Can 70 years be symbolic in the Bible?

by Pterist 47 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Pterist

  In Isaiah 23:.......Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years....the span of a kings life !

  In my morning bible reading I came across the above verse were 70 years is equated to the span of a kings life ! The WBTS along will many seem to take a very rigid approach with dates and numbers and apply it to date setting end times etc, ...when it may be just a generalization. For example many kings don't live 70 years, or ALL people live their allotted 70 year life span. 70 and other numbers in the bible seem to be a generalization of a period, or have a "symbolic" significance ?!?!

  Any comments, enlightenment, outbursts ?
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  Phizzy

  I read one Commentary that said a similar thing, if I can locate it I will post it, the writer said (from memory) "that it seems more than likely that such periods are not meant to be taken literally". (Poor Lars and others, that would demolish hours of post writing for our enlightenment on here.)
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  THE GLADIATOR

  In that magical collection of musings known as the Bible, anything including 70 years can be symbolic. It can also be literal, unilateral, spiritual, metaphysical, inspired, uninspired, fact, fiction, God’s word, man’s word or just a good story to frighten or delight depending on your beliefs or lack of. It can be moulded, shaped, reshaped, twisted, embellished, accepted, or rejected. They just don’t make books like that anymore!
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  Pterist

  Thanks Phizzy

  Im hoping to encourage any JW brothers and sisters that read the comments here on this forum and topic, not to feel guilty or alone (like I did) about their doubts on the failed 1914, end time eschatology.

  Shalom
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  Pterist

  Gladiator *** It can be moulded, shaped, reshaped, twisted, embellished, accepted, or rejected.*****

  Yes, it certainly can. I guess one of the things that is most consistent, is the awesome and difficult task of loving our neighbour as ourself, as is stated in other books.

  Shalom
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  AnnOMaly

  Isaiah's Prophecy I (2000), chap. 19 p. 253 par. 21 Jehovah Profanes the Pride of Tyre

  Isaiah goes on to prophesy: “It must occur in that day that Tyre must be forgotten seventy years, the same as the days of one king.” (Isaiah 23:15a) Following the destruction of the mainland city by the Babylonians, the island-city of Tyre will “be forgotten.” True to the prophecy, for the duration of “one king”—the Babylonian Empire—the island-city of Tyre will not be an important financial power. Jehovah, through Jeremiah, includes Tyre among the nations that will be singled out to drink the wine of His rage. He says: “These nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25:8-17, 22, 27) True, the island-city of Tyre is not subject to Babylon for a full 70 years, since the Babylonian Empire falls in 539 B.C.E. Evidently, the 70 years represents the period of Babylonia’s greatest domination—when the Babylonian royal dynasty boasts of having lifted its throne even above “the stars of God.” (Isaiah 14:13) Different nations come under that domination at different times. But at the end of 70 years, that domination will crumble.
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  Phizzy

  I too sympathise with JW's who suddenly realise that the foundation doctrine of their religion, 1914, has no support from scripture.

  I came to realise this all by myself, and as a born-in and in for many decades, I felt really alone, "out on a limb". Whilst looking for Bible Commentaries on-line I came across a site that said exactly the same thing that I had discovered ! so I was not alone !

  More searching on-line led me here, and soon I learned the Truth about what JW's call "the truth". I also found here plenty of support during those early months of making a decision, and then leaving the WT.

  One thing I was sure of long before I questioned 1914 was that much of the Bible was impossible to take literally, but before reading that Commentator's comment, I had never thought that something like a 70 year period could be anything but literal. When you observe how difficult it is to make those periods work sometimes, hence the long threads on here, it makes sense that they could well be just a literary device.
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  Witness My Fury

  Doesn't that quote from the Isaiah book totally demolish all the WTS posturing over 607? Looks like it does to me...
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  Pterist

  Withness my Fury **** Doesn't that quote from the Isaiah book totally demolish all the WTS posturing over 607? Looks like it does to me...****

  I never remember reading this verse before, and it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning ! , yes I think it puts more big holes in their already failed and exposed posturing over 607 !

  Shalom
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  THE GLADIATOR

  Pterist " I guess one of the things that is most consistent, is the awesome and difficult task of loving our neighbour as ourself, as is stated in other books."

  Now why on earth would I want to love my neighbour as myself? Neighbours are a pain in the - in fact the more money we have the further we can afford to be from neighbours. Any book that wants me to love them is destined for the garbage can.