16, 1852. His perents were Presbyterians. As Russell grew older he felt that that choices in Protestantsim and religions at the time did not answer life's questions and did not add up. He concluded that different churches offered bits of truth but mixed with much errors.
One evening in 1869 he happened to come upon a recreation town hall which had a banner strung across the front of it announcing a free Bible prophecies seminar and discussion to the public. With much interest he decided to check it out. It was held by The Advent Christian Church. He was greatly inspired and impressed with what he heard there and spoke of being especially impressed with a pastor there named Jonas Wendell.
Here the Advents explain there belief that the Bible taught the coming on God's Kingdom and not that God's kingdom was just a feeling of good will towards humanity in one's heart, as many churches taught and still teach to this day.
This encounter, he said, re-established his faith in the Bible and help him be convinced that the prophecies of the Jewish Testament and New Testament DID fit together after all. This Advent Christian discussion, he said filled him with more zeal to go back and study the Bible with more interest and depth.
Russell became great freinds with Jonas Wendell and through him also befriended Advent Christian pastor George W. Steston of Edinboro Pennsyvania.
LEARNING "THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS"
Then he befriended a third Advent Christian named George Storrs who was publishing his own Advent Christian paper called "The Bible Examiner", in Brookyln New York. Storrs explained how he strongly believed that 'HELL' was simply a mistransaltion of the Hebrew word 'SHEOL' which translates as "humanity's common grave", and NOT a an actual eternal fire pit of torment.
Storrs also believed that the soul was mortal. Thirdly, Storrs believe in the future coming of, "The restoration of ALL things", rather that it's destruction, based on Acts 3:21. This left a great impression on Russell.
In 1876 when Russell was 23 years old, he came across a copy of a religous magazine. He could tell that it was Advent Christian in nature because of the style logo on the cover. He read that the writter of this publication was Nelson Babour of Rochester, New York.
Reading this publication explained not only Nelson's belief of Christ's coming Kingdom but that this coming Kingdom would not destroy the literal earth, but restore this earth back to it's orginal Eden glory. But more so, Nelson exlained that this would be done not by Jesus' actual visible return on earth, as the Advents taught, but instead this would be acomplished by Jesus' invisible presence, taken from the Greek word "pariousia".
Russell became instantly delighted when he read this beauase this is precisley what he and his associates had already just concluded! All of this prompted Russell to re-think what the Advent Christians believed about beleiving that Jesus would come in physical and visible form on the earth.
So Russell set up a time to meet with Nelson. When they met to talk together about this, they confirmed that they were in agreement on this belief. Russell then published a booklet on this intitled, "The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return", in 1877. Then, jointly, Russell and Babour published, "The Three Ages, and the Harvest of This World." Then their next project was to revamp the publication, "The Herald of the Morning." This contiuned till August 1878.
NELSON COMES TO REJECT CHRIST'S RANSOM...SO RUSSELL PARTS FROM NELSON
On Auest 1878 Russell recieved a real shocker when he picked up their latest copy of the Herald to see that Nelson had written a main artcial in which he REJECTED that ransom value of Christ's death. Russell could not accept this and so he withdraw his support as a writter for The Herald.
In July of 1879 Russell started his own magazine that he named, "Zion's Watchtower and the Herald of Christ's Presence."
RUSSELL INSPIRES MANY GROUPS
Russell and those who joined him came to be called "Bible Students", because instead of justing listen to a pastor, they actually would sit down and study the Bible together. In November of 1916 Russell died. Much confusion and disputes broke out amoung the many different Bible Students.
The 5 board trustees of Russell publishing house broke away and seperated from each other. Rutherford took over The Watchtower in 1917 as president. One board member started his own group The Dawn Bible Bible Students in 1916 and began publishing the magazine The Dawn.
Paul Johnson broke away in 1918 and started The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement and started two magazine, "The Present Truth" and "The Bible Standard." The Epiphnay Bible Students broke off from The Laymen''s and started their own group in 1953. Then there came to be The Free Bible Students also called "Christian Millennial Fellowship in 1932.
To this day, all these Bible Student groups still publish and and use Russell orginal 6 volume books, "The Divine Plan." In 1931 Rutherford changed his groups name from Bible Students to Jehovah's Witnesses at a convention in Ohio.
It is recorded that Charlse T.Russell had requested that his Bible Students, "never be turned into a religious organization", but Rutherford went ahead and did just that, thinking that it would better serve to spread the kingdom message.
