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Predictions and dates · Claim record

On 1 November 1995 The Watchtower redefined 'this generation' as 'contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics' — the wicked people of the last days — and said 'Jehovah's people have at times speculated' about the lifetime of a generation since 1914.

Claim ID claim-predictions-1995-generation-redefined-wickedConcerns 1 November 1995Later reinterpretation
Later reinterpretation · 1 November 1995 Verified

On 1 November 1995 The Watchtower redefined 'this generation' as 'contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics' — the wicked people of the last days — and said 'Jehovah's people have at times speculated' about the lifetime of a generation since 1914. The Watchtower, 1 November 1995

The organisation’s position or later explanation: Presented as increased light rather than as a withdrawn prediction.

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Saved From a 'Wicked Generation' / A Time to Keep Awake”

1 November 1995 · pp.10-21 · second article, par. 6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“Jehovah's people have at times speculated about the time when the 'great tribulation' would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. ... Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term 'generation' as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.”

Redefines 'this generation' as the wicked contemporaries of the last days; first article (doc 1995804) sets out the lexical argument.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on wol; page marker 17 for the quoted paragraph.

Corroborated by. src-w-2008-0215-p23-24-generation

Notes. Note the framing 'Jehovah's people have at times speculated' where the calculations were published by the organisation itself (w84 5/15; rs p.97).

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1995-1101-p10-21-generation

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