A most unusual week in that virtually all material cited and used is accurate, except for the following:

Gods Kingdom Rules (kr chap 13 para 24-32)

Paragraph 31 highlights the unprovable and unlikely claims that Jehovah changed things so the Organization could continue with its preaching and expansion plans. According to the paragraph, after the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses was implemented, several years passed. Respect for human rights increased during this time, and pressure on the Witnesses began to subside. It was in this climate that they appealed and the ban was lifted.

Then there is a large leap to the claim by Brother Holmes “During the period of that litigation, we saw how Jehovah can change things.” The paragraph cites Daniel 2:21 in support. The scripture talks about Jehovah “changing times and seasons”. Is it right to claim Jehovah was behind the increase with respect for human rights? Did he get involved in “removing kings and setting up kings”? There is no evidence presented that there was any change in government or president. Did he give “wisdom to the wise ones and knowledge to those knowing discernment”? That is the thought put forward that “the King, Jesus, had directed his people to know when and how to act.” However, we have to ask: Would any other organization in the same position have done the same thing? Most likely, Yes. In addition, if the appeal had failed would we have heard about it? Unlikely.

Paragraph 32 tries to link the allowing of missionaries, being able to build branch facilities and import Bible literature with spiritual welfare. However, should not spiritual welfare be associated with the studying and applying of God’s Word rather than these material things?

Jeremiah 52

If you read Watchtower literature about the Jewish Exile in Babylon what date and exile would you understand the Bible teaches?  Undoubtedly you would understand there was one exile and that was in 607 BCE in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 52:12) [1]

But what does the Bible really teach? Jeremiah 52:28-30 gives us a clue. Here it shows that there were at least 3 exiles.

Note when the largest number of exiles were taken:

(1) It was at the time of Jehoiachin, in Nebuchadnezzar’s 7th Year[2], 3,023[3] exiles were taken. (see also 2 Kings 24:12-16[4])

(2) Eleven years later in Nebuchadnezzar’s 18th Year[5] there was an exile in the 11th year of Zedekiah, this time only 832 exiles remained to be taken.

(3) 5 years later in the 23rd year[6] of Nebuchadnezzar 745 Jews were taken into exile. It is thought these were those who had fled earlier to Egypt and Ammon and Moab which were attacked at this time.

2 Chronicles 36:7,9,18 indicates that on at least 3 separate occasions utensils were taken from the Temple. There was possibly a 4th occasion of removal of utensils and exiling, because according to Daniel 1:2,3 in the 3rd or 4th Year of Jehoiakim, some 8 years before Jehoiachin’s exile, part of the Temple utensils were taken to Babylon and that was when Daniel and his 3 companions were also taken. Ezekiel dates events in his writings as follows. In the 9th year of Jehoiachin’s exile.., In the 11th year of Jehoaichin’s exile and so on in the same pattern. So in the minds of the Jews including Jeremiah and Ezekiel the main exile was that at the time of Jehoiachin, 11 years before the complete destruction of Jerusalem. The date of 607 BCE cannot be correct then on this basis alone.

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[1] Babylonian Kings had an accession year, or to put it simply a year 0 which was the remainder of the year from their accession to the start of the next regnal year which was their 1st calendar month or April (4th month) in our calendar. For example Nebuchadnezzar likely died in early April after the start of the regnal year and so the remainder of April through to the following March was counted as Year 0 or the accession Year of Evil-merodach. The 19th year appears to be the year count, being the 18th regnal year.

[2] Regnal Year.

[3] Understood to possibly be the men who were the poor labourers and land workers.

[4] Perhaps not including the labourers and land workers, as it refers to princes, craftsmen, warriors.

[5] Regnal Year.

[6] Regnal Year.

Tadua

Articles by Tadua.
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