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Dossier di prove · previsione esplicita
1914
La data più conosciuta dell’insegnamento dei Testimoni era in origine la data entro la quale tutto si sarebbe concluso. Ecco che cosa diceva il testo del 1889, come le stesse frasi si leggevano nel 1914 e che cosa l’organizzazione dice oggi che il 1914 significhi.
Ultima revisione: 19 settembre 2026
Che cosa fu predetto
The Time Is at Hand (1889), the second volume of C. T. Russell’s Millennial Dawn, listed what the end of the ‘Gentile Times’ in 1914 would prove. Among them: that God’s Kingdom ‘will have obtained full, universal control, and that it will then be “set up,” or firmly established, in the earth’, and that ‘some time before the end of A.D. 1914 the last member of the divinely recognized Church of Christ … will be glorified with the Head’.Source: Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand (Millennial Dawn vol. 2), first edition, 1889
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.
the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced.
La posizione dell’organizzazione o la sua spiegazione successiva: 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.
Mostra le prove (1 fonte)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
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.
La posizione dell’organizzazione o la sua spiegazione successiva: Later printings read 'will end in A.D. 1915'. The modern position is that 1914 marked the BEGINNING of the last days and Christ's invisible enthronement.
Mostra le prove (2 fonti)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1889 · p.101 · C. T. Russell · Tower Publishing Co. / Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced.”
Same sentence says the Kingdom was due 'to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878'.
1889 · pp.76-78 · C. T. Russell · Tower Publishing Co. / Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Firstly, That at that date the Kingdom of God ... will have obtained full, universal control, and that it will then be 'set up,' or firmly established, in the earth. ... Thirdly, It will prove that some time before the end of A.D. 1914 the last member of the divinely recognized Church of Christ ... will be glorified with the Head”
Russell lists seven things that the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 would 'prove', including that the time of trouble 'will reach its culmination and will end at that date' (Sixthly, p. 78).
Nota su provenienza e verifica for Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand (Millennial Dawn vol. 2), first edition, Chapter IV, The Times of the Gentiles
Nota di affidabilità.Opened the OCR text of the first-edition scan; page header 'Times of the Gentiles. 77' and '78 The Time is at Hand.' bracket the passage.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive, community upload (daveignatius, '1889 The Time Is At Hand 1st Ed'); full text file 1889_The_Time_Is_At_Hand_1st_Ed_djvu.txt. Public domain (pre-1929 US publication).
Quando nel 1894 alcuni lettori scrissero per chiedere se la cronologia potesse essere sbagliata, la risposta fu categorica.
our readers are writing to know if there may not be a mistake in the 1914 date. ... We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.
Dichiarazione esplicita · 15 luglio 1894Verificato
In July 1894 Zion's Watch Tower told readers who doubted the 1914 date: 'They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours', adding that 'the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble'. Source: Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 15 luglio 1894
La posizione dell’organizzazione o la sua spiegazione successiva: Proclaimers (1993) p. 135 acknowledges that early Bible Students 'first thought that global troubles culminating in anarchy... would precede that date', and adds: 'But then, ten years before 1914, the Watch Tower suggested that worldwide turmoil that would result in the annihilating of human institutions would come right after the end of the Gentile Times.'
Mostra le prove (1 fonte)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
15 luglio 1894 · pp.226 (standard citation); Reprints pp. 1676-1677 (the passage falls under the [1676] marker) · C. T. Russell (editor) · Tower Publishing Co., Allegheny, Pa.
“our readers are writing to know if there may not be a mistake in the 1914 date. ... We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.”
Reply to readers who, seeing labour unrest, doubted conditions could last until 1914.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, Can It Be Delayed Until 1914? (editorial reply to readers)
Nota di affidabilità.Wording and 'July 15, 1894' issue header confirmed in the scan OCR; Reprints marker [1676] precedes the passage. Original page number 226 is the standard citation but not read from the scan.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1894 volume (Reprints pagination visible, e.g. '[1676]'). Public domain.
