Predictions and dates1960s1970s1980s1990sEvidence collection
Dossier de preuves · implication forte
1975
L’organisation n’a pas imprimé « Armaguédon viendra en 1975 ». Ce qu’elle a imprimé, neuf années durant, c’est une chronologie s’achevant à l’automne 1975, des questions répétées sur le point de savoir si la fin suivrait aussitôt, une réponse parlant de « quelques semaines ou quelques mois, non des années », et des éloges pour les membres qui renonçaient à leur maison en raison du « peu de temps qui reste ».
Dernière vérification le 19 septembre 2026
Ce qui était fortement sous-entendu
According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. ... How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath
The same chapter asked: ‘How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath’. At a 1966 convention F. W. Franz was asked whether this meant Armageddon by 1975 and answered, as the 1993 history reports it ‘in essence’, ‘It could. But we are not saying … Time is short.’Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993
Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God (1966) déclarait que 'six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.', et qu'il serait 'appropriate' que Dieu fasse de ce septième millénaire 'a sabbath period of rest and release'. Source: Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God (book), 1966Source: The Watchtower, 15 avril 1967
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : La Tour de Garde du 15 mars 1980, p. 17 : les commentaires du livre signifiaient que 'considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975' ; Proclaimers p. 104 rapporte que F. W. Franz a répondu, lors d'une assemblée en 1966 : 'It could. But we are not saying'.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
1966 · pp.29-30 · pars. 41-43 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. ... How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath”
Paragraph 42 adds 'six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation'. The 'how appropriate' sentence is par. 43 on p. 30 (not p. 35 as sometimes cited); the p. 35 chart was not checked.
Note de provenance et de vérification for Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God (book), Chapter 1, pars. 41-43
Note sur la fiabilité.Scan opened and page header '30 LIFE EVERLASTING' confirmed; host is unofficial, so cite alongside w1980 3/15 p.17 and jv p.104, which quote/describe the book.
Provenance de la numérisation.Unofficial archive (Watchtower Wayback) OCR'd PDF of the 1966 book (Acrobat paper-capture, 2008). Lending copies also exist on archive.org (lifeeverlastingi00watc) but are access-restricted. Copyright 1966; short quotation only.
15 avril 1967 · p.236 · par. 25 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“According to a more recent calculation of the Bible timetable, six thousand years of man's existence will end in the latter half of the year 1975, which is well within this century. The Bible millennium is ahead of us”
Contrasts Ussher's 1996 date with the Society's 1975 calculation.
Are we to assume from this study that the battle of Armageddon will be all over by the autumn of 1975, and the long-looked-for thousand-year reign of Christ will begin by then? Possibly, but we wait to see how closely the seventh thousand-year period of man's existence coincides with the sabbathlike thousand-year reign of Christ.
Our chronology, however, which is reasonably accurate (but admittedly not infallible), at the best only points to the autumn of 1975 as the end of 6,000 years of man’s existence on earth. It does not necessarily mean that 1975 marks the end of the first 6,000 years of Jehovah’s seventh creative “day.” … It may involve only a difference of weeks or months, not years.
La Tour de Garde du 15 août 1968 ('Why Are You Looking Forward to 1975?') demandait si Harmaguédon 'will be all over by the autumn of 1975' et répondait 'Possibly', en disant qu'un éventuel intervalle entre la fin des 6 000 ans et le règne du Christ 'may involve only a difference of weeks or months, not years'. Source: The Watchtower, 15 août 1968
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : La Tour de Garde du 15 mars 1980, p. 17, a reconnu que certaines déclarations 'implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility' et que celles-ci 'overshadowed the cautionary ones'.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
15 août 1968 · pp.494-501 · pars. 29-30, 37 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Are we to assume from this study that the battle of Armageddon will be all over by the autumn of 1975, and the long-looked-for thousand-year reign of Christ will begin by then? Possibly, but we wait to see how closely the seventh thousand-year period of man's existence coincides with the sabbathlike thousand-year reign of Christ.”
The same paragraph (30) continues: 'Our chronology, however, which is reasonably accurate (but admittedly not infallible), at the best only points to the autumn of 1975 as the end of 6,000 years of man's existence on earth. It does not necessarily mean that 1975 marks the end of the first 6,000 years of Jehovah's seventh creative "day." ... It may involve only a difference of weeks or months, not years.' Par. 29: 'in the fall of the year 1975 ... it will be 6,000 years since the creation of Adam'. Par. 37: 'They have not dedicated their lives to serve Jehovah only until 1975.'
