Jehovah Witnesses: Please explain why the WTS passed the FALSE PROPHESY TEST?

Question

1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 (MAJOR) and 1994, were all dates that the Watchtower Society (WTS) and its members predicted the world would end. These dates were significant, as many unsuspecting members sold their homes, dropped out of college and didn' t have children, because they thought the end was coming. This information, JWs say, were given to them directly from GOD. This is "The Truth" they say. But Armadgeddon never happened. So, these are false prophesies (which is much different from simply interpretating the Bible differently).

The WTS says: THIS INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THEM DIRECTLY FROM GOD. THEY SAY, THAT THE WTS IS GOD'S ONLY CHANNEL TO PUBLISH TRUTH!

So, did GOD lie about these dates??? Did God change his mind? Which is it???

God's word is PERFECT. He warns us of false prophets. Why should this be any different???

What is the purpose of the test, of a false Prophet, if not to identify a false Prophet when what they predict DOESN'T HAPPEN?

INSIGHT: You are wrong. JWs have always claimed to be prophets of their Jehovah God:

READ:

Watchtower 4/1/1972 p197:

However, Jehovah did not let the people of Christendom, as led by the clergy, go without being warned that the League was a counterfeit substitute for the real kingdom of God. He had a “prophet” to warn them. This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. They are still proclaiming a warning, and have been joined and assisted in their commissioned work by hundreds of thousands of persons who have listened to their message with belief.

PAPAVERA: I invite you (although I know that is is against WTS "rules") to please visit: WWW.TOWERWATCH.COM.

This will identify all the Watchtower Magazines (dating back to late 1800's- present) that have stated specific Armageddon dates. But c'mon.... most of this is COMMON KNOWLEDGE, that can be gained by simply Library/Article research. You should read up on your history. But I'm not surprised you don't know this, most JWs are warned to NEVER read "apostate" material or they will be disfellowshipped and will not enter God's Kingdom (you know... typical Cult intimidation tactics). Feel free to email me with your findings. [e-mail].

INSIGHT: I wanted to add one more thing. You disagreed with something, Engage Me said, however you are doing the exact same thing she predicted! Telling us the the JW organization is "refined???" The watchtower lied to millions of people about the end of the world! Thousands of people died believing they were not going to gain access to God's Kingdom and than you changed your doctrine! You call that "refined?????" What a cop out! You should feel embarresed!

Are you saying that your Jehovah allows imperfect, mistake-prone representatives to MAKE FALSE STATEMENTS OVER AND OVER rather than insuring they SPEAK THE TRUTH in the first place?

I'll say this again: GOD'S WORD IS PERFECT AND DOES NOT CHANGE AND IT DOESN'T FLIP FLOP!!!

JOY: You visited the library at YOUR branch office, which contained EVERY SINGLE Watchtower every printed and you expect me to believe that YOU (JOY) read every single watchtower magazine ever printed??? Well I am going to provide VERY SPECIFIC Watchtower magazines, with date and page#s. I challenge you to go and look these all up and reply back to me.

As for everyone else, if you are going to continue to LIE and DENY and COVER-UP what has gone on in your history, than I DO pray you find the "real" Jesus. Lying is a SIN. Or did you know that?

I HAVE KNOWN QUITE A FEW OF 1ST GENERATION JWS WHO HAVE LEFT THE ORG. THEY HAVE SCHOOLED ME ON A LOT ABOUT THIS FAITH .

There are SEVERAL websites devoting to "Survivors" of the Watchtower. Why on earth would anyone have to "survive" their own religious organization?? Look up these websites and read their stories for yourself.

Answer 1

Dear Alysia,

That is an excellent question! I commend you for being a modern day Gideon and knocking down false idols or as View from a Horse would say "Wrong Towers"!

I have several relatives who are Watchtower Witnesses and through the years they have tried exerting a lot of pressure on me to join them. I listened at times but I knew even before I read the Bible from cover to cover in 1992 that something just was not right about what they were saying,either in person or in their abundant literature.

