How many 70 weeks were there?

[Cyberseeker]

The famous prophecy of Daniel speaks of a era of 490 years called the 'seventy weeks.' But was this a one-off period? In other words, how many '70-weeks' were there? Here is a timeline from Jacob to Christ showing 1960 years from his dream at Bethel. Please divide 1960 years by 4. Coincidence?

 

[Hitch]

New to me but it sure looks cool.

 

[Cyberseeker]

Yeah, I think its rather interesting. :

Hidden in the sabbatic system is a soli-lunar calendar. It did not have the same divisions as us which we call decades, centuries and millenniums. Instead it had weeks (sevens) jubilees (49's) and grand jubilees (490's) which kept repeating.

It seems the 490-year cycle can be tracked through the internal chronology of the Old Testament. We can identify the dates. The 490 mentioned by Daniel is intrinsically linked to the Exodus so that makes three sets of 490 from Moses to Christ. And, as you can see, the 490-year cycle can be followed back further to Jacob.

Cyber

 

[Stormcrow]

Very cool! Just beware that some might try to extrapolate this forward (cough...Camping...cough) and set a new date for the rapture. :o

For instance, 490 x 4 + 33 = 1993: the year Bill Clinton was inaugurated into office.

Hmmm...is he the AC? You be the judge! :D

 

[Sinthesis]

How are you getting the date for Jacob's dream?

 

[Cyberseeker]

Very cool! Just beware that some might try to extrapolate this forward (cough...Camping...cough) and set a new date for the rapture. :o

My belief is that an ancient sabbatic calendar system counted down to the Cross. When the temple was destroyed, the system was destroyed with it, so it is no longer valid to extrapolate the former calendar system into the future.

Endtimers have a bad habit of trying to guess the rapture date and if this had been noticed prior to 1993 you can bet your boots every fruitcake under the sun would have been predicting it.

In my book, Ive included a disclaimer in the hope that readers will not make this mistake.

By way of assurance to the reader, the difference between this discovery and some bizarre writings on the subject is that the dates here are not based on obscure arguments, nor do they contradict those of reputable historians. More importantly, the author does not attempt to project sabbatical and jubilee cycles past the Cross in order to justify some end-time idea.​

 

[Cyberseeker]

How are you getting the date for Jacob's dream?

The main information source is Exodus 12:40-41

The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

So, deducting 430 years from 1445BC show us that Israel and his family entered Egypt during a region-wide drought in 1875BC. The remaining 53 years to Bethel (1928BC) can be tracked in the accounts of Jacob, Rachel and Joseph. (Gen 29-47)

Incidentally, its seems the Exodus occurred on the switch-point of a 69th/70th week, not at the ending of the 70th. That is interesting when comparing it to Jesus who began his ministry on the same 69th/70th switch-point. So, Jesus' famous declaration of "liberty! freedom to the captives! year of the LORD! etc" came on the actual anniversary of the liberation of Israel from bondage. :o

 

[Sinthesis]

The remaining 53 years to Bethel (1928BC) can be tracked in the accounts of Jacob, Rachel and Joseph. (Gen 29-47)

How so?

 

[Cyberseeker]

Bethel dream to the Exodus

As said before, the year of the Exodus was 1445 BC. Now tracing this back to Bethel is as follows: Jacob entered Egypt four hundred and thirty years before the Exodus. (1875BC) It was two years into a severe region-wide famine in which many foreigners came to purchase food that the Egyptians had in storage. The Egyptian surplus was accumulated for seven years prior to the start of the drought following the appointment of Joseph as Prime Minister. It resulted from his policies during those seven years of abundance. Therefore the promotion of Joseph was in the year 1884 BC. Further to this, we are told the age of Joseph at his appointment was thirty years. (Gen 41:46) This dates his birth at 1914 BC.

