1975 AWAKE!!! Predictions

iamwhoiam

Over at the archives..enjoy!

http://archive.org/details/1975PredictionsInAwakeMagazineByJehovahsWitnesses

*click on PDF at the left side of the page

ScenicViewer

Iamwhoiam, thanks for that link.

Those are some pretty amazing forecasts for 1975. I have never seen all of the late 1960's Awake references, and it's an eye-openeer.

I was struck by the quotes that Watchtower used from 'worldly' sources; they were the most dire of doomsday predictions, and the predicted date of 1975 fit in perfectly with the Society's own time calculations.

A sample from Awake! 10-8-1968, page 15,

"One of the greatest problems, beyond man's solving, is the coming food shortage due to the population explosion. In the book Famine-1975! food experts W. and P. Paddock state:

"By 1975 a disaster of unprecedented magnitude will face the world. Famines, greater than any in history, will ravage the undeveloped nations.”

"I forecast a specific date, 1975, when the new crisis will be upon us in all its awesome importance."

"By 1975 civil disorder, anarchy, military dictatorships, runaway inflation, transportation breakdowns and chaotic unrest will be the order of the day in many of the hungry nations.""

Naturally defenders of Watchtower will say 'It wasn't the Organization that said it, it was worldly people.' Yes, but Watchtower jumped on it and quoted it to further it's own ends, since 1975 was the also Socitey's prediction for the end of 6,000 years of human existance.

Looking back on it, I can't believe I fell for this.

It's no wonder the Awake! reprints only go back to 1970!

Finkelstein

Good old fashion fear mongering by a religious publishing house.

smiddy

Why is it that nothing about JW`s comes up when I try to veiw something ?

smiddy

Sorry found it

Disillusioned Lost-Lamb

I have to laugh because I got on this subject with my mother a few months ago. She tried to tell me they never actually said the end was GOING TO COME in 1975, nor did they make any other predictions; yeah she really said that.

I told her I'd drop it if she'd just show me from the old bound volumes she has, and not the CD.

I have yet to get an answer and she now refuses to talk about it.

BURN!!!!!

Splash

Another line of evidence is the book release from the 1968 District Assembly's.

Attendees were told something really BIG was going to happen. It did. It was the release of the book "The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life." It was a very small book and not at all like the typical book released at conventions. It was topically arranged and designed specifically as a teaching book for our Bible studies.

Not that much later an even bigger bombshell was dropped. Publishers were told in no uncertain terms that if our Bible studies had not progressed into going to meetings and going in field service within 6 months after the study was started we were to drop them. What was the reason? "The time is too short for dilly-dallying around." This was unprecedented in WT history.

*** yb 95 p. 225 Mexico ***

The TruthThatLeadstoEternalLife, the book called ‘the blue bomb’ at that time, was published in 1968, and we were encouraged to study it with people in six months. But not everyone took that long. In one case the study was conducted in less than two weeks.

*** g88 9/22 p. 20 The Greater Challenge, the Greater Thrill! ***

It was all part of a special campaign—a six-month free home Bible study course using a little blue book entitled The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life.

*** w78 2/1 p. 10 In Our Portuguese Hamlet — God’s Word Exerts Power ***

We will never forget the excitement when my daughter-in-law, Argentina, came back from Lisbon in October 1969, with the book TheTruthThat Leads to Eternal Life. She was told that whoever accepted this book was entitled to a six-month free study course in the Bible.

*** w69 5/15 p. 320 Announcements ***

Jehovah’s witnesses are keenly interested in helping all persons who wish to get more faith. To do this, they offer a free home Bible-study course of six months, using as an aid for such Bible discussion the book TheTruth That Leads to Eternal Life. They will be using this book during the month of May in their house-to-house ministry

*** w69 5/15 p. 312 Have You Been Studying for Six Months? ***

In view of the short time left in which to do their work, Jehovah’s witnesses do not continue to study the Bible with any who fail to respond to its urgent message within six months. The nearness of this system’s end compels them to use their time in the most effective way possible. So they feel obligated to spend their time calling on someone else who might respond by attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall and by speaking to others about the Bible truths learned. Thus it may be that if you have not as yet responded by even becoming a regular attender at some of the congregation meetings, the one who is studying the Bible with you may cancel that study arrangement in order to give his time to someone else. This arrangement is not meant to be harsh, but the urgency of the times in which we live demands it.

*** w69 6/1 p. 346 They Are Acting on What They Are Learning ***

“SIX months! What if the end of this system comes in three?” This is what a father of four small children in Florida seriously asked when Jehovah’s witnesses told him about their free six-month home Bible-study course. This man’s wife had obtained from them the book TheTruthThat Leads to Eternal Life. Both he and his wife had been up late each night examining its contents.

*** w68 11/1 p. 671 What Did You Get Out of Your “Good News” Assembly? ***

In conclusion it was noted that the big work for 1969 will be with the new book, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. The speaker said: “The time is short. It is important for us to conduct Bible studies to help people flee from Babylon the Great and for us to do personal study. Do not let it be crowded out of your life. The convention has illustrated how you should walk. Be of good courage and press on, making the days ahead days of praise to Jehovah’s name. In the words of Jesus, ‘Raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.’”

Splash

If the End was not expected in 1975, why then did they publish the book; "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached," in 1973? :

*** ka 44 3 Enjoying the Visionary Preview of the Thousand Years ***

41 According to the Bible’s timetable, the beginning of the seventh millennium of mankind’s existence on earth is near at hand, within this generation. The world events immediately ahead of this are about to take place, and mankind’s great adversary and oppressor will be sealed up in the abyss for ten centuries of time. The royal rule of Christ and his resurrected congregation for a thousand years of peace and blessing to the human family is before us with all its glorious possibilities! A “great crowd” of dedicated Bible believers who are now putting their hopes in the millennial reign of Christ have divine assurance of being preserved from death and being ushered into that brightest period of all human history. What a blessed prospect for them!

Although it does not give a date as other publications do, a simple look at the table of contents shows the books real purpose. The entire book is talking about the thousand year reign, as they know it. So, why would they be so urgently releasing this book in 1973, if not to prepare followers for 1975?

Splash

Time magazine, reporting in July 1969 on a District Convention said:

"If this turns out to be the last time they all got together, the thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses who gathered last week in New York City's Yankee Stadium for an international assembly will not be a bit surprised. In fact, they fully expect the cataclysm of Armageddon within the next few years. The latest calculations of this energetic, eschatology-minded sect date the end of the world in autumn, 1975.

Fearful as it may be to other religious believers, the end is a prospect that rejoices the hearts of the 323,688 U.S. members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society..."

The manuscript talk at that July 1969 DC included this statement:

"More recently earnest researchers of the Holy Bible have made a recheck of its chronology. According to their calculations the six millenniums of mankind’s life on earth would end in the mid-seventies. Thus the seventh millennium from man’s creation by Jehovah God would begin within less than ten years."

suavojr

Wow I am marking. Never knew they pushed the blue bomb that much and a 6 month study. I wonder when they will tell us to do the same today?

1975 AWAKE!!! Predictions

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