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Dossiê de provas · previsão explícita, depois reinterpretada
The generation of 1914
A partir de 1951, as publicações ensinaram que o fim viria ainda durante a vida das pessoas que viram 1914, e do início da década de 1980 (conforme relatado; citado oficialmente pela primeira vez em 1993) até outubro de 1995 a declaração de propósito na página 4 de todas as edições de Despertai! dizia que o novo mundo viria “antes que passe a geração que viu os acontecimentos de 1914”. Esta página mostra essa redação, a data em que ela foi retirada, e as quatro definições de “geração” que vieram depois.
Última revisão em 19 de setembro de 2026
O que foi previsto
The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question, that which takes a 'generation' in the ordinary sense, as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period.
If Jesus used 'generation' in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. ... Jehovah's prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah ... will bring about the fulfillment of his Son's words in a relatively short time.
Before the last members of the generation that was alive in 1914 will have passed off the scene, all the things foretold will occur, including the 'great tribulation' in which the present wicked world will end.
Declaração explícita · 1 de julho de 1951Verificado
Em 1951, A Sentinela disse que “esta geração”, em Mateus 24:34, deve ser entendida “no sentido comum... referindo-se aos que vivem no período dado”, a partir de 1914, e que o “tempo do fim” abrange “um período de muitos anos, os de uma geração”. Source: The Watchtower, 1 de julho de 1951
A posição da organização ou explicação posterior: Substituído em 1995.
Mostrar as provas (1 fonte)
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
1 de julho de 1951 · p.404 · par. 11 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question, that which takes a 'generation' in the ordinary sense, as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period.”
Par. 1 says the 'time of the end' covers 'a period of many years, those of a generation' beginning A.D. 1914.
Declaração explícita · 15 de maio de 1984Verificado
O artigo de capa de A Sentinela de 15 de maio de 1984, “1914—The Generation That Will Not Pass Away”, aplicou a geração às pessoas vivas em 1914 (“os bebês daquela geração agora têm 70 anos ou mais”) e disse que Jeová “fará com que as palavras de seu Filho se cumpram num tempo relativamente curto”; Raciocínios à Base das Escrituras (1985) igualmente disse que todas as coisas preditas ocorreriam “antes que os últimos membros da geração que estava viva em 1914 tenham desaparecido da cena”. Source: The Watchtower, 15 de maio de 1984Source: Reasoning From the Scriptures (1985; 1989 revision on wol), 1985
A posição da organização ou explicação posterior: A Sentinela de 1.º de novembro de 1995, p. 17, reformula tais cálculos dizendo que “o povo de Jeová às vezes especulou”.
Mostrar as provas (2 fontes)
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
15 de maio de 1984 · pp.4-7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If Jesus used 'generation' in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. ... Jehovah's prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah ... will bring about the fulfillment of his Son's words in a relatively short time.”
Cover-feature article; states the prophecies 'will be fulfilled within the life span of the generation of 1914'.
1985 · p.97 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“Before the last members of the generation that was alive in 1914 will have passed off the scene, all the things foretold will occur, including the 'great tribulation' in which the present wicked world will end.”
Under the question 'Then why is there still so much wickedness on earth?'; also glosses Matt. 24:34 as 'this generation [that was alive when "the sign" of "the last days" began its fulfillment]'.
Awake! page 4, 1982 (start date supported) to 1995; last issue opened 8 November 1994
‘… before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away’
The purpose of Awake! is stated clearly on page 4 of each issue: 'This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.'
The statement of purpose was quoted in the organisation’s own Kingdom Ministry (1993) and in Awake! itself (1994).Source: Awake!, 8 de novembro de 1994
Awake! page 4, from 8 November 1995
‘… a new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things’
A brief review of what is stated on page 4 of each issue of Awake! ... 'Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.'
The new wording is verified in the October 1996 Kingdom Ministry. The 8 November 1995 issue is not in the online library, so the exact date of the change is labelled ‘supported’.Source: Awake!, 8 de novembro de 1995
Ao longo do início da década de 1990, cada edição de Despertai! trazia na página 4 a declaração de que a revista “cria confiança na promessa do Criador de um novo mundo pacífico e seguro antes que passe a geração que viu os acontecimentos de 1914” — frase citada palavra por palavra em Nosso Ministério do Reino (outubro de 1993) e na própria Despertai! (8 de novembro de 1994). Source: Our Kingdom Ministry, outubro de 1993Source: Awake!, 8 de novembro de 1994
Mostrar as provas (2 fontes)
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
outubro de 1993 · p.8 · par. 1 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“The purpose of Awake! is stated clearly on page 4 of each issue: 'This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.'”
