By: YASP ANKHUSH

YASP ANKHUSH — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:34:18 +0000

Well there is many reason …people trying to denied the scripture but they fail.Even when you read the QUR’AN at the time of “Nour”,God told him to preach to the nation other why they will cut off all over the earth.
Are Disasters “Acts of God”?
WHEN an earthquake shook the ground beneath their feet, some ancient people believed that an underground creature had stirred. It was also thought by many that thunder, lightning, and storms were evidences of conflicts among their gods.
To try to avert disaster, such people practiced religions that they hoped would appease those gods. “For the greater part of history,” says the book Disaster! When Nature Strikes Back, “man has tried to explain the natural catastrophes that he endured . . . through folklore, mythology, and religion.”
In English-speaking countries today the phrase “act of God” is often used in a legal sense. Yet, one 19th-century jurist explained: “I have myself never had any doubt but that this phrase does not mean act of God in the Biblical sense of the term . . . It means an extraordinary circumstance which could not be foreseen, and which could not be guarded against.”
True Acts of God
To help clear up confusion over the meaning of the phrase “act of God,” we first need to understand the criteria, or conditions, that an event must meet to be a true act of God.
The Bible clearly tells us that God is Almighty. (Exodus 6:3) But it also says: “Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.”—Deuteronomy 32:4.
Knowing that Jehovah is just, upright, and consistent helps to fix the criteria that enable us to determine when a catastrophe is truly an act of God. Some key factors are: (1) It is always in harmony with God’s purpose; (2) God gives advance warning before acting; (3) he gives instructions to obedient ones for survival.
With this in mind, consider two occasions when God did act to bring a disaster. One was during the time of Noah, over 4,300 years ago.
A True Act of God
What were the conditions on earth in Noah’s day? “The badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time. And the earth came to be ruined in the sight of the true God and the earth became filled with violence.”—Genesis 6:5, 11.
Hence, God determined to wipe wicked humans off the earth by bringing a global disaster. The Creator, as “Landlord” of the planet, was fully justified in doing so because of mankind’s depravity.
However, God took note of the outstanding integrity of Noah and his family. He promised them safety during the coming cataclysm if they obeyed his instructions. (Genesis 6:13-21) Did Noah and his family adhere to this arrangement? The Bible account says: “Noah proceeded to do according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so.”—Genesis 6:22.
Was Noah’s obedience worthwhile? Yes, for the apostle Peter relates that God “kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people.” (2 Peter 2:5) Truly, God cares for his servants, communicates with them, and sees to it that they are preserved when he acts. As the Bible states: “The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.”—Amos 3:7.
Another Act of God
Another act of God took place several centuries after the Flood. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah faced destruction from God because of their gross immorality. Not even ten righteous persons could be found there, only three—Lot and his two daughters.
What was the attitude of the people in those cities? As an example, note the reaction of the men engaged to Lot’s daughters when they were told to get out of the city because destruction from God was imminent: “In the eyes of his [prospective] sons-in-law he seemed like a man who was joking.”—Genesis 19:14.
Earlier, when God’s messengers stayed with Lot, the men of Sodom “surrounded the house, from boy to old man, all the people in one mob.” Why? They kept calling out to Lot: “Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have intercourse with them.” They wanted to inflict their homosexual perversions on God’s agents! Thus, because of such immorality, divine destruction wiped out the cities.—Genesis 19:4, 5, 23-25.
That this was another act of God is made clear: “By reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes [God] condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly persons of things to come; and he delivered righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed by the indulgence of the law-defying people in loose conduct.”—2 Peter 2:6, 7; Jude 7.
Disasters That Are Not “Acts of God”
A close scrutiny of catastrophes that some call “acts of God” reveals that, in fact, many are man-made. Others, of course, result from natural forces such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Although the Bible foretells many man-made and natural calamities as part of the identifying marks of these “last days,” nowhere does it present instructions that guarantee immunity from them at this time. (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 24:3-12) Why not? Because such things are not acts of God. However, God’s Word does explain why good and bad people alike suffer from them.
When the first humans disobeyed God’s plainly stated instructions, they invited disaster. “You will positively die,” God had warned. (Genesis 2:17) The apostle Paul shows how far-reaching were the effects of their actions by saying: “Through one man . . . death spread to all men.”—Romans 5:12.
But more was involved. The first couple’s disobedience meant rejecting God’s guidance and care. No longer did they want God to be Ruler over them and their home, planet Earth. By forfeiting God’s oversight, they also lost his protection from disasters.
What does all of this mean for us? It means that “time and unforeseen occurrence” befall all of us. It means that we cannot know what will occur that might make us victims of the unexpected. As fish caught in a net or birds taken in a trap, so, too, “the sons of men themselves are being ensnared at a calamitous time,” as, for example, “when [death] falls upon them suddenly.”—Ecclesiastes 9:11, 12.
So while law courts may consider natural catastrophes to be “acts of God” in a legal sense, in actuality they are definitely not God’s acts.
Another Act of God Nears
Describing the climax of the present system’s last days in which we have been living since the year 1914, Jesus warned: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning . . . , no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) That event will bring an end to the present unrighteous system of things. Its climax will be “the war of the great day of God the Almighty”—Armageddon. That will indeed be a calamity for all those who remain a “part of the world.”—Revelation 16:14, 16; John 17:14; 2 Peter 3:3-13.
