when god's (yhwh's) kingdom starts ruling:

8/3/2019 When God's (YHWH's) Kingdom Starts Ruling:

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/when-gods-yhwhs-kingdom-starts-ruling 1/39

When God's (YHWH's) Kingdom Starts Ruling:

[gracious thanks to Bible Scholar Nat for sending me much of the data

for this article]

INTRODUCTION:

This is a matter over which many have different opinions, so let's let

the Bible, the Word of God (YHWH) clear up the matter for all.

First, there are two distinct phases to when God's (YHWH's) Kingdom

starts to rule. The first phase is when it starts ruling in heaven

and the second phase is when it starts ruling over the earth.

Second, the first phase has already occurred, and this is spoken of in

Revelation 12:1-11, " And there was war in heaven: Michael and his

angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and

his angels; 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any

more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent,

he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world;he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the

salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority

of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who

accuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him

because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their

testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death." (American

Standard Version; ASV). This article shall show when this occurred.

Third, there is the second phase which is yet to occur that all pray

for in the Lord's Prayer as recorded at Matthew 6:9-15, "After this

manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy

name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we

also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And bring us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil [one.] 14 For if ye forgive men their

trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if ye

forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your

trespasses." (ASV).

UNDERSTANDING MATTHEW 16:28:

Let's look at this scripture and its significance, Matthew 16:28,

"Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who

shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in

his kingdom." (ASV).

Now here is the understanding on this scripture:

"The Transfiguration Builds Faith

The transfiguration was a prophetic event. Said Jesus: "The Son of man

is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his angels . . .

Truly I say to you that there are some of those standing here that will

not taste death at all until first they see the Son of man coming in

his kingdom." (Matthew 16:27, 28) Did some of the apostles actually see

Jesus coming in his Kingdom? Matthew 17:1-7 states: "Six days later



Jesus took Peter and James and John his brother along and brought them

up into a lofty mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before

them." What a dramatic event! "His face shone as the sun, and his outer

garments became brilliant as the light. And, look! there appeared to

them Moses and Elijah, conversing with him." Also, "a bright cloud

overshadowed them," and they heard God's own voice saying: "'This is my

Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him.' At hearing this

the disciples fell upon their faces and became very much afraid. Then

Jesus came near and, touching them, said: 'Get up and have no fear.'"

This awesome event likely took place on one of the ridges of Mount

Hermon, where Jesus and the three apostles spent the night. The

transfiguration evidently occurred at night, making it especially

vivid. One reason Jesus called it a vision was that long-dead Moses and

Elijah were not literally present. Only Christ was actually there.

(Matthew 17:8, 9) Such a dazzling display."

This gave Peter, James, and John a spectacular foregleam of Jesus'

glorious presence in Kingdom power. Moses and Elijah find parallels in

Jesus' anointed joint heirs, and the vision powerfully reinforced histestimony about the Kingdom and his future kingship.

The transfiguration helped to strengthen the faith of the three

apostles who were to play a leading role in the Christian congregation.

Christ's shining face, his glistening garments, and God's own voice

declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son to whom they should listen-all

of this served its purpose most effectively. But the apostles were to

relate the vision to no one until Jesus was resurrected. Some 32 years

later, this vision was still vivid in Peter's mind. Pointing to it and

its significance, he wrote: "No, it was not by following artfully

contrived false stories that we acquainted you with the power and

presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it was by having become

eyewitnesses of his magnificence. For he received from God the Father

honor and glory, when words such as these were borne to him by the

magnificent glory: 'This is my son, my beloved, whom I myself have

approved.' Yes, these words we heard borne from heaven while we were

with him in the holy mountain."-2 Peter 1:16-18.

Of utmost importance was God's proclamation: "This is my Son, the

beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him." This statement focuses

attention on Jesus as God's enthroned King, to whom all creation must

render obedience. The overshadowing cloud indicated that the

fulfillment of this vision would be invisible. It would be discernibleonly with the eyes of understanding on the part of those who recognize

"the sign" of Jesus' invisible presence in Kingdom power. (Matthew

24:3) In fact, Jesus' instruction not to tell the vision to anyone

until he had risen from the dead shows that his exaltation and

glorification would come after his resurrection.



After referring to the transfiguration, Peter stated: "Consequently we

have the prophetic word made more sure; and you are doing well in

paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day

dawns and a daystar rises, in your hearts. For you know this first,

that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation.

For prophecy was at no time brought by man's will, but men spoke from

God as they were borne along by holy spirit." (2 Peter 1:19-21) The

transfiguration underscores the reliability of God's prophetic word. We

must pay attention to that word and not to "artfully contrived false

stories" that do not have divine backing or approval. Our faith in the

prophetic word should be strengthened by the transfiguration because

that visionary foreview of Jesus' glory and Kingdom power has become a

reality. Yes, we have undeniable evidence that Christ is present today

as a powerful heavenly King.[source - WT of 4/1/2000, page 12-14.]

And another source said:

"When Jesus Comes in Kingdom Glory

"Some of those standing here . . . will not taste death at all untilfirst they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."-MATTHEW 16:28.

SHORTLY after Pentecost 32 C.E., three of Jesus Christ's apostles saw a

memorable vision. According to the inspired record, "Jesus took Peter

and James and John his brother along and brought them up into a lofty

mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them."-Matthew

17:1, 2.

The transfiguration vision came at a critical time. Jesus had started

to tell his followers that he was going to suffer and die in Jerusalem,

but they found his words difficult to grasp. (Matthew 16:21-23) The

vision strengthened the faith of Jesus' three apostles in preparation

for his coming death and also for the years of hard work and testing

that would follow for the Christian congregation. Can we today learn

something from the vision? Yes, because what it foreshadowed actually

takes place in our time.

Six days before the transfiguration, Jesus told his followers: "The

Son of man is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his

angels, and then he will recompense each one according to his

behavior." These words would be fulfilled at "the conclusion of the

system of things." Jesus further stated: "Truly I say to you that there

are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until

first they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:27,28; 24:3; 25:31-34, 41; Daniel 12:4) The transfiguration took place in

fulfillment of these latter words.

Exactly what did the three apostles see? The following is Luke's

description of the event: "As [Jesus] was praying the appearance of his

face became different and his apparel became glitteringly white. Also,

look! two men were conversing with him, who were Moses and Elijah.



These appeared with glory and began talking about his departure that he

was destined to fulfill at Jerusalem." Then, "a cloud formed and began

to overshadow [the apostles]. As they entered into the cloud, they

became fearful. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying: 'This is my

Son, the one that has been chosen. Listen to him.'"-Luke 9:29-31, 34,

35.

Faith Strengthened

The apostle Peter had already identified Jesus as "the Christ, the Son

of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) Jehovah's words from heaven

confirmed that identification, and the vision of Jesus transfigured was

a foretaste of Christ's coming in Kingdom power and glory, eventually

to judge mankind. More than 30 years after the transfiguration, Peter

wrote: "It was not by following artfully contrived false stories that

we acquainted you with the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ,

but it was by having become eyewitnesses of his magnificence. For he

received from God the Father honor and glory, when words such as these

were borne to him by the magnificent glory: 'This is my son, mybeloved, whom I myself have approved.' Yes, these words we heard borne

from heaven while we were with him in the holy mountain."-2 Peter 1:16-

18; 1 Peter 4:17.

Today, our faith too is strengthened by what the three apostles saw. Of

course, events have moved on since 32 C.E. The following year, Jesus

died and was resurrected, ascending to the right hand of his Father.

(Acts 2:29-36) At Pentecost of that year, the new "Israel of God" was

brought forth, and a preaching campaign began, starting in Jerusalem

and later spreading to the ends of the earth. (Galatians 6:16; Acts

1:8) Almost immediately the faith of Jesus' followers was tested. The

apostles were arrested and severely beaten because they refused to stop

preaching. Soon Stephen was murdered. Then James, an eyewitness of the

transfiguration, was killed. (Acts 5:17-40; 6:8-7:60; 12:1, 2) Peter

and John, however, survived to serve Jehovah faithfully for many more

years. In fact, toward the close of the first century C.E., John

recorded further visionary glimpses of Jesus in heavenly glory.-

Revelation 1:12-20; 14:14; 19:11-16.

Since the beginning of "the Lord's day" in 1914, many of the visions

seen by John have been fulfilled. (Revelation 1:10) What of Jesus'

'coming in the glory of his Father,' as foreshadowed by the

transfiguration? This vision began to be fulfilled at the birth ofGod's heavenly Kingdom in 1914. When Jesus, like a daystar, rose on the

universal scene as a newly enthroned King, that was, as it were, the

dawn of a new day. (2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 11:15; 22:16) Did Jesus at

that time recompense some according to their behavior? Yes. There is

strong evidence that shortly thereafter, the heavenly resurrection of

anointed Christians began.-2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 14:13.



Soon, though, Jesus will arrive "in his glory, and all the angels with

him" in order to judge mankind as a whole. (Matthew 25:31) At that

time, he will reveal himself in all his magnificent glory and give to

"each one" just recompense for his or her behavior. Sheeplike ones will

inherit everlasting life in the Kingdom prepared for them, and goatlike

ones will depart into "everlasting cutting-off." What a splendid

conclusion that will be to the fulfillment of the transfiguration

vision!-Matthew 25:34, 41, 46; Mark 8:38; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.

Jesus' Glorified Companions

Jesus was not alone in the transfiguration. Moses and Elijah were seen

with him. (Matthew 17:2, 3) Were they literally present? No, for both

men had long since died and were asleep in the dust awaiting a

resurrection. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Hebrews 11:35) Will they appear

with Jesus when he comes in heavenly glory? No, because Moses and

Elijah lived before the heavenly hope opened up to humans. They will be

part of the earthly "resurrection of . . . the righteous." (Acts 24:15)

So their appearance in the transfiguration vision is symbolic. Of what?

In other contexts, Moses and Elijah are prophetic figures. As mediator

of the Law covenant, Moses foreshadowed Jesus, the Mediator of the new

covenant. (Deuteronomy 18:18; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 8:6) Elijah

foreshadowed John the Baptist, a forerunner of the Messiah. (Matthew

17:11-13) Further, in the context of Revelation chapter 11, Moses and

Elijah foreshadow the anointed remnant in the time of the end. How do

we know that?

Well, turn to Revelation 11:1-6. In verse 3 we read: "I will cause my

two witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed

in sackcloth." This prophecy was fulfilled upon the remnant of anointed

Christians during World War I. Why two witnesses? Because the anointed

remnant perform works that, in a spiritual way, are like those of Moses

and Elijah. Verses 5 and 6 go on to say: "If anyone wants to harm [the

two witnesses], fire issues forth from their mouths and devours their

enemies; and if anyone should want to harm them, in this manner he must

be killed. These have the authority to shut up heaven that no rain

should fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have

authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the

earth with every sort of plague as often as they wish." Thus, we are

reminded of miracles performed by Elijah and Moses.-Numbers 16:31-34; 1

Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 1:9-12.

Who, then, do Moses and Elijah foreshadow in the context of the

transfiguration? Luke says that they appeared along with Jesus "with

glory." (Luke 9:31) Clearly, they foreshadow Christians who have been

anointed with holy spirit as "joint heirs" with Jesus and who thereby

received the wonderful hope of being "glorified together" with him.

(Romans 8:17) Resurrected anointed ones will be with Jesus when he



comes in the glory of his Father to "recompense each one according to

his behavior."-Matthew 16:27.

Witnesses Like Moses and Elijah

There are notable features that mark Moses and Elijah as fitting

prophetic pictures of Jesus' anointed joint heirs. Both Moses and

Elijah served as Jehovah's spokesmen for many years. Both faced the

wrath of a ruler. In a time of need, each was supported by a foreign

family. Both boldly prophesied to kings and stood firm against false

prophets. Moses and Elijah both saw demonstrations of Jehovah's power

on Mount Sinai (also called Horeb). Both commissioned successors on the

east side of the Jordan. And the times of both Moses (with Joshua) and

Elijah (with Elisha) saw the greatest number of miracles, apart from

those that occurred during the lifetime of Jesus.

