About Carol Massey Expertise I can answer any Bible questions that most people today are wondering about. Why do we suffer and grow old and die? Does God care? What is God`s name. Is there a Trinity? Who is the ruler of this world? What is going to happen to the world? What happens to us when we die? We all have questions from time to time which put doubts in us, but once we have a true understanding of the scriptures we can put those doubts behind us and get a true sense of security toward our future.
Experience
Past/Present clients Any one of us, as Jehovah's Witnesses, have had such a numerous number of Bible students and conversations at doors. The people we run into vary from housewifes, to homeless, to doctors. Everyone has the same questions and doubts and fears! We are all human, no matter what station in life we may hold. And everyone deserves the opportunity to live forever.
Question According to my research of none WatchTower publications, the fall of Jerusalem did not happen in 607b.c. but, instead, 586/7b.c.
Please can you shed any light?
Answer Hi Terry,
OK, history is not my strong suit, although I feel it is very essential in backing the truthfulness of God's Word. Below I have copied part of a reference book we use which details the events leading to the fall of Jerusalem and when it historically and scriptually took place. I have been removed as an expert because of my computer being down and I had questions waiting for me, but if you would like to continue asking me any questions my e-mail address is lhird@hotmail.com. I would welcome any questions you may have. Sometimes, people also disagree with us and that is also fine. Let me know what you think.
Jerusalem came under final siege in Zedekiah's 9th year (609 B.C.E.), and the city fell in his 11th year (607 B.C.E.), corresponding to Nebuchadnezzar's 19th year of actual rule (counting from his accession year in 625 B.C.E.). (2Ki 25:1-8) In the fifth month of that year (the month of Ab, corresponding to parts of July and August) the city was set afire, the walls were pulled down, and the majority of the people were led off into exile. However, "some of the lowly people of the land" were allowed to remain, and these did so until the assassination of Gedaliah, Nebuchadnezzar's appointee, whereupon they fled into Egypt, finally leaving Judah completely desolate. (2Ki 25:9-12, 22-26) This was in the seventh month, Ethanim (or Tishri, corresponding to parts of September and October). Hence the count of the 70 years of desolation must have begun about October 1, 607 B.C.E., ending in 537 B.C.E. It was in the seventh month of this latter year that the first repatriated Jews arrived back in Judah, exactly 70 years from the start of the full desolation of the land.-2Ch 36:21-23; Ezr 3:1.
From 537 B.C.E. to conversion of Cornelius. In the second year of the return from exile (536 B.C.E.), the foundation of the temple was relaid in Jerusalem, but the rebuilt temple was not completed until the sixth year of the reign of Darius I (Persian). (Ezr 3:8-10; 6:14, 15) Since Darius did not establish himself in Babylon until defeating the rebel Nebuchadnezzar III in December of 522 and shortly afterward capturing and killing him in Babylon, the year 522 B.C.E. may be viewed as the accession year of King Darius I. His first regnal year, then, began in the spring of 521 B.C.E. (Babylonian Chronology, 626 B.C.-A.D. 75, p. 30) Darius' sixth year therefore began April 12, 516 B.C.E., and continued until the end of March of 515 B.C.E. On this basis, Zerubbabel's rebuilding of Jehovah's temple was completed on March 6 of 515 B.C.E.
The next date of major importance is the 20th year of Artaxerxes (Longimanus), the year Nehemiah received permission to go and rebuild Jerusalem. (Ne 2:1, 5-8) The reasons for favoring the date of 455 B.C.E. for this year as against the popular date of 445 B.C.E. are considered in the article PERSIA, PERSIANS. The events of this year that involve the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls mark the starting point of the prophecy concerning the "seventy weeks" at Daniel 9:24-27. The weeks there are clearly "weeks of years" (Da 9:24, RS, AT, Mo), totaling 490 years. As demonstrated under the heading SEVENTY WEEKS, the prophecy pointed to Jesus' appearance as the Messiah in the year 29 C.E.; his death at "the half of the week" or in the middle of the last week of years, that is, in 33 C.E.; and the end of the period of God's special favor to the Jews in 36 C.E. Thus, the 70 weeks of years closed with the conversion of Cornelius, 490 years from the year 455 B.C.E.-Ac 10:30-33, 44-48; 11:1.
Jesus' appearance as the Messiah came in the precise year foretold, perhaps about six months after John the Baptizer began his preaching in "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar." (Lu 1:36; 3:1, 2, 21-23) Since the Roman Senate named Tiberius emperor on September 15 of 14 C.E., his 15th year ran from the latter part of 28 C.E. well into 29 C.E. (See TIBERIUS.) The evidence, then, is that Jesus' baptism and anointing took place in the fall of the year 29 C.E.
Since Jesus was "about thirty years old" at the time of his baptism in 29 C.E. (Lu 3:23), his birth took place 30 years earlier, or about the fall of the year 2 B.C.E. He was born during the reign of Caesar Augustus and the Syrian governorship of Quirinius. (Lu 2:1, 2) Augustus' rule ran from 27 B.C.E. to 14 C.E. The Roman senator P. Sulpicius Quirinius was governor of Syria twice, the first time evidently coming after P. Quintilius Varus, whose term as legate of Syria ended in 4 B.C.E. Some scholars place Quirinius' first governorship in 3-2 B.C.E. (See REGISTRATION.) Herod the Great was then king of Judea, and we have seen that there is evidence pointing to the year 1 B.C.E. as the likely time of his death. Thus, all the available evidence, and particularly the Scriptural references, indicate the fall of 2 B.C.E. for the human birth of God's Son.
