Do any other denominations agree with the Jehovah Witnesses that Satan was cast to earth in 1914?
Upvote:3
While I find the premise factually incorrect (see the comments), I think it might be important to bring up the fact that there is a legend that Pope Leo XIII had a vision not long before that (1884). In this supposed vision, the Devil was given 100 years to destroy the Church. Other versions of the vision have this happening later in Leo XIII's life and saying that the Devil had "chosen the 20th century." Both of these legends are likely apocryphal.
As to the year 1914, once again, it is relatively easy to show that there have been few years of peace from the 18th century onward. To my knowledge, no major congregation or sizable sect within Christianity holds 1914 to be any more significant than the start of a terrible tragedy. It is certainly not something which is held significant in the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Presbyterian, Reformed, Methodist, Baptist, Congregationalist, etc.
To be honest, this more has the feel of Harold Camping's dubious numerology. (When was the rapture supposed to be again?)
Upvote:3
The claim that 1914 has any such special significance is a vain attempt to point to some world event and claim it is the fulfillment of a prophecy in Scripture, where the prophecy describes an event that is invisible to us and which we have no way to know whether it has happened yet or not. For this reason, you will not find this belief to be a part of Christian doctrine. Quite simply, it is someone's interpretation, which is not authoritative, and the evidence for it being correct is so inconclusive (I probably should say non-existent) that you could never get a large group of people to agree it must be the case.
Unfortunately, I doubt it is possible to find credible/official sources that address this question, but the lack of sources, outside of the Jehovah's Witnesses, that speak to the issue - either for or against - should tell you something.
Additionally, I will point out that 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." This indicates that, however Revelation 12 is understood, Satan has been active on the earth since long before 1914.
Use your own good judgement - it is probably about as good as anyone else's on this question. Do you think a convincing case can be made for 1914 having this significance? Why not any year before then? Isn't 1913 an equally good candidate? One could easily argue any for any number of years before 1914, claiming Satan came down then and was busy putting the events of 1914 into motion for x number of years. Or, one might say the prophecy is yet to come; while there were indeed some bad times in the 20th century, things could have been far, far worse, and there has been a lot of periods of peaceful times since after WWII. Even now, roughly 70 years after WWII, there are some conflicts here and there, but nothing in comparison to WWII. Also, you might look at death counts by war. Given those numbers, the Mongol conquests may have killed more people in the 13th century than WWII in the 20th century!
Finally, I would encourage you to not miss the big picture of Revelation (God judges the wicked, the righteous are saved, Satan is defeated, Jesus Christ reigns victorious, death is no more...) by getting caught up in debates about things which are not clear and cannot be conclusively settled.
Upvote:5
Yes, if you consider dissident groups of JW tradition. In my research I have found at least 3 groups that share this belief to a greater or lesser degree.
These are:
As Testemunhas dos Deuses Santos - Holy Gods Witnesses
The Herald of Christ's Kingdom (Bible Students)
The Dawn Bible Students Association
There are many other JW dissident groups but I could not verify if they still share this belief. Even because some of them doesn't exist anymore.
They are:
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Epiphany Bible Students Association
Laodicean Home Missionary Movement (1957-1990)
Pastoral Bible Institute
Watchers of the Morning (1937-1957)
The Christian Millennial Fellowship
The Standfast Bible Students Association
The Elijah Voice Society
The Servants of Yah
New Jerusalem Fellowship (1922-1992)
Old Paths Publications (1925-1961)
Forest Gate Church (1920-1979)
Goshen Fellowship
The Institute of Pyramidology
The Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society
Berean Bible Institute
The New Covenant Believers (Berean Bible Students Church)
Associated Bible Students
Association of Free Bible Students of France
German Bible Students Association
Greek Bible Students Association
International Bible Students of India
Polish Bible Students Association
The year 1914 is used as a basis by Jehovah's Witnesses due to a calculation created by William Miller. As far as I know, William Miller used the same calculation currently used by the Jehovah's Witnesses, but it came to 1843/1844 not 1914.
See the chart below
On the 2520 website you can see more details about the prophecy and Miller's charts.
Seventh-day Adventists use the verse of Daniel 8:14 to get to the year 1844 but no longer use the 2520 year count.
Both Wiliam Miller and Seventh-Day Adventists do not believe that Satan was cast to earth in 1914/1844. William Miller Believe that Christ would come in 1844 and Seventh-Day Adventist believe that in this year Christ started his work as a High Priest on the Heavenly Santuary.
More post
- π Do Latter Day Saints / Mormons consider themselves to be henotheists?
- π Who instituted the practice of sacrifice?
- π A curse be unto you
- π Why is God the Father referred to as "Eternal Father" in LDS writings when He is not believed to be eternal?
