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Doctrine changes · Claim record

Until 1925 the movement read Revelation 12 as a conflict between pagan and papal Rome with the male child representing the papacy; the article “Birth of the Nation” of 1 March 1925 reassigned the vision to the birth of God's Kingdom in 1914.

Claim ID claim-doctrine-chg-rev12-male-childConcerns 1 March 1925Later reinterpretation
Later reinterpretation · 1 March 1925 Supported

Until 1925 the movement read Revelation 12 as a conflict between pagan and papal Rome with the male child representing the papacy; the article “Birth of the Nation” of 1 March 1925 reassigned the vision to the birth of God's Kingdom in 1914. The Watchtower, 15 May 1995

The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation records the change as “a striking flash of light”.

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Part 2—Flashes of Light—Great and Small”

15 May 1995 · p.21 · par. 2 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“It had been thought that Revelation chapter 12 described a war between pagan Rome and papal Rome, with the male child representing the papacy. But that article showed that Revelation 11:15-18 had a bearing on the meaning of chapter 12, indicating that it relates to the birth of God’s Kingdom.”

The article referred to is “Birth of the Nation” in The Watch Tower of 1 March 1925, which reassigned the central vision of Revelation 12 from church history to the organisation's 1914 Kingdom teaching.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Document opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; the wording was read in full and the page number taken from the library's own page markers.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-d-w-1995-0515-p2-rev12

Claim page

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