Then a great sign was seen in heaven: A woman was arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of 12 stars, 2 and she was pregnant. And she was crying out in her pains and in her agony to give birth. 3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Look! A great fiery-colored dragon, with seven heads and ten horns and on its heads seven diadems; 4 and its tail drags a third of the stars of heaven, and it hurled them down to the earth. And the dragon kept standing before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth, it might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God and where they would feed her for 1,260 days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Miʹcha·el and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. (Revelation 12:1-9)
Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to believe this event took place in 1914.
The Watchtower May 15, 2009 states:
Although the Bible book of Revelation does not give the precise time of Satan’s ousting, it does mention a series of events that can help us to estimate when he was cast out of heaven. First among the events is the birth of the Messianic Kingdom. Subsequent to that, “war broke out in heaven,” which led to Satan’s defeat and his finally being cast out of heaven.
The Scriptures clearly mark 1914 as the year when “the appointed times of the nations” ended and the Kingdom was established. (Luke 21:24)
Since the article stated that the year 1914 is so clearly marked in Luke as the date when the appointed times of the nations ended let’s have a look at that scripture shall we?:
And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)
Just how does this scripture mark 1914 as the year when the appointed times of the nations ended and the Kingdom was established? The book “What Does the Bible Really Teach” explains in greater detail in its appendix:
1914—A Significant Year in Bible Prophecy
DECADES in advance, Bible students proclaimed that there would be significant developments in 1914. What were these, and what evidence points to 1914 as such an important year?
As recorded at Luke 21:24, Jesus said: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations [“the times of the Gentiles,” King James Version] are fulfilled.” Jerusalem had been the capital city of the Jewish nation—the seat of rulership of the line of kings from the house of King David. (Psalm 48:1, 2) However, these kings were unique among national leaders. They sat on “Jehovah’s throne” as representatives of God himself. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Jerusalem was thus a symbol of Jehovah’s rulership.
How and when, though, did God’s rulership begin to be “trampled on by the nations”? This happened in 607 B.C.E. when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians. “Jehovah’s throne” became vacant, and the line of kings who descended from David was interrupted. (2 Kings 25:1-26) Would this ‘trampling’ go on forever? No, for the prophecy of Ezekiel said regarding Jerusalem’s last king, Zedekiah: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown. . . . 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 has the legal right” to the Davidic crown is Christ Jesus. (Luke 1:32, 33) So the ‘trampling’ would end when Jesus became King.
When would that grand event occur? Jesus showed that the Gentiles would rule for a fixed period of time. The account in Daniel chapter 4 holds the key to knowing how long that period would last. It relates a prophetic dream experienced by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He saw a tree of enormous height that was chopped down. Its stump could not grow because it was banded with iron and copper. An angel declared: “Let seven times pass over it.”—Daniel 4:10-16.
In the Bible, trees are sometimes used to represent rulership. (Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:2-5) So the chopping down of the symbolic tree represents how God’s rulership, as expressed through the kings at Jerusalem, would be interrupted. However, the vision served notice that this ‘trampling of Jerusalem’ would be temporary—a period of “seven times.” How long a period is that?
Revelation 12:6, 14 indicates that three and a half times equal “1,260 days.” “Seven times” would therefore last twice as long, or 2,520 days. But the Gentile nations did not stop ‘trampling’ on God’s rulership a mere 2,520 days after Jerusalem’s fall. Evidently, then, this prophecy covers a much longer period of time. On the basis of Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, which speak of “a day for a year,” the “seven times” would cover 2,520 years.
The 2,520 years began in October 607 B.C.E., when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and the Davidic king was taken off his throne. 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.—Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 7:13, 14.
Just as Jesus predicted, his “presence” as heavenly King has been marked by dramatic world developments—war, famine, earthquakes, pestilences. (Matthew 24:3-8; Luke 21:11) Such developments bear powerful testimony to the fact that 1914 indeed marked the birth of God’s heavenly Kingdom and the beginning of “the last days” of this present wicked system of things.—2 Timothy 3:1-5. (What Does the Bible Really Teach pgs. 215-218)
But where does Jesus mention either Daniel’s prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Jerusalem’s destruction or that there were to be a total of seven Gentile times? Nowhere! Hence, there is absolutely no connection between Luke 21:24 and Daniel chapter 4. Without this important link, there is no need to examine the claims made about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because none of it has any fulfilment beyond him.
So, what did Jesus mean by this statement? It is helpful to consider the context. Let’s go back to verses 5-7:
Later, when some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with fine stones and dedicated things, 6 he said: “As for these things that you now see, the days will come when not a stone will be left upon a stone and not be thrown down.” 7 Then they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are to occur?” (Luke 21:5-7)
This is the parallel account to Matthew 24, where Jesus gives his prophecy about the conclusion of the system. From that perspective, what he is speaking about has yet to occur in the future. Let’s now go back and consider verses 20-24:
“However, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. 21 Then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains, let those in the midst of her leave, and let those in the countryside not enter into her, 22 because these are days for meting out justice in order that all the things written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! For there will be great distress on the land and wrath against this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)
It should be obvious that Jesus here is talking about a future event. This is clearly seen by examining each individual expression that he makes:
“However, when you see (FUTURE) Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know (FUTURE) that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then (FUTURE) let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing (FUTURE) to the mountains, let those in the midst of her leave (FUTURE), and let those in the countryside not enter (FUTURE) into her, because these are days for meting out justice in order that all the things written may be fulfilled (FUTURE). Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! (FUTURE) For there will be (FUTURE) great distress on the land and wrath against this people. And they will fall (FUTURE) by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be (FUTURE) trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.”
