The Spirit World Guided Rutherford
Ken Raines
J. F. Rutherford became the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's second president in 1916 upon the death of its founder and first president, C. T. Russell. Rutherford held this position until his death at the San Diego mansion, Beth-Sarim, on January 8, 1942. Under the leadership of "Judge" Rutherford, as he was called, the Jehovah's Witnesses received most of the doctrine and chronology that they have today and which is unique to their sect.1
How did Rutherford arrive at these doctrines and chronological beliefs? Why have other professed Christians for the most part not come to believe these teachings during the past two thousand years? Why are they unique to Jehovah's Witnesses if they are the teachings of Scripture? Did Rutherford use different methods or principles of interpreting Scripture than other Christians? Did he believe that only the remnant (the leadership class of Jehovah's Witnesses) were enlightened by the Holy Spirit? (John 14:26, 16:7-15; 1 John 2:20, 27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-15; 12:3) Or were these doctrines the result of some esoteric or unusual method of interpreting Scripture?
Rutherford and Exegesis
"No man can interpret God's Word, Jehovah God reserves that to Himself." (J. F. Rutherford, The Golden Age, May 24, 1933, p. 534)
Rutherford did not believe that an individual could understand Scripture by simply reading the Bible and using accepted methods of exegesis.2 Rutherford believed that no one could interpret or understand a passage of Scripture until God revealed its meaning:
For many centuries the Bible has been a mystery and very few understand much thereof.... Even to the man of God most of the Bible has been shrouded in mystery until quite recently.3
Jehovah keeps his purposes secret until due time to reveal them... The purposes of Jehovah are stated in his Word by his prophets, but no one can understand them until God by his power opens the seals.4
This applied to himself. He said that he couldn't interpret or understand a passage of Scripture until God revealed it to him:
It is sometimes suggested that I attempt to interpret the Scriptures. I do not attempt to interpret the Scriptures. Any man who attempts to interpret the Bible gets into trouble, whether he be a clergyman or a layman. The Bible is not of private interpretation.5
Men do not interpret Scripture; the church does not interpret Scripture; Christ Jesus himself does not interpret Scripture, except as that interpretation is given to Him by His Father. (Rev. 1:1) The only One who interprets Scripture, in the last analysis, is the One who gave it in the first place. Obviously, until He furnishes the key to a passage it can never be unlocked.6
He claimed God furnished the "key" to a passage in His own "due time." When this due time arrived God revealed the interpretation to the remnant alone. He referred to this interpretation from God as "new light" or "meat in due season."
Jehovah's Interpretation
Rutherford's belief that no one could interpret the Scriptures until God revealed the meaning was based on 'God's interpretation' of 2 Peter 1:20 and Genesis 40:8.7 Thus, Rutherford taught that men cannot interpret Scripture, but Jehovah God and Jesus Christ were the ones who were the Interpreters. When the "due time" came, God revealed the correct interpretation to the remnant:
Now God reveals to his people an understanding of the prophecies long ago written.8
God has revealed the meaning of the prophecies to his people...9
New Light
These revelations from God as to the proper understanding of Scripture are called meat in due season:
God... furnishes them with meat in due season by revealing the meaning of his prophecies written long ago.10
Thus:
... the meat in due season is a proper explanation of the Scriptures.11
He also frequently referred to these revelations as "light" or "flashes of lightning" from God that was shed on the Bible:
Jehovah has caused greater light to shine upon his Word.... He has given meat to the household through the Head of the house of sons, Jesus.... the Scriptures are not of private interpretation.12
Since the Lord came to his temple there have been flashes of lightning; that is to say, intermittent illuminations of the Word of God,.... These flashes of light do not emanate from any member of the temple class, but from the Lord. It is Jehovah that is sending out his light and his truth,...13
These revelations of the "proper" understanding or interpretation of Scripture Rutherford received from God were published in the Watchtower Society's publications:
To feed or teach his people the Lord has used the Watch Tower publications.... No man is given credit for the wonderful truths which the Lord has revealed to his people through the Watch Tower publications.... the Lord is feeding his people through these publications.... Jehovah has revealed the meaning of many of his prophecies.... the Lord is the Teacher and he will reveal the true meaning of prophecy in his own appointed way...14
The Lord Jesus at the temple is the dispenser of food for his own.... The Lord has proved to his people that he is feeding his people the truth through the Watch Tower publications. No human ingenuity or ability could set forth the meaning of the prophecies which God's people have received within the last few years. Prophecy is not of private interpretation. He who attempts to place a private interpretation upon a prophecy shows himself to be a fool...15
There have come down from heaven great downpours of truth in that God has unfolded to his people his prophecies and given them such a marvelous supply that they sing with joy. He has given them many separate pieces of literature and books containing his message to carry to the people.16
Rutherford in these quotes said that no man could interpret Scripture and if he tried to he would show himself to be a fool. He said the Lord Jehovah through Christ has "revealed" to the remnant "the truth" and thus "the true meaning" of scripture. All of this was published in Watch Tower Society publications alone. Thus he said, God had "given them many separate pieces of literature and books."
