Jehovah's Witnesses: Encyclopedia II - Jehovah's Witnesses - Jehovah's Witnesses and eschatology

Jehovah's Witnesses - Jehovah's Witnesses and eschatology

Since their formation in the 1870s, leaders of the organization have sought to identify dates for end-time events such as the enthronement of Jesus as King, the return of Jesus Christ, and for the "end of this system of things," culminating in Armageddon. The Witness publication Jehovah's Witnesses--Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, gives an overview of some of the historical development of the Witnesses' eschatology. However, no detailed study by Witness historians has been published. Most information on Jehovah's Witnesses' eschatology has been produced by non-Witnesses citing Watch Tower publications. Responding to the charge of being "false prophets," the Watchtower Society has defended failed predictions, and eschatology changes, as incorrect interpretations of the Bible and views it as evidence that they have been "keeping on the watch" for the "Day of Jehovah." The Witnesses still rely on their understanding of Bible chronology for establishing the year of Christ's return. While they look to modern events as corresponding to Biblical prophecies and feel Armageddon is imminent, they no longer predict a specific year for it.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Early eschatology

The Second Adventists affiliated with Nelson H. Barbour expected a visible and dramatic return of Christ in 1873, and later in 1874. They agreed with other Adventist groups that the "time of the end" (also called the "last days") had started in 1799. Soon after the 1874 disappointment, Barbour accepted the idea that Christ had actually returned to the earth in 1874, but invisibly. 1874 was considered the end of 6,000 years of human history and the beginning of judgment by Christ. Charles Taze Russell and the group that later was known as Bible Students accepted these views from Barbour. Russell taught that while Jesus was invisibly present here on earth, he was made its King in 1878. Russell also taught that in 1878 Christ resurrected all the "dead in Christ" as spirit beings to be with him here on the earth awaiting a future glorification. (As each of the remainder of the 144,000 would die after 1878, Christ would resurrect them as spirit beings to join those already resurrected.) Together with Christ here on earth, these invisible resurrected spirit beings were engaged in directing a harvest work gathering the remainder of those with the heavenly calling. This harvest would run from 1874–1914, and the culmination of Armageddon would occur in 1914 preceded by the gathering of all the saints (both resurrected and living) to heaven notes C1. From 1925–1933, the Watchtower Society radically changed their beliefs after the failure of expectations for Armageddon in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, and 1925. In 1925, the Watchtower explained a major change that Christ had now been enthroned as King in heaven in the year 1914 instead of 1878. 1874 was retained as the time of Christ's invisible return until the early 1930s. But, Christ's Second Advent was now explained not as a return to the earth but as a "turning of attention" to the earth with Christ remaining in heaven. By 1933, it was clearly taught that Christ had returned invisibly in 1914 and the "last days" had also begun then. The 1878 resurrection date was transferred to 1918 but it was now held these were raised as spirit creatures to heavenly life to be with Christ there. These are the current teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses regarding 1914 and 1918. Witnesses no longer consider the dates 1799, 1874 and 1878 of any significance today, even though they were foundation doctrines in their time. The idea that the "great tribulation" had begun in 1914 and was "cut short" in 1918 to be resumed at Armageddon was dropped in 1969, though Armageddon is still considered to be "very close".

Other dates proclaimed to be time of God's judgment on humankind and the culmination of Armageddon, were 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925 and 1941. The return of Old Testament men including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was an event anticipated by many Jehovah's Witnesses in 1925 based on writings in their journal, The Watchtower, the book Millions Now Living Will Never Die C2, and various other Watch Tower Society publications. In 1929, Joseph Rutherford (the second president of the Watch Tower) built a luxury villa in California called Beth Sarim for the purpose of housing ancient Biblical persons, who were expected to be physically resurrected on earth to join Christ's reign over the earth, even though they had failed to materialize as he had predicted for 1925. Rutherford lived in the villa until his death in 1942, and in 1948 the villa was sold. notes C3

Throughout its history the Watch Tower Society's claims authority as "God's Prophet", and "God's one and only true channel to mankind" has been historically reinforced into the minds of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the history of the organization. Its dates for Armageddon were repeatedly classed as "of God,", "God's time to act against mankind", "God's interpretations," and the organization describes itself in a unique and privileged position of "God's one sole channel to Mankind" in giving these dates. To questions the dates validity is often negatively inferred to be questioning God Himself. The organization has at times denied being "directly inspired", but has also made multiple claims equaling inspiration in their import. These historical dates were never suggested to be the thoughts of imperfect men, or passing theories of men at the time of their publishing. This is demonstrated clearly in two out of many issues of the Watchtower magazine published by Jehovah's Witnesses: "It is on the basis of such and so many correspondences-in accordance with the soundest laws known to science that we affirm that, Scripturally, scientifically, and historically, present-truth chronology is correct beyond a doubt. Its reliability has been abundantly confirmed by the dates and events of 1874, 1914, and 1918. Present-truth chronology is a secure basis on which the consecrated child of God may endeavor to search out things to come." (Watchtower, 15 June 1922, p. 187.) "This chronology is not of man, but of God. Being of divine origin and divinely corroborated, present-truth chronology stands in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly correct."—Watchtower, 15 July 1922, p. 217.

