The most ironic Watchtower quote - proving they are not directed by Jehovah

by jwfacts 30 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    That quote was published in the very same magazine that produced some of the most dogmatic statements about 1975, the 1914 generation, and the nearness of Armageddon.

    "How can we be sure we are living in the period of time called the 'last days'? Aside from chronology, what definite proof is there that this era began in the year 1914? How long a time is covered by it? When will it end? ... This time period has a definite beginning and a definite end. It is similar to the last day of a week, which has a definite beginning at midnight and a definite end twenty-four hours later ... The events that Jesus, the apostle Paul and other Bible writers bring to our attention were all to take place within the same generation [italics theirs]. (Matt. 24:34) These events would identify which generations's lifetime would embrace the 'last days,' much as your fingerprint identifies you. Your fingerprint contains a pattern of marks, or lines, different from what any other person has. Likewise, the 'last days' contain their own pattern of marks, or events, that all come together to form a 'fingerprint' that cannot possibly belong to any other generation. Remember, however, that it is not just one of these events by itself that is crucial, although each is highly significant. All of them must come together in the same generation [italics theirs] ... So do not misread the evidence. It is all there, and it is positively overwhelming, particularly so because the evidence has continued in force for more than half a century now! [italics theirs] ... Is there any indication in God's timetable as to how much time there is left before this system of things comes to its end? ... The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the 'last days' have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God? How can we be so certain of this? ... Jesus was obviously speaking about those who were old enough to witness with understanding [italics theirs] what took place when the 'last days' began. Jesus was saying that some of the persons who were alive at the appearance of the 'sign of the last days' would still be alive when God brought this system to its end. Even if we presume that youngsters 15 years of age would be perceptive enough to realize the import of what happened in 1914, it would still make the youngest of 'this generation' nearly 70 years old today. So the great majority of the generation to which Jesus was referring has already passed away in death. The remaining ones are approaching old age. And remember, Jesus said that the end of this wicked world would come before [italics theirs] that generation passed away in death. This, of itself, tells us that the years left before the foretold end comes cannot be many ... How fitting it would be for God, following this pattern, to end man's misery after six thousand years of human rule and follow it with His glorious Kingdom rule for a thousand years! This Kingdom Christians have prayed for during many centuries. How can it be determined when 6,000 years of human history will end? According to reliable Bible chronology, Adam and Eve were created in 4026 B.C.E. This would leave only seven more years from the autumn of 1968 to complete 6,000 full years of human history. That seven-year period will evidently finish in the autumn of the year 1975... If the 1970s should see intervention by Jehovah God to bring an end to a corrupt world drifting toward ultimate disintegration, that should surely not surprise us..... True, there have been those in times past who predicted an 'end to the world,' even announcing a specific date. Some have gathered groups of people with them and fled to the hills or withdrawn into their homes waiting for the end. Yet, nothing happened. The 'end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing? Missing was the full measure of evidence required in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Missing from such people were God's truths and the evidence that he was guiding and using them. But what about today? Today we have the evidence required, all of it [italics theirs]. And it is overwhelming! All the many, many parts of the great sign of the 'last days' are here, together with the verifying Bible chronology ... Would you still doubt if someone told you that winter was coming very soon? Would you say he was just guessing or merely expressing his own idea? Or would you acknowledge, on the basis of solid evidence, that he knew the facts and was telling you the truth? ... We today have all [italics theirs] the many parts of the sign, nearly forty of them, being fulfilled within the same generation, and we have God's timetable, his 'calendar,' showing that the time has nearly run out for the present unrighteous system of things. This is very different indeed from the situation with theose who proclaimed an 'end to the world' in earlier generations ... The time remaining for a decision is short. The opportunity is still before you, like the open door of the ark built by Noah before the Flood, and like the open gates of Jerusalem when Rome's armies temporarily withdrew. But that door of opportunity will soon close for all time. Prompt action is vital if you would be among the happy survivors of this present system's destruction" (8 October 1968 Awake!, p. 7, 13-14, 23-24, 26).
  • fedorE
    fedorE

    The most agregious quote i know of ..i cant place the WT artice but- c1974,- however,i can paraphrase it......

    "Now is not the time to be toying with the words" concerning that day and hour no one knows..." ............at a time they were expecting an event ..1975.

    i remember reading an article in the awake about prince charles when refering to his future they said he probably will not be king as the end is so close....

    any one recall ?

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    Why do you suppose the CD-ROM for the Watchtower Library goes back to 1950 for the WT magazine
    but only to 1970 for the Awake!? It seems that the famous "Don't go to college" issue was a 1969 Awake
    and this "false prophets" issue is pre-1970. There's quite a bit of stuff in there to condemn them with.

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    How about this one?

    "If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system of things is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: 'This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.'-- Matt. 24:34. Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" (22 May 1969 Awake!, p. 15).

