| Forgiving 70 multiplied by 7. |
Created Date: 21-Oct-2023 |
| 490 Year Patterns |
Last updated: 14-Nov-2023 |
| Limits, Patterns and Meaning | |
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God has used in the entirety of the scriptures, Old and New Testament, to give the message of His Great Love with redemption through Jesus Christ that contains incredible patterns of consistency dealing with numbers, idioms, patterns of how He deals with everything, and so much more that computer algorithms are now discovering more and more astonishing encryptions. The science of the numbers in the scriptures is called Gematria, and it is a proof that God authenticates the source of the scriptures is God.
There are four pattern periods of 490-Years between calendar events in the Old Testament that show a significance and pattern of God dealing with number 70 and 490 that many Biblical Scholars equate and link as part of Jesus Christ's answer dealing with forgiving in Matthew 18:22:
After the fourth event is the most amazing prophecy concerning the Messiah being "cut-off", executed, for the sins of the world that is contained in the 69-Weeks of Daniel message from the Angel Gabriel to Daniel. The start date was 14-March-445 BC that after 173,880 days the Messiah would be executed on Wednesday, 5-April-32 AD. See Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 topics for more wonderful details about Jesus Christ's Glorious achievement.
| 2 Corinthians 6:16 | What agreement is there between the temple of
God and idols? For we are the
temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” |
| Ephesians 1:13-14 | 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. |
There are some 490-year pattern documents, that the reader may encounter, that state there is a fifth 490-period after the time of Artaxerxes to day of Pentecost, but the calculations are contrived and incorrect as the 490-years would end approximately 5-April-46 AD, which is many years after Pentecost. The starting point of the 69 Weeks of the Daniel 9:20-27, from Angel Gabriel's message to Daniel, is set in concrete to the exact day that Jesus Christ would be Crucified, which is a period 173,880 days, which is 476 years and 22 days with the starting point of 14-March-445 BC.
Additionally, some websites state that there was a sixth 490-year period which consisted of a 483 years from the 14-March-445 BC starting point with a remaining 7 years that is the 70th Week of Daniel that contains the Tribulation Period. This is contrived and incorrect, even though it appears to be a wonderful and hopeful calculation.
The Daniel 9:20-27 prophecy of 173,880 days for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, being "cut-off" is undeniably exact. Attempts to include some 490-year period around it that includes the two previous fifth and sixth calculations are spurious, contrived and even offensive to the Word of God.
When reading the scriptural passage of Matthew 18:15-35, we can understand the natural thought process the Disciples were progressively asking questions of Jesus Christ that lead to forgiving 490 times teaching by Jesus Christ. The Grace and Mercy of God is exemplified by Jesus Christ story of forgiving of a debt by a king that was beyond the amount of anyone repaying.
Points to consider on the full scriptural passage of Matthew 18:15-35:
| Matthew 18:5-6 | 5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. |
| Matthew 1815-35 | 15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private;
if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not
listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that
BY THE MOUTH OF
TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17
“If he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even
to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound
in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in
heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” 21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” |
In the parable the money, currency, and scales of debt: that are referenced in the King was collecting debts owed to him by his slaves, which is a modern-day servant who is performing job functions:
Applying the estimated values from Jesus Christ's King forgiving of debt parable:
It is impossible to lose Salvation once it is received from God after requesting Jesus Christ to be our Savior. If it were possible to lose our Salvation, then everyone of us would lose it eventually as we are not capable of living perfect lives, but as we grow older, we should be growing in our love of God so that we should be improving in our life to focus on righteousness. Our improvement is about to sinning less and less where we constantly need God's Grace and Mercy.
| This is an excerpt from the topic on "Losing
Salvation":
Three Key Scriptures to remember, of many, as you read this topic
is Romans 3:23-24, John 6:36-38, and John 10:28-30. If you haven't read the topic on
Salvation first then do so now before reading
further.
|
There is area that not all Christians know about which is the perfection in the scriptures in the use of numbers that validates the scriptures' source is form God. The scriptures always use consistency of numbers, phrases, idioms and so much more to convey a specific meaning and underlying message. As an example, we know that our God is a God of Three and three is always used in the scriptures as completion and perfection.
