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1915, 1918 and 1920

După ce anul 1914 a trecut fără evenimentele așteptate, publicațiile au legat noi așteptări de 1915, 1918 și 1920. Cartea Taina sfârșită (1917) și Turnul de veghere din 1917 arătau ce anume se aștepta.

Ultima verificare: 19 septembrie 2026

1915

Trecerea de la 1914 la 1915 este documentată chiar în textul cărții Timpul este aproape: tirajele datate 1914 spun „aproape de sfârșitul anului 1915 d.Hr.”, acolo unde ediția din 1889 spunea „până la sfârșitul anului 1914 d.Hr.”. Vedeți pagina despre 1914.

1918

In September 1916 Russell mentioned, cautiously, that A.D. 73 ‘would correspond to April 1918’ while adding ‘we know of no time-limit here’. Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 septembrie 1916 After his death, the seventh volume of Studies in the Scriptures, The Finished Mystery (1917), was far less cautious.

prove that the Spring of 1918 will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that experienced in the Fall of 1914. Reexamine the table of the Parallel Dispensations in STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, pages 246 and 247; change the 37 to 40, 70 to 73 and 1914 to 1918

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 1:9-10 region (Parallel Dispensations)”, 1917, p. 62 Verificat Open scan (se deschide într-o filă nouă)

Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of 'Christianity.'

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Ezekiel 24:25-26”, 1917, p. 485 Verificat Open scan (se deschide într-o filă nouă)

The Watch Tower of October 1917 said the parallel with the Jewish harvest ‘would establish definitely that the harvest would close … in the spring of A.D. 1918’ and that ‘we have only a few months in which to labor’; the December 1917 annual report expected spring 1918 to ‘mark the beginning of the closing up of all activities of the kingdom class on this side the veil’. Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, octombrie 1917 Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 15 decembrie 1917

Declarație explicită · 1917 Verificat

The Finished Mystery (1917) stated that 'the Spring of 1918 will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that experienced in the Fall of 1914', that 'in the year 1918... God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions', and that 'even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920'. Source: The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), 1917Source: The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), 1917Source: The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), 1917

Poziția organizației sau explicația ei ulterioară: Proclaimers p.632 groups these with 'hopes and expectations that have been ridiculed by critics' but 'rooted in a keen desire to see the fulfillment of... the unfailing promises of God'.

Arată dovezile (3 surse)
Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 1:9-10 region (Parallel Dispensations)”

1917 · p.62 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.), issued as posthumous work of C. T. Russell · International Bible Students Association / Peoples Pulpit Association

“prove that the Spring of 1918 will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that experienced in the Fall of 1914. Reexamine the table of the Parallel Dispensations in STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, pages 246 and 247; change the 37 to 40, 70 to 73 and 1914 to 1918”

Reworks Russell's 1914 parallels forward to 1918.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), Commentary on Revelation 1:9-10 region (Parallel Dispensations)

Notă de încredere. Wording confirmed in the Gutenberg text and in the 1918-edition scan OCR; page 62 is the standard citation and was not read from a page header (supported).

Proveniența scanării. Project Gutenberg eBook #46016 (public domain transcription); 1918-edition scan also at https://archive.org/details/TheFinishedMystery (daveignatius).

Coroborat de. src-fm-1917-00-p485-churches-1918

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-fm-1917-00-p62-spasm-1918

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Ezekiel 24:25-26”

1917 · p.485 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.) · International Bible Students Association

“Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of 'Christianity.'”

Ezekiel commentary section of the book.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), Commentary on Ezekiel 24:25-26

Notă de încredere. Wording confirmed in the 1918-edition scan OCR; running header '484 The Finished Mystery' appears shortly before the passage, consistent with p. 485.

Proveniența scanării. Internet Archive (daveignatius) scan of the 1918 printing; text also in Project Gutenberg #46016.

Coroborat de. src-fm-1917-00-p62-spasm-1918

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-fm-1917-00-p485-churches-1918

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 16:20”

1917 · p.258 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.) · International Bible Students Association

“And every island fled away.—Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found.—Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy.”

Verse-by-verse commentary; elsewhere (Rev. 11:13 comment) the book says 'We anticipate that the "earthquake" will occur early in 1918, and that the "fire" will come in the fall of 1920.'

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), Commentary on Revelation 16:20

Notă de încredere. Wording confirmed in the Project Gutenberg transcription; the 1918-edition OCR is illegible at this passage; page 258 is the standard citation.

Proveniența scanării. Project Gutenberg #46016; also archive.org TheFinishedMysteryTextVersion (daveignatius).

