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For years I had this site at www.tasana-studios.com and the fees got high. So I went to free. Guess what? Google does not index free websites. I was struggling to figure out why my site was not showing up in any Google searches. Then it hit me, with Weebly in the URL, it was basically a part of Weebly. So I found a Weebly paid plan I can deal with a got my www.tasana-studios.com back up with the old URL as a redirect. ARG!
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Those who have read the history of Watchtower are aware that from 1919 until his death in 1942 he suffered from illness. Although it is not confirmed he contacted the Spanish Flu while in the federal prison in Atlanta, in the book "Faith on the March" Macmillian says this. "The flu came along and our Sunday school was discontinued for a time. But just before we left all the classes were united in honor of our leaving. We were going on Monday, and that Sunday Rutherford talked for about three-quarters of an hour to that group. We had a number of the officers in there and many of the men had tears running down their cheeks. They were deeply impressed. We left a little group in there that was organized to continue their study." Pg 104-105 "Although Rutherford had been ill in bed all day Monday, he went to the auditorium that night to talk to the 1,500 assembled, but after about an hour he had to give up and an associate completed his lecture. For several weeks he was in serious condition and we thought he might not survive. Due to his weakened condition he had contracted pneumonia. The doctors said his trouble was due to the poisons in his system from impure air and poor food while in the Atlanta penitentiary." Pg 112. So although we do not know for certain Brother Rutherford contact the Spanish Flu in prison, Macmillan does confirm it entered the prison while they were there and afterwords Rutherford suffered for the rest of his like. Which was only 24 years.   NO! This seller wtarchive is NOT in any way or manner linked to Watchtower Archives in Warwick JW HQ. Look at his feedback >LINK TO FEEDBACK< he scans images from old publications, the Divine Purpose book or just downloads them, prints them out and list them for sale. He also has had item descriptions where he stated "authentic Watchtower Archive" item. He will also set up items on his shelves that are arranged similar to the actual Watchtower Archives, leading me to consider the eBay seller has been in Watchtower Archives.
I did reach out to the eBay seller, he said he was a JW, which it possible, I then pointed out that he has clearly stated his site is Watchtower Archives and some of his items are from the official Watchtower Archives. His reply was that they are his archives in his home. He was not suggesting he had any contact with the official Watchtower Archives. I did do my due diligence and researched all the facts, this eBay seller is NOT affiliated with Watchtower or Watchtower Archives, he is using the terms to boost his online sales. Please read his feedback before buying and please consider his method of selling, deception is involved. Simply put he is not who he appears to be and some are being deceived and buying from him thinking he has some connection to the real Watchtower Archives. There is nothing wrong with him selling these items on eBay or people buying from him. He is however, better off changing his eBay ID and store name and not misleading buyers into believing he has anything to do with Watchtower Archives. Buyer Beware. One last interesting thing he said when I proved to him that he was never involved with Watchtower Archives, he called me an opposer. I only asked him questions and presented facts, but he quickly attacked and used a vile term that Jesus actually said not to use on our Brothers. The following is feedback left on eBay for this seller. "d***e (823)- Feedback left by buyer. Past month Verified purchase We received the package very quickly. The seller’s communication was extremely fast and very courteous. This is a very old video that was transferred to a DVD so the audio quality is very poor. One cannot understand what the narrator is saying due to the choppiness. This was not conveyed in the description but I asked the seller and he confirmed this. Sadly, had we known this, we would not have purchased this DVD. HERITAGE 1966 Film Watchtower Jehovah Witnesses (#364456841997)" [The video is free on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqHibt9wutQ with excellent audio.] "w***i (695)- Feedback left by buyer. Past year Verified purchase NOT RARE but CHEAP KNOCKOFF! Tomes from this Seller are not from any Library or Archive, but are PRINT-ON-DEMAND copies produced by GYAN Books in India who incidentally sell same online for a quarter of the price of this Seller. The reduced size makes reading a little difficult. As for PACK and POST: sent from USA/OZ in just a plastic bag, no cardboard, bubble wrap, no paper - nothing. Bag ripped & all corners bent. Exorbitant charge. Was offered a refund with return cost at my expens Was of CODEX VATICANUS New Testament 4TH Cent NOMINA SACRA JEHOVAH Watchtower LEATHER (#364328260420)" "i***g (127)- Feedback left by buyer. Past year Verified purchase Seller did not protect the item for shipping. Seller failed to explain the image was from Wikipedia; so its not a rare item nor handmade. Further the image was poorly reduced in size creating a blurry print. However, seller did provide a full refund. Transparency is often helpful. Very Rare 1455 GUTENBERG BIBLE LEAF reproduction facsimile Watchtower research (#364024225926)" Some of the feedback is positive because the buyer is unaware of the source of the item, or