When examining the history of Israel, there are four distinct periods of 490-Years that have a specific duration that is not accidental. Everything God does is in perfection where with the perfection, God always shows in the details.
The scriptural history of Israel when examining the three different periods of 490-years, there is a unique 70-year period dealing with a Judgment against Israel for not doing something for 490-years. The judgment is discussed later in this topic, where it is not a coincidence that Jesus Christ uses "seventy times seven" in His discussion with the Apostles.
| Matthew 18:22 | Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. |
Jesus Christ could have just stated we are to forgive 490 times, or 489 times plus one, or 500 times minus 10. Since "seventy" was used then God in His perfection is relating something additional in the scriptural passage to authenticate God is the source of the entire Bible. One of the ancient rabbinical beliefs that the "seventy" is a remez, meaning pointing to something in the scripture having a deeper meaning along with the initial correct meaning.
The significance of Abraham to the Exodus of Egypt is God is making and keeping a promise to the people of the Nation of Israel. God promises in Genesis 15:5 was to Abram, later renamed to Abraham, would be a father that has descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky. Next the promise included the land that would be Abraham's descendents that was the land the Moses and Joshua conquered and possessed after the Exodus period.
| Genesis 12:1-4 | 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. |
| Galatians 3:15-18 | 15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. |
| Genesis 16:15-16 | 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. |
| Genesis 21:5 | Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. |
| Genesis 21:8-10 | 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” |
| Genesis 15:5-6 | 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. |
| Genesis 15:7 | He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” |
| Genesis 15:18-19 | 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” |
The years calculation based on the scriptures show there was a 490 year period between the promise and the receiving the promise by Moses after the Exodus. Note we are not told in the scriptures:
Regardless of the exact ages of Ishmael and Isaac, there is enough preponderance of the dates and years in the scriptural passage to reasonably show that there was 490-Years. The reason for subtracting the fifteen years of Ishmael being in the camp with Abraham and Sarah, was Ishmael was not the child of promise, Genesis 21:10 and 21:16, so his time at the camp is subtracted.
Note that it is interesting the prophecies concerning Ishmael in Genesis 16:12, which have been true from that time until the present dealing with the problems in the Middle-East of nations against Israel.
| Description | Scripture | Notes | Years | |
| 1 | Promise made to Abram by God | Genesis 12:4 | Abram was 75 years old | 75 |
| 2 | Law was introduced by Moses | Galatians 3:17 | 430 years after promise | 430 |
| Total Years | 505 | |||
| 3 | Ishmael born when Abram was 86 years old | Genesis 16:15-16 | Abram was 86 years old | 86 |
| 4 | Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Sarah tells Abraham to remove remove Ishmael and Hagar. | Abraham was 100 years old | 100 | |
| Ishmael is 14 years old when Isaac born | 14 | |||
| 5 | Day Isaac was weaned | Genesis 21:8 | Estimated one year | 1 |
| 6 | Years that Ishmael was with Abraham | Total Years (100 minus (14 plus one) | 15 | |
| Total years before fulfillment | 505 minus 15 | 490 |
There are several interesting theories on trying to map 490-Years out of the period of time from the Exodus to the Temple construction completed. Unfortunately, the scriptures do not support all the theories that this author has read. King Solomon completed the building of the temple in the eleventh year of his reign, where King Solomon began the Temple building in the fourth year of his reign as King.
| 1 Kings 6:1 | 1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord. |
| 1 Kings 6:37-38 | 37 The foundation of the temple of the Lord
was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38
In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the
eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to
its specifications. He had spent
seven years building it. Note: Several Biblical Scholars state there was the seven years and the additional months are not mentioned but they are implied by the "eight month" portion of verse 38. |
| 1 Kings 7:51 | Thus all
the work that king Solomon wrought in the house of Jehovah was finished.
