Bible Chronology:
Basic Patterns:
at the Time of Lamech and the Flood
It may seem strange to link the father of Noah, "Lamech," with the flood, but thematically and numerically, there is a connection. The demonstration of this is very wonderful, so bear with a little background information first.
When Noah (whose name means "rest") was born to Lamech, he uttered this prophecy, "This one shall comfort us concerning our work and concerning the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah has cursed" (Gen 5:29). However, how did Noah bring "comfort" against that 'vanity of life' brought about by the curse put on sinful man by God?
The prophecy was fulfilled in that Noah authored a new creation, by condemning the old one by his faith. (He proved his faith by building the ark, Heb. 11:7,8). However, since Noah failed to remove the curse from the "new creation" (for the curse continued into the New World even after the flood), we are made to look for a more complete fulfillment.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment. He it is that leads us into a "new creation" wherein there is no more curse (to be fulfilled in stages).
LAMECH AND MULTIPLES OF '7.'
Once the apostle Peter asked Jesus, "How often shall I forgive my brother, unto 7 times?" Jesus said, "no, but unto 77 times" (Mat. 18:21,22; the original Greek can also read, "unto 70 x 7" or, 490, see KJV). This was more than a statement of good Christian virtue, it was also a prophecy of God's dealing with man, particularly with Israel "his firstborn" (Jer. 31:9).
These numbers, "7-times," "77-times," and "70 x 7," are found already in the OT, especially in Genesis and Daniel. In Daniel, following the same theme of forgiveness, reconciliation, etc., we are presented with an important prophecy as to when the Messiah would come (Dan. 9). We are told that this would be fulfilled in "70 x 7" yrs. This 490 day-yr figure is further broken down into four segments in the prophecy: 49 + 434 + 3.5 + 3.5 = 490 yrs. The "3.5 yrs" is further explained at the end of Daniel where the number 1,290 is given us. This '1,290' is the "1260" of Rev. 11:3, except with the intercalary month attached. (The 1260 is 3.5 yrs of the standard '360' yr.) "Seven-times," refers to a full 7-yr-period, (3.5 yrs x 2 of Dan. 9:27), as in Dan. 4:16,29.
This prophecy of the '490' states, "The end will come like a flood," Dan. 9:26, (uttered between the '483' and the remaining '7' of this prophecy).
The above numbers have their origin in the book of Genesis. Lamech was 777 yrs old when he died. He died 5 yrs before the flood, and 7 yrs before his great-grandson, 'Arphaxad.' Arphaxad was born "2 yrs" after the flood, and was the firstborn in a new earth. Furthermore, Noah was born to Lamech when he was 182 (7 x 26). (Noah's birth is part of another, more obvious pattern, to be explained at another time). That Lamech is descriptive of the number '7,' is further amplified in that the parallel 'Lamech,' born about the same time, also functions on the principle of 7, and 77. We speak of the evil "Lamech," descendent of Cain, "seventh from Adam" (Gen 4:17-24, cf., Jude 14).
There are two genealogies listing the descendents of Adam. There is the godly line from Seth, and the ungodly line from Cain. All the names of the ungodly descendents from Cain sound alike or are the same as one of the names in the godly line. Thus, there are two "Lamech's." This is what the ungodly Lamech uttered to his two wives:
"I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." (Gen 4:23b, 24, cf., Jacob, who fled from his murderous twin brother at 77 and worked for two wives for 7 yrs each, died at 49 x 3 yrs old, ---70 yrs after fleeing from his brother and 50 after being reconciled to the same.)
In this context, then, the number '7' signifies complete wrath or mercy shown to another. The '777' of Lamech and related numbers, therefore, signifies the full wrath and mercy poured out at the flood, which in turn is a type of the same revealed in Christ on the cross. No doubt it is for this reason Luke chose 77 names back to "Adam, the son of God," (and 70 to Enoch, see Jude 14), in his genealogy unto Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23-38).
