In starting with the question, “How long has it been since man’s creation?” We should and do feel confident that he who gave the prophecies, and said that in the time of the end they should be understood, has provided in his Word the data necessary to enable us accurately to locate those prophecies.
However, any who expect to find these matters so plainly stated as to be convincing to the mere surface reader, or the insincere skeptic, will be disappointed. God's times and seasons are given in such a way as to be convincing, at this time, only to those who, by acquaintance with God, are able to recognize his characteristic methods. The evidence is given "that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished." (2 Tim 3:17) not the non-believer or believing skeptic, they shall continue to dwell in the darkness in which they presently reside. As for the true believer these well know that in all the paths by which their Father leads they must walk by faith and not by sight. To all who are prepared to walk thus, we expect to be able to point out, at every step, solid statements of God's Word--a sure foundation for reasonable faith.
There are 44 links in the chain of Chronology, beginning with the first link in Gen 5:3 and ending with the last link in 2 Chron 36:11 which brings us up to the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536, a well-established and generally accepted date.
As we consider the Chronology provided here by the Lord, let the earnest student, figure it out for himself and see how firm a foundation for our faith is laid in God's Word. Two breaks in the historic narrative of the Old Testament we shall find, yet when we discover that in the New Testament God has provided bridges to span these two chasms, it should increase our confidence that God so arranged the record as to hide his times and seasons, until his due time for revealing them had come--just as he has done with other truths.
There are seven chronological periods leading us down to the reign of Cyrus, which we will examine separately so as to avoid confusion.
HAVE YOUR BIBLE AT HAND AND VERIFY EVERY QUOTATION, THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE THIS AS GOD'S WORD AND NOT AS MAN'S. It may serve you well to record each link in the chain of Chronology in your bibles, make sure that if a consecutive link is not found on the same page that you make a reference for yourself specifically stating where the next link in the chain can be found.
“Chronology of the Period from the Creation of Adam to the Day the Flood was dried up”
"Adam lived ........130 years and begat (a) son and called his name Seth." Gen 5:3
"Seth lived ..........105 years and begat Enos." Gen 5:6
"Enos lived ...........90 years and begat Cainan." Gen 5:9
"Cainan lived ........70 years and begat Mahalaleel." Gen 5:12
"Mahalaleel lived... 65 years and begat Jared." Gen 5:15
"Jared lived .........162 years and begat Enoch." Gen 5:18
"Enoch lived ..........65 years and begat Methuselah." Gen 5:21
"Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech." Gen 5:25
"Lamech lived ......182 years and begat a son and called his name Noah." Gen 5:28
"Noah was ...........600 years old when the flood of waters were upon the earth." Gen 7:6
Total from the creation of Adam to the day the flood was dried up.” Gen 8:13
= 1656 years
Nothing more simple and exact to a day than this could be asked.
Here we find an exact date for the beginning and the ending of the first dispensation, the “World that was”.
Now the question might be asked,
How do we know that 4126 B.C. is the correct starting date?
Well we know that a day with the Lord is as a 1000 years and as such a week would consist of 7000 years, therefore the 7th Creative Day or 7000 year period would begin at year 0, from there to the day the flood dried up, according to the information the scriptures have just provided us is 1654 years.
So what’s up with the extra 2 years?
Well as you recall Adam was created at the end of the 6th Creative Day (Gen 1:26, 31). The 2 year difference between genealogy (computed from Adam in the 6th day) and prophecies of restoration beginning in 1874 A.D. proves how long Adam was in Eden. Six thousand years of laboring under sin begins at Adam’s fall, not his creation. 4126 + 1874 = 6000 years
This starting date will be confirmed even further as we proceed in our examination of the true bible chronology, continued with our next post.
However, any who expect to find these matters so plainly stated as to be convincing to the mere surface reader, or the insincere skeptic, will be disappointed. God's times and seasons are given in such a way as to be convincing, at this time, only to those who, by acquaintance with God, are able to recognize his characteristic methods. The evidence is given "that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished." (2 Tim 3:17) not the non-believer or believing skeptic, they shall continue to dwell in the darkness in which they presently reside. As for the true believer these well know that in all the paths by which their Father leads they must walk by faith and not by sight. To all who are prepared to walk thus, we expect to be able to point out, at every step, solid statements of God's Word--a sure foundation for reasonable faith.
There are 44 links in the chain of Chronology, beginning with the first link in Gen 5:3 and ending with the last link in 2 Chron 36:11 which brings us up to the first year of Cyrus, B.C. 536, a well-established and generally accepted date.
As we consider the Chronology provided here by the Lord, let the earnest student, figure it out for himself and see how firm a foundation for our faith is laid in God's Word. Two breaks in the historic narrative of the Old Testament we shall find, yet when we discover that in the New Testament God has provided bridges to span these two chasms, it should increase our confidence that God so arranged the record as to hide his times and seasons, until his due time for revealing them had come--just as he has done with other truths.
There are seven chronological periods leading us down to the reign of Cyrus, which we will examine separately so as to avoid confusion.
HAVE YOUR BIBLE AT HAND AND VERIFY EVERY QUOTATION, THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE THIS AS GOD'S WORD AND NOT AS MAN'S. It may serve you well to record each link in the chain of Chronology in your bibles, make sure that if a consecutive link is not found on the same page that you make a reference for yourself specifically stating where the next link in the chain can be found.
“Chronology of the Period from the Creation of Adam to the Day the Flood was dried up”
"Adam lived ........130 years and begat (a) son and called his name Seth." Gen 5:3
"Seth lived ..........105 years and begat Enos." Gen 5:6
"Enos lived ...........90 years and begat Cainan." Gen 5:9
"Cainan lived ........70 years and begat Mahalaleel." Gen 5:12
"Mahalaleel lived... 65 years and begat Jared." Gen 5:15
"Jared lived .........162 years and begat Enoch." Gen 5:18
"Enoch lived ..........65 years and begat Methuselah." Gen 5:21
"Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech." Gen 5:25
"Lamech lived ......182 years and begat a son and called his name Noah." Gen 5:28
"Noah was ...........600 years old when the flood of waters were upon the earth." Gen 7:6
Total from the creation of Adam to the day the flood was dried up.” Gen 8:13
= 1656 years
Nothing more simple and exact to a day than this could be asked.
Here we find an exact date for the beginning and the ending of the first dispensation, the “World that was”.
Now the question might be asked,
How do we know that 4126 B.C. is the correct starting date?
Well we know that a day with the Lord is as a 1000 years and as such a week would consist of 7000 years, therefore the 7th Creative Day or 7000 year period would begin at year 0, from there to the day the flood dried up, according to the information the scriptures have just provided us is 1654 years.
So what’s up with the extra 2 years?
Well as you recall Adam was created at the end of the 6th Creative Day (Gen 1:26, 31). The 2 year difference between genealogy (computed from Adam in the 6th day) and prophecies of restoration beginning in 1874 A.D. proves how long Adam was in Eden. Six thousand years of laboring under sin begins at Adam’s fall, not his creation. 4126 + 1874 = 6000 years
This starting date will be confirmed even further as we proceed in our examination of the true bible chronology, continued with our next post.
