The biblical account shows that the investiture of a king at the head of a kingdom occurs in two stages. The first step is the anointing process, or designation by God, of the human who will be king. It may be that at the time of God’s appointment, there is already another king, so that the new anointed king is not necessarily vested with the kingdom. Let us take the example of King David, to better understand when Jesus Christ has been anointed as King and then invested with this kingship, this time at the head of the Heavenly Kingdom of God.
King David has been anointed and made King while king Saul reigned: « So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah began to empower David from that day forward. Samuel later rose and went his way to Ramah” (1 Samuel 16:13). It was not until the death of king Saul that he began to reign, in Hebron, among his enemies, because one of Saul’s sons, Ish-bosheth, claimed succession to the throne in Jerusalem (2 Samuel chapters 2, 3 and 4). Finally, two men cowardly murdered Ish-Bosheth while he slept. The two assassins, thinking that they would be rewarded for this despicable act, beheaded Ish-Bosheth to bring his head to King David. However, he was outraged at this assassination and had these two assassins executed on the spot (2 Samuel 4:9-12). After the death of Ish-Bosheth, David began to reign in Jerusalem (1 Samuel chapter 5). The historical account of King David allows us to better understand the different stages of the kingship of Christ, at the head of the Heavenly Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ has been anointed as King by his Heavenly Father, Jehovah God, at his baptism in 29 CE. Before the birth of the child Jesus, the angel Gabriel told Mary, his future mother, that her son would become king: « He will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom » (Luke 1:33). Thus, Jesus Christ became King anointed by his Father, at the beginning of his first visible presence on earth, in the year 29 CE. Toward the end of His first earthly presence, on Nisan 10, 33 CE, Jesus Christ returned to Jerusalem as the appointed and anointed king of His Heavenly Father, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: « Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem. Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, bringing salvation, Humble and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a female donkey” (Matthew 21:1-10).
When he ascended into Heaven to join his Heavenly Father, according to Psalms 110, he sat at the right hand of the Father expecting to receive the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, or the governance both in Heaven and on Earth: « Jehovah declared to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet »” (Psalms 110, compare with Luke 19:12). In 1914, according to the prophecy of Daniel chapter 4, and the book of Apocalypse, it would appear that King Jesus Christ was invested with this kingship with a kingdom. According to Psalms 2, it was on this date that he began to reign among his enemies, a bit like king David during his seven years of reign in Hebron. It is interesting to note in the prophecy of Apocalypse chapter 6, describing the beginning of the woes of humanity, Jesus Christ is already described as being invested with this Kingship, in the midst of his enemies and in adverse circumstances, particularly for mankind (Apocalypse 6:1-8, compare 11:15-18, 12:10-12). It is as King that Jesus Christ will come to judge humanity, shortly before the great tribulation, putting an end to the reign of his enemies (Apocalypse 19:11-21).
1914, really?
By this question, it should be said that this date is absolutely not unanimous among Christians who are interested in the prophecy of Jesus Christ regarding the end of this system of things. This is why initially, there will be a simplified explanation of how this date is obtained. And then, out of intellectual honesty, we will examine what could be considered as interpretative weaknesses in the calculation of this date. And thirdly, the reasons why this year of 1914 was retained in the editorial line of this biblical site. Some information will be in the conditional as possibilities or probabilities while being open to any need for readjustments.
1914 would be the beginning of Christ’s invisible presence as King
and the beginning of the end of this system of things mentioned
in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21
The determination of this date is based on the prophecy of Daniel (4:10-25), which you can read in your copy of the Bible. In 607 BCE, when Jerusalem has been conquered by the Babylonians, “the Davidic throne” representing Jehovah’s earthly sovereignty, has been found vacant, and no longer representing it (2 Kings 25:1-26). In the prophecy of Ezekiel, it is written that this reign of the Davidic dynasty would be restored: “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not remain the same. Raise up the low one, and bring low the high one. A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it. And it will not belong to anyone until the one who has the legal right comes, and I will give it to him” (Ezekiel 21:26, 27). The one who would have “the legal right” to the Davidic crown, is Christ Jesus (Luke 1:32, 33).
The prophecy of Daniel, chapter 4, indicates the duration of this temporary interruption of the reign of the Davidic dynasty: 7 times, that are, 7 prophetic years of 360 days. Which are 2520 days or 7 prophetic years. The historical and prophetic context, of the events after the beginning of the temporary overthrow of the Davidic dynasty, in 607 BCE, allows to understand that these 2520 days, are in fact 2520 years. Adding 7 years, to the year 607 BCE, nothing historically important has happened: which makes it possible to discern that it is indeed the biblical correspondence, of « a day for a year », 2520 years (Ezekiel 4:6). Adding the 2520 years, to 607 BCE, we get to the year 1914 CE. In 1 Kings 25:25,26, it is written that Jerusalem has been completely uninhabited from the seventh month of the year 607 BCE, that is, from the month of Tishri (Ethanim).
