Memories about the “year 1925”
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The Watchtower Society in its publications has repeatedly returned to the topic of “millions who will not die” and the year 1925. We will quote first and foremost quotations from the current publications, but also a few from 1931-1985:
God’s faithful people on the earth emphasized the importance of the dates 1914 and 1918 and 1925. They had much to say about these dates and what would come to pass, but all they predicted did not come to pass. The predictions as to the dates were correct, but what came to pass could not be fully seen in advance. (Vindication 1931 Vol. 1, p. 146).
There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918 and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time. Later the faithful learned that these dates were definitely fixed in the Scriptures; and they also learned to quit fixing dates for the future and predicting what would come to pass on a certain date, but to rely (and they do rely) upon the Word of God as to the events that must come to pass. (Vindication 1931 Vol. 1, pp. 338-339).
They had preached that in an early time God would overthrow “Christendom”. Many had emphasized the year 1925 as the date, and then when that date did not materialize the date was moved up to 1932. Again, 1932 came and “Christendom” was not destroyed, and now it was discovered that “Christendom” would be spared for a while longer for the sake of the Jonadab class... (The Watchtower February 15, 1938 pp. 54-55).
JEHOVAH’S faithful people on earth publicly emphasized the importance of the dates 1914 and 1918 and 1925. They had much to say about these dates and what would come to pass, but not all they predicted came to pass. The predictions, as to the dates, were correct, but what came to pass could not be fully seen in advance. (The Watchtower September 1, 1938 p. 269).
Those of the original remnant who survived the experiences of World War I used to quote Psalm 50:5, (...) They used to think that only these saints were to be gathered or harvested before Armageddon, although it was timely for them since 1918 to herald the message, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” It was even suggested that this harvesting of such spiritual saints might end with the year 1924, after which the heavenly glorification of these anointed, spirit-begotten followers of Christ would take place. (See The Watchtower, January 1, 1924, ¶¶ 11-32.) (The Watchtower December 15, 1951 p. 749).
In May, 1924, during one of Brother Rutherford’s visits to Glasgow, he announced at the assembly then in progress that he was sending a brother from the British branch office to South Africa to serve as branch servant. The following morning, as we sat in an anteroom waiting to go onto the platform, Brother Rutherford said to me: “You heard me make that announcement last night about sending a brother to South Africa. Would you like to go with him?” “Here am I; send me,” was the response. “Think it over carefully and let me know in the afternoon,” was his reply. When I confirmed my decision that afternoon, among other things he said: “George, it may be for a year, or it may be for a little longer.” He had still great faith that the princes would be back the following year, and that big changes would quickly take place. (...) I had learned to love the assignment given me by the Lord’s organization in 1924, which was to be “for a year or a little longer.” It turned out to be for “a little longer,” but after nearly twenty-three years on the job I was not only willing but very desirous of going back for just as much longer as Jehovah willed. (The Watchtower December 1, 1956 pp. 716, 718).
The year 1925 especially proved to be a year of great trial to many of Jehovah's people. Some stopped waiting and went with the world. (“Your Will Be Done on Earth” 1958 p. 337; The Watchtower May 1, 1960 p. 282).
In the morning as I was loading the car, mother came out quite disturbed, tearful in fact. Among other things she said: “You know, some of the friends are expecting big things to happen in 1925, but don’t set your hopes and expectations on that too much.” I replied: “Mother, don’t worry. I am prepared to work and wait and see.” The text at Habakkuk 2:3 was one I often liked to ponder. (The Watchtower January 15, 1970 p. 58).
God’s people had to adjust their thinking about 1925, for instance. Expectations of restoration and blessing were attached to it because they felt that that year would mark the end of seventy jubilees of fifty years each since the Israelites had entered Canaan. (Lev. 25:1-12) A. D. Schroeder states: “It was thought that then the remnant of Christ’s anointed followers would go to heaven to be part of the Kingdom and that the faithful men of old, such as Abraham, David and others, would be resurrected as princes to take over the government of the earth as part of God’s kingdom.”
The year 1925 came and went. Jesus’ anointed followers were still on earth as a class. The faithful men of old times—Abraham, David and others—had not been resurrected to become princes in the earth. (Ps. 45:16) So, as Anna MacDonald recalls: “1925 was a sad year for many brothers. Some of them were stumbled; their hopes were dashed. They had hoped to see some of the ‘ancient worthies’ [men of old like Abraham] resurrected. Instead of its being considered a ‘probability,’ they read into it that it was a ‘certainty,’ and some prepared for their own loved ones with expectancy of their resurrection. I personally received a letter from the sister who brought me the truth. She advised me that she had done wrong in what she had told me. . . . [But] I was appreciative of my liberation from Babylon. Where else could one go? I had learned to know and love Jehovah.” God’s faithful servants had not dedicated themselves to him only until a certain year. They were determined to serve him forever. To such persons the unfulfilled expectations concerning 1925 did not pose a great problem or affect their faith adversely. “For the faithful ones,” remarks James Poulos, “1925 was a wonderful year. Jehovah through his ‘faithful and discreet slave’ brought to our attention the meaning of the twelfth chapter of Revelation. (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 146).
What if, in expectation of the “great tribulation,” Jehovah’s Witnesses had eased up, and stopped watching and making plans for the future, in 1914, in 1925, in 1975 or at any other date—could this have resulted in the expansive spiritual paradise that we see today? How glad we are that Jehovah has energized his people to keep sounding forth good news in all the earth! (The Watchtower November 15, 1976 p. 689).
1925—A CRITICAL YEAR (...) That same year of 1925 sparked off even greater difficulties within the organization. The book Millions Now Living Will Never Die had been widely used in the French field since 1921, and on the basis of its contents, much was expected of 1925. But when 1925 came and went without the anticipated happenings coming to pass, those on the outside who had read the book made fun of the brothers. Brother Jules Anache in Sin- le-Noble writes: “We were scoffed at by our enemies who wrote articles, one of which was entitled ‘Millions now living will never die if they take Pink pills,’ referring to a remedy that was popular at the time.” Worse still, the faith of some of the brothers themselves was shaken. Some expected to go to heaven that year. This brought about siftings in the congregations, particularly in Alsace. Sister Anna Zimmermann writes: “Unjustified hopes brought about great testings. Many gave up.” Indicative of this testing was the question meeting held by Brother Rutherford during the Basel, Switzerland, assembly, which took place May 1-3, 1926. The report on this convention stated:
“Question: Have the ancient worthies returned?
“Answer: Certainly they have not returned. No one has seen them, and it would be foolish to make such an announcement. It was stated in the ‘Millions’ book that we might reasonably expect them to return shortly after 1925, but this was merely an expressed opinion.” (1980 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses pp. 61-62).
The year 1925 also held expectations for Jehovah’s servants. It was thought that a cycle of 70 typical Jubilees (70 × 50 years) from the time Israel entered the Promised Land would end in 1925 and mark the beginning of the great antitypical Jubilee, the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus. It did not turn out that way. (The Watchtower February 15, 1984 pp. 23-24).
[Rutherford] Regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he once confessed to us at Bethel, “I made an ass of myself.” (The Watchtower October 1, 1984 p. 24).
SERIOUS TESTINGS DURING 1925 The year 1925 started very promisingly with the new Bethel home and factory in Bern. The brothers were happy and were encouraged to push ahead with the work. However, some had their own personal convictions with respect to the year 1925. Would they let themselves be admonished by The Watch Tower of January 1, 1925? It cautioned:
“The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during the year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God will accomplish his purposes concerning his own people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire during this year that they would fail to joyfully do what the Lord would have them to do.”
Among others, Jakob Weber, who was responsible for the Service Desk at Bethel, was not impressed. He was so sure that all the anointed would be glorified in heaven by the end of the year that he pursued a “liquidation course.” He sent large quantities of literature to congregations without having received orders for it, instructing them to distribute the publications free of charge in their territory before the end of 1925. All the efforts of the brothers at Bethel to reason with him were to no avail. Finally, he left not only Bethel but the truth and caused much grief among the brothers throughout the country, since he drew many with him. Some congregations were reduced to less than half their former size. (1987 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses pp. 131-132).
In 1924 the grown-ups talked a lot about 1925. We once visited a family of Bible Students, and I heard one brother ask: “If the Lord takes us away, what will become of our children?” Mother, positive as ever, replied: “The Lord will know how to take care of them.” The subject fascinated me. What did it all mean? The year 1925 came and went, and nothing happened. However, my parents did not let up in their zeal. (The Watchtower November 1, 1991 p. 26).
Further, the widely circulated booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die presented the view that in 1925, God’s purposes regarding the restoring of the earth to Paradise and the resurrecting of the faithful ones of old would begin to be fulfilled. The endurance of the anointed seemed to be nearly completed. (The Watchtower November 1, 1993 p. 11).
The year 1925 came to its conclusion, but the end was not yet! Ever since the 1870’s, Bible Students had been serving with a date in mind—first 1914, then 1925. Now, they realized that they must serve for as long as Jehovah wishes. (The Watchtower November 1, 1993 p. 12).
For example, he once made some dogmatic statements as to what Christians could expect in 1925. When events failed to support his expectations, he humbly told the Brooklyn Bethel family that he had made a fool of himself. (The Watchtower December 1, 1993 p. 18).
The Year 1925—A Time of Division (...) [Poland] Throughout the country, there were some whose motivation for serving God was considerably influenced by the belief that they would receive their heavenly reward by 1925 at the latest. Many of these became spiritually weak or fell away after that year passed. During that period, various opposition groups were actively trying to gain control of the congregations or at least to weaken them. Three of these opposition groups exist till this day. (1994 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses pp. 187-188).
