JW Insider

You haven't identified a third group. What you have called a "third" group is really just a comment about the first two groups.
In fact, the scenario reminds me of an actual situation that happened when I worked at 1500 Broadway in NYC's Times Square, and a national TV network rented out our huge (warm) conference room on the third floor overlooking the crowds who come to watch a ball drop on New Year's Eve.
There would be celebrities coming in to our building, some entertainment, and free food and drink. Some people at this company worked a late shift with the computers (running end of year, end of quarter reports) and they were going to be there when it happened (when the ball dropped). Some people were going home first and then coming back, hopefully, in time to get back into the building. 
GROUP 1: Those who would go home first before coming back to see the event. GROUP 2: Those who would still be working here at the time of the event. GROUP 3? At the time of the event, it will be New Year's, and those in GROUP 1 and those in GROUP 2 can then both come into the unused side of the conference room at the same time, hoping to meet celebrities, the TV crews, watch the crowds below, etc. As you can see, there is no real GROUP 3 being described. It's just a comment about the situation for those in GROUP 1 and those in GROUP 2. In fact, you can even imagine someone worrying that those who have gone home first might not be back in time for the event and subsequent celebration.
You might even be able to imagine that there could be some jealousy that those who were working at the time would have access to the celebration when those who had gone home, might miss out. You could even imagine someone in management saying:
Moreover, workers, we want you to know that those who went home already will not miss out on the celebration. They will still be back in time to meet us here. For though most of the roads will be blocked to taxis and cars, still, if we have faith in the subways, and that the guards downstairs will be there to let them in the building, then they will be brought here in time with us. For this is what we tell you, that we the working who remain here until the celebratory event, will in no way precede those who have already gone home; because they are coming back here and will be allowed into the building with their passes. Afterward, we the working who are still working when the event begins, will be allowed into the conference room, together with them at the same time. And we will thus all be in the conference room together. So no one should worry about their fellow workers who will have already gone home first. Keep comforting one another with these words.

Of course, this could be part of a sequence that goes
7, 9, __ 13, 15, 17, __ , 21, 23, 25, __ , 29, __ , 33, etc., in which case no number is missing in that portion of the sequence. (In this case it would have been a series of incrementing odd numbers from 7 where we skip odd numbers that match the prime status of the previous number.)
It's for a similar reasons that pattern recognition in AI should never be considered "set in stone" but should only be given a probability. The probability was very high that the missing number was 19, but this should be subject to change on discovery of further information.
Another example happens all the time to engineers. If you happen to sample the amplitude of a 400 Hz sine wave at time increments of once per second you could get a sequence of 0, 0, 0, 0 ... etc. If you think it's a mistake and sample it 200 times a second you could still get 7, 7, 7, 7, etc., or 0, 0, 0, 0, etc., depending on when the wave starts its peaks and troughs. But you could sample it at some odd number of increments, or accelerate and decelerate the time sampling increments and discover it is a 400 Hz sine wave. 

After giving this subject a lot of prayerful thought, and with a lot of guidance from several of the persons I worked with at Bethel, I personally cannot put faith in this doctrine. I don't mean to say that you should not or that anyone else should change their mind about it. Of course, I would LOVE to believe it because that would make things so much easier with the majority of my friends, relatives, and spiritual brothers and sisters.
In my own name, I must always be careful about what I say on the subject so that I personally do not offend or needlessly stumble anyone. But on forums such as this, and the Internet in general, where the subject has already come up 100's of times, I do believe it's a place where I can (and therefore should) honestly defend my faith.
My posts are generally "tldr" which is probably a good thing for those who don't wish to deal with the subject. But for this post all I wanted to say was that the scriptures that Holly quoted are, for me, a big part of my faith and the hope that is in me. For me, it could not see myself as a true Christian Witness of Jehovah if I denied what Jesus said here and tried to make those verses mean something other than what seems obvious to me. I also think they get to the very core of our Christianity which is why I also feel under an obligation to find ways to defend my faith, including my faith in Jesus' words from Matthew, Mark and Acts, quoted above:
(1 Peter 3:15) . . .always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, . . . I am also concerned that, when it comes to anything related to chronology, we are at risk of making false statements to others. This does not reflect well on our organization and brings shame even to Jehovah. While I am not asking for anyone to agree with me, I do think that in defending 1914, we should avoid statements that are false. Making false statements is not the same as making dishonest statements, and that's why I would like to respond to some of your statements. I believe they come out of a completely honest heart and mind, and I like the way you think about things from a deeper and wider perspective.
Before I get into much detail, I would like to make a few statements about where I agree:
We are living in the last days, and the critical times and world conditions provide the evidence and context for what we are to expect during these last days. Jesus is present and has turned his attention toward the rulers of this world Satan is angry and active like a roaring lion knowing his time is short The final manifestation, or coming of Jesus can happen at any time now, and is much closer now than ever We should be using this time period to preach the good news and help everyone we can to know the truth Jesus is king, not just over his congregation, but he is enthroned as King of Kings over all the powers of heaven and earth -- he has taken his power and begun ruling as king during this same period when Satan steps up his attacks We have been blessed as an organization and as a worldwide brotherhood with the ability and willingness to spread the good news, and we should appreciate the value and responsibility and realize the good we can continue to do with such an organization as a foundation to efficiently accomplish this ministry For me, 1914 is not a necessary component to any of the points just made above. But, for me, it is also a very important point that neither 1914, nor any chronology of any kind, should be made a part of the expectations surrounding either the presence or the coming of Jesus Christ in kingly power. For me, that is clearly what Jesus meant when he said what he said about not trying to use chronology. (I'll stop saying "for me" but it should be understood that I am merely defending the thoughts based on my own prayerful and conscientious concerns about the doctrine, which is also based on the leadership of elders whose guidance I have respected, including some who continue to hold positions of responsibility in the organization. They, like me, are also concerned about their inability to speak out clearly on the subject without fear of repercussions.)
So now, just three specific points:
1. I am concerned about issues of falsehood, and honesty based on the manner in which so many Witnesses defend the 1914 doctrine through apparent evasion, misdirection and false statements instead of being concerned with actual truth
2. I am concerned with adding to and taking away from the truth of the Bible, which is also an issue of 'faithfulness and discretion.' One of the first things I was shown that disturbed me a bit was when a Bethel elder (in Writing) showed me an old Bible commentary that made the statement that it is the height of presumptuousness for Christians to continue to believe that it is only specifically their own generation that Jesus is referencing. Since then I have been concerned with the level of presumptuousness apparent in the writings of so many religions who have found "Biblical" ways to determine almost every every generation since 1260 C.E. to be the "final generation" or "the end of the Gentile Times."  In fact, I think that Jesus was giving us a warning to be humble and realize that we are trying to put ourselves in the place of God if we believe that we can work out a chronology to determine the times and seasons. I remember how haughty it sounded when one of our own "Governing Body" members (F.W.Franz) would defend his speculation and promotion of the year 1975 against those who would point out that Jesus said no one knew the day and hour. If you remember or know of people who honestly remember that time period, you will know that many Witnesses used to say: "Well Jesus said we wouldn't know the day or the hour, but he didn't say we wouldn't know the year!" Brother Franz himself would imply that 1975-naysayers were only amateurs who didn't know how to use Jesus'  words, and were just playing with them as with a toy.
*** w68 8/15 pp. 500-501 par. 35 Why Are You Looking Forward to 1975? *** 35 One thing is absolutely certain, Bible chronology reinforced with fulfilled Bible prophecy shows that six thousand years of man’s existence will soon be up, yes, within this generation! (Matt. 24:34) This is, therefore, no time to be indifferent and complacent. This is not the time to be toying with the words of Jesus that “concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matt. 24:36) To the contrary, it is a time when one should be keenly aware that the end of this system of things is rapidly coming to its violent end. 3. You make a common claim above that Brother Russell had "some" things right about 1914. This is very misleading. In fact, Russell had NOTHING right about 1914, not a single thing. The closest we can come to making this claim is that he said it would mark the "end of the Gentile Times" but even here he meant something completely different about the meaning of the "end of the Gentile Times." He thought it meant that the Gentile Times, their kingships and rulerships and political organizations would disintegrate in a time of trouble that would END in 1914 and they would therefore witness the collapse of all world organizations into a chaos that would prove total within a year. He used the expression to mean that there would be no more Gentiles ruling within a few months of 1914. That Gentiles could no longer trample on the chosen ones. Saying that he was right all along about the "end of the Gentile Times" is disingenuous. We can't change the whole meaning of the expression "Gentile Times" just so we can say that Russell got ONE thing right about 1914. Yet, outside of that ONE thing, the use of a term "Gentile Times" he got NOTHING else right, and yet we still say that he got "SOME THINGS" right. That only shows that we have a "desire" to believe in things that were not true.
 
