Jehovah Witness Origin! (The Origin History of Jehovah’s Witnesses)

Summary

This video explores the origins and evolution of Jehovah's Witnesses, a religion founded by Charles T. Russell in the 1800s. It discusses Russell's doubts about traditional Christianity, his connection with William Miller's Adventist movement, and the development of unique doctrines. The video also highlights the organization's history of failed end-of-the-world predictions and its transformation from a simple Bible study into an organized religion by successors like Joseph Rutherford. It raises questions about the credibility of their teachings and the discrepancies with mainstream Christianity.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ The Jehovah's Witnesses originated in the 1800s, a period that saw the emergence of many new religious movements, each claiming to be the true Christian faith.
• 👤 It was founded by Charles Taze Russell, an 18-year-old who was initially skeptical of organized religion and had doubts about traditional Christian teachings.
• 📚 Russell's early work was a simple Bible study, but it evolved into a more structured religion under his successor, Joseph Rutherford.
• 🔮 Russell was influenced by William Miller, an Adventist who believed in the absence of hell and attempted to predict the end of the world.
• 📅 Russell also attempted to predict the end of the world multiple times, including the years 1874, 1914, and 1975, all of which were incorrect.
• 🏡 After failed predictions, many Jehovah's Witnesses left the religion, questioning its validity and leadership.
• 📖 The Jehovah's Witnesses produced their own Bible translation, the New World Translation, which has been criticized for its lack of scholarly input.
• 🔄 The doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses have changed significantly over time, often reflecting the beliefs of the current leadership rather than a consistent theological tradition.
• 🚫 The religion has faced controversies, including legal issues related to profiteering and internal scandals involving its leaders.
• 🌏 Key beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses differ significantly from mainstream Christianity, such as their views on the nature of Jesus and the afterlife.

Q & A

What was the historical context of the formation of Jehovah's Witnesses?

Jehovah's Witnesses emerged in the 1800s, a period that saw the birth of numerous religious movements such as Mormonism and 7th-day Adventism, all claiming to restore true Christianity.

Who founded Jehovah's Witnesses and what was his background?

Jehovah's Witnesses was founded by Charles Taze Russell, an 18-year-old boy who was originally a Presbyterian and had doubts about traditional Christian teachings, particularly about hell.

How did Charles Taze Russell's views on Christianity evolve?

Russell initially abandoned Christianity after a debate with an agnostic but later connected with William Miller's Adventist movement, which influenced his beliefs and led him to start a Bible study group.

What was significant about William Miller's teachings that attracted Russell?

William Miller's teachings, which denied the existence of hell and claimed the Bible supported this view, resonated with Russell and shaped his own beliefs.

What were some of the controversies surrounding Charles Taze Russell's personal life and teachings?

Russell was involved in controversies such as his divorce, legal issues with selling 'Miracle Wheat', and multiple failed predictions about the end of the world.

How did Joseph Rutherford change the direction of Jehovah's Witnesses after Russell?

Joseph Rutherford, Russell's successor, transformed the Bible study group into an organized religion with distinct doctrines and practices, including door-to-door evangelism.

What is the significance of the year 1914 in Jehovah's Witnesses' history?

1914 was predicted by Russell as the year for the end of the world, a prediction that did not come true and led to many Jehovah's Witnesses questioning the organization's teachings.

Why did the Jehovah's Witnesses create their own Bible translation, and what was controversial about it?

The New World Translation was created to align with their unique beliefs, but it was controversial because the translators had no formal training in biblical languages, leading to skepticism about its accuracy.

What were some of the other failed predictions made by Jehovah's Witnesses leaders?

There were several failed predictions about the end of the world, including ones for the years 1874, 1918, 1925, and 1975, which led to a loss of credibility and members.

How have the core beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses evolved over time?

The core beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses have undergone significant changes, often reflecting the views of the current leadership, which has led to inconsistencies and contradictions within their theology.

What are some of the unique beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses that differ from mainstream Christianity?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is not God but Michael the Archangel, only 144,000 people can go to heaven, and they reject blood transfusions, among other beliefs that diverge from mainstream Christianity.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Origins of Jehovah's Witnesses

The paragraph discusses the emergence of Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1800s alongside other new religious movements like Mormonism and 7th Day Adventism. It focuses on Charles Taze Russell, an 18-year-old who started a Bible study that later became the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell was initially a Presbyterian with doubts about the Bible's authority and hell, leading him to abandon Christianity temporarily. He was influenced by William Miller's Adventist movement, which denied hell's existence. Despite Miller's failed end-of-the-world predictions, Russell continued his Bible study, eventually starting his own movement. Russell had no formal religious education but called himself a pastor, leading to controversies and scandals, including his wife's allegations of infidelity. He also predicted the end of the world for 1914, which did not happen, and his teachings have been largely revised by later leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

