How did Jehovah's Witnesses come out with the year 1914 as the year Jesus began to rule as King?

Question

Where is this in the Bible?

Snagelfritz, you say "Bible prophecy shows that appointed time came in 1914"

But you fail to give me the Biblical scripture on that. Where can I find that in my Bible?

Answer 1

The parable of the faithful and discreet slave helps bible students to recognize that it was only after Christ's "return" that one "slave" would receive unique privileges. Jehovah's Witnesses look at the evidence and believe that happened soon after 1914.

(Matthew 24:45-47) Who really is the faithful and discreet slave [class] whom his master [Jesus] appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.


Regarding 1914, the Scriptures do show that Jesus sat on the throne of the Messianic Kingship that year. In hindsight, most of humankind can see the historic upheaval that began with World War I. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that mankind in general has seen a wide range of specific signs since 1914, and that anyone can perceive these as significant without even opening a bible.

Yet the bible DOES comment upon it! Jesus foretold this specific collection of signs as evidence that his "presence" or so-called 'second coming' had arrived. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that "presence" to be Jesus' presence as the King of God's Kingdom. Citations are from both New World Translation (NWT) and Youngs Literal Translation (YLT).

(Matthew 24:3, NWT) disciples approached [Jesus] privately, saying: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence
(Matthew 24:3, YLT) the disciples came near to [Jesus], saying, 'Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence...?

(Luke 21:7,24, NWT) Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are destined to occur?
(Luke 21:7,24, YLT) Teacher, when, then, shall these things be? and what is the sign when these things may be about to happen?'

Amazingly, since the 1870's, Jehovah's Witnesses had recognized 1914 as a significant year according to the chronology indicated in bible prophecy. Decades before 1914, Witnesses noted that Jesus' discussion of his second "coming", or second "presence" specifically mentions "the appointed times of the nations", which Jehovah's Witnesses believe to be a centuries-long period of relative godlessness when God's rulership through the Davidic kingship was interrupted (the line of hereditary kings beginning with King David of Israel). Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that the Davidic kingship ended in 607 BCE when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and would begin again during the fulfillment of the composite "sign" of Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

(Luke 21:24, NWT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.
(Luke 21:24, YLT) Jerusalem [or 'Davidic kingship'] shall be trodden down by nations, till the times of nations be fulfilled.

How long would "the appointed times of the nations" last? Daniel chapter 4 contains a prophecy in which God's rulership, through the Davidic kings is represented by a "tree". That tree is kept down for "seven times", which seems to be seven periods of 360 "days" (See Rev 12:6,14). So Daniel 4:15 seems to be referring to 2520 "days" when God's governmental rulership would not be seen.

(Daniel 4:11-17, NWT) The tree grew up and became strong, and its very height finally reached the heavens, and it was visible to the extremity of the whole earth. ...14 He ["a holy one"] was calling out loudly, and this is what he was saying: "CHOP the tree down... 15 However, LEAVE its rootstock itself in the earth... let seven times pass over it. 17 ...that people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that to the one whom he wants to, he gives it and he sets up over it even the lowliest one of mankind.
(Daniel 4:11-17, YLT) Become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land...14 He ["a holy one"] is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree...15 but the stump of its roots leave in the earth...and seven times pass over him; 17 ...that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.



But in history, 2520 days is not a significant amount of time. Jehovah's Witnesses look to Scriptures such as Num 14:34 and Ez 4:6 and re-examine the history using 2520 YEARS instead. From 607 BCE to 1914 CE is 2520 years; so many significant things happened that year, and World War I was only one part!.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Maybe this help;
When and how is the perfect government established? When Jesus was on earth this Kingdom was the main theme of his preaching. (Matthew 4:17; Luke 8:1) However, he did not establish the Kingdom at that time, nor at his resurrection. (Acts 1:6-8) Even when he ascended into the heavens, he still had to wait for Jehovah's appointed time. (Psalm 110:1, 2; Hebrews 1:13) Bible prophecy shows that appointed time came in 1914 C.E. However, someone will ask, 'Rather than perfect government, did not 1914 mark the start of increased world woes?' That is exactly the point! There is a close connection between the coming of God's Kingdom and the catastrophic events of recent years, as we shall now see.
http://www.watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_10.htm
Here you can really go to town;
http://www.watchtower.org

Answer 4

1914 was the amended date for the end of the system of things and when it also failed to happen, they then moved it to 1915, still nothing, a few years later they decided that they had made so much out of 1914 they better use it for something. They then made up that Christ took His throne, which must be in a different place to the Right hand of God, to then start judging everyone. While they will tell you that bible students came up with this date, it was just their then president and he used the measurement inside the Great Pyramid and the alignment of the stars to arrive at this date after his earlier date failed. Because the end did not happen and 1914 was prophesied, [they say calculated] Christ's invisible return sounded good as no one could prove He did not. So here we have Christ invisible, sitting on a throne [away from God's right hand as He was there from day one] judging everyone. Problems, The WBTS tell us that Judgment day will be 1000 years long and Christ will only judge on how people behave during this period. But not to worry as they decided that they would change their teaching to comply with bible teaching for a change and now they say that Christ will not start judging until after the tribulation. If you don't like the teaching of the WBTS, just wait a day or two as they are sure to change it again.