To show the full magnitude of the numbers, we will use all 8 variants, drawing special attention to the special four (as just explained). Here, we will also use the 2-yr gap possible at the flood as mentioned earlier (i.e., due to Gen, 5:32; 11:10, 26).[1]
Therefore, the 8 flood dates, (here listed as in spring), have a minus half-yr, or a plus two-yr margin (for reasons explained earlier), and are listed in descending order of time. The flood itself lasted one full yr. The middle underlined dates are the MT, and beside it the NT, (i.e., the NT is the lesser figure of the two). The outer figures (in
blue and in italics w asterisk), are the max and min dates. They are used throughout other documents as those of preference, unless otherwise noted.
Start of flood
*2648
2588
2518
2458
2433
2373
2303
*2243
Lamech's birth
*3430
3370
3300
3240
3215
3155
3085
*3025
Lamech's death
*2653
2593
2523
2463
2438
2378
2308
*2248
(Note: After the flood, the next major event in God's redemption plan is Abraham and the patriarchs.)
- There are exactly 4,900 yrs from Lamech's death to the mirror of his death, for all 8 dates.[2]
{The prophecy of the 490 of Dan., of course, has its main fulfillment as, "From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah," ' is 483 yrs and 3.5 + 3.5 yrs,' (Dan. 9:25), ---starts its countdown from any of four definite decrees. (Scholars argue as to which one of them is correct. Each has something compelling in its favor. However, all four are correct!). We cannot detail now, but briefly for comparative purposes with Lamech
Average of all four decrees is spring, 490 BC, agreeing w average death of Lamech, spring, 2450 BC (i.e., 490 x 4 apart).
In the following, observe intersecting of last two 3½-yr periods, and of 70 & 49-yr cycles, all of Dan. 9.
(The following all occur 49 yrs after siege and fall of Jerusalem in 588-586
BC; Babylon falls, vision's of Dan., '1st decree' from captivity, temple reconstruction) ==> 539 to 536 BC, + 490 x 2 = AD 442 to 445 (mirror of '4th decree') + 70 = AD 515(6) (mirror of completion of temple & '2nd decree') + 70 = AD 586/5, (mirror of siege, fall of Jerusalem), + 70 x 2 = AD 725 (mirror of siege, fall of northern kingdom of Israel).(Takes 3½ yrs to make 2nd temple, w '2nd decree'), 516 BC to 520
BC + 490 x 2 = AD 461- 465, less 3½ yrs of Dan. 9:27 = AD 458 (mirror of '3rd decree'}
The '490' breakdown (49 + 434 + 3½ + 3½) occurs on both this X-10 scale, and as normal. I.e., Lamech's death of *2653 & 2438, + 486.5 yrs (490 3.5) = birth of Abraham (MT). And, all 8 dates + 4830 or 4865 yrs (4900 minus 35 minus 35) = births of Arphaxad's son or grandson, or the like, each in its own way. Also, note the last 7 yrs of Arphaxad (or flood), unto Lamech w normal (X-1) 490.
The 490 is also broken down as "70 x 7", and there are 700 yrs (10-X "70") between the above *2653 of Lamech's death and Abraham's (NT) birth (w the 2 yrs).
From the birth of Lamech unto his own birth in the mirror (w the 2), is 6450 yrs for all 8 dates. This is 10-times that from Abraham unto exodus and is 430 x 15 (of Ezek. 4), or 1,290 x 5 of Dan. 12:11.
Lamech's birth (3240, *3025) & (3300, 3085) BC w the 2 yrs, unto his own death (2593, 2378) & (*2653, 2438) is 215, 430, 645, & 830 (430 x 2) yrs. The 430-yr cycles continue to Abraham and his death (MT & LXX), and include 1,290 (430 x 3) of Dan. 12:11, (out 1 - 3 yrs at Abraham, but see 4th last point why.)
Birth of Lamech (w 2 yrs), unto the flood is 390 x 2, of Ezk 4, for all 8 dates.
Also, (2457, *2242) & (*2647, 2432) = end of flood, w 2, ==> is 3,900 and 4,305 yrs unto mirror of exodus and entry into Egypt. (The end of the flood is a type of new creation and min and max actual creation dates are *3900 and *4305 BC). This 405-yr gap becomes the "400 yrs in a strange land" of Gen 15:16, unto Isaac's birth. (See 2517 & 2302 BC + 4305 yrs unto Jacobs birth, too.)
