DOC: "They are already dead!"
Yes, you and I know that. But Watchtower is still trying to justify that preposterous statement and somehow spin it for listeners today. Check out this recent quote from 2010:
*** Watchtower 2010, 2/15 pp. 15-17 pars. 8-10 “The Spirit and the Bride Keep On Saying: ‘Come!’” ***
The anointed followers of Christ have been extending the invitation since as far back as 1918. In that year, the public talk entitled “Millions Now Living May Never Die” offered hope that many will gain life in a paradise earth after the battle of Armageddon. A talk given at the convention of Bible Students at Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A., in 1922 urged listeners to ‘advertise the King and his kingdom.’ This appeal helped the remnant of the bride class to reach more people with the invitation. In 1929, the March 15 issue of The Watchtower contained an article entitled “Gracious Invitation,” with Revelation 22:17 as its theme text. In part, the article stated: “The faithful remnant class join [the Most High] in the gracious invitation and say, ‘Come.’ This message is to be proclaimed to those who have a desire for righteousness and truth. It must be done now.” To this day, the bride class continues to extend that invitation.
“Let Anyone Hearing Say: ‘Come!’”
9 What about those who hear the invitation to “come”? They are invited to say, “Come!” in response. For example, the August 1, 1932, issue of The Watchtower stated on page 232: “Let the anointed encourage all who will to take part in telling the good news of the kingdom. They do not have to be anointed of the Lord in order to declare the Lord’s message. It is a great comfort to Jehovah’s witnesses to now know that they are permitted to carry the waters of life to a class of people that may be taken through Armageddon and given everlasting life on the earth.”
10 Pointing to the hearer’s responsibility to say, “Come!” The Watchtower of August 15, 1934, page 249, stated: “Those of the Jonadab class must go along with those who are of the antitypical Jehu company, that is, the anointed, and announce the message of the kingdom, even though they are not the anointed witnesses of Jehovah.” In 1935, the identity of the “great crowd” mentioned at Revelation 7:9-17 was made clear. That gave tremendous impetus to the work of extending God’s invitation. Since then, a growing number of the great crowd of true worshippers—over seven million now—have responded to that invitation.