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    OnTheWayOut...There was also this remarkable article from 1966:

    "It is to be carefully noted that the youngest of those who saw with understanding the developing sign of the end of this system of things from its start in 1914 are now well over sixty years of age! In fact, the greater part of the adult generation that experienced the start of the 'last days' has already passed away in death. The generation to which they belonged is now well along toward its complete passing away. The time left, then, is definitely limited, and it is very short. Note, too, that Jesus pointedly said 'this generation will by no means [italics theirs] pass away until all these things occur.' So we should not look for the passing away of all members of that generation. The end of this wicked system of things will come before all members could pass away.... There is another chronological indication that we are rapidly nearing the closing time for this wicked system of things. It is the fact that shortly, according to reliable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will come to an end. The Bible shows that when God began to shape the earth for human habitation, he worked for six 'days,' or time periods. From the indications of God's Word, each was apparently 7,000 years in length. Then, Genesis 2:2 states, Jehovah 'proceeded to rest on the seventh day from all his work that he had made.' This seventh day, God's rest day, has progressed nearly 6,000 years, and there is still the 1,000-year reign of Christ to go before its end (Rev. 20:3, 7) This seventh 1,000-year period of human existence could well be likened to a great sabbath day, pictured by the sabbath day God commanded ancient Israel to keep after working for six days. (Ex. 20:8-10; 2 Pet. 3:8) After six thousand years of toil and bondage to sin, sickness, death and Satan, mankind is due to enjoy a rest and is in dire need of a rest. (Heb. 4:1-11) Hence, the fact that we are nearing the end of the first 6,000 years of man's existence is of great significance. Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. From the most reliable investigations of Bible chronology, harmonizing with many accepted dates of secular history, we find that Adam was created in the autumn of the year 4026 B.C.E. Sometime in that same year Eve could well have been created, directly after which God's rest day commenced. In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of God's rest day come to an end? The year 1975. This is worthy of notice, particularly in view of the fact that the 'last days' began in 1914, and that the physical facts of our day in fulfillment of prophecy mark this as the last generation of this wicked world. So we can expect the immediate future to be filled with thrilling events for those who rest their faith in God and his promises. In means that within relatively few years we will witness the fulfillment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the 'time of the end'.... What cataclysmic times are fast approaching! A climax in man's history is at the door! How vital, then, for each one who loves life to take note of these evidences of history that point to the near end of this wicked system! Of course, as to the precise day and hour of the end, Jesus noted that knowledge of this was in the province of his heavenly Father alone. (Matt. 24:36) But when a brief period of years at the most separates us from the great windup of this old system, the vital thing is to stay spiritually awake.--Luke 21:34-36." (8 October 1966 Awake!, pp. 18-20)
  • steve2
    steve2
    The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the 'last days' have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God?

    Ah, such a lovely promise from the 1968 Awake! article, etched in the language of inspired dogmatism.

    How naive we were to believe it almost 40 years ago (add that to the 54 years); how much wiser we have since become. There's nothing like, ahem, finally growing up!

  • Atlantis
    Atlantis

    1968 October 8, Awake--Is It later Than You Think?--download--12MB--(Searchable--Bookmarked--Reduced) Click the link below and when the next page appears scroll down to the bottom of the page and a small (red arrow) will point to the download link. http://www.sendspace.com/file/32g1jl Cheers! Atlantis-

  • jwfacts
    jwfacts

    Confession, that is a great insight into the JW mind. As you total BS, but I have wondered how a JW could dismiss it.

    Leo, thanks for the other quotes.

    FedorE, that is a great one too.

    Watchtower 1968 August 15 p.494 Why Are You Looking Forward to 1975? "One thing is absolutely certain, Bible chronology reinforced with fulfilled Bible prophecy shows that six thousand years of man’s existence will soon be up, yes, within this generation! (Matt. 24:34) This is, therefore, no time to be indifferent and complacent. This is not the time to be toying with the words of Jesus that “concerning that day and hour nobody knows , neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matt. 24:36) To the contrary, it is a time when one should be keenly aware that the end of this system of things is rapidly coming to its violent end. Make no mistake, it is sufficient that the Father himself knows both the “day and hour”!

    I expect F Franz wrote all these crazy articles. I wonder how he felt after 1975, was he embarassed, or so arrogant to just dismiss it.

  • R6Laser
    R6Laser

    I've brought up these points with family still in and a typical response from them is. "Why are you going so far back to find those quotes, now is different and you won't find anyone mentioning any dates." So no matter what most of them won't even look at this and see it our way.

  • KW13
    KW13
    “True, there have been those in times past who predicted an “end to the world,” even announcing a specific date…. Yet nothing happened. The “end” did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing? … Missing from such people were God's truths and the evidence that he was guiding and using them.” Awake! 1968 Oct. 8 p.23

    it proves they are spineless cowards who manipulate and twist.

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