My take on this is in regard of the use of Malachi 3.1-3.
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will clear up a way before me. And suddenly the true Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant will come, in whom you take delight. Look! He will certainly come,” says Jehovah of armies.2 “But who will endure the day of his coming, and who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen. 3 And he will sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and will cleanse the sons of Leʹvi; and he will clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness."
The previous teaching was that Jesus returned, found them lacking and in need of discipline so they were banished into Church inspired imprisonment then released in 1919.. Utter nonsense but we accepted it ....
The study tomorrow (page 29) says in para 9 :
. However, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Bible Students were first taken into captivity to Babylon the Great because they needed correction and discipline. On the contrary, they understood their obligation to separate themselves from false religion, and during World War I, the break with that world empire was almost complete
Preceding this it tells us how great they were and had done their best....But over the page in the same article, para 14 says:
.. “the true Lord,” accompanied by Jesus Christ, “the messenger of the covenant,” came to the spiritual temple to inspect those serving there. After receiving needed discipline, Jehovah’s cleansed people were ready to take up a further assignment of service. In 1919, a “faithful and discreet slave” was appointed to provide spiritual food to the household of faith. "
Now I may be easily confused but these two paragraphs seem to say just the opposite to each other . Which is it ? Did they or did they not need and receive divine discipline?
There are some senior and loyal dubs around here asking the same question..in private of course ....