What had its beginning in the Garden of Eden?
We know that right at its outset ancient Jerusalem, was representative of the Throne of Jehovah, that all of his chosen Kings sat on the Throne of Jehovah in that City. A scripture that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses has used to back up their claim that Jerusalem was the Throne of Jehovah, found at Jeremiah 3:17 although, on the one hand, would apply to ancient Jerusalem, but a close reading of that entire scripture would appear the be saying something other than what might appear to be the case. As in the new Jerusalem that would come to be under the New Law Covenant established on the Blood of the Christ. I'm not going to say, one way or the other. But I have some serious doubts about their understanding of that scripture, even though I can't myself say anything different one way or the other at this time. We do know though All of Jehovah's chosen Kings sat on his Throne in ancient Jerusalem:
"did eat and drink before Jehovah on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto Jehovah to be prince, and Zadok to be priest. 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. 24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king."{2 Chronicles 29:22-24 ASV} 17 "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah;
and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart." {Jeremaih 3:17 ASV}
Let me point out why I have serious doubts about whether they are applying this scripture correctly or not. First notice ALL the Nations are being gathered to the name of Jehovah. Under the Mosaic Law there was no provision for any of the Nations outside of the Jewish Nation. The Nations out side of the old law were not considered until the New Covenant was established. None of the surrounding Nations were taken into the old Law Covenant. Then the point that they would no longer walk after the stubborness of their own evil heart. The early Jews were condemned by Jesus as being snakes and vipers, and as a Nation were cast off. They turned out be a Nation of murderers. Their house Jesus said was abandoned to them. Their house was the Temple where they worshipped Jehovah. So, Jeremiah couldn't have been speaking about earthly Jerusalem in this instance. It doesn't fit! That's why I have my doubts. {Amos 3:1,2} {Psalm 147:19,20} {Romans 3:1,2} {Matthew 28:19,20}
My belief now, is Jeremiah was talking about Heavenly New Jerusalmen, that takes in all the Nations, where they have Jehovah's Laws put within them and written in their hearts, and they become God's People, and Jehovah becomes their God. Now! That fits perfectly! {Jeremiah 31:31-33} Now they will not walk after the stubborness of their hearts. While those early Jews were an encouragingly wicked Nation. That could not be healed. So said the writer of Chronicles. {2 Chronicles 36:16} Jesus himself condemned that Nation with his words at Matthew 23:33-38} Now were dealing with a New Jerusalem altogether, and this is the one luke was making reference to when he made this following statement, and it couldn't be anything else BUT New Jerusalem, Luke was talking about:
24"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of [the] nations until [the] times of [the] nations be fulfilled." {Luke 21:24 DT}
Now it's a matter of determining what this trampling signified! They were not trampling on an actual City were they? But they were trampling on something that City represented. What actually was that? When did it begin? How long would it be allowed to go on? With what event would it end? Now forget all about the Seven Times Prophecy of Daniel 4:16 because it had absolutely nothing to do with this trampling. Even though the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society will tell you otherwise. They are dead wrong in their calculations, and because of teaching that lie, will end up just dead.
Everyone knows that Adam's Wife Eve had listened to the voice of satan the devil, and was misled by him to eat of the Tree they both were told not to touch. Now coming under his power and control, blinded and misled by him. On the other hand, the man Adam was not misled, he merely followed the lead of his Wife Eve, and listened to her voice. But what was the situation prior to their violating Jehovah's Command? {1 Timothy 2:14}
The Apostle Paul tells us that Jehovah is the King of Eternity, the Divine Sovereign of the Universe. {1 Timothy 1:17} Faithful Abraham referred to Jehovah, as: "Sovereign Lord Jehovah." {Genesis 15:1-3} Isaiah the Prophet made mention of something the pair in the garden failed to appreciate, when he wrote: "Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our statute giver, Jehovah is our King." {Isaiah 33:2
We are all familiar with the command Jehovah laid upon the Man Adam, not to touch the Tree of the knowledge of good and bad. {Genesis 2:16,17} As well,we are also familar with the death sentence Jehovah had passed on to Adam, because of which death sentence, sin and death would be passed on to all Mankind due to the fact that the entire human race would stem from the loins of Adam. {Genesis 3:19} {Romans 5:12}
When Jehovah passed sentence on satan devil, he showed us by his words to satan, that the situation that now prevailed, would continue, until the seed of the promise would arrive, and for sometimes there-after.
But what situation was it that now prevailed? To begin with Jehovah was the ruling King of the pair in that Garden. He was thier Judge, Lawgiver Statute Giver and King as Isaiah has told us. Jehovah, was their Sovereign Ruling King, but satan had usurped Jehovah`s High Offices, by countermanding a clear command, by telling Eve: "You will not surly die." In direct contradiction to Jehovah`s own words: "in the day you eat from it you will positively die."
In the sentence Jehovah passed on satan the devil, he shows us by that sentence, that he allows a grant of time to all the Nations for a specific purpose; that is to carry out his promise to faithful Abraham.
