Since this documentary was made there have been multiple changes to their generation doctrine. They now believe that this generation is made up of Jehovah's Witnesses who hope to go to heaven. They still believe that Armageddon is imminent, but their doctrine doesn't put any time constraints on when it will come.
This video is an excerpt from the well known documentary "Witnesses of Jehovah". You can view it in its entirety here.
This is a big Watchtower study for Jehovah's Witnesses. It discusses a very important doctrinal change for Jehovah's Witnesses.
Watchtower Comments-The Generation
See also this discussion about that Watchtower article.
Here are some interesting historical recordings of Judge Rutherford and Charles Sunutko making false predictions of the nearness of Armageddon.
Soon
1975 was a bad year for Jehovah's Witnesses. They expected Armageddon to come then. Many witnesses postponed marriage, having children, or surgery because they thought the end was so close. Others quit their jobs or sold their homes. Afterwords when nothing happened, the leadership failed to apologise and indicated that their members were to blame coming to the wrong conclusion about 1975. This recording of a talk from around 1967 by Charles Sunutko gives an indication of how 1975 was hyped by their leaders.
STAY ALIVE 'TIL 75! (Talk by Charles Sunutko)
Also consider what was said in the May 1974, Kingdom Ministry on page 3, "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."
Please also see this page for many more direct quotes about 1975.
In the early 1920's, the Watchtower Society declared that the ancient worthies like Abraham and Moses would be resurrected in 1925. Joseph Rutherford had a beautiful mansion built in California for their use. He even equipped it with two chauffeur driven Cadillacs.
Well, the worthies never arrived, so Joseph Rutherford lived there until he died in 1941. He enjoyed the use of a luxurious mansion while his followers struggled through the Great Depression.
This amusing quote is from the San Diego Sun of March 15, 1930. "But how will you identify King David or any of the other representatives from God?' Rutherford was asked. 'I thought all that out before I wrote the deed,' the judge replied with a twinkle in his gray eyes. 'I realized the possibility of some old codger turning up bright and early some morning and declaring he was David. The men whom I have designated to test the identity of these men are officers of my societies and have consecrated themselves to the Lord, they will be divinely authorized to know impostors from the real princes."
Additional information:
Beth Sarim
1925 prophecy
Joseph Rutherford
Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are special and that much of the Bible is talking about them. For example, the Watchtower Society said that the 1,600 furlongs mentioned in Revelation 14:20 was a reference to the publishing of the book The Finished Mystery. Work on the book was done in Scranton, Pennsylvania and it was then sent to the Bethel headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Using questionable math, they go to great lengths to show that the distance between these sites is a prophetic fulfillment of Revelation 14:20.
First, they calculate the 1,600 furlongs as being equal to 137.9 miles. Then they use railroad time tables to show that the "Shortest distance from place where the wine press was trodden by the Feet Members of the Lord, Whose Guidance and help alone made this volume possible. (John 6:60, 61; Matt. 20:11.) mi., 137.9" (The Finished Mystery, 1917 edition, p.230)
See also this page at Watchtower Quotes.
