"The gentile times reconsidered"

by zebagain 7 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  zebagain

  Have just finished the book by Olofsson on this subject. Anyone else read it.? It is extremely detailed and not an easy read at all. His use of many threads of research and records is astounding. No wonder it scared the daylights out of wts.

  Sadly Oloffson does not give us a summary the book just ends.

  I ask generally what is the point in looking for predictions in 'days' or what this means or that means? He does make clear that the wts is not the first group to 'prophecy' about dates and comings.He illuminates by revealing some rabbis were doing this generations before the wts came into being. Russels thinking is revealed as an offshoot of others and all have been proved wrong by the passing of time and the wts single support the dating to 607, 1914 etc has been left in rubble.

  I have always had in mind jesus words; "no man knows the day.." and i feel anyone seeking the 'day' is presumptuous and should be occupying themselves with charitable works and any organisation seeking the 'day' is simply arrogant.
• 

  scary21

  I have the book and had to read some of it over again. I found it made a lot of great points. Wathchtower has to know they are wrong !!!

  They just don't care about truth .
• 

  Bobcat

  I read it too. An amazing, well-researched, and, as you said, a difficult subject. Before I read it I read The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings (Edwin Thiele, See here). This also was a difficult read, but well worth the effort. (And I think Thiele is passed now, but I am very grateful for his 30+ years of research that he put into his work.)

  When I first started lurking here I saw all the hubbub about 607 and was inclined leave that subject for others. As I continued researching (outside WT parameters) I began to see the need to look into this subject. So I read Thiele's book first, then Jonsson's. The two books unintentionally form a complimentary pair. Thiele is interested in establishing the dating of the Hebrew kings from the split in the kingdom after Solomon (c. 931 BC) down till the last king (Zedekiah) and the fall of Jerusalem (c. 587 BC). So Thiele is more interested in the whole chronology, while Jonsson is intent on dating of the fall of Jerusalem. Yet their seperate research meets at the same point in time. The two books left me with no doubt about the true dating of the fall of Jerusalem, and more than ready to explore the impact that had on my WT understanding of things.

  Take Care
• 

  nonjwspouse

  I read and reread the writing of GTR. I want it to be fully, correctly recallable at a moments notice if and when I might need to use the information. Not an easyt task as you well know!

  Stupid mind controlled WTBTS is trying to ruin my marriage..
• 

  AnnOMaly

  Anyone else read it.?

  Naturally.

  A very detailed and thoroughly researched work.
• 

  L3G

  COJ's book is well-researched, but most Witnesses could never understand it. Few would even be interested in it, even it it were not on the prohibited reading list.

  That said, it is well worth digesting. COJ seems to cover all points well. A look at old posts here shows that many members of this forum have worked their way thru it. I enjoyed reading it and doubt if anyone has produced parallel research so specific to JWs and their interpretation of a specific prophecy. Perhaps the most telling thing though is how meanly he was treated and how threatened and fearful the WT power structure is when such truths arise and are pointed out. It's no wonder so many have been devastated and have felt betrayed after reading this book or Ray Franz's COC.
• 

  transhuman68

  I have the PDF of the book, but I’ve never read it- I guess I’m a typical JW! Once I realised that the Bible wasn’t inspired, and that the books of the Bible just represent different views about God; and can’t be multiplied together like some mathematical puzzle- then I was no longer interested. But I’m sure it’s a great book…
• 

  Bob_NC

  His pre-book manuscript was enough to set the Writing Department to wondering. No one knew how to reply to his research, since The Society had not checked their facts. Ray Franz was honest enough to realize that Olaf's conclusions were spot on.

  This book also let me know that a bunch of higher-ups at Brooklyn know that the 607 - 1914 calculation is a sham. Watchtower?? Anything? We know you are reading here.