OrphanCrow,
so who was it or where was it that I read about good relationships to Israel e.g. in the sector of medicine? When did that start. Much later. Or was always a connection. hmm.
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Referring to the OP ------ WHAT WAS SO SHOCKING about 1914
Contempory witness Frederick William Franz ( 1893-1992) the later president of WT was a young biblestudent in 1914.
In a lecture that he gave at bethel about the history of gods people in the 1980s he spoke in his own words and with the language of the biblestudents they used about 1914 about how they understood the happenings and what should happen in the year 1914 as well and this talk gives a good impression about how the biblestudents grasped this year and how they interpreted the happenings.
1913
„We were awaiting the MANIFESTATION OF JEHOVAH GOD IN 1914“ and the end of the appointed times of the gentiles.
As he awaited that the world outside would be destroyed and a worldy education and getting a job outside in the world would have made no sense for him he ended his academic career.
1914
A „WORLD WITNESS“ should be accomplished before the final end of things should come (note: not after 1914 but before)
an so it was!!! (selffulfilled prophecy was introduced by Russel as the new preaching campain:)
January 1914: the means of worldwide witness was introduced: the Display Photodrama of Creation
(this display of a slideshow was really seen as sufficient to be the final worldwide witness before the end)
we were awaiting the GLORIFICATION OF
THE CHURCH IN 1914 (the anointed one were called church, or even
Christ or brothers of christ back then)
in that year we held a couple of conventions one at COLUMBUS, OHIO.
Up till that time the year 1914 had set in all PEACEABLY and it seemed that it was VERY UNLIKELY that the times of the gentiles should end that year.
We came into the month of June and we celebrated our convention at Columbus Ohio during that month and it was while we were there that THE SHOT WAS FIRED, THAT WAS HEARED AROUND THE WORLD (Fullfillment in June? 28.6.1914)
It was on 28.6.1914 that archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian.
Next morning the NEWS BROKE AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD
AND WE THERE at the Columbus convention said „AHA, THERE IT IS; WE WERE RIGHT“, because just 1 month later Juli 28, 1914 World war one broke out and more and more NATIONS GOT INVOLVED.
Well October the first came, and I recall how the bethel family was gathered for the morning meal and down comes Brother Russel and before taking his place at the head of the table he stopped, he clapped his hands to get the attention of the whole family and he quoted words from a song that we had in our old songbooks „The gentile times have ended for the kings have had there day“.
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So it was merely the impressions of the biblestudents themselves, their PERCEPTION of the events ... but for them that was of most importance... not history books that would be written later or political analysis of that time.
No political analysis of the events was behind the biblestudenst hope and awaiting but bibleprophecy, a certain own PERCEPITON that the world was 1914 all peacably until summer 1914, a war was FOR THEM unlikely (their perception) and that only after the shot, the news and after all nations got involved that was seen as acknowledgment or as sign(?) ----- There it is ---
that the end of the system would come certainly and very soon now in Fall 1914.
(note that the biblestudenst were involved in the preaching work with the photodrama and had for them the time before Juni 1914 was peacefully and silent) ---
But they awaited something to happen...wars certainly and tribulation....and something REALLY happened although accidently (so may we understand it today) but for them it was a very dramatic experience of the truth of gods word, since the whole world began to destroy itself.
..... thats how the biblestudents percepted what happend .
Awaiting - preaching - shot- news- nations involved - world in tribulation,
russel said the time of the nations are fulfilled. For Russel it was the acknowledgment that the Kings have had their day and now Christ Jesus was king.
That is the reason why the date 1914 remained so long very important for J.W.s, perhaps a factor was also that the shot happend during the convention at Columbus
P.S.
The biblical terms „end of system of hings“ = Harmagedon = return of christ = coming of Christ = tribulation should have all happend in 1914, as only one event after the end the awaited kingdom of christ on earth should start after 1914. So there was little time for a worldwide tribulation before 1914 if up to june there was no sign at all.