Simply put; gullible people were told if they chose life on earth instead of heaven, they wouldn't have to die. That's how they sold it.
The Watchtower lied to people in the 1920 booklet and convention series titled "Millions Now Living Will Never Die!" It announced that millions of people alive at that time would not die before experiencing the end of the current world system and living forever on a paradise earth.
So the false hope of avoiding death, is what started the whole scheme of Jehovah’s Witnesses seducing people into rejecting the new covenant “for the forgiveness of sins”.
The “Jonadabs” were not even considered to be “Jehovah’s witnesses” originally. (See The Watchtower, August 15, 1934, page 249
Nor were they saved in the new testament sense:
The..."other sheep"... are...not even justified" - Wt. 38 pgs. 104-105
In other words, the “great crowd” still carry their deadly sin debt and are not covered by the blood in the new covenant “for the forgiveness of sins” (See Mt. 26: 27–28)
Jesus is not their Mediator according to church leadership:
"Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members." Worldwide Security Under the "Prince of Peace" (1986) pp.10-11
These are Satanic teachings and doctrines of demons, as predicted.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; - 1 Tim. 4: 1
So, instead of being resurrected, which is the Christian hope based on Jesus' resurrection as a guarantee, they simply offered a better deal.... one that basically said: "Why get resurrected? You don't even have to die if you join our church".
That's how they sold it.
- Sea Breeze
They lied. Everyone died.