1975
Why were they looking forward to 1975? The Watchtower organization answers this question in its following publications starting with Awake-October 8, 1966 on page 19: “It is the fact that shortly, according to reliable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will come to an end.... we find that Adam was created in the autumn of the year 4026 B.C.E. Sometime in that year Eve could have been created, directly after which God’s rest day commenced. In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man’s existence and also the first 6,000 years of God’s rest day come to an end? The year 1975.*
* See the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, pages 29-35.”
"Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God," page 29: “According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man’s history will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.” This is another contradiction as can be seen from the following quotation taken from "Studies in the Scriptures," volume 2, The Time is at Hand, 1910, page ii: “The Bible chronology herein presented shows that the six great thousand-year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great Seventh-day, the thousand years of Christ’s Reign, began in 1873.” Well, when was it, 1873 or 1975?
The Watchtower-May 1, 1968, page 271: “Thus, Adam’s naming of the animals and his realizing that he needed a counterpart would have occupied only a brief time after his creation. Since it was also Jehovah’s purpose for man to multiply and fill the earth, it is logical that he would create Eve soon after Adam, perhaps just a few weeks or months later in the same year, 4026 B.C.E. After her creation, God’s rest day, the seventh period, immediately followed.”
The Watchtower-August 15, 1968, page 494: “Why are you looking forward to 1975? ... Their interest has been kindled by the belief that 1975 will mark the end of 6,000 years of human history since Adam’s creation.”
The Watchtower-October 1, 1975, page 579: “Well, the Bible records show that God’s creations on the ‘day’ just preceding that 7,000-year ‘rest day’ did not end with Adam’s creation, it shows a time lapse between the creation of Adam and that of his wife, Eve. During that time, God had Adam name the animals. Whether that period amounted to weeks or months or years, we do not know. So we do not know exactly when Jehovah’s great ‘rest day’ began, nor do not know exactly when it will end. The same applies to the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign. The Bible provides us no way to fix the date, and so it does us no good to speculate when that date may be.”
The Watchtower organization had been saying that the first 6,000 years period began with Adam's creation and would end in 1975 with the beginning of the seventh year period in the fall of 1975. Now we are being told the Watchtower organization did not know when Jehovah's great "rest day" began or when it will end because the Watchtower organization did not know when Eve was born. However, the Watchtower organization did know when Eve was born in the Awake-October 8, 1968 on page 14: “According to reliable Bible chronology, Adam and Eve were created in 4026 B.C.E.” In Aid to Bible Understanding on page 333, it says that from the time of Adam's creation in 4026 to the birth of Seth was 130 years and on page 538 it says that “At the age of 130 another son was born to her. Eve called his name Seth,...” Since Eve was 130 years old when Seth was born, then, Eve was born in the same year as was Adam. Again the Watchtower organization lied because it knew when Eve was born.
As a result of the things said about 1975, many Jehovah's Witnesses gave up better educations, better jobs and children. They did this so that they could preach the good news during the "short time remaining before the wicked world's end." This can be seen in the following publications.
"Kingdom Ministry," June, 1969, page 3: “In view of the short time left, a decision to pursue a career in this system of things is not only unwise but extremely dangerous.
Many young brothers and sisters were offered scholarships or employment that promised fine pay. However, they turned them down and put spiritual interest first.”
"Kingdom Ministry," May 1974, page 3: “Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that not reason to increase our activity?... 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.-1 John 2:17"
Awake-November 8, 1974, page 11: “Today there is a great crowd of people who are confident that a destruction of even greater magnitude is now imminent. The evidence is that Jesus’ prophecy will shortly have a major fulfillment upon this entire system of things. This has been a major factor in influencing many couples to decide not to have children at this time. They have chosen to remain childless so that they would be less encumbered to carry out the instructions of Jesus Christ to preach the good news of God’s kingdom earth wide before the end of this system comes.-Matt 24:14"
The Watchtower organization said that its publications never said that the world would come to an end in the mid-70's. It said that this was a matter of "individual speculation" in The Watchtower of October 15th, 1974 on page 635. However, in The Watchtower of March 15th, 1980, page 17-18, the Watchtower organization did take responsibility for contributing "to the buildup of hopes centered on that date." Was it a matter of "individual speculation," or was the Watchtower organization responsible for the considerable expectations that was aroused regarding the year 1975?
The Watchtower-October 15, 1974, page 635: “The publication of Jehovah’s witnesses have shown that, according to Bible chronology, it appears that 6,000 years of man’s existence will be completed in the mid-1970's. But these publications have never said that the world’s end would come then. Nevertheless, there has been considerable individual speculation on the matter.”
