The total destruction of all worldly governments will definitely arrive in 1914, oh wait... 1915.
Oops, 1918- sometime in there.
The prophets will be resurrected by 1925, no doubt about it. Well, soon after that, maybe.
Millions now living will never die. Change that to "may" never die. Nevermind.
The end should arrive when mankind is 6000 years old in 1975, so that the 1000 years
reign of Christ will fit into the 7000 year-long day of Jehovah's rest. Well, we never said it
must come on that day.
The generation of 1914, defined as those adults alive then, redefined as those older children
alive then, redefined as anyone born then- anyway, they will not all pass away before all these
things occur- World Wars, pestilence, increase in lawlessness and earthquakes, etc. & Armageddon.
The 1995 adjustment to that long-held doctrine was not so good for them, but they had to do something.
They did just enough to make people say "Huh?" but not so much that core-believers questioned it.
They learned their lesson from 1975, the fallout was much smaller this time.
Today's reduction in ranks was not due to their doctrinal changes of late, it was due to the internet and
former members exposing the mistakes of the past. If it weren't for those past mistakes, they would
do okay recovering from current changes. The latest change- reduction of printing costs- involves no
doctrinal changes, but they can spin this to make people think the end is imminent- ALL WITHOUT EVER
PRINTING ANY DOCTRINAL CHANGES.
Now, they can get JW rank and file all worked up in the opposite direction from all the years past.
The growth used to be proof that these were God's people. Now the reduction in ranks that will follow and
reduction of costs, possibly leaving Brooklyn, all this will be proof that "the end is nearer."
While it might be obvious to you and me, not so for the average rank and file. All their changes after 1975
have been more cautious. You might recall Ray Franz discussing the possibilities for "This Generation."
Those different changes would have been huge mistakes (making the "generation" the ones who saw the
celestial phenomena of Satelites and men in space). The change they made was minor in comparison to
what they used to say in the past. They also learned to stop saying they were a prophet, they convinced
people that they were spirit-directed, but not "inspired" to write the WT literature. The latest mags propose
doctrinal changes as "interesting possibilities." They float possibilities for years until everyone accepts them
for facts.
All I am saying is "Use every change to help your family out of the borg, but understand that they have
carefully constructed every change. Your family won't see it so clearly."
Sure, we all know the real reason for Bethel layoffs, but they say the printing is automated and they need
those Bethelites "in the field." We know why they sell off land in Brooklyn and cut costs of printing- the
rank and file even know the true reason, but we can't convince them that it isn't a "sign" so easily.
I am rambling a bit because I get so far with the wife and mother, then they say things that remind me
that they are still captives of the concept that 10 men in Brooklyn are God's representatives on Earth.