The Watchtower
The Watchtower magazine was the main publication by the Society that was used by God to transmit to the remnant the new "light" on the Bible. Jehovah was viewed as being the One who was responsible for the contents of the magazine. They merely published these revelations after Jehovah through Christ revealed it to them:
It is announced with confidence that the Lord uses the columns of The Watchtower to transmit to his consecrated people things that he reveals to them and provides for them to know. It is the privilege of The Watchtower to publish explanation of the prophecies... There is no attempt on the part of The Watchtower to interpret prophecy, for the reason that no human creature can interpret prophecy.17
Rutherford was listed as the author of all Jehovah's Witnesses' books from 1926 until his death in 1942 and "supervised everything that went into" The Watchtower magazine.18 Putting all this together, the upshot of this would seem to be that no one could understand a Scripture text or a book of the Bible until Rutherford published one of his books that explained it!
For example, the Society said that the book of Ezekiel could not be understood by anyone until Rutherford wrote his three volumes entitled Vindication in 1931 and 1932. In advertisements for the first volume, The Golden Age magazine said:
Jehovah caused to be written, more than 2500 years ago, what in the Bible is called Ezekiel's prophecy. During the centuries that prophecy has been a mystery sealed to all who have sought to unlock it. God's due time has now come for the prophecy to be understood.19
In another Golden Age they said the following about all three volumes of Vindication by Rutherford:
Ezekiel's prophecy, sealed until the publication of these books, announces the judgments of God...20
They said similar things about the book of Revelation and the publication of Rutherford's books Light I and Light II that explained it:
For nearly 2000 years the Book of Revelation, written in highly symbolical language, has been a sealed book. Now, because the time is ripe, LIGHT unlocks the seals.21
The book of Revelation was a "sealed" book until Rutherford's Light I and II were published in 1930. The book of Ezekiel was a "mystery" to all until 1931 and 1932 when Rutherford published his three volumes entitled Vindication. Only then could the prophecy of Ezekiel be understood for the first time during the past two and a half millenniums! It is therefore easy to see why The Golden Age stated:
Every reader of The Golden Age knows that we consider Judge Rutherford's books the most important ones in the world.22
They were considered the most important books in the world because without them you could not understand the Bible. Since Rutherford claimed what he wrote explained portions of the Bible for the first time in centuries or millennia and that these interpretations came from God, he was consistent in also claiming that what he wrote was not his opinion or interpretation of Scripture.