 

There are Bible passages that I would not read with my children until they were old enough to understand them.
But if it helps, all of my work was from 1976 to 1982, and in '76 it was still just handbills, booklets, brochures. In 1977-79 some of the art got more time-consuming, but it was still mostly one or two-color. I didn't get to work on the Bible Stories book which was full-color,  and I only got ONE full paradise scene, no Armageddon scenes, and no pictures of Jesus. Nothing very startling or striking like the scenes you showed. I wasn't very good with drawing expressions on faces back then, although I could draw or paint a fair landscape. It wasn't until '79 - '82 that more of my time was spent in research than in art.

The following is mostly auto-generated. I didn't make corrections yet. I don't know if it can serve any purpose, but it's almost a transcript. The numbers refer to the time location in the video (1:45 is one minute and 45 seconds from the start of the video).   0:02 [old kingdom song to the tune of "battle hymn of the republic" (Glory, Glory Halellujiah)] 0:42 "Every one of us are well and happy every day we're still working away and we feel 0:50 as brother Russell has said the Gentile times have ended and their kings have 0:56 had their day, so we know not what awaits us. 1:00 May you day by day 1:04 keep close to the master and his presence will so cheer you that nothing 1:10 shall be able to dismay you"  - Edith Kessler, October 11, 1914. 1:32 at the Kingdom's birth in 1914 the Bible students were not exactly sure what was 1:40 going to happen but they knew it would be a pivotal year. for decades they had 1:45 been saying that the Gentile times were closing and that the Kings they had 1:49 their day, and they had been using every means available to focus attention on 1:55 this monumental event. Newspapers had carried sermons to millions. Volunteer 2:01 workers had distributed millions of free tracts. 2:04 Colporteurs were zealously preaching. Pilgrims were busy organizing 2:09 congregations and the message was expanding globally.  but with the end of 2:15 the Gentile times approaching so quickly 2:17 how could so few Bible students reach an entire world? 2:22 How could they quicken the pace? 2:29 "It is unanimously resolved to use moving pictures in teaching Bible truths. The 2:39 Lord sanctioned this in his use of word pictures 2:42 so this should not be neglected." -- The Watchtower 2:47 July 1, 1913. With that resolution the Bible students were galvanized to 2:54 present the Photo Drama of Creation. But such a mammoth undertaking would not 2:59 come without challenges. Some of the young brothers learned to operate to 3:05 projection machine by volunteering at the local theaters. Being too young I 3:09 used to sit in the booth with the brother. i can remember how exciting it 3:14 was when a film caught fire 3:16 how the brother had to act quickly to put it out and proceed with the 3:19 performance. 3:20 -- Dwight Kenyon. It was excellent 3:26 It's very amazing you had individuals back in those days that were able to do 3:32 that without modern instruments and that's very impressive. 3:35 That's really what helped my father to come into the truth. 3:39 They got to the meeting the next day after it was finished and eventually 3:43 started studying and within a few months they were baptized and my mom told me 3:46 that she was one of the usherettes when they put on the Photo-Drama there in 3:50 their town in Texas. But they had little pictures, postcard size of the pictures 3:56 that were used the slides and it was a joy to look at those from time to time 4:01 when I was a kid. 4:02 Nine million people saw the photo trauma during his first year. A precious message 4:08 they would not soon forget 4:11 and there was more to come. From every part of the field has come to cry saying 4:18 what more is there that we can do? 4:21 The result is a new magazine under the title the Golden Age -- Joseph F Rutherford 4:31 After that announcement brother Rutherford ask of everyone there 4:34 how many desire to do this work? 6,000 Bible students stood up as one 4:42 and over the next decade the thousands who would participate in that service 4:48 work would use many creative methods to reach more people 4:52 faster among them was a book the heart of God people were encouraged to get the 4:59 Harp Study Course by mail 5:01 then when I went to the home of our service director his wife and I ran 5:06 speed races typing addresses on these cards sent out hundreds each week 5:11 -- Trudeau McKittrick. Soon another technique would come to the fore, the 5:17 radio station WBBR. The studio for this new radio broadcasting station was 5:23 located in the attic. The microphone that we used at the beginning was taken from 5:28 an ordinary telephone. 5:30 Finally after some weeks of preparations we were ready for the first broadcast 5:34 that occurred on Sunday evening 5:37 February 24, 1924. The call letters were WBBR. these call letters are 5:45 enemies that meant: 'Wicked Buzzes By Radio.' 5:48 It was my privilege to throw the power switch on for that first broadcast and 5:54 away we went 5:55 hoping for the best -- Ralph Leffler. The people to this earth are now numbered 5:59 with the thousands of millions many of them. WBBR in many respects was a 6:03 forerunner to the videos because we had final questions answered there we had 6:09 public meetings we had booked studies we had news 6:13 the first piece of equipment that someone got when they came into the 6:16 truth was a really good radio so they could hear WBBR and that's like i 6:22 mentioned earlier how my parents first heard the truth was a radio discourse 6:27 that I brother gave a talk on where the dead i had the privilege of times of 6:31 giving talks on WBBR. young minister speaks 6:36 I gave that once or twice I was encouraged to take part in one of their 6:42 bible study groups i was privileged to be on it 6:46 it was a program that was designed as a family bible study but even before that 6:57 quite a number of years ago Fred Franz was on WBBR. imagine him on the air 7:08 and youngsters listening to him: 7:12 "good evening boys and girls I know it's drawing close to bedtime for many of you 7:20 but before you take yourselves to bed 7:25 I would tell you a story . . . "  I had never imagined I'd ever be on a radio program 7:30 of any kind 7:31 and here i was presenting the truth as a part of a program so it was a real joy 7:37 to be on WBBR. 7:39 the success of WBBR  was met with increased opposition so other 7:43 methods were used to keep spreading the kingdom message when I was little 7:49 we never had an automobile in our home but the sound cars big beautiful cars 7:58 but these big horns on top and when they broadcast first music 8:04 everybody came out to listen and every weekend the sum of the what we would 8:09 call today elders would bring the sound card in and station it in our yard and 8:17 from there they would play the records for the neighborhood 8:20 every weekend we had a large group of people listening because of the location 8:24 they could stay and listen and there was quite a gathering during that time 8:30 another time I set up and started wonder brother other four lectures telling 8:35 about the second coming of Christ a few days afterward a person told me that his 8:40 fellow moonshiner was set up in the woods making a run of moonshot when all 8:45 of a sudden here came a voice from above 8:50 he got excited and want to run 8:58 but it could not get away from the sound he finally ran home to get his axe and 9:05 went back up there and chopped up this - 9:11 he said he did not want the Lord to catch you making moonshine and his come 9:16 see him 9:18 personal 9:21 yeah 9:24 we would come up on a porch open our case set the arm in position on the 9:33 record and push the doorbell when the householder open the door we would say I 9:39 have an important message I would like you to hear and we would start the 9:42 record it is often said CJ - did his snare and a racket and why when I was 9:48 pioneering i use the photograph all the time 9:51 I like the photograph this is an upright photograph we have the types that opened 9:57 up and you could balance it on your hip if you were strong enough or you set it 10:03 down on the porch and the message would be heard