Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on October 22, 1999 at 23:26:50 {sA799hgHlsMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: *********FOR AL: CHRONOLOGY CONT'D posted by Al; on October 22, 1999 at 21:29:23:
I think we have a different way of looking at this. To me, I read the Bible, make my own interpretations and find lots of fulfillments.
But that's why I gave you chronology! Chronology is limited by the numbers. "7 times" Biblically works out to be 2520 days and the Bible allows a day to be substituted for a year. So that's 2520 years. That was written long ago but it has to be fulfilled at a certain specific date connected with the fall of Jerusalem.
Also the 70 weeks prophecy of 490 years when the Messiah would first appear beginning with when the Jews began to rebuild Jerusalem. 29CE is the "15th of Tiberius" and we have confirmation from ancient astronomical texts that the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar (before all the revisions) was in 529BCE. So that coordinates 29CE and 455BCE and 529BCE. I think that is rather specific. You don't have any leeway with numbers.
Still that is besides the SUBJECTIVE point I would like to make and that is, regardless of someone else's interpretation of scripture, that it is vague or after the fact, for some, who have the correct interpretation, the Bible becomes a book of incredible prophecy.
So what I'm saying is that based upon Daniel's description of those four beasts, that was written long ago, it seems there are four beasts and one of them ends up with four wings making it an absolute, hands-down super military power at the time of the end when these four beasts are concurrently ruling together. That is, one beast would be the absolute power. No other beast has any "wings". And that is what we have today. US-Nato is the absolute superpower. The reality is consistent with the prophecy.
And it is not about finding ALTERNATIVE vague interpretations, but making the interpretation fit the REALITIES of when they are supposed to occur.
The "great tribulation" was supposed to be a unique event in human history. If you apply it to the HOLOCAUST then it gets fulfilled and you're impressed.
So I don't apologize that my interpretations of scripture makes the Bible work out to be a wonderful book of fulfilled prophecy for me, though it might seen like a vague book to others. As long as you don't find any holes in my interpretations then there is no issue.
That is, if the 1335 days and the 2520 years are supposed to end at the same time, then my interpretations should reflect that. If I, like the WTS at one time claimed the gentile times ended in 1914 but the Second Coming occurred in 1874, then you could criticize that. But since I have both events ending in 1992, I have fulfillment.
That doesn't mean if somebody else comes up with an interpretation that works for 1935 that you can't consider their interpretation as well.
So that is not VAGUE.
To prove it, you should be able to come up with several ALTERNATIVE interpretations based upon current events that could also fulfill, say, both the 1335-days and the 2520-year prophecies. You have to come up with other "great tribulations" that are "not like anything that ever happened before nor will happen again." You know, where are you major world event tribulations that involves wiping out the majority of the Jews that you can claim happened instead of the Holocaust during the period from 1914 to 1994?
So your claim of "vagueness" is unfounded. What you have to do is to critically dismiss the interpretation based upon what the prophecy itself says, or come up with several "alternative" interpretations to prove vagueness.
2520 years from the destruction of Jerusalem in 529BCE can only mean 1992 A.D. It can't be manipulated to point to any other date or dates. 483 years from the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the Messiah comes is a specific interval. The 15th of Tiberius is not debated as being at any other time than 29CE. So 455BCE is the only date that can fulfill this prophecy. There is no flexibility here. We can now confirm the 1st of Cyrus in 455BCE, so the prophecy works.
So, while some of us think the Bible is vague and they want it to be vague so they don't have to pay attention to fulfilled prophecy, others are looking closely at specific fulfillments and finding much fulfilled. And thus, our delight and faith in scripture is extremely strong.
Cheers,
Bibleman