Russell and Doomsday

Many present Charles Taze Russell as being a "doomsday prophet".  Russell, however, was not a prophet, and he did not believe in what is often referred to as doomsday. 

Among most professed Christians, in a theological sense, the word "doomsday" -- not "a" doomsday in general -- is used to mean "the day of final judgment", most often referring to the day of judgment spoken of in the Bible. It is generally believed that the day of judgment refers to a 24-hour day in which, among many fearsome acts, the graves of all who ever lived will be opened and all those thought now to be in heavenly bliss will return to the bodies they had before they died, and those now thought to be a place of horrible torture are also raised and returned to the bodies they had before they died. At that time, according to the way many present the day of judgment, all the acts, good and bad, will be reviewed of each person who has ever lived, and they all will be sent back to where they had been before, the righteous back to heavenly bliss and the rest back to their eternal conscious suffering, and that the material universe would then no longer be. The reality is that such a depiction would actually make the day of judgment a farce, and without any real purpose, since, according to this theory, all had already been judged and sentenced to an eternal fate at the moment that they died. The thought of the Judgment Day often causes dread in many, usually because they have been mistaught that it is a 24-hour day, when, amid great convulsions of nature -- literal earthquakes, graves opening, etc. -- Christ calls from heavenly bliss and horrible torture the billions of dead, places them back into the old bodies they had at death, sentences them and then sends them back to where they were before, some to eternal joy in heaven, but the vast majority to eternal torture in place supposedly run by demons. Accordingly, Judgment Day has been termed Doomsday (see dictionary). As Russell showed, this view, in effect, makes the Judgment Day quite purposeless -- a farce. In Russell's day, many were adding to this the idea that the planet earth will be literally burned up and destroyed. We still find many who hold to this idea of doomsday as being the destruction of the planet earth. 

Russell rarely ever used the word "doomsday". One of the instances where he used this term is in article he wrote for the Overland Monthly, entitled: "The Judgment Scene Before the Great White Throne". In that article, he stated:

The Day of Judgment, or, as it once was called, Doomsday, had an awful significance to our forefathers. To them it brought pictures of Christ upon his throne of judgment surrounded by myriads of holy angels intent upon executing his decrees, good or bad, and to the vast majority of those decrees were supposed to mean eternal torment. A once famous preacher of this famous city of churches pictured the Judgment scene most grotesquely as represented in the public prints of about thirty years ago.

He pictured the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus in his power and great glory, seated upon a cloud in mid-heaven, surrounded by angelic hosts. Before him appeared the world of mankind, brought back from heaven and hell and the dust of the earth. In grandiloquent language he pictured the earth turning upon its axis during a period of twenty-four hours, so that the entire worldful of people could see the Judge on his cloud-throne. The Judgment picture was a mere farce, for the Judge merely said to those who had come from heaven, Go back. Resume your crowns and harps. And he said to those who had come from hell, Go back to your eternal torment.  -- What Pastor Russell Wrote For the Overland Monthly, page 37.

The quote shows that Russell did not accept what had often been referred to as "doomsday".

In the book, What Pastor Russell Said, page 794, we find that some asked Russell, "What is meant by the term 'Doomsday?'" Here was Russell's answer:

It is that last dreadful day in the which (according to the antiquated theories of an obsolete theological formation) the Lord will return to the earth, and take His seat upon a great white throne, and then all nations will be gathered before Him, for judgment. As the judgments proceed, the mountains and the rocks will come tumbling down, and the sea and all the waves will roar under the agitations of a mighty storm. About this time a terrible earthquake will shake things up so severely that all the things that can be shaken will be removed. In connection with these terrifying phenomena of nature, there will be the sounding of the last trump, and tremendous voices will be heard in the air. Amidst this deafening uproar, while "the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds" is transpiring, the 20,000,000,000 and more of the human race will be judged, and all within the limitations of a twenty-four hour day. When the final summing up takes place, the Great Judge will invite the few saints, "the little flock," to enter into the conditions of bliss, while to the vast majority of the race He will issue the command to depart into an eternity of torment in fire and brimstone. With the pronouncement of the final sentence of doom, a terrible fire will break forth; the elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the heavens and earth being on fire shall be dissolved! This lurid picture of the judgment time was evidently formed by some one with highly developed imaginative powers, who gathered together a number of symbolic and figurative expressions from the Scriptures with which to produce this amusing sketch of "doomsday," which has served to frighten some good and bad children nearly to death! 

