History of the Witnesses of Jéhovah

The history of the Witnesses of Jéhovah began in the Années 1870 when Charles Taze Russell started to direct a group of study of the Bible to Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. In the beginning indicated under the name of “Students of the Bible”, the Witnesses knew an important schism in 1917 whereas Joseph Franklin Rutherford began his presidency from the movement. Rutherford, which had announced 1925 as the date of Har-Maguédôn, gave a new direction to the movement and created the name of “Witnesses of Jéhovah” in 1931.

After its death, Nathan Homer Knorr took the presidency of the Société Watchtower, organization which supervises the activities of the Témoins of Jéhovah. Later, 1975 was announced as the possible date for Har-Maguédôn. Since 1976, the direction of the movement is ensured by a governing body called Central Collège.

Beginnings with Russell, of 1870 to 1916

Influential personalities

Raised in a family presbytérienne, Charles Taze Russell had almost lost its Foi until it renconté the preacher Christian Adventiste Jonas Wendell (one of the spiritual heirs to the Millerisme) in 1870. Its Faith revived, Russell organized a group of study of the Bible to Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. The ministers Adventistes George Storrs (editor of the review Bible To examine ) and George Stetson (Pasteur of the Christian Church of the advent of Edinboro), proved to be powerful influences as of the first times of their collaboration and it is near them that it drew his inspiration millenarist. For example, George Storrs was a burning defender of the belief according to which the heart is mortal and immortality a gift that would receive the faithful Christians; he also thought that the hell of fire does not exist and published notammnent the book Six sermons (200 000 specimens) summarizing its theological vision. Joseph Seiss, Pasteur methodist also inspired Russell.

In January 1876, this last met Nelson H. Barbour which he initially known by the means of the adventist periodical that this one published at the time. Russell adopted later the biblical chronology of Barbour, which itself had been in the beginning published by Christopher Bowen in 1861. Barbour, just like Wendell, had envisaged a return of the Christ for 1873, and when that failed, it deferred the forecast to 1874. Convinced of this teaching, Russell decided to undertake a preaching campaign consequently. Once the date reached, it declared that the Christ had returned well in 1874, but had done it in an invisible way. It moreover brought an financial aid to Barbour and became the joint editor of the magazine of this one, Herald off the morning ( the herald of the morning ). In 1877, Russell made appear the booklet The Object and the Manner off our Lord' S return devoted to the return of Christ, and with Barbour it published jointly the book The Three Worlds ( the Three Worlds ), a work treating mainly re-establishment and Prophétie S based on the biblical chronology . They differed from the majority of the followers of the second Adventisme in what they taught that Adam would be likely new to live in a paradisiac ground.

However, in issue of the August 1878 of the Hérald off the morning , Barbour wrote an article in which he affirmed that the death of the Christ did not have a substitute value. Estimating that amounted denying the doctrines of the ransom, Russell then published articles in this magazine which defended this teaching. Following this persistent dissension, it finally dissociated from with Barbour in July 1879 and quickly started to publish its own magazine, Zion' S Watch Tower and Herald off Christ' S Presence ( the Headlight of the Tower of Sion and Messager of the Presence of Christ ), now known under the name of the Tower of Guard , and from which the first number was drawn with 6.000 specimens. It maintained the teaching of Barbour according to which the “time of end” had begun in 1799 and Christ had returned invisibly in 1874. The year 1878 then became the date of the crowning of Christ like King in the skies, of the resurrection of the oints, and the judgment of God of the Chrétienté, and 1914 was announced as completion date one period of harvest which would lead to Har-Maguédôn.

