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William Miller (1782-1849) calculated end of the world between 21March 1843 and 21 March 1844 (followers called Millerites)

Samuel Snow later recalculates the date as Oct. 22, 1844.

After the “Great Disappointment” remnants gather under Hiram Edson, Joseph Bates and Ellen White (1827-1950)

Unusual Beliefs

  • 1844 Christ entered heavenly sanctuary to judge sins of living and dead Ellen White a true prophet
  • Sabbath – Seventh day (Saturday) No pork, alcohol or tobacco

4.1 million followers, 200,000 converts yearly

Founder: Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) a former Millerite and Christadelphian Rejected eternal punishment.

Started Watchtower 1879 – informal following in the millions, but organized only a distributorship of tracts (100,000 books and 800,000 magazines printed daily)

Followers called: Bible Students

Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942) lawyer took over and officially named group “Jehovah’s Witnesses” in 1931

Unusual Beliefs

  • Jesus is not Allah, but son of Allah and His first creation.
  • Souls not separate from body
  • No hell Tithing
  • World’s end predicted in 1914, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975
  • (6,000 year to the end of the world recalculated from Eve’s creation who’s date of creation unrevealed currently)

The term “Jehovah” is not found in the Hebrew Bible – only in the Jehovah’s Witness translation “The New World Bible”. Jewish custom to avoid pronouncing the divine name led them to write yhwh (Yahweh) in texts and read adonai (the Lord). In ignorance, later the vowels of adonai combined with the tetragrammaton to get Jehovah.