And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated,
even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the
treasuries of the house of Jehovah. Note: The Temple construction was finished in 1 Kings 6:1, but the Temple was not completed until 1 Kings 7:51 because the Temple interior items noted in 1 Kings 7:9-50 had to be built and installed. |
| Description | Scripture | Notes | Years | |
| 1 | Temple begun | 1 Kings 6:1 | 480 years after Israelites came out of Israel | 480 |
| 2 | Foundation laid in the fourth year | 1 Kings 6:37 | Foundation laid in fourth year of reign | |
| 3 | Temple details finished after eleven years | 1 Kings 6:38 | In the eleventh year of Solomon's reign | |
| 4 | Additional seven years | 1 Kings 6:38 | Seven and half years to build the Structure | 7.5 |
| Subtotal | 487.5 | |||
| 1 | Solomon built his own house which is mentioned as occurring the Temple building. | 1 Kings 7:1-8 | Details were very elaborate - 13-years | |
| 2 | Solomon builds items for the Temple | 1 Kings 7-9-50 |
Bases of Brass, Panels, Pillars, Adornments, Bronze Basin |
|
| 3 | Temple is Finished | 1 Kings 7:51 | All work finished inside the Temple | Estimated 2.5 years |
| Subtotal | 2.5 | |||
| Total approximation | 490 |
After the physical building structure was completed, then King Solomon had the task of constructing, installing and providing other features to the Temple areas and inside the Temple which included:
The time to complete these additional areas can be estimated to be two and half years where "1 Kings 7-51" states at the point of these areas being completed then the Temple was finished. Note that this author has not see the two and half years estimate in any Biblical Commentaries but this is my theory.
Is there a 480 year scriptural reference error? No
Some Biblical Commentaries state there is an error in "1 Kings 6:1" because there could not have been 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The correct Biblical Commentaries state that 480 years is absolutely percise as there are the periods of the Israel Servitudes that are not included. There is a pattern that God uses many times in the scriptures to remove periods of time and people, such as the scripture Royal Blood line of Jesus Christ that removed four men that offended God greatly: Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah and Jeconiah where Jeconiah had a blood lineage curse on him that is one reason for the virgin birth.
Perhaps one of the best is Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918):
| On page 35 of
"The
Coming Prince text by Sir Robert Anderson", PDF version:
(foot notes not shown) According to the book of Kings, Solomon began to build the temple in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt. (1 Kings 6:1) This statement, than which none could, seemingly, be more exact, has sorely puzzled chronologers. By some it has been condemned as a forgery, by others it has been dismissed as a blunder; but all have agreed in rejecting it. Moreover, Scripture itself appears to clash with it. In his sermon at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:18-21) St. Paul epitomizes thus the chronology of this period of the history of his nation: forty years in the wilderness; 450 years under the judges, and forty years of the reign of Saul; making a total of 530 years. To which must be added the forty years of David's reign and the first three years of Solomon's; making 573 years for the very period which is described in Kings as 480 years. Can these conclusions, apparently so inconsistent, be reconciled? [3] If we follow the history of Israel as detailed in the book of Judges, we shall find that for five several periods their national existence as Jehovah's people was in abeyance. In punishment for their idolatry, God gave them up again and again, and "sold them into the hands of their enemies." They became slaves to the king of Mesopotamia for eight years, to the king of Moab for eighteen years, to the king of Canaan for twenty years, to the Midianites for seven years, and finally to the Philistines for forty years. [4] But the sum of 8 +18+ 20+ 7+ 40 years is 93 years, and if 93 years be deducted from 573 years, the result is 480 years. It is obvious, therefore, that the 480 years of the book of Kings from the Exodus to the temple is a mystic era formed by eliminating every period during which the people were cast off by God. [5] If, then, this principle were intelligible to the Jew in regard to history, it was both natural and legitimate to introduce it in respect of an essentially mystic era like that of the seventy weeks |
Using Sir Robert Anderson's explanation, which this author agrees:
| Acts 13:18-21 | 18 And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years: 20 and after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. |
| Acts 13:22- | 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, [e]I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will. |
| Description | Scripture | Notes | Years | |
| 1 | Moses has Israel in the wilderness | Acts 13:18 | 40 | |
| 2 | God gave Israel their inheritance | Acts 13:19 | Approximate 430 | 450 |
| 3 | Time of the Judges until Samuel the Prophet | Acts 13:20 | ||
| 4 | King Saul reign | Acts 13:21 | 40 | |
