Year 1924 – First doubts
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In 1924, a brochure appeared, pointing to the time of resurrection of other people, neither patriarchs nor Jews:
Seeing that this testimony is so clear, cogent and convincing, establishing the fact of the Lord's second presence, it can with confidence be said that the resurrection of the dead will soon begin. By the word “soon” we do not mean next year, but, we confidently believe, before another century passes away. That the restoration judgments of the living are just at hand, the evidences are convincing beyond a doubt.
[For a more exhaustive proof of this see the books “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” and “The Harp of God.”] (Hell—What Is It? Who Are There? Can They Get Out? 1924 p. 54).
It is clear, that while the patriarchs were expected on the following year after 1924 (as the relevant sources indicated), the rest of humankind was to rise later, but still in the 20th century! But this either was not fulfilled, because we live now in 21st century!
In the same year 1924 the organization published a brochure that quoted some words from the book The Harp of God. While the book of 1921 predicted coming of patriarchs just in a „few years,” which could point to the year 1925, the brochure of 1924 saying about „few years,” postponed their resurrection on later years, after the year 1925:
Because Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other faithful prophets described by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 11 are promised a better resurrection; (...) Hence these faithful men may be expected on earth within the next few years. They will constitute the legal representatives of the Christ in the earth. They will be the visible representatives of the kingdom of heaven. (A Desirable Government 1924 p. 29).
This brochure points to Jerusalem as the residence of the resurrected patriarchs. This is important to mention, because in later period (in 1929) their seat will be changed to California and Beth- Sarim, or “House of the Princes:”
In the light of the Scriptures we may reasonably expect that Jerusalem will be the capital of the world, with perfect and faithful men, namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, and others in charge of earth's governmental affairs, with some of these faithful men as rulers located in the principal parts of the earth; that then the one in authority at Jerusalem will give directions as to the carrying out of governmental affairs in different parts of the earth. With great improved broadcasting stations we can expect Abraham from Mount Zion to direct the affairs of the whole earth. (A Desirable Government 1924 p. 30).
The Jubilee Year of 1925 was also announced in 1924, at the convention:
(...) the time for the Columbus (Ohio) convention was fixed for July, 1924. Exactly ten years, to the day, from the beginning of the World War the message "Civilization Doomed" was delivered in support of the "Indictment", which time marked the last typical jubilee; and, showing that the antitypical jubilee must begin in 1925, the message announced the doom of Satan's organization and that the time had come when the people should go free. The year 1925 marked the due time for the great jubilee, and the announcement was made in due course. (Light 1930, Vol. 1, p. 135).
For some reasons J.F. Rutherford was the only author of the Watchtower Society’s books during his term, with one small exception: W. Van Amburgh (1864-1947), the secretary-treasurer of the organization in 1917-1947 wrote a book. Its title was The Way to Paradise and it was published in 1924 (reprinted in 1925):
I still have a vivid mental picture of an imaginary scene described on pages 228 to 231 of the book The Way to Paradise, published in 1924. The reader was asked to imagine himself in Paradise overhearing two people who had been resurrected. They were wondering just where they were. Then a person who had survived Armageddon had the privilege of explaining to the two that they had been resurrected into Paradise. (Luke 23:43) If I survive Armageddon, I would like to explain such things to my wife, my mother, and other loved ones when they are resurrected. But if I die before Armageddon, I am looking forward to the time when someone in the new world will tell me about the events that transpire after my death. (Awake! December 22, 2002 p. 23 ).
Before we quote a longer passage of this book, let us first present three shorter excerpts that will introduce us to the subject of the year 1925:
This event will put an end to world number two. The Bible and “The Bible in Stone” give the date 1914 for the beginning of the great change. History proves that the ouster proceedings began promptly on time. Prophecy indicates that 1925-1926 will see the greater part of the ousting completed. All the world's statesmen are dreading the next few years. (The Way to Paradise 1924 p. 171).
When you take up a more advanced study of the Bible, you will find that the year 1925 A. D. is particularly marked in prophecy. We will just sketch it here: When the Children of Israel were about to enter the land of Canaan, God gave them instructions through Moses that every fiftieth year should be a jubilee. You will read all about these instructions in the twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus. They were to begin to count when they entered the land, which was the year 1575 before Christ. (The Way to Paradise 1924 p. 220).
