Watchtower publications
say Christ returned invisibly to reestablish God’s kingdom in 1914 AD, and that
this was the beginning of the “last days” leading to Armageddon, and Watchtower
publications insist that the “signs” prove that the end is near. But is this
what the Bible teaches?
Many Bible prophecies
that Watchtower publications apply to the twentieth century and this century to
prove Watchtower theories are fulfilled prophecies (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar’s
recovery from lycanthropy, return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity,
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, etc.).
How do Jehovah’s
Witnesses calculate 1914 AD to be the year of the second coming (Greek:
Parousia) of Christ referred to in Matthew 24:3? The line of Kingdom rulers was
interrupted in 607 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian Army and
God's kingdom of Judah fell. (Ezekiel 21:25-27) Seven times to pass until rule
restored. (Daniel 4:32, 16, 17) Seven=2 x 3 1/2 times, or 2 x 1,260 days.
(Revelation 12:6, 14; 11:2, 3) A day for a year, making 2,520 years. (Ezekiel
4:6; Numbers 14:34) To run until the kingdom's establishment. (Luke 21:24;
Daniel 7:13-14) Now let's look at just a few problems with this. The prophecy
about seven times to pass until the rule is restored was about Nebuchadnezzar
and was fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar's lifetime. (Daniel 4:30-36) All credible
scholars give 586 BC as the year Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian
Army. Ask a JW to verify that this happened in 607 BC.
“And he said unto them,
It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put
in his own power.” (Acts 1:7) It is important to remember that the schedule or
timetable for the fulfillment of prophetic events is the Lord’s business.
Does the Olivet Discourse
provide signs or conditions that would indicate to people of our generation
that Armageddon is near? Let's take
another look:
•
The Olivet Discourse is a reply to the disciples’ inquiry about the end
of the Jewish world, which centered on Jerusalem and the temple, and the Second
Coming (Greek: Parousia): "And Jesus went out, and departed from the
temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the
temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say
unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not
be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be
the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:1-3)
•
There were many deceivers claiming to be Christian (saying that Jesus is
Christ) and there were many false prophets and false messiahs in the years
preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. (Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24;
Romans 16:17-18; II Corinthians 11:13-15; Titus 1:10)
•
Wars, famines, and pestilences characterised the years preceding the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. (Matthew 24:6-7)
•
Matthew 24:14 is not the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20. In
any language words often have various possible meanings which depend on
context. Matthew 24:14 is part of a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem
in 70 AD and is saying the gospel would be preached throughout the Roman Empire
before the destruction; compare the use of word "world" elsewhere.
For example, did Caesar Augustus tax everyone on the entire inhabited earth or
everyone in the Roman Empire? (Luke 2:1) Matthew 28:18-20 refers to the entire
inhabited earth and verse twenty refers to the Second Advent as Christ began
with "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore
...." Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem in
70 AD. (Romans 1:8; 16:28; Colossians 1:6, 23)
•
Matthew 24:15 is an obvious reference to the earthly temple in Jerusalem
then in operation. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:)" (Matthew 24:15; compare Hebrews 9:11-12,
24-25) In 66 A.D., Roman forces surrounded Jerusalem and made a thrust up to
the temple walls and then withdrew for no apparent reason, and then the Christians
in Judea fled to the mountains as instructed. “Then let them which be in Judaea
flee into the mountains.” (Matthew 24:16)
•
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
This verse is preceded by “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house: Neither let him which is
in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight
be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.” (Matthew 24:16-20)
•
Matthew 24:29 uses an Old Testament figure of speech for national
disaster. (Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10; 3:15)
•
Christ used figurative language to say that people would see the
evidence or sign of His coming (Greek: Erchomia) in judgment against Jerusalem
in 66-70 AD. Followers of Christ were destined to occupy all nations and gather
the elect from all peoples. Christianity did spread and prevail after this
period. (Matthew 24:30-31)
•
Matthew 24:4-34 was fulfilled within the lifetime of people living when
the prophecy was uttered. "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall
not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:34; compare the
use of the word "generation" in Matthew 11:16; 12:39; 17:17; 23:36;
etc...) After verse thirty-four the subject changes to the Second Advent
(Parousia) and the discourse does not give us any visible signs or verifiable
events to precede the Second Advent except people carrying on with their lives
unaware. (Matthew 24:36-39)
Do references to the
“last days” give signs or conditions to indicate to people of our generation
that the end of the world is near? The term "last days" refers to the
Christian era, and it should be noted that all the New Testament references to
"last days" were written before 70 AD. (Compare Joel 2:28-32 &
Acts 2:16-21; II Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:1-2; II Peter 3:2-3) Christ was upon
the earth during the “last days.” (Genesis 49:1 & 10; Hebrews 1:1-2;
Hebrews 9:26) Chapter three of II Peter is a continuation of the discussion in
chapter two about false teachers; these scoffers used a first century version
of newspaper exegesis to deny the future destruction on the basis of
then-current events and conditions and willful ignorance of God’s past
destruction of an ungodly world by global deluge. (II Peter 3:3-10) The
instruction "from such turn away" indicates that the previously
described conditions in chapter three of II Timothy existed at the time this
epistle was written. (II Timothy 3:5) II Timothy 3:1-9 is a warning or reminder
that the advance of Christianity will be accompanied by efforts of enemies of
the Gospel to thwart the Lord’s work, through persecution from without and
corruption from within, and a warning of perilous times resulting from
conditions that have been characteristic of the world, in greater and lesser degrees,
throughout Christian history. If II Timothy 3:1-9 is a description of world
conditions prior to Armageddon then how many times has Armageddon occurred over
the last two thousand years?
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