One of the most common sectarian religious groups that we might encounter are the Jehovah’s Witnesses. You likely have had them know at your door. But where did this group come from?
They appeared for the first time in the nineteenth century. It was a time of expectation of Jesus’ return, of private Bible study and reactions to traditional denominations.
Charles Taze Russell gathered some people in 1870 to study the Bible. Throwing of traditional interpretations, Russell began to question and then reject many of the doctrines on historical Christianity.
It was in 1879 that Russell began to publish Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was organized to distribute Bibles and religious tracts.
One of the reasons for the success of the Watchtower was their publishing strategy that was used to get Bible study materials out to as many people as possible. They have adapted to to technology over the years, placing emphasis on the sharing of their message by as many means as possible.
By 1909, the Watchtower moved its headquarters to Brooklyn, New York. During this time, Russell continued his work on the Bible, attempting to calculate the exact date of Jesus’ return. After numerous attempts at prediction, Russell claimed that Jesus began reigning as king in October, 1914.
Joseph Franklin Rutherford became the president of the Watchtower in 1919. Rutherford centralized the leadership of the organization and it was during his presidency that the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” was first used, based on Isaiah 43:10.
If you would like to learn more about the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I have written a book called The Watchtower and the Word.