Does not all of that remind us of the Israel of God? Yes, indeed. Jesus

told his faithful followers: "Go therefore and make disciples of peopleof all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I

have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the

conclusion of the system of things." (Matthew 28:19, 20) In obedience

to these words, anointed Christians have served as Jehovah's spokesman

from Pentecost 33 C.E. until now. Like Moses and Elijah, they have

faced the wrath of rulers and have witnessed to them. Jesus told his 12

apostles: "You will be haled before governors and kings for my sake,

for a witness to them and the nations." (Matthew 10:18) His words have

been fulfilled repeatedly during the history of the Christian

congregation.-Acts 25:6, 11, 12, 24-27; 26:3.

Further, anointed Christians have been as fearless as Moses and Elijah

in standing for truth against religious falsehood. Remember how Paul

denounced the Jewish false prophet Bar-Jesus and tactfully but firmly

exposed the falseness of the gods of the Athenians. (Acts 13:6-12;

17:16, 22-31) Remember, too, that in modern times the anointed remnant

has boldly exposed Christendom and such witnessing has plagued her.-

Revelation 8:7-12.

When Moses fled the wrath of Pharaoh, he found refuge in the home of a

non-Israelite, Reuel, also called Jethro. At a later time, Moses

received valuable organizational counsel from Reuel, whose son Hobabguided Israel through the wilderness. (Exodus 2:15-22; 18:5-27; Numbers

10:29) Have members of the Israel of God been helped similarly by

individuals who are not anointed members of the Israel of God? Yes,

they have been supported by the "great crowd" of "other sheep," who

have appeared on the scene during these last days. (Revelation 7:9;

John 10:16; Isaiah 61:5) Foretelling the warm, loving support that

these "sheep" would offer his anointed brothers, Jesus said to them

prophetically: "I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; I got

thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you



received me hospitably; naked, and you clothed me. I fell sick and you

looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me. . . . Truly I say

to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my

brothers, you did it to me."-Matthew 25:35-40.

Further, the Israel of God had an experience comparable to that of

Elijah on Mount Horeb. Like Elijah at the time he was running from

Queen Jezebel, the fearful anointed remnant thought that their work was

done at the end of World War I. Then, also like Elijah, they had an

encounter with Jehovah, who had come to judge those organizations

claiming to be "the house of God." (1 Peter 4:17; Malachi 3:1-3) While

Christendom was found wanting, the anointed remnant was recognized as

"the faithful and discreet slave" and was appointed over all Jesus'

earthly belongings. (Matthew 24:45-47) In Horeb, Elijah heard "a calm,

low voice" that proved to be that of Jehovah, giving him more work to

do. In the quiet period of the postwar years, faithful anointed

servants of Jehovah heard his voice from the pages of the Bible. They

too perceived that they had a commission to fulfill.-1 Kings 19:4, 9-

18; Revelation 11:7-13.

Finally, have outstanding manifestations of Jehovah's power been

channeled through the Israel of God? After Jesus' death, the apostles

performed many miracles, but these gradually ceased. (1 Corinthians

13:8-13) Nowadays, we do not see miracles in a physical sense. On the

other hand, Jesus said to his followers: "Most truly I say to you, He

that exercises faith in me, that one also will do the works that I do;

and he will do works greater than these." (John 14:12) This had an

initial fulfillment as Jesus' disciples preached the good news

throughout the Roman Empire in the first century. (Romans 10:18) Even

greater works have been done today as the anointed remnant has

spearheaded the preaching of the good news "in all the inhabited earth

for a witness to all the nations." (Matthew 24:14) The result? The 20th

century has witnessed the ingathering of the greatest number of

dedicated, faithful servants of Jehovah in history. (Revelation 5:9,

10; 7:9, 10) What magnificent evidence of Jehovah's power!-Isaiah 60:22.

Jesus' Brothers Come in Glory

As the remnant of Jesus' anointed brothers finish their earthly course,

they are glorified with him. (Romans 2:6, 7; 1 Corinthians 15:53; 1

Thessalonians 4:14, 17) Thus they become immortal kings and priests in

the heavenly Kingdom. With Jesus, they will then "shepherd the peoplewith an iron rod so that they will be broken to pieces like clay

vessels." (Revelation 2:27; 20:4-6; Psalm 110:2, 5, 6) With Jesus, they

will sit on thrones judging "the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew

19:28) Groaning creation has eagerly awaited these events, which are

part of "the revealing of the sons of God."-Romans 8:19-21; 2

Thessalonians 1:6-8.

Paul spoke of the revelation of Jesus during the "great tribulation"

when he wrote: "He comes to be glorified in connection with his holy

ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder in connection with all



those who exercised faith." (Matthew 24:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:10) What

a magnificent prospect that is for Peter, James, John, and all spirit-

anointed Christians! The transfiguration strengthened Peter's faith.

Surely, reading about it strengthens our faith too and fortifies our

confidence that Jesus will soon "recompense each one according to his

behavior." Faithful anointed Christians who have survived to this day

see their confidence confirmed that they will be glorified with Jesus.

Other sheep have their faith strengthened in the knowledge that he will

save them through the end of this wicked system of things into the

glorious new world. (Revelation 7:14) What an encouragement to stand

firm to the end! And this vision can teach us much more, as we will see

in the following article.[source - WT 5/15/1997, pp. 9-14].

And another source said:

"It was to the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometime after

Passover of 32 C.E., the Son of God told his disciples: "Truly I say toyou that there are some of those standing here that will not taste

death at all until first they see the Son of man coming in his

kingdom." (Matthew 16:28) In a matter of days, those words of Jesus

were fulfilled. Taking with him the apostles Peter, James and John,

God's Son climbed a high mountain, presumably Hermon. On a spur of this

mountain, the following took place: "[Jesus] was transfigured before

them, and his face shone as the sun, and his outer garments became

brilliant as the light." Thus the three apostles had confirmed to them

that Jesus' coming in Kingdom power would indeed be glorious. Then a

"bright cloud" formed and a voice came out of it, saying: "This is my

Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him."-Matthew 17:1-

5." [source - A Hope With A Sure Guarantee, page 36-37].

IMPORTANCE TO US OF TODAY:

Fulfillment of Bible prophecy in our day indicates that Jesus' presence

in Kingdom power began in 1914 C.E. (Matt. 24:3-14; 25:31-33)

Obviously, Matthew 16:28 could not refer to this event, for Jesus there

spoke of something that would take place before the apostles all died.

Then what could that have been?

The Hebrew Scriptures had foretold that the Messiah was to be an

everlasting king. (Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 9:6, 7) Daniel's

vision in particular gave Jews reason to expect the Messiah's reign to

be glorious, powerful, magnificent. (Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14) But just who

was to be this Messianic king, and would he rule from an earthlythrone? Even Jesus' disciples who accepted him as the Messiah could

benefit from assurance that he would reign from heaven with power and

glory.-Matt. 16:16-22; Acts 1:6.

Accordingly, less than a year before he died Jesus explained that some

of the apostles would "see the Son of man coming in his kingdom," or,

as Mark phrased it, "see the kingdom of God already come in power."

(Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1) After Jesus was no longer among them, the

disciples would be able to draw strength from their having been

eyewitnesses of his future heavenly presence in Kingdom power.



But how were Jesus' words in Matthew 16:25 fulfilled? Often the meaning

of a verse is suggested by its context. In this case, all three Gospel

accounts of Jesus' promise about seeing him in his kingdom lead

immediately into the record of the transfiguration.

Now this opens the important question of when this will take place.

Of course we do NOT know the hour or the day as even God's (YHWH's)

Son, Jesus (Yeshua) stated that he did not know that at Mark 13:30-32,

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all

these things be accomplished. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but

my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day or that hour knoweth

no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the

Father." (ASV). But world conditions clearly show we are in the end

times and the culmination of the end times can not be very far in the

future.

Let's consider Matthew 24:33-35, "even so ye also, when ye see allthese things, know ye that he is nigh, [even] at the doors. 34 Verily I

say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these

things be accomplished. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my

words shall not pass away." (ASV).

Comments by others on this scripture:

"These Things Must Take Place"

Do you know and understand Jesus' answer? It is found in three of the

Gospels. Professor D. A. Carson states: "Few chapters of the Bible have

called forth more disagreement among interpreters than Matthew 24 and

its parallels in Mark 13 and Luke 21." He then gives his own opinion-

just another of the conflicting human views. In the last century or so,

many such views reflected a lack of faith. Those offering them held

that Jesus never said what we read in the Gospels, that his sayings

were later corrupted, or that his prediction failed-views shaped by

higher criticism. One commentator even approached Mark's Gospel

'through the lens of Mahayana-Buddhist philosophy'!..

.

A Tragic Fulfillment in the Offing

The apostles knew that Jesus was the Messiah. So when they heard him

mention his death, resurrection, and return, they must have wondered,'If Jesus dies and goes away, how can he carry out the wonderful things

that the Messiah is expected to do?' Further, Jesus spoke of an end for

Jerusalem and its temple. The apostles might have wondered, 'When and

how will that occur?' In trying to understand these things, the

apostles asked: "When will these things be, and what will be the sign

when all these things are destined to come to a conclusion?"-Mark 13:4;

Matthew 16:21, 27, 28; 23:37-24:2

.



Jesus foretold that there would be wars, famines, pestilences,

earthquakes, hatred and persecution of Christians, false messiahs, and

a widespread preaching of the good news of the Kingdom. Then the end

was to come. (Matthew 24:4-14; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19) Jesus said

this early in the year 33 C.E. During the following decades, his alert

disciples could recognize that the foretold things were in fact

occurring in a significant way. Yes, history proves that the sign had a

fulfillment at that time, leading to a conclusion of the Jewish system

of things at the hands of the Romans in 66-70 C.E. How did that come

about?

During the hot Judean summer of 66 C.E., Jewish Zealots led an assault

on Roman guards in a fort near the temple in Jerusalem, sparking

violence elsewhere in the land. In History of the Jews, Professor

Heinrich Graetz relates: "Cestius Gallus, whose duty it was as Governor

of Syria to uphold the honor of Roman arms, . . . could no longer

witness the rebellion spreading around him without an effort to stem

its progress. He called his legions together, and the neighboringprinces voluntarily sent their troops." This army of 30,000 surrounded

Jerusalem. After some fighting, the Jews withdrew behind walls near the

temple. "During five successive days the Romans stormed the walls, but

were always obliged to fall back before the missiles of the Judæans. It

was only on the sixth day that they succeeded in undermining a part of

the northern wall in front of the Temple."

Just think how confused the Jews would have been, since they had long

felt that God would protect them and their holy city! Jesus' disciples,

though, had been forewarned that calamity awaited Jerusalem. Jesus had

foretold: "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build

around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you

and distress you from every side, and they will dash you and your

children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon

a stone in you." (Luke 19:43, 44) But would that spell death for

Christians inside Jerusalem in 66 C.E.?

When replying to the apostles on the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicted:

"Those days will be days of a tribulation such as has not occurred from

the beginning of the creation which God created until that time, and

will not occur again. In fact, unless Jehovah had cut short the days,

no flesh would be saved. But on account of the chosen ones whom he has

chosen he has cut short the days." (Mark 13:19, 20; Matthew 24:21, 22)So the days would be cut short and "the chosen ones" saved. Who were

they? Certainly not rebellious Jews who claimed to worship Jehovah but

who had rejected his Son. (John 19:1-7; Acts 2:22, 23, 36) The true

chosen ones back then were those Jews and non-Jews who exercised faith

in Jesus as Messiah and Savior. God had chosen such ones, and on

Pentecost 33 C.E., he had formed them into a new spiritual nation, "the

Israel of God."-Galatians 6:16; Luke 18:7; Acts 10:34-45; 1 Peter 2:9.