way down the street and I 10:09 always enjoyed hearing when I put the record on brother 10:15 Rutherford saying religion is a snare and Iraq and I'd look at the expression 10:22 on the face of the people whether they were happy or not 10:27 and I remember they told us now to help the householder concentrate on the 10:31 message it would be good if you would watch the record so we were told to 10:36 watch the record go around and around and around course we will get a little 10:40 bit dizzy in time should not go to the door and shut up to the color the door 10:45 shut up the party party didn't even know what was going on your side of playing 10:49 the record the only thing is with the photograph you always have to make sure 10:53 you have the right record on 10:55 sometimes you would use that photograph at home and you'd play some hillbilly 11:00 records 11:01 I took mom's photograph and it put on my best water plan will be working in st. 11:11 Louis Blues remember 11:12 and so if you got out in service and you happen to have a record that was still 11:17 on there she goes out in service with it 11:19 photograph lets up to live they have an important message and here's a smaller 11:24 playing we would 11:28 some witnesses even nickname the phonograph Aaron because it did the 11:33 talking for us 11:36 that wasn't the only method that was used 11:39 we also used a testimony card 11:42 this one card would have a nice little presentation and with scripture to need 11:47 to show that the householder and usually they don't we read a few lines and they 11:50 hand it back to you so you'd have to finish the conversation and you give it 11:54 to them to read and turn it over 11:57 so some time we had to start giving it to them on the wrong side so they would 12:00 turn into read it on the right side 12:02 so finances Oh what I can just tell me why I'm there 12:06 so which I did and and it - it was a little easier 12:10 some people were a little short on funds and so we would offer to trade so many 12:16 times out in the country they would trade you for maybe a dozen eggs four 12:20 through four booklets or something like that or if it was a book you might end 12:25 up with a chicken or two 12:26 so when you went out and feel service in the country you have to be prepared to 12:30 about pick up many different things usually probably bag the chicken up so 12:35 he was in a bag back in the trunk 12:37 got a little warm for the poor thing but they survived it and bring him home and 12:42 then after we got to chicken out let him recover why we have a nice chicken 12:47 dinner so back in those days we wait a lot of chicken 12:52 in addition placards and information marches had also come on the scene 12:59 and brother won the first of course with the shorthand expert and whenever you 13:07 talk to him and he'd always be busy writing with nobody be writing about 13:12 so you doing that this day and so he ripped it off and he gave it to me said 13:17 what do you think of it and it said religions is here in the racket 13:22 so I said my and that's pretty strong right 13:26 as a matter of fact that that's hot when they said that's what i meant it to be 13:31 so now he said don't think because I didn't know you were going to have a big 13:36 information march and two days from now couldn't brother clay in the printing 13:40 make up some signs written to snare in Iraq and put them on and poles and we'll 13:45 have them for the prey and brother nor was also invited at that time so he and 13:50 I let this pray that sprayed with six miles long and thousand brothers showed 13:54 up for the parade 13:55 it really was a spectacle every second side of your religion is snared in Iraq 13:59 and the bobbies the police gave us protection as we went down Piccadilly 14:07 Circus oxford street right in the centre of London 14:10 we just put on the same which signs you know that had some kind of a message and 14:16 slogans on it and they give us a minus sign that we carried you know and i'm on 14:22 a stick 14:22 we had a religion is a snare a racket then you have to put on the other stairs 14:27 and breadth first wrong 14:28 the on the other side there is so god and christ the king and we want to very 14:34 slowly and down the street and then back the other way and an area and we would 14:39 approach people with a handbill and everybody took them and they were 14:43 looking at the placard they would try to not let you think they were looking at 14:47 you but ten they were they were reading all of the information on the placard 14:51 some people would say something to the effect that you're doing a good work and 14:57 that was always a blessing to me and always remember the sister who looked up 15:02 at the sign that she was carrying she looked back up over her head and it's 15:07 that serve god and christ the king and she looked at the one in front of her 15:10 and the back of that sign said religions to start a racket 15:14 she said well I'm sure glad I don't have to carry that sign 15:17 well she was carrying that side it was on the back of birds but then who is she 15:23 didn't know what she was happy 15:24 they had adult size placards and they had little fill out placards 15:29 well I was only about four feet tall but whenever I got 30 15:33 the little ones were gone so i only got a big one that came underneath here and 15:38 every time i took a step I kicked it with my feet but it doesn't make any 15:41 difference 15:42 we enjoyed working with placards 15:50 nobody ever trained me in the ministry so one day I was at the meeting and the 15:56 brother passed out the publishers cards and I said where's mine he said well you 16:01 know get one you're not a publisher and I said well what's that and he said you 16:04 got to go preaching 16:05 I said how do you do that he said we'll come on saturday and go over there and 16:08 get magazines and then they went out and they pointed me out the door 16:12 I was scared but I just went anyway I didn't care my first experience in field 16:18 service was really cute 16:19 I knocked on the door and they said hello I've got something for you and you 16:25 can have it for a penny or you can have it free if you promise to read it 16:30 I placed one in every door one morning I was taking group out in the field 16:35 ministry and a Navy man shows up at the kingdom hall 16:41 he's got his uniform on and I didn't know what to do so I took him door with 16:46 me and it was really very interesting go i thought it was pretty neat me going 16:49 door-to-door with the guy in the military standing next to me and I'm 16:52 giving my presentations and he's got a Bible were following along with me 16:56 of course later on I learned really it's not the most appropriate thing to take 16:59 someone in military uniform out in a ministry with you but at that time I did 17:03 it so my father and in December said well he's going to go ahead and service 17:07 so I got ready and went with him now 17:09 neither one has ever been out in service before the presiding over Syria and 17:13 handed my father territory and send it to us out together 17:17 my father said you take that side and I'll take this side and that's what it 17:21 was like and of course I was no more prepared than the man in the moon we had 17:25 pioneers come to our house and they studied with us and she decided to get 17:30 it started in the ministry we would begin with Street work but i said no i 17:35 said i don't want to do that and she said well that's too bad you think 17:40 because I can see the book of life now there's the names of your sister is 17:45 written there no Lorraine 17:47 as I got older there was a pioneer brother and the congregation that asked 17:52 if I'd like to go with a mom to work with him he carried a rifle in the back 17:58 of his car which i thought was kind of unusual 18:01 we'd see a rabbit he'd stop the car and shoot the rabbit put it in the car as it 18:06 got toward the end of the day i would ask him did they know of any place where 18:11 we could stay overnight because we were out in the ministry in and that people 18:17 and two different s not recall this when you can stay with us every one of them 18:21 said well we don't have enough food for suffering of the brother said well i 18:25 have a couple of rabbits here if you want to scan the key 18:28 so they did that