That promise is as follows: {Genesis 3:19}
17 "I will richly bless thee, and greatly multiply thy seed, as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because thou hast hearkened to my voice." {Genesis 22:17,128 DT}
The Apostle Paul will explain just who that promised seed was:
16 "But to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed; which is Christ." {Galatians 3:16 DT}
Right from the Garden of Eden, Jehovah has with-held himself from interferring in the affairs of mankind; accept for two occasions when wickedness had developed to such a state he had no choice but to intervene, and bring it to an end. I make reference now to the global flood and the destruction that came on ancient Sodom and Gomorra. Then too, he did allow the destruction of his Throne City in Jerusalem. {Genesis 6:13;19:4,5,13} In the case of Sodom and Gommora, from Boy to old Man they were sexual perverts, who even wanted to rape the two angels Jehavah had sent to destroy those two Cities. They were well past all moral sense. They needed wiping out, so Jehovah did exactly that.
Consider too when the Seed of the promise to Abraham did arrive he foretold the destruction that was to come upon those early Jews, and General Titus leading the Roman Army in 70 AD fulfilled the words of Jesus right down to the letter. For exactly as Jesus had foretold 'not a stone was left upon a stone, and not thrown down' when Titus was through with that slaughter; even down to tearing up Ten miles of Forest Land to build a Wall around Jerusalem, of pointed stakes, as Jesus foretold would occur There was no way in, no way out. Look at the accuracy of the words of Jesus:
41"And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept audibly] over it, 42 Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace--your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness--depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side. 44And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ]."{Luke 19:41-44 AB}
Do some research on the Arch of Titus, and you will learn some are completely amazed at the accuracy of the words of Jesus, because it was fulfilled in exact detail. Right down to the letter!
Keep in mind now, the position satan took for himself in the garden of Eden. By countermanding Jehovah's clear words to the pair, he had set himself up as 'god of the World,' and re-directed the Worship that belonged solely to Jehovah, it was now, rather directed to him, as god of this World. Now all the World came under his power and control, and would be blinded and misled by him, just as Eve was. The Bible fully supports what I'm saying here! {1 John 5:19} {2 Corinthians 4:3,4} {Revelation 12:9} That condition, unhappily, has been going on since the fall of Adam, in that garden. satan, has been, throughout all of that time period, until now, trampling on the King of Eternity, and his position as Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, and Jehovah has allowed that to be the case for good reasons. Paul has something to say about that:
16 "In the past, he let all nations go their own way.17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." {Acts 14:16 NIV} Even though he has allowed satan to hold the position he holds, and it's very difficult to see Jehovah's hand in much anymore, Jehovah's Kindness can be seen in the rain and in the bountilful crops that feed all mankind, and in the rain that makes them produce and sprout. To keep us all nourished and well fed. Paul shows us even more than that though, in these following words:
20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."{Romans 1:20 NIV}
For those that have ever visited a Planatarium and have peered through one of those giant Telescopes at the Stars and Planets; you'll remember seeing something so beautful, and awe inspiring as to take your breath away. There's design and order on a scale, the like of which is beyond human comprehension. Then when we consider the temperature of the Sun being at 27 Million degrees farenheit at its core; the power behind that is unimaginable. Where there's design and order and power as complex as what we view from the lense of that Telescope it be-speaks a God of intelligence so awesome in power even beyond our ability to understand. Even well beyond the wickedness we see in our World that satan has caused, if we look closely enough, we have a view of Jehovah, that is so beautiful, its almost impossible to describe in human terms. Merely that view alone unseats the devil from his self chosen Throne. All we have to do, is look very closely, at the witness Jehovah has left for us all to view of him. As we view what Jehovah has given us all, to see of him, we view a great love for his human creation, at the same time, do we not? But there's a love he displayed for us all that's not all that easy to comprehend with the naked eye, but requires digging deeply into his Holy Word, to get the sense of. That particular love he displayed in his words to satan the devil when he passed sentence upon him. Note those words now:
15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."{Genesis 3:15 NIV}
At first glance, there wouldn't appear to be any love manifested in those words, especially since it meant, when fulfilled, his only Son would die because he spoke them. Not only his Son, but many of his Sons companions as well. That doesn't really sound very loving now does it? Truth be told, there was the greatest love anyone could ever imagine behind those words. For when fulfilled to completion, the devil would lose his life, at the hands of the promised Seed of Jehovah's Heavenly Woman; as we know, was the Christ.
