Did Jehovah's Witnesses prophesy the end in 1925 AND 1975?

Question

If the organization did not actually prophesy the end in 1925 and 1975, then how come so many Witnesses left the faith immediately afterwards?

"They lost roughly three-quarters of the movement between 1925 and 1928, then suffered huge losses after 1975, when the end didn't come as they had implied over and over again," said Jim Penton, an ex-Witness who writes entries on Jehovah's Witnesses for the Encyclopedia Americana

1922 '1914 ended the Gentile Times...The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures...by then the great crisis will be reached and probably passed' (Watchtower Sept. 1, 1922, p. 262)

1923 '1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures...the Christian has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had (so far as the Scriptures reveal) upon which to base his faith in the coming deluge' (Watchtower April 1, 1923, p. 106)

1923 "Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge." (Watchtower, p. 106, March 1, 1923)

1966 "According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E Six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yea within this generation. The rein of Christ...to run parallel with the 7th millennium ..." (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, 1966, p. 29-30)


1966 "Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. 'The new book compels us to realise that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed,' said a conventioneer." (Watchtower 15/10/1966, p 629)

1968 "Just think, brothers, there are only about ninety months left before 6,000 years of mans existence on earth is completed... The majority of people living today will probably be alive when Armageddon breaks out, and there are no resurrection hopes for those who are destroyed then. So, now more than ever, it is vital not to ignore that spirit of wanting to do more." (Kingdom Ministry, March 1968, p. 4 [note: 1968 + 90 months = 1975])

In 1889, Jehovah's Witness founder C.T. Russell predicted that:

"...the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A.D. 1914."

Hannah J Paul: Those who whip out the "bigot" label on those who question them about their beliefs obviously have something to hide. The sheer arrogance of a person who would come to this area of Yahoo and then become angry that their views are questioned is beyond belief. If you can't reason without excessive anger, then I suggest you might want to find another area of YA to visit.

Hannah J paul: NOTHING I have posted here is made up or concocted. Deal with it!!

Answer 1

I am an ex witness and I have answered this question MORE than a few times. Not only in those years but in MANY,MANY more years and prophecies and other predictions failed to manifest themselves. What do you expect from a cult that is in reality just a MLM multi million dollar publishing company.

Answer 2

I can't speak to 1925 as I'm not that old. I was baptized in 1973 and yet I have no memory of 1975 being prophesied to be the"end."

"then suffered huge losses after 1975, when the end didn't come as...."

Let's see about those huge losses. I have read the claim that over one MILLION left during this time period. What do the numbers show?

The following are taken from the annual report of the January 15th issue of the 'Watchtower' magazine for each year.
These are average numbers not peaks.

1974 1,656,673
1975 2,021,432
an increase of 364,759
1976 2,179,256
an increase of 157,824
1977 2,138,537
a decrease of 40,719
1978 2,117,197
a decrease of 21,340
1979 2,086,698
a decrease of 30,499
or a total decrease of 92558.
Where's the million? These figures don't even reach 100,000.


Something else to consider, we have no way of knowing why these individuals chose to leave.
Did they all leave over an alleged "Prophecy" about 1975? Not likely. Even if they all did so over a misunderstanding of what was said about 1975, who's at fault? Why did they fail to consider the words of Jesus," “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father"?

By 1980 the figure is on the rise at, 2,097,070

Who is Jim Penton and why should I believe him?


"1966 "According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E Six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yea within this generation. The rein of Christ...to run parallel with the 7th millennium ..." (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, 1966, p. 29-30)


1966 "Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. 'The new book compels us to realise that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed,' said a conventioneer." (Watchtower 15/10/1966, p 629)

7 hours ago
1968 "Just think, brothers, there are only about ninety months left before 6,000 years of mans existence on earth is completed... The majority of people living today will probably be alive when Armageddon breaks out, and there are no resurrection hopes for those who are destroyed then. So, now more than ever, it is vital not to ignore that spirit of wanting to do more." (Kingdom Ministry, March 1968, p. 4 [note: 1968 + 90 months = 1975])"


And yet not one of your "quotes" makes the clear statement that it was all going to end in 1975 do they?

Answer 3

The Watch Tower, Bible and Tract Society never published a definite date regarding 1925 or 1975. Unfortunately many did become presumptuous and took it upon themselves to believe the idea that the end was arriving and tell others the same thing, much like the Jews who believed in Jesus thought He came to save them from the Romans and that He would be their King while He was on Earth. However, they were let down by their own expections and many lost faith. Same goes for the Witnesses that allowed their expectations to get the better of them and when they were disappointed they too lost faith. Does this mean that the Witnesses as a whole are presumtuous and lack faith? Not at all, neither were the Jews who became the first followers of Christ.
For anyone who believes to predict the year or day or hour must remember Matt 24:36 "Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father."

