The 26 Prophetic Failures of Watchtower’s Most Heralded Date, 1914

by FatFreek 2005 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  FatFreek 2005

  Dreamerdude: I wonder if Russell was so completely deluded that it hastened his death when his prophecy did not come true.

  I wonder that as well. Numerologist that he became, he and others thought they had it all figured with Daniel, Revelation, etc. You could tell by his writing, as 1914 approached, how he had become upset when challenged by certain letters from readers.
  

  Steve2: I recall reading in a Watchtower from the late 1960s about the disappointment then older Witnesses experienced, growing old in this system of things, having expected the end well before then.
  

  On a similar vein, the 1975 yearbook did it for me. There they were beginning to blame the flock for the 1975 fiasco, recollecting the 1925 event fifty years earlier.
  

  Here is where WT published some past recollection -- an obvious inaccuracy -- by one of its devoted members.
  

  " . . . So, as Anna MacDonald recalls: '1925 was a sad year for many brothers. Some of them were stumbled; their hopes were dashed ... Instead of its being considered a 'probability', they read into it that it was a 'certainty', and some prepared for their own loved ones with expectancy of their resurrection." 1975 Yearbook, p. 146.
  

  They couldn’t have solicited a better testimony. Here, the blurred reminiscence of some innocent elderly person would serve their purpose far better than taking a few steps into their vast Bethel library to write down an exact -- yet most important -- honest reference.
  

  Len
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  Finkelstein

  I think its important to point out how much Russell endeared himself to the dispensational era calculations made by Pyramidology, which wasn't his own conceptual idea but he embraced it deeply, well enough to even travel to Egypt himslef to see the Pyramid of Giza .
  

  Let it be understood that proclaiming Christ has returned (1914) and is now establishing his new Kingdom is a big thing within the theological teachings of Christianity.

  What it was was a very capability useful proclamation to make toward the ongoing proliferation of literature and the WTS used it with proficiency to that intent..
  

  Unfortunately it wasn't true, not by obvious reality or accurate and honest bible interpretation.
  
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  ScenicViewer

  ". . . So, as Anna MacDonald recalls: '1925 was a sad year for many brothers. Some of them were stumbled; their hopes were dashed ... Instead of its being considered a 'probability', they read into it that it was a 'certainty', and some prepared for their own loved ones with expectancy of their resurrection." 1975 Yearbook, p. 146.
  
  They couldn’t have solicited a better testimony. Here, the blurred reminiscence of some innocent elderly person would serve their purpose....

  And sometimes it goes beyond the blurred memories of older Witnesses, because often the older ones are simply repeating what other Witnesses have said. Almost never do Witnesses bother to check out what they hear from other Witnesses, which results in repeating lies and misleading information.

  Sadly, modern day Witnesses believe everything they hear the older ones say, figuring 'that person was there and would never lie,' when the reality is the person they are listening to is only repeating something they themselves heard. This goes down as 'solid truth' to the majority of JWs.
  
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  Finkelstein

  The question remains after a 100 years of false teachings and false proclamations concerning Christ's return (1914) and The End Times , This Generation etc.

  Where was god's holy spirit to correct these false teachings, after all the WTS did say it was being selectively guided by god's holy spirit ? .
  
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  smiddy

  I think your post is an incredible coincidence FatFreek2005 I was only thinking of this subject while having an insomnia attack.,I was thinking of starting a post on how many other doctrines will be affected when the 1914 date is finally put to bed.And putting that question to the forum

  And you have answered it with this post with your own investigation .

  Thank you , I will have to spend time going through the points you have made.
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  FatFreek 2005

  Smiddy, that makes the effort all worthwhile. Thanks.

  We are now 102 years north of THE BIG DATE and there's no telling what method the Watchtower will take to spin their way out. However, the Overlapping Generation teaching proves they'll go to any length.
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  kpop

  Thank you so much FatFreak for this work. You are so right that most JWs have no clue about their own history. It makes me sick and very angry. But like I said in my other posts about Islam and other world issues, knowledge is power. We have no more excuses to be ignorant now that we have the internet. Although the internet has lots of false things, fake news, bad opinions and ideas, once you have a grasp to filter out the garbage, you can be the most knowledgeable person on earth. Thank you again for this. I will be sure to pass it on.
  
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  sloppyjoe2

  I don't think 1914 will ever be a problem for the watchtower. They don't need or even use proof to make significant changes. For instance we went from a biblical generation of 80 years will not pass away to the overlapping generation with no scriptural proof, and everyone gobbles it up in excitement. There was an article criticizing opposers who said the FDS will the leaders and not the entire body of anointed remnant. The entire article showed scripture after scripture proving why the FDS was the remaining 144,000. Fast forward a few decades and it's changed to the very thing that opposers said it was with no scriptural proof. Witnesses gobbled it up.

  Results don't really matter to the masses. People like to be preached to, it's what makes them feel good. Witnesses latch onto these changes and flip flops because it's the only changes they actually get to see in their lives. Since the Great Trib never comes and therefor no paradise, the next best things are all the new understandings and books. It brings renewed excitement and joy to their faith as if NOW this new book proves how close we are. Rinse, recycle, repeat.

  So as it pertains to 1914. All they really have to do is say 1914 was actually the beginning of pangs of distress but not the begging of the last days as we once thought. Blah Blah Blah, the last days are either still to start in the future or started on any event they pick, lets pick 9/11/2001 for now. All the witnesses would gobble it up. Of course a few would recognize the absurdity and leave, but not many that it would even matter. When 1994 came and went, the watchtower has not have a down year after. 1914 will just become an important date but likely 1919 will become the important date with the appointment of the FDS. With no real time attached to it, witnesses will go on merrily growing old and waiting.