The Watchtower

The Watchtower is an illustrated religious magazine printed and published by Jehovah's Witnesses via their Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in Wallkill, Ulster County, New York and branch offices around the world.

Purpose

The Watchtower is used by Jehovah's Witnesses in their public preaching. The inside cover page of each issue has the following mission statement: "THE PURPOSE OF THE WATCHTOWER is to exalt Jehovah God as Sovereign Lord of the universe. It keeps watch on world events as these fulfill Bible prophecy. It comforts all peoples with the good news that God's Kingdom will soon destroy those who oppress their fellowmen and that it will turn the earth into a paradise. It encourages faith in God's now-reigning King, Jesus Christ, whose shed blood opens the way for mankind to gain eternal life. The Watchtower, published by Jehovah's Witnesses continuously since 1879, is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority." The magazine is also a major vehicle of communication from the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses to the association as a whole regarding doctrine and organizational procedures.

History

The publication was started by Charles Taze Russell on July 1, 1879 under the title Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. In 1909 the name was changed to The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. In 1920, the Watchtower Society reprinted all the issues from 1879-1919 in 7 volumes. This set is known as Watchtower Reprints, which has itself been reprinted through the years by other groups. Later on, in October 1939, the magazine was renamed The Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence, and, from March 1940 until now, its full name has been The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom.

In the past, The Watchtower and its companion Awake! were sold for a small charge, varying over time and from country to country.

However, on January 17, 1990, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that sales of religious literature were subject to taxation, which would have required the Watchtower Society to pay tax on the price of the magazines. The Watchtower Society filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief arguing that the sale of religious literature should be exempt from taxation. ^*

From March 1, 1990, the journals were made available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis in the United States. This has helped to simplify their Bible educational work and to separate themselves from those who commercialize religion. The article, “Use Our Literature Wisely” which appeared in the May 1990 Our Kingdom Ministry stated, that “there are growing pressures against all religious elements” and it went on to say that their main concern was to move ahead in the worldwide Kingdom preaching work, “without hindrance.”

The sale of the literature around the world was abolished soon thereafter. It continued until the early 1990s, and in some places until early 2000. The Watchtower is now distributed free of charge everywhere, its printing being funded by voluntary donations.

Distribution

The Watchtower has an average print run (according to the January 1, 2006 issue) of 27,055,000 and is printed semimonthly in 101 languages and monthly in another 51 for a total of 152 languages.

The Watchtower is distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses. They consider their work a public service. Witnesses commonly offer these magazines in the course of their house-to-house ministry. They are also distributed by approaching people in public places or informally to doctors, academics, politicians and acquaintances. The Watchtower may also be seen left as reading material in public places, including bus terminals, laundromats or other places. Distribution practices such as mailbox drops and placing large stacks in public places are discouraged by the Watchtower Society.

Editions

Over the years, Jehovah's Witnesses have added a variety of editions of the magazine, with a view to making it available to a wider public. In 1976, The Watchtower became available in Grade II English Braille. In 1988, it began to be produced on audio cassette for the benefit of the visually impaired as well as others who wished to listen to it. In 2003, a videocassette edition (of main study articles) in American Sign Language was produced, and this was extended to DVD in 2004. Select articles are available at their official website (www.watchtower.org). Additionally, 2004 saw the release of The Watchtower on compact disk (MP3 and later audio CD format). In 2005, a DVD edition of "The Watchtower" was made available in Brazilian Sign Language.

Content

Each issue contains two or three study articles based on Scripture. Virtually all of the Jehovah's Witness communities throughout the earth discuss the same information each week at the "Watchtower Study". In this meeting the Watchtower Study Conductor has each paragraph read aloud, after which he asks the questions printed at the bottom of the page for that paragraph; members of the congregation are then called upon to answer the questions using the information read in the paragraph as a starting point. They are encouraged to put the information in their own words and also to "draw attention to scripture application, supporting arguments, or practical application of the material."Our Kingdom Ministry December 1998 p. 8 Overseers Taking the Lead—The Watchtower Study Conductor

A typical issue usually includes topics such as Bible prophecy, Christian conduct and morals, as well as the history of religion and the Bible.

Regular sections include 'Life Story' and 'Questions from Readers' (usually in alternating issues), and 'Would you Welcome a Visit?'. The February 1 issue contains the Witnesses' worldwide 'Field Service' report (previously January 1 issue until 2004). Every four months, a section entitled 'Do You Remember?' briefly summarizes points from recent issues of the magazine. The November 1 issue contains an article outlining the various ways that donations can be made to the 'Watch Tower'.

The Watchtower has long drawn criticism that it has published definite dates for the end of the world as a matter of doctrine. The Watchtower's subtitle, "Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom," indicates its interest in eschatology, which has frequently been a topic for discussion within it's pages.

Authorship

There is a writing committee within the WBTS that oversees the research, editing, and development of the articles. The articles are mostly contributed by writing committees within the branch offices worldwide, which are then checked by a team of editors for accuracy, grammar, spelling, etc., and then translated into the languages of publication by other teams. The names of the authors (except in most first-person life stories), editors, etc. are never included in the final magazine, though all articles are produced under the authority of the Governing Body, and therefore the content is considered the official position of the organization.

External links

Watchtower and Awake! articles adapted for the Internet (Jehovah's Witnesses: Watchtower Society Official Web Site)
Online articles from Watchtower Reprints from 1879-1916
A Searchable Database of Watchtower Reprints
"Message to Herald of the Morning subscribers" Special Supplement to the first issue of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, July 1, 1879

Jehovah's Witnesses magazines

References

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