which book says it?

by sowhatnow 20 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  b00mslang

  "The published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man's creation as 4026 B.C.E. 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. So six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation. So in not many years within our own generation we are reaching what Jehovah God could view as the seventh day of man's existence. How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath for the proclaiming of liberty throughout the earth to all its inhabitants! This would be most timely for mankind. It would also be most fitting on God's part, for, remember, mankind has yet ahead of it what the last book of the Holy Bible speaks of as the reign of Jesus Christ over earth for a thousand years, the millennial reign of Christ. It would not be by mere chance or accident but would be according to the loving purpose of Jehovah God for the reign of Jesus Christ, the 'Lord of the Sabbath,' to run parallel with the seventh millennium of man's existence." Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God 1966 pp.26-30

  "Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of Gods rest day come to an end? The year 1975. It means that within a relatively few years we will witness the fulfilment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the "time of the end"." Awake! 1966 Oct 8 pp.19-20

  "It did not take the brothers very long to find the chart beginning on page 31, showing that 6,000 years of man's existence end in 1975. Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. "The new book compels us to realize that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed," said a conventioner. Surely it was one of the outstanding blessings to be carried home!" .. Brother Franz. 'Does it mean that Armageddon is going to be finished, with Satan bound, by 1975? It could! It could! All things are possible with God. Does it mean that Babylon the Great is going to go down by 1975? It could. Does it mean that the attack of Gog of Magog is going to be made on Jehovah's witnesses to wipe them out, then Gog himself will be put out of action? It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don't any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that." Watchtower 1966 Oct 15 pp.629,631
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  jhine

  I'd thought about the 1914 date Shirley as well . That seems to be very specific . Good post .

  Jan
• 

  AndDontCallMeShirley

  Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. "The new book compels us to realize that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed," said a conventioner.

  Before WT started talking about 1975/end of 6,000 years of man's existence, no JW was even thinking of a specific date for Armageddon. As this quote reveals, it was only after the release of "Life Everlasting", with its silly, fictitious timeline chart, did JWs now focus on the date of 1975.

  WT (more specifically, Freddie Franz) created the timeline, then continually fanned the flames to hype the nearness of 1975 and the possibility of Armageddon, then when it failed miserably, WT blamed the rank-and-file for being gullible enough to believe it.

  ---

  An interesting comment on this transformation was made by Carl Sagan in his book Broca's Brain (New York: Ballantine Books, 1979, pp. 332-333):

  Doctrines that make no predictions are less compelling than those which make correct predictions; they are in turn more successful than doctrines that make false predictions.

  But not always. One prominent American religion [Jehovah's Witnesses] confidently predicted that the world would end in 1914. Well, 1914 has come and gone, and -- while the events of that year were certainly of some importance -- the world does not, at least so far as I can see, seem to have ended. There are at least three responses that an organized religion can make in the face of such a failed and fundamental prophecy. They could have said, "Oh, did we say '1914'? So sorry, we meant '2014.' A slight error in calculation. Hope you weren't inconvenienced in any way." But they did not. They could have said, "Well, the world would have ended, except we prayed very hard and interceded with God so He spared the Earth." But they did not. Instead, they did something much more ingenious.

  They announced that the world had in fact ended in 1914, and if the rest of us hadn't noticed, that was our lookout. It is astonishing in the face of such transparent evasions that this religion has any adherents at all. But religions are tough. Either they make no contentions which are subject to disproof or they quickly redesign doctrine after disproof. The fact that religions can be so shamelessly dishonest, so contemptuous of the intelligence of their adherents, and still flourish does not speak very well for the tough-mindedness of the believers. But it does indicate, if a demonstration were needed, that near the core of the religious experience is something remarkably resistant to rational inquiry.
• 

  wifibandit

  http://home.tiscali.nl/t661020/wtcitaten/part4.htm
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Here's some "food for thought":

  May 1, 1997 Watchtower quotes ISAIAH 44:25, 26 as the theme scripture and says this: “I am ... the One making the word of his servant come true, and the One that carries out completely the counsel of his own messengers.”