05:01

🔮 Controversial History and Predictions

This paragraph delves into the controversies surrounding Charles Taze Russell, including his failed predictions about the end of the world, his divorce, and his involvement in selling 'Miracle Wheat,' which led to legal troubles. It also touches on his occult interests and the skepticism surrounding his methods for predicting the end of the world. The narrative then shifts to the changes in the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines under subsequent leaders like Joseph Rutherfoord and Nathan H. Knorr, who altered many of Russell's teachings. The paragraph also discusses the organization's evolution into an organized religion, contrary to Russell's initial vision, and the failed predictions of the end of the world by later leaders, including the significant one in 1925. It mentions the creation of the Jehovah's Witnesses' own Bible translation, the New World Translation, and the lack of scholarly credentials among its translators.

10:03

🌏 Theological Departures and Modern Challenges

The final paragraph addresses the significant theological differences between the Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christianity. It highlights the group's unique beliefs, such as the denial of Christ's divinity, the limitation of heaven to 144,000 people, and the refusal of blood transfusions. The paragraph also discusses the organization's history of failed end-of-the-world predictions, including the notable one in 1975, which led to a mass exodus of members. It touches on internal doubts and the excommunication of high-ranking members, including the president's nephew, for questioning the organization's teachings. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to share the video to educate Jehovah's Witnesses about the history and teachings of their religion, emphasizing the importance of understanding its origins and the discrepancies with historic Christian beliefs.

Keywords

💡Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that originated in the 19th century. The video discusses its history, highlighting that it was founded by Charles Taze Russell and is distinct from mainstream Christianity due to its unique beliefs and practices. The term is central to the video's theme as it sets the context for exploring the denomination's origins, development, and doctrines.

💡Charles Taze Russell

Charles Taze Russell is identified as the founder of what would become Jehovah's Witnesses. The video describes him as an 18-year-old boy who was initially skeptical of organized religion and had doubts about the Bible's authority. He is a key figure in the narrative, as his ideas and subsequent actions laid the groundwork for the formation of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

💡William Miller

William Miller is mentioned as a significant influence on Charles Taze Russell. Miller was a religious leader who predicted the end of the world and whose teachings on the absence of hell resonated with Russell. Miller's impact is evident in the video's discussion of the theological underpinnings of the Jehovah's Witnesses and their views on the afterlife.

💡End of the World

The concept of the 'End of the World' is a recurring theme in the video, tied to the predictions made by both William Miller and Charles Taze Russell. These predictions were significant in shaping the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses and are highlighted in the video to illustrate the denomination's history of failed prophecies.

💡False Prophet

A 'False Prophet' is a term used in the video to describe someone who makes predictions in the name of God that do not come true. This term is relevant to the discussion of the Jehovah's Witnesses' history, as it is used to critique the failed predictions of the end of the world by their leaders, as mentioned in Deuteronomy chapter 18.

💡Joseph Ruthford

Joseph Ruthford, also known as Judge Rutherford, is highlighted as the successor to Charles Taze Russell. The video explains that he transformed the small Bible study into an organized religion with distinct doctrines and practices, such as door-to-door evangelism. Ruthford's role is pivotal as he is credited with formalizing the structure and beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

💡New World Translation

The 'New World Translation' is the Bible translation produced by the Jehovah's Witnesses, as mentioned in the video. The term is significant as it represents the denomination's attempt to provide a version of the Bible that aligns with their unique beliefs. The video raises questions about the translation's credibility due to the lack of scholarly credentials of the translators.

💡Divinity of Christ

The 'Divinity of Christ' is a theological concept that the video discusses in the context of the Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs. Unlike mainstream Christianity, which affirms Jesus as God, the Jehovah's Witnesses view Jesus as the Archangel Michael. This distinction is crucial for understanding the differences between the denomination's teachings and traditional Christian doctrine.

💡Heaven

The concept of 'Heaven' is discussed in the video in relation to the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses. It contrasts the common Christian belief in going to heaven after death with the Witnesses' belief that only 144,000 people will go to heaven, with the rest living in a paradise on Earth. This keyword is important for understanding the unique eschatological views of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

💡Blood Transfusions

The video mentions the Jehovah's Witnesses' stance against blood transfusions as part of their core beliefs. This belief stems from their interpretation of certain biblical passages and is a significant aspect of their doctrine. The term is used in the video to illustrate the practical implications of their beliefs on medical practices.

