The history of the Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses shows that for 55 years, the Biblical view was that all Adam’s descendants, without any conditions, will have the benefits of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This opens the possibility that most of the approximately 30 billion people who have lived on earth will attain everlasting life in the earthly paradise.
For 91 years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have held the perverted view that the ransom sacrifice does not include all of Adam’s descendants but only those who will be saved. This opens the possibility that most of the approximately 30 billion people who have lived on the earth will be everlastingly annihilated.
The most serious error of the mentioned 91 years is the claim that the everlasting destiny of humans is decided on the basis of what they do as imperfect sinners. The truth is that the ransom sacrifice guarantees that the everlasting destiny of humans will be decided by what they do after they have been resurrected during the thousand-year reign of Jesus.
The present view of Jehovah’s Witnesses of the ransom sacrifice is a disgrace to both Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ.
This article will demonstrate how the view of the ransom sacrifice has shifted back and forth three times since 1879.
The most important scripture in connection with the ransom sacrifice is 2 Timothy 2:5. Below is my translation of this scripture:
5 For there is one God, and there is one who acts to bring about reconciliation (mesitēs) between God and human beings, the human being Jesus Christ, 6 who have given himself as a corresponding ransom (antilytron) for all (pas) — a testimony (martyrion) in the particular appointed times (kairos).
The last words of verse 6, “a testimony in the particular appointed times,” show that the truth about the ransom sacrifice should only be understood at the particular appointed times. I showed in Part I that “the particular appointed times” referred to the time of the end.
The ransom sacrifice applied to the anointed Christians with a heavenly hope was clearly understood in the first century. However, to understand how the ransom sacrifice should be applied to the benefit of all Adam’s descendants, could not be understood before the book of Revelation was written, shortly before the end of the first century CE.
How the ransom sacrifice will be applied to all Adam’s descendants is written in detail in the books of the Christian Greek Scriptures. However, the information in Revelation is the key to creating a coherent picture of everything the Christian Greek Scriptures say about the application of the ransom sacrifice to Adam’s descendants.
C.T. Russell and the Bible Students started their studies of the Bible in the 1870s. They were sincere truth-seekers, and they were the first and only ones who were able to grasp how God would apply the ransom sacrifice to all human descendants of Adam based on his righteousness, his love, his wisdom, and his might. They presented this as “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” I will now give excerpts from their writings to present their accurate understanding.
THE BIBLE STUDENTS: ALL HUMAN DESCENDANTS OF ADAM WILL GET THE BENEFITS OF THE RANSOM SACRIFICE WITHOUT ANY CONDITIONS (1879-1928)
The leading idea of C.T. Russell and the Bible Students was The Divine Plan of the Ages, which refers to the full restitution of all Adam’s descendants who have died because of his sin, to the perfect situation of Adam in the paradise of Eden before he sinned. The first volume of Russell’s six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures was entitled The Divine Plan of the Ages.[1]
I agree with the Bible Students that the basic message of the Christian Greek Scriptures is the Divine Plan of the Ages, based on the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to give all Adam’s descendants the possibility of a resurrection, becoming perfect humans without sin, and in this situation choosing everlasting life. The only error of the Bible students was that they believed Adam and Eve would also receive a resurrection during the thousand-year reign of Jesus. Adam was included in the ransom sacrifice. But because he sinned when he was perfect, he will not get a resurrection, as I discussed in Part I.
The study IX (A149) in volume 1 of The Divine Plan of the Ages says: [A156]
The Restitution Guaranteed by the Ransom—Not Everlasting Life, but a Trial for it, Secured by the Ransom.
FROM the outline of God’s revealed plan, as thus far sketched, it is evident that his design for mankind is a restitution or restoration to the perfection and glory lost in Eden. The strongest, and the conclusive, evidence on this subject is most clearly seen when the extent and nature of the ransom are fully appreciated. The restitution foretold by the apostles and prophets must follow the ransom as the just and logical sequence. According to God’s arrangement in providing a ransom, all mankind, unless they wilfully resist the saving power of the Great Deliverer, must be delivered from the original penalty, “the bondage of corruption,” death, else the ransom does not avail for all.
As the entire race was in Adam when he was condemned, and lost life through him, so when Jesus “gave himself a ransom for all” his death involved the possibility of an unborn race in his loins. A full satisfaction, or corresponding [A156] price, for all men was thus put into the hands of Justice—to be applied “in due time,” and he who thus bought all has full authority to restore all who come unto God by him.
On page 158 we read:
Some have been blinded in part, and some completely, by the god of this world, and they must be recovered from blindness as well as from death, that they, each for himself, may have a full chance to prove, by obedience or disobedience, their worthiness or unworthiness of life everlasting. (Italics in the original)
The important point here is that because of the sin inherited from Adam, his descendants do not have “a full chance” to prove obedience or disobedience. Their inherited sin prevents them from having this “full chance.” Therefore, God has decided that there will be a Jubilee sabbath of a thousand years, where all those who have died because of Adam’s sin, because of the ransom sacrifice, will receive a resurrection. Then the ransom sacrifice will be applied to them to the effect that their inherited sin is removed, and at the end of the thousand years, all are perfect and without sin, just like Adam was. And now, they will have the “full chance” to show obedience, leading to everlasting life.
This is a fantastic solution to Satan’s rebellion, because everything will be restituted, and all Adam’s descendants will have the opportunity to serve Jehovah and receive everlasting life in the earthly paradise, which was Jehovah’s original purpose. The situation will be exactly the same as if Adam had not sinned; everything will be restored! (Acts 3:21)
This is an excellent expression of Jehovah’s righteousness, love, wisdom, and might!
I will provide several quotations from The Watchtower between 1883 and 1927, illustrating how the Bible Students believed in various aspects of The Divine Plan of the Ages. (The cursive in the quotations is original: the colors used to stress important points are mine.)
A redeemer and his ransom sacrifice fully satisfy God’s justice. All humans were bought, and all humans will be released from death.
When we came to scrutinize God’s dealings, we found that He showed no mercy on sin, but in justice condemned it and executed the penalty of death against all; that justice must be met and fully satisfied, before mankind could go free from that death penalty; and that God’s mercy was displayed, not in opposing and setting aside his justice, but in providing a Redeemer or ransom price which fully met all the claims of His own just laws against us. This convinced us that the various Scriptures which predicted the saving of all men from the curse—death—meant literally all they said: That when Paul said, “He gave himself a ransom [antilutron—equivalent price] for all” (1 Tim. 2:6), it involved the necessity of a release from death of all who were thus bought. (“Literally” in cursive in the original;)
Then they would see the reasonableness of death as the penalty of sin and of the ransom from it, by the death of our Redeemer, who substituted his life for ours and died the just for the unjust. Thus he bought for all the right to a return to life (resurrection—restitution) when at the hands of the Royal Priesthood it shall be testified to every man that Christ died for all. (1 Tim. 2:6.)
(The Watchtower of August 1883, page 513, 536):
All humans were ransomed, and all humans will be saved.
GREAT WORK OF SAVING ALL THE WORLD.
All are to be saved, as all were ransomed. “The man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6.) As this salvation reaches now those who “have an ear to hear,” so it will in the Millennial age reach all—for the deaf ears shall be unstopped and the sin-blinded shall see, out of obscurity(Rev. 2:7; Isa. 29:18), the gracious provision God has made for all. And for all to be thus reached by the knowledge, ability and opportunity of salvation is for all to be saved: whether they make a good or a bad use of God’s gift after it has reached them is another matter.
(The Watchtower of November 1890, page 8; 1265):
Praise God for such a full and free salvation, which in due time shall be witnessed to every individual, to equip them for a full escape from death.
(The Watchtower of November 1891, pages 154-158;1337):
They would find it in the words of all the holy prophets and apostles, as well as in our Lord’s words: that as the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all, this glorious gospel must be testified to all in due time (1 Tim. 2:6), and that this “due time” is coming in which the knowledge of the Lord will fill the whole earth. (“raansom for all” in italics in the original.)
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (Isa. 11:9; 35:5) Then all that are in their graves shall obey the voice of the Son of Man and come forth—and they who then obey him shall live in a sense and to a degree that they never lived before—an everlasting life.
(The Watchtower of July 15, 1892, pages 216-218; 1424):
All humans will get a resurrection and will gradually be led to perfection during the thousand-year reign of Jesus.
However, as already shown, it is the purpose of God that in “due time” these truths shall be so clearly testified to every man that all will have the fullest opportunity to believe and thus to come into Christ and through him inherit eternal life. See 1 Tim. 2:4-6.
The time for fully realizing the special, actual salvation is the Millennial age: the sense in which any possess it now is by faith; for “we walk by faith and not by sight” until the appointed time—the Millennial age. Then the faithful bride class will be perfected as spirit-beings like their Lord; and thenceforth the reconciliation of the world will be accompanied by gradual restitution to human perfection, which salvation, if they are worthy, at the close of the Millennium will become everlasting salvation.
(The Watchtower of August 15, 1892, pages 252-255; 1438):
The inhabitants of Sodom will get a resurrection.
And. therefore, even the wicked Sodomites will hear the voice of the Son of man and come forth in due time; for “Godour Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth. For there is one [just and merciful] God. and one mediator between [that just and true God [who cannot tolerate sin] and [fallen, sinful] men, the man Christ Jesus [the only begotten and well beloved Son of God, whom God gave to redeem us, because he so loved the world even while, they were yet sinners, and] who gave himself in accordance with the Father’s plan] a ransom for all [the Sodomites and all other sinners included],—to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) And while this testimony was not given to the Sodomites in their day, it is just as sure that they shall have it in the coming age under the Millennial reign of Christ, when they shall come forth to judgment—to a shameful realization of their guilt, and to an opportunity for repentance and reformation.
(The Watchtower of February 1, 1894, pages 46-48;1618):
The Watchtower of January 1895 for the first time, included the ransom sacrifice and The Divine Plan of the Ages into the stated purpose of the magazine. These words were in the first issue of the Watchtower each year until the year 1928. I quote the first part of the stated purpose:
THIS JOURNAL AND ITS MISSION
THIS journal is set for the defense of the only true foundation of the Christian’s hope now being so generally repudiated,—Redemption through the precious blood of “the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price, a substitute] for all.” (1 Pet. 1:19; 1 Tim. 2:6.) Building up on this sure foundation the gold, silver and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Pet. 1:5-11) of the Word of God, its further mission is to—“Make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which . . . . has been hid in God, … to the intent that now might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God”—“which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it ic now revealed.’’—Eph. 3:5-9, 10.
