The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

their time on "science @mowledge] falsely so called" (1Timothy 6: 201, when God has provided a chronollogklb~wlqe, over the indecipherable pagan chronology ofthe prehistoric period in question, in the shape of prophecyand fulfillment of "seventy years' desolation"? Itis anothcr d~\~iiiely-furnished bridge like that over thcperiorl of the Judges. (Acts 13: 19-21) It would be afooIi6h waste of time to attempt to work out the detailedchronology of the Judges ; and it is equally wasteful tocad a wde the ell \ inel y-giren bridge over the seventy -yearpel.loil of clcsolatioll and to try to establish connected,detalled facts from pagan sources; for that, in fact, iswhat is ~mpliccl by reliance upon the currently acceptednotlolls nl~outhe chronology of Babylonia copied in allencycIopcdlas and rcferelice works from the same unre-1iJ)lc source.FURTHER PROOF OF PRESENT-TRUTR CHRONOLOGYThere IS a \\ell known law of mathematics called "thelaw of prohab~l~ties". Apyhcatlons of this law are fre-quent in eleryday hfe in settllng matters of doubt. In afa~nl11 of cl~~ldrai. if a certain kind of mischief isconi~n ~tt~d, thc p~ohab~lltie~s- indeed, the certaintyarethat ~t vas done by a certain one, and that theothers assuredly d ~d not do it. If some peculiar damageis done hy night to a single house, then by the law ofprol~ahll~t~es it may have been a pure accident; if cloneto two houses in the same manner it probabIy \\-as notacc~dcntal but by des~gn of some person; but if clone tothrey or more houses in the same manner it passes out ofthe posslbillty of accident into the certainty of des~gn.The chronology of present truth might be a merehappenmg if it \Irere not for the repetitions in the twogreat cyclcs of 1845 and 2520 years, which take it outof the realm of chance and into that of certainty. Ifthere were only one or two carresponding dates in thesecycles, they might poss~bly be mere coincidences, butwhere the agreements of dates and events come by thedozens, they cannot possibly be by chance, but mustbe by the design or plan of the only personal Beingcapable of such a plan--Jehovah himself; and the cl~romotogyitself must be right.In the passages of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh theagreement of one or two measurements with the presenttruthchronology might be accidental, but the correspondencyof dozens of measurements proves that thesame God designed both pyramid and plan-ancl at them e time proves the correctness of the chronology.The agreement of the chronology with certain measurementsof the Tabernacle and the Temple of Ezekielfurther stampa the chronology as true.It 1s on the basis of such and so many corresponden-cies-in accordance with the soundest laws known toscience-that we affirnl that, Scripturally, scientifically,and histom'cully, p~e.sc.nt-truth chrmology .is correct beyonda doubt. Its rel~ability has been ahundantIy confirmedby the dates and events of 1874, 1914, and 1918.Present-truth chronology is a secure baeie on which theWATCH TOWERconsecrated child of God may endeavor to search outthings to come.-1 Peter 1 : 11,12 J John 16 . 13.It is not necessary to show how if a change of 19 !earswere made in the chronology the bme from Jacob toJesus wouId become shortened from 1845 to 1826 years,and the entire system of dates based on the '3cwishparallels" would collapse; ho1r the jubilee system dateswould fall out of place from its present symmetry ; howthe 2520-year parallels would dwappear; how the entiresystem of dates would be scattered how there could beno foundation for faith in the resulting chro~~ologicaljnnible; and hon. there conld be no sound reasfill forbelieving in the presence of the Lord, the place andwork of Pastor I3~;ssell. the end of the age, the harvestwork, or in any of the l~terature published by the Society.Many years ago all these matters were deeplyconsidered by Pastor Russell, and he decIar~d, 111 anarticle which we wll soon republishh, that 8 change ofone year would destroy the entire system of rhronology.PRESENT-TRU71I CHRONOLOGY IS CORRECTWe haw ~honu that the pr?seilt-tnlth chronology iecorrect and othcrs are icccrrcct bccanse :(1) It is hnscd sqvnl.r:ly on inspired prophccy.(2) The fulfillment IS rccorded in the Blble and inthe history of Croci's choscn people, the Jcws.(3) The seventy ?cars arc all years of desolation.(4) The1.2 n as no captn ity and no rassalage of Judahin 625 B. C. from nhlch to count the seventy yearscaptivity or ser\.iturle.(5) Pagall '%istors" on the s~~bject is unreliable.(6) The opimons of "autho~.ities" on this pagan"history" are ~LI~.PSCS and co11jcct:lres.(7) The moiinmental inscript~olls are untrust~vorthybecause of the u~ltruthfuli~ess and unreliability of thedemon-worshiping and demon-controlled pagan monarchs.(8) The inscriptions omit some important facts andfalsify others.(9) The arch~ologlsts are not conscientious or honestin presenting thc inscriptions.(10) Wiance upon pagan history or arch~ology leadsthrough worse doubts and ever more of them, into infidelity.(11) Present-truth chronology is correct beyond thepossibility of a doubt.Present-truth chronology is based upon divine prophecyand its 13iblical fulfillment, that the seventy yearswere years of desolation, not part desolation and partcaptivity. The chronolo_gy stands firm as a rock. basedupon the TFTord of God.It is a matter of faith in Jehovah and in his inspiredWord. (3 Timothy 3 : 16) Those that lack faith in God'aWord and cast about for needless help from arlmittecUylying pagan records, will doubtless receive sccorclingto their lack of faith. Those that stick closely to theWord will receive according ta their faith.