I don't think that this would work 18:31 now the and caring arrival in the car certainly is not enjoy it 18:37 it gradually became clear that the individual Minister needed further 18:41 cultivation 18:42 so the brothers started perhaps the only school from which not one single 18:48 solitary person has ever graduated the theocratic ministry school 18:54 I recall the time I gave my first six minute talk 18:58 I was not confident in myself so I wrote it down but when I got out to give it 19:03 audience fear gripped me and I started in the matter 19:06 losing my thoughts then there is only two living from the manuscript but my 19:10 hands were trembling so much that the lines were dumping up and down 19:14 Zords gangis 19:17 well I don't know when the minister school started you know and I remember 19:20 the brother gave her first talked and he was so no she was kicking the podium all 19:23 the time 19:24 boom boom boom boy didn't know he was doing it and I was sure is my heart 19:30 could be heard for the first four rows because it was beatings or back that 19:34 sister didn't get talks 19:36 the brothers gave the talks the sisters did we just laughed and giggled at the 19:40 brothers 19:41 I know we were all very very excited as sisters when we were invited to be part 19:46 of the school and I remember we were just I was just so excited I jumped up 19:50 and was clapping the sisters behind me but crying I have to give dogs now i 19:54 know they didn't like it but I was I couldn't figure out why they were crying 19:57 but we were in west virginia and little tiny congregation and guess it was to 20:02 give the first talk is me of course 20:05 so I was scared to death but we did it - I think everybody was quite nervous and 20:12 apprehensive in the very beginning 20:14 so it's really quite a marvelous training program it is 20:17 besides just not just public speaking it's it's a training in life 20:23 this school would prove invaluable and training God's people to use their gift 20:27 of speech and proclaiming the kingdom good news 20:30 but at the same time another school was also having a powerful effect on the 20:34 ministry 20:36 the watchtower bible college of Gillian 20:40 that was five and a half months of some of the happiest of my life 20:45 it would seem like everybody else was a mental theocratic giant so we were 20:50 intimidated 20:52 I guess I should speak for myself mainly how they felt intimidated there and I 20:56 thought that everybody else probably know a lot more than i did a classes 20:59 were delight our instructors were brothers Schroeder brother Maxwell 21:02 friend 21:03 a jak Redford and Bob Porter well tell you a story from brother friend after I 21:09 gave one of my talks and Gilead 21:12 he said to me mr. Brooks I admire your grandchildren 21:17 he said you'll be able to tell them to wonderful bedtime stories said brothers 21:23 Hebrews 4:12 says God's Word is alive he said don't kill it 21:30 by the way you read it I think one thing was the little white house and the 21:36 kingdom in our preaching classes with brother Redford 21:40 I'm telling you that little white house and had a door mill and the door and you 21:45 would get sent out the class would decide what objection you were gonna get 21:51 you come back and I'm telling you to push that door bill not knowing what was 21:56 going to happen behind that door and just see how you handle it it was real 22:01 real real formation believe me it prepared us really for the for the 22:07 ministry and what was ahead of us 22:09 it was wonderful training for the ministry I loved it 22:13 the next several decades will see more new schools and training programs 22:20 but it would also witness a monumental conventions and groundbreaking new 22:24 releases 22:30 more tools to help God's people stay focused on the harvest 22:37 nineteen fifty i don't think there's ever been a convention that had that 22:41 kind of almost electricity in the air 22:45 everybody is excited they're looking forward to the public talk and the 22:50 releases everybody wants to get the new publications 22:53 it was eight days at that convention not sure that people could endure that much 23:00 these and his he's well I was so happy that will happen the convention because 23:04 the people used to think we were just some little dinky religion you know and 23:10 I knew when the Yankee Stadium was going to straighten the mouth of the book but 23:15 when that new world translation in Greek scriptures was released it was it really 23:20 brought the house down 23:21 everybody's express themselves and they clapped and there was cheering and 23:27 clapping and and everybody needed to sit until after the session before they got 23:34 their new books have the New World Translation even though it was the green 23:39 Bible was just such a wonderful tool for us in the ministry 23:45 it was exciting than just like it is now every time you get something new and of 23:48 course you appreciate it more as you use it 23:51 another thing I loved about those conventions and a live orchestra and 23:55 singing with a live orchestra was already exciting but boy when you would 23:59 sit in those stadiums and see all your brothers and sisters it just was so 24:03 heartwarming and made me feel safe inside your hole his organization and it 24:08 was just wonderful every time you went to the convention it was something 24:11 thrilling and when it ended 24:14 we didn't want it 10 this period of expanded activity would result in 24:18 publishers pioneers Bible studies return visits placements and all aspects of the 24:25 ministry reaching record highs the work was growing in more countries than ever 24:29 but most importantly the good news of the kingdom was being preached 24:34 but as has often been the case there was much more to go 24:38 just think of some of the events that you 24:41 have witnessed in recent decades the pioneer service school 24:46 the ministerial training school 24:48 the school for Kingdom evangelizers special Metropolitan Public witnessing a 24:54 newly-designed jw.org Caleb and the become jehovahs friend series 25:02 the revised new world translation 25:06 and now a new language at to further train publishers to learn to speak the 25:11 pure language and multiple languages video on demand an entirely new website 25:19 where people can watch morning worship and other video publications and finally 25:25 a return to broadcasting our own TV station 25:30 JW broadcasting 25:32 taking the Bible's message from world headquarters to the farthest reaches of 25:37 the planet imagine what we will look back on at the 1000 for 1 million 25:43 anniversary of King Aroo the past 12 years helps us to appreciate that God's 25:49 kingdom is real and that Jehovah God has been using that Kingdom to accomplish 25:54 his will on earth today but how real is that Kingdom to you 25:59 looking back on our heritage and speaking to those with years of 26:02 experience will make the kingdom more real to you and will prepare you to 26:07 benefit from that came the governing body have been anxious to get whatever 26:14 they can for the ability of the brothers and teaching him to walk the upright 26:19 world 26:19 oh I think the revised new world translation is is a marvel 26:23 the word love isn't big enough to say how much i love that Bible 26:28 k WR is fantastic I mean my ipad all the time and then using videos i'm i'm in 26:34 love with caleb is keeping abreast with what we need to be efficient ministers 26:39 and fulfill our responsibilities everything at the society has done has 26:44 been proud good 26:46 we're growing faster today that we ever have a general are really moving the 26:52 chariot and we're trying to keep up with it and 26:55 have been very grateful for having Jesus brother's to take the lead for us 27:00 there is no question about the King being in control 27:05 what else can be Mariano Martinez I hope it holds 27:08 I just feel privileged to have some share in inviting others to join us a 27:16 certain some general GOG 27:18 if the sun comes up but we know that Kingdom is going to accomplish just what 27:23 the Bible says that it 27:24 this is the reality God's kingdom everything else is the solution 27:30 the kingdom is in control we only have good things to the problem 27:36 yeah 27:37 yeah 27:49 yeah 27:55 yeah