Two months later Awake! asked ‘What Will the 1970’s Bring?’ and answered that the six thousand years ‘will evidently finish in the autumn of the year 1975’ and that ‘the 1970’s will certainly see the most critical times mankind has yet known’.Source: Awake!, 8 octobre 1968
Réveillez-vous ! du 8 octobre 1968 ('What Will the 1970's Bring?') disait que les 6 000 ans 'will evidently finish in the autumn of the year 1975', que 'no man can say' que cela désigne positivement 1975 comme la fin, mais que 'the 1970's will certainly see the most critical times mankind has yet known' et qu'une intervention divine dans les années 1970 'should surely not surprise us'. Source: Awake!, 8 octobre 1968
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : Couvert par la reconnaissance générale de 1980.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
8 octobre 1968 · pp.13-15 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“That seven-year period will evidently finish in the autumn of the year 1975. Does this mean that the above evidence positively points to 1975 as the time for the complete end of this system of things? Since the Bible does not specifically state this, no man can say. However, of this we can be sure: The 1970's will certainly see the most critical times mankind has yet known.”
Sub-heading 'When Do 6,000 Years End?'; adds 'If the 1970's should see intervention by Jehovah God ... that should surely not surprise us.' Awake! before 1970 is not on wol.jw.org.
Note de provenance et de vérification for Awake!, What Will the 1970's Bring?
Note sur la fiabilité.Scan OCR opened; issue header and page markers 13, 14, 15 confirmed around the passage.
Provenance de la numérisation.Internet Archive (daveignatius) compilation of scans from three Awake! issues; page headers 'OCTOBER 8, 1968' and page numbers 13-15 visible. Copyright 1968; short quotation only.
La Tour de Garde du 1er mai 1968 calculait que l'automne 1975 marquerait 'fully 6,000 years into God's seventh day' et, à la question de savoir si 1975 'will bring the battle of Armageddon', répondait : 'No one can say with certainty what any particular year will bring' — tout en exhortant les lecteurs à considérer l'ancien système comme 'a sinking ship'. Source: The Watchtower, 1 mai 1968
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : Proclaimers p. 104, note h, cite cet article parmi ceux qui appelaient à la prudence.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
1 mai 1968 · pp.271-273 · pars. 5, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Eight years from the autumn of 1967 would bring us to the autumn of 1975, fully 6,000 years into God's seventh day, his rest day. ... Does this mean that the year 1975 will bring the battle of Armageddon? No one can say with certainty what any particular year will bring.”
Cautionary sentence sits inside an article urging readers to treat the old system as 'a sinking ship'.
Note de provenance et de vérification for The Watchtower, Making Wise Use of the Remaining Time
Note sur la fiabilité.Opened on wol; page markers 271 and 272/273 confirmed. The wording 'within a few years at most the final parts of Bible prophecy...' attributed by some discovery sites to pp.272-273 was not found in this article.
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. ... Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers.
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.
Réveillez-vous ! du 22 mai 1969 disait aux jeunes lecteurs : 'you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things... this corrupt system is due to end in a few years', et 'as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers', décourageant les projets d'études supérieures. Source: Awake!, 22 mai 1969
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
22 mai 1969 · pp.13-14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“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. ... Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers.”
Ties the statement to 'the generation that observed the beginning of the "last days" in 1914' and advises against planning for college.
Note de provenance et de vérification for Awake!, What Future for the Young? (article addressed to young people)
Note sur la fiabilité.Wording confirmed in an excerpt scan of pp. 13-14 only; the passage lies within it. The article title is not visible in the excerpt and is taken from secondary citations; the passage is often cited as p. 15, which the scan does not support.
Provenance de la numérisation.Internet Archive excerpt scan labelled 'pages 13-14' (uploader Paul.bond.faith). Copyright 1969; short quotation only.
Notes.Not on wol.jw.org (Awake! coverage starts 1970).
Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source.src-g-1969-0522-p13-15-never-grow-old
Le ministère du Royaume de mai 1974 faisait état de 'brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service' et voyait là 'a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end'. Source: Kingdom Ministry, mai 1974
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : La Tour de Garde du 15 juillet 1976, p. 441 : 'it is not advisable for us to set our sights on a certain date, neglecting everyday things'.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
mai 1974 · p.3 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“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.”
Reports a US peak of 20,394 pioneers and asks readers whether they can adjust their affairs to pioneer.
The autumn of 1975 passed. The Watchtower of 1 October 1975 recorded that ‘mankind then completed 6,000 years of existence on earth’, in an issue that also carried an article titled ‘Why Delay?’.Source: The Watchtower, 1 octobre 1975The organisation’s own statistics, in its own definitions, then fell for two years.
