1975 - The Killer WT quote

by tim hooper 65 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  wasblind

  The Serpent From Brooklyn

  Genesis 3

  1 The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses prove to be the most convincing of all . So it began to say to the sheep " Is it really so that you will not know the time of the end ?

  2 At this the sheep thought about seein' the end in thier time but remember the words of Jesus that said : " Nobody knows, niether the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father."

  4 At this the Governing Body of Jehovah's witnesses said to the sheep : " You positively will not die " " Before the last members of the generation that was alive in 1914 will have passed off the scene, all things foretold will occur, including the great tribulation in which the present wicked world will end."_____Reasoning book page 97

  6 Consequently the sheep saw good in the prospect of never dyin' and began to spead these lies door to door

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  Gopher

  The JW's never speak of the 6,000 year time period since Adam any more. But it used to be the BIG THING. I remember it quite clearly.
  
  A lot of emphasis and excitement was truly built around the "end of 6000 years". They've dropped that doctrine onto their big stinking, heaping pile of discarded doctrine a.k.a. "old light".
  
  Watchtower defenders to this day will tell you "the Watchtower never explicitly stated that the year 1975 would bring Armageddon". Technically that is true. But the spirit of the times in the organization was very much excitement around that date. They kept bringing up the date over and over starting in 1966. Watchtower doctrinnaire Fred Franz decided to raise the hopes of everyone so as to build excitement and growth into the organization. I have little doubt about his motives in doing this, and the others on the Governing Body assented to it - even printing stuff like posted above by Tim Hooper: in so many words "please disregard Matthew 24:36 and listen to OUR idea".
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  DATA-DOG

  Oh snap, Wasblind!!!

  Jesus also said not to " follow " or "get frightened" at any men claiming to know that the end has approached. The GB basically said that their council superceded that of THE Christ. That is anti-christ. Was it intentional? I wasn't there, and I cannot judge any man. Was it wrong, yes. Was it a prophecy? We know the answer to that.

  MARKED AND BUMPED!!
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  Gopher

  Data Dog -
  
  You asked was their putting their word above the Bible intentional? Franz is dead so he cannot tell us, but judging from their words in the 1968 article in the original post, and especially the phrase "to the contrary" -- it shows they clearly wanted people to follow THEIR interpretation instead of reasoning (which they called "toying") based on Matthew 24:36.
  
  I clearly remember the spirit of urgency about the possibility put before us as JW's that this world wouldn't survive anywhere near to the end of the century. This excitement was at every level (congregation, circuit and district). There was little if anything passed down to us from headquarters or at conventions during those years (1966-1975) to tone down this excitement other than mild / milquetoast non-warnings that "oh we cannot be sure, but the signs seem to indicate this".
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  DesirousOfChange

  marked 1975
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  breakfast of champions

  I think it's obvious who was "toying with the words of Jesus"
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  trackregister99

  Thanks. I get the spanish quote. And I let the english quote also.

  *** w68 8/15 pp. 500-501 par. 35 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”!
  
  *** w69 1/1 págs. 20-21 párr. 35 ¿Por qué está usted a la espera de 1975? ***
  Una cosa es absolutamente cierta: La cronología bíblica reforzada con la profecía bíblica que se ha cumplido muestra que pronto se terminarán seis mil años de la existencia del hombre, ¡sí, dentro de esta generación! (Mat. 24:34) Por lo tanto, éste no es tiempo para ser indiferentes ni para estar serenamente satisfechos. Este no es el tiempo para estar jugando con las palabras de Jesús de que "respecto a aquel día y hora nadie sabe, ni los ángeles de los cielos, ni el Hijo, sino solo el Padre." (Mat. 24:36) Al contrario, es tiempo en que uno debe estar vivamente consciente de que el fin de este sistema de cosas rápidamente está llegando a su fin violento. ¡No se equivoque, basta con que el Padre mismo sepa tanto el 'día como la hora'!
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  ILoveTTATT

  Wow... so the real meaning of the quote is: Don't use Matthew 24:36 as an excuse. We KNOW it's coming.

  Wow... just... wow this site and the insight I get from it never ceases to amaze me.
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  minimus

  True, chronology is no longer a big deal to JWs. Tomorrow, the end could come. That's all JWs know now.
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  whathappened

  I was a young adult and a MS's wife at the time and that's all we talked about was Armageddon coming in '75. Those that deny we preached 1975 are deluding themselves.