STUDY OF BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGY
The study of this topic has in the past often lacked a suitable level
of structure and discipline.
To be properly assembled the following is required:
- an overall concept of the period being presented
- a realization that prophetic teaching must be utilized
to guide the assembly of God's revealed arrangement
- The non-inclusion of guesswork dates compiled by
historians
- an understanding of the duration of a jubilee cycle
- a correct discernment of the 70 weeks prophecy
An overall grasp of the limit of the revealed era assists in preventing
the acceptance of chronologies which are too lengthy. Many proposed
chronologies incorrectly extend well beyond the 6,000 year mark.
It is not without reason that prophetic Scriptures frequently allude
to various numbers of days, years or months. These are in effect
symbolic references to periods linking past events to their future
prophetic types. Often such symbolic references span a considerable
number of years and are essential to the proper derivation of God's
plan.
There has always been in the study of this topic a strong desire
amongst chronologists to harmonise with the Babylonian, Persian and
Greek datings accepted by most historians and archaeologists. This
has ensured a level of misrepresentation of the divine message. It
is always better to exclude such very questionable datings.
Whether the Israelite jubilee cycle encompasses 49 years or 50 years
is another critical issue. It becomes a vital point because the jubilee
cycle is often symbolically utilized by God to refer to lengthy spans.
The typical 70 x 7 year view of the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel
9:24-27 has been a major contributing factor in concealing the true
perspective of God. It has given rise to many worthless speculations
for the Persian to Christ era.
Confirmation of the above composition can be found in prophecy.
MAJOR ERAS
The historic data provided in Scripture covers the Creation to the
Second Temple span.
Major eras within this span include:
- the pre-Flood period
- Flood to Abraham
- Abraham/Isaac/Jacob to Exodus
- Judges of Israel
- Kings of Israel and Judah
- Captivity to Babylon and rebuilt temple period
The study of these eras helps the student gain a far better overall
view of the unfolding of the work of God.
When compiling the chronologies of such eras it is always necessary
to present a very closely fitted arrangement. A series of single year
ambiguities can amount to a significant corruption. The fact that
these ambiguities can indeed be removed is a significant sign that
the Word of God is indeed of worthy of our attention.
| 
----------------------------------------------------------
