Bible Chronology

Textual Differences in Chronology Reveals Design

(Second of two documents)

(Click here to go back to the first part)

• The (MT) 430 & (LXX) 190 of Ezk. 4:5, with the 405-year margin

Ezekiel was told to symbolically siege Jerusalem by lying on his side a total of 430 days---"a day for each year." However, the LXX reads 190 days/years instead . According to the NT, LXX, & SP, Israel sojourned 215 years "in Canaan," and 215 years "in Egypt," a total of 430 years, which then agrees with the 430 day/years of Ezekiel. (Note: The full breakdown is, 390 years till when Moses fled to the desert [1486 BC], plus 40 years more till the exodus [1446 BC].) 

However, as said, the LXX of Ezk. 4:5 reads as 190 days/years instead. This bible number agrees with the 60 + 130 (= 190) years of the time from Isaac's birth until the entry into Egypt, and with the said 190-year chronological margin of the NT over MT. Thus, the bible numbers given to us by Ezekiel are yet another indication that the total 405-year chronological gap between the NT and the MT is intentional because both the 430 and the 190 of Ezekiel form an integral part of the 405-year chronological gap.

The MT even more resembles the "190 & 430" of Ezk. 4:5 than the above LXX (with NT) did. Not only are there (according to the NT with LXX & SP) 60 + 130 (= 190) + 215 years till the exodus, but the MT has 60 + 130 (= 190) + 430 years. The following chart should hopefully clarify this point. 

A brief side note...

• Ezk. 4:5 shows that the "400 yrs" of Gen. 15:13 is a round number

The max. and min. creation dates when counting backwards straightforwardly, (with no manipulation of the bible chronology), yields 4305 BC and 3900 BC for the creation. Therefore, the max. creation date till the actual birth of Christ is 4,300 years, while the min. period was 3,900 yrs (to the traditional date of Christ's birth).

Ezekiel was told to lie on his side 390 + 40 days---"a day for each year," a total of 430 day/years. Thus we have10 times these amount here; there are 4,300 and 3,900 yrs till the birth of Christ from the creation, thus with 405 years between these two figures. This 405-yr gap, therefore, is one-tenth of the 40 day/years of Ezk. 4:5. (This 405-yr gap, as said, is the result of the max and min marginal difference resulting from NT revelation in conjuncture with the MT.) Thus the bible numbers show that the 405-year difference between the max 4305 BC creation date and the min 3900 BC date represents a round number of 400 years. And therefore, since this 405-year gap so obviously here denotes a round number of 400, it is reasonable to assume that the 405 years between Isaac's birth and the exodus should likewise be regarded as a round number of "400" years, (Gen. 15:13). 

Thus, as viewed from the creation on a times-ten ratio, this 405-year gap between the max and min creation dates is intended to represent the 40-day/year period that Ezekiel lied on his side (for Judah), which was in addition to the 390 (for Israel). That is, this 405-year gap brought down to scale would be the same as 40.5 years.

It is quite normal to call a 40.5-year period an even "40 years." For instance, Moses' was 40 + 40.5 (= 80.5) years old at the time of the exodus.  [In Acts 7:30, we are told that Moses fled Egypt when he was 40 years old---that is, after they had been in Egypt (and Canaan, LXX) 390 years; after another 40 years he returned to Egypt to deliver Israel; after about half-a-year of plagues, then came the exodus. Thus they were in Egypt a total of 430 years (390 + 40 = 430). However, the Israelites were made to wonder yet another 40 years in the desert "a day for each year" that they grumbled when they spied out the land," (Num. 14:34) ---Do all these numbers sound familiar to Ezekiel's?!!] 

The length of David's reign is another example of a 40.5-year period being called an even "40 years." 

"David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah," (i.e., a total of 40.5 years, 7.5 + 33 = 40.5) (2Sam. 5:4,5). 

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the 400 years of Gen. 15:13 is simply a round number for 405 years (and even 430 years). 

See Chronology for more, and specifically here and here for more on the 405. 

The purpose of this document was simple to show that the three variant readings that the NT brings to chronology (as based on the LXX) is purposeful, and that scholars need not debate as to which reading is the correct one---all three are correct! Let each witness speak for itself, and see if the bible numbers do not all agree as one that Jesus (Yeshua) is the Christ (Messiah). It's about time that students of bible numbers awoke to God's broader design in bible chronology. They are far more pregnant with meaning than any man ever dreamed. But then again, all Scripture speaks about Christ more than any OT prophet ever imagined---does it not? Why, then, should the bible numbers be any different?

Surely, it is more than coincidental the breakdown of the 405 years (between Isaac and the exodus) just happens to be the same as the breakdown of the 405 of the max/min margins created by the NT. (I.e., both are 215 + 60 + 130 = 405 years). Moreover they share a similar theme: the birth and multiplication of seed; and furthermore, both are combatable with the bible numbers from Ezk. 4:5. Yet, there is still greater evidence that the 405-year chronological margin is by design.

