In a talk I heard recently, the brother was talking about how JWs had certain expectations about the end, acknowledging 1914, 1925, surely before 1935 and 1975, then we learned that it's not in our jurisdiction to know Jehovah's timetable. Then he said, some say that because we made those mistakes, some say JWs are false prophets. He said that was "simplistic thinking". Then he said, even the apostles made mistakes about the end. He used the example of when they came and asked Jesus when these things would be and that Jesus said he didn't know, only the Father knows.
Ok. Let's use some critical thinking here. Let's compare apples to apples.
Were the apostles predicting the end at some date? No. They asked Jesus when the conclusion of the system of things was going to be. The were NOT predicting a date, nor were they publishing some date to thousands or millions of people
Were JWs predicting the end at some date? Yes. They predicted dates, even to the month (October 1914). They published these dates in their publications. They set expectations in talks. Thousands to millions of people heard these dates and acted on them according to what they heard.
Next example. Days after Jesus died and was resurrected, they asked Jesus if he was restoring the kingdom at this time. Jesus said it didn't belong to them to know. (Acts 1:6,7)
Apples to apples comparison again:
Were the apostles predicting the end at some date? No. They may have had the belief that the kingdom would be restored, but instead of predicting, they were ASKING Jesus. Getting the information 'from the horse's mouth', so to speak.
Were JWs predicting the end at some date? Yes. Again, dates were set, published in print and verbally in talks. No one was asking Christ or God. They were incorrectly interpreting scriptures, setting dates, "prophecying" and saying it's as good as done because they were God's mouthpiece.
The brother went on to say that the apostles had wrong expections, but that didn't make them false prophets, so JWs are no more false prophets than they were.
Then, he went on to say that JWs no more try to come up with a formula for trying to pinpoint the end, and that they now serve Jehovah out of love for Him, not because of a date.