We used to draw them very, very white. I remember when a very handsome white brother with "Christopher Reeves" (Superman) like features came to Bethel in 1977, and the head of the Art Dept asked if we thought we could get him to be the new "model" for Jesus. I admit that it never occurred to me that he would be wrong for the part. A previous white brother who had been used as the model had been from our home congregation back in the mid 1960's, up until about 1968. He's on the Mount of Olives teaching the disciples on a calendar, and appeared in another calendar and a couple of Watchtower covers. 
The brother who had been the "Superman" model was changed to someone who actually has some slightly mideastern features, but it is definitely a compromise. (The "Be My Follower" cover.) If you looked without knowing the changes over the years, you'd say he was still white, perhaps Italian. But if you were even more used to the older models, you'd notice that there has been a purposeful transition.

Jehovah God, the Father, calls. And so does Jesus. No contradiction. Because, in will and purpose --even though the Father is greater-- Jehovah and Jesus are the same. ("I and the Father are one"). The "call" in this case is a "command" which results in the effect of raising the dead to life. It is the simultaneous purpose of both Jehovah and Jesus to effect this resurrection and judgment. This may sound contrived and convoluted, but notice that this is the exact same explanation Jesus gives in John chapter 6:
(John 6:38-40) 38 for I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of him who sent me . . . . that I should resurrect them on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:15, 16) 15 For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first.
(Philippians 3:14) 14 I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.
 
 
 

When Jesus' disciples wanted information about calculating the time when the Messianic Kingdom would start, Jesus reminded them with a kind of rebuke:
(Acts 1:6, 7) 6 So when they had assembled, they asked him: “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them: “It does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.
I suppose one could argue that that was then, but it might be different now. Yet Jesus said that in the end, even concerning the parousia/presence, that this statement would be just as true:
(Matthew 24:36, 37) 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence [parousia] of the Son of man will be.
Paul also said that we have no need of any information about that time period, because, as he said:
(1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2) 5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night.
So Biblically, we might be justified to believe that the date should not be important to any calculations of the Messianic Kingdom.
But your specific question is still fairly easy to answer from the Bible, based especially on the verse you quoted in Jeremiah.
(Jeremiah 25:11) . . .and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.. . .
 
So, Biblically, we would expect the answer to be the exact time when the 70 yeas for Babylon ended. If Babylon was the empire that came to power around 609 BCE when Assyria fell, then we would expect those 70 years to end when Babylon fell to Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian in 539 BCE. Fortunately, we have a verse that spells it out directly:
(2 Chronicles 36:20, 21) 20 He carried off captive to Babylon those who escaped the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia began to reign, 21 to fulfill Jehovah’s word spoken by Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill 70 years.
So, it's pretty clear that the 70 years ended (Biblically) when the kingdom of Medo-Persia began to reign as the "world empire" in place of Babylon's 70-year empire. There are probably ten different ways from history and archaeology to show that this happened in 539 BCE. We accept that the king of Persia began to reign on that very night when the handwriting was on the wall in Daniel:
(Daniel 5:22-31) 22 “But you, his son Bel·shazʹzar, . . . 24 So the hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MEʹNE, MEʹNE, TEʹKEL, and PARʹSIN. 26 “This is the interpretation of the words: . . . 28 “PEʹRES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”. . .  30 That very night Bel·shazʹzar the Chal·deʹan king was killed. 31 And Da·riʹus the Mede received the kingdom; he was about 62 years old.
As clear as this might seem, we don't accept it because it would make the 70 years start in 609 and end in 539.
For the same reason that we changed the destruction of Jerusalem from 606 to 607 when we discovered that the 2,520 years would no longer end in 1914, we also found it necessary to do the same thing here. This 539 date would imply that Jerusalem must have been destroyed in 609, but that would make the 2,520 years end in 1912 instead of 1914. So, it has become necessary to simply change the end of the 70 years to 537 BCE. So, we give a date, instead, for a possible time when the Jews who were in Babylon to return to Jerusalem. We don't know how long this period would be, but we know from historical, archaeological records that it can take a couple months for a marching army to make that trip. We need to assume that it was two full years after Babylon's destruction for the Jews to arrive again in Jerusalem. This way 537 becomes the end of the 70 years.