like some they believe they are dealing with Watchtower Archives and concerned. A few years ago Watchtower published in the Watchtower Magazine a BOLO for the 1922 Cedar Point Ohio Film Footage. To this day none has been found. Not long after Watchtower issued a form for ones to donate old Watchtower artifacts to Watchtower, and many have, just sent in whatever they had. However something strange happened when Watchtower put out the notice for old Watchtower Artifacts and donating them. Some, a small number, realized there was money to be made from these items if listed on eBay. And to tell the facts some very old items that are very much needed for museum projects are showing up on eBay and some for over $1,000. Many of the items are indeed owned by the person who listed them, and it is there's to do with as they desire. However consider this. The portable phonograph that was invented and built by Watchtower, are those really owned by the person listing them? Consider, Watchtower assigned those Watchtower branded portable phonographs out to Special Pioneers and some Pioneers from 1933 forward. Each phonograph had a serial number that was recorded and the Special Pioneer or Pioneer "borrowed" the phonograph, Watchtower never "gave" them away. At the conclusion of their assignment the phonograph was to be returned to Watchtower. Now however many are showing up on eBay for sale some for over $1,000. The ones listing them are not going to be told they rightly belong to Watchtower, so they will stay listed. However if like me you are one that likes to hunt for the old artifacts and then donate them straight up to Watchtower without any request, here are some images of Watchtower built portable phonographs. These images are NOT copyright protected since the item is in reality owned by Watchtower. But if you are a hunter, get a good look at these. This is what you are looking for at old shops, junk stores etc. And if you do find one, really consider just donating it to Watchtower. Conditions of donating an old artifact to Watchtower. 1) You will not be paid. 2) Your name will not be put on the item for all to know you donated it. 3) Your name will not be published in a Watchtower or online for all to know you donated it. 4) You will get a thank you letter, and that is all. But there is something else you will get. It is believed that our Spiritual Heritage (the vast collection of Watchtower history artifacts) will survive into the New World. Why survive, this is a record of the history of Jehovah's people, the Bible survived. So if you were to donate an item, you can forever have the knowledge that something being used to teach resurrected ones was once upon a time donated by you. That it a priceless payment. So look at the images below and if you find one, ask your Elders for a donation form and ship it to Watchtower. I have finished with the "Divine Purpose" book and will now move on to Marley Cole's book, "New World Society". As I read, I will add any related events to already existing post. Think of it this way, a large jigsaw puzzle of information spread across several history books coming together by subject in one place. As I start to add information to existing entries you will get a better understanding of how information scattered across several books can be difficult to piece events together. As you get a better feel for how this blog works it will be easier to see all the gems together in one place. Of course we are only speaking of the gems that interest me. There are countless other gems that might interest others. I will also add new post of new gems that I find in books as I read.  Have you ever thought about how our understanding of Scripture happened? I had never thought about the book of Job and the issue of integrity being a "flash of light", but it was. At the August 6-10, 1941, convention Brother Rutherford gave a talk entitled "Integrity". You guessed it, it was about Job and the issue Satan brought up about man's integrity.
From the "Divine Purpose" book page 193. "It was in this talk that the issue of universal sovereignty was discussed In analyzing the drama of Job the speaker said : The issue between Satan and Jehovah was not raised for the first time in Job s day but centuries before that time The prophetic drama of Job discloses what Jehovah requires of all creatures who shall receive his bound less blessings While the question for determination raised by the prophetic drama was and is Can Jehovah put men on earth who under the most severe test will prove faithful and true to God? yet that great issue embraces much more The Scriptural record is that long before that time Satan had challenged the supremacy of JEHOVAH and raised the great issue Many other Scriptures support that conclusion Satan s accusing charge was made before the angels of heaven and hence was known among all the host of heaven but not properly understandable and appreciated amongst men till the present time God's due time now appears when those on earth devoted to him are given an understanding of the real issue The primary issue raised by Satan s defiant challenge was and is that of UNIVERSAL DOMINATION." Have you ever just sat and thought about, when did we get this understand or that. Or have you taken it for granted it was always there? This is what reading the history of your Spiritual Heritage will reward you with, a greater appreciation and understanding of your past. An on again off again topic. So, from the start Brother Russell saw the need to keep all classes, or congregations, unified on the same material, otherwise the early Bible Students would fracture like other religions. But how? Sending Brothers to the classes on a regular basis, today we call them Circuit Overseers.