- π Are translations of the book of Mormon into other languages made from English, or are the golden plates stashed in a temple somewhere?
- π According to Acts 20:7, which day was the first day of the week?
- π Does the Eastern Orthodox Church have guidelines on which language to recite the Jesus Prayer in?
- π Does the Catholic Church have a position on slavery reparations?
- π Can a Catholic have communion if they married outside of the Catholic Church?
- π Isn't reincarnation affirmed by the Bible?
- π Why do we say "My Jesus" and then "Our Father"?
- π When were Protestants first called 'Protestants' and what were they, originally, protesting about?
- π What did Jesus mean by asking `what do you read in the law' in Lk 10:26?
- π What percentage of self-identifying Christians believe Jesus was not God, and instead was a messenger of God?
- π What is the earliest recorded instance where Mary is called "Blessed Virgin?"
- π How do you interpret the verses where Jesus talks about giving your riches to poor people?
- π Would the bible draw parallels between the spies returning from Canaan and modern biblical criticism?
- π What is the biblical basis for a continued illness indicating unforgiven sin?
- π What is the biblical basis for thinking God established the principle of birthright and inheritance
- π What is the significance of apostolic succession in Anglicanism?
- π According to the Holy Spirit's infallible inspiration of scripture, is anything ever recorded that is unnecessary or curious?
- π About statues and pictures
- π The Trinity before the birth of Jesus
- π From what biblical basis can it be argued 'God heals damaged emotions or physiological problems through the Bible'?
- π How do those who hold to the filiquoe understand 1 Timothy 6:16?
- π What does it mean that Christ experience death for me?
- π What do Jehovah's Witnesses students do when the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag is recited at American schools?
- π The "Tetragrammaton" name
- π Did Luther really use bar tunes for his hymns?
- π Did the pope choose sides between the Allies and the Axis in World War 2?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π Do any other denominations agree with the Jehovah Witnesses that Satan was cast to earth in 1914?
- π Do any denominations teach that Moses was talking with three distinct beings in the burning bush?
- π How do JWs reconcile the belief that Satan was cast to earth in 1914 with Job 1:7 and Job 2:2?
- π If according to the Jehovah Witnesses that "there was a time when God was alone," who was with God at John 1:1?
- π The Jehovahβs Witnesses state that Jesus was God's first creation? How do they reconcile that with Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:15-18?
- π Are there any denominations that do NOT practice "laying on of hands" with the specific goal of having a new believer receive the Holy Ghost?
- π Are there any Christian sects that believe the Old Testament was written (inspired) by Satan or that these scriptures are evil in some way?
- π Are there any Christian Restorationist denominations that believe their establishment was the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy?
- π What Christian denominations profess that they remain with 'that which was from the beginning' rather than 'progress' to a 'further revelation'?
- π How do Jehovah Witnesses support scripturely the idea that humans will live on earth after death?
- π What is the basis that many mainstream Christian groups justify labeling groups like the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses as Non-Christians?
- π From where do Jehovah's Witnesses derive the doctrine that Jesus was and now is Michael the Archangel?
- π Are there any Christian denominations that don't believe Jesus is the only way to salvation?
- π What is the biblical basis for the belief that Satan was the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
- π Are there any Christian denominations that deny the existence of an afterlife?
- π What is the biblical basis for the belief held by Jehovah's Witnesses that Jehovah and Jesus Christ are separate entities?
- π The Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ existed eternally or everlastingly, how do they reconcile this with Micah 5:2?
- π Does any church follow the Apostolic Tradition of Baptism βin the nudeβ, or was that never the tradition?
- π Does the theology of Arians and Jehovah's Witnesses admit that God was at one point αΌΞ»ΞΏΞ³ΞΏΟ?
- π Are there any major Protestant denominations that meet every day and are together all the time like the early church was?
- π Does the Bible provide any passages that might help in understanding how Satan became sinful?
- π Are there any Christian denominations that believe in sex and marriage in the afterlife?
- π Do any Christian traditions hold the belief that Adam was androgynous?
- π Who if any Evangelicals still believe that Adam was created with "a perfect knowledge of God" and everything else?
- π Do any denominations take "turn the other cheek" as a literal command to be followed?
- π Are there any groups of Christians who believe that all loans made with their money should be made without the expectation of repayment?
- π How do the Jehovah's witnesses reconcile Isaiah 44:24 with their belief that Jesus is the only direct creation of God?
- π Are there any denominations that give official advice on how to handle the uncertainty in their doctrines?
- π Was the Covenant made with the Church or does 'Everlasting' mean something other than 'eternal?'
- π Are there any denominations that baptize ONLY in the Name of Jesus?