Many of the beliefs and symbols included in Watchtower publications during the leadership of Russell are what Jehovah's Witnesses now claim to be of pagan and even occult background.
If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and are interested in the development of modern religion you will be intrigued by this section. A number of the symbols and teachings discussed by Brown as having origins with the Knights Templar, Freemasons and Illuminati, and tracing back to the Egyptians, have been used by Mormons, Christian Science and Russell's Watch Tower Bible Students.
The terms Watch Tower, Golden Age, Jehovah, New World Order, the symbols of the all-seeing-eye, winged sun disk, two columns, pyramids and Russell's strong Zionist stance are part of Freemasonry.
A great deal of discussion has centred on whether Russell, the founder of the Watch Tower Society, had connections with Freemasons, due to the many Masonic symbols introduced under his leadership. The evidence is not conclusive that Russell adopted these beliefs from Freemasons, and it is probable that he took these beliefs and symbols from Second Adventists.
Watchtower claims it was chosen as God's sole representative for being the only clean organisation in 1919. Inclusion of pagan symbols in its worship until the 1930's raises the question as to why God directed, or even allowed, symbols of this kind to identify his people, even well after the claimed cleansing of his spiritual temple in 1919. (SOURCE: Watchtower, Adventists & Freemasonry - http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/davinci-freemason.php )
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