April 1878: Jesus began to exercise his office as King of kings

1891 ❧

[...] but Behold he has come, and we are now living "in the [parousia] presence of the Son of man." And this has been the character of the present movement, from then until now, -a proclamation of the Lord's presence and of the kingdom work now in progress. The writer, and co-laborers, proclaimed the fact of the Lord's presence, demonstrating it from prophecy, and on charts or tables, such as are used in this book, until the fall 1878, when arrangements were made for starting our present monthly publication, ZION'S WATCH TOWER, and the Herald of Christ's Presence." By the Lord's blessing, millions of copies of this publication have carried the tidings that the Time is fulfilled, and that the Kingdom of Christ is even now being set up, while the kingdoms and systems of men are crumbling to their utter destruction.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 93

But for the wheat's sake God's favor extended even to these mixed bunches or Babylonish systems; and not until God's time for effecting a complete and final separation - in the time of harvest, 1878 - were those systems completely, and forever cast off from all favor, and sentenced to swift destruction, and all of God's people explicitly and imperatively called out of them. In the very beginning of the age, God's people were warned against the deceptions of Antichrist, and taught to keep separate from it, and yet they were permitted to be in a measure deceived by it and more or less mixed up with it, for their trial and testing. Every awakening to a realization of unchristian principles, doctrines and doings, which led to reform measures, tested and proved the wheat class, and helped to purify them more and more from the pollutions of Antichrist. But this last testing and positive call, coupled with the utter rejection of those systems, no longer to receive divine favor (as they had formerly received it, for the sake of the wheat in them), is to effect the final separation of the wheat class from all anti-christian systems and principles. [...] The expression, "Babylon is fallen : Come out of her, my people," clearly marks two thoughts which should be distinctly remembered. It indicates that at one time, Babylon was not fallen from divine favor; that for a time she retained a measure of favor notwithstanding her mixed character; that however large the proportion of error which she held, and however little of the spirit of Christ she manifested, she was not entirely cast off from God's favor until the harvest time of separation. It indicates, too, that at some time a sudden and utter rejection is to come upon Babylon, when all favor will forever cease, and when judgments will follow - just such a rejection as we have shown due in 1878.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 154, page 155 and page 156

In considering these parables, we must not make the mistake of presuming that all the wise virgins have already gone in to the marriage -to the guest-chamber of special and final preparation- and that the door is shut before the inspection referred to in this parable begins. The door of opportunity still stands open to all the consecrated, robed by faith in the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness; the message, "behold, the Bridegroom !" is still going forth; the wise virgins are still going out to meet him, and entering in with him to the marriage; and the foolish have not yet returned with oil in their vessels. But, since "the King came in" (since 1878 parallel in time to our Lord's typically assuming the office of King of the Jews - Matt. 21:1-13), the inspection of the guests, and the testing of their appreciation of the wedding robe, have been in progress.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 204

Looking back to the type, we see that in the spring of A. D. 33, three and a half years the beginning of the Jewish harvest (A. D. 29) our Lord typically took unto himself his power and exercised kingly authority. (See, Matt. 21:5-15) And the only object of that action evidently was to mark a parallel point of time in this harvest, when he would in reality assume the kingly office, power, etc., viz., in the spring 1878, three and a half years after his second advent at the beginning of the harvest period, in the fall of 1874. The year 1878 being thus the date when the Lord began to take unto himself his great power, it is reasonable to conclude that there the setting up of his kingdom began, the first step of which would be the deliverance of his body, the church, among whom the sleeping members are to take precedence.
And since the resurrection of the church must occur some time during this "end" or "harvest" period (Rev. 11:18), we hold that it is a most reasonable inference, and one in perfect harmony with all the Lord's plan, that in the spring of 1878 all the holy apostles and all "overcomers" of the Gospel age who slept in Jesus were raised spiritual beings, like unto their Lord and Master. And while we, therefore, conclude that their resurrection is now an accomplished fact, and hence that they as well as the Lord are present on the earth, the fact that we do not see them is no obstacle to faith when we remember that like their Lord they are now spiritual beings, and like him invisible to men.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 233 and page 234

[...] the blindness of Fleshly Israel, otherwise called Jacob, will not be due to pass away, until the selection of Spiritual Israel has been completed. And we are expressly advised (Rom. 11 : 26) that their recovery and deliverance from blindness and prejudice then will come out of (mount) Zion, the glorified Church or Kingdom. But as the kingdom of Zion to some extent began in 1878, when our King took to himself his great power to reign, although the '' feet " class were not yet fully developed and glorified, so the favor of God toward "Jacob, through Zion, properly had a beginning there, though it will not reach them in fullest measure until the " feet " members of Christ's body are also glorified. And as 1881 was the time-parallel to the turning of the light from Jacob to the Gentiles, so it marks the time for the beginning of the turning back again of special light upon the long blinded Jews.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 281

They have shown us that in the days of these Gentile kings, before their lease of power expires, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, and that the setting up of that kingdom has actually been in progress since the year 1878; that there the resurrection of all the dead in Christ was due ; and that therefore, since that date, not only is our Lord and Head invisibly present in the world, but all these holy messengers are also with him. And observe further, that this date of the resurrection of the dead in Christ parallels the date of the resurrection of the Head of the body. Our Lord's resurrection occurred three and a half years after his advent as the Messiah, in A. D. 30 ; and the resurrection of his body, the Church, we have seen, was due in the year 1878, three and a half years after his second advent, in October 1874.

Source : MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol.III, Thy Kingdom Come (1st-ed - 1891), page 299

1897 ❧

1906 ❧

1911 ❧

1931 ❧

🇺🇸 1878

An approximate return of Jesus: 1878