"What can be said about 1975? What will happen when this year comes, dear ones Friends? Will there ever be a time when Armageddon will be over, and Satan will be bound? 1975? Will! It will be!" (SAT 15. 10. 1966. Cit. 14.46).

The idea of the end of the world in 1975 was picked up by the entire press of the Watch Society Tower. For example, in the article "Why We Turn Our Eyes to 1975", published by in the issue of The Watchtower of 15.08. 1968 said:

"As a result of a detailed study of the Bible, we are ready to predict that in the autumn of 1975 the war of Armageddon would already be over, and the long-awaited millennial The Kingdom of Christ will begin... Our chronology is correct. deviation maybe for a few weeks or months, but not for years... No one should to speculate in the words: "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven; not the Son, but the Father alone" (Mark 32). The apostles saw much less than we do, they knew nothing about 1975" (Op. cit. 10, 70).

A powerful propaganda campaign launched by Jehovah's Witnesses on the occasion of Armageddon allegedly coming in 1975, led to an almost twofold increase in Society. If in 1966 there were 1,118,665 "public publishers" in the world, then in 1975 there were already 2,179,256 (14.47).

Many rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses began to sell off on the eve of the "end of the world" property and donate the proceeds to the needs of the organization. Such "jealousy" was supported in every possible way by the publications of the Society. In "Our Royal service" for May 1974 wrote:

"It is reported that some brothers are selling their houses and other property and plan to end the remaining days of this old system in the pioneer service. Undoubtedly, this is the best way to spend the short time left until the end of this evil world" (Op. cit., 14, 46).

At the same time, the Watchtower announced:

"Consider that Jehovah has not promised to keep good homes and others property when this evil system is destroyed. He promised to preserve Only life!" (Sat 1.04.1974. Cited by 10, 74).

And so, when ordinary Jehovah's Witnesses were selling off their possessions, the leadership of the The company negotiated the purchase of large real estate. And in a few years months before the "end of the world", in the summer of 1975, to expand the apartment administrative staff in New York, the 15-storey Tower Hotel is acquired (10, 73). It is difficult not to call such behavior hypocritical.

The autumn of 1975 passed. Armageddon did not take place and the perplexed questions. In its 12/15/1975 issue, The Watchtower instructed believers, What do they

“... Don't think about the date, but concentrate on the important preaching activity" (Quoted by 10, 71).

And the Watchtower of 1/01/1976 put forward the following explanation for the failure: from the creation of Adam to the autumn of 1975, 6000 years have indeed passed, but The Kingdom of God will come in 6000 years... after the creation of Eve. And

“... how many weeks, months, or years elapsed between the creation of the first men and women, we do not know" (quoted by 10:72).

For a more detailed explanation, see the Watchtower of April 15, 1977 Year. But for some reason, they blamed them for the unjustified "prophecy" not on the leadership of the Society, but on its ordinary members.