through much tribulation but never will they be scattered again.

23. When and how is the power of the scatterer broken?

²³ Satan is the scatterer of God’s people. He is the roaring lion trying to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8) To bring about the shattering of his power the very heavens will be shaken; and such acts could come only from the Almighty God and his King, Christ Jesus. “And the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven.” (Matt. 24:29, 30, NW) This is one of the long-promised purposes of Jehovah. “For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, . . . and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.” (Hag. 2:6, 22, AS) “‘Yet once more I will set not only the earth but also the heaven in commotion.’ Now the expression ‘Yet once more’ signifies the removal of the things being shaken as things that have been made, in order that the things not being shaken may remain.” (Heb. 12:26, 27, NW) “While men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” (Luke 21:26-28, NW) It is therefore very evident that the shaking of the powers in the heavens will not of itself bring immediate and complete deliverance. Something has been set in motion, however, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ as earth’s rightful Ruler opening his campaign against the enemy.

24. Describe the events that come to pass within the period of three and a half times.

²⁴ God’s anointed King, Christ Jesus, takes over rule in heaven in 1914. The former ruler, Satan the Devil, refuses to vacate, and resists the new king, and a fight results in heaven. The 12th chapter of Revelation describes what happens. The Kingdom is born and Satan the “dragon” stands by waiting to devour and destroy it. War breaks out, Michael battles it out with the Devil and his angels, resulting in a glorious victory for Michael, while Satan and his demon host are thrown out of heaven. The Devil’s seat of authority is gone, his power is broken, but to bring it about the very heavens had to be shaken. He is not at this time destroyed, but is permitted to wage war against the saints of God on earth, to try to wear them out. However, his uninterrupted world rule has ended. This all happens in the period ‘time, times and half a time’, according to Daniel 12:1, 7.

‘Time, Times and Half a Time’

1. What scriptures aid us to determine the meaning of a “time”, and why could it not refer to a period of 360 years?

ONE “time” is accepted as referring to one year. Therefore this means ‘one year, two years and a half a year’, totaling three and a half years. Corroboration of this “time” reckoning is provided by the inspired use of the expression at Revelation 12:6, NW: “a thousand two hundred and sixty days,” and according to Bible reckoning this is three and a half years. Also reference is made at Revelation 11:2 to the “holy city” as being trampled underfoot for forty-two months. Bible scholars of past generations have worked out the period on a scale of a day as one year, making 1,260 years. However, there is no reasonable support for this conclusion and these wonders cannot take place until after 1914, but must happen inside the length of time of our generation. It is Scriptural and proper to understand by ‘time, times and half a time’ the period of 1,260 literal days, or three and a half years.

2. Why should the nations rage during the 1,260-day period?

² The visible part of the organization reflects the spirit and actions of the invisible part. Jesus said: “You are from your father the Devil and you wish to do the desires of your father.” (John 8:44, NW; compare James 3:17.) The demons inspire rulers to do their bidding. (Rev. 16:13, 14, NW) When war broke out in heaven in 1914 and the term of Gentile domination over God’s people ran out, then the nations commenced to rage in war which affected all peoples directly and indirectly. At the conclusion of the 1,260 days the war was stopped for the specific purpose of permitting the Kingdom work to get under way.

TRIALS DURING THE 1,260 DAYS

3, 4. How do the experiences of the Lord’s people during and at the end of the ‘time, times and half a time’ fulfill the prophetic words at Daniel 12:7?

³ Prior to 1914 the faithful servants had been proclaiming the “end of the Gentile times” in that year. Now let us see what happened during these 1,260 days. These days of Daniel are not to be confused with Revelation 12:6, 14, which reads: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. But the two wings of the great eagle were given the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place; there is where she is fed for a period and periods and a half a period of time away from the face of the serpent.” (NW) Here these verses merely serve to show that ‘a time, times and half a time’ equals 1,260 literal days. Whereas those days of Revelation 12:6, 14 began after Satan was cast out of heaven, the 1,260 days of Daniel 12:7 began at the end of the Gentile times, about October 1, 1914.

