What did the Watchtower Organization actually publish about the year 1975?

*** w13 2/15 p. 12 par. 18 Do You Appreciate Our Spiritual Heritage? ***
We benefit from balanced consideration of the history of Jehovah’s organization... Moreover, we do well to examine our history, learn from it, and plan for the future. Watchtower Feb 15, 2013 p. 12 par. 18

Arranged chronologically.

Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God 1966 pp. 26-30

Awake! 1966 Oct 8 pp. 19-20

*** w66 10/15 pp. 628-629 Rejoicing over “God’s Sons of Liberty” Spiritual Feast *** Watchtower Oct 15, 1966, pp. 629, 631
“... To give aid today in this critical time to prospective sons of God,” announced President Knorr, “a new book in English, entitled ‘Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God,’ has been published.” At all assembly points where it was released, the book was received enthusiastically. Crowds gathered around stands and soon supplies of the book were depleted. Immediately its contents were examined. It did not take the brothers very long to find the chart beginning on page 31, showing that 6,000 years of man’s existence end in 1975. Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. “The new book compels us to realize that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed,” said a conventioner. Surely it was one of the outstanding blessings to be carried home!
... At the Baltimore assembly Brother Franz in his closing remarks made some interesting comments regarding the year 1975. He began casually by saying, “Just before I got on the platform a young man came to me and said, ‘Say, what does this 1975 mean? Does it mean this, that or any other thing?’” In part, Brother Franz went on to say: ‘You have noticed the chart [on pages 31-35 in the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God]. It shows that 6,000 years of human experience will end in 1975, about nine years from now. What does that mean? Does it mean that God’s rest day began 4026 B.C.E.? It could have. The Life Everlasting book does not say it did not. The book merely presents the chronology. You can accept it or reject it. If that is the case, what does that mean to us? [He went into some length showing the feasibility of the 4026 B.C.E. date as being the beginning of God’s rest day.]
‘What about the year 1975? What is it going to mean, dear friends?’ asked Brother Franz. ‘Does it mean that Armageddon is going to be finished, with Satan bound, by 1975? It could! It could! All things are possible with God. Does it mean that Babylon the Great is going to go down by 1975? It could. Does it mean that the attack of Gog of Magog is going to be made on Jehovah’s witnesses to wipe them out, then Gog himself will be put out of action? It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don’t any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that.”

*** w67 4/15 p. 243 The Most Urgent Warning Ever Given ***
“the danger of sudden death is staring you in the face. ... That is exactly the case with the warning that we speak of here, and there are reasons why it can truly be said to be the most urgent warning ever given. ... It is to come within the generation that has already seen two world wars and it is only a few short years ahead of us.” Watchtower 1967 Apr 15 pp. 243-244

At the 1967 District Convention, Wisconsin Sheboygan District Overseer Brother Charles Sinutko presented the talk “Serving with Everlasting Life in View”. (audio link 0:42)

In November 1968, District Overseer Duggan announced at the Pampa Texas Assembly (audio link 1:43) that “not really a full 83 months remains, so lets be faithful and confident and … we will be alive beyond the war of Armageddon…,” which therefore slated Armageddon by October 1975.

Kingdom Ministry 1968 Mar p. 4

*** w68 5/1 p. 272 par. 7 Making Wise Use of the Remaining Time ***
The immediate future is certain to be filled with climactic events, for this old system is nearing its complete end. Within a few years at most the final parts of Bible prophecy relative to these “last days” will undergo fulfillment, resulting in the liberation of surviving mankind into Christ’s glorious 1,000-year reign. What difficult days, but, at the same time, what grand days are just ahead! Watchtower 1968 May 1 p. 272

The August 15 issue of the 1968 Watchtower went into great detail to prove that 1975 really is the end of 6000 years, giving credence to 1975 speculation.

“The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the “last days” have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God.” Awake! 1968 Oct 8 p. 13

*** w69 3/15 p. 171 par. 12 What Influences Decisions in Your Life? ***
12 The influence and spirit of this world is to get ahead, to make a name for oneself. Many schools now have student counselors who encourage one to pursue higher education after high school, to pursue a career with a future in this system of things. Do not be influenced by them. Do not let them “brainwash” you with the Devil’s propaganda to get ahead, to make something of yourself in this world. This world has very little time left! Any “future” this world offers is no future! Wisely, then, let God’s Word influence you in selecting a course that will result in your protection and blessing. Make pioneer service, the full-time ministry, with the possibility of Bethel or missionary service your goal. This is a life that offers an everlasting future! Watchtower March 15, 1969 p. 171

Awake! 1969 May 22 p. 15
If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the “last days” in 1914, Jesus foretold: “This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.”—Matt. 24:34.

