Charles Taze Russell was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, 1852. His parents were devout Presbyterians. Dad owned several men’s furnishing stores in Pittsburgh, where the family moved early in Charles’ life.He joined his father in this enterprise and was well on his way to financial success, even as a teen.

Equally disciplined in his religious life, at age 13, he left the Presbyterians for the Congregationalists. Three years later, still searching for ultimate Biblical truth, he began to question the reliability of Scripture after a not-so-successful debate with a friend. Russell wondered away from his Christian roots for a while, even dabbling ineastern religions.

Then at age 18, he encountered the Adventists. It is worth a stop here to investigate again just what that particular group adhered to in Charles’ day.

Enter Adventism

Adventism sprang from the Second Great Awakening ofthe early 1890’s. William Miller was among the leaders of this new movement, which we still have with us today, notably in the form of the seventh-day group. 22 million people consider themselves “Adventists” in our day.

It was here, and not just in his own head or his own Bible searching, that Mr. Russell picked up some of his errors. Though the Adventists have much upon which they agree, there was and is much on the other side of the ledger. They have debated subjects such as the state of the soul after death, annihilation vs eternal torment, the resurrection of the wicked, the observance of the Sabbath.

But of course the main distinctive of this movement had to do with the Advent, or Coming, of Christ to Earth. Date-setting was prevalent and of course always wrong. Even when it was wrong, and obviously so, movement leaders could convince the sheep that something significant had happened on that day. Perhaps Jesus came spiritually, invisibly, though He had not appeared in Body.

Such was the case on October 22, 1844, the “sure-fire” date for the coming of Jesus. Much disappointment abounded on October 23 of that year.

Millerites divided up after that time, and changed their basic name to “Adventists”. But there were Seventh-day Adventists, (as Ms White and company were called), First-day Adventists, Spiritualizer Adventists.

In the middle of all of these goings-on, Charles Taze Russell had to make some decisions as he was exposed to more of their teachings. He decided against eternal hell. And, he became convinced that historic creeds of the Christian Church were a betrayal of true Christianity. In 1870 at age 18, he adopted the basic package of prophetic beliefs of the adventism of the day: namely, the end times had begun in 1799; Christ returned invisibly in 1874. Christ was crowned the King of Heaven in 1878. And 1914 would usher in Armageddon after a serious harvest period.

Jehovah’s Witness doctrine gets a little more understandable knowing where Mr. Russell came from. Once he grasped these new teachings, he was thoroughly committed to writing about them, and funding their propagation. Everyone must know about the return of Jesus!

In 1870, Charles’ father and he formed a group to study the Scriptures. Many Millerites were present, and continued to influence him heavily. In 1876, he formed a partnership with a famed Adventist of that time as named above, Nelson Barbour, editor of an Adventist publication called Herald of the Morning.

One item in that magazine intrigued Russell to no end. It made the claim that all Christians who had died up until now, would be raised in April, 1878. The invisible spiritual reign of Christ would begin then also.

My, it seems you could make anyone believe in something invisible happening! Jesus warned us about such prophets, but the Adventists were not listening to such humdrum Scripture. Nor was Charles. He, as we say today, “went off.”

The stores he had by now acquired via his father’s business, in the men’s furnishing department, were sold, and brought in the modern equivalent of millions of dollars.

Thenhe was elected pastor of his study group.

Exit Adventists

But alas. 1878 came and went with no rapture of the church. Smart people gave up on this wing of Christianity. The false prophets went on unabashed, leaving the many who had dressed up in their finest white robes that morning, wondering how such a group could survive. But it did. And does.

Russell and Barbour argued over the implications of what had happened. That is, what had not happened.Then they split up. Russell withdrew all support from him.

But in 1879, hardly missing a beat, Charles Taze Russell began his own periodical, Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. (Today simply the Watchtower. Fascinating. Not talking about Christ’s physical coming, mind you. Only His coming in “Presence”, which you will discover later is a key “witness” code word.

Actually the concept of a coming “Presence” was 1800 plus years old already. Jesus had already come indeed in His Presence via the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost! Again, obvious Scripture ignored. This Adventism line was all too exciting to give up. Got to press on with the “movement”.

Also in 1879, he married Maria Frances Ackley, a move he would later call a “mistake.” As would she.