God's Explanation of the Bible
"Judge Rutherford voices, not his own, nor anyone's opinion." (The Golden Age, March 28, 1934, p. 396)
Rutherford said repeatedly that what he wrote was not his opinion or interpretation of Scripture. For example, he said this in the Foreword of his book, Government:
What is set forth in the following pages is not the opinion of man. The facts are plainly stated as they exist.23
And this in the Foreword of his book Reconciliation:
The writer does not give his opinion. No human interpretation of Scripture is advanced.24
In an advertisement for his book, Riches, The Golden Age magazine said:
... this book does not contain the opinion of a man, but sets forth the truth taken from the Word of God.25
In fact, he claimed that all of his books were not his opinions or interpretations even though he wrote them.26 The material to be found in The Watchtower magazine was also said to be devoid of human opinions:
Those who are convinced that The Watchtower is publishing the opinion or expression of a man should not waste time looking at it at all, because a man's opinion proves nothing except when that opinion is based wholly upon the Word of God. Those who believe that God uses The Watchtower as a means of communicating to his people, or of calling their attention to his prophecies, should study The Watchtower with thankfulness of heart and give Jehovah God and Christ Jesus all the honor and credit and give neither honor nor credit to any man.27
Rutherford merely published God's "explanation" of Scripture after He revealed it to him. That readers of The Watchtower took his statements to mean just that, can be seen by this resolution adopted by a "company" of Jehovah's Witnesses in Wisconsin in 1940 that Rutherford published in The Watchtower:
Resolution.... We are in full accord with Jehovah's Word, the Bible, and his explanation of the Bible which he is now revealing to us through his earthly channel, the WATCH TOWER,...28
Since his writings were not only God's interpretation of Scripture and thus not his opinion, they were the word of God and not the word of man. For example, in 1932 he said:
... the text says: "The Sovereign Lord giveth the word"..."The word," or "speech", is a comprehensive form applied, not to only one specific message that the Lord gave or is giving or has given at any one time, but to the whole series of messages of truth which he gave and which he continues to give ever since the lightnings have been flashing from the temple and upon the record of his Word. The expression "the word", therefore, includes every revelation of truth down to and including the book Vindication and whatsoever shall be revealed and published, by the Lord's grace, as long as the remnant is on earth.29
Thus Rutherford, together with the rest of the remnant, were God's prophet or mouthpiece and Jehovah Himself placed His "word" into the remnant's mouths to speak:
Jehovah has said or designated the remnant on earth as his visible mouthpiece.30
Jehovah's mighty hand of protection is over his remnant while they utter the words he has placed in their mouths.31
This brings up the question of what kind of revelations these were and how Rutherford received them from God. Today the Society says the remnant receive new light through the "holy spirit" force. However, Rutherford claimed that he was not enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Angelic Channeling
"Is The Watchtower a means or channel employed by God to transmit information to his people?... he could and would transmit information to his people... No man can properly interpret prophecy, and the Lord sends his angels to transmit correct information to his people,..." (The Watchtower, February 15, 1936, p. 52)
Since the late 1940s the Watchtower Society has taught that only the Holy Spirit can bring about the proper understanding of Scripture. For example they have said:
Since the Bible was written under God's spirit, only his spirit can bring about understanding...32
Until 1930 Rutherford also taught that the remnant were enlightened by the Holy Spirit in understanding the Scriptures. In the 1929 Yearbook he said:
It has been since the Lord came to his temple that God by his spirit has revealed to the church many of the deep things that the members thereof could not understand prior to that time.33
However, in 1930 Rutherford began to teach that in 1918, when Jesus came to the "temple", the "holy spirit" was taken away from the remnant and was no longer their Teacher, Comforter or Advocate:
By his spirit, the holy spirit, Jehovah God guides or leads his people up to a certain time, and thus he did until the time when "the comforter" was taken away ... in 1918.34
...1918... in that year the Lord Jesus came to the temple of Jehovah God. The holy spirit that had been the guide of God's people, having performed its functions, was taken away...35
When Jesus was on earth he had no advocate, because God dealt directly with him.... It would seem that there would be no necessity for the "servant" to have an advocate such as the holy spirit, because the "servant" is in direct communication with Jehovah...36
Rutherford taught that since the remnant were in direct communication with Jehovah, it was Jehovah and Jesus Christ who were teaching the remnant, not the Holy Spirit:
In times past the holy spirit was the comforter and helper of God's people, and those brethren supposed to have the spirit of the Lord acted as teachers of the consecrated; but now, since the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple, Jehovah God and his great prophet, Christ Jesus, are the teachers... the faithful ones receive knowledge and understanding from the Word of God revealed to them through the Head of the temple organization.37
Starting in 1918, angels were used to help teach the remnant the Truth. These, to a large extent, replaced the Holy Spirit as the medium or channel through which Jehovah and Christ taught the remnant:
After the holy spirit as an advocate or paraclete ceased to function in behalf of the consecrated, then the angels are employed in behalf of those who are being made ready for the kingdom.38
Instead of the servant's being moved into action by the operation of the holy spirit as a helper, the Scriptures seem to teach clearly that the Lord directs his angels what to do and that they act under the supervision of the Lord in directing the remnant on earth concerning the course of action to take.39
Since 1918 the angels of the Lord have had to do with showing the Ezekiel class the truth...40
Angelic Information
Being under the direction of angels meant the remnant received information and organization instructions from angels. In Rutherford's words:
Certain duties and kingdom interests have been committed by the Lord to his angels, which include the transmission of information to God's anointed people on the earth for their aid and comfort. Even though we cannot understand how the angels transmit this information, we know that they do it.41
These angels are invisible to human eyes and are there to carry out the orders of the Lord. No doubt they first hear the instruction which the Lord issues to his remnant and then these invisible messengers pass such instruction on to the remnant.42
... angels are delegated by the Lord to convey his instructions to the members of his organization on earth. Just how this is done is not necessary for us to understand.43
Angelic Interpretations
The information from angels that was given to Rutherford and the rest of the remnant included the interpretation of Scripture that was printed in Watchtower literature:
This question is propounded for the benefit of those faithful ones of the remnant now on earth, and the angel of the Lord brings to them the needed information in answer to their questions. (Rev. 1:1) This is proof that the interpretation of prophecy does not proceed from man, but that the Lord Jesus, the chief one in Jehovah's organization, sends the necessary information to his people by and through his holy angels.44
Jehovah's anointed, pictured by Zechariah, inquire: "What Are These [Things] My Lord?" showing that they seek the divine interpretation of God's Word and do not seek the conclusion of men... the angels of the Lord at the temple are used to enlighten and comfort the anointed ones and to bring them refreshing truths. Those of the remnant, being honest and true, must say, We do not know; and the Lord enlightens them, sending his angels for that very purpose.45
In Vindication I Rutherford said about "cherubim, seraphim and angels" that:
These invisible ones the Lord uses to put in the hands of his "faithful servant" class, that is, the man clothed with linen, the fiery message from his Word, or judgments written, and which is to be used as directed. The resolutions adopted by conventions of God's anointed people, booklets, magazines, and books published by them, contain the message of God's truth and are from the Lord Jehovah, and provided by him through Christ Jesus and his underofficers... The interpretation of prophecy, therefore, is not from man but is from Jehovah...46
I think it should be clear now why Rutherford said that what he wrote was not his opinion or interpretation of Scripture, but was the divine interpretation. Most Jehovah's Witnesses or ex-Jehovah's Witnesses would, I believe, be surprised that Rutherford made these claims for his literature. He claimed that the "booklets, magazines and books" by the Society, most, if not all of which were written by him, were from "the Almighty God, Jehovah, and provided by him through Jesus Christ and his underofficers", the "cherubim, seraphim and angels". Yet Rutherford claimed that this did not mean that this literature was inspired.47
Angelic Revelations
The Society in their history book, Jehovah's Witnesses -- Proclaimers of God's Kingdom said:
Those who make up the one true Christian organization today do not have angelic revelations or divine inspiration.48
What they do not mention at all in this book reviewing their history is that Rutherford did claim to receive angelic revelations and thus a form of "divine inspiration". These angelic revelations were published in the Society's literature, particularly The Watchtower magazine:
Without a doubt the Lord uses his angels to cause the truth to be published in The Watchtower... Certainly God guides his covenant people by using the holy angels to convey his message to them.49
Angelic Mind Control
How did God by angels transmit the interpretations of Scripture and prophecy to the remnant and specifically to Rutherford? He said that he did not know exactly how the angels transmitted the information to him. He said that he did not visually see these angels because they were "invisible to human eyes".50 Nor was the information given in an audible voice:
These angels doubtless perform in connection with and toward the people of God many things that they cannot see with their natural eyes or hear with their natural ears.51
Rutherford said that these angels transmitted information inaudibly as thoughts into the remnant's minds. Rutherford said:
... the remnant are instructed by the angels of the Lord. The remnant do not hear audible sounds, because such is not necessary. Jehovah has provided his own good way to convey thoughts to the minds of his anointed ones.52
Surely the holy angels of the Jehovah God, who are under the command of Christ Jesus and accompany him at his temple as his deputies, are clothed with power to put questions in the minds of those on earth who are devoted to God. It is not necessary for us to know just how this is done, but there can be no doubt about the power of the deputies of the Lord.53
Rutherford believed that the Holy Spirit was the force that, in the early church, God used to enlighten Christians. He believed that the Holy Spirit was replaced by angels in 1918 and these took over controlling the minds of the remnant:
... the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of "the servant", acting by and through his holy angels, has directed and is directing that work. It was the holy spirit that operated upon the minds of men in the early church to take certain action; but now the Lord Jesus himself has returned, is in his temple, and, acting by and through his holy angels, puts into the mind and heart of the remnant class to take positive action and to do a certain work...54
Angelic Prophecies
God also revealed to Rutherford (through angels) what was to happen or come to pass in the future:
The temple in heaven is open, and those who have been so marvelously favored by being brought into the temple now receive a vision of the prophecies that have come to pass. Jehovah graciously permits those in the temple to see other things that shall shortly come to pass.55
God reveals to his people the information of things that must shortly come to pass....56
Rutherford believed that Jehovah God would not even start the battle of Armageddon until He first sent angels to inform the remnant that it was about to start, thus giving them the time to notify mankind of its approach. He said:
No man can properly interpret prophecy, and the Lord sends his angels to transmit correct information to his people,.... The Greater Gideon [Jesus] does not begin the Armageddon battle until the message of truth from Jehovah God concerning the same is transmitted by his angels to the faithful remnant on the earth.57
Good or Evil Spirits?