Were the days "cut short" and the anointed chosen ones in Jerusalem

saved? Professor Graetz suggests: "[Cestius Gallus] did not deem it

advisable to continue the combat against heroic enthusiasts and embark

on a lengthy campaign at that season, when the autumn rains would soon

commence . . . and might prevent the army from receiving provisions. On

that account probably he thought it more prudent to retrace his steps."

Whatever Cestius Gallus was thinking, the Roman army retreated from the

city, with grave losses inflicted by the pursuing Jews.

That surprising Roman retreat allowed "flesh"-Jesus' disciples who were

at risk inside Jerusalem-to be saved. History records that when this

window of opportunity opened, Christians fled the region. What a

display of God's ability to foreknow the future and to ensure the

survival of his worshipers! Yet, what of unbelieving Jews who remained

in Jerusalem and Judea?

Contemporaries Would See It

Many Jews felt that their system of worship, centered on the temple,

would long continue. But Jesus said: "Learn from the fig tree . . .

this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts

forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Likewise also you, when you

see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to

you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these

things occur. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no

means pass away."-Matthew 24:32-35.

In the years leading up to 66 C.E., Christians would have seen many of

the preliminary elements of the composite sign being fulfilled-wars,

famines, even an extensive preaching of the good news of the Kingdom.

(Acts 11:28; Colossians 1:23) When, though, would the end come? What

did Jesus mean when he said: 'This generation [Greek, ge·ne·a´] will

not pass away'? Jesus had often called the contemporaneous mass of

opposing Jews, including religious leaders, 'a wicked, adulterous

generation.' (Matthew 11:16; 12:39, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36) So when, on

the Mount of Olives, he again spoke of "this generation," he evidently

did not mean the entire race of Jews throughout history; nor did he

mean his followers, even though they were "a chosen race." (1 Peter

2:9) Neither was Jesus saying that "this generation" is a period oftime.

Rather, Jesus had in mind the opposing Jews back then who would

experience the fulfillment of the sign he gave. Regarding the reference

to "this generation" at Luke 21:32, Professor Joel B. Green notes: "In

the Third Gospel, 'this generation' (and related phrases) has regularly

signified a category of people who are resistant to the purpose of God.

. . . [It refers] to people who stubbornly turn their backs on the

divine purpose."



The wicked generation of Jewish opposers who could observe the sign

being fulfilled would also experience the end. (Matthew 24:6, 13, 14)

And that they did! In 70 C.E., the Roman army returned, led by Titus,

son of Emperor Vespasian. The suffering of the Jews who were again

bottled up in the city is almost beyond belief. Eyewitness Flavius

Josephus reports that by the time the Romans demolished the city, about

1,100,000 Jews had died and some 100,000 were taken captive, most of

those soon to perish horribly from starvation or in Roman theaters.

Truly, the tribulation of 66-70 C.E. was the greatest that Jerusalem

and the Jewish system had ever experienced or would ever experience.

How different the outcome was for Christians who had heeded Jesus'

prophetic warning and had left Jerusalem after the departure of the

Roman armies in 66 C.E.! The anointed Christian "chosen ones" were

"saved," or kept safe, in 70 C.E.-Matthew 24:16, 22.

Another Fulfillment to Come

However, that was not the finale. Earlier, Jesus had indicated that

after the city was devastated, he would come in Jehovah's name.

(Matthew 23:38, 39; 24:2) He then made this clearer in his prophecy

uttered on the Mount of Olives. Having mentioned the coming "great

tribulation," he said that afterward false Christs would appear, and

Jerusalem would be trampled on by the nations for an extended period.

(Matthew 24:21, 23-28; Luke 21:24) Could it be that another, a greater,

fulfillment was to come? The facts answer yes. When we compare

Revelation 6:2-8 (written after the tribulation on Jerusalem in 70

C.E.) with Matthew 24:6-8 and Luke 21:10, 11, we see that warfare, food

shortages, and plague on a greater scale lay ahead. This greater

fulfillment of Jesus' words has been occurring since World War I

erupted in 1914...

Referring to the tribulation just ahead of us, Jesus said: "Immediately

after the tribulation of those days [the destruction of false religion]

the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the

stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be

shaken. And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and

then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation,

and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with

power and great glory."-Matthew 24:29, 30.

Hence, Jesus himself says that "after the tribulation of those days,"

celestial phenomena of some sort will occur. (Compare Joel 2:28-32;

3:15.) This will so startle and shock disobedient humans that they will"beat themselves in lamentation." Many will "become faint out of fear

and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth." But

this will not be the case with true Christians! These 'will lift their

heads up, because their deliverance is getting near.'-Luke 21:25, 26,

28.

Judgment Ahead!



Note that Matthew 24:29-31 foretells that (1) the Son of man comes, (2)

this coming will be with great glory, (3) the angels will be with him,

and (4) all the tribes of the earth will see him. Jesus repeats these

elements in the parable of the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Hence, we can conclude that this parable deals with the time, after the

opening outbreak of tribulation, when Jesus will come with his angels

and sit down on his throne to judge. (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; compare 1

Kings 7:7; Daniel 7:10, 13, 14, 22, 26; Matthew 19:28.) Who will be

judged, and with what result? The parable shows that Jesus will give

attention to all nations, as if they were assembled right before his

celestial throne.

Sheeplike men and women will be separated to Jesus' right side of

favor. Why? Because they used their opportunities to do good to his

brothers-anointed Christians, who will share in Christ's heavenly

Kingdom. (Daniel 7:27; Hebrews 2:9-3:1) In line with the parable,

millions of sheeplike Christians have recognized Jesus' spiritualbrothers and have been working in support of them. As a result, the

"great crowd" have the Bible-based hope of surviving "the great

tribulation" and then living forever in Paradise, the earthly realm of

God's Kingdom.-Revelation 7:9, 14; 21:3, 4; John 10:16.

What a different outcome there will be for the goats! They are

described at Matthew 24:30 as 'beating themselves in lamentation' when

Jesus comes. And well they should, for they will have built up a record

of rejecting the Kingdom good news, of opposing Jesus' disciples, and

of preferring the world that is passing away. (Matthew 10:16-18; 1 John

2:15-17) Jesus-not any of his disciples on earth-determines who the

goats are. Of them he says: "These will depart into everlasting

cutting-off."-Matthew 25:46.

Our progress in understanding the prophecy in Matthew chapters 24 and

25 has been thrilling. However, there is a part of Jesus' prophecy that

merits our further attention-'the disgusting thing that causes

desolation standing in a holy place.' Jesus urged his followers to use

discernment regarding this and to be ready to take action. (Matthew

24:15, 16) What is this "disgusting thing"? When does it stand in a

holy place? And how are our present and future life prospects involved?

The following article will discuss this.[source - WT 5/99/1999, page 8-

13].

USE OF 'GENERATION' BY JESUS (YESHUA):

Many scriptures confirm that Jesus did not use "generation" with regard

to some small or distinct group, meaning only the Jewish leaders or

only his loyal disciples. Rather, he used "generation" in condemning

the masses of Jews who rejected him. Happily, though, individuals could

do what the apostle Peter urged on the day of Pentecost, repent and

"get saved from this crooked generation."-Acts 2:40.



In that statement, Peter was clearly not being precise as to any fixed

age or length of time, nor was he tying the "generation" to any certain

date. He did not say that people should get saved from the generation

that was born in the same year Jesus was or the generation that was

born in 29 C.E. Peter was speaking about the unbelieving Jews of that

period-some perhaps being rather young, others being older-who had been

exposed to Jesus' teaching, had seen or heard of his miracles, and had

not accepted him as Messiah.

That evidently is how Peter understood Jesus' use of "generation" when

he and three other apostles were with Jesus on the Mount of Olives.

According to Jesus' prophetic statement, Jews of that period-basically,

Jesus' contemporaries-were going to experience or hear of wars,

earthquakes, famines, and other evidences that the end of the Jewish

system was near. In fact, that generation did not pass before the end

came in 70 C.E.-Matthew 24:3-14, 34.

It must be acknowledged that we have not always taken Jesus' words in

that sense. There is a tendency for imperfect humans to want to bespecific about the date when the end will come. Recall that even the

apostles sought more specifics, asking: "Lord, are you restoring the

kingdom to Israel at this time?"-Acts 1:6.

In fact,

"Saved From a "Wicked Generation"

"O faithless and twisted generation, how long must I continue with you

and put up with you?"-LUKE 9:41.

WE LIVE in calamitous times. Earthquakes, floods, famines, disease,

lawlessness, bombings, horrendous warfare-these and more have engulfed

mankind during our 20th century. However, the greatest calamity of all

threatens in the near future. What is that? It is "great tribulation

such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor

will occur again." (Matthew 24:21) Yet, many of us may look forward to

a joyful future! Why? Because God's own Word describes "a great crowd,

which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and

peoples and tongues . . . 'These are the ones that come out of the

great tribulation . . . They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore . .

. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.'"-Revelation 7:1,

9, 14-17.

The inspired record at Matthew 24:3-22, Mark 13:3-20, and Luke 21:7-24

introduces Jesus' prophetic description of "the conclusion of the

system of things." This prophecy had an initial fulfillment on the

corrupt Jewish system of things of the first century of our Common Era,

culminating in an unprecedented "great tribulation" on the Jews. The

entire religious and political structure of the Jewish system, centered

at Jerusalem's temple, was thrown down, never to be restored.



Let us now consider the circumstances that surrounded the first

fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy. This will help us better to understand

the parallel fulfillment today. It will show us how urgent it is to

take positive action now in order to survive the greatest of

tribulations that threatens all mankind.-Romans 10:9-13; 15:4; 1

Corinthians 10:11; 15:58.

"The End"-When?

About the year 539 B.C.E., God's prophet Daniel was given a vision of

events that would occur during the final "week" of a period of "seventy

weeks" of years. (Daniel 9:24-27) These "weeks" began in 455 B.C.E.

when King Artaxerxes of Persia ordered the rebuilding of the city of

Jerusalem. The final "week" started with the appearance of Messiah,

Jesus Christ, at his baptism and anointing in 29 C.E. God-fearing Jewsof the first century C.E. were well aware of this time feature of

Daniel's prophecy. For example, concerning the crowds that flocked to

hear the preaching of John the Baptizer in 29 C.E., Luke 3:15 states:

"The people were in expectation and all were reasoning in their hearts

about John: 'May he perhaps be the Christ?'"

The 70th "week" was to be seven years of special favor extended to the

Jews. Starting in 29 C.E., it included Jesus' baptism and ministry, his

sacrificial death "at the half of the week" in 33 C.E., and another

'half week' until 36 C.E. During this "week," the opportunity to become

Jesus' anointed disciples was extended exclusively to God-fearing Jews

and Jewish proselytes. Then in 70 C.E., a date not known in advance,

the Roman legions under Titus exterminated the apostate Jewish system.-

Daniel 9:26, 27.

Thus the Jewish priesthood, which had defiled Jerusalem's temple and

conspired in the murder of God's own Son, was wiped out. Gone, too,

were the national and tribal records. Thereafter, no Jew could legally

claim a priestly or a kingly inheritance. Happily, though, anointed

spiritual Jews had been separated as a royal priesthood to "declare

abroad the excellencies" of Jehovah God. (1 Peter 2:9) When Rome's army

first besieged Jerusalem and even undermined the temple area in 66

C.E., Christians recognized that military force as "the disgusting

thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet,standing in a holy place." In obedience to Jesus' prophetic command,

the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea fled to the mountainous regions

for protection.-Matthew 24:15, 16; Luke 21:20, 21.

Those faithful Jewish Christians observed the fulfillment of Daniel's

prophecy and were eyewitnesses of the tragic wars, famines,

pestilences, earthquakes, and lawlessness that Jesus had foretold as



part of the "sign . . . of the conclusion of the system of things."

