Here are the comments in the Revelation...Climax book about the resolutions at the the conventions held in the USA during the 1920s. Did you realise they were foretold by Jesus in the Revelation to John? You didn't? Neither do the congregation elders here in Oz either!
*** re 138-41 21 Jehovah's Plagues on Christendom ***
Darkness!
36 “And the fourth angel blew his trumpet. And a third of the sun was smitten and a third of the moon and a third of the stars, in order that a third of them might be darkened and the day might not have illumination for a third of it, and the night likewise.” (Revelation 8:12) The ninth plague on Egypt was a plague of literal darkness. (Exodus 10:21-29) But what is this symbolic darkness that comes to plague men in our 20th century?
37 The apostle Peter told fellow believers that they had been in darkness, spiritually speaking, before they became Christians. (1 Peter 2:9) Paul too used the word “darkness” to describe the spiritual state of those outside the Christian congregation. (Ephesians 5:8; 6:12; Colossians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:4, 5) But what about those in Christendom who claim to believe in God and who say they accept Jesus as their Savior?
38 Jesus said that true Christians would be recognized by their fruits and that many claiming to be his followers would be “workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:15-23) No one looking at the fruits of the third of the world occupied by Christendom can deny that she is groping in gross spiritual darkness. (2 Corinthians 4:4) She is most blameworthy, for she claims to be Christian. Hence, it is only proper that the fourth angel should trumpet the fact that Christendom’s “light” is, in fact, darkness, and her sources of “light” are Babylonish—non-Christian.—Mark 13:22, 23; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.
39 In line with that heavenly proclamation, a capacity crowd of God’s people assembled in convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., on August 29, 1925, and adopted for publication a forthright resolution entitled “Message of Hope.” Again, some 50 million copies were distributed in a number of languages. It described the false light held out by the combine of commercial profiteers, political leaders, and the religious clergy, as a result of which “the peoples have fallen into darkness.” And it pointed to God’s Kingdom as the real hope for receiving “the blessings of peace, prosperity, health, life, liberty and eternal happiness.” It took courage for the small band of anointed Christians to proclaim such messages against the giant organization of Christendom. But consistently, from the early 1920’s until now, they have done so. In more recent times, in 1955, a further exposé of the clergy class was made by the worldwide distribution in many languages of a booklet entitled Christendom or Christianity—Which One Is “the Light of the World”? Today, Christendom’s hypocrisy has become so evident that many in the world can see it for themselves. But Jehovah’s people have not let up in exposing her for what she is: a kingdom of darkness.
A Flying Eagle
40 These first four trumpet blasts truly resulted in uncovering the desolate and death-dealing condition of Christendom. Her part of “the earth” was exposed as deserving of Jehovah’s judgment. Revolutionary governments springing up in her lands and elsewhere were shown to be inimical to spiritual life. The fallen condition of her clergy was laid bare, and the general darkness of her spiritual condition was exposed for all to see. Christendom is truly the most reprehensible part of Satan’s system of things.
41 What more is there to reveal? Before we find the answer to this question, there is a brief pause in the series of trumpet blasts. John describes what he next sees: “And I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven say with a loud voice: ‘Woe, woe, woe to those dwelling on the earth because of the rest of the trumpet blasts of the three angels who are about to blow their trumpets!’”—Revelation 8:13.
42 An eagle flies high in the sky, so that people in a wide area can see it. It has exceptionally keen sight and can see a long way ahead of itself. (Job 39:29) One of the four cherubic living creatures around God’s throne was pictured as a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:6, 7) Whether it is this cherub or another farsighted servant of God, it loudly proclaims a dynamic message: “Woe, woe, woe”! Let earth’s inhabitants take note, as the three remaining trumpet blasts are heard, each of them linked to one of these woes.
[Study Questions]
13. What happens when the first four trumpets are blown, and what question does this raise?
14. What is the symbolic third that receives the plaguing messages from Jehovah?
15. (a) Is each of the trumpet blasts confined to a particular year? Explain. (b) Whose voice has been added to that of the John class in proclaiming Jehovah’s judgments?
16. What follows when the first angel blows his trumpet?
17. (a) What is represented by the word “earth” at Revelation 8:7? (b) How is Christendom’s third of the earth burned up?
18. How was Jehovah’s judgment message proclaimed at the 1922 Cedar Point convention?
19. What testimony did God’s people deliver to Christendom regarding God’s Kingdom?
20. (a) By what means have judgment messages in 1922 and thereafter been trumpeted forth by the congregation of anointed Christians? (b) What resulted in Christendom from the first trumpet blast?
21. What happens when the second angel blows his trumpet?
22, 23. (a) What resolution doubtless came as a result of the sounding of the second trumpet? (b) What is represented by “a third of the sea”?
33. What exposé of the clergy of Christendom was made at the 1924 convention in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.?
34, 35. (a) What has happened to the clergy’s power and influence since the third angel started to blow his trumpet? (b) What does the future hold for Christendom’s clergy?
36. What happens after the fourth angel blows his trumpet?
37. How did the apostles Peter and Paul describe the spiritual estate of those outside the Christian congregation?
38. The fourth angel trumpets what fact about Christendom’s “light”?
39. (a) How did the resolution adopted at the convention in 1925 describe Christendom’s false light? (b) What further exposé was made in 1955?
[Picture on page 132]
The opening of the seven seals leads to the sounding of seven trumpets
[Pictures on page 140]
“A Challenge to World Leaders.” (1922) This resolution helped to publicize Jehovah’s plague against “the earth”
“A Warning to All Christians.” (1923) Jehovah’s adverse judgment against “a third of the sea” was proclaimed abroad by this resolution
[Pictures on page 141]
“Ecclesiastics Indicted.” (1924) The wide circulation of this tract helped to put people on notice that the “star” of Christendom’s clergy had fallen
“Message of Hope” (1925) This forthright resolution was used to expose Christendom’s supposed light sources as being in truth sources of darkness
Cheers,
Ozzie
"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."
- Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress
