Posted by More lies... [Bibleman] on October 31, 1999 at 11:57:40 {MDPAlM8llYMSSTtTA17sslyACFuF8c}:
The "70 weeks" prophecy which mandates a 483-year period from the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the Messiah is not understood by the WTS. The obvious fulfillment is by Cyrus when the Jews first returned. But the WTS and many others, influenced by revised chronology, have tried to make the rebuilding of Jerusalems walls to be the more important event to start this prophecy. Thus even though the temple was already completed, they make a big deal out of the walls being rebuilt as if that was more a part of the "city."
Problem is though, the new walls were already completed even before the temple was completed. As Ezra 4:12 says, "They are building the rebellious and bad city and they proceed to finish the walls and repair the foundations."
So the fact is, the walls were already completed, the temple was completed and there were many major structures built within the wall and along the wall including homes on top of the new wall when Nehemiah came, which you can check out simply by closely reading the context of the scriptures.
But in order to distract from the fact that the walls were already rebulit, the WTS has to make you think that the walls were not rebuilt yet at all until the 20th of Artaxerxes. That means they must convince their members that even though the temple was rebuilt, there was no wall around Jerusalem in all that time. The city was totally open basically.
But this doesn't work? Why? Because all Nehemiah did was just repair the outside of the wall. He simply armed the workers so they could go outside and replace the decorative stones to the outside of the new walls, which had been recently attacked. THIS TOOK ONLY 52 DAYS! Does one actually think that Nehemiah out of the blue, suddenly came up and decided the Jews needed a wall around Jerusalem and had a handful of those there rebuild the walls surrounding Jerusalem in just 52 days! Impossible!
But if you're not paying attention, this is exactly the
idea that is given by the WTS. But there's a problem. When Ezra came to the city in the 7th year of Artaxerxes, he made reference to the completed temple (the "house") and the completed wall (a "stone wall") around Jerusalem. So how does the Society get around that verse? They simply claim this is not a real wall, but a figurative wall of protection. So this underscores their conscious absolute need to keep up the idea that those walls were toally unbuilt over all those years since their return, according to their dating, from 537 to 455BCE, a period of 82 years, until finally Nehemiah rebuilt those still devastated walls in just 52 days when he arrived in the 20th of Artaxerxes!
The following quotes show clearly this is the idea and false concept the WTS has to paint. But keep in mind, they must paint this idea, because if the city including the temple and the walls were already rebuilt (which they were!) then there is no way Nehemiah could fulfill Daniel's "70 weeks" prophecy to rebuild Jerusalem. That is, in some way the city had to remain un-built from that original devasation when Jerusalem was destroyed in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar.
So what they are really saying is, "Well, sure the temple was rebuilt, but the walls themselves were not rebuilt until the 20th of Artaxerxes, so that is really when the prophecy to rebuild the city took effect."
But this is ridiculous, of course. There is no way Nehemiah rebuilt a double-wall around that city in just 52 days. Following are the brain-washing quotes by the WTS that promote that idea so that its members don't focus on when the city actually began to be rebuilt. This underscores why that "70 weeks" prophecy doesn't work for Nehemiah.
*** pm 158-9 9 Growth and Protection of God's Capital Organization ***
27 To whom, then, is it that Jehovah needs to become a “wall of fire all around”? Not the New Jerusalem in the invisible heavens, but the remnant of the New Jerusalem as that glorified remnant goes out into this bedarkened world and acts as the witnesses of Jehovah of armies and as his Kingdom ambassadors.28 A literal stone wall like that which surrounds Old Jerusalem in the Republic of Israel, of what protection could such a wall be in this day of nuclear weapons and missiles with nuclear warheads? The idea is ridiculous! The stone walls that were built around Jerusalem by Governor Nehemiah in 455 B.C.E. (and later) did not successfully resist the Roman legions in the year 70 C.E. In this Age of Violence, nuclear firepower must be met by fire. Jehovah of armies can meet it that way. He can be and he has promised to become a “wall of fire” all around the faithful remnant of the New Jerusalem. Who, then, can effectively assault them?
***ad 1295 Artaxerxes Longimanus to Darius II ***
The reign of Xerxes' successor, Artaxerxes' (Longimanus), is notable for this authoritization of Azra's return to Jerusalem with a large contribution for the support of the temple there. This occurred in Artaxerxes' seventh year (469/468 B.C.E. according to the above-mentioned dating). (Ezra 7:1-26; 8:24-36) Some have assumed the reference to "a stone wall in Judah andin Jerusalem" (Ezra 9:9) to mean that Ezra was commission by Artaxeerxes to rebuild the city walls. However, the Hebrew term does not necessarily refer to a massive wall, such as surrounded a city, but often describes a wall such as encompassed a vineyard (Num. 22:24; Isa. 5:5) or lined a courtyard. (Ezek. 42:7, 10) (The Revised Standard Version of this text says "to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem," while The Jerusalem Bible reads: "safety and shelter in Judah and in Jerusalem.") Thus, this protective "wall" evidently refers figuratively to Jehovah's extension of "loving-kindness before the kings of Persia" on behalf of his people, as mentioned in the same verse.Thus, it was not until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes that a commission was given to Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, including "the wall of the city." (Neh. 2:1-8) "
That the walls were not rebuilt until the 20th of Artaxerxes is just a LIE, plain and simple. And certainly no wall was built around Jerusalem in just 52 days.
This is simply more WTS DECEPTION!!! ...to try and distract from the obvious rebuilding that began in the 1st of Cyrus which actually was the event that began that prophecy. If the temple and walls were already completed by the time Nehemiah arrived, then there is no way there can be any significance to the "word going forth to rebuild Jerusalem" as late as the 20th of Artaxerxes.
Cyrus fulfills that prophecy plain and simple. Trying to make it fit Nehemiah's 52-day repair work on the outside of the walls, is pure DECEPTION to try and make a misapplied prophecy work.
DECEPTION!!! Plain and simple.
But how may very smart and awake witnesses have ever wondered or cared about this? That's the next question?
Is the WTS a perfect match of deceivers and those who love to be deceived? One would think so.
Cyrus fulfills the "70 weeks prophecy." The fulfillment by Nehemiah can only go forth with deception and distortion of the facts. Thus the true date for the 1st of Cyrus must be 455BCE.
Recognize this. Know this.
Cheers,
Bibleman