After examining the first four periods of Bible Chronology, we have established that from the creation to the division of Canaan a total of 2559 years elapsed. Let us now examine the fifth period of bible chronology beginning with Link # 23 in the true bible chronology, Gods “Timepiece”
“The Period of the Judges”
We come now to what would seem to be the most difficult portion of chronology, the period from the division of the land to the anointing of Saul as king, it is usually termed the period of the Judges, though the Judges did not fill the office continuously. The record given in the books of Judges and 1 Samuel mentions nineteen periods, approximating a total of four hundred and fifty years; but they are disconnected, broken, lapped and tangled so much that we could arrive at no definite conclusion from them alone and should be obliged to conclude as others have done, that nothing positive could be known on the subject, were it not that once again the New Testament supplies the deficiency. The Apostle Paul states that after God divided their land to them by lot:
"He gave unto them Judges about [during] the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the Prophet (Link # 23) and afterward they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul." Acts 13:19-21 Link # 24
The Greek word rendered “about” in the common version is hos Strong’s # 5613, and has the significance of “during” or “while”. The same writer uses the word in three other places where the common version translates it “while”, viz.: Acts 1:10; 10:17; Luke 24:32. This passage would be better translated, "He gave unto them Judges during the space of four hundred and fifty years."
The Syriac reads thus--"And for four hundred and fifty years he gave them Judges, until (i.e. during or up onto) Samuel the prophet"--the last of the "Judges."
“Some might contend here that Acts 13:19 merely specifies "about 450 years," and was not meant to be taken as an exact figure. But this argument appears very weak when we analyze similar Scriptures containing the same Greek word hos that is translated "about" in Acts 13:19. For example, in all of the following cases it is evident that an exact number of years was specified, even though the word "about" was used:
In Luke 2:37, Anna the prophetess was described as a widow of "about" (hos) fourscore and four years. In Luke 8:42, Jairus' daughter was said to be "about" (hos) twelve years of age. (Compare Mark 5:42, "for she was twelve years of age"--Rotherham) And most conclusive of all, a reference in the very same chapter of Acts as that under discussion, in the preceding verse, Acts 13:18: Here the Israelite's are said to have wandered in the wilderness "about (hos) the time of forty years." Yet it is very clear from both Acts 7:36 and Deut 1:1-3 that this period was exactly 40 years in length.
From this comparative study of the usage of the Greek word hos, it seems quite probable that the 450 years of Acts 13:19 was meant as a fairly accurate statement of the length of time involved, perhaps plus or minus a few months.” ("True Bible Chronology", Pages 25, 26)
The statement of the length of this period of the Judges, by the Apostle, we accept as a specially designed solution of the problem. In only two instances--the four hundred and thirty years from the Covenant to the Law, and this period of the Judges--is there any reasonable uncertainty about the Old Testament chronology, and both are clearly stated in the New Testament. Can we suppose that this merely happened so?
It is more reasonable to suppose that God first hid the matter, by leaving the Old Testament record incomplete, and later supplied the deficiency in the New Testament, so that in due time, when attention should be called to it, those having sufficient interest to compare the accounts might find the missing links supplied in a manner calculated to teach dependence upon the Great Time-Keeper.
Since this appears to be a “stumbling stone” for some of the brethren we will break it down applying the Scriptural account itself.
Old Testament proof of Paul’s total:
“Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.” Judges 3:8
“And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.” Judges 3:11
“And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.” Judges 3:14
“So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest fourscore years [eighty years].” Judges 3:30
“And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.” Judges 4:3
“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” Judges 4:4
“So let all thy enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.” Judges 5:31
“And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” Judges 6:1
“And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee?” Judges 6:11-14
“So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.” Judges 8:28
“And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father… And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years." Judges 9:1-22
“And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.” Judges 10:1, 2
“And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty and two years.” Judges 10:3
So what do we have thus far, let’s see
08 years
40 …
18…
80…
20…
40…
07…
40…
03…
23…
22 years
Thus far we have a total of 301 years
Character limits again so we’ll have to continue with our next post.
