Here is just another switch in the story by the Watchtower Society. Beth Sarim was a home built at San Diego, California by Judge Rutherford in 1929 to house the “faithful worthies of old”, the faithful saints of the Old Testament upon their resurrection. Today, they claim it was for Rutherford’s private use during his illness:
Built for the “faithful men of old”
At San Diego, California, there is a small piece of land on which, in the year 1929, there was built a house, which is called and known as Beth Sarim. The Hebrew words Beth Sarim mean “House of the Princes”; and the purpose of acquiring that property and building the house was there are those on earth today who fully believe God and Christ Jesus and His kingdom, and who believe that the faithful men of old will soon be resurrected by the Lord, be back on earth and take charge of the visible affairs of earth. The title to Beth-Sarim is vested in the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society in trust to be used by the president of the Society and his assistants for the present, and thereafter to be for ever at the disposal of the aforementioned princes on the earth. (Salvation, WTBTS, 1939 p. 311)
In this expectation the house at San Diego, California, which house has been much publicized with malicious intent by the religious enemy, was built, in 1930, and named “Beth-Sarim”, meaning “House of the Princes”. It is now held in trust for the occupancy of those princes on their return. The most recent facts show that the religionists of this doomed world are gnashing their teeth because of the testimony which that “House of Princes” bears to the new world. To those religionists and their allies the return of those faithful men of old to rule with judgment over the people shall not bring any pleasure. But to the people whom the angels sang about, “men of good-will,” it shall be an occasion for unbounded jubilation, and they shall rally to the side of those princely representatives of the kingdom of Heaven. (The New World, WTBTS, 1942, p. 104-105)
Built for Rutherford
Concerning Beth-Sarim, the book “Salvation,” published in 1939, explains: “The Hebrew words ‘Beth Sarim’ mean ‘House of the Princes’; and the purpose of acquiring that property and building the house was that there might be some tangible proof that there are those on earth today who fully believe God and Christ Jesus and in His kingdom, and who believe that the faithful men of old will soon be resurrected by the Lord, be back on earth, and take charge of the visible affairs of earth.” A few years after Brother Rutherford’s death, the board of directors of the Watch Tower Society decided to sell Beth-Sarim. Why? “The Watchtower” of December 15, 1947, explained: “It had fully served its purpose and was now only serving as a monument quite expensive to keep; our faith in the return of the men of old time whom the King Christ Jesus will make princes in ALL the earth (not merely in California) is based, not upon that house Beth-Sarim, but upon God’s Word of promise.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses — Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, WTBTS, 1993, p. 89)
In time, a direct contribution was made for the purpose of constructing a house in San Diego for Brother Rutherford’s use. It was not built at the expense of the Watch Tower Society. Concerning this property, the 1939 book Salvation stated: “At San Diego, California, there is a small piece of land, on which, in the year 1929, there was built a house, which is called and known as Beth-Sarim.” (Yearbook, WTBTS, 1975, p. 194)
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