*** w70 5/1 p. 273 par. 5 An Ingathering Affecting All Mankind ***
5 Everyone would like to know how much longer the present system will continue and when God’s purpose will be accomplished on earth in the same full way as in heaven. Jesus answered that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth ... and then the end will come.” Here in the Greek Bible text he used the word telos or “end” to distinguish what he meant from the syn·téleia or “conclusion” of the system of things, the harvest period, in which we now live. (Compare Matthew 24:3, 6, Diaglott.) How close we may exactly be to the end of the present divisive system of things cannot be predicted, as Jesus reported that even he did not know the day or the hour at the time of his earthly ministry. (Matt. 24:36) However, Bible chronology which indicates that Adam was created in the fall of the year 4026 B.C.E. would bring us down to the year 1975 C.E. as the date marking 6,000 years of human history with yet 1,000 years to come for Christ’s Kingdom rule. So whatever the date for the end of this system, it is clear that the time left is reduced, with only approximately six years left until the end of 6,000 years of human history. (1 Cor. 7:29) This corroborates the understanding of Jesus’ words that the generation alive in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I would not pass away until the end comes. Only a short time, then, remains for persons who love righteousness to show God that they want to be in his “ark” of protection and live to see the blessings of the new system of things.—Matt. 24:34-42.

*** g71 10/8 p. 27 Time of Rest and Refreshment at Hand ***
As we near the end of 6,000 years of human history in the mid-1970’s there is the thrilling hope of a grand relief. Awake! Oct 8, 1971 p. 27

*** w74 12/15 pp. 765-766 par. 36 Benefits and Rewards from Being Spiritually Secure ***
36 ... And now, as the year 1975 opens up, some thousands of the anointed remnant, still alive on this earth, look ahead to realizing that joyful prospect. The increasing “great crowd” of their sheeplike companions look forward with them to entering the New Order without interruption of life. In the New Order Jehovah God will add to the “length of days” of the anointed remnant on earth to the point of satisfying the members thereof. It remains to be seen whether they will be yet retained here on earth to see the start of the resurrection of the earthly dead and to meet faithful witnesses of ancient, pre-Christian times. They would enjoy that, before being taken off the earthly scene to the heavenly reward with Christ. Watchtower 1974 Dec 15 p.766

Watchtower was still promoting such expectations in 1975. During an Assembly part on February 10th, 1975 (audio link 9:28) in Los Angeles, Fred Franz referred to Live Everlasting Life in Freedom of the Sons of God, saying:

“And then if we turn to page 35 we are starting to see the year nineteen hundred and seventy five, where we actually are. And, what does it say with regard to 1975? It says, the end, now notice this, the end of the six one thousand year day of man’s existence in early autumn. And then it carries us beyond that, beyond this year, the next date is 2075. So you see, we haven’t much left till this year 1975. Its going to end at sundown of September the 5th, and that immediately after September the 5th, why the millennial kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ must begin in order to fulfil the final thousand years of God’s great seven creative days, and they’re expecting the great tribulation to occur and the destruction of Babylon the Great and the annihilation of all the political systems of this world and then the binding of Satan and his demons and their abyssing to occur before this year is ended, this year nineteen hundred and seventy five, and immediately thereafter the thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ to begin. Now that is all it says about the year 1975. (Audience applauds) And that’s all we can say to John Dart, the Religious Editor of the Los Angeles Times, or anybody else out there who wants to know what we have published regarding this critical year. We know its a critical year. We know we’re near something. But we’re not saying. (Audience laughs and applauds.)”

*** w75 5/1 p. 285 A Contrast—Missionaries with an Urgent, Lifesaving Work ***
“Another speaker, F.W. Franz, the Society’s vice-president, forcefully impressed on the audience the urgency of the Christian preaching work. He stressed that, according to dependable Bible chronology, 6,000 years of human history will end this coming September according to the lunar calendar. This coincides with a time when “the human species [is] about to starve itself to death,” as well as its being faced with poisoning by pollution and destruction by nuclear weapons. Franz added: “There’s no basis for believing that mankind, faced with what it now faces, can exist for the seventh thousand-year period” under the present system of things.
Does this mean that we know exactly when God will destroy this old system and establish a new one? Franz showed that we do not, for we do not know how short was the time interval between Adam’s creation and the creation of Eve, at which point God’s rest day of seven thousand years began. (Heb. 4:3,4) But, he pointed out, “we should not think that this year of 1975 is of no significance to us,” for the Bible proves that Jehovah is “the greatest chronologist” and “we have the anchor date, 1914, marking the end of the Gentile Times.” So, he continued, “we are filled with anticipation for the near future, for our generation.”—Matt. 24:34.”

What did the Watchtower Organization actually publish about the year 1975?

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