Year 1918 – The “Millions Campaign”
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The word “campaign” concerning 1925 and “millions who will not die” is not an ironical phrase used by us. It was used the same way by the Watchtower Society in its publications. Here is an example:
THE “MILLIONS CAMPAIGN” Contributing to disciple- making work in those days was a new preaching activity—the “Millions Campaign.” It featured distribution of the 128-page book Millions Now Living Will Never Die, placed with the people on a contribution of 25c a copy. (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 127).
A real campaign publicizing the year 1925 began in 1918 with the public lectures as follow:
“The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living May Never Die” (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 719).
“The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living Will Never Die” (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 719).
‘Lift Up a Standard for the People, Millions Now Living That Will Never Die.’ (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 127).
“Satan’s Empire Falling—Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 133).
“All Nations Marching to Armageddon, but Millions Now Living Will Never Die” (1994 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 76).
“Millions Now Living May Never Die” (The Watchtower 15.02 2010 p. 16).
“Millions Now Living Will Never Die” (The Watchtower 01.03 2006 p. 12).
One of the publications stated the following on the beginning of that campaign:
1918 The discourse “The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living May Never Die” is first delivered, on February 24, in Los Angeles, California. On March 31, in Boston, Massachusetts, the talk is entitled “The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living Will Never Die” (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 719).
After the Gentile Times ended, they thought that the time of restitution was very near; so from 1918 down till 1925, they proclaimed: “Millions now living will never die.” Yes, they understood that people then living—mankind in general—had the opportunity to survive right into the time of restitution and that they would then be educated in Jehovah’s requirements for life. If obedient, they would gradually attain to human perfection. If rebellious, they would, in time, be destroyed forever. (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 p. 163).
What an exciting message they proclaimed—“Millions now living will never die!” Brother Rutherford had given a discourse on this subject in 1918. It was also the title of a 128-page booklet published in 1920. From 1920 through 1925, that same subject was featured again and again around the world in public meetings in all areas where speakers were available and in upwards of 30 languages. Instead of saying, as Christendom does, that all good people would go to heaven, this discourse focused attention on the Bible-based hope of eternal life on a paradise earth for obedient mankind. (Isa. 45:18; Rev. 21:1-5) And it expressed the conviction that the time for the realization of that hope was very near. Newspaper notices and billboards were used to advertise the lectures. The subject was intriguing. On February 26, 1922, upwards of 70,000 attended at 121 locations in Germany alone. It was not unusual for a single audience to number into the thousands. In Cape Town, South Africa, for example, 2,000 were present when the lecture was given at the Opera House. At the university auditorium in the capital city of Norway, not only was every seat filled but so many were turned away that the program had to be repeated an hour and a half later—again to a packed house. In Klagenfurt, Austria, Richard Heide told his father: “I am going to hear that talk whatever anyone might say. I want to know whether this is just bluff or if there is any truth in it!” He was deeply moved by what he heard, and soon he and his sister, as well as their parents, were telling others about it. But the Bible’s message was not just for people who would attend a public lecture. Others too needed to be made aware of it. Not only the public at large but also political and religious leaders needed to hear it. (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 pp. 425-426).
Several posters, leaflets and flyers advertising the lecture about “millions who will never die” were published. (See Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom 1993 pp. 163, 426; The Watchtower August 1, 2001 p. 25).
And the next example (an extract) taken from the report of the “Millions Campaign:”
Contributing to disciple-making work in those days was a new preaching activity—the “Millions Campaign.” It featured distribution of the 128-page book Millions Now Living Will Never Die, placed with the people on a contribution of 25c a copy. The book was used in conjunction with a public-speaking program that began on September 25, 1920, and that centered around a lecture (originally entitled “The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living May Never Die”) given by J. F. Rutherford in Los Angeles on February 24, 1918, and published in the new book in 1920. In retrospect, Lester L. Roper says: “Then came my time for a public talk on the subject ‘Lift Up a Standard for the People, Millions Now Living That Will Never Die.’ I was accustomed to dealing with the public, but that was different. I felt the floor would come up and hit me in the face any time. And I guess it did take intestinal fortitude, as then we had only a very small number in the truth in all the world— and to tell them ‘Millions now living would never die’!” Millions Now Living Will Never Die eventually was translated and published in various languages. Unlike the “pastoral work,” which had consisted of lending books to the people, copies of the “Millions” book were placed with them on a contribution, and interested persons could later obtain volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. The “Millions Campaign” lasted for some time, and a great witness was given by this means. Newspaper notices and billboards with the words “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” were used to bring it to public attention. So extensive was the campaign that the slogan has been remembered through the years. Recalling the effect of the “Millions Campaign,” Rufus Chappell writes: “We had offered the publication Millions Now Living Will Never Die in and around Zion [Illinois] and the results were of interest. I remember a large, flashing electric sign over the Waukegan Dry Cleaners building on North Sheridan Road about five miles from Zion, which said, ‘We Dye for the Millions Now Living Who Will Never Die.’ This was a very popular subject at that time, and many people had questioned the phrase and learned the truth from this publication.” (1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 127).
Passages concerning the year 1925 appeared in 1918 in the Watchtower publications:
The ancient worthies will receive the vitalizing, or making alive of their tentative justification, at the beginning of the earthly phase of the kingdom of heaven, we believe in 1925, having met all the conditions during their first earthly lives. – Hebrews 11 (The Watchtower June 15, 1918 p. 6279, reprints).
“For these two years [possibly from the spring of 1918 to the winter of 1919 or spring of 1920] hath the famine [for the truth] been in the land [among professing Christians]; and yet there are five years [to the spring of 1925, to the resurrection of the ancient worthies] in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest” – no general religions work for the world can be done. – Gen. 45:6. (...) “(...) for yet there are five years [1919 or 1920 to 1924 or 1925] of famine [of the truth to the people generally]; lest thou and thy household [of faith] and all that thou hast, come to poverty” – spiritually. – Genesis 45:9-11. (The Watchtower August 1, 1918 p. 6302, reprints).
The ancient worthies will receive the vitalization of their tentative justification at the beginning of the earthly phase of the kingdom of heaven, in 1925 we believe; for during their first earthly lives they met all the conditions required of them (The Watchtower December 15, 1918 p. 6372, reprints).
In addition to lectures and articles in magazines, another edition of The Finished Mystery appeared in 1918. It also taught about 1925. In the same year, a special supplement to the English Watchtower edition March 1, was published. That was the mentioned book, but this time in the form of a magazine called ZG (large format).
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