Official quotation of the Awake! page-4 statement of purpose as then printed.
8 de novembro de 1994 · pp.10-11 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“As indicated on page 4, 'this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.' No doubt many of our readers find that statement surprising.”
8 de novembro de 1995 · p.4 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.”
Replaces the 1914-generation wording; the earliest wol occurrence of the new wording is Our Kingdom Ministry, October 1996, p. 1 (doc 201996363).
No online copy located.
Nota de procedência e verificação for Awake!, Page 4 statement of purpose (masthead) — revised wording
Nota de confiança.The 8 Nov 1995 issue's page 4 is not on wol and no scan was opened; the change date rests on discovery sources (JWfacts, Watchman Fellowship, Wikipedia) that agree, plus the wol trail (old wording last quoted g94 11/8; new wording quoted km 10/96).
Notes.Publish as 'by late 1995 / first seen 8 Nov 1995 (per discovery sources)' unless a scan is obtained. The new wording itself is verified in km Oct 1996 p.1.
Consultado em. 19 de setembro de 2026 · Identificador da fonte.src-g-1995-1108-masthead-change
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
outubro de 1996 · p.1 · par. 4 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“A brief review of what is stated on page 4 of each issue of Awake! ... 'Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.'”
Earliest wol occurrence of the revised Awake! statement of purpose; the 1914-generation wording was last quoted in Awake! 8 Nov 1994.
8 de novembro de 1994 · pp.10-11 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“As indicated on page 4, 'this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.' No doubt many of our readers find that statement surprising.”
How ‘this generation’ (Matthew 24:34) has been defined
When
Definition
Source
1951 to 1995
People alive in 1914, ‘in the ordinary sense’; ‘the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older’ (1984); a new world ‘before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away’ (Awake! page 4, early 1980s to 1995).
‘Contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics’: the wicked of the present age, no longer tied to 1914 lifespans.
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.
He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation.
Reinterpretação posterior · 1 de novembro de 1995Verificado
Em 1.º de novembro de 1995, A Sentinela redefiniu “esta geração” como “as pessoas contemporâneas de certo período histórico, com suas características identificadoras” — as pessoas iníquas dos últimos dias — e disse que “o povo de Jeová às vezes especulou” sobre a duração da vida de uma geração desde 1914. Source: The Watchtower, 1 de novembro de 1995
A posição da organização ou explicação posterior: Apresentado como aumento de luz, e não como uma predição retirada.
Mostrar as provas (1 fonte)
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
1 de novembro de 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.
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).
Consultado em. 19 de setembro de 2026 · Identificador da fonte.src-w-1995-1101-p10-21-generation
A posição da organização ou explicação posterior: O artigo de 2010 apresenta a mudança como “espírito santo... trazendo à luz verdades bíblicas. (Pro. 4:18)”.
Mostrar as provas (4 fontes)
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
15 de fevereiro de 2008 · pp.23-24 · pars. 10-14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“Previously, this journal has explained that ... 'this generation' mentioned at Matthew 24:34 meant 'the contemporaneous generation of unbelieving Jews.' ... So Jesus must have been referring to his disciples when he made the statement”
Second redefinition: the generation is the anointed who see the sign.
15 de abril de 2010 · p.10 · par. 14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation.”
Introduces the 'overlapping generation'; also stated in the 15 June 2010 annual-meeting report (doc 2010446, p. 5).
15 de janeiro de 2014 · pp.30-31 · pars. 15-16 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“We understand that in mentioning 'this generation,' Jesus was referring to two groups of anointed Christians. The first group was on hand in 1914 ... The second group ... were anointed with holy spirit during the time that those of the first group were still on earth. ... at least some of 'this generation will by no means pass away' before seeing the start of the great tribulation.”
