Well said TD.
And for example, i see almosr all of Matthew 24 applying to Christ's generation, not the 1914 or the 1934 or the 21st century generation.
Babylon the Great
by Godlyman 121 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Fisherman
as a message written in a specific manner at a specific time and a specific place to a specific audience in response to a specific problem, but attempts to interpret it outside that context age
The identity of the Genesis serpent for example was interpreted by John in Revelation about 1600 years later. Not to mention the identity of the disgusting thing causing desolation spoken by Daniel in the Babylonian diaspora interpreted by Jesus circa 33CE and finally realizing in the Roman armies in 70CE, and the messianic prophecies realizing in Jesus—to a different audience, etc… so your view seriously fails here.
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TD
Seriously? Are you prepared to defend The Finished Mystery? Or even Then Is Finished the Mystery of God, which is more recent, but hasn't really aged well either.
Both are good examples of what I'm talking about
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Vanderhoven7
Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216
"Some of that "generation" could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that "the end" is much closer than that!" Watchtower 1984 Mar 1 pp.18-19
"He was laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century". Watchtower 1989 Jan 1 p.12.
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Jeffro
Fisherman:
The identity of the Genesis serpent for example was interpreted by John in Revelation about 1600 years later. Not to mention the identity of the disgusting thing causing desolation spoken by Daniel in the Babylonian diaspora interpreted by Jesus circa 33CE and finally realizing in the Roman armies in 70CE, and the messianic prophecies realizing in Jesus
Reusing tropes from older stories and providing new interpretations isn’t the amazing feat you imagine it to be.
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resolute Bandicoot
I have also pondered this at length, or in my case does the WTBTS create nuts or attract them, after much consideration I think the answer is both.Does the bible create nuts or just attract them?
RB.
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Fisherman
In the Bible, the city of Jerusalem, the Jewish mother organization representing the system of worship for Israel is personified as the wife of God ( “Where is the divorce certificate if the mother of you people which I sent away. “ In the Christian Scriptures, the New Jerusalem also symbolizes the wife of Christ, the church, true religion. It would fit the bill if Babylon the great turns out to be false religion.
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Vanderhoven7
From
AN EXEGETICAL BASIS FOR A PRETERIST-IDEALIST UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION
“Scripture interpret Scripture” and can be aptly demonstrated with four simple syllogisms:
Major premise#1: Three times this Babylon is called “O great city” (Rev 18:9, 16, 19) Minor premise #1: “The great city” is “where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev 11:8) Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation’s Babylon
Major premise #2: Babylon was guilty of “the blood of the prophets” (Rev 17:6; 18:24) Minor premise #2: According to Jesus and Paul, only Jerusalem killed the prophets (Matt 23:34–35; Luke 13:33; 1 Thess 2:15–16) Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation’s Babylon Major
premise #3: John’s people are commanded, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues” (Rev 18:4) Minor premise #3: The only city Jesus ever commanded his followers to flee from is Jerusalem—when they saw two specific signs (Matt 24:15– 16; Luke 21:20–21). Eusebius recorded that this departure happened and no Christians were trapped and destroyed in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in ad 707 Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation’s Babylon
Major premise #4: This Babylon would be destroyed (Rev 18:2, 8, 10, 11, 17, 19–23) Minor premise #4: The only city Jesus said would be destroyed was Jerusalem—it would be “left to you desolate” (Matt 23:38) with “not one stone . . . left on another” (Matt 24:2) Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation’s Babylon
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Fisherman
Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation’s Babylon
No, because BTH is guilty of Idolatry whereas Jerusalem learned its lesson after the Babylonian captivity and did not practice idolatry again. In Jesus’ day, Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem not because it was acting like Babylon the Great as described in Revelation but because they rejected God’s son, fought against God’s Holy Spirit and had Jesus mur&erd. Also, Jerusalem did not suffer the fate of Babylon the great and the events that follow the destruction of BTG did not transpire after 70CE. In fact, the Jews reorganized in Javneh and founded Rabbinical Judaism to this day.—Besides the modern day Republic of Israel —with Jerusalem. Obviously, Babylon the Great is another entity.
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Vanderhoven7
@ Fisherman
Colossians 3:5 KJV — Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
What are you talking about? Jerusalem had a long history of idolatry and prophet killing. idolatry, including covetousness and prophet killing including persecution of the church was always a factor, especially among the religious elite right up till the destruction of the city in 70 AD.
Luke 16:13-14 13¶No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14¶And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.Conclusion: Jerusalem is Revelation's Babylon.