💡Watchtower

The 'Watchtower' refers to the publishing arm of the Jehovah's Witnesses, responsible for their magazines and other literature. The term is integral to the video's discussion of the organization and dissemination of the group's teachings. It also relates to the video's mention of the Watchtower's role in predicting the end of the world and the subsequent disillusionment of its followers.

Highlights

Jehovah's Witnesses emerged in the 1800s alongside many other new religious movements claiming to be the restored true Christianity.

Charles Taz Russell, an 18-year-old boy, initiated the movement with a simple Bible study, opposing creeds and organized religion.

Russell was initially a Presbyterian with doubts about the authority of the Bible and the teaching of hell.

Influenced by William Miller, Russell abandoned Christianity temporarily before returning to it.

Russell's obsession with predicting the end of the world was influenced by Miller's failed predictions.

Despite lacking formal education, Russell called himself a pastor and began shepherding people.

Russell's personal life was marred by scandal, including divorce and accusations of infidelity.

Russell's predictions of the end of the world in 1874 and 1914 were proven false.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have a history of failed end-of-the-world predictions, causing many members to leave.

Joseph Ruthford succeeded Russell and transformed the Bible study into an organized religion with distinct teachings.

Ruthford introduced door-to-door evangelization and other methods of spreading the faith.

The New World Translation of the Bible by Jehovah's Witnesses was translated by four people with no scholarly credentials in biblical languages.

The 1975 prediction of the end of the world by the Jehovah's Witnesses was another failure, leading to a mass exodus from the organization.

High-ranking members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, including the president's nephew, were excommunicated for doubting the organization's teachings.

The core doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses differ significantly from mainstream Christianity, such as their belief about the nature of Jesus and the afterlife.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share the information to help enlighten those within the Jehovah's Witnesses community.