What kind of judgment will this be? It will be selective, removing only “those who do not [choose to] know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10) But it will not be a disaster to those who listen to God’s warning and instructions, as did Noah and his family. This event will certainly be an act of God, since he will protect his servants. That makes it different from other disasters, which take the lives of good and bad alike.—See Isaiah 28:21.
How can we be sure that the coming “great tribulation” will be an act of God? We can be sure because it meets the criteria:
(1) It is in harmony with God’s declared purpose: That purpose is to bring an end to this present ungodly system of things.—Jeremiah 25:31-33; Zephaniah 3:8; Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21.
(2) Advance Warning: For almost seven decades now, Jehovah’s Witnesses have sounded a clear warning of this system’s end, and they have preached the good news of God’s incoming Kingdom. Their work has grown in scope until there are now over three million Witnesses throughout the earth. (Matthew 24:14; Acts 20:20) We encourage you to ask them about their message the next time they call at your home. Do not be like those in Noah’s day who, as Jesus said, “took no note” and perished in the Flood.—Matthew 24:37-39.
(3) Instructions for Survival: The Bible urges: “Fear the true God and keep his commandments.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) The key to survival is learning what God’s instructions are and then following them. Jesus put it plainly: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to show you what God’s instructions are.
God’s Word also promises: “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.” (Psalm 37:34) You can show that this is your hope by listening to Jehovah’s instructions now and following them. That will identify you before God and man as one who is trying to do His will and thus come in line for survival. “The world is passing away . . . , but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 28:19, 20.
The prospects ahead are indeed encouraging for those who learn about the coming act of God and who take the necessary steps for survival, as they will be ushered into a new era under the rule of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 6:9, 10) But in that new system, what will be done to protect people from man-made or natural disasters?
Divine Disaster Prevention
With God’s Kingdom in full control, what a time of peace and restoration that will be! The benefits of submitting to the rule of God’s installed heavenly King, Christ Jesus, are marvelous to contemplate.
Consider what Jesus did when he was on earth that demonstrated what he will do in Kingdom rulership: He cured the sick, healed the crippled, opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, made dumb ones talk, and even raised the dead!—Matthew 15:30, 31; Luke 7:11-17.
That is why the Bible assures us that under Kingdom rule God “will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4.
What Jesus did on earth exemplifies the help he will give to his subjects in the coming new system. And what of protection from natural disasters? Recall that on one occasion Jesus prevented a disaster by calming a windstorm. His disciples were awestruck and said to one another: “Who really is this, because even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:37-41) Thus, with complete control over the elements, the powerful heavenly King of the new system will see to it that never again will natural disasters harm man.
Whatever damage man-made or natural disasters have already inflicted on our planet and its ecosystems, God’s Kingdom will be certain to remedy. The Bible’s promise is: “Even the wilderness and desert will rejoice in those days; the desert will blossom with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! . . . Springs will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”—Isaiah 35:1-7, The Living Bible.
A uniform educational program will teach all in the new system to work well and to care for their fellowman, as well as for the earth. “Righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn.” (Isaiah 26:9) With that earth-wide divine education, and mankind lifted up to perfection mentally and physically, faults attributable to imperfection will disappear. No more will selfish interests lead to shortcuts in work procedures that could lead to accidents.
Today, man-made and natural disasters affect all of us. But the disaster that we need to be concerned about most, the “great tribulation,” is the act of God that will bring this wicked system of things to its end. That act of God will open the way to a new era of righteousness for those who do not let the truth slip by them at this time. For them it will certainly be demonstrated that “the true God is for us a God of saving acts.” (Psalm 68:20) So those who display godly wisdom now will enter a new system where they will “reside in security and be undisturbed from dread of calamity.”—Proverbs 1:33.
What evidence proves that there truly was a global deluge?
Other possible evidence of a drastic change: Remains of mammoths and rhinoceroses have been found in different parts of the earth. Some of these were found in Siberian cliffs; others were preserved in Siberian and Alaskan ice. (PICTURE, Vol. 1, p. 328) In fact, some were found with food undigested in their stomachs or still unchewed in their teeth, indicating that they died suddenly. It is estimated, from the trade in ivory tusks, that bones of tens of thousands of such mammoths have been found. The fossil remains of many other animals, such as lions, tigers, bears, and elk, have been found in common strata, which may indicate that all of these were destroyed simultaneously. Some have pointed to such finds as definite physical proof of a rapid change in climate and sudden destruction caused by a universal flood. Others, however, favor explanations for the death of these animals that do not involve an earth-wide catastrophe. Proof that the Flood occurred is not dependent on such fossils and frozen animal remains.
Flood Legends. Such a cataclysm as the Deluge, which washed the whole world of that time out of existence, would never be forgotten by the survivors. They would talk about it to their children and their children’s children. For 500 years after the Deluge, Shem lived on to relate the event to many generations. He died only ten years before the birth of Jacob. Moses preserved the true account in Genesis. Sometime after the Flood, when God-defying people built the Tower of Babel, Jehovah confused their language and scattered them “over all the surface of the earth.” (Ge 11:9) It was only natural that these people took with them stories of the Flood and passed them on from father to son. The fact that there are not merely a few but perhaps hundreds of different stories about that great Deluge, and that such stories are found among the traditions of many primitive races the world over, is a strong proof that all these people had a common origin and that their early forefathers shared that Flood experience in common.—CHART, Vol. 1, p. 328.
