Was Jerusalem REALLY desolate for 70 years??? Take a quick look......

by Lady Liberty 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Hello everyone!!

    Check out Jeremiah 52:30 in the New World Translation, it says:29 In the eighteenth year of Neb·u·chad·rez´zar, from Jerusalem there were eight hundred and thirty-two souls.30 In the twenty-third year of Neb·u·chad·rez´zar, Neb·u´zar·ad´an the chief of the bodyguard took Jews into exile, seven hundred and forty-five souls.All the souls were four thousand and six hundred. What this shows is the Societys teaching that Jerusalem was desolate, is not supported by scripture. It was NOT literal.

    It was in Nebuchadnezzars 18th reignal year that he burned down Jerusalem. According to the Society, he took everyone then and there, and it was totally desolate!

    How then is Nebuchadnezzar still taking people a total of 4,600 to be exact, from a place that is supposed to be uninhabited??? I was just shocked.. this scripture just finally sunk in when my Mom was sharing it with me today!! You don't even have to get into the whole date part, to show a JW that the whole "desolate for 70 years" had to have meant something else, like say, 70 years of SERVITUDE!

    Anyhow, Just thought I'd share what was shared with me!!

    Sincerely,

    Lady Liberty

  • IWillBeDubbedNoMore
    IWillBeDubbedNoMore

    Thank you Lady Liberty

    Very interesting, but if I was a witness and you showed me this scripture, I would point out that verse 30 doesn't mention Jerusalem. It only mentions Jews being brought into exile. They could be from anywhere in Israel. Maybe I am wrong, but that is how it appears to me.

    Oh by the way, I believe that the bible meant seventy years of servitude also.

  • DT
    DT

    "It only mentions Jews being brought into exile. They could be from anywhere in Israel."

    When I was a dub, I thought the whole nation was supposed to be desolate for 70 years. Maybe that wasn't the official teaching, but that is how I understood it and other dubs also mentioned that.

    I understand the archaeological evidence clearly shows that the nation was continuously inhabited during that time.

  • IWillBeDubbedNoMore
    IWillBeDubbedNoMore

    This is from the Insight book under the heading of Captivity. "Faithful Jeremiah proved to be the one giving the correct length of the desolation of Jerusalem and Judah as 70 years, after which time restoration would come."

    I appologize for the mistake. I thought the Society taught that it was only Jerusalem desolated.

    This is a great find. I will point this scripture out the next time I see my sister. Thank you Lady Liberty

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Dear IWILLBEDUBBEDNOMORE,

    Sorry I should have included a few previous verses that would have been more helpful. Here they are:

    26 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.
    So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:
    in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

    29 in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year,
    832 people from Jerusalem;

    30 in his twenty-third year,
    745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan
    the commander of the imperial guard.
    There were 4,600 people in all.

    Interesting hugh. I wish you wellk with your sister. You will have to let us know how she responds.

    Sincerely,

    Lady Liberty

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    Look up the years of Neb'nezzar in the Aid Book. There is a whole lot of redefining and explaining away of the scriptures indicating what years certain Kings (including Neb) reigned in order to disguise the faulty foundation of their Chronology.

    Yet - If you look up Niniver and Tyre, they actually give away the gaps in thier own interpretation, and when Neb did his campaigns of conquest. They actually cite 589.

    HB

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Also, there were enough poor people left to work the land that there was actually an assigned governor over them..

    22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23 When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials," he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you."

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Also, there were enough poor people left to work the land that there was actually an assigned governor over them..

    22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23 When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials," he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you."

  • Robdar
    Robdar

    I am glad I have been out of the org long enough to forget the significance they apply to the scriptures.

    Thank you, God.

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Dear Hamsterbait,

    Thank you!! I will be checking that out!!

    Sincerely,

    Lady Liberty

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