Watchtower Society: From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained

From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained

Watchtower Society Publication

(New York: International Bible Students Association, 1958)

(Image by Tanya Olmstead, at Amazon.com)

Yesterday, I posted an entry about the Jehovah's Witnesses' interest in John Milton's theological views, which bear some similarities to their own that have not gone unnoticed.

A visitor with the intriguing name "Eklektekuria" posted a comment to inform me that the Jehovah's Witnesses had earlier published on themes familar to readers of Milton:

In 1958, the Watchtower Society published a book entitled "From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained". It was commonly used with children, but was not originally intended to be a children's book, and it gives a JW view of the Bible from creation to Armageddon and the future millennium. The book is best remembered for its graphic portrayal of Armageddon on pp. 208-209 which terrified many a JW child.

I was curious:

Eklektekuria, thanks for visiting and for the interesting detail. Was the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained dependent in any way on Milton's two, similarly titled poems? I can imagine that Milton's depiction of Hell would frighten many a child as well...

I haven't heard back from Eklektekuria on this point, nor have I been able to discover any substantive link to Milton from my online search for the book mentioned. Perhaps other readers will know.

Here's another angle on what the book's cover looked like, this one from Tanya Olmstead, also at Amazon.com:
I wonder why the Watchtower Society chose the color red for their book's cover. In 1958, the color red was strongly associated with Communism, a connection to iconic that merely six years later, in 1964, the Chinese government published Quotations from Chairman Mao ZeDong as the famous "Little Red Book."

The book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, however, was more frightening than anything Mao said. Here's an image from the book supplied by an ex-JW at Watch the Tower:


With images like this one, no wonder that the book "terrified many a JW child," as Eklektekuria phrased it. Still, it's not much more frightening than Milton's depiction of hell:

Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night [50]
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of lost happiness and lasting pain [55]
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:
At once as far as Angels kenn he views
The dismal Situation waste and wilde, [60]
A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round
As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace [65]
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed
With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: (PL 1.50-69)

Here's a related scene from Paradise Lost, as visualized by Terrance Lindall:

Terrance Lindall, John Milton's Paradise lost:

Synopsized and with illustrations (1982)

(Image from Williamsburg Art and Historical Center)

Not an especially comforting sight, even if the image does depict the fate endured by the enemy of God and mankind.

While we ponder the doom reserved for Satan and his angels, perhaps some kind reader will inform us if the Watchtower Society had Milton's poems in mind when they titled their book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained...

UPDATE: Apparently, the image above depicting Jehovah's wrath comes not from the book but from a JW brochure depicting the end of the world.

John Milton's New Fans: The Jehovah's Witnesses

Watchtower Buildings in Brooklyn, New York

"All along the watchtower..."

(Image from Wikipedia)

On the Milton List that I belong to, one of the participants, Rodney C. Wilson, has generously put online an anonymous article from the Jehovah's Witnesses's magazine The Watchtower about John Milton's Christian Doctrine.

The article is titled "John Milton's Lost Treatise" and was printed on pages 11 through 13 in the September 15th, 2007 issue of The Watchtower: Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom. Wilson informed the Milton List readers:

For those interested, I have scanned the cover of that issue of the WT and the three-page article and uploaded them here (a red, flashing arrow will indicate the file download link).

Wilson also reminded those on the listserve of a previous announcement and provided some additional details:

A few weeks back, there was a brief discussion regarding a three-page article in the September 15, 2007, issue of The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom (WT), published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses). The WT's average printing run is 28,578,000 copies in 161 languages, so Milton definitely got some face-time with this article. Tomorrow and next Sunday, FYI, following the morning's Public Talk, this issue will be used for the Watchtower Study in Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses all over the world.

It seems that the Witnesses approve of Milton's doctrinal positions on the Trinity, the subordination of the Son to the Father, and future resurrection as the hope of humankind (as opposed to an immortal soul that does not die). They do not approve of his position on divorce!