Transcripts

in this video we're going to be talking

about the interesting history of the

Jehovah's Witnesses one of the many many

hundreds probably even thousands of

religions that came about in the

1800s around the time of Mormonism 7th

day adventism and many other religions

that came about all claiming to be from

God all claiming to be restored true

Christianity the only true Christian

faith each of them has very interesting

and different beliefs than the other but

they all claim to be the True Church of

Jesus in this case we're going to be

talking about the Jehovah's Witnesses

that was started by an 18-year-old boy

named Charles Taz Russell who was

against Creeds and against religion and

against organized religion and we're

going to see that he started just a

simple Bible study but it was his

successor Joseph Ruthford that would

take that little bible study and turn it

into an organized religion with many

different beliefs dooro evangelization

and more so let's get started Charles

Taz Russell was actually a confused

Christian he was a presbyterian by birth

his parents preached hell a lot and he

didn't like the teaching of hell and he

really wasn't sure about the authority

of the Bible and he had a lot of doubts

and insecurities about the faith and one

of his biggest Hang-Ups was on hell and

he tried to prove his own faith once and

he got into a debate with an agnostic

and instead of converting the agnostic

he himself got converted and ended up

abandoning Christianity all together he

had grown up going to a Congregational

Church and still had many doubts but

after this discussion he left the faith

for a long time and really wasn't sure

what to believe he kind of lost faith in

systems and religions in the Bible and

many different aspects of religion like

that but even though he was skeptical he

continued to search which is noble and

he came across a man named William

Miller who started the Adventist

movement and he liked what William

Miller had to say despite the rest of

Christianity teaching that there was a

hell William Miller thought that there

is no hell and the Bible says there's no

hell and so he held on to William

Miller's teachings and had a great

connection with him started studying

under him learning from him and over a

period of time he was shaped by William

Miller but after a certain amount of

time William Miller tried to predict the

end of the world he failed and his whole

sect broke apart into different sects

one of them being the Jehovah's

Witnesses one of them would become the

seventh day Adventists two of the

religions that share very similar

beliefs interestingly William Miller

predicted that in 18 73 to 1874 Jesus

would come back invisibly and this would

start Charles Tod Russell's obsession

with trying to predict the end of the

world and trying to predict the second

coming of Christ it was at this time

that he started a small Bible study and

they started to try to study the Bible

and get some things out of it and even

though he did not have a high school

diploma he never finished high school

never finished College didn't have any

higher education degrees never studied

any biblical language he began to call

himself a pastor and he started to

Shepherd people in his churches and I

don't know why he called himself a

pastor but he did and nobody credible

actually would consider him a pastor

because he had no education or training

outside of what he taught himself and

this would lead to a whole host of

problems after the year 1900 his wife

ended up leaving him and ended up suing

him and bringing all of these women into

court saying that he was cheating with

other parishioners and all these women

were brought in to testify and somehow

he survived the shocking embarrassment

of all of that the scandal of all of

that and he started to try just like

William Miller and the Adventist to

predict the end of the world he said

that Christ would come in 1874 but of

course Christ didn't come in 1874 so he

said Christ came invisibly yes invisibly

in 1974 but the true end of the world

would be in 1914 and all Jehovah's

Witnesses were waiting for the end of

the world and if you were a good

Jehovah's Witnesses you were waiting for

1914 and then after 19 14 you were still

waiting because the world didn't

actually end but he said that the

Protestants and the Catholics the mother

Harlot Church were going to join

together the Protestants and the

Catholics were going to become one

church and they were going to fight

against Jesus and Jesus was going to

destroy them all but of course I'm a

Catholic I know many Protestants we're

all still here and none of that came to

pass and we have a whole video on the

false predictions of the end of the

world by the Jehovah's Witnesses which

you can check out here or at the end we

will link it below and uh you can see

that the biggest thing the biggest

problem with the Jehovah's Witnesses is

there are many failures to predict the

end of the world 1874

1975 1925 1918 1914 and many other times

as well and the Bible says in

Deuteronomy chapter 18 that if you

predict something to happen in the name

of the Lord and it doesn't come to pass

you are a false prophet that's why as

we're going to see in a few minutes once

1975 came hundreds of thousands of

Jehovah's Witnesses would leave the

church forever as if getting divorced

wasn't enough and predicting the end of

the world several times to happen and

failing wasn't enough he also got

charged with profiteering because he was

selling Miracle wheat and he was selling

this wheat to his parishioners and

saying it was miraculous wheat it grew

faster and more healthy than all other

wheat and he actually was charged for

that one wonders if there was some sort

of a con artist in this man but for the

outside looking in there are many things

about Charles T Russell even his

pyramidology and his occultism and the

way he tried to predict the end of the

world are very sketchy and very shady

and he ended up making a studies in

scripture which was a seven volume work

a commentary on the Bible and he himself

said that you cannot understand the holy

scriptures if you don't read his

commentary studies in scriptures anyone

who tries to study the Bible on their

own will always be left in the dark he

said a lot of interesting things and I

suppose that's why the Jehovah's

Witnesses have basically all but written

him off if you look at the Watchtower

website he only has a few paragraphs I

mean their founder only has a few

paragraphs and maybe that's because his

successor Joseph Ruthford also known as

the judge judge Rutherford he basically

changed almost everything all the

theology teaching and doctrine that

Russell had given he changed most of it

and his successor Nathan noore changed

most of his teachings Theology and

Doctrine so over the many decades that

did Jehovah's Witnesses existed their

Theology and Doctrine just kept changing

and changing and changing based on well

who the next president was I mean if

Russell was the person as Jehovah's

Witnesses state that kind of restored

God's true church if you know the truth

was lost and we needed to get back to

Biblical teaching and Russell was the

one to do that and Russell was the man

chosen by God well why are we changing

Russell's teachings and is rufer doing

anything to change that does he claim to

know more than Pastor Russell Pastor

Russell and does nor know more than

rufer and so on and so on I mean what if

it's the true church and God is truly

speaking through the Jehovah's Witnesses

which is supposed to be the secret slave

of God the the basically the mouthpiece

