The Religions Book

312

THE END OF THE

WORLD IS NIGH

AWAITING THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

T

he Jehovah’s Witnesses

emerged from the Bible

Student movement in

the United States in the 1870s.

They see their faith as a return to

the original concepts of 1st-century

Christianity, and refer to this early

interpretation of the Bible as “the

Truth.” The group believes that

all other religions, and all forms

of present-day government, are

controlled by Satan, and face

complete destruction in the battle

at Armageddon with Satan, when

only true Christians—Jehovah’s

Witnesses—will be spared.

According to the movement,

the present world era is nearing its

end, having entered its “last days”

in October 1914. This was first

thought to be the beginning of the

battle at Armageddon, but is now

accepted as the time when God,

known as Jehovah, entrusted the

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURE

Joseph Franklin

Rutherford

WHEN AND WHERE

From 1931, US and

Western Europe

BEFORE

1st century CE Jesus

announces the arrival of

God’s Kingdom; in the

Book of Revelation, St. John

describes the apocalypse

that will precede God’s

final judgment.

19th century According

to the Plymouth Brethren’s

Dispensationalist view of Bible

teachings, all who accept

Jesus will be swept up into

heaven by a “rapture” that will

precede global tribulation.

1881 Charles Taze Russell

founds what is originally called

the Zion’s Watch Tower Tract

Society; his Bible Student

movement predicts Christ’s

advent on earth.

The world is now in its last

days before the battle

at Armageddon.

God will establish his

kingdom on earth after

destroying the world

ruled by Satan.

In 1914, Jesus Christ

began his rule of God’s

heaven and expelled

Satan to earth...

...where he has corrupted

the world and fights

the true believers,

Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The end of the world

is nigh.