-- Alleged Expose

This is in response to a site which, although directed at the JWs, presents mostly misinformation concerning Russell (who was never associated with the JW organization). The title of the page is "Jehovah's Witnesses Exposed!" The page is filled with deceptive graphical displays with sentences designed to place in the mind of the reader negative thoughts concerning Russell. Practically every sentence on the page contains deceptive falsehoods.

It is claimed that Russell was a 33rd degree Freemason. The problem is that to be a 33rd degree Freemason, one had to accept man's trinitarian creeds. Russell, however, spent nearly his entire life preaching against adding to those creeds to the Bible. The message of good news for great joy that will be for all the people that he preached is almost the opposite of those creeds. Furthermore, Russell preached against the "occult" practices that is being attributed to the Freemasons.

The claim is made "Russell and the Watch Tower Bible and Track Society in the Greatest Masonic Center Cemetery". The reality is that there is no "Greatest Masonic Cemetery" in Pittsburgh. Russell was buried in the United Rosemont Cemeteries, which has never been owned by the Freemasons. 

The reader is told to notice the "Illuminati pyramid" in the photo given. Actually, there is a picture given of the pyramid that Rutherford authorized to be constructed in the Rosemont Cemetery. However, it is being imagined and assumed that it is a fact that this pyramid is an "Illuminati" pyramid, which assumption is actually contrary to the actual facts.

It is stated, "This is where Russell is buried", obviously designed to leave the impression that Russell was buried under the alleged "Illuminati" pyramid. Russell, however, was not buried in or under that pyramid, but even if he had been, it is not an "Illuminati" pyramid at all.

Furthermore, whoever took the pictures of the Masonic Temple that was recently built next to the Rosemont Cemetery very evidently should have realized that there was no actual connection between the Masonic Temple and the Pyramid monument, so we can only assume that this kind of deception is deliberate, that is, that the alignment of the pyramid monument in the Rosemont Cemetery with the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Temple across the street is evidently done so in an effort to make it appear that there is some kind of connection between the two. In reality, the Masons did not build that temple across the street from the cemetery because there was a pyramid monument on the WTS plot of the Rosemont Cemetery. However, the implication is that in some unexplained way, there is a connection between the Masons' Temple and the pyramid, and this unexplained imaginary connection is presented as “irrefutable proof that Jehovah's Witnesses are inseparably linked to Satanic Freemasonry.” This remark is made, of course, with the assumption that Russell was associated with the "Jehovah's Witnesses".

However, anyone truly familiar with the facts would know that Rutherford had that pyramid constructed as related to Russell's study of God's Witness in Egypt. That Biblical study of the Great Pyramid of Egypt as the a corroboration of the Bible has nothing at all to with the "Illuminati", Satanism, Heathen Occult Practices, Astrology, or the Freemasons -- except that some individual Freemasons may have endeavored a similar Biblical study.

Another false connection is presented with the “cross and crown” emblem that is used on the pyramid. A picture of the “cross and crown” that appears on the Watch Tower is presented, and it is claimed that this is a picture of the Masonic cross. As already stated earlier, the imagery given is imagined and assumed to be a "Masonic cross", and this assumption is presented as being fact. In reality, this emblem is not a “Masonic cross”, although the Knights Templar (who profess to be Christian) use a similar emblem. A picture is presented of a Masonic Meeting Hall, evidently used by the Knights Templar, which displays a “cross and crown”, but which is not exactly the same as the “cross and crown” that is shown in the Watch Tower.

Fritz Springmeier, simply based on his own assumptions, asserted as fact that the cross and crown symbol used by Russell was the "Knights Templar symbol" or "Knights Templar Logo".

However, it should be made known that Russell's usage of this symbol on the Watch Tower is being singled out, since churches of practically of every denomination have used similar imagery for centuries. So if the usage by the Watch Tower of this emblem means that the Watch Tower is Masonic, then so are these other religious groups Masonic, including Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterian, Church of England, and many others. The point is, however, that if Brother Russell’s usage of the “cross and crown” symbol is proof that Russell was a mason, then the same charge should be laid against practically every Christian denomination. Actually, while the symbol used on the pyramid is not a “Masonic” cross, nor a “Masonic” cross and crown symbol, the Knights Templar did take a form of the cross and crown from the traditional church usage, but it is not the exact same form that appeared on the Watch Tower. One could term their usage to be a usage of the cross and crown as that of the “Knights Templar”, but this usage by the Knights Templar does not project upon the whole of the Freemasons, so that it could be called a “Masonic cross”. In other words, while the Knights Templar use this symbol, not all Freemasons would used such a symobl. Indeed, not all Freemasons claim to be Christian.

Regardless, the idea that Russell used a “Masonic cross” has to be imagined, assumed, and read into the usage, and then one has to further imagine, assume and read into the first assumption that these assumptions mean that Russell was a Mason, which he flatly denied, and which thousands of printed pages of his works attest that he was not. Surely, anyone who is truly familiar with Russell’s works can immediately recognize the falsity of the charge that he was a Mason, or that he had some kind of secret “Illuminati” goal that some have alleged, and evidently that he was openly sabotaging his real goals by his public religious ministry. The whole idea is preposterous, to say the least.

The Watch Tower

It is claimed that the name Watch Tower is of the Masons, and therefore the symbology of The Watch Tower that Russell used is that of Masonic symbols.  The name of the magazine that Russell created, "The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence", is claimed to be taken from the Masons, and the drawing of a Watch Tower that appeared in the magazine is claimed to a Masonic drawing.

The symbol of a watch tower is used in the Bible; a watch tower is not of the Masons' organization, nor is a symbol of a watch tower. Indeed, one has call upon the spirit of human imagination to make it appear to be so. Some who claim that that it is Masonic go on to claim that the Masons have corrupted the Bible, because the Bible speaks of such.  See the King James at 2 Chronicles 20:24; Isaiah 21:5,8; 32:14; Jeremiah 6:27; Habakkuk 2:1. According to reasoning given, this must prove that the Bible is a Knights Templar or Masonic book.

Russell's usage, however, of the Watch Tower was to denote symbolically a "watchman" as seeing things from a tower; his usage of that symbol had nothing at all to do with the Mason's organization. (Isaiah 21:6,11,12) Every Christian should be such a watcher in spiritual Zion, not only of the times related to  prophecy, but also as related to other matters of the world that could influence the Christian. -- Matthew 25:31; Mark 13:19,33,35; Luke 21:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Revelation 3:3.

The title Brother Russell originally gave to the magazine, "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence," is in no wise whatsoever Masonic, but is based on the Bible itself. To those familiar with Russell's works, it may even seem to be ridiculous that anyone would think that name would be of significance to the Freemasons' organization. That name depicted a service to "spiritual Zion", the church, as a watcher, and promoted scriptural admonition for all Christians to be watchers. Russell, however, later changed the name to The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. This was done because some who were not familiar with the Christian usage had thought the word "Zion" meant that the magazine is was a Jewish magazine, or that is was promoting Judaism.

The Watchtower of today, however, is not the same as the Watch Tower as Russell created; it has become the tool of the leadership of an organization that Russell actually preached against..

Winged Sun Disk

See:  "Russell and Sun Symbolism"

Above originally published May 1, 2009; updated and republished December 2, 2014; updated 7/21/2024