After the WTC tragedy many Jehovah's Witnesses on the “fringes” scurried back to “mother” in case it was the “beginning” of the big A. One of the Watchtower Society favorite themes is how incredibly LATE it is. It is in fact always “Later than you think”. The problem is that most of the people, who believe how “late” it always is, seem to completely lack the ability to do much thinking. Now as we have reached the advanced year of 2001 it is of course later than ever before. It has in fact been extremely late since 1799, which is the first year in the Russell/Barbour “chronology”, and in Watchtower Society history.
Have those present at a series of assemblies held in 1949 experienced any truth in the “public address held with the title: “It Is Later than You Think”?
*** w52 1/15 59 Assemblies in Frankfurt, Berlin, St. John's ***
After a dinner at the Berlin office, Brother Knorr and his companions went to the Woodland Stage, where at the district assembly July 29-31, 1949, a Resolution challenging and protesting to the Communist authorities of East Germany was adopted by 17,232 witnesses, this being followed by a public address by the German branch servant on “It Is Later than You Think” to 33,657 hearers.
Those present back then who is still alive will of course have to conclude that it wasn’t at all that “late”, why? Because they are still here 51 years later, and the speaker was of course talking trough his hat, spouting the usual Jehovah's Witness nonsense.
Have the Watchtower Society learned anything from this? Of course not! In 1968 it was time again. It was “Later than you think” time again:
*** g97 1/22 24 "When I Am Weak, Then I Am Powerful" ***
The Witness who brought the magazines had been coming by for about a year, but my routine did not change until I finally read the October 8, 1968, issue of Awake!, entitled “Is It Later Than You Think?” I liked what I read, and happily, it affected my husband in the same way. We began studying and absorbing the truth like sponges. We couldn’t get enough of all the wonderful things we were learning. In 1969 we were baptized.
They say that there is a sucker born every minute, and here we can read about at least two of them. Maybe they should have changed the heading to “When I am weak in the head, etc.”
Anyway, this was 32 years ago and hopefully these idiots have found out by now that it wasn’t at all as “late” as the Awake!, was “thinking”. As usual it turned out to be sheer nonsense. Now, have they learned anything from it? Of course not, in 1991 it is “Later Than You Think” time yet again:
*** w91 4/1 7 Is It Later Than You Think? ***
The Jerusalem of Jeremiah’s day was warned of its coming destruction; its inhabitants only scoffed, but it was later than they thought. Today, a much greater warning of Armageddon’s destruction is being sounded, with overwhelming supporting evidence. (Revelation 14:6, 7, 17-20) Millions turn a deaf ear. But time is running out; it is later than they think. Is it later than you think?
If this mindless idiocy continues, there will probably be a Watchtower issue with the same title 50 years from now, because superstition seems to be hard to get rid of. Come to think of it, the magazines have so many more ways of being useful. This lady used the Watchtower for insomnia, which is great. I have tried it myself, pick up a Watchtower/Awake!, and you will be fast asleep after the first 5 sentences:
*** yb70 225-6 Country Reports (Part Two) ***
The Watchtower and Awake! magazines have played a big role in spreading the good news of the established Kingdom. The special issue of Awake! on the theme “Is It Later than You Think?” was left with a Catholic lady in an outlying area of the territory. This lady was very difficult to contact during the winter months because of impassable roads. So three months elapsed before another contact was made. In the meantime what was happening? The lady read this special issue of Awake! over and over again, keeping it by her bedside so she could read it before going to sleep.
It is quite clear that the Watchtower Society have great problems with the subject of something being “late”. But the word “late” isn’t the only one in the Watchtower vocabulary, which they don’t seem to understand; they have exactly the same problem with the word “soon”. In 1950, the end was of course coming “soon”
*** w50 7/1 203 The Real Feast of Ingathering Under Way ***
Reports coming from various parts of the world prove that the work of the anointed remnant is expanding and that the multitude of the Lord’s other sheep are hearing the message and coming to the only place of safety on earth today, that is, the Lord’s organization; and happy is the man that has a part in this great work that will soon end to the glory of Jehovah and the blessing of all that take their stand on his side.*** w50 7/1 203 The Real Feast of Ingathering Under Way ***
27 We have now reached the time of the end, that is, the consummation of this old system of things, and there is much work to be done before the storm of Armageddon breaks to destroy Satan’s wicked organization that has so long reproached the name of Jehovah and persecuted all that took their stand on his side of the great controversy.
In 1997, the same end would still come “soon”:
*** w97 5/15 19-20 Theocratic Administration in the Christian Era ***
The events foretold in Jesus’ great prophecy about “the time of the end” have been coming to pass since 1914, showing that the destruction of this world is near. (Daniel 12:4; Matthew 24:3-14; Mark 13:4-20; Luke 21:7-24) Soon, Jehovah will usher in a new world in which ‘the generation to come’ will ‘inherit the kingdom [the earthly realm] prepared for them from the founding of the world.’
Of course this endless folly is only natural. You can’t expect people who wait for something that were promised to happen “soon” 2000 years ago, to have any meaningful understanding of the very word soon. So the comedy/tragedy continues in the Watchtower where the end will be coming “soon” for many years yet. One thing is really certain though, when the Watchtower Society says “It Is Later Than You Think” it is always wrong, unless of course it might be later than they think for the Watchtower Society itself.
Norm.