ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF WATCHTOWER 1914 CHRONOLOGY:
The Watchtower says that early in October of 607 BCE Jersulam was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. With the dethroning of the king of Judah in that year, the Davidic Kingdom of God ceased and the time of Gentile dominion, rulership over the earth, began. The "Gentile Times" ended in October 1914 when the Kingdom of God was re-established by Christ who became invisibly present and began ruling in the heavens.
KEY SCRIPTURAL TEXTS WITNESSES DRAW UPON TO SUPPORT THEIR 1914 CHRONOLOGY AND HOW THEY ARE EXPLAINED BY WATCHTOWER CHRONOLOGISTS:
(1) Luke 21:24;
(2) Daniel 4:16, 17
(3) Revelation 11: 1-3, 12:6, 14
(4) Ezekiel 4:5, 6; Numbers 14:33, 34
TEXT 1: Luke 21:24
"and they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and JERUSALEM will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES BE FULFILLED" N.A.S.
JW EXPLANATION: Jerusalem, picturing the "Davidic Kingdom" on earth has been trampled on (abolished) since 607 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, and its temple and removed its king. The Davidic Kingdom was not to be restored or re-established till the period of Gentile rule was over.
TEXT 2: Daniel 4:16, 17
"Let his (Nebuchadnezzar) mind be changed from that of a man,
And let a beasts mind be given to him,
And let SEVEN PERIODS OF TIME pass over him....
In order that the living may know,
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind... N.A.S.
JW EXPLANATION: How long would this period of Gentile domination last? Nebuchadnezzar had seven time periods pass over him before his domination by a beastly mind came to an end and his kingdom restored. This pictures what would happen during the times of the gentiles who would dominate for seven periods of time before God's kingdom could be re-established.
TEXT 3: Revelation 11:1 - 3; 12:6, 14
"And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and
someone said, "Rise and measure the temple of God, and the
alter, and those who worship in it. (11:1)
And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do
not measure it, FOR IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE NATIONS; AND
THEY WILL TREAD UNDER FOOT THE HOLY CITY FOR FOURTY TWO
MONTHS. (11:2)
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they
will prophecy for TWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS, clothed
in sackcloth. (11:3) N.A.S.
And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a
place prepared for her by God, so that she might be nourished
FOR ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS. (12:6)
And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman
in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place,
where she was nourished for A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME,
from the presence of the serpent. (12:14) N.A.S.
JW EXPLANATION: Revelation helps us discover what the word "times" means in reference to the duration of Gentile domination (11:2). A "Time" equals a prophetic year of 360 days. A careful reading of these Revelation texts establish that 1260 days, 42 months, 3 1/2 years and 3 1/2 times are all equivalent terms. So if the prophetic 3 1/2 times or years of Revelation equals 1260 days, then the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar must equal twice this number or 2520 days.
TEXT 4: Numbers 14:33, 34; Ezekiel 4:5, 6
"And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty
years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be
wasted in the wilderness.
After the number of the days in which ye searched the land
even fourty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, even fourty years and ye shall know my breach
of promise. KJV. Numbers 14:33, 34
"For I have assigned you a number of days, corresponding to
the years of their iniquity, three hundred and ninety days;
thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
"When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second
time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the
house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days,
A DAY FOR EACH YEAR. N.A.S. Ezekiel 4:5, 6
JW EXPLANATION: Just as Nebuchadnezzar was ruled by a beastly mind for seven "times" or years before the Kingdom was restored, so to the gentile "times" of domination will equal 7 prophetic years consisting of 360 days each (ie. 7 x 360 = 2520 days). But the Numbers and Ezekiel texts establish that a day can substitute for a year. If this "year for a day" principle is applied, then the period of Gentile domination is not 2520 days but 2520 years. Adding 2520 years to the October 607 BCE. date when Jerusalem was destroyed and the "Gentile times" began, you arrive at October 1914 when the Kingdom of God was established by the invisible presence of Christ gloriously ruling in the heavens.