Γιαννης Διαμαντιδης,
I believe that Ann O'maly has stated the truth about the U.N. involvement about as well as anyone can. I know the brother who got the Society involved with the UN DPI/NGO, and have spoken to him several times since I left Bethel in the 1980's. I know that the paperwork was approved by others including a member of the GB (mentioned by Ann).
It was definitely a mistake. And it has definitely stumbled people. I'm not here to defend it, and I'm not here as one of those Witnesses who will claim that Jehovah has allowed certain mistakes just to filter out those who are disloyal, or those who are looking for an excuse to leave the Organization. People still say this about some of the mistakes of the past, and will likely say such things about mistakes made in the future.
I just searched through the jw-archive site, because I know that we have discussed this before, and I didn't want to just keep re-writing things "from scratch" over and over again -- which is something I have a tendency to always do. In fact, this is the very first time I will be quoting myself from a previous post: I'm no expert on this, and perhaps I don't have all the facts either, but the information is from people I trust.
 
A portion of the discussion from https://disqus.com/home/discussion/jwarchive/jw_archiveorg_by_the_jw_comic_strip_52/#comment-2009424381
(I made the UN joke because the timing was close to "Sternstorm." The WTS applied for the NGO status through their DPI (Dept of Public Info.) in 1991 and received it in 1992. I believe we requested disassociation in 2001, just after an investigative journalist exposed the NGO/DPI connection.)
If you are asking about the UN, then unfortunately, the answer is Yes. The Watchtower joined the UN as an NGO. I know the brother who spearheaded the effort, still in Writing (last I spoke to him), and also knew others who approved it at the time (now deceased). They meant no harm, but it proved to be an embarrassment. They didn't really need the NGO status, for the original purpose -- access to informational materials, but the status seems to have given them quicker information about conferences and events that could have even helped the Watchtower Society learn more about the behind-the-scenes political circumstances of our brothers in various countries. The most embarrassing part, of course, was getting "disfellowshipped" by the UN. (That really happened, but it happened just after the WTS requested it.) Also, for a while, the Watchtower Society was supposed to write one informational article per year that informed our audience of some of the work the UN was doing. (That's one of the ways the DPI works.) So while the Watchtower magazine bashed them negatively, a small piece here and there in the Awake! magazine was doing articles on UNICEF etc that were between neutral and positive.
...
I should also say that I don't think this started out as anything very big. But those who got involved should have realized that almost everything goes public and becomes searchable. For a while you could even search the U.N.'s site and see which Awake! articles had been submitted for NGO/DPI compliance.
My motto: If you think you'll have trouble defending it, just don't! (Don't start something you might have to defend later.)
But I have to say that even in 1976, I was doing some follow-up research on Mr. Banda, the president of Malawi who had allowed widespread persecution of the Witnesses for several years just prior. And it turns out that he made some anti-JW statements that blamed the Witnesses for their own troubles -- saying that the problem was not just the 25 cent political party card. I only found this info in some heavy encyclopedic U.N. publications that no one in Writing had seen or heard of -- although these publications were at a large university library. It's quite possible that, 15 years later, a couple brothers were convinced that this type of information, although available without the NGO/DPI connection, would become more accessible. (I don't know if that would really be true.) Or, even more likely, that if we could gain a respectable status with THEIR researchers, we could merely request things to be xeroxed and mailed to the WTS, rather than traveling over to DPI repositories, and hardly knowing where to start.
 
----- and in another place on jw-archive, it came up again ------
 
There is additional evidence or information that I'm sure you can find from others, but what I write below is based mostly on what I know personally and have seen with my own eyes. It is mixed with a few things I have learned from other trusted and current Witnesses.
A very interesting man in Bethel's Writing Department is best known for some of his non-outline talks that he has given in hundreds of congregations. You can find many of his recorded talks on the Internet. He is a good speaker with a "dramatic" personality. I know the man well, and still count him as a friend although we rarely speak. I have seen him outside Bethel, in NY, NJ, even PA, oddly enough, buying books for his own library and for the Bethel libraries. (I have been a book collector for 30 years, and still take on research work for authors, so we have often frequented the same places.)
From the time I first knew him, 1976, this brother was in the Service Department and finally moved to the Writing Department. He was quickly given a lot of autonomy under the supervision of Lloyd Barry because he did more research and book purchasing than pure Writing compared with most others in Writing.
The brother I am speaking about was very highly embarrassed over the fact that it was mostly his own idea that got this thing started. I have not talked about it with him. He began using the UN library regularly in 1990, then weekly in 1991, and initially signed up with the UN's "Department of Public Information" (DPI) in 1991 (and officially accepted 1992) for easier access to library materials, but in the process of accessing those materials he learned a lot about different types of access to conferences and areas of interest that aligned with the Society's interests outside of just the library resources. (It was thought that association might have made it easier to publicize JW human rights violations, learn more about what other religions were doing when they had similar issues with religious persecution in many countries. It made it easier to get information about international religious taxation issues, and Holocaust publicity, etc.)
Brother Barry agreed with him that these other areas of access were also valuable, and they continued the association as an "NGO" (non-governmental organization). The names of both of these brothers, including the GB member, and another direct report to a GB member from the Service Dept are still on some forms at the UN.
They also had to agree to produce articles that helped to promote the work of United Nations' initiatives. The first one was the September 8, 1991 Awake! One initiative that the WTS could most easily agree with was UNICEF. The December 8, 2000 Awake! for example prints out the entire UN Declaration of the Rights of a Child in a single issue that mentions UNICEF 10 times (in a positive context). I'll quote it below.
But first notice by using the 2014 Watchtower Library CD for example that in the 10 years that the WTS was associated with the UN it mentioned UNICEF about 75 times (from 1991-2001). After a leak by the Guardian, the WTS was disassociated from the UN in 2001 when it was exposed to the UN that the Watchtower was simultaneously speaking out AGAINST the UN at the same time the Awake! was speaking positively about it.
(UNICEF has been mentioned just 11 times in the much longer time period since 2001, and always just to quote negative statistics.)
I have seen a list that included articles that were presented to the UN/DPI as proof that the WTS was keeping it's agreement by publishing at least one positive article per year. I don't have a copy of it, and don't know if anyone else does. I forget whether it included the issue below from 2000. I wish I had kept a copy. As I recall, it had references to about 10 different issues of the Awake! over a period of several years.
*** g00 12/8 p. 5 An Ongoing Search for Solutions ***
The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child:
● The right to a name and nationality.
● The right to affection, love, and understanding and to material security.
● The right to adequate nutrition, housing, and medical services.
● The right to special care if disabled, be it physically, mentally, or socially.
● The right to be among the first to receive protection and relief in all circumstances.
● The right to be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty, and exploitation.
● The right to full opportunity for play and recreation and equal opportunity to free and compulsory education, to enable the child to develop his individual abilities and to become a useful member of society.
● The right to develop his full potential in conditions of freedom and dignity.
● The right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace, and universal brotherhood.
● The right to enjoy these rights regardless of race, color, sex, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, and property, birth, or other status.
 
