The first edition of The Time Is at Hand (1889) stated as 'an established truth' that the final end of the kingdoms of this world and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God 'will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914'.

The first edition of The Time Is at Hand (1889) stated as 'an established truth' that the final end of the kingdoms of this world and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God 'will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914'. Source: Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, first edition, 1889

The organisation’s position or later explanation: Later printings changed the sentence to 'near the end of A.D. 1915'; Russell's 1916 foreword called the expectation of the Church's glorification a 'natural mistake'; Proclaimers p.133-135 describes early expectations as not all correct.

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Primary JW publication Verified

Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, first edition, “Chapter IV, The Times of the Gentiles”

1889 · pp.98-99 · C. T. Russell · Tower Publishing Co. / Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914.”

Follows a passage saying these things had been preached for eleven years and that Communism, Socialism and Nihilism showed the present powers being shaken.

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Provenance and verification note for Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, first edition, Chapter IV, The Times of the Gentiles

Confidence note. Wording confirmed in the first-edition OCR text between page headers 97 and 101.

Scan provenance. Internet Archive community upload (daveignatius); public domain.

Corroborated by. src-sits2-1914-00-p99-p101-1915

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-sits2-1889-00-p99-full-establishment

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