The Holy Bible

See Below; A Pivotal Date in History

Definition: Jehovah God’s written Word to humankind. He used some 40 human secretaries
over a period of 16 centuries to record it, but God himself actively directed the writing by
his spirit. Thus it is inspired by God. A large portion of the record is made up of actual
pronouncements made by Jehovah and details as to the teachings and activities of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. In these we find statements of God’s requirements for his servants
and what he will do to bring his grand purpose for the earth to completion. To deepen our
appreciation for these things, Jehovah also preserved in the Bible a record demonstrating
what happens when individuals and nations listen to God and work in harmony with his
purpose, as well as the outcome when they go their own way. By means of this reliable
historical record Jehovah acquaints us with his dealings with humankind and thus with his
own marvelous personality.

Reasons for considering the Bible

The Bible itself says it is from God, mankind’s Creator

2 Tim. 3:16, 17: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving,
for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be
fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”

Rev. 1:1: “A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things
that must shortly take place.”

2 Sam. 23:1, 2: “The utterance of David the son of Jesse . . . The spirit of Jehovah it was
that spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.”

Isa. 22:15: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies, has said.”

We would expect God’s message to all mankind to be available around the globe. The
Bible, the whole or in part, has been translated into some 1,800 languages. Its circulation
totals in the billions. Says The World Book Encyclopedia: “The Bible is the most widely
read book in history. It is probably also the most influential. More copies have been
distributed of the Bible than of any other book. It has also been translated more times into
more languages than any other book.”—(1984), Vol. 2, p. 219.

Bible prophecy explains the meaning of world conditions

Many world leaders acknowledge that mankind is on the brink of disaster. The Bible
foretold these conditions long ago; it explains their meaning and what the outcome will be.
(2 Tim. 3:1-5; Luke 21:25-31) It tells what we must do in order to survive the impending
world destruction, with the opportunity to gain eternal life under righteous conditions here
on earth.—Zeph. 2:3; John 17:3; Ps. 37:10, 11, 29.

The Bible enables us to understand the purpose of life

It answers such questions as: Where did life come from? (Acts 17:24-26) Why are we here?
Is it just to live a few years, get what we can out of life, and then die?—Gen. 1:27, 28;
Rom. 5:12; John 17:3; Ps. 37:11; Ps. 40:8.

The Bible shows how we can have the very things that lovers of righteousness desire most
It tells us where to find wholesome associates who truly love one another (John 13:35),
what can give assurance that we will have sufficient food for ourselves and our families
(Matt. 6:31-33; Prov. 19:15; Eph. 4:28), how we can be happy in spite of difficult
conditions that surround us.—Ps. 1:1, 2; 34:8; Luke 11:28; Acts 20:35.

It explains that God’s Kingdom, his government, will remove the present wicked system
(Dan. 2:44), and under its rule mankind will be able to enjoy perfect health and eternal life.
—Rev. 21:3, 4; compare Isaiah 33:24.

Surely a book that claims to be from God, that explains both the meaning of world
conditions and the purpose of life, and that shows how our problems will be solved is
worthy of consideration.

Evidences of inspiration
It is filled with prophecies reflecting detailed knowledge of the future—something
impossible for humans

2 Pet. 1:20, 21: “No prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. For
prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were
borne along by holy spirit.”

▪ Prophecy: Isa. 44:24, 27, 28; 45:1-4: “Jehovah . . . the One saying to the watery deep, ‘Be
evaporated; and all your rivers I shall dry up’; the One saying of Cyrus, ‘He is my
shepherd, and all that I delight in he will completely carry out’; even in my saying of
Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘You will have your foundation laid.’
This is what Jehovah has said to his anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have taken
hold of, to subdue before him nations, so that I may ungird even the hips of kings; to open
before him the two-leaved doors, so that even the gates will not be shut: ‘Before you I
myself shall go, and the swells of land I shall straighten out. The copper doors I shall break
in pieces, and the iron bars I shall cut down. . . . For the sake of my servant Jacob and of
Israel my chosen one, I even proceeded to call you by your name.’” (Writing by Isaiah was
completed by about 732 B.C.E.)

□ Fulfillment: Cyrus had not been born when the prophecy was written. The Jews were not
taken into exile to Babylon until 617-607 B.C.E., and Jerusalem and its temple were not
destroyed until 607 B.C.E. In detail the prophecy was fulfilled starting in 539 B.C.E. Cyrus
diverted the waters of the Euphrates River into an artificial lake, the river gates of Babylon
were carelessly left open during feasting in the city, and Babylon fell to the Medes and
Persians under Cyrus. Thereafter, Cyrus liberated the Jewish exiles and sent them back to
Jerusalem with instructions to rebuild Jehovah’s temple there.—The Encyclopedia
Americana (1956), Vol. III, p. 9; Light From the Ancient Past (Princeton, 1959), Jack
Finegan, pp. 227-229; “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial” (New York, 1983),
pp. 282, 284, 295.

▪ Prophecy: Jer. 49:17, 18: “‘Edom must become an object of astonishment. Everyone
passing along by her will stare in astonishment and whistle on account of all her plagues.
Just as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor towns,’ Jehovah has
said, ‘no man will dwell there.’” (Jeremiah’s recording of prophecies was completed by
580 B.C.E.)

□ Fulfillment: “They [the Edomites] were driven from Palestine in the 2nd century B.C. by
Judas Maccabæus, and in 109 B.C. John Hyrcanus, Maccabæan leader, extended the
kingdom of Judah to include the w. part of Edomitic lands. In the 1st century B.C. Roman
expansion swept away the last vestige of Edomitic independence . . . After the destruction
of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. . . . the name Idumæa [Edom] disappeared from
history.” (The New Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia, 1952, Vol. 11, p. 4114) Notice that the
fulfillment extends down to our day. In no way can it be argued that this prophecy was
written after the events had taken place.

▪ Prophecy: Luke 19:41-44; 21:20, 21: “He [Jesus Christ] viewed the city [Jerusalem] and
wept over it, saying: . . . ‘The days will come upon you when your enemies will build
around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from
every side, and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will
not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being
inspected.’” Two days later, he counseled his disciples: “When you see Jerusalem
surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then
let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her
withdraw.” (Prophecy spoken by Jesus Christ in 33 C.E.)

□ Fulfillment: Jerusalem revolted against Rome, and in 66 C.E. the Roman army under
Cestius Gallus attacked the city. But, as Jewish historian Josephus reports, the Roman
commander “suddenly called off his men, abandoned hope though he had suffered no
reverse, and flying in the face of all reason retired from the City.” (Josephus, the Jewish
War, Penguin Classics, 1969, p. 167) This provided opportunity for Christians to flee from
the city, which they did, moving to Pella, beyond the Jordan, according to Eusebius
Pamphilus in his Ecclesiastical History. (Translated by C. F. Crusé, London, 1894, p. 75)
Then around Passover time of the year 70 C.E. General Titus besieged the city, an
encircling fence 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long was erected in just three days, and after five
months Jerusalem fell. “Jerusalem itself was systematically destroyed and the Temple left
in ruins. Archaeological work shows us today just how effective was the destruction of
Jewish buildings all over the land.”—The Bible and Archaeology (Grand Rapids, Mich.;
1962), J. A. Thompson, p. 299.
Its contents are scientifically sound on matters that human researchers discovered only at
a later date

Origin of the Universe: Gen. 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
In 1978, astronomer Robert Jastrow wrote: “Now we see how the astronomical evidence
leads to a biblical view of the origin of the world. The details differ, but the essential
elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same: the chain of
events leading to man commenced suddenly and sharply at a definite moment in time, in a
flash of light and energy.”—God and the Astronomers (New York, 1978), p. 14.

Shape of Planet Earth: Isa. 40:22: “There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the
earth.” In ancient times the general opinion was that the earth was flat. It was not until over
200 years after this Bible text had been written that a school of Greek philosophers
reasoned that the earth likely was spherical, and in about another 300 years a Greek
astronomer calculated the approximate radius of the earth. But the idea of a spherical earth
was not the general view even then. Only in the 20th century has it been possible for
humans to travel by airplane, and later into outer space and even to the moon, thus giving
them a clear view of “the circle” of earth’s horizon.

Animal Life: Lev. 11:6: “The hare . . . is a chewer of the cud.” Though this was long
attacked by some critics, the rabbit’s cud chewing was finally observed by Englishman
William Cowper in the 18th century. The unusual way in which it is done was described in
1940 in Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Vol. 110, Series A, pp. 159-163.

Its internal harmony is significant

This is especially so in view of the fact that the books of the Bible were recorded by some
40 men as diverse as king, prophet, herdsman, tax collector, and physician. They did the
writing over a period of 1,610 years; so there was no opportunity for collusion. Yet their
writings agree, even in the smallest detail. To appreciate the extent to which the various
portions of the Bible are harmoniously intertwined, you must read and study it personally.

How can we be sure the Bible has not been changed?

“In the number of ancient MSS. [manuscripts] attesting a writing, and in the number of
years that had elapsed between the original and the attesting MSS., the Bible enjoys a
decided advantage over classical writings [those of Homer, Plato, and others]. . . .
Altogether classical MSS. are but a handful compared with Biblical. No ancient book is so
well attested as the Bible.”—The Bible From the Beginning (New York, 1929), P. Marion
Simms, pp. 74, 76.

A report published in 1971 shows that there are possibly 6,000 handwritten copies
containing all or part of the Hebrew Scriptures; the oldest dates back to the third
century B.C.E. Of the Christian Greek Scriptures, there are some 5,000 in Greek, the oldest
dating back to the beginning of the second century C.E. There are also many copies of early
translations into other languages.

In the introduction to his seven volumes on The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, Sir
Frederic Kenyon wrote: “The first and most important conclusion derived from the
examination of them [the papyri] is the satisfactory one that they confirm the essential
soundness of the existing texts. No striking or fundamental variation is shown either in the
Old or the New Testament. There are no important omissions or additions of passages, and
no variations which affect vital facts or doctrines. The variations of text affect minor
matters, such as the order of words or the precise words used . . . But their essential
importance is their confirmation, by evidence of an earlier date than was hitherto available,
of the integrity of our existing texts.”—(London, 1933), p. 15.

It is true that some translations of the Bible adhere more closely to what is in the original
languages than others do. Modern paraphrase Bibles have taken liberties that at times alter
the original meaning. Some translators have allowed personal beliefs to color their
renderings. But these weaknesses can be identified by comparison of a variety of
translations.

If Someone Says—

‘I don’t believe in the Bible’

You might reply: ‘But you do believe there is a God, don’t you? . . . May I ask what there is
in the Bible that you find hard to accept?’

Or you could say: ‘May I ask, Have you always felt that way? . . . I’ve heard others say
that, even though they have not made a thorough study of the Bible. But since the Bible
clearly says that it is a message from God himself and that he offers us eternal life if we
believe and live by what it says, don’t you agree that it would be worthwhile at least to
examine it to find out whether its claims are true or not? (Use material on pages 60-63.)’

‘The Bible contradicts itself’

You might reply: ‘I’ve had other people tell me that, but no one has ever been able to show
me what is actually a contradiction. And in my own personal reading of the Bible I’ve
never seen one. Could you give me an example?’ Then perhaps add: ‘What I have found is
that many persons simply never found answers to questions that the Bible made them think
about. For example, Where did Cain get his wife? (Use material on pages 301, 302.)’

‘Men wrote the Bible’

You might reply: ‘That’s true. About 40 of them had a part in it. But it was inspired by
God.’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘What does that mean? That God directed the writing, much as
a businessman uses a secretary to write letters for him.’ (2) ‘The idea of receiving messages
from someone out in space should not surprise us. Even humans have sent messages and
pictures from the moon. How did they do it? By using laws that originated long ago with
God himself.’ (3) ‘But how can we be sure that what the Bible contains is really from God?
It contains information that could not possibly have come from a human source. What
kind? Details about the future; and these have always proved to be completely accurate.
(For examples, see pages 60-62, also pages 234-239, under the heading “Last Days.”)’

