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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. 
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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. I am attempting to location an English translation of the Book "Crusade Against Christianity". If you are aware of one, please use the About page and let me know, thanks.  What was serving at Bethel like in 1925, follow along in this '"day-in-the-life" on page 116 in the "Divine Purpose" book.
"Of necessity the Bethel Home must be conducted in an orderly way. No other way would be pleasing to the Lord. To this end, rules are had for the government of the home. A printed copy of the rules is placed in the hands of each one who enters the home for service. He is requested to study these rules and abide by them. At 6 :30 o'clock in the morning the rising signal is sounded. Every one is expected to arise immediately, take a bath and prepare for the day. At 7 a.m. the breakfast signal is sounded and the entire family assembles in the dining-room. The morning devotion is led by the president when present. When he is absent, some one else is designated to fill this place. Morning devotion consists of singing a song previously selected for the day. Then prayer is offered by the one leading or by some one whom he requests. After this the blessing upon the food is asked by some member of the family. Following that, the breakfast meal is served; and during the service the Bible text for the day is read and is freely discussed by the members of the family, particularly those who are elders in the ecclesia. At the conclusion of the discussion and the reading of the comment contained in the Year Book, the president sums up in a brief statement especially appropriate to the daily text.' The family then stands while being dismissed with prayer. At eight o'clock in the morning all members of the family are expected to be diligently performing their respective duties. Some operate the laundry, others mend shoes or press clothes, others prepare the food, others cook it, others wash the dishes, and give attention to the dining-room, while still another company cares for the house. Each one performs his service faithfully as assigned, doing it always as unto the Lord because he is doing service that is necessary to carry on the Lord's work. All who are admitted to the home and assigned to service first file a questionnaire declaring that they are fully consecrated to the Lord and in full harmony with the work that the Society is doing. The purpose is to have the members of the family in full harmony and working with one object in view, namely, that of proclaiming the gospel of God's kingdom. It is readily to be seen that no one is expected to remain at the home unless he performs service. At noon an hour is given for the serving of the food and the discussion of Bible questions. Any one of the family or any one visiting the family may propound a Bible question. The one presiding calls upon various brethren to give their expression on the question and then there is a free and open discussion of the question by any one who may desire to participate therein. At the conclusion the one leading sums up the question by covering the points that have been previously brought forth. A similar course is followed at the evening meal. In fact, at the time of serving each meal in the diningroom there is also a time and occasion for the study of the Bible and the time is so occupied . . .. On Monday evening there is a study of some leading article in The Watch Tower. The attendance at this meeting is limited to members of the family. This meeting is usually led by the president of the Society." Have you ever wondered how much it cost to produce the Photodrama of Creation? Wonder no more. From the "Divine Purpose" book page 57.
"At least twenty complete sets in four parts were prepared, making it possible to serve eighty cities each day. And it was shown at a cost to the congregations of between $150,000 to $200,000 for 1914 alone." How much would that cost today. be ready. $6,134,920, over 6 million dollars. What did Brother Russell say after the project was done and the bills had to be paid. Again, on page 57. "God kindly veiled our eyes as respects the amount of labor connected with the DRAMA. Had we foreknown the cost of time and money and patience necessary for the start we would never have begun it. But neither did we know in advance the great success that would attend the DRAMA." It was in The Watchtower, then online, then an announcement with the information to the Watchtower history and archives department. The call for older publications. No doubt many thought the old "Rainbow" books by Rutherford qualified as "older" and wanted. Na...a lot were printed. There were also a lot of "Dawn" books and "Studies in the Scriptures" by the way, same book, just a name change. Oh but that "Riches" book. Nope, lots of them as well. So what gives? In the early days of conventions there were pennants and lapel buttons. These were very cheaply made, and few survive. Also, the "Studies in the Scriptures" accordion. It was just the covers of the books all attached together to unfold along the arm of the presenter to show interested ones. If the person agreed to a set a set was ordered and the IBSA returned with a set of the books. Also, if you happen to have an Angel-O-Phone in your attic or one of the Watch Tower produced stand up portable record players. But there are two items that are really in need by Watchtower. The first is the July 1879 Watch Tower. There were only 6,000 printed and logically most were destroyed over time. However, the first editions of The Watch Tower were not magazines but 4-fold out page newspapers. On eBay you will find a Brother that does excellent reprints, and these are needed. However, be aware of these reprints out there, from the "Divine Purpose" book page 100. "It was in 1919 that the Society decided to make reprints of all the Watch Towers printed during the forty-year period from July, 1879, to June 15, 1919 . These were bound in seven volumes and enabled those new in the truth to receive this valuable reference material at one third the original subscription rate." Now it is possible that if one of these reprints were found (they are still desirable.) someone may remove the July 1879 and attempt to pass it off as an original first edition print.  The second item is a book entitled "Three Worlds" by Russell and Barbour. Notice the comment in the "Divine Purpose" book page 19 "That same year, 1877, together with Barbour, Russell produced a book called "Three Worlds or Plan of Redemption." Nothing like it had ever been published before. It combined for the first time the explanations of time prophecies with the work of Restitution. At this early date they recognized that the end of Satan's period of uninterrupted rule of the earth, called "Gentile times," would come in 1914."  Suppose you found one, or both, your first inclination is to look up what they are selling for. I'll save you some time, some have listed an original first edition in mint condition of the 1879 Watch Tower for $11,000. Since an original copy of the "Three Worlds" has never been listed, I have never seen one, there is no set price for it, but it could be in the 6 figures. Currently there are several reprints produced by Brothers on eBay, those are listed for several hundreds. Why list what these might be worth? People who have them will look it up regardless. However, consider, if you have a copy or two or three, what greater reward can there be then to donate them to Watchtower. Okay so you can get some money for them, but the money is spent and gone. But, if you donated them to Watchtower, and as is hoped and expected, our history survives Armageddon, that publication you donated will be there forever. Consider, you can share with those resurrected "I was able to donate (this item) to Watchtower in the old world and there it is today."
So, keep an eye out and if you discover one, an open heart to donate it to Watchtower. |
AuthorI enjoy history, research and study. ArchivesCategoriesBook written by me
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