Publication title: In the course, of time, C. T. Russell wrote five other books of the “Millennial Dawn” Series. They were: Volume II, The Time is at Hand (1889); Volume III, Thy Kingdom Come (1891); Volume IV, The Battle of Armageddon (1897; originally called “The Day of Vengeance”); Volume V, The At-one-ment Between God and Man (1899); Volume VI, The New Creation (1904). Russell did not survive to write an intended seventh volume of this series.
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 41
After early October 1914, Christ’s anointed followers proclaimed that the Gentile Times had ended and that the nations were approaching their destruction at Armageddon. (Luke 21:24; Rev. 16:14-16) These figurative “two witnesses” declared this mournful message for the nations for 1,260 days, or three and a half years (October 4/5, 1914, to March 26/27, 1918).
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 103
In addition to this, as early as 1923 the “sheep” of Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats were identified as a present-day earthly class who would survive Armageddon into God’s promised new order. (Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 16:14, 16) The 1931 volume Vindication (Book One) identified the persons marked on the forehead for preservation (Ezek. chap. 9) as the “sheep” of Christ’s parable.
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 156
As to Brother Knorr’s attitude toward the work, J. L. Cantwell recalls: “In 1940, when there was so much persecution going on, branches were being closed down and mob action was taking place. One night we were working overtime at the factory. A ‘fire drill’ was called and, among other things, Brother Knorr, who presided at the resulting meeting, said: ‘I know that things look bad for the work. But something all of us here will want to remember is: If Armageddon comes tomorrow, we want to have run the factory all night tonight.’
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 196
Public talk: Delegates were in for a particularly moving experience on Sunday afternoon, July 26. For N. H. Knorr’s public discourse “After Armageddon—God’s New World” 165,829 persons assembled inside Yankee Stadium, in overflow tents and at Trailer City.
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 216
They listened attentively as F. W. Franz, the Watch Tower Society’s vice-president, spoke on the subject “Why This Convention Should Resolve.” Brother Knorr followed him on the program, forcefully presenting a resolution that exposed Christendom’s clergy as the most reprehensible class on earth today. The document also reaffirmed the theocratic principles of Jehovah’s people, unashamedly proclaimed God’s kingdom by Christ as the sole means of salvation and strongly set forth the determination of Jehovah’s witnesses to preach about this kingdom in love, peace and unity, without letup, until Jehovah brings the witness work to a finale at Armageddon.
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 235
Jehovah’s servants had an excellent opportunity to show that they were advocates of God’s kingdom and no other government in the year 1963, during the around-the-world “Everlasting Good News” Assembly. They enthusiastically adopted a resolution whereby they proclaimed their recognition of Jehovah as the Eternal Sovereign of the universe and their refusal to give idolatrous worship to the political image, the United Nations, as had the nations, which are being led by invisible wicked spirits to Armageddon. (Rev. 13:11-18; 16:14, 16)
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 235, 236
Not without good reason, in its report on the 1972 district assemblies, The Watchtower remarked: “Truly, Jehovah is bringing his congregated people into an organizational condition in which they will be able to ride out Armageddon into God’s new order under divine rulership.”
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 250
This certainly raised questions. Does this mean that Babylon the Great will go down by 1975? Will Armageddon be over, with Satan bound, by then? ‘It could’ acknowledged F. W. Franz, the Watch Tower Society’s vice-president, after posing similar questions at the “God’s Sons of Liberty” District Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland. However, he added, in essence: ‘But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don’t any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that.’ Among other things, Brother Franz urged: “Let us make the most of the time and get in all the good hard work to Jehovah while the opportunity affords.”
1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 1974. p. 256