Bible Students teach that Russell was, "The Faithful and Discreet Servent", discribed at Matthew 24:45. While JW's teach that "The Faithful and Discreet Slave",is their "Governing Body" of men at Bethel Watchtower farms in New York city, also called "The Organization", "Jehovah's Organization", or "The Society".
However, it is interesting to note that while Russell was alive HE himself NEVER taught that HE was "The Faithful Servent", nor did he ever teach that, "Jehovah has a organization", who acts as a "Channel to Jehovah". Infact, Russell himself is recorded (See JW's Proclaimer's Book) saying: "Our ONLY leader and Mediator is but ONE Jesus Christ." See 1 timothy 2:5 and Matthew 23:10.
HERBERT ARMSTRONG & HIS BELIEFS IN THE COMING KINGDOM OF GOD
Herbert Armstrong's story began in Oregon in the 1920's. Armstrong was a newspaper advertising designer who came to accept Jesus as Savior. In so doing, he expressed feeling endless joy and inner peace and he was compelled to read the Bible and to write down was he learned. By making an indepth study and research into the Bible, he was able to understand a number of beliefs not taught in the Protestant churches.
KEY ARMSTRONG BELIEFS
One of these main beliefs was that the Kingdom of God would become a reality on earth as it already is in heaven and that the earth would be restored back to paradise. Though many deemed him "unorthodox", many others came to see validation in the things he taught about the prophecies of the Old Testament and New fitting together and they began to embrace this message.
Herbert Armstrong came to conclude a number of convictions, some key ones were:
(1) Jehovah is God
(2)Jesus is the Christ
(3) Holy Spirit is God's power
(4) The Kingdom of God would come on earth as it already is in heaven.
(5)Hell is simply a mistranslation of the Hebrew word SHEOL which means, "humnaity's common grave."
ARMSTRONG'S MOVEMENT & GROWTH
Soon Herbert Armstrong began forming a number of small congergations. In the 1930's he started a radio minostry program and also a magazine called, The Plain Truth." In 1947, Herbert Armstrong moved his ministry to southern Califoria where he could have better radio access. In the 1950's and 1960's the church grew quickly, and his radio minstry expanded all over the world, including Africa and Latin America.
THE CONFUSION OF 1975
In the 1970's church growth would be slowed in both Herbert Amstrong movement and JW because of a a date setting misconception. In 1975 the leadership in Armstrong, JW and other groups mentioned that the year 1975 would marked the 6,000 anniversary since humanity's creation.
Yet, many emotionally rattled by the the disturbing times of the previous 60's and early 70's, with it's war and civil rights upraisings were left unsettled and thinking the end was near. Many began to rush to conclusions that 1975 would be the year that Armageddon would come and these individuals actually began preaching this in and amoung these religious circles.
Both the leaderships of Armstrong and JW denounced these annoucements that the "end was coming in 1975." Never the less, this stumbled a great number of individuals to leave these groups. The results was a dramatic drop in membership numbers in both WCG and JW. Dispite this, both the WCG and JW would attract other members yet still.
THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD DENOUNCES ALL OF HERBERT ARMSTRONG'S BELIEFS & EMBRACES EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTISM INSTEAD
In 1986 Herbert Amstrong died at the age of 93. As with after the death of Russell and his many Bible Students began to dissagree and divide, so also was WCG thrwon up side down. Joseph Tkach became the successor of WCG after Armstrong's death.
Tkach complete changed all of Herbert Armstrong's orginal beliefs untill they no longer resembled Armstrong's church and teachings but instead the Evangelical Protestants. Armstrong's books were taken completely out of circulation.
In 1989, 3,000 members of WCG left and formed their own church to restore Armstrong's orginal teachings. This church became the Phildelpia Church of God. The present offical WCG web site admits that they no longer teach the coming of God's Kingdom on earth, but instead only focus on accepting Jesus as Savior.
RenwedEarth Russell Groups& Herbert Amstrong
Russell Group Web sites
Web page on the historical facts of Russell assocation with Advent Christians
The Official LHMMs Web Page
Opposite of popular belief...'all' Bible Students did 'NOT' simply become JW or die out. Here's a web site listing of over 35 of them.
The Philadelphian Church of God...A branch that STILL teaches Amstrong' original beliefse
This site tells you what Herbert Amstrong's 18 Main Beliefs were
Offical JW Page Explains Their Beliefs.
