1. History of The Watchtower Organization:
   • 1852 Founder Charles Taze Russell was born
   • 1870’s Russell studied the doctrines of Second Adventists: George Storrs, Jonas Wendell, George Stetson and Nelson Barbour
   • 1879: Russell began publishing Zion’s Watchtower And Herald of Christ’s Presence (Precursor to The Watchtower magazine)
   • 1881: Main Legal Entity Founded - Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
   • 1909: Headquarters Moved to Brooklyn, New York - Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc
   • 1916: Charles Taze Russell died
   • 1917-1942: Second Watchtower President “Judge” Joseph F. Rutherford
   • 1931: The name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” adopted.
   • 1942-1977: Third Watchtower President Nathan H. Knorr
   • 1978-1992: Fourth Watchtower President: Frederick W. Franz
   • 1992-2000: Fifth Watchtower President: Milton George Henschel
   • 2000: Change in Organizational Structure:
     • Three Corporations Formed: Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Religious Order of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Kingdom Support Services
     • Watchtower “Governing Body” relinquished control of the organization to the Board of Directors, under Don A. Adams

1. Jehovah’s Witness Statistics:

• • 6 Million active Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • 1.2 Billion hours spent annually in door-to-door proselytizing
  • The Watchtower and Awake! magazines distributed in over 230 countries
  • 6 Million “Bible Studies” (one-on-one Watchtower indoctrination lessons) conducted with potential converts
  • 98 Thousand Congregations

1. Adventist Theology Adopted in Jehovah’s Witness Literature:

• • Christ’s Invisible Presence occurred in 1874, Date was later changed to 1914
  • Investigative Judgment = Christ’s Inspection of Spiritual Food from 1874-1878, Later changed to 1914-1919
  • Conditional Mortality, Soul Sleep = Soul does not survive death, Resurrection of only the worthy, No Hell
  • Restoration of Paradise Earth

1. False Prophetic Dates:

• • 1874: Date for Christ’s “invisible presence,” changed to 1914
  • 1914: End of the world
  • 1915: Replaced 1914 for the end of the world
  • 1918: End of the world, the destruction of churches
  • 1925: End of the world with the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
  • 1929: “Beth Sarim” House of Princes built in San Diego, deeded to king David and other biblical prophets for their “soon” return upon the earth
  • 1940’s: End of the World would come with the “soon” battle of Armageddon
  • 1975: 6,000-years of human history, the end of the world would come within “months, not years.”
  • 1994: 80-year Generation of 1914 should bring the end of the world, 1995 redefined the word “generation” to be symbolic of general readiness for the end.

1. Controversial Practices

• • No holiday or birthday celebrations
  • No participation in flag salutes, voting, politics or war activities
  • No blood transfusions
  • Limited higher education
  • Limited contact with non-Jehovah’s Witness friends and family
  • Shunning of former Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • Forbidding critical thinking and disagreement
  • Forbidding literature critical of the group
  • Forbidding non-Jehovah’s Witness religious broadcasting and church attendance
  • Mandatory door-to-door proselytizing

1. Jehovah’s Witness Bible - New World Translation

• • Translators had insufficient knowledge of biblical manuscripts
  • Translation distorts the Deity of Christ at John 1:1; 8:58; Hebrews 1:8 and other passages to support Watchtower doctrine
  • Inserts God Name “Jehovah” into the New Testament without manuscript support