Russell’s 1914 Gentile Times Breakfast Declaration: Fact or Fiction?

Cover Created by Miss Usato, from God’s Kingdom Rules, 2014, 2023 printing. Depiction of Charles Taze Russel announcing “The Gentile times have ended and their kings have had their day” on October 2, 1914.

Published by: Miss Usato on March 6th, 2025

If Charles Taze Russell truly strode into the Bethel dining room on October 2, 1914, declaring, “The Gentile times have ended and their kings have had their day!”—then history missed the memo. For nearly a decade, there was no mention of this dramatic moment. No articles, no letters, not even a passing reference.

It’s like someone claiming to have been the first on the moon—except they only mention it years later, in a footnote, after the real witness can no longer dispute it.

So, did Russell say it? Or is this a carefully crafted myth introduced later to bolster a developing doctrine? The following analysis written and researched by Larchwood, a fellow friend and research advocate on Watchtower’s teachings, dives deep into this pivotal claim, unraveling the origins of a story every Jehovah’s Witness has heard but few have ever truly examined. All research has been through Watchtower’s publications except for one reference, ‘Faith on the March’ written by Jehovah’s Witness A.H. MacMillian

“The Gentile Times have ended”

The famous story that Charles Taze Russell declared, “The Gentile times have ended,” on October 2, 1914, is not supported by any contemporary evidence. The quote wasn’t attributed to Russell until 1922—six years after his death and eight years after the supposed event. Watch Tower publications from 1914 to 1922 make no mention of such an announcement. In 1975, the date of the alleged declaration was changed from October 1 to October 2, based on a 1957 book that was not published by the Watch Tower Society. The timing of the first published account—in 1922, during Rutherford’s campaign to promote the 1914 doctrine—raises serious questions about its authenticity.

If, like me, you were one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for any length of time, you would undoubtedly have heard about the iconic moment when Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Watch Tower Society, announced that “the Gentile times have ended and their kings have had their day” on October 2, 1914.

The story goes that Russell made this announcement to the Bethel family at breakfast, signaling the end of the Gentile Times and the beginning of God’s Kingdom. This event is frequently referenced as a defining moment in early Watch Tower history and taught as an absolute fact in Watchtower/JW literature.

There are significant issues with this story, though. The published details surrounding Russell’s supposed declaration raise questions about its accuracy, and contemporary evidence is completely missing, suggesting it might not have happened at all.

The 1914 Declaration: Where Did It Come From?

In the April 15, 1917, edition of The Watch Tower, there is a reference to the Gentile Times ending. However, the quote is not attributed to Russell himself. Instead, the words are presented in a general manner, as from The Watch Tower, without clearly linking them to the man who was later said to have spoken them, and there is no mention of an announcement. The words themselves are different from what Russell is supposed to have said: “The Watch Tower, from time to time, has set forth the proof that the “Times of the Gentiles” has ended; that the monarchs of the earth have had their day…”

Earliest Published Account of the Breakfast Story

The first printed version of the breakfast story is not until 1922 -EIGHT years after the event and SIX years after Russell died. In this version, we see the story of him walking into the dining room on the FIRST day of October 1914 (take note of the 1st October date). Here it is in the May 1, 1922, edition of The Watch Tower:

“Finally, the day arrived, October 1, 1914, and on the morning of that day, Charles T. Russell, president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, announced to the headquarters staff of workers in Brooklyn, New York: ‘The Gentile Times have ended, and their kings have had their day.’”

This account places the announcement on October 1, 1914, in contrast to the later official date given as October 2, 1914. This discrepancy between the original narrative and later recollection highlights the event’s ambiguity and potential inconsistencies.

Russell never spoke of any announcement in 1914

It’s important to note that Russell himself never explicitly claimed that he made the “Gentile times have ended” announcement. If he had, in fact, announced on October 1 (or 2nd!), 1914, don’t you think he would have published the event in the Watch Tower magazine soon after? Above is an article from November 1, 1914, where rather than state that the Gentile Times had definitely ended and that Russell had announced this fact at breakfast a month before, it questions whether or not the Gentile Times had even ended!

Why did it take until 1922?

