Why is 1914 so important to Jehovah witnesses?

Answer 1

We're glad you asked.

When you say 'important', -- that could make it all too confusing; --- there needs to be a 'qualifier' to answer the question.

We do NOT CELEBRATE anything about 1914. We don't hold a party; we don't have a ritual; we don't give gifts; we don't dress up. We never did any of those things. We're certainly not like the rest of the world, religious or secular, that takes anything-&-everything and makes a big deal about it; (ie birthdays, Easter, Christmas, July 4th, Mother's day, Thanksgiving, and-so-on, and-so-on.) So may that be clear; so we can put 1914 in its proper perspective.

1914 is only as important as: a) the creation of man; b) the flood of Noah's day; c)the birth of our Saviour Christ Jesus; d) Jesus baptism in the Jordan; e) Christ's death; f) Christ's resurrection; etc etc etc. - - - So please don't make more of it than what it really is.

1914 is simply another year 'in Bible prophecy', in the outworking of Jehovah's ORIGINAL PURPOSE.

Just as Christ's birth was fortold hundreds, even thousands of years in advance; and just as Christ's baptism, death was also fortold; also his resurrection; the Bible actually providing a TIMELINE of these events (in Daniel for example); - - Likewise was it fortold WHEN Christ would stop sitting at God's right hand, awaiting his Kingship. Just as the YEAR of Christ's baptism and his subsequent ANOINTING was fortold; also was the YEAR of Christ's receiving his Kingship. According to Bible prophecy, that happened in the fall of 1914. It happened INVISIBLE to human eyes; but it happened never-the-less. Therefore on earth, 1914 marked a change even in human history, as historians have indicated noticing a change.

That's why our Watchtower magazine is really called: 'The Watchtower Announcing God's Kingdom'. God's Kingdom by Christ was finally established in the heavens in 1914, and Jehovah's people are the only ones ANNOUNCING it, thru their literature, and their door-step ministry. That's why we consider ourselves AMBASSADORS and envoys of God's already established Kingdom Government. No one else has recognized that God's Kingdom by Christ was established then, ONLY Jehovah's people.

1914 also STARTED what the Bible terms as 'the last days'. The 'last days' would have a 'beginning' - - a middle - - and an actual 'end'. That 'end' would culminate in: 1) the complete destruction of all FALSE RELIGIONS, (at the hands of their own people, being finally fed-up with the likes of it, and how they have been pilfered by their clergy system); -- 2) the complete destruction of all earth's kingdoms or governments; (being accomplished by Christ Jesus and his heavenly executioners -- and 3) the annihilation of all 'evil-doers' in what The Bible terms 'Armageddon' (God's righteous war) (God being the judge of who is an 'evil-doer', and who is one of the 'meek' ones that will be given their earthly inheritance.)

But, 1914 is no-more-or-less important than anything else in Bible history and Bible prophecy.

Answer 2

Prior to 1914, Witnesses believed

The Last Days began 1799

Jesus Parousia started 1874

Jesus started ruling in heaven in 1878

The Gentile Times would end in 1914, resulting in

End of Armageddon

The fall of false religion

The end of all governments

The resurrection

Paradise on earth

Post 1914, Witnesses believe

The Last Days began

Jesus started ruling in heaven

The Gentile times ended

Answer 3

It is their interpretation of Daniel's prophecy about the 7 times in Daniel chapter 4. A "time" in the Bible is 360 days. Seven times would be 2,520 days, but some Biblical prophecies seem to indicate a "prophetic day" is equal to an actual year. (The 69 weeks of years prophecy at Daniel chapter 9 uses this formula to pinpoint the appearance of the promised Messiah.)

In Daniel's prophecy in chapter 4, a great tree is cut down and not allowed to grow again for 7 times. The first fulfillment of this prophecy had to do with King Nebuchadnezzar himself, who lost his Kingdom for 7 literal times, or 2,520 days. It is the duality of this prophecy that witnesses point to as the tree also representing the eternal kingship promised to King David at 2 Samuel 7:8-17. These 7 times are thought to be the times Jesus mentioned in Luke 21:24, in which Jerusalem would be dominated by the Gentiles.

When Jerusalem was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 607 BCE (date based solely on Biblical information and chronology), that interrupted the line of David's kingship when the King of Judah was imprisoned and his sons killed. They feel this is the time when the tree was cut down, and not allowed to grow again for 7 times, which they feel is 2,520 years. That would then lead to 1914 as the date when Jesus was installed as King of God's Kingdom in heaven and thus the great tree was allowed to grow again. They teach that this is when the events of Revelation 12:7-12 take place, and the start of the presence of Jesus talked about in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 and the start of the last days mentioned at 2 Timothy chapter 3 and 2 Peter chapter 3. Since Jesus is of the line of David, they feel he is the rightful heir as God's King, and that the heavenly Kingship represents a "New Jerusalem" in heaven as described at Revelation 3:12 and 21:2.

Answer 4

They believe the events recorded here happened in 1914:

Revelation 12:7-12 - "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time."

They teach that the war in heaven took place in 1914, which they believe to be the end of the gentile times talked about by Jesus at Luke 21:24. The duration comes from the 7 times (a time in the Bible is 360 days) mentioned in Daniel chapter 4, in which they take a day for a year and 7 times would equal 2520 years. They indicate that the start of the time when Jesus said Jerusalem was trampled on by the nations (or Gentiles) was in 607 BCE, with the destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. According to Witness doctrine, at the end of these appointed "Gentile Times" in 1914, Jesus was made King in heaven and God's Kingdom was thus established and Satan was kicked down to Earth.

They teach that the "short period of time" and the "woe for the Earth" descriptions are the same as the time of the end, or last days, talked about in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Peter 3.