1925​—One Hundred Years Ago

EXPECTATION POSTPONED

In 1925 many Bible Students expected the restoration of the earthly Paradise. Why? Brother Albert Schroeder, who later served on the Governing Body, explained: “It was thought that then the remnant of Christ’s anointed followers would go to heaven to be part of the Kingdom and that the faithful men of old, such as Abraham, David and others, would be resurrected as princes to take over the government of the earth as part of God’s kingdom.” As the year progressed and their hopes did not materialize, some understandably became disappointed.​—Prov. 13:12.

In spite of this disappointment, most Bible Students remained busy in the preaching work and became increasingly aware of their responsibility to be Witnesses of Jehovah. Consider, for example, the work they did to broadcast the truth far and wide.

RADIO BROADCASTING EXPANDS

Building on the success of the WBBR radio station during the preceding year, the Bible Students constructed another powerful radio station, this time near Chicago, Illinois. The call sign for the new station was WORD. “On cold winter nights,” recalled Ralph Leffler, a radio engineer who worked to construct the station, “WORD was heard far and wide.” For example, one family living more than 5,000 kilometers (3,000 mi) away in Pilot Station, Alaska, tuned in to one of the first broadcasts. After listening, the family wrote a letter to those working at the station to thank them for providing such an encouraging spiritual program.

Elaborating on the station’s amazing coverage, The Watch Tower of December 1, 1925, stated: “WORD is one of the super-stations of the United States, operating at 5,000 watts. The reception of this station has been good on both the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards, Cuba and the extreme northern part of Alaska. Many who have never before heard of the truth have been interested by hearing this station.”

During this same time, the Bible Students were also making efforts to expand the use of radio to preach the good news in Canada. In 1924 radio station CHUC was built in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was one of the first religious radio stations in Canada. By 1925 the tiny station needed to relocate. So the Watch Tower Society took ownership of the station and moved its broadcasting studios to the Regent Building, an old theater in Saskatoon that they purchased and renovated for this purpose.

Thanks to this station, many people living in the sparsely populated regions of Saskatchewan heard the good news for the first time. For example, in one isolated town, a Mrs. Graham wrote to request Bible literature after listening to a broadcast. Brother George Naish recalled, “Her cry ‘Teach us!’ seemed so loud and clear that we sent her the entire set of Studies in the Scriptures.” Soon, Mrs. Graham was spreading the Kingdom message even farther afield.

CLARIFYING OUR BELIEFS

The March 1, 1925, issue of The Watch Tower contained a landmark article entitled “Birth of the Nation.” Why was this article so important? For some time, the Bible Students had known that Satan had an organization composed of invisible wicked spirits in heaven and of religious, commercial, and political elements on the earth. However, by means of this article, “the faithful and discreet slave” helped the brotherhood to discern that Jehovah too has an organization, one that is completely distinct from Satan’s organization and in opposition to it. (Matt. 24:45) In addition, the slave explained that God’s Kingdom had been born in 1914 and that in this year, as a result of the ‘war that broke out in heaven,’ Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven and were now confined to the earth.​—Rev. 12:7-9.

Some found this new understanding difficult to accept. Acknowledging this, the article admonished: “If there are readers of the Watch Tower who cannot agree with what is here stated, then it is suggested that such calmly and carefully wait upon the Lord, always keeping a pure heart.”

Tom Eyre, a colporteur (now known as a pioneer) from Britain, however, related how most of the Bible Students felt about that article: “The brothers were thrilled with this explanation of Revelation 12. Once we realized that the Kingdom had been established in the heavens, we were very enthusiastic to share this good news with others. It certainly roused us to increased activity and enabled us to see how Jehovah was leading his people on to greater things.”

WITNESSING FOR JEHOVAH

Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-acquainted with the words of Isaiah 43:10: “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Yes, my servant whom I have chosen.’” However, prior to 1925, this scripture had rarely been considered in our publications. That was about to change. During 1925, The Watch Tower considered the subject of Isaiah 43:10 and 12 in 11 issues of the magazine!

At the end of August 1925, the Bible Students gathered at a convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. In a welcome message printed on the convention program, Joseph F. Rutherford stated: “We have come to this convention to obtain . . . strength from the Lord that we may go back to the field with renewed energy to be his witnesses.” Throughout the eight-day convention, attendees were encouraged to witness about Jehovah at every opportunity.

On Saturday, August 29, Brother Rutherford considered the theme “A Call to Action.” In his talk, he stressed the importance of witnessing: “Jehovah says to his people . . . : ‘Ye are my witnesses . . . that I am God.’ Then there comes to them the clear command, ringing out with no uncertain tones: ‘Lift up a standard for the people.’ There is none other on earth to lift up a standard or ensign to the people except [his people], those who have the spirit of the Lord, and who are therefore his witnesses.”​—Isa. 43:12; 62:10.

After Brother Rutherford’s talk, the audience unanimously adopted the resolution entitled “Message of Hope,” which pointed to God’s Kingdom as the real hope for receiving “the blessings of peace, prosperity, health, life, liberty and eternal happiness.” This resolution was later translated into several languages and printed in tract form. Some 40 million copies were distributed.

The Bible Students did not officially adopt the name Jehovah’s Witnesses for several more years. Yet, they were becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility to be his witnesses.

RETURNING TO VISIT INTERESTED ONES

As the number of Bible Students increased worldwide, so did the encouragement for them to recanvass, or return to visit, those who had previously shown interest in the good news. Following the campaign for distributing the tract Message of Hope, the Bulletina directed: “Arrange for the recanvassing of homes in which the workers did not place literature, but where a copy of the Message of Hope was left.”

The January 1925 issue of the Bulletin included the following report from a Bible Student in Plano, Texas: “We are impressed with the fact that territory that has been canvassed several times is often better than new fields. A little town in our territory has been canvassed five times during the last ten years. . . . Recently, Sister Hendrix and my mother recanvassed it and placed more books than [ever] before.”

And in the country of Panama, a colporteur wrote: “Many people who drove me from their door manifest a changed attitude when I return a second or third time. Most of my activities this year are confined to recanvassing those called on at some time in the past; and my experience with some of them is delightful.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

In his annual letter to all colporteurs, Brother Rutherford summed up the year’s activity and pointed forward to the work ahead. He said: “During the past year it has been your privilege to comfort many who were sad. This work has brought joy to your heart . . . The year just before you will afford opportunities to be witnesses for God and his kingdom and to hold up his standard for the people. . . . Together let us continue to lift up the voice and sing the praise of our God and our King.”

As the year 1925 drew to a close, the brothers were making plans to expand their facilities in Brooklyn. The year 1926 would mark the beginning of the largest construction project that the organization had ever undertaken.