Seventy times 50 are 3,500. The whole period would therefore have been 3,500 years from the time the Jews entered Canaan until all the types would have been fulfilled. As they entered Canaan 1,575 years before Christ there would be 1,925 years of types after Christ, or 1925 A. D. The year 1925, therefore, would have been the last jubilee the Jews would have kept, if they had remained faithful to their covenant. Then what would have happened? We should expect that the antitype would begin to be fulfilled; namely, the jubilee for the whole world. (The Way to Paradise 1924 p. 223).
In the Polish version of our book we cite a long paragraph from The Way to Paradise (chapter: Princes in All the Earth, pages 224- 232), because the book was never published in Polish. Here we just quote a shorter passage. Please, notice while reading pages 224-232 that the author does not refer to the year 1925 as to the date of the resurrection of the patriarchs, instead he refers to the time “after 1925” (“We should, therefore, expect shortly after 1925...” - p. 224). Words from this book are like a ready-made script for a movie about people’s resurrection!
The following excerpt provides an instruction on how (by the telephone!) the resurrection of dead parents would be ordered from the patriarchs:
You then call up the princes at Jerusalem, state your case, and make request that your father and your mother might be awakened. In joyful expectancy you wait. Some morning you hear talking in the room you have prepared. There was no one there last night. You know that there are no thieves or intruders; for all such experiences have been eliminated. You do not need to be fearful; so you listen at the door. You hear father's familiar voice saying, “Mother, where are we? Are we dreaming? Why, I thought I attended your funeral last summer; then I was taken sick, and they had the doctor, and that is the last I can remember.” (The Way to Paradise 1924 pp. 228- 229).
Abraham and the resurrected patriarchs would also use a radio (as already mentioned in this book).
When perfect men, such as Abraham, Moses and David are back on the earth they will teach the people the truth as no dead stone could ever teach them. Employing the radio, which God has brought into action for his own purposes, they will stand at Jerusalem or- any other given place on earth and speak to the peoples of all the land. (The Watchtower December 1, 1928 p. 358).
Doubtless in his own due time the great God will cause his faithful servants Abraham, David, and others, to stand in the city of Jerusalem and by means of the radio speak to all the peoples of earth that they may hear and know that there is no God besides Jehovah. (The Watchtower August 1, 1929 p. 231).
See The Golden Age January 14, 1925 p. 254; The Golden Age February 5, 1930 p. 318.
Besides, Abraham was to appear on television:
Simultaneously we shall be able to “listen in” to the radio and “see in” on our television to the scene we are hearing of or the speaker we are listening to. Surely these wonders are being shown to man for his use in the golden age, which is now being ushered in. When that age of blessing is fully come, we can well imagine the peoples of the earth “listening in” and “seeing in” with rapt attention, while Abraham, Isaac or Jacob or other of those faithful men of old, who will then be appointed by the Messiah as princes in all the earth, expounds the law of God and instructs them in the way that leads to life and happiness in harmony with Jehovah. (The Golden Age January 23, 1929 p. 273).
Radio broadcasting was also meant to cure many diseases (the Watchtower Society launched it in 1924):
Radio has been directly employed in the treatment of cases of rheumatism, neuritis, pneumonia, and deafness. Men that have not heard a sound in thirty years have been able to hear when the radio headpieces were attached. Leo Kuehn, of Detroit, a deaf-mute twenty-eight years of age, an intelligent, educated man, learned to speak after a few lessons by radio. His first uttered words were: Holy, holy, holy." It was a well-chosen tribute to the Author of his blessings. (The Golden Age March 12, 1924 p. 365).
The year 1925 was also discussed in the Watchtower Society’s magazines:
The year 1924 opens dark and black to those who know not God. To the Christian it opens with a resplendent brightness never before experienced. So dark it is to the non-believer that he is bowed down with sorrow and despair. So bright it is to the faithful follower of Jesus that he lifts up his head and, looking up, rejoices because he knows that the day of deliverance is at hand. (The Watchtower January 1, 1924 p. 3).
