E) EXPLANATION FOR THE ABOVE DATES

 

 

For additional time statement texts in the Bible, see:  Genesis 15:13; Judges 11:26; Acts 7:6; 13:20; Galatians 3:17and Luke 3:36, who adds another generation (“Cainan”).

 

“Fifteen centuries after the sentence pronounced upon Cain, the universe witnessed the” flood.  PP:78.

“Three centuries had passed {from Jeroboam to Josiah}.”  PK:402 & 405.

“. . . for fifteen centuries {Moses to Christ}.”  DA:291.

“For four hundred years {Moses to King Saul}.”  PP:628.

 

The Hebrew verb used in Genesis, Chapters 5 and 11, translated “begot,” is “wayyoled-et.”  It is the verb most commonly used in the Bible to express the actual physical fathering of an offspring.  This verb indicates that Moses was concerned with both time and accuracy in his genealogies.

 

Genesis 5:32 may be taken to indicate that the “sons of Noah” were triplets, or that Shem (born when Noah was 500 years old), was the firstborn.  However, Genesis 9:24 tells us that “Ham” is the youngest, while Genesis 10:21 shows us that “Japheth” was the oldest.  Also, a careful comparison of Genesis 7:6 and 11:10, shows us that “Shem” was not the eldest.  He was 100 years old, two years after the flood, which came when Noah was 600, making him 98, and Japheth 100, at the time of the flood.  Therefore, he was born when Noah was 502 years old and is mentioned first because of his importance as the progenitor of the postdiluvian patriarchal line.

 

Genesis 11:26 implies that “Terah” was 70 years old when “triplets” were born.  However, “Terah” died in Haran at the age of 205 (Gen. 11:32).  Abram journeyed to Canaan from Haran (after Terah’s death) at the age of 75 (Gen. 12:4), as explicitly stated in Acts 7:4.  Therefore, Abram was 75 at Terah’s death, making Terah 130 when Abram was born. Terah only began to beget sons when he was 70.  Abram is mentioned first, only because of his importance as ancestor of/to the Hebrews.

 

“Jacob” was 130 years old when he went to Egypt (Gen. 47:9), and his son “Joseph” would then be 39.  This is clear from the fact that Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh (Gen. 41:46), and 7 plentiful years had passed (Gen. 41:54), and 2 lean years had passed (Gen. 45:6) when Joseph sent for Jacob his father.  These Nine (9) years must be added to the 30 years, thus making Joseph 39 years of age.  Jacob was consequently 91 years old when Joseph was born (taking 39 from 130).

 

**The interval between the call of Abram, at age 75, and the Exodus, was 430 years (Exo. 12:40-41).  The Exodus to Solomon was 480 years (1Ki. 6:1).  Solomon reigned 40 years (1Ki. 11:42) but “began to build the house of the Lord” “in the fourth year,” First Kings 6:1, of his reign.  Thus, 36 years, plus all the reigns of the kings of Judah, ending with the FIRST exile, is approximately 420 years.  Two years must be added to Nebuchadnezzar’s 9th year (approximately, see 2Ki. 25:1-2), in order to reach back to “the first company of exiles,” PK:607.  Since all Astronomers agree that Nebuchadnezzar’s 37th regnal year is fixed, beyond doubt, at 568/567 B.C., we add the 2 years and his 37th year to find the first exile date of 607/606 B.C.

 

The period covered by the history of the Book of Judges extends from the death of “Joshua” to the death of “Samson.”  The time period of this Book can be closely estimated, as we are given many time references.  Here is the breakdown:

 

 

F) BREAKDOWN OF THE TIME PERIOD FOR THE JUDGES

 

 

JUDGES 3:8 = Servitude Under Chushan-Rishathaim of Mesopotamia = 8 Years.

JUDGES 3:11 = Othniel Judges = 40 Years.

JUDGES 3:14 = Servitude under Eglon of Moab: Ammon, Amalek = 18 Years.

JUDGES 3:30 = Ehud Subdues Moab = 80 Years.

