by whyizit 34 Replies latest jw friends
How about telling your friend that you are not interested in a bunch of man-made books for the explanation. Also, you are interested in talking to her, not any of her friends. Say if she cannot explain it simply, using the bible (for the prophecy) and the Encyclopedia Brittanica (for the history) alone, then she is off track and you could never believe it.
If she tries to distract with a bunch of bunkum, how about just saying "baloney, prove it."
Someone from this thread would have to ask Jehovah himself or one of his prophets living today to reveal his timetable to us such that we can all clearly grasp what was intended, methinks.
if it was so important why did He not provide an absolute chronolgy in the Bible in the first place, without needing secular chronology? or could it be that secular chronology is not that bad after all? If most of secular chronology is to be rejected (and I strongly advise you to have a look at it and you shall see that it is not so simple to label it as inaccurate), as the WTBTS does, why it is 587bce and not 537bce to be discarded? Because some blessed people had a revelation? the same ones that got it wrong so many times? the same ones that, guided by holy spirit, wrote tha God, before creating Eve, let Adam determine if there was a suitable companion for him among the animals? (look at the book life everlasting in the freedom of the sons of God, pages 43 onwards)
You're clearly not ready for this freedom, Fred. And I feel for you, because I once thought just like you did. If you feel hurt, I understand that too. I didn't want Wonderland to end. I wanted my tract-cover world to make sense. In the end, I knew I could not make any more excuses for the men in Brooklyn.
6000 years of human history was celebrated in the fall of 1975. Bishop Ussher's chronology was proved to be deficient.
I'm sure you'll get over it.
Deficiencies are overcome with a change to a proper diet and exercise program.
Hit it for twenty, Pvt. Hathaway!!! (And don't forget to eat your green beans.)
After having read Daniel prophesy they state a little different for the day for a year rule . They quote numbers and the jews sentenced to 40 years in wandering the wilderness and Ezekiel as he prophesied against jerusalem laying on his side . Basically the rule was introduced during the story of jacob ,IMO . There is no mention in Daniel of applying this rule tho. Their theology has it that Jesus was not appointed ruler in line of David until 1914 but the bible does say otherwise , mathew 28:18 and various parts where even when Jesus walked the earth that he was the official ruler tho he did not want to rule while on earth but only after his resurrection . It's really alot of leaps of faith in an organization that won't even stake a claim to being a prophet or have spirit inspiration but yet claims to speak for God .......... figure that one out ....................
Fred E Hathaway:
6000 years of human history was celebrated in the fall of 1975. Bishop Ussher's chronology was proved to be deficient.
That claim is based on the presupposition of Jerusalem's destruction in 607. So Fred, where's your proof?
whyizit,
There are a few reasons I avoid the 607 BC debacle in favor of other arguments:
(1) The average Jehovah's Witness doesn't thoroughly understand the prophecy as explained by JWs, so you must first teach them what JWs believe about it before you can demonstrate it is wrong.
(2) Publications that are difficult to acquire have been quoted by the WTS with brackets used to replace the author's dates with dates favorable to JW dogma, leading to a very confusing snarl that will tire out most JWs.
(3) Most JWs (in my experience) are not interested enough in history to follow along attentively as you show the Neo-Babylonian king's list and years of reigns as assigned by the WTS itself—which leaves a 20 year hole in history sometime between the accession year of Neriglissar and the accession year of Nabonidus if you start at 607 BC.
(4) The "hole in history" will invariably be explained by as yet undiscovered archeological finds. There is no general conception among JWs that dates must match archeological finds UNTIL archeology discovers otherwise.
For these reasons, starting with 607 BC is a fairly difficult thing to do with any but an exceptional JW. However, there are many other topics that are so straightforward and inarguable that I have not found it necessary to use 607 BC until after the JW no longer has such great confidence in the Governing Body's "spirit-directed" status. In such a state I have found JWs eager to learn more about the 607 BC error.
I don't think there is a way to explain how 607 BC can be ruled out (as a possible year for Jerusalem's destruction) to someone who has complete confidence in the channel that Jehovah is using to communicate with the world in our day.
Respectfully,
AuldSoul
The SI book (1990 edition, Study 3) works for me.