Again, Russell shows that he did not believe the concept often associated with the word "doomsday".

In the book, Harvest Gleanings, Volume II, we find Russell's sermon, "Separating the Sheep From the Goats". In that sermon, Russell mentions "doomsday" again (Havest Gleanings, Volume 2, page 180):

Those who have been accustomed to think of the judgment day as merely a time of terror, "doomsday," will no doubt be surprised when we call to their attention that the Scriptures speak to the contrary of this, and assure us that the judgment day will be a mark of divine favor toward humanity. Theology has gotten miserably twisted on this subject, far away from the Bible presentation, and hence the prevalence of the wrong, unscriptural view of the day of judgment. Allow me to quote for you the words of the prophecy respecting this great judgment day, that you may see that the Lord, guiding the words of the Prophet David by inspiration, calls upon all mankind to rejoice that there is to be a judgment day. (1 Chron. 16:31-34)

He says: "Let the heavens be glad, And let the earth rejoice; And let men say among the nations (Gentiles) Jehovah reigneth. Let the sea roar and the fulness thereof; Let the fields rejoice and all that are therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing aloud At the presence of Jehovah, Because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good; For his mercy endureth forever."

Rather than doomsday, Russell was preaching a coming time of favor for the world of mankind.

Some say, however, that Russell was preaching doomsday by his prediction of the end of the world in 1914. The reality is that Russell was not expecting the end of the world in 1914. Since 1904, Russell had been expecting that in 1914 the world was enter into the time of trouble, but  this could hardly be referred to as a doomsday, and definitely not the "end of the world". Russell was certainly not expecting the view held by the Jehovah's Witnesses, that is, that millions of men, women and children would enter into the second death in Armageddon. Rather than doomsday, Russell viewed Armageddon as a time of chastisement of the world in preparation for the blessings to follow. Since this has been discussed elsewhere, we will not go into detail regarding this here.

One could say that Russell was indeed preaching "a" doomsday for Satan's empire before the world's coming day of judgment, but not "doomsday" as that term was being generally used by Christians in Russell's day, and as still defined by many Christians. Nor was he teaching the doomsday as often portrayed by the Jehovah's Witnesses. He was expecting a doomsday for the world that would send billions of unregenerated men, women, and children into the second death. Russell did believe that all Satan's systems of deception will be destroyed, thus freeing all from Satan's deceptions so that they could learn Jehovah's ways in the "day of judgment". -- Isaiah 2:2-4.

Please note that Russell did not believe in the kind of Armageddon preached by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell did not believe in the message that Rutherford presented that one had to join an earthly "organization" or else enter the second death at Armageddon. Indeed, he preached against similar teachings of his time.

We read in the Bible that in that coming day (the 1,000 years of Christ's reign), Jesus and the sons of God of his age will judge the world of mankind. And when God's judgments are in the earth, the world will learn righteousness. At that time "the earth will be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea." Then it will be said: "Look, this is our God. We have waited for him, and he will save us . . . . We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." -- Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9,10; 25:6-9; 40:5; 52:10: Jeremiah 31:34; Daniel 7:22; Habakkuk 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 20:4.

Unlike, the "doomsday" believers, Russell believed that the judgment of that age is not just for pronouncing a sentence, since he believed in that day of judgment, the world will be taught Jehovah's ways. The word judge as used in the Scriptures does not always mean merely to sentence, but includes -1- instruction (Psalm 19:7-11; 25:8,9: 106:3; 119:108; Isaiah 33:5; 56:1; 59:4,8-15; Ezekiel 22:2; Matthew 12:18-20; 23:23; Colossians 2:16), -2- testing (Psalm 26:1-3, compare 139:23,24; Jeremiah 11:20, compare 20:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5), -- chastisement for correction (Isaiah 26:9; 1 Corinthians 11:31,32 -- compare Luke 12:47,48; Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 3:19), and -4- passing a sentence. -- Matthew 7:1,2; John 7:24; Deuteronomy 1:16; Psalm 17:2.

