It has been 8 years since 1914 and it is now 1922. The year 1922 was very important in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the most important events was the Cedar Point Ohio convention in September. We always think of that convention as the Kingdom Convention, not understanding how important the "Kingdom Convention" really was.
Brother Rutherford made a point that every person that identifies as a Bible Student or servant of the Lord, must also preach in the field. Up to this point it was basically one who felt moved to do it. But here Brother Russell said all must preach. That was the point of "Advertise the King and the Kingdom". We have many times zeroed in on that "Advertise" part. But the important part is "The King and the Kingdom". Why? This convention, this talk finally explained what really happened in 1914. Let's take a trip. You are a Bible Student, and the year is 1908, you hear Brother Russell speak of 1914 as the time when all will be caught away with the Lord, the rapture. You do your part to tell others. Then 1914, nothing happens. As the year drags on you have close friends that stop following the Truth. Then, without any warning a great war breaks out in Europe. You say to yourself, that is way over there. Then one morning your attention is captured by someone clapping really loud. You look around and see that Brother Russell is trying to get everyone's attention. The room settles down and gets quiet. Your focus your attention to hear what he has to say. "The gentile times have ended the kings have had their day." The room erupts in applause, you do to, but don't understand why. Regardless, you went into this because this is the Truth and you serve the Lord, not a date. For the next several years you read every Watchtower with hope, a clear understanding of 1914. In fact, it is the one point most want to understand. Then in 1916, Brother Russell dies, some believe the answer to 1914 goes with him and that is their excuse for leaving the Truth. But you, wait, this is the Truth and you serve the Lord. Six years later you are packing what few items you have. You have been doing odd jobs and selling everything you can to attend the 1922 Cedar Point Ohio Convention. Adverts are running in The Watchtower to pre-order copies of the Driscoll film of the convention. You used some of your savings to pre-order one. (See https://newtasana.weebly.com/1922film.html) Something is different about this convention, no theme, just ADV, what could that mean? Is this the convention when you finally get to really know what happened in 1914? Brother Rutherford did not explain everything in 1922 about the flash of light regarding 1914. It would have been blinding. And remember Jehovah did not let the Governing Body grasp it all at once either. They had been spending 1,260 days on it. Why did Jehovah spoon feed this? Remember many ISBA had come into the Truth because they were going to heaven in 1914. When war broke out and Russell announced the end of the Gentile times, the IBSA then understood that to be all there was to it, the end of the 7 times of Daniel. But there was more, much more. The flash of lighting at the Cedar Point Ohio Convention in September 1922 is the brightest and clearest flash up to that point and remains so. The full understanding of the Other Sheep does not outshine it, getting the name Jehovah's Witnesses does not outshine it. The 1922 ADV flash was the understanding that Jesus was enthroned as King in heaven in 1914 and that God's Kingdom was established, born, in 1914. There is no flash of light more important than understanding when Jesus became King and when God's Kingdom was established. Let's see the evidence. Our first point is from the "Divine Purpose" book page 101. "During the seven years 1922-1928 the Kingdom announcement went forward and God's judgments were pronounced. For the second time at Cedar Point, Ohio, an international convention was held, September 5-13, 1922. On this second occasion also, Jehovah's active force upon his organized people authorized and fortified them in fulfilling their responsible mission." The first Cedar Point Ohio Convention it refers to is the 1919 convention when the "Golden Age" magazine was released. Here is an excerpt from Brother Rutherford's talk "The Kingdom" "Divine Purpose" book page 101. "Why has the King come? To set up [God's] kingdom and reign as King... The Lord foreknew, of course, that Satan would not peaceably yield the kingdoms of earth. He knew that there would be a great conflict, and hence he must prepare for that conflict. . . . The gentile times ended . . . 1914, and immediately followed the World War; and since that day there has been upon earth distress of nations, with perplexity. It has been a day of increasing darkness and blackness and suffering... In 1914 these systems were boasting of their power and influence and said: "We are rich and have need of nothing." When the World War began in 1914, nominal Christendom raised its voice in favor of the war. . . ." More from that talk, the "Divine Purpose" book page 106. "That they (Christendom) have failed and refused to preach to the people the message of Messiah's kingdom and to point them to the evidences relating to his second coming ; and being unwilling to await the Lord's due time to set up his kingdom . . . have endorsed the League of Nations and declared it to be "the political expression of God's kingdom on earth", thereby breaking their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and declaring their allegiance to the devil, the god of evil." Continuing from the "Divine Purpose" book page 107. Now that the responsibility of the world rulers had been so clearly defined by three stinging Resolutions, a call went out to all people of good will to respond to the hope of God's kingdom established in 1914." Now page 108. "Michael, who is Christ the Lord, . . . remained silent until his right to rule had come. Satan's right had expired in 1914." "This is no imaginary thing; it was a real fight. The dragon and his official family, members of his invisible government, fought and fought hard; but they lost, and were literally hurled out of heaven. [See Weymouth's translation.] It is inconsistent to think that Jesus, the righteous One, would take his power to reign in heaven and permit the devil to remain there; and he did not. Both Satan and his angels, namely, his official family, his invisible jointrulers, were hurled down to the earth. That fight must have begun in 1914. Just how long it lasted the Scriptures do not indicate." Oh yeah then there is that the understanding when war started in heaven and Satan and his buds were cast out. In the "Divine Purpose" book chapters 15 and 16 are many more details from the Kingdom talks and proofs of Jesus being made King of God's Kingdom in 1914 and that Kingdom being set up in 1914. So, what flashes of light came from that September 1922 Convention? 1) Established that in fact the Gentile times of Daniel did end in 1914. 2) God's Kingdom was set up in heaven in 1914 since Satan had failed to provide a government that could rule humans better than Jehovah's Government. 3) That Jesus was enthroned as King of God's Kingdom in 1914. 4) That every person that is a Bible Student, IBSA must also be a preacher of the Good News. I ask you, if you had a chance to attend the 1922 Cedar Point Convention, with the knowledge you have now, would you? I would. Now going back to our telling. You hear this from your seat, you review your notes that evening, it's there in front of you. After 8 long years Jehovah provided the clear understanding of what really happened in 1914. You think about those who left because Jehovah did not answer the question on their time, and they failed to wait for Jehovah. Really think about it. If you were expecting to be caught away to heaven in 1914 and it did not happen, then Brother Russell says instead, "The Gentile times have ended the kings have had their day", would you have walked away thinking, "they don't know they are just guessing." Or would you have waited? Look what waiting would have gotten you, a seat at the most important flashes of light ever. The full understanding of 1914. Now consider this, Rutherford gave the talk, Claus is hanging out above him on the roof, Knorr is 17 years old and sitting in the audience, and Rutherford and MacMillian are there as well. Jehovah had gathered all these men who would take the lead in the Organization in this one place for this brilliant flash of light. It would have been awesome to have been there, maybe sitting next to you is your friend who would get baptized next year, Nathan Knorr.
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