JUDGES 3:31-5:6 = Shamgar (3:31) and Anath and Deborah (4:4) Judge = ?8? Years.

 

NOTE:  Unfortunately, no time period is given; however, it is overlapped by Jabin and therefore we do not need it to continue our calculation.

 

JUDGES 4:3 = Servitude under Jabin of Hazor in Canaan (see Joshua 11:1) = 20 Years.

JUDGES 5:31 = Deborah Presides; Barak Judges = 40 Years.

JUDGES 6:1 = Servitude under Midian, Amalek, and the Children of the East = 7 Years.

JUDGES 8:28 = Gideon Judges = 40 Years.

JUDGES 9:22 = Abimelech, Gideon’s Son, Reigns as Judge over Israel = 3 Years.

JUDGES 10:1-2 = Tola Judges = 23 Years.

JUDGES 10:8 = Servitude under the Ammonites with the Philistines = 18 Years.

JUDGES 11:26 = At this point we have an interesting time statement where it mentions “300 years,” comprising the period between the dividing of the land among the tribes of Israel (Othniel to) until Jephthah.  This helps to give us a reference point in our chart, since our time period comes to a “total of 319 years” at this point.

 

NOTE:  Since the “300-year” statement is open-ended, meaning, it is a generality, therefore, we can safely assume we are close to being on track at 319 years.

 

JUDGES 12:7 = Jephthah Judges = 6 Years.

JUDGES 12:8-9 = Ibzan Judges = 7 Years.

JUDGES 12:11 = Elon Judges = 10 Years.

JUDGES 12:14 = Abdon Judges = 8 Years.

JUDGES 13:1 = Servitude under the Philistines = 40 Years.

 

NOTE:  The “Prophet Eli” not being mentioned in the Book of Judges, due to his tainted character; however, he is mentioned in the time period in First Samuel 4:18.

 

JUDGES 15:20 = Samson Judges = 20 Years.

 

NOTE:  This brings us to:  “TOTAL 410” Years.

 

First Samuel 4:18 = Eli Judges = 40 Years.

 

NOTE:  The Statement in Acts 13:20 of “450 years,” must be understood in reference to the word used before, i.e., “about the space of four hundred and fifty years.”  Even though we come up with Exactly 450 Years, instead of “about” if we add Eli’s 40 years.

 

 

G) CHRONOLOGICAL LAYOUT OF OUR TIME

 

 

B.C. 4015:  Adam Born.

B.C. 3885:  Seth Born.

B.C. 3780:  Enos Born.

B.C. 3690:  Cainan Born. 

B.C. 3620:  Mahalaleel Born. 

B.C. 3555:  Jared Born. 

B.C. 3393:  Enoch Born. 

B.C. 3328:  Methuselah Born. 

B.C. 3141:  Lamech Born. 

B.C. 3085:  Adam Dies. 

B.C. 3028:  Enoch Taken. 

B.C. 2973:  Seth Dies. 

B.C. 2959:  Noah Born. 

B.C. 2875:  Enos Dies. 

B.C. 2780:  Cainan Dies. 

B.C. 2725:  Mahalaleel Dies. 

B.C. 2593:  Jared Dies. 

B.C. 2457:  Shem Born. 

B.C. 2364:  Lamech Dies. 

B.C. 2359:  Methuselah Dies.

B.C. 2359:  FLOOD*****.

B.C. 2357:  Arphaxad Born. 

B.C. 2322:  Selah Born. 

B.C. 2292:  Eber Born. 

B.C. 2258:  Peleg Born. 

B.C. 2228:  Reu Born. 

B.C. 2196:  Serug Born. 

B.C. 2166:  Nahor Born. 

B.C. 2137:  Terah Born. 

B.C. 2019:  Peleg Dies. 

B.C. 2018:  Nahor Dies. 

B.C. 2009:  Noah Dies. 

B.C. 2007:  Abraham Born.

B.C. 1989:  Reu Dies. 