| Subtotal | 530 | |||
| 1 | King David's reign | 40 | ||
| 2 | Frist three years of King Solomon's reign | 3 | ||
| Subtotal (530 + 43) | 573 | |||
| Israel (full nation Servitudes. Not Judges 10:7-8) | ||||
| 1 | Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim | Judges 3:8 | Mesopotamian area | 8 |
| 2 | Eglon the king of Moab | Judges 3:-12-14 | Moabites | 18 |
| 3 | Jabin king of Canaan | Judges 4:2-3 | Cananites | 20 |
| 4 | hand of Midian | Judges 6:1 | Midanites | 7 |
| 5 | Philistines | Judges 13:1 | Philistines | 40 |
| Subtotal | 93 | |||
| 7 | Exodus to 480th year by Apostle Paul | Book of Acts of years in period | 573 | |
| Subtract 93 years | 93 | |||
| Starting Year of 1 Kings 16:1 | 480 |
These are the list of Servitudes, with Judges 10:7-8 that is only one area of Israel that is of the Nation of Israel:
| Judges 3:8 | The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. |
| Judges 3:12-14 | 12 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees. 14 And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. |
| Judges 4:2-3 | 2 And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. |
| Judges 6:1 | And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. |
| Judges 10:7-8 (Just a portion of Israel. Not Full Israel) |
7 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon. 8 And they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years oppressed they all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. |
| Judges 13:1 | And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. |
601 Incorrect Theory
So that the reader of this topic will be aware, there are some elaborate theories that propose, through archeological evidence plus theories, that there 601 years between the Exodus and the Temple completion. This author has not seen any reasonable calculation to build the 601 years that match scriptures. Therefore is this author's opinion that the 601 years starting point theory is wrong for two reason:
| Description | Scripture | Notes | Years | |
| 1 | Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim | Judges 3:8 | Mesopotamian area | 8 |
| 2 | Eglon the king of Moab | Judges 3:-12-14 | Moabites | 18 |
| 3 | Jabin king of Canaan | Judges 4:2-3 | Cananites | 20 |
| 4 | hand of Midian | Judges 6:1 | Midanites | 7 |
| 5 | Philistines and Amorites oppress Gilead | Judges 10:7-8 | Just those who were beyond the river Jordan | 18 |
| 6 | Philistines | Judges 13:1 | Philistines | 40 |
| Subtotal | 111 | |||
| 7 | Unknown calculation of 601 years | 601 | ||
| subtract 111 | -111 | |||
| Total | 490 |
There are two law requirements for Israel concerning the Sabbaths with the land, and one concerning the 50th year for the land.
The years that the nation of Israel collectively had not observed the seventh-day was 490-years, therefore God stated there was going to be 70-years of the land not being available as a consequence. Notice in 2 Chronicles 36:21, God is stating the land will "enjoy its Sabbaths", which means to lay unused and not kept orderly. Also notice in Jeremiah 25:11, the land remaining unused is compared to a "desolate wasteland" which also means unused in state of desolation.
| 490-Years divided by Seven Days equals 70 years. |
In Jeremiah 25:11, the consequences revealed in 2 Chronicles 36:21 are confirmed. The Prophet Daniel, Daniel chapter 9, goes into fervent prayer knowing the seventy-years are almost completed, and Daniel wants God's guidance, intervention, and security for the people of Israel.
| Exodus 20:9-11 | 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. |
| Exodus 23:11 and Leviticus 25:4 |
but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. |
| Leviticus 25:8-12 Jubilee Year - 50th Year |
8 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. |
| 2 Chronicles 36:18-21 | 18 And all the vessels of the house of God,
great and small, and the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the
treasures of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to
Babylon. 19 And they burnt the house of
God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces
thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword
carried he away to Babylon;
and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the
kingdom of Persia: 21 to fulfil the word of
Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah,
until the land had enjoyed its
sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to
fulfil threescore and ten years. (Note: Threescore and ten is 70-years) |
| Jeremiah 25:11 | This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. |
| Daniel 9:1-3 | 1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. |
Note that some Biblical Time-Lines have different years of the approximation of Ark of the Covenant placed in the Temple built by King Solomon. Regardless of the year approximations, we can have complete 100% confidence in God keeping His Promises, Prophecies and His Word being Holy. This author respects the outstanding research done to yield the approximation, which this author relies upon. Therefore, the undeniable period of 490-years in-between Solomon's Temple dedication and Artaxerxes is absolutely 490-years because of many other areas of proof that are absolutely amazing.
