BIBLE PROHECY - the year 1914
"in the last days perilous times will come:" 2 timothy 3:1
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 prophetically?
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” (figuratively) as representatives of God himself. "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him."
Jerusalem was thus a symbol of Jehovah’s rulership on earth, through Israel's Kings.
How and when then, though, did God’s rulership begin to be “trampled on by the nations”? Luke 21:24
This happened in 607 B.C.E. when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. When, in removing king Zedekiah, “Jehovah’s throne” became vacant, and the line of kings who descended from David was interrupted.
Would this ‘trampling’ go on forever?
No, for the prophecy of Ezekiel said regarding Jerusalem’s last king, Zedekiah: "thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre and take off the crown; what is shall be no [more]. Exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.
I will overturn, overturn, overturn it! This also shall be no [more], until He come whose right it is; and I will give it [to Him]. (Ezekiel 21:26, 27)
The only one who has the legal right” to the Davidic crown is Christ Jesus alone. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Jesus Christ spoke about the Kingdom of God, which will bring an end to wickedness and make the earth a paradise. (Luke 4:43)
People wanted to know when the Kingdom would come. In fact, Jesus’ disciples asked him: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3)
In reply Jesus told them that only Jehovah God knew exactly when the end of this system of things would come. (Matthew 24:36) But Jesus did foretell things that would take place on earth just before the Kingdom would bring true peace and security to mankind.
What he foretold is now taking place!
Before we examine the evidence that we are living in the last days or “the conclusion of the system of things,” let us briefly consider a war that no human could possibly have observed. It took place in the invisible spirit realm, and its outcome affects us.
So the ‘trampling’ of God's throne and kingdom rule would end when Jesus became King. Christ's heavenly rule would begin when Satan would be cast out of heaven to the earth and under his demonic influence the nations would rage against Jehovah God and His Son Christ Jesus.
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 a tree of enormous height 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 “1,260 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 in 607 B.C.E. 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 Zedekiah the last 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. a
— Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 7:13, 14. —
(Note: 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 up the 606 years and 1,914 years, we get a total of 2,520 years.)
The preceding paragraph explains that Jesus Christ became King in heaven in the year 1914. (Read Daniel 7:13, 14.)
Soon after He received kingdom power from God the Father, Jesus took action. "War broke out in heaven" says the Bible. “Michael and His angels battled with the dragon (Satan the Devil) and his wicked angels (the demons). Satan and his demons lost the war and were cast out of heaven to the earth. God's faithful sons (His angels) rejoiced that Satan and his demons were gone but, however, humans would not experience such joy, instead, God's Word foretold: v.9 "And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, he who is called Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole habitable world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." v.12 "Woe for the earth...because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has only a short time." Revelation 12:7, 9, 12.
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) — in unprecedented and increasing frequency, due to Satan's furious rage influencing humans at all levels, as mentioned in Ephesians 2:2 : " we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience". Ephesians 5:6 ; Colossians 3:6
More than 100 million people have died as a result of wars since 1914. Even if we know the sorrow of losing one loved one in warfare, we can only imagine such misery and pain multiplied millions of times over.
Such developments bear evidence and powerful testimony to the fact that 1914 indeed marked the 'beginning of the end of corrupt human rule', 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.
The last days are indeed filled with woe, just as the Bible foretold. In this troubled world, however, there are positive developments among the worshippers of Jehovah.
“This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth,” said Jesus Christ in his prophecy about “the conclusion of the system of things.” (Read Matthew 24:3, 14.)
Throughout the earth, the good news of the Kingdom —what the Kingdom is, what it will do, and how we can receive its blessings— is being preached in over 230 lands and in hundreds of languages.
And then God will use the seven-year Great Tribulation and the battle of Armageddon to remove from the earth every last vestige of godless rebellion.
With this fresh start, the 1000 year millennium will begin,(Revelation 20:1-3): "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished."
(Revelation 20:4): "Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."
All the faithful believers who died in the great tribulation were resurrected to live 1,000 years on the earth under Christ's righteous rule on the throne of God in heaven'
The Millennium Kingdom Rule will also be the public honoring of the Son of God.
“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 14:16).
For centuries, men have longed for a golden age of peace on earth. Philosophers have talked about it. Poets have written about it. Musicians have sung about it. Politicians have promised it. Kings have fought for it. Prophets have foretold it. But no human rule or government could succeed as we are all under Satan's dominion - until he is removed at the 'battle of Armageddon' and locked up in the bottomless pit for the 1,000 year reign of Christ - and we are ruled by the righteous Son of God, Jesus Himself.
Then at the end of Jesus Christ's 1,000 righteous rule will come
'The Great White Throne Judgment'
(Revelation 20:11-15): "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
The ones declared 'righteous' will enter the 'eternal state', the New Earth paradise. "The righteous shall inherit the earth and live upon it for ever."
Psalm 37:29 Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB)
"God “cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) The Bible contains countless examples that prove that what God foretells always comes true.
“ And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof: they shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”
Isaiah 65:22. (DARBY)
" For thus saith Jehovah who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it, he who established it,—not as waste did he create it: he formed it to be inhabited:—I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else. "
Isaiah 45:18 (DARBY)
" and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."
“Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.”
“They will sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.”
" Everyone will feel safe and secure because wicked people will be gone, and “the righteous will possess the earth.”
The Lord Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew:
"Blessed the meek, for *they* shall inherit the earth."
"... according as God has said, I will dwell among them, and walk among [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people. "
God's Word, the Bible, clearly promises that God from creation had planned for us to live on paradise earth eternally in peace and harmony with His perfect love and purpose.
Page created by Peter Brenner December 3 2025
(Note: Some content borrowed from JW.org)