  The article continues, “JEHOVAH GOD is the Grand Identifier of his true messengers. He identifies them by making the messages he delivers through them come true. Jehovah is also the Great Exposer of false messengers. How does he expose them? He frustrates their signs and predictions. In this way he shows that they are self-appointed prognosticators, whose messages really spring from their own false reasoning—yes, their foolish, fleshly thinking!”

  You got in writing: Jah identified his messengers by making their predictions come true.

  And he "frustrates" those who are "self-appointed" -- meaning NOT his channel.

  Have any of the “signs and predictions”of the Watchtower come true? Has not the WT organization been frustrated with countless wrong predictions over 100 years?

  This was the "creators promise" as appeared in the masthead of the Awake magazine (Page 2) for years:"Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away." This was changed in the Nov 8, 1995 issue. I wonder why?

  Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15
  "If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ... Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!"

  The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah; 1971; 2nd ed.; p. 216 "Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom."

  Now consider what the F&DS has said about those making such false predictions:
  
  Awake! 1968 Oct 8 p.23 “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 the evidence that he was guiding and using them.”

  Watchtower April 1, 1972, p. 197 "Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a 'prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?"

  >

  When I first showed such quotes to my wife, she said that she doubted these were accurate quotes and apostates probably changed them. You're about to learn that if someone doesn't want to know TTATT you cannot force feed them.

  Good luck,

  Doc
• 

  sowhatnow

  wow thanks all!!
• 

  TheOldHippie

  Anddontcallmeshirley - I think you should have included the part of the paragraph you left out in the WT68 quote: "If these two periods run parallel with each other as to the calendar year, it will not be by mere chance or accident but will be according to Jehovah’s loving and timely purposes. Our chronology, however, which is reasonably accurate (but admittedly not infallible), at the best only points to the autumn of 1975 as the end of 6,000 years of man’s existence on earth. It does not necessarily mean that 1975 marks the end of the first 6,000 years of Jehovah’s seventh creative “day.” Why not? Because after his creation Adam lived some time during the “sixth day,” which unknown amount of time would need to be subtracted from Adam’s 930 years, to determine when the sixth seven-thousand-year period or “day” ended, and how long Adam lived into the “seventh day.” And yet the end of that sixth creative “day” could end within the same Gregorian calendar year of Adam’s creation."

  While I find the whole paragraph - and others - "most unfortunate" to say the least, this one paragraph wih the missing part included shows that what is to happen or to run out within weeks or months, is the 6,000-year period, and as it says it remains to be seen whether that period will run parallell to the outbreak of Armageddon. So whereas the intention of the paragraph possibly can be read a you point out, one could just as easily state it calls for caution ................
• 

  blondie

  http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1975.php

  http://www.jwfacts.com/pdf/armageddon-in-1975.pdf
• 

  AndDontCallMeShirley

  one could just as easily state it calls for caution ................

  Maybe. But what is the "flavor" of the many other quotes that have been posted regarding 1975? What was the impression most JWs were under prior to 1975? WT wasn't 'calling for caution' when it encouraged this kind of decision-making on the part of JWs:

  "Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end." Kingdom Ministry May 1974 p.3 How Are You Using Your Life?"

  or this:

  Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15
• 

  steve2

  If your dear mother is serious about looking at what the organization's actual literature has stated in print, and you show her even a smattering of the above examples, she will pretty soon reach a stage of, "Enough already! I've got a headache right now. Please put it all away."

  Do what she says and then quickly make the poor woman a nice cup of English breakfast tea, turn on jw tv and say (as only a loving child can say to a much loved parent), "There, there, mother. That was a bit overwhleming for you wasn't it? You need some special recovery time. Listen to Brother Lett's soothing tones and be dazzled by his pinky rings."

  We know from empirical studies that too much reality can be devastating to those who have been asleep at the wheel of their lives for decades. She's gonna need lots of tea and sympathy ... and jw tv.