Publication date
12/1/16
Volume
37
Number
23
The WatchTower
Portrait of Pastor Russell
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1916/23/1916-23-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
VOL. 
XXXVII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
DECEMBER 
1, 
1916 
No. 
23 
The 
Watch 
Tower 
Editoria£ 
Committee: 
This 
.Journal 
is 
published 
under 
the 
supervision 
of 
an 
Editorial 
Committee, 
at 
least 
thrpe 
of 
wholll 
mllst 
haw· 
read 
and 
have 
approved 
as 
Truth 
each 
and 
every 
article 
appearing 
in 
these 
columns. 
TlH' 
names 
of 
the 
E<litorial 
Committee 
now 
serving 
are: 
\\'. 
E. 
VAN 
AMBURGH, 
J. 
F. 
RUTHERFORD, 
H. 
C. 
ROCKWELL, 
F. 
H. 
ROBISOr-;, 
R. 
H. 
HIRSH. 
BIOGRAPHY 
(354-356) 
tieth 
century 
upon 
these. 
He 
made 
no 
claim 
of 
a 
special 
revelation 
from 
God, 
but 
held 
that 
it 
was 
God's 
due 
time 
for 
the 
Bible 
to 
be 
understood; 
and 
that, 
being 
fully 
conse­ 
crated 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
to 
his 
service, 
he 
was 
permitted 
to 
understand 
it. 
Because 
he 
devoted 
himself 
to 
the 
develop­ 
ment 
of 
the 
fruits 
and 
graces 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
the 
pro­ 
mise 
of 
the 
Lord 
was 
fulfilled 
in 
him: 
"For 
if 
these 
things 
be 
in 
you 
and 
abound, 
they 
make 
you 
that 
ye 
shall 
neither 
be 
barren 
nor 
unfruitful 
in 
the 
knowledge 
of 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
Christ."-2 
Peter 
1: 
5-8. 
He 
clearly 
taught 
and 
proved 
his 
teachings 
by 
the 
cita­ 
tion 
of 
Scripture 
a 
uUlOrity-that 
man 
does 
not 
possess 
an 
immortal 
soul, 
that 
he 
is 
a 
soul 
and 
is 
mortal; 
that 
the 
wages 
of 
sin 
is 
death-not 
eternal 
torment; 
that 
death 
came 
upon 
man 
as 
the 
just 
penalty 
for 
the 
violation 
of 
God's 
law; 
that 
death 
means 
the 
destruction 
of 
man; 
that 
God, 
in 
his 
good­ 
ness, 
has 
provided 
the 
great 
ransom 
price 
whereby 
lI1<'ln 
may 
be 
delivered 
from 
the 
bondage 
of 
sin 
and 
death; 
that 
God's 
beloved 
Son, 
Jesus, 
became 
a 
man 
and 
grew 
to 
manhood's 
estate, 
was 
put 
to 
death 
as 
a 
man 
and 
raised 
again 
from 
the 
dead 
a 
spirit-being, 
possessing 
the 
divine 
nature; 
that 
by 
his 
death 
and 
resurrection 
Christ 
.Jesus 
provided 
and 
produced 
the 
ransom-price 
for 
man's 
deliverance 
and 
restoration; 
that 
Jesus 
Christ, 
by 
the 
grace 
of 
God, 
tasted 
death 
for 
every 
man; 
that 
every 
man 
in 
God's 
due 
time 
mnst, 
therefore, 
have 
a 
fair 
trial 
for 
life, 
and 
to 
thi'\ 
end 
there 
shall 
be 
a 
resurrec­ 
tion 
of 
all 
the 
dead; 
that 
Jesus 
Christ 
ascended 
into 
heaven 
and 
must 
come 
the 
second 
time; 
that 
the 
period 
of 
time 
elaps­ 
ing 
between 
the 
first 
and 
sC('ond 
coming 
of 
the 
Lord 
is 
de­ 
voted 
to 
the 
election 
of 
the 
members 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ, 
taken 
from 
amongst 
men; 
that 
the 
requirements 
for 
election 
to 
that 
exalted 
position 
are, 
full 
faith 
in 
the 
shed 
blood 
of 
IDS 
TEAOHINGS 
Jesus 
as 
the 
ransom 
price, 
a 
full 
consecration 
to 
do 
the 
Naturally 
of 
a 
reverential 
mind, 
desiring 
to 
worship 
and 
Father's 
will 
even 
unto 
death; 
that 
all 
who 
thus 
are 
conse- 
serve 
the 
true 
God, 
he 
reasoned, 
"All 
the 
creeds 
of 
Christen- 
crated 
and 
begotten 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
and 
are 
overcomers 
dom 
claim 
to 
be 
founded 
on 
the 
Bible, 
and 
these 
are 
eonflict- 
shalI 
have 
part 
in 
the 
chief 
resurrection. 
and 
be 
exalted 
to 
ing. 