(Matthew 24:3) But had Jesus told them when Jehovah would actually

execute judgment on that corrupt system? No. What he prophesied about

the climax of his future royal presence surely applied also to the

first-century "great tribulation": "Concerning that day and hour nobody

knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the

Father."-Matthew 24:36.

From Daniel's prophecy, the Jews could have calculated the timing of

Jesus' appearing as the Messiah. (Daniel 9:25) Yet they were given no

date for the "great tribulation" that finally desolated the apostate

Jewish system of things. It was only after the destruction of Jerusalem

and its temple that they realized that the date was 70 C.E. However,

they had been aware of Jesus' prophetic words: "This generation will by

no means pass away until all these things occur." (Matthew 24:34)

Apparently, the application of "generation" here is different from that

at Ecclesiastes 1:4, which speaks of successive generations coming and

going over a period of time.

"This Generation"-What Is It?

When four apostles seated with Jesus on the Mount of Olives heard his

prophecy about "the conclusion of the system of things," how would they

understand the expression "this generation"? In the Gospels the word

"generation" is translated from the Greek word ge·ne·a´, which current

lexicons define in these terms: "Lit[erally] those descended fr[om] a

common ancestor." (Walter Bauer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New

Testament) "That which has been begotten, a family; . . . successive

members of a genealogy . . . or of a race of people . . . or of the

whole multitude of men living at the same time, Matt. 24:34; Mark

13:30; Luke 1:48; 21:32; Phil. 2:15, and especially of those of the

Jewish race living at the same period." (W. E. Vine's Expository

Dictionary of New Testament Words) "That which has been begotten, men

of the same stock, a family; . . . the whole multitude of men living at

the same time: Mt. xxiv. 34; Mk. xiii. 30; Lk. i. 48 . . . used

esp[ecially] of the Jewish race living at one and the same period."-J.

H. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.

Vine and Thayer both cite Matthew 24:34 in defining "this generation"

(he ge·ne·a´ hau´te) as "the whole multitude of men living at the same

time." The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1964) gives

support to this definition, stating: "The use of 'generation' by Jesus

expresses his comprehensive purpose: he aims at the whole people and is

conscious of their solidarity in sin." Truly a "solidarity in sin" wasapparent in the Jewish nation when Jesus was on earth, just as it marks

the world system today.

Of course, Christians studying this matter guide their thinking

primarily by how Jesus used the Greek expression he ge·ne·a´ hau´te, or

"this generation." He used it consistently in a negative way. Thus, he

called the Jewish religious leaders "serpents, offspring of vipers" and

went on to say that the judgment of Gehenna would be executed on "this



generation." (Matthew 23:33, 36) However, was this judgment limited to

the hypocritical clergy? Not at all. On a number of occasions, Jesus'

disciples heard him speak of "this generation," applying the term

uniformly in a far wider sense. What was that?

"This Wicked Generation"

In 31 C.E., during Jesus' great Galilean ministry and shortly after the

Passover, his disciples heard him say to "the crowds": "With whom shall

I compare this generation? It is like young children sitting in the

marketplaces who cry out to their playmates, saying, 'We played the

flute for you, but you did not dance; we wailed, but you did not beat

yourselves in grief.' Correspondingly, John [the Baptizer] came neither

eating nor drinking, yet people say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of man

[Jesus] did come eating and drinking, still people say, 'Look! A man

gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and

sinners.'" There was no pleasing those unprincipled "crowds"!-Matthew

11:7, 16-19.

Later in 31 C.E., as Jesus and his disciples set out on their second

preaching tour of Galilee, "some of the scribes and Pharisees" asked

Jesus for a sign. He told them and "the crowds" who were present: "A

wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no

sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as

Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so

the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three

nights. . . . That is how it will be also with this wicked generation."

(Matthew 12:38-46) Obviously, "this wicked generation" included both

the religious leaders and "the crowds" who never came to appreciate the

sign that was fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection.

After the Passover of 32 C.E., as Jesus and his disciples came into the

Galilean region of Magadan, the Sadducees and the Pharisees again asked

Jesus for a sign. He repeated to them: "A wicked and adulterous

generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it

except the sign of Jonah." (Matthew 16:1-4) Those religious hypocrites

were indeed most reprehensible as leaders among the unfaithful "crowds"

whom Jesus condemned as "this wicked generation."

Toward the end of his Galilean ministry, Jesus called the crowd and hisdisciples to him and said: "Whoever becomes ashamed of me and my words

in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be

ashamed of him." (Mark 8:34, 38) So the masses of unrepentant Jews of

that time obviously made up "this adulterous and sinful generation."

Some days later, after Jesus' transfiguration, Jesus and his disciples

"came toward the crowd," and a man asked him to heal his son. Jesus

commented: "O faithless and twisted generation, how long must I

continue with you? How long must I put up with you?"-Matthew 17:14-17;

Luke 9:37-41.



It was likely in Judea, after the Festival of Booths in 32 C.E., "when

the crowds were massing together" around Jesus, that he repeated his

condemnation of them, saying: "This generation is a wicked generation;

it looks for a sign. But no sign will be given it except the sign of

Jonah." (Luke 11:29) Finally, when the religious leaders brought Jesus

to trial, Pilate offered to release him. The record says: "The chief

priests and the older men persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, but

to have Jesus destroyed. . . . Pilate said to them: 'What, then, shall

I do with Jesus the so-called Christ?' They all said: 'Let him be

impaled!' He said: 'Why, what bad thing did he do?' Still they kept

crying out all the more: 'Let him be impaled!'" That "wicked

generation" was demanding Jesus' blood!-Matthew 27:20-25.

A "faithless and twisted generation," egged on by its religious

leaders, thus played a key part in bringing about the death of the Lord

Jesus Christ. Fifty days later, at Pentecost in 33 C.E., the disciplesreceived holy spirit and started to speak in different tongues. Upon

hearing the sound, "the multitude came together," and the apostle Peter

addressed them as "men of Judea and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem,"

saying: "This man [Jesus] . . . you fastened to a stake by the hand of

lawless men and did away with." How did some of those listeners react?

"They were stabbed to the heart." Peter then called on them to repent.

He "bore thorough witness and kept exhorting them, saying: 'Get saved

from this crooked generation.'" In response, about three thousand

"embraced his word heartily [and] were baptized."-Acts 2:6, 14, 23, 37,

40, 41.

"This Generation" Identified.

What, then, is the "generation" so frequently referred to by Jesus in

the presence of his disciples? What did they understand by his words:

"This generation will by no means pass away until all these things

occur"? Surely, Jesus was not departing from his established use of the

term "this generation," which he consistently applied to the

contemporary masses with their "blind guides" who together made up the

Jewish nation. (Matthew 15:14) "This generation" experienced all the

distress foretold by Jesus and then passed away in an unequaled "great

tribulation" on Jerusalem.-Matthew 24:21, 34.

In the first century, Jehovah was judging the Jewish people. Repentant

ones, who came to exercise faith in Jehovah's merciful provision

through Christ, were saved out of that "great tribulation." True to

Jesus' words, all things prophesied occurred, and then the "heaven and

earth" of the Jewish system of things-the entire nation, with its

religious leaders and wicked society of people-passed away. Jehovah had

executed judgment!-Matthew 24:35; compare 2 Peter 3:7.



Those Jews who had paid attention to Jesus' prophetic words realized

that their salvation depended, not on trying to calculate the length of

a "generation" or of some dated "times or seasons," but on keeping

separate from the evil contemporary generation and zealously doing

God's will. Though the final words of Jesus' prophecy apply to the

major fulfillment in our day, first-century Jewish Christians also had

to heed the admonition: "Keep awake, then, all the time making

supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are

destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man."-Luke 21:32-

36; Acts 1:6-8.

Today, "the great day of Jehovah . . . is near, and there is a hurrying

of it very much." (Zephaniah 1:14-18; Isaiah 13:9, 13) Suddenly, at

Jehovah's own predetermined "day and hour," his fury will be unleashed

upon the world's religious, political, and commercial elements,

together with the wayward people who make up this contemporary "wicked

and adulterous generation." (Matthew 12:39; 24:36; Revelation 7:1-3, 9,

14) How may you get saved out of "the great tribulation"? [source - WT

11/1/95, pages 10-15]

THE FACTS ON MATTHEW 10:23:

Matthew 10:23, " But when they persecute you in this city, flee into

the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the

cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come." (ASV).

Now, "What is the meaning of the following statement, recorded at

Matthew 10:23: "You will by no means complete the circuit of the cities

of Israel until the Son of man arrives"?

Jesus said that in the year 31 (A.D.). This was when he was sending out

his twelve apostles, in twos, to preach in all the cities of Israel. It

may have been, as in the case of the seventy evangelizers whom Jesus

also sent out to preach, that the apostles were sent in advance of

Jesus and that Jesus would later come to the places where they had

preached. (Luke 10:1) This, however, does not appear to be the thing

referred to by Jesus in Matthew 10:23, namely, that he would

personally, in the flesh, follow up his twelve apostles in the cities

in which they had preached.

It is evident that when Jesus gave his twelve apostles these preaching

instructions, he was doing so for the years that would follow his

death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, never to come back again

to the earth in the flesh. How is this evident? From the fact that

Jesus spoke to the apostles about their being mistreated in the

synagogues and being haled before governors and kings "for a witness to

them and the nations." (Matt. 10:17, 18) There is no record that suchthings occurred during the short preaching campaign in which the

apostles engaged in Israel exclusively, after which they returned to

Jesus and made their reports. At the time that Jesus gave them the

above instructions, he plainly told them not to go to the nations or

even to the Samaritans on this preaching campaign, but only to the

"lost sheep of the house of Israel."-Matt. 10:5, 6.

So it must have been because he looked ahead to their world-wide

preaching among outside nations after his ascension to heaven that



Jesus said to the apostles: "You will be objects of hatred by all

people [not merely Israelites] on account of my name; but he that has

endured to the end is the one that will be saved. When they persecute

you in one city, flee to another; for truly I say to you, You will by

no means complete the circuit of the cities of Israel until the Son of

man arrives."-Matt. 10:22, 23.

On the occasion of saying those words, Jesus gave the apostles, for the

immediate preaching campaign, a local territory assignment. It took in

the territory of Israel in Palestine, namely, Judea, Galilee and

Peraea, and did not include Samaria. By covering this they would

"complete the circuit of the cities of Israel." So now Jesus used this

temporary, limited territory assignment as an illustration of their

final complete territory assignment. Before he ascended to heaven the

resurrected Jesus made their territory assignment the entire world, for

he said: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.

Go therefore [everywhere in the earth] and make disciples of people of

all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the holy spirit." (Matt. 28:18, 19) This enlarged their

territory assignment beyond the borders of Israel, yes, beyond the

borders of so-called Christendom and out into the so-called pagan worldthat does not belong to Christendom. Under Jesus' instructions, his

disciples were to undertake to complete the circuit of the whole

inhabited earth, preaching the good news of God's kingdom to all, to

Jewish people, to professed Christian people and to all the pagan

peoples.

By our consideration of Bible prophecy and modern events we discern

that the Lord Jesus Christ, in company with Jehovah God, came to the

spiritual temple in the spring of 1918. It was after that year,

particularly from 1919 forward, that the remnant of Christ's anointed

disciples began preaching the good news of God's kingdom as having been

established in the heavens in 1914. How long after the Lord's coming to

the temple must this preaching continue? Until the "Son of man arrives"

for the execution of Jehovah's judgment. This will be in the "war of

the great day of God the Almighty," at Armageddon. In connection with

that arrival Jesus said, in Revelation 16:15: "Look! I am coming as a

thief. Happy is the one that stays awake and keeps his outer garments,

that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness."

