Histories,
Chronologies,
Chronologists
and
Time
Prophecies
“Without chronology,” says Dr. Hales, “history would
lose its most valuable characters of truth
and consistency , and scarcely
rise above the level of romance.”
Before
an evaluation of this subject, I must provide definitions for a proper
understanding of the difference between Chronology and Time Prophecy.
Chronology is a historical study of
the length of time from Adam until our day. It does not predict events, but
rather shows the length of history through genealogical lists; lists of judges,
kings, and events which are listed in Scripture and compares them with
archeological or historical findings to set time periods.
Time prophecies foretell events in advance
that have not yet occurred. These prophecies do not always contain time or
chronological limitations as to how or when they are applicable and are
generally only "unlocked" after the event has already passed.
The
study of chronology is necessary to a proper understanding of Time Prophecies.
There
have always been chroniclers of time. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians,
the Romans and others all had scribes who chronicled their kings and their
reigns. If a certain king didn’t like another he had him stricken from the
official records and had history rewritten to his liking.
"One
reason why modern Biblical scholarship has been inclined to overlook the
schematic nature of Biblical chronology may be that it is, in a way, rather
embarrassing. Modern Biblical scholarship is largely historical in outlook, and
considerable effort has been devoted to establishing a reliable chronological
framework for the history of the Israelite and Judean kingdoms. If the
chronological data on which this framework is based should turn out to be mythical
rather than historical this might be regarded as undermining part of the basis
of modern Biblical scholarship. IT COULD BE WORSE THAN THIS: IF THE CHRONOLOGY
IS MYTHICAL RATHER THAN HISTORICAL, THE SAME MIGHT ALSO BE TRUE OF THE
NARRATIVE WHICH CONTAINS THIS CHRONOLOGY. In which case Biblical scholarship
may be seriously misguided in its preoccupation with historical fact rather
than mythical meaning. "
From the Secrets of the
Times, Myth and History in Biblical Chronology, Jeremy Hughes, revised version
of doctoral thesis, Oxford, 1986, JSOT Press, 1990.
The
Jewish nation had a Divine chronicler.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.
2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy
of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.
There
have been several other chroniclers in history as well as those who have
written about time prophecies. There are too many to list here, but several of
the main students and their works in order to trace the line of the history of
the chronology we use to our day.
Barnabas:
In the apocryphal epistle of Barnabas, the writer sheds light on the Jewish and early Christian tradition that the end of the 6000 years of time from the creation of Adam to our day would mark a momentous event in the history of the world.
From the Epistle of Barnabas:
Chapter XV.-The False and the True Sabbath.
“Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And sanctify ye the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart." And He says in another place, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them." The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: "And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day.”
“Among the Apostolic Fathers
BARNABAS is the first and the only one who expressly teaches a pre-millennial
reign of Christ on earth. He considers the Mosaic history of the creation a
type of six ages of labor for the world, each lasting a thousand years, and of
a millennium of rest; since with God “one day is as a thousand years.” The
millennial Sabbath on earth will be followed by an eighth and eternal day in a
new world, of which the Lord’s Day (called by Barnabas “the seventh day”) is
the type.” - Schaff’s History of the
Christian Church.
Pastor Russell comments on
this in his second volume of Studies in the Scriptures, "The Time is at Hand":
"Here we
furnish the evidence that from the creation of Adam to A.D. 1873 was six
thousand years. And though the Bible
contains no direct statement that the seventh thousand will be the epoch of
Christ’s reign, the great Sabbath Day of restitution to the world, yet the venerable tradition is not without a reasonable
foundation." - The Time is At Hand,
p39
Archbishop, James USHER, “Annals of the World.” (Latin edition 1650,
English edition – 1658) He was Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, and was born January
4, 1581, in Dublin Ireland and died March 21, 1656.
Usher
was a man of deep and wide theological learning, and his careful conclusion,
after years of study of the Hebrew Scriptures, was that man was created 4004
years before the Christian era. His verdict was widely received as final; his
dates were inserted in the margins of the authorized version of the Englsih
Bible and were soon practically regarded as equally inspired with the sacred
text itself.
On the
Millennium, Usher followed the Augustinian theory that the world was in the
Millennium and the Catholic Church was the divinely ordained judge of both men
and angels and did not believe that the Millennium would be future.
Dr. William Hales, “New Analysis of Chronology;” 1747-1831
Dr. William Hales was born
in Ireland and received his B.A. and D.D. at Trinity College in Dublin. At
first he served as a tutor and later as a professor of Oriental languages.
Dr. Hales called himself the “Inspector.” He knew
that the 70 weeks of Daniel were prophetic of a “day for year” and based upon
this reasoning he applied the same principle to the other time periods in the
book of Daniel.
“And after the sixty and two
weeks, before specified, as the largest division of the 70, was the ANOINTED
[LEADER] ‘cut off’ judicially, by an iniquitous sentence, in the midst of the
one week, which formed the third and last division, and began with our Lord’s
baptism, about A.D. 27. –‘when he was beginning to be thirty years of age,’ and
commenced his mission, which lasted three years and half until his crucifixion,
about A.D.31.
“During this one week, which
ended about A.D.34 (about the martyrdom of Stephen,) a new covenant was
established with many of the Jews, of every class; in the midst of which the
Temple sacrifice was virtually abrogated by the all-sufficient sacrifice of the
Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the [repentant and believing] world.” (William Hales, The Inspector, or Select
Literary Intelligence, p. 207)
In Hales treatise of the
chronological question he adopts the longer Septuagint chronology instead of
the Hebrew chronology.
Dr.
Hales, Dr. Smith, and others affirm that the Hebrew version was corrupted by
the Jews to evade the force of the argument that Jesus was the Christ. In
proof, Dr. Smith says,
Justin Martyr “distinctly asserts that the Jews had actually erased several
whole passages from the Scriptures.” - S.
Bliss, Analysis of Sacred Chronology – 1850
Most Biblical scholars believe that the
chronology of the Septuagint is contains the altered chronology, rather than
the Hebrew text as Hales suggested.
“The
Chronology of the Septuagint has been changed to agree with the Egyptian, but
the information of heathen history writers or heathen priests cannot have the
same value or greater value than the words of God.” - H. Karlan, 1946, translated from Swedish.
“This
implies that the Hebrew Church, as a body, was not faithful to the trust
committed to it in respect to the keeping of the Scriptures, which seems
distinctly opposed to the testimony of our Lord in reference to these
Scriptures (John 5:39; 10:35), and also to that of Paul (Rom 3:2), where there
is not the least hint of unfaithfulness.” Alexander
Hislop, The Two Babylons
Edward
Bishop Elliott discusses the errors of the Septuagint in great length in his
commentary on Revelation, Horae
Apocalypticae. He suggests reasons for the change stating, "
"Jackson allows
that it is difficult to see the motives of the Jews in shortening the
patriarchal genealogies. On the other hand the Septuagint translators had an
obvious motive for enlarging the chronology. The Chaldeans and Egyptians (whose
histories were about this time published by Berosus and Manetho) laid claim to
a remote antiquity. Hence these translators of the Pentateuch might have been
led in a spirit of rivalry to augment the amount of the generations of their
ancestors, alike by the centenary additions, and by the interpolation (as Hales
himself allows it is) of the second Cainaan."
