The Choice of a New Generation
The Watchtower eventually gave up trying to define “this generation” because they continually got it wrong. None of their annihilistic interpretations unfolded. Yes, after 125 years in business of foretelling the end of the world, The Watchtower Society took a new view of “this generation”. This is what they said in 1995:
In Noah’s day “all flesh [that] had ruined its way on the earth” and that was destroyed at the Flood was “this generation.” In Jesus’ day the apostate Jewish people that were rejecting Jesus was “this generation.”—[the_tooltip text=”Genesis 6:11, 12″ tooltip=”But the earth had become ruined in the sight of the true God, and the earth was filled with violence. Yes, God looked upon the earth, and it was ruined; all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Genesis 7:1″ tooltip=”After that Jehovah said to Noah: ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, because you are the one I have found to be righteous before me among this generation.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”].
Therefore, 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. In contrast, we as Jesus’ disciples refuse to be molded by the life-style of “this generation.” Though in the world, we must be no part of it, “for the appointed time is near.” ([the_tooltip text=”Revelation 1:3″ tooltip=”Happy is the one who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy and who observe the things written in it, for the appointed time is near.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”John 17:16″ tooltip=”They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”])
No human can say when that end will be, but we know that the end of “this generation” of wicked people will come once the witness has been given to God’s satisfaction “to the most distant part of the earth.”—[the_tooltip text=”Acts 1:8″ tooltip=”But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”].
When the global witness has been accomplished to the extent Jehovah purposes, it will be his “day and hour” to dispose of this world’s system. We do not need to know the date in advance. Thus, following Jesus’ example, the apostle Paul admonished: “Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. For you yourselves know quite well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. Whenever it is that they are saying: ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them just as the pang of distress upon a pregnant woman; and they will by no means escape.” Note Paul’s focus: ‘It is when they are saying.’ Yes, when there is talk of “peace and security,” when it is least expected, God’s judgment will suddenly be executed. How appropriate is Paul’s advice: “So, then, let us not sleep on as the rest do, but let us stay awake and keep our senses”!—[the_tooltip text=”1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, 6″ tooltip=”Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. Whenever it is that they are saying, ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will be no means escape.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; see also [the_tooltip text=”1 Thessalonians 5:7-11″ tooltip=”For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But as for us who belong to the day, let us keep our senses and put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation as a helmet because God assigned us, not to wrath, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, so that whether we stay awake or asleep, we should live together with him. Therefore, keep encouraging one another and building one another up, just as you are in fact doing.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Acts 1:7″ tooltip=”He said to them: ‘It does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”].
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. ([the_tooltip text=”Malachi 3:6″ tooltip=”‘For I am Jehovah; I do not change. And you are sons of Jacob; you have not yet come to your finish.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]) Obviously, the world is sinking further and further toward terminal ruination. 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.—[the_tooltip text=”Revelation 1:1″ tooltip=”A revelation by Jesus Christ, whigh God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place. And he sent his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John,” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Revelation 11:18″ tooltip=”But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time came for the dead to be judged and to reward your slaves the prophets and the holy ones and those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Revelation 16:14, 16″ tooltip=”They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Armageddon.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”].
Concerning ‘all these things that must occur’ Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.” ([the_tooltip text=”Matthew 24:34, 35″ tooltip=”Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]) Jesus likely had in mind the “heaven and earth”—the rulers and the ruled—of “this generation.”
a righteous “generation” of mankind is even now being gathered. Today the anointed “faithful and discreet slave” is providing divine education in line with the words of [the_tooltip text=”Psalms 78:1, 4″ tooltip=”Listen, my people, to my law; Incline your ear to the words of my mouth. We will not hide from their sons; We will relate to the generation to come The praiseworthy deeds of Jehovah and his strength, The wonderful things he has done.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]: “Do give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ear to the sayings of my mouth . . . , relating them even to the generation to come, the praises of Jehovah and his strength and his wonderful things that he has done.” ([the_tooltip text=”Matthew 24:45-47″ tooltip=”‘Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”])
“The time left is reduced,” said the apostle Paul. It is time, therefore, to keep ever awake and busy in Jehovah’s work, as we endure trials and hatreds imposed by a wicked generation of mankind. ([the_tooltip text=”1 Corinthians 7:29″ tooltip=”Moreover, this I say, the time left is reduced. From now on, let those who have wives be as though they had one,” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Matthew 10:22″ tooltip=”And you will be hated by all people on account of my name, but the one who has endured to the end will be saved.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]; [the_tooltip text=”Matthew 24:13, 14″ tooltip=”But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”]) Let us keep on the watch, observing all the things foretold in the Bible to come upon “this generation.” ([the_tooltip text=”Luke 21:31-33″ tooltip=”Likewise also you, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.” background=”333″ color=”ccc”])
– The Watchtower, Nov 1, 1995 A Time To Keep Awake, pp.19 – 21
In 1995 the new “Generation” had been redefined as all worldly people who see the sign of Christ’s presence but fail to mend their ways. This time, “this generation” was no longer a timeframe but a group of persons. “This Generation” was wicked people who’s end would be taking place shortly. This in turn meant that Jehovah’s Witnesses should no longer focus on when it would happen but rather understand that it would be “soon” and therefore they “should respond [by preaching] with an absorbing sense of urgency”.
They were clearly getting their prophecies wrong but they needed their adherents to continue peddling their literature to the world. After all, this is how they make their money. There was no better way than to change completely the meaning of”this generation”. Initially it was a period of time when the world would be destroyed. But it was changed drastically: it became a group of people who would be destroyed very shortly.
The change in definition of “this generation” made it more personal. Jehovah’s Witnesses were being told to focus on “saving lives” before the world ended rather than focus on the end of the world. Did it work?. Somewhat. Even though the Watchtower has changed their definition of “this generation” so many times, their adherents continue to preach regularly in the misguided belief that they are “saving souls”. However, growth in the religion has been rather stagnant since 1995.