Great catch, Listener. It made be starting thinking about what the WTS has taught in the past about the resurrection in 1918, the inspection of the temple in 1918, and how that impacts on the 1919 teaching. Here are a few thoughts, but not necessarily all.
I think the WTS is
trying to distance itself from their interpretations of what happened in 1918 and
tying them to their 1919 teachings, trying to solve the problem of proving
their statements about 1919 with the scriptures. Remember I am only reporting not supporting
these WTS ideas.
https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/1919-derived.php
Also,
in checking the WT Online Library (WOL), I find fewer references about the
"first resurrection" in connection with Revelation 20:6 as starting in
1918, since the 1990’s. A common
technique of the WTS is to stop mentioning certain key teachings or editing
them quietly rather than addressing the change directly.
Questions to consider:
Who came to” inspect
the spiritual temple,” God or Jesus?
What was the time
period of the inspection and does the WTS connect the end of the inspection
with the resurrection of the already dead anointed in 1918?
Does the WTS teach any
longer that the “first resurrection” started in the spring of 1918?
2017
(BL: In 2017 the WTS
makes this statement without any mention of the "first resurrection"
starting in 1918. This is a tactic of the WTS, using ambiguity to leave an opening
for a clarification or an explanation for a change in doctrine.)
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402017682?q=%22first+resurrection%22&p=sen
The first resurrection would occur
sometime after Christ’s presence began.
In 2007 (paragraphs 12 and 13)
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2007006#h=1:0-55:0
At
this point, it may be helpful to consider what might be viewed as a Bible
parallel. Jesus Christ was anointed as the future King of God’s Kingdom in the
fall of 29 C.E. Three and a half years later, in the spring of
33 C.E., he was resurrected as a mighty spirit person. Could it, then, be reasoned that since Jesus was
enthroned in the fall of 1914, the resurrection of his faithful anointed
followers began three and a half years later, in the spring of 1918? That
is an interesting possibility. Although this
cannot be directly confirmed in the Bible, it is not out of harmony with
other scriptures that indicate that the first resurrection got under way soon
after Christ’s presence began (BL: see
rest of article for those scriptures)...Therefore,
anointed Christians who died before Christ’s presence were raised to heavenly
life ahead of those who were still alive during Christ’s presence. This means
that the first resurrection must have begun early in Christ’s presence, and it
continues “during his presence.” (1 Corinthians 15:23) Rather
than occurring all at once, the first resurrection takes place over a period of
time. (BL: this is slipped in there, because the WTS once taught that the first
resurrection took place in 1918, not started to take place in
1918)
(A
blast from the past (BL: In 1878 the WTS taught that Christ’s presence began in
1874 and began reigning in 1878, changed later to 1914)(see *Proclaimers book,
1993, quote at the end)
(BL: There are very
few references in the WOL about the "first resurrection" mentioned at
Revelation 20:6 but note these WTS comments in 1982
and 1960 and the "explaining" words in the brackets) If
you find this confusing, so do I and I am sure jws today have no idea of the
back and forth on the events in the spring of 1918, how many would remember
this in 1982 or 1960).
1982
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1982247#h=6:0-14:721
The
Scriptures link this “first resurrection” with Christ’s “presence [Greek, parousia].” (1 Corinthians 15:23) The apostle Paul writes: “The Lord himself
will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and
with God’s trumpet, and those who are
dead in union with Christ [starting
from the first century and up to Christ’s (BL: not God) coming to the
spiritual temple in 1918] will rise first.” Paul then goes on to say
that the anointed Christians “who survive to the presence [parousia] of the Lord,” and who therefore die during the parousia, will be immediately resurrected and “caught away
in clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) They do not have to “sleep” in the grave,
awaiting the resurrection. At death they are “changed, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye.”—1 Corinthians 15:51, 52, Revised Standard Version.
1960
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1960563?q=%22time+parallel%22&p=par
In
a time parallel, Jesus Christ was
enthroned as King in heaven A.D. 1914. Three
and a half years later, or in 1918, would be the time for him (BL: note Jesus not
God) to come to God’s spiritual temple. Would Christendom’s rulers receive
him or reject him as King? They rejected him and showed it by killing the work
of Jehovah’s witnesses concerning the Kingdom. Just as the Jewish leaders’
rejection of Jesus could not prevent God’s raising of his Son from the dead, so
Christendom’s rejection of the King could not prevent God from raising Jesus’
faithful followers from the dead. So in
harmony with the picture of 1900 years ago, it was only a short time after the
temple’s cleansing in 1918 (BL: Was the temple cleansed in
1918 or 1919?) that the heavenly resurrection of the anointed Christians
sleeping in death took place, unseen to human eyes. The nations were then
at war: “‘But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the
appointed time for the dead to be judged’ . . . And the temple
sanctuary of God that is in heaven was opened.” (Rev. 11:18, 19)
The spring of
A.D. 1918 marked
the opening of the temple to the King’s entrance and thereafter the
resurrection of the anointed Christians who, along with Jesus, make up “the
temple of the living God.”—2 Cor. 6:16.
*1993 Proclaimers book
Presence 1874, Jesus assumed
power 1878)
(History of jws: Proclaimers
book, 1993, quote below)
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101993039#h=67:0-67:669
Based on the premise that events of the first
century might find parallels in related events later, they also concluded that
if Jesus’ baptism and anointing in the autumn of 29 C.E. paralleled the
beginning of an invisible presence in 1874, then his riding into Jerusalem as
King in the spring of 33 C.E. would point to the spring of 1878 as the
time when he would assume his power as heavenly King.* They also thought they
would be given their heavenly reward at that time. When that did not occur,
they concluded that since Jesus’ anointed followers were to share with him in
the Kingdom, the resurrection to spirit life of those already sleeping in death
began then. It was also reasoned that the end of God’s special
favor to natural Israel down to 36 C.E. might point to 1881 as the time
when the special opportunity to become part of spiritual Israel would close.*