In the fall of 1996 one jw cousin sent me a copy of the NWT but I did not want to add it to my many Bibles. I prayed about it and my heavenly Father told me to look at it when I was checking verses in various translations. When I did the Holy Spirit showed me numerous distortions of the Word.

I even at one point prayed "God, either I can be closer to the Truth or they can be closer to the Truth, but we can't both be equally close. Therefore You will have to make it clear. If I am closer then please help me to share the Truth with them. If they are closer then you'll have to drastically change me."

God answered my prayer by showing me Deuteronomy 18:20-22. He reminded me of my own mother's prophecy of Armageddon taking place on February 3, 1962 which did NOT happen. He also brought many Watchtower published dates for Armageddon which also did NOT happen.

Lately I've found that jws know all of those dates so I don't have to memorize them. They list them and shrug it off saying "People make mistakes. We have the true religion."

At that point I always want to quote Clint Eastwood, "Read my lips." (I've been wondering if he made the comment or somebody else did.) God does NOT make mistakes. He said that if we want to know whether or not someone is speaking His Word we just have to look at what they say. If they prophesy something which does NOT happen then we are not to listen to them.

They fail the test no matter what good things they might do in general. They are not 100% bad but as Watchtower Witnesses they are children of the father of lies. They can only be saved by leaving it and coming to Jesus in repentance.

In case you were wondering, the cousin who gave me the NWT left the organization in 2002 and told me I should throw it in the trash. So I'm praying that the rest of my relatives and jws everywhere will follow her lead.

For His glory.

Edit: I just re-read your question. They DID NOT pass. One of your answerers said that jws never "prophesied". They may not have used that word, however, by saying Armageddon was going to happen on a particular day (many times over) they were indeed prophesying.

Edit 2: Ishvarlen, my comments are based on reading the Bible from cover-to-cover, listening to the Holy Spirit, from reading Watchtower material and from Watchtower Witnesses themselves.

Answer 2

Wow. Not sure who told you this stuff but it is WAY off. I remember one of my Mom's favorite stories is how before 1975 people, Witness and non, would ask her if she was excited about the end of this system. She said she always chuckled since nowhere in the Bible or any of the magazines was this written. People jump to conclusions. I actually have enjoyed reading some volumes of the Watchtower from before 1975, strange how they dont say, The world will end in 1975. Have we, like the disciples who were with Jesus, made errors in our understanding of scripture??? Sure, or we would NEVER have celebrated Christmas. What is the point of studying if not to learn.

Answer 3

Yes, this is exactly what I have told many JWs, but they cannot seem to answer. They will usually just go around the question, by posting Bible Verses, that really don't answer the question. These are dates that they would like us to forget about. They may come back and say that they "found new light" which is obviously, clearly an easy way out.

Read this clip from an Ex-Member:
They represent themselves as prophets, dont they? They speak in the name of Jehovah. They set dates. They claim the dates are "gods' dates", they declare they are the mouthpiece of God. They claim the Watchtower is edited by Jehovah. They require you regard them as the faithful and discreet slave who gives food at the proper time. If you disagree with their opinion you are disfellowshipped. So, how does this in any way differ from being a prophet?"

Answer 4

First some of those dates are wrong.
Second Jehovah's witnesses do know about this and admit to having made mistakes in the past that go beyond what you just mentioned.

However, what "engage me" wrote is incorrect. Jehovah's witnesses don't claim to be prophets or infallible or that the watchtower is always right and the mouth piece of God.

Daniel 12:9
"9 And he went on to say: “Go, Daniel, because the words are made secret and sealed up until the time of [the] end. 10 Many will cleanse themselves and whiten themselves and will be refined. And the wicked ones will certainly act wickedly, and no wicked ones at all will understand; but the ones having insight will understand.

