Jehovah's Witnesses Confess That The Name 'Watch Tower' Is Not Unique

Kenneson

This frank admission comes in the 1993 "Jehovah's Witnesses--Proclaimers of God's Kingdom," page 48:

"The expression 'Watch Tower' is not unique to Russell's writings or to Jehovah's Witnesses. George Storrs published a book in the 1850s called The Watch Tower: Or, Man in Death; and the Hope for a Future Life. The name was also incorporated in the title of various religious periodicals."

What the Society doesn't tell you is Storrs' Adventist background. So, Russell owes to Adventists more than he admits in the pages of Zion's Watch Tower. Even the name of his magazine and society derive from Adventists! The Watch Tower or mispah was a prominent symbol among the Adventist groups in the 1800s. They believed they were God's Watchman on the watchtower per Isaiah 21:6, 8 and Habakkuk 2:1-4.

Speaking on the Bible class he organized in 1868, Russell comments in ZWT May, 1890: "...from 1870 to 1875 was a time of constant growth and knowledge and love of God and his Word...we were then merely getting the general outline of God's plan, and unlearning many long-cherished errors, the time for a clear discernment of the minutiae having not yet fully come. And here I should and do gratefully mention assistance rendered by Brothers Geo. Stetson and Geo. Storrs, the latter the editor of the Bible Examiner, both now deceased..." And what in addition to the name 'Watch Tower" might this assistance have been? George Storrs did not believe in the immortality of the soul or eternal punishment. Now do you get the connection? George Storrs obituary appears in the Feb. 1880 issue of ZWT, page 7, where Russell calls him a "faithful servant," who will soon "enter into the joys of the Lord." Is it any wonder he held Storrs in such high esteem?

Kenneson

P.S. Please note that these are Second Adventists and not to be confused with Ellen White's Seventh Day Adventists.

Panda

This reminds me of how I always wanted to get a bunch of those tarot Tower cards and send them to my old dub buddies...illustrating the point that the use of "watchtower" was nothing new to folk who enjoy prophecy.

Gretchen956

Dammm, and here I thought you were going to be quoting Jimmi Hendrix!!

Sherry

Kenneson

Gretchen,

Or BoB Dylan.http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/watchtower.html Which goes to show that the W.T. Society doesn't have a monoply on the word. I guess they couldn't get it copyrighted, otherwise they would have probably sued someone by now. But I bet it irritates them to no end to see others using their "sacred" name in a profane (or secular) way.

RR

This is nothing new. I have seen several Newspapers and jpurnals called "The Watch Tower". In fact I have a journal called "The Watch Tower" as published by the Advent Christian Church, published at the same tme that the Society published their "The Watch Tower"

RR

Kenneson

Thank you, R.R. Not new, but sometimes glossed over, especially by JWs. Except for this one admission in the Proclaimer's book, how many other times have they discussed it?

RR

Why should that be a problem Ken? Why does the Society have to go around and explain every little thing about themselves? When I was doing my research, I found over a dozen journals and newspapers called "The Watch Tower." Sowhat? Do you know how many journals and Newspapers there called "The Herald" or "The Midnight Cry"? When Jim Penton published "The Bile Examiner" in the early 1980s, did he have to explain to everone there was already a "Bible Examiner" started by George Storrs in the mid 1800s? C'mon, stop grasping at straws!!!!

RR

minimus

RR, I think the "WATCHTOWER" is almost always associated with JWs (now at least). The WTBS wants people to think they are unique. They are the ONLY ones acting as "watchmen".

RR

Well, currently, they are unique and the ONLY ones using the name Watchtower, (as a religious name).

Jehovah's Witnesses Confess That The Name 'Watch Tower' Is Not Unique

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