Coroborat de. src-fm-1917-00-p62-spasm-1918

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-fm-1917-00-p258-republics-1920

Implicație puternică · octombrie 1917 Verificat

In October 1917 The Watch Tower said the parallel with the Jewish harvest 'would establish definitely that the harvest would close... in the spring of A.D. 1918', so that 'we have only a few months in which to labor'; the year-end report added that 'in all probability the Spring of 1918 will mark the beginning of the closing up of all activities of the kingdom class on this side the veil'. Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, octombrie 1917Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 15 decembrie 1917

Poziția organizației sau explicația ei ulterioară: Not specifically addressed; Proclaimers treats 1918 within the general 'expectations' discussion.

Arată dovezile (2 surse)
Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “(article on the parallel between the Jewish and Gospel harvests)”

octombrie 1917 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“The parallel, therefore, would establish definitely that the harvest would close forty years thereafter; to wit, in the spring of A.D. 1918. If this be true, and the evidence is very conclusive that it is true, then we have only a few months in which to labor before the great night settles down when no man can work.”

Builds on 1878 as the start of the harvest and the Great Pyramid measurements.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, (article on the parallel between the Jewish and Gospel harvests)

Notă de încredere. Wording confirmed; nearest legible page header is 'October 1, 1917'. Commonly cited as 15 October 1917 (Reprints 6149); exact issue supported, not verified.

Proveniența scanării. Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1917 volume. Public domain.

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-wt-1917-1000-harvest-closes-1918

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “Annual report of the Society's activities for 1917”

15 decembrie 1917 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“We count this as another one of the strong proofs that the harvest is nearing the end, and that in all probability the Spring of 1918 will mark the beginning of the closing up of all activities of the kingdom class on this side the veil.”

Said of the publication of Volume Seven (The Finished Mystery) in the year-end report.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, Annual report of the Society's activities for 1917

Notă de încredere. Wording confirmed in the 1917 bound-volume OCR; the DECEMBER 15, 1917 issue header precedes the passage and Reprints marker 6183 follows it (the passage is on R6182).

Proveniența scanării. Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1917 volume. Public domain.

Coroborat de. src-wt-1917-1000-harvest-closes-1918

Notes. The same volume prints a reader letter: 'it is thought that 1918 may be the year that the church will be taken from the world' (member expectation).

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-wt-1917-1215-annual-report-1918

Context · 1 septembrie 1916 Verificat

In September 1916 Russell mentioned that A.D. 73 'would correspond to April 1918' but added 'we know of no time-limit here' — a cautious remark later hardened by The Finished Mystery. Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 septembrie 1916

Arată dovezile (1 sursă)
Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “(article on the harvest continuing after 1914)”

1 septembrie 1916 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“Incidentally we remark that some historians put the end of the Jewish Time of Trouble as April A.D. 73, which would correspond to April 1918. Are we regretful that the harvest work continues? Nay, verily”

Russell hedges on 1918 by parallel with A.D. 73, while saying 'we know of no time-limit here'.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, (article on the harvest continuing after 1914)

Notă de încredere. Page header 'SEPTEMBER 1, 1916' appears immediately before and after the passage in the scan OCR.

Proveniența scanării. Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1916 volume. Public domain.

Notes. This is a cautious mention, not an explicit prediction; treat as strong implication at most.

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-wt-1916-0901-april-1918

1920

And every island fled away.—Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found.—Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy.

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 16:20”, 1917, p. 258 Verificat Open scan (se deschide într-o filă nouă)

Ce s-a întâmplat

Christendom’s churches were not destroyed in 1918 and republics did not disappear in 1920. The ‘harvest’ did not close. The organisation’s 1993 history does not discuss the 1918 and 1920 dates individually; it describes the Bible Students’ early expectations generally as hopes ‘rooted in a keen desire to see the fulfillment of God’s promises’, and as ‘hopes and expectations that have been ridiculed by critics’. Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993

Explicația organizației · 1993 Verificat

The organisation's official history (Proclaimers, 1993) concedes that expectations for 1914, 1925 and 1975 were not all fulfilled, that 'some of their time calculations... gave rise to serious disappointments', and that the 1975 idea was 'sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly', while maintaining that the Bible Students 'certainly did not err in believing that God would without fail do what he had promised'. Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), 1993

Poziția organizației sau explicația ei ulterioară: This is the official explanation.

Arată dovezile (4 surse)
Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), “Chapter 28, Testing and Sifting From Within — 'Were Their Expectations Correct?'”

1993 · pp.631-633 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York

“This later led to the idea—sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly—that since the seventh millennium of human history would begin in 1975, events associated with the beginning of Christ's Millennial Reign might start to take place then. ... some of their time calculations and the expectations that they associated with these gave rise to serious disappointments. Following 1925, meeting attendance dropped dramatically in some congregations in France and Switzerland. Again, in 1975, there was disappointment”

Adds that after 1975 'some withdrew from the organization. Others ... were disfellowshipped', and that 'the number who defected was relatively small'.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), Chapter 28, Testing and Sifting From Within — 'Were Their Expectations Correct?'

