Yes, yes, old news, but in reality most JW's just don't care whether it was predicted that the end would come in 1914 or the beginning of the end would start in 1914. All that matters to them is that the Watchtower said something about 1914 and something significant did happen - WW1. If it weren't for the strange coincidence that WW1 started in 1914 then the entire chronology and teaching would have been dumped by nowo, or at least relegated to a meaningless, hardly mentioned creed like 1843 is with 7th Day Adventists.
Hi Yada.. I agree with this totally! WWI made 1914 a significant event, something that their own propaganda even stands up and takes notice. Fact is, the first "sign" is a world war in Matthew 24: "nation vs nation and kingdom vs kingdom." That is, several nations involved in a huge world conflict. So 1914 is still a good year to begin the "last generation" for sure. Witnesses do have that right. But it is not the year of the second coming (1992) nor the "end of the gentile times" (1947), two other things they link to 1914. But as you said, it's hard to ignore 1914 and JWs "coincidental" focus on that date, if even it was not a completely accurate focus. In reality, they have focussed on other dates as well that are still "Biblically significant" though for other reasons. Here is a brief rundown of the significant fulfillment dates during out time. 1874 -- Michael "stands up" (Daniel 12:1) to begin increased activity in the earth toward the second coming. Thus he did arrive at one level in 1874. Begins generation of 120 years from 1874-1994. 1886 - End of "2300 evenings and mornings" and beginning of 110 years to the end of Covenant Period in 1996. 1914 - Beginning of the "last generation" of both 40 years and 80 years, ending in 1954 and 1994, respectively. Last generation begins with a world war. Vineyard work of 11 hours begins, 77 years from 1914-1991. 1917: Balfour agreement to allow Jews to begin returning to Palestine. Considered fulfillment of the 1260 days leading toward 1290 days and 1335 days. 1935 - Acknowledgement of "3rd hour workers" after 21 years. Each hour is 7 years. Workers from 3rd hour are not told in advance they would receive the "penny" thus they believe they will receive "whatever is fair" meaning something less. This creates the "earthly" class within the organization who do not feel they are part of the heavenly class. Thus the appearance of the "other sheep" class was prophesied in the Bible via the vineyard parable. 1940: Ends 62 weeks in the last 490 years (1506-1996). The "cut off" of the Jews representing the messiah begins for 7 years from 1940-1947 in which 2/3rds of the Jews would be exterminated as prophesied (Zech13:8). Thus the "great tribulation" begins in 1940. These days were "cut short" when two-thirds of the Jews had been exterminated by late 1944. 1947: The true "end of the gentile times" and end of the 1290 days; messiah to arrive 45 years later. This begins the "70th Covenant Jubilee Week" for the Jews, the 70th jubilee period since the time in Egypt when Moses became their savior at age 30 in 1435 BCE. http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/jcovwk1996G.GIF 70th week for Jews begins. 1947 is the symbolic "END of the system of things" prophesied in Matthew. The "good news" by this time had been preached worldwide to fulfill the "good news" would be preached world wide, "and then the END will come." 1948: State of Israel established, fulfilling the budding of the fig tree, which occurs just before the messiah must appear "close at the doors." 1950: Scond coming messiah born. "Sign of the son of man" begins to appear in the skies as cloud imagery to the anointed. It is the last "sign" given to occur within a "generation" after WWI, thus fulfills a generation period of 40 years. Another generation of 40 years begins for testing the prodigal son messiah. 1954: 40-year generation after 1914 ends. 1960: Prodigal son messiah baptized on March 12th. 1971: "End of gift and sacrifice" for Jewish messiah when prodigal son messiah is disfellowshipped and thus killed, ending his "fruit of the lips" of praise. This is halfway into the 70th week of 1947-1996, 49 years. 1989: Begins 70th Christian week of last 70 weeks (1506-1996). Messiah set aside to fulfill 70th week of 1989-1996. 1991: End of 11th hour of vineyard work from 1914-1991. Final hour, that is the 12th hour begins, during which the "man of lawlessness" must be revealed before the messiah returns. (2 Thess 2:4). 12 hour ("last hour") begins 1991-1998. 1992: Year of the second coming begins based on three prophecies. Summer to summer 1992-1993: based on fall of Jerusalem in summer of 529 BCE. November 30: 1992-1993 for end of 1335 days, 45 years after 1947. Mid-week Passover from Passover of 1992 to Passover of 1993. Thus earthly messiah must become one with heavenly messiah within just a 4-month Period from December 1992 through March 1993 (up to April 6, 1993). "Man of Lawlessness" revealed on November 10,1992 when GB told they were evil slave and "man of lawlessness" and being dismissed from Jehovah's Heavenly Organization and thrown into spiritual darkness. December 25-26, 1993, actual SECOND COMING takes place, exactly 45 days after "man of lawlessness" revealed, to fulfill another pattern of 1290 and 1135 days. Then president Fred Franz dies on December 23, 1992 just days before the actual second coming. The "sign of the son of man" appears in late afternoon of December 26, 1992, confirming earthly and heavenly messiah have become one. Second coming event occurred in "Paramount" (California) April 6, 1993: THE LAST LORD'S SUPPER. The Lord's Supper/Memorial mantained by Christ's followers until he arrives is held one last time after messiah arrived in December of 1993. Last Supper occurred in "Temple City" (California). Sealing work of anointed can now officially begin, starting with the last-hour workers. Special feeding of the anointed "eagle" class begins from messiah that would last for 42 months. 1994: End of 120-year generation from 1874 and 80-year generation from 1914. Messiah arrives within 80-year generation of 1914 to fulfill Christ's words. 1996: End of last 490-year period of 70 weeks. End of both Jewish and Chrsitian Covenants. God's "chosen people" now centered in spiritual israel now being sealed and numbering 144,000 natural Jews and 1,296,000 gentiles. 1998: End of "last hour" and payment of 1st-hour workers, who embody the concept of the "ten virgins"; that is, the original anointed ones in the WT org. This is when the sudden "cry in the night" takes place to wake up the ten virgins. This is fulfilled by the messiah's publicly announcing his messiahship near the time of the Festival of Booths (fall) in 1998. The separation of the wise virgins and foolish virgins begin. The wise virgins with "extra oil" pay attention to the chronology of the second coming and also the prophetic parables about the prodigal son and Lazarus, confirming the true messiah. The foolish virgins do not have this interest so cannot see it. The wise virgins do not share their discovery of the true messiah and the wise and the foolish virgins part. December 26, 1998: Jehovah arranges for "sign of the son of man" to be photographed by skyscape photographer and provided to messiah. Messiah sees this versio of the "sign" and recognizes mock imagery in Revelation Book, confirming sign was seen by other anointed ones and the WTS is aware of the prodigal son doctrine. Sign appears on the 6th anniversary of the sign that appeared at the 2nd coming and during the precise hours.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/signson001jpg.JPG
In the meantime, research continues to provide the "earth" which swallows up the river of propaganda disgorged from Satan in attempts to drown the anointed. This is in the form of pseudo-scientific and pseudo-academic propaganda contradicting the Bible's history and chronology. But firm evidence supporting the Bible's timeline is amassed and swallows up that propaganda, like the VAT4956 511 BCE dates, confirming the original year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar that year, making the 587 BCE fall of Jerusalem clearly incompetent and fraudulent, etc. The Bible is vindicated.
2008 - Completion of spiritual temple occurs. Sealing of 1,440,000 spiritual Isael completed. The new spiritual temple now completed. JIOR await the destruction of BTG and Armageddon.
JC