Accordingly, by means of his instructions to his twelve apostles Jesus

was prophetically telling us today that his anointed disciples or the

remnant of spiritual Israel would not complete the circuit of the

entire inhabited earth with the preaching of the message of God's

established kingdom before the glorified heavenly King Jesus Christ

would arrive as Jehovah's executional officer in the battle of

Armageddon. This means that Jehovah's servants today, who now include

hundreds of thousands of the "other sheep" or earthly companions of thespiritual remnant, will not be able to reach personally all parts of

the earth with the Kingdom message before the battle of Armageddon

breaks out. [source - WT 06/15/1907, page 184.]


Matthew 26:64 says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless

I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the

right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (ASV).



"What is "the sign of the Son of man"?

However, there is evidently another major reason for Jesus' frequent

use of the expression "Son of man" as applying to himself. This is with

regard to the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded at Daniel 7:13, 14.

In vision, Daniel saw "someone like a son of man" coming with the

clouds of the heavens, gaining access to "the Ancient of Days," and

being granted "rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples,

national groups and languages should all serve even him," his Kingdom

being an enduring one.

Because the angelic interpretation of the vision in Daniel 7:18, 22,

and 27 speaks of "the holy ones of the Supreme One" as taking

possession of this Kingdom, many commentators have endeavored to show

that the "son of man" is here a 'corporate personality,' that is, 'the

saints of God in their corporate aspect, regarded collectively as a

people,' 'the glorified and ideal people of Israel.' This reasoning,

however, proves superficial in the light of the Christian Greek

Scriptures. It fails to consider that Christ Jesus, God's anointed

King, made a 'covenant for a kingdom' with his followers that theymight share with him in his Kingdom, and that, while they are to rule

as kings and priests, it is under his headship and by his grant of

authority. (Lu 22:28-30; Re 5:9, 10; 20:4-6) Thus, they receive ruling

authority over the nations only because he has first received such

authority from the Sovereign God.-Re 2:26, 27; 3:21.

The correct understanding is made more evident by Jesus' own

statements. Regarding "the sign of the Son of man," he stated that

"they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power

and great glory." (Mt 24:30) This was clearly a reference to Daniel's

prophecy. So, likewise, was his answer to the high priest's

interrogation, saying: "I am [the Christ, the Son of God]; and you

persons will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and

coming with the clouds of heaven."-Mr 14:61, 62; Mt 26:63, 64.

Therefore the prophecy of the coming of the Son of man into the

presence of the Ancient of Days, Jehovah God, clearly applies to an

individual, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The evidence is that it was so

understood by the Jewish people. Rabbinic writings applied the prophecy

to the Messiah. (Soncino Books of the Bible, edited by A. Cohen, 1951,

commentary on Da 7:13) It was doubtless due to wanting some literal

fulfillment of this prophecy that the Pharisees and Sadducees asked

Jesus to "display to them a sign from heaven." (Mt 16:1; Mr 8:11) After

Jesus had died as a man and had been resurrected to spirit life,

Stephen had a vision in which "the heavens opened up" and he saw "the

Son of man standing at God's right hand." (Ac 7:56) This shows that

Jesus Christ, although sacrificing his human nature as a ransom for

mankind, rightly retains the Messianic designation "Son of man" in hisheavenly position.

The first part of Jesus' statement to the high priest about the coming

of the Son of man spoke of him as "sitting at the right hand of power."

This is evidently an allusion to the prophetic Psalm 110, Jesus Christ

having earlier shown that this psalm applied to him. (Mt 22:42-45) This

psalm, as well as the apostle's application of it at Hebrews 10:12, 13,

reveals that there would be a waiting period for Jesus Christ before

his Father would send him forth to "go subduing in the midst of [his]



enemies." It therefore appears that the fulfillment of the prophecy of

Daniel 7:13, 14 comes, not at the time of Jesus' resurrection and

ascension to heaven, but at the time of his being authorized by God to

take action against all opposers in vigorous expression of his kingly

authority. The 'coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days,' then,

apparently corresponds in time to the situation presented at Revelation

12:5-10, when the symbolic man-child is brought forth and caught up to

God's throne. Then war breaks out in heaven, and the cry goes up: "Now

have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our

God and the authority of his Christ."

Further prophetic visions in Revelation (17:12-14; 19:11-21) show the

exercise of full regnal power by the Messianic King over "peoples,

national groups and languages" (Da 7:14), and hence the one "like a son

of man" at Revelation 14:14 undoubtedly also represents Jesus Christ,

as does the one so described at Revelation 1:13.-Compare Re 14:14-20;

19:15; and 1:13-18; see KINGDOM OF GOD ("Kingdom of Our Lord and of His

Christ").

As to the 'Son of man's coming on the clouds' and being seen by "every

eye" (Mt 24:30; Re 1:7), see CLOUD (Illustrative Usage); EYE; PRESENCE.

[source - Son of Man, page 1002-1003].

And,

"Shortly before his death, Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders:

"From henceforth you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand

of power and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matt. 26:64) What did

Jesus mean by this?

He was referring to the Bible prophecy of Daniel about the promised

"son of man" who was brought before "the Ancient of Days," Jehovah God.

"To him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom," the

prophecy says, "that the peoples, national groups and languages should

all serve even him." (Dan. 7:13, 14) This shows that the resurrected

Jesus Christ would rule in heaven, and that the whole earth will be the

territory over which he exercises authority as king.

But since God's kingdom is heavenly-its ruler Jesus Christ now being

invisible-many persons do not consider it to be a real government. Yet,

as we have seen, there is sound reason to believe that it is. [source -

WT 01/15/1979, pages 4-5]

THE FACTS ON 1 CORINTHIANS 10:11:

1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now these things happened unto them by way of

example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends

of the ages are come." (ASV).

"Completion of the Foretold "Sign" Nears

WE TODAY can be thankful that the apostles of Jesus Christ asked him

the question: "Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the

sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?"

(Matthew 24:3) Their question led to his giving a lengthy, detailed

prophecy the accuracy of which leaves us amazed as we see the progress

of its fulfillment in this eventful twentieth century. This aids us in

determining with certainty where we are in the outworking of God's

purpose toward suffering mankind. We are strengthened in our belief



that we are actually living during the invisible "presence" of Christ

in the spirit and in the "conclusion of the system of things," inasmuch

as we do see "the sign" that he foretold.

The "sign" in all its details is nearing its stage of complete clarity

with no room for any watching observers to be mistaken. The "sign" has

many features, as set out in Matthew's account, chapters twenty-four

and twenty-five, Mark's account, chapter thirteen, and Luke's account,

chapter twenty-one; and it has been almost the lifetime of a generation

of mankind for all the features of the "sign" to become manifest in

their fullness. In preceding chapters we have considered those features

of the sign as described in Matthew's account, chapter twenty-five. Now

we consider those features set out in chapter twenty-four, along with

the comparative accounts given by Mark and Luke.

When Christ's apostles opened up their inquiry by saying, "Tell us,

When will these things be?" they were referring to the things that

Jesus had said prophetically that same day of Tuesday, Nisan 11, of the

year 33 C.E. In Jerusalem's temple, after denouncing the hypocritical

religious scribes and Pharisees, Jesus went on to say: "Here I am

sending forth to you prophets and wise men and public instructors. Some

of them you will kill and impale, and some of them you will scourge inyour synagogues and persecute from city to city; that there may come

upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of

righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you

murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I say to you, All

these things will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the

killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,-how often

I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her

chicks together under her wings! But you people did not want it. Look!

Your house is abandoned to you. For I say to you, You will by no means

see me from henceforth until you say, 'Blessed is he that comes in

Jehovah's name!'"

Before Jesus left the temple or house of worship, he added further

words of solemn prophecy, concerning which we read: "Departing now,

Jesus was on his way from the temple, but his disciples approached to

show him the buildings of the temple. In response he said to them: 'Do

you not behold all these things? Truly I say to you, By no means will a

stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.'"-Matthew 23:34

to 24:2.

Just two days previously, on Sunday, Nisan 9, he had paused in his

triumphal ride toward Jerusalem and wept over her because of her coming

destruction. Predicting her terrible destruction by the Romans in 70

C.E., he said: "Because the days will come upon you when your enemies

will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will

encircle you and distress you from every side, and they will dash you

and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave astone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your

being inspected."-Luke 19:41-44.

For natural, circumcised Jews, such as Christ's apostles were, those

were disturbing predictions. Upon the generation of which they were a

part, the innocent blood spilled in the course of Jewish history and

earlier was to be visited. Exactly when would these things be

fulfilled? They wanted to know. They believed and confessed Jesus to be

the Messiah or Anointed One, the Christ. But Jerusalem's predicted



destruction indicated that he would not set up his Messianic kingdom in

that doomed city. He spoke of his not being seen "from henceforth," but

also of his coming "in Jehovah's name." When would he be present again

to carry out his Messianic role? The coming destruction of Jerusalem

and her temple must certainly spell the end of the Jewish system of

things. With no holy city and no holy temple the Jewish priesthood of

the family of Aaron the Levite might be among those of Jerusalem's

"children" who would be dashed "to the ground" or would at least be put

out of their temple service. No wonder the apostles asked, not only

about the destruction of Jerusalem and her temple, but also: "What will

be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of

things?"

Their questions were on proper points of inquiry, for Jesus did come in

the "conclusion" of the Jewish system of things. Other scriptures speak

of the situation in that same sense. Hebrews 9:26-28 shows that Jesus

did not need to make repeated sacrifices of himself and says:

"Otherwise, he would have to suffer often from the founding of the

world. But now he has manifested himself once for all time at the

conclusion of the systems of things to put sin away through the

sacrifice of himself. . . . so also the Christ was offered once for alltime to bear the sins of many." Also, 1 Corinthians 10:11 says: "Now

these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written

for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have

arrived." Counted from the year of Jesus' prophecy on the subject, the

Jewish system of things had thirty-seven years yet to go, less than a

generation with a life-span of forty years. Jerusalem was taken and

destroyed by the Romans on Elul 7 (or, August 30, 70 C.E., Gregorian

calendar time). How many of Christ's apostles escaped martyrdom and

survived till that horrible event, the Bible record does not say.

A TIME OF TESTING AND DISASTERS

In answer to the inquiry of his apostles, Jesus described first the

events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem within that

generation. "And in answer Jesus said to them: 'Look out that nobody

misleads you; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, "I am

the Christ," and will mislead many. You are going to hear of wars and

reports of wars; see that you are not terrified. For these things must

take place, but the end is not yet.'"-Matthew 24:4-6.

Jews would arise, not claiming to be Jesus returned in the flesh, but

claiming to be the promised Messiah or Christ. But neither the apostles

nor their fellow disciples should be misled by such self-styled

Messiahs or Christs, for their operations would not betoken the

"presence" or parousia of Jesus Christ nor bring deliverance to the

Jewish nation. The Jewish revolt against the Romans in the year 66 C.E.

was to be such a Messianic effort, but it led to Jerusalem'sdestruction and the scattering of the Jewish nation. The Messianic

hopes of these misled people were bitterly disappointed.

During this thirty-seven-year period there were to be a number of wars,

within earshot of the disciples or merely reported to them in the news.

But those wars, while affecting the situation of the Jewish nation,

were not the ones that directly brought on the end of the Jewish system

of things. So the disciples were not to be terrorized into taking any

premature action. "The end is not yet."



"For," said Jesus in enlarging upon what he had just said about wars

and reports of war, "nation will rise against nation and kingdom

against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in

one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of

distress."-Matthew 24:7, 8. Also, Mark 13:8.

Such calamities being merely a "beginning of pangs of distress," the

end was "not yet." Those calamities were merely indications, not the

final death throe. These things would affect the people in general, but

there were things that would come specifically upon Jesus' disciples

because they announced the true Messiah or Christ and followed in his

footsteps. Hence, Jesus went on to say:

"Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and

you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.

Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will

hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many;

and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater

number will cool off. But he that has endured to the end is the one

that will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be preached

in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then

the end will come."-Matthew 24:9-14. Compare Mark 13:9-13.