Theological corpus

Following their analytical examination of the Bible, the Pasteur Russell as of other Students of the Bible came from there to believe that the Christian Foi and traditions contained important errors, and that true the had from now on to be restored Christianisme such as it was taught and applied to the I {{er}} century. They estimated however that their Croyance S was neither new, nor personal, but those of Christ, although their ideas were often perceived as being Hérésie S by much of chiefs and disciples of the Églises of then. The Pasteur Russell was of agreement with other confessions resulting from the Protestantisme on the superiority of the Bible, as well as the justification by the Foi only, but estimated that errors had been presented in their interpretation. It was of agreement with many Protestants of the XIX {{E}} century, including Millerites, in the concept of large a Apostasie which would have started at the end of the I {{er}} century, like in the belief in the imminent advent of the Christ, and the arrival of Har-Maguédôn. The fields in which its scriptural interpretations differed from those from the Catholique S and from much of Protestant concern in particular:

• the Hell of fire, which was rejected. Russell maintained that there was a celestial Résurrection 144.000 members oints and members of the “large crowd” (according to Révélation 7:9 - 17) as a secondary celestial class, and that the remainder of humanity, would sleep in death, awaiting a terrestrial resurrection.

• the Trinity, such as it was usually presented. Russell believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ, but differed from orthodoxy while teaching that Jesus had received this divinity like gift of his celestial Father, after its death on the cross. He also taught that the the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the manifestation of the power of God.
• Russell calculated that 1874 was the year of the advent of the Christ, and taught until its death that this one was invisibly present, and reigning of the skies of this date. He predicted that the period known under the name of “Time of Nice” (according to Luc 21:24) would finish in 1914 and that on this date the battle of Har-maguédon would take place and Christ would take the terrestrial direction of the businesses. He thereafter interpreted the manifestation of the First World War as being the beginning of Har-Maguédôn which would be marked by a progressive deterioration of the civilized company, as well as a multinational attack with his apogee on Israel reconstituted accompanied by a world Anarchie. With regard to 1914, Russell and other Students of the Bible hoped on this date being carried in the skies in order to reign with Christ.
• It rejected the common chronology of the Bible to calculate the 6.000 years going up with the creation of Adam leading to the year 1874, year when according to him the Christ returned invisibly.
• Russell supported its chronology by using the pyramidology. Indeed, he believed that large the Pyramide of Giza was built by Mélchisédek (identifying the inhabitants of Salem to Hyksos) under the direction of God, in order to be only included/understood at the time of Russell. In connection with the Pyramid in question, it employed the English expression “the Bible in stone” (“the Bible in the stone”). While being based on certain biblical texts, such as Isaïe 19:19,20 and others, various the sections of the monument were interpreted as being symbols of the fall of the man, constitution of the mosaic Loi, death of the Christ, and Résurrection of the oints to the skies. Calculations were carried out by using the model of a pyramidal inch representing one year. Dates such as 1874, 1914 and 1948 were discovered following the study of this monument. For example, 1874 was found starting from a measurement of 3.416 inches of pyramid, measures which was updated in 1910 at 3.457 inches to indicate 1915. The idea that the large pyramid constituted a prophetic model of the biblical chronology was constant until in 1928.

Russell was one one of the first Christian preachers supporting what later named Sionisme. Borrowing an idea promoted by Nelson Barbour, he taught as of 1879 that the favor of God had been reconstituted with the Juif S starting from 1878 like result of a prophetic “double”. In 1910, it led a meeting to the famous theater of the Hippodrome of New York, with thousands of Juif S present in the audience. Teaching the fact that the Juif S should not convert with the Christianisme, Russell also supported that the ground of the Palestine belonged to the people Juif and that now God again called them on their ground, which would be the capital of the terrestrial Kingdom of God. Very early, Russell believed that the Juif S would be assembled in Palestine and would form their clean Nation from here 1910, but this was not carried out.