These folklore accounts of the Deluge agree with some major features of the Biblical account: (1) a place of refuge for a few survivors, (2) an otherwise global destruction of life by water, and (3) a seed of mankind preserved. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Chinese, the Druids of Britain, the Polynesians, the Eskimos and Greenlanders, the Africans, the Hindus, and the American Indians—all of these have their Flood stories. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Vol. 2, p. 319) states: “Flood stories have been discovered among nearly all nations and tribes. Though most common on the Asian mainland and the islands immediately south of it and on the North American continent, they have been found on all the continents. Totals of the number of stories known run as high as about 270 . . . The universality of the flood accounts is usually taken as evidence for the universal destruction of humanity by a flood and the spread of the human race from one locale and even from one family. Though the traditions may not all refer to the same flood, apparently the vast majority do. The assertion that many of these flood stories came from contacts with missionaries will not stand up because most of them were gathered by anthropologists not interested in vindicating the Bible, and they are filled with fanciful and pagan elements evidently the result of transmission for extended periods of time in a pagan society. Moreover, some of the ancient accounts were written by people very much in opposition to the Hebrew-Christian tradition.”—Edited by G. Bromiley, 1982.
In times past, certain primitive people (in Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Society Islands, Peru, Mexico, and other places) preserved a possible remnant of these traditions about the Flood by observing in November a ‘Feast of Ancestors’ or a ‘Festival of the Dead.’ Such customs reflected a memory of the destruction caused by the Deluge. According to the book Life and Work at the Great Pyramid, the festival in Mexico was held on the 17th of November because they “had a tradition that at that time the world had been previously destroyed; and they dreaded lest a similar catastrophe would, at the end of a cycle, annihilate the human race.” (By Professor C. Piazzi Smyth, Edinburgh, 1867, Vol. II, pp. 390, 391) Notes the book The Worship of the Dead: “This festival [of the dead] is . . . held by all on or about the very day on which, according to the Mosaic account, the Deluge took place, viz., the seventeenth day of the second month—the month nearly corresponding with our November.” (By J. Garnier, London, 1904, p. 4) Interestingly, the Bible reports that the Flood began “in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.” (Ge 7:11) That “second month” corresponds to the latter part of October and the first part of November on our calendar.
Scriptural Confirmation. Stronger evidence of the historicalness of the Deluge than the pagan traditions of primitive people is the endorsement other Bible writers gave under inspiration. The only other place where the same Hebrew word (mab·bul′, deluge) occurs outside the Genesis account is in David’s melody where he describes Jehovah as seated “upon the deluge.” (Ps 29:10) However, other writers make reference to and confirm the Genesis account, as, for example, Isaiah. (Isa 54:9) Ezekiel also endorses the historicity of Noah. (Eze 14:14, 18, 20) Peter draws heavily upon the Deluge account in his letters. (1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 2:5; 3:5, 6) Paul testifies to the great faith Noah displayed in constructing the ark for the survival of his household. (Heb 11:7) Luke lists Noah in the lineage of Messiah’s forebears.—Lu 3:36.
Even more significant is what Jesus said about the days of the Deluge, as recorded by both Luke and Matthew. Far more than just a simple endorsement of the veracity of the Deluge account, Jesus’ words show the pictorial and prophetic significance of those ancient events. In answer to the disciples’ question, “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Jesus said, among other things: “For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.” (Mt 24:3, 37-39; Lu 17:26, 27) There is, therefore, abundant evidence from the inspired Holy Scriptures themselves to support the authenticity and genuineness of the Deluge account. It does not rest on mere traditions of men, on the folklore of primitive people, or on geologic and archaeological findings.
From Adam’s creation to the Flood. The 1,656 years of this period are set out in Genesis 5:1-29; 7:6, and they may be outlined as shown in the chart at the lower right.
From Adam’s creation to the birth of Seth 130 years
Then to the birth of Enosh 105 years
To the birth of Kenan 90 years
To the birth of Mahalalel 70 years
To the birth of Jared 65 years
To the birth of Enoch 162 years
To the birth of Methuselah 65 years
To the birth of Lamech 187 years
To the birth of Noah 182 years
To the Flood 600 years
Total 1,656 years
The figures shown for the pre-Flood period are those found in the Masoretic text, on which modern translations of the Hebrew Scriptures are based. These figures differ from those found in the Greek Septuagint, but the evidence for accuracy clearly favors the Masoretic text.
Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Genesis, p. 272, ftn) says: “The internal evidence is shown to be decidedly in favor of the Hebrew from its proportional consistency. The numbers in the LXX evidently follow a plan to which they have been conformed. This does not appear in the Hebrew, and it is greatly in favor of its being an authentic genealogical record. . . . On physiological grounds, too, the Hebrew is to be preferred; since the length of the life does not at all require so late a manhood as those numbers [in the Septuagint] would seem to intimate. . . . the added 100 years, in each case, by the Septuagint, shows a design to bring them to some nearer proportional standard, grounded on some supposed physiological notion. . . . To all this must be added the fact that the Hebrew has the best claim to be regarded as the original text, from the well-known scrupulous, and even superstitious, care with which it has been textually preserved.”—Translated and edited by P. Schaff, 1976.