To Us The Scriptures Clearly Teach
That the Church is “the Temple of the Living God”—peculiarly “His workmanship;” that its construction has been in progress throughout the Gospel age—ever since Christ became the world’s Redeemer and the chief corner stone of this Temple, through which, when finished. God’s blessings shall come “to all people,” and they find access to him.—1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:20-22; Gen. 28:14; Gal. 3:29.
That meantime the chiseling, shaping and polishing, of consecrated believers in Christ’s atonement for sin, progresses; and when the last of these “living stones,” “elect and precious,” shall have been made ready, the great Master Workman will bring all together in the First Resurrection; and the Temple shall be filled with his glory, and be the meeting place between God and men throughout the Millennium.—Rev. 15:5-8.
That the Basis of Hope, for the Church and the World, lies in the fact that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man,” “a ransom for all,” and will be “the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” “in due time.”—Heb. 2:9; John 1:9; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.
That the Hope of the Church is that she may be like her Lord “see him as he is,” be “partaker of the divine nature,” and share his glory as his joint-heir.—1 John 3:2; John 17:24; Rom. 8:17; 2 Pet. 1:4.
That the present mission of the Church is the perfecting of the saints for the future work of service; to develop in herself every grace; to be God’s witness to the world; and to prepare to be the kings and priests of the next age.—Eph. 4:12; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1-6; 20:6.
That the hope for the World lies in the blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ’s Millennial Kingdom—the restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all the willing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and his glorified Church—Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 35.
(The Watchtower of January 1, 1895, page 1):
Resurrection for all and restitution will occur in the millennial age.
In the divine arrangement God has provided in the death of our Lord Jesus a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:5,6),—all the souls of the human family—for Adam and Eve, and all the souls begotten, generated, by them. Consequentlv, although the divine sentence is upon every soul of man unto death, in view of this atonement which God has provided we who have faith in the efficacv of the atonement and in the ultimate carrying out of the divine plan are permitted to speak of these dead souls as though they were not dead, but merely asleep— “them that sleep in Jesus.” (1 These. 4:13, 14) All who were dead in Adam, having been bought by Jesus are not yet made alive by him, nor even in any measure resuscitated, but are spoken of as no longer extinct but reckonedly sleeping— waiting for the Millennial morning, when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth again to being and to the opportunities of a raising up, or restoration to all that was lost—the process of raising up being betokened by the judgments of the Millennial age—rewards for those who will do well, chastisements for those who do ill, destruction if they persevere m ill doing, this judgment, in our common version Bible, is mistranslated “damnation.’—John 5:29.
(The Watchtower of August 15, 1902, pages 242-243; 3063):
The passage 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 shows that all humans have been redeemed.
Question.—Kindly explain the following text, especially the forepart of it: “The Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.”—1 Tim. 2:5, 6.
Answer.—Our Lord gave himself a corresponding price for all—a ransom. The application of this price will be made in due time. It has been, at the present time, appropriated to the church, imputatively, on account of their turning from sin and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. The next step in its application will be, not the imputation, but the actual giving of this to the world, bringing them up out of their imperfection, during the thousand years of the Mediatorial reign; bringing them back into that condition in which they shall be in harmony with God, even as Adam was in harmony with him before the fall.
(The Watchtower of March 1, 1911, pages 77-79; 4780):
The ransom work includes a literal resurrection from the grave, but also a gradual removal of human imperfection.
RANSOM PRICE AND RANSOM WORK
If we have established clearly what a ransom is, and that Jesus was the only One suitable to be a ransom for Father Adam, our next point is to show from the Bible that he did give himself as a ransom. We have the word of Jesus himself on the subject (Matthew 20:28) ; and also St. Paul’s testimony, “the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom-price for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:6) This proves that the giving of the price sufficient to ransom Adam and all his race was accomplished in Jesus’ death at Calvary.
But the work of ransoming Adam and his race is much more than merely the providing of the ransom-price. The mere giving and appropriating of the price. It includes the recovery of Adam and his race from the power of sin and death. Manifestly, this work has not yet been accomplished; indeed, it has scarcely begun. The only disposition thus far of the ransom, the merit, has been its imputation to the church, and this only by faith. The church is not yet glorified as a whole—not yet delivered from the power of sin and death completely.
Manifestly, then, it will require the entire thousand years of Messiah’s kingdom to ransom, deliver, to set free, from the power of sin and death, Adam and all his children. Consequently, the ransom work, which began more than eighteen centuries ago, is still to be accomplished. There is no difficulty about the ransom-price; for that price has been in the hands of Justice for nearly nineteen centuries. But it has been unapplied as respects the world and only imputed to the church that has been called out from the world during this Gospel age. The full completion of the ransoming work will include what the Bible speaks of, saying “I will ransom them from the power of the grave.” for there will still be a great resurrecting work to be done—a raising up out of imperfection of mind, morals and physique, to the full image of the likeness of God, lost through Adam’s disobedience and redeemed by the precious blood at Calvary.
(Hosea 13:14) Nor will the ransoming work be fully Accomplished when the last member of the race has been delivered from the power of the grave; for there will still be a great resurrecting work to be done—a raising up out of imperfection of mind, morals and physicue, to the full image of the likeness of God, lost through Adam’s disobedience and redeemed by the precious blood at Calvary.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1916, pages 88-89; 5873):
The quotations above illustrate different aspects of The Divine Plan of the Ages, as this plan was understood during the lifetime of C.T. Russell. He died in 1916, and I will now demonstrate how the Bible Students, under the leadership of J.F. Rutherford, upheld the divine plan of the ages for 11 years.
All men will be saved from death by the ransom sacrifice.
In 1921, J.F. Rutherford wrote the book, The Harp of God. This book presents the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith and explores the concept of the ransom sacrifice and salvation. Chapter 5 is entitled “Ransom,” and I quote from page 136 above and page 141 below:
The apostle Paul makes it clear that the death of Jesus was for the benefit of the entire human race when he says: ‘Jesus, … by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. ”There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Hebrews 2: 9; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6.
The inspired writer in the divine Word tells us that it was the will of God that all men should be saved from death by the ransom-price and then brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth, in order that they might accept the benefits of the ransom and live. In due time the knowledge of these great truths will be given to every one of Adam’s race. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) The ransom-price was provided at the cross. The cross of Christ is the great pivotal truth of the divine arrangement, from which radiate the hopes of men. When all men come to a knowledge of this fact and all the obedient ones have profited by the value of the ransom sacrifice, there will be great rejoicing amongst the human race. When the grand finale is sung and all the harpers of heaven and earth unite in beautiful harmony, blending with the voices of all creatures perfected and happy, the great ransom-sacrifice will be recognized by all as one of the strings of the harp of God that will yield sweet music to every ear.
The ransom sacrifice includes Adam and all his descendants
10 Jesus declared that he came to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28) and that those who believed on him should not perish but have life. (John 3:16; 10:10) The irresistible conclusion is that without the ransom no one could have life. Jesus gave his life a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2: 5, 6). which means that all must come to a knowledge of that fact and have a chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. 11 Jesus as a human being died in order that he might provide the ransom price for Adam and all of his offspring.
It was necessary for Jehovah to resurrect our Lord in order that he might carry out Jehovah’s purposes. He was resurrected to the divine nature, and his resurrection is a guarantee that all men shall have an opportunity for life. (Acts 17: 31) Without the death and resurrection of our Lord there could be no hope for either the dead or the living.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1924, page 148)
The salvation of the human family in general on the earth
5 Because of the persistent wrong statements of orthodoxy it is constantly necessary to state that while the reward of the disciple of Jesus is to be in heaven, nevertheless the salvation of the human family in general, which God will effect by Jesus, is to be realized on earth—in their restoration to perfect human conditions.
(The Watchtower of January 15, 1927, page 30)
The harmonious witness of all these quotations is that Jesus died for Adam and all his descendants, and that the ransom sacrifice will be applied, so all of them will be saved from death by a resurrection, without any conditions of faith and obedience.
[1]. https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/02/11/5-study-in-the-scriptures-the-six-volumes/
THE REJECTION OF THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES (1924-2025)
The basic view of the Bible Students was that the paradise in Eden would be restored, and Adam’s descendants would be resurrected. The reason for the resurrection of all was that imperfect humans are not competent to make their decision regarding their eternal destiny; their inherited sin prevents them from getting a fair chance.
In 1924 this was rejected. The restoration during the millennium would be restricted, and God would decide the eternal destiny of humans based on what they do as imperfect humans. I quote from The Watchtower of December 15, 2024, page 382:
Since the time when it pleased God to make the plan of the ages clear, and once again to set forth the “ransom for all” by the blood of his dear Son (1 Timothy 2:4-6) it is seen that neither Adam nor any of his sons are excluded from its benefits. It came, therefore, to be commonly held that with the exception of the Church (those begotten of God to newness of life) everyone must have an actual resurrection from the dead in order to participate in the benefits of the ransom. It was further thought that none besides the Church could be subjected to final destruction until, in the resurrection, a full opportunity had been given to enter into obedience to Christ and into blessings of life. But clearly those views are not true to Scripture or to fact.
It is not necessary that one should have received the gift of the holy spirit before he can be subject to the sentence of death; nor true, as some have thought, that no one could be amenable to the second death before the death of Jesus.
The death of Judas as the son of perdition is evidence sufficient against both suppositions. Who can think that if father Abraham had turned from God after the long experience which he had, God would be obliged to bring him forth in resurrection in order that he should have a full opportunity for knowing God?
The ransom price accepted by God can not entail upon him a necessity to let each person die before giving him the benefit of the ransom, and that such opportunity can be given only in resurrection. It does, however, appear to show that everyone must get an opportunity of freedom from the bondage of Satan, as well as from the power of death. It is God’s own good pleasure to decide when he will give that opportunity. It seems evident that there are now some who, like Judas (the outstanding figure and representative of those who reject the way of God), see the purpose of God in Christ and reject it.
This quotation seems to be insignificant. But, in reality, it was the biggest revolution in the history of the Bible Students, because it pointed to a restricted restoration of “all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time,” and not a full restoration as Peter speaks about.
