by compton 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
Jehoiakin was taken captive before Jerusalem fell. The counting of the Gentile Times
the 2520 days of years would begin with the first fall of Jerusalem, Correct ? This is taken from Ezekiel ch 21
verse 24 to the end of the chapter. correct ?
The Jews would be overthrown three times, Correct ? 587 BC 1ST
70 AD 2ND
1933-1945 A SIX MILLION MURDERED ? THIRD
2520 minus 587 =1933
This is all new to me as I never paid much attention to dates. Disfellowshipped years ago.
interesting.
The 2,520 years is taken from Daniel 4:16. But there is sufficient evidence that Daniel was written in 165 B.C.E.. Another thing that one has to remember is that there are many different explainations as to what a "times" is. I wouldn't base my whole life on someone elses explanation and opinion ever again!
Except for historicaly trying to set the record straight, the date really dosn't mater. The "time of the end is cut short on account of the Saints (Anointed) least ALL flesh be destroyed." That we can tell the time of "seasons" is all that is needed.
Makes these arguments moot!
Norval
Interesting comments everybody, but....
The significance of the chopping down of the tree, when representing the septer of Judah, thus the ending of the earthly kingship until the Messiah would take up that reign at the second coming would not relate to the destruction of Jerusalem directly, but when the last ruling king was removed. It just so happens that coincides with the destruction of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was deported the same 19th year that Jerusalem fell.
Based upon that and following the interpretation that a "time" is double 1260 years, 7 times would be 2520 years by a very fundamental interpretation.
But if our primary concern is dating the Second Coming, you must coordinate that with two other chronology prophecies that would yield the specific time of the second coming within a year.
1. One is the "1335 days" prophecy found in Daniel 12 which indicates that the second coming would occur some 45 years after the "end of all these thigns"; that is, the end of the punishment of the Jews and the end of the gentile times. When was the end of the gentile times? When was Jerusalem no longer under the control of the gentiles and the Jews restored to their homeland? Whatever date that was would end the symbolic 1290 days and it would then date the second coming 45 years later. Of course, the Jews regained control over their homeland and official came out of exile after November 20, 1947 thus we could date the second coming specifically 45 years later sometime between November 20, 1992 and November 20, 1993. Having that date confirmed by this prophecy, it must now be coordinated with the correct date for the fall of Jerusalem.
2. Another advanced way that limits the second coming to a specific year is the "70 weeks" prophecy which has a double meaning. Basically, the Messiah mus arrive during the 70th week and "end gift and sacrifice" both times at mid-70th week. The 70th week is the 70th out of 490 years. The first 490 years ended in 36CE, the 70th week being from 29CE to 36CE and the mid-week passover when the animal sacrifices ended at the time of Jesus death occurring in 33CE. But Jesus instituted the "constant feature" that is the annual memorial until he would arrive for the second coming at which time he would again "end gift and sacrifice" since this would not be a necessary ritual after his arrival and after his eating the passover one last time upon his arrival IN THE FLESH (that's right--this is a SECOND COMING, not a second hovering over the earth.). But the 70 weeks are easily calculated by consecutive 490-year periods from 36CE. You merely have to count down 490 years to our day. 4 periods of 490 years is 1960 years added to 36CE gives us the last 490-year period ending in 1996 and the 70th week from 1989 to 1996. That means that Jesus must arrive in the flesh to eat the last passover and his first since arriving at the mid-week passover of 1993, thus ending gift and sacrifice. So the fulfillment of this prophecy imposes a specific date within a year for the second coming, that is, by Passover of 1993.
COORDINATION: But please note, between November 20, 1992 and November 20, 1993 as required by the "1335 days" prophecy occurs during the same year as Passover of 1993!!! So you have a confirmed year for the second coming based upon these two prophecies. So we really don't need to worry about the contradictions and complexities of the Neo-Babylonian period, which was revised by the pagans to determine the date of the second coming Biblically.
But for the astute Bible student who would want to coordinate the "7 times" prophecy which also requires fulfillment of the second coming to a specific year, the 1992 dating would date the fall of Jerusalem in 529BCE, that is 2520 years from 1992 is 529BCE.
One must ask whether or not, therefore, that is a credible Biblical or secular date for the fall of Jerusalem? Of course, the answer is yes:
BIBLICAL: If you have Cyrus fulfill the prophecy for the "going forth of the word to rebuilding Jerusalem" then you must date the 1st of Cyrus in 455BCE. That being the case, the 70-years beginning at the time of the last deportation would occur int he 23rd of Nebuchadnezzar in 525BCE. Jerusalem fell in the 19th year so that would date the fall of Jerusalem in 529BCE. So that would tend to confirm that the "70 weeks" prophecy was fulfilled by Cyrus in 455BCE.