The "Divine Purpose" book pages 188-190. "Yes, and you recall the work began in 1894.' An effort was made to reach each congregation in the United States and Canada at least twice a year by these visits. Then in 1928 the name designating these servants was changed to "regional service director" and their privileges of service were enlarged to "visit the classes, instruct them how to organize and to work efficiently in the field, and at the same time serve them by delivering discourses upon the present truth." By 1929 this feature of the service had increased to the point that thirteen English-speaking, one Ukrainian and two Polish brothers were engaging in the regional service work. From time to time a "zone assembly" would be held with the twenty or more participating congregations getting together for further instructions and spiritual upbuilding. Special servants were sent from the Society's headquarters to serve at these assemblies. October 1, 1938, the Society made provision for 148 zone servants and eleven regional servants to cover the country regularly. During 1939 a redivision of the territory made provision for 153 zones and six regions, each covered by its own servant." But then something interesting happens. Brother Rutherford put the brakes on it. This is just a small part of a long letter he published, from the "Divine Purpose" book page 191. "From and after December 1, 1941, the regional and zone servants will be discontinued and the regional and zone servants will be assigned to the work hereinafter described." In the letter he explains that he felt unity had been achieved in all the classes and it was up to each servant of the Lord to maintain that unity. I will post more on this later, but after 1940 Brother Rutherford, ended the CO work, the conventions and assemblies and singing at the meetings. It needs to be remembered he got very sick in prison, a lung disease and started having other problems as well. At this point in his life his health was failing fast and bad. We must remember even the Anointed are imperfect humans that get old, sick and suffer. No human has a hedge around them, not even the president of Watchtower, if Jehovah protected ANY human, even the Anointed, from the effects of sin and old age, Satan could make the charge that Jehovah cheated. On page 194 of the "Divine Purpose" book it mentions that at age 72 Brother Rutherford was suffering from a "Serious illness". The way I look at the choices Brother Rutherford made at this point in his life, proves that he was an imperfect human given to the effects of old age, memory issues, sin and imperfection. However, the Organization never faltered. When Brother Rutherford died, and Brother Knorr was elected President. On page 199 of the "Divine Purpose" book it brings out that in 1942, not many months at all from end to start, Brother Knorr restarted the CO visits, assemblies and conventions. We stopped counting return visits in September 2023, but when did we start counting them? The "Divine Purpose" books gives the answer on page 188, it was in 1938. So, it was for 85 years we counted return visits.
Brother Russell had the first Bible Study group in 1872 according to the "Divine Purpose" book page 187. But do we know who was "at the table"? No, because no roll call was made. But we can do some conjecture. 1) Brother Charles Russell; 2) His father J.L. Russell; 3) Conley; 4) Storrs and of course some other men. Since Russell married in 1879, his wife and mother-in-law would not have been in the room.
Yes, in fact several did, even knowing where they would end up. There are even some who showed favor to the Witnesses but remained in Nazi uniform so as to provide food, both physical and spiritual. Because this information is spread over several books, I will be updating this post as I read those other books.
This first quote is from the "Divine Purpose" book page 171. "There were also cases of SS guards turning from Nazism and dedicating themselves to Jehovah God and thereafter suffering with their former victims, Jehovah's witnesses." There are many more examples in other books I will add later, but I will add a personal experience I am aware of. I had the great privilege to interview a German Brother just before his death a few months before turning 90. I had known this Brother for years and knew he had been in the Hitler youth, but that was about it. He knew I did video work and one day he asked me if I would record his story. We did it as an interview. This Brother was in Nazi Germany at age 6 at the very start of WW2, he was later inducted into the Hitler youth and his accounts are difficult to hear. He even spoke of planning to beat up a "Bibelforscher". Instead, when he confronted the Bibelforscher, what he heard touched his heart, the youth started to study the Bible and became a faithful servant of Jehovah. He died a few weeks after the interview was completed. That interview is now in the Watchtower Archives. |
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