Organization and edition

Russell became famous as “a Pasteur”, and in 1881 it trained a moral person who developed in Association with nonlucrative goal: the Watch Tower Bible and Leaflet Society off Pennsylvania (W. Conley was the first president), this one remaining today still central legal entity of the movement. In 1884, Russell became the president about it. At the beginning, the seat of the organization was with Pittsburgh, 101 Fifth avenue, then with Allegheny, 44 Federal street, and starting from 1889, with Allegheny always, but in 56-60 Arch street, where the building on four floors was named Maison of the Bible . In 1908, the buildings were transferred to the “Béthel de Plymouth” (center belonging before to the Église congregationalist) with Brooklyn, in 13-17 Hicks street, which was renovated and famous Tabernacle of Brooklyn . A house of four floors was also bought with Brooklyn, 124 Columbia Heights, in order to place representatives and volunteers of the Société Watchtower (remains increased thereafter by the acquisition of contiguous buildings). This house was baptized Béthel ( Maison of God ).

The Pasteur also undertook at this period of the voyages in several States of the the United States (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan) with an aim of bringing together the readers of the Tower of Guard between them, which did not know each other hitherto, this having then allowed the formation of several congregations and the institution of weekly meetings. Russell also pushed its readers to be preachers, in particular by diffusing near the public of the leaflets baptized initially Bible students' leaflet , then Old theology quarterly . The faithful ones of the organization were encouraged to leave to them Église if this one were corrupted and attached to the world. As of 1886, the invitation with the commemoration of the Mémorial appeared in the Tower of Guard and as of the end of the Années 1890, of the assembled one week started to be organized in various places among members.

In a few years, several million copies of the Zion' S Watch Tower and Herald off Christ' S Presence was distributed in several languages to proclaim the presence of Christ and the paddle of millénium. Moreover, the Pasteur wrote in six volumes of the handbooks being used for the study of the Bible, called at the origin Millennial Dawn ( Aurore of Millénium ), but retitré Studies in the Scriptures ( Études in the Writings ) as of October 1904, which gathered the fundamental Doctrine S resulting from its ten years of study of the Bible during the years 1870. So the Students of the Bible were sometimes called “Millennial Dawnists” (“Auroristes of Millénuim”). An intense campaign of evangelization was undertaken by the means of the press: indeed, Russell telegraphed each week a Sermon at a press service which retransmettait it with newspapers American S and European. So in 1913, these sermons would have reached 15 million people via 2.000 newspapers.

In 1907, Russell predicted that Har-Maguédôn would occur during the year 1914. In 1914, it founded the International association of the Students of the Bible in Great Britain. As from January of this year, the Students of the Bible began public representations of the Photo-Drama of creation, a combined projection of a film and fixed sights synchronized with the sound, and covering the history of the Bible since creation until the end of Millénium. As there were 80 representations given daily in various cities thanks to more than 20 plays of the Photo-drama of Creation in four parts, the assistance in 1914 rose in very with more than nine million people. There was also the Eureka-Drama , less known, which included/understood the discs (speech and music) and sometimes the sights fixed.

Russell died on October 31st 1916 in a train with Pampa with the Texas, at the 64 years age, at the time of a transnational round of speech. During the ten following years, Pasteur continued to be looked by his faithful as being the “messenger of Laodicée” and the “faithful and advised slave”.

Toughening with Rutherford, of 1916 to 1942

Transition and schism

According to the last wills and the will of Russell, an Editorial board of five members was set up in order to direct the drafting of the magazine the Tower of Guard after the death of Pasteur on October 31st 1916. A management Committee of three members was indicated by the Council of aministration. January 6th 1917 at the time of the annual general meeting of the Company Watchtower, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (also known under the name of “judge Rutherford”) was elected second president of the Société Watchtower, while Pierson was appointed vice-president and Van Amburgh secretary-treasurer. During the same meeting, new payments reinforcing the authority of the president came into effect. At the beginning, the Board of directors of the Société Watchtower opposed this change, but in same time, the associates closest to Rutherford had prepared there. In the first of the two booklets Harvest Siftings which he wrote, Rutherford quotes the new payment: “The president will be always the leading executive of the Company and the managing director”. The version of the conflict of the four directors was published in Light after darkness and Facts for shareholders . June 20th 1917, a meeting of the members of the complete Board of directors joined together deferred one month a proposal aiming at making return the control of the Company to the Council. A meeting impromptue of the Council, whereas Rutherford had left the head offices, was stopped by the police force. The things reached their height on July 17th 1917 when the book the accomplished Mystery was published, delivers which had been prepared without consultation of the Council, and in the violation of the last wills and the will of Russell; he however was regarded as the seventh and last volume of the Études in the Writings . In same time, Rutherford announced that it congédiait the four directors of the Board of directors to the reason which them election had not respected the payments of the Company and replaced them by novel members. The reaction was as if a “bomb had burst! ”. Rutherford claimed a democratic vote among the community of the Students of the Bible, the majority of them having supported its administration. On Saturday, January 4 1919, the annual general meeting of the Société Watchtower decided to re-elect Joseph Rutherford chair and William Van Amburgh secretary-treasurer, and to elect Charles Wise vice-president.

