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‘Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing’The Watchtower—1987 | March 1
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1, 2. (a) What goal did Charles T. Russell have? (b) How would Bible literature help to accomplish his goal?
A GOD-FEARING 21-year-old man living in the northeastern United States had a mission. It was his goal to expose the false religious teachings of his day, especially the doctrines of eternal torment and predestination. Also, he wanted to champion the truth about the ransom and the object and manner of Christ’s coming. How would he do all of this? By shining the light of God’s Word, the Holy Bible, on religious beliefs.—Psalm 43:3; 119:105.
2 Charles T. Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, was that man, and he decided in 1873 to publish religious literature as a means of bringing the light of Bible truth into focus. To sincere readers, those publications would reveal the cracks in Christendom’s dogmas. Any hidden doctrinal defects would not escape the Bible’s powerful light. (Ephesians 5:13) At the same time, this literature would spotlight ‘healthful teaching’ to build up the faith of readers. (Titus 1:9; 2:11; 2 Timothy 1:13) Did the zeal for Bible truth that drove Russell in his quest have a precedent?—Compare 2 Kings 19:31.
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‘Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing’The Watchtower—1987 | March 1
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Magazines With a Far-Reaching View
7. (a) What was the purpose of Zion’s Watch Tower? (b) To whom did it look for support?
7 July 1879 saw the birth of Russell’s principal vehicle for Bible enlightenment —Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. Its first issue laid out the magazine’s noble purpose: “As its name indicates, it aims to be the lookout from whence matters of interest and profit may be announced to the ‘little flock,’ and as the ‘Herald of Christ’s Presence,’ to give the ‘meat in due season’ to the ‘household of faith.’” Trust in almighty God was the magazine’s cornerstone. Its second issue stated: “‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.”
8. Explain The Watchtower’s growth in light of Isaiah 60:22 and Zechariah 4:10.
8 Zion’s Watch Tower, now The Watchtower, has been published continuously for more than 107 years. It has grown from a monthly magazine of 6,000 copies printed in one language to a semimonthly magazine of 12,315,000 copies available in 103 languages.—Compare Isaiah 60:22; Zechariah 4:10.
9. How was the title Watch Tower an appropriate one?
9 The title, Watch Tower, was an apt choice by Russell. The word usually used in the Hebrew Scriptures for “watchtower” means “lookout” or “observation point,” from which a guard could easily spot an enemy in the distance and sound an advance warning of the approach of danger. Suitably, then, for its first 59 years of publication, the title page carried this challenging quotation from Isaiah 21:11, 12, King James Version: “Watchman, What of the Night?” “The Morning Cometh.”
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‘Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing’The Watchtower—1987 | March 1
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The Watchtower and Awake!: Champions of Truth
15. (a) What method of dispensing spiritual food today is similar to that in the early Christian congregation? (b) Besides quoting Bible verses, what else is needed? Give examples.
15 The “faithful and discreet slave” class, the “watchman,” today uses the Watchtower magazine under the direction of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses as its main channel for dispensing spiritual “food at the proper time.” (Matthew 24:45) This follows the pattern of the first-century congregation, which put clarifying information on doctrine and morals into written form “to be read to all the brothers.” (1 Thessalonians 5:27) Right from its start The Watchtower has been a Bible-using and Bible-teaching magazine. For example, the first issue of Zion’s Watch Tower quoted or cited more than 200 texts from at least 30 Bible books. But more is needed than merely quoting Bible verses. People need help to understand them. The Watchtower has always advanced Bible comprehension. From 1892 to 1927 each issue contained weekly Bible readings and a discussion of a key text from each reading. For other examples, see the chart entitled “History-Making Watchtower Articles, Decade by Decade.”
16, 17. What did The Watchtower’s first editor do to ensure that this magazine would always champion Bible truth?
16 How would The Watchtower maintain the purity of its printed message? The magazine’s first editor, C. T. Russell, instituted safeguards to make certain that what was printed in The Watchtower was the truth as then understood. One of those safeguards is identified in his will made on June 27, 1907. (Russell died on October 31, 1916.) His will states:
“I direct that the entire editorial charge of ZION’S WATCH TOWER shall be in the hands of a committee of five brethren, whom I exhort to great carefulness and fidelity to the truth. All articles appearing in the columns of ZION’S WATCH TOWER shall have the unqualified approval of at least three of the committee of five, and I urge that if any matter approved by the three be known or supposed to be contrary to the views of one or both of the other members of the committee, such articles shall be held over for thought, prayer and discussion for three months before being published—that so far as possible the unity of the faith and the bonds of peace may be maintained in the editorial management of the journal.”
17 Each member of the Editorial Committee, according to Russell’s will, had to be “thoroughly loyal to the doctrines of the Scriptures” and had to exhibit, as prominent characteristics, “purity of life, clearness in the truth, zeal for God, love for the brethren and faithfulness to the Redeemer.” Also, Russell stipulated that “it shall not in any manner be indicated by whom the various articles appearing in the journal are written . . . that the truth may be recognized and appreciated for its own worth, and that the Lord may more particularly be recognized as the Head of the church and the Fountain of truth.”
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‘Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing’The Watchtower—1987 | March 1
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[Chart on page 13]
History-Making Watchtower Articles, Decade by Decade
1879: “God Is Love”—championed Jesus’ ransom sacrifice as the basis for mankind’s redemption
1879: “Why Evil Was Permitted”—explained why Jesus Christ’s presence would be invisible
1880: “One Body, One Spirit, One Hope”—pinpointed 1914 for the ending of the Gentile Times
1882: “The Wages of Sin Is Death”—exposed the doctrine of eternal torment as a denial of God’s love
1885: “Evolution and the Brain Age”—exposed the evolution theory as false
1897: “What Say the Scriptures About Spiritism?”—gave proof of spiritism’s demonic origin
1902: “God First—His Appointments”—emphasized obeying God’s law in the family and in business dealings
1919: “Blessed Are the Fearless”—brought new life to an awakening organization of fearless worshipers
1925: “Birth of the Nation”—made plain the prophecies showing that God’s Kingdom was born in 1914
1931: “A New Name”—henceforth the name Jehovah’s Witnesses would set true Christians apart from apostate Christendom
1935: “The Great Multitude”—showed that gathering of those who would live forever on earth was under way
1938: “Organization”—introduced a truly theocratic arrangement among Jehovah’s Witnesses
1939: “Neutrality”—fortified Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide to withstand the pressures of World War II
1942: “The Only Light”—sounded a go-ahead signal for the courageous witness work to continue
1945: “Immovable for the Right Worship”—showed that Christians must abstain from receiving blood transfusions
1952: “Keeping the Organization Clean”—showed that disfellowshipping by congregations is Scriptural
1962: “Subjection to ‘Superior Authorities’—Why?”—offered reasons for relative subjection to human powers
1973: “Keeping God’s Congregation Clean in ‘the Time of His Judgment’”—urged shunning tobacco use
1979: “Zeal for Jehovah’s House”—reiterated that house-to-house preaching follows the apostolic pattern
1982: “Beloved Ones, . . . Keep Yourselves in God’s Love”—alerted Christians to apostates’ method of operation
1983: “Walking With God in a Violent World”—confirmed that Christians must have no part with violence
1984: “The Recent Pen for ‘Other Sheep’”—clarified how this earthly class is brought into unity with those in the new covenant “fold”
1987: “Christian Jubilee Climaxes in the Millennium”—showed how all loyal Christians gain liberty and life
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