‘Everyone has his own interpretation of the Bible’

You might reply: ‘And obviously not all of them are right.’ Then perhaps add:
(1) ‘Twisting the Scriptures to fit our own ideas can result in lasting harm. (2 Pet. 3:15, 16)’
(2) ‘Two things can help us to understand the Bible correctly. First, consider the context
(surrounding verses) of any statement. Next, compare texts with other statements in the
Bible that deal with the same subject. In that way we are letting God’s own Word guide our
thinking, and the interpretation is not ours but his. That is the approach taken in the Watch
Tower publications.’ (See pages 204, 205, under the heading “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”)

‘It is not practical for our day’

You might reply: ‘And we are interested in things that are practical for us today, aren’t
we?’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘Would you agree that putting an end to war would be
practical? . . . Don’t you agree that if people learned to live together in peace with those of
other nations, this would be a good start? . . . The Bible foretold exactly that. (Isa. 2:2, 3)
As a result of Bible education, this is taking place today among Jehovah’s Witnesses.’
(2) ‘Something more is needed—the removal of all men and nations that cause wars. Will
such a thing ever happen? Yes, and the Bible explains how. (Dan. 2:44; Ps. 37:10, 11)’
Or you could say: ‘I appreciate your concern. If a guidebook was not practical, we would
be foolish to use it, wouldn’t we?’ Then perhaps add: ‘Would you agree that a book that
provides sound counsel that can enable us to have a happy family life is practical? . . .
Theories and practices involving family life have changed many times, and the results we
see today are not good. But those who know and apply what the Bible says have stable,
happy families. (Col. 3:12-14, 18-21)’

‘The Bible is a good book, but there is no such thing as absolute truth’

You might reply: ‘It’s true that everyone seems to have a different opinion. And even if
someone thinks he has a thing figured out, he often finds that there is at least one other
factor that he didn’t consider. But there is someone who does not have such a limitation.
Who might that be? . . . Yes, the Creator of the universe.’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘That is
why Jesus Christ said to him: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) That truth is in the Bible.
(2 Tim. 3:16, 17)’ (2) ‘God does not want us to grope in ignorance; he has said that his will
is for us to come to an accurate knowledge of truth. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) In a thoroughly
satisfying manner the Bible answers such questions as . . . ’ (To help some people, you may
first need to discuss evidence for belief in the existence of God. See pages 145-151, under
the heading “God.”)

‘The Bible is a white man’s book’

You might reply: ‘It certainly is true that they have printed many copies of the Bible. But
the Bible does not say that one race is better than another.’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘The
Bible is from our Creator, and he is impartial. (Acts 10:34, 35)’ (2) ‘God’s Word holds out
to people of all nations and tribes the opportunity to live forever here on earth under his
Kingdom. (Rev. 7:9, 10, 17)’

Or you could say: ‘Not at all! Mankind’s Creator was the one to choose the men whom he
would inspire to write the 66 books of the Bible. And if he chose to use people with light-
colored skin, that was his responsibility. But the Bible’s message was not to be confined to
white people.’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘Notice what Jesus said . . . (John 3:16) “Everyone”
includes persons of whatever skin color. Also, before ascending to heaven, Jesus said these
parting words to his disciples . . . (Matt. 28:19)’ (2) ‘Interestingly, Acts 13:1 speaks of a
certain man named Niger, which name means “black.” He was one of the prophets and
teachers of the congregation of Antioch, Syria.’

‘I believe only the King James Version’

You might reply: ‘If you have yours handy, I would like to share with you something that I
have found to be very encouraging.’

Or you could say: ‘Many people use that Bible version, and I personally have one in my
library.’ Then perhaps add: (1) ‘Did you know that the Bible was originally written in the
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages? . . . Do you read those languages? . . . So we are
grateful that the Bible has been translated into English.’ (2) ‘This chart (“Table of the
Books of the Bible,” in NW) shows that Genesis, the first book of the Bible, was completed
in 1513 B.C.E. Did you know that, after Genesis was written, some 2,900 years passed
before the complete Bible was translated into English? And over 200 more years elapsed
before translation of the King James Version was completed (1611 C.E.).’ (3) ‘Since the
17th century, English has undergone many changes. We have seen that in our own lifetime,
haven’t we? . . . So we appreciate modern translations that carefully express the same
original truths in the language that we speak today.’

