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In 1951 The Watchtower said 'this generation' in Matthew 24:34 must be taken 'in the ordinary sense... for those who are living at the given period', beginning in 1914, and that the 'time of the end' covers 'a period of many years, those of a generation'.

Claim ID claim-predictions-1951-generation-ordinary-senseConcerns 1 July 1951Explicit statement
Explicit statement · 1 July 1951 Verified

In 1951 The Watchtower said 'this generation' in Matthew 24:34 must be taken 'in the ordinary sense... for those who are living at the given period', beginning in 1914, and that the 'time of the end' covers 'a period of many years, those of a generation'. The Watchtower, 1 July 1951

The organisation’s position or later explanation: Superseded in 1995.

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Vision of the 'Time of the End'”

1 July 1951 · p.404 · par. 11 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question, that which takes a 'generation' in the ordinary sense, as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period.”

Par. 1 says the 'time of the end' covers 'a period of many years, those of a generation' beginning A.D. 1914.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on wol; page marker 404.

Corroborated by. src-rs-1989-00-p97-generation

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1951-0701-p404-generation

Claim page

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