Do somebody know what Russell taught about Babylon the Great?

by Kosonen 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Kosonen
    Kosonen

    I once looked into an old publication in the Kingdomhall library and found what Russell taught to be Babylon the Great. I remember that it was not what the Watchtower explains today, the world empire of false religion but it was something else. But I do not remember the expanation. Have somebody any idea what it was?

    On youtube I've seen some explaining that America is Babylon the Great. There are also some interesting videos in the serie Empire of the City. This resembles much to the signs of Babylon the Great which is said to be a mystery.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5L_x6RHE4s

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    The WTS (along with many other Protestant groups) understood Babylon the Great to be the Roman Catholic Church.

    See p. 259 of the Finished Mystery (1918 ed.) (it can take a while to download from this link) or p. 139 of the ZG version.

  • possible-san
    possible-san

    Kosonen.

    AFAIK, Russell explained the Roman Catholic Church in detail.
    (Studies in the Scriptures, Series II, "The Time Is at Hand" STUDY IX, Written in 1888 by Charles Taze Russell)
    http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/timeisathand/study9.html

    Although there is no reference direct there, it is written like this (p.348).

    "In horror and wonder we ask ourselves, Why did kings, and princes, and emperors, and the people at large, permit such atrocities?
    Why did they not arise long ago and smite down Antichrist?
    The answer is found in the Scriptures (Rev. 18:3):
    The nations were drunk (stupefied), they lost their senses in drinking the mixed wine (doctrine, false and true mixed) given them by the apostate church."

    http://www.archive.org/stream/millennialdawn02russ#page/348/mode/2up

    possible

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    Looking at Google books "The Finished Mystery" , my impression was that Babylon The Great the Mother of Harlots was, in their view, The Roman Catholic Church but they broadened the definition to include Protestantism as well so that all of "Christendom" was likewise condemned

  • yknot
    yknot

    sectarianism come to mind.....

    But more to the point of your question....

    Russell addresses the identity in the Nov 1879 WT in the article "Babylon Has Fallen"

    He initially starts with Papacy but other denominations are included in the article as well.

    Here is a snippet:

    ""This system church, living in union with the world constitutes “the abomination”-“the harlot.” and the name Babylon, meaning confusion, is applicable because the world is called a beast and the churcha woman. This then was the union of the woman and the beast which is expressly forbidden in type.""

    If anyone is interesed in reading the article the 1879 WT it can be downloaded here, it is found on pages 46/47 of the pdf : http://www.archive.org/details/WatchTowerBibleandTractSocietyofPennsylvaniaWatchTowerpubs_0

  • yknot
    yknot

    Studies in the scripturs vol 7......(The Finished Mystery)

    The start of the schism....... many Bible students rejected 'The Finished Mystery' because it was compiled under Rutherford's direction.

    There is no indication that Russell was ready to publish such a volume and in fact had been quite hesitant.

    Many consider 'the Finished Mystery' to be the birth of Rutherford's reign...

  • Kosonen
    Kosonen

    Thanks to you all who helped me to know what Russell taught. Thanks also for providing sources. I read there a couple of pages and I was surprised how Russell condemned the development of power structure in the early church. Is it not very similar to how the WT-society has developed?

    Sad too that he so eagerly wanted to identyfy the Man of sin, when he had not yet appared. It would been enought to identyfy the apostacy at that time. But of course then he could not have been able to predict the end.

  • wantingtruth
    wantingtruth

    Nice to hear again from you, Kosonen !

    By the way , have you consolidate your view/understanding regarding who/what is BTG during the "latter days" period of time ? (I said during the latter days , and not all the time from apostles until today )

    Christian Greetings , Kosonen

  • Kosonen
    Kosonen

    Hellow again wantingtruth,

    I'am happy to be invited to explain what I now think of BTG (Babylon the Great, for those unfamiliar with the abbreviation). Just a few moths ago my fleshly brother started to talk about secret societies running the world, on the top is the Bilderberggroup. They have some kind of governing body even inside this small group. They gather themselves once a year and at their meeting. There are about 120-150 participants. They invite 3 or more prominent persons from every western country. And they set the agenda for the next year. Then under them there are the Illuminati, freemasons, trilateral commision, council of foreign relations, cia, jesuits. All these secret organizations are interconected and members can be at the same time members in several of these organizations. It quite resembles the watchtower organization, with the governing body, different comities, zones, districts, circuits. A spy Daniel Estulin who has investigated this hidden power structure and published 2 books and unveiling them says they have no man leading them. They are like the WT-society. But all of them on high level are involved in Lucifer-worship. And therefor their true leader is the Devil. And by their spiritism they rule over the kings on earth.

    So in some way they form Babylon the Great. In revelation 17: 18 it says: And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.”

    Which city rules over many "kings"? Well Washington DC. has a powerfull influence on governments with private elitist's organizations like World bank, IMF, Federalbank and Federalreserv. Those same organizations own the weapon industry and foment wars to make money. They get then taxpayer money for their industry. And their goal is to reduce the earth's population to a "good" level.

    The words in Revelation18: 24 well fits them: Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” But the killing of profets and the holy ones and the killing of those refusing to take the mark of the beast has not begun. So it will be worse then.

    But as facts show Washington DC. , London city and the Vatican are closely interconnected, so this could well be said to be a great city as the youtube video suggests. Other youtube videos show that FEMA has built 800 concentration camps in US and that the chief of FEMA is a hater of all christians. So maybe there will be a severe persecution of christians in US. Maybe that's from where to flee. As Revelations 18: 4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if YOU do not want to share with her in her sins, and if YOU do not want to receive part of her plagues.

    All this information is new to me. I've got it during the last months through youtube. Therefor I have not yet got a full understanding of all details and how to exactly define all. But Babylon the Great does not be the same as apoctacy in the Churches. Allthough Babylon the Great tries to infiltrate all big organizations to futher their agenda for world domination. Like Babylon in the ancient, was not simply a religious thing, but it was a world power and they ruled over many weaker countries, the same should be true today.

    I hope, wantingtruth, that you got some keys to examine futher what is Babylon the Great.

  • blondie
    blondie

    www.ctrussell.us

    These are all the WT publications from 1879 to 1916. There is a search function; using that you find what the definition of what Russell taught. Unfortunately, the 1917 Finished Mystery book was a compilation by 2 Bible Students from their selected quotes of Russell. This way you can go straight to the horse's mouth.

    Blondie

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