"Augustine, whose
four chapters on this subject (C. D. xv. 10-14) well deserve attentive perusal,
has put this point very strongly. Which, says he, is most credible: that the
Jews, dispersed all over the world; should have conspired together to defraud
their scriptures and themselves of truth, the exclusive possession of which is
so much their boast; or that the seventy Greek translators, united together in
conclave by King Ptolemy, should have managed to falsify the numerals? He adds,
as his own solution of the matter, that it was after all probably not the
translators, but the first transcriber of the manuscripts from the original in
the Royal Library, that introduced the error;
. . . Augustine's testimony is the more valuable and remarkable because
he was himself originally . . . a Septuagintarian in chronology." Elliott, E. B., Horae Apocalypticae, p256
Elliott
also gives examples of the contradictions in the Septuagint chronology, one of
which I will quote:
"Of
the errors of the Septuagint numerals in many copies a notable example is given
by Augustine, ibid. For it seems that in almost all the copies then extant
Methuselah was made to have begotten Lamech at the age of 167, and to have
lived 802 years after: that is, fourteen years after the flood, on the
Septuagint chronology itself; though we know that no men but. Noah, Shem, Ham,
and Japhet, were preserved alive through it!" Elliott, E. B., Horae Apocalypticae, p255
Elliott
makes extensive use of the work of Henry Fynes Clinton, a chronologist of his
era, in his appendix on Scripture chronology and says in regards to the
chronology of the Septuagint,
"On the two points alleged in their own favor
by the advocates of the Septuagint Chronology, Mr. Clinton quite turns the
tables against them . . ." Elliott,
E. B., Horae Apocalypticae, p256
Henry
Fynes Clinton, Esq. M.A
Mr.
Clinton published two very large treatises, “Fasti Hellenici,” and "Fasti
Romani," totaling five volumes, in which he tried to compute the length of
time from Adam until our day and also harmonize Scripture with the known
archeology of his day. His work is probably the most extensive and scholastic
of our times anywhere in the world and at any time in history. He references
all the ancient authors, explores the options and problems. Although he weighs
toward the traditional, and has sections of chronology from all known histories
such as the Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Egyptians, etc. Clinton acknowledges
details that are most puzzling and that are passed over by others. He computes
the date for Adam to be 4138 BC and he has the birth of Abraham also 10 years
different from the projections in the chronology chart of Bowen’s in Elliott's Horae Apocalypticae. He has 2030 instead
of 2020 BC.
Therefore by projecting Clinton suggests that the 6000 years of the world's
history reaches to 1862 AD.
“His reasoning is clear, his authorities are
numerous, and his tone is moderate. . . His chronology contains perhaps fewer
errors than that of any of his predecessors. He determines the Joshua-Judges
‘Chasm’ (20 years instead of 13) and the Samuel ‘Chasm’ (32 years instead of
20) by means of a subjective estimate, or conjecture, instead of by inference
from the date contained in the Text, and for the Persian and Greek period from
Cyrus to Christ, he adopts the figures of the Canon of Ptolemy instead of those
of the prophet Daniel. Like most other Chronologers, he does not understand the
Scripture method of recording the lengths of the reigns of the Kings of Israel
and Judah. He is to be blamed for his assertion that the figures given in the
Books of Kings and Chronicles are sometimes ‘corrupt’ and to be rejected. But
apart from these errors, . . . he is a most worthy and a most judicious guide.” Martin Anstey, “The Romance of Bible
Chronology” p53.
Clinton's
work deals entirely with history and does not encumber himself with time
prophecies.
Edward Bishop Elliott (1793-1875) and Christopher Bowen, “Horae Apocalypticae” London, 1846.
There
is little known information about Mr. Bowen except that he was Rector of St.
Thomas, Winchester, and called by Elliott, "a friend and brother"
There are no known publications of Mr. Bowen.
"Edward Bishop Elliott (1793-1875), scholarly
prophetic expositor, received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge,
graduating in 1816. After traveling in Italy and Greece he was given the
vicarage of Tuxford, Nottingham, in 1824, and later was made prebendary of
Heytesbury, Wiltshire. In 1849 he became incumbent of St. Mark's Church,
Brighton. A member of the Evangelical school, he was an earnest promoter of
missionary enterprise and an ardent advocate of premillenialism. Elliott was
thoroughly equipped as a scholar and was deeply interested in prophecy,
spending a lifetime in investigation and seeking to understand God's mind
thereon. His Horae Apocalypticae (Hours with the Apocalypse) [literally 'time
with the Apocalypse'] is doubtless the most elaborate work ever produced on the
Apocalypse... Begun in 1837, its 2500 pages of often involved and overloaded
text are buttressed by some 10,000 invaluable references to ancient and modern
works bearing on the topics under discussion.... Perhaps its most unique
feature is the concluding sketch of the rise and spread of the Jesuit counter
systems of interpretation that had made such inroads upon Protestantism.
Holding unswervingly to the Historical School of interpretation, Elliott gives
the most complete exposure of these counter interpretations to be found." The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Leroy
Froom vol. III, pgs. 716-718
Many
prophetic expositors have recognized Elliott's scholarly work.
"And the last
three centuries have been an era of light. At their commencement the human mind
experienced an emancipation, and was furnished with new instruments. Learning
was revived, and the art of printing discovered. Since then the Word of God has
been multiplied, translated, and expounded as never before. And the
understanding of prophecy has shared the general advance. During this time
libraries have been written on the prophetic Scriptures. Mighty interpreters
have been raised up, men such as Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, Elliott, whose
investigations have drawn back the veil of long continued ignorance, and let in
new light upon some of the darkest obscurities of the theme. Interpreters have
risen in groups like constellations of stars, and knowledge has
increased." Henry Grattan Guinness,
Romanism and the Reformation.
“Perhaps its
most unique feature is the concluding sketch of the rise and spread of the
Jesuit counter-systems of interpretation that had made such inroads upon
Protestantism. Holding unswervingly to the Historical School of interpretation,
Elliott gives the most complete exposure of these counter-interpretations to be
found.” Leroy Froom, The Prophetic Faith
of Our Fathers, Vol. 3, p717.
The
chronology presented in the work of Henry Fynes Clinton work was picked up and
refined in Elliott's four volume treatise, “Horae Apocalypticae" in 1846
where he appends a "Scripture
Chronology of the World" in a very long footnote, and states that "on
the fly-leaf is appended in illustration a Tabular Scheme of this Scripture
Chronology, with the scriptural authorities in brief; drawn up by my friend and
brother, the Rev. C. Bowen, Rector of St. Thomas, Winchester." p259
This statement presents us with two questions:
1) What Scripture chronology
does Elliott refer to when he says "this Scripture Chronology?"
2) Did Bowen write the
chronology list independently of Elliott, or did he only draw up a tabular
scheme of Elliott's chronology?
The first question can be answered by looking at the
entire footnote where the chronology list appears. There is a reference in an
earlier statement where Elliott discusses Henry Fynes Clinton's chronology.
"According to the elaborate tables of one of
the most judicious and learned of our modern chronologists, the late Mr. Flynes
Clinton, the world’s 6000 years would seem to be very near their ending."
p254
"When [is] the termination of [the] sixth millenary? . . . Mr. Clinton, in his Essay on Hebrew
Chronology, appended to the third volume of his late learned Work entitled Fasti Hellenici, has greatly elucidated
the subject."
The second question is not as easily answered as the
first. The problem is that Elliott does not state that the modified chronology
is his or Bowen's, but only that this chronology was drawn up by Mr.
Bowen. Regardless of who the originator is, we do know that it is based upon
the earlier work by Clinton.
Mr. Elliott gives us clues as to the author of the
chronology when we view certain statements he made such as:
"Thus Mr. Clinton seems
fairly to have estimated Joshua's age . . ."
"Mr. Clinton, not without
reason, as it seems to me, prefers the latter."
"See my abstract of Mr. Clinton’s chronological
argument and tables."
" . . . a difference . .
. noted by me (Elliott) in the text . . ."
"The
chronological question on which I have now to enter, becomes one of really
important bearing on the point in hand . . ."
"Thus
there is nothing in the Jewish mundane chronology to affect the accuracy of Mr.
Clinton's. . . I cannot therefore but
suspect that to constitute the interval this prophetic term of years may have
been the abbreviator's object. . . "
"There remain but two
small chasms in the Hebrew chronology to fill up, and one doubtful point to
settle, arising from a difference between an Old Testament statement and one in
the New Testament, in order to the completion of OUR chronological table."
These statements, and others like it, suggests to us
that the chronology was Elliott's and he had his friend, the Reverend Bowen,
draw up the chart. It may be that the chronology was a cooperation between the
two friends, Elliott, and Bowen but there is simply not enough information to
determine if this is truth or conjecture.
