THE WEAKEST LINK---fatal flaws in Watchtower Chronology

by Terry 61 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  City Fan

  Terry,

  And don't forget that although in point 5 the Seven Times means seven years of 360 days each, in point 8 the WTS uses 365.2422 days per year.

  If the Gentile times began in 607 BC then why did Jesus say: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near... and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

  So why link the start to 607 BC when, according to Jesus' words above, it is more logical to start at 70 AD?
• 

  Terry

  Duh!

  I never thought of that!
• 

  scholar

  Terry

  Your last response to City Fan's comment says it all. You have failed to focus on any flaw in Watchtower chronology but simply presented an opinion of the Gentile Times and its chronology. WT chronology yields IMHO no discernible flaws becuse it is soundly based on an accepted pivotal date. The Gentile Times is based on an interpretation of Luke 21:24 correctly rendered in the NWT.

  Perhaps you should apply a logical analysis to the Jonsson hypothesis with its unsustainable 586/587 for the Fall of Jerusalem. Jpnsson's schema is based on a peculiar rendering of a single Hebrew preposition in Jeremiah 29:10 and a whacky exegesis of the seventy years which contradicts biblical evidence.

  scholar

  BA MA Studies in Religion
• 

  undercover

  Perhaps you should apply a logical analysis to the Jonsson hypothesis with its unsustainable 586/587 for the Fall of Jerusalem. Jpnsson's schema is based on a peculiar rendering of a single Hebrew preposition in Jeremiah 29:10 and a whacky exegesis of the seventy years which contradicts biblical evidence.

  Nobody said anything about 586/587. They were talking about 607 and 1914 and the flaws in that chronology. No one said a single word about Jonson, his hypothesis or 586/587.

  Perhaps we should finish discussing the flaws of the WTS chronology before discussing other hypotheses.
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  No Apologies

  Scholar reared his head yet again...

  the Jonsson hypothesis with its unsustainable 586/587 for the Fall of Jerusalem.

  Dude,

  There is no Jonsson hypothesis. Jerusalemn did fall in 586/587. No one outside the Watchtower questions this. There is no evidence that would suggest this date is off by 20 years. There is overwhelming evidence that points to this being the correct date. See Let Your Kingdom Come, appendix to chapter 14, published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society 1981.

  No Apologies
• 

  Farkel

  Times don't mean times, but years.
  
  Years don't mean years, but days.
  
  Days don't mean days either, but years.
  
  Calculations using 360 days from an ancient calendar = a prophetic date in a modern 365 day calendar.
  
  Pretty much makes sense to me!
  
  Farkel
• 

  Terry

  Der Farkelmeister raises an important focus.

  Why doesn't the Bible writer ("Daniel") simply say what he means? It has the makings of an amateur's attempt to plot a murder mystery with "clues" everywhere.

  The Creation "days", we are told, are not literal days at all. But, the scripture talks about an "evening and a morning" over and over. The retreat into REDEFINITION of simple everyday words smacks of desperation.

  Daniel's SEVEN TIMES means what, exactly? Why pose the prophecy as a multiplication problem? In Hebrew, Greek it was positively difficult backbreaking work to multiply large numbers--because.......why?

  Because they HAD NO NUMBERS! The letters of their alphabet did double-duty for numbers.

  Imagine if we had to do that in English! A=1, B=2, C=3 etc. Could you even balance your checkbook? (Can you anyway? :)

  Writing a spooky prophecy and making the whole business seem "divine" must have provoked the wording and the folderol. Hocus-Pocus and little else!

  How would the prophecy be any different if Daniel simply said, "Nebuchadnezzer is going to be a werewolf for seven years" ?

  Why interpret the years as days? Why force the days to be multiplied?

  Why view this as a minor fulfillment and apply it to Messianic computations?

  If it isn't given to man to understand God's timetable; it seem there are a lot of timetable redherring clues being planted!

  Stuff and nonsense, I say!
• 

  TD

  A possible additionaly item for your list, Terry, is that in the JW interpretation, the "greater" fulfillment of the "prophecy" actually begins before the prophecy has even been given.
• 

  toreador

  A possible additionaly item for your list, Terry, is that in the JW interpretation, the "greater" fulfillment of the "prophecy" actually begins before the prophecy has even been given.

  Please explain that comment please.
• 

  William Penwell

  The Weakest link is 1. That we have to accept a book that has being written and rewritten over thosands of years to be accurate. 2. What drug was Franz baby on when he came up with all this BS? 3. What makes you think that Daniel was even refering to anything specific or that maybe he also was on a bad drug trip?

  Will