Posts by scholar

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

AnnOMaly

Post 1075

The audience whom Ezekiel addressed were his fellow exilees in Babylon who received news by means of that escapee or messenger that judgement against Jerusalem happened as foretold by Jeremiah thus by the time brought the news on the fifth day of the tenth month thus the seventy years would have already commenced on the seventh month, 607 BCE.

You all seem to ignore the simple fact as to the timing and the audience to which Ezekiel was concerned. It is not rocket science.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

AnnOMaly

Post 1073

Hardly, the message was both relevant and pertinent to those exiles in Babylon. They at last now recieved by means of a fled escapee astonishing news that Jeremiah's long awaited propohecy had just or now been fulfilled proving that Jehovah is the great Timekeeper. Are you not thrilled about that? I am!

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

Narkissos

Post 9720

I think you are simply creating a problem for yourself in your own mind. The reaffirmation of Jeremiah's collective prophecy on the desolation of Judah in Ezekiel 33:27-29 which is given in a future tense simply illustrates the accomplished fact of the matter that land by that time had already lay in a state of utter desolation beginning in the seventh month (October 4/5) 607 BCE.

What you need to remember is the context, timing and audience of both the oracles of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and see the literary relationships between them. Ezekiel receives confirmation of Jeremiah's prophecy from a escapee who gives a thrilling eyewitness account then Ezekiel is now to convey that message to his audience along with that reaffirmation in vs 27-29. For further technical reading on this subject you may wish to consult Leslie C. Allen in his commentary on Ezekiel- WBC 29, Ezekiel 20-48, 1990, pp.149-154.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

bohm

Post 163

I cannot help you with the identity and qualifications of the 'celebrated WT scholars'. You mention Rolf Furuli of Norway and he would by your own admission belong to this group as he is both a Witness and scholar but in this respect I cannot say. There are many other Witnesses who are of calibre of Furuli and are known to me but even these may not be of this group so as with the NWT Committee the identity of which must remain unknown and unknowable.

What is more important for you is to study the Bible and the publications of the faithful and discreet slave so that you will become wise and full of understanding.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

jeanniebeanz

The reason why there is an endless fascination with this subject is because of its relationship to the accuracy of WT Bible Chronology and Eschatology. Apostates believe that this is a weakness in the Bible teachings of the Witnesses due to the so called 'research' by Carl Jonsson and his associates. However, WT chronology has been proven to accurate and faithful to the Sciptures on many counts and there is no better ezample of this fact than the subject of the 'seventy years' which establlishes with profound certainty the beginning of the Gentile Times in 607 BCE and ending in 1014 CE

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

AnnOMaly

Post 1072

Your question is easily answered and is as follows: Ezekiel was amongst those exiles taken to Babylon in 617 BCE which was the first deportation of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon, he was commisssioned as a prophet and watchman in 613 BCE by means of a vision he experienced whilst at the bank of the river Chebar outside of Babylon.

In the twelth year after the exile (617 BCE) Ezekiel received a report from an escapee from Jerusalem a short time after the Fall of Jerusalem in 607 BCE which according to some manuscripts could have been the eleventh year rather than the twelth year. This means that at the earliest, Ezekiel received the report some time in Decmber, 607 BCE. Now having travelled some 500 miles from Jerusalem to Babylon a journey of several months this would mean that by the time Ezekiel received the news of Jerusalem Fall, the seventy years of desolation-servitude-exile had already commenced in October, 607 BCE.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

bohmi

Your comments on WT biblical chronology as 'not being fleshed out' and' having loose ends' is simply untrue and shows your ignorance of the subject. In fact our wondrous chronology has no gaps as with secular chronology, faithful to the Scriptures unlike secular chronology, is accurate in comparison with other chronologies and as with other chronologies in harmony with secular evidence and finally is prophetic in its application unlike other chronologies which consist of 'dead ends'.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

Black Sheep

Post 3261

The problematic 'fifty years' ascribed to Josephus was probably a textual error where the original should have read 'seventy' rather than 'fifty' but if the latter is original then Josephus may well have been making a observation of the 'state of obscurity' of the temple during his already established fact of a 'seventy year period running from the Destructioin to the Return. In short, the 'fifty years' is no big problem for scholars because Josephus in so many places defaults to the fixed seventy year period.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

inbetween

Believe you me it is no joke, but the joke is on you for foolishly accepting apostate propaganda.

scholar JW

43

The WTS's start of the "70 years"

by Doug Mason in

it is my understanding that the scholars of the wts say that the "70 years" began when the land was "completely depopulated", not when jerusalem was destroyed.. .

if that is the case, they should have jumped from their 537 bce date back to the removal of inhabitants during nebuchadnezzar's 23rd year, thus making that 607 (or 606) bce.. .

did russell start the 70 years (and hence his 2520 years) with the destruction of jerusalem or with the depopulation of the land?.

scholar

Leolaia

Post 10343

It is a matter of being faithful to what the inspired record says and not read something that is simply not there. The events of the 23 rd year of Neb's reign have nothing to do with the beginning of the seventy years but simply refers in a 'matter of fact' way something of historical note that Neb did in a particular year. Further, Jeremiah in 52:28-30 simply lists the number of exilees taken not only from Jerusalem but from other surrounding nations showing the devastating effect that Neb's invasion of Judah had upon that nation as prophesied by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was quite emphatic that Judah would be depopulated to the extent of being "wihout an inhabitant" and some months after the destruction of Jerusalem, the remaining population fled to Egypt right on time leaving the land desolate at October, 607 BCE. Such grand fulfillment of prophecy proves that Jehovah is a great Timekeeper and Fulfiller of Prophecy and so it was that the land remained deolate for a fixed period of seventy years until the return of the exiles in 537 BCE.

Scholars have theorized about the deportations and the their census but such theories do not in any way disprove the fact of the seventy years beginning in 607 BCE until 537 BCE. Such scholars have debated long and hard on the conflicting numbers of Jeremiah 52 and 2Kings 24 with no apparent resolution in sight which makes for a very detailed analysis of the military campaigns of Nebuchadnezzer into Judah and the surrounding nations. Such academic studies of this critical period although interesting hide the 'elephant in the room' metaphor whicH is the fulfillment of Jeremiahs' prophecy that Judah, its city and temple would lie desolate for seventy years.

You need to undertake much more research on this critical period and the military campaigns of Nebuchadnezzer for your hypothesis to have any chance of success and if you require some assistance in this matter then scholar will help you. I suggest that you begin with THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAH: TWO APPARENT DISCREPANCIES. by Alberto Green in JBL.101/1,1982.pp.57-73.

scholar JW