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Mr. Dimbleby's Chronology, Etc.
AS ALREADY stated, Mr. Dimbleby's solar chronology was the one
acknowledged by Mr. Totten. Therefore, whatever we have said respecting its
errors of one hundred and twenty-nine years applies to the calculation built
upon those errors in the theories of both. But to the credit of Mr. Dimbleby's
knowledge of astronomy, he found nothing peculiar to note about the time of
Joshua's long day, nor any reason to count his years 354 days each from then
on, so as to culminate the six thousand years over a century sooner than they
could honestly be terminated, according to
his erroneous chronology. So he allows his 6000 years to
end in the year 2002 A.D.;
and begins in another way to show that the seventh or great millennium of
Christ's Kingdom will begin one hundred years before the sixth thousand years
end--but for what reason each reader is left to guess.It
was evidently the observance of this inconsistency, together
with the erroneous chronology, that led Mr. Totten to his grievous error of
attempting to shorten one period and stretch another to bring the two together.
Mr. Dimbleby errs, as Mr. Totten does, in beginning his "Gentile
Times" with the beginning of King Nabopolassar's reign, fully twenty-five
years before Nebuchadnezzar had his dream of the great image of Gentile
governments, in the interpretation of which God informed him, through Daniel
the prophet, that into his hands (not into the hands of his
dead father Nabopolassar) he gave the dominion of the world. (Dan.
2:38.) So even if his chronology were corrected he would be obliged to
alter the date for beginning his 2520 years of "Gentile Times" or
rule;--which, by the way, he brings to an end in A.D. 1898-1/4 (March 1898),
one year earlier than Mr. Totten. Working on the same exact (?), eclipse-proved (?)
chronology, Totten begins Nabopolassar's reign with the year 3377-1/2 A.M., and
Dimbleby begins it in 3376-1/2 A.M.
Mr. Dimbleby, knowing of Mr. Totten's failure thus far, steers clear of
any danger of failure before 1898, by locating the second coming of Christ, the
time of trouble, etc., beyond or at
the close of his "Times of the Gentiles" --March 1898.
He says:--
"We must observe that our Lord places his second coming as at the
end of the 'Gentile Times,' 5896-1/4 [1898-1/4 A.D.]....The coming of Christ,
the conversion of the Jews, and the appearance of the saints in glory, are
contingent events, all taking place at the end of
the Gentile Times."
"The evidence is abounding and overwhelming, if we can add up
figures, that the eventful period is 1898-1/4....
All civil governments will thus be overturned, and God rises up to make
the enemies of Christ his footstool."
"Following the close of 'Gentile Times' will be the 30 years....But
how great are the events of this day of Christ, or 30 years, now close at
hand."
What about this "30 years?" What is it? Where does Mr.
Dimbleby get it?--We reply, He claims that there are certain Jewish Times as
well as "Gentile Times," with a different beginning and a different
ending,--an ending 30 years after 1898-1/4, where he ends Gentile Times. But
this is an unreasonable and untenable position, and betrays a misunderstanding
of the real significance of "Gentile Times."
God passed by all the other nations of the earth and recognized only Israel.
(See Amos 3:2; Rom. 3:1,2.) In Israel
he placed his own throne, typically, and
her kings represented Him; as it is written, "Solomon sat upon the [R1979 : page 110] throne
of the Lord as king instead of David his father." (1
Chron. 29:23.) Yea, before the first of their kings, Saul, God
considered himself Israel's
King, and so declared. (1 Sam. 8:7) Under his
covenant with that nation, God promised to bless and protect them while they
remained loyal to him; but to chastise them for disloyalty. He did this
repeatedly, delivering them on account of sin into captivity to the
Philistines, etc., and rescuing them again after they repented; but still
recognizing that nation, as represented in "Judah," under the kings
of David's line, down to the end of Zedekiah's reign
(3522 A.M., true Bible
Chronology*). There, in harmony with his vision to Nebuchadnezzar, in the
fourth year of Jehoiakim (18 years previous), God actually removed his typical
kingdom, to
permit Nebuchadnezzar's government to become universal; for it would be
impossible for the Gentiles to have universal sway so long as God's Kingdom,
even in a typical form, existed. The Lord marks this time and event in most
explicit language, saying of Zedekiah, the last king upon the typical
throne,--"Thou profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when
iniquity should have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and
take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and
abase him that is high. I will overturn, [R1979
: page 111] overturn,
overturn it [God's typical crown and kingdom on earth]; and it
shall be no more until he come, whose right it is [the
Christ, "Head" and "body"]; and I will give it [the crown
and kingdom there overturned]
unto him." (Ezek. 21:25-27.) It is for
this period, during which the crown or kingdom of God
is overturned in the earth, that God gives a lease of ruling authority to the
Gentiles, whose "times" are seven symbolic years, or 2520 literal
years. And it is during their "times" that God's people, Israel after
the flesh, are trodden under foot by the Gentiles; and during the same period
Israel after the spirit, "the Kingdom of Heaven, suffereth violence, and
the violent take it by force." (Luke 21:24; Matt. 11:12.) Hence for Gentile Times to end
means for the Gentiles to cease to tread down, and for God's people no longer
to be trodden down; and the treading and the being trodden must of necessity
end together.
*Starting from this, the evidently correct starting
point, the 2520 years of "Gentile Times" will, without stretching or
shrinking, end with September 1914
A.D.; while, possibly, something
may be expected 18 years sooner (1896
A.D.); because the announcement of "Gentile
Times" was made by Daniel, and the dream representing them was given to
Nebuchadnezzar, 18 years before God's typical Kingdom was taken out of the way
of Nebuchadnezzar's universal sway.-- See MILLENNIAL DAWN, VOL. II., Chap. 4.
