Year 1920 – Millions Now Living Will Never Die!
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J.F. Rutherford's publication, Millions now living will never die! was published in 1920, therefore two years after the 1925 campaign began.
This brochure is probably the best-known publication by J.F. Rutherford, next to the book named The Harp of God (1921).
This publication contains firm and varied statements about 1925. What you can read are the statements about the resurrection of the patriarchs, the end of death, the beginning of the earthly phases of the kingdom, the management of the earth by Abraham, etc. These are not expressed wishes, but “a categoric and undeniable conclusion.” The author of the book, probably aware of it, even warned his readers against the priests:
(...) many clergymen will attempt to prevent the people from reading what is here written (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 7).
In the first words of his publication, J.F. Rutherford wrote:
The emphatic announcement that millions now living on earth will never die must seem presumptuous to many people; but when the evidence is carefully considered I believe that almost every fair mind will concede that the conclusion is a reasonable one. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 5).
Here are the most important excerpts of 1925 and “millions who will not die:”
(...) that within a definite period of time the old order will be completely eradicated and the new order in full sway; and that these things shall take place within the time of the present generation and that therefore there are millions of people now living on earth who will see them take place, to whom everlasting life will be offered and who, if they accept it upon the terms offered and obey those terms, will never die. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 12).
A simple calculation of these jubilees brings us to this important fact: 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? In the type there must be a full restoration; therefore the great antitype must mark the beginning of restoration of all things. 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 favor, 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! 1920 p. 88).
As we have heretofore stated, the great jubilee cycle is due to begin in 1925. At that time the earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 89).
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! 1920 pp. 89-90).
POSITIVE PROMISE
(...) Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world, is ending and is therefore passing away, and 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 of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 pp. 96-97).
Of course, it does not mean that every one will live; for some will refuse to obey the divine law; but those who have been evil and turn again to righteousness and obey righteousness shall live and not die. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 97).
This is the Golden Age of which the prophets prophesied and of which the Psalmist sang; and it is the privilege of the student of the divine Word today, by the eye of faith, to see that we are standing at the very portals of that blessed time! Let us look up and lift up our heads. Deliverance is at the door! (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 105).
1,924 full years of the A.D. period will end December 31, 1924 A.D. and 3/4 years more ends about October 1, 1925 A.D., at which time there is reason to believe that Abraham will come into possession of his inheritance. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 108).
(...) 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).
2. CHRONICLES 36:21. A reference to the seventy jubilees beginning in the spring of 1575 B.C. and ending in the spring of 1925. When these jubilees are complete the time will have come for blessing all. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 112).
[JEREMIAH] 25:11, 12. A reference to the seventy jubilees that must pass over Israel before they really enter the promised land. These 3,500 years began with the entrance into Canaan in the spring of 1575 B.C. and will end in the spring of 1925 A.D. That is to say, the last year will be a jubilee year and the last year of the 3,500 years will witness the antitype, the great jubilee of restitution. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 117).
The year 1925 is mentioned up to 10 times in the quoted publication.
This book seemed to have quite large circulation as it was still available in 1932 (See Vindication 1932 Vol. 3, p. 384).
One more interesting fact from the content of this book concerns the expectations of 1921:
It may be that these worldly systems will go down in the fall of 1921. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die! 1920 p. 111 [These words were then removed from the latter Polish edition!]).
Here are the most important excerpts of 1925 from the Watchtower Society’s magazines:
The sum of the ages of the three animals and the two birds is 11 years. If we take this literally, and add these 11 years to the time when the iniquity of the antitypical Amorites is full (autumn of 1914), it gives the autumn of the year 1925, which, according to the Jubilee types, is the real Jubilee or the antitypical beginning of the time for every man to return from the dead unto his possession and to return unto his family. (...) The ancient worthies being first to return, means that about the autumn of 1925 Abraham will know that the iniquity of the antitypical Amorites has come to tile full, and he will come to an understanding of what the Lord was picturing to him in answer to his question: “Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it [the land]?” (The Watchtower July 1, 1920 p. 204-205).