The weaknesses of this interpretation leading to 1914
Many Christians have serious doubts about this interpretation and calculation. Here are four major objections: The first simple objection is that in the immediate context of Daniel chapter 4, there is no information that would indicate that this dream would have a second fulfillment. The second objection is that, assuming that there was another accomplishment, the date of 607 BCE for the first destruction of Jerusalem is not consistent with the date held by historians, which would be 586 BCE. The third objection is that nothing indicates, in the immediate context, that the seven times are 7 prophetic years. The fourth objection is that there is no indication, in the immediate context of chapter 4, that the 2520 days should be converted into 2520 years, according to Ezekiel 4:6. These four entirely admissible objections show that this interpretive date must be considered with caution and not with dogmatism. Now, taking into account these objections, here is why this date and its chronological calculation were retained in the editorial line of this biblical site, as a historical marker recognized by many historians.
Those who contest the validity of the calculation of this date, say that they are basing themselves on an exegetical study of the biblical text. However, it is appropriate to go to the end of this exegesis by admitting that the original biblical texts were not divided into chapters and verses. Thus, while remaining in the general context of the book of Daniel, it is not appropriate to reason only on the basis of the context of the single « chapter 4 », when it obviously does not directly give its meaning. Without necessarily going to another biblical book, looking at the whole context of the book of Daniel, can be usually enough. Let us see how.
Concerning the first objection, which shows that nothing indicates, in chapter 4, that there would be a second fulfillment. In any case, in the Bible, there is never any direct or written indication that there would be two fulfillments. It is only the context that allows us to understand it (see above the reasoning on the expression « great tribulation »). Furthermore, sometimes there are historical biblical narratives that have, at first glance, no prophetic dimension, and yet, it exists. Let us take two examples. The story of manna falling from heaven (Exodus 16:31-36). Nothing in the historical context of this passage shows the prophetic dimension of this story. However, Jesus Christ considered that it did indeed have a prophetic dimension (John 6:31-58). The historical account of the making of the copper serpent (Numbers 21:7-9). Nothing in the historical context of this passage shows the prophetic dimension of this narrative. However, Jesus Christ considered that it did indeed have a prophetic dimension (John 3:14,15).
Let us look at the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 4. First of all, it should be noted that it is his second dream sent by God to this king (Daniel 2). In his first dream, Daniel says that God has revealed to him (through the interpretation of this dream) « what is to happen in the final part of the days ». Thus, the historical account of Daniel 2 has more than a simple anecdotal value, but also a prophetic value, concerning our time. The question that arises is: should we expect less from the story of the second dream given by God to King Nebuchadnezzar? Namely, that the scope of this second prophetic dream would concern « the final part of the days ». Basing ourselves, this time on the whole context of the book of Daniel, if we were to consider the second dream of King Nebuchadnezzar as applying only to his time, and to his person alone, then it would be the only prophetic vision which would not concern our time, while the whole of this book is directly related to « the final part of the days » (Daniel 12:9). Therefore, it would be rather the failure to not admit that there would be a second fulfillment of this dream, concerning the last days, which would not respect the entire context of the prophetic book of Daniel.
The second objection is about the date of 607 BCE, which would correspond to the first destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian armies. However, all historians consider that this event happened around 20 years later, that is to say in 586 BCE. Furthermore, there is no known historical written record today regarding this date of 607 BCE. Why, on a biblical level, would this date be chosen as a starting point? Because the date of Cyrus’ edict allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, recognized by historians, was promulgated in 539 BCE. The Jews arrived in Jerusalem in 537 BCE, ending the 70 years of desolation of that city, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11,12): « In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of years mentioned in the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill the desolation of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years” (Daniel 9:2). If we go back 70 years, from 537 BCE, we arrive at 607 BCE.
The third objection is about the seven times, translated into 7 prophetic years of 360 days. It is in chapter 12 that we have confirmation that this correspondence is correct: « It will be for an appointed time, appointed times, and half a time » (Daniel 12:7). This period would correspond to 3 and a half times, or three and a half prophetic years, or 1260 days. Then, the angel mentions two other periods which would begin with the 1260 days, that is, 1290 days (1260 days plus 30 days) (verse 11), 1335 days (1260 days plus 75 days) (verse 12). Which demonstrates that the three and a half times correspond to the 1260 days, and that the 7 times represent seven prophetic years, or 2520 days.
The fourth objection is about the conversion of the 2520 days, the seven times, into 2520 years. This conversion exists in the book of Daniel chapter 9, regarding the seventy weeks of years in Daniel 9:24-27. What is interesting is that at no time is the word « week » written accompanied by the word « year ». And yet, depending on the context, in this prophecy, the seven days of the week are automatically translated into weeks of years. Therefore, converting the 2520 days into 2520 years, to arrive at the last days period mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy, also respects its context.
Therefore, we can consider that the year 1914 would be the beginning of the reign of King Jesus Christ in heaven, among his enemies (Psalms 2). He is present in the sense that since this period, his attention has been turned to the earth to act on behalf of the people of God (Daniel 12:1). If his presence is currently invisible, his coming, shortly before the great tribulation, will be visible (Matthew 24:30; 25:31-33; Revelation 1:7). It was also during this year, it seems, according to the Apocalypse, that the Devil and the demons were expelled to the neighborhood of the earth, plunging the world into a process of self-destruction and collective suicide against the all peoples, which we can observe particularly today: « Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time » (Apocalypse 12:12). However, a little farther on, we will see what the year 1914 does not represent.
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