The Finished Mistery

[Guest Nicole]

"Pages 247 through 254 of this book angered the US Government and several prominent church leaders.These pages basically talked despairingly about the US Government, the military and the churches of christendom. Word eventually got to Judge Rutherford that he was in deep trouble because of this and was even in danger of being arrested for sedition. So in an attempt to avoid jail time, he had these pages removed in the 2nd edition in 1918. But the government was not satisfied with this and threw him in jail anyway... that's the gist of it."
Possible two passages:
1917 "And the mountains were not found. Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found. Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy." (The Finished Mystery, 1917 edition, p. 258)
1917 "It is the Day of Vengeance, which began in the world war of 1914 and which will break like a furious morning storm in 1918." (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 404)

 

9-1923-The-Finished-Mystery.pdf

[JW Insider]

• (2 Corinthians 10:9, 10) 9 For I do not want to seem as though I were trying to terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say: “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his presence in person is weak and his speech contemptible.”

I understand that Don Adams saw the correspondence between Brother Rutherford and authorities and among colleagues for the first time when the Proclaimer's book was being prepared. He had hoped to have a large section on how strong and uncompromising Brother Rutherford had been in 1917 and 1918. Instead he had to scrap the idea because the correspondence and evidence showed that he was practically begging the authorities, and ready to make any possible compromise to stay out of jail. 

These two sides to Brother Rutherford, must have reminded Brother Adams of what Paul said about such a difference in 2 Cor 10:9,10 quoted above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ann O'Maly]

14 hours ago, Nicole said:

But the government was not satisfied with this and threw him in jail anyway

As far as I can remember from what I've read, there was considerably more to the charges than unpalatable content in the 'Finished Mystery' book. Some senior WT officials had been trying to influence active servicemen to disobey their superiors. That is sedition. It's noteworthy that, for a long time, the Society claimed the charges were false and that they were later fully exonerated in court. This wasn't true, as court documents bore out. The Society officials were never exonerated. The charges were simply dropped because the war had ended and no further action against the Society was taken. Over the last decade, the publications have partially corrected the wording.

*** re (1988 ed.) p. 32  6 Unlocking a Sacred Secret ***

"Early in 1918 the Kingdom activity of Jehovah's people met with great opposition. It was a time of testing earth wide, and fearful ones were sifted out. In May 1918 Christendom's clergy instigated the imprisonment of officials of the Watch Tower Society, but nine months later these were released. Later, they were completely exonerated of the false charges against them."

*** km 9/06 p. 3 Adjustments for the Book Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand! ***

"p. 32, box, replace first paragraph with: 
... ... Early in 1918 the Kingdom activity of Jehovah’s people met with great opposition. It was a time of testing earth wide, and fearful ones were sifted out. In May 1918 Christendom’s clergy instigated the imprisonment of officials of the Watch Tower Society, but nine months later these were released. Later, the false charges against them were dropped."

 

[Joe Smith]

So are you saying that he Bro Rutherford caused his arrest due to some arrogance on his part?

That's very disturbing considering that I have been taught that the incarceration of our brothers in 1918 was a vital component of the fulfilment of Bible prophecy [as well documented in one of our most studied publications: the Revelation: Climax Book] -

Hmmm ...your quotes from the 'Re' book are very telling Ms O'Maly -

[The Librarian]

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