With all the ridiculous hype amongst the Dubs about how this new tract is going to help bring about "the end", I thought it would be beneficial to highlight how often they've been crying that the sky is falling in the last 1/2 century:
***w50 2/15 p. 54" Stick to Your Work"*** Now is the time to live and work as Christians, especially now, for the final end is near.
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w50 11/1 p.406 New Systems of Things***The fact now that the weeping and gnashing of the teeth of the rejected unworthy ones has begun proves we are near the climax of the dividing work and that the accomplished end is near upon this world***
w51 9/1 p.541 Not Remaining Silent on the World’s Doom*** Accompanying that rule, just as foretold, confusion, disease, wars and distress rip through the ranks of the crumbling old world; its end is near.***
w58 10/15p. 637 Public Address: God’s Kingdom Rules—Is the World’s End Near?*** We know not the day or hour, but the world’s end is near.***
w59 1/1p.8" Stay by These Things"*** and Jehovah’s witnesses, being true to their assignment, have let the world know in all principal languages that God’s kingdom rules and the world’s end is near.***
w59 3/1 p.150 Explaining God’s Signs and Wonders*** our preaching of this message is proof that this world’s end is near. True, this exposes us to persecution, and this persecution will doubtless increase in intensity against all of us when Gog of Magog attacks.***w59 3/15 p.179 Helpers Toward Walking Wisely*** The overshadowing fact of today, that God’s kingdom rules and therefore the old world’s end is near, this fact should dominate our lives.
***w59 4/15 p.239 The Perfect Ruler for Man’s Government*** on Sunday, August 3, 1958, there were 253,922 persons who listened to the hour-long address on the subject "God’s Kingdom Rules—Is the World’s End Near?" The world’s complete end is near, the speaker said.
***w60 6/1 p.324 Is Our Civilization Facing a Fall?*** The increasing disregard for moral standards is a foretold indication that its end is near.
***w63 1/1 p.16 How Strong Is Your Faith?*** The time of the end is near!
***w67 3/1 p.152 Were You Once a Kingdom Publisher?*** It is vitally urgent that you become an active Christian now! Why? Because the time is short. The end is near!
***w70 12/15 p.758 End of Worldwide Witnessing Gets Nearer*** But all evidence is persuasive that the climactic end is near.
***w72 11/1 p.660 Is a Fiery End Really Near?*** So a fiery end is near for Christendom. Her religious organizations will be destroyed.
***w73 12/15 p.739 Earth’s Rulers for a Thousand Years*** But its end is near
***w74 10/15 p.634 Growing in Appreciation for the "Divine Purpose"*** Correct, therefore, was the headline in the Milwaukee Journal, "THE END IS NEAR, WITNESSES SAY." The article noted: "There is a feeling of urgency among the estimated 41,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses meeting at County Stadium through Sunday.
***w83 7/1p.7 A Pleasure-Loving World About to End!*** "The End" Is Near!
***w84 11/15 p.23 "The Time Left Is Reduced" ***Then, too, there has been a dwindling in the number of those of "this generation" of 1914, which is not to pass away before the fulfillment of all that Jesus foretold for our time. (Matthew 24:34) This is another clear indication that this system’s end is near.
***w85 8/1 p.10 True Christians Are Kingdom Preachers*** Today, "the end" is near indeed.
***w87 2/1 p.29 Do You Have an Inquiring Mind?*** Today, world events provide overwhelming evidence that the end is near
***w93 6/1 p.16 BeSound in Mind—The End Is Close*** Thus, when a choice is presented, for example, in education, career, employment, entertainment, recreation, clothing style, or whatever it may be, his first inclination will be to consider the matter from a spiritual rather than a fleshly, selfish viewpoint. This new mental attitude makes it easier to decide matters with soundness of mind and with the awareness that the end is near.
***w95 10/15p.21 How Will You Stand Before the Judgment Seat?***the world’s final end is near
***w96 1/1p.11 Jehovah Gives Peace and Truth in Abundance***As evidence that the pouring out of these plagues continues, the talk "False Religion’s End Is Near" was delivered worldwide on April 23, 1995, followed by the distribution of hundreds of millions of copies of a special issue of KingdomNews.
***w97 3/1p.11 Are You Ready for Jehovah’s Day?***Hence, the end is near for this wicked system of things.
***w98 9/15 p.18 Waiting in"Eager Expectation"*** These anointed ones know that this wicked system’s end is near,
***w00 1/15 p.12 "Keep on the Watch"*** What is one way that we can keep in expectation of the end? It is by paying close attention to the evidence that the end is near.
***w01 2/1 p.19 Are You Living Up to Your Dedication?***Yes, let us not be lukewarm regarding our dedication, but let us be "aglow with the spirit," zealous down to the end—and the end is near
***w03 12/15p.14 Our Watchfulness Takes On Greater Urgency*** We must have firm conviction that "the end of all things has drawn close." (1 Peter 4:7) Only then will our watchfulness take on a sense of urgency. Hence, the question that we must reflect on is: ‘What will help us to strengthen our conviction that the end is near?
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I find the last one quite interesting as it reveals alot about the mindset of the WTS leadership. They clearly are saying that unless the R&F have "the end" constantly waved in their faces, they will not be enthusiastic Christians. Therefore, it makes no difference to the GB if The End is near or not----as long as they give the impression that it's close, then they've achieved their goal; temporarily at least.
I can't even imagine how disappointed and downhearted all the older faithful Dubs are going to be when they realize a year or so down the road, that this "urgent message" inside the tract, didn't do squat to bring about The End.