B.C. 1966:  Serug Dies. 

B.C. 1932:  Terah Dies. 

B.C. 1919:  Arphaxad Dies. 

B.C. 1907:  Isaac Born. 

B.C. 1889:  Selah Dies. 

B.C. 1857:  Shem Dies. 

B.C. 1847:  Jacob Born. 

B.C. 1832:  Abraham Dies. 

B.C. 1828:  Eber Dies. 

B.C. 1756:  Joseph Born. 

B.C. 1727:  Isaac Dies.

B.C. 1717:  Jacob Enters Egypt.

B.C. 1700:  Jacob Dies.

B.C. 1646:  Joseph Dies.

B.C. 1599:  Moses Born.

B.C. 1519:  The Exodus.

B.C. 1479:  Moses Dies.

B.C. 1449:  Joshua Dies.

 

NOTE:  According to First Kings 6:1, Solomon built the Temple 480 years after the Exodus. Some scholars have Solomon building the Temple in the year B.C. 966/965.  Still others have it at B.C. 996.  Thus, they date the Exodus as being around B.C. 1446/1445, or B.C. 1476.  Therefore, we disagree by 74/75 years, or 43 years.  See my B.C. 1039 date.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

B.C. 1401:  Othniel Dies.

B.C. 1303:  (Ehud) End of Moab being subdued.

B.C. 1243:  (Deborah) Barak Dies.

B.C. 1196:  Gideon Dies.

B.C. 1193:  Abimelech, Gideon’s Son Dies.

B.C. 1170:  Tola Dies.

B.C. 1148:  Jair Dies.

B.C. 1124:  Jephthah Dies.

B.C. 1117:  Ibzan Dies.

B.C. 1107:  Elon Dies.

B.C. 1099:  Abdon Dies.

B.C. 1059:  Eli Dies.

B.C. 1039:  Samson Dies.

 

NOTE:  The above is what the chart would look like if we were to include the “450 years” of the Book of Judges.  As we can see, it is obvious that some Judges must have overlapped each other, for we are about 80 years over from what we should be, plus however long Samuel judged, even though the record states that, “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life,” First Samuel 7:15; which is not correct as far as ruler-ship goes, for he anointed both King Saul and King David and was a child under Eli.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

B.C. 1119:  Saul Becomes King.

B.C. 1109:  David Born.

B.C. 1079:  Saul Dies / David Begins His Reign.

B.C. 1039:  Solomon Becomes King / David Dies. (Note: Exodus to Solomon = “480 years,” First Kings 6:1.  Thus, part of the above is back-dated from here).

B.C. 999:  Jeroboam I (Israel) and Rehoboam (Judah) Begin Their Reigns.

B.C. 982:  Abijam (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 979:  Asa (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 977:  Nadab (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 975:  Baasha (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 951:  Elah (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 949:  Zimri (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 949:  Tibni And Omri (Israel) Begin Joint Reign.

B.C. 945:  Omri (Israel) Reigns Alone.

B.C. 938:  Jehoshaphat (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 933:  Ahab (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 913:  Jehoram (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 911:  Ahaziah (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 909:  Jehoram/Joram (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 898:  Ahaziah (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 897:  Athaliah (Judah) And Jehu (Israel) Begin To Reign.

B.C. 890:  Joash/Jehoash (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 869:  Jehoahaz (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 862:  Jehoash/Joash (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 850:  Amaziah (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 836:  Jeroboam II (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 821:  Azariah (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 795:  Zachariah (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 795:  Shallum (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 795:  Manahem (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 785:  Pekahiah (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 783:  Pekah (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 779:  Jotham (Judah) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 772:  Hoshea (Israel) Begins To Reign.

B.C. 763:  Israel Taken To Assyria.

B.C. 749:  Ahaz Begins To Reign.

B.C. 733:  Hezekiah Begins To Reign.

B.C. 704:  Manasseh Begins To Reign.

B.C. 649:  Amon Begins To Reign.

B.C. 647:  Josiah Begins To Reign.

