Scholar, let me get this straight. You believe 607 BCE to be the date for the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people? I gather this would happen at the start of Nebuchadnezzar's rule. So Jerusalem and surroundings would be desolate for seventy years. Afterwards the Jews would be freed by Cyrus, to be back in Jerusalem by 537 BCE.
12 And in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that is, [in] the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the chief of the bodyguard, who was standing before the king of Babylon, came into Jerusalem. 13 And he proceeded to burn the house of Jehovah and the house of the king and all the houses of Jerusalem; and every great house he burned with fire. 14 And all the walls of Jerusalem, round about, all the military forces of the Chaldeans that were with the chief of the bodyguard pulled down.
27 And these the king of Babylon proceeded to strike down and to put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah went into exile from off its soil. 28 These are the people whom Nebuchadrezzar took into exile, in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Judahites. 29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, from Jerusalem there were eight hundred and thirty-two souls. 30 In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan the chief of the bodyguard took Judahites into exile, seven hundred and forty-five souls. All the souls were four thousand and six hundred. (Jer. 52:12-14, 27-30)
So how is it that Nebuchadnezzar could exile people from Jerusalem in his 18th year and destroy Jerusalem in his 19th year? According to Watchtower theology, Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 607 BCE. As I said, this is impossible.
Now let’s look at it from a secular chronology perspective. Nebuchadnezzar became king in 605 BCE. In his 19th year he destroyed Jerusalem and took the majority of the people into exile.
That means 605 – 19 = 586 BCE (give or take a few months).
And according to the Israelite kings: First year of Jehoiakim, Tishri 608 (Sept–Oct) to Elul 607 (Aug–Sept). Third year of Jehoiakim, Tishri 606 (Sept–Oct) to last of Elul, 605 (Oct 6). Next followed Jehoiachin’s appointment, lasting only three months. Nebuchadrezzar, in his 8th year, would take 800 into exile, including Jehoiachin.
Zed·e·kiʹah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem. It was because of Jehovah’s anger that these things took place in Jerusalem and in Judah, until he cast them out of his sight. And Zed·e·kiʹah rebelled against the king of Babylon. In the ninth year of Zed·e·kiʹah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem. They camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. And the city was under siege until the 11th year of King Zed·e·kiʹah (2 Chron. 36:5-20).
Again: 608 – 11 – 11 = 586 BCE (give or take a few months).