Since the subject of the disciples question was when, in the future, Jerusalem would be destroyed, we would naturally expect Jesus answer would address that. Notice that in his answer he spoke of a future surrounding of Jerusalem by encamped armies. That was to be a signal that the future desolating of her had drawn near. Jesus said that they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. All of this would occur in the future. Nowhere does Jesus speak of a present captivity or trampling that would be included in that future event. The question is does his next statement allow for such an understanding?
Note that he says Jerusalem WILL BE trampled on, indicating a future time. Is there a possibility that the Greek tense means something like Jerusalem HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE trampled on?
The Greek word for “will be” is εσται [estai]. It is a verb and is here rendered in the future tense. All clauses in Luke 21:24 are in the future tense, indicating that this prophecy refers to something that entirely belonged to the future:
“There will be (εσται) great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
They will fall (πεσουνται [pesountai]) by the sword and will be taken as prisoners (αιχμαλοτισθνσονται [aichmalôtisthêsontai] ) to all the nations.
Jerusalem will be (εσται) trampled on by the Gentiles.
There is another tense that means progressive / continuous, and that is “Imperfect”. If Jesus meant that Jerusalem will CONTINUE TO BE trampled on, the tense would have been either the Present or Imperfect, not Future.
The Present Tense
The present tense can either be continuous/ongoing or undefined. An example of the present tense occurs in Luke 9:41:
In response Jesus said: “O faithless and twisted generation, how long must I continue with you and put up with you? Bring your son over here.” (Luke 9:41)
The Kingdom Interlinear reads: “Having answered but the Jesus said O generation faithless and having been perverted, until when shall I be εσομαι [esomai] toward you…”
The Imperfect Tense
The action of the imperfect tense is very similar to that of the present tense. It represents continuous or reoccuring action in the past time (when used with the indicative). An example of the imperfect tense can be found at Mark 4:33:
With many illustrations of that sort he spoke ελαλει [elalei he was speaking] the word to them, to the extent that they were able to εδυναντο [edunanto] listen. (Mark 4:33)
But neither of these tenses appear here. Hence, the wording of Luke 21:24 cannot be used to support the 2,520 year calculation of the gentile times starting in 607, 587 or any other time prior to when Jesus said those words.
The May 15, 2009 Watchtower article continues:
How soon after that did the war in heaven break out, resulting in Satan’s ousting?
“The dragon [Satan] kept standing before the woman who was about to give birth,” states Revelation 12:4, “that, when she did give birth, it might devour her child.” This shows that Satan wanted to dispose of the newborn Kingdom quickly, at the moment of its birth if at all possible. Though Jehovah’s intervention prevented Satan from realizing his wicked intention, Satan was determined and relentless in his effort to do harm to the newly established Kingdom. It stands to reason, therefore, that “Michael and his angels” would waste no time in taking action to remove “the dragon and its angels” from the heavenly scene so that no harm could come to the Kingdom. This suggests that the defeat and ousting of Satan took place soon after the Kingdom’s birth in 1914. (The Watchtower May 15, 2009 pg.18)
In the article entitled: “When Did Jesus Become King” an examination was made of numerous scriptural statements that indicate that event happened shortly after his resurrection in 33 C.E. If the events described in Revelation chapter 12 occurred soon after Jesus received all authority it is more likely to be associated with that date.
Are there scriptural indications of this? Consider:
Now I am troubled, and what should I say? Father, save me out of this hour. Nevertheless, this is why I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was standing there heard it and began to say that it had thundered. Others said: “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered: “This voice has occurred, not for my sake, but for your sakes. Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And yet I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all sorts of men to myself.” This he was really saying to indicate what sort of death he was about to die. (John 12:27-33)
It is difficult to imagine that when Jesus says “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out” he was referring to an event that would not take place for two thousand years. The context shows that he was speaking about his upcoming death which would provide the legal basis for Satan to be cast out of heaven. There is no reason to conclude that his ousting would not take place immediately.
After his resurrection but before ascending to heaven, Jesus announced to his disciples that all authority had been granted to him in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18) After Satan, the dragon had been cast out of heaven by Michael, Revelation chapter 12 says:
I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! (Revelation 12:10)
The casting out of Satan is associated with the authority of Christ. Since he had already been granted all authority, he could not have been granted more authority at some future time. Unless all does not mean all.
Since, according to the Watchtower society, Jesus began his rulership in October of 1914, some have wondered how the events surrounding WWI, which began July 28, 1914 fit into their chronology.
Although Revelation chapter 12 speaks about war in heaven and woe to the earth, it says nothing about the beginning of a war on earth. As far as I know, even though the Watchtower has said Satan was cast out of heaven shortly after Jesus was enthroned as King in October of 1914, they have never said Satan started WWI at that time.
However, since I believe the Bible does not support a 20th century fulfillment of Revelation chapter 12 it is unnecessary for me to argue this point.
But who are represented by the various symbols in Revelation? Who is represented by the Woman? The Child? What is represented by the birth?
These questions will be addressed in a future article.