Question for the JW's?

Question

Why didn't the end times predictions (1914,1925,1944,1975) pan out? Any new predictions? How did Russell come up with those numbers? Did he just throw the dice?

Answer 1

Your 3rd Q was recently answered here. Check "How did C T Russell come up with the date 1914 for the end of the world?" He didn't just throw a dice - there were some seriously amazing chronological concoctions involved (Q 4).

Now, Q1: Those 4 dates didn't pan out because they were miscalculations based upon misinterpretations of scripture. Well, nobody's perfect and if something is important it's worth persevering till you get it right. Right? Wrong. But try reminding the JWs that Jesus warned "No man knows the day or the hour..." and they will insist they agree with that, and they don't try to work the date of Armageddon out. Wonderful.

Those 4 dates were published by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society in their official publications as articles of faith, to be believed by all JWs, and declared to the world as a warning. For any JW today to insist those beliefs weren't official teaching is unbelievable. The Society's first two Presidents wrote extensively about 1874, 1914 & 1925, recruiting hundreds of thousands of converts on the basis of their predictions about those dates. My parents became JWs in 1934 and they expected Armageddon in 1944 and then in 1975. They were so convinced about 1944 they put off having more children until 1945. Thank God they were still (just) old enough to have children, otherwise I would never have been born. I noticed they were less enthusiastic about 1975 expectations than younger JWs. Now I understand why. Well, they are dead and the third generation of JWs from them is in place, insisting Armageddon could errupt tomorrow. Well, so it could. But not because the WTB&T Soc says so!

Now, Q2: A subtle hint has been dropped by the WTB&T Soc about 2034. No prediction has been made (yet) but the seed has been sown. Check the 15 December 2003 Watchtower magazine, page 15. The fact that there were 120 years from the first warning of the Noachian flood till the destruction of that flood is taken to imply that 120 years might elapse from 1914 to Armageddon = 2034. Well, it might. And then again, it might not. Meantime 3 generations of JWs hang on in there, desperately hoping. Pray for them, please.

Answer 2

Once again, Sasi has done her homework, and demonstrates that she is a credible voice. If only the JW's on here would be as earnest in checking their statements against documented facts. Instead, so many just repeat what they heard, or what they read in the recent past. The problem with that is that the constant revisions of history and prediction and 'hints' from the WrongTower leaves all recent converts ignorant of past errors and excited about the new 'suggestions.'

Most JW's will repeat the oft-recited words, "The light gets brighter and brighter." The thing is - and I use to repeat that same mantra over and over - just repeating it doesn't make it true. If you throw the dice often enough, sooner or later you'll get a guess right.

CT Russell wrote as early as 1878 and again in 1890 that the end times had *ALREADY BEGUN* in 1874, and would end in 1914, Armageddon already having happened. That was revised to 1918, and after Russell's death, his successor, JF Rutherford cited 1925 and even firmly said that the 'Worthies of Old' - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be physically resurrected on Earth by that date. He even had a mansion built for them in California called "Beth Sarin," and had it deeded for them. After 1925, it was 1935, then 1944 and 1975. Now there is the 'hint' that 120 years from 1914 would be 2034. But at least this time they're being careful to avoid any outright prediction, just the suggestion.

Sooner or later a date will be right. Let's illustrate it this way: If your stock broker called Stock XYZ a "Strong Buy" six or seven or eight times and you took his advice every time and sunk all your investment into XYZ, how would you feel if, after it failed each and every time, he just said, "Well, prior performance is no guarantee of future performance." Do you think next time he called XYZ a strong buy you'd once again say, "sooner or later he's gotta be right, so I'm gonna go whole hog on it again!"?

... or would you get a new stock broker?

.

Answer 3

All recent converts learn the same thing as the old ones. My mother has original copies of books and magazines dating all the way back to the beginning. When an elderly witness passes away, they pass on their collection to others. You also can find them in any Kingdom Hall.

As for the dates, yes, witnesses have made their mistakes, including celebrating Christmas and sending a delegation to Hitler on behalf of the treatment of the Jews and to ask him not to drive the world into another war.

Unlike other religions, they strived, and continue to strive, to do better, but in thinking about them, consider how the Jews viewed the early Christian Jews. I got this from a Rabbi.

They were started ab an uneducated ex-carpenter of the Jewish Lower Class who was executed for cause by the governing authority. The only thing he knew was what his parents taught him.

He recruited other uneducated, lower class individuals, such as a failed fisherman (Peter) and a hated tax collector (Matthew).

Lacking any formal education, they were easy to manipulate into believing he was the Messiah, something that was impossible, as he did not bring about the destruction (Armageddon) of the enemies of the Truly Blessed People of God, the Israelites, as was prophesied.

After his lawful execution, these clearly brainwashed followers began going door to door telling their brethren that the traditional beliefs, rituals, and observances (holidays), dating back hundreds of years, were no longer valid.

They began creating their one scriptures, to support their false beliefs, instead of relying on the Holy Torah, which had sustained God’s People for hundreds of years.

Finally, there were highly educated individuals, especially in the religious arts, such as Saul of Tarsus, who could clearly prove that they were a false cult, bent on leading God’s People down a false path to destruction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_of_Tarsus

What happened to them, as a result of their false teachings, and their door to door work, was only to be expected of people who have lost their way.

Clearly, what you may or may not think of JWs is reliant on your point of view, just as it was in those first years. Having an advanced education in religion does not mean that you are right, only that you sound that way.

JWs may have come from a simple, and some times, erratic beginnings, but at least they are making a valid effort to do better. You cannot say that for other religions who:

Continue to get involved in politics;

Lie to the IRS about not doing so in order to get their non-profit status;

Avoids paying taxes on retail sales within the church;

Allows immorality to creep into the church;

Immortalizes their founders through the observance of a birthday, death, and/or anniversary of the founding of the church;

Places a pictures of the founders in all their churches, so that all can see and pay obeisance;

Gives tacit approval to the Theory of Evolution; and

Doesn’t teach their followers to preach and teach the Bible, as Christ instructed.

Answer 4

Seems there are no answers for questions that are not in the Watchtower!! I'm still waiting for an answer that explains how exactly Jesus (who has Mary in him) morphed back into Michael the Archangel (who has nothing to do with Mary)!! Does anyone know how this would be possible? Wouldn't that be a significant event recorded in the Bible???

Answer 5

Although to disagree with Mr. PapaBear, I must pay respect to his first part of his answer. Is most respectful of the JehovaWitness to answer and is more to be respect than is the Mr. Achtung person who is anger and disrespect of disagreement.

I must to disagree with parts of Mr. PapaBear but must to say thank you for lack of anger and spit in words of his.

Answer 6

Hi, those dates sadly were thought by SOME ubereager people, some of whom were Witnesses. It was NEVER the position of the WTS, the Bible, or myself that these dates would be the end.

Answer 7

Not a JW but I think that currently they are teaching 2034 as the end.

Answer 8

Because they wanted to be know as prophets of the end times. They are indeed False Prophets of the end timesQ

Answer 9

God says only he knows when it all will start.