When
Mr. Taylor discusses Elliott's chronology in his work, he also makes the
suggestion that Mr. Bowen drew up the chart for
his friend Elliott.
“The following
Table has been prepared for the second edition of this work by Mr. Sylvester
Bliss, author of a valuable work on chronology, entitled, “Analysis of Sacred
Chronology;” and the fifth column gives his estimated length of the several
periods intervening between the creation and the Vulgar Era. The fourth column
was drawn up by Reverend C. Bowen, of England, for the Reverend E. B. Elliott,
who gives it in his Horae Apocalypticae,
as the chronology of Mr. Clinton, whence it was copied as such in the first
edition. It varies, however from Mr. Clinton’s 10 years in the aggregate, and
in a number of places in the detail.” D.
T. Taylor – The Voice of the Church (1855)
It
is a strong possibility that Elliott picked up other ideas of time prophecy
from John Aquilla Brown’s concepts regarding the “Gentile Times” prophecy of
“seven times” or 2520 years. Mr. Brown wrote a book in 1823 called “The Even-Tide” which dated this prophecy
from 604 BC to 1917 AD. Elliott lists this interpretation as well as the
606BC-1914AD concept and others as several possibilities for fulfillment of
this prophecy.
Elliott
did not see the 606BC date as the fall of Jerusalem or the seventy years
desolation, but rather the first assession year of Nebuchadnezzar when he took
prisoners from Israel to Babylon, and the beginning of the seventy years
captivity.
Elliott
also proposed that the Jubilean periods, if computed as time prophecy, would
reach until 1875 A.D., but stated that it was merely conjecture.
These
two views, the Gentile times of 2520 stretching from 606 BC to 1914 AD, and the
end of the prophetic Jubilee periods ending in 1875 AD, were in the second
edition of "Horae Apocalypticae"
but removed for newer prophetic speculations in later editions of Mr.
Elliott's work.
The
following is a reproduction. It is from the title page of a book printed in
1846. This is the earliest known form of the Chronology we as Bible Students
use today. The following page is a reproduction from the page from the earliest
printing of our Bible Chronology.
HORAE APOCALYPTICAE,
OR
A COMMENTARY ON THE
APOCALYPSE,
CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL;
INCLUDING ALSO AN EXAMINATION OF
THE CHIEF PROPHECIES OF DANIEL.
ILLUSTRATED BY AN APOCALYPTIC
CHART, AND ENGRAVINGS
FROM MEDALS AND OTHER EXTANT
MONUMENTS
OF ANTIQUITY.
BY THE REV. E. B. ELLIOTT, A. M.
LATE VICAR OF TUXFORD, AND
FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
SECOND EDITION,
CAREFULLY REVISED, CORRECTED,
AND IMPROVED;
WITH AN APPENDIX,
CONTAINING, BESIDES OTHER
MATTER,
A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF
APOCALYPTIC INTERPRETATION
AND INDECES.
VOL. IV
SEELEY, BURNSIDE, AND SEELEY:
FLEET STREET, LONDON
1846
The
following reproduction of the tabular scheme of the Scripture chronology of the
world found in "Horae Apocalypticae."
THE SCRIPTURE
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WORLD
A.M.
1 Creation of Adam to the birth of Seth 130 years #Ge 5:3 "Adam lived 130 years and begat a
son, ... and called his name Seth."
130 Seth born to the birth of Enos 105 years #Ge 5:6 "Seth lived 105 years, and begat
Enos."
235 Enos born to the birth of Cainan 90 years #Ge 5:9 "Enos lived 90 years, and begat
Cainan."
325 Cainan born to the birth of Mahalaleel 70 years #Ge 5:12 "Cainan lived 70 years, and begat
Mahalaleel."
395 Mahalaleel born to the birth of Jared 65 years #Ge 5:15 "Mahalaleel lived 65 years, and begat Jared."
460 Jared born to the birth of Enoch 162 years #Ge 5:18 "Jared lived 162 years, and begat
Enoch."
622 Enoch born to the birth of Methusela 65 years #Ge 5:21 "Enoch lived 65 years, and begat
Methuselah."
687 Methuselah born to the birth of Lamech 187 years #Ge 5:25 "Methuselah lived 187 years, and begat Lamech."
874 Lamech born to the birth of Noah 182 years #Ge 5:28,29 "Lamech lived 182 years, and begat a son, and he called his name Noah."
1056 Noah
born to the
Flood 600 years #Ge
7:6 "Noah was 600 years
old when the flood of waters was upon the earth."
1656 The
Flood to the birth
of Arphaxad 2 years #Ge 11:10 "Shem begat Arphaxad 2 years after
the Flood."
1658 Arphaxad
born to the birth of
Salah 35 years #Ge 11:12 "Arphaxad lived 35 years, and begat
Salah."
1693 Salah
born to the birth
of Eber 30 years #Ge 11:14 "Salah lived 30 years, and begat
Eber."
1723 Eber
born to the birth
of Peleg 34 years #Ge 11:16 "Eber lived 34 years, and begat
Peleg."
1757 Peleg
born to the birth
of Reu 30 years #Ge 11:18 "Peleg lived 30 years, and begat
Reu."
1787 Reu
born to the birth
of Serug 32 years #Ge 11:20 "Reu lived 32 years, and begat
Serug."
1819 Serug
born to the birth
of Nahor 30 years #Ge 11:22 "Serug lived 30 years, and begat
Nahor."
1849 Nahor
born to the birth
of Terah 29 years #Ge 11:24 "Nahor lived 29 years, and begat
Terah."
1878 Terah
born to his
death 205 years #Ge
11:32 "The days of Terah
were 205 years:and Terah died." (#Ge 12:1) "Now the
Lord," etc.
2083 The Covenant
made with Abram to the giving of the
Law 430 years #Ga 3:17 "The Covenant ... the Law, which
was 430 years after, cannot disannul."
2513 The Giving
of the Law to the return of
the Spies 1 years #Nu 10:11 (Compare #Ex 19:1)
2514 Promise to
Caleb on return of Spies to division of the Land 45 years #Jos 14:10
"These 45 years, ever since the Lord spake this word unto
Moses."
2559 The division
of the Land to Samuel the
Prophet 450 years #Ac 13:20 "After that, he gave unto them
Judges, about the space of 450 years, until Samuel."
3009 Saul
anointed to the death
of Saul 40 years #Ac 13:21 "Afterward ... God gave unto them
Saul ... by the space of 40 years."
3049 David began
to reign to his death 40 years #1Ki 2:11 "The days that David reigned over
all Israel were 40 years."
3089 Solomon
began to reign to his
death 40 years #2Ch
9:30 "Solomon reigned in
Jerusalem over all Israel 40 years."
3129 Rehoboam
began to reign to his death 17 years #2Ch 12:13 "He reigned 17 years in
Jerusalem."
3146 Abijah began
to reign to his death 3 years #2Ch 13:2 "He reigned 3 years in
Jerusalem."
3149 Asa began to
reign to his death 41 years #2Ch 16:13 "As a ... died in the 41st year of
his reign."
3190 Jehoshaphat
began to reign to his death 25 years #2Ch 20:31 "He reigned 25 years in
Jerusalem."
3215 Jehoram
began to reign to his
death 8 years #2Ch
21:20 "He reigned in
Jerusalem 8 years."
3223 Ahaziah
began to reign to his
death 1 years #2Ch
22:2 "He reigned 1 year in
Jerusalem."
3224 Athaliah’s
usurpation to her death 6 years #2Ch 22:12 "He (Joash) was with them hid in the
house of God 6 years:and Athaliah reigned."
3230 Joash began
to reign to his death 40 years #2Ch 24:1 "He reigned 40 years in
Jerusalem."
3270 Amaziah
began to reign to his
death 29 years #2Ch
25:1 "He reigned 29 years
in Jerusalem."
3299 Uzziah began
to reign to his death 52 years #2Ch 26:3 "He reigned 52 years in
Jerusalem."
3351 Jotham began
to reign to his death 16 years #2Ch 27:1 "He reigned 16 years in
Jerusalem."