It's not my intention to deal with the entire line of Abraham's descendents, through which the promised Seed would eventually come; just to say this Seed would come through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well, many others. This would take thousands of years from the day Jehovah spoke these words to satan, and throughout all of that time period until the Christ finally arrived that seed was being being prepared. Because of the foretold enmity that was to exist between the two seeds, many of Jehovah's followers would live a Hell on earth, right up to the appearance of Christ in Kingdom Power. But why was Jehovah tolerating this brutal treatment of his faithful worshippers? It almost seemed to be unfair, didn't it? It really wasn't. His Worshippers understood the issue that had to be settled once and for all, and all of them looked forward to the payment of the reward that they knew was to come. {Hebrews 11:10,13,25, 27,32-40} {Matthew 24:9}
Pleasing Jehovah was their hearts desire. They understood what Jehovah was doing, and why it would take so long. They knew there was a great act of love behind what Jehovah was doing; as Paul will explain what that act was:
22 "It is the same way with God. He wanted to show his anger and to let people see his power. But he patiently stayed with those people he was angry with—people were made ready to be destroyed.23 He waited with patience so that he could make known his rich glory to the people who receive his mercy. He has prepared these people to have his glory,24 and we are those people whom God called. He called us not from the Jews only but also from those who are not Jews." {Romans 9: 22-24 NCV}
All these many Centuries Jehovah, at any given time could have showed Mankind a display of Power so great, Mankind would have been shocked senseless. But he remains still! He keeps quiet! Why? Because he not only wanted to save some from among the Jews, but also those who were not Jews. So for the sake of those he has held his anger in check. He's been exercising patience, and self control, for all these many Centuries, when he could have at any given moment in time he saw fit, wiped the whole business out in the blink of an eye. By simply withdrawing the life-giving force of life from all mankind. {Job 34:14,15,20} {Isaiah 42:14}
So, right from the Garden of Eden Jehovah has allowed all of the Nations to go on in their own ways, without interfering with any of them. Being as satan is god of this world, all of the Nations worship satan the devil, and give worship that solely belongs to Jehovah, to satan the devil. So, satan along with a World under his power and control, misled, and blinded by him, trample on the King of eternity! The Divine Sovereign of all the Universe. That trampling began in the garden of Eden and will not end until the god of this World is chained and abyssed. Right now! That trampling is still in progress, because satan is still the 'god of this World,' and cannot end until he is put in chains, and abyssed. {Revelation 20:1-3}
The Nations are still going on in their own ways- so the appointed times of the Nations Luke spoke about, are still in progress. What Luke was speaking about did not begin counting in 607 BCE! Did not run for a period of 2,520 Years! Did not end in the year 1914- {Luke 21:24}
Surprise! Surprise! Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses!
The Prophecy concerning the appointed times of the Nations, as mentioned by Luke, as we see, did not end in 1914! That being the case, they did not begin counting in 607 BCE, nor did they they end in 1914 - And the Governing Body is 'Spirit directed?'
The question is: Whose Spirit is directing them?
Now this will sound like I'm contradicting myself, but I do agree those times Luke spoke about did begin counting in 607 BCE! They did run for a period of 2,520 years! Tbey did land on the year 1914! The question is, what significant event did they land on? This next scripture will show what that event was, and it wasn't the end of anything, it was the beginning of something.
"Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth."{Revelation 12:1,2 NLT}
What that event was, Jehovah's Heavenly Woman was beginning to display her early signs of labor pains, crying out in her agony to give birth. Jesus showed us what all of those labor pains were pictured by, when he gave the composite sign of his coming into kingdom power. We are all familar with everything he foretold would be going on during the last days of this system of things. Things such as Wars and rumors of Wars! Earthquakes! Famine! Pestilence! Plagues! Icreasing lawlessness! Loss of love among the people of the World. A range of things, that pictured those labor pains. He told us that even when the complete sign was in evidence, he would only be near, at the very doors; but even then not here as yet. Note these words of Jesus on this matter:
32 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. "{Matthew 24:32,33 NLT}
Did we learn the lesson Jesus was talking about that we should, that he'd expect us to? Think about what the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society is telling all of their flocks; that the Christ was crowned King of God's Kingdom, in the year 1914 and from that year has been invisibly present. Jesus here has flat out contradicted their teaching! Now isn't that very strange for an Organization that professes to be the anointed Brothers of the Christ, to have their master, so-called, more, or less, calling them all liars? How can he, afterall, be invisibly present if he's only at the doors even when all the composite sign is in evidence? That sign isn't even yet all in evidence.
So, the Prophecy of the seven times, has no bearing on the appointed times of the Nations Luke was making reference to at all. I think I have clearly shown that to be the case. Luke reference was to the Jerusalem above, Heavenly New Jerusalem, and as long as he [satan] holds the position as god of this World, holding it all in his power, blinding and misleading Mankind that trampling on divine sovereignty will contiue to go on until he is chained and abyssed for the Thousand year period, and he can no longer mislead the Nations any longer. Nor trample on Jehovah's Divine Sovereignty, as he did in the Garden of Eden. As all Mankind has done since then, and even today Jehovah allows the Nations 'to go on in their own ways,' and continue to trample on divine sovereignty. No one knows though when this trampling will end. No one can supply a date for its beginning, nor can they tell us how long it will run. Only Jehovah knows the answers to those questions. {Matthew 24:36}
So! What had its beginning in the Garden of Eden? The trampling of the king of Eternitys position as Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. Wannabe