Dear Misguided People,
Here we are in the midst of 2013, only one year from the 100th anniversary of 1914. Since I have many family members who are still Jehovah's Witnesses, and who still believe that the end of the world is coming any minute now, I thought I would post a little list of events, a timetable if you will, of some end-time prophesies and how long ago they were.
Around 2,600 years ago Zephaniah promised: "Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! "-Zephaniah 1:14
Around 1,980 years ago Jesus promised,"...This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur." -Matt 24:34
Also around the same time Jesus said," Truly I say to you that there are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until first they see the son of man coming in his kingdom." -Matt 16:28
Around 1,960 years ago Paul thought that he would be among those living who would be caught up alive to heaven. -1 Thess. 4:16,17 (note the use of the first person 'we' in verse 17.)
About 1,920 years ago, John quotes the resurrected Jesus as saying,"Yes, I am coming quickly"-Rev 22:20
Moving on to more modern times, in 1888, 125 years ago, Charles Taze Russell stated in the book, The Time is at Hand "That the Lord must be present, and set up his Kingdom, and exercise his great power so as to dash the nations to pieces as a potter's vessel, before A.D. 1914, is then clearly fixed; for it is 'in the days of these kings' - before their overthrow - i.e. before A.D. 1914 - that the God of heaven shall set up his Kingdom.. The 'Times of the Gentiles'.. will run fully out with the year A.D. 1914, and at that time they will all be overturned and Christ's Kingdom fully established.. Both of these ripenings (Rev. 14:1-4, 18-20) will be completed in a period of forty years, ending with the year A.D. 1914." 1914 was 99 years ago, folks.
Russell's successor, J.F. Rutherford thought that the end would be in 1925. In the Watchtower of March 1, 1923, it states, "Have we more reason, or as much, to believe the kingdom will be established in 1925 than Noah had to believe that there would be a flood? .. Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures, marking the end of the typical jubilees." 1925 was 88 years ago.
Later on, the Watchtower Society felt that 1975 was the end. The May 1 1968 Watchtower said, "Eight years from the autumn of 1967 would bring us to the autumn of 1975, fully 6,000 years into God's seventh day, his rest day. The immediate future is certain to be filled with climatic events, for this old system is nearing its complete end. Within a few years at most the final parts of Bible prophecy relative to these 'last days' will undergo fulfillment, resulting in the liberation of surviving mankind into Christ's glorious 1,000-year reign!" 1975 was 38 years ago.
What's the point of all this? Just this: It ain't gonna happen folks! People have been saying that God's going to give the world an enema for the past 2600 years but it hasn't happened yet and it's simply not going to happen. WAKE UP! It's 20-frickin'-13 already! Enjoy your life now and quit twiddling your thumbs waiting for a "New Order" that's never going to come.
Amen.
CyrusThePersian
P.S. This is an updated post I made several years ago.