A little over a year ago, someone came across a typed copy of an "Unspoken Sermon" by J.F. Rutherford which was written as he prepared to go to prison in Atlanta in 1918. It's a fascinating document that was never printed in the Watchtower magazine. I have just come across a printed text of that letter that was printed in a newspaper in 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which substantiates the typed copy of this letter.

But, first, a little background.

Some Witnesses are familiar with the Bible Students' predictions for 1914/1915. They, of course, were not predicting World War I or the Return of Christ. They already believed that Christ had returned in 1874 and that a 40 year harvest would conclude in 1914. The Bible Students believed that Christ had become earth's king in 1878. The end of the Gentile Times in 1914 signified that God's kingdom would be set up in the earth, centered in Jerusalem and would mean the restoration of the Jewish people to Palestine. Armageddon was understood to be a battle between nations and classes and not seen as a war led by God. Instead, the disintegration of the nations would be followed by a new earthly society. The Bible Students, however, would be translated to heaven before Armageddon began. The earthly phase of God's kingdom would be led by the "Ancient Worthies" or the Old Testament "princes." Of course, this whole chronological framework was re-interpreted by Rutherford in the 1920s and 1930s.

Fewer Witnesses are familiar with expectations for the year 1918. Russell mentioned 1918 before he died and the first editions of The Finished Mystery made some very strong predictions for the heavenly glorification of the Church in 1918. With this understanding, the end of the harvest was moved from 1914 to 1918.

Now, of course, as the Watchtower leadership was arrested and sentenced to prison in June of 1918, this seemed to vindicate the idea that the work was over and the harvest of the Church had ended.

Rutherford's letter from Long Island City Jail dated July 3, 1918 shows this. He explicitly says "the work of harvesting the church is done." Of the heavenly kingdom, he says that "We are standing at its very portals now. Let us hold fast a little while, and we shall enter into the presence of our King."

Here are some snippets from Rutherford's letter (as printed in the Labor Tribune on March 27, 1919):

Brother Russell had promised the Seventh Volume. The Scriptures show that it must be published. When without self-seeking, but by the will of God, I was placed in the position of executive of the Society which the Lord had organized for his harvest work, I felt it my sacred duty and privilege from the Lord to see that the Seventh Volume was published. And when the Lord through two of his faithful servants (now my fellow prisoners) produced the manuscript, I felt that he had laid upon me the privilege and duty of seeing that this message went to his people. The book was published at a time of much opposition to the Society and its management. It was born in travail. The adversary has always opposed the progress of the work of the Lord. We are not at all surprised to find the storm raging about, us at the lime. Almost day and night we labored to get the book out and to you. Some of you had the opportunity of helping, and did so with gladness of heart. We give thanks to our Father and our Savior Christ Jesus for the privilege of having a part in publishing this, the last of the series of Studies in the Scriptures, which the people in the centuries to come will read with deep interest add profit and will give God the glory.

Brother Russell’s last expression concerning the harvest, was that, it would end in the spring of 1918. We believed this; and believing it, we felt that the Seventh Volume must go out before the harvest closed. My attention was directed to Jeremiah 51:60-64. I understand it to mean that Volume Seven must go to the people; hence the organization to distribute it and the pushing of the work. You, beloved in the Lord, responded to the call and joyfully went forth as living stones tied to the book, and cast it amongst the people—into the waters of the Euphrates; and it sank down and illustrated how Babylon shall fall. Ten million copies of "Fall of Babylon" you distributed with willing hands. The sole thought in the mind of each of us was to do the will of the Lord of the harvest and finish his work before the night should come on. There never was a thought in our minds of interfering with the Government or of violating any law.

The spring of 1918 came; and the evidences began to increase that the harvest was closing; and the reapers were crying to each other: "Hasten the reaping, we pray." Forgetting your tired, sore feet you hurried on; and the Lord blessed you richly. Are you sorry now that you put forth such an effort? I am persuaded from the letters I have received that you are not sorry, but glad. Rejoice now, Beloved; the work of harvesting the church is done. The dark night, is coming rapidly on, and soon we shall be home. There may be a little more work for the faithful to do in calling the world's attention to the message and in aiding the Elisha class. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and to direct you; and he will do it.

The dark night is at hand; but remember that it is darkest just before dawn of the bright day. Soon the Sun of Righteousness will fully arise with healing in his beams; and if we have proven faithful, we shall experience the sweet promise of our Lord, who said: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the brightness of the sun in. the kingdom of the Father." (Matthew 13:48) Then will the world know us, not as seditionists, but as true patriots; that we are not enemies but friends, anxious to do all for mankind. The Lord has promised that the world shall know who has been born in Zion. (Psalm 87:5) Will you be born there? I hope you will. I hope I shall see you there.

What joy awaits mankind when "the ransomed of the Lord shall return [from death and degradation] and come to Christ, with songs of joy upon their heads!" What joy to have a part in returning and blessing them!

Beloved in the Lord, the history of the ages is behind you; and a sad history it is. The glories of eternity are before you, and its grandeurs are beyond the dreams of man. Long have we hoped and prayed for the coming of God's kingdom of righteousness. We are standing at its very portals now. Let us hold fast a little while, and we shall enter into the presence of our King. Then by his grace we shall see him face to face. Oh, that will be glory for me and for you!

So, if Jesus really did "come to the temple" in the Spring of 1918 what did he find the Bible Students under Judge Rutherford doing? Not only had they made false predictions for the year 1918 and circulated hundreds of thousands of books in anticipation of this non-event, they also believed that the "harvesting of the church" had closed and were waiting in expectation of shortly "entering into the presence" of Jesus.

To me, that sounds like they failed the inspection and it would explain why this text has never (as far as I know) been printed in any Watchtower publication before.

For those interested, a PDF of the printed newspaper text of Rutherford's prison letter dated July 3, 1918 along with a transcript can be downloaded from :

Judge Rutherford Jail 1918 Watchtower Sermon

The file is small, less than 1 MB. Feel free to pass this along to your Jehovah's Witness friends. There isn't a need to confront them on it. Just reading the article may be enough to plant a seed of doubt that might come to fruition someday.

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