Chronology, interpretation, speculation

[Israeli Bar Avaddhon]

The chronology, interpretation, speculation

 

CAUTION

The following discussion make reference to one of the "cornerstones" of the understanding of the "faithful and discreet slave". Since the author is not going to create a stumbling block for anyone, let alone create divisions, the reader is invited to consider carefully whether you want to read on. Continue or not to continue, therefore, it will only be a personal decision. An even better thing that we could do all: open the Bible and compare all the scriptures quoted or cited and evaluate, in conscience, whether its topics are logical and consistent with the Word of God

 

 

 

 

All you have read about the prophecy of the "seventy weeks" reported in the book "Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy!" (Chapter 11) is worthy of attention and shows how the word of God is accurate and reliable even when ruling prophecies very distant in time.

And 'historical accuracy was also evident and numerous scriptural references that gave weight and credibility to the whole matter.

Anyone who approaches the Word of God without preconceptions can not help but be impressed by this demonstration of the power and wisdom from God.

The explanation of the 70 weeks is beyond reproach, but can the same be said of other prophecies?

What about those calculations on which many of us have based their hopes of a lifetime and who clashed with criticism of the majority?

We are talking of 1914.

This is also a prophecy of Daniel?

This too was treated with the same wonderful accuracy of the seventy weeks we just read?

Although it may not be easy, we try to be very objective because they understand or not understand the prophecy, like the rest of God's Word, can make a big difference for our eternal future - John 17: 3; 2 Thessalonians 1: 8

 

SAY THAT OF 1914?

 

The book "pay attention to the prophecies of Daniel" on pages 85 to 97 (italian edition) explains in detail the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the prophecy of the seven times asserting it indicates the coming of God's Kingdom in 1914.
It would be profitable, therefore, take the book and compare with what you will read below.
The dream of Nebuchadnezzar actually prophesies the coming of God's Kingdom in 1914?

 

THAT'S IT'?

Let's examine what is written in the book without bias.

At first glance it seems that Jehovah God has wanted to give a lesson in humility to Nebuchadnezzar, which he did.

The "seven times", at least for him, was seven years and this is confirmed by the whole story.

Reading all this without bias, it does not seem that we have to look for other explanations more or less hidden.

But let's take this argument that "the tree indicates a domain and a much more sovereign than the king of Babylon. It symbolizes the universal sovereignty of Jehovah, the King of heaven, especially with respect to the earth. "

This means, first, that the Kingdom of God you are comparing, in a way, to the kingdom of Babylon and this contrasts with many biblical passages that describe Babylon as the greatest enemy of God's people.

It also means that the "vigilante" (that is, an angel of the Lord) decides to overthrow the Kingdom of God and this is, to say the least, strange.

Some will object that we should not look for similarities in every aspect of the prophecy but also to decide which part of the prophecy must have a second commitment and which not could be quite arbitrary. Basically we have no other scriptures that indicate there on what particular focus and which leave out.

So you're saying that the tree prophecy applies entirely to Nebuchadnezzar, while only a small part would apply to the Kingdom of God.

For the prophecy of the "seventy weeks," we did not need to break up the prophecy to try to understand who is applied or if they apply to more than one person because the subject was clear and very beginning.

The whole prophecy of 7 times, however, is built on a single verse that is what it says ... " The tree grew and became strong, and its height it finally reached the heavens and was visible to the extremity of ' whole earth " (Daniel 4:11)

The mentioned book says: "the big tree is the 'domain that reaches the ends of the earth', which embraces the whole kingdom of mankind. Therefore symbolizes Jehovah's universal sovereignty, particularly in relation to the earth. - Daniel 4:17. "

There is a bit fragile, say risky, build a series of prophecies (all linked together) of this single explanation?

Note that the specification "particularly in relation to the earth" is due to the fact that Jehovah's universal sovereignty is, in fact, universal, so the tree would have seen not only in all the earth but in the whole universe.

By specifying, however, "in relation to the earth," we can rule the skies by the vision and take in the good application.

However, we should ask ourselves a question.

The fact that the tree reaches the heavens or the ends of the earth is a demonstration or even an indication that we are talking about God's Kingdom?

We always leave it to the Bible to enlighten us.

We notice what Jehovah said to Ezekiel in reference to Pharaoh.

