"The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture
as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from
October, 1874."
--Watchtower 1/15/1892, p.1355
"The Scriptures show that the second presence [of the Lord] was due
in 1874 . . . . This proof shows that the Lord has been present since
1874"
--Watchtower 3/1/1923, p.67
"Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly
consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been
since 1874."
--Watchtower 1/1/1924, p.5
"From Adam's creation to the end of 1943 A.D. is 5,971 years.
We are therefore near the end of six thousand years of human
history, ...."
--The TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE by Rutherford (1943)
Chap.11, p.152
"In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published
the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free." In its chapter 11,
entitled "The Count of the Time," it did away with the insertion of
100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the
oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted
the spell-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures.
This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's existence
into the decade of the 1970's.
Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date
of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his
invisible presence or parousia."
--God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years p.209, para.55
(Frederick Franz) (1973)
"The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in
Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its
beginning dating from October, 1874."
--Watchtower 1/15/1892, p.1355
Subsequently in the July 1894 Watch Tower under the heading:
"We see no reason for changing the figures--nor could we change them
if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear
in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning,
but for the end of the time of trouble. We see no reason for
changing from our opinion expressed in the view presented in the
Watch Tower of January 15, '92. We advise that it be read again."
CAN IT BE DELAYED UNTIL 1914?
--Watchtower 7/15/1894, p.1677
"We did not say positively that this would be the year."
--Watchtower 11/1/1914, p.5565
"After 1925 expect shortly Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. . . ."
--The Way to Paradise, p.224 (1924)
"There will be no slip-up. . . . Abraham should enter upon the actual
possession of his promised inheritance in the year 1925 A.D."
--Watchtower 10/15/1917, p.6157
"This chronology is not of man but of God . . . of divine origin . . .
absolutely and unqualifiedly correct."
--Watchtower 7/15/1922, p.217
"1914 ended the Gentile times. . . . The date 1925 is even more distinctly
indicated by the Scriptures. . . . by then the great crisis will be reached
and probably passed."
--Watchtower 9/1/1922, p.262
"1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. . . . the Christian has
much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had (so far as the
Scriptures reveal) upon which to base his faith in the coming deluge."
--Watchtower 4/1/1923, p.106
"The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in the Scriptures,
even more clearly than that of 1914"
--Watchtower 7/15/1924, p.211
"Aid" book claimed Adam and Eve were created in the same year:
"Hence, the first six thousand years since man's creation could be likened to
the first six day of the week in ancient Israel. The seventh one-thousand-year
period could be likened to the seventh day, the sabbath, of that week.--2Pet.3:8
How fitting it would be for God, following this pattern, to end man's misery
after six thousand years of human rule and follow it with His glorious
Kingdom rule for a thousand years!"
--Awake! 10/8/1968, p.14
"Are we to assume from this study that the battle of Armageddon will be all
over by the autumn of 1975, and the long-looked-for thousand-year reign of
Christ will begin by then? Possibly. . . . It may involve only a difference
of weeks or months, not years."
--Watchtower 8/15/1968, p.499
"Would there be another creative 'day,' a seventh 'day,' at the close of
the 'morning' of which the whole earth would be populated with a human
family and be a global Paradise? 'Evening' of seventh creative 'day' begins,
4026 B.C.E."
--God's "Eternal Purpose" Now Triumphing for Man's Good,
p.51, (1974)
"Morning' of seventh creative 'day' begins, 526 B.C.E. The first half or
'evening' period of God's seventh creative 'day' was now closing,
3,500 years from creation of Adam and Eve."
--God's "Eternal Purpose" Now Triumphing for Man's Good, p.131 (1974)
"Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning
to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer
service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining
before the wicked world's end."
--Kingdom Ministry, 5/1974, p.3
"Before the 1914 generation completely dies out, God's judgment must be executed."
--Watchtower, 5/1/1985, p.4
"The Hebrews . . . reckon seventy-five years as one generation. . . ."
--Awake! 4/8/1988, p.14
"Most of the generation of 1914 has passed away. However, there are still
millions on earth who were born in that year or prior to it. . . . Jesus'
words will come true, 'this generation will not pass away until all these things
have happened.'"
--Awake! 4/8/1988, p.14
The present-day fulfillments of these and other prophecies prove that we are indeed
living in "the last days."
--Watchtower 7/15/1991, p.5
Christians should regard education as a means to an end. In these last days, their
purpose is to serve Jehovah as much and as effectively as possible. If, in the country
where they live, minimal or even high school education will only allow them to find
jobs providing insufficient income to support themselves as pioneers, then supplementary
education or training might be considered. This would be with the specific goal of
full-time service.
--Watchtower 11/1/1992 p.18
Bible prophecies indicate that Satan's world has been in its last days for nearly
80 years now, since the pivotal year 1914. This world is nearing its end.
--Watchtower 3/15/1994 p.20
Other Bible prophecies confirm that this would occur during the last days of the
wicked system. That is where we are, in the conclusion of the system of things.
--Watchtower 4/15/1994 p.11
By now, in this latter part of "the last days," the great majority of the 144,000
have died and received their heavenly reward.
--Watchtower 7/1/1995 p.15
Many divinely inspired Bible prophecies are being fulfilled today--a number of them on
the Christian congregation.
--Watchtower 9/1/1995 p.17
"Jehovah's prophetic word through Jesus Christ is: 'This
generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32)
And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired an unfailing prophecy,
will bring about the fulfillment."
--The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, pgs. 6-7
"Jehovah's Witnesses, in their eagerness for Jesus' second coming, have
suggested dates that turned out to be incorrect." . . .
"Never did they say, 'These are the words of Jehovah.'"
--Awake! March 22, 1993, pg. 4
"Modesty on the part of the faithful and discreet slave class, commissioned to provide the Christian household with food at the proper time, prevents it from presumptuously running ahead and wildly speculating about things that are still unclear. The slave class strives to avoid being dogmatic. It is not too proud to admit that as of now it cannot answer every question, keeping Proverbs 14:18 clearly in mind. But how thrilling to know that Jehovah, in his own due time and in his own way, will continue to reveal his secrets as to his purposes! Never should we become impatient with Jehovah's arrangement, indiscreetly trying to rush ahead of the Revealer of secrets. How reassuring it is to know that the channel Jehovah is using today does not do so! It is both faithful and discreet."
--Watchtower 6/1/97 p.14, par.7
"However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. And in case you should say in your heart: 'How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?' when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him."
--Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (NWT)
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