“The Period of the Judges”
We come now to what would seem to be the most difficult portion of chronology, the period from the division of the land to the anointing of Saul as king, it is usually termed the period of the Judges, though the Judges did not fill the office continuously. The record given in the books of Judges and 1 Samuel mentions nineteen periods, approximating a total of four hundred and fifty years; but they are disconnected, broken, lapped and tangled so much that we could arrive at no definite conclusion from them alone and should be obliged to conclude as others have done, that nothing positive could be known on the subject, were it not that once again the New Testament supplies the deficiency. The Apostle Paul states that after God divided their land to them by lot:
"He gave unto them Judges about [during] the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the Prophet (Link # 23) and afterward they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul." Acts 13:19-21 Link # 24
The Greek word rendered “about” in the common version is hos Strong’s # 5613, and has the significance of “during” or “while”. The same writer uses the word in three other places where the common version translates it “while”, viz.: Acts 1:10; 10:17; Luke 24:32. This passage would be better translated, "He gave unto them Judges during the space of four hundred and fifty years."
The Syriac reads thus--"And for four hundred and fifty years he gave them Judges, until (i.e. during or up onto) Samuel the prophet"--the last of the "Judges."
“Some might contend here that Acts 13:19 merely specifies "about 450 years," and was not meant to be taken as an exact figure. But this argument appears very weak when we analyze similar Scriptures containing the same Greek word hos that is translated "about" in Acts 13:19. For example, in all of the following cases it is evident that an exact number of years was specified, even though the word "about" was used:
In Luke 2:37, Anna the prophetess was described as a widow of "about" (hos) fourscore and four years. In Luke 8:42, Jairus' daughter was said to be "about" (hos) twelve years of age. (Compare Mark 5:42, "for she was twelve years of age"--Rotherham) And most conclusive of all, a reference in the very same chapter of Acts as that under discussion, in the preceding verse, Acts 13:18: Here the Israelite's are said to have wandered in the wilderness "about (hos) the time of forty years." Yet it is very clear from both Acts 7:36 and Deut 1:1-3 that this period was exactly 40 years in length.
From this comparative study of the usage of the Greek word hos, it seems quite probable that the 450 years of Acts 13:19 was meant as a fairly accurate statement of the length of time involved, perhaps plus or minus a few months.” ("True Bible Chronology", Pages 25, 26)
The statement of the length of this period of the Judges, by the Apostle, we accept as a specially designed solution of the problem. In only two instances--the four hundred and thirty years from the Covenant to the Law, and this period of the Judges--is there any reasonable uncertainty about the Old Testament chronology, and both are clearly stated in the New Testament. Can we suppose that this merely happened so?
It is more reasonable to suppose that God first hid the matter, by leaving the Old Testament record incomplete, and later supplied the deficiency in the New Testament, so that in due time, when attention should be called to it, those having sufficient interest to compare the accounts might find the missing links supplied in a manner calculated to teach dependence upon the Great Time-Keeper.
Since this appears to be a “stumbling stone” for some of the brethren we will break it down applying the Scriptural account itself.
Old Testament proof of Paul’s total:
“Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.” Judges 3:8
“And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.” Judges 3:11
“And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.” Judges 3:14
“So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest fourscore years [eighty years].” Judges 3:30
“And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.” Judges 4:3
“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” Judges 4:4
“So let all thy enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.” Judges 5:31
“And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” Judges 6:1
“And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee?” Judges 6:11-14
“So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.” Judges 8:28
“And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father… And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years." Judges 9:1-22
“And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.” Judges 10:1, 2
“And after him arose Jair, the Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty and two years.” Judges 10:3
So what do we have thus far, let’s see
08 years
40 …
18…
80…
20…
40…
07…
40…
03…
23…
22 years
Thus far we have a total of 301 years
Character limits again so we’ll have to continue with our next post.
