Posts by Doug Mason

14

How did the idea that Jesus' ministry lasted 3 1/2 years develop?

by Doug Mason in

i previously asked about the evolution in the application of daniel 9 to the christian's jesus.. naturally, leo generously provided the answer, and i am deeply greatful to her for her help!.

she also pointed out that the "solution" that jesus' ministry lasted 3 1/2 years is circular reasoning.

that is, we know that the prophecy is correct and that jesus' ministry lasted for 3 1/2 years because that is what the prophecy had predicted.

Doug Mason

I previously asked about the evolution in the application of Daniel 9 to the Christian's Jesus.

Naturally, Leo generously provided the answer, and I am deeply greatful to her for her help!

She also pointed out that the "solution" that Jesus' ministry lasted 3 1/2 years is circular reasoning. That is, we know that the prophecy is correct and that Jesus' ministry lasted for 3 1/2 years because that is what the prophecy had predicted. And around and around we go.

So am I correct in saying that the idea that Jesus' ministry lasted for 3 1/2 years was created simultaneously with that developing application of Daniel's prophecy to Jesus?

Is there any documentary evidence that tracks the development of the idea that Jesus' ministry lasted for only 3 1/2 years?

Doug

29

How does GOVERNING BODY receive "NEW LIGHT"?

by UnDisfellowshipped in

just how does the governing body of jehovah's witnesses receive their "insight" or "understanding" of the bible, in order to publish this "spiritual food at the proper time" in their watchtower and awake magazines and all their books?.

let's find out -- from their own publications -- exactly how this happens:.

"spirits of the dead" brochure (1991), page 18:.

Doug Mason

Maybe they receive New Light from their Legal Eagles?

Maybe they receive New Light when someone (possible even a non-anointed one) writes a book or article for them?

As a very small child, I saw people get in touch with the spirit world. They put an upturned glass on a polished table ... and ... and ... And it worked! Frightening and terrifying, even to this day the memory scares me.

Doug

8

Who first applied Daniel 9 to the Christian's Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

i am seeking information, not an exegesis or an eisegesis.. .

"somewhere", i came across a statement identifying the person/group that first interpreted the 70 "sevens" of daniel 9 as identifying the year of jesus' appearance as the "messiah".. .

try as i might, i cannot relocate that information, so i am hoping someone can point me to authoritative sources that identify the person/group who first provided that interpretation, and hopefully the contemporary context.. .

Doug Mason

Leolaia,

I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful knowledge and above that, your generosity in freely sharing it with us all.

Doug

8

Who first applied Daniel 9 to the Christian's Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

i am seeking information, not an exegesis or an eisegesis.. .

"somewhere", i came across a statement identifying the person/group that first interpreted the 70 "sevens" of daniel 9 as identifying the year of jesus' appearance as the "messiah".. .

try as i might, i cannot relocate that information, so i am hoping someone can point me to authoritative sources that identify the person/group who first provided that interpretation, and hopefully the contemporary context.. .

Doug Mason

Wobble,

I searched Google.Books.Com for these expressions:

70 weeks prophecy in early Jewish interpretation

70 weeks prophecy in early Christian interpretation

Clement 70 weeks

Tertullian 70 weeks.

I decided to look at books, as I was interested in locating scholarly works, not wild exegetical fancies, which are so easily found by searching the www. Going by the plethora of hits, the prophecy of the "70 weeks/sevens" must be the most abused prophecy in the Bible, with minds far greater than ours providing their wildly different explanations.

I was not interested in assessing the validity of their interpretations, rather I was simply interested in finding documented evidences of what the Jews and Christians wrote at the time leading up to the early Church Fathers.

If you get a chance to plough through the pages that are available, I would be interested in your thoughts.

Doug

8

Who first applied Daniel 9 to the Christian's Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

i am seeking information, not an exegesis or an eisegesis.. .

"somewhere", i came across a statement identifying the person/group that first interpreted the 70 "sevens" of daniel 9 as identifying the year of jesus' appearance as the "messiah".. .

try as i might, i cannot relocate that information, so i am hoping someone can point me to authoritative sources that identify the person/group who first provided that interpretation, and hopefully the contemporary context.. .