The Master Key

• The 405 broken into its three parts (i.e., 215 + 130 + 60) act like three groves on a key that unlocks the door to many numeric patterns. These numeric patterns aid biblical interpretation. 
• The lock and key: The 215 + 130 + 60 pattern at the entry/exodus is the lock, while the like 215 + 130 + 60 pattern at the flood, and at the creation, (due to the said affects of the NT at variance with the MT) is the key that fits this lock.
• Sophisticated keys often have groves below as well as at top of the key. The mirror of the bible numbers creates this two-sided sophistication. 
• (We cannot go into it now, but in reality the key is circular, with groves all around. This is not due to conflicting  textual variants, but to the existing bible numbers themselves, whereby numeric chiasms are formed. For, the numbers are in fact highly condensed, and by crisscrossing same numbers, they are thereby doubled. This in turn has a domino effect whereby fast amounts of information is unrolled and decoded. See "Numerical Chiasms.")
• (As with any key, there are both major and minor groves. Here we speak of the major groves for the sake of time. See "The 405-yr Chronological Margin Reveals Design."  for an example of a minor grove that's due to the LXX 440 of 1Kgs. 6:1. It is minor because it has no NT [or MT] support. The 2 [+ ½]-years of Gen. 11:10 is also a minor grove; it exists because the MT can be interpreted either way.)  

1. The "key" connects the flood dates with the 60-130-215 of Isaac--entry:
   (We leave off the minor detail of the 2-year gap of Gen. 11:10 for now.) 

There are 290 years from the flood (when man's seed began to multiply once again), until Abraham's birth (MT). Even so, there are again 290 years from Abraham's birth until his seed (Israel) entered Egypt. Thus there is a duplication of the 290. However, with the 130 years of the LXX (with NT), there are 290 x 2 years to his grandson Jacob's birth instead. But if the 60 is added (of Acts 7), then there are 290 x 2 years from the flood to his son Isaac's birth instead. 

(The number 290 has to do with "numbering." It took king David 290 days to number the people, upon which event the temple plot was chosen, (2Sam. 24:8). Thus, the "290" (in the context of the flood till Abraham, etc.), signifies the numbering or multiplying of the godly seed from Shem to Abraham, and then from Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and his seed.) 

For the patterns that use the mirror here, see "The 405-yr Chronological Margin Reveals Design." 

2. The "key" connects the creation dates with the 60-130-215 of Isaac--exodus:

To calculate the span from the creation till Isaac's birth, (and also + 60 yrs to Jacob's birth, and + 130 yrs to the entry into Egypt, and + 215 yrs to the exodus, thus a NT/LXX total of 405 yrs), working backwards from the exodus we add 405 yrs till Isaac's birth, + 100 till Abraham's, + 290 till the flood, plus the standard MT 1656 yrs till the creation, a total of 2,451 yrs. This means that depending upon whether one includes the 215, or the 215 + 130, or the 215 + 130 + 60 (= 405 yrs), there will be this same 2,451 figure from the creation until Isaac's birth, Jacob's birth, Israel's entry, and the exodus. 

(The 1150 of the second part of the following chart is from Dan. 8:14. The 1150 x 5 is half 11500 and is part of a larger picture that we cannot detail here. Likewise, the 490 x 5 is half of 4,900 (of Dan. 9:24) that must be explained elsewhere. 

There are a total of 8 different creation dates possible that result from these three NT differences with the MT. The bold letters mark the two major [max and min] dates, i.e., the max 4302/5 BC and min 3900/3897 BC.)

Creation dates (not including the 2½-yr of Gen. 11:10)	Events marking the multiplying of "seed"
Spr., 4302 BC + 2,451 yrs (490  x 5) =	Spr., 1851 BC, Isaac's birth
Spr., 4242 BC + 2,451 yrs (490 x 5) =	Spr., 1791 BC, Jacob's birth
Spr., 4112 BC + 2,451 yrs (490 x 5) =	Spr., 1661 BC, entry (i.e., they multiply in Egypt)
Spr., 3897 BC + 2,451 yrs (490  x 5) =	Spr., 1446 BC, exodus
The following makes use of the mirror, as discussed in other documents
Creation dates that include  the 2½-yr of Gen. 11:10	Events marking the multiplying of "seed" (i.e., mirror of above inversed)
Aut., 4305 BC + 5,750 yrs (1150 x 5) =	Spr., AD 1446, exodus
Aut., 4090 BC + 5,750 yrs (1150 x 5) =	Spr., AD 1661, entry (i.e., they multiply in Egypt)
Aut., 3960 BC + 5,750 yrs (1150 x 5) =	Spr., AD 1791, Jacob's birth
Aut., 3900 BC + 5,750 yrs (1150 x 5) =	Spr., AD 1851, Isaac's birth

How is 2,451 years meaningful?¹

The 50th year after every 49-year cycle is called the jubilee year, (Lev. 25). The jubilee system was meant to begin from the Canaan conquest, in the same year as the exodus. However, it was delayed 40 years due to disobedience. Daniel's "seventy weeks" (i.e., 490 years) is related to this as well.