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses and 7th Day Adventists both are offshoots of a sect of Christianity that believed it had predicted the exact moment of the end of the world so everyone in the sect sold everything they had, gave it to charity and on the specific day they put on white gowns and went to the mountain to meet God.

Later they came back down, got back into things and started several different churches.

I cannot be sure about the 1925 and 1975 incidents, but, I have heard the same thing several times and I believe it. It would be consistent with the origin of the church.

No one can predict the exact time and date of the end days. Anyone who claims they can is a liar.

Mark 13:32-34 (King James Version)
32But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Answer 5

I can't find it anywhere , but I do remember reading it as one of the mistakes they admit to making. They once hired a person who dabbled in prophecy and he made several of them. I don't know if the Jehovah's Witnesses believed the prophecies or not but they eventually fired the guy and redid their philosophy because of him and that mistake.

As for 1914 , that was the day that satan was cast from heaven unto the earth. Beginning the end of days. It was decided by looking into the bible and carefully translating and calculating dates and scriptures. That is if I remember My teaching right.

Edit:
I found I was misinformed The information is in the link for anyone that wants to read it.

Answer 6

At one time, it was believed that 1914 would be the year when those chosen to rule with Christ in heaven would receive their rewrd. They were wrong. 1975 was never actually said to be the "end" but it was misunderstood by many that way. 1925 was never an issue.

Frankly I'd rather be part of an organization that humbly acknowledges they've made mistakes than one which clearly makes mistakes and never acknowledges them or waits centuries to acknowledge them. Galileo Galilei anyone? Accusations of heresy for saying the sun did not revolve around the earth, house arrest until he died and no apology for 500 years?

Changes in understanding are in keeping with 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.

Answer 7

No, Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended to "prophesy" at all.

Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they are infallible or inspired. Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they experience miraculous messages from God or Christ. For more than a century, Jehovah's Witnesses have always presented their suppositions as the result of sincere bible research, rather than as "predictions" or "prophesying".

Interestingly, however, even those Christians who did enjoy direct communication from heaven at times came to wrong conclusions; these wrong conclusions were even communicated "out among the brothers"!

For example, the apostle Peter enjoyed remarkable privileges in the early congregation, but it seems that he was the source of an incorrect teaching about the apostle John that was not formally corrected until several DECADES had passed, and John himself finally wrote his gospel about 98 C.E.

(John 21:21-23) Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, what will this man do [that is, the apostle John]?” Jesus said to him: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you? You continue following me.” In consequence, this saying went out among the brothers, that [the apostle John] would not die. However, Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?”


Interestingly, Jehovah's Witnesses have always discussed their mistakes candidly. Under the subheading "Correction of Viewpoint Needed", the Awake! magazine of June 22, 1995 made this comment:
[quote]
Bible Students, known since 1931 as Jehovah’s Witnesses, also expected that the year 1925 would see the fulfillment of marvelous Bible prophecies. They surmised that at that time the earthly resurrection would begin, bringing back faithful men of old, such as Abraham, David, and Daniel. More recently, many Witnesses conjectured that events associated with the beginning of Christ’s Millennial Reign might start to take place in 1975. Their anticipation was based on the understanding that the seventh millennium of human history would begin then.
These erroneous views did not mean that God’s promises were wrong, that he had made a mistake. By no means! The mistakes or misconceptions, as in the case of first-century Christians, were due to a failure to heed Jesus’ caution, ‘You do not know the time.’ The wrong conclusions were due, not to malice or to unfaithfulness to Christ, but to a fervent desire to realize the fulfillment of God’s promises in their own time. ...Indeed, God’s promises can be trusted! It is humans who are prone to error. Therefore, true Christians will maintain a waiting attitude in obedience to Jesus’ command.
[unquote]


What group is working harder than Jehovah's Witnesses to preach God's message globally (as Noah did before the Deluge)?

(Amos 3:7) For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.

(2 Peter 2:5) Noah, a preacher of righteousness...

(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.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/19990715/article_02.htm

Answer 8

Russell started predicting the "END" a long before 1914.

Matter of fact he found this so effective in motivating followers and selling mags he did it again and again.

The WTB&TS is just following suit.

1877 Christians would go to heaven in 1878

1878 the saints would be raptured in 1881

1891 using the Great Pyramid of Gizeh raptured would be in 1910

1894 stated this was delayed until 1914.