THE REJECTION OF THE BASIC SIDE OF THE RANSOM SACRIFICE — THAT ALL DESCENDANTS OF ADAM ARE INCLUDED (1934-1965)
In the late 1920s, some changes were made, which were the first steps in the direction of changing the view of the ransom sacrifice.
THE VIEW OF THE RANSOM SACRIFICE WAS UNDER REVISION
The Watchtower of January 1, 1928, had some changes in “The Journal and its Sacred Mission” on the first page. The statement says: “It stands firmly upon the great ransom sacrifice as the fundamental doctrine by which all doctrines are measured.”
There is a change in the last point under the heading “To Us The Scriptures Clearly Teach.” I compare the words of January 1, 1927 (above) with the words of January 1, 1928. which started on January 1, 1895):
(1927) That the hope for the World lies in the blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ’s Millennial Kingdom—the restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all the willing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and his glorified Church—Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 35.
(1928) THAT THE HOPE of the peoples of earth is restoration to human perfection during the reign of Christ; that the reign of Christ will afford opportunity to every man to have a fair trial for life and those who obey will live on earth for ever in a state of happiness.
The value of the ransom sacrifice is stressed. And the new words do not introduce a new view of the application of the ransom sacrifice. But the deletion of the words “the restitution of all that was lost in Adam” suggests at least some small change in the viewpoint of the application of the ransom sacrifice.
The view that the ransom sacrifice was for all men was not rejected:
That he was thus God’s Lamb for sacrifice, a perfect man who could and did offer himself to God without spot, to be a ransom for all men.
(The Watchtower of February 1, 1929, page 42)
According to the Bible, the entire race of mankind need to be ransomed; and the reason is that they are in captivity, in bondage, in the bondage of sin and the captivity to death…
This same Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, was highly exalted at his resurrection and given all power in heaven and in earth, and has both the authority and the power to resurrect all the dead.
(The Watchtower of April 1, 1929, pages 107, 110)
The view of the ransom in The Divine Plan of the Ages is confirmed: The ransom sacrifice includes Adam and all his offspring.
God has promised just such a resurrection and restoration, by all the prophets and apostles who have written the Bible. He has purposed that Jesus, the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45, 47), shall first ransom the first Adam and all his posterity from the power of the grave, as recorded in Psalm 49:15 and Hosea13:14, and that then the second Adam shall recover for the first Adam and his posterity just what the latter lost for himself and them, namely, the right to go on trial, to pass other tests intended to prove their loyalty and obedience, and give them, if obedient, just what was promised Adam if he had obeyed in the first trial in Eden, namely, eternal life.
This is why Jesus could say: “I am the resurrection, and the life.” (John 11:25) Again, Jesus said: “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Now an excellent question is, What was lost? And the Bible tells us in most unequivocal terms that Adam lost the right to live on earth. This is what he will receive again, and his posterity will receive, at the hands of the second Adam.
(The Watchtower of May 15, 1929, page 154)
God therefore gave his beloved Son the title “The Son of the man”, which title signifies that he is entitled to everything to which the perfect man could hold title. This is another proof that when on earth he was a perfect man, nothing more and nothing less, and therefore possessed all the qualifications to become the ransomer of Adam and his offspring.
(The Watchtower of November 15, 1932, page 350)
THE FIRST REJECTION OF THE RANSOM SACRIFICE AS INCLUDING ALL ADAM’S DESCENDANTS
The expression “Bible Students” is not a name but a designation. God’s name “Jehovah” had been used from the early days of Russell. In 1931, the Bible Students officially adopted the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” As the last quotation above shows, the ransome sacrifice, as it is presented in the Divine Plan of the Ages, was still a part of their faith in 1932.
The first example of rejection is seen in 1934, as the quotation below shows.
—1 Tim. 2:4-7.
24 This text does not say, and it does not mean, that the man Christ Jesus is mediator for all men. What the text does say is this: that there is one God, who is Jehovah, and there is one mediator between God and men. What men? The men, that is, human creatures, who have exercised faith in Christ Jesus and agreed to do God’s will. Why should God appoint a mediator in behalf of men who defame his name and the name of Jesus Christ? The text shows that the apostle does not have in mind all the human family…
It follows, therefore, that the word “ men” used in verse five of the foregoing text does not refer to all men of the world but does refer to those who have made a covenant to do the will of God; and concerning all such it is the will of God that they be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of the truth, and for all such there is a mediator in the covenant with God…
25 The Authorized Version of the words of the apostle read: “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2: 6) Some men have added to this text the words “to all”, and manifestly for the purpose of trying to make this text apply to all the human race. Is such a conclusion warranted? It is certainly not warranted. It is true that Jesus Christ gave his life a ransom for all, and all who accept Jesus Christ as such, and are obedient to him, may live; but that is no reason why there should be added to this text the words to all,(“to all” is italics in the original) which words are not in the text at all.
This text says that Jesus is not the mediator of all men. That Jesus died «for all», does not mean that he died for all Adam’s descendants and that all of them will get a resurrection without any condition of faith and obedience, as The Divine Plan of the Ages says. But the ransom sacrifice that Jesus provided when he died only includes those who show faith and are obedient. That the words “to all” are not in the Greek text of 1 timothy 2:6 is wrong
In spite of this new view that Jesus died only for obedient people with faith, the two following quotes states the sameview as C.T. Russell had:
Christ Jesus died upon the tree on Calvary and thereby gave himself a ransom for all mankind (1 Tim. 2:5,6; Heb. 2:9)
(The Watchtower of December 1, 1934, page 104)
At the age of thirty then, he was perfect in body, perfect in mind, perfect under the law, in every respect an absolutely perfect human creature, hence qualified to be the ransomer or redeemer of Adam, the perfect man, and of all Adam’s offspring.
(The Watchtower of November 15, 1936, page 350)
THE REJECTION OF THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES AND THAT THE RANSOM SACRIFICE INCLUDES ALL ADAM’S DESCENDANTS
In 1924, the belief in the Divine Plan of the Ages was rejected, and in 1934, the view that the ransom sacrifice includes all Adam’s descendants was rejected. In 1937, the view that the ransom sacrifice only includes those who show faith and obedience and not all Adam’s descendants was stressed.
I bring some quotations from the Watchtower literature:
Jesus died for many but not for all. Adam was not included. The ransom sacrifice is only for those who believe and are obedient
36 When with his disciples, Jesus instructed them that all creatures that will receive everlasting life and the blessings of Almighty God must willingly and faithfully serve God. Then of himself he said: “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20: 27, 28) This shows that the man Jesus understood that it was the will of his Father Jehovah not only that he tells the truth and become the Vindicator of his Father but that as a man he must die to provide the ransom or redemptive price “for many” of the human race. For how many of the human race: all or only a part? Not for all, because the redemptive price results beneficially only to those who believe on and obey God and Christ Jesus.
Therefore he gave his life as a ransom for as many of the human race as take their stand on the side of God and Christ and maintain their integrity toward God when put to the test. It is written: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 23)
(The Watchtower of July 1, 1937, page 350)
There is no reason to believe that the ransom sacrifice was for the benefit of Adam, but it was and is for the benefit of those of Adam’s offspring who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and obey.
(The Watchtower of August 15, 1937, page 244)
All who are thus saved must exercise faith in the humanity or life laid down by Jesus for the salvation of man. (John 6: 29-35) Therefore it is written: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 28)
This scripture clearly means that the Lord Jesus gave his life a ransom for as many of the human race as will comply with the conditions by believing and obeying as commanded.
The obedient ones of the human race are designated under the symbol of “sheep”, and concerning which Jesus said: “I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10: 15) The disobedient ones are designated under the symbol of “goats”. Did not Jesus also lay down his life for the “goats”? He did not, for the reason that the ransom sacrifice is not provided for the disobedient, but only for the obedient ones; as it is written: “He that helieveth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’” (John 3 : 36)
(The Watchtower of March 1, 1938, page 69)
I will later show that the word “many” in the expression in Matthew 20:28, that Jesus “died for many” has the all-inclusive meaning of “all.” Thus, the word “many” does not restrict the number of persons who are included in the ransom sacrifice.
A completely untenable interpretation is given of 1 Timothy 2:6 “who gave himself a ransom for all.”
13 Does not the ransom result beneficially to all of Adam’s offspring, and include Adam himself? No; it results beneficially only to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and obey him. (John 3:16, 17) Adam could not be redeemed; for the reason that the judgment against him is final. No judgment was entered against his offspring, and therefore such are subject to purchase or redemption; but such purchase does not result automatically for the benefit of everyone, but only for those who exercise their privilege of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and doing the will of God.
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:35, 36) In harmony with this it is written: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)
Therefore the indisputable conclusion is that Jesus gave himself a ransom for as many as believe on and obey him.
16 But do not the Scriptures say that Jesus gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified to all in due time? No; the Scriptures do not so state. The words “to all” are not in the text, but have been added by commentators. The text reads: “Who gave himself a ransom in behalf of all, the testimony in its own seasons; for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle, (I speak truth, I do not falsify,) a teacher of nations in faith and truth.” ( 1 Tim. 2: 6, 7, Diaglott)
Otherwise stated, the life of Jesus was given as a ransom for all who believe and obey him, and in due time the testimony thereof is given, and, as this text states, Paul was specifically given the privilege and obligation of so testifying this truth to others. (See The Watchtower 1934, pages 104, 105.)
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1938, page 150)
The untenable argument is that the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:6 is a ransom “in behalf of all” and not “to all.” Therefore, the ransom can be applied to all who show faith and are obedient, but it does not include all. This is both linguistically and grammatically completely wrong! The Greek preposition hyper in the text can only mean that the ransom includes all.
The value of the ransom sacrifice is devalued. The Divine Plan of the Ages builds on the view that the ransom of man is the pivotal doctrine by which other doctrines are measured. This is rejected.
