DID THE SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS BEGIN in 1914?
WAS WORLD WAR I THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST DAYS?
The WTS claims that mankind entered the last days when World War I began in 1914. This claim is based on Matthew 24:7. The following wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes are pointed to as being the composite sign of Jesus having become invisibly present. All these features are said to be much worse than in any previous century. However, in overall terms the 14th century was a much worse century for most people to have lived in. Other centuries have been worse than the 20th in respect of the individual aspects:
WAR—Although there were more deaths caused by World War II than any other war, the supposed key time marker i.e. World War I, did not result in more deaths than all previous wars put together, as is sometimes misquoted from certain sources. In 1644 the Manchu-Chinese warclaimed an estimated 25 million lives. From 1850 to 1864 the Taiping Rebellion claimed between 20-30 million lives. Wars earlier than 1914 were also considered by historians to be total or world wars e.g. the Napoleonic wars from 1793. Although the WTS quotes sources which state that 33 nations were involved in ‘the Great war’ yet only 14 nations were significantly involved.
NOTE: World War I deaths were: 8.5 million mobilized men and a total of 15 million which included deaths from epidemic diseases and malnutrition.
FAMINE — The resulting famine from the China flood of 1877-78 caused an estimated 9 to 13 million deaths. By contrast deaths from the famines of the 20thcentury range from 3 to 5 million. When providing statistics today the definition of ‘starvation’ concerns the lack of one or more essential nutrients. According to the older definition less than 1% (40 million) of mankind is actually now starving. This is not the extreme and contradictory figures of 12.5%, 25%, and 80% often quoted.
PESTILENCE — The black death of 1330-1350, perhaps the worst disaster of all time, killed ¼ or more of the world’s population.
EARTHQUAKE— Perhaps the worst of all time (as of 1993) was on 1 November1875, centred in Lisbon, the shock of which was felt over much of the world. However, it is impossible to be certain regarding earthquakes because there were no true seismologists before the mid-1800s and therefore only few and poor records.
Nevertheless, none of the above features are part of the sign of Jesus’ return.
JESUS’ RETURN - IS IT “PRESENCE” OR “COMING”?
The following Greek termsparousia and epiphania describe the same event on the day Jesus returns.
Parousia
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states concerning parousia:
someone’s coming in order to be present. Technically the noun was used for the arrival of a king, emperor or ruler. (The corresponding Latin term isadventus)... With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the idea of the parousia becomes bound up with the church’s expectation of Christ’s appearing at the end of the age...Note that other words
are used to describe the parousia of Christ (e.g. Gk. hemera, day 2465; epiphania, appearance, 2211).
Thayer’s Greek–English Lexicon defines parousia as:
In the N.T esp. of the advent, i.e. the future, visible return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah...
Bauer’s Greek–English Lexicon notes concerning parousia:
of Christ, and nearly always of his Messianic Advent in glory to judge the world at the end of this age: Mt 24:3.
Hence it was translated as adventus in the old Latin Bibles and as coming in all modern Bibles.
Epiphania (noun) = an appearing, a manifestation; this term strictly concerns visibility. So Jesus’ parousia cannot be an invisible coming to be present.
JESUS SPOKE ONLY OF A SIGN OF HIS RETURN AND THE END OF THE AGE
· “Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence (Gk. parousia = coming) and of the conclusion of the system of things (age)” (Matt. 24:3).
Jesus’ answer concerned the sign that would indicate his soon return:
· “Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors”
(Matt. 24:33).
This does not refer to geographical proximity but near in time. Jesus’ answer was also about “the end” (Gk. telos verses 13, 14). The end of the age would be synchronous with Jesus’ return. He did not speak of any long period of the last days as marked by a sign. Although Jesus’ mention of wars, famines and pestilences is significant, such things were not the actual sign for his return. So the 1st World War along with the Spanish influenza was not a sign that Jesus had returned or that the last days had begun.
THE “LAST DAYS” WILL NOT LAST FOR ONE HUNDRED OR MORE YEARS
The idea that the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6:3 indicates that “the last days” could be a very long period cannot be sustained. This is because the 120 years do not refer to a period of time i.e. the amount of time between God’s statement that he planned to destroy mankind and that actual destruction in the Flood. Such a view does not fit the context or the context of the various genealogies in Genesis which all concern the longevity and vitality of humans at different periods. Genesis 6:3 simply shows that the longevity of mankind was to be drastically reduced after the Flood.
