In an earlier post entitled “When Prophetic Speculation Flops,” I noted that when someone’s “end of the world” prophecies fail, their disappointed followers demand an explanation and threaten to leave.

When that happens, they have a number of options.

For years, Charles Taze Russell and the Watchtower had prophesied that in 1914 God would bring a cataclysmic judgment on the world, destroy all the kingdoms of the earth, and set up Christ’s millennial Kingdom on earth. (The Time Is At Hand, 1888, pp. 76-77)

When the apocalypse did not arrive in 1914 as expected, Russell’s successors (he had died in 1916), were faced with a serious problem. Of course, they could have simply admitted that they had been wrong, apologized, stopped making prophetic pronouncements, and disbanded.

But they had too big a following and they had invested too much time and money to simply walk away. They were convinced that Russell’s teachings were basically correct, so they decided to continue and make appropriate adjustments.

In my earlier post, I set out a number of options that they considered.

Let’s fast forward a bit and look at what they actually did.

Option #1: They advised patience.

So what if the end didn’t come in 1914 as they predicted?

“We see no reason for doubting, therefore, that the Times of the Gentiles ended in October, 1914; and that a few more years will witness their utter collapse and the full establishment of God’s kingdom in the hands of Messiah.” (Watchtower Reprints, VI, Sept 1, 1916, p. 5950)

Option #2: They admitted their own disappointment and continued to “refine” their understanding.

“The Watchtower, and its companion publications of the society, for forty years emphasized that fact that 1914 would witness the establishment of God’s kingdom and the complete glorification of the church. During that period of forty years God’s people on earth were carrying on a witness work, which work was foreshadowed by Elijah and John the Baptist. All of the Lord’s people looked forward to 1914 with joyful expectation. When that time came and passed there was much disappointment, chagrin and mourning, and the Lord’s people were greatly in reproach.” (Light, Book 1, 1930, p. 194)

“There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1914, 1918 and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time. Later the faithful learned that these dates were definitely fixed in the Scriptures; and they also learned to quit fixing dates for the future and predicting what would come to pass on a certain date, but to rely (and they do rely) upon the Word of God as to the events that must come to pass. (J. F. Rutherford, Vindication, 1931, p. 338-339)

Option #3: They claimed that what they predicted did take place after all—in a sense.

“Years in advance Bible Scholars realized that 1914 was to be a year of great significance. They expected great changes to take place, and the facts confirm that 1914 was, indeed, a marked year.” (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968, p. 91)

“…this remnant of anointed ones have identified themselves on the pages of history since 1914 C.E. Before this year members of this anointed remnant had been earnestly studying God’s Word apart from Christendom. They put the Holy Bible ahead of man-made religious traditions. As early as 1876 they were publishing that the Gentile Times of 2,520 years would terminate in the year 1914. Events that have taken place from that year onward prove they were not wrong.” (God’s “Eternal Purpose” Now Triumphing For Man’s Good; 1974; pp. 178-179)

Option #4: They stressed that they never claimed to be infallible or inspired.

‘We remember that we are not infallible, and that our judgment is not infallible; but the wonderful inventions of today, and the light that is dawning in every direction, as well as the universal unrest, seem in corroboration of the chronology–that we are in the dawning of the New Age. But just how far along we are we do not positively know.” (Watch Tower, January 1, 1914, p. 5, reprints 5374)

“Ever since ‘The Watchtower’ began to be published in July of 1879 it has looked ahead into the future.… No, ‘The Watchtower’ is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy the predictions in which have proved to be unerring and unfailing till now. ‘The Watchtower’ is therefore under safe guidance. It may be read with confidence, for its statements may be checked against the prophetic Book.” (The Watchtower, January 1, 1969, p. 2).

“Does this admission of making mistakes stamp the [the Watchtower organization] as false prophets? Not at all, for false prophets do not admit to making mistakes.” (The Watchtower, November 1, 1972, p. 644)

Option #5: They blamed their followers for expecting too much.

