Today , as a visiting JW couple was leaving, just inside the front door.
JW: "--well I can just feel it, the end will be soon--"
I: " I wish you would not say that"
Jw: " --dont you believe--"
me: " Did not Jesus say, "at a hour that you do NOT think*--"?"
Jw"-- yeah but--"
I: " by you thinking , saying "soon", are you therefore not putting the end way into the future,-- ?"
case in point I had just shown them my antique tool collection, A wooden plane and a clamp that were old ~ 100 years ago. Proof? they are shown on page 426 of the 'Proclaimers book' " The world has ended. Millions now living will never die " cirka 1918.
WT taught "soon" then too, the end already history (1914), and coming again, soon, 1925.
Wt should be proud of me, I encouraged that believer to not take such a long-term view of the end' by ignoring Jesus*, and I "made good use of Illustrations."
*Math 24:44