Posted by New chronology [Bibleman] on November 27, 1999 at 01:45:47 {nwG7wj0NI.f9UnUPxURUslyACFuF8c}:
Well who would have thought there is yet one more method of confirming Biblical chronology? Yep! It's by the 14-generations chronology of Matthew 1:17. It's an indirect confirmation but compelling nonetheless.
"All the generations, then from Abraham until David were fourteen generations, and from David until the deportation to Babylon fourteen genreations, and from the deportation to Babylon until the chirst fourteen generations."
How does this confirm anything? Well, it implies that the births of Abraham, David, and Jesus along with the date of the 1st deportation must be divisible by 14.
Thus once you have a set chronology for these dates then this 14-generations application should confirm the dating, which it does!
See the chart below, but basically this entire period is 10x14=140 x 14 = 1960. 1960 is focussed on because half of 1960 is 980 and half of 980 is 490 which is a Biblical number connected with the Jubilees.
So thus it is interesting that from the birth of Abraham until around the time Jesus would have been 70 years old had he lived to the end of his generation at 70 years (which is divisible by 14), there are 1960 years. Interestingly, the temple would have been destroyed shortly after Jesus reached the age of 70, so that might be significant for the temple being destroyed in 70CE.
But the most impressive details are that out of four specific references which should be divisible by 14, we have great precision.
For instance, Jesus was born in 2BCE which is a confirmed date. We add 70 years to arrive at 69CE because that would end a generation of 70 years. But since 70 is divisible by 14, it's easier to work with the BCE dating from 2BCE.
Based upon the VAT4956 astronomical text as well as the Bible which requires the fall of Jerusalem in 529BCE, we find that the 1st deportation would have occurred during the Accession Year of Nebuchadnezzar which would have been in 548 BCE. The VAT4956 dates his 37th year in 511BCE so his accession year 37 years earlier would be in 548BCE. So there should be equal 14 equal generations from 548BCE to 2BCE. 548-2=546. Well, is 546 divisible by 14? The answer is YES! 39x14=546. So this fulfills that section of 14 generations from the deportation to Jesus of 39 years each; or if you want to include Jesus' generation of 70 years you can add another 5x14=70 years.
But this is also impressive since you can as well calculate the birth date of Abraham by subtracting 69CE from 1960 years which gives you the year of 1892 BCE. From that date you can coordinate other known dating.
For instance, the Exodus is dated in 1386 which is 430 years after the Abrahamic Covenant began which must have happened in 1816. Abraham was 75 years old when this occurred, and thus in his 76th year so adding 76 to 1816 gives us 1892 B.C.E., the same dating when we subtract 69CE from 1960.
So, all-in-all, this 14-generations chronology from Matthew is yet another confirmation tool which confirms the correct Biblical chronology and puts pressure on false chronologies to do the same, which (though I haven't checked) I doubt if they do. Actually, why bother since the focus in on 1960 years from Abraham's birth to the end of Jesus' generation in 69CE. Both witness and secular chronology have been expanded too much to git into that parameter.
Here's the chart with some notes:
TRIVIA: Of note, it would seem that we must date David's birth in 996 BCE, a date previously not given in the scritpures. The Bible does not say how old David was when he died. But this dating works out quite well with the background context of this history.
This date would mean, for instance, that David was six years old when Saul became king. David did not start to attend to Saul until after he had lost Jehovah's favor. Saul ruled for 40 years. So if Saul took ten years of rule before being rejected and David chosen, then David would have been around 16 years of age and that's about right for his being young and slaying Goliath, etc. He would have been 46 though by the end of Saul's reign and 86 after his 40 year rule. The Bible does indicate he was quite elderly near the end.
Of note, I haven't cross-checked everything totally, so there might be some minor adjustments necessary. But so far it checks out perfectly and there is yet another chronology typology that we can use to derive ancient dates based upon the chronology of Jesus Christ.
Please note, the focus on 14 came about with talk about the 14 clean animals entering into the Ark. Whether there is a connection or not has yet to be developed.
But it is interesting that there are 1960 years from the birth of Abraham until basically the destruction of the temple in 70CE.
1960 years is also "spiritual Israel" significant since it is 490x4 from 36CE, which gives us a critical COVENANT period from 36CE to 1996 A.D. (1960+36=1996), and of course 490 years earlier gives us the return from Babylon in 455BCE when the "word went forth to rebuild Jerusalem" to fulfill the "70weeks" prophecy.
Interestingly, there is a 33-year difference with the fleshly Israel 1960 years ending in 69 and the spiritual Israel 1960 years ending in 36CE.
Covenant periods of Fleshly Israel verses spiritual Israel also match up. From 36 CE 490 years, pluse 930
years to the Exodus added to 430 years to the beginning of the Abrahamic Covenant is 1850 years. When you add 1850 years to 36CE you get the end of the 2300 evenings and mornings which is 1886 A.D. when the spiritual temple-class was to show up, 110 years before the end of the 1960-year period ending in 1996.
So these patterns overlap and intersect at many points, all the more confirming the Bible's chronology is correct when dating the fall of Jerusalem in 529BCE.
Cheers,
Bibleman