But not only does Mr. Dimbleby err in separating his
Jewish times of being trodden, from the "Gentile Times" of treading,
but he begins them at different and wrong places. He begins his Jewish times at
the end of the reign of king Jehoiakim; seven years after Nebuchadnezzar's
dream, and eleven years before God removed the diadem of his kingdom and
overturned it. Furthermore, although he does not use Mr. Totten's false year of
354 days in his chronology, he falls into the error of reckoning his Jewish
times by that false measure, authorized nowhere and by nobody. Though his
chronology and starting times are erroneous, his calculations seem to be
truthful, except when he tries to bring together various prophecies which have
no real connection, and there he persuades himself that the following statement
is true; viz.,--
"I should also state that the 1260 and 1335 years make a total of
2595,--and 2595 lunar [354 day] years are 2520 solar."
Mr. Dimbleby's pencil deceived him here, by five years lacking 26 days;
for 2595 lunar years, 354 days each, would represent exactly 2515 years and
26-1/4 days, of 365-1/4 days to the year. A rather bad slip for an astronomer
and premier chronologist, who claims to figure out a chronology correct to the
fraction of a day, and proved (?) by astronomy (?)!
On the whole, then, Mr. Dimbleby's errors are perhaps less serious than
Mr. Totten's; but still very serious for
himself and many others: for he has a very dogmatic style, calculated to
deceive many. Indeed, he almost charges that if there should be any miscarriage
of his dates
it would be because of God's unfaithfulness. For instance, in commending his
findings and presentations, he says:--
"Is God going to change? Will he abandon his fidelity? Better
suppose that the sun will not rise tomorrow."
Such language is not that of a teacher properly under the lead of the
Lord's spirit. A teacher should present the Scriptural or other evidences, and
there rest his case. Beware of any teachings "hammered in" thus. The
implication is that Mr. Dimbleby's work is infallible, beyond question; sooner
question God's veracity and fidelity, and sooner yet doubt the sunrise: the
thing farthest
from failure is Mr. D's. chronology and figures,--which we
have just shown are inconsistent in every important part. We recapitulate them
here:--
(1) Errors in Chronology of one hundred and twenty-nine years.--One
hundred years short in the period of the Judges of Israel. The other
twenty-nine years in error are dropped by leaving the Bible record (as the
standard, down to the first year of Cyrus, the end of the seventy years desolation) and
attempting, with Ptolemy, Usher and others, to harmonize the statements of
Scripture with the fragmentary statements of secular history.
(2) The error of making a period of "Jewish Times" (which the
Scriptures nowhere mention) separate from "Gentile Times"; and of
beginning both at wrong dates, and counting them upon his erroneous chronology,
and one of them upon false (short) years.
(3) Above all the other errors his wholly unwarranted and absolutely
untrue statements that prophecies begin and end on the same day of the week and
month, etc., and that his chronology is proved by eclipses, exact to an hour or
minute, etc. Mr. Dimbleby, as well as Mr. Totten, must know, what every person
of even average acquaintance with chronology, astronomy and the Bible should
know, that the Bible does not contain one solitary item that could be used by
an astronomer in fixing any date;-- neither with certainty nor with
uncertainty.
What he has done with his chronology any one could do with any
chronology. First, as Mr. Dimbleby practically does, accept Usher's
chronology--partly from the Bible and partly from secular history. Then, take
your pencil, or such astronomical "tables" as are accessible to all,
and say to yourself, If my chronology is correct,
Nebuchadnezzar came to his throne in such a year; and, if
so, I
see by the "tables" that there must have been such and such eclipses,
or such and such transits, that year. If my
chronology is correct, king David ascended his throne in the year _____, so
many years ago; and, if so, according to the
"tables," there were such transits and such eclipses that year.
But all depends on the if of
the chronology. If the chronology were astray one year, or one thousand years,
astronomy would not assist in detecting the error, unless accurate
and quite elaborate records of astronomical events are found in connection with
the history; which is not the case with Bible history.
We could just as easily fix up a statement of solar cycles, conjunctions
and transits and affix it to various items of our truly Bible
chronology. We could claim that astronomy verified every date; and we could no
doubt deceive many by such attempts, and few would see through the sophistry.
But God would know it, and we would know it ourselves; and we believe that it
is as dangerous for one to deceive himself as to deceive others. We advise all
to be especially on guard against self deception in handling the divine Word.--2 Cor. 4:2.
* * *
Much more could be said in criticism of the views set forth by Messrs.
Totten and Dimbleby--their misapplication and distortion of every prophetic
date they attempt to handle; their expectation of a coming manAntichrist,
etc., etc.; but we forbear for two reasons. (1) Because those who see that
their chief proofs (?) and arguments are absurdities would know better than to
trust in other matters to such teacher's assertions. (2)
Because our readers already have what we believe to be the Scriptural
interpretation of the various prophetic periods, and a full treatment of the
Antichrist, in MILLENNIAL DAWN.
* * *
For the sake of some, we remark that a "prophetic year" of 360
days, used to symbolize 360 years, is an arbitrary arrangement peculiar to its
intended symbolic use. It is neither a Lunar year of 354-1/3 days nor a Solar
year of 365-1/4 days. The fulfilment of a prophetic year would mean 360 actual
or Solar years of the common reckoning.
W.T. R-1978a : page 110
- 1896r