Furthermore, Russell believed that that scriptures show that in what many claim to be "doomsday" Jesus "will judge (by the four processes stated earlier) the living and the dead at (during) his appearing and his kingdom." "He must reign [in his thousand-year reign] until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." -- 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Psalm 72:1-4; Isaiah 11:1-6; 32:1; Jeremiah 23:5,6; Hosea 13:14; Revelation 20:11-15.

Additionally, Russell believed that on that day which is generally styled "doomsday" the saints [dedicated ones] will rule with Jesus over the earth during that 1,000-year judgment day and assist in judging the world, offering to them "the water of life freely." -- Daniel 7:22,27; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Obadiah 1:21; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29,30; Romans 8:16-21; 2 Timothy 2:11,12; Revelation 3:21; 5:9,10; 20:4,6; 22:17.

We also note that Russell believed that in that "judgment day" often spoken as "doomsday", Jehovah will fulfill his promise, backed up by his oath, that Abraham's seed, that is, Christ and all the "sons of God" of this age, will bless "all the families of the earth." Russell preached that this blessing is to come to the world during the 1,000-year reign. -- Genesis 12:3; 22:16-18; Galatians 3:7-9,16,29; Hebrews 6:13-20; Acts 3:19-25.

Furthermore, Russell preached that the blessings of that age to come are to both the dead as well as the living -- the dead will be awakened from their "sleep" in death (Psalm 6:5; 146:4; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29 NASV; 11:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Peter 3:4) and will then be given an exact, full knowledge of the truth and a full opportunity to live eternally, without the blinding hindrances of Satan and his demons.

Instead of preaching this as being doomsday, Russell preached that in that time of blessing, "God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither will there be any more pain; for the former things [things of Satan's reign, including the curse of sin and death] are passed away." -- Revelation 21:1-4; 22:1-3; Isaiah 35:10; 65:17-25.

Moreover, Russell preached that in that coming age that "the Son of man will come in his glory . . . [and] then he will sit on the throne of his glory: and all nations [the unbelieving heathen of this age - Psalm 46:10; 67; 72:1,11,17; 96:3,10; Isaiah 2:2-4; Ezekiel 37:28; 38:16; 39:7] will be gathered [from hades and death -- Revelation 20:12,13] before him. He will separate them [under the testings of that great judgment day] one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." Those whom he finds to be righteous, are pictured as sheep (those who become sheep in the next age, not Christ's sheep of this present age -- John 10:14-15), and the sheep of that age will be given everlasting life and will "inherit the kingdom"  -- the dominion of the earth (the meek will inherit it -- Matthew 5:5; Hebrews 2:5-8), whereas those who will not have proved worthy, pictured as goats, will "go away into everlasting punishment" in the second death, never to live again. "All the wicked he will destroy." -- Matthew 25:31-46; Psalm 145:20; Revelation 20:9,15; 21:8.

After the day of judgment, Russell believed that there would be what could be called "a" doomsday for Satan and for those who at the time choose to follow Satan. This, however, is not what is generally referred to as "doomsday" --"the" doomsday that is often preached. The destruction of the wicked is symbolized by their being cast into the "lake of fire," "which is the second death," into "everlasting fire [fire is an apt symbol, not of preservation, but of destruction], prepared for the devil [who is to be destroyed, annihilated -- Hebrews 2:14; Ezekiel 28:19] and his angels"; the wicked will be no more. -- Revelation 20:14,15; 21:8; Matthew 25:41; Psalm 37:10,20.

Unlike what is often presented as being Gospel truth, Russell taught that  "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." And we read that "The soul that is sinning, it will die." Thus, Russell believed that eventually, after having received the blessings of that day of judgment, "every soul who will not hear [obey] that prophet [Christ] will be destroyed from among the people." -- Romans 6:21,23; John 3:36; 1 John 5:12; Psalm 37:38; Ezekiel 18:4,20; Acts 3:19-23.

In view of what is presented above (although much more could be presented), we should realize that Russell concluded that the Bible shows that the world's judgment day is not the doomsday as defined by many Christians, but salvation day, when God's kingdom will rule over the earth. So we should rejoice greatly as we see it approaching! "Let the earth be glad . . . for he [Jehovah] comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with truth." "All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God," and will fear [reverence] Him. -- Psalm 96; 98; 67; Isaiah 26:9; Numbers 14:21.