Master Chronological List > 1914
Pastor Charles Taze Russell pointed to 1914 as the end of the "Gentile Times" or "The Appointed Times of the Nations."
Subsequent President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Judge Joseph F. Rutherford established 1914 as the date of "Christ's Invisible Return" and crowning as King of God's Kingdom in 1920 which had been previously believed to be 1878. Hence, Jehovah's heavenly Kingdom is established.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan and his demons were cast down to earth from heaven after October 1, 1914 at which point the end times began.
From 1914 C.E. to the early part of 1918 C.E. or 1,260 days Jehovah's people preached a "sackcloth" message concerning Christendom and the world, in fulfillment of Revelation 11:3, 4. See re pgs. 164-7 pars. 10-18, also see yw pgs. 264-307, also bf pg. 592.
[KING OF THE NORTH is now Germany, the KING OF THE SOUTH is the alliance between Great Britian and the United States of America, see Daniel 11:27-29], Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Countess Sophie Chotek, duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated on June 28th in Sarajevo, Bosnia, (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), by a Serb nationalist. This action precipitated World War I.
On October 2, 1914, Jesus took the throne. Shortly thereafter, a war in heaven broke out wherein Satan and his demons were cast from the heavens. Satan then became so enraged that he began to wreak havoc upon the earth. One of the first things he did was to start the Great War (WWI). So WWI must have started a few days after October 2, 1914.
“World War I set the violent twentieth century in motion. It was the first use of chemical weapons; the first mass bombardment of civilians from the sky; the century’s first genocide.” So begins the 1996 PBS series The Great War and the Shaping of the Twentieth Century.
The war’s horrendous prosecution and unsatisfactory end were made even worse by the Versailles Peace Conference, a conclave which created the false peace that only allowed the combatants to rearm and proceed to a second conflict which was even more destructive than the first one. World War II merely took up the Great War’s unfinished business. Indeed many historians call both conflicts Europe’s “Second Thirty Years’ War.”
The First World War led to the birth of the first communist dictatorship. The world flirted with nuclear destruction as that dictatorship engaged in a murderous rivalry with its erstwhile allies. When the USSR finally imploded, some of the splinter states which emerged from its ruins fell to either fighting among themselves or suffering internecine bloodletting. And the problems elsewhere in southwest Asia as well as the Middle East can be traced to hatreds fostered by European colonialism which the Great War only intensified.
The world we have today had its birth pangs in World War I. It was Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia on 28 July 1914 that caused a myriad of dominoes to fall—and they are continuing to tumble even now.
The war shattered an entire world order. In 1914, sixty percent of the world's population lived under the rule of kingdoms or empires. Today less than ten percent do so. The only important royal dynasty to survive the war was the House of Windsor and that was not without challenge. The fragmentation of these empires led to the rise of independent states which continues down to this day as the doctrine of "self-determination", promulgated by Wilson at Versailles, continues to govern many movements in our time.
But what makes the Great War different from its predecessors is that it was the first fought in all four quarters of the globe and by blocs of nations as opposed to just a few. Its carnage also was unmatched in previous world history. Nobody knows how many actually died although estamates range from fourteen to twenty million. Among its aftershocks were the Spanish Flu, the pandemic that killed more people than the war itself, and widespread famine. So to say that the Great War was not much different from earlier ones entirely misses the point,
Post by Jehovah's Witnesses News, Library, History, Videos, Talks, Illustrations.
July 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
August 1, 1914. Germany Declares War on Russia.
August 3, 1914. Germany declares war on France.
August 4, 1914. Britain declares war on Germany.
August 6, 1914. Austria declares war on Russia.
April 6, 1917 - The United States declares war on Germany.
Depiction from the Nov 1, 2014 Watchtower:
Older depiction from the 1982 book "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth":
Related Links and Questions
Jehovah’s Witnesses gather for convention - 1914 and 2014 - USA-Texas-Arlington - USA-Texas Fort Worth
1914-2014 - One Hundred Years of Kingdom Rule!
Where did you find the theme text for 1914?
Jesus said that "This generation will not pass away until all these things occur." Did he mean the generation that saw saw World War 1 in 1914?
What shows that Christ became King in 1914?
When Jesus began ruling as King in 1914, was that the start of the Millennial reign of the Messianic Kingdom?