Ezekiel 31: 1-8 says ... "It occurred even in the eleventh year, in the third [month], the first [day] of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying:" Son of man, of 'Pharaoh king of Egypt and his crowd:

" ' To look like in your greatness? Here, an Assyrian, a cedar of Lebanon, with beautiful branches, with thick shady ramifications, and a high height, so that its top was among the clouds. The waters made it grow; for the deep made him become high. With their current they went all around his plants; and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. So there was higher in height than all the [other] trees of the field.

" ' And its boughs were multiplied, and its branches continued getting longer because of much water in its watercourses. Sui its branches made their nests all the flying creatures of the heavens, and under its twigs bore all the wild beasts of the field, and in its shadow dwelt all populous nations. It became beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its foliage, for its root system was on many waters. [Other] cedars not equalize in the garden of God. As for juniper trees, they had no resemblance to its branches. And the plane trees were not the same like the twigs. No [other] tree of God like him in beauty garden. "

We note some similarities with the vision of Nebuchadnezzar?

Both are compared to high and mighty trees.

Both reach heights up to heaven in fact the expressions "reach the heavens" or "reach the clouds" are equivalent - Compare Job 22:14; Isaiah 14:14; Daniel 7:13

Of both of you notice the big difference with other trees.

In both it is said that all the flying creatures and all the wild animals find food and shelter.

Now, if we apply the principle that the tree that "reaches the clouds" must represent the Kingdom of God, then even the Egyptian empire should be an antitype of the Kingdom.

Unfortunately, this story does not make any mention of "time" and therefore can not count anything.

If you think it's ridiculous to think that the Egyptian empire will represent the Kingdom of God, why should it be acceptable to the Babylonian empire?

 

Jehovah goes on to say "For the reason that you became high height, so that it put its top even among the clouds, and his heart is exalted because of its height, I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations" - Ezekiel 31:10, 11

The Pharaoh exalted, just as He did Nebuchadnezzar, and for this reason God decided to humiliate him - Matthew 23:12

Nebuchadnezzar escaped with seven years of madness while the Pharaoh's empire was besieged.

This verse also emphasizes the fact that God takes away and "the kingdom to those who want" (and in this case he gave the kingdom to Pharaoh "despot of the nations").

Ezekiel 31: 12-14 continues ... "And strangers, the tyrants of the nations, cut it, and the people will abandon the mountains; and its foliage will certainly fall in every valley, and his branches will break between all the beds of the rivers of the earth. And all the peoples of the earth will come down from its shade and abandon. On its fallen trunk reside all the flying creatures of heaven, and its branches will certainly be all the wild beasts of the field; so that none of the watered trees may become high in height, or put her top even among the clouds, and because no drinking water is standing against them in his height, certainly as will all the data to death, to the earth below, in among the children of mankind, those who go down into the pit. ' "

Although this tree is cut down and humiliated (Jehovah will do this through the king of Babylon).

Because of the many similarities to the kingdom of Egypt, are we really sure that the tree "reached the heavens" refers to God's Kingdom?
 

When we have to discuss  the 1914, we really like the Bereans? Or are we "Berean" only when we must refute the doctrines of Christianity?

 

There is another interesting detail which should give us pause.

The Bible compares heaven to governments, be they human or celestial.

Applying this concept to the tree that reaches the heavens and where other trees can not compete with it, would simply mean that this tree has a kingdom over other kingdoms (smaller) and Babylon the Great is said, in fact, who " a kingdom over the kings of the earth "- Revelation 17:18

The only legitimate parallel that you can do with Babylon, without fear of taking corners, is related to Babylon the Great because it is the parallelism that makes the Bible.

In fact all the world empires mentioned in the Scriptures have had, for a time, a kingdom over other kingdoms.

Cyrus claimed that he himself ... " I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, legitimate king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four end (of the earth), son of Cambyses ( Ka-am -bu-zi-ia ), great king, king of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus . . . descendant of Teispe,. . . of a family (which) has always reigned. " ( Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard, 1974, p. 316)

Surely humility was not a feature appreciated by the Persians as even by the Babylonians but in fact the kingdom had power over other known kingdoms ( much to be called " king of the four ends of the earth") and then you could well say that its height he had reached the heavens and was visible or known to the ends of the earth.

In the story of Ezekiel and that of Daniel there is no reference, no one, to the Kingdom of God but ... both reports mention a judgment from God on enemy nations, proud and violent.

