Vanderhoven7 : 1918: This year is critical to current Watch Tower eschatology.
No longer. It is simply an interesting possibility. The Watchtower of January 1, 2007 discussed the first resurrection and says :
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.
The same Watchtower is slightly more positive that the first resurrection started between 1914 and 1935, but while 1914 is the terminus post quem, the terminus ante quem of 1935 is "indicated" but not certain.
What, then, can we deduce from the fact that one of the 24 elders identifies the great crowd to John [Revelation 7:13,14] ? It seems that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today. Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God’s anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935.