JWTruth.orgDocumented comparison resource
Search

Doctrine changes · Claim record

For many years the organisation taught that the call to heavenly life had ended in 1931, on the basis of a reading of the parable of the denarius published in The Watchtower of 15 November 1933; that reading was abandoned in 1966.

Claim ID claim-doctrine-chg-heavenly-call-1931Concerns 15 November 1933Later reinterpretation
Later reinterpretation · 15 November 1933 Verified

For many years the organisation taught that the call to heavenly life had ended in 1931, on the basis of a reading of the parable of the denarius published in The Watchtower of 15 November 1933; that reading was abandoned in 1966. The Watchtower, 1 May 2007

The organisation’s position or later explanation: The 2007 answer states: “However, in 1966 an adjusted understanding of that parable was presented, and it became clear that it had nothing to do with the end of the calling of the anointed.”

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Questions From Readers”

1 May 2007 · pp.30-31 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“Hence, especially after 1966 it was believed that the heavenly call ceased in 1935. … Thus, it appears that we cannot set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends.”

The answer sets out three successive positions: that the heavenly call ended in 1931 (on the basis of the “denarius” reading of Matthew 20 published in The Watchtower of 15 November 1933), then that it ended in 1935, and finally that no date can be given.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Document opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; the wording was read in full and the page number taken from the library's own page markers.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-d-w-2007-0501-qfr-heavenly-call

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-doctrine-chg-heavenly-call-1931/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.