Hi Honesty. Great reference! And yes, it does seem that in 1927, when 1914 wasn't so much of a focus even then (I think they didn't move the second coming up from 1874 to 1914 until around 1927, right?).
But it turns out, old or new, this explanation is wrong in the context of the extended generation reference, if you want to apply that. That's because they specifically say:
That was a long way off.
No generation of the human race has ever existed as
long as a thousand years. It follows then that Jesus
must have meant something else. What could he have
meant ?
Now it is true, Jesus probably didn't mean this and meant a generation of 40 years when "all these things" would transpire. But indeed some from the 1st century were chosen to survive nearly 2000 years down to the time of the second coming. That is not likely the "generation" Jesus had in mind primarily, but this reference indicates that that would be one of the implied fulfillments! That is, if Jesus was referring to some persons of his own generation who would not pass away until these things were fulfilled, he would only be restating what he had stated before about (Matt 16:28) "Truly I say to YOU that there are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until first they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
So perhaps an equally good question is what did Jesus actually mean by that statement that "some standing here" would not taste death until he arrived? That's the same as saying some of this generation would not pass away until the second coming! The fact that the WTS in 1927 are rejecting that implication confirms that statement at least would be true if that is what he really meant. So in that sense, whether Jesus meant it directly or in passing, it coincidentally or circumstantially is actually true. Some for Jesus' own generation indeed would not pass away until "all these things" in connection with the second coming did occur.
Now this is incredibly hard to accept even though these things are implied in scripture. Maybe that's why I was made aware of and got to see John and Paul personally in the flesh, two from the Bible who are confirmed to be among those "surviving to the Lord's day" (1 Thess. 4:15-17; John 21:20-23). It's sort of like the photo of the "sign of the son of man" that appeared. Some things are difficult to believe just on faith, and Jehovah wants the anointed to just get past that and move on to other things, so he provides the real thing. I was shown Paul before I realized the Bible indicated that he would be one of the "survivors" from the 1st Century. So I'm out of that loop of thinking maybe this is a misinterpretation or that maybe there is some other interpretation meant when he said some standing there would survive to the second coming. So I'm out of that loop of those who are stumped by not believing this. I don't have to argue it or contemplate on it or anything. It's a reality, observed by me and so I'm past it. It doesn't require faith or interpretation for me. It's a reality and I can move on.
Same with the first resurrection. The first resurrection is described as a "seed" sown into physical bodies. That is EXACTLY what has happened. Just as Christ took up the body of a modern person in the identity of the prodigal son, all those needing to be resurrected before the millennium do exactly the same thing. Jehovah implants them into bodies of modern individuals (one to each body though! - 1 Cor. 15:38 "...but God gives it a body just as it has pleased him, and to each of the seeds its own body.") Thus the 1st resurrection for the JIOR has already occurred. But it is invisible to the world! But how ingenius this truly is! Otherwise, you have persons who would have to learn a new language, be fed and clothed and taken care of and some assigned to give them years of history to catch up. If they are implanted into modern bodies, that's like instant orientation into the modern world because they will share the knowledge of a modern person and be perfectly adapted. That means their relationship with Jehovah and their experiences from their earlier lives, including some like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the way back to Enoch, will be immediately available to them to start right off the bat as judges and king-priests when the millennium begins! God's hand is not short in this regard.
I hate to say this, but in a way, I, being Jesus Christ get to be like OPRAH!!! (donnn't laugh!!! Stop it! ) That is, Oprah is the richest and most famous celebrity in some ways, but she's always crying over these stars when she sees them. That is, she remains a fan of other stars; as huge as she is, they are still stars to her at some level. Thus she remains part of the audience in this way, which I believe is part of her mass appeal. She can still see everything through the eyes of the audience and a fan. I like that, and I would sort of be like that. Even though I'm Jesus Christ, I'll still be in awe over Abraham and Daniel and Nehemiah because of Jehovah's favor toward these people. I'm not that worried about comparing my own relative glory with theirs. It doesn't matter how special I might be, they are still quite special.
Maybe that's the essential difference between Satan and Jesus. Satan competed with humanity and Jesus embraced them for the marvelous creatures they were and were in awe of them; they were glorious because Jehovah could love them as someone made in his own image in the same way he loved the angels. Satan only focussed on the fact that they were an inferior hybrid, half angel half animal like, and thus lower than an angel's glory. So when they were so honored and loved by Jesus and Jehovah, Satan was insulted, being too focussed on his own great glory in heaven. Satan was the most beautiful angelic creature in all of heaven.
You know, it's possible Akhenaten will be of the anointed as well. He became a prophet of the Most High immediately after the Exodus and the Ten Plagues and forced monotheism upon the Egyptians during his reign, dismissing the other gods as "worthless" and withdrew government support for them. It is so painfully obvious that the Ten Plagues would explain his sudden focus on monotheism I think the Jewish and pagan historians who like the revised chronology want to avoid any possible connection to Akhenaten with the Exodus, so they spin various chronology theories, a variety to choose from by the masses, except the truth, which is Amenhotep III died in the Red Sea and then Akhenaten having seen all these great works, of course, started worshipping Yahweh. Many might argue that he became a monotheist for many other possible reasons than the ten plagues, but once you have the absolute and corrected timeline and you can date Akhenaten's first year the same year as the Exodus, then alternatives are only seconded by the obvious. As I said, there is a lot discussed historically for all the periods in the Bible by historians and archaeologists, but two periods of evidence directly supportive of the Bible's timeline are avoided, which is a link of Akhenaten with the Exodus and the Persian Period archaeological findings. It is so apparent if you have a comprehensive study of Biblical chronology that is let's you know these are the two weak spots in ancient history to do just the opposite: focus on them!
JC