SECULAR: But all this is quite moot now with recent research into the complex astronomical texts which have survived. Of note, no contemporary astronomical texts from Babylon have survived, and that's because they were destroyed, a clear indication of revision for this period. But two critical texts which have astronomical references to specific dating during this period, the VAT4956 and the SK400 each have been discovered to have mismatched references to the primary years they refer to. These mismatched references first thought to be simply "scribal errors" or sloppy copying have now been matched to a second chronology. Thus the true purpose of these texts were to secretly hide the original chronology astronomy in documents that otherwise promoted the revised chronology. Of note the 7th year reference in the SK400 text gives either 523BCE or 541BCE as alternative dates for "year 7". This corresponds to 541BCE as "Year 7" of Nebuchadnezzar's original rule which, of course, would date his 19th year, again to 529BCE. The "year 7" 523BCE reference is for the REVISED dating for Kambyses to that year per the revised chronology. The double eclipses interveal mentioned in the text don't match 523BCE but 541BCE.
Finally, the VAT4956 is a perefect example of substitute double dating. The two dates extracted from this text for "year 37" of Nebuchadnezzar reflect the revised dating of 568BCE but also the year 511BCE in Lines 3 and 14 which are both coordinatd to the same lunar cycle for that year. Therefore, there is no doubt this was intentional and not an error. But understanable if these records were being aggressively reworked to establishe the revised chronology. The 511BCE dating for year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar, however, gives us a direct reference to the original year of Nebuchadnezzar II that year and thus we can date his 19th year to 529BCE.
So that this point, anybody even remotely thinking that either 607BCE or 587BCE are in any way, shape and form credible possible dates for the fall of Jerusalem are simply uninformed at this point. It's not longer a matter of debate but stupidity.
But.....as noted above, fortunately, that debate does not allow us to speculate regading the year of the second coming since two other chronologies in scripture not directly connected to the revised chronology of the Neo-Babylonian period, but to the advent of Christ in 29CE and to the return of the Jews to Palestine (end of gentile times) in 1947 can allow us to correctly date the Second coming to 1992-1993. But since the Bible is a true book of history, it should not be too much of a surprise that some evidences of the original chronology has now survived which also confirm the correct dating for the fall of Jerusalem to 529BCE, the necessary coordinated date for fulfilling the 2520 years from the fall of Jerusalem and the removal of it's last king until the earthly advent of Jesus Christ back onto the earth to take up kingship again.
1992 is the second coming date everyone has to deal with. The more excuses that one makes and the more information one ignores to try to think otherwise will only cause holy spirit to lesson any light of understanding in other matters they might have.
Insistence upon non-Biblical or selectively Biblical interpretations will lead to spiritual darkness. One must come into the light now and face reality, or be condemned to darkness and be totally lost when Christ's armies appear to destroy the wicked at Armageddon.
And on that plesant thought....I hope all have a very nice day!!!
L.G.
The Bible is not a crystal ball. everywhere i look I see fortune tellers, pretending to be Christian, using the bible tell the future. like Gypsies at a fair these preachers take your money giving you a show and empty words.
The Great and Powerful Oz:
pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
Jesus said he spoke in parables so that "outsiders" would be confused, looking but not seeing, whereas his followers would understand the secret meanings.
Thefore, the Bible, especially at end times when the sacred secrets that were "sealed up" (Daniel 12) would be revealed really ar for the specific anointed ones who are giving understanding about many things, but whereas others, the "outsiders" rejected from the kingdom would, indeed, remain puzzled and bewildered by the complexity of scripture.
It's simply a matter of sorting yourselves out...then, isn't it?
L.G.
Thats what I have always thought, these times will really be revealed in Jehovahs
time its no good speculating. But I did start thinking about the 12 years of Hitlers
3rd Reich. Here's some interesting thoughts for you. He was really a personification
of the Devil. He removed all the Bibles from the churches.replaced them with his wretched book Mien Kamp. He thought the third Reich would last a thousand years.
Built that terrible meeting place with one hundred and forty forty pillars
he wanted to exterminate the Jews to stop Jehovah from using them to show his great name then rule the earth.or destroy it!
Very strange. It like the Devils last attempt to defy Jehovah.
and here we are again, the western civilization has been threatened again.
We sure live in interesting times
Here are some interst dates for you.
1868 First Jewish prime minister in Britain leases the Suez Canal for one hundred years
1878 Pastor Russell Prophecies that the Jews will return to Palestine (Comfort ye my people)
1897 Theodore Hertzle starts Zionism
1914 World l starts
1917 General Allenby takes Jerusalem, Turks flee.(Turks were on German side )
Britain can't have anything so unstable near the Canal
1921 Balfour declaration
from then on British interfere with immigration of Jews which ends up with a terrific
explosion at King David Hotel.
1948 British leave the Jews to fight for themselves
Isreal established as a nation
Arabs immediately Attack but Jacob comes out the winner! 1,000,000 versus 600,000
Jews