As Jehovah's witnesses have studied they have developed a greater understanding of the scriptures.This is why they originally took part in pagan celebrations and smoked, but also recognized they were wrong for having done so.Jehovah's witnesses have been "refined" and continue to be.

Jehovah's witnesses have never made predictions in the name of Jehovah.
The Watchtower it self has said they don't tell prophecies and that there writings aren't inspired in the same way as those of the biblical writers.

Here's the text some of you were waiting for.
Proverbs 4:18
"But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established."

In the same way the understanding of Jehovah's witnesses is increasing.


UPDATE:

to shjOlds_…

They never said that the world was going to end then and definitely not that the bible said that. Instead according to the calculations of some that was the year wear humanity turned 6,000 yrs old. For that reason many believed that the end could happen then.

Update:
Allysia
This is probably the last update I'll do since I don't think you want an actual answer.
When the Watchtower refers to themselves as prophets there referring to the fact that they just like the biblical prophets of the past warn people about what God has decided based on what the bible says. I do in fact have access to the article you mentioned among others were the Watchtower states there not prophets, but due to copyright laws there not allowed to be posted on the internet.
For that reason anybody wishing to learn more is better off visiting the official site or going to there local Kingdom Hall.

Answer 5

I'm really tired of the people that are lying and trying to "cover up" the history of the WTS. It is common knowledge that they have predicted the end of the world SEVERAL times! Any library, website, news article, book, website and most important, EX- JW can confirm this for you! Why are you trying to pretend it didn't happen??? Do your history and research and you will see! I think the problem is, they are "not allowed" to research these things. It's ironic they want us to question our faith, but when they are asked to do the same, they won't!

I'm so happy to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and not have to answer to some 12 men in Brooklyn (the leaders of the Watchtower), who try and speak for God! No one comes to the father, except through Jesus Christ himself! I feel sorry that JWs can't see God's Grace and understand this.

Answer 6

Jehovah's witnesses are not the kind of prophets that receive direct revelations from God like Daniel and others were. We can only repeat prophecies that are already there. There have been expectations that were not prophesies at all, and they said so.

The year 1975 was the 6000th year of human history according to the best calculations from the Bible, and so many expected that this was a good time for Jesus to return to judge humanity as he said he would in Matthew 25:31-33

But Jehovah's witnesses did not have the authority to tell Jesus what to do and when to do it, and he said that no one knows the day or hour. This statement in Matthew 24:36, was stated repeatedly throughout the years before 1975 in the literature, and other similar quotations from God's word the Bible..

Even the expectation that 1914 might bring the end was not a prediction. All the scriptures showed is that 1914 was going to bring to an end the Gentile Times. Luke 21:24 The brothers then did not know what that would mean, but many hoped that it would mean that the end was coming. It did not come then, but the time of troubles prophesied by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24, Mark, 13 and Luke 21 was fulfilled beginning at that time. THESE DID COME TRUE, AND ARE COMING TRUE.

So since the expectation for 1975 was not a prediction, Jehovah;s witnesses would still not have any new or old ones anytime.

However, it is important that we who believe in the words of Jesus Christ will not deny that what he said, that he is coming and will not delay, is the absolute truth. If anyone who believes in Jesus denies that they are putting themselves in the position of the evil slave, which Jesus described in this way:

Matthew 24:48-51
48 “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.

My brothers commented on Peter's God-inspired prediction:

The apostle Peter accurately pointed out: “In the last days ridiculers will come with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: ‘Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as they were from creation’s beginning.’” (2 Pet. 3:3, 4) What might explain why some people react this way? It seems that the more familiar a situation is, the less people are inclined to pay attention to it. A steady decline in the morality of society in general may seem less shocking than a sudden, unexpected change in the behavior of a close acquaintance. Nevertheless, this gradual decay of morality is dangerous.

Notice two things -- this prediction, inspired of God, is finding its fulfillment in our day, which shows that God will provide accurate predictions to those whom he chooses.