Any chronological calculation should respect the subject and in fact this part of Scripture is quite different from what is said about the "seventy weeks" - Daniel 9: 24-27

In the account of Daniel chapter 9 clearly speaks of the Messiah (see Daniel 9:25) and do not need to read what is not written.

Anyone wishing to be controversial might discuss the starting date from which to count the "weeks" or even the alleged method * (one day for a year) but it certainly can not discuss the subject in existence (the Messiah).

It could, ironically, even argue about who really was the Messiah (something which still discussing the Jews) but of course you can not argue that Daniel chapter 9 speaks of the Messiah!

Instead Daniel chapter 4 speaks of Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, while all "the intention" for the Kingdom of God is built on four lines in the book "Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy!" Read: "But the big tree is the domain that reaches the ends of the earth, which embraces the whole kingdom of mankind. Therefore symbolizes Jehovah's universal sovereignty, particularly in relation to the earth. - Daniel 4:17 "(Chapter 6, page 87 of the book Italian edition).

It does not seem very strong statement with a very weak base?

We try not to say to Daniel 4:17 that does not really say because you just know the basic rules of grammar not to distract from the subject.

The subject is Nebuchadnezzar and God makes him understand that, due to the fact that he is exalted, would have removed the kingdom and would give it to whomever He had wanted (just as He did with Pharaoh).

In practice, one who really governs is the Creator and the other kingdoms exist only because He allows it - Compare Romans 13: 1

So there is no reason to believe that the tree (that is, one of the many governments that Jehovah has allowed in the history of mankind), represents the Kingdom of God really is.

If someone wants to suggest that the fact that God mentions His domain is indicative that the tree itself depicts your domain (and it's amazing stunt semantics) then we can take the story reported in 2 Kings 19: 14-19 and do the same reasoning.

" Hezekiah then the letters from the hand of the messengers and read them, after which Hezekiah went up to the house of Jehovah and spread out before Jehovah. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before Jehovah and said: "O Jehovah, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim, you alone are the [true] God of all the kingdoms of the earth . You yourself have made the heavens and the earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Jehovah, and hear. Open your eyes, O Jehovah, and see, and hear the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to blame the living God. 17 It is a fact, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their country. 18 And they delivered their gods to the fire, because they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; so that they destroyed them. 19?And now, O Jehovah our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone, O LORD, are God . "

Hezekiah knows very well that Jehovah was "the true God of all the kingdoms of the earth" and prayed that Sennacherib were stopped in his attempt to destroy Jerusalem.

We know very well what was the response of Isaiah that last part says ... "Why is your turn you against me and your roaring have come up to my ears.

I certainly put my hook nose and my bridle between your lips,

And actually I take you back to the way by which you came "- 2 Kings 19:28

If we did the same reasoning alleged to chapter 4 of Daniel, then we could assume that the "Sennacherib" kingdom was a antitype of God's kingdom because he also had to learn (at his expense) that Jehovah is "the true God of all the kingdoms of the earth "or, in other words" rules over all mankind. "

Alas, in this story there are no numbers, days, weeks or months to be calculated and therefore no reason to read "coming of the kingdom of God" even where it makes no mention.

It 'possible that the strong desire to see fulfilled the prophecies influenced the intentions and then had driven to read what was really written?

This means that, if we really want to see a second commitment to the story reported in Daniel chapter 4, you should respect the subject into being , namely Babylon .

It is likely that the story of Daniel is simply telling the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar and that the "seven times" mean only seven years, but we can not be categorical.

In this regard it is worth reflecting on the fact that even the humiliation of Pharaoh, reported in Ezekiel, could have a second commitment as Jehovah says it "will shake the nations" and this could be a reference to the war of Armageddon.

So, without staring too much of a specified date , if the story of Daniel had wanted to show us a second fulfillment of the prophecy, the report is actually saying, "Babylon will fall, it will remain inactive for seven days and then rise again."

