Is 1914 date flawed?

by badboy 17 Replies latest jw friends

  • badboy
    badboy

    Reasoning From The Scriptures says on pp95-97 that months consist of 30 days.
    Years therefore would be 360 days long.

    I have calcaluted(sic)that for every year in the `Western'Calender such a 360 day calender would fall 4/5 days depending on whether it was a leapyear or not

    Now over a period of 2520 years,a 360 day calender would be 9,940 days behind a 364/5 day calender(25 years!) therefore 2520 years according to Book of Daniel would fall in 1889!

    Question;is my logic flawed,AM I MISSING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE?

    Discuss,please

  • aChristian
    aChristian

    Badboy,

    I think you understate the problem with this aspect of the Watchtower's 1914 interpretation. There are several calendar related problems with this interpretation.

    First, JWs tell us that the "times" of Daniel 4 referred to "prophetic years" of 360 days each. Their belief is based on the idea that the "1260 days" spoken of in Revelation 12 are there equated with the "3 and 1/2 times" also there spoken of. But this is not necessarily so. (For instance, the 1260 days in Rev. 12:6 may possibly refer to the time when Christianity was protected between the time of Christ's ascension and the time the Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles in 36 AD. Then, when the good news began to be preached to all national groups Christianity took off, as though it had wings of eagles, and was thereafter protected for a second longer period of time. This second period of protection was the "3 and 1/2 times" spoken of in Rev. 12:14. This "3 and 1/2 times" would then be understood to be the period of time from 36 AD until the time of Christ's return.) Since some interpretations of Revelation 12, such as this one, say that the "1260 days" and the "3 and 1/2 times" do not refer to the same period of time, it is quite possible that the concept of a 360 day "prophetic year" does not even exist in the Bible.

    Second, as you have pointed out, it seems contradictory that each of the 360 days in each of these 7 supposed "prophetic years" was meant to picture a solar year containing 365.24 days. For if days were meant to be understood as years, then it would follow that days in prophetic years ought to be understood as an equal number of 360 day "prophetic years," not an equal number of 365.24 day solar years.

    Third, this interpretation of Daniel 4 is internally inconsistent with both Daniel and Revelation. The Watchtower's interpretation of Daniel 4 tells us that its "seven times" = 2,520 years. We are told that the cryptic word "times" clearly indicates a greater meaning than just "seven years." But when the term "3 and 1/2 times" (half of seven times) is used in both Daniel and Revelation (Dan. 8:25; Rev.12:14) the Watchtower does not say those "3 and 1/2 times" equal 1,260 years, half of 2,520 years. To do so would certainly be consistent with their Daniel 4 interpretation. But the Watchtower Society tells us that when the term "3 and 1/2 times" appears in the Bible it simply means 3 and 1/2 years and nothing more.

    Finally, we should remember that the Jews used a lunar calendar which contained six months of 30 days and six months of 29 days, totaling 354 days. The Jews adjusted their lunar calendars by adding a thirteenth month to them every few years to prevent them from falling too far out of sync with the solar year. But the fact remains that a "year" to the Jews meant a 354 day lunar year, not a 365 day solar year, and definitely not a 360 day "prophetic" year. So, if the word "times" in Daniel 4 was meant to be understood as "years," Daniel almost certainly would have understood them as 354 day lunar years.

    These are only the calendar related problems with the Watchtower's "1914" interpretation of Daniel 4. There are, of course, many more problems with it.

  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    In addition to the above mentioned problems, I would like to add another.

    The starting date of 607BC is wrong. Israel was overthrown by Babylon around 589. The JW's are the only ones who believe in the 607 date. And, in fact, even they at one time said that the date was 606.

    In reality, the date of 1914 was arrived at using a completely different methodology. One of the methods described by C T Russell, was by measuring the pyramids, and converting the measurements into some obscure mathematical code.

    Over time, Russell's wacko ideas became embarassing, so the Society decided to come up with a more Biblical explanation. Working backward from 1914, they invented a numerological method and changed some history to make the numbers add up.

  • JUSTAMOM
    JUSTAMOM

    Test!

    Thanks...

  • JUSTAMOM
    JUSTAMOM

    Hello

    Yes 1914 is the biggesr crock....In their history of arriving upon 1914, this was by pyramidiology something they later learned to be demonic therefore did away away with it. BUT they kept the date. GO FIGURE!!!!

    Christ BEGAN his rule when he said "ALL authority in heaven and earth has been given me." Matthew 28:18 How much authority does one need to be reigning?
    That started when he ascended back to his father 40 days later.

    The famous scriptures the WTBS uses to prove "HE SAT" til 1914 is Psalms 110:1,2.... Yes, he says "SIT at my right hand" Doesn't mean he is not reigning as he is sitting.
    Notice he says "til I place your enemies as a stool for your feet."

    NOW read 1 Corinthians 15:25. "He would RULE as king until ALL enemies are put under his feet."

    So....
    He was ruling as he was sitting...

    If he was waiting acording to the WTBS til ALL enemies are under his feet then.... technically he IS STILL NOT KING. Cause the LAST enemy is "death" is it not? And we are still awaiting its destruction. Being thrown into the "lake of fire."

    It is quite simple my friend
    May you have peace
    JUST A MOM (Kim)

  • funkyderek
    funkyderek
    Question;is my logic flawed,AM I MISSING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE

    Yes, your maths is wrong. 360 multiplied by 7 is 2520. 2520 years from 607 BC is 1914 AD. The WTS uses a 360-day year for reasons known only to themselves.

    --
    "The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion." - Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, 1794.

  • compton
    compton

    why don't you try 1933,the begining of the "Great tribulation" for the jews, remember Jesus was
    Jew talking to Jews. 1933 was the year Hitler came to power and burned the Riechstag down
    and said the communist did it This led to the Murder of Six million Jews. Then the days were
    brought to an end otherwise the whole World would have been destroyed by Hitlers Madness
    Now notice Israel is back in the promised land and has been sice 1948.Now read Ezekiel
    chapter 38 and psalm 83 and notice Bush even pointed out Iraq and Iran. After you have read
    these scriptures watch and pray as Jesus said you do not know the hour.The whole World is
    watching the middle East!

  • OBVES
    OBVES

    It is not 25 years as you wrote.

    A prophetic year of 360 days is 5 days shorter (+ small fraction of a day) from our solar year.
    So 365 divided by 5 = 72
    Every 72 year is an extra year included (72 x 5 = 365 days)
    In 2520 years we have 35 times extra years !!
    2520 divided by 72 = 35
    So we move back 35v years from 1914 and get 1879 AD which is the year the Watchtower was forst published to the world and that was the year the religion linked to the Watchhtower was recognized by God as a true religion-the religion of the end time.
    There is another way to arrive at 35;
    7 x 360 = 2520
    7 x 365 = 2555 a 35-year difference
    If we count 2520 solar years (to 1914 AD) it is the same as adjusted prophetic years.

  • badboy
    badboy

    BRINGING THIS 2 THE TOP OF THE ACTIVE TOPICS.

  • onacruse
    onacruse

    Based on a careful recalculation and thorough examination of all relevant data ever published on this matter, I can now prove beyond any doubt that Armageddon will occur after Oct 31, 2002.

    Craig

    Scoffers beware!

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