The Bible book entitled "Acts of Apostles" testifies to the fulfillment

of those prophetic words of Jesus Christ even within that generation,

for this book was written by the medical doctor Luke about the year 61

C.E. Other Bible books, inspired letters written by apostles and other

disciples before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., confirm the

account in Acts of Apostles and add to the record of Christian

suffering under persecution and international hatred toward

Christianity. The good news of God's kingdom had penetrated beyond the

Middle East into Asia Minor, Continental Asia, Africa, Europe and the

islands of the Mediterranean Sea. The preaching of the Kingdom message

was being carried on in all the inhabited earth. Although not resulting

in world conversion to Christianity, a thing it was never purposed to

accomplish, it resulted in a witness to all the nations. (Colossians

1:6, 23) Before this praiseworthy exploit was accomplished by outspoken

Christian witnesses, the calamitous end could not come upon Jerusalem

and the Jewish system of things.

JERUSALEM'S SECOND DESTRUCTION INDICATED AS AT HAND

Having shown in considerable detail the preliminaries that were to

precede "the end," Jesus now specified the particular thing that would

indicate the close nearness of the end of Jerusalem and the system of

things that was centered in her and her temple. He said: "Therefore,

when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as

spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let

the reader use discernment,) then let those in Judea begin fleeing tothe mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the

goods out of his house; and let the man in the field not return to the

house to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those

suckling a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not

occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day."

Why the great need for the Christian Jews and proselytes in the Roman

province of Judea to get out of it at top speed, with no unnecessary

burdens, by direct route, at the opportune time, and take refuge in the



mountains outside the mentioned province? "For then," Jesus continues

on to say, "there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred

since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In

fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on

account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short."-Matthew

24:15-22.

This counsel of Jesus the apostles and other disciples should not

forget nor disregard. If any of them delayed their flight out of Judea

after seeing the disgusting thing standing in a holy place, it might

cost them their lives; they might not be among those comparatively few

who are spoken of as "flesh" that is saved only because the days of

tribulation are cut short. But what is the "disgusting thing" the sight

of which standing in the holy place would certify that not much time

was left now before the devastating "great tribulation" was right at

hand?

Jesus left no doubt as to what it was. He said it was the disgusting

thing "as spoken of through Daniel the prophet." (Matthew 24:15) The

"disgusting thing" that is foretold by the prophet Daniel in connection

with the second destruction of Jerusalem is the one described in Daniel9:26, 27 (especially according to the Greek Septuagint Version of the

Hebrew Bible text). Secular history reveals that "disgusting thing" to

be the pagan Roman armies under their "leader." That this is the proper

explanation of the prophecy is borne out by a comparison of Matthew's

account of Jesus' prophecy at this place with Luke's account at the

corresponding place in Jesus' prophecy. Luke 21:20-24 says:

"Furthermore, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies,

then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in

Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her

withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her;

because these are days for meting out justice [or, days of vengeance],

that all the things written [including Daniel 9:26, 27] may be

fulfilled. Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in

those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath

on this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led

captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the

nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled."-

Compare also with Mark 13:14-20.

It was in the year 66 C.E. that the Christian Jews in Jerusalem and

Judea began to see the "disgusting thing that causes desolation, as

spoken of through Daniel the prophet," take a stand in a "holy place,"

namely, Jerusalem and its environs. It was in that year that the

unchristianized Jews revolted with Messianic aspirations against

further rule by the Roman Empire. In reaction to this, the Roman

general, Cestius Gallus, came down from Syria and surrounded Jerusalemwith "encamped armies." It was at the time that the Jews celebrated the

Festival of Booths (or, Tabernacles) from Tishri 15 to 21, which in

that year should have run for the seven days of October 22-28

(Gregorian calendar). General Cestius Gallus brought his armies up to

within "fifty furlongs" of the celebrating city. The Jews, well armed,

sallied forth in attack and inflicted some damage on the Romans.

There now followed a "wait for three days." Then General Gallus,

forcing the Jews back to Jerusalem, brought his troops up close to the



city. But it was first on the last day of the month Tishri (about

November 5) that he got his troops into the city of Jerusalem. He was

indeed now in a place considered "holy" to the Jews. For five days the

Romans made an attack on the temple wall, and on the sixth day they

undermined the wall. This certainly was an assailing of what the Jews

considered most holy. Easily the Romans could have now captured the

whole city, but then, suddenly, without any valid reason for doing so,

General Gallus withdrew from the city and retreated. The elated Jews

went in hot pursuit and harassed the retreating Romans and inflicted

considerable harm, so that the retreat turned into a rout. This was a

stinging blow at the pride of the world-conquering Romans. Jerusalem

was liberated! And in commemoration the Jews coined some new silver

shekels bearing on one side the inscription "Jerusalem the Holy."

Were the Christianized Jews in Jerusalem and in the province of Judea

deceived by this reestablishing of the independence of this land of the

Jews? Not those who took to heart Jesus' prophecy and his counsel. They

had actually seen the holy city of Jerusalem surrounded by encamped

armies. They had seen the "disgusting thing that causes desolation,"

with its military standards that were idolized as gods by the soldiers,

standing "in a holy place," "standing where it ought not." (Mark 13:14)From this they were to "know that the desolating of her [Jerusalem] has

drawn near." (Luke 21:20) It was now high time either to get out of

Jerusalem or not to enter into her but to flee from all the province of

Judea to the mountains outside, for instance, eastward across the

Jordan River to the province of Perea. There, outside the doomed

territory, these Christianized Jews could continue their preaching of

the good news of God's true Messianic kingdom, instead of perishing

with the doomed unbelieving Jews.

The independence of the Jews in Judea proved to be of short duration.

Roman General Vespasian succeeded to General Gallus and reached

Palestine early in the following year, 67 C.E. His endeavors to get the

rest of the country under control allowed for the Jews to strengthen

their defenses. After the death of Emperor Nero in 68 C.E., Vespasian

was elevated to imperial power. Leaving Palestine, he reached Rome

about the middle of 70 C.E. He left his son General Titus in charge of

Roman military forces in Syria. The Jewish Passover of the year 70

approached, and the non-Christian Jews flocked to the city of Jerusalem

for the celebration. It was then that General Titus came with four

legions and bottled up the celebrating Jews inside the city. To starve

out the rebellious Jews, he did what Jesus had foretold, build a

fortified stockade, "a fortification with pointed stakes," about five

miles long all around the city, to prevent any Jews from escaping.

The straits of the cooped-up Jews inside Jerusalem became desperate.

The first-century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, in his writings,

vividly describes the horrors resulting from the Roman siege. The loss

of Jewish lives was mounting higher and higher. It appeared that, ifthe siege lasted too long, "no flesh" inside the besieged city would

survive. It was as Jesus had foretold concerning this "great

tribulation" upon Jerusalem and Judea: "In fact, unless Jehovah had cut

short the days, no flesh would be saved. But on account of the chosen

ones whom he has chosen he has cut short the days."-Mark 13:19, 20.

Providentially, the days of the siege proved to be relatively short,

just 142 days, counted from Nisan 14 to Elul 7, or parts of six lunar

months. That is to say, according to the Gregorian calendar, by August

30, 70 C.E., it was all over. Some Jewish flesh was permitted to



survive, 97,000 Jews, according to Josephus' account, whereas he

reports that 1,100,000 perished in the siege. Were those 97,000

survivors the "chosen ones" on account of whom Jehovah had cut short

the days? Not unless you would call them chosen for captivity and

enslavement. For it was just as Jesus had said: "There will be great

necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; and they will fall by

the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and

Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times

of the nations are fulfilled."-Luke 21:23, 24.

No! the "chosen ones" on account of whom the number of days of

Jerusalem's "great tribulation" was cut short were not those 97,000

miserable Jewish captives, upon whom Jehovah's great "wrath" rested in

those "days for meting out justice." Jehovah's "chosen ones" were the

Christianized Jews, to whom he had given the signal to flee without

delay from all of Judea, including its capital Jerusalem. He desired

all of them to get safely out of the danger zone, by acting in faith on

Jesus' counsel to flee promptly after seeing the "disgusting thing that

causes desolation, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in a

holy place." After Jehovah got all these "chosen" disciples of his Son

Jesus Christ out of the place upon which divine justice was to be metedout, he could let the execution of his vengeance upon the rebellious

Jews be of short duration. As it is written: "Jehovah will make an

accounting on the earth, concluding it and cutting it short." (Romans

9:28; Isaiah 10:23) Rightly, then, "on account of the chosen ones"

those days of great tribulation on Jerusalem were cut short.

Secular history records the accuracy of Jesus' prophecy. But with this

account of the destruction of earthly Jerusalem the prophecy of Jesus

does not end, for there is more to say concerning the "sign" of his

presence and of the "conclusion of the system of things." He looks

beyond the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., for he says, in Luke

21:24: "And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the

appointed times of the nations are fulfilled." Jesus looked to the

fulfilled "end" of those appointed times of the nations, usually called

the Gentile Times. That means that he looked forward to the year 1914

C.E., for in that year the right of Jerusalem to have a Messianic

kingdom in the hands of the Permanent Heir of King David ceased being

trampled on by the nations. Why do we say this, inasmuch as in the year

1914 the rebuilt city of Jerusalem over in the Middle East was still

under control of the Mohammedan Turks? It is because, in that year, at

the close of the Gentile Times, Jehovah God enthroned the Permanent

Heir of King David, not in the Turk-controlled earthly Jerusalem, but

in the heavenly Jerusalem.-Hebrews 12:22.

FULFILLMENT UPON ANTITYPICAL UNFAITHFUL JERUSALEM

It becomes plain that, in his prophecy, Jesus was using the city ofJerusalem not only in a literal sense but also in a typical sense, as

prefiguring something else of greater proportions. Otherwise, he would

not have said concerning her destruction in 70 C.E., "then there will

be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's

beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." (Matthew 24:21; Mark

13:19) All informed persons know that Jerusalem's destruction in 70

C.E. was not the worst catastrophe since the world's beginning, for,

what about the global deluge of Noah's day? And as for the equal of

Jerusalem's destruction by the Romans never occurring after 70 C.E.,



what about World War I and World War II in this twentieth century?

Jesus' language was not exaggerated, but evidently he was thinking of

Jerusalem as a prophetic type, as a warning example of something that

would embrace the whole world in a similar destruction. He was thinking

of the antitypical unfaithful Jerusalem, namely, one of modern times.

And what is that? It is Christendom with her hundreds of conflicting

religious sects.-1 Corinthians 10:11.

This application of Jesus' prophecy holds true, not only as to

Christendom's approaching destruction with all her political,

commercial, military and judicial paramours, but also as to the world

events that immediately lead up to her annihilation. Christendom now

lives in a period of time that resembles in her twentieth-century

experiences the period of time from Jesus' prophecy given on the Mount

of Olives until the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and her temple in 70

C.E. This particular corresponding period of time for Christendom began

at the close of the "appointed times of the nations" in the year 1914.

Consider world happenings since then.

What things did Jesus say would be a "beginning of pangs of distress"?

Were they not to be wars, food shortage, earthquakes, pestilences?(Matthew 24:7, 8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10, 11) What "wars" in the days of

Christ's apostles in the first century can compare with World Wars I

and II, not to speak of all the other wars since the close of World War

II in 1945 C.E.? Did the famines, earthquakes, pestilences of the years

33 to 70 C.E. surpass the food shortages, earthquakes and pestilences

Christendom and all the rest of the world have had since the end of the

Gentile Times in 1914?