I've read the article, and it's not bad as a brief on Milton. It isn't scholarly, of course, but it's accurate enough for popular purposes, and it's quite clear and even asks some of the right questions about the delay in the publication of Milton's Christian Doctrine:

Although Milton had not previously hesitated to express his views, he held off publishing this treatise. Why? For one thing, he knew that its scriptural explanations widely differed from accepted church teaching. Furthermore, with the restoration of the monarchy, he had fallen out of favor with the government. He may therefore have been waiting for quieter times. In any case, after Milton's death, his secretary took the Latin manuscript to a publisher, who refused to print it. The English secretary of state then confiscated the manuscript and filed it away. A century and a half would pass before Milton's treatise came to light. ("John Milton's Lost Treatise," The Watchtower: Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, September 15, 2007, page 12.)

I don't know the full details on this point, but the article sounds factual enough. The point about the "restoration of the monarchy" might be obscure for people lacking familiarity with British history. Milton was a political revolutionary who supported the removal and execution of the king and the construction of a republic instead. He not only supported this but even worked as Latin Secretary for Oliver Cromwell, the revolutionary leader. So, of course, Milton wouldn't have been very popular when the monarchy was restored. His religious views also would not have been acceptable, as the article notes.

I'm no expert on the Jehovah's Witnesses -- though I did use to talk with a French believer who visited me about once a week for a while when I was living in Tuebingen, Germany. I didn't learn much about their organization or practices but focused upon particular items of interest. I recall that the fellow emphasized that the "cross" upon which Jesus was crucified should be called a "torture stake." This seemed to be a very important point for the Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't know why, for I found the point to be a minor one and told the fellow that I wasn't interested in that.

Anyway, not being an expert, or even superficially knowledgeable, I had to do a bit of digging around online to find out what a "Public Talk" and a "Watchtower Study" refer to. On these two points, I'm actually willing to trust Wikipedia: on the "Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses":

A qualified elder or ministerial servant delivers a discourse on a Bible-based subject. The speaker may be from the local congregation or from another congregation, usually nearby. This Public Meeting is generally held on Sundays, but can be on another day if that is more convenient for the congregation (this is most usual when more than 4 congregations share a Kingdom Hall). This talk is particularly directed toward interested members of the public who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, but is of interest to Jehovah's Witnesses as well. This meeting is 45 minutes in length, and is usually followed immediately after (with a transitional song) by the Watchtower Study. ("Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses (The Public Talk)," Wikipedia, accessed October 29, 2007)

Following the Public Talk, after the intermission of a Kingdom Song, is the Watchtower Study. The Bible is studied with the aid of an article in the Watchtower magazine. An experienced elder (the Watchtower Study Conductor) leads the discussion from the platform. Each paragraph is read by a 'brother in good standing' and is assigned by the conductor for that week. Questions included in the article for that paragraph are then posed to the audience. After calling on one or more in attendance to answer on that question, the conductor will often ask follow-up questions of his own or offer comments himself before moving to the next paragraph. Many of the numerous scriptures cited in the study article will be read aloud by called-on members of the audience. Four or five review questions are typically asked at the end of an article. The Public Talk and Watchtower Study together usually last 2 hours from opening prayer to closing prayer. ("Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses (The Watchtower Study)," Wikipedia, accessed October 29, 2007)

Wilson informs us that "Tomorrow and next Sunday, . . . following the morning's Public Talk, this issue will be used for the Watchtower Study in Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses all over the world." Since he sent his email on Saturday, October 27, then I presume that he meant that the Public Talk and Watchtower Study on Milton's views would take place on Sunday the 28th of October and on Sunday the 4th of November. That doesn't leave much advance warning for the 28th, but Gypsy Scholar readers all over the world can attend next Sunday's Public Talk at a local Kingdom Hall and listen to what the Jehovah's Witnesses have to say about Milton.

I wonder if the speakers are first required to read anything by Milton...