 
--------------
Back to your current post. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think we need to cover up anything. A mistake was made, and we ultimately resolved it. I don't see what it proves to keep bringing it up. It does not show that we supported the U.N.  It shows that we found areas of agreement. We used the relationship to our advantage and the "cost" to us was the need to write about ways in which another organization was also trying to resolve world problems. For all we know, we would have been writing about such things anyway. Personally, I think we ended up looking more reasonable by discussing what the world was trying to do, and how it was at times making progress. Even their limited progress still highlighted the need for a more comprehensive solution.
So it's not like any JWs really needed to take their focus off the Scriptural reasoning for resolving the world's problems. Perhaps it made us more sympathetic and knowledgeable about the viewpoint of others. In the more distant past, we often did nothing but show derision for such efforts. Surely we are better off now for such research. I don't see this whole thing as a one-sided proof of hypocrisy with no up-side. I believe the posts also show that (through the mistake) we discovered avenues and venues for involvement in human rights awareness that we were not aware of previously.
 

When this came up elsewhere on jw-archive someone quoted the Watchtower article on Valentine's Day. I won't do that here, but I'm sure you know the information. Valentine's Day is still tied, in name at least, to a "saint." That ties it a little too close for comfort to a religious celebration, no matter how non-religious it is. Anyway, that wasn't even your question, since it was about birthdays. And there is nothing "religious" about birthdays.
I have an old talk outline where celebrating a child's birthday was tied to "creature worship" by giving too much undue attention to the child who had not really accomplished anything more than surviving for another year. Of course, the primary reason we give is that the Bible only mentions two birthday celebrations and they were both by wicked pagans who also happened to suborn a murder on their birthday.
At the meeting last night, it occurred to me that we are often asked to make assumptions and treat them as "gospel." One of these assumptions ties directly to our main public reason for avoiding birthdays. I'll just give a few examples so you can understand what I was thinking.
1. They played the introduction to Esther video that makes very bold and direct statements and gives dates with a high degree of authority in the voice. Nowhere do we ever admit that these dates are assumed dates, and that we often use dates that we KNOW are 10 to 20 years off the dates that ALL the evidence points to, just because we need to make those dates fit another preconceived assumption.
2. The Imitate book (ia) says that "Ahasuerus is widely thought to have been Xerxes I" and later it says that Xerxes I (per Herodotus) did the following: "when a wealthy man begged that his son be excused from joining the army, Xerxes had the son cut in half, his body displayed as a warning."  Yet, per the CLAM workbook (Christian Life and Ministry) it says "Once, he ordered a man to be cut in half and displayed as a warning." There is barely even a hint that this is from a source OUTSIDE the Bible. Yet, of course, the comment at the meeting turned this into a FACT, not about Xerxes I, but about Ahasuerus.
3. The meeting also made a special point to say that Esther was modest because she didn't ask for extra jewelry. (2006 Watchtower) Really? Does the Bible even mention as a FACT that extra jewelry was an option? Could she have asked for LESS jewelry, or only six months of those spa treatments she was given instead of the full year? Again, the speaker turned this assumption about jewelry into a FACT.
4. The other assumption was not at first turned into a fact by the speaker, but by an answer given in audience, and the speaker then agreed 100% and made a point to say how thankful we should be for KNOWING these things. (That Mordechai refused to bow to Haman for historical reasons, but forgetting that the CLAM workbook said "Why MIGHT Mordechai have refused...?")
These were still good points to think about, and there are good reasons to discuss what MIGHT have been going through the minds of these Bible characters. My only point is that we have trouble seeing what MIGHT be true when it goes against a view we hold, but we turn the "MIGHT" into "FACT" when it supports a view. Even a point or two in the book study on Elijah went in this direction, but the main point is about the banquets of Ahasuerus:
At the first banquet, there was drunkenness apparently, and this may have been the reason Vashti was summoned, perhaps even summoned immodestly by the king. Yet at the second banquet, ("THE BANQUET OF ESTHER") the king did this:
(Esther 2:18) . . .And the king held a great banquet for all his princes and his servants, the banquet of Esther. He then proclaimed an amnesty for the provinces, and he kept giving gifts according to the means of the king.
What occurred to me is why we never look at the differences between those two banquets and make an assumption from this about celebrations. Here we have a celebration by a pagan that did NOT end up in a murder, but in just the opposite. So we MIGHT decide that there is a lesson here about parties and celebrations. Bad things happen when there is drunkenness and abuse of power at birthdays (or licentious dancing, too, in the case of Herod). Yet, we also have a lesson about GOOD that can come of birthdays when modesty and proper influences abound. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This was a demonstration of how to use the phonographs. It was at the Columbus, Ohio convention in 1937. That's Grant Suiter in the center, who was the Secretary Treasurer. He was a member of the Governing Body, probably started at Bethel around 1928. Brother Suiter joined the administrative offices in Brooklyn in 1928, became a director in 1938 (the year after this picture) and became Secretary-Treasurer of the Watch Tower Society (PA & NY) in 1947.