Now the circumstance of Joseph’s birth is interesting because he was the first-born of his mother, Rachel. She bore him after seven years of disappointing failure to fall pregnant. It was exactly seven years because at that time - at Joseph’s birth - his father Jacob confronted Laban with the fact he had finished seven plus a previous seven years of labour as per their agreement on arriving in Paddan Aram. (Gen 30:25,26)

It was seven more years plus several months before the marriage agreement when Jacob dreamed his dream and built his altar at Bethel. That made it 1928 BC.

So, there were exactly 69 'sevens' (483 years) from Bethel to the Exodus. To summarize:

• 7 years labour for Leah and Rachel
• 7 more years labour for Rachel (Joseph born at end)
• Joseph 30 years old when became Prime Minister
• 7 years abundance started when Joseph appointed
• 2 years into famine when Jacobs family arrived.
• 430 years Israelites lived in Egypt.
• Total years 483 years (69*7)

 

[Sinthesis]

Re: Bethel dream to the Exodus

As said before, the year of the Exodus was 1445 BC. Now tracing this back to Bethel is as follows: Jacob entered Egypt four hundred and thirty years before the Exodus. (1875BC) It was two years into a severe region-wide famine in which many foreigners came to purchase food that the Egyptians had in storage. The Egyptian surplus was accumulated for seven years prior to the start of the drought following the appointment of Joseph as Prime Minister. It resulted from his policies during those seven years of abundance. Therefore the promotion of Joseph was in the year 1884 BC. Further to this, we are told the age of Joseph at his appointment was thirty years. (Gen 41:46) This dates his birth at 1914 BC.

Now the circumstance of Joseph’s birth is interesting because he was the first-born of his mother, Rachel. She bore him after seven years of disappointing failure to fall pregnant. It was exactly seven years because at that time - at Joseph’s birth - his father Jacob confronted Laban with the fact he had finished seven plus a previous seven years of labour as per their agreement on arriving in Paddan Aram. (Gen 30:25,26)

It was seven more years plus several months before the marriage agreement when Jacob dreamed his dream and built his altar at Bethel. That made it 1928 BC.

So, there were exactly 69 'sevens' (483 years) from Bethel to the Exodus. To summarize:

• 7 years labour for Leah and Rachel
• 7 more years labour for Rachel (Joseph born at end)
• Joseph 30 years old when became Prime Minister
• 7 years abundance started when Joseph appointed
• 2 years into famine when Jacobs family arrived.
• 430 years Israelites lived in Egypt.
• Total years 483 years (69*7)

Pretty neat. What is the significance of 955BC?

 

[Cyberseeker]

Sometimes a misunderstanding arises concerning the length of the Egyptian bondage. Genesis 15:13-15 and Acts 7:6 say it was for 400 years whereas Exodus 12:40-41 says 430. However, it is not a contradiction at all! Nor are the figures an approximation. The explanation is shown in this next diagram and I hope it is a help. The extra 30 years were the early years of the Israelites stay in Goshen (Egypt) prior to being pressed into slavery.

 

[reba]

God has a real funny sense of humor! He wrote His Word with small details that vary on purpose.

 

[Sinthesis]

Sometimes a misunderstanding arises concerning the length of the Egyptian bondage. Genesis 15:13-15 and Acts 7:6 say it was for 400 years whereas Exodus 12:40-41 says 430. However, it is not a contradiction at all! Nor are the figures an approximation. The explanation is shown in this next diagram and I hope it is a help. The extra 30 years were the early years of the Israelites stay in Goshen (Egypt) prior to being pressed into slavery.

According to this you would have Joseph as a slave the last 41yrs of his life.

 

[Cyberseeker]

According to this you would have Joseph as a slave the last 41yrs of his life.

Yeah, he lived into the 400 year span and probably even ruled for the beginning period before retiring. I doubt that Joseph himself was affected but Im inclined to think that the early part of the 400 years saw a growing hostility/resentment toward the Israelites that took a generation before it manifest more severely.

Im only surmising of course, but politics today work the same way dont they? We usually get hostile political attitudes brewing over decades before they actually break out into war or persecution.

Nor are the figures an approximation.

Hmmm Maybe I need to modify that claim. I like my arguments cut and dry, but in this case the stated 400 years probably was a progressive development.