RANSOM
10 Is the ransom of man not of first importance! and is it not the pivotal doctrine by which all others are measured? The answer must be in the negative; otherwise the salvation of man would be put before the vindication of Jehovah’s name. The ransom is not the pivotal doctrine around which all other doctrines center. It is not the key by which all other doctrines are properly measured and the truthfulness thereof determined. The supremacy of Jehovah God is the pivotal truth, and his kingdom is the key by which all the doctrines are properly measured, because it is the kingdom that will accomplish his purpose and vindicate his name. The ransom of man is incidental to the question of primary importance.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1938, page 148)
Must we conclude that what The Watchtower says is correct? The answer is both yes and no. It is true that the most important issue is the supremacy of Jehovah and the sanctification of his name. But this is not stressed in the Christian Greek Scriptures. What is stressed in these scriptures is the importance of the kingdom of God. The subject that is mostly mentioned is the salvation of man. So, I agree with C.T. Russel’s Divine Plan of the Ages that the salvation of man is the pivotal doctrine by which all others are measured. The salvation of man culminates at the end of the thousand-year reign of Jesus. And when this salvation is accomplished, the supremacy of Jehovah is magnified, and his name is sanctified.
The devaluation of the ransom sacrifice is seen in “The Mission” of the Watchtower magazine that is printed at the beginning of each number.
The words at the beginning of the Watchtower from January 1. 1895 to January 1, 1927 (above), from January 1, 1928 to December 15, 1938 (middle), from January 1, 1939 (below):
(1895) THIS journal is set for the defense of the only true foundation of the Christian’s hope now being so generally repudiated,—Redemption through the precious blood of “the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price, a substitute] for all.”
To Us the Scriptures clearly teach:…
That the hope for the World lies in the blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ’s Millennial Kingdom—the restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all the willing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and his glorified Church—Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 35.
(1928) THIS journal is set for the defense of the only true foundation of the Christian’s hope now being so generally repudiated,—Redemption through the precious blood of “the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price, a substitute] for all.” (1 Peter 1:19)
To Us the Scriptures clearly teach:…
THAT THE HOPE of the peoples of earth is restoration to human perfection during the reign of Christ; that the reign of Christ will afford opportunity to every man to have a fair trial for life and those who obey will live on earth for ever in a state of happiness.
(1939) THIS journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good will.
The Scriptures clearly teach:…
THAT JESUS was made human, and the man Jesus suffered death in order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient ones of mankind; that God raised up Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every creature and above every name and clothed him with all power and authority.
We see that from January 1, 1939, there was no longer any mention that Jesus was “a corresponding ransom for all.” In this year, The Watchtower Society published the book Salvation.[1] It has a very fine description of several Greek words that relate to the issue of salvation. It discusses in detail the new view of the ransom sacrifice, which does not include all of Adam’s descendants. I bring the following quotations from this book:
Page 176
The word anti/lytron appears only once in the Scriptures, and that in the following text, to wit: “Who gave himself a ransom in behalf of all [whom God wills to be saved (verse 4)], the testimony in its own seasons; for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle.” (1 Timothy 2:4-7, Emphatic Diaglott) According to Parkhurst: “Who gave himself a correspondent ransom.”
Page 179
“FOR ALL”
Does not the ransom price of Jesus result to the everlasting benefit of all? Does not the scripture at 1 Timothy 2:6 above quoted prove that Jesus gave his life a ransom for all? And is not that a guarantee that all of the human race must have the full benefit of the ransom sacrifice or ransom price? No; such a conclusion is not correct. Some of the human race, the offspring of Adam, are willfully wicked, and such are not benefited by the ransom. If they comply with God’s rules concerning the ransom they might become righteous, and then they would receive the benefit of the ransom price. Concerning this Jesus said: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” —John 17: 2,
Page 180
Those persons who refuse to know God and Christ Jesus cannot receive life. Many persons to whom the truth is presented and who are shown God’s provision for life and salvation spurn such truth and say, in substance: “I am — not at all interested. I am satisfied with what I have.” There is no reason to expect Adam to receive life, because he was a willful and deliberate sinner; nor is there any reason to expect any of Adam’s offspring to receive life who willfully refuse to hear of God’s provision for life. To give Adam the benefit of the ransom sacrifice would mean that God would thereby show that his judgment against Adam was not just; whereas the Scriptures plainly say: ‘Justice is the foundation of God’s throne.’ (Psalm 89:14) To give Adam’s offspring the benefit of the ransom sacrifice, which offspring spurn God’s provision, is wholly inconsistent with God’s purpose expressed in the Scriptures. The text at 1 Timothy two above quoted shows that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10: 34), and hence the ransom is for the benefit of all who conform themselves to God’s will or law; and because _ there is only one Almighty God, whose name is Jehovah, there is one mediator between God and men and that One is the man. Jesus, who gave his life a ransom for all, meaning, of course, as stated, all who God wills shall be saved and who comply with the requirements that God has laid down. There is no authority to say that the ransom sacrifice automatically operates for the benefit of all.
There are many good arguments in the book. But the arguments of a limited ransom are completely unbelievable. The argument on page 176 and 180 that “all” in 1. Timothy 2:6 does not refer to all Adam’s descendants, but only to “all” whom God wills to save is a deliberate distortion of the text of the Bible.
Moreover, the reference to verse 4 as proof that “all” does not refer to all Adam’s descendants is, in a way, humorous, because it says the very opposite of what the text says. This verse says that God wills is that all humans shall be saved, and therefore must “all” in verse 6 refer to all Adam’s descendants, and not only to some of them.
On page 179, the argument that “all” does not mean “all” continues. All Adam’s descendants cannot be included in the ransom sacrifice because some of them are wicked. On page 180, there is an example of such people, those who refuse to hear the message about God’s kingdom. However, according to Matthew 11:21-23 Jesus speaks about the inhabitants in Corazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida. Jesus had preached to these people over and over again and performed many miracles, but they had refused to believe in him. Nevertheless, Jesus says that they will get a resurrection on Judgment Day — because of the ransom sacrifice.
J.F. Rutherford, who wrote this book, missed the target completely.
The basic point of Russell and the Bible students was that because of inherited sin, living humans have a huge handicap, so big that they cannot get a fair chance to decide whether to serve God or not while they live as sinners. Therefore, they will die, and because of the ransom sacrifice, they will receive a resurrection, becoming perfect and free from sin at the end of the thousand years. They are now exactly in the same position Adam was before he sinned, and, therefore, they get a fair chance to choose to serve God or not.
Rutherford’s view is that they will get a fair chance to serve God or not while they are sinners, and, contrary to the words of Jesus, even such a petty sin as refusing to accept the kingdom message will disqualify them from getting a resurrection based on the ransom sacrifice. Russell’s view was that humans can only make a fair decision when they are perfect and without sin, like Adam. This is the view of those who wrote the Christian Greek Scriptures
The view expressed in The Watchtower from 1934 onward, and in the book entitled Salvation, continued to be the view of the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses after the death of Rutherford in 1942. I quote from The Watchtower of 1948:
The word combination lytron anti occurs at Matthew 20: 28 and Mark 10: 45. But the word antilytron appears only once in the Greek Scriptures, and that in the following verse, to wit: “Who gave himself a ransom[antilytron.] in behalf of all, the testimony in its own seasons; for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle.” So 1 Timothy 2: 6, 7 reads according to The Emphatic Diaglott; but Parkhurst translates it to read: “’Who gave himself a correspondent ransom.”…
Those of Adam’s offspring who accept God’s provision for their purchase and who comply with God’s fixed rules concerning the same, are privileged to receive the benefit of the ransom price. By his own lifeblood Jesus ransomed or purchased life and the right to human life for those of Adam’s offspring that are saved. This, then, is the evident meaning of 1 Timothy 2:3-6 : That God desires all men to be saved and to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth who comply with his fixed and unchangeable provisions.
(The Watchtower of May 15, 1948, page 158)
The statement that Jesus was a “corresponding ransom for all” must be understood in the light of other scriptures. His death does not benefit all of Adam’s descendants irrespective of personal courses of action and personal attitudes. He did not pay the ransom price for persons who practice sin by willfully violating the laws of his heavenly Father.
It is only for persons who appreciate the undeserved kindness God has shown them by providing a means for releasing them from bondage to sin and death. It is for those who acknowledge their need for a ransom and who exercise faith in it. Jesus himself limited the benefits of the ransom to such ones, saying: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Notice the qualification—”everyone exercising faith in him.”Thus the ransom is for all who exercise faith, not for all who live.
(The Watchtower of October 1, 1963, page 605)
The consequence of the view that the ransom sacrifice only includes those who show faith and obey is that billions of humans will be everlasting destroyed without having had a personal chance to choose to serve Jehovah or not. The belief in 1963 was that all those who died in the great flood, when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, and who will die in the great tribulation, will be everlastingly destroyed without any hope of a resurrection:
Since the supreme Judge never makes a mistake, there is no need for him to take under review any judgment that he has passed. His judgments are final. That means the people who perished in the flood of Noah’s day will never be resurrected to stand trial again. The same is true with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as Adam and Eve. All had their judgment day before the great Judge of the universe and all were sentenced to destruction. They will never have a conscious existence again. The same will be true of those in the present judgment period whom God will destroy at its conclusion…
What you are faced with today is a judgment for survival through the coming war of the great day of God the Almighty when he will carry out his long-standing promise to destroy this wicked world or system of things. You are in a position similar to that of the people who lived in the judgment period before the Flood. Like them you are under divine surveillance, with your conduct toward God’s purposes and his kingdom ministers determining your judgment. Jesus pointed this out in a long-range prophecy recorded in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. He there likened the present judging of mankind to a shepherd’s separating sheep from goats…
As the judgment period that ended with the Flood brought a permanent end to those people, so will the ending of the present judgment period permanently terminate the conscious existence of those who are judged adversely. This is, therefore, a very serious time.
(The Watchtower of January 15, 1960, page 54)
The discussion of this section shows that the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the days of J.F. Rutherford, and in the days after his death in 1942, rejected The Divine Plan of the Ages presented by C.T. Russell and the early Bible Students. They also rejected the biblical view of the ransom sacrifice, that it includes all Adam’s descendants and guarantees a perfect chance for each one to choose to serve Jehovah or not. The new view is that the ransom sacrifice only includes those of Adam’s descendants who will be saved.
We should not confuse the value of the ransom sacrifice with the ultimate outcome of the sacrifice’s application. This is a common practice in Watchtower literature, which often misleads readers. This sacrifice includes all Adam’s descendants, and it will be applied to all of them. But not all will choose to serve Jehovah after the end of the thousand years and thus getting everlasting life. However, because the humans were created in God’s image it is likely that most of those who have become perfect at the end of the thousand years, in contrast to Adam, will choose to serve Jehovah.
Instead of billions being eternally destroyed without having a personal chance to serve Jehovah, billions of Adam’s descendants, probably most of them, will get everlasting life.
