SLIMBOYFAT: I think the reason many people still believe in 607 CE is because they take what the Bible says seriously. The best way to get JWs to see sense is to show them that the Bible contradicts itself. The Bible itself is open to various interpretations, including the JW one.
This is true in some cases, but not in the case of 607 BCE or when the Bible itself begins and ends the 70 years. JWs require that the land is completely devoid of people after the 7th month of year 18, the same year they date Jerusalem's fall. But:
1. Jeremiah 44:14, 28 clearly notes that those who fled down to Egypt would return to Judea. They don't address what happens to Jeremiah and Baruch who certainly would have been spared Nebuchadnezzar's sword. What happened to them? I'll tell you. They were deported in year 23 after returning to Judea! So 607 BCE doesn't work just on that "relative chronology" alone. This is not a matter of "interpretation," therefore, but a matter of avoiding and ignoring scripture.
2. 2 Chronicles says the 70 years of servitude was to be served by those who had escaped from the sword, which is a reference to the remnant who were left alive by Nebuchadnezzar II when he descended upon Egypt in year 23!
2 Chron. 36: 20 Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign; 21 to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
The above is not open to interpretation. "Those remaining from the sword" is a reference to those who had ran down to Egypt. Thus the reference to the 70 years of servitude is specifically connected to those of the last deportation in year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar. So there is really no room for "interpretation" here as to which deportees were to serve the specific 70 years while the land paid back its sabbaths.
Now JWs avoid the idea that the last deportees were from Egypt. In fact, they invent some Jews in the surrounding areas outside of Judea and not Egypt as the ones being deported in year 23. This confirms how dishonest they are, but also that it would be very evident that if they taught that those last deported were out of Egypt, which Josephus clearly notes, then the common perception would be that they would have to travel through Judea to get to Babylon, which is precisely what occurred. They can't afford that thought coming up, so they invent an imaginary group of Jews for this last deportation rather than following the Bible and assigning them to the surviving remnant of Jews from Egypt. Here's their cop-out on this as found in the Insight book:
Some two months later, after the assassination of Gedaliah, the rest of the Jews left behind in Judah fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch along with them. (2Ki 25:8-12, 25, 26; Jer 43:5-7) Some of the Jews also may have fled to other nations round about. Probably from among these nations were the 745 captives, as household heads, exiled five years later when Nebuchadnezzar, as Jehovah’s symbolic club, dashed to pieces the nations bordering Judah. (Jer 51:20; 52:30) Josephus says that five years after the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar overran Ammon and Moab and then went on down and took vengeance on Egypt.—Jewish Antiquities, X, 181, 182 (ix, 7).
See that? 'PROBABLY'... Now this makes one think that it is a mystery where the last deportees came from! The Bible clearly indicate they were from the the few remaining ones down in Egypt! This is a deliberate avoidance. That's why JEFFRO is such a phony as well. He refuses to address this issue by claiming he doesn't read my posts. He has extensive, detailed discussion but he never addresses who the last deportees were. 2 Chronicles leaves no room for interpretation! Those "remaining from the sword", meaning those down in Egypt are the ones who had to serve the 70 years. That means the 70 years did not begin until they were deported, which Josephus confirms was in year 23.
But the above cop-out by the WTS by claiming these came from the surrounding areas backfires on them totally. That's because, as we note, cities in the Northern Kingdom such as Tyre were to be deported as well. Why? Because the entire region of both the northern and southern kingdoms had to be desolated for 70 years! It wasn't just Judea that had to pay back these 70 years of sabbaths! So if even by the WTS' imagination there were Jews in the surrounding area around Judea, that would confirm the 70 years had not begun since those areas as well had to be desolated. Since these aeas were populated by other nations, the Bible speaks of other nations serving Babylon for these specific 70 years as well.
Now, I'm not claiming I won this argument. I'm just asking somone to notice and comment on the 70-year interpretation by Josephus and noting that the Bible also agrees with Josephus. But COJ, Ann, Jeffro and the WTS are all cop-outs on this critical point. They deal with this by claiming they don't read my posts and/or that they discussed this earlier and disproved me. Anything but to come to the table and give their opinions about 2 Chronicles 36 and the specific reference to the 70 years connected with "those remaining from the sword."
So, really, the IDEA that this is up for grabs and various interpretations is a false premise in and of itself. There is no room for "interpretation" here when you get right down to it.
Now, YOU should ask why Jeffro and Ann are avoiding this detail of the discussion? Why is the WTS not teaching that those of the last deportation came out of the remnant from Egypt? Why is the WTS avoiding Jeremiah 44:14,28 which clearly notes those who had ran down to Egypt who survived being killed would return to Judea! Oh, let me just quote that:
14 And there will come to be no escapee or survivor for the remnant of Judah who are entering in to reside there as aliens, in the land of Egypt, even to return to the land of Judah to which they are lifting up their soul[ful desire] to return in order to dwell; for they will not return, except some escaped ones.’”
28 And as for the ones escaping from the sword, they will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all those of the remnant of Judah, who are coming into the land of Egypt to reside there as aliens, will certainly know whose word comes true, that from me or that from them.”’”
So, yes, indeed, it is a matter of "interpretation" if you use just one scripture to base the entire argument on. COJ goes out of his way to discuss whether the service is "for" or "at" Babylon. But who cares? The argument does not hinge on that sole reference. I hinges on 2 Chronicles who tells us just who was to serve 70 years. Plus the concept that those last deported out of Egypt are the ones that would serve the 70 years is a secular reference via Josephus! That is, Jews themselves via their traditional history have always understood those last deported were the ones who were to serve the 70 years. So where does his concept of 70 years of Babylonian domination come from? Certainly not from the Jews! \
Fact is, Josephus gives his own interpretation of when the 70 years takes place and links that to Jeremiah's prophecy. Since clearly, a Jewish interpretation and historical reference about the 70 years is going to carry lots of weight in this argument, the best way to deal with it is to suppress it and avoid it. Those who do so, like the WTS, Jeffro, Ann, COJ and others, are thus just dishonest. They have their own agenda in this discussion. But at the same time, by aggressively avoiding discussing 2 Chronicles, they prove their propaganda is false. They don't want to go on record and look incredibly stupid by contradicting the obvious, so the next best thing is to avoid it altogether. What choice do they have.
So while, indeed, many texts in the Bible might be open to more than one interpretation; who the Bible says was to serve 70 years is not open for interpretation. It's open for interpretation if you avoid 2 Chronicles 36 and Jeremiah 44, but if you include those references, then it is clear who were to serve 70 years. So there are just as many liars and deceivers inside the organization as outside, it appears.
But, you know, ultimately, there will be a price to pay for knowingly misleading others. Teachers bear a heavier burden of judgment.
Now they all pretend to reject me as the "messiah." But if I'm truly the messiah, then it will not be about them rejecting me, but me rejecting them in the end. When the day of judgment comes and I'm in the judgment seat, what choices will I have regarding them?