Is 
it 
possible 
that 
the 
Bible 
has 
been 
misrepresented? 
positions 
in 
the 
heavenly 
kingdom 
of 
God 
and 
participate 
It 
may 
not 
teaeh 
the 
terrible 
doctrine 
of 
eternal 
torment." 
with 
Christ 
Jesus 
in 
his 
Millennial 
reign 
for 
the 
blessing 
of 
Turning 
again 
to 
the 
Bible 
he 
determined 
to 
make 
a 
careful, 
alI 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth; 
that 
during 
the 
thousand-year 
systematic 
study 
of 
it 
without 
reference 
to 
creeds 
of 
men. 
reign 
of 
Christ 
alI 
of 
the 
dead 
shall 
be 
awakened, 
and 
given 
As 
a 
result 
the 
remainder 
of 
his 
life 
was 
wholly 
devoted 
to 
a 
fair 
and 
impartial 
trial 
for 
life 
or 
death; 
that 
under 
said 
teaching 
the 
Bible, 
writing 
and 
Jlublishing 
religious 
books 
and 
reign 
the 
wilfully 
disobedient 
shalI 
be 
everlastingly 
destroyed, 
papers, 
lecturing 
and 
proclaimmg 
the 
message 
of 
Messiah's 
while 
those 
obedient 
to 
the 
righteous 
rule 
of 
Christ 
shall 
be 
kingdom. 
He 
was 
the 
greatest 
religious 
teacher 
since 
St. 
fully 
restored 
to 
human 
perfection 
of 
body, 
mind 
and 
chara~- 
Paul, 
and 
did 
more 
than 
any 
other 
man 
of 
modern 
times 
tel'; 
that 
during 
this 
Millennial 
reign 
the 
earth 
shall 
be 
to 
establish 
the 
faith 
of 
t~e 
people 
in 
the 
Scriptures. 
brought 
to 
a 
state 
of 
Edenic 
Paradise, 
and 
made 
fit 
as 
a 
place 
He 
was 
not 
the 
foun 
.er 
of 
a 
new 
religion, 
and 
never 
habitable 
for 
perfect 
man; 
that 
man, 
fully 
restored 
to 
per- 
made 
such 
claim. 
He 
revived 
the 
great 
truths 
taught 
by 
fection, 
will 
inhabit 
the 
beautiful 
earth 
in 
all 
the 
ages 
to 
Jesus 
and 
the 
apostles, 
and 
turned 
the 
light 
of 
the 
twen- 
come. 
VII-12 
[5997] 
Charles 
Taze 
Russell, 
known 
the 
world 
over 
as 
Pastor 
Russell, 
author, 
lecturer 
and 
minister 
of 
the 
Gospel, 
was 
born 
at 
Pittsburgh, 
Pa., 
February 
16, 
1852; 
died 
October 
31, 
1916. 
He 
was 
the 
son 
of 
Joseph 
L. 
and 
Eliza. 
Birney 
Russell, 
both 
of 
Scotc,h-Irish 
lineage. 
He 
was 
eduMted 
in 
the 
common 
8('hools 
and 
under 
private 
tutors. 
Author 
of 
"OBJECT 
AND 
MANNER 
OF 
OUR 
LORD'S 
Rm-URN," 
"FOOD 
FOR 
THINKING 
CHRIS­ 
TIANS," 
"TABERNACLE 
SHADOWS," 
"THE 
DIVINE 
PLAN 
OF 
THE 
AGES," 
"THE 
TIME 
IS 
AT 
HAND," 
"THY 
KINGDOM 
COME," 
''THE 
BATTLE 
OF 
ARMAGEDDON," 
"THE 
ATONEMENT," 
"THE 
NEW 
CREATION," 
"\VHAT 
SAY 
THE 
SCRIPTURES 
ABOUT 
HELL," 
"SPIRITISM," 
"OLD 
THEOLOGY 
TRACTS," 
''THE 
PHOTO-DRA.MA 
OF 
CREATION," 
et 
cetera, 
et 
cetera. 
He 
was 
married 
in 
1879 
to 
Maria 
Frances 
Ackley. 
No 
children 
blessed 
this 
union. 
Seventeen 
years 
later 
they 
dis­ 
agreed 
about 
the 
management 
of 
his 
journal 
and 
a 
separation 
followed. 
Reared 
under 
the 
influence 
of 
Christian 
parents, 
at 
an 
early 
age 
he 
became 
interested 
in 
theology, 
uniting 
himself 
with 
the 
Congregational 
Ohurch, 
and 
beca.me 
active 
in 
10001 
mission 
work. 
The 
doctrine 
of 
eternal 
torment 
of 
all 
man­ 
kind 
except 
the 
few 
elect 
became 
so 
abhorrent 
to 
him 
that 
at 
the 
age 
of 
seventeen, 
he 
was 
a 
skeptic. 
He 
said, 
"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 
sta,ndard 
would 
be 
lower 
than 
that 
of 
many 
men." 
He 
continued 
to 
believe, 
however, 
in 
the 
existence 
of 
God, 
but 
was 
not 
willing 
to 
ac­ 
cept 
the 
commonly 
understood 
teachings 
as 
God's 
revelation 
of 
himself 
to 
man. 