The Watchtower-March 15, 1980, page 17-18: “With the appearance of the book of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man’s existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to the buildup of the expectation already initiated.
“In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: ‘If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.’ In saying ‘anyone,’ The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including the persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.”
Is it any wonder why they were looking forward to 1975?
* See the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, pages 29-35.”
"Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God," page 29: “According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man’s history will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.” This is another contradiction as can be seen from the following quotation taken from "Studies in the Scriptures," volume 2, The Time is at Hand, 1910, page ii: “The Bible chronology herein presented shows that the six great thousand-year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great Seventh-day, the thousand years of Christ’s Reign, began in 1873.” Well, when was it, 1873 or 1975?
The Watchtower-May 1, 1968, page 271: “Thus, Adam’s naming of the animals and his realizing that he needed a counterpart would have occupied only a brief time after his creation. Since it was also Jehovah’s purpose for man to multiply and fill the earth, it is logical that he would create Eve soon after Adam, perhaps just a few weeks or months later in the same year, 4026 B.C.E. After her creation, God’s rest day, the seventh period, immediately followed.”
The Watchtower-August 15, 1968, page 494: “Why are you looking forward to 1975? ... Their interest has been kindled by the belief that 1975 will mark the end of 6,000 years of human history since Adam’s creation.”
The Watchtower-October 1, 1975, page 579: “Well, the Bible records show that God’s creations on the ‘day’ just preceding that 7,000-year ‘rest day’ did not end with Adam’s creation, it shows a time lapse between the creation of Adam and that of his wife, Eve. During that time, God had Adam name the animals. Whether that period amounted to weeks or months or years, we do not know. So we do not know exactly when Jehovah’s great ‘rest day’ began, nor do not know exactly when it will end. The same applies to the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign. The Bible provides us no way to fix the date, and so it does us no good to speculate when that date may be.”
The Watchtower organization had been saying that the first 6,000 years period began with Adam's creation and would end in 1975 with the beginning of the seventh year period in the fall of 1975. Now we are being told the Watchtower organization did not know when Jehovah's great "rest day" began or when it will end because the Watchtower organization did not know when Eve was born. However, the Watchtower organization did know when Eve was born in the Awake-October 8, 1968 on page 14: “According to reliable Bible chronology, Adam and Eve were created in 4026 B.C.E.” In Aid to Bible Understanding on page 333, it says that from the time of Adam's creation in 4026 to the birth of Seth was 130 years and on page 538 it says that “At the age of 130 another son was born to her. Eve called his name Seth,...” Since Eve was 130 years old when Seth was born, then, Eve was born in the same year as was Adam. Again the Watchtower organization lied because it knew when Eve was born.
As a result of the things said about 1975, many Jehovah's Witnesses gave up better educations, better jobs and children. They did this so that they could preach the good news during the "short time remaining before the wicked world's end." This can be seen in the following publications.
"Kingdom Ministry," June, 1969, page 3: “In view of the short time left, a decision to pursue a career in this system of things is not only unwise but extremely dangerous.
Many young brothers and sisters were offered scholarships or employment that promised fine pay. However, they turned them down and put spiritual interest first.”
"Kingdom Ministry," May 1974, page 3: “Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that not reason to increase our activity?... 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.-1 John 2:17"
Awake-November 8, 1974, page 11: “Today there is a great crowd of people who are confident that a destruction of even greater magnitude is now imminent. The evidence is that Jesus’ prophecy will shortly have a major fulfillment upon this entire system of things. This has been a major factor in influencing many couples to decide not to have children at this time. They have chosen to remain childless so that they would be less encumbered to carry out the instructions of Jesus Christ to preach the good news of God’s kingdom earth wide before the end of this system comes.-Matt 24:14"
The Watchtower organization said that its publications never said that the world would come to an end in the mid-70's. It said that this was a matter of "individual speculation" in The Watchtower of October 15th, 1974 on page 635. However, in The Watchtower of March 15th, 1980, page 17-18, the Watchtower organization did take responsibility for contributing "to the buildup of hopes centered on that date." Was it a matter of "individual speculation," or was the Watchtower organization responsible for the considerable expectations that was aroused regarding the year 1975?
The Watchtower-October 15, 1974, page 635: “The publication of Jehovah’s witnesses have shown that, according to Bible chronology, it appears that 6,000 years of man’s existence will be completed in the mid-1970's. But these publications have never said that the world’s end would come then. Nevertheless, there has been considerable individual speculation on the matter.”
The Watchtower-March 15, 1980, page 17-18: “With the appearance of the book of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man’s existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to the buildup of the expectation already initiated.
“In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: ‘If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.’ In saying ‘anyone,’ The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including the persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.”
Is it any wonder why they were looking forward to 1975?