What Reasons Were Given to Prove that Armageddon Was Near?

by NeonMadman 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  NeonMadman

  I'm thinking back to all the "signs" that were cited - officially and unofficially - as reasons we knew that Armageddon would be coming any day now. There was a fellow in my book study 30 years ago who used to bring Time magazine to every meeting. To him, whatever was in the news that week was evidence that the system couldn't hold out much longer. If it was mid-November, he would assure us that he didn't see how Armageddon could not be here by the end of the year. It was never more than two months off, no matter what was going on in the news that week, it was proof to him. His daughter is my daughter's best friend, and she assures me he hasn't changed a bit.

  Then, there were the "CYA dichotomies" (my term) advocated by the Society:

  • If there was a war, it proved Armageddon was coming, because "wars and rumors of wars" were a sign of the end.
  • If there was peace, it proved Armageddon was coming, because the cry of "peace and security" couldn't be far off.
  • If the JW organization was growing, Jehovah was bringing in the final increase, proving that Armageddon was near.
  • If the organization was shrinking, Jehovah was "testing and sifting" and refining his people just before the end.
  • If the churches were growing, Satan was hard at work deceiving people because the end was so close.
  • If the churches were shrinking, the "waters of the Euphrates" were drying up, proving the end was at hand.

  In more recent times, of course, we have heard of events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War being bandied about by the JW's as a sure sign that the system couldn't survive much longer.

  So, I'm curious - what "evidences" do you recall as being cited within the organization (either officially or by rumor among the flock) as proving that Armageddon was imminent?
• 

  NeonMadman

  The smurfs were knocking over the packets of breakfast cereal at night!

  That would probably make me believe it!
• 

  katiekitten

  I lazily misread the question and immediately thought about the reasons they used to give that A hadnt come yet despite all the assurances that it was imminent.

  So - reasons it hadnt come yet:

  • Just look how many people have come in in just the last year. They would have all been destroyed if it hadnt been for gods mercy in holding back the winds
  • Look at all the people in China
  • Theres only 366 Jehoobahs Witlesses in Pakistan

  Reasons why it MUST come soon:

  • God needs to save it before a nuclear bomb destroys it
  • Lots of bad people have AIDS
  • Aint it awful that..(insert any argument of your choice)
• 

  carla

  I dunno, I am currently reading Spiritual Food at the Proper Time, put out by Freeminds, just various quotes about the years from 1776-2000. It seems they just keep using over and over, "the facts show, it is reasonable, proves, from Bible scripture," etc.. Yet they never really say what those facts are or what Bible scripture. They will include Bible scripture that seems to justify their 'thinking' on an issue, but it certainly does not "prove" anything they say. No suprise there. carla
• 

  Finally-Free

  What Reasons Were Given to Prove that Armageddon Was Near?

  Because the Watchtower Society says so! Who could possibly need more reason than that? If "Jehovah was delaying" it was because there must still be a few "sheeplike ones" out there.

  W
• 

  rebel8

  We know the big A is coming soon because the birds are getting bigger. The reason for that is so they will be able to eat up more bodies after everyone is killed.

  So then I asked if there were any actual measurements of birds to show they were growing, because I sure couldn't see any difference. "Well can't you SEE FOR YOURSELF that they're getting bigger?"...followed by suspicious/arrogant glares.

  Then there's global warming. The fact that temperatures are getting warmer means the end is near. When there are big snow storms or exceptionally cold winters, it means the end is near.

  I remember there being what is called a "50 yr flood" nearby. It means a flood that bad hasn't come in, you guessed it, 50 yrs. Yet because it is coming now and hasn't happened in 50 yrs means the end is near.

  We are all getting more sunburns because of pollution. Pollution proves the end is near.
• 

  IP_SEC

  In rev 12 the Devil is cast out of heaven knowing he has a short period of time. It is now 200something, so the short period surely must be nearly up.

  The reason people are judged sheep or goat at great trib is based on if they did good or bad to christ bros. Some of them must be alive on earth up to the end for us to do good or bad to so there is a valid basis for judgement. Since they are getting old, the end must surely come soon, before they all die off.

  Jesus said that they apostles would not complete the 'circuit of the cities of Israel be for the Son of Man arrives' therefore there is no reason to believe that JWs will have preached to ever person or ever country before the end. Remember, preaching to all the nations means 'national groups' so we do not need to think that even every country must be reached to the extent that others have before the end.

  I used these in my service talks at the book study groups once to whip up support for service and get those fence sitters to make a descision.

  god I cant believe how dumb I was.

  Matt
• 

  jeeprube

  In my life it was always the dramatic INCREASE in the biblical signs since 1914. Also the constant teaching throught the 80's of the "Generation" prophecy. Everytime we would see a really old person in the truth, my mom would remind us of how close the end was. By the time the GB changed that teaching my family was so thoroughly indoctrinated that it made no effect.
• 

  EvilForce

  Well I remember before global warming....they were worried about the population explosion and the next ice age.
  They also used the DDT pesticide as evidence of man ruining the Earth.
  The United Nation's 1986 "International Year of Peace"....in district assemblies of 1984/1985....talking about how the end was OBVIOUSLY imminent.
  The King of the North and King of the South illustration was bandied about every meeting. The silly Dubs would drool worse than a Black Lab at dinner time over this orgy of delight at the upcoming distruction. Laughing at the "goats" god was going to destroy. Real love shown there I tell ya.
  The 1975 fiasco. God was doing a "final sifting" before unleashing the end. He needed to test his flock as to their loyalty.....what I said? I thought God only alllowed Satan to test people......Oh well he allowed Satan to test people about 1975. What? "Don't be argumentative". Ah, I see I said. (Recent conversation I had with family)
  The list goes on and on and on.
  
  Earthquakes...floods....wars....famines....blah...blah...blah! The sky is falling the sky is falling.
• 

  luna2

  I'm reading about the 1975 debacle in CoC now. Amazing. These guys don't have a clue. They promote or allow certain ideas to be promoted, then when it all falls apart they stand around with their thumbs up their collective asses and decide to ignore it and see if everybody will just forget what they said. LMAO I can't believe I once bought that these guys were Jah's mouthpiece.

  Proof...well, it's all in the signs, isn't it? Wars are worse and effect more people than ever before, poisoning of the environment, natural disasters (boy, they loved it when Mt. St. Helen's erupted). Now it's global warming cuz we've had a very hot summer. The usual crap. People that believe in Armegeddon always think they live in the most trying times in history and therefore the end must surely be just around the corner...in their lifetime.