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A Pivotal Date in History

JEHOVAH GOD is an accurate timekeeper. He sets the times for events in the carrying out
of his purposes, and sees to it that they take place exactly on time. He gives us an accurate
record, timewise, of his dealings with mankind. Not only does this serve for historical
purposes, but it also enables us to determine the time for the fulfillment of some of his
prophecies. It also helps us to check our understanding of prophecy by adding
chronological testimony to the evidence of the physical facts, the things we see taking place
before our eyes.
The Bible gives us chronological information on all of its important events. In order to
know when these events occurred in relation to our time, we must reliably and
unmistakably fix a Bible event with a date in history. In other words, we must find a Bible
event that happened on a certain date according to our calendar. Having fixed that point of
time, we can then take the Bible chronology from there, figuring forward or backward, and
establish the many other dates to which the Bible makes reference.

Considering the events that are recorded in the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, there is one date
that fully satisfies these requirements for a pivotal date. About other historical events
mentioned in those times there are many disputes, but this date is one that can be well
established from historical records. It provides us with a starting point by which we can
place in our calendar the events referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures and also have
corroboration for the fulfillment of some of the prophecies. That date is 537 B.C.E., the
date of the decree of Cyrus the Persian giving permission to the Jews to return to their
native land. The record of this event is found at Ezra 1:1-4:

“And in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, that Jehovah’s word from the mouth of
Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah roused the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia so
that he caused a cry to pass through all his realm, and also in writing, saying: ‘This is what
Cyrus the king of Persia has said, “All the kingdoms of the earth Jehovah the God of the
heavens has given me, and he himself has commissioned me to build him a house in
Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God
prove to be with him. So let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the
house of Jehovah the God of Israel—he is the true God—which was in Jerusalem. As for
anyone that is left from all the places where he is residing as an alien, let the men of his
place assist him with silver and with gold and with goods and with domestic animals along
with the voluntary offering for the house of the true God, which was in Jerusalem.”’”

WHEN KING CYRUS’ REIGN BEGAN

The Bible relates that 42,360 Jews left Babylon, along with 7,337 men slaves and slave
girls, and 200 male and female singers. (Ezra 2:1-67) This decree concerning Jerusalem
could be made by Cyrus, because, in conquering Babylon in 539 B.C.E., he got possession,
not only of Babylonia itself, but also of all its foreign holdings, including Syria, Palestine
and the part of Assyria that Cyrus did not already hold. But it did not apply to the fugitive
Jews in Egypt, for it was not added to the Persian Empire until after Cyrus’ death, in the
days of his son and successor Cambyses. Secular historians give us the date 539 B.C.E. as
marking the downfall of Babylon, the Third World Power, to the Medes and Persians, the
Persian Empire becoming the Fourth World Power. At Daniel 5:30, 31 it is shown that
Darius the Mede ruled first at Babylon immediately after its fall. Daniel, at Babylon, speaks
of the “first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus of the seed of the Medes, who had been
made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.” (Dan. 9:1; 11:1; 6:1, 6, 9, 25, 28) The
liberation decree was not made in this year, for it was in this year that Daniel studied the
release to come at the end of the seventy years. (Dan. 9:1-18) So with at least one year and
possibly a part of a second year for Darius the Mede, the first year of King Cyrus the
Persian may not have begun until the year 538 B.C.E., to extend into the following year,
537 B.C.E.

The Jews, of course, left Babylon as quickly as possible after Cyrus’ decree, for, by reason
of their knowledge of Jehovah’s prophecies by Jeremiah and Isaiah, they had prepared in
advance for departure. But it would take some time to complete all preparations for 49,897
people, and it was a good four months’ journey back to the land of Judah. They arrived
there just before the seventh month, Tishri. (Ezra 2:70; 3:1) Therefore, the decree of Cyrus
must have been made toward the close of winter and the beginning of spring of 537 B.C.E.
This date plays a very important role for all Bible students, for by it we can fix the time of
the beginning of the desolation of the land of Judah and the beginning of the “times of the
Gentiles,” or, “the appointed times of the nations.”—Luke 21:24, AV; NW.

That the seventy years of desolation were to be ended as a result of Cyrus’ decree is plainly
stated at 2 Chronicles 36:20-23:

“Furthermore, [Nebuchadnezzar] carried off those remaining from the sword captive to
Babylon, . . . to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off
its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. And in
the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, that Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah
might be accomplished, Jehovah roused the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that he
caused a cry to pass through all his kingdom, and also in writing, . . . ”

Cyrus’ decree was recorded in the official records of Persia, as shown in Ezra 6:1-5, where
Darius I the Persian, successor to Cambyses the son of Cyrus, had the records searched and
found the scroll with the decree written within it, at Ecbatana (Achmetha, AV), which was
the former capital of Media and the summer residence of King Cyrus, northeast of Babylon.