“We did not say positively that this would be the year. We merely left every one to look at the facts of history and reckon for himself. … But would it be a reasonable expectation that the Gentile Kingdoms would be snuffed out inside of an hour or inside of a day? … We do not think that any would have been justified in so thinking. If any had such expectation, it was unwarranted.” (Watch Tower, November 1, 1914, pp. 325-326 reprints p. 5565)

“It seems to be a weakness of many Bible Students that if they locate a future date in the Bible, immediately they center as many prophecies upon that date as possible. This has been the cause of many siftings in the past. As far as we recall, all the dates foreseen were correct. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond reason; and that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to throw away everything. … Many can remember how “absolutely sure” some were about 1914. No doubt the Lord was pleased with the zeal manifested by his servants; but did they have a Scriptural basis for all they expected to come to pass that year? Let us be cautious, therefore about predicting particulars.” (Watch Tower, February 15, 1925, p. 57)

“There is no doubt that many throughout this period were overzealous in their statements as to what could be expected. Some read into the Watch Tower statements that were never intended, and while it was necessary for Russell to call attention to the certainty that a great change was due at the end of the Gentile times, he still encouraged his readers to keep an open mind, especially as regards the time element.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p. 52)

Option #6: They turned their mistakes into virtues.

“Prophecy cannot be understood until it has been fulfilled or is in the course of fulfillment. From 1874 to 1914 the prophecy concerning the Lord’s coming was being fulfilled and could be understood, and was understood, by those who were faithful to the Lord and who were watching the development of events, but not by others.” (Creation, 1927, p. 290)

“Out of zeal and enthusiasm for the vindication of Jehovah’s name, Word and purposes, and the desire for the new system, some of his servants have at times been premature in their expectations.” Watchtower, July 1, 1979, “How Jehovah Guides His People”, p. 29)

“But what would the end of the Gentile Times mean? The Bible Students were not completely sure what would happen. They were convinced that it would not result in a burning up of the earth and a blotting out of human life. Rather, they knew it would mark a significant point in regard to divine rulership. At first, they thought that by that date the Kingdom of God would have obtained full, universal control. When that did not occur, their confidence in the Bible prophecies that marked the date did not waver.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, 1993, p. 135)

My question is, “In light of the fact that the Kingdom of God did not destroy the kingdoms of the world, as prophesied, shouldn’t their faith in the organization have wavered? Just how many false prophecies does it take to make someone a false prophet?”

“The Watchtower is not the instrument of any man or set of men, nor is it published according to the whims of men… Jehovah God is the great Teacher of his children. To be sure, the publication of these truths is put forth by imperfect men, and for this reason they are not absolutely perfect in form; but they are put forth in such form as reflects God’s truth that he teaches his children.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, p. 143)

Isn’t this blaming Jehovah for their errors?

Option #7: They recalculated and reinterpreted Scripture.

“In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free.” … 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. … Page 324 of the above book positively says: ‘The King’s presence or parousia began in 1914.’” (God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached, 1973, pp. 209-210)

Option #8: They blamed Satan for discouragement and urged patient endurance.

“It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject into the minds of the consecrated, the thought that 1925 should see an end to the work.” (The Watchtower, September, 1925, p. 262)

Matthew 24:12-13: “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Option #9: After some time passed, they distracted their critics by ridiculing other religious leaders for their own false prophecies.

“True, there have been those in times past who predicted an ‘end’ to the world, even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The ‘end’ did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing? Missing from such people were God’s truths and the evidence that He was using and guiding them.” (Awake, October 8, 1968)

“RELIGIOUS LEADERS sometimes predict tragic worldwide events to warn mankind and gather followers. Doomsday prophet Harold Camping and his disciples widely advertised that the earth would be destroyed in 2011. Needless to say, the world is still here.” (The Watchtower, May 1, 2014, p. 3)

Option #10: They made more prophecies and kept on going.

“Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection.” (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, p. 89)

“WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 1975?” (The Watchtower, August 15, 1968, p. 494)