"Crisis of Conscience" pg 266, Edition for Digital Readers and Enlarged Text
In the chapter titled '1914 and "This Generation"' Raymond Franz had this to say about the February 15th 1994 Issue of the Watchtower and its moving the application of portions of Mathew 24 forward to the start of the "great tribulation"
'As stated the organization can hardly give up 1914 completely without undermining a host of teachings based on that date. But if the phrase 'this generation' could be unlinked from 1914 and be applied to some future period of unknown date then the passage of time, the arrival of the third millennium in the year 2000 and even the approach of the year 2014, might not prove too difficult to rationalize, particularly with a membership trained to accept whatever the 'faithful and discreet slave class' and its Governing Body may offer them"
After this statment was made in September 1994, 13 months later articles appeared in the Nov 1, 1995 Watchtower, unlinked the phrase 'this generation' from the date 1914, but still retained the date as Biblically significant. This was accomplished by the new definition of the sense of generation in this text. In 1926, 'The Golden Age' magazine of October 20 connected Jesus' words about this 'generation' to the date of 1914 as did subsequent Watchtower magazines.
25 years later, the June 1, 1951, Watchtower page 335, in connection with 1914 stated, Hence our generation is the generation that will see the START AND FINISH of all these things, including Armageddon. In the July 1, 1951, issue page 404, 'this generation' was again linked to 1914. Of Matt 24:34 it said 'The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question that which takes a generation, IN THE ORDINARY SENSE as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period' It then added, 'This therefore means that from 1914 a generation shall not pass till all is fulfilled, and amidst a great time of trouble.
For over forty years thereafter, the WatchTower publications continued to assign a TEMPORAL sense (based on a certain time) to the 'generation' of Matt 24:34. The aging of the 1914 generation was pointed to again and again as clear evidence of the shortness of the remaining time.
In the revised 1995 definition however, rather than having parameters of time limitations or any set starting point, the generation is instead said to be identified, not temporarily but qualitatively (overlapping, etc..) by its characteristics as in the reference to an evil and alduterous generation in Jesus time. 'This generation' is now to said to be the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ presence but fail to mend their ways.
1914 is not discarded (and will probably never be) however something the organization could not do without dismantling the major theological structure and distinctive tenets of the religion. 1914 remains as the claimed date of Christ enthronement in heaven, the beginning of his second invisible, presence, as also the start of the last days. And it still figures, though obliquely, in the new definition of 'this generation', since the sign of Christ's presence--which doomed ones see and reject or ignore--supposedly began to be visible worldwide from and after 1914. (Now here is the kicker)
What then is the significant difference. Is it that now, to QUALIFY (not quantify) as part of 'this generation', a person need no longer have been alive in 1914 (now overlapping) to form part of 'this generation'. ANYONE can see the supposed sign of Christ's presence at ANY TIME--even if for the first time in the 1990's or for that matter in the third millennium--AND STILL QUALIFY AS PART OF 'THIS GENERATION'. This allows the phrase to FLOAT FREE OF ANY STARTING DATE (or be defined as different dates for the start of overlapping generations) and reduces considerably the need to explain the EMBARRASSING LENGTH OF TIME THAT HAS ELAPSED SINCE 1914 AND THE RAPIDLY DIMINSHING RANKS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ALIVE AT THAT DATE (so overlap them with "future generations")'.
(This future qualitive view was adopted and has continued to be mode of pushing the end times out to infinity by a change in the masthead of the AWAKE Nov 8, 1995 issue)
Before Nov 8, 1995, it read: Most importantly, this magazine builds confidence in the Creators promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the event of 1914 pass away.
After Nov 8, 1995, it read: Most importantly, this magazine builds confidence in the Creators promise of a peaceful and secure new world THAT IS ABOUT TO REPLACE THE PRESENT, WICKED, LAWLESS SYSTEM OF THINGS. (ABOUT TO buys time...much time...out to whenever it supposedly will happen)
The promise of the creator had suddenly changed...but apparently only the "ANNOINTED" knew of this...
Today, this statement is not on any Awake or the study edition of the WatchTower. However, on the public edition of the Watchtower it says "It [The WatchTower] comforts people with the good news that God's heavenly Kingdom will SOON end all wickedness and transform the earth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ (gotta get those "other" christians), who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who is now ruling as King (no mention of 1914) of God's Kingdom. This magazine has been published continuously since 1879 and is non political. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.
I simply wanted to show just how much Raymond Franz knew...he predicted the qualitative view that would ultimately come about to push out the time of the end. I was not JW very long less than 8 years...but I saw this "time pushing" a while back...I was stuck on that verse where Christ said "no man knows the hour not even I"...the final straw came with the New Light last year...
I don't plan on reading any more magazines...all the information is reccycled over and over again....the boredom alone was inoculating.
Please, by all means correct me if I have made any mistakes...
Maat