Jesus also told his apostles that his disciples would be sorely

persecuted, being delivered up to tribulation and being killed, yes, of

their becoming an object of hatred by all the nations; also, of the

arising of false prophets, false Messiahs, and of the increasing of

lawlessness toward God with a consequent cooling off of the quality of

love on the part of the great majority of professed religionists; also,

of the need of Christian endurance during such a time as that. (Matthew

24:9-13; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19) Such developments marked

apostolic times of the first century. And what about world developments

since the Gentile Times ended in 1914? Has the world become so

converted to Christianity that the persecution of Christ's true

disciples has ceased? Is there any religious minority that is more the

object of "hatred by all the nations on account of my [Christ's] name"

than Jehovah's witnesses? Are there any religious persecutions greater

than those heaped upon these Christian witnesses of Jehovah all the way

from 1914 down to the present time? A record is there for all to

consult.

There was another distinguishing feature about that apostolic period ofthe first century prior to 70 C.E. To his Jewish opposers in Jerusalem,

Jesus said: "The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to

a nation producing its fruits." (Matthew 21:43) Even with their false

Messiahs the Jews were not producing the fruits of God's kingdom by

proclaiming it to the Gentiles. Before Jerusalem's destruction, they

did not take up the message of John the Baptist and proclaim that the

kingdom of the heavens was at hand. No, for during his last visit to

the temple in Jerusalem Jesus said to the religious scribes and

Pharisees: "You shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for you



yourselves do not go in, neither do you permit those on their way in to

go in." (Matthew 23:13) To whom, then, goes the credit for a

fulfillment before the year 70 C.E. of Jesus' dynamic words: "And this

good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth

for a witness to all the nations"? (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10) It goes

to those who were the "objects of hatred by all the nations on account

of my name"-his own disciples.

Similarly, in this corresponding period since the close of the Gentile

Times in 1914 C.E., it is those who are outstandingly the "objects of

hatred by all the nations on account of [Christ's] name" that are

bringing about a modern-day fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy concerning

the good news of God's kingdom. They are the ones who, despite hatred

and persecution, have filled the inhabited earth with the preaching of

the good news of God's Messianic kingdom for a witness to all the

nations. This is not the message of God's kingdom such as Christendom

has been preaching since the start of her existence in the days of

Emperor Constantine in the fourth century-a kingdom within her hundreds

of millions of church members, in their hearts, a kingdom that is

finally realized by world conversion to Christendom's churches. In

stark contrast, the kingdom preached by Jehovah's Christian witnessessince the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 is a real government that

was born in the heavens in that year. It is the established kingdom of

God in the hands of the Permanent Heir of King David, and it will put

an end to all the political governments of this earth and bless earth's

inhabitants with everlasting life, peace and happiness.

This remarkable accomplishment, the preaching of such good news in all

the inhabited earth for an international witness, by Jehovah's

Christian witnesses is significant. It is a brightly shining feature of

the "sign" that was to mark the "presence" or parousia of the reigning

King Jesus Christ in spirit. Since the year of his enthronement in the

heavens at God's right hand that preaching from door to door and by all

other means of modern communication has been carried on by Jehovah's

Christian witnesses for well over half a century, notwithstanding world

wars and other large-scale calamities. Evidently the completing of the

witness to all the nations concerning God's Messianic kingdom that is

about to take over all mankind's affairs must be very near. This

worldwide Kingdom-preaching was to precede "the end." All the inhabited

earth has now heard the Kingdom-preaching. No longer do "all the

nations" remain without a witness to them. "And then the end will

come," said Jesus, for this system of things! [source - Completion of

the Foretold "Sign" Nears, pages 293-308]

THE FACTS ON 1 JOHN 2:18:

1 John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard

that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists;whereby we know that it is the last hour." (ASV).

By the last hour, John evidently meant that of the Apostolic age as he

was very old and all the other apostles had died, and that there would

be a falling away. John's statement shows that there are many

individual antichrists, though all together they may form a composite

person designated "the antichrist." Per 2 John 7, "For manydeceivers

have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as

coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." (The

Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures; KIT).



However the expreeion 'hour' refers to a period of time of undetermined

length. Thus, He thus did not restrict the appearance, existence, and

activity of such antichrist to some future time only but showed that

the antichrist was then present and would continue on per 1 John 4:3,

and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is

the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh;

and now it is in the world already." (ASV).

And,

"The "last days" mentioned by Paul at 2 Timothy 3:1-7 refer to the time

after the apostasy had had its long day under the "man of lawlessness"

referred to at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. All the matters mentioned in 2

Timothy 3:1-7 are 'fruits' of apostasy that are grossly apparent in our

time. This does not refer to the first century, as the "man of

lawlessness" was not then evident. These "last days" are therefore

different from the "last hour" mentioned at 1 John 2:18, which refers

to the closing period of apostolic restraint against lawlessness. This

"restraint" was taken away at the death of John, the last of the

apostles.-2 Thess. 2:7." [source - WT 08/15/1976, page 512]


Matthew 23:26, "Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon

this generation." (ASV).

"When Jesus' apostles asked for a "sign" about his presence and the

conclusion of the system of things, he gave his famous prophecy about

coming wars, famines, earthquakes and the preaching of the good news of

the Kingdom before the end. (Matt. 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21) He also

said: "Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass

away until all these things occur."-Matt. 24:34

Based on the Bible and its fulfillment in history, Jehovah's Witnesses

have often pointed out that Christ's prophecy was to have two

applications: First, between 33 C.E. and the [minor fulfillment]

destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.; second, a larger [or major

fulfillment] fulfillment in this "time of the end" since 1914 C.E.

However, some Bible commentators have failed to appreciate the dual

aspect of this prophecy. So they have held that by the term

"generation" Jesus meant a race or people, such as the Jewish people or

the class of wicked humans existing through the centuries. They might

even refer to 1 Peter 2:9, which, in the Authorized Version, speaks of

the anointed Christian congregation as "a chosen generation." However,

Bible scholars now recognize that the Greek word in 1 Peter 2:9 should

be rendered "race" and is different from the word rendered "generation"

in Matthew 24:34.

Jesus was not referring to a race of people over the centuries or just

to Christians. He was first of all referring to his listeners and other

Jews at that time. An indication of this is the fact that earlier that

day, when condemning the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus spoke of their

murdering the prophets and said: "All these things will come upon this

generation." (Matt. 23:36) These words came true on the contemporary

generation when in 70 C.E. the Jews in Jerusalem faced its fiery

destruction. (Luke 3:16, 17) That also marked the 'conclusion of the

Jewish system of things' in the first fulfillment of Christ's prophecy.



This helps us to understand "generation" in Matthew 24:34. In common

English usage today "generation" might be used for (1) all persons who

were born and who live about the same time, or (2) the average span

between the birth of parents and that of their children, usually 20 to

30 years. Which did Jesus mean? Obviously not the latter, for in its

first application the "generation" ran from 33 C.E. until 70 C.E., or

at least 37 years.

Also, it is evident that by the word "generation" Jesus did not mean

just the Jewish children born in 33 C.E. Luke relates that after being

asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom was coming, Jesus told his

disciples: "[The Son of man] must undergo many sufferings and be

rejected by this generation." (Luke 17:20-25) That rejection certainly

was not by newborn babies. Likewise, the way things worked out shows

that the "generation" he spoke of in Matthew 24:34 included his

listeners and others who could discern the fulfillment of his words

from 33 C.E. onward until Jerusalem's destruction.

Thus, when it comes to the application in our time, the "generation"

logically would not apply to babies born during World War I. It appliesto Christ's followers and others who were able to observe that war and

the other things that have occurred in fulfillment of Jesus' composite

"sign." Some of such persons "will by no means pass away until" all of

what Christ prophesied occurs, including the end of the present wicked

system.

Jesus did not encourage his followers to try to calculate the exact

length of this "generation." (Ps. 90:10) Instead of trying to figure

how many more years, at the maximum, there may be until the end,

Christians should remember Jesus' warning: "Keep on the watch . . .

because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is

coming."-Matt. 24:42-44.

We have ample evidence that Matthew chapter 24 is being fulfilled now,

during "the conclusion of the system of things." One proof is the

earth-wide preaching of the good news of the established Messianic

kingdom, which Jesus said must be done before the end comes. (Matt.

24:14) So, rather than being drawn into speculation about a date that

we cannot know, let true Christians actively share in that important

preaching, as they look forward confidently to the fulfillment of

Jesus' words about "this generation" at Matthew 24:34. [source - WT

10/01/1978, page 31].

THE FACTS ON LUKE 11:47 AND 51:

Luke 11:47, "Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and

your fathers killed them" (ASV)..

And,

Luke 11:51, "from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who

perished between the altar and the sanctuary: yea, I say unto you, it

shall be required of this generation." (ASV).

Here, Jesus explained to his disciples the reason for his coming John

14:2-3 " In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I



would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go

and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto

myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also." (ASV).

"Shortly before instituting the Lord's Evening Meal, Jesus told his

faithful apostles that he had to go away. He meant, of course, that

after he died later that day, he had to go his way to heaven. Peter

reacted by asking to be allowed to follow him. Thereupon Jesus said:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Exercise faith in God, exercise

faith also in me. In the house of my Father there are many abodes.

Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going my way to prepare

a place for you. Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I am

coming again and will receive you home to myself, that where I am you

also may be."-John 14:1-3.

What "abodes" needed to be prepared for the apostles? Some Bible

translators have rendered John 14:2 in a way that suggests that Jesus

was talking about the apostles' needing "resting-places" on their way

to heaven or their finding various rooms in heaven. Yet, W. E. Vine

says about the Greek word involved: "There is nothing in the word to

indicate separate compartments in Heaven; neither does it suggesttemporary resting-places on the road." The word means simply a place to

abide. So Jesus was promising abiding places in the spiritual heavens

where he was going to be with his Father.-Ephesians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:4;

3:21, 22.

But in what way would Jesus prepare such abodes for his loyal

followers? Having died a sacrificial death, Jesus went to heaven to

present before God the value of his lifeblood. This would first benefit

those who would be called to be joint heirs of heavenly life. The

apostle Paul wrote: "Christ entered, not into a holy place made with

hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to

appear before the person of God for us." (Hebrews 9:12, 24-28; Romans

6:5; 8:17) So when Jesus told the apostles that he was going to

"prepare a place for" them, he certainly would have in mind his

'appearing before the person of God for' them. Only after he did that

could they or other humans follow him to heaven.-Philippians 3:20, 21.

Did Jesus have to do other things to prepare a place for them? In time,

he would assume kingly power and would war against Satan, casting him

and his demons out of heaven. (Revelation 12:7-9) This would occur

prior to the start of the heavenly resurrection of the apostles and

other anointed ones sleeping in death. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)

Whether Jesus' comment about 'preparing a place for' his followers

included his casting Satan out of heaven, we cannot say.

Moreover, we do not know if Jesus had other assignments that had to do

with preparing a place in heaven for anointed Christians. Yet, at leastwe can be sure that Jesus did prepare the way for his anointed

followers by presenting to God the value of his "precious blood." (1

Peter 1:19) On the basis of that blood, the new covenant was

established between Jehovah God and spirit-anointed Christians. [source

- WT 05/15/1988 page 31].

"God's Kingdom Comes to Power in the Midst of Its Enemies



FOR thousands of years men of faith have lived in eager expectation of

the day when God's kingdom would begin its rule. They have felt keenly

the need for God to take a direct hand in earth's affairs. Does this

mean that God has not been King during the centuries past? No, for

Jehovah has always been the Supreme Ruler of the universe. (Jeremiah

10:10) But here at the earth his rulership has been challenged. And, as

we have already seen, for sound reasons and with a loving purpose in

view, God has allowed human governments under the influence of Satan to

rule for a fixed period of time.

Jehovah promised, however, that at the end of that time he would take

direct action against all rebels and opposers of his rule. And he would

bring the earth and its inhabitants completely under his rule again.

How? By the Kingdom, a new heavenly government under his Son Christ

Jesus. So the coming of that kingdom to power means that great changes

are near at hand. It means that Jehovah God has given to his Son

"rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups

and languages should all serve even him."-Daniel 7:13, 14.

That event has already taken place in heaven. Kingdom authority has

already been given to Jehovah's Son. Does that sound strange to you? Itmight, especially in view of the terrible conditions afflicting

mankind. But, really, it is because of these very conditions that we

can be certain that this is true. Why is this?

