"Millions Now Living May Never Die" That is how the September 1,1989, Watchtower refers to the 1918 lectures (p.13). Although the Society's Watchtower Publications Index: 1930-1985 makes dozens of references to the book and lectures as ..."Will Never Die" I could not find a single reference to Millions Now Living May Never Die." Page 13 paragraph 10 of the 9/1/1989 WT is quoted below. Survival on earth by some of mankind through this wicked system's catastrophic end and on into Jesus Christ's Millennial Reign was expected by the anointed remnant. Especially was this so after the public talk "Millions Now Living May Never Die" was given at Los Angeles, California, in the war year of 1918. Were these millions of future Har-Magedon survivors to be organized? (Revelation 16:14-16) before being ushered into the Millennium to become part of the "new earth," would they engage in the Kingdom-preaching work along with the remnant? (2 Peter 3:13) These questions would be answered by postwar developments.
"Millions Now Living May Never Die"?
by Scorpion 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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dustyb
heh, read in the awake magazines too. they have something to the effect of the FDS living to see the end of this system
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Gopher
I remember reading that changed title "...MAY Never Die" too, and wondered why.
Maybe that REALLY WAS the name of the talk when given in Los Angeles, then Rutherford decided to change the title from MAY Never Die to "WILL Never Die" for later lectures and for publication.
Or...it could be that they are lying to us, and the title ALWAYS included the "WILL Never Die" phrase. If so, they revised history to make themselves look less like false prophets!!
Nah, the WT Society would never revise history!!
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mineralogist
Maybe that REALLY WAS the name of the talk when given in Los Angeles, then Rutherford decided to change the title from MAY Never Die to "WILL Never Die" for later lectures and for publication.
That is exactly the point. The talk first had the theme "may never die". This time they didn't rewrite history.
BTW: Rutherford did not mean that millions will become Bible Students and going to heaven. If you read his book Deliverance (page ~380) you would see he meant people at armageddon seeing the sign of christ and turning at that time to him. They would survive on earth. Today it should read "billions now living ..."
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Latte
This particular lie alone in itsef is the one which made me leave.
What big ,big, lie!
How dare they feel that it was OK to say such thing's - dragging God's name along with it...!
How can any active JW stand by any of what was said around this time???
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shamus
Just another distancing technique. I could give a damm if Jesus came tomorrow, or in 2020! They need to make people feel like it's "urgent" and they need to listen NOW!
They are, in fact, trying to seduce people who have no interest in serving god at this time. It's a pretty lame thing to do, in my opinion.
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blondie
I noticed the same change. I figured it changed with the printing and distributing of the Millions booklet and the huge response to the talk. This really whipped up people and got them to join the Bible Students (later Rutherford segment was renamed JWs in 1931). The date 1925 was the attraction. From 1918 to the end of 1925 this attraction proved strong. Then disappointment and approximately 3/4 left the WTS. Reminds you of 1966 to 1975 with the advent of the Life Everlasting--in the Freedom of the Sons of God (1966) book where the year 1975 and the end of 6,000 years of human history was presented (not for the first time) and things took off in similar way in the WTS with the same disappointment and drop off after 1975. The WTS whipped up that response with each successive publication. The WTS recovered both times in numbers. I wonder how many have left the WTS over time compared to the current numbers?
Blondie
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TD
On February 24, 1918 at the Temple Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, J.F. Rutherford gave a lecture entitled "The World Has Ended?Millions Now Living May Never Die." Rutherford pointed out among other things that "The antitypical jubilee, earth's times of restitution would begin in the springtime of 1926" and that the war already in progress was evidence that the world was experiencing the foretold tribulation. This lecture was so well received that it was again delivered little more than a month later with a slightly different title. On March 31, 1918 in Boston, Massachusetts, the same talk was given under the title "The World Has Ended?Millions Now Living Will Never Die."
The second, and more confident title was used from this point forward as the talk was presented over and over by a number of the Society?s speakers throughout the United States, Great Britain and Europe. The May 1, 1918 Watch Tower declared: "This door of opportunity should be quickly entered, that the people may have the truth concerning the Lord's kingdom, which is at hand. One public address should be given in each place on ?The World has Ended -- Millions Now Living Will Never Die'. Let us be zealous in proclaiming the truth while we have opportunity."
In more modern times however, the JW organization has appeared to be somewhat confused about the real title of this discourse. For example, the 1986 brochure Jehovah's Witnesses Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide said on page 10:
"Prior to 1918 the Bible Students understood that their purpose in preaching was to gather the remaining ones of those chosen to be with Christ Jesus in heaven and to warn the world of God's coming judgment. Little thought was given to gathering those who would survive the end of the present wicked system to live on earth. Then from 1918 onward the talk "Millions Now Living May Never Die!" was widely presented."
The April 1, 1990 issue of The Watchtower said on page 31:
"History shows that the public exposure of these facts actually began before 1922. For example, the lecture "Millions Now Living May Never Die," first delivered in 1918 and published in booklet form in 1920, told of Christendom's failure and of the approaching end of this world."
Neither of these statements is entirely accurate. One can only speculate as to the reasons why what had been the title of this discourse on only one single occasion would became more preferable than the title that it was actually given under literally thousands of times by scores of speakers. The most obvious answer it seems, would be an attempt to soften the confidence with which this prediction was made.
Tom
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czarofmischief
I noticed that just before I bailed. So glad I don't have worry if my faith is based on their nonsensical ravings...
CZAR
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Scorpion
Thank you all for your reponses and thank you Tom for the added information.
Scorpion