While modern historians would extend the period of human habitation on the earth much farther back than 4026 B.C.E., the facts are decidedly against the position they maintain. The thousands of years of “prehistory” they argue for are dependent on speculation, as can be seen from this statement by prominent scientist P. E. Klopsteg, who stated: “Come, now, if you will, on a speculative excursion into prehistory. Assume the era in which the species sapiens emerged from the genus Homo . . . hasten across the millenniums for which present information depends for the most part on conjecture and interpretation to the era of the first inscribed records, from which some facts may be gleaned.” (Italics ours.)—Science, December 30, 1960, p. 1914.
The period of the post-Flood era begins with the year 2369 B.C.E. Whereas some would assign certain pictographic writings to the period 3300 to 2800 B.C.E. (New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis, by P. J. Wiseman, 1949, p. 36), these are not actually dated documents and their supposed age is based only on archaeological conjecture.
While appeal is sometimes made to datings based on the radiocarbon (C-14) technique, this method of dating has definite limitations. Science magazine of December 11, 1959, p. 1630, reported: “What bids to become a classical example of ‘C14 irresponsibility’ is the 6000-year spread of 11 determinations for Jarmo . . . , a prehistoric village in northeastern Iraq, which, on the basis of all archeological evidence, was not occupied for more than 500 consecutive years.” There is thus no solid or provable evidence to favor an earlier date than 2369 B.C.E. for the start of the post-Flood human society.
From 2370 B.C.E. to covenant with Abraham. The chronological structure of this period may be summed up as follows:
From the beginning of the Flood
to Arpachshad’s birth 2 years
Then to the birth of Shelah 35 years
To the birth of Eber 30 years
To the birth of Peleg 34 years
To the birth of Reu 30 years
To the birth of Serug 32 years
To the birth of Nahor 30 years
To the birth of Terah 29 years
To the death of Terah, when
Abraham was 75 years old 205 years
Total 427 years
The basis for these figures is Genesis 11:10 to 12:4. The expression “after the deluge” (Ge 11:10) used in connection with Arpachshad’s birth would logically refer to the actual falling of the waters that marked the start of the Flood (2370 B.C.E.), rather than simply to the continuance of the waters upon the earth for a period of time thereafter. The Hebrew term for “deluge” also indicates this.—Compare Ge 6:17; 7:4-6, 10-12, 17; 9:11.
The date of the attempt at building the Tower of Babel is not stated in the record. Genesis 10:25 indicates that the division resulting from the confusion of the languages there occurred sometime during ‘the days of Peleg.’ It does not necessarily follow that this event occurred at Peleg’s birth. The expression “in his days” would in fact indicate that the division took place, not at or immediately subsequent to Peleg’s birth, but sometime during his life span, which extended from 2269 to 2030 B.C.E. If each post-Flood male parent at the age of 30 were to begin fathering children at the rate of one child every three years, with an average of one male child every six years, and continued this until the age of 90, then in a period of about 180 years from the end of the Flood (that is, by 2189 B.C.E.) the population could have grown to a total of over 4,000 adult males. This conservative number would be ample to fit the circumstances relating to the tower construction and the dispersal of the peoples.
Evidently at the time of Abraham’s crossing the Euphrates on his way to the land of Canaan, Jehovah validated with him what has come to be known as the Abrahamic covenant. As Abraham’s departure from Haran and his entry into Canaan followed the death of his father Terah, the date of the validating of this covenant is set at 1943 B.C.E.—Ge 11:32; 12:1-5.
From 1943 B.C.E. to the Exodus. Exodus 12:40, 41 states that “the dwelling of the sons of Israel, who had dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came about at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it even came about on this very day that all the armies of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt.” Whereas most translations render verse 40 in such a way as to make the 430 years apply entirely to the dwelling in Egypt, the original Hebrew allows for the above translation. Also, at Galatians 3:16, 17, Paul associates that 430-year period with the time between the validating of the Abrahamic covenant and the making of the Law covenant. Evidently when Abraham acted on God’s promise, crossing the Euphrates in 1943 B.C.E. on his way to Canaan and actually moving into “the country” to which God directed him, the Abrahamic covenant was validated. (Ge 12:1; 15:18-21) Exactly 430 years after this event, his descendants were delivered from Egypt, in 1513 B.C.E., and in that same year the Law covenant was made with them. Evidence that from early times the period mentioned at Exodus 12:40, 41 was understood to begin counting from the time when the ancestors of the nation made the move to go to Canaan is indicated by the Greek Septuagint rendering: “But the dwelling of the sons of Israel which they dwelt in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan [was] four hundred and thirty years long.”
The period from Abraham’s move to Canaan until Jacob’s going down into Egypt was 215 years. This figure is derived from the following facts: Twenty-five years passed from Abraham’s departure from Haran to the birth of Isaac (Ge 12:4; 21:5); from then to the birth of Jacob was 60 years (Ge 25:26); and Jacob was 130 at the time of his entry into Egypt (Ge 47:9); thus giving a total of 215 years (from 1943 to 1728 B.C.E.). This means that an equal period of 215 years was thereafter spent by the Israelites in Egypt (from 1728 to 1513 B.C.E.). That the Israelites could have multiplied sufficiently in 215 years to have a population including 600,000 “able-bodied men” is demonstrated under the heading EXODUS.—Ex 12:37.
