Sputnik was linked to Joel's prophesy.
George
What Happened to 2034?
by NotFormer 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Ron.W.
Here's what Ray Franz wrote in his second book:
In a little more than a decade, the only persons born on or before
1914 will be those who are centenarians. As documented in
Crisis of Conscience, despite the confident-sounding statements in
Watch Tower publications, a considerable number of Governing
Body members had long recognized that the traditional teaching
about “this generation” was proving more and more tenuous.
There is no other explanation for the fact that in 1980 the members
of the Chairman’s Committee drew up and presented a document
which, if its reasoning had been accepted, would have placed
the start of “this generation”—not in 1914—but in 1957, when the
Soviet Union launched its first Sputnik!
Finally the teaching became so obviously untenable that a major
change in the definition of “this generation” was made, applying it to
“the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ's presence but fail to
mend their ways.” The time factor thereby virtually disappears!
A similar pattern of shifting definitions can be found in the
Watch Tower publications’ efforts at fixing 1914 as the time when
a unique worldwide “sign” appeared, related to war, famine, earthquake
and pestilence. -
Nikolaus
I would not be surprised if we see the mention of 2034 in the next years.
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NotFormer
Nikolaus, it's such a tempting date! GB members who lived through the excitement of the "Stay alive 'til '75" era must have fond memories of it, how much the R&F were hanging onto every one of Knorr's words. It's still over a decade away, plenty of time to plan an announcement...
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BluesBrother
2034?....That was a nothing. It is only what some people, outside of the Org. as far as I know, tried to read into it. TheWatchtower never said it.
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TonusOH
I don't see what good it would do them now. They know that even mentioning a specific year will only bring them headaches. The changes they are making can only possibly work if they keep things vague. If they push for a specific year, they are back in the crosshairs. And 2034 would be only a few years after the completion of Ramapo, wouldn't it? That would be a bad time to suddenly lose a large number of people due to yet another failed prophecy.
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Nikolaus
It would have a short-term boost. And as the French put it: "aprés moi, le deluge". And they would point to old literature: "Already then, we mentioned the 120 years." But the appointed time had not come, yet.
Let's wait and see. The periods with a focus on a specific year were flourishing times of the Watchtower. And as Hoffer put it in The True Believer, members in generally move together after a failed prophecy.
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wannaexit
I think sometimes watchtowel tests the waters buy putting things out there.
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Beth Sarim
I think the Borg is more than gunshy,,,to be as stupid to put anything in print,,,pinpointing to dates again.