OK, this is from the January 1, 2007 Craptower. Page 25 is the study article called "The First Resurrection---Now Under Way". It's too boring to type all the stupidity written, but here's a brief synopsis of where they come up with the brainiac idea that the First Resurrection occurred in 1918 onwards:
Par 9: "...When does the first resurrection occur? There is strong evidence (meaning there actually isn't any) that it is now under way. For example, compare two chapters of Revelation......As this journal has often shown, that battle began in 1914......Notice that none of Christ's anointed followers are said to be with Jesus in that heavenly war. (just ignore the verse in Revelation 12:7 that says "....And war broke out in heaven: Mi´cha·el and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled..." Giving them the benefit of the doubt and that Michael is Jesus, it clearly says "his angels".....oh I forgot---the annointed won't be angels....they're really the 24 elders AND the 144,000 ) .....Now look at chapter 17...we read that after the destruction of Babylon the Great, the Lamb will conquer the nations. Then it adds: "Also, those called and chosen and faithful with him will do so." "Called and chosen and faithful" ones must already have been resurrected if they are to be with Jesus for the final defeat of Satan's world. Reasonably then (this is all we can come up with) anointed ones who die before Armageddon are resurrected sometime between 1914 and Armageddon. (wow---with reasoning like that, how can they be wrong?)
Par 10: Can we
bullshit yousay more precisely when the first resurrection begins?No, but that's never stopped us before. An interesting clue is found in Revelation 7:9-15 [talks about the Great Crowd]. The identity....is revealed to John by one of the 24 elders, and these elders represent the 144,000sorry, but that's the best we senile old farts can come up with. John himself had a heavenly hope but since he was still a man on earth when the elder spoke to him, in the vision John must represent anointed ones on earth who have not yet received their heavenly reward. (ya, I had to read that about 6 times before I wrote it just because it makes NO damn sense whatsoever).Par 11: "....It seems that resurrected ones of the 24 elders group may be involved inthe communicating of divine truths today. Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God's anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began somewhere inbetween 1914 and 1935. (Ooooooh, isn't this just mind-boggling how they come up with this shit!!??)
Par 12: At this point we
obviously don't know what the f**k we're talking about so let's just say something really stoopid now, it may be helpful to consider what might be viewed asmore bullshita Bible parallel. Jesus Christ was anointed as future King in the fall of 29 CE. Three and a half years later in the spring of 33 CE he was resurrected as a mighty spirit person. Could it then be reasoned that since Jesus was enthroned in the fall of 1914, the resurrection of his faithful anointed followers began 3 1/2 years later in the spring of 1918? That is an interesting possibility. Although this cannot be directly confirmed in the bible, (like virtually ALL of their doctrines can't) it is not out of harmony with other scriptures that indicate that the first resurrection got under way soon after Christ's presence began.
OK, while this is obviously one of their more insane doctrines, I find it interesting that they are referring to this as a "posibility", although of course the R&F are supposed to accept it as gospel truth. Isn't this a slight shift away from previous thoughts that the first resurrection positively occurred in 1918? The article then drones on about a white robe given to each one of them, yada, yada, yada.....but then paragraph 18 says:
"Will all the anointed receive their heavenly reward before the war of Armaggedon? We do not know...."
And in order to get around the scripture they always used to "prove" there would be 'annointed" still here on earth, paragraph 13 says:
"Paul wrote: "We the living who survive to the presence of the Lord [not to the end of his presence] shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death.."
So they're trying to say that this scripture is now referring to those that died early on in the 20th century?? Kinda renders the whole rapture thing moot eh?
Does this strike you as yet another subtle change in their doctrine to try and shift more focus away from the increasingly embarassing 1914 doctrine?