I know everyone has read the older Awake masthead. However, do people really understand how powerful the statement, and why it really is a GAME OVER statement? I have shown this now to my wife, who was a very good JW (full time pioneer), and she immediately stopped even going to meetings. Same with my sister (although she was not a pioneer). My mother won't give me 5 mins to even explain it to her, but my father (who was a PO) is now really shaken...and I believe will end his association within a year or two.
I wonder how many people have really thought about what was said. For a refresher:
"Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away."
Everyone focuses on the last part, but consider the phrase: "Creator's promise". Id love to get the exact number printing of this masthead, but it has to be hundreds and hundreds. To go tell people door-to-door about a promise Jehovah has made to everyone, and then be wrong about it.... frighteningly bad. Unlike so many times the WT has said comments about not being prophets, or speaking in God's name, or the like....this is without a doubt worst than all that would have been. Frankly, even if it had said something like "we prophets come to you with this message", at least the negative effect would be that the WT was a prophet that was wrong. What they actually printed puts it out there like JEHOVAH will be dishonest if the events don’t transpire as stated. (would not want to be in their shoes)
Oh, and the icing - the fact they say "generation that saw the events" does not allow the current explanation of generation to work as defense. This statement makes clear it is the generation that "saw" the events for themselves.
This has been a GAME OVER example to the people I have shown this to so far, and its something fast to get out...unlike other subjects.
Thought I would share...