Despite everything, an important dissension and a schism occurred in the congregations. Some which were in disagreement with the changes instituted by Rutherford left the organization and became known as Étudiants associated with the Bible, or simply Étudiants of the Bible. In 1918, the pastoral Institute of the Bible was founded and started to publish off The Herald Christ' S Kingdom . In addition, at that time, Alexandre Fryetag, old directing Swiss subsidiary company of the Church, dissociates and founds the movement of the Amis of the man. On its side, the Société Watchtower makes new predictions relating to 1918 (destruction of all the Églises) and 1920 (end of all the République S).

Imprisonment of the leaders

In America, it is with the Accomplished Mystery , drawn with 850.000 specimens in all end 1917, that a true conflict burst. This book showed the catholic hierarchy violently, to incarnate the Antéchrist and to deserve the destruction in 1918 with all the Christian nations . These allegations shocked number of Catholique S Canadian which obtained the prohibition of the book on the Canadian ground, then, by its diffusion in great number, drew the attention of the government of the the United States, have just entered the world war, because of certain passages condemning the war, patriotism and the Conscription. In 1918, the Société Watchtower published three baptized leaflets Nouvelles of the Kingdom intended for the public which contained a powerful denunciation of the Clergé, in particular shown religious intolerance.

Rutherford and the seven administrators of the Société Watchtower were then stopped with the federal prison of Atlanta and were condemned in 1918 to have written, have published and have diffused the accomplished Mystery and to have incited the members of the movement to refuse not only to take the weapons, but also the non-combatant service and this in spite of their sudden reversal, having invited to request for the victory of the the United States in the Tower of Guard and affirming to have supported the US government while having bought treasury bills being used to finance the American war. Meanwhile, in addition to calls in direction of the large newspapers, of the senators, the governors and the members of the American Congress to require of them to intervene in favor of the prisoners, the faithful ones of the Société Watchtower organized in March 1919 a petition requiring of the president Woodrow Wilson an amnesty, an unconditional release or a release in bond while waiting for the lawsuit; this petition received 700.000 signatures in two weeks. In March 1919, the eight prisoners nevertheless were released in bond of an amount of 10.000 $ each one, then following the report of several irregularities in the lawsuit, the judgment was broken on standby new lawsuit. The May 5th 1920, the prosecutor of the government announced in public sitting the cancellation of the continuations according to the procedure nolle prosequi which does not correspond nevertheless to a payment. The situation satisfied the two parts: the government did not know so in a context of post-war period it was going to be able to obtain such a heavy judgment, on another side the Témoins leaders of Jéhovah, did not seek to obtain repair and to be declared innocent. The next on Sunday, May 4, Rutherford made with Los Angeles a speech entitled " A hope for humanity affligée" who brought together approximately 3.500 people.

During the imprisonment of the seven administrators, the management Committee of the Société Watchtower decided to sell the Gate vault of Brooklyn and the seat of this one was transferred in a building of offices spread out on two streets, with Pittsburgh (Federal street and Reliance street).

