Bible Study Biblical Forties, Why so Many?

[Marturion]

Biblical Forties, Why so Many?

Rained 40 days and 40 nights during the flood, Gen 7:4
Noah remained in the ark 40 days after dry land appears, Gen 8:6
Moses was in the wilderness 40 years, Act 7:30
Moses was on the Mountain 40 days, Exo 24:18, DEU 9:18
Malefactors were scourged with 40 stripes, Deu 25:3
Israelites were fed manna in the wilderness 40 years, Exo 16:35
Tabernacle had 40 silver sockets, Exo 26:19
There were 40 year periods of peace, Judges 3:11, 5:31, 8:28
Eli (a high priest) judged Israel 40 years, 1Sa 4:18
Elijah was on the mountain 40 days, 1Ki 19:8
David ruled Israel 40 years, 1Ki 2:11
Solomon ruled Israel 40 years, 1Ki 11:42
Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days, Mat 4:2
Jesus appeared to the disciples for 40 days, Act 1:3

How old was Jesus when He went to the Cross and why do we believe it? Most theologians teach that Jesus was 33
when He went to the Cross, but what if it can be conclusively proven from the Bible and history that it isn’t so?

What We Know from the Bible
1. Qurinius was pro-Counsel in Syria. (Luke 2:2)
2. A census sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. (Luke 2:3)
3. Herod ordered babies killed that were younger than two years old. (Mat 2:16)
4. The 69 Weeks of Daniel 9:24-26 were fulfilled in 32AD.

What We Know from Recorded History?
1. The Romans took a census every 14 years!
2. Herod died in 4BC.
3. Quirinius was pro-council in Syria in 7BC (That’s struck in stone).
4. Solid archeological support for the Roman census of 20AD.
5. Some support for a Roman census in 6AD. (All authorities agree, 6AD is too late for the birth of Jesus).
6. The next earlier Roman census would have been 14 years earlier, i.e., 8BC.


If Jesus was born 8BC then He was 40 when he was crucified
. . . and that would explain the 40's as types of the life of Christ!

 

[SnapCount]

The number 7's more prominent in the Bible

http://www.cswnet.com/~duxrow/No.7.htm

The 7 years Jacob served for Rachel

The 7 more years after that, because of the switch on his wedding night
The 7 years of Good Harvest, followed by 7 years of famine
The dreams of the Pharaoh about the seven (7) cows who ate seven (7) cows
And his 2nd dream about the 7 ears of corn

I. - 7 days alert for Noah, Gen7:4
II - 7 days for the dove, Gen8:10
III - 7 ewe lambs of Abraham, Gen21:28
IV - 7 days of eating unleavened bread, Ex23:15
V - 7 lamps (menorah) for the tabernacle, Ex37:23
VI - 7 days of dwelling in booths, Lev23:42
VII - 7 locks of hair on Samson's head, Judg 16:13
1. - 7 daughters of Jethro in Exodus 2:16
2. - 7 sprinkles of blood in Leviticus 4:6
3. - 7 lamps in Numbers 8:2
4. - 7 nations of Deuteronomy 7:1
5. - 7 priests w 7 trumpets on the 7th day in Joshua 6:4
6. - 7 feast days for Samson in Judges 14:17
7. - 7 sons not worth a daughter like her: Ruth 4:15

In Matthew it’s the SEVEN loaves: 15:34
In Mark it’s the Sadducee story of the SEVEN brothers: 12:20
In Luke it’s the SEVEN devils of Mary Magdalene: 8:2
In Acts it's the SEVEN sons of the Priest Sceva: 19:14

The Revelation Sevens

The seven churches and seven spirits: 1:4 - seven golden candlesticks: 1:12 - seven stars: 1:16 - seven angels: 1:20 - seven lamps: 4:5 - seven seals: 5:5 - seven horns and seven eyes: 5:6 - seven trumpets: 8:2 - seven thunders: 10:3 - seven heads and seven crowns: 12:3 - seven plagues: 15:1 - seven golden vials: 15:7 - seven mountains: 17:9 - seven kings: 17:10

There's a few more seven's

 

[irishrain]

40 is trials, probation and testings. Biblical mathematics by Vallowe

 

[YehwehPaladin]

I think these number patterns (some can still be seen today) are God's ways of letting you know this isn't coincidence. He's letting you know He's behind it without verbally expressing it.