WHEN THE SEVENTY-YEAR DESOLATION ENDED

Did the decree of Cyrus itself end the seventy-year desolation of Jerusalem and the land of
Judah? No. Why not? The exiled Jews had to take advantage of the decree and leave
Babylon and go back to their homeland and reoccupy it in order to end this desolation. For
various reasons, such as old age, some Jews were not able to go back; but many others had
become well established in highly materialistic Babylonia, and they preferred to remain in
comfort rather than to exert themselves and suffer the hardships of traveling across a
forbidding terrain to a land absolutely desolate. But the remnant of faithful Jews that
returned were eager to obey Jehovah’s command. They were zealous for true worship at the
place where he had put his name. They wanted to get away from unclean Babylon in order
to be clean to bear Jehovah’s sacred vessels of worship back to the site of his holy temple.
—Isa. 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6.

Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar as governor of the returning Jews and entrusted him with the
delivering of the sacred utensils. At Ezra 3:2, 8 Sheshbazzar is identified with Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel, a descendant of King David. (Matt. 1:6-13) The Jewish high priest
Joshua (or Jeshua) the son of Jehozadak accompanied Governor Zerubbabel back to the site
of Jerusalem.

When the Jews returned to Judah there was no one in the land to keep them out, for God
had by his power preserved the land unoccupied in order that it might enjoy the sabbath
years of complete rest as it deserved, with no one on it to cultivate it. Every year of its lying
desolate was the equivalent of a sabbath year according to Jehovah’s law through Moses.
(Lev. 25:1-12) How was this an exactly accurate fulfillment of the seventy-years time
prophecy? Well, it was in the seventh month of the year of Jerusalem’s destruction that the
land of Judah was left completely desolate by the flight of the poor Jews who had not been
deported by Nebuchadnezzar. In the seventh month they fled, taking the prophet Jeremiah
with them down to Egypt. (2 Ki. 25:22-26; Jer. 41:1 to 43:8) That was also the very month
in which sabbath years and Jubilee years began, namely, “in the seventh month on the tenth
of the month; on the day of atonement.” (Lev. 25:9, 10) The statement at Ezra 3:1: “When
the seventh month [Tishri] arrived the sons of Israel were in their cities,” gives official
corroboration of the exact fulfillment of this prophecy.

WHEN JERUSALEM’S DESOLATION BEGAN

Bible students are concerned with the time of the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. With
this pivotal date established, it is easy to go back seventy years from the seventh month of
the year 537 to the seventh month of 607 B.C.E. as the time of the desolation of Jerusalem
and Judah. In 607 B.C.E., the month of Tishri began on September 22/23, the day for the
observance of the festival of the new moon. It was in that month of 607 B.C.E. that the
“seven times,” or, “the times of the Gentiles,” “the appointed times of the nations,” began.
(Dan. 4:16, 23, 25, 32; Luke 21:24, AV; NW) This was two months after Jerusalem had
been destroyed and its temple plundered, wrecked and burned down, after which its two
principal priests were killed.—2 Ki. 25:5-21.

If we follow the accurate timekeeping of Jehovah God as recorded in his Word, we see that
the desolation of Judah ran from 607 to 537 B.C.E. and will thereby avoid making the
mistake of the chronologers of Christendom who ignore the prophecy of the seventy years’
desolation and date Jerusalem’s destruction as occurring in 587 B.C.E. They limit the
desolation of Jerusalem and the land of Judah to merely fifty years, accepting the unreliable
calculations of pagan historians rather than the infallible Word of God.—2 Chron. 36:19-
23.