1912 Russell dies - Rutherford takes over

1914 put off til 1915
1915 put off til 1916
" ect. "

1918, 1920 and 1925 Christians by the droves would die -

1920 Released "The Finished Mystery" & Millions now living would not die. Interesting! Follow the Bible Students and you won't die!

Up to this point the WTS still used the Cross and Crown, celebrated Christmas, and all partook of communion.

1938 Nazis and Communists would win.

1940 only months were left before Armageddon

1942 Rutherfor dies Nathan Knorr takes over and Franz becomes the equivelent of ""Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office"" which is the watchdog and pitbull of the WTB&TS.

Franz develops timeline of 1975 being the END of 6,000 years (not original) and begins incorporating this in WTB&TS publications.

1975 is well entrenched among the JWs as the last and final end time by 1967.

Later this quote is used "...no one knew exactly how long after Adam’s creation Eve came on the scene. Franz said that it was months—even years. Hence he was able to "stretch" the 1975 date to some indeterminate time in the future. In any case, Franz said that Witnesses would just have to wait, knowing the end is right around the corner."

Franz is also the mover behind the WTB&TS version of the bible called the "New World Translation".

The WTB&TS limits the exact wording so they may slip out of the label false "prophet".

1977 Knorr dies - Frederic Franz takes over

1992 - 1994 prediction of 80 years + 1914 = 1994 the last numerical prediction - implied or otherwise stated to date.

1992 Franz dies - Milton Henschel replaces him

2003 Henschel dies - Don Adams replaces him

Now the membership is told; The time of the end is near, Armageddon is at hand - work hard to bring people to the "truth" and "wait". The membership is "just waiting" without a number attached to date.

Answer 9

If Jehovah’s Witnesses have had erroneous expectations about the fulfillment of Bible prophecies, particularly with concern to the great day of Jehovah, are they alone? Not at all. Many other lovers of God’s word - including some highly respected Catholics and Protestants - have made similar mistakes. Quite a bit of material has been written on the subject of prophecies or predictions that failed to materialize. Consider, however, just three examples concering well-known Protestant leaders: Martin Luther, John Wesley and Billy Graham. Research disclosed the following:

Martin Luther believed that the end would come in his day. He believed the Turkish war would be "the final wrath of God, in which the world will come to an end and Christ will come to destroy Gog and Magog and set free His own." He believed "Christ has given a sign by which one can know when the Judgment Day is near. When the Turk will have an end, we can certainly predict that the Judgment must be at the door"

John Wesley, Methodist leader, wrote: "1836 The end of the non-chronos, and of the many kings; the fulfilling of the word, and of the mystery of God; the repentance of the survivors in the great city; the end of the 'little time,' and of the three times and a half; the destruction of the east; the imprisonment of Satan."

In 1950, Billy Graham, the well-known American evangelist, told an audience in Los Angeles: “I sincerely believe that the Lord draweth nigh. We may have another year, maybe two years, to work for Jesus Christ, and, Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe it is all going to be over .. two years and it’s all going to be over.”

If Witnesses had said these things, no doubt we would be reading about it across the Internet. Most assuredly they would be listed on Yahoo Answers by detractors as proof positive that Jehovah's Witnesses are false prophets. How curious then that those who attack Witnesses for alleged false prophecy do not take the same position when it comes to Protestant persons who have made very similar errors.

This should give one pause. Why? Well, if a television news anchor were to report all the crimes committed by members of just one group – say Jewish people - dwelling on them with great particularity, repeatedly bringing up offenses that date back forty or fifty years, but at the same time, ignoring all the crimes committed by members of another group – say Italians –reasoning individuals who looked at the facts would naturally conclude that this reporter was nothing more than a bigot – an anti-Semite. What are we to think, then, when certain ones opposed to the Christian Witnesses of Jehovah constantly hector those Witnesses – insistently, incorrectly, and maliciously labeling certain statements as “false prophecies”, and reproducing with near total obsession the same quotations over and over and this despite the fact that most were published decades ago? What would reasoning ones conclude of these detractors who remain deadly silent about similar errors made by those who agree with their theological fervor? The agenda of those is obvious. They have no sincere questions and they are wholly unconcerned about the truth. Certainly they are not concerned about the theological future of “brainwashed” Witnesses. They simply wish to spread hatred using a teaspoon of truth and a ladle of lies. And they are delighted when they get a standing ovation from fellow detractors.

I am so much reminded of the hypocritical religious leaders of the first century. These ones, whom Jesus referred to as offspring of vipers, blatantly called the Messiah everything from a drunk to a demon-possessed Samaritan. Some in the crowd believed. Others did not.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 10

Don´t the Seventh Day Adventists use the same illogical rationale for their existence?