Lamech's death at 777 yrs of age ( *2653 & 2438), + another 777 yrs = the entry into Egypt (and Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers).
Lamech's birth ( *3430, 3215) + 1260 yrs = Abraham's birth. Since we have seen how the 486.5 also is to Abraham, we note that 777 + 483 (of Daniel) = 1260 of Rev. 11. Or, 770 (10-X "77 times" + 490 = 1260). (And 1,290 from 3240 BC birth of Lamech). Therefore, the birth of Abraham and entry to Egypt, is positioned perfectly to the birth and death of Lamech so as to be plus and minus 3½ yrs at the end of the 1260, 1,290, 777, and of 700, 486.5 likewise, due the near 215 yrs between them.
From the max of Lamech's birth (*3430), are 490 x 7 to Christ, agreeing with his average death at 2450 BC (i.e., + 490 x 2 apart). Also, 500 x 7 to AD 70, fall of Jerusalem.
Briefly, as there are 7 literal yrs between Lamech's death and Arphaxad's (or, Lamech to flood w the "2"), so there are 7 figurative yrs from this literal 7 yrs, unto the Christ, (or 2300 of Dan. 8:14, which is also a part of the 7-yrs period structure). Hence, we have the "7-times" & the "3½ + 3½" of Dan. 9,12; Rev. 11,12, intersecting with its own (X-10) 490: *1335 x 2; 1,290 x 2, & 1260 x 2 respectively, unto Christ. The middle two (2458, 2433 BC) are about 2300 unto 'Hanukah,' or the final bar-Kochi rebellion in the mirror ( and another 2300 to Abraham's birth), & 490 x 5 unto Christ too. For 2373 BC, there are 2300 unto mirror of fall of Jerusalem (w, Masada, AD 66-73), & 490 x 5 unto the same again in actual time. From 2303 BC, there are 2300 to Christ's birth. And lastly, *2243 BC is 2300 unto the end of recorded (biblical) history of the church, and agrees w 430-yr continuum back to entry into Egypt. It aligns w the Apostle Paul going into captivity to Rome in AD 60, (Acts 28).
From the first 3 dates, there are
- All
of these 8 x 3 dates are compatible with the traditional Jewish dates of the flood and Abraham and the exodus, both normally and in the mirror. This is primarily so for two reasons:*292) that causes all other numbers to connect perfectly together. However, this is another branch of study. For now we give but two examples:
1) The traditional dates of the 1813 BC birth of Abraham, the 1313 BC exodus, and 1528 BC entry (etc.), have the last digits of '3' & '8' (compare same effect w Lamech to its own mirror).
2) The 138-yr gap between the traditional and actual date of Abraham, along with the standard 292 yrs of the MT unto the flood, create a 430-yr period (138 +
The
*2648 BC flood + 1335 yrs (of Dan. 12:12), = 1313 BC (trad. exodus), + 1290 + 1335 more (of Dan. 12:11,12) = AD 1313 (again), + 1335 back to mirror of flood. And, Jewish trad. date of Noah's birth (2705 BC), + 1260 = actual tabernacle date of 1445 BC, and is lunar 3.5 yrs to the entry (1406 BC).
ENDNOTES
1.)
This '2' yrs, plus the '1' yr of the flood, plus the half-yr of the New-Yr-switch, form a "time, times, and a half a time," at the flood (i.e., 3.5 yrs, Gen 12:7).2.)
Observe the distance between the 8 dates: 60 + 70 + 60 + 25 + 60 + 70 + 60 yrs. An even set of dates such as we have here, will always have one particular number that goes back unto each and every other date in the mirror because of the normal effect of any mirror. However, this 'one' particular number 'happens' to be highly significant, both here (at Lamech's birth and death) and at the creation. When pondering this 'particular' number, what we are in effect looking at is the average of all 8 dates (or any two of them). However, the many same-type interconnections with these larger numbers reflect the fact of design, and hence, a Designer.The crisscrossing and average of the 'four decrees' of Dan. 9, have nothing at all to do with this 'normal' effect of a mirror. They crisscross, not once but twice, solely by the providence of God. Similarly, their remarkable connection (in actual time) with one another likewise reveals His handiwork.
Back to the chronology of the flood to Abraham.