Nota de procedência e verificação for JW Broadcasting (tv.jw.org), monthly programme, September 2015, Segment by Governing Body member David Splane explaining 'this generation' with a chart (F. W. Franz, 1893-1992, as anchor of the first group)
Nota de confiança.The jw.org video page is a JavaScript app and the mediator API returned no media for the 2015 key, so the programme could not be opened; described consistently by three discovery sources (JW Survey/JW Watch, AvoidJW, JWfacts). Note the task's 'annual meeting 2015' framing: sources place the chart in the September 2015 monthly programme.
Nota de procedência e verificação for The Watchtower (original magazine printing), 'The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them'
Nota de confiança.Comparison scan (magazine page and bound-volume page of w89 1/1 p. 12) opened and read as images by the independent source auditor on 19 September 2026: the magazine reads 'in our 20th century', the bound volume 'in our day'; both pages carry the footer '12 THE WATCHTOWER—JANUARY 1, 1989'. The scan is catalogued under a French title but reproduces the English page.
Procedência da digitalização.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org: side-by-side scan of p. 12 in the magazine and in the bound volume. The PDF's OCR layer is empty, so the image was not machine-read in this session.
Nota de procedência e verificação for The Watchtower (bound volume / Watchtower Online Library text), 'The Hand of Jehovah Was With Them'
Nota de confiança.Opened on wol; page marker 12; wording 'in our day' confirmed; a wol phrase search for 'completed in our 20th century' returns nothing.
“The light got brighter.” The organisation’s explanation, and it is quoted on the predictions overview. A definition that moved from ‘people alive in 1914’ to ‘the wicked’ to ‘the anointed’ to ‘two overlapping groups of anointed’ is a sequence of reversals, not a single direction of travel.Source: The Watchtower (Study Edition), 15 de fevereiro de 2008
“It was never a date.” It was a lifespan, printed with the year 1914 attached, and in 1984 made concrete: the babies of that generation were then ‘70 years old or older’.Source: The Watchtower, 15 de maio de 1984
Confiança. Todas as passagens de A Sentinela, do Nosso Ministério do Reino e do livro Raciocínios foram lidas na Biblioteca On-line Watchtower. Três itens estão “sustentados” e não verificados, e estão assim rotulados acima: o início, em 1982, da redação da página 4, a mudança de cabeçalho de 8 de novembro de 1995 e a transmissão de 2015. Classificação: previsão explícita, depois reinterpretada quatro vezes.
Fontes citadas nesta página
Show all 14 sources, in date order
Each opens a full record with links, provenance and a confidence note.
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
1 de julho de 1951 · p.404 · par. 11 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question, that which takes a 'generation' in the ordinary sense, as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period.”
15 de maio de 1984 · pp.4-7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If Jesus used 'generation' in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. ... Jehovah's prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah ... will bring about the fulfillment of his Son's words in a relatively short time.”
1985 · p.97 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“Before the last members of the generation that was alive in 1914 will have passed off the scene, all the things foretold will occur, including the 'great tribulation' in which the present wicked world will end.”
outubro de 1993 · p.8 · par. 1 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“The purpose of Awake! is stated clearly on page 4 of each issue: 'This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.'”
8 de novembro de 1994 · pp.10-11 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“As indicated on page 4, 'this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.' No doubt many of our readers find that statement surprising.”
1 de novembro de 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.”
8 de novembro de 1995 · p.4 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“This magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.”
No online copy located.
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
outubro de 1996 · p.1 · par. 4 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“A brief review of what is stated on page 4 of each issue of Awake! ... 'Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.'”
15 de fevereiro de 2008 · pp.23-24 · pars. 10-14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“Previously, this journal has explained that ... 'this generation' mentioned at Matthew 24:34 meant 'the contemporaneous generation of unbelieving Jews.' ... So Jesus must have been referring to his disciples when he made the statement”
15 de abril de 2010 · p.10 · par. 14 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation.”
15 de janeiro de 2014 · pp.30-31 · pars. 15-16 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“We understand that in mentioning 'this generation,' Jesus was referring to two groups of anointed Christians. The first group was on hand in 1914 ... The second group ... were anointed with holy spirit during the time that those of the first group were still on earth. ... at least some of 'this generation will by no means pass away' before seeing the start of the great tribulation.”
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