[1]. https://archive.org/details/salvationdisclos00ruth/page/176/mode/2up
THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES IS RESTORED WITH ONE EXCEPTION — (1965-1988)
In the year 1963, The Watchtower literature expressed the view that the ransom sacrifice only included those who will be saved, and that great numbers of humans will be eternally destroyed without having had a real chance to serve Jehovah, as the quotation above shows. After this article was published, it appears that leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses realized that much was wrong with its contents, and they started to consider the situation. As a culmination of their work, 12 articles on the resurrection were published in 1965, discussing everything the Bible says about this subject in an excellent manner.[1]
Now, the correct view of the ransom sacrifice was again presented. After showing that Adam and Eve will not get a resurrection, the article shows that the ransom sacrifice includes all Adam’s descendants:
14 So, just as all of us humans had to depend upon the first man Adam for the earthly life that we enjoy today, so now all of us who are dying have to depend, one and all of us, upon Jesus Christ, “the last Adam.” There will not be another person on earth like Adam; so, if we desire to gain everlasting life on earth, we shall have to gain it through this “last Adam,” Jesus Christ.
42 That the many descendants of Adam and Eve are to benefit from this “corresponding ransom” of Jesus Christ and are to have a resurrection from Sheol or Haʹdes to an opportunity to gain human perfection on a Paradise earth, the Bible plainly teaches.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1965, pages 167, 171)
6 Consequently, it is Scripturally wrong to think that there is salvation through ignorance. There will indeed be a resurrection of many ignorant people, the vast majority of dead mankind; but their ignorance is not what makes them worthy of a resurrection and of eternal life.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1965, pages 178, 179)
59 Thus the one man Adam was counterbalanced by the Son of man, Jesus Christ. The effects of what Adam did are counterbalanced by what Jesus Christ has done. How could this be so? It is so because Jesus Christ died as a ransom sacrifice for all of Adam’s descendants, whom Adam had “sold” into slavery under sin with death as a penalty for such slavery. Adam brought death upon all. All were dead. As the apostle Paul says, “the love the Christ has compels us, because . . . one man died for all; so, then, all had died.” (2 Cor. 5:14) For those who were dead through Adam, Jesus Christ died as a ransom sacrifice, just as it is written: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.”—1 Tim. 2:5, 6.
(The Watchtower of December 1, 1965, page 723)
The biblical view of the ransom sacrifice is that all, except those who have sinned against the holy spirit, will get a resurrection — “the vast majority of dead mankind.” This was the viewpoint in 1965 and throughout the whole 20th century:
The Bible’s explanation as to how this is accomplished is both simple and profound—even as the problem of mankind’s dying condition can be simply stated but is profoundly difficult to overcome. First, it should be recognized that at the time of Adam’s sin and his being sentenced to death, his offspring or race were all unborn in his loins and so all died with him. (Compare Hebrews 7:4-19; Romans 7:9.) Jesus as a perfect man, “the last Adam,” had a possible race of offspring unborn in his loins. And when he died innocently as a perfect human sacrifice, this potential human race died with him. Jesus had willingly abstained from marrying and producing a family of his own. Jesus dying as a childless man, his unborn human offspring justly counterbalanced all the race that Adam had reproduced till now.—1 Cor. 15:45; compare Romans 5:15-17. So, by giving his human life, together with the potential of having children of his own, Jesus Christ bought “parental” life rights that Adam lost. He holds “credit” for those of Adam’s family who desire to draw upon it.
To illustrate how this satisfies justice, we might use the case of a man who has died leaving a large debt on his estate. His children are unable to pay the debt. But a friend with sufficient money redeems the estate from the dead man’s creditors and then divides out portions thereof as inheritance to those who are worthy children. In Jesus’ case, of course, it is not land or other material possessions that he redeems and grants to worthy ones but life, perfect human life.
By providing the “corresponding ransom,” Jesus repurchased all mankind descended from Adam so that they could become his family. He did this by presenting the full value of his ransom sacrifice to the God of absolute justice in heaven. He “entered . . . into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God” on behalf of the world of mankind.—Heb. 9:24.
(Awake! of October 8, 1978, page 23)
The words about Jesus’ unborn offspring are just an illustration. The ransom sacrifice was only the body and blood of the perfect man Jesus Christ, and not his possible unborn progeny.
The important point the 12 articles presented was that all who die because of inherited sin will get a resurrection. However, as I showed in Part I, there are some persons who do not die because of inherited sin but because of their own wickedness. They sin against the holy spirit. There is no ransom sacrifice for these, and they will not get a resurrection. The articles shows in detail how the Bible states that humans will get a resurrection, including wicked people.
However, in the heading, I mentioned one exception to the full restoration of The Divine Plan of the Ages. This related to those who die in the future great tribulation, which, according to the view in 1965, will be everlasting destruction without any hope of resurrection.
2 However, among our own generation there are many who will share the final destiny of Satan the Devil and his demons. These will be those whom Jesus Christ compared to goats. He gave a prophecy on the conclusion of this wicked system of things and closed this prophecy with his parable of the sheep and the goats. This parable or illustration is found in Matthew 25:31-46…
9 In other words, at the time of the execution of divine judgment the “goats” would be all those persons, young and old, who have not become “sheep” and who have not been gathered into the “one fold” under the “one shepherd,” where the small remnant of the Shepherd’s spiritual brothers are.—John 10:16; Rev. 7:9-17…
12 Where do the executed “goats” go when sent out of the King’s presence? Not into Haʹdes or Sheol, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and other faithful witnesses of Jehovah God are. No; they go into the symbolic “everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41) This “everlasting fire” is certainly not found down in Haʹdes or Sheol. Even Jesus’ parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus does not prove that the Gehenna fire or the “fiery lake that burns with sulphur” is in Haʹdes or Sheol. (Luke 16:19-31) What, then, does this punishment with something everlasting mean? It means the very opposite of everlasting life. In other words, it means the everlasting punishment of endless destruction. That it means such endless destruction is indicated by Jesus’ closing words regarding the unrighteous “goat” class:
13 “And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off [or, everlasting punishment], but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”—Matt. 25:46, NW; AV.
(The Watchtower of March 15, 1965, page 174)
The pressing question now is: Because the correct view was that Jesus died for all Adam’s descendants and bought them all, so they could get a resurrection to get a personal chance to choose to serve Jehovah or not, why should all those who die in the great tribulation be everlastingly destroyed? Logically speaking, this is a clear contradiction of the fact that Jesus died for all Adam’s descendants. This is so, because most of the 3,3 billion people who lived in 1965 and the 8 billion people who live today have not had a real chance to learn the truth and choose to serve Jehovah.
The real obstacle for the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses is the interpretation of the illustration of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46, as we see from the mention of sheep and goats in the last quotation. When this illustration is applied to the world population, the logical conclusion is what the article said, that all who are not a part of the people of God are “goats” and will be everlastingly destroyed. Part III will discuss this illustration in detail, showing that the goats are people inside the Christian congregations who reject the ransom sacrifice and sin against the holy spirit, and not billions of people of the world population.
So, there is no need to take this illustration as a contradiction to the ransom sacrifice. This means that the 8 billion+ who lose their lives in the great tribulation, regardless of how they die, will get a resurrection in the thousand-year reign of Jesus. The only exception is those who die because of their own wickedness who have sinned against the holy spirit.
[1]. The Watchtower of 1965: “Worship the God of Resurrection”;“Death and Hades to Give Up the Dead,” “Part II”; “The Dead Who Are in Line for Resurrection,” Part II”; “For Whom There Are Resurrection Hopes,” Part II”; “Who Will be Resurrected from the Dead?”, “Part II”; “Who Will be Resurrected—Why?”; “Our Own Twentieth-Century Generation and the Resurrection”; Earthly Opportunity Opened Up by Resurrection.” in The Watchtower of January 1, January 15, February 1, February 15, March 1, and March 15, 1965.
THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES AND THE RANSOM SACRIFICE AS INCLUDING ALL ADAM’S DESCENDANTS ARE AGAIN REJECTED (2000-2025)
The correct view of the ransom sacrifice —that it includes each one of Adam’s descendants and that Jesus bought them all —was presented in some Watchtower literature throughout the whole 20th century.
The Watchtower of March 15, 2000, page 3, says:
When Adam sinned and was sentenced to death, his as yet unborn offspring were still in his loins and therefore died with him. The perfect man Jesus, “the last Adam,” willingly did not produce a family. (1 Corinthians 15:45) He had unborn offspring in his loins when he died as a perfect human sacrifice. Therefore, it might be said that the potential human race within his loins died with him. Jesus took Adam’s sinful, dying family as his own. He gave up the right to have a family of his own. By sacrificing his perfect human life, Jesus repurchased all mankind descended from Adam so that they could become His family, making Him their “Eternal Father.”—Isaiah 9:6, 7.
These are clear words indicating that the ransom sacrifice encompasses all of Adam’s descendants. However, in the year 1988, an article appeared that indirectly questioned whether the ransom sacrifice included all Adam’s descendants. I quote from The Watchtower of June 1, 1988, page 31.
Likewise, at the end of the present wicked system, will those whom God executes have had a final judgment? That is the indication of 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9: “It is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you, but, to you who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.”…
Consequently, in addition to what Jude 7 says, the Bible uses Sodom/Gomorrah and the Flood as patterns for the destructive end of the present wicked system. It is apparent, then, that those whom God executed in those past judgments experienced irreversible destruction.
These words could show that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were not included in the ransom sacrifice. And they also contradict the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:15 and 11:24. This is also a clear rejection of The Divine Plan of the Ages, that all who die because of Adam will get a resurrection to become perfect and have a personal chance to choose to serve Jehovah or not.
Rejection of the view that the ransom sacrifice includes all Adam’s descendants and that he bought them all is seen in The Watchtower of July 15, 2014, page 30 (above), and in the online article, “How is Jesus ‘a ransom for all’”[1] (below):
As Jesus explained, he came, “not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matt. 20:28) The “many” who would benefit from Jesus’ ransom were not to be limited to repentant Jews. Rather, it is God’s will that “all sorts of people should be saved,” since the ransom “takes away the sin of the world!”—1 Tim. 2:4-6; John 1:29.
