Charles Taze Russell reworked Miller's calculations and began teaching Jesus had returned in 1874, but invisibly, "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, SINCE OCTOBER 1874, AD." And, "BY 1914 THE LORD WILL HAVE FULL CONTROL. Gentile governments will be overthrown."
Russell slowly got a following and called the fledging organization, "The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society." Members of this group are now known as "Jehovah's Witnesses."
AFTER 1914, THE DATE WAS CHANGED TO 1918, "The end of the harvest is due in the spring of 1918." After 1918, the date of Jesus' "invisible" return was changed to 1914 and THE 1874 DATE CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN.
After Russell's death, Joseph Rutherford took over control of the growing organization. He predicted the end would come in 1925. Rutherford proclaimed, "MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE" and published a book by this name in 1920.War planes
When World War II broke out, the Watchtower predicted the war would lead to the battle of Armageddon. An article in "The Watchtower" magazine of 9/15/1941 said a new book published by the Watchtower would prove useful, "in the remaining MONTHS BEFORE ARMAGEDDON...."
In the 1960's, the year 1975 began to be proclaimed as the time of the end. A book published by the Watchtower in 1974 stated, "Reports are heard of brothers SELLING THEIR HOMES AND PROPERTY and planning to finish the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service (door-to-door witnessing). Certainly this is A FINE WAY TO SPEND THE SHORT TIME REMAINING before the wicked world's end."
The Witnesses are now strongly hinting the end will come by the year 2000, "He (the apostle Paul) was also laying a foundation for WORK THAT WOULD BE COMPLETED IN OUR 20TH CENTURY" (all the above information and quotes are from quotations and summaries of Watchtower literature found in Reed, pp.96-111).
http://www.dtl.org/dtl/treatise/end-near-1.htm
Len Miller
