A New and Gripping Message

In the United States, the Watch Tower Society’s second president had already given his popular talk “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” Now it was Europe’s turn to hear it. On August 12, 1920, Joseph F. Rutherford and some of his fellow workers sailed to England, and while he continued down through part of Europe, the same talk was given in Denmark by A. H. Macmillan.

Brother Macmillan disembarked in Esbjerg on Thursday, October 21, 1920, and that same evening he spoke at the Palace Hotel. Next, the discourse was given in Odense. In Copenhagen the talk was to be given at the Odd Fellows Hall. An hour before the talk was scheduled to begin, people had already gathered outside the hall, and when the doors were flung open, it was filled in just a matter of minutes! Many with cheerful faces lost their smiles when they had to be turned away. The audience, though, was most attentive, and after the meeting about 300 copies of the Millions booklet were distributed.

Response to Macmillan’s Talk

Clearly, there was great interest in this “new” message. Brother Macmillan’s public meetings had attracted more than 5,000 listeners! Some of these became Bible Students and zealous publishers of God’s Word. Thus, sitting in the audience in Esbjerg, were a young couple, Johannes and Thora Dam, members of the Methodist Church. The husband was the church warden, so their living quarters were in the church building. After the talk, they ordered the Millions booklet, and some three months later, a colporteur called on them.

The colporteur stayed with them for some time to instruct them so that they could become well-grounded in their newfound faith. This, of course, did not please the Methodist minister. One day he met the colporteur outside the church and asked: “Who in the world gave you permission to fish in my fish baskets?” The brother quickly replied: “Who gave you permission to put the fish into baskets?”

Johannes Dam had found the true church! A total of 18 Methodists withdrew, and that is how the congregation in Esbjerg got started.

One of those who was turned away because of the crowd at Brother Macmillan’s “Millions” talk in Copenhagen was a young and ardent social democrat, a tobacco worker named Angelo Hansen. Although disappointed at not having heard the lecture, his interest in Bible truth had been aroused. A couple of months later, while unemployed, he went to check in at his labor union office. He met an unemployed colleague who, surprisingly, was a Bible Student. Alas for the church! Soon Angelo Hansen also became a Bible Student.

Rutherford’s Visit in 1922

In 1922, Brother Rutherford again attended a convention in Copenhagen. This time he gave the “Millions” talk in the Odd Fellows Hall​—the same place where Brother Macmillan had given it a year and a half before.

What impression did the talk make? The daily newspaper Politiken wrote on its front page: “Judge Rutherford had success last night in the Concert Hall. Long before he began his talk, every single seat in the large hall was occupied, and new listeners came in droves. Several hundred were turned away. There was no more room.”

That same spring another young man, Hans Christian Johnsen, became interested in the Bible Students. An atheist, outrightly antireligious, he was absorbed in socialistic ideas. A poster with an invitation to the “Millions” talk caught his attention. On his way to the auditorium, he bought a newspaper so he would have something to read in case the talk was boring. He did use his newspaper​—as writing paper, but his hands could not jot down the scriptures fast enough! Since the talk was logical and understandable, his atheism gave way to faith in God. That one talk became several, and in September his wife joined him. It was clear to both of them that the message of the Kingdom should be preached from house to house.

[Picture on page 81]

Handbill announcing Brother Macmillan’s talk. His meetings in 1920 attracted more than 5,000 listeners