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You are visitor number: |
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since 01/02/01 |
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Millions Now Living May Never Die! |
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Have you ever heard that expression before?
The chances are you have...even if you aren't a Jehovah's Witnesses. Those words of Judge Rutherford have been repeated countless times since he first uttered them back in 1918. |
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But what do you understand those words to mean? What was he referring to? How does the Watchtower use those words today? |
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It is interesting to note some of the references in the Watchtower to that talk by Rutherford:- (italics mine) |
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*** w90 1/1 14 "Not Ashamed of the Good News" ***
19 The model prayer that Jesus taught
his disciples will be answered: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:9, 10) When that
happens, Jesus' loving disciples will have nothing of which to be ashamed. |
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Jehovah's name will be revered, sanctified, not only by millions now living who need never die but also by
thousands of millions of humankind whom he will call forth from their graves during his thousand-year Kingdom rule.
They will have the opportunity of living on a paradise earth forever. |
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*** w95 2/15 8 There Will Be a Resurrection of the Righteous ***
2
Despite the latest advances of medical science, death still rules as king even today. While this is no surprise, some may have been somewhat disappointed when they finally came face-to-face with this longtime enemy. Why? Well, back in the 1920's, the Watch Tower Society proclaimed the message "Millions now living will never die." Who would these millions be? The "sheep" spoken of in Jesus' remarks about the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46)
These sheeplike ones were prophesied to appear during the time of the end, and their hope would be everlasting life on a paradise earth. As time went by, God's people gained a better understanding of the position
of these "sheep" in Jehovah's purposes. It was realized that these obedient ones were to be distinguished from the stubborn "goats," and after the destruction of the latter ones, the sheep would
inherit the earthly realm of the Kingdom that had been prepared for them. |
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*** w90 12/15 12-13 "Let Anyone Hearing Say: 'Come!'" ***
11 For decades this invitation to
"come!" has been going forth to people thirsting for "life's water." Even back in 1918, the bride class began preaching a message that particularly involved those who might live on the earth. It was
the public talk entitled "Millions Now Living May Never Die." This offered a hope that many would survive Armageddon and thereafter gain eternal life on the Paradise earth under God's Messianic Kingdom.
But that message did not definitely show the way to this survival privilege, except by righteousness in general. |
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But what did Rutherford actually say? |
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The first thing to notice is the actual wording of the title. In most publications, though admittedly not all, the talk and book are referred to as
"Millions now living MAY never die" when in fact the actual title was "Millions now living WILL never die"! A subtle but significant alteration of the facts! |
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Most Jehovah's Witnesses
would never get the opportunity to see copies of early Watchtower literature. Much of it has been destroyed by time or withdrawn by the Society. However, there are still a few copies of some of the older pieces of literature around. I recently came across a copy of this booklet, published in 1920, and was amazed at what I read. Here are just a couple of extracts with the actual "scanned" pages displayed on the right.
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The interesting comments from this section are:
"......that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is
reasonable to conclude that millions now living will never die." |
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"......we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die." |
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Most Witnesses are familiar with the fact that the Society proclaimed the "End of the World" as occurring in 1914. They are then told, and accept,
that due to an "increased understanding" and the "light getting brighter" the Watchtower realised they had been incorrect and that although 1914 was a significant year, there was still work to do on the earth to publish
the Good News before the end would come. |
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What I failed to realise, and possibly you are the same as I was, that the Society had already prophesied this event to happen firstly in 1874, then
1914, then 1918 and now, in this book 1925!! Not only that, the "faithful worthies of old" were to be resurrected in 1925. |
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What Judge Rutherford was actually advocating in his talk, and then with this booklet, was that
they had come to the "positive and indisputable conclusion" that millions would never die because Armageddon was going to come in 1925! |
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Did you know that? |
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Judge Rutherford was considered to be "the faithful and discreet slave" at this time. He was the one that was supposed to passing down the
"meat in due season". He was the one acting as Jehovah's mouthpiece. If that were true, how could he be saying these things. Was Jehovah deliberately telling him to feed His people with false information, false
prophecy...LIES! That is unthinkable. |
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What is more probable is that Judge Rutherford was simply a man offering his personally ideas and interpretations to thousands of gullible followers,
whilst lapping up the adoration and high lifestyle afforded him by the willing contributions of those misled followers! |
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The other amazing fact to come from this regards the resurrection of the "faithful worthies of old"! Not only did I find it fantastic that the
Society was promoting this idea in the early 1920's, even publishing instructions to children as to how to greet and treat these faithful man of old. But the Watchtower Society actually built a big house in San Diego,
California. It was called "Beth Sarim" (meaning
House of the Princes)
and had the names of these faithful worthies of old in the Title Deeds. Whilst I am sure San Diego is a beautiful place and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses etc. would really enjoy it there. Didn't they all die in the Middle East? Why would they be resurrected in California?
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In truth, the only person to benefit by the building of this house was Rutherford himself, who lived there, enjoying the luxury of this large
well-furnished house and the use of two Cadillacs, whilst the rest of America struggled in the depths of the depression. |
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Please feel free to e-mail
me with any comments you may have. I may not have all the answers, but you can say what's really on your mind without the threat of being disfellowshipped! |
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