What do you really know about "Millions Now Living Will Never Die"?

by Terry 53 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Terry

  Pay attention to what you are told and how you are told it.

  What is the actual message being communicated? What is the intention behind it?

  This 128-page book Millions Now Living Will Never Die, was placed with the people on a contribution of 25c a copy.

  Are you aware that the information in this book is a rehash and rewording of a failed message already disproved by world events??

  A public-speaking program began on September 25, 1920, centering around a lecture (originally entitled “The World Has Ended—Millions NowLiving May Never Die”) given by J. F. Rutherford in Los Angeles on February 24, 1918.

  

  What was the core statement all about? Who was being addressed and what exact time span was referenced by the creator this message?

  

  What exactly do these words mean?

  "......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."
  	"......we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die." The official statement from the Watchtower leaders today is this: Though mistaken, they eagerly shared it with others. - Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, WTB&TS This enthusiastic "mistake" resulted in an increase in membership! In 1925, at conventions during April and May, the same halls were used and again were rapidly packed, and, in many cases, crowds had to be turned away. By the end of that year 1925, there were 355 congregations in Britain and 167 full-time colporteurs besides 96 part-time workers, then known as “auxiliaries.” Rutherford, in his lectures, created a belief which caused people to invest their time, energy and personal fortunes in the TRUTH of it. Like Bernie Madoff in our own time. People trusted him. The focal point beyond the promise was the dramatic prediction: Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection. - Millions Now Living Will Never Die, published in 1920, WTB&TS Naturally, the men who had died in the Middle East would resurrected in California! Where would they live?
• 

  Terry

  The current OVERLAPPING GENERATIONS teaching is the final nail in the coffin of credibility for Watchtower leadership because

  it started as an error of Adventists taken up by Pastor Russell and perverted again and again through false promises.

  Although Rutherford publicly admitted "I made an ass of myself" this is not an apology.

  Although the current leadership acknowledges it was a "mistake" they don't explain HOW IT IS POSSIBLE they can make a mistake

  IF THEY ARE GOD'S MOUTHPIECE.

  Teaching millions of people around the world that NOW LIVING depends on becoming a Jehovah's Witness and later teaching

  their surviving relatives it was a "mistake" has to be the most callous and cold passive confession of idiocy possible.

  At what point in false predictions, building a mansion for resurrected people and letting the president live in it and chaning the meaning

  of key words---AT WHAT POINT is any of that LIGHT whether dim or bright? Isn't it ALL obviously flim-flam?
• 

  Nickolas

  It was pure, unadulterated crockery, Terry. Hence the exodus of 1926. To quote Raymond Franz:

  "Although the Society has occasionally employed the catchy slogan “Millions now living will never die,” and called attention to the fact that Witness membership has reached the multimillion range, they gloss over an obvious misrepresentation. The claim that “Millions now living will never die” was not made to people living in the 1990s or the 2000s. It was made to people in the first half of the 1920s. Only a fraction of the approximately 5.9 million members of Jehovah’s Witnesses were living then. Only if there were today more than two million Witnesses around 75 years of age or older could there be any pretense that the prediction was in any way substantiated. This is clearly not the case.

  1925, on which the prediction and slogan were based, proved empty of all the things foretold. The teaching was without substance, mere fluff, prophetic fantasy. Yet all of this material, appearing in the Watch Tower magazine and other publications, was supposedly “food in due season” being provided through God’s channel of communication, a channel claiming the special approval and direction of Christ Jesus as the now reigning King. As they themselves say, they spoke as God’s “genuine prophet.”

  The passing of 1925 and the failure of these latest predictions, however, proved that the predictors had not acted as a “faithful and discreet slave.” They had not held faithfully and humbly to the inspired Word of God, which alone merits such terms as “indisputable,” “absolutely and unqualifiedly correct,” “incontestably established.” Nor had they been discreet during all the years they published such dogmatic claims earthwide, that indiscretion being, in effect, acknowledged by Judge Rutherford’s recognition that he had made an “ass” of himself.

  The intimidating language used in the proclaimed “channel” of God, the Watch Tower, the insinuations of ambition, pride, and disloyalty to Christ it directed at any who did not want to take the same presumptuous course, doubtless influenced the majority to ‘follow the leader’ as he made admittedly asinine claims. Many, however, found they could not continue to support such an irresponsible course and the organization experienced a major loss in adherents after 1925. (footnote) Among these was Alvin Franz, my father’s brother and the youngest of the four Franz brothers."
• 

  thetrueone

  I think Rutherford got caught up so much of wanting to take control of people and the assuming power toward himself that he was willing to create spurious lies.

  It can be identified as marketing scheme for the publishing house which never really had after-penalties for not producing what they were proclaiming.

  Ironic as it is the WTS still used this model of join us before its too late the doors of the Ark are about to be closed, pretty much right to this day.

  Its a sad exploitation of people's emotions, by men with big righteous smiles on their faces and a bible in their hand for supporting confidence.

  We all know that men selling religious literature are honest and are full of personal integrity, just like Harold Camping.
• 

  thetrueone

  This book as well as the many other books published by the WTS. shows just how much bullshit you can propagate by using the righteous face of religious virtue.

  For all of the commercial religious charlatans in the world , the bible is indeed a Good Book. $
• 

  thetrueone

  How again was it that the WTS. and Rutherford came up with 1925 anyways ...........anybody ?
• 

  BluesBrother

  It is not as though this episode has been consigned to the distant past as an embarrassing mistake..Surprisingly they still refer to this as though it were something to be proud of...of course the detail has changed slightly....

  WT. 2009 8/15 pp15-17

  "17) The foretold “time of the end” began in 1914. Did true knowledge about the hope of mankind become plentiful? (Dan. 12:4) By 1913, Russell’s sermons were printed in 2,000 newspapers with a combined readership of 15,000,000. By the end of 1914, over 9,000,000 people on three continents had seen the “Photo-Drama of Creation”—a program including motion pictures and slides that explained Christ’s Millennial Reign. From 1918 until 1925, the talk “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” which explained the hope of everlasting life on earth, was presented by Jehovah’s servants in over 30 languages worldwide. By 1934, Jehovah’s Witnesses realized that those hoping to live forever on earth should be baptized. This understanding filled them with renewed zeal for preaching the good news of the Kingdom. Today, the prospect of living forever on earth fills the hearts of millions with gratitude toward Jehovah."
• 

  thetrueone

  In case anyone is wondering how the WTS. came up with 1925 here is a direct quote from the book itself MNLWND.

  "Seventy jubilees of fifty years each would be a total of 3500 years. That period of time beginning 1575 before A.D. 1 of necessity would end in the fall of the year 1925, at which time the type ends and the great antitype must begin. What, then, should we expect to take place? The chief thing to be restored is the human race to life; and since other Scriptures definitely fix the fact that there will be a resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful ones of old, and that these will have the first favour, we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected and fully restored to perfect humanity and made the visible, legal representatives of the new order of things on earth." Millions Now Living Will Never Die p.88
• 

  dgp

  Bookmarked for later.
• 

  thetrueone

  Notice that Rutherford uses the term " Legal Representatives " such as himself as the legal Representative (President) of god's chosen people.

  The acquired arrogance of this man shows just how much power went to his head and how much he endeavored to hold on to this power.

  Never under estimate what a man will say or do when there's a perceivable avenue of power and money at the becking call.