The Gentile Times Reconsidered Chronology Christ

238 THE GENTILE TIMES RECONSIDERED
Why has not the Church realized her final deliverance and
reward by this time? . . . Why is not the time of trouble over with
by now — why has not the old order of things passed away, and
why has not the Kingdom been established in power before this?
Is it not possible that there may be an error in the chronology? 6
Calling attention to the fact that Pastor Russell’s predictions for
1914 had not been fulfilled, it was concluded that there was
evidently an error in the former reckoning. This error was
explained to be found in the calculation of the times of the
Gentiles:
Careful investigation has resulted in our locating the point of
difficulty or discrepancy in what we have considered our great
chain of chronology. It is found to be in connection with the
commencement of the ‘Times of the Gentiles’. 7
First, it was argued, the seventy years, formerly referred to as a
period of desolation, more properly should be called “the seventy
years of servitude.” (Jeremiah 25:11) Then, referring to Daniel 2:1,
37–38, it was pointed out that Nebuchadnezzar was the “head of
gold” already in his second regnal year, and actually dominated the
other nations including Judah, beginning from his very first year,
according to Daniel 1:1. Consequently, the era of seventy years
commenced eighteen to nineteen years before the destruction of
Jerusalem. This destruction, therefore, had to be moved forward
about nineteen years, from 606 to 587 B.C.E.
But the 606 B.C.E. date could still be retained as a starting-point
for the times of the Gentiles, as it was held that the lease of power to
the Gentiles started with Nebuchadnezzar’s rise to world
dominion. Thus 1914 marked the end of the lease of power, but not
necessarily the full end of the exercise of power, nor the complete fall
of the Gentile governments, even as the kingdom of Judah did not
fall and was not overthrown in the final and absolute sense until
Zedekiah, a vassal king under Nebuchadnezzar, was taken captive
nineteen years after the period of servitude began. The Herald
editors concluded:
Accordingly it was 587 B.C. when Zedekiah was taken captive,
and not 606 B.C., and hence while the 2520 years’ 1ease of
Gentile power starting in Nebuchadnezzar’s first year, 606 B.C.,
would run out in 1914; yet the full end of the Gentile Times and
6 Ibid., pp. 115, 116.
7 Ibid., p. 118.