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Jehovah's Witnesses who were born into the organization or joined after 1975 will emphatically tell you that the Watchtower has never made any predictions for the end of the world. However faithful Jehovah's Witnesses who belonged to the Watchtower Society prior to 1975 will tell you a different story. Are millions of Jehovah's Witnesses lying? Who is telling the truth?
We were Jehovah's Witnesses from 1965 to 1976 and regularly attended Kingdom Hall meetings since the early 1950's. We can tell you what actually happened. The reason why there is so much controversy over the 1975 prophecy is easy to explain.
What Did The Watchtower Say About 1975?
The Watchtower strongly implied that armageddon would hit in 1975 but they were very careful not to guarantee it as a done deal.
What the Watchtower did say was that 6000 yrs of human existence would end in the autumn of 1975. The faith of Jehovah's Witnesses was that the destruction of the wicked (armageddon) and Christ's 1000 year reign would begin 6000 years after the creation of Adam. According to Watchtower chronology, 6000 years of human history ended in the fall of 1975. May 1, 1968 WT, Article: 'Making Wise Use of the Remaining Time'; Aug 15, 1968 WT, Article: 'Why Are You Looking Forward to 1975?'
As Jehovah's Witnesses, our entire life revolved around armageddon coming in 1975. Watchtower literature contained violent pictures of people dying a horrible death at armageddon. Of course Jehovah's Witnesses remained untouched.
If you do a thorough search on the internet about this topic you will find that much more was said at meetings, assemblies, and conventions, than was printed in the Watchtower. e.g. listen to this speech Fred Franz, President of the Watchtower Talks About 1975
Society publications did everything to make Jehovah's Witnesses believe armageddon was coming with 1975 without actually saying it. Today after 30 years, no one wants to believe that 1975 was a deliberate deception although we can't be sure. Certainly the Watchtower Society must have benefited financially from the rapid growth in the 'last days' prior to 1975.
All meetings, assemblies, and conventions focused around 1975. We had some nagging doubts but did not express them. Saying that armageddon might not come in 1975 would have been like saying Jehovah doesn't run the Watchtower. Faithful Jehovah's Witnesses did not question the Watchtower's calculations on Bible chronology and predictions for the end of the world because we believed the Watchtower was God's channel of communication.
Jehovah's Witnesses were strongly advised to pioneer and serve Jehovah full time. Many moved to where the 'need was greater'. Dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses in our local congregations, quit their full time jobs, sold their homes, and pioneered in anticipation that the end of this wicked system of things was coming in 1975. This was happening all over the world. Most of these people had just enough money to carry them over until 1976. The leadership of the organization agreed that this was a fine thing to do in the final days before armageddon.
Membership in the Watchtower Society increased rapidly before 1975. The Watchtower's Bible 'evidence' that armageddon could come in 1975, was so convincing that no one dared question it. Now we know that Watchtower articles and speeches about 1975 were merely opinions, not facts. However prior to 1975 Jehovah's Witnesses believed that the faithful and discreet slave was feeding them spiritual truths from Jehovah. We know that God does not lie. Since we believed the Watchtower was God's organization and 'the truth', we had no reason to question the organization. However it is possible that many had nagging doubts that they did not share with one another.
Disagreement is not allowed in the organization.
Speeches at Kingdom Halls, assemblies, and conventions, revolved around armageddon coming in 1975. If you go to YouTube.Com you will find some frightening speeches recorded at conventions on or prior to 1975. And of course there was the 'count down' prior to 1975. At meetings circuit overseers would say, 'Only 36 months to armageddon brothers.' Then 'Only 35 months to armageddon brothers'. ... 'Only one month to armageddon brothers.' ...
Today the Watchtower rejects to idea that they predicted the end of the world in 1975. While there is truth in this statement, critics call it a 'half truth'. Why? Because it's not the entire truth. Overwhelming factual evidence on the internet will prove to you, that the Watchtower did everything they could to convince Jehovah's Witnesses to prepare for armageddon in 1975.
During the time period from 1966 to 1975, many brothers and sisters gave up the best years of their life serving the organization rather than getting an education, getting married, having children, saving for retirement, etc. They put their life on hold. That's how convinced all Jehovah's Witnesses were that armageddon was coming in 1975.
Why was our faith so strong? Because we believed that the Watchtower was God's modern day representative and channel of communication.
Even though most Jehovah's Witnesses did not leave in 1976, a large number of us could no longer believe that the Watchtower speaks on behalf of God. We left and took God's Word to heart. The Bible tells us how to identify a false prophet. Deut 18:22
One thing we can learn from 1975 is that the Watchtower is not the only channel through which God speaks. A careful examination of old Watchtower literature from the 1870's to today reveals the truth about predictions that did not come true. Matthew 7:22,23; Duet 18:22
- Two Choices. Why It's So Hard To Leave The Jehovah's Witnesses
Failed Prophecies.
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