Was Rutherford receiving his interpretations of Scriptures from angels or from demons? As the Society has more recently pointed out:
Yes, the Bible shows that there are not only good angels but also wicked ones.58
If Rutherford was receiving information into his mind from angels, which kind were they? Good or evil? Did God really send angels to enlighten Rutherford with the "divine interpretation" of Scripture in answer to his inquiries? If so, we should believe the doctrine and chronology he received from these angels. We should certainly respect and read Rutherford's books more than the Society today says we should!
On the other hand, what if these angels were lying spirits? Wouldn't this mean, despite his claims, that he was involved in spiritism? Wouldn't this make him a spirit medium?
Notes
1 This includes the belief that only the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation chapter seven will go to heaven and the "great multitude" (the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses) will live on the earth forever; the "Kingdom gospel" they preach that Jesus returned in 1914, Satan was cast out of heaven down to earth in 1914; the doctrine of "God's organization" and "Satan's organization", etc. -- even the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" came during the Rutherford period. This will be documented in a later journal.
2 Historically, exegesis has been viewed as a part of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting Scripture). While hermeneutics is more the philosophy of the principles one needs to use in interpreting a historical text, exegesis is more the actual application of these principles to understand a text. An excellent work on exegesis of the New Testament is New Testament Exegesis. A Handbook For Students and Pastors, by Gordon Fee, Westminster Press, 1983, 1993.
3 J. F., Rutherford, His Vengeance, 1934, pp. 53, 57.
4 J. F. Rutherford, Light, book 1, 1930, p. 98. See also J. F. Rutherford, Prophecy, 1929, p. 61; J. F. Rutherford, War or Peace, Which?, 1930, p. 22.
5 The Golden Age, November 27, 1929, p. 152.
6 The Golden Age, August 17, 1932, p. 727.
7 J. F. Rutherford, Vindication I, 1931, p. 14; The Watchtower, April 15, 1937 p. 124; The Watchtower, February 15, 1937, p. 52, §4; 1938 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, January 9.
8 Vindication I, 1931, p. 214; 1932 Yearbook of the International Bible Students Association, Daily Texts and Comments, November 20. Emphasis mine.
9 1938 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, November 18; The Watchtower, November 15, 1937, p. 349 §47. Emphasis mine. See further, The Watchtower, August 1, 1938, p. 232, §28; 1936 Yearbook of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, January 30; 1942 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, December 18; The Watchtower, February 15, 1934, p. 54, §14.
10 The Watchtower, November 15, 1937, p. 349, §47.
11 J. F. Rutherford, The Harp of God, 1921, p. 237, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 editions. This comment could not be found in the 1928, 1937 and 1940 editions of this book.
12 1928 Yearbook of the International Bible Students Association, Daily Texts and Comments, December 22.
13 Ibid., May 14 . Emphasis in original. See further, The Watchtower, April 15, 1931, p. 116, §8, 9; Vindication III, 1932, p. 314.
14 The Watchtower, December 1, 1933 p. 363.
15 1937 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, September 10; The Watchtower, March 1, 1936, p. 70, §17.
16 1937 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, July 5; The Watchtower, November 15, 1936, pp. 342-343, §19. See also The Watchtower, January 15, 1935, p. 26, §34.
17 1935 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 52. See also, 1936 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 63; 1934 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 69.
18 Olin Moyle trial, 1943, court transcript, p. 795.
19 The Golden Age, October 28, 1931, p. 64. See also The Golden Age, August 19, 1931, p. 768.
20 The Golden Age, April 10, 1935, p. 445.
21 The Golden Age, October 1, 1930, p. 32. See also: J. F. Rutherford, Light, book I, 1930, pp. 5, 6, 52; Light, book II, 1930, pp. 264, 267.