In 1915, Russell gave a lecture which was published in the July 15, 1915, Watch Tower, where he talks about the Gentile times having ended but without any reference to a particular day in October or any announcement. Just one month before the breakfast declaration story appears in The Watch Tower of May 1, 1922, an article in the April 15, 1922 edition of The Watch Tower says the Gentile Times ended on August 1, 1914!

Yet, the End of the Gentile Times was what they were all waiting for, correct? It was one of the most significant events in mankind’s history, certainly significant for the organization. So why would the Watch Tower Society wait until 1922 to tell the story of this huge announcement? The fact that it took eight years even to mention Russell’s involvement in such an important, momentous announcement raises suspicions that the breakfast declaration might have been made up after Russell’s death. Even up to 1926, at least, there was speculation about the exact date of the End of the Gentile Times: August 1, September 20, and October 1 had all been named at one time or another. If the “Wise and Faithful Servant” had said it himself in 1914, why was there any doubt?

October 1 or 2nd in 1914?

Watch Tower was retelling the Russell story with the date as October 1, 1914, as seen in the July 15, 1950, Watch Tower:

Above you’ll see The May 1, 1967 Watch Tower does not reference the story but does state the date of the Gentile Times as ending on October 1, 1914. The 1973 book God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years also has the October 1 date for the Russell story. In the August 15, 1974 Watch Tower it again states the Gentile Times ended on October 1, 1914.

1975 -Something Changed

The 1975 Yearbook retells the Russell story but now uses the October 2 date. What happened in 1975 to convince the organization to change the date from October 1 to October 2? Think about it- there was a time period between 1957 and 1975 where there were two dates for the same event – October 1 according to Watchtower, and October 2 according to MacMillan in a non-Watchtower publication. What made Watchtower decide to go with the date from a non-Watchtower book at that time? To this day October 2, 1914 is the officially recognized date for the event as can be seen in the quotes I shared earlier. Isn’t it curious that they don’t stick with the date given in the original telling of the story which was much closer in time to when it supposedly happened and was in a Watchtower publication?

If Russell really declared the date that the gentile times had ended on October 1, 1914, why didn’t Watchtower know the date in subsequent articles?

A huge clue that Russell never made any such announcement in October 1914 can be seen in Watchtower literature published after the alleged event. If Russell really had made the announcement in October 1914, why, just one month after, did the November 1, 1914, Watch Tower state that September 20, 1914,”probably marked the end of the Gentile Times”

Above is a letter in the March 15, 1919 Watch Tower has a reader speculating about the Gentile Times ending on August 1, 1914. Next is a Watch Tower article of December 1, 1919 stating that the Gentile Times ended in August 1914. Then, there is an April 15, 1922 Watch Tower stating that the gentile times ended on August 1, 1914. A year later, a 1923 Watch Tower, shown below.

Spot the difference

The first clip is from a video on JWorg titled ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses -Faith in Action. part 1: Out of Darkness’ from 2010. The next clip is a video from Warwick Museum Tours: “A People for Jehovah’s Name”, from 2019.

Notice the line added in the second video?

In a publication ‘God’s Kingdom Rules. 2019 on Jworg as well, It is stated “In October, C.T. Russell announces to the Bethel Family: “The Gentile Times have ended, their kinds have had their day.” According to a sister in attendance, he added: “So we know now what awaits us.”

The lesson taught to generations of Witnesses

What a pivotal moment in their history, then, yes? Well, as momentous as Russell’s Announcement was at this breakfast in October 1914, it didn’t even make it to the 1914 Annual Report.

So, did Russell really make the famous and momentous October 1 or 2, 1914, announcement? The evidence suggests that this story, as it has been taught to generations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is at least an exaggeration, if not an outright fabrication. While Macmillan’s 1957 recollection and later Watch Tower publications attribute the statement to Russell, there is no concrete, contemporaneous evidence that Russell himself made any declaration on that particular day. Moreover, the fact that the statement as attributed to Russell did not appear in The Watch Tower until years after Russell’s death raises further doubts about its authenticity. There is no mention of the event in any letters to Watch Tower at any time and no mention of it in the Annual Report of 1914.