3367 Ahaz began
to reign to his death 16 years #2Ch 28:1 "He reigned 16 years in
Jerusalem."
3383 Hezekiah
began to reign to his death 29 years #2Ch 29:1 "He reigned 29 years in
Jerusalem."
3412 Manasseh
began to reign to his death 55 years #2Ch 33:1 "He reigned 55 years in
Jerusalem."
3467 Amon began
to reign to his death 2 years #2Ch 33:21 "(Amon) reigned 2 years in
Jerusalem."
3469 Josiah began
to reign to his death 31 years #2Ch 34:1 "He reigned in Jerusalem 31
years."
3500 Jehoahaz
began to reign to his deposition 0 years #2Ch 36:2 "He reigned 3 months in
Jerusalem."
3500 Jehoiakim
began to reign to his death 11 years #2Ch 36:5 "He reigned 11 years in
Jerusalem."
3511 Jehoiachim
began to reign to his
deposition 0 years #2Ch
36:9 "He reigned 3 months
and 10 days in Jerusalem."
3511 Zedekiah
began to reign to the
Captivity 11 years #2Ch
36:11 "(Zedekiah) reigned 11
years in Jerusalem."
3522 The
Captivity to the proclamation of Cyrus 70
years #Jer 25:11 "These
nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years." (See #2Ch 36:22)
3592 The Decree
of Cyrus to the birth of
Christ 536 years According to the
commonly received Chronology
4128 The
Christian Æra to the
present year 1851 years According
to the commonly received Chronology
————————
5974 The present
year A.D. 1846 5974 years since the Creation
of Man
This chart brings the end of 6000
years to the year 1872 A.D.
At
the same time that Clinton, Elliott, and others were compiling their thoughts
on chronology, and time prophecies, Henry Grattan Guinness, and William Miller
were doing the same.
H. Grattan Guinness
(1835-1910): “The Approaching End of the Age”, and “Light for the Latter Days”
Henry
Grattan Guinness was born near Dublin and in his early life was a sailor and
world traveler. He studied for the ministry at New College, London, and was
ordained in 1857.
“He
was . . . speaking at Belfast to 20,000. He was often compared with Wesley and
Whitfield in pulpit power. Tall and well proportioned, with full voice and
rapid utterance, and intensely earnest, he was markedly pictorial in preaching
style, and rivaled Spurgeon in popularity. Preaching for the millions was his
goal.” Leroy Froom, The Prophetic Faith
of Our Fathers, Vol. 4 p. 1194
"Dr. Guinness was admittedly one of the
greatest exponents of the Prophetic Word ever given to the Church of Christ.
Representing, as he did, the Historical School, as opposed to Futurism, his
books are almost uknown to many earnest Christians, who hold the latter view.
The popularity attained by Dr. Guinness' works on prophecy, may be judged by
the fact that, nearly 50,000 are in circulation." Most of these are large
volumes, of 500 and more pages. They are, as far as we know, the only books on
prophecy that were republished after the death of the author, and after the
First World War, by independent firms. They passed through the tremendous
events of the past 50 years unscathed, including the two world wars. Futurist
books, written 50 years ago, are obsolete now. And there is great demand now
for copies of Dr. Guinness' books. Dr. Guinness' first famous book, "The
Approaching End of the Age," was published in 1878. Dr. Guinness was the
pioneer in interpreting "the true meaning of the chronological statements,
contained in symbolic prophecy, i.e., whether they are literal or whether they
are figurative." A Flame of Fire by
Rev. Fred. J. Peters, published posthumously in the January-February 1965
edition of the Old Fashioned Prophecy Magazine, (Blackwood, N.J., U.S.A.)
edited by Rev. Peters' son, Eric C. Peters.
Late in the 1800’s H.
Grattan Guinness wrote two books on chronology and time prophecies. His books
used the Clinton/Bowen chronology, which was presented in Elliott’s book,
“Horae Apocalypticae,” although Guinness had several alternate views of the
ending of the “Gentile Times.” This included 604-1917 as his favorite
interpretation and 606-1914 as one of the several alternatives presented in his
works.
In
his two large works based upon the chronology found in "Horae
Apocalypticae" (The Approaching End
of the Age, and Light For the Last
Days), Guinness suggests (unlike Elliott who was silent on the idea) that
the seventy years captivity and the seventy years desolation were the same
period.
"Towards the close of the
captivity thus foretold, Daniel says, 'In the first year of Darius . . . I
Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the
Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that lie would accomplish SEVENTY YEARS in
the desolations of Jerusalem.' Now this period of seventy years, is a
remarkable one in many ways. It extends from the first destruction of Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki 24:10; and Jer 25:1), to the Edict of Cyrus for the
return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:2), that is to
say, from B.C. 605 to the end of B.C. 536."
William Miller (1782-1849):
Mr.
Miller was not an ordained minister, but a well studied Christian who “for two
years, from 1816 to 1818, the Bible became Miller’s constant study and
meditation. He felt that God was a Being he could trust. But how could he know
God except through the bible? To find Him, and His will and plan for man,
thenceforth became the supreme passion of his life...Laying aside all
commentaries and preconceived opinions…he devoted two entire years to intensive
study of its sacred pages. So intense was this study that he often spent entire
nights, followed by whole days, in study. He determined to examine the bible
systematically and methodically, and to find the answer to his questionings.” Leroy Froom, The Prophetic Faith of our
Fathers Vol. 3 p.461-462.
On
September 5th, 1822, Miller wrote a list of “Twenty Articles of Faith” that he believed were important from his
systematic study of Scripture. Article 15 stated, “I believe that the second
coming of Jesus Christ is near, even at the door, even within twenty-one
years.—on or before 1843.” He gave no reason for his opinion until several
years later when he began his preaching work and began to publish his lectures
in local newspapers about 1843.
William Miller’s Prophetic Time Interpretations
Chronology Prophecy
1656 -- Adam to Flood 1260
years -- 538 ad - 1798 (538, Pope controls Rome)
428 -- to Abraham 1290
years -- 508 ad - 1798 (1798, Berthier deposed Pope)
470 -- to
Israel entering Canaan 1335
years -- 508 ad - 1843 (508, 10 kings converted)
581 -- to beginning of the Temple 2520 years -- 677 bc - 1843
(Israel's seven times)
345 -- to captivity of Manasseh 2450 years -- 607 bc -
1843 (49 jubilees)
677 -- to ad 1 2300
years -- 457 bc - 1843 (Dan. 8:14, begin with 70 wks)
1843 -- to complete 6000 years 490 years -- 457 bc -
33 (Jesus' ministry 26 to 33)
____
6000 years
After the great disappointment in 1843, Miller and his
associates assumed that Jesus would not come at the beginning of the year, but
at the end. There were several more disappointments until Miller decided that
the “vision would tarry” and from that time until his death he discouraged any
further date setting.
Dr. Nelson Barbour: (-1908):
After
the disappointment of Miller, Dr. Nelson Barbour drifted off into unbelief and
darkness for several years until he made an around the world trip. “To wile
away the monotony of a long sea voyage, the English chaplain proposed a
systematic reading of the prophecies.” Nelson H. Barbour, The Midnight Cry,
1871.
When
they reached the 12th chapter of Daniel, Barbour noticed something
that he had never noticed during his years as an Adventist. He questioned the
explanation of the Abomination of Desolation ending in 1843. “Why did we begin
the thousand years thirty years before the abomination was set up? Here is our
mistake, and it is one of thirty years. The days end in 1873, not 1843. All
this came in a moment. From that hour… the whole truth of our position was made
clear.” P32-33.
While
in the library in London, England, he discovered E.B.Elliott’s work, Horae
Apocalypticae and found that Elliott’s figure also ended the 6000 years in
1873.
“When
he looked that the figures, the shock, he says, almost took his breath
away…Bro. Miller stated soon after 1843 had past, ‘that he could see no light
this side of 1873…” P33-34.