This can only bring our minds to the last mention that the Bible makes of Babylon - Revelation 17: 5

The clues regarding Babylon the Great took us to the nation of Israel so the question you should ask is ... "Since that year we should start counting 2520 years (ie 360 * 7) until you see the revival (if any) of Babylon? "

From the story of Daniel the possible dates from which to count the seven periods of time are two:

1) Since Nebuchadnezzar had the vision or has fallen into "disgrace" (in fact, Daniel says "the tree is you" - Daniel 4: 20-22)

2) From the death of Nebuchadnezzar (if Nebuchadnezzar represents the kingdom of Babylon, his death is the moment in which the tree is "knocked down" but it is noteworthy that there is no reference to this in Daniel's narrative which, indeed, he says that the kingdom would have been assured - Daniel 4:26)

 

As for the first hypothesis it is impossible to have an accurate date because neither the Bible nor secular history tell us in what year Nebuchadnezzar was driven from his kingdom. This happened, of course, after 597 BCE (the year in which Nebuchadnezzar brings the first Jews prisoners in Babylon in accordance with the secular dating; there is a 20-year difference with that of the slave that, in fact, puts the BCE 617) and within the 570 BCE (when Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BCE - according to the secular date - and the period of "captivity" lasts seven years, and the kingdom he is returned are deemed to have reigned for at least a year, the 570 is the last year helpful).

However, in the first four chapters of Daniel are mentioned Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, first as children (Daniel 1: 3, 4) and then as strong men (Daniel 3:12, 27) and all this before Nebuchadnezzar to buckle the famous dream tree .

This means that, by their deportation until the day in which the king erected the golden image, they passed at least 15 , 20 years.

So if the Jews have come to Babylon in 597 BCE, but spend 20 twenty years before the construction of the idol of gold and having good outlet to the secular date (562 BCE), you can restrict the period from 577 BCE to 570 BCE

Obviously they are only estimates but the important date is the maximum time limit (570 BCE) so if from deportation until the construction of the image had been 15 years instead of 20, the start date would be 582 BCE, but the last date useful as possible would always be 570 BCE

Any revival of Babylon, if this is talking about Daniel, which is far from certain, would take place between 1943 EV (2520-577) and 1950 EV (2520-570).

To reinforce this hypothesis there would also be the fact that the story of his expulsion is the last tale told Nebuchadnezzar. A few verses later, in fact, we no longer speak of him but of Belshazzar (Daniel ch. 5).

It's reasonable to conclude, therefore, that Nebuchadnezzar had a vision in recent years, perhaps during the last decade of his reign.

 

The second hypothesis concerns Nebuchadnezzar's death and which occurs, according to the secular sources, in 562 BCE

According to the slave is the case in 582 BCE (see the book "Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy" chapter 7, page 99).

Counting 2,520 years you get to 1958 EV in the first case and 1938 EV in the second case.

 

What about the recent history?

If, as we have seen, Babylon the Great is the nation of Israel, this would indeed support the first hypothesis.

The first hypothesis places the revival of Babylon between 1943 and 1950.

The "resurrection" of Israel takes place, in fact, in May 1948.

Knowing the fixation of human beings for dates and calculations, however, it is prudent to pay attention to more important things.

The secular dates can not be safe, based on findings and comparisons more or less incomplete, and certainly we can not base our faith on this one - 2 Corinthians 5: 7

What would happen if the 597 BCE, as well as 607 or 537 or any other date on which we have based much of Bible prophecy (not that there was a real reason to do it) tomorrow will prove completely wrong?

The consequences could be very serious and not only from a human point of view - Amos 3: 1, 2

We must not take for granted Jehovah's mercy we must be cautious in our statements.

Since we have no certainty that the "seven times" does not depict just seven years, we should not get bogged down in these speculations.

The most important thing is not perhaps understanding the identity of Babylon the Great?

This is a crucial aspect of the prophecy because they are clues to guide us in the subjects and in the times we are living like road signs, and not the calculations - Compare Matthew 00:32, 33 and 2 Timothy 3: 1-5 and make a contrast with Matthew 24:36

There is no time stamp for the killing of two witnesses in sackcloth (see Revelation ch. 11), but we know that they are revealed at the end of the war.

We know that the city called "Sodom and Egypt" is Babylon the Great, then Israel, and therefore we also know what country and what events to look carefully .

What the Bible actually prophesies the year of his "resurrection" or not, it is certainly interesting but not essential for those who believe, it really is the inspired Word of God.

Fundamental, if anything, will be "out of it" when the UN will prepare to destroy it.

 

 

* However, the Bible confirms the method "a day for a year" and also that this was the same method used by the people of God - Ezekiel 4: 6; Luke 3:15

 

For more information https://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/