Worldwide peak publishers by service year, 1975 to 1978 (the organisation’s own figures and wording)
The 1980 Yearbook reports increases in 1979 ‘though not large’ in lands such as the United States and Great Britain, and an upswing in Nigeria and the Philippines ‘after a few years of decreases in the number of Witnesses in these lands’; it gives no worldwide figure in its narrative.Source: 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1980
The Yearbooks attribute the decrease to some who ‘did not share in giving a witness each month’ and ‘others became inactive’; the 1993 history says that ‘in 1975, there was disappointment … As a result, some withdrew from the organization’, while calling the number ‘relatively small’. We state the figures and the organisation’s explanation; we do not assign a cause.Source: 1979 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1979Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993
L'automne 1975 s'est écoulé sans Harmaguédon ; La Tour de Garde du 1er octobre 1975 relevait que 'mankind then completed 6,000 years of existence on earth' et demandait 'Why Delay?'. Source: The Watchtower, 1 octobre 1975
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : Proclaimers p. 633 : 'in 1975, there was disappointment when expectations regarding the start of the Millennium failed to materialize. As a result, some withdrew from the organization.'
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
1 octobre 1975 · p.579 · par. 1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Since a new Jewish lunar year began in September 1975 a significant point in human history was reached. What was that? According to the Bible's count of time, mankind then completed 6,000 years of existence on earth.”
Published as the autumn of 1975 arrived; the issue also carries 'Why Delay?'.
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : Les annuaires attribuent ce recul à 'various factors' et au fait que certains ne remettaient pas de rapport chaque mois ; Proclaimers p. 633 dit que 'the number who defected was relatively small'.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
1977 · p.23 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“This year there was a peak of 2,248,390 Kingdom publishers ... In 1975 the peak was 2,179,256. ... the hours were fewer, namely, 359,258,019 hours, to compare with 382,296,208 ... There are not as many pioneer publishers as the year before—114,026 ... to compare with 130,225”
Notes 'some 16,000 fewer pioneers' and that 'some publishers ... did not spend as much time in the field service as formerly'.
1979 · p.23 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“There has been an overall 1.4-percent decrease in the number of Kingdom publishers. ... there were 2,086,698, on the average, who shared in making known the 'good news' compared with 2,117,194 the year before. The peak number of publishers came to 2,182,341, which is also below that of last year.”
Adds: 'a number did not share in giving a witness each month, and others became inactive.'
1980 · pp.11-12 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“After a few years of decreases in the number of Witnesses in these lands, recent months have seen a definite upswing. ... It was also happifying to see increases this year, though not large, in such lands as the United States and Great Britain.”
The sentence concerns Nigeria and the Philippines ('the reports from such lands as Nigeria and the Philippines. After a few years of decreases in the number of Witnesses in these lands, recent months have seen a definite upswing'), and the following sentence concerns the United States and Great Britain; it is not a worldwide statement and the narrative gives no worldwide peak figure.
If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.
La première réponse a fait porter la responsabilité sur l’individu : « ce n’est pas la parole de Dieu qui a failli ou qui l’a trompé et lui a causé une déception, mais … sa propre compréhension reposait sur des prémisses erronées ».
15 March 1980
‘It is to be regretted’
With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God ... considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. ... there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones
Quatre ans plus tard, l’organisation a reconnu qu’« il a été publié d’autres déclarations qui laissaient entendre que la réalisation de ces espérances pour cette année-là était davantage une probabilité qu’une simple possibilité », et que celles-ci « ont apparemment éclipsé celles qui appelaient à la prudence ».
Explication de l’organisation · 15 juillet 1976Vérifié
La première réponse officielle, en juillet 1976, invitait toute personne 'disappointed' à corriger son point de vue, 'seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises'. Source: The Watchtower, 15 juillet 1976
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : C'est l'explication de l'organisation ; elle situe l'erreur dans la compréhension de l'individu.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
15 juillet 1976 · pp.440-441 · pars. 15-16 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.”
Par. 16 addresses 'one who counted heavily on a date'.
Explication de l’organisation · 15 mars 1980Vérifié
En mars 1980, La Tour de Garde a reconnu qu'à côté des déclarations de prudence, 'there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones.' Source: The Watchtower, 15 mars 1980
Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : Proclaimers p. 633 reprend la même idée : cette attente était 'sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly'.