This
statement by Barbour has not been verified in a systematic search of Miller's
writings on CD-ROM, nor at a special collection of Adventist writings, Millers
papers, and personal letters of Miller, at the Jenks Collection in the Aurora,
IL University. Several scholars associated with the Jenks Collection, and the
history of the Millerite movement, have also been asked for verification of
this date suggested as Miller's by Barbour and the response of these scholars
has been unanimous that after the great disappointment Miller discouraged any
further date setting until the time of his death.
While traveling back to America on a ship, Barbour read Elliott’s treatise with great interest, comparing each line of reason with Scripture and at the same time he spoke with the chaplain on the ship and together they realized that the mistake Miller made in his interpretations of the Time Prophecies was that the attempt was made to end all of the time prophecies in the same year!
Carefully Barbour continued studying Elliott’s writings and after returning to America he wrote a book entitled, “The Midnight Cry: Evidences Why Jesus Will Return in 1873” which he originally published in 1870 (a second edition is dated 1871). In this book he suggested that the 1260 days had ended in 1798, the 1335 days, the 6000 years, two "double" periods of 1843 years, and other time prophecies ended in 1873 and that 1873 would be the Return of Jesus.
When the year, 1873 came and went and Christ did not return as Barbour expected, he started a monthly magazine that same year called, “The Midnight Cry" in which expounded his new chronological and time prophetic views.
After re-examining the
different lines of Scriptural and historical evidence, Barbour adjusted his
chronology to end the 6000 years in 1872-73, and his time prophetic views to
end in 1874-75. He decided that the end of the 6000 year period from the
creation of Adam in 1873 was not the return of Christ and that it was the time
prophecies that would help determine the date for the coming of the Lord.
Two years later the title of the magazine was changed to
“Herald of the Morning” where he continued to expound upon the view that Jesus
would return in 1875 and adding the prophetic Jubilees, and he readjusted the
Jewish / Gospel age parallels from 1843 years to 1845 years and added the 1878,
and 1881 dates.
These
two views, the Gentile times of 2520 stretching from 606 BC to 1914 AD, and the
end of the prophetic Jubilee periods ending in 1875 AD, were in the second
edition of "Horae
Apocalypticae" but removed for newer prophetic speculations in later
editions of Mr. Elliott's work.
It
is quite strange that although Barbour admits that he discovered the chronology
in Elliott's work, yet he did not give credit for the time prophetic views of
the "Gentile Times" ending in 1914, or the Jubilean period ending in
1875.
Barbour
said, "I would call especial attention to the article on the Jubilees. It
is a new argument, but one of the strongest ever presented on Time. When the
1335 "days" of Dan 12, expired, as in full years, they certainly
have; (and we are living in a little fraction of time 'the prolonging of the
vision,' as shown in a former article;) the force of that argument was spent;
then it was that more light was required; and it came at the needed time.
Suddenly, while walking in the street, the suggestion came, "The seventy
years during which the land enjoyed her Sabbaths, is a key; turn that key.
Divide the time during which jubilees were given, by fifty, and the time during
which there were no jubilee years, by forty nine" It was evening, I
hurried, I ran through the streets: I began to shout and praise God before
reaching my room, satisfied it would come out 1874, but I wanted to see the
figures. O! If it only does come out so, the last doubt will disappear; and I
will give myself anew; soul body and spirit, to the work." Barbour, The
Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning, March 1874, Article entitled, "Our
Paper."
Perhaps Barbour
forgot that this was a concept which Elliott also touched upon years earlier in
his "Horae Apocalypticae" which Barbour used as his foundation for
the chronology.
"As to the Jubilaean chronology it seems possible
that as seventy years marked the
length of Israel's waiting-time for the redemption
from Babylon, and seventy weeks of years that of its further waiting for
its primary redemption by Christ Jesus, so seventy Jubilees may define the mystical period of its whole
existence as a people, from the Exodus to the epoch of both the natural and the
spiritual Israel's perfect redemption: a period which reckoned from the Exodus,
(each at fifty years,*) will end (on the basis still of Clinton's Chronology)
A. D.1875. But there seems to me here far too much of the conjectural, to admit
of our resting at all on the argument." Elliott, E. B., Horae
Apocalypticae, 1846 (second edition)
"Of course if calculated from Nebuchadnezzar's
own accession and invasion of Judah, B.C. 606, the end is much later, being
A.D. 1914; just one half century, or jubilean period, from our probable date of
the opening of the Millennium." -- Elliott, HORAE p261 (Second Edition).
The idea that the seventy years desolation
and the seventy years captivity are the same does not appear in "Horae
Apocalypticae" or in Barbour's 1871 book, "Evidences of the Coming of
the Lord in 1873."
"Zedekiah
began to reign to the Captivity, 11 years 2Ch 36:11 '(Zedekiah) reigned 11
years in Jerusalem.'" - Elliott, HORAE, p259 Flyleaf (Second Edition).
"The
Captivity to the proclamation of Cyrus 70 years Jer 25:11 'These nations shall
serve the king of Babylon 70 years.' (See 2Ch 36:22)" - Elliott, HORAE,
p259 Flyleaf (Second Edition).
"The Decree of Cyrus to
the birth of Christ, 536 years According to the commonly received
Chronology." -- Elliott, HORAE, p259 Flyleaf (Second Edition).
It was not until sometime later that Barbour
combined the two periods of captivity and desolation into one.
"The captivity occurred
606 before Christ." -- Barbour, "The Jubilee," The Midnight Cry
and Herald of the Morning, March 1874.
"I will only say, the
seven "times of the Gentiles," or 2,520 years during which Jerusalem
was to be trodden down of the four Gentile kingdoms, does not end for forty
years from the beginning of the Jewish year commencing April 6th, 1875; as may
be seen by adding 2,520 to 606 B.C. the date of the beginning of their
captivity, and the treading under foot of Jerusalem." -- Barbour,
"The Three Worlds," p26.
"The
seventy years captivity ended in the first year of Cyrus, which was B.C. 536.
They therefore commenced seventy years before, or B.C. 606. Hence, it was in
B.C. 606, that God’s kingdom ended, the diadem was removed, and all the earth
given up to the Gentiles. 2520 years from B.C. 606, will end in A.D. 1914, or
forty years from 1874; and this forty years upon which we have now entered is
to be such 'a time of trouble as never was since there was a nation.'" --
Barbour, "The Three Worlds," p83.
"The seven prophetic
times of the Gentiles, or 2520 years, is a long period, and without doubt began
where God’s kingdom, in the line of David, ended, at the beginning of the
seventy years captivity, or B.C. 606." -- Barbour, "The Three Worlds,"
p189.
“Where Are We?
“I am fully satisfied, and
can prove, that the six thousand years from Adam ended in the autumn of 1873. I
am satisfied that the 1260 ‘days’ of Dan. 12, ended in the spring of 1798; and
that the 1335 ‘days,’ prolonged to their utmost, extend only to Feb. 14th,
1875. I can prove that the jubilee cycles, which reach to the beginning of the
“times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21), ended with the 5th
of April, 1875. And yet I believe Zion’s warfare is not yet ended; and that
there is a transition period in which the gospel overlaps the ‘times of
restitution,’ as did the law and gospel at the first advent.
“There is a period of time
called, ‘the time of harvest;’ or, ‘end of the world.’ And I believe we are now
in this time of ‘harvest.’ We have all believed, for some time past, that we
were in ‘the time of the end;’ and this is but another step nearer. God has
always taken time for every purpose since the foundation of the world.
“And there is evidence that
the resurrection is a work of time, and also the gathering of the ‘tares in
bundles, to burn;’ and that both are before the living are translated.
“I believe this transition
period on which we have now entered, is also called ‘the days of the Son of
man.’ ‘As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son
of man.’ (Luke 17:26).
“‘The time of the end’ began
when the 1260 days of papal dominion ended, in 1798. ‘The day of the Lord’
began, chronologically, in 1873, where the 6000 years ended; and the 1335
‘days,’ and the jubilee cycles ended in February and April, 1875. And hence,
were prolonged into ‘the day of the Lord.’ Thus we find that no two prophetic
periods end at the same time.