Correspondence. Jesus’ sacrifice corresponds exactly to what Adam lost—one perfect human life. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22, 45, 46) The Bible says: “Just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person [Jesus Christ] many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) This explains how the death of one man can pay the ransom for many sinners. In fact, Jesus’ sacrifice is “a corresponding ransom for all” those who take the steps necessary to benefit from it.—1 Timothy 2:5, 6.
The first quotation refers to the deliberate distortion of the text of 1 Timothy 2:4 in NWT84 and NWT13 by the rendering “all sorts of people,” that I discussed in detail in Part I. The second quotation takes up the idea of Rutherford and the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses from 1934, that the ransom sacrifice only is for those who will be saved.
THE WORD MANY REFERS TO ALL ADAM’S DESCENDANTS
I start with the comparison two passages, Matthew 20:28 (above) and 1 Timothy 2: 5, 6 (below):
28 Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many (polys).
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all (pas)—[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.
How can we harmonize the expressions “in exchange for many” and “a ransom for all,” that is “many” and “all”? The Watchtower of March 15, 2000, page 3, applies the word “many” as a reference to all Adam’s descendants. This is a correct reference, as I will show:
Jesus came to the earth “to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) A ransom is the price paid to buy back, or to bring about the release of, someone or something. The verb form of the Hebrew word rendered “ransom” conveys the idea of covering, or atoning, for sins. (Psalm 78:38) The Greek word, such as that found at Matthew 20:28, was used particularly to refer to the price paid to ransom prisoners of war or to release slaves. To satisfy the demands of justice, one thing is given in exchange for another of corresponding value.
When Adam sinned and was sentenced to death, his as yet unborn offspring were still in his loins and therefore died with him. The perfect man Jesus, “the last Adam,” willingly did not produce a family. (1 Corinthians 15:45) He had unborn offspring in his loins when he died as a perfect human sacrifice. Therefore, it might be said that the potential human race within his loins died with him. Jesus took Adam’s sinful, dying family as his own. He gave up the right to have a family of his own. By sacrificing his perfect human life, Jesus repurchased all mankind descended from Adam so that they could become His family, making Him their “Eternal Father.”—Isaiah 9:6, 7.
The point here is that The Watchtower applies the words “a ransom in exchange of many” to “all mankind descended from Adam.” But the article does not tell us why it juxtaposed the words “many” and “all.”
The new view of rejecting that all Adam’s descendants are ransomed shines through in the article in The Watchtower of July 15, 2014, page 30:
7 Events on the day of Pentecost in 33 C.E. proved that Jehovah had graciously accepted the value of Jesus’ perfect human sacrifice as an atonement, or a covering, for sin. (Heb. 9:11, 12, 24) As Jesus explained, he came, “not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matt. 20:28) The “many” who would benefit from Jesus’ ransom were not to be limited to repentant Jews. Rather, it is God’s will that “all sorts of people should be saved,” since the ransom “takes away the sin of the world!”—1 Tim. 2:4-6; John 1:29.
According to this article, the word “many” does not refer to all Adam’s descendants but to “all soets of people.” One way to lead people astray is to confuse (1) the ransom price and how many are bought with the ransom, and (2) the final result of the application of the ransom. This is done in Insight on the Scriptures, volume II, page 791:
Some Not Resurrected. While it is true that Christ’s ransom sacrifice was given for mankind in general, Jesus indicated that its actual application nevertheless would be limited when he said: “Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Mt 20:28) Jehovah God has the right to refuse to accept a ransom for anyone he deems unworthy. Christ’s ransom covers the sins an individual has because of being a child of sinful Adam, but a person can add to that by his own deliberate, willful course of sin, and he can thus die for such sin that is beyond coverage by the ransom. (The word “many” is in italics in the original)
This is a clearly wrong application, expressing the view that the ransom sacrifice is limited and not for all. We know that all Adam’s descendants will not get everlasting life. Applying the word “many” the those who finally get everlasting life, is a rejection of the value of the ransom sacrifice.
As the first volume in the series The Divine Plan of the Ages, A149, rightly says:
The Restitution Guaranteed by the Ransom—Not Everlasting Life, but a Trial for it, Secured by the Ransom.
The ransom sacrifice guarantees that each individual of Adam’s descendants who has died because of Adam’s sin will get a resurrection during the thousand-year reign of Jesus, so he or she finally will become perfect without sin and have a personal chance to choose to serve Jehovah or not. This is rejected by the words in the quotation from Insight on the Scriptures.
That the words “for many” do not only refer to those who will get everlasting life, is seen by the word “exchange.” The Greek word translated “in exchange of” is anti, which has the meaning “for, in place of, instead of.” Because Jesus was a perfect man like Adam, he ransomed or bought Adam and all Adam’s descendants who had inherited sin. He did not give his life in exchange for a part of Adam’s descendants.
I will now show that the word “many” can be used in the same sense of “all.” The sense of “many” must be construed from the context and the viewpoint of the author. The word polys (“many”) does not have the lexical meaning “all.” Its lexical meaning is “great in magnitude or quantity, much, large, many.” But in some contexts it can refer to ‘ all the members of a group’.
One situation where Paul uses polys (“many”) with reference to pas (“all”) is Romans 5:15. Here, Paul uses the word polys (“many”) both for all the descendants of Adam who will die and for all that are included in the ransom sacrifice:
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by one man’s trespass many (polys) died, how much more did the undeserved kindness of God and his free gift by the undeserved kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many (polys)!
It is clear from verse 15 that the “many” who died refers to “all” Adam’s descendants who die because of inherited sin. The meaning of the expression “many died” (aorist active) is also seen in verse 17 where we read, “for if by the trespass of one man death ruled as king through that one.” All Adam’s offspring were subjected to death, and all these are referred to as “many” in verse 15. The Watchtower of August 1, 1973, page 465, has some interesting comments on the use of the word polys:
9 This teaching of the ransom brings to our attention two families—the family of Adam and the family of Jesus Christ. Both families are described as being “many.” (Rom. 5:15) There is no special requirement for becoming one of Adam’s sinful family. All are born into it by the natural procreative process. But, concerning what Jesus did, it is written: “For even the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Mark 10:45; Matt. 20:28) How “many”? As we have already seen, he gave himself “a corresponding ransom for all.” He tasted death “for every man.” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6; Heb. 2:9) During the past six thousand years, Adam’s family has multiplied into the billions. Christ purchased them all.
On the background of the words of Paul, we see that polys (“many”) in Matthew 20:28 does not refer to a group that is less in number than “all,” but it refers to all Adam’s descendants.
[1]. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/502016129#h=15:0-15:549 (seen July 25, 2025).
THE GOVERNING BODY’S PLAY FOR THE GALLERY
During the 64 years since I became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, one question has been posed over and over again by many different Witnesses: How can it be just that billions of persons who die in the great tribulation will be everlastingly annihilated? This question is particularly important because it is clear that many of these will not have not had the chance to hear the good news of the kingdom.
The view that the members of the Governing Body have presented to the Witnesses is that Jehovah’s Witnesses will survive the great tribulation, and all others who die because of Jehovah’s judgment will be everlastingly annihilated. Many Witnesses think it is not just that billions of people will be everlastingly annihilated without having had a chance to serve God.
Because of this problem, the members of the Governing Body have recently put a smokescreen over this issue by publishing statements that mislead their readers.
They have done this in two ways: 1) They write in a way that leads readers to believe the standpoint of the Governing Body is different from what it really is, and 2) they plead ignorance to conceal viewpoints that many find unjust.
CHEATING WITH THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS
I use the latest comments on the illustration of the sheep and the goats to show how the Witnesses are misled. For many years, the view was that the separation of the sheep and the goats was caused by the preaching work after 1914, when God’s kingdom was established, and before the great tribulation. In 1995, the new view was presented that God separates all nations into two groups, sheep and goats, in the great tribulation.
The Watchtower of October 15, 1995, pages 22-27, says:
23 The parable, though, depicts the time when Jesus judges the people of “all the nations” who are then alive and facing the execution of his judicial sentence.
10 So the sheep must be ones who over a period of time have come to the aid of—actively supporting—Christ’s brothers and have exercised faith to the extent of receiving a righteous standing before God.
21 On the other hand, vast numbers out of “all the nations” will have proved themselves to be like stubborn goats. They “will depart into everlasting cutting-off.” What a relief for the earth!
The Watchtower of August 15, 1998, page 20, says:
17 All nations will shortly be examined by Christ so that he can “separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-33
The present view is that all the nations of the world will be gathered before God when the great tribulation comes, and they will be separated into two groups: All the inhabitants who are not “sheep” are “goats.”
The book Pure Worship of Jehovah Restored at Last! (2018), pages 178-180, makes the mentioned distinction clearer by claiming that only baptized Jehovah’s Witnesses (and their children) will survive the great tribulation, and all others will be”destroyed utterly.”
17 To survive the coming destruction, individuals need to prove their faith now… They need to react favorably to the preaching work that is being done today, to continue putting on a Christlike personality, to get baptized in symbol of their dedication to Jehovah, and to support Christ’s brothers loyally. (Ezek. 9:4; Matt. 25:34-40; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Pet. 3:21) Only those who pursue such a course now—and who enter the great tribulation as pure worshippers—will be in a position to be marked for survival.
Then, during the war of Armageddon, Jesus will lead the heavenly executional forces, which will include the holy angels and all his 144,000 co-rulers, against this wicked world, destroying it utterly and delivering pure worshippers into a righteous new world.—Rev. 16:14-16; 19:11-21.
The conclusion from this quotation is that all human beings who are not baptized Witnesses are “goats” and will be utterly destroyed in the war of Armageddon. The Watchtower of May 2022, article 21, paragraphs 8 and 10, uses even stronger words for the destiny of the “goats”, namely, “total annihilation”:
Will this result in a flood of new ones deciding to turn to worship Jehovah? No. To the contrary…10 What is the outcome of this war [Harmageddon]? The total annihilation of all humans and organization opposing Jehovah!—Read Revelation 19:19-21.