B.C. 627:  Ezekiel Born.

B.C. 626-539:  Babylonian Kingdom.

B.C. 626:  Jehoahaz Begins To Reign.  King Josiah loses his life in the battle of Haran when the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco was crossing the territory of Syro-Palestine.

B.C. 626:  Eliakim/Jehoiakim Begins To Reign.

B.C. 625:  Daniel Born (if he was about 18 when taken).

B.C. 615:  Jehoiachin Begins To Reign.

B.C. 607:  Royalty Of Judah Taken To Babylon.

B.C. 607:  Mattaniah/Zedekiah Begins To Reign.

 

 

H) NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND HISTORICAL ACCURACY

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  It is at this point that most historians agree upon the following “B.C. 604/603” date; for it is astronomically fixed beyond question to them.  Most religious organizations agree with this date.  However, some choose to deviate from the Bibles reckoning of time as I have kept above.  I admit that I may be off by about 80 years (as mentioned above with the Judges time period reckoning).

 

B.C. 604/603:  This date is established using the “Astronomical Tablet” of Nebuchadnezzar’s 37th year of reign. Among the thousands of public and private documents, written on clay tablets that have been unearthed by archeologists in Mesopotamia, two astronomical texts are of outstanding importance to chronology; for they fix the B.C. dating of the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar II and Cambyses, respectively.  The one most valuable for the later period of the Hebrew kings that it and we are concerned with, is the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar.  It contains a series of observational data on the positions of various heavenly bodies throughout a complete year.  Running from Nisan 1, year 37, to Nisan 1, year 38 of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.

 

Modern astronomers who have checked this information by astronomical computation, state that the combination of data for the sun, moon and planets, which all move in differing cycles, cannot be duplicated in any other year within centuries, if ever.  Thus, Nebuchadnezzar’s 37th regnal year is fixed beyond doubt at B.C. 568/567; and all other years in his reign are then established also.  The first year was B.C. 604/603, and the 7th year, in which he captured Jehoiachin, was B.C. 598/597.

 

Since there are several Biblical synchronisms with Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, the end of the kingdom of Judah is anchored to this B.C. dating (do you see the hand of God in this?).  The synchronisms between the Hebrew kings and Assyrian rulers must be located by means of Assyrian chronological lists, which are linked with Nebuchadnezzar’sreign through the “Ding List,” better known as, “Ptolemy’s Canon.”  “Ptolemy’s Canon” is known to be fixed by eclipses.  It is, however, also better known by its Arabic title, the “Almagest,” because it was preserved for posterity by the Arab civilization and was the authoritative treatise on astronomy for 1,400 years.  This was until it was superseded by the theory set forth by Copernicus, containing data for numerous eclipses and other celestial phenomena.

 

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE:  The following calculations are based upon both Historical Accuracy and fulfilled Biblical Prophecy.  Other religious systems have their own conclusions based upon Biblical Prophecy (but they mostly ignore Historical correlations to the Prophecy; thus, in my estimation, calculate incorrectly).  Bottom Line:  This Biblical breakdown of this Earth’s history shows conclusively that our planet is no more than 7,000 years old at this point in time.

 

B.C. 596:  The Rest Of Judah Taken To Babylon.

B.C. 539-331:  Media-Persia Kingdom.

B.C. 521:  Darius Begins To Reign.

B.C. 520:  Rebuilding Of The Second Temple Begun Again (Hag. 1:15); Foundation Laid (Hag. 2:18).

 

B.C. 457:  The Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7:6-14).  Three decrees dealing with the repatriation of the Jews are recorded in the Book of Ezra.  The first is in the first year of Cyrus, about B.C. 537 (Ezra 1:1-4, see also Isa. 44:28and 2Ch. 36:22-23).  The second is in the reign of Darius I (Darius Hystaspes) in B.C. 520 (Ezra 6:1-12).  In their decrees neither Cyrus nor Darius I made any genuine provision for the restoration of the civil state as a complete unit; and only a restoration of both the religious and the civil government was promised in the prophecy of Daniel (“restore and to build,” Daniel 9:25).  The third decree of the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus (B.C. 457; See PK:607; 698) was the first to give the Jewish state full autonomy, subject to Persian over-lordship (Ezra 7:1-26; verses 6-14being specific to this subject).