Eleven years before Jerusalem was destroyed and the land of Judah was desolated,
Jeremiah saw the returning remnant in a vision as a basket of “good figs.” The zealous
repatriates were like these figs, because they went back to reestablish the pure worship of
Jehovah in the place where he had put his name. At Jeremiah 24:1-7 Jehovah says: “I shall
certainly cause them to return to this land. And I will build them up, and I shall not tear
down; and I will plant them, and I shall not uproot. And I will give them a heart to know
me, that I am Jehovah; and they must become my people, and I myself shall become their
God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”
 TRUE WORSHIP REINSTITUTED
As foretold 200 years beforehand, at Isaiah 44:28, Cyrus had, in effect, shepherded
Jehovah’s sheep back to their proper fold in the land of Judah. Jehovah here also foretold
the laying of the temple foundation. In the seventh month, just after their arrival, it was too
early to have the foundation laid, but this did not delay the resumption of Jehovah’s
worship. They were surrounded by bitter enemy nations, but they went ahead first with
building an acceptable altar, as we read:

“And Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brothers the priests and Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel and his brothers proceeded to rise up and build the altar of the God of Israel, to
offer up burnt sacrifices upon it, according to what is written in the law of Moses the man
of the true God. So they established the altar firmly upon its own site, for fright came upon
them because of the peoples of the lands, and they began offering up burnt sacrifices to
Jehovah upon it, the burnt sacrifices of the morning and of the evening. Then they held the
festival of booths according to what is written, with the burnt sacrifices day by day in
number according to the rule of what was due each day. And afterward there was the
constant burnt offering and that for the new moons and for all the sanctified festival seasons
of Jehovah and for everyone that willingly offered a voluntary offering to Jehovah.”—Ezra
3:2-5.

At Ezra 3:6 it is stated: “From the first day of the seventh month on they started to offer up
burnt sacrifices to Jehovah, when the foundation of Jehovah’s temple itself had not yet been
laid.” This would be, according to the Gregorian Calendar, on September 28/29, of
537 B.C.E. So on the first day of the month they celebrated the new moon of the seventh
month of that year. (Num. 10:10; 28:11; 1 Sam. 20:5, 18, 24) On the fifteenth day of that
month they kept God’s law by beginning the seven-day festival of the booths, the festival of
the ingathering. (Lev. 23:33-43; Ex. 23:16; 34:22) These “holy conventions” were
undoubtedly most joyful celebrations for the faithful remnant of Jews, along with their
companions the Nethinim who had returned with them, and who served in connection with
the altar by procuring wood and water.—Ezra 2:70.

TEMPLE FOUNDATION LAID

Now Jehovah’s prophecy had to come true concerning the temple: “You will have your
foundation laid.” It did:

“And in the second year [536 B.C.E.] of their coming to the house of the true God at
Jerusalem, in the second month [Ziv or Iyyar, the month in which King Solomon had begun
building the first temple], Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jehozadak
and the rest of their brothers, the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of
the captivity to Jerusalem started; and they now put in positions the Levites from twenty
years of age upward to act as supervisors over the work of the house of Jehovah. . . . When
the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, then the priests in official
clothing, with the trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph, with the cymbals, stood up
to praise Jehovah according to the direction of David the king of Israel. . . . And many of
the priests and the Levites and the heads of the paternal houses, the old men that had seen
the former house [built by Solomon], were weeping with a loud voice at the laying of the
foundation of this house before their eyes, while many others were raising the voice in
shouting for joy.” This confusion of sounds was heard far away.—Ezra 3:8-13.

But this work was not done without difficulty. Only clean, dedicated hands could have a
share in rebuilding Jehovah’s house, so the people of the lands round about were denied a
share in the work. They began to interfere with the building. They used every possible
means to “frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus the king of Persia down till the reign
of Darius the king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:1-5) Finally they procured an edict from the king of
Persia ordering the Jews to stop building. “It was then that the work on the house of God,
which was in Jerusalem, stopped; and it continued stopped until the second year of the
reign of Darius the king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:6-24) This is, of course, not Darius the Mede,
but King Darius I the Persian, who began ruling the empire in 522 B.C.E.

In our next two issues we shall see that the enemies of God could not really thwart the
rebuilding of the temple and of Jerusalem itself, also accurately timed by Jehovah. But the
foregoing is sufficient to prove that the date 537 B.C.E. is a very important one. To
Jehovah’s mind and likewise to the faithful remnant of Jews who returned from Babylon, it
was important at that time. It is important to Bible students, for by means of it they can
determine the length of time that man has been on the earth, the time of the flood of Noah’s
day, of the making of the Abrahamic covenant, of the Exodus from Egypt, of the forty
years’ wandering of Israel in the wilderness and of numerous other vitally important Bible
events. It is important to every one of us, for by it we can corroborate the evidence of the
physical facts taking place showing the end of the “seven times,” “the appointed times of
the nations” and the establishment of God’s kingdom under Christ, in the heavens, in
1914 C.E.

