a SIMPLE answer re: 607 please

by RayPublisher 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  AnnOMaly

  I think I've tracked it down, Quendi, thanks to your clues. The "Standard Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar" which talks about all his extensive building work. But there is this little section:

  "Four years (?), the seat of my kingdom in the city ..., which ... did not rejoice (my) heart. In all my dominions I did not build a high-place of power; the precious treasures of my kingdom I did not lay up. In Babylon, buildings for myself and the honor of my kingdom I did not lay out. In the worship of Merodach my lord, the joy of my heart (?), in Babylon, the city of his sovereignty and the seat of my empire, I did not sing his praises (?), and I did not furnish his altars (i.e. with victims), nor did I clear out the canals." - George Rawlinson, The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient World, Vol. 4, 2007 BiblioBazaar paperback edition, p. 171.

  I've not seen that one before!

  The statement in the BTGHF book - dug out my old 1997 WT-CDROM and got it!

  *** bf 372-3 18 Getting Out of the Midst of Babylon ***

  Jehovah God is thus proved to be an accurate Timekeeper. If we follow his system of counting time, according to his written Word, we shall make no mistakes in our calculations. We cannot therefore go along with the chronologers of Christendom who date Jerusalem's destruction as occurring in 587 B.C. and who thereby limit the desolation of the land of Judah without man or domestic animal to merely fifty years. Almighty God decreed that the land had to lie unworked, uninhabited for seventy years in order to enjoy a relatively perfect number of sabbaths, that is to say, ten times seven sabbaths. Had the land enjoyed less than this perfect number of seventy years, it would not have enjoyed its full number of sabbaths. God's decree could not be broken or set aside, and, true to his decree, the land of Judah did rest uninhabited seventy years, from 607 to 537 B.C. In his own Word Almighty God, the perfect Time Measurer and Counter, says so.-2 Chronicles 36:19-23.
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  paulnotsaul

  if we are to follow chronolgy then we should be called chronologist not christians.as a christian following the bible put my faith in the word.it's not for me to know times and dates but to be ready when they come and have faith in what i don't know and can't see.romans 8:24-25.
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  AnnOMaly

  Quendi, I've looked into the inscription a little more (gotta love the internet! But now I'm way behind on work LOL). It seems to be known also as the "(East) India House Inscription" and is now in the possession of the British Museum. The 'four years' that Rawlinson translates is probably dodgy, and other translators (I checked out two early 20th c. ones: the one linked to below and S. Langdon) have rendered the passage a little differently which gives it a whole new light ... and, unfortunately, doesn't suggest anything about Neb's time of madness.

  Click HERE and scroll down to Col. 8.19 onwards.
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  Quendi

  AnnOMaly, many thanks for your research. The references you quote are indeed the ones I had in mind. I will also check out the hyperlinks you have given with gratitude.

  As for looking into Henry Rawlinson's work, I want to do so. I don't want to make the same mistakes the WTS has and only cite material that will support an assertion or opinion that I like. When I first read the translation of Neb's inscription, I was flabbergasted. But however it may be rendered, in no way would it support the WTS's contention that the "seven times" are seven lunar years. If the rendering of the text is uncertain, then we must look elsewhere. It may be that we won't find any other corroborating testimony on this.

  As for you, paulnotsaul, I am in complete disagreement with your thinking. What do you mean that Christians are not to be concerned with the passage of time? Believers in the first century certainly were. A careful reading of the New Testament shows that they expected to see the fulfillment of Jesus great Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21) in their lifetime. So in keeping with Jesus' warning, they were on a constant lookout. Besides that, the fact of the matter is the Creator himself is a great timekeeper and he has given his human creation the ability to measure time as well. The clockwork of the Universe which is visible in our atmosphere shows that. --Genesis 1:14

  Besides, the entire point of this discussion is the WTS's errors in calculating how long the "Gentile Times" were supposed to last and when the "last days" would begin. Millions of people have set their hopes and dreams on its interpretation. If it is wrong, then that must be pointed out. The evidence found so far shows clearly that the WTS is completely out of whack with its interpretation and understanding of Daniel chapter 4. The Governing Body refuses to accept this finding because it would mean the end of the religion it has built.

  Quendi
• 

  james_woods

  The simplest answer is that it does not matter whether 607 bce is wrong or right because:

  (wait for it) -

  NONE of the chronology the witnesses based on this has ever worked, but only caused them to make false prophecy about the end of the world.
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  paulnotsaul

  Quendi you seem well versed in the bible. Any thoughts on what Jesus meant in Acts1:7? Maybe you can shed some "new light" on it.
• 

  Quendi

  The answer is simple. The apostles weren't to know the 'day or hour' when the kingdom would come. For that matter, Jesus himself didn't know as you can see from Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32. If Jesus didn't know, then why should the apostles think they were entitled to that information? However, they were to be aware of the times and seasons they were in as Romans 13:11 makes perfectly clear. No "new light" is required to understand that, just plain common sense. That common sense is something the WTS has abandoned. But being spiritually awake and aware is somthing all Christians must be.

  Quendi
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  paulnotsaul

  Quendi I don't wish to play biblical chess with you. The entire point of this thread was to give help to RayPublisher,biblically,the simplist answer on 607 chronology. So from the bible I used Acts 1:6-7. Which is also repeated in 1 Thess. 5:1. The main two phrases throught to the new believers were 1) stay awake (spiritually) no matter how much time passes 2) Nobody but the father knows the times,dates, & seasons of the Lord's day. So, basically to have faith that it will happen. Again Romans 8:24-25. Now are you debating the passing of time or 607 chronology? Because you took something like faith without the speculation of times,seasons,dates,& numbers and twisted it into a theocratic pretzel. But like the ex jw you are, you might have left the org. but the org. hasn't left you! May peace be with you. I'll pray you understand were this is coming from.
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  Quendi

  I also have no wish to debate with you, paulnotsaul. That was never my intention. But it seems to me that the problem was your going off-topic. The topic is the WTS chronology. I have no interest in your personal take on anything else. My contribution to this thread was to say that the chronology is wrong for various reasons. It would seem we might agree on that point if nothing else.

  As for having the "org" still in me, you have entirely missed the point. I have nothng to do with it; but that doesn't mean that I don't want to do a real analysis of an issue when I address it. That seems to give you problems, and I am sorry for that. Perhaps you should have raised the issue of how people should feel about where they are in the stream of time elsewhere. Instead, you introduced it into a thread on WTS chronology, then took umbrage when you were taken to task for it. Finally you decide to say that I'm engaging in sophistry with you. That is unfortunate, but not unexpected.

  I strongly suggest that you make your contributions relevant to the point under discussion. That way, you can avoid 'chessplayers' like me. Otherwise, you will get similar responses to your posts from other thinkers on this board. You are new here as your avatar shows you have made less than ten postings so far. Feel free to discuss anything you want. That is why this forum exists. But be aware that fatuous responses that have little to do with the topic, such as you made in this thread, do little to facilitate the discussion. I think you will find that many here will agree with me on this point. Think about that the next time you get on the keyboard.

  Quendi