 

Babylonian astronomical texts and papyrus documents found on the island on Elephantine, Egypt, confirm that Artaxerxes first full regnal year on the throne was B.C. 464; his seventh year then being B.C. 457.  Many historians date the seventh year to B.C. 458 because they calculate, using the Persian calendar, which goes from spring to spring.  By contrast, Biblical and historical evidence indicate that the Hebrews used a fall-to-fall calendar (Neh. 1:1; 2:1), and they are the authors (authority) here.

 

B.C. 457-1844 A.D.:  2300 Days (Daniel 8:14).

 

B.C. 457-27 A.D.:  69 Weeks = 483 Years (Daniel 9:25).  Daniel predicted that the long-looked-for Prince Messiah would appear at a specified time.  To this time Jesus referred when He declared, “The time is fulfilled,” Mark 1:15. Jesus was anointed at the time of His baptism in the autumn of 27 A.D. (see Mat. 3:15; Luke 3:21-22; 4:18; Acts 10:37-38).  Beginning with the autumn of B.C. 457 when the decree went into effect, 69 (7 + 62).  Note, for a “day” equaling a “year” Biblical porphetic principle in Biblical prophecy, see Genesis 29:27; Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:5-6; PK:698; DA:233.  Then see First Samuel 20:6 and First Kings 1:1, where “years” is translated as “days.”  Also see Genesis 6:3.  Thus, prophetic weeks, or 483 years, reach to the baptism of Jesus in 27 A.D.

 

Another note of importance.  If the 483 years had been reckoned from the beginning of B.C. 457, they would have extended to the close of 26 A.D.  However, due to the fact that historians (unlike astronomers) “never count year zero,”this brings us to 27 A.D.; meaning Christ was born in about the year B.C. 2.  See my Bible Study:  “CHRIST, BIRTH MONTH OF.”

 

Some have been puzzled as to how Christ could begin His work in 27 A.D., when the record says that He was about 30 years of age when He started His public ministry (Luke 3:23).  This is due to the fact that when the Christian era was first computed, an error of about two to four years occurred.  That Christ was not born in 1 A.D., is evident from the fact that when He was born, Herod the Great was still alive.  And Herod died in B.C. 4; according to most historians; but I have him dying in B.C. 2 (see Matthew 2:13-20).  The 27 A.D. date is further established by the fact that Tiberius Caesar (see Luke 3:1) began to reign in 12 A.D., plus Luke’s (3:1) “15 years” = 27 A.D.

 

B.C. 457-34 A.D.:  70 Weeks = 490 Years (Daniel 9:24-27; 34 A.D. = Stephen Stoned.  End of Probation for the Jews:  Acts 7:59).

 

B.C. 408:  The Temple was completed (Ezra 6:14-15; 7 Weeks = 49 Years from B.C. 457 -- Daniel 9:25).

 

B.C. 367/366:  Ptolemy I Soter Born -- Macedonian General Of Alexander The Great -- Ruled Egypt from B.C. 323 to B.C. 285.

 

B.C. 356:  Alexander The Great Born.

 

B.C. 323:  Alexander The Great Dies.

 

B.C. 331-168:  Grecian Kingdom.

 

B.C. 283/282:  Ptolemy I Soter Died.

 

B.C. 168-476 A.D.:  Roman Kingdom.

 

B.C. 51:  Cleopatra Becomes Queen Of Egypt.

 

B.C. 44:  Julius Caesar Assassinated.

 

B.C. 30:  Cleopatra Dies.

 

B.C. 27-12 A.D.:  Augustus Caesar Rules Rome.

