Caleb. Thanks, again, for explaining your view. But I don't think you quite understand where I'm coming from.
You said: If you are going to use the book of another religion for your beliefs, then you should at least read it according to the rules of that religion. Sometimes I think Christians are so crazy for how they treat what they call the "Old Testament." It's like claiming that the writings of Dalai Lama are true but not practicing Buddhism, or like using e-meters for "auditing" but not adopting Scientology, or even claiming that a vegetarian diet is what you believe all should be eating but instead consuming bacon-cheeseburgers everyday.
Okay. I'll share this. There's an astronomical text called the KTU 1.78 that dates year 12 of Akhenaten to 1375 BCE. That means his 1st year fell in 1386 BCE. Akhenaten became a monotheist and suppressor of the other gods of Egypt and thus is considered to be the pharaoh who ruled after the Exodus. But that being the case, the date of the Exodus is linked to the jubilee cycle. It's the first celebrated jubilee in a series of 70 jubilees. That is, every 490 years is ten jubilees of 49 years each. That makes up a WEEK of 490-year days. That week contains 70 jubilee periods. The Jews were to come out of exile and be restored to their homeland during the last 49 years after the "great tribulatoin" which occurs after 62 weeks into the 7th 490-year day.
Now the jubilee cycle is fixed by 36 CE which ends a 490-year period in connection with Jesus Christ's baptism in 29 CE. But some people, particularly Jews, don't believe in Jesus. But the specific dating by astronomical text for the Exodus in 1386 BCE can be used to fix the jubilee cycle as well. Basically, since it is the first celebrated jubilee, the entire cycle of 70 jubilees would begin in 1435 BCE, which is 49 years earlier than 1386 BCE. 70 jubilees is a period of 3430 years, 70 x 49 = 3430. So we calculate down to when the 70th jubilee would end, which would be in 1996. If the 70th jubilee ends in 1996, then it began 49 years earlier, which would be 1947. So per that particular interpretation, the Jews should have come out of exile by 1947 to enjoy the final 70th jubilee. Of course, as you know, November 30, 1947 is when the UN Partition Agreement was enacted and the Jews had their own country again which they turned into the State of Israel that following Spring in 1948.
So, if you're into chronology, like I am and the Witnesses, this tends to be very impressive to us and your view of the Scriptures becomes very impotent and irrelevant. We're beyond help here because we have demonstrated fulfillment of prophecy and chronology. As they say, "the proof is in the pudding."
So I just wanted to share with you that I understand your position and respect your personal beliefs about the Bible, but some of us are having an entirely different and very positiv experience with scripture when he focus on prophecy and chronology.
But I will note this in passing. I understand why anyone Jewish would take the dismissive position about the Bible that they do since they have to deny Christ and keep Judaism alive. But some of these prophecies are about the Jews, as is the 70th jubilee prophecy. So while yes, Christ is the Christ of the Jews, the Jewish nation itself in the Bible is also considered the "messiah" since through them the world is saved. That is, the messiah always comes during the 70th week. The 70th week is linked with the messiah. Thus a jubilee is like a week, it is seven days of 7 years. Thus the 70th jubilee is the 70th week, except it is 49 years long. So in that sense, the Jews became the "messiah" to the world in 1947 to fulfill the messianic 70th week.
Just to say as a side note that while, yes, Jesus is the big deal for Christians, God's covenant with Abraham is still very much with the natural Jews, apart from what was necessary to fill 9/10ths of the kingdom with gentiles.
In other words, the Jews don't have to really accept Christ until the millennium comes. Christ comes to them through the OT. Moschiach ben Joseph. Moshiach ben David is more of a Christ for the Christians. There rae two messiahs. Moshiach ben David is more of the Christian messiah for the Christian covenant. Messiah ben Joseph is more of the messiah for the Jews in the context of the 70th week of 49 years from 1947 to 1996.
Both the Jewish and Christian covenants are combined though in the spiritual covenant after 1996, when the 70th jubilee ends and the 70-jubilee covenant with the Jews that began in 1435 BC ends.
So lots and lots and lots of prophecy is being fulfilled for those who believe in prophecy and chronology. But we understand that for someone who thinks the Bible is just a book of myths, they wouldn't be impressed. But then, this understanding probably wasn't meant for them anyway and was meant for the chosen. That is, God really doesn't care if you don't think he exists or that the Bible is a book of myths because it wasn't written for you in the first place. It's a letter not written to you, so who cares what you think about it? But turns out the Bible is actually a true book of prophecy, true history, after all. Any other view at this point, is simply incorrect from my point of view.
Thanks again for your references. ciao