Doug Mason

Wobble,

I have spent several weeks preparing a critique of the 9th chapter of the WTS book, "The Bible- God's Word or Man's?", which focuses on the seventy "sevens" at Daniel 9. Maybe there is some way we could chat? Send me a pm if you are interested with contact by email.

The thought behind my question is that if the 70 "sevens" at Daniel 9 is such convincing proof of the Christian's Jesus, can I find that interpretation in the Scriptures? If not, where did the idea start? Is it in the writings of the Essenes, Gnostics, Ebionites or the early Church Fathers? Or is it an invention from as late as the 19th century?

Another question: How does the WTS work out that Jesus' ministry lasted 3 1/2 years?

Doug

29

How does GOVERNING BODY receive "NEW LIGHT"?

by UnDisfellowshipped in

just how does the governing body of jehovah's witnesses receive their "insight" or "understanding" of the bible, in order to publish this "spiritual food at the proper time" in their watchtower and awake magazines and all their books?.

let's find out -- from their own publications -- exactly how this happens:.

"spirits of the dead" brochure (1991), page 18:.

Doug Mason

I wonder what would happen when people decide that the book of Acts was written as historical revisionism some 40 years after Paul died, and that the "Council at Jerusalem" was a creation of the writer's imagination, and that it never happened!

"Bang!" would go their "Governing Body" parody, and "Poof!" would go their "no blood" drama.

And this is not beyond the probable situation.

Doug

10

Paul in Scripture, was he a real hsitorical person and a converted Jew

by designs in

critique on a scholarly level began around the 1700s by f.c.

baur a theologian in germany followed by deissman and reitzenstein.

some felt he was really a gnostic, others felt that he may have been the writer luke, or a plato schooled mystic.

Doug Mason

To see the influence of Paul and how different his teachings are those to the people who wrote the "synoptic" gospels, imagine what the "New Testament" will be like without any of his writings (and those after his style). "Christianity" would be very Jewish.

Then ask why the 4th century state-church preferred the writings from his group over those writings from other factions of the Judaeo/Christian movements.

Doug

10

Paul in Scripture, was he a real hsitorical person and a converted Jew

by designs in

critique on a scholarly level began around the 1700s by f.c.

baur a theologian in germany followed by deissman and reitzenstein.

some felt he was really a gnostic, others felt that he may have been the writer luke, or a plato schooled mystic.

Doug Mason

Several interesting studies have been released in recent times.

The classic would probably be: "St Paul versus St Peter: A Tale of Two Missions", by Michael Goulder.

Others include:

"How Jesus Became Christian: The Early Christians and the Transformation of a Jewish Teacher into the Son of God" by Barrie Wilson, and

"Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth", Burton Mack.

Doug

8

Who first applied Daniel 9 to the Christian's Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

i am seeking information, not an exegesis or an eisegesis.. .

"somewhere", i came across a statement identifying the person/group that first interpreted the 70 "sevens" of daniel 9 as identifying the year of jesus' appearance as the "messiah".. .

try as i might, i cannot relocate that information, so i am hoping someone can point me to authoritative sources that identify the person/group who first provided that interpretation, and hopefully the contemporary context.. .

Doug Mason

I am seeking information, not an exegesis or an eisegesis.

"Somewhere", I came across a statement identifying the person/group that first interpreted the 70 "sevens" of Daniel 9 as identifying the year of Jesus' appearance as the "Messiah".

Try as I might, I cannot relocate that information, so I am hoping someone can point me to authoritative sources that identify the person/group who first provided that interpretation, and hopefully the contemporary context.

Thanks,

Doug

18

Research studies on the mental health of Jehovahs Witnesses

by Doug Mason in

research studies on the mental health of jehovahs witnesses.

http://www.jwstudies.com/scandinavian_medicine_march_8_1946.pdf.

http://www.jwstudies.com/paradise_postponed_jerry_bergman.pdf.

Doug Mason

EmptyInside,

Thank you for your thoughts and observations. May I use them?

Most appreciated.

Doug