THE VIEW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY IN 2022, AND STILL IS, IS THAT ALL HUMANS ON THE EARTH WHO ARE NOT BAPTIZED JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES AND THEIR CHILDREN, WILL BE EVERLASTINGLY ANNIHILATED IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
Many people, both inside and outside Jehovah’s Witnesses, find the belief that billions of people, most of whom have not had the possibility of serving God, will be everlastingly annihilated abhorrent and offensive. Because of this, the members of the Governing Body tries to sugarcoat this message in the article, “Are you heeding the warnings?” in The Watchtower of September 2024:
1 WE LIVE in a climactic time! Soon, Jesus will judge every living person.
2 Jesus provided helpful warnings by means of three parables. These are the parables of the sheep and the goats, the discreet and the foolish virgins, and the talents. Each parable helps us to understand how a person’s behavior will affect the way he will be judged. As we review these parables, let us identify the lessons and how we can apply them. The first parable we will discuss is that of the sheep and the goats.
3 In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus described the judgment of people who have the opportunity to respond to the good news and to support his anointed brothers. (Matt. 25:31-46) During the “great tribulation,” he will render this judgment right before Armageddon. (Matt. 24:21) Just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, Jesus will separate those who loyally support his anointed followers from those who do not.
The normal situation among Jehovah’s Witnesses is that the members of the Governing Body often change their minds regarding a Bible subject. This new viewpoint is written in The Watchtower or in a book, and everything that was written about this subject previously is null and void.
If we followed this procedure in connection with the article in The Watchtower of September 2024, that is quoted above, what is written in The Watchtower of October 1995, the book Pure Worship of Jehovah Restored at Last! (2018), and The Watchtower of May 2022, regarding the sheep and the goats and the great tribulation would be null and void. But this is clearly not the case.
We have very good reasons to believe that the words in The Watchtower of September 2024, “In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus described the judgment of people who have the opportunity to respond to the good news and to support his anointed brothers,” do not represent a new interpretation of the illustration of the sheep and the goats. But these words are written to sugarcoat the view of the members of the Governing Body that billions who have never heard the truth of the Bible will be everlastingly annihilated in the great tribulation. We see this from the words that the separation of sheep and goats, according to the illustration, only relates to those “who have the opportunity to respons to the good news.”
If the “goats” who will be everlastingly annihilated are persons who have had the opportunity to serve God but who have refused to do so, most Witnesses will not view this a unjust on the part of God. But if people who have never had the chance to serve God will lose their lives forever, this will be viewed as unjust by many.
How can we know that the words I have quoted above are not new light but are written to mislead the readers? This is already seen in the first line of the article:
1 WE LIVE in a climactic time! Soon, Jesus will judge every living person.
These words show that not only those who have had the opportunity to respond positively to the good news are judged as “sheep” and “goats,” but every living person.
If the illustration of the sheep and the goats, “describes the judgment of people who have the opportunity to respond to the good news,” there will be three groups when the great tribulation starts, 1) those who have positively responded to the good news and are “sheep,” 2) those who have had the opportunity to positively respond to the good news, but have refused to do so, and who are “goats,” and 3) those who have not had the opportunity to respond positively to the good news.
Group 3) will include most people. I show below that at least 6 billion of the 8 billion living on the earth do not have any opportunity to respond to the good news. So, if only people who have had this opportunity are judged as “sheep” and “goats,” there is a group of at least 6 billion who are not judged as “sheep” or “goats.” What will happen to them in the great tribulation?
What I have shown above are the consequences if only persons who have had the opportunity to respond positively to the good news are judged as “sheep” and “goats.” But the members of the Governing Body do not teach that there are three groups when the great tribulation comes. They believe that all who are not “sheep” are “goats.”
The words “the judgment of people who have the opportunity to respond to the good news” in The Watchtower of September 2024 are the same as pulling wool over the eyes of the readers. The members of the Governing Body try to convince the readers that they teach something differently from what they really teach, because what they really teach is viewed as unjust and abhorrent by many readers of the Watchtower.
| The article “Are you heading the warnings?” represents conscious cheating of the readers by the members of the Governing Body, regarding who will be everlastingly annihilated in the great tribulation. |
MORE DIVERTING MANEUVERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE “GOATS”
In our days, there has been a focus on the rights of different groups of people. And the people in general are aware of the just and unjust treatment of different individuals. I assume that the Governing Body has received many letters with questions about the destiny of the people of the world in the great tribulation. This was evidently the reason for the article in The Watchtower of September 2024, as well as in The Watchtower of May 2024, which I will now discuss.
I will show how the members of the Governing Body consciously deceive the readers by analyzing three paragraphs:
8 Thus, a question arises: What about those who may not have a chance to hear the good news before the great tribulation strikes? How will Jehovah and his Son, whom he has entrusted to do the judging, deal with them? (John 5:19, 22, 27; Acts 17:31) The theme text of this article states that Jehovah “does not desire anyone to be destroyed.” Instead, he wants “all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4) That said, we must acknowledge that Jehovah has not yet revealed to us what he will do in answer to this question. Of course, he is not obligated to tell us anything about what he has done or will do.
10 Will all who die during the events of the great tribulation be destroyed forever with no hope of a resurrection? The Scriptures make it clear that outright opposers whom Jehovah and his forces will destroy at Armageddon will not be resurrected. (2 Thess. 1:6-10) But what about others, for example, who may die from natural causes, from accidents, or at the hand of other humans? (Eccl. 9:11; Zech. 14:13) Could some of these people be among the “unrighteous” who will be resurrected in the new world? We simply do not know.
15 It is also reasonable to conclude that a person’s eternal future does not depend on where he happens to live. It is unthinkable that Jehovah would automatically label as “goats” millions of people who live in lands where they never had an opportunity to respond to the Kingdom message. (Matt. 25:46) The righteous Judge of all the earth cares even more about these individuals than we ever could. We do not know how Jehovah will maneuver events during the great tribulation. Perhaps some of these people will have the opportunity to learn about Jehovah, put their faith in Him, and take their stand on Jehovah’s side when He himself before all nations. —Ezek. 38:16. (The word “where” is in italics in the original.)
The first trickery: The reference to 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 as evidence that “‘outright opposers’…will not be resurrected.” (paragraph 10)
Few readers will analyze the mentioned verses. If they did, they would discover that those who “will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction” (verse 9) are not “outright opposers” but “those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” When we understand that those who will “undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction” are ignorant people who do not know God, then we understand that the readers are hoodwinked!
Part IV demonstrates that the words that are translated «everlasting destruction» (olethros aiōnion), linguistically speaking, do not have the meaning “everlasting annihilation.” Christians who know God are certain that God will not annihilate humans forever who are ignorant and who have not had the possibility of choosing to serve God.
The second trickery: The claim of ignorance of issues where the Bible give clear information:
8 What about those who may not have a chance to hear the good news before the great tribulation strikes? … That said, we must acknowledge that Jehovah has not yet revealed to us what he will do in answer to this question. (paragraph 8)
15 It is also reasonable to conclude that a person’s eternal future does not depend on where he happens to live. It is unthinkable that Jehovah would automatically label as “goats” millions of people who live in lands where they never had an opportunity to respond to the Kingdom message. (paragraph 15)
The two quotations say that the members of the Governing Body do not know the eternal destiny of persons who have not had a chance to hear the good news. However, they interpret the words of 2 Thessalonians 1:9 “These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction,” to mean that the mentioned people will not get a resurrection. And as shown above, these people are “those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” This means that in paragraphs 8 and 15 they say that they do not know the eternal destiny of those who do not know God, and in paragraph 10 they, in reality, say that they who do not know God will be everlastingly annihilated.
The third trickery: The creation of a third group in addition to the sheep and the goats.
Those who have not had the opportunity to hear the good news have not supported Christ’s brothers. By saying that they do not know the destiny of those who have not heard the good news, the members of the Governing Body open for the possibility that there is a third group when the great tribulation comes. The groups are: 1) Those who have supported Christ’s brothers and who are “sheep,” 2) Those who are outright opposers who have not supported Christ’s brothers and who are “goats,” and 3) those who have not heard the good news and therefore have not supported Christ’s brothers, who are not necessarily goats, but whose destiny is unknown.
The problem for the members of the Governing Body is that the illustration of the sheep and the goats only shows two groups, sheep and goats. And the illustration is clear. All who do not support Christ’s brothers are “goats.” By saying that “It is unthinkable that Jehovah would automatically label as ‘goats’ millions of people who live in lands where they never had an opportunity to respond to the Kingdom message,” they contradict the illustration.
Creating this third group is the same as putting wool over the eyes of the readers. The sense of righteousness of most people tells them that the belief of the members of the Governing Body that 8 billion+ people, most of whom have not heard the good news, will be everlastingly annihilated, is completely wrong. In order to hide this horrendous teaching, the members of the Governing Body plead ignorance: We do not know what will happen to those who have not heard the good news.
Most of the 8 billion+ people who live when the great tribulation starts have not supported Christ’s brothers. That does not mean that I advocate that 8 billion+ humans will be everlastingly destroyed in the great tribulation. I show in Part III that the illustration of the sheep and the goats can only be applied to the Christian congregations where Christ’s brothers are. And the “goats” are members of these congregations who refuse to support Christ’s brothers and therefore have sinned against the holy spirit. These persons will be everlastingly annihilated, and not the billions of the people of the world.
| The articles in the Watchtower of May 2024 use different kinds of trickery to lead the readers to believe that the members of the Governing Body do not believe that 8 billion+ people will be everlastingly annihilated in the great tribulation. But this is exactly what they believe! |
DIVERTING MANEUVERS IN CONNECTION WITH DEAD PEOPLE
Previously, I quoted from an article in the Watchtower of January 15, 1960, page 54, saying that those who died in the flood in Noah’s days and when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed will never get a resurrection. This violates the sense of justice of many because we know that these people did not have the opportunity to serve Jehovah. In the Watchtower of May 2024, a new interpretation was presented, evidently with the motive of sugarcoating the viewpoints of the Governing Body.
The Watchtower of May 2024, page 3 says:
5 In the past, our publications have considered the question of what happens to those whom Jehovah judges as unrighteous. We have said that for such individuals as those in Sodom and Gomorrah, there is no hope of a future resurrection. But further prayerful study has raised the question, Can we really say that with certainty?
6 Consider a number of related questions. Several Bible accounts describe Jehovah’s judgments against unrighteous people, such as the unknown numbers who died in the Flood or the seven nations in the Promised Land that Jehovah ordered his people to devote to destruction or the 185,000 Assyrian soldiers slain by an angel of Jehovah in a single night. (Gen. 7:23; Deut. 7:1-3;Isa. 37:36, 37) In these cases, does the Bible give us enough information to determine that Jehovah sentenced all those individuals to eternal destruction, with no hope of a resurrection? No, it does not. Why can we say that? (The word “eternal” is in bold letters in the original.)
