How many people who heard Millions now living talk are still alive?

by nugget 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  nugget

  I was wondering it's been approximately 90 years since this talk was given so how many people who heard it could relaistically be alive now?

  The country with the greatest life expectation is Japan and there the average life expectation is 82. The country with the worst record is Mozambique with an average life expectancy of 43.

  In developing countries 16% of the population is over 65 whereas only 6% of people in developing countries meet this criteria. Only 7% of the worlds population is over 65.

  So if the worlds population is 6.6 billion does it mean 463 million are over 65. However if the best average life expectancy is 82 then the proportion of the 463 million that are 90 and over must be incredbly small. If it were 2% then 9 million people could be old enough to fit the age catergory. If only 1% then it falls to 4.5 million.

  In 2000 people who were 95 or over in US were reported to number 337,238, people who were 90 to 94 were 1,112,531 1% of the population. 4.2% of population were over 90. So even in the US there are not enough people of the right age to meet the millions claim.

  Also it is worth considering how far the word had spread back in the 1920's, preaching was not worldwide so the US figures are more indicative of the answer. Also how many people actually heard the talk? It wasn't everyone who was alive at the time it was only those who had listened to the talk and responded. So it was never millions even back then at it's peak.

  So there are people who could have been very small babies at the time the talk was given and still be alive today, However anyone who was an adult i.e. 20 or over is most likely to be toast by now. The title of the talk is often quoted as a clarion call of hope but it was a lie when it was spouted and a bigger lie today. There are approximately 7 million witnesses worldwide there can only be at most 70,000 who fit the criteria and that is being incredibly generous with the maths. Millions now living died without having their hopes relaised and millions living today are making the same mistake.
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  THE GLADIATOR

  The Watchtower Society quickly recovered and true to its form began to prophesy again. A new date for Armageddon was set: “The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated than 1914.” (Watchtower January – 1922 - Page 22)

  The booklet “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” written in 1920 stated under the heading “Earthly Rulers:”

  “As we heretofore stated, the great jubilee is due to begin in 1925. At that time the earthly phase of the Kingdom shall be recognised. The Apostle Paul in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews names a long list of faithful men who died before the crucifixion of the Lord and before the bringing of the selection of the church. These can never be a part of the heavenly class; they had no heavenly hopes; but God has in store something good for them. They are to be resurrected as perfect men and constitute the princes or rulers of the earth according to his promise (Psalm 45:16; Isaiah 32:1; Matthew 8: 11) 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, the condition of human perfection.” (Pages 88 & 89)

  The Society had decided that the Bible’s faithful men of old including Abraham would not go to heaven. They had reserved this hope for themselves. Not only were they going to heaven but also they were to be Kings and Priests with Jesus.

  Members around the world spread the word and eagerly looked forward to Armageddon and the return of the faithful men of old. As late as 1924 the Society maintained the anticipation and repeated their prophecy:

  “We should therefore expect shortly after 1925 to see the awakening of Able, Enoch, David, Abraham, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, John the Baptist, and others mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.”(“The Way To Paradise” - Page 224)

  “Millions now living will never die,” was to become an enduring slogan that would be repeated many times over the coming years. The slogan was again used in the 1990’s but overlooked the fact that most of the Society’s members who had first heard it in 1920 had died of old age. This inspiring slogan had proved to be another false utterance.

  From: Opening the Door to Jehovah's witnesses by Trevor Willis (Download at Lulu)
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  wobble

  Millions then living are now dead.
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  nugget

  Wobble it would appear to be the case. Or even millions now living never got a life.
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  cantleave

  I wonder how many witnesses felt regret on their deathbed.