Fool’s Day on April 1st, 1925 and Millions book or a casket
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April 1 is well known for being the Fool’s Day, however the Watchtower Society was not joking and taught quite seriously:
(...) or about April 1, 1925, at which time we may expect the resurrection of the Ancient Worthies and the beginning of the blessing of all the families of the earth, living as well as dead. The last year of the 3,500 years will be itself a jubilee year witnessing the antitype, the great jubilee, of restitution. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 110).
An interesting story from the early 1920s describes one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ publication and it has a connection with the “April Fool’s Day:”
“MILLIONS” CAMPAIGN
The booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, in German, was announced for release in February of 1921, and a lecturing campaign that was to last for several years was officially planned to start on February 15. (...) At another time Brothers Wandres and Bauer had made arrangements for the talk, but contrary to the experiences they had been having with overcrowded halls, on this evening at first no one at all came. As the time to begin approached they both went out into the street to see if anyone could be expected. They found some who were interested in hearing the talk but who, for some reason unknown to the brothers, hesitated to enter the building. When asked why, they said that since it was April first they were uncertain as to whether it was just some jesters making an April fool’s joke. Nonetheless, in about half an hour thirty to forty people had arrived to listen to the talk. (1974 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses pp. 88-89).
It is interesting to note that the listeners of this lecture about the “millions who will not die” have noted the words “April 1,” and “the resurrection of the Ancient Worthies” and “the beginning of the blessing of all families of the earth,”
The Watchtower Society has many experiences with Millions Now Living Will Never Die! Here is another example:
Brother Erich Eickelberg from Remscheid was distributing the Millions booklet in Solingen when he had the following interesting experience: He introduced himself to a man he met by saying: “I am bringing you the good news that millions now living will never die but will live in peace and happiness forever upon the earth. This booklet proves this and costs only ten pfennigs.” The gentleman rejected the offer but the small boy standing beside him said: “Daddy, why don’t you buy it? A casket costs a whole lot more.” (1974 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses pp. 89-90).
Today, knowing this teaching, we can say that this man was right not taking the offered brochure. Although the coffin was actually more expensive, it became more useful to him, for he probably died already. The Watchtower Society publication would not be useful for that man, because after 1925 people were still dying in millions. It is enough to mention the war that broke out in Europe 14 years after 1925.
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