Notes.Important: the sentence explicitly says 1914 was expected to be the END of the time of trouble.
Data di consultazione. 19 settembre 2026 · ID della fonte.src-zwt-1894-0715-gods-dates
The First World War began in 1914. No visible Kingdom was established and the Church was not glorified. Late in 1914, asked whether the Kingdom might be delayed ‘five, ten or even twenty-five years’, The Watch Tower replied: ‘we are not a prophet; we merely believe that we have come to the place where the Gentile times have ended.’Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 novembre 1914
First edition, 1889
‘… by the end of A.D. 1914’
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.
Le stesse frasi ora riportano 1915. Nell’ottobre del 1916 Russell definì l’aspettativa precedente «un errore naturale». Non abbiamo trovato alcuna edizione in cui «finirà» fosse stato cambiato in «comincerà», affermazione spesso ripetuta dai critici; noi non la facciamo.
La posizione dell’organizzazione o la sua spiegazione successiva: Russell's 1916 foreword: 'Our mistake was evidently not in respect to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles; we drew a false conclusion, however, not authorized by the Word of the Lord.'
Mostra le prove (2 fonti)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1914 · pp.99, 101 · C. T. Russell · International Bible Students Association, Brooklyn (copyright 1889 Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society)
“will be accomplished near the end of A.D. 1915. ... which will end in A.D. 1915, with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership”
Same two sentences as the 1889 edition, with 'by the end of A.D. 1914' altered to 'near the end of A.D. 1915' and 'will end in A.D. 1914' altered to 'will end in A.D. 1915'.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, 1914 printing ('1,452,000 Edition'), Chapter IV, The Times of the Gentiles
Nota di affidabilità.OCR text of the 1914-dated printing opened; both altered sentences confirmed. A later printing (Digital Library of India scan, DLI 2015.173447, with the 1916 Author's Foreword) carries the same 1915 wording. I did NOT find any edition changing 'end' to 'begin' in these sentences; that specific claim is unverified.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org (University of Illinois library copy; title page dated 1914). Public domain.
Notes.The 1914 printing's 'Thirdly' item (p. 77) still reads 'some time before the end of A. D. 1914'; only pp. 99 and 101 and the chart were changed to 1915, so the revision was partial (confirmed by the independent source auditor).
Data di consultazione. 19 settembre 2026 · ID della fonte.src-sits2-1914-00-p99-p101-1915
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1 ottobre 1916 · pp.i-iv (foreword) · C. T. Russell · International Bible Students Association
“The author acknowledges that in this book he presents the thought that the Lord's saints might expect to be with Him in glory at the ending of the Gentile Times. This was a natural mistake to fall into ... Our mistake was evidently not in respect to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles; we drew a false conclusion, however, not authorized by the Word of the Lord.”
Russell's own 1916 acknowledgement that the expectation of the Church's glorification by October 1914 was mistaken, while maintaining that the Gentile Times ended in 1914.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, later printing with Author's Foreword dated 1 October 1916, Author's Foreword
Nota di affidabilità.Foreword text opened in the DLI scan OCR; signature block 'Charles T. Russell, Brooklyn, N.Y., October 1, 1916' present.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive / Digital Library of India (State Central Library, Hyderabad copy; DLI catalogue date 1927). Public domain.
Late in 1914, with the Gentile Times believed ended but the Kingdom not visibly established, The Watch Tower replied to the question whether the Kingdom might be delayed 'five, ten or even twenty-five years': 'we are not a prophet; we merely believe that we have come to the place where the Gentile times have ended'. Source: The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 novembre 1914
Mostra le prove (1 fonte)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1 novembre 1914 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“may it not be that the kingdom will not be ushered in for five, ten or even twenty-five years? Our reply is, we are not a prophet; we merely believe that we have come to the place where the Gentile times have ended.”