IBSA Historical Video from that year
Watchtower Publications from 1914
YearText: “Be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:9 w-E * The Watch Tower Countdown Card Berean Studies on The New Creation - C.T. Russell The Photo-Drama of Creation What Say the Scriptures About Our Lord's Return (his Parousia, Apokalupsis and Epiphania)
Return to the Master List of Watchtower Publications listed by Year
Watchtower_May_15_1984_pages_1_to_7.pdf
Previous Watchtower Publications quotations concerning 1914
“Some persons living A.D. 1914 when the series of foretold events began will also be living when the series ends with Armageddon.” - The Watchtower, September 1, 1952, p. 543
THE TRAIN ILLUSTRATION - Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 5
“The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the ‘last days’ have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God...Jesus was obviously speaking about those who were old enough to witness with understanding what took place when the ‘last days’ began. Jesus was saying that some of those persons who were alive at the appearance of the ‘sign of the last days’ would still be alive when God brought this system to its end.” - Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 13
“But there are people still living who were alive in 1914 and saw what was happening then and who were old enough that they still remember those events. This generation is getting up in years now. A great number of them have already passed away in death. Yet Jesus very pointedly said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’ Some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. This means that only a short time is left before the end comes!” - The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968 ed., p. 95
“However, there are people still living who were alive in 1914 and saw what was happening then and who were old enough that they still remember those events. This generation is getting up in years now. A great number of them have already passed away in death. Yet Jesus very pointedly said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’ Some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. This means that only a short time is left before the end comes!” - The Watchtower, February 15, 1969, p. 101
“Men of this world offer you nothing stable, nothing sure. Their promises and predictions of better things have failed time and again. Why let yourself be carried along with them in a steadily downward course to ultimate disaster due to rejecting God’s will? God’s prophetic Word has not failed. Time has confirmed its truthfulness, its unerring accuracy. The generation that saw the start of the time of distress that began in 1914 is now dwindling in numbers. Before it passes off the scene the prophesied ‘great tribulation’ will come. You can be among the joyful survivors, experience deliverance from a world system that has proved oppressive, unworkable and death dealing.” - The Watchtower, February 1, 1971, p. 69
“And the remaining ones of that generation of 1914 are still talking about it. Some of them will be talking about it right down to the time when the ‘great tribulation’ wipes Satan’s wicked system of things off the face of our globe. For Jesus Christ himself assures us: ‘Truly I say to you that this generation [the generation that saw the ‘beginning of pangs of distress’ in 1914] will by no means pass away [completely] until all these things occur. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.’--Matthew 24:3,8,34,35.” - The Watchtower, May 1, 1982, p. 15
“After drawing attention to the many things that have marked the period from 1914 onward, Jesus said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things [including the end of this system] occur.’ (Matthew 24:34,14) Which generation did Jesus mean? He meant the generation of people who were living in 1914. Those persons yet remaining of that generation are now very old. However, some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. So of this we can be certain: Shortly now there will be a sudden end to all wickedness and wicked people at Armageddon. Some of the generation living in 1914 will see the end of the system of things and survive it.” - You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, 1982 ed. p. 154
ILLUSTRATION: “1914 The Generation That Will Not Pass Away” - The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, title page
“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. And others alive in 1914 are in their 80’s or 90’s, a few even having reached a hundred. There are still many millions of that generation alive. Some of them ‘will by no means pass away until all things occur.’ --Luke 21:32” - The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, p. 5
“From a purely human viewpoint, it could appear that these developments could hardly take place before the generation of 1914 disappears from the scene. But fulfillment of all the foretold events affecting the generation of 1914 does not depend on comparatively slow human action. 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, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment of his Son’s words in a relatively short time.--Isaiah 46:9,10; 55:10,11.” - The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, pp. 6-7
“Today, a small percentage of mankind can still recall the dramatic events of 1914. Will that elderly generation pass away before God saves the earth from ruin? Not according to Bible prophecy. ‘When you see all these things,’ Jesus promised, ‘know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’--Matthew 24:33,34” - The Watchtower, May 1, 1992, p. 3
“Most important, 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.” - Awake!, October 22, 1995, p. 4
“Eager to see the end of this evil system, 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. However, we ‘bring a heart of wisdom in,’ not by speculating about how many years or days make up a generation, but by thinking about how we ‘count our days’ in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah. (Psalm 90:12) 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.” - The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, p. 17
“Therefore, in the final fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy today, ‘this generation’ apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ’s presence but fail to mend their ways...Does our more precise viewpoint on ‘this generation’ mean that Armageddon is further away than we had thought? Not at all! Though we at no time have known the ‘day and hour,’ Jehovah God has always known it, and he does not change.” - The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, pp. 19-20
“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.” - Awake!, November 8, 1995, p. 4
If you're feeling sad and lonely
There's a service I can render
Tell the one who loves you only
I can be so warm and tender
Call me, don't be afraid, you can call me
Maybe it's late, but just call me
Tell me, and I'll be around ...