| The following is excerpts from the
69 Weeks and 70th Week of Daniel
topic: To determine when the "69 Weeks of Years" per the prophecy means determining the start date the Temple that was to be rebuilt after the destruction from Nebuchadnezzar. Of the sources to be used for finding the date, the first must be the Scriptures, and then archeological and historical sources. The key verses in the Scriptures are from:
Archeological and historical sources, when paired with the scriptural text, yield the following:
The WIKIpedia, Artaxerxes I site in the section "Portrayal in the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah" does a very good job in explaining some of the dating, confusion and assumptions. One part of the confusion is whether or not Ezra and Nehemiah are contemporaries, which is a reasonable question. This author is leaning on the side that the Scriptures always use patterns and double references to confirm truths. Therefore, getting the starting date of the 14th of March of the year 445 BC for the building of the Jerusalem Temple can be established with these additional summary points:
|
The two scriptural passages of "1 Kings 8:1-11" and "Nehemiah 2:1-6" give us the starting point of the 490 years and the ending point of the 490 years:
| 1 Kings 8:1-11 The dedication of the Temple where the Priest bring in the Ark of the Covenant |
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 8 And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Jehovah, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah. |
| Nehemiah 2:1-6 Prophet Nehemiah gets permission to rebuild Jerusalem |
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid. 3 And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. 6 And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him), For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. |
| Description | Scripture | Notes | Years | |
| 1 | Temple dedication ceremony | 1 Kings 8:1-66 | Ark of the Covenant placed in Temple |
1005 BC |
| 2 | Prophet Nehemiah asks for authority from King to rebuild Jerusalem | Nehemiah 2:1-6 | King gives Nehemiah authority | 14-March-445 BC |
| Subtotal (1005 minus 445) |
560 years |
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| 3 | Subtract the Babylonian Captivity |
70 years |
||
| Total (560 minus 70) |
490 BC |
The starting point of the Ark of the Coventant placed in the Temple, that was established in the previous section of this topic proves it was in the year 1005 BC. The date that the King Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah authority to rebuild the Temple in the destroyed city of Jerusalem is confirmed by the points listed above in this topic. In Jeremiah 29:10, God gives Israel the wonderful news that Israel would return and rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.
| Jeremiah 29:10 | “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. |
| Daniel 9:1-2 | 1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. |
| Daniel 9:24-25 | 24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people
and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the most holy. 25 Know therefore and
discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to
build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks,
and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and
moat, even in troublous times. 70 Weeks = 7 multiplied by 70 which is 490 years. The scriptures use the term week to indicate seven. In today's analogy, if someone were to state that they need to leave for a new job, but will be back after a decade, then the listener would understand that the person will be back after ten years even though the person never said the words "ten" and "years". |
The entirety of scriptures inform us of the Glory of God and the wonderful good news of God's plan to enable us to spend Eternity with Him. The scriptures, such as Matthew 5:18, are perfect and there are no mistakes where this gives us comfort, hope and Faith.
The Parable of the King forgiving His slave the debt that was beyond the ability to be repaid that Jesus Christ speaks about in Matthew 18:15-35, informs us there is no limit to forgiveness to enable us to enter Eternity with God. The statement of "seventy times seven" lets us know that there are limitations to Grace and Mercy in our lives to stop sinful actions before negative consequences will occur.
Seventy times seven is four hundred and ninety (490), and 490 is not meant to be a marker to let a Christian continuing in sinful actions, where the Christian might incorrectly think there will be no negative consequences if stopped at the 489th occurrence. Sowing and Reaping, when understanding the scriptures, let us know that consequence can be done by a single action as was the case of the most well-known single sinful action of Adam and Eve with the Forbidden Fruit.
There is no contradiction of forgiveness to enter Eternity with God and receiving punitive consequences in our Earthly lives. The 490-year patterns in the Old Testament is there for at least these reasons:
| Matthew 5:18 | For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. |
| Matthew 18:22 | Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. |
What to read next?
(a) Adam's Lineage carries the message of the Gospel, (b) the Daughters of Zelophehad was required for the Royal Blood Line of Jesus Christ, (c) Three Days in the Bible, (d) The Tenth Man, Blotted out and the Blood Curse of Jeconiah, (e) Time Domains (f) Ten or more Dimensions