Late-1914 discussion of what to expect now that the Gentile Times were believed to have ended; commonly cited as 1 November 1914, p. 329.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, The Expectations of the Church (section)
Nota di affidabilità.Wording confirmed in the 1914 bound-volume OCR; the passage lies between the NOVEMBER 1, 1914 and NOVEMBER 15, 1914 issue headers and under Reprints marker 5567, so the issue is confirmed as 1 November 1914 (confirmed by the independent source auditor). The page number (329, standard citation) is not legible in the scan.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1914 volume. Public domain.
Data di consultazione. 19 settembre 2026 · ID della fonte.src-wt-1914-00-not-a-prophet
Si affermava inoltre che le date di questa sezione fossero confermate dalle misurazioni della Grande Piramide di Giza. Una di quelle misure fu modificata senza clamore da una ristampa all’altra, prima che il 1914 arrivasse; vedi la pagina su Russell.
Una revisione nel 1904
Ten years before the date, The Watch Tower changed one part of the expectation. In July 1904 it announced that the ‘anarchistic culmination’ of the time of trouble would come after October 1914, ‘very speedily thereafter’, rather than before it. The organisation’s own 1993 history records this. What did not change in 1904 was the expectation that the Church would be glorified by 1914 (which Russell called ‘a natural mistake’ in 1916) or, in the book, that the trouble ‘will end in A.D. 1915’.Source: Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 luglio 1904Source: Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993
he Hamilton Times of the next day, and thus reached many more than were able to hear it. The “truth” people all looked and felt joyful in the Lord, and, as our train pulled away from the station, about fiftv of U3 joined in singing, “God be with you till we meet again.” UNIVERSAL ANARCHY— JUST BEFORE OR AFTER OCTOBER. 1914 A. D. What seems at first glance the veriest trifle and wholly un¬ related to the matter, has changed our conviction respecting the time when universal anarchy may be expected in accord with the prophetic numbers. We now expect that the anarch¬ istic culmination of the great time of trouble which will pre¬ cede the Millennial blessings will be after October, 1914, A. D. — very speedily thereafter, in our opinion — “in one hour,” “suddenly.” Our readers familiar with the presentation of the subject given in Millennial Dawn will recall that the date, October, 1914 A. D.,
Similarly, they also first thought that global troubles culminating in anarchy (which they understood would be associated with the war of 'the great day of God the Almighty') would precede that date. (Rev. 16:14) But then, ten years before 1914, the Watch Tower suggested that worldwide turmoil that would result in the annihilating of human institutions would come right after the end of the Gentile Times.
La posizione dell’organizzazione o la sua spiegazione successiva: jv p.133 fn. i attributes the 1874 date to chronology 'flawed because of relying on an inaccurate rendering of Acts 13:20' and says 'a clearer understanding... was published in 1943'.
Mostra le prove (4 fonti)
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1 marzo 1922 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the 'time of the end' began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874; that the harvest followed thereafter”
Shows the Society still taught an 1874 invisible presence eight years after 1914. Study questions in the same volume ask 'How has God confirmed the dates 1874, 1914 and 1918?'
Nota su provenienza e verifica for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, (article reviewing Russell's role; 'The indisputable facts')
Nota di affidabilità.Wording confirmed; nearest page header reads 'March 1, 1922'. Page number not legible (the task's '1 Nov 1922 p.333' reference was not the passage located; treat that citation as unverified).
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1922 volume. Public domain.
1 aprile 1923 · p.106 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures, marking the end of the typical jubilees. Just exactly what will happen at that time no one can tell to a certainty; but we expect such a climax in the affairs of the world that the people will begin to realize the presence of the Lord and his kingdom power.”
Denies that pilgrims were told to cease talking about 1925.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, Questions and answers (on reports that pilgrims were told to stop talking about 1925)
Nota di affidabilità.Issue header 'APRIL 1, 1923' and page markers 105/106 precede the passage in the scan OCR.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive upload by Veillez.org of the 1923 volume; public domain.