The Word Biblical Commentary on Genesis 6:3 says:
“His days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” In the immediate context of Gen 6:1–4 the meaning of this remark appears quite obvious: from now on nobody shall live to more than 120 years of age. However, within the wider setting of Genesis this interpretation is problematic, for Noah and many of his descendants live hundreds of
years (Gen 11). Even Abraham lived to 175; Isaac, to 180; and Jacob, to 147 years. On the other hand, according to 5:32, Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Ham, Shem, and Japhet, and 600 years old when the flood began (7:6), so some commentators (e.g., Keil, König, Kidner) have suggested that 120 years represents a period of grace before the flood. It may be, however, that the author thought of the 120 years as a maximum life-span that was only gradually implemented; cf. the slow-acting curses of Eden 3:16–19. In the post-flood period, the recorded ages steadily decline (chap. 11), and later figures very rarely exceed 120. After the time of Jacob, the longest-lived include Joseph (110, Gen 50:26), Moses (120, Deut 34:7), and Joshua (110, Josh 24:29). Only Aaron (123, Num 33:39) exceeds 120.
Furthermore, this statement of 120 years is not connected to the unstated period of time for Noah to preach to the world (2 Pet. 2:5). The fact that Noah’s sons were born when he was 500 years old (Gen. 5:32) and that the time of the flood was when he was 600 years old (Gen. 7:6) is not stated as being the period of Noah’s preaching to warn the world.
So for the above reasons there is no basis for imagining that “the last days” will be 120 years long or any other very long period. Rather the last days seem to be closely associated with the Great Tribulation which will be a relatively short burst of Satan’s anger on God’s people (please see below).
PRECURSORS TO THE SIGN
“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” (Matt. 24:4-6).
Before answering the disciples question in verse 3 Jesus gave the disciples the above warning. Bar Kochba was an example of this in 135 AD, but such ones appear on the scene throughout the period when “the end is not yet.”
“For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages [“famines”KIT] and earthquakes in one place after another. All these are a beginning of pangs of distress” (Matt. 24:7, 8). Also see Mark 13:4-8 and Luke 21:8-11a.
NOTE: There is a significant difference between “food shortages” in the NWT and “famines” in KIT and all other translations. The lexicon definition for the Greek word limos in the Olivet discourse is famine.
A MIDDLE-EASTERN SCENARIO
Jesus draws upon the information provided by the ancient prophets concerning the wars of the King of the North (“disgusting thing that causes desolation”) in Daniel 11 when “nation will rise against nation” and these events will naturally be followed by famines and pestilences (Luke 21:11). Jesus also addsearthquakes (Joel 2:10; Isa. 29:6) as part of these characteristics of “the beginning of the birth pains” (verse 8). Because Jesus’ focus is on Judea (Matt 24:16) all these events are yet to occur in the middle-east in harmony with the general location detailed by all the ancient prophets.
TIME OF THE END PERSECUTION
MATTHEW GIVES A SYNOPSIS OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION
“Then (At that time) they will deliver you up to tribulation” and that they will be“hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then (at that time) many will fall away”(Matt. 24:9-14).
This reminds us of Paul’s words at 2 Thessalonians 2:2, 3 that the day of the Lord“will not come unless the apostasy comes first.”
NOTE: Contextually the “lawlessness” of Matthew 24:12 is not world crime statistics, i.e. not a reference to the lawlessness within society in general, but rather lawlessness against God by “falling away” Christians.
THE SIGN
After giving his synopsis of the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:9-14, Jesus, in Jewish literary fashion, goes into greater detail by now discussing what causes the Great Tribulation and in giving warnings of what Christians must watch out for, namely, the false prophets who will attempt to mislead them and details of what they must do concerning fleeing to the mountains.So when Jesus says in verse 14“and then the end will come” he is speaking of the end of the age which begins:
· “…when you [Christians] see “the disgusting thing that causes desolation” [“when Jerusalem’ is surrounded by armies”] standing in the holy place…”
(Matt. 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23 and Luke 21:20-24).
· “So when you see the disgusting thing that causes desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place … For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no and never will be”
(Matt. 24:15, 21)
By studying the book of Daniel it is evident that this is the time of the appearance of the Antichrist as the desolator of Jerusalem and the instigator of an intense burst of persecution upon both Jews and Christians. This event begins in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week and continues for about 3½ years.
THE END BECOMES EVIDENT TO THE WHOLE WORLD
· “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”
(Matt. 24: 29, 30). See also in Mark 13:24-26.
· “And there will be signs in sun, moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves” (Luke 21:25).
Clearly Christians will understand that what takes place in and around Jerusalem with the subsequent Great Tribulation is the sign that in approximately 3½ years time Jesus will return. Yet the unbelieving world does not know that Jesus is about to appear until he is actually visible in glory and with devastating plagues being poured out on the unbelievers.
CONCLUSION
The sign for the singular future return of Jesus is “When you see the disgusting thing…standing in the holy place.” Other studies show this to be the events concerning “the man of lawlessness.”
EARLIER WTS MISAPPLIED DATES
“1799 was the beginning of the last days.”
This is the old Historicist view concerning Napoleon’s capture of the Pope.
“The last days would conclude in 1914 (40 years after 1874) with the destruction of the wicked.”
Elijah Returns