Jehovah's Witnesses - 1975

During the 1960s and early 1970s, many Witnesses were stimulated by articles in their literature C4 and further encouraged by speakers at their assemblies prior to 1975, to believe that Armageddon and Christ's thousand-year millennial reign would begin by 1975. Although the views of Armageddon and Christ's millennium beginning in 1975 were never fully or explicitly supported by the Watch Tower Society, many in the organizations' writing department, as well as several leading Witnesses, Elders, and presiding overseers in the organization, heavily suggested that Christ's millennial reign over earth would begin by 1975. One outstanding example is F.Franz expecting it for September 5 after sundown. While Witnesses have always been encouraged to increase the preaching work, and avoid secular life goals or careers, this emphasis was especially strong prior to 1975.

Some Witnesses gave up good jobs, notes C5 college, scholarships, and some imprudently sold their houses in the hopeful expectation that God's Kingdom would literally be established on earth in 1975 after the biblical Armageddon, encouraged by the Watch Tower Society: "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." notes C6 It is worth noting that similar language persists in publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, who still hold that the time remaining in the present system is relatively short, and that having an active share in the preaching work is the best use of a believer's time. Some Jehovah's Witnesses irresponsibly ran up debt believing they would not to have to pay it back, and some unwisely spent their life savings believing that the 1975 date was a certain and unchangeable fact due to the many encouraging Watch Tower articles. C7 In spite of the Watch Tower Society's previous admonition that Witnesses should let nothing cause them to tire and give out (Watchtower, 15 August 1968, p. 501), there were many who left the organization (or became inactive) due to the disappointment of Armageddon not coming in 1975, although the majority remained. The large numbers leaving or becoming inactive were seen as baptisms continued at over 100,000 per year (around 200,000 in 1976). However, the organization still continued to lose more members than it gained for several years after 1975, until 1979 when numbers started to recover and increase again.

In 1980, the Society acknowledged some responsibility of the 1975 incident. "With the appearance 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 a build up of the expectation already initiated." — The Watchtower magazine, 15 March 1980 p.17

Jehovah's Witnesses - Recent changes

In 1995 changes regarding their understanding of the statement "this generation" made by Jesus were published. During the previous four decades, Jehovah's Witnesses had taught that Jesus was referring to the generation living in 1914, which would not die before Armageddon came. "Those persons yet remaining of that generation are now very old. However, some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system." (You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, published 1982, rev. 1989, p154).

Previously, the proper interpretation of the word "generation" itself was believed to be "beyond question, that which takes a 'generation' in the ordinary sense...or for those who are living at the given period." The belief was that "from 1914 a generation shall not pass till all is fulfilled, and amidst a great time of trouble."^[a]

As the generation of 1914 dwindled in numbers, the Society used this for many decades as evidence that the end was "very near and immediately impending." This doctrine was discarded when the youngest had reached 80 years of age. A "new light" interpretation of "this generation" was then published in The Watchtower magazine of 1 November 1995.(Watchtower 1995a)

The Witnesses' current teaching regarding the meaning of the term “this generation” is that "in the final fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy today, 'this generation' apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ’s presence but fail to mend their ways."(Watchtower 1995b) Jehovah's Witnesses still believe that Armageddon is imminent. That same article continued, "Does our more precise viewpoint on 'this generation' mean that Armageddon is further away than we had thought? Not at all! Though we at no time have known the 'day and hour,' Jehovah God has always known it, and he does not change. (Malachi 3:6) ... The need to keep awake is more critical than it has ever been. Jehovah has revealed to us 'the things that must shortly take place,' and we should respond with an absorbing sense of urgency."

At the same time, the Watch Tower Society changed part of the wording of the stated purpose of the Awake! magazine from "the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away" to "the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present, wicked lawless system of things."

The Witnesses' viewpoint of the "end of the world" differs from other apocalyptic religions. They do not believe that the physical earth will be destroyed, but rather that both the wicked and unbelievers will be eternally destroyed along with all "worldly" institutions (governments, non-Witness religions, etc.) It is their belief that the earth will be restored to an Eden-like paradise with Jehovah as sovereign and Jesus Christ as King designate. For further discussion of this, see "Beliefs and Doctrines" above.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Jehovah's Witnesses and eschatology", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki