r51785
Throughout Watchtower history dates have been a problem. The usual solution for failed prophetic dates has been to kick the can down the road. This needs to be done with 1914. The generation that will never pass away is now 110 years old and therefore is past its useful life span. The best thing to do would be to find a more recent date to replace 1914 ( kind of like when the Judge replaced 1874 with 1914). I have a proposal. I apologize if someone has already brought this up, but I haven't seen it mentioned.
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There is no problem for our dates are based on a sound biblical chronology that has served us well and that of Christendom's scholarship. Nothing needs to be done about 1914 for it is rock solid based on the following key factors:
- Biblical Chronology
- Gentile Times doctrine- Bible Prophecy
- Modern secular history
The generation doctrine has 'muddied the waters' but remains one of the key factors that prove that we are living in the time of our Lord's Parousia and the 'conclusion of the system of things'.
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1914 is based on a period called "The Seven Gentile Times." The Watchtower says that this is the period from the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 607 BCE to Jesus coming into kingdom power (invisibly) in 1914. The calculation is: seven times equals seven lunar years of 360 days (7 x 360 days = 2520 days). Days are converted to years thus giving us 2520 years. From 607 BCE to 1914 CE is 2520 years. But what if new light reveals that seven times is actually seven solar years? That would mean each year or "time" would be 365.25 days (365.25 x 7 = 2556.75). That means that instead of the "Seven Gentile Times" being 2520 years they would be 2556.75 years. Thus counting 2556.75 years from 607 BCE we would end at the summer of 1951. The generation of 1951 is only 73 years old! No more overlap needed!
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Good summary! The idea that the 'seven times' can only be interpreted as 'seven solar years' makes no sense, simply fanciful. Far better to stick to the dual application model i.e. seven literal years with Neb's reign and the figurative period of Gentile rule over the potential reign of God's Kingdom typified by the Davidic Monarchy.
scholar JW