Jehovah told Abram (Abraham): “You may know for sure that your seed will become an alien resident in a land not theirs, and they will have to serve them, and these will certainly afflict them for four hundred years.” (Ge 15:13; see also Ac 7:6, 7.) This was stated prior to the birth of the promised heir or “seed,” Isaac. In 1932 B.C.E. Ishmael was born to Abram by the Egyptian servant girl Hagar, and in 1918 B.C.E. Isaac was born. (Ge 16:16; 21:5) Counting back 400 years from the Exodus, which marked the end of the ‘afflicting’ (Ge 15:14), would bring us to 1913 B.C.E., and at that time Isaac was about five years old. It appears that Isaac was weaned then and, already “an alien resident” in a land not his, he now experienced the start of the foretold affliction in the form of Ishmael’s “poking fun,” Ishmael being about 19. (Ge 21:8, 9) Although in modern times Ishmael’s mocking of Abraham’s heir might be viewed as inconsequential, such was not the case in patriarchal times. This is evidenced by Sarah’s reaction and God’s approval of her insistence that Hagar and her son Ishmael be sent away. (Ge 21:10-13) The very fact that this incident was recorded in detail in the divine record also points to its marking the commencement of the prophesied 400-year period of affliction that would not end until the Exodus.—Ga 4:29.
From 1513 B.C.E. to division of kingdom. It was in the “four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out from the land of Egypt,” in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that construction began on the temple at Jerusalem. (1Ki 6:1) “Four hundred and eightieth” is an ordinal number representing 479 full years plus some additional time, in this case one month. Counting 479 years from the Exodus (Nisan 1513 B.C.E.) brings us to 1034 B.C.E., with the temple construction beginning in the second month, Ziv (corresponding to part of April and part of May). Since this was the fourth year (another ordinal number) of Solomon’s rule, his reign began three full years earlier in 1037 B.C.E. His 40-year rule evidently ran from Nisan 1037 to Nisan 997 B.C.E., with the division of the kingdom taking place in the latter year. The chronological structure for this period would therefore be as shown at the right.
Event Date Time Period
Between Events
From the Exodus 1513 B.C.E.
to
the entry of Israel 1473 B.C.E. 40 years
into Canaan
to
the close of the 1117 B.C.E. 356 years
period of the
Judges and the
beginning of
Saul’s reign
to
the beginning of 1077 B.C.E. 40 years
David’s reign
to
the beginning of 1037 B.C.E. 40 years
Solomon’s reign
to
the division of the 997 B.C.E. 40 years
kingdom
Total years from the
Exodus to the division
of the kingdom
(1513 to 997 B.C.E.) 516 years
These figures find their basis in texts such as Deuteronomy 2:7; 29:5; Acts 13:21; 2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 11:42, 43; 12:1-20. Some critics call attention to the four periods of 40 years each, occurring in this period, claiming that this is evidence of a ‘mere seeking after symmetry’ on the part of the Bible writers rather than an accurate chronology. To the contrary, whereas the period of Israelite wandering before their entry into Canaan was almost exactly 40 years in fulfillment of the divine judgment recorded at Numbers 14:33, 34 (compare Ex 12:2, 3, 6, 17; De 1:31; 8:2-4; Jos 4:19), the other three periods all may have included fractional figures. Thus, David’s reign is shown to have actually lasted for 40 1⁄2 years, according to 2 Samuel 5:5. If, as seems to have been the practice, regnal years of these kings were counted on a Nisan-to-Nisan basis, this could mean that King Saul’s reign lasted only 39 1⁄2 years, but with the months remaining until the following Nisan being credited to Saul’s reign and hence not officially included in David’s 40 regnal years. Such, at least, was the known practice among Semitic rulers in Mesopotamia, the months intervening between the death of a king and the following Nisan being termed the “accession period” of the succeeding king, but his official first year of rule not beginning to count until the arrival of the month of Nisan.
The length of the period from the entry into Canaan till the end of the period of the Judges is not directly stated, being arrived at only by deduction. That is, by subtracting the 123 years of the known periods (of the wilderness wandering, of Saul and David, and the first three years of Solomon’s reign) from the 479 years intervening between the Exodus and Solomon’s fourth year, 356 years remain.
The manner in which these 356 years (from Israel’s entry into Canaan in 1473 B.C.E. until the start of Saul’s reign in 1117 B.C.E.) are to be apportioned is not stated in the Scriptures. Evidently, however, there is considerable overlapping of time periods. Why? Counted in succession, the various periods of oppression, of judgeships, and of peace as listed in the book of Judges would total 410 years. For these periods to fit into the 356-year time period mentioned earlier, some periods must have been concurrent rather than successive, and this is the view of most commentators. The circumstances described in the Bible accounts lend themselves to this explanation. The oppressions involved different areas of the land and affected different tribes. (MAP, Vol. 1, p. 743) Thus the expression “the land had no further disturbance,” used after recounting the Israelites’ victories over their oppressors, may not in every case embrace the entire area occupied by all 12 tribes but may apply to the portion that the particular oppression primarily affected.—Jg 3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:28; compare Jos 14:13-15.