But now you can hear every one of them say: “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”. Suppose we should be wrong in the chronology and that the kingdom will not be fully set up in 1925. Suppose that we were ten years off, and that it would be 1935 before restitution blessings began. Without a doubt there are now millions of people on the earth who will be living fifteen years from now; and we could with equal confidence say that “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”. Whether it be 1925 or 1935, restitution blessings must soon begin, as shown from all the evidence; and when that time comes, all who respond obediently to the new arrangement shall be blessed with life, liberty, and happiness. (The Watchtower October 15, 1920 p. 310).
Some one asked me the other day: Suppose you should be here in 1925 what would you do? I said, I believe I will be home in the Pleiades before then; but if it Is the Lord’s providence that I be here I will rejoice in the Lord and do with my might what my hands find to do in the Master’s service, not only then but throughout all eternity. (The Watchtower November 1, 1920 p. 334).
One article even contained a chapter titled:
OUTSTANDING DATES – 1914 AND 1925, that proves the dates were equally important (The Watchtower April 15, 1920 p. 127).
The Watchtower Society President also made a trip to Greece in 1920 making some predictions. Here is a press report called the EUROPEAN TOUR:
Brother Rutherford spoke at some length to those assembled, using the text of Acts 17:31, and in summing up said: (...) And now I declare unto you that the appointed time of Christ’s reign is at hand, and that millions now living on earth will never die. (The Watchtower December 1, 1920 p. 355).
It was interesting to visit these tombs and have in mind that God’s appointed time the resurrection of the dead, of which St. Paul taught, is near at hand, and that ere long, by His grace, these Athenian philosophers, together with others of earth’s million, will be awakened out of death to learn the true doctrine of salvation ; and accepting and obeying it, shall be restored to perfect humanity. (The Watchtower December 1, 1920 p. 355).
That evening a public meeting was held in the same hall in Athens where Brother Russell had spoken. The subject for the occasion was “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”. When the speaker announced that Socrates and other Athenian philosophers and wise men would he back in Athens before many years, several of the people were seemingly startled and sat up listened with the keenest interest. (The Watchtower December 1, 1920 p. 355).
We are glad to report that while in Athens arrangements were made for a wider distribution of the message of the kingdom, particularly the book entitled “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”. We feel quite sure that it is the Lord’s will that this message should now go to all the nations of Christendom as a final witness before the final end of the present order. (The Watchtower December 1, 1920 p. 356).
An excerpt from one out of many lectures of the President of the Watchtower Society in the United States:
Speaker positively declared that those living in 1925 would need to die if they obeyed the plain Scriptural injunctions respecting righteous living, etc. His arguments were based primarily upon prophecies that have been fulfilled during the past five years, supplemented by other prophecies which have been in the course of fulfillment since 1878, and which will have their culmination in 1925, the official beginning of the new era during which everlasting life will be possible to whosoever will have it (The Golden Age July 21, 1920 p. 632).
Besides the teaching of 1925, in the 1920 the Watchtower Society reported that by 1980 (!) Israel will “come back hither,” from their bondage in death:
As stated at the beginning, Abram entered Canaan in the spring of the year 2045 B.C., or 2044 1/4 years B.C. He was 75 years old when he left Haran and entered Canaan. (Genesis 12:4, 5) Therefore the time when he was 99 years old must have been 24 years later, or 2020 3/4 years B.C. And four thousand years from this date would be (4000 – 2020 3/4, which equals) 1979 1/4 years A.D., or the spring of 1980. This would be the time limit it would take Israel to “come back hither”, from their bondage in death. This will be just seventy years from the spring of 1910, when Pastor Russell began preaching restitution to the Jews at Jerusalem... (The Watchtower July 1, 1920 p. 204).
This idea of the year 1980 was not new at all, as it was mentioned already in 1917 as a possible thing:
It is possible that A. D. 1980 marks the regathering of all of Fleshly Israel from their captivity in death. (The Finished Mystery 1917, 1926 p. 62).
Thought-provoking is the fact that another edition of the same book modified the above statement (!):
It is possible that A. D. 1980 may have something of special interest for Fleshly Israel, but certainly not for us. (The Finished Mystery 1918 [75,000 Edition] p. 62).
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