 

B.C. 2:  Jesus Christ Born (See B.C. 457-27 A.D. explanation and my Bible Study:  “CHRIST’S BIRTH MONTH.”).

 

B.C. / A.D. 0:  (Remember, Historians, unlike astronomers) never count year zero.

 

12 A.D.:  Tiberius Caesar Began to Reign (Luke 3:1).

 

27 A.D.:  Ministry of Christ Begins At His Baptism (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 3:15; Luke 3:21)

 

Note:  In Luke 3:1, Tiberius Caesar Began to Reign in 12 A.D., Plus 15 Years = 27 A.D.).

 

27-31 A.D.:  3 1/2 Years -- “midst of the week” -- Daniel 9:26-27 (Crucifixion of Christ).

 

27-34 A.D.:  1 Week = 7 Years (Daniel 9:25-27).

 

31 A.D.:  CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

 

34 A.D.:  Stephen Stoned; Resulting In The End Of Probation For The Jewish Nation (Acts 7:59; 13:46).

 

37 A.D.:  Nero Born.

 

41-54 A.D.:  Claudius Rules Rome.

 

54 A.D.:  Nero Rules Rome (Until 68 A.D.)

 

68 A.D.:  Nero Dies.

 

70 A.D.:  Jerusalem Destroyed (Matthew 24:2).

 

508-1798 A.D.:  1290 Years = Daniel 12:11.  508 A.D. = Paganism Overthrown.  1798 A.D. = End of Papal Power:  Daniel 8:25.

 

Note:  This prophecy could probably start at 70 A.D., ending in 1360 A.D.  However, nothing notable in history, unless it is in “Waldensean” history, can be identified with this date.  More study, and or, revelation needs to be done.

 

508-1843 A.D.:  1335 Years = Daniel 12:12.  (1843 A.D. = The Advent Disappointment; Note:  This prophecy could probably start at 70 A.D., ending in 1405 A.D.  Again, nothing notable in history, unless it is in “Waldensean”3. history, can be identified with this date.  More study, and or, revelation needs to be done).

 

538 A.D.:  Papacy in Full Power (Daniel 7:8; Daniel 7:20-21).

 

538-1798 A.D.:  1260 Years = 42 Months (Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 12:14).

 

1843 A.D.:  The Advent (Second Coming of Christ) Disappointment.

 

1844 A.D.:  End of 2300 Days prophecy (Daniel 8:14).  Christ moves from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

 

2000 A.D.:  6014 Years Of Earth’s Existence.

 

 

I) THE GAP THEORY

 

 

1) Adam.  According to Jude 1:14, “Enoch also, [IS] the seventh from Adam.”

2) Seth.  Which confirms that there were NO gaps between the first 7 generations.

3) Enos.  Also, according to Genesis 5:3, Adam specifically named his son Seth.  No gap there.

4) Cainan.

5) Mahalaleel.

6) Jared.

7) Enoch.

8) Methuselah.

9) Lamech.  According to Genesis 5:29, Lamech specifically named his son Noah.  No gap here.

10) Noah.  We know that Noah and Shem where on the ARK together.  No gap here.

11) Shem. 

 

FLOOD*****.

 

12) Arphaxad.  According to Genesis 11:10, Arphaxad was born “two years after the flood.”  No gap here.

13) Selah.

14) Eber.  According to Genesis 10:25, Peleg is the direct descendent of Eber.  No gap here.

15) Peleg.

16) Reu.

17) Serug.

18) Nahor.

19) Terah.  According to Genesis 11:26-32, Abraham is the direct descendent of Terah.  No gap here.

20) Abraham.

 

Therefore, let’s look at the places where you could put (find) a GAP, despite evidence to the contrary of the consistency of the lineage.  The GAPS would be between 8 & 13 & 15 & 16 & 17 & 18.  Adding as much as five generations for all of the GAPS, the earth could still only be about 9,000 years old; if we have them living about (average) 600 years apiece (you pick a figure).

 

Still, no GAPS can make the earth millions of years, let alone TEN thousand years of age.