Data di consultazione. 19 settembre 2026 · ID della fonte.src-wt-1923-0401-p106-1925
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1993 · pp.133 (and footnote i) · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“From Mr. Barbour ... Russell also came to be persuaded that Christ's invisible presence had begun in 1874. ... [fn. i] A clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943, in the book 'The Truth Shall Make You Free,' and it was then refined the following year”
Official account that the 1874 presence date rested on flawed chronology corrected in 1943-44. The chapter also records early expectations that 1914 would bring the Church's glorification and that 'months and then years passed, and the Bible Students did not receive their heavenly reward as they had anticipated.'
1943 · pp.239-241, 300-302 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
“the 'times of the Gentiles' ... would continue and extend to the fall of A.D. 1914. ... the Government at its birth in A.D. 1914 ... Christ's coming to the temple in 1918 was entirely unexpected, even to his devoted faithful followers.”
1943 chronology places the end of the seven times and the Kingdom's birth in 1914 and Christ's coming to the temple in 1918; the book does not mention 1874 (grep found no occurrence). Proclaimers (p. 133 fn. i) identifies this book as where 'a clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943'.
Nota su provenienza e verifica for The Truth Shall Make You Free (book), Chapters 'Seven Times' and on the Kingdom's birth
Nota di affidabilità.Passages and page markers (239-241, 300, 302) read in the OCR. The claim that this book is where the presence date moved from 1874 to 1914 rests on jv p.133 fn. i plus the absence of 1874 here; a sentence explicitly saying 'presence began in 1914' was not found.
Provenienza della scansione.Internet Archive / Digital Library of India scan. Copyright 1943; short quotation only.
The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E. ... The period ended in October 1914. At that time, 'the appointed times of the nations' ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God's heavenly King.
2005 · pp.215-218 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E. ... The period ended in October 1914. At that time, 'the appointed times of the nations' ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God's heavenly King.”
Opens: 'Decades in advance, Bible students proclaimed that there would be significant developments in 1914.' Current official framing of 1914 as an invisible enthronement.
1 novembre 1995 · pp.10-21 · second article, par. 6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Jehovah's people have at times speculated about the time when the 'great tribulation' would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. ... Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term 'generation' as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.”
Redefines 'this generation' as the wicked contemporaries of the last days; first article (doc 1995804) sets out the lexical argument.
Notes.Note the framing 'Jehovah's people have at times speculated' where the calculations were published by the organisation itself (w84 5/15; rs p.97).
Data di consultazione. 19 settembre 2026 · ID della fonte.src-w-1995-1101-p10-21-generation
L’aspettativa del 1889 era la fine visibile di ogni dominio terreno entro il 1914. L’insegnamento attuale è un’intronizzazione invisibile nel 1914 che ha dato inizio a un periodo ormai lungo più di un secolo. Entrambe sono dichiarazioni della stessa organizzazione; il lettore può confrontarle.
Risposte abituali
“1914 was right: the war proved it.” By 1904 The Watch Tower had moved the expected ‘anarchistic culmination’ to ‘after October, 1914 — very speedily thereafter’. It still expected the Church to be glorified by 1914 (Russell called that ‘a natural mistake’ in 1916), and the 1914 printing of the book still said the trouble ‘will end in A.D. 1915’. A war between nations that left every government standing, followed by a century of continued rulership, is not what any of those texts anticipated. Readers can compare the 1904 wording with the present teaching of an invisible enthronement.Source: Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 luglio 1904Source: Studies in the Scriptures, Series II: The Time Is at Hand, 1914 printing ('1,452,000 Edition'), 1914
Affidabilità. Ogni citazione anteriore al 1930 presente in questa pagina è stata letta in una prima edizione o in una scansione dell’epoca sull’Internet Archive (materiale di pubblico dominio); i testi del 1943, del 1993 e del 2005 sono stati letti nella biblioteca online dell’organizzazione o in una scansione di biblioteca. La stampa del 1914 e la prefazione del 1916 sono state aperte separatamente. Valutazione: predizione esplicita, con una successiva reinterpretazione.
