Lets see, for witnesses (at least American Witnesses) there have been plenty of signs of the end all throughout the history of the religion. The end was supposed to come in 1914, 1925, 1975, and various other dates. The signs that the end was going to come tomorow have included WW1, WW2, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile crisis, the cold war with the USSR, Vietnam, the first gulf war, and the current war in Iraq. It has also included every single earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and volcanic eruption in the past 120 years. Oh, also disasters like the fall of the stock market, polution, plane crashes, space shuttle explosions, school shootings, AIDS, starving children in third world countries, and terrorist attacks around the world.
Witnesses have always been saying things like, "this world just won't last another 5 or 10 years in this current state without Jehober stepping in to take care of things." Just wait another 5 years, it's soooo close. Five years comes and things are pretty much the same, repeat the process, "ohhh, this world just can't last another 5 years," just wait, and wait, and wait, and listen to the same mindless drivle coming from the crotchety old men in Brooklyn.
My mom tells me all the time that the end is right around the corner, always a new earthquake, or hurricane, or a new outbreak of disease, another war, immorality, murder, whatever. Hell, maybe Armegedon already happened and we just didn't notice and now we're all living in Paradise.