Evolution of the Church

From a doctrinal , behavioral and organisational point of view, the movement knew many changes at this period:

• Preaching. Once released of prison, Rutherford activated the Students of the Bible to preach, for example by means of its speeches at the time of assemblies held in Cedar Point, in the Ohio, in particular of 1st at September 8th 1919 and from September 5th to 13rd 1922. It inaugurated the magazine the Golden age ( Réveillez you! now) in 1919 and stressed the need for preaching in door with door starting from 1922. Distribution campaigns of the book of Rutherford, Of the million currently alive people will never die , were organized, envisaging the “end of time” for 1925. The many writings of the president of the Société Watchtower were distributed per million thanks to the dedicated preaching of faithful of the Church. The portable gramophones, the processions of sandwich men and the emissions by radio were some of the methods used then within the framework of preaching. Starting from 1927, the faithful ones were encouraged to take part in the preaching of group particularly Sunday. Let us missons special of preaching, called “divisional campaigns”, multiplied, generating many arrests to the reason for hawking without authorization, turbid with the law and order or violation of the laws on the Sunday Sabbath. So a legal personnel was especially made up in order to put forward the interests of faithful in front of the courts of the the United States and the Canada, in particular on the relative questions with the evangelization and the non-participation with the nationalist ceremonies. These often gained legal battles resulted in to improve to a significant degree the right to freedom of expression and of Religion in these two countries. As of the Years 1930, the accent was put on the fact of denouncing distorts it religion, in particular thanks to the book Ennemis , published in 1937.
• Festivals and cross. During the the Twenties and 30, the Church ceased celebrating the Fête S of Christmas (in 1926) and of the birthdays, rejected the cross like symbol Christian (in 1936) and given up the pyramidology before used by Russell (in 1929). The movement was also opposed to the Mother's Day considered as an idolatry.
• Exclusiveness in the hello. Starting from 1925, the movement was radicalized by explaining why from now on any individual belongs either to the organization of Jéhovah (the faithful ones of the Société Watchtower), or with that of Satan.
• Waiting of the return of the patriarchs. In 1929, a large villa of ten parts called Beth-Sarim was built thanks to the offerings of faithful in California in order to accommodating the patriarchs of the Old Testament; this waiting not being realized, Rutherford lived there, before the Société Watchtower does not decide to sell it after the death of this last.
• Fine of the Editorial board. The Editorial board was congédié in 1931 by Rutherford which had already replaced it starting from 1925.
• New name. July 26th 1931, Rutherford presented a resolution at an assembly of Columbus, in the Ohio: in the speech entitled " New a nom" , he proposed that the group adopts the name of Témoins of Jéhovah , name based on Isaïe 43:10 - 12. So the Students of the Bible remained faithful to the Société Watchtower consequently were different from the Students of the Bible remained more faithful to the teaching of Russell.
• Identification of the “large crowd”. In 1935, at the time of the assembly from May 30th to June 3rd, the “large crowd” mentioned in Revelation 7:9 - 17 was identified as a class of human which must be made baptize and be as faithful as the oints, and that for an eternal life expectancy on the ground. Following this explanation in 1936 was published the book Richesses .
• Refusal of the hello of the flag. Rutherford as taught, in a speech broadcast on October 6th 1935, as the safety of the flag was “contrary with the divine command”, which involved a wave of persecutions to the the United States against Witnesses during their preaching as well as the expulsion of the schools of State of the children the faithful ones.
• Denunciation of the other religions. Known for its rhetoric audacieuce and its strongly authoritative personality, Rutherford invented the expression “the religion is a trap and a swindle”, strongly denouncing the Catholic church and the Chrétienté in general, the modern Judaïsme, and the governments national. He was also opposed to the Société of the Nations and the Prohibition. He as vigorously denounced the catholic Clergé as he described as “band of swindlers”.
• Engagement of the children. June 16th 1941, all the parents Témoins of Jéhovah transfer themselves to recall by letter the engagement which the children must have in the organization. August 10th of this year was instituted like day of the children at the time of the assembly of district with Saint Louis (of the 6 to the 10), during which Rutherford made a speech titrated " Children of Roi" and the publication of the book Enfants announced. The 15.000 children present adopted by acclamation a resolution considered as a “declaration of war against the enemies of the supposed Theocracy” to show “which they were fully devoted to the Lord and were ready to serve it from now”. As from this moment, the children were encouraged to imply itself in the activity of preaching.
• prophetic Dates. After the failure of the Prophecy of 1925, plus any date was not suggested in the immediate future, but Har-Maguédôn was always presented as being imminent. Of 1925 with 1933, the eschatologic beliefs of the Church underwent radical changes: the year 1914 from now on was regarded as marking the beginning of the presence of the Christ, its establishment like King and of the beginning of the “last days” instead of being perceived as the final date of the biblical chronology . The resurrection of the oints was moved of 1878 with 1918 and the teaching of the divine judgment of the Religion S.A. deferred to 1919. This lesson relating to 1914, 1918 and 1919 always forms part of the official creed of the Church; on the other hand, the dates of 1799, 1874 and 1878 do not have for it any eschatologic significance any more.