He 
turned 
his 
attention 
to 
the 
inVEsti­ 
gation 
of 
heathen 
religions, 
only 
to 
find 
all 
of 
these 
unsatie­ 
factory. 
Vou. XXXVIT BROOKLYN, N. Y., DECEMBER 1, 1916 The Watch Tower Editorial Committee: This Journal is published under the supervision of an Editorial Committee, at least three of whom must have read and have approved as Truth each and every article appearing in these columns. The names of the Editorial Committee now serving are: W. E. Van AmBuRGH, J. F. RuTHERForRD, H. C. Rockweti, F. H. Rosison, R. H. HIRsu. BIOGRAPHY Charles Taze Russell, known the world over as Pastor Russell, author, lecturer and minister of the Gospel, was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., February 16, 1852; died October 31, 1916. He was the son of Joseph L. and Eliza Birney Russell, both of Scotch-Irish lineage. He was educated in the common schools and under private tutors. Author of “ORJECT AND MANNER OF OUR Lorp’s RETuRN,” “Foop ror THINKING CHRISTIANS,” “TABERNACLE SHADOWS,” “THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE Aces,” “THp TIME 1s AT Hann,” “THy KiInepom Come,” “THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON,” “THE ATONEMENT,” “THE NEW Creation,” “WHat Say THE Scriptures Asour HELL,” “SPIRITISM,” “OLD THEOLOGY TRACTS,” “THE PHOTO-DRAMA oF CREATION,” et cetera, et cetera. He was married in 1879 to Maria Frances Ackley. No children blessed this union. Seventeen years later they disagreed about the management of his journal and a separation followed. Reared under the influence of Christian parents, at an early age he became interested in theology, uniting himself with the Congregational Church, and became active in local mission work. The doctrine of eternal torment of all mankind except tne few elect became so abhorrent to him that at the age of seventeen, he was a skeptic. He said, “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.” He continued to believe, however, in the existence of God, but was not willing to accept the commonly understood teachings as God’s revelation of himself to man. He turned his attention to the investigation of heathen religions, only to find all of these unsatisfactory. HIS TEACHINGS Naturally of a reverential mind, desiring to worship and serve the true God, he reasoned, “All the creeds of Christendom claim to be founded on the Bible, and these are conflicting. Is it possible that the Bible has been misrepresented? It may not teach the terrible doctrine of eternal torment.” Turning again to the Bible he determined to make a careful, systematic study of it without reference to creeds of men. As a result the remainder of his life was wholly devoted to teaching the Bible, writing and publishing religious books and papers, lecturing and proclaiming the message of Messiah’s kingdom. He was the greatest religious teacher since St. Paul, and did more than any other man of modern times to establish the faith of the people in the Scriptures. He was not the foun.er of a new religion, and never made such claim. He revived the great truths taught by Jesus and the apostles, and turned the light of the twen VII—12 [5997] tieth century upon these. He made no claim of a special revelation from God, but held that it was God’s due time for the Bible to be understood; and that, being fully consecrated to the Lord and to his service, he was permitted to understand it. Because he devoted himself to the development of the fruits and graces of the holy Spirit, the promise of the Lord was fulfilled in him: “For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Peter 1:5-8. He clearly taught and proved his teachings by the citation of Scripture authority—that man does not possess an immortal soul, that he is a soul and is mortal; that the wages of sin is death—not eternal torment; that death came upon man as the just penalty for the violation of God’s law; that death means the destruction of man; that God, in his goodness, has provided the great ransom price whereby man may be delivered from the bondage of sin and death; that God’s beloved Son, Jesus, became a man and grew to manhood’s estate, was put to death as a man and raised again from the dead a spirit-being, possessing the divine nature; that by his death and resurrection Christ Jesus provided and produced the ransom-price for man’s deliverance and restoration; that Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man; that every man in God’s due time must, therefore, have a fair trial for life, and to this end there shall be a resurrection of all the dead; that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and must come the second time; that the period of time elapsing between the first and second coming of the Lord is devoted to the election of the members of the body of Christ, taken from amongst men; that the requirements for election to that exalted position are, full faith in the shed blood of Jesus as the ransom price, a full consecration to do the Father’s will even unto death; that all who thus are consecrated and begotten of the holy Spirit and are overcomers shall have part in the chief resurrection. and be exalted to positions in the heavenly kingdom of God and participate with Christ Jesus in his Millennial reign for the blessing of all the families of the earth; that during the thousand-year reign of Christ all of the dead shall be awakened, and given a fair and impartial trial for life or death; that under said reign the wilfully disobedient shall be everlastingly destroyed, while those obedient to the righteous rule of Christ shall be fully restored to human perfection of body, mind and character; that during this Millennial reign the earth shall be brought to a state of Edenic Paradise, and made fit as a place habitable for perfect man; that man, fully restored to perfection, will inhabit the beautiful earth in all the ages to come. (354-356)

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