If we assume that the harvest of the wheat class, namely, the saints, began with the beginning of the second presence of our Lord in 1874, then would it be unreasonable to conclude that the harvest must continue for fifty symbolic days, or fifty literal years? If so, then we might expect the harvest to end fifty years after 1874, or with the year 1924. If this be true, what a wonderful incentive for the saints to be watchful, prayerful, active, and rejoicing in their privileges to have a part in the Lord’s work in these concluding days of the harvest. That would mean that the selection of the royal family would be completed with the end of 1924. If this be true, then surely with confidence the saints now on earth can announce with the opening of this year, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” because all the members of the royal line are about completed for the kingdom. (The Watchtower January 1, 1924 p. 5).
Whether 1924 ends the harvest work or not (and no one knows for a certainty) we do know that the completion and glorification of the church is near at hand. (The Watchtower January 1, 1924 p. 6).
The outlook for 1924 is wonderful. It is inspiring. It is thrilling. Rejoice, ye sons of God, ye prospective kings, as you herald to the world the message of deliverance, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (The Watchtower January 1, 1924 p. 8).
The 2,901 vessels, plus the 1,000 plus 30 plus 29 enumerated vessels, totaling 3,960 vessels, correspond to the number of years from the ratification of the Abrahamic Covenant, in 2035 B.C., to the time when Abraham will inherit the promised land, in the spring of 1926. (2,034 3/4 plus 1,925 1/4 equals 3,960.) See Z. 1920, pp. 204, 205. (The Watchtower January 15, 1924 p. 31).
The actual end of the jubilees brought the destruction of literal Babylon; and the end of the seventy cycles (as indicated by seventy jubilees), in the fall of 1925, will surely bring the deathblow to symbolic Babylon. (The Watchtower May 15, 1924 p. 159).
The transition period from the domination of Satan to the rulership of Messiah is one which in round numbers may be called a fifty-year period. As this period is almost expired it is reasonable to expect manifestations of this preparatory work in process of fulfilment. (The Watchtower June 1, 1924 p. 165).
It will not do to say that 1925 is approaching and the work will not be finished during that year, and that therefore one can slack up for a while and take on the work again some time later. Who knows that the work of the Church this side the vail may not be completed in 1925? (...) Suppose the Lord should say to his people in 1925 words to the effect that several years more will be required to give the witness to the nations before all the body members shall be changed into glorious spirit beings. Would not the truly loyal ones respond in effect thus? (The Watchtower July 15, 1924 p. 211).
Let no one now be deceived by calculations as to just when the Lord will cease his work with the Church on earth. The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in the Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914; but it would be presumptuous on the part of any faithful follower of the Lord to assume just what the Lord is going to do during that year. (The Watchtower July 15, 1924 p. 211).
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is no time now to show weakness of faith or to become discouraged because to some it may not seem that 1925 will bring what they expect. All of God’s promises will be fulfilled in his own due time. (The Watchtower August 15, 1924 p. 247).
It matters not whether this work is accomplished by 1925 or years later. The only question for the proper consideration of the Christian is to give this message throughout the world as a witness before the finale. (The Watchtower October 1, 1924 p. 298).
(...) we expect the full glorification of the church in about two years. (The Golden Age February 13, 1924 p. 313).
Many prominent dates in history are indicated, even down to the World War of 1914. The year 1925 is also a specified date. (The Golden Age May 21, 1924 p. 519; See The Golden Age December 31, 1924 p. 205).
Other magazines also discuss the issue of the year 1925 several times:
The Watchtower December 12, 1924 p. 362; The Watchtower December 15, 1924 p. 377; The Golden Age February 13, 1924 pp. 313-314; The Golden Age May 7, 1924 p. 490; The Golden Age May 21, 1924 pp. 519, 537-538; The Golden Age December 31, 1924 pp. 205, 215, 221-222 (for extensive quotations from the last publications, see the chapter The Great Pyramid and years 1925- 1926.)
To confirm their expectations in relation to the year 1925, the Watchtower Society even referred to Dr. Fridtjof Nansen (1861- 1930), Norwegian statesman:
We must not forget that the world is on fire; that the blaze started in 1914, and presumably will reach the climax in 1925. Truly the world is sitting on a powder keg. (The Watchtower February 1, 1924 p. 38).
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