At Acts chapter 13 the apostle Paul reviewed God’s dealings with Israel from the ‘choosing of the forefathers’ on through the period in Egypt, the Exodus, the wilderness wandering, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land, and then stated: “All that during about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.” (Ac 13:20) Considerable misunderstanding has resulted from the King James rendering of this text, which reads: “And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.” However, the most ancient manuscripts (including the Sinaitic, Vatican Manuscript No. 1209, and the Alexandrine), as well as most modern translations (such as JB, Kx, and others; vss 19, 20, AS, RS, AT), all favor the previous translation, which shows the period of the Judges coming after the 450 years. Since the period of “about four hundred and fifty years” had its start with God’s ‘choosing the forefathers’ of Israel, it would seem to have begun in the year 1918 B.C.E. with the birth of Isaac, the original “seed” promised to Abraham. It would therefore end about 1467 B.C.E., when the initial conquest of Canaan reached its conclusion, allowing for the distribution to proceed. Inasmuch as the figure is stated to be approximate, a difference of a year or so would not be of consequence.
From 997 B.C.E. to desolation of Jerusalem. A helpful guide to the overall length of this period of the kings is found at Ezekiel 4:1-7 in the mimic siege of Jerusalem that the prophet Ezekiel carried out at God’s direction. Ezekiel was to lie on his left side for 390 days to “carry the error of the house of Israel,” and on his right side for 40 days to “carry the error of the house of Judah,” and each day was shown to stand for a year. The two periods (of 390 years and of 40 years) thus symbolized evidently stood for the length of Jehovah’s forbearance with the two kingdoms in their idolatrous course. The Jewish understanding of this prophecy, as presented in the Soncino Books of the Bible (commentary on Ezekiel, pp. 20, 21) is: “The guilt of the Northern Kingdom extended over a period of 390 years ([according to the] Seder Olam [the earliest postexilic chronicle preserved in the Hebrew language], [and Rabbis] Rashi and Ibn Ezra). Abarbanel, quoted by Malbim, reckons the period of Samaria’s guilt from the time when the schism took place under Rehoboam . . . until the fall of Jerusalem. . . . The right [side, on which Ezekiel lay] indicates the south, i.e. the Kingdom of Judah which lay to the south or right. . . . Judah’s corruption lasted forty years beginning soon after Samaria’s fall. According to Malbim, the time is reckoned from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah . . . when Jeremiah began his ministry. (Jer. i. 2).”—Edited by A. Cohen, London, 1950.
From the division of the kingdom in 997 B.C.E. to the fall of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. was 390 years. While it is true that Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, had already fallen to Assyria in 740 B.C.E., in Hezekiah’s sixth year (2Ki 18:9, 10), it is probable that some of the population fled into the southern kingdom before the Assyrians’ advance. (Note also the situation in Judah following the division of the kingdom as described at 2Ch 10:16, 17.) But, more important, the fact that Jehovah God continued to keep the Israelites of the exiled northern kingdom in view, the messages of his prophets continuing to include them long beyond the fall of Samaria, shows that their interests were still represented in the capital city of Jerusalem and that its fall in 607 B.C.E. was an expression of Jehovah’s judgment against not Judah alone but the nation of Israel as a whole. (Jer 3:11-22; 11:10-12, 17; Eze 9:9, 10) When the city fell, the hopes of the nation as a whole (with the exception of the few who maintained true faith) suffered collapse.—Eze 37:11-14, 21, 22.
In the chart that follows, this 390-year period is adhered to as a sound chronological guide. A summation of the years listed for all the reigns of the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah gives a total of 393 years. Whereas some Biblical chronologers endeavor to synchronize the data concerning the kings by means of numerous coregencies and “interregnums” on the Judean side, it appears necessary to show only one coregency. This is in the case of Jehoram, who is stated (at least in the Masoretic text and some of the oldest manuscripts of the Bible) to have become king “while Jehoshaphat was king of Judah,” thus giving some basis for assuming a coregency. (2Ki 8:16) In this manner the overall period comes within the 390-year limit.
The chart is not intended to be viewed as an absolute chronology but, rather, as a suggested presentation of the reigns of the two kingdoms. The ancient inspired writers were dealing with facts and figures well known to them and to the Jewish people then, and the different chronological viewpoints adopted by the writers at certain points presented no problem. Such is not the case today, and hence we may be satisfied with simply setting out an arrangement that harmonizes reasonably with the Biblical record.
From 607 B.C.E. to return from exile. The length of this period is fixed by God’s own decree concerning Judah, that “all this land must become a devastated place, an object of astonishment, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”—Jer 25:8-11.
The Bible prophecy does not allow for the application of the 70-year period to any time other than that between the desolation of Judah, accompanying Jerusalem’s destruction, and the return of the Jewish exiles to their homeland as a result of Cyrus’ decree. It clearly specifies that the 70 years would be years of devastation of the land of Judah. The prophet Daniel so understood the prophecy, for he states: “I myself, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” (Da 9:2) After describing the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21 states: “Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign; to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.”
Jerusalem came under final siege in Zedekiah’s 9th year (609 B.C.E.), and the city fell in his 11th year (607 B.C.E.), corresponding to Nebuchadnezzar’s 19th year of actual rule (counting from his accession year in 625 B.C.E.). (2Ki 25:1-8) In the fifth month of that year (the month of Ab, corresponding to parts of July and August) the city was set afire, the walls were pulled down, and the majority of the people were led off into exile. However, “some of the lowly people of the land” were allowed to remain, and these did so until the assassination of Gedaliah, Nebuchadnezzar’s appointee, whereupon they fled into Egypt, finally leaving Judah completely desolate. (2Ki 25:9-12, 22-26) This was in the seventh month, Ethanim (or Tishri, corresponding to parts of September and October). Hence the count of the 70 years of desolation must have begun about October 1, 607 B.C.E., ending in 537 B.C.E. It was in the seventh month of this latter year that the first repatriated Jews arrived back in Judah, exactly 70 years from the start of the full desolation of the land.—2Ch 36:21-23; Ezr 3:1.
