Jehovah's Witnesses, can you tell me all the false prophesies The Watchtower gave?

Question

You know they said things that weren't true, so either they're guilty of false prophesying or just lying. Are they false prophets or liars, or both? If you deny that they never gave a false prophesy or have lied, then that shows you are unknowledged about your organization and that you're in denial.

So, can you tell me what false prophesies/lies they have told? What "truths" did you put your trust in that they broke? Did you ever feel let down? Lied to? Did you ever feel they weren't trustworthy? Did you ever feel they broke a promise? I'd really like to know.

Not a single JW answered my question....so far.

UPDATE: LINEDANCER

1. Is Christmas Christian? -- Depends who does it for what reason and how they celebrate. Some abuse it some don't. My family gets together, we pray and thank God for his Gift of Life and then we loving exchange our gifts. I know, very pagan, right?

2. Isn't the cross a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years? -- Doesn't the Watchtower have occult symbols on their early publications? It doesn't matter what it meant before Christ, what matters is what it means to Christians today. It's no longer pagan. Read RidiculousQstioner's answer that provides what your publication says: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An5A6z_GZl_K74gbAZRAZs_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071227084329AAOVV5s

3. Can you prove the trinity by the Bible? -- Yes but you don't want to accept the facts.

4. Do TRUE Christians go to war and kill their fellow human? -- If you get a chance, maybe you can ask David, Solomon or Joshua. Eccl. 3 (A Time for Everything), vs. 8.

5. Do TRUE Christians call their leaders "father"? -- I don't and never have, but if someone did, it would be with a lower case "f", like the one you provided.

6. Do TRUE Christians smoke cigarettes? -- I don't and never have. Do you ever sin? How is this any different? James 2:10...

UPDATE: NMB

You aren't very knowledgable about your organization then; or you're just in denial:

1889 "In the coming 26 years, all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved." (C.T. Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, p. 98-99, 1889)

This is just one, do you need more?

1904 "According to our expectations the stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912, culminating with the end of the 'Times of the Gentiles,' October, 1914." (The New Creation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 6, p. 579, 1904)

1914 "Studying God's Word, we have measured the 2520 years, the seven symbolic times, from that year 606 B.C. and have found that it reached down to October, 1914, as nearly as we were able to reckon. We did not say positively that this would be the year." (Watchtower, November 1, 1914, p. 325) ---EXCUSE ME?? WHAT?? Yes you did!

These are just a few...NMB, do you need more?

UPDATE: NMB

LOL!! They don't have to claim to be prophets. You really don't understand do you? If someone says this is going to happen in the future, then they prophesied. They're saying they know what's going to happen in the future. If I told you "your fortune is dim. You will die in 3 days", even if I don't claim to be a fortune teller, did I give a false fortune? Even if they weren't false prophesying, what they DID do was LIE. So even if they aren't false prophets, they are LIARS.

UPDATE: NMB

Dude, you are seriously (and ridiculously) in denial.

Has the Watchtower ever claimed to be the soul coummincation of Jehovah? Did they claim to be a prophet at anytime? Let's see:

"So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet?...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....Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it." (Watchtower 4/1/72, pages 197)
--they were claiming to be prophets, you can read the full page here: http://www.jamaat.net/comp/jw/whoguides.html

NMB: It's ridiculous how blind you are:

They have claimed that the dates in their publications are "God's Dates". WT Reprints II, p 1677, Jan. 1, 1894.

The Watch Tower's first president was Charles T. Russell. The WT claimed that the material in Russell's books " All came from God." Finished Mystery p 387.

JW's are supposed to be directed by Angels. WT 4/1/72 p. 200.

They claim to be the only ones on earth that are directed by God's Holy Spirit. WT 7/1/73. Pg. 402

WT literature is called "Divinely provided light." JW's In The Divine Purpose pg. 46.

In WT books we are told we'll find "God's Truth Not Man's Truth" WT book Preservation pg. 104.

They have claimed to be directed & supervised by Jesus Christ. Prophecy p 203

If you repudiate Pastor Russell and his work, this is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord! WT 5/1/1922 p. 132. ( Repudiate means "to reject as untrue".)

