Biblechronology

"The Bible, our God-provided history of the first three thousand years, is the only work in the world which—beginning with Adam, the first man mentioned in history - whose name, the time of his creation and death are recorded, and from whom his descendants can be traced by name and age in successive links for nearly four thousand years—furnishes us a clear and connected history down to a period where secular history is well authenticated...the Bible record extends to the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536, a well established and generally accepted date. There the thread of Bible chronology is dropped—at a point where secular history is reliable.

God has thus provided for his children a clear and connected record down to the present time. The Bible by its prophecies even supplements history, down to the consummation of 'the restitution of all things,' in the end of the seventh millennium, whence a new era of eternal blessedness will begin to date. The Bible is therefore the only record in the world which furnishes a view of human history as a whole. It carries us from the lost paradise of Genesis to the restored paradise of Revelation, tracing the pathway of humanity into eternity. Taken together, the history and prophecy of the Bible afford a panoramic view of the whole course of events from the creation and fall of man to his reconciliation and restitution. In the Bible alone, therefore, we may expect to find a record which will order aright the inharmonious periods and chronological irregularities which the annals of human history at first sight present—into harmony with each other and with the periods of nature."
The Time is at Hand, pp. 37-38

Read online excerpt (Chapter 2) from The Time is at Hand: "Bible Chronology"

Bible Question: 40 years wandering chronology?

After the forty years of wandering God told Moses to turn over the leadership to Joshua who was approximately 80 years old at that time. Joshua then lead the Israelites in battle for the promise land for approximately 40 years. In Chapter 13 of Joshua it reads that Joshua was around 120 years old and stricken in years. In Chapter 14 it says that Caleb was around 85 years old.

Joshua is approximately 120 years old in chapter 13.
Joshua was approximately 80 when he took over for Moses.
Joshua was approximately 40 when the 40 years of wondering started.

Now if Joshua was 120 years old and Caleb was 85 years old, then that made Caleb 5 years old when he went into the promise land as a spy.

Help me understand.
Your Brother and Servant in Jesus Christ
Mike

Dear Mike,
Greetings in the name of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thank you for your question.
Joshua 14:10 about the 80 years cannot be correct if we are to believe the Apostles. Bible scholars think that something was not transcribed correctly, because the Apostles (Acts, and Hebrews — see below) corrected the chronology to set straight any confusion over this.
It is our understanding from the scriptures that Caleb was 40 yrs. old when he was sent to spy the land & 85 when he received his portion of the promise land (45 years later).
According to the scriptural account the spies were sent from Kadesh-barnea in the wilderness of Paran (Num. 13:3-26; 32:8-13). One of these spies was Caleb; see (Joshua 11:23; 10:42). When applying for his portion at the division of the land he said,
"Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land, and I brought him word again....And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word...while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old." (Joshua 14:7,10)
Thus it will be seen that it was forty-five years from the spying of the land to its division among the tribes, as affirmed by Joshua, and a little over a year from the exodus to the sending of the spies, making forty-six full years and a fraction from the exodus to the division of the land. As the first forty years of this period were passed in the wilderness, as shown by many scriptures, notably Acts 7:36 and Heb. 3:9, the remaining six (not 40 yrs.) were spent conquering & dividing the land of Canaan.
This battle against the Canaanites to conquered the land is a picture of the battle of the true Christian against his enemies; the flesh, the world & the adversary. If you would like to study this battle and the topic of true Christianity in more depth, go to:
http://www.biblestudents.com/whyareyouachristian_01.cfm
We hope that these thoughts are helpful. If you have further questions please write. May the Lord continue to bless you as you seek to know and do his will.
Yours in Christ,
DM

 

Bible Question: How old was Isaac when Abraham was asked to sacrifice him? What did this represent?

It is estimated that Abraham at this time was 125 years old, and Isaac would have been 25. Isaac displayed great faith in submitting to Abraham, as he could have easily resisted being offered as a sacrifice.

Abraham represents God, and Isaac represents Jesus and his Church (Christ head and body). As Abraham was willing to offer his only son, in whom centered the promises, so the Heavenly Father freely offered up His only begotten Son for the sins of the whole world. "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." "God gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life"—that in Him all the families of the earth might be blessed in due time.

Although Abraham was stopped from carrying out the sacrifice, nevertheless, the incident illustrates that "without the shedding of blood there is no remission..." (Heb. 9:22) of the world's sins — that unless Jesus should die for man's redemption, the promises could never be fulfilled. And this was shown by the fact that God provided a representative of Isaac to be offered — the ram.

But there is more to this picture. Jesus is the "Head" to the Church, which is His Body. The sufferings of Jesus were only a part of the sufferings of the picture of Isaac. Galatians 4:28 states, "We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." And Galatians 3:29, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye "Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The Church, the faithful followers of Jesus, whom God has been calling out of the world since the day of Pentecost, is required to prove her faithfulness by also laying down their lives in sacrifice. "If we suffer with Him"—as His members—"we shall also reign with Him"—as His members. (2 Tim. 2:12)

 

Bible Question: HI, MY QUESTION IS WHO WAS THE FIRST TO FIND EGYPT AND SETTLE THERE . THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS !! Randy

Randy,
The Apostle Peter tells us that after the flood, the inhabitants of the earth were eight souls. The only historic record of the events that immediately followed the flood are those found in the Bible. No other nation on earth has history that goes back this far; so all we know about these things are what is written in the Word of God.
The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Gen. 6:10. With their wives, they went in different directions, as the names of their children are synonymous with the names of ancient peoples and locations.
In the Volume of Studies in the Scriptures entitled, The Battle of Armageddon, on page 556 is this interesting statement: In Ezekiel's prophecy (38:1-13) the Lord names the chief actors in the struggle in Palestine; but we may not be too positive in our identifications. Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomar, Togomar, Javan and Tarshish were names of children of Noah's son Japheth—supposed to be the original settlers of Europe. Sheba and Dedan were descendants of Noah's son Ham—supposed to be the original settlers of Northern Africa. Abraham and his posterity (Israel) were descendants of Noah's son Shem, and are supposed to have settled Armenia—Western Asia.
From the other Biblical references, it would appear that Ham, Noah's son, and his sons, were indeed those who settled in Egypt.
In Psalm 105, the psalmist is telling about how Israel came to be in Egypt, and speaking of Israel's son, Joseph, he said, "He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. Psalm 105:17-24
"He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham." Psalm 105:26,27
In Psalm 78, the psalmist is recalling the events of the Exodus from Egypt when he writes, "He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock." Psalm 78:50-52
Quickly forgetting their great deliverance in the Exodus from Egypt, and turning to idolatry, the account was written, "Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. Psalm 106:20-22
DW