Doug Mason
Post 738
In connection with the seventy years of Zechariah these clearly ended in 537 BCE and not in the second and fourth year of Darius as you claim. It was simply the case that in those years respectively that Zechariah received an angelic visistation. That conversation simply shows that the seventy years rather than being of ongoing duration as some claim it was in fact a reference to those past seventy years whereupon Zechariah was given words of comfort that Jehovah's would be rebuilt. Further, in the fourth year of Darius, Zechariah was again reminded about the annual fastings during that seventy year period during which the Jews were exiled in Babylon whilst the land remained desolate Zechariah and up to the present ( fourth year of Darius) again received words of comfort that true worship would again be restored at Jerusalem.
Correct, but in the seventy year texts taken as a collective refer to the seventy years as a fibite period of desolation-exile-servitude which could only have ended at the time of the Jews returning home thus ending the exile, servitude in Babylon and repopulating the land. It all fits together like a jigsaw.
The Absolute Date of 539 BCE is astronomically fixed as well explained in Insight On The Scriptures, 1988, Vol.1.p.353. The WTS has a long tradition of acceptance and use of astronomical evidence ritht up to the days of Charles Russell.
Tensions between the city and country folk are just a small part of the tapestry of Late Judean history and have no bearing on the theology, history and chronology of that period. Yes, Jehovah's judgement was against Judah, its territory and Jerusalem.
It is foolish because it is just plain wrong and dumb and goes beyond common-sense.
The 586/587 debate is most certainly an issue for scholars and it is an issue for those criitics of 607 BCE who nicely ignore the fact that they do not know the precise date for the Fall when they boast that 607 BCE is wrong. Please give me a break from such stupidity. It is best to get your house in order before you attack anothers. No. it is just as incumbent upon you to prove your date as it is to prove ours and we most certainly have proved 607 BCE
Ezra wrote Chronicles according to scholarship right up to 1968 when dissenting scholars challenged that opinion. Presently as explained in the DOTHB there remains much controversy but for Bible Students and the celebrated WT scholars we see no reason to believe that Ezra was not the Author of Chronicles.
I would rather use God's Word than historiography to interpret the seventy years. Historiography is simply a tool useful in places but decptive in others.
Jeremiah did not assign a precise date or event for the beginning of the seventy years but he give a formula and that composition of exile -desolation-servitude constitute markers as to when and how the period is to be chronologically and historically applied.
There was every need for the land to bereft of animals and humans and that in part was that the land 'could pay off its sabbaths'-2 Chron.36:21. Archaeology is in a state of flux and since the year 2000 scholarship is slowly moving more towards and acknowledgement of 'An Empty Land'.
The exile-desolation-servitude formula was certainly experienced by Babylon and indeed was characteristic of the history of the Anceient Near History (historiography again) but in the context of Jeremiah and Deuteronomy this was specific to Judah. The formula as applied to Babylon did not commence until after 537 BCE and not before but certainly the Fall of Babylon in 539 BCE was foretold by other prophets namely Isaiah and certainly had a 'embryonic' aspect with the prophecy of Jer.25:12 which foretold her destruction.
Regards
scholar JW