Answer 5

They studied with me and this is what I remember.

It's based on a dream that Nebuchednezzar had about a tree. Daniel interpreted the dream and it didn't have anything to do with Jesus' being king, it only had to do with Nebuchednezzar being king. But they substitute Jesus (or God, I forget which) for Nebuchednezzar, and make all kinds of other comparisons and projections, and came up with 1914 as the end of what they call the Gentile Times.

The Scripture in Daniel doesn't even mention the Gentile Times or that it was even a prophecy about anything, except about Nebuchednezzar which was fulfilled in him.

When the Gentile Times didn't end in 1914, they revised it and said they were right, except it happened invisibly. I guess the Gentile nations haven't got word yet because they're still alive and kicking!

Answer 6

the Qs is very deep but I will explain.

when you read the bible you see in the book of Revelation that Jesus Christ become a king, that book was written Year 96 C.E, and the thing that are written are in the future of that year so that happened after year 96, but when?

Answer 7

1914—A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy

DECADES in advance, Bible students proclaimed that there would be significant developments in 1914. What were these, and what evidence points to 1914 as such an important year?

As recorded at Luke 21:24, Jesus said: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations [“the times of the Gentiles,” King James Version] are fulfilled.” Jerusalem had been the capital city of the Jewish nation—the seat of rulership of the line of kings from the house of King David. (Psalm 48:1, 2) However, these kings were unique among national leaders. They sat on “Jehovah’s throne” as representatives of God himself. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Jerusalem was thus a symbol of Jehovah’s rulership.

How and when, though, did God’s rulership begin to be “trampled on by the nations”? This happened in 607 B.C.E. when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. “Jehovah’s throne” became vacant, and the line of kings who descended from David was interrupted. (2 Kings 25:1-26) Would this ‘trampling’ go on forever? No, for the prophecy of Ezekiel said regarding Jerusalem’s last king, Zedekiah: “Remove the turban, and lift off the crown. . . . It will certainly become no one’s until he comes who has the legal right, and I must give it to him.” (Ezekiel 21:26, 27) The one who has “the legal right” to the Davidic crown is Christ Jesus. (Luke 1:32, 33) So the ‘trampling’ would end when Jesus became King.

When would that grand event occur? Jesus showed that the Gentiles would rule for a fixed period of time. The account in Daniel chapter 4 holds the key to knowing how long that period would last. It relates a prophetic dream experienced by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He saw an immense tree that was chopped down. Its stump could not grow because it was banded with iron and copper. An angel declared: “Let seven times pass over it.”—Daniel 4:10-16.

In the Bible, trees are sometimes used to represent rulership. (Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:2-5) So the chopping down of the symbolic tree represents how God’s rulership, as expressed through the kings at Jerusalem, would be interrupted. However, the vision served notice that this ‘trampling of Jerusalem’ would be temporary—a period of “seven times.” How long a period is that?

Revelation 12:6, 14 indicates that three and a half times equal “a thousand two hundred and sixty days.” “Seven times” would therefore last twice as long, or 2,520 days. But the Gentile nations did not stop ‘trampling’ on God’s rulership a mere 2,520 days after Jerusalem’s fall. Evidently, then, this prophecy covers a much longer period of time. On the basis of Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, which speak of “a day for a year,” the “seven times” would cover 2,520 years.

The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E., when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and the Davidic king was taken off his throne. The period ended in October 1914. At that time, “the appointed times of the nations” ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God’s heavenly King.—Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 7:13, 14.

Just as Jesus predicted, his “presence” as heavenly King has been marked by dramatic world developments—war, famine, earthquakes, pestilences. (Matthew 24:3-8; Luke 21:11) Such developments bear powerful testimony to the fact that 1914 indeed marked the birth of God’s heavenly Kingdom and the beginning of “the last days” of this present wicked system of things.—2 Timothy 3:1-5.

[Footnote]

From October 607 B.C.E. to October 1 B.C.E. is 606 years. Since there is no zero year, from October 1 B.C.E. to October 1914 C.E. is 1,914 years. By adding 606 years and 1,914 years, we get 2,520 years. For information on Jerusalem’s fall in 607 B.C.E., see the article “Chronology” in Insight on the Scriptures, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

[Diagram/Pictures on page 216]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

“SEVEN TIMES”

2,520 years

606 1/4 years 1,913 3/4 years

October 607 B.C.E. to January 1, 1 C.E. to

December 31, 1 B.C.E. October 1914

607 ? B.C.E  C.E. ? 1914

“Jerusalem will be “He comes who has
trampled on by the nations” the legal right”

Answer 8

Vot Ana knows that is my answer too.

Answer 9

good question...i have no idea...but i too heared something like that...