Aha! Got it!! Thanks CA!!
"Millions Now Living Will Never Die"
by drewcoul 34 Replies latest watchtower bible
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OUTLAW
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J. Hofer
interesting. for what i know this distinction wasn't made in the german translation, it's both "millionen jetzt lebender werden nie sterben".
ha, funny fotos. "it's a fact! investigate"
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Christ Alone
Yeah, unfortunately it was "MAY" first and then "WILL". It would have showed a bit more deciet if it would have been opposite.
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Christ Alone
It reminds me of Harold Camping's signs that stated that it was a fact too and "THE BIBLE GUARANTEES IT:
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Leolaia
Here is an explanation of why some changed it from "Will" to "May":
*** w20 10/15 p. 310 European Tour ***
When this subject was first announced, the British brethren, following their usual course of conservatism, stated it thus: "Millions Now Living May Never Die". 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.
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DATA-DOG
Well, even if they said " may " first and then said " will ", it shows they were so sure that they changed it. Plus they were wrong either way, but it sure did boost book sales.
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Leolaia
It's "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" in the 15 December 1919 Watchtower and in the 1920 booklet. Those are the earliest references. The variant with "May" occurs in the 1 February 1920 Watchtower with reference to the public work of the British branch. The article I quoted above also claimed that "May" was a British innovation, owing to a kind of conservatism of expression, which did not last long.
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DesirousOfChange
From memory, my understanding is that Rutherford first delivered the talk in LA, CA as ". . . . MAY . . . .", but shortly thereafter, (only once or twice delivering it as "MAY" he changed it to "WILL Never Die" for greater impact.
From the "Proclaimers" Book:
*** jv chap. 29 p. 648 “Objects of Hatred by All the Nations” ***
That same month, on February 24, [1918] Brother Rutherford, the newly elected president of the Watch Tower Society, spoke in the United States at Temple Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. His subject was a startling one: “The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living May Never Die.” In setting forth evidence that the world as known till that time really had ended in 1914, he pointed to the war then in progress, along with accompanying famine, and identified it as part of the sign foretold by Jesus*** jv chap. 7 p. 78 Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941) ***
“We may confidently expect,” stated the booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, back in 1920, “that 1925 will mark the return [from the dead] of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old . . . to the condition of human perfection.” Not only was the resurrection of faithful men of old expected in 1925 but some hoped that anointed Christians might receive their heavenly reward in that year.
The year 1925 came and went. Some abandoned their hope. But the vast majority of the Bible Students remained faithful.*** jv chap. 12 p. 163 The Great Crowd to Live in Heaven? Or on Earth? ***
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.*** jv chap. 17 p. 259 Conventions Proof of Our Brotherhood ***
Three years later, in 1922, another memorable convention was held at Cedar Point. It was a nine-day program, from September 5 to 13. In addition to the delegates from the United States and Canada, some came from Europe. Meetings were conducted in ten languages. The average daily attendance was about 10,000; and for the talk “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” so many of the public were in the audience that the attendance nearly doubled.*** jv chap. 22 p. 425 Part 2—Witnesses to the Most Distant Part of the Earth ***
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.*** jv chap. 28 p. 632 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
In the lecture “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” delivered by J. F. Rutherford on March 21, 1920, at the Hippodrome in New York City, attention was directed to the year 1925. On what basis was it thought to be significant? In a booklet published in that same year, 1920, it was pointed out that if 70 full Jubilees were calculated from what was understood to be the date when Israel entered the Promised Land (instead of starting after the last typical Jubilee before the Babylonian exile and then counting to the beginning of the Jubilee year at the end of the 50th cycle), this could point to the year 1925.Hope this helps.
Doc
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