by slimboyfat 362 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The thing is, he never actually reconsidered the Gentile Times.
He just moved the destruction of Jerusalem from 607 to 587. Did he reconsider that the Gentile Times were not based on the destruction of Jerusalem? He was arguing with the WTS on their teachings, not on the actual chronology of what God was doing.
As I recall (I’m too lazy to look right now) yes Jonsson did question the whole concept of “Gentile Times” including the WT interpretation of Luke 21. He didn’t advocate simply shifting the chronology 20 years forward to 1935, or whatever. His argument was that the whole chronological endeavour was flawed on many levels, the date of the destruction of Jerusalem being just one.
Dan Delagrave
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24)
There has been much misunderstanding in the modern Church concerning "the times of the Gentiles." The correct interpretation must be consistent with both the immediate context and the greater weight of scripture.
"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass
away, till all be
fulfilled." (Luke 21:32)
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh . . . and Jerusalem shall be trodden down (pateho) of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:20, 24)
The times of the Gentiles referred to the treading down, or desolation, of first century Jerusalem, which Jesus called "the days of vengeance". In other words, it was God's mission for the Gentiles to bring judgment upon Jerusalem. This is consistent with past judgments upon Israel, when God brought Gentiles armies into their land to desolate it.
The whole controversy centers on the duration of the treading down of Jerusalem. The Greek for "trodden" is pat-eh'-o (#3961 in Strong's Concordance), and it means "to trample down underfoot". The parallel to Lk.21:24 is seen in Revelation 11:2, which says:
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot (pateho) forty and two months." Rev 11:2
Could it be any plainer? The times of the Gentiles, or treading down of Jerusalem, entailed no more than a forty two month period of time, the exact duration of the Jewish-Roman War. This is in perfect harmony with Daniel 12:7, where the defining characteristic of "the time of the end" is said to be "the scattering of the power of the holy people", which we are told would be accomplished during "a time, times, and a half", or forty two months.
