Bible Prophecy Numbers:

The Writing on the Wall

 

Chapter One, Part D

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Endnotes to Chapter One

{1} The initial exiles from Israel and Judah (before their complete destruction in 722 and 586 BC), are of secondary importance and will be treated as such. This holds true for Judah’s subsequent returns from exile as well, (after the main return of 538 BC).

Sennacherib’s catastrophic invasion of Judah in 701 BC is listed among our "epoch events" because it is the very focal narrative of the Book of Isaiah (Isa. 36–39), and therefore especially applicable to our text of Isa. 52:4. (Note the importance granted it by the rest of Scripture as well, 2Kgs. 18–20; 2Chr. 32).

{2} Many secular scholars refuse to believe the exodus really occurred and therefore do not assign it any date.

Also, there are believing scholars who place the exodus around 1290 BC instead of the customary 1446 BC, but they must reject the natural meaning of "the 480^th year" of 1Kgs. 6:1 to do so.

In any case, "1290 BC" is significant since 1,290 is the number specifically mentioned in Dan. 12:11. Also, the 1,290 exodus date amounts to the same as 3 x "430" years (of Ezk. 4:4-6), which further combines with the previous "430 years" just spent in Egypt till this exodus (Ex. 12:40)! Moreover, 1290 BC is approximately the same as the Jewish traditional date for the exodus of 1313 BC––an important date that will be examined later.

The New International Version Study Bible, (in the Introduction to the "Exodus"), outlines the main argument for the 1290 BC date.

"The appearance of the name Rameses in Ex. 1:11 has led many to the conclusion that the 19^th-dynasty pharaoh Seti I and his son Rameses II were the pharaohs of the oppression and the exodus respectively…(and) lead to a date for the exodus of c. 1290"

In spite of that, the NIVSB still strongly favors the traditional view of adhering to the "480^th year" of 1Kgs. 6:1, pointing out that "Rameses" (Ex. 1:11) is very likely a late editorial-update, just as in Gen. 47:11.

However, since all Scripture is inspired of God, the insertion of "Rameses" into the text is meant to draw our attention (among other things) to the time of Rameses as being symbolically related to the exodus.

Symbolic (idealistic) dates LOGICALLY deduced are consistently significant in the numbers, usually more obvious in meaning then the actual literal dates themselves.

{3} From 2Kgs. 17:5 and 18:10, we learn that the siege of Samaria by Shalmaneser king of Assyria lasted "3 years." Then, Shalmaneser himself died Dec. of 722 BC. However, his son who succeeded him also lays claim to Samaria:

"In his annals Sargon II lays claim to the capture of Samaria at the beginning of his reign, but it was hardly more than a mopping-up operation." (Footnote to 2Kgs. 17:6 in the NIV Study Bible).

Hence we have a late 722 or early 721 BC date for the end of the northern kingdom of Israel.

{4} John Brinkman, "Nineveh," in Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, CD-ROM.

{5} To be exact, the siege of Jerusalem lasted 942 or 945 days since there is a three-day discrepancy between 2Kgs. 25:8 and Jer. 52:12. Both siege spans are used in our studies however, although the 945 of Jeremiah predominates since he was a prophet, and since he was contemporaneous with Ezekiel––the one who had himself "besieged" Jerusalem.

Ironically, Jewish tradition complicates matters still more by their attempt to correct this three-day discrepancy. They have 944 days (to Av 9) instead of 945 (to Av 10).

{See http://genealogy.org/~scottlee/calconvert.cgi for help in calendar conversion and exact day counts even over thousands of years. But keep in mind that this site uses the modern Jewish system of reckoning (rather than the ancient practice of adjusting to the equinox, and to the first sighting of the crescent moon), so that any particular lunar day may be out a day or two, or behind one full month.

For example, there are 29.53059 days averaged in a lunar month. Since the siege lasted exactly 32 months, therefore 32 x 29.53059 = exactly 945 days––nevertheless, it is given as 943 days at that web site.}

{6} Some scholars (not the majority) put the dates of the three exiles of Judah back a full year; (i.e., 606, 598, and 587 BC instead). They reach these conclusions based upon another viable method of computing the years of a king’s reign.

The standard dates for the siege however are Dec. 11, 589 BC (or, Jan. 9, 588 BC), to the destruction of the temple in July 14 (or, Aug. 13), 586 BC, as based on Jer. 52:4-12.

Unless otherwise stated, dates will be set to the Gregorian calendar (i.e., the modern calendar that we all use today).

{7} Since the Persian kingdom is not one of the oppressive nations specified or clearly implied in Isa. 52:4, but is only the instrument by which Babylonia falls, a summary of patterns to do with Persia’s demise will be presented as an excursus only.

{8} Generally speaking, the tradition that placed the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25, 1 BC, also fixed spr. of AD 30 as the start of His ministry––calculated as "30 years" from His conception.

{9} It is interesting that whereas Rev. 18:8 mentions a "famine" at the fall of "Mystery Babylon," yet the fall of ancient Babylon in 539 BC was without famine or even much bloodshed:

"Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her" (Rev. 18:8).

{10} E.g., the cessation of "Jerusalem" from being "trodden down of by the Gentiles" (ending AD 1948 and 1967, Luke 21:24), the release of the Jews from Russia in 1988, and the assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel in 1995, are all in alignment.

 

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