“I believe we are in ‘the
day of the Lord,’ or seventh thousand, because the six thousand have ended;
that we are in ‘the time of the harvest,’ and the resurrection of the dead in
Christ has begun, because the 1335 days of Dan. 12, have ended. I believe the
dead in Christ are raised spiritual bodies. ‘It is sown a natural body, it is
raised a spiritual body’ (1 Cor. 15:44) . . .
“All the periods, as
preached in 1874, remain unshaken.” Dr. Nelson H. Barbour – Herald of the
Morning, June 1875 pages 2 & 3.
“It has been
proposed that the 1914 date is an inheritance from Nelson H. Barbour
originating in the first issue of his publication, “Herald of the Morning,”
June 1875. Actually Barbour didn’t originate the study on the Gentile Times.
The topic and dating was a focus of study in Europe and America from the 1830s
onward. In 1842 William Miller treated it in a book titled, “The Second Coming
of Christ.” Though he begins the prophecy from the earlier overthrow of the ten
northern tribes by the Assyrian Esarhaddon, yet he used the same chronology for
dating the captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 607 BC. Various treatises on
pre-millennialism and the Gentile times appeared in England in the 1850s and
1860s. H.G.Guinness expounded on this prophecy in the 1880s in “Approaching the
end of the Age” and “Light for the Last Days.” Jerry Leslie, Dating the
Desolation, p3.
It
wasn’t until several months later when Barbour presented his thoughts on the
“Gentile Times.”
“There is a fixed period of Gentile rule, the four
Gentile kingdoms, during which time Jerusalem is to be trodden down…the prophecies
of Daniel, and the facts of history, prove that Jerusalem, ‘the sanctuary and
the host,’ have been trodden under foot of the Gentiles for a longer period
than the gospel has been given to them... there is a period of time called
‘seven times;’ during which the Gentiles were to rule over literal Israel.” Dr.
Nelson H. Barbour – Herald of the Morning, October, 1875, p74
It has been speculated that this may be one of the
issues of Barbour's magazine that Pastor Russell discovered. It is documented
that Brother Russell first discovered one of the later issues of 1875 or early
issues of 1876.
In
July of 1880, Barbour wrote in the Herald of the Morning,
“In the spring of 1875, when
we first saw the ‘harvest’ of the gospel age, as covering a definite period of
time; and that it began in the autumn of 1874; our immediate conclusion was,
that Christ had come. The assumption was, --as the prophetic periods fully
warrant us in believing that the ‘time of the harvest’ of the gospel age has
commenced, Christ must be here…if the parallels were perfect, and our
application correct (as our brethren, whose lamps went out when the new supply
of ‘oil’ was …. fatal weakness…there are no parallels in prophecy; parallels
are drawn from facts of their history, or between the law and the gospel.…such
an application has been proven to be untrue.”
His attack upon his former
“brothers”, Russell and Patton, and his changed views is evident later in the same issue,
“This … was due to begin in
1878 and the… separating of the tares and wheat, is the cleansing of the
sanctuary…that he did not come, in the autumn of 1874, or at the beginning of
the gospel harvest…is certain…the real light on the coming of Christ, was not
due, until the division; and then, only to such as had a new supply of ‘oil,’
(not on ‘THE TABERNACLE,’ but on the coming of the Bridegroom), we necessarily
had false views, prior to that division. It is truly wonderful how blind people
can be, before their eyes are opened…”
“A
controversy soon sprang up concerning the change to heavenly glory of the
saints. Bro. Russell and Barbour agreed that the resurrection of the dead
saints was due to occur in 1878 but disagreed as to whether to expect a rapture
of the saints living at that time. Bro. Russell presented the thought that the
dead (or sleeping) saints would be raised in 1878 and that the living ones
would be changed instantaneously as they died, no longer sleeping in death.
Barbour rejected this solution, preferring a simultaneous rapture.” Brian
Kutscher, “A New Wine Bottle” The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom.
Barbour and Patton’s set several more dates for
the return of Christ after the separation between them and Russell.
Russell stated that “they have been expecting Christ, Spring or Fall, down to the Spring of 1892, which was their latest disappointment, so far as we have heard.” C.T.Russell, Harvest Gleanings 3
“Barbour
continued to publish the Herald until about 1903, when, according to available
library records, it ceased publication. However Barbour did publish a book in
1907, he later died in 1908.” Soldiers of the Cross, Rolondo Rodriguez
Charles
Taze Russell:
It was about January,
1876 when a young Charles Taze Russell found copy of Barbour’s Herald of the
Morning. His attention was immediately attracted to the time prophecies of
Barbour and Patton as well as other Scriptural understandings.
“The Editor was
beginning to get his eyes open on the subjects that for some years had so
greatly rejoiced our hearts here in Allegheny--that the object of our Lord's
return is not to destroy, but to bless all the families of the earth, and that
his coming would be thief-like, and not in flesh, but as a spirit-being,
invisible to men; and that the gathering of his Church and the separation of
the "wheat" from the "tares" would progress in the end of
this age without the world's being aware of it.” C.T.Russell, Zion’s Watch
Tower, July 1915, p230 (R3822)
An associate of Russell’s, Jonas Wendell as well as
other Adventists also thought that 1873 would witness the burning of the world
and that the chronology of the history of the world ended at the beginning of
1873.
Russell wrote of
this meeting with Barbour, “But there were no books or other publications
setting forth the time-prophecies as then understood, so I paid Mr. Barbour's
expenses to come to see me at Philadelphia.(where I had business engagements
during the summer of 1876), to show me fully and Scripturally, if he could,
that the prophecies indicated 1874 as the date at which the Lord's presence and
"the harvest" began. He came, and the evidences satisfied me. Being a
person of positive convictions and fully consecrated to the Lord, I at once saw
that the special times in which we live have an important bearing upon our duty
and work as Christ's disciples; that, being in the time of harvest, the
harvest-work should be done; and that Present Truth was the sickle by which the
Lord would have us do a gathering and reaping work everywhere among his
children. I inquired of Mr. Barbour as to what was being done by him and by the
Herald. He replied that nothing was being done; that the readers of the Herald,
being disappointed Adventists, had nearly all lost interest and stopped their
subscriptions;--and that thus, with money exhausted, the Herald might be said
to be practically suspended. I told him that instead of feeling discouraged and
giving up the work since his newly found light on restitution (for when we
first met, he had much to learn from me on the fullness of restitution based
upon the sufficiency of the ransom given for all, as I had much to learn from
him concerning time), he should rather feel that now he had some good tidings
to preach, such as he never had before, and that his zeal should be
correspondingly increased.
“At the same
time, the knowledge of the fact that we were already in the harvest period gave
to me an impetus to spread the Truth such as I never had before. I therefore at
once resolved upon a vigorous campaign for the Truth.
“While The Three
Worlds was not the first book to teach a measure of restitution, nor the first
to treat upon time-prophecy, it was, we believe, the first to combine the idea
of restitution with time-prophecy.”
After
the Three Worlds was published in its entirety, Barbour restarted his magazine
with J.H. Paton and C.T. Russell as co-editors.
The Predictions of Barbour, Paton, and Russell
|
Chronology |
Prophecy |
|
|
|
1656 -- Adam to Flood |
1260 years -- |
539 ad - 1799 |
(539, Ravenna falls)9 |
|
427 -- to Abraham |
1290 years -- |
539 ad - 1829 |
(1799, Pope dies in
prison) |
|
430 -- to Exodus |
1335 years -- |
539 ad - 1874 |
(1874, Jesus returned) |
|
46 -- to Division of
Canaan |
2520 years -- |
606 bc - 1914 |
(Israel's seven times) |
|
450 -- period of
Judges |
2500 years -- |
625 bc - 1875 |
(50 x 50 jubilee great
cycle) |
|
513 -- period of Kings |
2499 years -- |
625 bc - 1874 |
(49 x 51 jubilee
cycles) |
|
70 -- Desolation of
Land |
2300 years -- |
454 bc - 1846 |
(Dan. 8:14, begin with
70 wks) |
|
536 -- to ad 1 |
1845 years -- |
33 ad - 1878 |
(Double to 1813 bc -
33 ad) |
|
1872 -- to complete
6000 years |
490 years -- |
454 bc - 36 |
(Jesus' ministry 29 to
33) |
|
____ 6000 years |
|
|
|
After
a couple of years Barbour wrote and published an article which denied the
substitutionary atonement of Christ. J.H.Paton wrote an article at Russell’s
request defending the doctrine and Barbour countered with several editor’s
notes at the end of the article. Russell was next to defend the doctrine and
Barbour countered similarly. Soon letters between the three ensued and wrote
another article on the subject. Russell’s 2½ page article was followed by
Barbour’s 3½ page editor’s note denying the doctrine again.