Bible Students, known since 1931 as Jehovah’s Witnesses, also expected that the year 1925 would see the fulfillment of marvelous Bible prophecies. They surmised that at that time the earthly resurrection would begin, bringing back faithful men of old, such as Abraham, David, and Daniel. (Awake! June 22, 1995 p. 9).
“We may confidently expect,” stated the booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, back in 1920, “that 1925 will mark the return [from the dead] of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old . . . to the condition of human perfection.” Not only was the resurrection of faithful men of old expected in 1925 but some hoped that anointed Christians might receive their heavenly reward in that year. The year 1925 came and went. Some abandoned their hope. But the vast majority of the Bible Students remained faithful. “Our family,” explained Herald Toutjian, whose grandparents had become Bible Students about the turn of the century, “came to appreciate that unrealized hopes are not unique to our day. The apostles themselves had similar misplaced expectations. . . . Jehovah is worthy of loyal service and praise with or without the ultimate reward.”—Compare Acts 1:6, 7. (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 78).
Three years later, in 1922, another memorable convention was held at Cedar Point. It was a nine-day program, from September 5 to 13. In addition to the delegates from the United States and Canada, some came from Europe. Meetings were conducted in ten languages. The average daily attendance was about 10,000; and for the talk “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” so many of the public were in the audience that the attendance nearly doubled. The Bible Students did not gather at this convention with the thought that they were planning for work here on earth that would extend for decades into the future. In fact, they said that it might well be their last general convention before “the deliverance of the church . . . into the heavenly phase of the kingdom of God, and indeed into the actual and very presence of our Lord and our God.” But however short the time might be, the doing of God’s will was their foremost concern. (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 pp. 259-260).
In the lecture “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” delivered by J. F. Rutherford on March 21, 1920, at the Hippodrome in New York City, attention was directed to the year 1925. On what basis was it thought to be significant? In a booklet published in that same year, 1920, it was pointed out that if 70 full Jubilees were calculated from what was understood to be the date when Israel entered the Promised Land (instead of starting after the last typical Jubilee before the Babylonian exile and then counting to the beginning of the Jubilee year at the end of the 50th cycle), this could point to the year 1925. On the basis of what was said there, many hoped that perhaps the remaining ones of the little flock would receive their heavenly reward by 1925. This year also was associated with expectations for resurrection of faithful pre-Christian servants of God with a view to their serving on earth as princely representatives of the heavenly Kingdom. If that really occurred, it would mean that mankind had entered an era in which death would cease to be master, and millions then living could have the hope of never dying off the earth. What a happy prospect! Though mistaken, they eagerly shared it with others. (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 632).
Following 1925, meeting attendance dropped dramatically in some congregations in France and Switzerland. Again, in 1975, there was disappointment when expectations regarding the start of the Millennium failed to materialize. As a result, some withdrew from the organization. Others, because they sought to subvert the faith of associates, were disfellowshipped. No doubt, disappointment over the date was a factor, but in some instances the roots went deeper. Some individuals also argued against the need to participate in the house-to-house ministry. Certain ones did not simply choose to go their own way; they became aggressive in opposing the organization with which they had been associated, and they made use of the public press and television to air their views. Nevertheless, the number who defected was relatively small. Although these tests resulted in a sifting and some blew away like chaff when wheat is winnowed, others remained firm. Why? Regarding his own experience and that of others in 1925, Jules Feller explained: “Those who had set their confidence in Jehovah remained steadfast and continued their preaching activity.” They recognized that a mistake had been made but that in no respect had God’s Word failed, and therefore there was no reason either to let their own hope grow dim or to slow down in the work of pointing people to God’s Kingdom as mankind’s only hope. Some expectations had not been fulfilled, but that did not mean that Bible chronology was of no value. (Jehovah’s Witnesses— Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 633). See pp. 163, 425-426, 719 [the above text was quoted in the chapter Year 1918 – The “Millions Campaign”])
At that time, there was a widely held view that pointed to 1925 as the year for the resurrection to begin and for Paradise to be restored to the earth. Thus, many were serving with a fixed date in mind. (...) After 1925 passed, the holy ones no longer served God with an immediate, explicit deadline in view. (Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy! 1999 pp. 303-304).
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).
1925, once held to be year when “ancient worthies” would be resurrected and remnant would receive heavenly reward... (Watch Tower Publications Index 1986-2016 [Watchtower Library 2016], See Dates of Prophetic Significance).
It is interesting to note that the most recent historical book God’s Kingdom Rules! (2014) completely ignores the question of expectations connected to 1925. Only the first radio lecture by J. F. Rutherford was mentioned (delivered in 1922) Millions Now Living Will Never Die! got listened by 50,000 people (see p.72).
A list of publications from recent years, in which the Watchtower Society mentions both, a book and lectures on “millions who will not die” (regardless that both thought about “1925”), is listed in the chapter Manipulations using the year 1925.
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