Just me opinion.

 

[SnapCount]

Numbers are used frequently in the Bible (especially in prophetic and apocalyptic works) and in Christian pictorial symbols to signify various theological concepts. Following are the most commonly accepted interpretations of numerical symbols.

One signifies unity; both the unity of God and the unity of members of the Church.

The number two represents duality. Specifically, it can symbolize the divine and human natures of Christ or the material and the spiritual.

The number three represents the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)

Four can represent the Four Evangelists (authors of the Gospels), the four corners of the earth, or the four seasons. Its association with the latter sometimes make it the number of earth.

Five symbolizes the five wounds Christ suffered on the cross (hands, feet, and side), and by extension represents sacrifice.

Six represents creation, because God created in six days, or imperfection, because it falls short of the perfect number seven.

Seven is the number of perfection. God rested on the seventh day, Paul lists seven gifts of the Spirit and Jesus spoke seven utterances from the cross. The number seven is especially prominent in the apocalyptic Book of Revelation, in which there are seven seals, seven churches and many other things numbering seven.

Eight represents regeneration or resurrection. Thus many baptismal fonts are eight-sided, as is the baptismal cross.

Nine is the number of mystery or angels, since there are nine choirs of angels.

Ten symbolizes completion, since there are Ten Commandments, Ten Plagues, etc.

Twelve is often used to signify the whole church, since there were 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles.

Thirteen represents betrayal since there were 13 people at the Last Supper.

Forty symbolizes trial or testing, since Noah's flood, Israel's wandering in the wilderness, Moses' stay on Mt. Sinai, and Jesus' temptation in the wilderness all lasted forty days. The Lenten Season is forty days in duration for this reason.

One hundred usually denotes completeness or plentitude, since it is ten times ten.

One thousand represents a very large number, infinity or eternity.

http://www.religionfacts.com/christiani ... umbers.htm

 

[ironsheik7]

[[[ Forty symbolizes trial or testing, since Noah's flood, Israel's wandering in the wilderness, Moses' stay on Mt. Sinai, and Jesus' temptation in the wilderness all lasted forty days. The Lenten Season is forty days in duration for this reason. ]]]]

I believe that 40 was the age of christ when he was crucified, and that he wasn't 30 or 33 yrs old as most scholars contend. I believe this is why 40 is a Holy number. A southern baptist minister showed me this using scripture as plain as the nose on face.

 

[Deborah13]

If Jesus was born 8BC then He was 40 when he was crucified
. . . and that would explain the 40's as types of the life of Christ!

I'd thought maybe that it could be from Jesus ascension to the destruction of the temple in 70AD. Could have been 40yrs?


According to Luke 3:1, John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign. Tiberius was appointed as co-regent with Augustus in AD 11, and 15 years later would be AD 26. Jesus began His ministry shortly thereafter at approximately the age of thirty (Luke 3:23).

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/length-Jesus-ministry.html#ixzz2QDvsZXg1

 

[Sinthesis]

If Jesus was born 8BC then He was 40 when he was crucified
. . . and that would explain the 40's as types of the life of Christ!

I'd thought maybe that it could be from Jesus ascension to the destruction of the temple in 70AD. Could have been 40yrs?


According to Luke 3:1, John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign. Tiberius was appointed as co-regent with Augustus in AD 11, and 15 years later would be AD 26. Jesus began His ministry shortly thereafter at approximately the age of thirty (Luke 3:23).

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/length-Jesus-ministry.html#ixzz2QDvsZXg1

I agree completely. The idea that Jesus was 40yrs old is interesting, but the parts just don't fit. Jesus was 30yrs old when He was baptized by John.