7 We do not know how Jehovah judged each individual; nor do we know whether those who were killed had an opportunity to learn about Jehovah and to repent. In regard to the time of the Flood, the Bible does say that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 2:5) But it does not say that while he was building a colossal ark, he was also attempting to reach every individual on earth who would face destruction in the Deluge. Similarly, in the case of the nations of Canaan, we do not know if all those wicked people had an opportunity to learn about Jehovah and change their ways. (The word “not” is in bold letters in the original.)
8 What of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? A righteous man named Lot lived in their midst. But do we know that Lot preached to all of them? No. They were certainly wicked, but did they all know any better? Recall that a crowd of men in that city sought to rape Lot’s guests. The Bible says that the mob ranged “from boy to old man.” (Gen. 19:4; 2 Pet. 2:7) Do we really know that the merciful God, Jehovah, condemned each one to death with no hope of a resurrection? Jehovah assured Abraham that there were not even ten righteous men in that city. (Gen. 18:32) So they were unrighteous, and Jehovah justly held them accountable for their actions. Can we say for certain, then, that none of them will rise in the “resurrection of . . . the unrighteous”? No, we cannot say for sure! (The word “none” is in bold letters in the original.)
These quotations show how far away the present members of the Governing Body have departed from The Divine Plan of the Ages. Contrary to what they say in the quotations above, God has given us enough information about who will be resurrected, as I have shown in Part I. Jesus said, according to John 5:28, 29, that all who were in the memorial tombs will get a resurrection. And Paul says, according 1 Corinthians 15:22, that all who die in Adam, will get a resurrection. This includes all who died in the great flood and in Sodom and Gomorrah, not possibly some of them. In addition, Revelation 20:13 says that the sea gave up the dead, which includes those who died in the great flood.
These quotations also show that the members of the Governing Body do not believe in texts in the Christian Greek Scriptures that contradict their own beliefs. The members of the Governing Body have claimed ignorance regarding issues where the Christian Greek Scriptures have given clear answers in order to cover their tracks.
Bible students believed the expressions in the Bible, which show that imperfect humans with inherited sin do not have the capacity to make a fair decision in connection with serving Jehovah or not. This is prevented by their inherited sin. The ransom sacrifice guarantees that every human who dies because of Adam’s sin will receive a resurrection during the thousand years, to be perfect and free from inherited sin. At that time, each one will have the same capacity as Adam to make a fair decision of serving Jehovah or not.
The words in paragraph 7 (in green) illustrate how far the present members have deviated from the truth. They believe that if Noah preached to a person who did not accept the message, that person will not receive a resurrection.
It is simply ridiculous to claim that if a person listens to a positive message about God one or a few times and does not accept this message, then his or her eternal fate is sealed. This is particularly so in view of the situation with the cities of Corazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida. On many different occasions, Jesus preached to the inhabitants of these cities, and he performed many miracles there. Yet, the inhabitants spoke against him and did not accept his message. But Jesus said that the inhabitants of these cities will get a resurrection on Judgment Day (the thousand-year reign of Jesus). We read in Matthew 11:21-24:
21 “Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon that took place in YOU, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Consequently I say to YOU, It will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for YOU. 23And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Haʹdes you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day. 24 Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom on Judgment Day than for you.”
The conclusion to this section is that the new views of the members of the Governing Body regarding the possible resurrection of some who died in the great flood and when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed were made in order to sugarcoat their false view that so many billions of Adam’s descendants will be everlastingly annihilated.
THE REAL BELIEF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY REGARDING THE RESURRECTION
The members of the Governing Body, in spite of their attempts to hide what they really believe, have shown that they believe that a great part of the approximately 30 billion people who have lived on the earth will be everlastingly annihilated. This includes billions who have never had the opportunity to respond to the good news. Let us examine the situation that will lead to the great tribulation.
Today, there are 8 billion inhabitants on the earth. Of these, there are 2 billion children below 14 years and 800 million persons with mental health disorders. These constitute 35% of the world population, and most of them neither have had the chance nor the capacity to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice.
When we examine the report of Jehovah’s Witnesses, we see that there are relatively few preachers in India, with a population of 1.4 billion, and in China, also with a population of 1.4 billion. In Asia, there are 4.6 billion inhabitants, most of whom have not heard the good news of the kingdom. If we add to this number the 1 billion children and 400 million persons with mental health disorders from other parts of the earth, we get the number of 6,0 billion. This is 75% of the world’s population, and most of them have not had the chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice or to be acquainted with the brothers of Jesus.
In Europe, Australia, and America, there has been much preaching of the Kingdom. How will the situation develop toward the great tribulation? The world population increases by 140 million persons each year, and Jehovah’s Witnesses increase by about 300,000 persons. This means that the ratio between the Witnesses and the world population increases each year. Therefore, the number of those who today have not had the chance to be acquainted with the brothers of Jesus will increase each year until the great tribulation comes because the ratio between the preachers of the Kingdom and the world population will all the time increase.
Thus, more than 6 billion (75%) of the humans who live on the earth when the great tribulation comes will be ignorant regarding the ransom sacrifice and the way to get everlasting life, and they will not know anything about the brothers of Jesus. Of the other 2 billion+ who are living, only a small fraction will survive, according to the members of the Governing Body. This means that 8 billion+ will die in the great tribulation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a tiny fraction of the world’s population. The members of the Governing Body apply the illustration of the sheep and the goats to the world population, and because the requirement to survive the great tribulation is to support the brothers of Jesus, this means that the present members of the Governing Body believe that 8 billion+ people will be everlastingly annihilated in the great tribulation
Regarding people who have lived in the past, the members of the Governing Body claim ignorance as to the destiny of dead people. But the belief that the eternal destiny of humans will be decided of what they do as imperfect sinners, and because they dispute that the ransom sacrifice guarantees a resurrection for all who die because of Adam’s sin, we must conclude that the members of the Governing Body believe that the major part of Adam’s descendants will be everlastingly annihilated.
THE NEED FOR CHANGES IN THE BASIC SYSTEMIC ERROR OF THE BELIEF SYSTEM OF THE GOVERNING BODY
More than 90% of the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses are directly based on the Bible. Something similar is not found in any other religious denomination. However, in one area, there are not only minor errors, but there is a malfunction in the entire system. This is in connection with the ransom sacrifice of Jesus and the way Jehovah views those humans that he has created. The members of the Governing Body have a perverted view on this. Therefore, there is a need for real changes in the basic systemic error in the belief system of the Governing Body.
Jehovah God created two humans, and his purpose was that they should have children, who would have children, who would fill the earthly paradise with perfect humans. Satan’s rebellion thwarted God’s purpose for a time. But his purpose will be fulfilled.
The present members of the Governing Body fail to understand that God’s purpose is that all Adam’s descendants, except a few who are wicked and who have chosen to follow Satan and have sinned against the holy spirit, will get a personal chance to live forever in the earthly paradise. The members of the Governing Body believe that only a few of Adam’s descendants will get the chance to live in the earthly paradise.
Jehovah’s actions in connection with the fulfillment of his purpose are simple. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. He died, and with his death, he purchased all Adam’s descendants. The ransom sacrifice of Jesus guarantees that all Adam’s descendants, whom he bought, will get a resurrection during his thousand-year reign. The ransom sacrifice further guarantees that the inherited sin of each resurrected person will gradually be removed during the thousand years.
At the end of the thousand years, the ransom sacrifice has completely fulfilled its purpose. All humans on the earth are perfect without sin, just like Adam was when he was created. Now all the perfect humans will get Adam’s chance! As a result of the final test, each one will decide if they will serve Jehovah and receive everlasting life.
| The ransom sacrifice cannot give everlasting life to anyone. But this sacrifice gives each one life through a resurrection, and it removes the sin each one has inherited from Adam. This means that the ransom sacrifice is a complete removal of Adam’s sin and a complete restoration of the perfect human nature of each one.
This gives each human the chance to choose to serve Jehovah with everlasting life in view. |
The most important point in connection with the application of the ransom sacrifice is that the eternal destiny of all who are bought by Jesus will not be decided by the actions of anyone when they are imperfect humans with inherited sin. The eternal destiny of each human will be decided by God at the final test after the thousand years.
There are two exceptions, though. God has decided that 144,000 humans shall be declared righteous because of the ransom sacrifice. They will then be baptized with holy spirit and become new creations. When they sacrifice their lives, they will get a heavenly resurrection and reign with Jesus Christ for a thousand years. Their heavenly resurrection will occur before the start of the thousand years. Therefore, God will decide their eternal destiny while they are imperfect humans with inherited sin.
The other exception is those who sin against the holy spirit. These are persons whose sins are not caused by temptation and their inherited sin. Their sin is caused by their own wickedness. They are, like all other descendants of Adam, purchased by Jesus. But because there is no sacrifice for sins committed by one’s own wickedness, they will not get a resurrection during the thousand years. Therefore, God will decide their eternal destiny while they are imperfect humans with inherited sin.
C.T. Russell and the Bible Students understood the meaning of the ransom sacrifice and The Divine Plan of the Ages. In 1924, J.F. Rutherford and the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses rejected The Divine Plan of the Ages. And this rejection has now lasted for 101 years.
In order to repair the malfunction of their system of faith, the members of the Governing Body should restore their faith in The Divine Plan of the Ages and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. There are several things presented as The Plan of the Ages about the past that we today will not accept. But I am speaking about the basis of The Divine Plan of the Ages, which is God’s purpose of restoring all things based on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
| The only way to restore the malfunction of the belief system of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to accept The Divine Plan of the Ages regarding the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets.
This means the acceptance of the fact that Jesus bought all Adam’s descendants when he died, and that all who die because of Adam’s sin will get a resurrection with the possibility of choosing to serve Jehovah and get everlasting life. |
[1]. Quoted on July 26, 2025.
[2]. The solution to the conundrum that persons who never have had a chance to worship God will lose their lives forever, is that the illustration of the sheep and the goats does not refer to the inhabitants of the world but to the Christian congregations, where all have the possibility to support the anointed brothers of Jesus. The “goats” are persons who have contact with the Christian congregations, who have rejected the ransom sacrifice, and therefore have sinned against the holy spirit. This will be discussed in detail in Part III of this study.
