What Jehovah’s Witnesses Teach
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus began ruling in heaven in 1914, he inspected Christians from 1914 to 1919 and in 1919 appointed “the faithful and discreet slave” to provide spiritual food for his servants on earth. JW call this “slave” the Governing Body. This board claims that they have been given the authority and legitimacy to issue guidelines on behalf of Jesus that will tell Christians how to live in order to meet the Scriptural requirements. The literature of the Governing Body constitutes the religious teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The authority of the Governing Body to publish its own publications beyond the Bible is legitimized by the fact that they make a 1914-1919 chronology. Interestingly, this approach makes Jehovah’s Witnesses very similar to other major denominations that base their teachings on their own texts and not solely on the Bible. The Mormons have the Book of Mormon, the Muslims have the Koran, the Catholics have church teachings, the Jews have the Tanakh and the Talmud, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have the Watchtower. This is despite the fact that all these denominations say they believe in the Bible.
Another teaching that relies on the 1914 teachings is the teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses about “this generation” at Matthew 24:34: “Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen.” Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret this as a prophetic indication of the time frame for the end. The doctrine is closely linked to the understanding of 1914.
The basis for the 1914 doctrine is primarily related to Daniel chapter 4 and the concept of “seven times.” Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret this as a prophetic time period of 2,520 years. Their calculation begins in 607 BCE, the year they believe Jerusalem was destroyed, and ends in 1914 CE.
JW also try to link Luke 21:24 to this understanding. Here Jesus mentions “the appointed times of the nations” which JWs interpret as a period when human kings ruled instead of God’s Kingdom. When this period ended in 1914, they believe that Jesus began his heavenly reign.
What the Bible Says
Jesus received power in 33 C.E. and this is clearly shown in Matthew 28:181where Jesus immediately after His resurrection affirmed: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:20,21, Philippians 2:9, 10, Matthew 28:18) . The text is not to be misunderstood, Jesus’ authority applies both in heaven and on earth (1. Corinthians 15:27).
Although Jesus has received all power, Jesus is still subject to Jehovah God (1. Corinthians 15:27,28). Power over the earth has been delegated to humans for the time being, and Jesus will not begin to reign over the earth until the 1000-year kingdom, see Romans 13:1,3 and John 19:11. The article Jehovah’s judgements explains why Jesus will not start his government on earth before the 1000-year kingdom.
In view of this, there is no need to discuss the 1914 calculation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jesus did not say “I will receive the power in 1914”, but he stated in the year 33 that he already received the power. Still, there are several challenges with JWs calculation, and I would like to point these out.
Lack of explicit support in the Bible:
The Bible does not directly mention that the “seven times” in Daniel chapter 4 are to be understood as a prophecy of Jesus’ kingship or that the period amounts to 2,520 years. This number is not found in the Bible. On the contrary, Daniel 12:4 says that the prophecies should be hidden until the time of the end and understood only in or after its fulfillment, see Matthew 24:33.
Daniel chapter 4 is specifically about Nebuchadnezzar and his humiliation, with no direct connection to Christ’s reign. In Revelation 22:18, the prophecies warn that “If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll” Introducing an interpretation such as the 1914 teachings, without explicit support in the Bible, can be understood as going beyond what is written. In the 2. Peter 1:20-21 says that no prophecy is a man’s own thoughts, but that they were spoken under the inspiration of God’s holy spirit. No human being today is under such inspiration, and it is only the holy scriptures that are inspired. When we try to make connections between scriptures that Bible does not invite us to do, we speak “the thoughts of men” and risk replacing God’s Word with human speculation.
Uncertain historical dating:
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ calculations start in 607 BCE, which they claim was the year of Jerusalem’s destruction. However, most historians and archaeological sources date this event to 587/586 BCE. This creates a 20-year discrepancy that undermines the calculation of 2,520 years up either 1894 or 1914. There is broad academic agreement that 587/586 BCE is the correct date for the fall of Jerusalem. This conclusion is supported by several independent sources, including Babylonian administrative texts, astronomical calculations, and cross-references from contemporary civilizations. Despite the scientific agreement about 587/586, Jehovah’s Witnesses stick to the choice of 607. Otherwise the whole 1914-teaching will collapse. This weakens the credibility of the teachings and the basis for their understanding of this prophecy.
Jesus’ warning against time calculations:
The apostle Paul wrote in 1. Thessalonians 5:1-2 that it was not necessary to give information to Christians about “the times and the time periods” because “the day of Jehovah is coming just like a thief in the night.” Still, trying to calculate these times and time periods shows a lack of respect for what the Bible itself says about this. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, “But no one knows that day and hour, neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, but only My Father.” Attempting to predict the timeframes of Jesus’ return can be considered going against this warning.
Understanding the signs of the times:
Although Jesus mentioned ‘signs’ of his presence in Matthew chapter 24, his main focus was on staying alert, not on calculating dates. It doesn’t make sense for Christians to watch for the signs if they could simply calculate in advance when the end would come. The Bible itself says that humans cannot know the timing.
What significance does this error have for the practice of the Christian faith
When the doctrine of 1914 rely on uncertain assumptions, it can create serious challenges.
In 1. Timothy 1:4,5, Paul writes that speculating in this way leads us away from the basic doctrine of love. It says:
... and not be concerned with false stories and genealogies. This does not lead to anything useful, but only to speculation, and it has nothing to do with what God gives to strengthen faith.
In Matthew 15:9, Jesus said of the Pharisees,
"It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines."
The doctrine of 1914 also forms the basis for other doctrines such as the doctrine about this generation and the doctrine of the “faithful and discreet slave“. The one speculation is connected to the other speculation and leads to misunderstandings in other areas that depend on this teaching. This leads a Christian away from the faith.
Historically, false expectations have often led to disappointment and weakened others’ faith.
- the resurrection occurred on Nisan 16 C.E. 33 according to the Jewish calendar, it corresponds to Jesus’ appointment as King over heaven and earth on April 3, 33 according to the Gregorian calendar. ↩︎
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