After
about a year of these debates, Russell and Paton left to start another
magazine, “Zion’s Watch Tower” which would proclaim similar chronological and
time prophetic concepts as well as defending the blood of Christ and the
substitutionary atonement.
Some
time after Barbour had second thoughts about the time prophecies and published
articles to the contrary.
In
the early 1900’s some one wrote to the “Watch Tower” magazine about the 606 BC
date not being supported by secular history. But because of the negative
attitude and tone of the letter it was passed off as the writings of an enemy.
Russell explained in the editor’s response that Ptolemy’s canon and Josephus’
chronology were not reliable and gave reasons why he believed so.
"Having
thus set the matter before the minds of our readers, we asked each to judge for
himself as to how much faith he would repose in the chronology and in the
application of the prophecies connected with it." (R. 5450) "Thus we
have asked each reader to think, and judge for himself, and to agree or
disagree with us according to his own judgment of the facts." (R. 5350)
After
the death of Russell the editor of the Pastoral Bible Institute, R.E. Streeter,
wrote several articles in their magazine, “The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom”
acknowledging the archeological evidence against the 606 BC date being the fall
of Jerusalem.
At
this time, Rutherford published several articles, including a letter by Morton
Edgar on the subject, which defended the view which Pastor Russell accepted
that the 606 date was the beginning of the seventy years of desolation. Mr.
Paul Johnson of the Layman’s Home Missionary Movement did the same.
Clayton Woodworth, “Judge” Rutherford and the Jehovah’s
Witnesses
At
exactly the same time that R.E. Streeter and the Pastoral Bible Institute were
publishing their questions and treatises regarding the chronology, Rutherford
was publishing several articles supporting the Elliott/Bowen/Russell chronology.
Paul Johnson of the Layman’s Home Missionary Movement had been doing the same.
This continued for a couple of years and the Watchtower (and later republished
in the Layman’s magazine, “The Present Truth”) published a letter by Morton
Edgar supporting the Elliott/Bowen/Russell chronology.
It
was during the turbulent and confusing era of the early 1920’s that each
magazine (The Watch Tower, the Golden Age, The Herald of Christ’s Presence, and
The Present Truth) almost simultaneously published articles on similar
subjects, including the chronology, for several years.
“The
same magazine that wrote these things, however, abandoned the 1799 date in 1929
(WT 12/1/29), the 1874 date in about 1931, and in 1935 adopted a new system of
chronology that eliminated all the symmetry of the old.” Timothy White, A
People For His Name p. 82.
The Golden Age
magazine edited by Clayton Woodworth (the author of the Seventh Volume, ‘The
Finished Mystery’) published a series of articles re-evaluating the chronology
in March of 1935. This series of four articles suggested an entirely new
chronology. This treatise has no author ascribed to it.
However, the same
article which introduced this "new light" of Chronology also
introduced a new calendar and a new system of counting which replaced the count
of the years from the death of Jesus to the time when the article was written.
The name of the years, the months, and the names of the days of the week were
also changed with this new calendar. According to this new calendar, the
“Year of Ransom” which dated from Jesus’ death counted as 1882 years to 1914. This new "calendar" was disposed of
soon after even though the Jehovah’s Witnesses who did not accept the calendar
at the time it was introduced were disfellowshipped.
“In
this series of articles it will be shown that all the forgoing calendars are
the calendars of the Devil…Jehovah God is nowhere mentioned in the Gregorian
calendar. ..Christ is mentioned, but the year 1935 is not the year of our Lord
at all, for He was born in 2 B.C. and died in A.D. 33.” The Golden Age, March
13, 1935 p356.
“The
Devil, of course, was the one who induced the ancestors of the present
generation to name the days of the week after heathen gods and goddesses.
Neither God nor Christ, nor any prophet or apostle, is represented in the days
of the week as now in common use.” The Golden Age, March 13, 1935, p358.
The
names given by the author of the article to the months were “Redemption, Life,
Visitment, Freedom, vindication, Hope, King, Peace, Order, Logos, Jehovah, and
Temple.” The days of the week were named, “Lightday, Heavenday, Earthday,
Starday, Lifeday, Mansday, Godsday.”
On
page 413 of the March 27th, 1935 issue of the Golden Age, the year
1935 was listed as the 5962nd year. With the new computations, the
6000th year would end in 1975.
This
new chronology has been expounded upon very little in only a few publications
of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the last fifty years. There have only been two
other extensive treatises of this chronology in any publication since the new
chronology was introduced.
In
1942 a book was published by the Society expounding upon this “new” chronology.
The book doesn’t state the ending of the 6000 years in any explicit detail, but
some math work reveals 1975 as the new ending date. This book written after the
death of Rutherford has no author inside to know who had written it. The 1975
date was not expounded upon much until the late 1960’s when Frederick Franz
began to use it in some of his public talks as a possibility for the beginning
of Armageddon.
The most extensive treatise that the
Witnesses have written was done in the 1980’s under Raymond Franz’s direction
In the 1970’s Raymond Franz was a member of the governing body and nephew of
the Watch Tower president, Fredrick Franz. Mr. Franz was commissioned to write
an extensive treatise of the chronology for their Bible Dictionary, “Aid To
Bible Understanding” (Recently republished and revised as “Insight on the
Scriptures.”) A treatise had been circulating around the Bethel headquarters
about the validity of the 606-607BC date as being the fall of Jerusalem. This
treatise was written by Carl Olaf Jonnson (of Sweden), a devout Jehovah’s
Witness, who had been trying to prove the validity of the date to an individual
he was witnessing to. Unable to find any archeological support or evidence for
the beginning of the seventy years captivity in 606 BC, he wrote a treatise
which was circulating around Bethel at the time that Raymond Franz was asked to
write the treatise on chronology.
Unable
to find suitable evidence or support for the fall of Jerusalem in 606-607 BC,
Jonnson and Raymond Franz continued to question the validity of the date and
were disfellowshipped for not accepting the doctrine as believed by the
society. Jonnson explains some of this in his book, “The Gentile Times
Reconsidered” and Raymond Franz provides letters and documentation to this
effect in his book, “Crisis of Conscience.” There are always two sides to every
story and the Jehovah’s Witnesses today claim that these two individuals were
disfellowshipped for associating with other disfellowshipped “apostate”
Jehovah’s Witnesses.
To
date the Witnesses have not re-evaluated their new chronology nor have
attempted any reconciliation with the archeological evidence.
It
is also interesting to note that many Jehovah’s Witnesses of today believe that
Russell taught the return of Jesus in 1914.
“On
October 2, 1914, Charles Taze Russell, then president of the Watch Tower Bible
and Tract Society, boldly announced: “The Gentile Times have ended; their kings
have had their day.” How true his words proved to be! Unseen to human eyes, in
October 1914 an event of world-shaking importance took place in heaven. Jesus
Christ, the permanent Heir to “the throne of David,” commenced his rule as King
over all mankind.—Luke 1:32, 33; Revelation 11:15. ‘But,’ you may ask, ‘if
Christ began ruling in 1914, why did conditions on earth get worse?’ Because
mankind’s invisible enemy Satan was still in existence. Until 1914, Satan had
access to heaven. That situation changed with the setting up of God’s Kingdom
in 1914. “War broke out in heaven.” (Revelation 12:7) Satan and his demons were
defeated and cast down to the earth, with catastrophic effects on mankind. The
Bible foretold: “Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come
down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of
time.”—Revelation 12:12.” (WT 5/1/1994)
“Similarly,
the Watch Tower issue of March 1880 stated: “‘The Times of the Gentiles’ extend
to 1914, and the heavenly kingdom will not have full sway till then.” Today,
Jehovah’s Witnesses point to the “sign” given by Jesus and look back upon 1914
as the year when his invisible presence in Kingdom power became a reality.” (WT
4/1 1984)
These articles, as
well as several others, explain very clearly that C.T. Russell taught that the
“Gentile Times” would end in 1914, but vaguely make it seem that Russell
taught that Christ would return invisibly in 1914 and begin his role as the
King of mankind.