Notă de încredere. Opened on wol; page marker 633 precedes the quoted sentences.

Coroborat de. src-w-1980-0315-p17-18

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-jv-1993-00-p632-633-expectations

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), “Chapter 7, Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941)”

1993 · p.78 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York

“'We may confidently expect,' stated the booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, back in 1920, 'that 1925 will mark the return [from the dead] of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old' ... The year 1925 came and went. Some abandoned their hope.”

Sub-heading 'Unrealized Hopes Are Not Unique to Our Day'; compares with the apostles' 'misplaced expectations'.

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), Chapter 7, Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941)

Notă de încredere. Opened on wol; page marker 78.

Coroborat de. src-mnl-1920-00-p88-90-1925

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-jv-1993-00-p78-1925

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), “Chapter 8, Declaring the Good News Without Letup (1942-1975)”

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.'”

Sub-heading 'Say, What Does This 1975 Mean?'; footnote h lists cautionary articles (w68 5/1, w74 6/15, w75 5/1).

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), Chapter 8, Declaring the Good News Without Letup (1942-1975)

Notă de încredere. Opened on wol; page marker 104.

Coroborat de. src-w-1980-0315-p17-18

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-jv-1993-00-p104-1975

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), “Chapter 10, Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth”

1993 · pp.133 (and footnote i) · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York

“From Mr. Barbour ... Russell also came to be persuaded that Christ's invisible presence had begun in 1874. ... [fn. i] A clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943, in the book 'The Truth Shall Make You Free,' and it was then refined the following year”

Official account that the 1874 presence date rested on flawed chronology corrected in 1943-44. The chapter also records early expectations that 1914 would bring the Church's glorification and that 'months and then years passed, and the Bible Students did not receive their heavenly reward as they had anticipated.'

Notă despre proveniență și verificare for Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), Chapter 10, Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth

Notă de încredere. Opened on wol; page marker 133; footnote i read in full.

Coroborat de. src-wt-1922-0301-presence-1874, src-tf-1943-00-p239-241-p300-302

Data accesării. 19 septembrie 2026 · ID-ul sursei. src-jv-1993-00-p133-1874

Răspunsuri frecvente

Nivelul de încredere. Textul din 1917 a fost citit pe Project Gutenberg și într-o scanare a ediției din 1918; pasajele din Turnul de veghere din 1916 și 1917, în volumele anuale legate (formulare verificată; pasajele din 1916 și din decembrie 1917 sunt datate după antetele numerelor respective; pasajul din octombrie 1917 este citat cu luna, fiindcă antetul cel mai apropiat de el nu este lizibil). Evaluare: predicție explicită.

Surse citate pe această pagină

Show all 7 sources, in date order

Each opens a full record with links, provenance and a confidence note.

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 1:9-10 region (Parallel Dispensations)”

1917 · p.62 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.), issued as posthumous work of C. T. Russell · International Bible Students Association / Peoples Pulpit Association

“prove that the Spring of 1918 will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that experienced in the Fall of 1914. Reexamine the table of the Parallel Dispensations in STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, pages 246 and 247; change the 37 to 40, 70 to 73 and 1914 to 1918”

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Ezekiel 24:25-26”

1917 · p.485 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.) · International Bible Students Association

“Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of 'Christianity.'”

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Finished Mystery (Studies in the Scriptures vol. 7), “Commentary on Revelation 16:20”

1917 · p.258 · C. J. Woodworth and G. H. Fisher (eds.) · International Bible Students Association

“And every island fled away.—Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found.—Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy.”

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “(article on the parallel between the Jewish and Gospel harvests)”

octombrie 1917 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“The parallel, therefore, would establish definitely that the harvest would close forty years thereafter; to wit, in the spring of A.D. 1918. If this be true, and the evidence is very conclusive that it is true, then we have only a few months in which to labor before the great night settles down when no man can work.”

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “Annual report of the Society's activities for 1917”

15 decembrie 1917 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“We count this as another one of the strong proofs that the harvest is nearing the end, and that in all probability the Spring of 1918 will mark the beginning of the closing up of all activities of the kingdom class on this side the veil.”

Publicație primară a Martorilor lui Iehova Verificat

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (jv), “Chapter 28, Testing and Sifting From Within — 'Were Their Expectations Correct?'”

1993 · pp.631-633 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York

“This later led to the idea—sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly—that since the seventh millennium of human history would begin in 1975, events associated with the beginning of Christ's Millennial Reign might start to take place then. ... some of their time calculations and the expectations that they associated with these gave rise to serious disappointments. Following 1925, meeting attendance dropped dramatically in some congregations in France and Switzerland. Again, in 1975, there was disappointment”

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