"Since Jehovah’s servants of today obey him as ruler, God’s holy spirit also reveals to them what season it is from his viewpoint. Amos 3:7 says: “The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.”
Watchtower 86 4/15/1986 Page 18, Par 11"

IF THIS ISN'T "INSPIRED" THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS:

"Nothing is interpreted but the interpretation comes from God and is then published."
(Watchtower 1943 July 1 page. 202-203

"Jehovah God has made Known to his anointed ones in advance what these scriptures mean."
(Watchtower 1931 June 1 page.160)

"God uses and directs the WTS."
(VINDICATION Book 1 1931 page. 77)

BY YOUR PUBLICATIONS, I GUESS GOD IS THE ONE WHO GOT THINGS WRONG AND DIRECTED YOU IN A WRONG DIRECTION. IF IT'S FROM GOD, IT CAN'T BE WRONG. BLIND!!!!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnfcPv2iHYVYi4PJLU309Svsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080106073620AAMISQZ

Answer 1

No.

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?”


Jehovah's Witnesses apply the term "prophet" only in a very limited sense to themselves as a religion, not to individuals. The Scriptures indicate that whenever Jehovah purposes to execute judgment upon a people, he always makes arrangement for a 'prophet's work' as a warning. Their self-description as a "prophet" (in this limited sense) does not indicate special inspired knowledge or foreknowledge, but their willingness to perform Christ's assigned warning work in our day leading up to Armageddon.

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 2

We believe that we grow in knowledge, and if someone repeatedly quotes what we thought was true before that growth, that someone does not want to believe that fact.

So many religions identify themselves on the basis of man made traditions and doctrines that do not come from the Bible, but we in contrast will publicly repudiate them when we discover that God did not teach it in his word.

Regarding prophesies:

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 WE REPEAT THEM AS PART OF OUR MINISTRY.

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.

We do not want to have any part of the evil slave.

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 3

Why don't you provide a list of what you consider"false prophecies" and we can examine them one by one.

Otherwise this is qualifies as a "no win" scenario as you have imposed conditions, ("If you deny that they never gave a false prophesy or have lied, then that shows you are unknowledged about your organization and that you're in denial.") that makes a ANY attempt to answer you an instant failure.

Edit to add:

"1889 "In the coming 26 years, all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved." (C.T. Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, p. 98-99, 1889)

This is just one, do you need more?

1904 "According to our expectations the stress of the great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912, culminating with the end of the 'Times of the Gentiles,' October, 1914." (The New Creation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 6, p. 579, 1904)

1914 "Studying God's Word, we have measured the 2520 years, the seven symbolic times, from that year 606 B.C. and have found that it reached down to October, 1914, as nearly as we were able to reckon. We did not say positively that this would be the year." (Watchtower, November 1, 1914, p. 325) ---EXCUSE ME?? WHAT?? Yes you did!"

Okay now where do you see this as "prophecy"? Where does the claim of being inspired come in?

Sorry but this still falls short of your claim.

"They don't have to claim to be prophets. You really don't understand do you? If someone says this is going to happen in the future, then they prophesied. They're saying they know what's going to happen in the future. If I told you "your fortune is dim. You will die in 3 days", even if I don't claim to be a fortune teller, did I give a false fortune? Even if they weren't false prophesying, what they DID do was LIE. So even if they aren't false prophets, they are LIARS"

I see, one can prophesied without being a prophet at least in your eyes.

I have to disagree with you. In order fro something to be a "prophecy" one must claim to be an inspired prophet.

None of the above are prophecies. Sorry you will have to try harder.

"Even if they weren't false prophesying, what they DID do was LIE. So even if they aren't false prophets, they are LIARS"


How so? Are weather forecascters liars when their forecasts are wrong? Are they liars because the indicaters pointed one way and the actual weather was different?

Answer 4

Zero.

The Watchtower never created a prophesy.

They have on many occasions declared when they thought prophesy was fulfilled or appeared to be the time of fulfillment of prophesy but they have never once created a new prophesy which did not come true.

Which is the definition of a false prophet. - Deu 18:22

Answer 5

Don't you have any friends you can visit right now? Concentrating all your anger exclusively on one small religious group is not healthy for a young boy. It only breeds prejudice and bigotry.

The copy and paste above most likely was taken from an anti-witness website. Since that is what you are after, give that paster a Best Answer in 4 hours from now.

BTW, is Christmas Christian? Isn't the cross a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years? Can you prove the trinity by the Bible? Do TRUE Christians go to war and kill their fellow human? Do TRUE Christians call their leaders "father"? Do TRUE Christians smoke cigarettes?

JWs can give you great answers to these questions. Would you like to put your bigotry aside and learn something useful?

Answer 6

False Prophecies of the Jehovah's Witnesses

The Witnesses make many claims in their attempt to convert you to their faith. They profess to have the only true Christian church, to be the only true representatives of God, to have the only correct biblical teaching, and to be the only true announcers of Jehovah's coming kingdom.
If they are the only true church and are the only true voice of God's word, then what they say should prove to be true, especially in prophecy. When it comes to predicting the future, the Watchtower organization fails miserably. Following are some of the false predictions made over the years by the Watchtower organization. If you present these to a JW, he will probably say something like, "Those are taken out of context," or "They didn't claim to be the prophet of God," or "The light is getting brighter and we are understanding Bible prophecy better now," etc. Make a copy of these false prophecies, found in the appendix, and give it to them to check. They are right out of the Witnesses' literature.
Remember Deut. 18:22, "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." If someone makes a false prophecy, and they have claimed to be a prophet of God, then they are false prophets and are not to be listened to.
Do the Witnesses claim to be the prophet of God? Yes, they do.

In 1972 the Jehovah's Witness Watchtower claimed to be the prophet of God.


IDENTIFYING THE "PROPHET" -- "So does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet?...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...Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a ‘prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it." The Watchtower, 4/1/72, p. 197. (See Deut. 18:21)


1897 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874," Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, page 621.

1899 "...the ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced." The Time Is at Hand, page 101 (1908 edition).

1916 "The Bible chronology herein presented shows that the six great 1000 year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great 7th Day, the 1000 years of Christ's Reign, began in 1873." The Time Is at Hand, page ii, (forward).

1918 "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection." Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89.

1922 "The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914." The Watchtower 9/1/22, page 262.

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." The Watchtower, page 106 4/1/23.

1925 "The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during this year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God will accomplish his purposes concerning his people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire this year." The Watchtower, 1/1/25, page. 3.

1925 "It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated, the thought that 1925 should see an end to the work." The Watchtower, Sept, 1925 page 262.

1926 "Some anticipated that the work would end in 1925, but the Lord did not state so. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond reason; and that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to throw away everything." The Watchtower, page 232.

1931 "There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1917, 1918, and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time...and they also learned to quit fixing dates." Vindication, page 338.

1941 "Receiving the gift, the marching children clasped it to them, not a toy or plaything for idle pleasure, but the Lord's provided instrument for most effective work in the remaining months before Armageddon." The Watchtower, 9/15/41, page 288.

1968 "True, there have been those in times past who predicted an ‘end to the world', even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The ‘end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing?.. Missing from such people were God's truths and evidence that he was using and guiding them." Awake, 10/8/68.

1968 "Why are you looking forward to 1975?" The Watchtower, 8/15/68, page 494.

A JW might say that the organization is still learning. If that is so, then how can they trust what they are taught now by the Watchtower? Will what they are being taught now change also?
A true prophet of God won't err in prophesying. Only a false prophet does. The Jehovah's Witness organization, that claims to be a prophet of God, is really a false prophet. Jesus warned us by saying, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect -- if that were possible" (Matt. 24:24).

Answer 7

Unlike you, we have better things to do with our lives.

Oh- look at the time!! I have a Bible study in two hours. I gotta prepare. I'll be showing the student the importance of living in a way that pleases God.

That's Chapter Twelve of the book "What Does the Bible Really Teach?"

Answer 8

Vot:
I know many people who have become better people since leaving the JW's and going to church. I know people who have become kinder and more forgiving.
There are basic precepts of morality that we have come to accept in our modern day culture.
Like it doesn't take a prophet to tell someone that rage is not good for someone.

One doesn't need to be a JW to be a good person. Nor does one need to be a JW to help others grow spiritually or intellectually.


Linedancer: The information is the information.
You are using a "shoot the messenger" logic.
And you need to be careful with that as it could very well be used against you.

The reason it matters about the false prophecy AND the lies...
Are you really going to pretend that Jesus did not warn about false prophets?
Don't you think by continuing to put faith in men that have lied to you, you are going directly against the teachings of Jesus?

Answer 9

The day is coming when you, and those like you will know the truth.

GALTINS 6:7: "DO NOT BE MISLEAD, GOD IS NOT ONE TO BE MOCKED. FOR WHATEVER A MAN IS SOWING, THIS HE WILL ALSO REAP."

Answer 10

If my church had lied to me so many times or made so many mistakes, I would not stay. But the Watchtower is very effective with their mind control tactics. It is very scary thing for them even to think about leaving.