For those who do not have time to read this whole thread allow me to give a brief summary for you. First a link was given to a site that Biblically proves 607 and disproves 587.
3w: http://www.jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/607/default.html
Alanf: Here's a challenge for you, thirdwitness: You pick one topic from the site you linked to, and argue the case on this forum. You'll get a run for your money.
But I don't think you, or any other JW-defender, is up to the challenge.
And so 3w put forth the infomation found here: http://www.jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/607/egypt.html
This information showed that the 40 year desolation of Egypt by Neb as prophecied by Jehovah in Ezekiel 29-32 clearly disproves 587 beyond a doubt. Now it became pertinent for 587 defenders to disprove that the 40 year desolation of Egypt never happened as prophecied. They certainly could not admit that JWs are right. And so the discussion proceeded. While the discussion also covered other areas, this summation will only cover the discussion that concerns the 40 year desolation of Egypt. Lets look at the 587 defender's proofs.
AlanF told us their were 'legions' of problems with the reasoning presented. Wading thru all the long writings and name calling such as moron, retardo, idiot, thirdwitless, etc, what do we find their arguments against the 40 year desolation to be.
1. Ezekiel said Tyre would never be rebuilt but it was, therefore since the Tyre prophecy is figurative then the Egypt prophecy must be figurative.
2. Jehovah told Jonah to tell Nineveh that it would be overthrown but when Ninevah repented he did not carry it out so likewise Egypt.
3. There is no secular evidence that gives any indication that Egypt was desolated during this time period.
4. There is no way that Babylon could have displaced millions of Egytians.
5. Ezekiel was a false prophet and neither the Tyre prophecy or the Egypt prophecy came true.
Yes, this was the very best that could be mustered up to disprove the 40 year desolation of Egypt by Neb. What did an examination of each argument reveal?
1. Ezekiel said Tyre would never be rebuilt but it was, therefore since the Tyre prophecy is figurative then the Egypt prophecy must be figurative.
There are many things in the Bible that are figurative. It is faulty reasoning to say of totally unrelated subjects without any connection, 'Since this is figurative then that must also be figurative.' Even if we assume that the Tyre prophecy is figurative, it must be shown that this is somehow connected to the Egypt prophecy and that it must also be figurative. No connection was made except that both prophecies were made by Ezekiel. Do we conclude that all prophecies in the Bible are figurative because the Tyre prophecy is figurative(assuming that it is)? Do we assume that all prophecies of Ezekiel are figurative because the Tyre prophecy is figurative? The reasoning is absurd.
2. Jehovah told Jonah to tell Nineveh that it would be overthrown but when Ninevah repented he did not carry it out so likewise Egypt.
The Bible goes into detail in the story and Jonah and explains exactly how the king of Ninevah and his subjects repented, thus Jehovah spared them. Do we have such details of Egypt's repentance anywhere in the Bible? Or we told how Pharoah and his crowd repented in sackcloth and ashes when they heard of their coming destruction? Surely such a huge act of repentance by a notoriously pagan nation would have been recorded in the Bible as an example for all? How about in the secular evidence? Do we have available the ancient fragments that decribe to us how Pharoah and his crowd left his pagan gods and turned to the worship of Jehovah. It is difficult to even answer this point without laughing? What a joke this reasoning is?
3. There is no secular evidence that gives any indication that Egypt was desolated during this time period.
There is very little secular evidence about Egypt during this time. It is not surprising that Egypt would fail to record such a defeat. After all, they did not record the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt either. Does that mean the exodus never happened?
But why didn't the Babylonians record this defeat upon Egypt? Surely they would have bragged about it. Well, there most definitely is proof that the attack by Nebuchadnezzar against Egypt happened. The evidence shows that just two years after the final part of the prophecy against Egypt an attack was made by Neb against Egypt. The Babylonian chronicle known as BM 33041 says: "In the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to make war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad..." Fortunately for 587 proponents the rest of the chronicle is badly damaged and the extent of the defeat of Egypt cannot be read. But I am quite sure that if we could read the entire inscription we would have the further proof. However, the part that can be deciphered is enough to prove that a campaign by Neb against Egypt did take place right on time just after Ezekiel prophecied it. What a coincidence, huh?
4. There is no way that Babylon could have displaced millions of Egytians.
This is surely what Babylon was known to do. They had experience at displacing entire nations. Look at the nation of Judah. How many millions were killed and displaced by Babylon? Yes, there if proof positive that Babylon could and did exile entire nations from their homeland. On top of this, the all powerful Jehovah prophecied it and could make it so. What a straw grasping argument that goes against Jehovah's power and the actual nature of Nebuchadnezzar to exile people from their land.
5. Ezekiel was a false prophet and neither the Tyre prophecy nor the Egypt prophecy came true.
This argument is made by the ones that realize that if Ezekiel's prophecy is accurate then 587 is wrong. So rather than being dishonest and pretending that the Bible supports 587 they come right out and tell you that the Bible is wrong on this. Many did this on this thread. One of which is one of the leaders here among you against 607, AlanF. He declared: Ezekiel demonstrably falsely prophesied about the ultimate rebuilding of Tyre, and all of his other prophecies are called into question....Because you failed to acknowledge the fact that Ezekiel prophesied falsely, the rest of your statements are mere attempts to misrepresent the issue and misdirect your readers....The simple fact is that Ezekiel prophesied falsely, and therefore his words cannot be taken as gospel.
I rest my case.