Fonti citate in questa pagina
Show all 13 sources, in date order
Each opens a full record with links, provenance and a confidence note.
Pubblicazione primaria dei Testimoni di GeovaVerificato
1889 · pp.76-78 · C. T. Russell · Tower Publishing Co. / Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“Firstly, That at that date the Kingdom of God ... will have obtained full, universal control, and that it will then be 'set up,' or firmly established, in the earth. ... Thirdly, It will prove that some time before the end of A.D. 1914 the last member of the divinely recognized Church of Christ ... will be glorified with the Head”
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.”
1889 · p.101 · C. T. Russell · Tower Publishing Co. / Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced.”
15 luglio 1894 · pp.226 (standard citation); Reprints pp. 1676-1677 (the passage falls under the [1676] marker) · C. T. Russell (editor) · Tower Publishing Co., Allegheny, Pa.
“our readers are writing to know if there may not be a mistake in the 1914 date. ... We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.”
1 luglio 1904 · pp.197 (Reprints p. 3389), as commonly cited; page not read from the scan · C. T. Russell · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“he Hamilton Times of the next day, and thus reached many more than were able to hear it. The “truth” people all looked and felt joyful in the Lord, and, as our train pulled away from the station, about fiftv of U3 joined in singing, “God be with you till we meet again.” UNIVERSAL ANARCHY— JUST BEFORE OR AFTER OCTOBER. 1914 A. D. What seems at first glance the veriest trifle and wholly un¬ related to the matter, has changed our conviction respecting the time when universal anarchy may be expected in accord with the prophetic numbers. We now expect that the anarch¬ istic culmination of the great time of trouble which will pre¬ cede the Millennial blessings will be after October, 1914, A. D. — very speedily thereafter, in our opinion — “in one hour,” “suddenly.” Our readers familiar with the presentation of the subject given in Millennial Dawn will recall that the date, October, 1914 A. D.,”
1 novembre 1914 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“may it not be that the kingdom will not be ushered in for five, ten or even twenty-five years? Our reply is, we are not a prophet; we merely believe that we have come to the place where the Gentile times have ended.”
1 ottobre 1916 · pp.i-iv (foreword) · C. T. Russell · International Bible Students Association
“The author acknowledges that in this book he presents the thought that the Lord's saints might expect to be with Him in glory at the ending of the Gentile Times. This was a natural mistake to fall into ... Our mistake was evidently not in respect to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles; we drew a false conclusion, however, not authorized by the Word of the Lord.”
1 marzo 1922 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the 'time of the end' began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874; that the harvest followed thereafter”
1943 · pp.239-241, 300-302 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
“the 'times of the Gentiles' ... would continue and extend to the fall of A.D. 1914. ... the Government at its birth in A.D. 1914 ... Christ's coming to the temple in 1918 was entirely unexpected, even to his devoted faithful followers.”
1993 · p.135 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
“Similarly, they also first thought that global troubles culminating in anarchy (which they understood would be associated with the war of 'the great day of God the Almighty') would precede that date. (Rev. 16:14) But then, ten years before 1914, the Watch Tower suggested that worldwide turmoil that would result in the annihilating of human institutions would come right after the end of the Gentile Times.”
1993 · pp.133 (and footnote i) · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“From Mr. Barbour ... Russell also came to be persuaded that Christ's invisible presence had begun in 1874. ... [fn. i] A clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943, in the book 'The Truth Shall Make You Free,' and it was then refined the following year”
2005 · pp.215-218 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York
“The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E. ... The period ended in October 1914. At that time, 'the appointed times of the nations' ended, and Jesus Christ was installed as God's heavenly King.”