When it seems your friends desert you
There's somebody thinking of you
I'm the one who'll never hurt you
Maybe that's because I love you
Call me, don't be afraid, you can call me
Maybe it's late, but just call me
Tell me, and I'll be around ...
Now don't forget me
'Cause if you let me
I will always stay by you
You've got to trust me
That's how it must be
There's so much that I can do ...
If you call I'll be right with you
You and I should be together
Take this love I long to give you
I'll be at your side forever
Call me, don't be afraid, you can call me
Maybe it's late, but just call me
Tell me and I'll be around ...
Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs. They read very badly in 2019.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today. You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself.
Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs. They read very badly in 2019.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today. You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself.
During 1994, in my first-ever sit-down discussion on theocratic issues with one of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), Albert Schroeder, of the Watchtower Society Governing Body, put me to school with the Christian Gospel of Saint John, chapter 6, verse 44, to wit:
"... No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day....' (kjv)
Albert Schroeder said to me: "...go home and ...study this verse..."
And so,... the most unlikely person - me - is now a Disciple of Christ, a Bible student, one of Jehovah's Witnesses in vindication of the Sovereign Jehovah God.
Albert Schroeder had tagged along with JW Elders from Liberia who were before my United Nations/New York committee which was assessing effects of the then ongoing Liberia civil conflict on Liberia's religious groups. At the end of the review with the Liberia JW delegation, Albert Schroeder introduced himself to me. Of course, I did not then know who he was, but I did notice that the Liberia JW group was according him deference, so I inquired of him his role with the Watchtower Society. Still not knowing exactly what the Watchtower Society Governing Body did, I presumed he was some sort of "head honcho".
Considering that I was of the Catholic Church's Seraphic Order, a Worthy Sir of the Holy See, as well as an active participant in many other religious groups because of my political and diplomatic connections, I asked Albert Schroeder if I could acquire honorary membership in the Watchtower Society. His reply was, "...do you have a Bible?... go home and study the sixth book and forty-fourth verse of the Gospel of John, study this verse ...". I did so; and, at the following United Nations review meeting three months later, Albert Schroeder and I began an exchange of notes which guided my work in establishing the modalities of the peace process in Liberia.
Note that between 1994 and 1998, I did not attend a Kingdom Hall, associate with a JW Congregation, or begin a formal study of the Holy Scriptures, until two JW sisters came knocking on my door while out in field service distributing invitations to the Memorial of 1998 to be held on 14 Nisan (10 April 1998, ironically the day before my birthday of 11 April). Interestingly, these two JW sisters appeared at my door exactly as I was in the midst of praying to Jehovah God, "...please show me women who love you...". My prayer was in reaction to the immense and stiff opposition of very close female relatives to my quest of seeking a true association with the love of the Sovereign Jehovah God.
I have steadily progressed in my theocratic dedication and am now both a Pioneer and Ministerial Servant in the Watchtower Society.
BTW,... I am of the persuasion that Albert Schroeder - more than anyone else - tremendously impacted the solid placement of instruments of peace in the cessation of civil conflict throughout Liberia.
Ijoma Robert Flemister
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jwinternational/permalink/1650901681827311/
And it has to make sense (or be "justified") to you because you are...(insert impressive title here)?
Let's have everyone start to use the new rule: BNBR . Be nice, Be respectful.
Or at least stop calling one another names.
Attack the ideas and not the person directly.
That is why I banned Allen Smith who cannot seem to help himself from ad hominem attacks... and John Butler for his calling harm to be done to actual human beings (illegal).
Like I said, reread those passages you try so hard to defend. It will give you evidence you are not willing to learn the truth.
My excuses or yours. The only deception I see comes from people that don't educate themselves about history. Anyone can take something out of context in order to express a negative outcome. What those people can't do is teach an educated person how to lie, especially when those, lies are poorly drawn.