The introduction of the Russell Gentile Times announcement fits conveniently with Rutherford’s agenda in 1922. The Watch Tower article introducing the anecdote for the first time would have been written by Rutherford himself. (It is known that Rutherford wrote the leader articles at that time.)

1922 was a time of significant transition within the Watch Tower Society. After Russell’s death in 1916, Joseph Rutherford took over as the president, and he was deeply involved in shaping the direction of the organization. During this period, there was a clear effort to solidify the Watch Tower Society’s identity and its claims to divine authority. Attributing the 1914 declaration to Russell may have been part of this process—an attempt to reinforce the organization’s teachings about 1914 and to bolster the idea that the Society was the true representative of God’s Kingdom on earth.

During this time, Rutherford was actively consolidating his leadership and promoting the 1914 teaching as the cornerstone of the movement’s prophetic identity. The Cedar Point Convention in 1922, for example, marked a significant push to reframe the Kingdom message and encourage aggressive public preaching. By promoting the story of Russell’s declaration in 1914, Rutherford sought to strengthen the narrative that Russell had recognized 1914’s significance at the time, aligning with the Watch Tower’s growing emphasis on prophetic fulfilment and divine guidance, reinforcing Rutherford’s leadership and the movement’s renewed sense of purpose. It would have helped his whole advertising campaign (“…advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his Kingdom.”)

It is interesting to note that if you look up “Gentile Times” in the book Insight on the Scriptures, you are redirected to “Appointed Times of the Nations”. Do you find the Russell story there? No. Such a defining moment of Watchtower history is not there.

-End of Larchwood’s article. I want to thank Larchwood for this in-depth research into the history of our former religion. It is crucial and fundamentally important that anyone considering baptism in such a highly controlling religion—one that prides itself on pivotal dates in its doctrines—understands all the facts, including what was said and omitted. If you would like to dive deeper into Watch Tower teachings, the secrets of Russel and Rutherford, and how this Organization came to be, Watchtower History Channel also goes more in-depth, using historical documents and the region’s own publications as well. Below is a timeline created by Larchwood that highlights the controversial dates related to the infamous Breakfast Party.

The Timeline

Nov 1, 1914 – Watch Tower says September 20, 1914 “probably marked the end of the Gentile Times.” No mention of any announcement by Russell.
June 15, 1915 – Watch Tower- Russell discusses the Gentile Times ending but gives no specific date or reference to a declaration.
Oct 31, 1916 –Charles Taze Russell dies. No published account in his lifetime claiming he made a specific statement.
1917 – Watch Tower mentions the Gentile Times have ended, but attributes the thought to The Watch Tower itself, not to Russell personally.
Mar 15, 1919 – Watch Tower- a reader speculates that the Gentile Times ended August 1, 1914.
Dec 1, 1919 – Watch Tower states the Gentile Times ended August 1, 1914.
Apr 15, 1922 – Watch Tower states the Gentile Times ended August 1, 1914.
May 1, 1922 – Watch Tower: First printed version of the famous ‘breakfast announcement’ story. Russell is said to have declared on October 1, 1914: “The Gentile Times have ended and their kings have had their day.”
Nov 1, 1922 – Watch Tower gives the date for the end of the Gentile Times as August 1, 1914.
Jan 1, 1923 – Watch Tower gives the date for the end of the Gentile Times as August 1, 1914.
July 15, 1950 – Watchtower gives Russell’s statement as October 1, 1914
1957 – Faith on the March by A.H. Macmillan gives Russell’s statement date as October 2, 1914 — this is the first time that this date appears.
May 1, 1967- Watchtower states the appointed times of the nations (an alternative way of saying Gentile Times) had ended on October 1, 1914.
1973 – God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached gives Russell’s statement date as October 1, 1914.
August 15, 1974 -Watchtower: states Gentile Times ended on October 1, 1914.
1975 – Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses gives Russell’s statement date as October 2, 1914.
1993 – Proclaimers Book, p. 135 gives Russell’s statement date as October 2, 1914..
2014 / 2023 – God’s Kingdom Rules! gives Russell’s statement date as October 2, 1914.

Miss Usato

Aiding Transparency to Watchtowers teachings. If you have additional information about this topic or would like to reach the author- Please email MissUsato@proton.me

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