Under Rutherford, the Témoins of Jéhovah developed approximately 44.000 in 1928 to 115.000 at the time of its death in 1942. Néanmois, until 1928, the assistance had decreased of almost 75% compared to 1922, because of the internal struggles to the head of the organization and the forecasts unfulfilled with regard to the year 1925.

Under the Nazi regime

See also: Pilot of Jéhovah under IIIème Reich

In Germany, in 1933, the Witnesses of Jéhovah sent a Déclaration of Facts to the Chancellor of Reich, letter written by the leaders as well American as German to obtain the cancellation of prohibition striking them in Saxony, Bade and Bavaria. This document is regarded by certain as being a search for awkward ideological conciliation on behalf of the Witnesses of Jéhovah who, on their side, challenge this interpretation. In this declaration, the authors declare that “it there forever have the least money of Juif S which contributed to our work”, “the Juif S completely rejected Jesus Christ and deny with emphase that he is the Saver of the world sent by God for the good of humanity” and that “that is a reasonable evidence to show that we do not receive a support of the Juif S”, then stigmatize shovel-mixes the empire Anglo - American, the Société of the Nations, the Big-business, the Catholique S and the Jew S of New York and declare being of “burning defenders” of the “goals and high moral ideals promulgated by the national government of German Reich ”, with regard to the injustices made towards the German People and the relation holy and raised with God. In spite of that, the Witnesses of Jéhovah underwent persecutions because of their refusal to lend oath to Hitler, to make safety Nazi, as to carry the weapons. October 7th 1934, all the congregations of Germany sent a letter to the government Nazi to convince it of their political neutrality. Starting from October 1934, the direction having decided to fight frontally against the mode by the distribution of literature blaming it openly, persecutions redoubled intensity, and took various forms: prohibitions, arrests, internments, imprisonments and deportations. If a good half of the German Witnesses of Jéhovah , according to the last figures of 1933, did not wish to follow their hierarchy in this combat to died against Hitler, approximately 10.000 German Witnesses of European Jéhovah and would have known the prison or the concentration camps, 1.200 would have died in the camps including 250 by execution (the site United States Holocaust Memorial Museum speaks about 2.500 to 5.000 dead in all including 200 by execution). In the concentration camps, the purple triangle was the distinctive sign imposed by the prison administration Nazi.

The increase with Knorr, of 1942 to 1975

Following a meeting of the two Boards of directors on January 13rd 1942, Nathan Homer Knorr, member of the Béthel of Brooklyn since 1923, was elected new president of the Société Watchtower. Hayden Covington, lawyer of the movement, was elected vice-president, before yielding his place to Frederick William Franz on October 5th 1945.