From 537 B.C.E. to conversion of Cornelius. In the second year of the return from exile (536 B.C.E.), the foundation of the temple was relaid in Jerusalem, but the rebuilt temple was not completed until the sixth year of the reign of Darius I (Persian). (Ezr 3:8-10; 6:14, 15) Since Darius did not establish himself in Babylon until defeating the rebel Nebuchadnezzar III in December of 522 and shortly afterward capturing and killing him in Babylon, the year 522 B.C.E. may be viewed as the accession year of King Darius I. His first regnal year, then, began in the spring of 521 B.C.E. (Babylonian Chronology, 626 B.C.–A.D. 75, p. 30) Darius’ sixth year therefore began April 12, 516 B.C.E., and continued until the end of March of 515 B.C.E. On this basis, Zerubbabel’s rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple was completed on March 6 of 515 B.C.E.
The next date of major importance is the 20th year of Artaxerxes (Longimanus), the year Nehemiah received permission to go and rebuild Jerusalem. (Ne 2:1, 5-8) The reasons for favoring the date of 455 B.C.E. for this year as against the popular date of 445 B.C.E. are considered in the article PERSIA, PERSIANS. The events of this year that involve the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls mark the starting point of the prophecy concerning the “seventy weeks” at Daniel 9:24-27. The weeks there are clearly “weeks of years” (Da 9:24, RS, AT, Mo), totaling 490 years. As demonstrated under the heading SEVENTY WEEKS, the prophecy pointed to Jesus’ appearance as the Messiah in the year 29 C.E.; his death at “the half of the week” or in the middle of the last week of years, that is, in 33 C.E.; and the end of the period of God’s special favor to the Jews in 36 C.E. Thus, the 70 weeks of years closed with the conversion of Cornelius, 490 years from the year 455 B.C.E.—Ac 10:30-33, 44-48; 11:1.
Jesus’ appearance as the Messiah came in the precise year foretold, perhaps about six months after John the Baptizer began his preaching in “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.” (Lu 1:36; 3:1, 2, 21-23) Since the Roman Senate named Tiberius emperor on September 15 of 14 C.E., his 15th year ran from the latter part of 28 C.E. well into 29 C.E. (See TIBERIUS.) The evidence, then, is that Jesus’ baptism and anointing took place in the fall of the year 29 C.E.
Since Jesus was “about thirty years old” at the time of his baptism in 29 C.E. (Lu 3:23), his birth took place 30 years earlier, or about the fall of the year 2 B.C.E. He was born during the reign of Caesar Augustus and the Syrian governorship of Quirinius. (Lu 2:1, 2) Augustus’ rule ran from 27 B.C.E. to 14 C.E. The Roman senator P. Sulpicius Quirinius was governor of Syria twice, the first time evidently coming after P. Quintilius Varus, whose term as legate of Syria ended in 4 B.C.E. Some scholars place Quirinius’ first governorship in 3-2 B.C.E. (See REGISTRATION.) Herod the Great was then king of Judea, and we have seen that there is evidence pointing to the year 1 B.C.E. as the likely time of his death. Thus, all the available evidence, and particularly the Scriptural references, indicate the fall of 2 B.C.E. for the human birth of God’s Son.
The later apostolic period. It is possible to fix approximate dates for a number of the events taking place during this period. The prophecy of a great famine spoken by the Christian prophet Agabus, and the subsequent persecution instigated by Herod Agrippa I, resulting in the apostle James’ death and the jailing of Peter, evidently took place in about 44 C.E. (Ac 11:27-30; 12:1-4) Herod Agrippa died that year, and there is evidence that the foretold famine came about the year 46 C.E. This latter date probably marks the time of the relief ministration effected by Paul and Barnabas.—Ac 12:25.
Paul’s first visit to Corinth can be dated through the proconsulship of Gallio. (Ac 18:1, 11-18) As explained in the article on GALLIO, this proconsulship appears to have run from the summer of 51 C.E. to the summer of 52 C.E., though some scholars favor 52/53 C.E. Thus, Paul’s 18-month activity in Corinth likely began in the autumn of 50 C.E., ending in the spring of 52 C.E. This is further confirmed by the fact that two of Paul’s associates in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla, had recently arrived there from Italy because of Emperor Claudius’ edict requiring all Jews to depart from Rome. (Ac 18:2) Paulus Orosius, historian of the fifth century, states that this order was given in Claudius’ ninth year, that is, in 49 or early 50 C.E.
The two years Paul spent in prison at Caesarea were during the last two years of the governorship of Felix, Paul thereafter being sent on to Rome by Felix’ successor Porcius Festus. (Ac 21:33; 23:23-35; 24:27) The date of the accession of Festus is somewhat uncertain, since historical evidence does not all point to the same conclusion. However, the year 58 C.E. seems to be the most likely. Paul’s subsequent arrival in Rome may be placed between 59 and 61 C.E.
