Does anyone know a good source(s) that refutes the Daniel book?

The date of 1914 has been a pivotal date for the Watchtower. A lot
hinges on it. Russell counted down to 1914 and the Watchtower has
been counting the years since 1914. The new Daniel book reaffirms
he Watchtowers old mistakes with reference to this date.

The overarching error in connection with the date of 1914 is not
the debate over when the count of 2,520 years starts but whether
there should be ANY counting of 2,520 years at all. On page 94 the
question for paragraph 24 is:

"The great dream tree symbolizes what?"

The Daniel book says

"the tree stands for rulership and sovereignty far grander than
that of Babylon's king. It symbolizes the universal sovereignty of
Jehovah...especially with respect to the earth."

If you read the 4th Chapter of Daniel it says nothing specifically
about the tree symbolizing the universal sovereignty of Jehovah.
Since the 4th Chapter of Daniel doesn't say that the tree
symbolizes the universal sovereignty of Jehovah it is THEREFORE
presumptuous for the Watchtower to make that claim. The 4th
chapter however doesn't leave the interpretation of the dream to
our imagination. It tells us specifically what that tree
represents. Daniel reveals the interpretation with these words at
Daniel 4:22 "It is YOU O king". That's it. The tree represents
Nebuchadnezzar. Any further elaboration of this simple explanation
is pure speculation. The Watchtower is allowed to speculate but
individual JW's are disfellowshipped if they question this
Watchtower speculation.

Next the Watchtower invokes an imaginary "rule" for interpreting
prophecy.

The question for paragraph 28 page 96:

"What rule must be applied to the 2,520 days of the prophetic seven
times?"

The answer: "A day for a year." To support this "rule" they quote
Ezekiel 4:6,7 and Numbers 14:34. Read those scriptures. There is
nothing about them that suggests that there is some universal rule
of using a day for a year when interpreting prophecies that mention
a number of days. Once again this is speculation. It's no wonder
they warn JW's about speculation. They seem to have a problem with
the consequences of foolish speculation.

But, suppose there really is a rule that you use a day for a year?
How consistent are they in following that rule? Why don't they use
that rule with Daniel 8:14 in counting the 2,300 days? Or what
about the 1,290 days and 1,335 days in Daniel 12:11,12? Apparently
this rule is not a rule at all!!

The debate on 607BC is an interesting discussion but it is merely
a side issue. Even if 607BC were the indisputable beginning to the
70 year period of desolation there is no basis for counting 2,520
years to some imagined point in the future when Christ begins to
rule.

proplog2

Problems with new Daniel Book

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" noWrap width="1%" bgColor=#b71c0c>Proplog2

Aug

Newsgroups: alt.religion.jehovahs-witn

From: [email protected] (Proplog2) - Find messages by this author

Date: 1999/08/22

Subject: Problems with new Daniel Book

Fudge. That's the unofficial term for what you do with numbers
when they don't exactly say what you want them to say.

The Watchtower writers are either mathematically challenged or they
are deliberate fudgers.

Let's look at the day counting prophesies of Daniel.

On page 301 of the New Daniel book we have the LATEST "truth" about
the 1,260 days, the 2,300 evening and mornings, 1,290 days and the
1,335 days.

Ready to do some counting?

The Chart "PROPHETIC TIME PERIODS IN DANIEL" (Will be referred to
as the "Chart")

"Three and a half times (1,260 days) Daniel 7:25; 12:7"

"December 1914 to June 1918"

Let's total the time span from December 1 1914 to June 30 1918

December 1914 = 31 days
1915 = 365 days
1916 (Leap Year) = 366 days
1917 = 365 days
Jan 1- June 30 1918 = 1,318 days

They allow a fudge factor of 58 days. Is Jehovah that sloppy with
his prophecies? Shouldn't they know exactly when the 1,260 days
begins and ends?

Look at the type of event they use to mark the boundaries of these
1,260 days.

Page 142 Paragraph 29 Question for the paragraph "When and how did
the prophetic three and a half years begin?

"For the anointed Christians, World War I meant a time of testing.
By the end of 1914, they were expecting persecution. In fact, the
very yeartext chosen for 1915 was Jesus' question to his disciples,
"Are ye able to drink of my cup?" It was based on Matthew 20:22,
(KJV). Hence, beginning in December 1914, that small band of
witnesses preached in "sackcloth".

So at what point in December do you start counting? Do you start
when some committee decided on the yeartext? Do you start when
someone, on the committee that decides the yeartext, got the notion?
Do you start counting from the time the plate is composed for
printing the years text. Do you start from the publication date on
the Watchtower that contains the yeartext? Somehow this doesn't
seem like a good way to start counting a time period that is
supposed to have some great prophetic significance.

So when did the 1,260 days end? That's essentially the question
asked in paragraph 31. The answer is as follows:

"Harassment of God's anointed ones climaxed on June 21, 1918, when
the president , J.F. Rutherford and prominent members of the Watch
Tower Bible and Tract Society were sentenced on false charges to
long prison terms... So the foretold period of "time, and times and
half a time" ended in June 1918."

If the period of mourning in sackcloth is supposed to end on June
21, 1918 wouldn't that mean that the suffering ended? Instead it
just began! That's when they were sentenced to jail. Apparently
they were happy to receive prison suits as an exchange for their
old sack cloth.

Since they brought up the June 21st date as the time it ended it
makes sense that we should be able to find the all important
starting date by simply counting back 1,260 days. So let's do that.

Jan 1- June 21 1918 = 172 days
1917 = 365 days
1916 = 366 days

That totals up to 903 days

1,260 - 903 = 357 days or January 8th 1915. That's not quite
December 1914. Most likely the 1,260 days started from the day the
local congregations got the banner of the yeartext displayed at
their meeting places.

I was going to work my way through the other dates. I just don't
have the time. Maybe someone else can do that.

I prefer my fudge in brownies.

Quotes

Well, let me think....

Methadone is used to treat Heroine addiction; Daniel was obviously on some pretty heavy stuff, so maybe if you can get this "Daniel" into a Methadone treatment clinic???

~Quotes, of the "sorry, just kidding" class

Does anyone know a good source(s) that refutes the Daniel book?

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