This is so because the coming to power of Jehovah's kingdom is not

welcomed by all creatures. Not everyone wants to live under a

government that insists on righteousness. (Luke 19:11-14) For this

reason, Jehovah long ago recorded in his Word that when he 'begins

ruling as king' toward the earth 'the nations would become wrathful.'

(Revelation 11:17, 18) He foretold that, at the time of empowering his

Son to act, it would be necessary for him to say: "Go subduing in the

midst of your enemies."-Psalm 110:2 [109:2, Dy].

Christ Jesus would then oust Satan from heaven, the seat of government,

hurling him down to the vicinity of the earth, in preparation for

putting him completely out of action. In the heavens the grand

announcement would then be made: "Now have come to pass the salvation

and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his

Christ." But for the earth, what? "Woe . . . , because the Devil has

come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of

time." (Revelation 12:5, 7-10, 12) Full control of earth by God's

kingdom must soon follow! However, the start of the rule by God's

kingdom does not mean immediate peace and righteousness on earth. To

the contrary, it triggers a period of unprecedented trouble for earth's

inhabitants.

Realizing this, we can better understand the meaning of what Jesus toldhis followers about his second presence. They had asked him: "Tell us,

When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence

and of the conclusion of the system of things?" (Matthew 24:3) Jesus

then described, for their benefit and ours, what would take place on

earth when he would begin to rule in heaven. In this way, although the

events in heaven would be invisible to human eyes, there would be

visible proof that Christ was at last on the throne, taking action as

king. It would be proof that the wicked system of things that has

oppressed mankind for centuries had entered its "last days." (2 Timothy



3:1) Although it was foretold that there would be ridiculers that would

try to belittle the facts, yet the evidence would be clear.-2 Peter

3:3, 4.

As we consider the evidence together, it is important to realize that

Jesus did not say that any one event, such as threat of war or a

terrible earthquake, would be the proof that "the end" was at hand.

(Matthew 24:6) Rather, he said: "Note the fig tree and all the other

trees: When they are already in the bud, by observing it you know for

yourselves that now the summer is near. In this way you also, when you

see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near."

(Luke 21:29-31) If we see one tree put out its leaves in midwinter

because the weather is warm for a few days, we do not reason that

summer has come, do we? But when we see all the trees budding and the

days growing longer we know that summer has to be near. Likewise, when

all the things that Jesus described take place, we can know for sure

that Christ is on his heavenly throne and that his kingdom has, indeed,

begun active rule. When that happens, liberation is near!

FULFILLMENT OF "THE SIGN"

Exactly what did Jesus point to as marking his second presence and the

"conclusion of the system of things"? He said: "Nation will rise

against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food

shortages and earthquakes in one place after another." (Matthew 24:7)

Here Jesus tells us to look for a new kind of warfare-total war! The

war that began in 1914 fits his description. Not only did armies fight

on the battlefields; civilian populations too were organized to give

full support to the war. As Jesus foretold, entire nations and kingdoms

were fighting against one another. For the first time in history the

whole world was at war. Hence it is called "World War I." Of it the

book World War I said:

"In its scope, its violence, and above all, in its totality, it

established a precedent. World War I ushered in the century of Total

War, of-in the first full sense of the term-global war.

"Never before 1914-1918 had a war absorbed so much of the total

resources of so many combatants and covered so large a part of the

earth. Never had so many nations been involved. Never had the slaughter

been so comprehensive and indiscriminate."

The World Book Encyclopedia noted that the number of soldiers killed

and wounded was over 37,000,000, and added:

"The number of civilian deaths in areas of actual war totaled about

5,000,000. Starvation, disease, and exposure accounted for about 80 of

every 100 of these civilian deaths. Spanish influenza, which some

persons blamed on the war, caused tens of millions of other deaths."

This was just as Jesus foretold. Put together, these facts mark 1914 as

the beginning of the "last days" and the year that God's heavenly

kingdom began its active rule.-See also Luke 21:10, 11.

Also, after 1914 a series of earthquakes rocked the earth, causing

great damage. In 1915, in Italy, nearly 30,000 were killed. In 1920, in

China, 180,000 died. In 1923, 143,000 died in Japan. And major



earthquakes have continued to take place with unusual frequency since

then. As Jesus foretold, they are another mark of the "last days."

However, Jesus said that the events that marked the beginning of the

"last days" in 1914 were only the "beginning of pangs of distress."

(Matthew 24:8) Greater trouble was to come. True to his prophecy, it

did. The World Book Encyclopedia says: "World War I and its aftermath

led to the greatest economic depression in history during the early

1930's. The consequences of the war and the problems of adjustment to

peace led to unrest in almost every nation." This paved the way for

World War II. And of that war the same source notes:

World War II killed more persons, cost more money, damaged more

property, affected more people . . . than any other war in history. . .

. It has been estimated that the number of war dead, civilian and

military, totaled more than 22,000,000. The number of wounded has been

estimated as more than 34,000,000."

Truly, the "pangs of distress" Jesus foretold have become greater as

the "last days" move toward their climax.

During and after World War II widespread food shortages added to thedistress. Shortly after the war Look magazine observed:

"A fourth of the world is starving today. Tomorrow will even be worse.

Famine over most of the world now is more terrible than most of us can

imagine. . . . There are now more people hunting desperately for food

than at any other time in history."

More recent reports have shown that a constant lack of adequate food,

resulting in chronic malnutrition, has become the "major world hunger

problem today." The London Times reported:

"There have always been famines, but the scale and ubiquity [presence

everywhere] of hunger today is on a totally new scale. . . . Today

malnutrition is said to affect more than a thousand million people;

perhaps as many as 400 million live constantly on the brink of

starvation."-June 3, 1980.

Jesus also foretold the "increasing of lawlessness" as a mark of the

"last days." (Matthew 24:12) And God inspired the apostle Paul to add:

"In the last days . . . men will be lovers of themselves, . . .

disobedient to parents, . . . without self-control, fierce, without

love of goodness, . . . lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of

God, . . . wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse." (2

Timothy 3:1-5, 13) These are the conditions that have developed at an

explosive rate since 1914! You have seen them with your own eyes, have

you not? Throughout the world lawlessness is running wild. Said one

lawyer: "Almost everywhere, including Soviet Russia, there appears to

be an increase in crime, and particularly, alas, in juvenile crime."

From nation after nation come reports such as the following:

"A wave of crime and rioting is sweeping across the United States . . .

In many cities, women are afraid to go out after dark. And they have

good reason. Rapes, assaults, sadistic outbursts of senseless violence

are on the rise. Crimes often seem to be committed out of sheer

savagery . . . Respect for law and order is declining."

As another feature of the "last days," Jesus spoke of great confusion

and fear among the nations and their leaders. He foretold: "On the



earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out . . . men become

faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the

inhabited earth." (Luke 21:25, 26) The fulfillment of this prophecy is

evident in the news of our time. U.S. News & World Report said:

"Is the world in greater tumult than before World War II? No doubt.

"Shooting troubles, on the average, erupt once a month. Counting out

real wars like Korea and Vietnam, the record still shows over 300

revolutions, coups, uprisings, rebellions and insurrections worldwide

since the end of World War II."

Added to all these things is the fear of being destroyed by the huge

supply of nuclear weapons some nations possess. One news editor

commented: "The fact is that today the biggest single emotion which

dominates our lives is fear." It is just as Jesus foretold: mankind is

fearful and the nations are in anguish.

All the foretold marks of the "last days" are here. They prove beyond a

doubt that we have been in the "last days" since 1914. Hence it was in

that year that God's heavenly kingdom came to power!-Revelation 11:17,

18.

It is true that in past generations there were periods marked by

violence and much immoral conduct. The decline of the Roman Empire is

an example. But never before in human history have all the conditions

specified by Jesus been observed in the same generation. And never

before have they existed at the same time in every nation of the earth.

Today we live, not merely in the last days of one political empire, but

in the "last days" of the entire wicked system controlled by Satan.

1914 A MARKED YEAR

Years in advance Bible scholars realized that 1914 was to be a year of

great significance. Bible chronology specifically points to that year,

and careful students of God's Word knew that. They expected great

changes to take place, and the facts confirm that 1914 was, indeed, a

marked year.

Others with knowledge of world affairs fully agree that 1914 was a

marked year. The London Evening Star commented that World War I "tore

the whole world's political setup apart. Nothing could ever be the same

again. . . . some historian in the next century may well conclude that

the day the world went mad was August 4, 1914." Of the great change

1914 made, the historian H. R. Trevor-Roper said:

"It is instructive to compare the first World War with the second . . .

the first war marked a far greater change in history. It closed a long

era of general peace and began a new age of violence in which the

second war is simply an episode. Since 1914 the world has had a newcharacter: a character of international anarchy. . . . Thus the first

World War marks a turning point in modern history."

World leaders have also commented on the significance of the year 1914.

Former chancellor of West Germany Konrad Adenauer spoke of the time

"before 1914 when there was real peace, quiet and security on this

earth-a time when we didn't know fear." Then he added: "Security and

quiet have disappeared from the lives of men since 1914. And peace?

Since 1914, the Germans have not known real peace nor has much of



mankind," Note, too, the comment in the book entitled "1914." The

author says: "In the year 1914 the world, as it was known and accepted

then, came to an end. Far more than any year before or since was this

the punctuation-mark of the twentieth century . . . from then on

nothing could ever be the same."

Satan the Devil and his demons know they have only "a short period of

time" left before their destruction. (Revelation 12:12) Even when Jesus

was on earth, the demons knew that someday they would be destroyed.

They showed a vicious disposition back then, and now that they know

their time is short they are more vicious and desperate than ever.

(Luke 8:27-33) They are out to stir up all the trouble that they can,

in order to direct the attention of mankind away from the kingdom of

God. That is why this wicked system of things has been behaving so

crazily since 1914. It is behaving like a top, a child's toy, that

wobbles crazily just before it tumbles to a complete stop.

Are we disheartened by this situation? Jesus said that his disciples

would have reason to lift their heads up. Why? Because they realize the

meaning of it all. They see in these events proof that deliverance is

near! (Luke 21:28) And they do not keep this joyful news to themselves,

but in all the earth they are preaching the thrilling news that thekingdom of God now rules. As Jesus foretold: "This good news of the

kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to

all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) This,

too, is part of the "sign." In North and South America, Europe, Africa,

Asia and the islands of the seas Jehovah's witnesses zealously keep

proclaiming this urgent message. In both large cities and small

villages you will find them, in all parts of the earth. Yes, this part

of the "sign" is also being fulfilled.

Beyond all doubt, the evidence points to 1914 as the year when the

kingdom of God went into operation, and that event is causing things to

happen here on earth. In that same year "the present wicked system of

things" entered its "last days." (Galatians 1:4) Soon, now, the prayer

for God's kingdom to "come" will be answered, when it displays its

great power by destroying Satan's entire wicked system. Then God's

kingdom alone will operate as the one government to rule the earth

throughout eternity. (Daniel 2:44) Taking direct control of all earth's

affairs, it will shower down on obedient mankind blessings of peace,

happiness and life. The prayer for 'God's will to take place, as in

heaven, also upon earth,' will have had glorious fulfillment, for God's

kingdom will have come to rule forever. And think of it! You may enjoy

eternal life under the loving rule of that kingdom.-Matthew 6:9, 10.

[source - The Truth, Chapter 10, pages 82-93]

CONCLUSION:

As can be seen, there is both a minor and a major fulfillment of all of

these prophecies.

Now to know the truth, go to:

1) http://religioustruths.yuku.com/

2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/

3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/



If you wish more information and/or wish to ask a question or what

ever, contact me by leaving a PM (personal message) at

http://religioustruths.yuku.com/

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the

image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579,

written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does

The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today!

when god's (yhwh's) kingdom starts ruling:

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