*** w09 12/15 p. 24 par. 20 The Messiah! God’s Means of Salvation ***
Since 1914 we have been living in the period of Christ’s pa·rou·siʹa, or presence. Although his presence as King of God’s Kingdom is invisible, it is obvious from the fulfillment of prophecies. (Rev. 6:2-8) *** end of quote ***
The most complete official explanation was in the February 15, 2008 Watchtower, where it is also presented as the equivalent of the "synteleia" (conclusion), the "generation" that sees the sign, the "last days," etc.. Portions of that article are re-quoted here. This was written before the single life-time "generation" was recently extended so that it could mean TWO overlapping lifetimes:
 
*** w08 2/15 pp. 21-25 Christ’s Presence—What Does It Mean to You? ***
 
NEARLY two thousand years ago, a question was raised by four of Jesus’ apostles in a private conversation with their Master on the Mount of Olives. They asked: “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matt. 24:3) In that question, the apostles used two very interesting expressions, “your presence” and “the conclusion of the system of things.” To what do those expressions refer?
2 To take the second expression first, consider the term “conclusion,” the translation of the Greek word syn·teʹlei·a. In the New World Translation, this word is consistently rendered “conclusion,” whereas a related Greek word, te’los, is translated “end.” The difference in the meaning of these two words can be illustrated by describing a talk given at the Kingdom Hall. The conclusion of the talk is the last section, in which the speaker spends a little time reminding the audience of what he has been discussing and then shows how that information applies to them. The end of the talk is when the speaker walks off the platform. In a similar way, Biblically speaking, the term “the conclusion of the system of things” refers to the period of time leading up to and including its end.
3 What of the “presence” that the apostles asked about? This is the translation of the Greek word pa·rou·siʹa. Christ’s pa·rou·siʹa, or presence, started with Jesus’ installation as King in heaven in 1914 and continues on to include the “great tribulation,” during which he comes to destroy the wicked. (Matt. 24:21) Many different things, including “the last days” of this wicked system of things, the gathering of the chosen ones, and their resurrection to heavenly life, occur during this presence of Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:1; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 2 Thess. 2:1) It could be said that the period constituting “the conclusion of the system of things” (syn·teʹlei·a) corresponds to or runs parallel with the period called Christ’s presence (pa·rou·siʹa).
An Extended Period of Time
4 The fact that the word pa·rou·siʹa refers to an extended period of time harmonizes with what Jesus said with regard to his presence. (Read Matthew 24:37-39.) Notice that Jesus did not liken his presence to the relatively short period of time during which the Flood occurred in Noah’s day. Rather, he compared his presence to the much longer period of time that led up to the Flood. Included therein were Noah’s building of the ark and his preaching work, right up until the time that the Flood finally arrived. Those events occurred over many decades. In a similar way, Christ’s presence includes the events leading up to and including the great tribulation.—2 Thess. 1:6-9.
5 Other Bible prophecies make it evident that Christ’s presence refers to an extended period of time and not merely to his coming to destroy the wicked. The book of Revelation portrays Jesus as riding on a white horse and being given a crown. (Read Revelation 6:1-8.) After being crowned as King in 1914, Jesus is pictured as going “forth conquering and to complete his conquest.” The account then shows that he is followed by riders seated on different-colored horses. These prophetically represent war, food shortages, and pestilence, all of which have occurred over the extended period of time that is referred to as “the last days.” We are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy in our lifetime.
...
9 Jesus went on to say that his disciples would see the sign just as clearly as they would see “lightning, by its flashing, [which] shines from one part under heaven to another part.” (Read Luke 17:24-29.) It is of interest to note that Matthew 24:23-27 directly links the same point with the sign of Christ’s presence.
The Generation Seeing the Sign
10 Previously, this journal has explained that in the first century, “this generation” mentioned at Matthew 24:34 meant . . . . the wicked “generation” of unbelievers who would see both the features that would characterize “the conclusion of the system of things” (syn·teʹlei·a) and the system’s end (teʹlos).
11 . . . Since Jesus did not use negative qualifiers when speaking to them about “this generation,” the apostles would no doubt have understood that they and their fellow disciples were to be part of the “generation” that would not pass away “until all these things [would] occur.”
. . .
13 . . . . So Jesus must have been referring to his disciples when he made the statement: “This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.”
14 Unlike unbelievers, Jesus’ disciples would not only see the sign but also understand its significance. They would “learn” from the features of that sign and “know” their true meaning. . . .
15 . . . As a class, these anointed ones make up the modern-day “generation” of contemporaries that will not pass away “until all these things occur.” . . .
“Keep on the Watch”
16 More is needed, though, than merely recognizing the sign. Jesus went on to say: “What I say to you I say to all, Keep on the watch.” (Mark 13:37) This is of utmost importance to all of us today whether of the anointed or of the great crowd. Nine decades have passed since Jesus was installed as King in heaven in 1914. As challenging as it may be, we must prove ourselves ready and keep on the watch. Understanding that Christ is present invisibly in Kingdom power helps us to do that. It also alerts us to the fact that soon he will come to destroy his enemies “at an hour that [we] do not think likely.”—Luke 12:40.
17 Our understanding of the meaning of Christ’s presence helps to intensify our feelings of urgency. We know that Jesus is already present and has been reigning invisibly as King in heaven since 1914. Soon he will come to destroy the wicked and bring about vast changes to this entire globe. . . .
[Footnotes]
The meaning of pa·rou·siʹa is seen from the contrast that is made between the “presence” and “absence” of the apostle Paul both at 2 Corinthians 10:10, 11 and at Philippians 2:12. For a detailed discussion, see Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, pages 676-9.
See The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, pages 11-15, 19, 30, 31.
The time period during which “this generation” lives seems to correspond to the period covered by the first vision in the book of Revelation. (Rev. 1:10–3:22) This feature of the Lord’s day extends from 1914 until the last of the faithful anointed ones dies and is resurrected.—See Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand! page 24, paragraph 4.
. . .
*** end of quote ***
 
In the above we can see the beginning of the reasoning that would finally require the changing of the definition of the generation that corresponded to the time of the parousia. The logic was that the time was urgent because 9 decades had passed. This was already pushing the limits of what Jesus might have meant by a reasonable generation length, or lifespan.
This "generation" change was one of the biggest shifts in doctrine about the parousia since the first time that it was first determined that the parousia must have started in 1914. Fortunately, we are able to find and compare the logic and reasoning that provided the basis for that particular shift in definition, too:
The latest 2015 Watchtower Library CD, gives the reference in the Scripture Index for Matthew 24:27
*** dx30-85 Matthew ***
24:27   w75 275; w74 750; ka 320; ad 1068, 1336; g63 6/22 27; g62 5/8 8; nh 258; w50 239; el 222; w49 217-218; w40 253; g34 3/14 381-382
Looking up that reference we find the following:
*** quoting Watch Tower's reference in g34, p.381-382 ***
"Prior to 1914 and years thereafter we thought that our Lord's return dated from 1874; and we took it for granted that the parousia or presence dated from that time. . . . For some time now many have believed that the things mentioned in the great prophecy of Matthew twenty-four have application since 1914 and not before. It necessarily follows, then, that the presence or parousia of Christ, the "nobleman", could not be before 1914." *** end of quote ***