Today
the Witnesses interpret the seven times (2520) and the 70 weeks (490 years)
with the year for a day principle and other time prophecies such as the 2300
days, the 1335, 1260, 3½, and 1290 days as literal days which apply to their
movement after the year of 1914. The Witnesses today understand the
discrepancies between Scripture chronology and archeology and attempt to
discredit archeology and those who question their view, in favor of their
organization and what they believe Scripture to teach.
COMPARATIVE
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
SCRIPTURE PERSON / EVENT CLINTON BOWEN/ELLIOTT
Ge
5:3 ----------------- Adam
----------------------------------
130 130
Ge
5:6 ----------------- Seth ---------------------------------- 105
105
Ge
5:9 ----------------- Enos
----------------------------------
90 90
Ge
5:12 ---------------- Cainan
--------------------------------
70 70
Ge
5:15 ---------------- Mahalaleel ---------------------------- 65
65
Ge
5:18 ---------------- Jared
---------------------------------
162 162
Ge
5:21 ---------------- Enoch
---------------------------------
65 65
Ge
5:25 ---------------- Methuselah ---------------------------- 187
187
Ge
5:28 ---------------- Lamech
--------------------------------
182 182
Ge
7:6 ----------------- Noah's age at
the Flood --------------- 600 600
Ge
11:11 --------------- Shem ---------------------------------- 2
2
Ge
11:12 --------------- Arphaxad
------------------------------
35 35
Ge
11:12 --------------- Cainan
--------------------------------
0 0
Ge
11:14 --------------- Selah
---------------------------------
30 30
Ge
11:16 --------------- Eber
----------------------------------
34 34
Ge
11:18 --------------- Peleg
---------------------------------
30 30
Ge
11:20 --------------- Reu
-----------------------------------
32 32
Ge
11:22 --------------- Serug
---------------------------------
30 30
Ge
11:24 --------------- Nahor
---------------------------------
29 29
Ge
11:32 --------------- Terah's age at
his death -------------- 205 205
Ex 12:41;
Ga 3:17 ------ To the Exode
-------------------------- 430 430
Jos
5:6 ---------------- In the wilderness
--------------------- 40 40
Jos
14:7-10; Ac 13:19 -- To the division
of the land ----------- 7 6
Jos 23:1;
24:29 -------- To the death of Joshua
---------------- 20 19
& Josephus
Jos 24:31;
Jud 2:10 ---- To the first servitude
---------------- 0 11
& Josephus
Jud 3:8 ---------------- First
servitude-Mesopatamia -----------
8 8
Jud
3:9-11 ------------- Othniel
-------------------------------
40 40
Jud
3:12-14 ------------ Second
servitude-Moab -----------------
18 18
Jud 3:30 --------------- Ehad and Shamgar
---------------------- 80 80
Jud
4:13 --------------- Third
servitude-Canaan ----------------
20 20
Jud 4:23;
5:31 --------- Deborah and Barak
--------------------- 40 40
Jud 6:1 ---------------- Fourth servitude-Midian
--------------- 7 7
Jud
8:28 --------------- Gideon
--------------------------------
40 40
Jud 8:33;
9:6-22 ------- Abimelech
----------------------------- 3 3
Jud 10:1-2 ------------- Tolah
---------------------------------
23 23
Jud
10:3 --------------- Jair
----------------------------------
22 22
Jud
10:6-8 ------------- Fifth
servitude-Ammon -----------------
18 18
Jud 11:32;
12:7 -------- Jephthah
------------------------------
6 6
Jud
12:8-9 ------------- Ibzan
---------------------------------
7 7
Jud
12:11 -------------- Elon
----------------------------------
10 10
Jud
12:13-14 ----------- Abdon
---------------------------------
8 8
Jud
13:1 --------------- Sixth
servitude-Philistines -----------
40 40
1Sa
4:18 --------------- Eli
-----------------------------------
40 0
1Sa
7:2 ---------------- Seventh
servitude-Philistines ---------
20 0
1Sa 7:15;
Ac 13:21 ----- Samuel
--------------------------------
12 30
Ac
13:21 --------------- Saul
----------------------------------
40 40
1Ki
2:11 --------------- David
---------------------------------
40 40
1Ki
11:42 -------------- Solomon
-------------------------------
40 40
1Ki
14:21 -------------- Rehoboam
------------------------------
17 17
1Ki
15:2 --------------- Abijam
--------------------------------
3 3
1Ki
15:10 -------------- Asa
-----------------------------------
41 41
2Ch
20:31 -------------- Johoshaphat
--------------------------- 24 25
2Ch
21:5 --------------- Jehoram
-------------------------------
7 8
2Ki
8:26 --------------- Ahaziah
-------------------------------
1 1
2Ki
11:1-3 ------------- Athaliah
------------------------------
6 6
2Ki
12:1 --------------- Jehoash
-------------------------------
40 40
2Ki
14:2 --------------- Amaziah
-------------------------------
29 29
2Ki 14:23;
15:1 -------- Interregnum
--------------------------- 0 0
2Ki
15:2 --------------- Azariah
-------------------------------
52 52
2Ch
27:1 --------------- Jotham
--------------------------------
15 16
2Ch
28:1 --------------- Ahaz
----------------------------------
15 16
2Ch
29:1 --------------- Hezekiah
------------------------------
29 20
2Ki
21:1 --------------- Manasseh
------------------------------
55 55
2Ch
33:2 --------------- Amon
----------------------------------
2 2
2Ch
34:1 --------------- Josiah
--------------------------------
31 31
2Ch
36:2 --------------- Jehoahaz
------------------------------
0 0
2Ki
23:31 -------------- Jehoiakim
----------------------------- 11 11
2Ki
24:8 --------------- Jehoaiachin
--------------------------- 0 0
2Ki
25:27 -------------- To
Nebuchadnezzar's death -------------
37 - - - - }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Evil Merodach
------------------------- - - -}
81}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Neriglissar
---------------------------
}Zedekiah}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Nabonadius
---------------------------- }&
Cptvty}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Cyrus before the
conquest of Babylon -- }- - - - }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Cyrus after the
conquest of Babylon --- 430} 536}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Cambyses
------------------------------
} }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Darius I -----------
Hystaspes --------YEARS } From }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Xerxes
--------------------------------
OF } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Artaxerxes I -------
Longimanus ------- } Cyrus' }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Darius II ----------
Nothus ----------- P }
}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Artaxerxes ---------
Mnemon ----------- T } decree }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ochus
---------------------------------
O } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Arses
---------------------------------
L } to }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Darius III ---------
Codomanus -------- E }
}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Alexander of Macedon
------------------ M }
birth }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Philip Aridaeus
----------------------- Y }
}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Alexander Aegus
----------------------- ' }
of }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Lagus
------------------------- S }
}
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Philadelphus
------------------ } Christ }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Euergetes I
-------------------CANON } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Philopater
-------------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Epiphanes
--------------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Philometer
-------------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Euergetos II
------------------ } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Soter
------------------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Ptolemy Dionysius
--------------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Cleopatra. Died B.C.
30 --------------- } }
Canon of Ptolemy ------------ Augustus Ceasar, from
Cleopatra's Death - - -} - - - -}
to the Vulgar
Era
From
Creation to the Vulgar Era ----------------------------- 4138
4128
From
the Vulgar Era to the end of the 6000 years AD --------- 1862
1872
_______________________________________________________________________________________
* Including the fifteen years of the reign of Alexander, who was imposed on
Egypt by Sylla
of Rome.