What is the origin of the Jehovah Witness organization?

Question

Who started the organization?

Answer 1

The official name of the religion is "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses", and so they believe their religion to be a restoration of the worship and pattern of the apostles and other first century C.E. Christians. Of course, the bible cites Jesus Christ and also Adam's son Abel as "Witnesses" and the beginnings of pure worship.

(Hebrews 11:4;12:1,2) Abel... had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness... Because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus

(Revelation 1:5) Jesus Christ, “the Faithful Witness”


The modern history of the religion began in the 1870's.

Learn more:
http://www.jw-media.org/people/who.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_14.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Answer 2

It started in the 1870's, I believe by Charles Taze Russell. It is a schismatic group from the Stone-Campbell movement which also spawned the Mormons religion, Churches of Christ and the Seventh Day Adventists. It is now ruled out of Brooklyn, NY by the Watchtower Society. They use their own transliteration of the Bible but the Watchtower Society is the primary authority for faith and practice. Throughout their history they have been preoccupied by end times prophecy failing countless times in their attempts to date the Parousia.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 3

How old is the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

According to the Bible, the line of witnesses of Jehovah reaches back to faithful Abel. Hebrews 11:4–12:1 says: “By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than Cain . . . By faith Noah, after being given divine warning of things not yet beheld, showed godly fear . . . By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed in going out into a place he was destined to receive as an inheritance . . . By faith Moses, when grown up, refused to be called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin . . . So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
With reference to Jesus Christ, the Bible states: “These are the things that the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God.” Of whom was he a witness? He himself said that he made his Father’s name manifest. He was the foremost witness of Jehovah.—Revelation 3:14; John 17:6.

Interestingly, some of the Jews asked whether the activity of Jesus Christ represented “a new teaching.” (Mark 1:27) Later, some Greeks thought the apostle Paul was introducing a “new teaching.” (Acts 17:19, 20) It was new to the ears of those who were hearing it, but the important thing was that it was the truth, in full harmony with God’s Word.

The modern-day history of Jehovah’s Witnesses began with the forming of a group for Bible study in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., in the early 1870’s. At first they were known only as Bible Students, but in 1931 they adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isaiah 43:10-12) Their beliefs and practices are not new but are a restoration of first-century Christianity.

But the Witnesses do not favor one nation over another; they are found in almost every nation, and they have offices in many parts of the earth to supervise their activity in those areas.

Consider: Jesus as a Jew was born in Palestine, but Christianity is not a Palestinian religion, is it? The place of Jesus’ human birth is not the most important factor to consider. What Jesus taught originated with his Father, Jehovah God, who deals impartially with people of all nations.—John 14:10; Acts 10:34, 35.

If you would like further information & learn more - please contact Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit

Bible -

Answer 4

A man named Charles Taze Russell was there founder which is why they were and should be called Russellites. This man was shown to be a perjurer due to his false claims to know biblical languages.

edit-- The truth of their teachings is that they mirror the teachings of a man named Arius who lived in Alexandria in approximately 250CE. Do some readings from the Early Church Fathers. You can find these writings in the public domain online at CCEL.org

Answer 5

Jehovah himself is the origin......He organized his followers to serve him and all who want to live forever still serve him.
God is a God of order and he has led us to today where we wish to help others come to an accurate knowledge of Jehovah also.
If you would like to find out how you can get salvation contact a Kingdom Hall near you.

Answer 6

Charles Taze Russell, and i happen to be one of Jehovahs Witnesses. its not an organization, its just a type of relgion, we are classified as Christians to make it easier. but we are no part of this world.

Wikipedia Article:

ehovah's Witnesses are members of an international Christian new religious movement of the same name, whose adherents believe it to be a restoration of first-century Christianity.[1][2] The religion was developed in response “to what they saw as compromise and corruption in mainstream Christianity.”[3] They dispute doctrines such as the Trinity, hellfire, immortality of the soul, and clergy-laity divisions as illegitimate additions to the original Christian teachings.[3]
The name "Jehovah’s Witnesses" is based on Isaiah 43:10, and was adopted in 1931.[3] The Watchtower Society has been publishing religious materials since the late 19th century, its most widely known publications being the magazines The Watchtower and Awake![4][5]Jehovah's Witnesses are governed by their understanding of Scriptural laws and principles from the Bible, as interpreted by their Governing Body.[6] Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. is a legal organization in use by Jehovah’s Witnesses for their ministry work.
Jehovah’s Witnesses count as adherents the number attending their meetings.[7] Of these adherents, they count as members those who report time preaching each month.[8] As of August 2006 this membership is about 6.7 million.[9]
A primary Witness teaching is the use of a personal name for God, Jehovah, and the belief that making this name known to others is an important part of worship. They believe that Jesus' death was necessary to atone for the sin brought into the world by the first man, Adam, opening the way for the hope of everlasting life for mankind, and that 144,000 people will receive immortal life in heaven as co-rulers with Christ, ruling over the rest of mankind during the Millennial Reign. Witnesses believe that during the imminent war of Armageddon, the wicked will be destroyed, and survivors, along with millions of others who will be resurrected, will form a new earthly society ruled by a heavenly government and have the possibility of living forever in an earthly paradisehovah's Witnesses originated with the religious movement known as Bible Students, which was founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell. Various splinter groups arose after Russell's death, particularly with the beginning of the presidency of Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Those who remained supportive of the Watchtower Society came to adopt the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931 under Rutherford's leadership; some of the splinter groups survive to this day, though few of these have upwards of 1000 adherents (see splinter groups article). Those who did not support Rutherford formed various Bible Student groups which have retained Russell's teachings. Jehovah's Witnesses no longer use "Bible Students" as a formal name for their religion.


Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916)
[edit]Russell and Barbour
In the early 1870s, Russell organized a Bible study group composed mostly of Second Adventists (a group that arose after the Millerite Great Disappointment) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[10] An interest in Bible prophecy was sparked, in part, by Jonas Wendell. In 1876, Russell met Nelson H. Barbour and subsequently adopted Barbour's eschatology. Barbour had predicted the visible return of Christ at 1873, and when that failed to occur, he revised the prediction to 1874. [11] [12] Soon after Barbour's second disappointment, his group decided Christ had returned invisibly to Earth in 1874.[13] They differed from most Second Adventists, teaching that all mankind descending from Adam would be given a chance to live in a paradise on Earth. In 1877, Barbour and Russell jointly published the book The Three Worlds detailing their views.[14] A gathering of the saints to heaven was expected for 1878 and the year 1914 was to mark the end of Gentile control of the city of Jerusalem and the final end of the rule of human governments, marking a forty-year period from 1874.[15]By 1877, a separation between the Barbour-Russell group and the Advent Christian denomination was apparent.[16]
[edit]Russell's break with Barbour
In July 1879, Russell broke with Barbour over the concept of substitutionary atonement [17] and he soon began publishing his own magazine, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower).[18] After the break, Russell retained the bulk of Barbour's eschatological views.[19]He also maintained the Adventist rejection of the traditional view of Hell and by 1882 had rejected the doctrine of the Trinity.[20] He became known as "Pastor Russell", and in 1881 formed the legal entity which developed into the non-profit organization: The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (currently headquartered in New York City).[21] In 1884, it was incorporated, with Russell as president. He authored the six-volume series, Studies in the Scriptures.[22] Early editions predicted that Armageddon would culminate in the year 1914.[23] Various statements assuring the accuracy and authority of their predictions were issued, such as "We see no reason for changing the figures — nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble."[24] In contrast, Russell also wrote regarding his expectations: "We are not prophesying; we are merely giving our surmises . . . We do not even aver that there is no mistake in our interpretation of prophecy and our calculations of chronology. We have merely laid these before you, leaving it for each to exercise his own faith or doubt in respect to them."[25] In 1914, Russell founded the International Bible Students Association in the United Kingdom.
[edit]Presidency of Joseph Franklin Rutherford


Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942)
Following Russell's death on October 31, 1916, an editorial committee of five was set up to supervise the writing of the Watch Tower magazine, as set forth in Russell's Last Will and Testament.[26] On January 6, 1917, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (also known as "Judge" Rutherford) was elected second President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. A power struggle soon developed between Rutherford and four of the seven-member Board of Directors of the Society.[27] Matters reached a climax on July 17, 1917 as the book The Finished Mystery was released to the headquarters staff in Brooklyn.[28] Rutherford announced to the staff that he was also dismissing the four directors and replacing them with new members, claiming they had not been legally elected.[29] The four dismissed directors set up the Pastoral Bible Institute and began publishing their own religious journal. Dissension and schisms ensued in congregations worldwide as a result of these events, and of the consequences of new predictions made for the years 1918,[30] 1920[31] and 1925.[32][33]

Answer 7

God and Jesus.