* False Masonic Connections

There is a series of articles on the Cephas Ministries site aimed at the Jehovah's Witnesses, but which, in fact, have a lot of misleading and distorted information about Charles Taze Russell, who was never a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. We will be examining many of these statements on this page. While the authors of the site may actually believe the false and misleading information presented (evidently based on the use of false information provided by others), it still remains that what is told falsely about Russell is still false.

Russell's Tombstone

Russell's Tombstone

It is claimed that on Russell's tomb one may find "the Knights Templar Symbol for the York Rite of Freemasonry." There are at least two major errors being presented here. What is pictured as Russell's tombstone is the pyramid monument that Rutherford authorized to be constructed a few years after Russell died. It is not true that this pyramid monument is Russell's tombstone. The monument referred to was removed in 2021 due to vandalism that caused the monument to be too dangerous to leave as it was and too expensive to repair. When the monument was removed, it was not Russell tombstone that was being removed. That monument was not a tombstone at all; no one was buried in or under that replica of God's Witness in Egypt.

For more research with documentation related to this, see the links provided at Russell's Gravestone.

The symbol being imagined, assumed and presented as though a fact as being the Knights Templar symbol is actually the Biblical cross and crown symbol:

Cross and Crown Symbol

In reality, the Biblical cross and crown symbolism has been used by almost every major denomination at one time or another; it is still used by many denominational churches today. The Knights Templar (who profess to be Christian) claim that they adopted the cross and crown symbolism from traditional church use. Nevertheless, the cross and crown illustrations used by the Knights Templar are NOT the same as that which Russell used, although they are similar. Their adaptation of cross and crown illustrations does not mean that we need to imagine, assume, and present as being fact, that everyone who makes use of any similar Biblical symbolism is using a Knights Templar symbol.

It is claimed that the cross and crown symbol shows who Russell was serving, adding, "It was not Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be sure." Anyone truly familiar with Russell's works would know that Russell was indeed devoted to the service of the Lord Jesus. The cross and crown symbolism, however, is based on the Bible. To claim that usage of such symbolism means that the user is serving the devil would be tantamount to claiming the Bible is a servant of the devil.

For links to related research, see: Russell and the Cross and Crown.

33rd Degree Freemason?

It is claimed: "This is where Charles Taze Russell (1852 - 1916), 33rd Degree Freemason and founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses cult is buried." And it is stated: "This tombstone is all the proof we need that Charles Taze Russell was a 33rd Degree Freemason." This continues the false assumption that the pyramid monument that used to be the Rosemont Cemetery was Russell's "tombstone". In reality, there is nothing at all on Russell's actual tombstone, nor on Rutherford's pyramid monument that has anything to do with man's Freemasonry organization nor with the Knights Templar. Russell, of course, as stated before, is not buried in or under the pyramid monument in the Rosemont Cemetery. But was Russell a "33rd Degree Freemason"  -- the Knights Templar? To be a member of the Knights Templar, one has to accept the extra-Biblical trinitarian creeds. Since Russell preached a totally different message than that of the Knights Templar, and the message he preached strongly clashes with the trinitarian creeds, to think that Russell was a member of the trinitarian Knights Templar would be to think that Russell spent his entire fortune and nearly his entire life preaching against what is he is claimed to have been promoting by preaching against what he was is alleged to have been promoting. Of course, such self-contradictory reasoning is silly.

For links to related research, see: Russell and the Freemasons.

Founder of Jehovah's Witnesses

It is claimed: "Charles T Russell founded the JW movement in 1879 by starting his own magazine." Again, this is not true. Russell was never a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Indeed, the message that Russell spent nearly his entire life preaching and defending is almost the very opposite of the message preached by the JW leadership. Russell was not the founder of that in which he did not believe and which he preached against. The only cult (if that is what one would wish to call it) that Russell believed in was that of belonging to Christ. Rutherford was the real founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Indeed, Rutherford created the Jehovah's Witnesses organization by rejecting the core Biblical teachings of Russell.

Russell did start publishing "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ Presence" in 1879. Due to misconceptions over the word "Zion", the name of the magazine was later changed to "The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence". Russell's influence over that magazine, however, basically ceased to exist when Russell died. After Russell died, Rutherford virtually destroyed the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society as Russell had created it, and Rutherford began to slowly create an organization which Russell consistently preached against. Rutherford created the organization that took the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" by rejecting the core teachings of Russell and the Bible Students.

For links to related research, see: Russell and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Fritz Springmeier

It is claimed that for proof that Russell was a Freemason "please find the book called The Watchtower and the Masons by Fritz Springmeier." The fact is there is nothing in Springmeier's writings that gives any proof whatsoever that Russell was a member of the Freemasons. Springmeier very craftily presents many imagination, assumptions and distortions as being fact, and based upon what is being imagined and assumed to be fact, he makes all kinds of false claims about Brother Russell. 

For links to related research, see: Russell and Fritz Springmeier

Deity of Christ, Hell, Eternal Punishment

It is claimed that Russell "denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment, which is typical of people who develop cults." As stated, all of this is misleading. Russell did not deny the deity of Christ, but he did show from the Bible itself what Jesus' deity means. Russell did not deny the Biblical teaching on hell, but he did show from the Bible what the Biblical hell really is. Jesus did not deny the Biblical teaching of eternal punishment, but he did show from the Bible what that punishment really is.

End of the World

It is claimed that "Russell taught that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and in 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin."  Russell did believe that Christ had returned in 1874. Russell also believed the 7th thousand years since man's fall began in that year. Before 1904, Russell did believe that Gentile rule would be over by 1914 and in 1914 the world would enter into peace. Russell did not believe in the destruction of the world as taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses. He believed that the end of the age that Jesus spoke had begun in 1874. Before 1904, he accepted the view that the time of trouble (Armageddon) had begun in 1874 and that it was to end in 1914. In 1904, however, he rejected that view, and accepted the view that the time of trouble was to begin in or shortly after 1914. Russell, however, was not dogmatic about time applications, and he sometimes presented views of others. He did at least once present the views of one who believed that the millennium was to begin in 1914. We have not been able to confirm whether Russell actually adopted this view or not. 

For links to some research related to: Russell and the End of the World

Chart of the Ages

It is claimed that the "Chart of the Ages" found in Russell's book, The Divine Plan of the Ages, is "based on the Great Pyramid in Egypt." The reality is that the chart is NOT based on the Great Pyramid of Egypt, but rather it is based on the Bible itself. Anyone truly familiar with Russell's study related that chart would know this.

A Pagan Symbol?

It is claimed, evidently simply because the Great Pyramid is located in Egypt, that the pyramid is a pagan symbol. This would seem to indicate that if Jehovah put an altar in Egypt that the altar would be pagan, because it is in the land of Egypt, which is considered "pagan". (Isaiah 19:19) Of course, in reality, the whole planet Earth is Jehovah's. All in heaven and earth are His (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Chronicles 29:11), and he can make use of any part of this planet as He sees fit. What he has produced in the land of Egypt does not make what He produced in the land of Egypt "pagan" because He placed in a land area man has designated as being "pagan" or of the devil. Jehovah refers to Egypt saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people." (Isaiah 19:25) That blessing is yet to come upon Egypt and all nations.

For links to some research related to: Russell and the Great Pyramid

Cephas Ministries presents much more supposedly related to the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Freemasons. We are not with the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Freemasons, so we will not spend time on the rest of what is presented.