22 The Golden Age, September 2, 1931, p. 793.
23 J. F. Rutherford, Government, 1928, p. 5.
24 J. F. Rutherford, Reconciliation, 1928, p. 6.
25 The Golden Age, March 1, 1936, p. 384.
26 J. F. Rutherford, Riches, 1936, pp. 353, 354.
27 The Watchtower, January 1, 1942, p. 5. See also The Watchtower, April 1, 1936, p. 106; Consolation, May 18, 1938, p. 31; The Watchtower, August 1, 1940, p. 230, §27; 1941 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, August 15.
28 The Watchtower, July 1, 1940, p. 207, Letters section (first letter).
29 Watchtower, April 1, 1932, p. 101; 1933 Yearbook, Daily Texts and Comments, October 3.
30 1941 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, April 24.
31 The Watchtower, May 15, 1932, p. 148, §9; 1933 Yearbook, Daily Texts and Comments, July 12. See further, The Watchtower, September 1, 1930, p. 263, §23. The Watchtower, January 1, 1938 p. 6, §15.
32 The Watchtower, June 1, 1957, p. 328.
33 1929 Yearbook of the International Bible Students Association, Daily Texts and Comments, April 4.
34 Preservation, 1932, pp. 193, 194.
35 J. F. Rutherford, Salvation, 1939, pp. 216, 217.
36 The Watchtower, September 1, 1930, p. 263, §23. See further, Preservation, pp. 202, 203, 257; The Watchtower, October 1, 1932, p. 294, §17, 18.
37 J. F. Rutherford, Jehovah, 1934, p. 311. See further, The Watchtower, March 15, 1938, p. 89, §37; 1939 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, October 6.
38 Preservation, p. 51; The Watchtower, June 1, 1931, p. 167, §35.
39 1931 Yearbook of the International Bible Students Association, Daily Texts and Comments, October 21; The Watchtower, September 1, 1930, p. 263, §26.
40 Vindication III, 1932, p. 316. See further, Light, book II, 1930, p. 20; Preservation, 1932, p. 152.
41 Preparation, 1933, pp. 36, 37; The Watchtower, August 15, 1933, p. 243, §3; The Watchtower, March 1, 1938, p. 79, §4.
42 Vindication III, 1932, p. 250; The Watchtower, September 15, 1938, p. 285 (last paragraph).
43 The Watchtower, December 1, 1933, p. 364.
44 Preparation, p. 28; The Watchtower, August 1, 1933, p. 231, §23.
45 Preparation, pp. 66, 67; The Watchtower, August 15, 1933, p. 248, §20; The Watchtower, September 15, 1938, p. 287.
46 Vindication I, 1931, p. 120; The Watchtower, May 1, 1938, p. 143. (The 1938 Watchtower's printing of these comments are slightly different from the original ones in Vindication I.)
47 Riches, 1936, p. 316.
48 Jehovah's Witnesses -- Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993, p. 708.
49 The Watchtower, February 1, 1935, p. 41.
50 Vindication III, 1932, p. 250; The Watchtower, September 15, 1938, p. 285.
51 The Watchtower, August 1, 1936, p. 232, §30; 1937 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, December 8.
52 Preparation, p. 64; The Watchtower, August 15, 1933, pp. 247, 248, §17; The Watchtower, September 15, 1938, p. 286.
53 The Watchtower, May 15, 1938, p. 157; Light 1, pp. 61, 62. See also: The Watchtower, November 1, 1937, p. 326, §14; 1938 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, February 15; 1935 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, November 22; The Watchtower, February 15, 1935, p. 54, §1.
54 The Watchtower, September 1, 1930, p. 263, §27; 1931 Yearbook of the International Bible Students Association, Daily Texts and Comments, February 17.
55 Vindication 1, p. 340.
56 Light 1, p. 120; 1931 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, October 4. See further, The Watch Tower, January 1, 1930, p. 7, §24; The Watch Tower, January 1, 1931, p. 5, §21.
57 The Watchtower, February 15, 1935, p. 52, §7, 8; 1935 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, November 13. See further, The Watchtower, July 1, 1938, pp. 199, 200, §24, 25; 1939 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Daily Texts and Comments, June 22; J. F. Rutherford, His Vengeance, 1934, p. 6.
58 Awake!, May 22, 1971, p. 28.