The great fire that ravaged Rome came in July of 64 C.E. and was followed by fierce persecution of Christians, at the instigation of Nero. It is probable that Paul’s second imprisonment and his execution took place shortly thereafter. (2Ti 1:16; 4:6, 7) The exiling of John to the isle of Patmos is generally considered to have taken place during the reign of Emperor Domitian. (Re 1:9) The persecution of Christians reached a peak during his rule (81-96 C.E.), particularly in the last three years. The traditional view is that John was released from exile following Domitian’s death and died in Ephesus about the close of the first century C.E. Thus, by John’s writing his epistles about this time, the Bible canon was completed and the apostolic period came to its close.
[Chart on page 464-466]
OUTSTANDING DATES During the Period of the Kings of Judah and of Israel
NOTE: This chart is meant to provide a helpful outline of key events in connection with the kings of Judah and of Israel. The Bible record of years that the kings of Judah ruled was allowed to govern when fixing other dates. The dates given for rulership of Judean kings extend from the spring of the stated year to the spring of the following year. Dates for the reigns of kings of the kingdom of Israel were coordinated with those for Judah. There are numerous synchronisms provided in the Bible, and these were taken into account in arriving at these dates.
High priests and prophets that are named in the Bible record in connection with the various kings are listed here. But the list is by no means complete. The Aaronic priesthood officiated first at the tabernacle and then at the temple apparently without a break in the line down till the time of the Babylonian exile. And the Bible indicates that, in addition to the prophets that are named, many more served in this sacred office.—1Ki 18:4; 2Ch 36:15, 16.
THE TWELVE-TRIBE KINGDOM
Dates B.C.E.
SAUL began to rule as 1117
king over all 12 tribes
(40 years)
Prophet: Samuel
High priests: Ahijah,
Ahimelech
Birth of David 1107
Samuel completed book of c. 1100
Judges
Samuel completed book c. 1090
of Ruth
Book of 1 Samuel was c. 1078
completed
DAVID began to rule as 1077
king of Judah at Hebron (40)
Prophets: Nathan, Gad,
Zadok
High priest: Abiathar
David became king over 1070
all Israel; made
Jerusalem his capital
Gad and Nathan completed c. 1040
2 Samuel
SOLOMON began to rule as 1037
king (40)
Prophets: Nathan, Ahijah,
Iddo
High priests: Abiathar,
Zadok
Construction of Solomon’s 1034
temple began
Temple built by Solomon in 1027
Jerusalem was completed
Solomon wrote Song of c. 1020
Solomon
Solomon wrote book of b. 1000
Ecclesiastes
KINGDOM OF JUDAH KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
REHOBOAM began to rule as 997 JEROBOAM began to rule
as king (17 years) king over the northern
nation split into two 10 tribes, apparently
kingdoms first from Shechem, then
from Tirzah (22 years)
Prophets: Shemaiah, Iddo Prophet: Ahijah
Shishak of Egypt invaded 993
Judah and took
treasures from temple
in Jerusalem
ABIJAH (ABIJAM) began to 980
rule as king (3)
Prophet: Iddo
ASA evidently began to rule 978
(41), but his first regnal
year counted from 977
Prophets: Azariah, Oded,
Hanani
c. 976 NADAB began to rule as
king (2)
c. 975 BAASHA assassinated Nadab
and then began to rule as
king (24)
Prophet: Jehu (son of
Hanani)
Zerah the Ethiopian came 967
against Judah in war
c. 952 ELAH began to rule as
king (2)
c. 951 ZIMRI, a military chief,
assassinated Elah and then
ruled as king (7 days)
c. 951 OMRI, chief of the army,
began to rule as king (12)
c. 951 Tibni became king over
part of the people,
further dividing the
nation
c. 947 Omri overcame Tibni’s
opposition and became
sole ruler in Israel
c. 945 Omri bought the mountain
of Samaria and built
his capital there
c. 940 AHAB began to rule as
king (22)
Prophets: Elijah,
Micaiah
JEHOSHAPHAT evidently began 937
to rule (25), but his first
regnal year counted
from 936
Prophets: Jehu (son of
Hanani), Eliezer, Jahaziel
High priest: Amariah
c. 920 AHAZIAH, son of Ahab,
‘became king’ (2);
evidently his father was
still living;
Ahaziah’s years of
rulership may count
from c. 919
Prophet: Elijah
Jehoram the son of c. 919
Jehoshaphat became
associated in some way
with his father in the
government
c. 917 JEHORAM, son of Ahab,
began to rule as sole king
of Israel (12); but in at
least one text the brief
reign of his brother
Ahaziah, who died sonless,
also may have been
credited to Jehoram
Prophet: Elisha
JEHORAM became official 913
coregent with Jehoshaphat,
from which time Jehoram’s
kingship may be counted (8)
Prophet: Elijah
Jehoshaphat died and c. 911
Jehoram became sole
ruler
AHAZIAH, son of Jehoram, c. 906
began to rule (1), though
perhaps anointed to kingship
in c. 907
High priest: Jehoiada
ATHALIAH usurped the c. 905 JEHU, a military chief,
throne (6) assassinated Jehoram and
then began to rule (28);
but it seems that his
years of kingship counted
from c. 904
Prophet: Elisha
JEHOASH, son of Ahaziah,
began to rule as king (40) 898
High priest: Jehoiada
876 JEHOAHAZ began to rule as
king (17)
c. 862 Jehoash evidently became

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