The following quote aptly demonstrates the fact that every generation of Christians, from the days of the apostles until 2007, has believed that their own generation was experiencing famines, pestilences, earthquakes, crime, and wars in a far greater excess than had been experienced by previous generations. Thus, for centuries, many innocent Christians have fallen prey to one "false prophet" after another who have exploited Christians' hope that their own generation would be the one which would witness the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

"That wars continue frequently to prevail, that death and famine accumulate anxiety, that health is shattered by raging diseases, that the human race is wasted by he desolation of pestilence, know that this was foretold; that evils should be multiplied in the last times, ... the day of judgment is now drawing nigh." --3rd century Christian leader.

In our own time, Jehovah's Witnesses and the WatchTower Society fulfill the role of the "false prophet" of which Jesus warned in Matthew 24:23 - 26:

"Then if anyone says to YOU, 'Look! Here is the Christ,' or, 'There!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look! I have forewarned YOU. Therefore, if people say to YOU, 'Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not go out; 'Look! He is in the inner chambers,' do not believe it." -- NWT.

From its very inception in July 1879, the primary message of Charles Taze Russell and his Watch Tower Magazine was that, unbeknownst to everyone on earth but Russell and his followers, the Second Advent of Jesus Christ had already begun back in October 1874.  Where was Jesus Christ?  According to Russell and his Watch Tower Magazine, Jesus Christ was "invisibly present" in the regions of outer space near the "vicinity of the earth". Only Russell and his followers had discerned this "parousia" of Jesus Christ, and they were the "holy ones" who were chosen to notify mankind of Christ's "presence".  [If cold chills are not running up your spine, then re-read what Jesus said at Matthew 24:23 - 26 until you "get it".]

For 50 years, the WatchTower Society continued to preach that Jesus Christ had been "invisibly present" since October 1874.  When it eventually became unreasonable to teach that Jesus Christ had been "present" near the "vicinity of the earth" without any manifestation of such a "parousia", the 1874 date was gradually changed in the latter 1920s and 1930s to October 1914 . Because there still has been no manifestation of such a "parousia", the WatchTower Society eventually stopped preaching that Jesus had been physically present since 1914, and now teaches that He has been "spiritually present" since October 1914.

Let's review:

1.  Proclaiming 'Look! Here is the Christ,' or, 'There!' has been the sole purpose for the existence of the WatchTower Society and the Watch Tower Magazine since the 1870s.

2.  Even though the date for Jesus Christ's presence has been changed from 1874 to 1914, the message of the Watch Tower has always been that Christ's "presence" has already occurred secretly without mankind being aware of such fact.

3.  Only the WatchTower Society and its' followers discerned that Jesus Christ was "present"; even they did so only "after the fact".

4.  Even though the WatchTower Society was wrong about the date of Christ's "presence" for its' first 50 years, Jehovah's Witnesses are still the "prophets" chosen by Jehovah to notify mankind that Jesus Christ is "present".  Where?  'Look! He is in the wilderness,'  and  'Look! He is in the inner chambers,'.

As evidence that "He is in the wilderness," and "He is in the inner chamber," the WatchTower Society and JWs unequivocally state that the "generation of 1914" has suffered famines, pestilences, earthquakes, crime, and wars, both singularly and in combination, more so than any other generation since Christ uttered the words of Matthew 24. A flood of statistics from newspapers and magazines are quoted which supposedly support such claims.

HOWEVER, has anyone ever performed a full and thorough historical investigation to see if such claims and "proof" are actually accurate?

The authors of this book did such. They researched historical records relating to famines, pestilences, earthquakes, crime, and wars. Their findings may shock those who for years have read WatchTower statistics. Just like the "proof" and "evidence" the WBTS has published for most all their other teachings, the supposed evidence and proof for this teaching also turns out to be misrepresentations of the actual facts. The authors show that all indications are, whether considered singularly or in total, that famines, pestilences, earthquakes, crime, and wars are no greater in our day than any other time in the past 2000 years. In many respects, such calamities have actually lessened.

A careful verse-by-verse consideration of Matthew 24 actually reveals that Jesus's references to famines, pestilences, earthquakes, crime, and wars are actually part of a WARNING to Christians to not be deceived regarding the time and manner of His Second Advent. Jesus warned that "false prophets" would seek to take advantage of continuing natural calamities to mislead vulnerable Christians who are suffering and desperately hoping that their own day would be the day of Jesus' return and their delivery from such calamities. Jesus warned that such self-professed "prophets" would falsely announce that he had already returned -- without such fact being known to all of mankind.  Jesus warned that the "false prophets" would preach that they were the only ones who discovered that He had returned. Jesus warned that the "false prophets" would present themselves as being the only ones knowing where He was, and as the ones "chosen" to lead others to Him.  Jesus plainly warned: "do not go out;" and "do not believe it."

Jesus Christ then sharply contrasts such false messages of His "secret return" with a description of how He would actually return, in verses 27 - 30:

"For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be. Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." -- NWT.

WHEN JESUS CHRIST RETURNS THE SECOND TIME, IT WON'T BE A SECRET !!!  NO MAN WILL NEED SOME OTHER MAN TO TELL HIM THAT CHRIST HAS RETURNED. All light will be extinguished as the sun, moon, and stars are darkened. Then, as all mankind around the planet anxiously contemplates the total darkness, like a flash of lightning, Jesus Christ will appear "on the clouds of heaven".  His return will miraculously be seen by each and every human on earth. This Second Advent of Jesus Christ will not be an event that needs announcing by the Jehovah's Witnesses, or any other insignificant humans.