• 50 x 49 yrs = 2,450 yrs, with the 2,451st year, therefore, the 50th year of the ongoing 49-year-jubilee cycles.
• 50 x 49 yrs, i.e., the 50th jubilee, are thus multiples of one another thereby stressing it's significance as a juncture in time.
• It is also 5 x 490 (cf., Dan. 9).
• The jubilees continue down to when Jesus began His ministry at 30 years of age, in AD 26. (I.e., 1446 BC + 49 x 30 = AD 25, plus the "50th" = AD 26. 
• Thus there are 80 jubilees from the minimum creation, with "8" signifying "The New Creation."
• And there are 88 jubilees from the maximum creation date until Christ went to the temple at 12-years of age, etc. (I.e., 88 x 49 = 4312. Thus, 4,300 years (of Ezekiel 4) to His birth, and 4312 to age 12 at the temple.
• Interestingly, from the Jewish traditional date of the creation (not actual, 3761 BC), plus 77 jubilees equals the traditional year that Christ was said to have entered the temple, (at age 12, i.e., Spr. of AD 13).  

(I have generalized very slightly the figures leading to Christ. The jubilee puzzle is actually a little more complex, but for our purposes in this article I have simplified it. For instance, the creations dates can be optionally pushed back another 2½ years, creating  patterns even more remarkable. See Chronology.)

3. Noah's death bridges the period from the flood until Abraham. 
   This third example is different but related to the preceding two points: 

The MT chronology yields 290 years between the flood and Abraham's birth. The LXX (with NT) adds 130 years to this by adding a new name to the genealogy, and furthermore the NT (Acts 7) adds 60 years to the age of Abraham's father when he received his call---i.e., rather than Terah being 70 years of age when Abraham was called, he was 130 years old (according to NT, 70 + 60 = 130). (See Chronology for further details.)

Immediately, we see a striking connection between the 130 of the LXX and the 130 of Terah's age at Abraham's call (according to NT). This parallel 130 allows a complex connection to be made between the time of the flood, and the birth of Terah and Abraham. This connection has important theological implications that we cannot discuss now.

Noah lived 350 years after the flood, Gen. 9:28. 

• Therefore, Noah died when Abraham was 60 years of age (MT) (290 + 60 + 350)
• However, if we consider the 60 of Acts 7 that pushes back the flood 60 years, then Noah would have died when Abraham was born.
• But if we add both the 130 of LXX (NT) and the 60 (NT), then Noah would have died when Terah was born.

Conclusion

The 405-year gap affecting the date of the creation and the flood (created by NT revelation) agrees with the 405 years from Isaac's birth till the entry into Egypt. This is because they both have the same 60 + 130 + 215 (= 405)-year breakdown. By having this same internal breakdown (60 + 130 + 215), complex patterns emerge that link the creation and the flood to this (patriarchal/exodus) period. Patterns occur using the mirror as well. 

Many of these patterns are internally there in Scripture and remain unaffected by differences that exist in literal date setting. Nevertheless, it is my conviction that the majority date for the exodus best fits all the data, both archeologically and numerically. These patterns, both numeric and thematic, are strong evidence, not only of an intelligent Designer, but that the design calls for certain fluctuations in chronology. In this case, they result from three NT passages that differ from the standard MT, with the LXX and SP also in partial agreement. The (MT) 430 and (LXX) 190 of Ezk. 4:5 further testifies to this design. 

Endnote:

As well as there being 49 x 50 years from the creation, there is also an even 2,500 (50 x 50). According to the MT, Joseph died 1805 BC, but his bones were not buried until the conquest was completed and the land rested from war, 1400 BC---405 years later,  Gen. 50:25, Jos. 24:32. This amounts to an even 2,500 years from the max/min creation dates of 4305 and 3900 BC. Those familiar with the jubilee system should appreciate its significance, for the jubilee relates to the resurrection motif. The jubilee cycles, in my opinion, run on  49-year cycles, but with a second 50-year cycle overlapping and over-stretching it to emphasize those years caught in overlap. 

This is similar to the effect of the 360 calendar with and without the leap-months added. The 49-year cycle was the one required by law, and is thus the primary one. Therefore, the overlapped years appear to represent a time of added grace. Note that Joseph's bones were taken out of Egypt at the exodus, and recall the 2,451 years (from 3897 BC), Ex. 13:19. Hence, the bible numbers tell us that the period from the exodus until the completion of the conquest was a special time of grace.

For more on the 405-year margin, 
see "Bible Chronology: The 405-year Margin"

 Home Page