[Footnotes]
On page 404 of Volume 4, The Jewish Encyclopedia says: “Cyrus always conformed to the
traditions of the thrones he usurped, and, together with his son Cambyses, rendered homage
to the native deities. On the first day of the year, Nisan 1 (March 20), 538, in conformity
with Babylonian custom, he grasped the hands of the golden statue of Bel-Marduk, and thus
became consecrated as monarch. From this ceremony dates the first year of his reign as
‘King of Babylon, King of all the Lands.’” Cyrus thus had himself proclaimed as king of
Babylon and as the legitimate successor to the deposed King Nabonidus. By doing this he
did not have to reconquer the Babylonian Empire. Babylon’s foreign possessions, Syria,
Phoenicia, Palestine and the borderlands of the desert, all came to be tributary to Cyrus.—
See The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956), page 75, paragraph 3.

If we proceed according to the cuneiform inscriptions, rather than the Bible, we have to
take the position that Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian reigned concurrently for a
time. According to this, the accession year (an incomplete lunar year) of Cyrus as king of
Babylon began on October 23 of 539 B.C.E., when he entered the city (by day) after its
capture by his troops. Hence his first regnal year (a full lunar year) began on Nisan 1 of
538 B.C.E., or on March 17/18 of 538 B.C.E., Gregorian time.
The cuneiform tablet entitled “Strassmaier, Cyrus No. 11” mentions Cyrus’ first regnal
year. By this tablet it is calculated that this year began March 17/18, 538 B.C.E., and it
ended on March 4/5 of 537 B.C.E., Gregorian time. So Cyrus’ second regnal year began the
next day, on March 5/6, 537 B.C.E. In this case Cyrus’ decree must have been made before
this latter date that is, late in the year 538 or early in 537 B.C.E. See pages 14, 29 of
Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.-A.D. 75, edition of 1956, by Parker and Dubberstein.

For further details on the authenticity of the date 537 B.C.E. and the desolation of Judah
and “times of the Gentiles,” see the books “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s
Kingdom Rules! and “Your Will Be Done on Earth” by Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society, Brooklyn, New York.

Or, according to the Julian Calendar, October 4/5, 537 B.C.E. See Babylonian Chronology
626 B.C.–A.D. 75 (edition of 1956), by Parker and Dubberstein, page 29.

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The above information came from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Did you find the information in this paper to be helpful? You should think about that if you
did. My personal experience with the material that is printed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses is
that it is always clear, concise, to the point, and very helpful. And, it is always based on the
Bible. When you really want such advice, where else are you going to go?

If you have more questions, please ask any Jehovah’s Witness that you meet up with, or ask
me. In addition, you can visit here for more information; http://www.watchtower.org/

Please note; if you have any interest in a FREE home Bible study, please contact me and I
can arrange it. And when I said free, understand, please, why it is free;

1 Corinthians 9:18 What, then, is my reward? That while declaring the good news I may
furnish the good news without cost, to the end that I may not abuse my authority in the
good news.

We, as Jehovah’s Witnesses, do actually make every attempt to live according to Bible
principles and this includes obeying what the Bible says. And what is said above about
furnishing the good news without cost is confirmed here in the Bible;

Matthew 10:7 As YOU go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’
8
Cure sick people, raise up dead persons, make lepers clean, expel demons. YOU received
free, give free. 9 Do not procure gold or silver or copper for YOUR girdle purses, 10 or a
food pouch for the trip, or two undergarments, or sandals or a staff; for the worker deserves
his food.
2 Corinthians 2:17 [We are;] for we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are,
but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God’s view, in company with Christ,
we are speaking.

See also, the paper; Did Jesus Christ Teach the Trinity?
See also, the paper, How Did the Trinity Doctrine Develop?
See also the folder; Catholic Church.
See also the folder; Relationship with God
See also the paper; New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
See also the group in Scribd.com; Study the Bible, please
See also the group in Scribd.com; Relationship with Almighty God
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