Secondly, expectations are not the same as inspired predictions. The apostles expected things that did not happen, not because God gave them a misunderstanding, but because they wanted the fulfillment to happen when they wanted it. But God still worked with them,, and corrected them, and gave them more inspired prophecies that came true then and are coming true now.

He does the same thing today with his servants, Jehovah's witnesses, who are willing to study his word diligently and proclaim it to all kinds of people all over the world.

Matthew 24:14
And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Answer 7

The very best "apostate" literature around is the Watchtower Society's own stuff.
They try to keep the rank and file in line by telling them that "some" took it upon themselves to jump to conclusions. Ha! They wrote it. Their leaders could be publicly quoted regarding very specific dates. And they left the paper trail behind.

Answer 8

The only people who think JW's have not been proven False Prophets, are JW's. It is clear they meet all the criteria of False Prophets.

Answer 9

I've been one of Jehovah's Witnesses my entire life, and I don't recall ever hearing that we "predicted" the end would come in 1994. (I was born in 1987, so as for the other dates I can't, in fairness, comment on them.) Jehovah God is incapable of lying. (Hebrews 6:18) We believe exactly what the Bible says about the arrival Armageddon. It will come "as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:2,3) No one knows when that time is except for Jehovah God Himself. The Scriptures say that even Jesus doesn't know the specific time and date. (Mark 13:32) However, we DO know that we are living in what the Bible calls "the last days." (Most people agree with this fact.) How do we know? There's a sort of "checklist", if you will, at 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Between dates offered in the Bible and a little mathematical skills, we can arrive at 1914 as being the start of these "last days". (Explaining this in the detail it deserves would make my answer much too long. However, if you would like proof I can provide it for you. Just let me know.) In conclusion, we do not prophesy and, therefore, are not prophets. We adhere to Bible principles to the best of our abilities, and continue to share these basic Bible truths with other people. (As Jesus himself did, and as the Bible tells us to do. [Luke 4:43; Matthew 28:19,20] ) Many apologies for the length of my answer, but I would be doing a great injustice to myself and others if I didn't try to clarify any errors concerning my faith.

Best Wishes,
Rachel B

Note: Not to be rude, but if you know so much about us, then why do you not accept that we are in a refining process? You yourself said that "God's Word is perfect." (And it definitely is.) Zechariah 13:9 - "And I shall certainly bring the third [part] through the fire; and I shall actually refine them as in the refining of silver, and examine them as in the examining of gold. It, for its part, will call upon my name, and I, for my part, will answer it. I will say, ‘It is my people,’ and it, in its turn, will say, ‘Jehovah is my God.’” Seeing this for yourself, out of God's own perfect Word, how do you feel about this precious refining that's being done on Jehovah's people?

Answer 10

Several of the dates you mentioned are significant years. I find it interesting that you assume that Jehovah's Witnesses predicted ALL of those dates being the "end of the world." Not true. There really is no point to explaining what each of these dates signified because you don't really care anyway.

There are times when those who have tried to keep God’s judgment time “close in mind” , on more than one occasion throughout history, have become overly eager for that "day’s" arrival. In their own minds they have tried to rush the arrival of God's day. However, when they realize they have made a mistake, they are willing to humbly admit their mistake. This can prove to be a test of loyalty. However, it helps to prove who we worship and who we are loyal to. It is Jehovah, the almighty God, the one who does know the day and hour and who told us through the perfect pages of the Bible that his Day WILL come. Jesus said it will come as a 'thief in the night'. Jesus also gave us signs to look for. They are found in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13. And even though we don't know the day or the hour of Armageddon, at least we, as Jehovah's Witnesses, are keeping this time of judgment in mind, trying to live their lives according to Bible principles, which as you mentioned are perfect. Unlike most of the people throughout the world 'who take no note'. (Matthew 24:36-42)