THE TEACHING

The 1914 doctrine teaches that 1914 is the date when Christ Jesus finally sits upon the throne of David. This section discusses whether the Kingdom started around 33 CE, in 1914 or will start at a later date.

When Michael the Archangel (of Daniel 12:1) “stands up” for his people, this is also the time when Jesus was to have “sat down” upon the throne of David and turned his attention toward the earth. JWs teach that this happened in 1914.

When Revelation 12 speaks of Jesus (as Michael) and Satan being cast down from heaven, this was also to have happened in 1914, so that the angels could cry out, (Rev 12:10) “I heard a loud voice in heaven say:“Now have come to pass the salvation+ and the power and the Kingdom of our God+ and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!+”

One of the most repeated prophetic fulfillments in the Christian Greek Scriptures is the repetition of Psalm 110:1-2 which says , “Jehovah declared to my Lord:“Sit at my right hand+Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”+2   Jehovah will extend the scepter of your power out of Zion, saying:“Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.”+“

THE QUESTIONS

Q. Why does the Bible speak of Jesus as King of Kings (ruler of the kings of the earth) in the first century?

Q. Why does Paul’s letter to the Colossians say that Christians in the first century are already being transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (“kingdom of God’s beloved Son”)?  (also see NWTR)

Q. Why is Jesus spoken of as having all authority immediately after his resurrection, if he does not yet the authority of the Messianic King? (Matt 28:19,20)

Q. Why is Jesus resurrection spoken of as the time when he was given a name  above every other name, whether they be principalities, lordships. (Phil 2:8-11, Eph 1:20,21)

Q. If he is both King and Priest, when did Jesus priesthood begin? Why does the book of Hebrews show that he is already a priest as of the first century after Jesus’ resurrection?

Q. The explanation for Psalm 110 is that Jesus waits on God’s right hand, seated, but waiting to stand up. However, when a king “sits” on a throne he is usually considered to also be ruling. Why do JWs consider Jesus as a king only when he stands up from his seat at God’s right hand?

Q. Why does Paul reference Psalm 100 and replace the word “sit at God’s right hand” with “rule as king”. Would this not mean that Christ has been ruling as king from the time he sat at God’s right hand?

WATCHTOWER REFERENCES:

REGARDING THE KINGDOM MENTIONED IN COLOSSIANS 1:13 

*** w10 9/15 pp. 22-23 “Your Leader Is One, the Christ” ***
Overseer of the Christian Congregation
7 Shortly before ascending to heaven, the resurrected Jesus told his disciples: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” (Matt. 28:18) Jehovah had Jesus pass on holy spirit to strengthen his disciples in Christian truth. (John 15:26) Jesus poured out this spirit upon the early Christians at Pentecost 33 C.E. (Acts 2:33) That outpouring of the holy spirit marked the founding of the Christian congregation. Jehovah invested his Son with the heavenly leadership of the congregation on earth. (Read Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:13, 18.) Jesus guides the Christian congregation by means of Jehovah’s holy spirit, and he has at his service angels who were “made subject to him.”—1 Pet. 3:22.

Others would point out that this paragraph appears to purposely avoid the idea of kingship here and replace with the ideas of “overseer,” “leader,” and “guide.” Yet the reference from Matt. 28 is not just about the congregation but about “all authority in heaven and on earth“. How much more authority would he receive in 1914 if he had already received “all” of it? Also, Acts 2:33 is not just about pouring out the holy spirit on the congregation but is followed with the idea that Jesus is now already fulfilling the Messianic promises of the Davidic Kingdom from the right hand of God.

Acts 2: 33  Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God+and received the promised holy spirit from the Father,+ he has poured out what you see and hear. 34  For David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah* said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35  until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”’+ 36  Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord+ and Christ, this Jesus whom you executed on a stake.”+

Both Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 1:13 are referenced here where the congregation is included but the context goes far beyond. The same goes for 1 Peter 3:22, where his power clearly is shown to  extend well beyond just the congregation. Note:

1 Peter 3:22  He is at God’s right hand,+ for he went to heaven, and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him.+

For several years, this teaching was given a lot of emphasis with a specific differentiation made between this kingdom over the congregation of “spirit-anointed Christians] and the rulership over the peoples of the world.

*** w02 10/1 p. 18 Cultivate Obedience as the End Draws Near ***
Jesus’ First Kingdom
3 When Jesus ascended to heaven, he did not immediately take up the scepter of rulership over the peoples of the world. (Psalm 110:1) However, he did receive a “kingdom” with subjects that obeyed him. The apostle Paul identified that kingdom when he wrote: “[God] delivered us [spirit-anointed Christians] from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” (Colossians 1:13) This deliverance began at Pentecost 33 C.E. when holy spirit was poured out on Jesus’ faithful followers.—Acts 2:1-4; 1 Peter 2:9.

The italics, which are now bolded and underlined above, are not added, those italics are in the original article where only two phrases in the whole article are italicized. The other is shown below:

*** w02 10/1 p. 19 Cultivate Obedience as the End Draws Near ***

Shiloh Becomes Earth’s Rightful Ruler
8 Jacob’s prophecy foretold that Shiloh would command “the obedience of the peoples.” Clearly, Christ’s rulership would extend beyond spiritual Israel. What would it embrace? Revelation 11:15 answers: “The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.” The Bible reveals that Jesus received that authority at the end of the prophetic “seven times”—“the appointed times of the nations”—in 1914. (Daniel 4:16, 17; Luke 21:24) In that year, Christ’s invisible “presence” as Messianic King began, as did his time to “go subduing in the midst of [his] enemies.”—Matthew 24:3; Psalm 110:2.

REGARDING MATTHEW 28:19,20 “ALL AUTHORITY”

*** w04 7/1 pp. 8-9 ‘Go and Make Disciples’ ***
“All Authority Has Been Given Me”
3 First, why should we obey the command to make disciples? Jesus stated: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. Go therefore and make disciples.” The word “therefore” points to a major reason why we should obey this command. It is because Jesus, the one who issued the command, has “all authority.” How extensive is his authority?
4 Jesus has authority over his congregation, and since 1914 he has had authority over God’s newly established Kingdom. (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 11:15) He is the archangel and as such commands a heavenly army of hundreds of millions of angels. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 19:14-16) He has been empowered by his Father to bring to nothing “all government and all authority and power” that oppose righteous principles. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Ephesians 1:20-23) Jesus’ authority is not limited to the living. He is also “judge of the living and the dead” and has God-given power to resurrect those who have fallen asleep in death. (Acts 10:42; John 5:26-28) Surely a command given by the One vested with such vast authority should be viewed as of the highest importance. Therefore, we respectfully and willingly obey Christ’s command to ‘go and make disciples.’

In this case the logic evidently is that while Jesus said he had “all authority” in 33 CE, we accept that he only has “all authority” since 1914, and that the verse in Colossians 1:13 can somehow indicate that the authority in 33 CE was only with respect to the congregation.