of God then why does truth change so

much the same thing happens in the

Mormon Church constantly changing

doctrines are changing teachings are

changing but if God I mean to me it

seems like God's changing his mind if

God says something it shouldn't change

not if it's a Doctrine not if it's like

a core theological teaching from God it

won't change but it was Joseph

Rutherford the second President of the

Jehovah's Witnesses who was the man who

took a simple Bible study and

transformed it into an organized

religion with teaching he was the one

who started the door-to-door

evangelization ministry he's the one who

started cars driving down the streets

with record players on top announcing

the good news and many other things that

Pastor Russell would have been shocked

and appalled with because he took a

simple Bible study and turned it into an

organized religion something that

Russell was against and even Jehovah's

Witnesses today claim to be against

except that's exactly what they've

become an organized religion Joseph

Rutherford himself even tried to

continue predicting the end of the world

after Russell he predicted the end of

the world to happen several times as

well and it didn't happen especially in

1925 that was The Big Year and many

distinct predictions of the end of the

world took place and they're all over

their watchtowers awake in different

magazines and books but 1925 came 1925

went and we're still here and so in 1925

Ruthford said that he made a house and

it was called betham House of princes

and you can see I mean it's in

California but he said all the Old

Testament prophets were going to come

and live in this house and this was a

testimony to the world that well the end

of the world was near but of course it

didn't happen the house is still there

and he himself predicted the world to

end falsely also in 1961 the Jehovah's

Witnesses made their own Bible

translation called The New World

Translation and people wanted them to

reveal who translated the Bible but they

refused and I guess it's because they

had four people who had no credentials

whatsoever in translating the Bible it

came out later that four people

translated the Bible but none of them

had any scholarly work none of them had

any training in biblical languages in

fact the only person Frederick France

one of the four people the is the only

one who actually studied Greek and he

only took two years of Greek and the

Greek that he studied wasn't even coin

Greek it wasn't biblical Greek the Greek

that the Bible was written in so

literally all four people who translated

the Jehovah's Witness Bible had zero

training in biblical languages as

opposed to say The New American Bible

which had 40 different translators all

of them each and every one of them had

doctorates in the biblical languages so

we can see how sketchy the New World

Translation is which is why nobody uses

it and Scholars don't take it seriously

it's basically just a paraphrase of what

the Bible already says but they change

countless passages to fit their

preconceived theology especially

changing passages on the Divinity of

Christ and it was in 19 1975 right after

this that they predicted the end of the

world to come and Jehovah's Witnesses

were selling their homes and they didn't

come the world did not end again and

again and again they predicted the world

to end and it didn't end hundreds of

thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses would

leave the Watchtower forever and never

return and even many people in their

governing body which is their hierarchy

they were doubting the Watchtower as

well they were saying that we don't

think this is true because look at all

the problems your chronology is all

wrong and and even the the president his

nephew was excommunicated they call it

disfellowshipped from the organization

for doubting after the end of the world

and he came and wrote a huge book

exposing the whole organization their

false teachings their false doctrines

and so on but many high up high ranking

Jehovah's Witnesses were kicked out and

or left uh on their own initiative and

we're going to be interviewing somebody

and former witness on this channel very

soon and he was in the higher echelons

of the watch to as well and he was in

the history Department in the research

department and he was responsible for

researching the doctrines of the

Jehovah's Witnesses so they could put it

in their writings their books their

magazines and such and he said the more

he researched and the more he studied

the more he realized that the Jehovah's

Witness doctrines can't be substantiated

it's just not true it's not historical

and no Christian believes that and so he

ended up leaving along with many many

other people in the Jehovah's Witness

religion Frederick France uh would come

in and become the president of the

Jehovah's Witnesses and he was the first

one to graduate college I mean the

Jehovah's Witnesses have a long history

from the late 1800s until present day

but so many things have changed it's

gone through so many Evolutions so many

of their core teachings and doctrines

have changed but many of the doctrines

uh the core doctrines are not even

Christian they don't match up with the

rest of Christianity they don't match up

with the earliest Christians and as

we're going to see in our following

video to this we're going to look at the

beliefs and teachings of the Jehovah's

Witnesses we're going to see that they

don't even believe in basic theology

that most Christians believe like they

say that Jesus is not God most

Christians say Jesus is God they say

that Jesus is Michael the Archangel we

say that we can't wait to go to heaven

when we die they say only 144,000 people

can go to heaven and everyone else has

to come down to a perfect Paradise on

Earth they don't accept blood

transfusions because they believe

drinking blood is evil so we're to be

discussing these in the next video on

the beliefs and teachings of the

Jehovah's Witnesses but this was a very

short history on the Jehovah's Witnesses

Pastor Russell who founded the church

and ended up getting divorced predicting

the end of the world several times and

failing selling Miracle wheat and being

charged for it I mean many other crazy

things that have happened in the history

of the Jehovah's Witnesses that most

Witnesses don't even know about and they

continually try to make Converse today

and bring people into their sect that

was only founded not by Jesus but found

founded in the late 1800s Jesus's church

was started 2,000 years ago and you can

trace its history back to, Years thank

you so much for watching this short

history of the Jehovah's Witnesses if

you have any questions on this please

feel free to put it in our comments

section below if you are a former

witness or if you are Jehovah's Witness

and you have any comments on this feel

free to put it in the comment section

below if you like this video please kiss

that like button give it a kiss and

share it please so that people can know

the truth soul many Jehovah's Witnesses

are misled are LED astray and they're

not allowed to read books from other

religions they're not allowed to do

actual research except what the people

upstairs tell them so many of them are

confused many of them just don't know

and they've never been told what the

history of their religion is and why

their beliefs don't match up with the

Bible or historic Christianity so if you

could help share this video get it out

there maybe you know Jehovah's Witness

send it to them they probably won't

watch it but send it to them anyways

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