Are the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Really False Prophets?

Jehovahs Witnesses constantly castigate former members who try to reveal the truths that the organisation would rather hide.  They publicly slander these people as 'mentally diseased', 'apostate', 'those that eat with the Devil and his demons' and various other ridiculous names.

They desperately try to prevent their followers from reading and watching the views of these former members, promising any who might be curious that they will be siding with Satan and that they will be damaged spiritually.  Any that do give in to their curiosity will face disfellowshipping for disloyalty if they attempt to share what they find with their 'brothers and sisters'.

So what could be so dangerous to Jehovahs Witnesses that the organisation will go to any lengths to ensure that they don't come into contact with it?

Are they protecting their congregations from malicious lies as they claim?

Lets start with the claim that Jehovahs Witnesses are false prophets as defined by Deuteronomy 18: 20 - 22 

20  “If any prophet presumptuously speaks a word in my name that I did not command him to speak or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.  21  However, you may say in your heart: “How will we know that Jehovah has not spoken the word?” 22  When the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word is not fulfilled or does not come true, then Jehovah did not speak that word. The prophet spoke it presumptuously. You should not fear him.’

From the New World Translation published by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovahs Witnesses)

Do Jehovahs Witnesses claim to be prophets and if they do have any of their prophecies failed?

The following is an extract from the Watchtower of April 1st 1972 page 197;

"They shall know that a Prophet was among them."

"So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come?  These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? . . . This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses . . . Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it,"

Despite this claim by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (previously the International Bible Students) the organisation now argue that they didn't actually mean a Prophet which is why they used quotation marks around the word! Apparently this makes the word 'prophet' something different to the actual meaning of the word.  As an organisation that likes to control everything, including the thoughts of their followers maybe this is an example of Orwellian 'doublespeak'.

Putting their claim and then subsequent denial of Prophet status to one side let's examine what a prophet actually is and whether it fits the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of a prophet is;  A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God:

Do Jehovahs Witnesses regard the Governing Body as inspired proclaimers of the will of God?

Does the Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses claim that they are inspired by God and make proclamations of Gods will?

The Watchtower of Mar 15 1992 pages 21-22 certainly claims that their literature (which carries their proclamations, is guided by Gods Holy Spirit:

"We will also increase our joy if we prayerfully and diligently study God's spirit - inspired Word and Christian publications prepared under the spirit's guidance." 

The Watchtower of July15 2010 pages 22-23 claims that their teachings and beliefs are inspired by Gods Holy Spirit working on the Governing Body;

When the time comes to clarify a spiritual matter in our day, holy spirit helps responsible representatives of the faithful and discreet slave at world headquarters to discern deep truths that were not previously understood. (Matt. 24:45; 1 Cor. 2:13) The Governing Body as a whole considers adjusted explanations. (Acts 15:6) What they learn, they publish for the benefit of all." 

They claim to be inspired by God and they claim that God directs their proclamations.  Even their own publication makes the claim that the Organisation is a prophet.  The scripture in Deuteronomy gives a very clear guide to what is and what is not a 'prophet of God'.  Do the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society measure up to that guide?

Lets look at some of the things they have supposedly predicted (prophesied) with the claimed aid of Gods Holy Spirit;

1975.  For years leading up to 1975 the Governing Body had indicated that would be the year Armageddon came.  When it didn't they backtracked spectacularly, claiming they never actually said that 1975 was the definitive year.  However take a look at this excerpt from the May 22 1969 AWAKE! page15

"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. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the "last days" in 1914, Jesus foretold: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur."-Matt. 24:34. Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" 

How sad that some young people would have read those words back in 1969 and passed up the opportunity for further education and a career that they WOULD have been fulfilled.  4, 6, 8 years passed and this 'system of things' still remained, just as it still does some 47 years later.

Jehovahs Witnesses will vehemently argue with you that their leaders did not specify 1975 would be the year of Armageddon but even the Watchtower magazine, five years after the expected arrival of Gods Kingdom, admitted that they had got it wrong;

"With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man's existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. ... Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility ." Watchtower 1980 Mar 15 page 17

There are many, many examples of Jehovahs Witnesses predictions that never materialised.  Here are just a small sample;

1889 "Remember that the forty years' Jewish Harvest ended October A.D. 69, and was followed by the complete overthrow of that nation; and that likewise the forty years of the Gospel age harvest will end October, 1914, and that likewise the overthrow of 'Christendom,' so-called, must be expected to immediately follow." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, p. 245)

1915 The Gentile Times prove that the present governments must all be overturned about the close of A.D. 1915; and Parallelism above shows that this period corresponds exactly with the year A.D. 70, which witnessed the completion of the downfall of the Jewish polity. (The Time Is At Hand, 1915 edition, p. 242)

1917 'No doubt Satan believed the Millennial Kingdom was due to be set-up in 1915...Be that as it may, there is evidence that the establishment of the Kingdom in Palestine will probably be in 1925, ten years later than we once calculated.' (Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, p. 128)

1968 "The immediate future is certain to be filled with climatic events, for this old system is nearing its complete end. Within a few years at most the final parts of Bible prophecy relative to these last days will undergo fulfilment resulting in the liberation of surviving mankind into Christ's glorious 1000 year reign!" (Watchtower, 1/5/1968)

The following doesn't really fit the 'failed prophesy' theme but it demonstrates the sheer arrogance of the organisation - especially when you keep in mind the above quote from the 1969 Awake;

1976 "It may be that some who have been serving God have planned their lives according to a mistaken view of just what was to happen on a certain date or in a certain year. They may have, for this reason, put off or neglected things that they otherwise would have cared for. But they have missed the point of the Bibles warnings concerning the end of this system of things, thinking that Bible chronology reveals the specific date." (Watchtower, July 15, 1976, p. 440)

Now look at what they said two years earlier;

1974 "Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that not reason to increase our activity?...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." (Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, p. 3)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So are Jehovahs Witnesses or their leaders the Governing Body false prophets?

No - I don't believe they are for two reasons.  Firstly a False Prophet will never admit that they got something wrong, they will always put a spin on their failure to turn it into a success.  Jehovahs Witnesses have, throughout their history, generally, if reluctantly, admitted when they have got something wrong. Further the reality is that they have never prophesied anything, they have simply tried to interpret the Bibles prophesies, all be it clumsily.

What the above clearly does reveal is that their claim to be directed by Holy Spirit is ridiculous. No Organisation with Gods backing could get so much wrong in such a short history.  Using the term 'the light is getting brighter' cannot hide the desperate re-positioning as their predictions fail.