⁴ The facts pertaining to Jehovah’s people fit so miraculously that there cannot be any doubt about the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jehovah’s “holy people” were to be scattered and shattered by the enemy for three and a half “times”, or 1,260 days, following which time period the enemy’s power over them would end or be over. (Matt. 24:9-12, NW) Right on time prophecy was fulfilled. The 1,260 days would commence when the Gentile times ended, about October 1, 1914, and would therefore terminate about April 1, 1918, after which the enemy’s power would be broken. This indicates that by then Satan the Devil had been cast down from heaven and Christ Jesus came to the temple of God for judgment work. This was not altered by the fierce persecution which broke out at that time, for early in February, 1918, many of Jehovah’s people in Canada were seized and thrown into prison. That same month the enemies of the truth took away books and private papers from the head office of the Society at Brooklyn. On the 7th of May warrants were served for the arrest of officers of the Society, and on the 15th of May they appeared in court. They were indicted, convicted and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, and on June 20, 1918, were confined to prison. At this same time many others of the Lord’s anointed were arrested and imprisoned, the main office of the Society at Brooklyn was completely dismantled, all communications between the main office and the branches were cut off, and the ministry of preaching the gospel throughout the earth by Jehovah’s people was virtually stopped.

5. What was the condition of the faithful during the 1,260 days? What other attitudes became manifest among those associating with them?

⁵ It was a distressing and anxious time, for the work of witnessing was interfered with, not only by the active forces of evil, but also by reason of fearfulness on the part of some. Others were disappointed that 1914 had not worked out in the way they had anticipated, for they still found themselves on earth instead of in heaven. Many were selfish, thinking more of themselves than of the work of God, and some of the Lord’s people were submitting to the enemy without a fight for their right to worship Jehovah God. However, the few faithful, loyal ones continued to the best of their ability to comfort and feed the sheep. There was a very careful checking to see if the chronology of the Scriptures pertaining to 1914 was correct; also that the “signs of the times” were the ones that should be looked for; and during this time very little witnessing was done, and that which was done was in a “sackcloth” condition. The witnesses were not filled with the great joy and gladness of the Kingdom rule, but “in sackcloth” they deplored their condition as they saw no certain relief in sight. Certainly during the 1,260 days they were in an uncertain, anxious condition, and then at the end of those days great hatred and persecution came upon them.

THE “TWO WITNESSES”

6. How does Revelation 11:3 corroborate the 1,260-day time period, and what is the fulfillment of the witnessing in sackcloth performed by the two witnesses?

⁶ Now note further corroborative proof of this period of time: “I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed in sackcloth.” (Rev. 11:3, NW) The “two witnesses” are the antitypical Elijah-John-the-Baptist work, and their being introduced at this time is important, for it helps us to understand Daniel’s prophecy. Nearly seventy years ago The Watchtower for November, 1883, explained to God’s people that Elijah and John the Baptist foreshadowed great works to be accomplished at this end of the system of things, and which were also to be done before 1918. The brothers serving Jehovah throughout that period did so believing they were engaging in such antitypical work. This noble, splendid and faithful service was interrupted in 1918. It is strengthening to faith to remember that Elijah himself fled from before the threatening face of wicked Queen Jezebel of Israel and took refuge at Mount Horeb, and thereby suffered a temporary interruption of his work. (1 Ki. 19:1-14) After this interruption Elijah returned to work and finally concluded his service by being taken away in a fiery chariot. However, John the Baptist ended his ministry by imprisonment and beheading. (Matt. 14:1-12) So it was antitypically with the work done from 1878 to 1918. It came to an end in a time of trouble, with imprisonment and the slaying of the work. The scripture was fulfilled: “The wild beast that ascends out of the abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them.”—Rev. 11:7, NW.

7. What then must we conclude as to the opening and closing of this period of three and a half times, and what is the outstanding feature of its end?

⁷ This 1,260-day period (’time, times and half a time’) was fulfilled from October, 1914, to April, 1918, during which time the mighty Prince Michael (the Lord Jesus) became King, enthroned in heaven, and set about Kingdom work and the deliverance of his faithful servants from Babylonish bondage. He took decisive action against the prince of the power of darkness and of this evil world and forcibly removed this wicked one from his exalted position, not merely unseating him but