COMMENTS ON THE CHRONOLOGICAL CHART
SHOWING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
SABBATIC YEARS, OR SHEMITTAHS
IN THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE OF JUDAH
FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW OF THE CHART SEE HERE.
1. The basis is that of Sabbatic Years, which are those of the 62 and 70 weeks of Daniel chapter 9, as also stated by Norman S.Denham. It shows that 27/28ad was a Nominal Jubilee Year.
2. The Jewish records are mostly accurate, and their present day Sabbatic Years are synchronic with those of Scripture. Jewish archives record that the burnings of The Temple at the end of Zedekiah's reign occurred in the year after a Sabbatic Year, on the 9th of Ab, and on a Friday at the Priestly course of Jehoiarib. The identical circumstances marked the burning of the Temple in 70ad. This provides four sequences by which to verify the years separating the two events, to which can be added a further check from eclipse cycles. Only a space of 546 years meets all these requirements. The subject has been gone into in some detail and is due to appear in the next issue of 'Open Forum' [No:48]. More details here.
3.
The traditional assumption is that 70 weeks = 7 + 62 + 1. This was challenged by
CHW who would start the 70 weeks after the 7. I have gone further and start the
70 at the end of the 62, since all the six features of the 70 depend on the work
of Messiah. I also take the 7 sevens to be of days marking the time from Passover
to Pentecost.
4. I follow Van Lennep, in his 'Measured Times of The Bible', in taking the 'going forth of the Word to build Jerusalem' of Daniel 9:25 to be that of verse 23.
5. G.H.Pember in his 'Great Prophesies' points out the two elements of 'thy people' and 'thy holy city' as to the 70 weeks. The 70 years of desolation, which were ten Sabbatic Years, applied to the city. There were two separate non-coincidental runs of 70 years, one of which applied to 'thy people' when in Babylon. It is not a postulate that the people of Israel [as The House of Judah] were disowned at Acts 28:28 about seven years before the fall of the city. In view of the other examples applying to Sabbatic Years, I conclude that the people were set aside exactly at the end of the previous Sabbatic Year.
It necessarily requires a future owning of both Israel and Judah as 'Ammi' seven years before the city becomes holy by virtue of its rebuilt and rededicated Temple. I would assume that the New Covenant is effected during the seven years which ends with a 12 tribed Israel under David as Prince and King.
6. The whole of the 0 Week [490 years] are 'The Last Days' of This Age. It has of course been interrupted and The Dispensation of Grace inserted as a 'filling out of the seasons' [Eph. 1:10]. Paul speaks of 'The Last Days of the dispensation (in which we surely now are) in 2Tim. ch:3.
7. The truth as to the pre-millennial aspect of The Kingdom of The Heavens [The resumed Acts Period] is due to Otis Sellers; and this will be the only chronology, apart from his, which embodies it.
OQS is at fault in repudiating the concept of the present Age, which runs from the Flood until Christ's 2nd Coming. OQS treats 'The Age to Come' as the Pre-Millennial Kingdom, whereas the PMK closes the present Age [hence the term: The Last Days] and the Age to come starts at least with The Millennium.
8. This chart should be read in conjunction with 'God's Purpose To-Day' which amplifies many points and the revised edition is now in conformity with this chart.
9. Robert Anderson in 'The Coming Prince' spends much effort discussing the 15th year of the 'reign' of Tiberius. If only he had gone to the Greek, or at least read Young's or Darby's version, he would have found that Luke does not use the term 'reign', but 'government' which is precise.
M.S.Lloyd Glasgow July 1991