Organisational changes

Known as an effective administrator, Knorr founded in 1943 the École of the theocratic ministry to form the whole of faithful to preaching and teaching; for this purpose, the booklet Cours for the theocratic ministry is appeared at the time of the assembly " Call to the action" , held with the the United States April 17th and 18th. This school currently is directed each week inside all the congregations. Proposed during the common meeting of the Boards of directors of September 24th 1942, the École of Guilead is coming into effect on February 1st 1943, having for function to form in twenty weeks of the missionary S. It was initially held with the Farm of Béthel, South Lansing, in the State of New York. Albert Schoeder, future member of the Central College, was then secretary of this school and directed the organizing committee. The School of the ministry for the Kingdom , located at South Lansing, was also instituted, on March 9th 1959, in order to train the supervisors in the congregations.

In order to realize of the needs for the subsidiary companies in various countries, Knorr accomplished many voyages throughout the world of 1945 with 1956 which were reported in the Tower of Guard . However, starting from 1956, of the supervisors of subsidiary companies tested were named servants of zone (currently supervisors of zone ) so distributing the tasks of visit to the subsidiary companies and houses of missionary S. Starting from October 1st 1972, the congregations were not directed more by only one supervisor, but by a college the old ones, although one of them would be the president, and the candidatures for the old functions of and ministerial assistants (called ministerial Serviteurs at the time) from now on were subjected as a preliminary to the Company. The September 6th 1971, it was agreed that each member of the Central Collège would in turn chair the Société Watchtower according to the alphabetical order.

In addition, of the publications, like the books Équipés for very good work and That God is recognized for truth! in 1946, Test all things in 1953, Of the paradise lost with the reconquered paradise in 1958, Any Writing is inspired by God and useful in 1963, were published to equip the faithful ones to biblical teaching . As of on September 1st, 1953, a training program in preaching was undertaken in the congregations. Vice-president of Knorr, Frederick William Franz became the principal theologist, and was undoubtedly the principal translator of the Traduction of the New World , initially published partly (New Testament) in current English in 1950. At the same time were published the King James version in English (Bible of king Jacques), an interlinear version Greek - English of New Testament ( The Kingdom Interlinear Translation off the Greek Scriptures ) and a biblical dictionary ( Auxiliaire for a better intelligence of the Bible ). In 1968 was published the book the truth which leads to the eternal life intended to be used as handbook of study to encourage the people attending the Témoins of Jéhovah to be begun by the baptism.

Progression of manpower

During the Years 1960 and the beginning of the Years 1970, much of references appeared in the publications and at the time of the assemblies suggesting that the thousand-year-old reign of Christ would start from here 1975, year marking the 6.000 years of the creation of the man according to biblical comprehension of the Société Watchtower. With the approach of this date, the faithful ones were encouraged more than ever to invest themselves more in the activity of preaching and to give up a career in the profane world. In the five years which followed 1975, approximately 20% of faithful left the movement or became inactive.

Under the direction of Knorr, manpower knew an important progression of the number of Witnesses of Jéhovah in France and in the whole world. In 1947, the average of the proclamateurs in France is of 2  184 (181  071 in the world), 30 years later in 1977 at the time of its death this same average is established with 64  549 (2  117  194 in the world). However, during the sexual revolution of the the Sixties, several thousands of Witnesses were excluded from the movement each year.

The number of subsidiary companies passed from 25 in 1942 to 97 in 1976. In the same way, the assistance at the assemblies increased considerably: for example, the assembly " Increase in théocratie" held from July 30th to August 6th 1950 with the Stadium Yankee of New York joined together the assistance record at the time of 123.000; that named " The will divine" organized from July 27th to August 3rd 1958 gathered 253.922 assistants.

Direction under the following presidents, of 1976 with today

As of on October 1st 1971, Frederick William Franz became the following president of the Société Watchtower.

See too

Internal bonds

• Pilot of Jéhovah

• Photo-drama of Creation
• Persecution of the Witnesses of Jéhovah
• Central College
• Movements resulting from the Students of the Bible
• Association of the students of the Bible
• Charles Taze Russell
• Franklin Joseph Rutherford