The Age of the Patriarchs
“The patriarchal age began with the receding of the flood of Noah’s day, when a family of eight souls walked out onto dry land. It ended with the death of Jacob, the last patriarch. It was a unique period of history when the Creator of the universe made an oath to a man. To this day, God has never broken that oath. The best is yet to come when its complete fulfillment will be realized.
This age covered 660 years, during which God developed a relationship with a few individuals. The bond became so strong that God made an oath which would affect their descendants forever.
Who were these patriarchs?
A number of men who lived during the patriarchal age are recorded in Genesis, Chapters 10 and 11. Most have been written in history with little significance being given other than that they lived and died. A few names are better known: Noah, Shem, and Melchizedek. The key figures, though, of the patriarchal age are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When we think of the patriarchs, these three stand out as the forefathers of the nation of Israel. To these patriarchs the God of heaven began to reveal his promises and plans which would give hope for the fallen race. With these patriarchs God established a covenant, setting the theme for the rest of the Bible and establishing the groundwork for God’s dealings in the ages to follow.” (The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom July/August 1997, “The Age of Promise” Pages 9-10)
In our previous post we examined the first period of bible chronology, from the Creation of Adam to the end of the flood a total of 1656 years which brings us to the year of the world 2472 B.C.
Let us now examine the next period in the true bible chronology, the period from the Flood to the Covenant with Abraham, at the Death of Terah, his Father, beginning with Link # 11 in the true bible chronology.
"Shem--begat Arphaxad...... 2 years after the flood." Gen 11:10
"Arphaxad lived.................. 35 years and begat Salah." Gen 11:12
"Salah lived......................... 30 years and begat Eber." Gen 11:14
"Eber lived........................... 34 years and begat Peleg." Gen 11:16
"Peleg lived..........................30 years and begat Reu." Gen 11:18
"Reu lived.............................32 years and begat Serug." Gen 11:20
"Serug lived..........................30 years and begat Nahor." Gen 11:22
"Nahor lived......................... 29 years and begat Terah." Gen 11:24
"The days of Terah were... 205 years and he died." Gen 11:32 (Link # 19)
= 427 years
This, too, is very simple and exact.
The next period however is not so easily traced; for the direct line of chronology is broken, until after the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Hence we would be quite unable to proceed, were it not that Paul and Stephen, as the mouthpieces of the Spirit, furnish the connecting link.
“The Period from the Covenant with Abraham to the Giving of the Law”
Paul declares that the length of this period was four hundred and thirty years, (Gal 3:17) Link # 20 in the true bible chronology. The Covenant included the promise of the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and though several times reaffirmed, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, it was always the same covenant. (See Gen 12:7,8; 13:14-18; 26:3,4; 35:9-12; 46:2-4; 50:24) As shown by a comparison of Gen 12:1-5, 7 and Acts 7:2-5, the covenant was made (according to the previous promise) as soon as Abraham had fully complied with the conditions on which he was to receive it: that was, as soon as he had entered Canaan, which he did immediately after the decease of his father, who died in Haran, on the way to Canaan.
Having the date of the covenant--just after Terah's death--thus established by Stephen's statement (Acts 7:2-5), and having Paul's statement, that the Law was four hundred and thirty years after the covenant, the break in the Old Testament chronology is thus bridged by the New Testament.
Nevertheless for the sake of fully establishing our faith in the true bible chronology and for exactness we will read the account carefully, and mark the particularity with which the bridge is constructed in our next post.
“The patriarchal age began with the receding of the flood of Noah’s day, when a family of eight souls walked out onto dry land. It ended with the death of Jacob, the last patriarch. It was a unique period of history when the Creator of the universe made an oath to a man. To this day, God has never broken that oath. The best is yet to come when its complete fulfillment will be realized.
This age covered 660 years, during which God developed a relationship with a few individuals. The bond became so strong that God made an oath which would affect their descendants forever.
Who were these patriarchs?
A number of men who lived during the patriarchal age are recorded in Genesis, Chapters 10 and 11. Most have been written in history with little significance being given other than that they lived and died. A few names are better known: Noah, Shem, and Melchizedek. The key figures, though, of the patriarchal age are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When we think of the patriarchs, these three stand out as the forefathers of the nation of Israel. To these patriarchs the God of heaven began to reveal his promises and plans which would give hope for the fallen race. With these patriarchs God established a covenant, setting the theme for the rest of the Bible and establishing the groundwork for God’s dealings in the ages to follow.” (The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom July/August 1997, “The Age of Promise” Pages 9-10)
In our previous post we examined the first period of bible chronology, from the Creation of Adam to the end of the flood a total of 1656 years which brings us to the year of the world 2472 B.C.
Let us now examine the next period in the true bible chronology, the period from the Flood to the Covenant with Abraham, at the Death of Terah, his Father, beginning with Link # 11 in the true bible chronology.
"Shem--begat Arphaxad...... 2 years after the flood." Gen 11:10
"Arphaxad lived.................. 35 years and begat Salah." Gen 11:12
"Salah lived......................... 30 years and begat Eber." Gen 11:14
"Eber lived........................... 34 years and begat Peleg." Gen 11:16
"Peleg lived..........................30 years and begat Reu." Gen 11:18
"Reu lived.............................32 years and begat Serug." Gen 11:20
"Serug lived..........................30 years and begat Nahor." Gen 11:22
"Nahor lived......................... 29 years and begat Terah." Gen 11:24
"The days of Terah were... 205 years and he died." Gen 11:32 (Link # 19)
= 427 years
This, too, is very simple and exact.
The next period however is not so easily traced; for the direct line of chronology is broken, until after the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Hence we would be quite unable to proceed, were it not that Paul and Stephen, as the mouthpieces of the Spirit, furnish the connecting link.
“The Period from the Covenant with Abraham to the Giving of the Law”
Paul declares that the length of this period was four hundred and thirty years, (Gal 3:17) Link # 20 in the true bible chronology. The Covenant included the promise of the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and though several times reaffirmed, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, it was always the same covenant. (See Gen 12:7,8; 13:14-18; 26:3,4; 35:9-12; 46:2-4; 50:24) As shown by a comparison of Gen 12:1-5, 7 and Acts 7:2-5, the covenant was made (according to the previous promise) as soon as Abraham had fully complied with the conditions on which he was to receive it: that was, as soon as he had entered Canaan, which he did immediately after the decease of his father, who died in Haran, on the way to Canaan.
Having the date of the covenant--just after Terah's death--thus established by Stephen's statement (Acts 7:2-5), and having Paul's statement, that the Law was four hundred and thirty years after the covenant, the break in the Old Testament chronology is thus bridged by the New Testament.
Nevertheless for the sake of fully establishing our faith in the true bible chronology and for exactness we will read the account carefully, and mark the particularity with which the bridge is constructed in our next post.