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Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
15 mars 1980 · pp.17-18 · par. 5 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God ... considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. ... there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones”
The organisation's fullest acknowledgement about 1975.
“The Society never said 1975.” It did not say ‘Armageddon in 1975’. It published the 1975 chronology in a book, at least four magazine articles and a Kingdom Ministry, asked in print whether Armageddon would be over by then, answered ‘possibly … weeks or months, not years’, and in 1980 conceded that published statements implied probability.Source: The Watchtower, 15 août 1968Source: The Watchtower, 15 mars 1980
“Cautionary statements were published.” True, and quoted here (‘No one can say with certainty’, May 1968; Franz, 1966). The 1980 article itself says the cautionary statements were ‘overshadowed’.Source: The Watchtower, 1 mai 1968
“Individual brothers speculated.” The May 1974 Kingdom Ministry, the organisation’s monthly bulletin for congregation meetings, praised members selling their homes as ‘a fine way to spend the short time remaining’.Source: Kingdom Ministry, mai 1974
Confiance. Les revues de 1967 à 1980, le Ministère du Royaume et les Annuaires ont été lus sur la Bibliothèque en ligne Watchtower, les numéros de page étant relevés sur ses marqueurs de page. La vie éternelle dans la liberté des fils de Dieu (1966) a été lu dans une copie d’archive non officielle et se trouve corroboré par les descriptions que l’organisation elle-même en a données en 1980 et en 1993. Une phrase souvent attribuée à La Tour de Garde du 1er mai 1968 (« dans quelques années tout au plus… ») ne figure pas dans cet article et n’est pas utilisée. Qualification : implication forte, reconnue par l’organisation en 1980.
Sources citées sur cette page
Show all 16 sources, in date order
Each opens a full record with links, provenance and a confidence note.
Publication primaire des Témoins de JéhovahVérifié
1966 · pp.29-30 · pars. 41-43 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. ... How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath”
15 avril 1967 · p.236 · par. 25 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“According to a more recent calculation of the Bible timetable, six thousand years of man's existence will end in the latter half of the year 1975, which is well within this century. The Bible millennium is ahead of us”
1 mai 1968 · pp.271-273 · pars. 5, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Eight years from the autumn of 1967 would bring us to the autumn of 1975, fully 6,000 years into God's seventh day, his rest day. ... Does this mean that the year 1975 will bring the battle of Armageddon? No one can say with certainty what any particular year will bring.”
15 août 1968 · pp.494-501 · pars. 29-30, 37 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Are we to assume from this study that the battle of Armageddon will be all over by the autumn of 1975, and the long-looked-for thousand-year reign of Christ will begin by then? Possibly, but we wait to see how closely the seventh thousand-year period of man's existence coincides with the sabbathlike thousand-year reign of Christ.”
8 octobre 1968 · pp.13-15 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“That seven-year period will evidently finish in the autumn of the year 1975. Does this mean that the above evidence positively points to 1975 as the time for the complete end of this system of things? Since the Bible does not specifically state this, no man can say. However, of this we can be sure: The 1970's will certainly see the most critical times mankind has yet known.”
22 mai 1969 · pp.13-14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“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. ... Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers.”
mai 1974 · p.3 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“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.”
1 octobre 1975 · p.579 · par. 1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Since a new Jewish lunar year began in September 1975 a significant point in human history was reached. What was that? According to the Bible's count of time, mankind then completed 6,000 years of existence on earth.”
15 juillet 1976 · pp.440-441 · pars. 15-16 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises.”
1977 · p.23 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“This year there was a peak of 2,248,390 Kingdom publishers ... In 1975 the peak was 2,179,256. ... the hours were fewer, namely, 359,258,019 hours, to compare with 382,296,208 ... There are not as many pioneer publishers as the year before—114,026 ... to compare with 130,225”
1979 · p.23 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“There has been an overall 1.4-percent decrease in the number of Kingdom publishers. ... there were 2,086,698, on the average, who shared in making known the 'good news' compared with 2,117,194 the year before. The peak number of publishers came to 2,182,341, which is also below that of last year.”
1980 · pp.11-12 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“After a few years of decreases in the number of Witnesses in these lands, recent months have seen a definite upswing. ... It was also happifying to see increases this year, though not large, in such lands as the United States and Great Britain.”
15 mars 1980 · pp.17-18 · par. 5 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God ... considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. ... there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones”
1993 · p.104 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“The book Life Everlasting—In Freedom of the Sons of God, released ... in 1966, pointed to 1975. ... Brother Franz ... stated, in essence: 'It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. ... But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short.'”
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