Failing the Test of Faith: The November 1, 1995 Watchtower
by The Wiz and Lex Splicer
"Imagine you are awaiting an out-of-town visitor who has
told you the day of his arrival but not the hour. As time passes, and he
still has not come, you begin to wonder if he has been delayed. Was this
really the day he said he would come? Could there have been a misunderstanding?
Slowly, what was at first only impatience gives way to something more disconcerting,
something called doubt.
This may well describe how some people feel about the promised arrival of
God's time to execute judgment against wickedness."
This is the beginning of an article in the 05/01/85 Watchtower on page
3 which asks the question "Is God Delaying His Judgment?". The article
talks about how the end will come at "God's appointed time" and that
while we don't know the day or the hour, we do know the "time period"
when it would come. This time period is defined as beginning in 1914, and ending
when the last of all who were alive that year die out. According to this analogy
we are late in "the day," since there are few people from that year
still living. The degree of certainty of this "fact" is emphasized
in the same article, under the subheading "This Generation Will by No Means
Pass Away":
"Besides knowing when the time period for divine judgment
would come, Jesus was able to put a limit on its length. Using the illustration
of a fig tree, he said: "Just as soon as its young branch grows tender
and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Likewise, also you,
when you see all these things, you know that he is near at the doors. Truly
I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all things
occur."-Matt. 24:32-34
Thus judgment would be executed sometime during the life span of people
seeing the first evidence of the time period foretold by Jesus. The start
of this time period would mark the beginning of the end of Satan's World,
against which God's newly established Kingdom in heaven would execute divine
judgment. Bible Chronology and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy provide
ample proof that this time period began in 1914.
Thus before the 1914 generation completely dies out, God's judgment must
be executed." WT 05/01/85
Note that it is clearly stated that Bible Chronology and fulfillment of Bible
prophecy is PROOF of the fact that people from 1914 would see the end.
The article goes on to give some statistics on how many persons in West Germany
that were born in 1900 or before were still alive in 1980. Then it continues:
"Only now, at a time when it appears that the generation could
pass away before all is fulfilled, do Jesus' words "by all means"
take on real significance." WT 05/01/85 (italics theirs)
Therefore, to keep faith during this time would be more important than ever.
To lose faith now, just as we are approaching the end would be disappointing
indeed. However, note the next subheading of this article, "A Test of Faith".
This portion of the article refers to Habakkuk 2:2,3 which says about God's
day:
"It will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in
expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late."
Note this Watchtower article's comment on this scripture (pay special attention
to what is quoted in bold):
"Habakkuk's warning words indicate that there would be
an apparent delay in Jehovah's judgment, serving as a test of faith.
Logically this test could not arise until late in the generation of which
Jesus spoke. In reference to the example at the beginning of this article,
consider this: When would you begin seriously doubting that your visitor
was coming? Certainly not at 9 o'clock in the morning, nor at noon, possibly
not even in the late afternoon. But likely your faith [would] be tested
once evening set in. However, remember that even at 11:30 pm your visitor
still would have sufficient time to come in fulfillment of his promise!"
WT 05/01/85
The Society sets up a test of faith, but either that test was failed, or
clock struck midnight as of November 1, 1995. Note the much subdued tone and
statement:
"Jehovah's people have at times speculated about the time
when the "great tribulation" would break out, even tying this
to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914."
WT 11/01/95, p. 17
So, Jesus' ability to put a "time limit" on the "time period"
when the end would come as explained in the May 1, 1985 Watchtower has turned
into the "speculation of Jehovah's people" in the November 1, 1995
Watchtower.
How can one reconcile this 180 degree turn? The article tries to put our
minds at ease by saying:
"Members of the faithful slave class have never entertained
any doubts about the coming of Jehovah's day in our time." WT 03/01/96
But is this really the case? They said in the May 1, 1985 Watchtower that
this test about really believing that God's day would come before the generation
of 1914 passes away would not occur until late in the existence of this generation.
Certainly we are extremely late in the generation of 1914, and what has the
the Society done? They have changed the teaching. Can anyone truthfully say
that this action does not show that the Governing Body are having serious doubts
about the end coming in our day? In fact, they have effectively said that they
have no faith in this by the change in the Awake! Magazine's statement
of purpose:
Compare Awake! Oct 22 1995 with the edition on Nov 08 1995)
Why AWAKE! Is Published Awake! is published
for the enlightenment of the entire family. It shows how to cope with today's
problems. It reports the news, tells about people in many lands, examines religion
and science. But it does more. It probes beneath the surface and points to the
real meaning behind current events, yet it always stays politically neutral
and does not exalt one race above another. Most important, this magazine builds
confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure world before the
generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away. Why AWAKE! Is Published
Awake! is published for the enlightenment of the entire family.
It shows how to cope with today's problems. It reports the news, tells
about people in many lands, examines religion and science. But it does more.
It probes beneath the surface and points to the real meaning behind current
events, yet it always stays politically neutral and does not exalt one race
above another. Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's
promise of a peaceful and secure world that is about to replace the present
wicked, lawless system of things.
They have clearly failed their own challenge to pass the "test of faith"
that they had put before their readers in 1985. Instead of cloaking themselves
with excuses, half-truths, and verbal gloss, why not just state plainly that
we have always been wrong about the "generation of 1914"? Why keep
this air of spiritual authority? Why so little humility, and request for forgiveness
from the readers of the Watchtower for making this mistake?
It's time to come clean, and admit to these mistakes. To continue as if these
problems do not exist is equivalent of the Wizard of Oz saying: "Ignore
the man behind the curtain!" Should we not expect better? Toto isn't going
away. He's only barking louder.
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