WBC-03-From Creation of Man to the End of the Flood

From Creation of Man to the End of the Flood THE PATRIARCHS BEFORE THE FLOOD
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHRONOLOGY BEFORE AND THAT AFTER THE FLOOD

Having given, in the foregoing pages, a general outline of the chronology found in the Bible, and having indicated the most prominent features thereof, we shall now look more closely into the details of the subject. The chronology of the Bible does not begin with the creation of the world, but with the creation of Man. This should be carefully noted. Concerning the date of the creation of the visible universe the Scripture is silent. All the information given us as to that interesting matter is what is contained in the first verse of the Bible, namely, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." There is, therefore, no warrant at all for the term Anno Mundi (year of the world). Anstey very properly uses the term An. Horn. (Anno Hominis, year of man).

We do not enter into the discussion of the disputed question whether or not long ages of time (as the theories of geologists require) intervened between the first verse of Genesis and the third. On the one hand the Hebrew word rendered "was," in Genesis 1:2 (" And the earth was waste and void "), undoubtedly has the force and meaning of "became"; so that there is ample room in that verse for the longest geological ages that have ever been conjectured. On the other hand, we do not question the power of God to produce the raw materials of the heaven and the earth in a moment, and to prepare the earth for the abode of mankind in six days of twenty-four hours each. But we leave that question untouched herein, because our subject begins, not with the first year of the world, but with the first year of Adam, and it has to do with facts, affording no room for conjectures. As to the time of the year when the first man was made a living soul, and was placed in the garden of Eden, the indications point to the Autumnal Equinox. For the Hebrew year began at that season, though it was changed by the express command of God at the Exodus so as to begin at the Vernal Equinox (Exodus 12:2). We know that the first plants did not develop from seeds; for it is written that the Lor. God made "every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew" (Genesis 2:4-5). Thus the first plants were full-grown and mature. They did not grow up from seeds or shoots, any more than the first man and woman grew up from a boy and a girl. From this we may gather, therefore, that an adult man was placed in a garden filled with mature, fruit-bearing trees and plants, at that season of the year (late summer or early autumn) when the harvest of grains and fruits is ripe. The fifth chapter of Genesis is in the form of a family register, kept with the most painstaking care, yet singularly unconcerned about the children save one only in each generation, the selection being governed by a purpose which is not disclosed. The chapter has a descriptive title: "The Book of the Generations of Adam." It contains the names of ten men, one in each generation from Adam to Noah, inclusive. The same form is used throughout, thus: "Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son, ...and called his name Seth; and the days of Adam, after he had begotten Seth, were eight hundred years; and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died." By thus dividing each patriarch’s life into two periods (marked by the birth of that particular son through whom the genealogical line was to be continued), by stating the number of years contained in each period, and by giving finally the total of the two periods, a means is provided whereby any error, such as might be made by a copyist, for example, in any of the figures in the table, would be instantly detected. This is the table

Thus, if the figures given in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament are accepted as correct, there is no possibility of arriving at any other conclusion than that the period of time from the creation of Adam to the flood (whereby his entire posterity then living, with the exception of the family of Noah, was wiped out) is exactly 1656 years. As to this there is perfect agreement among all chronologers who accept as correct the Hebrew text of the Old Testament.

"That is not First Which is Spiritual"

It is well worth while to notice at this point a striking peculiarity of the selection made by God of the persons and genealogies that were to figure in the Old Testament. The Book of Genesis is, among other marked characteristics, a book of contrasts. In reading it we find ourselves contemplating, from time to time, two contrasted individuals, or lines of descent, or sets of incidents. Thus, we have at the outset two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel; then two lines of descent from Adam, that of Cain and that of Seth; then the contrast between Abraham and Lot; then that between Ishmael and Isaac; then that between Esau and Jacob; then that between Reuben and Joseph (to whom was allotted the birthright); and finally that between Manasseh and Ephraim.

What impresses the attentive reader in all this duplex character of the Genesis narrative is that, in every instance, the elder (or the first to arrive on the scene and to establish himself) is rejected of God, and the younger, or later, is chosen. Thus by the Divine prerogative of election Cain is set aside and Abel is chosen. Seth, which means substituted, takes the place of Abel as the one chosen of God for His purposes, according to the prophetic word of Eve who, in naming him, said, "For God hath appointed (or substituted) me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" (Genesis 4:25). But Cain’s descendants established themselves, founded arts and industries, and made a name for themselves in the world; whereas we read of no achievement by Seth and his descendants.

Similarly, as between Abraham and Lot (who was the son of Abraham’s elder brother) we find Lot making a way for himself and attaining prominence in the flourishing cities of the plain, while Abraham remains a childless tent-dweller, a stranger and pilgrim on earth. In like manner we see Ishmael multiplying and prospering, his twelve sons having their "towns" and "castles" and "nations," and waxing very great (Genesis 25:12-18); while Isaac lives a quiet, pastoral life, occupied mainly in digging again the wells his father Abraham had digged, which the Philistines had stopped by filling them with earth (Genesis 26:15-18).

Reading further, we find a like contrast between Esau and Jacob. Esau is very progressive and becomes prominent in the land, while Jacob is yet serving as an hireling and waiting. We read of the many "dukes" (or princes) descended from Esau (Genesis 36:9-43); and it is expressly stated that "these are they that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel" (v. 31). In all these cases we observe that the history and "genera-lions" of the rejected elder are given before those of the younger, whom God chose. For the generations of Cain precede those of Seth; the generations of Japheth (the rejected elder brother) precede those of Shem, whose line was chosen; the generations of Ishmael precede the generations of Isaac; and the generations of Esau precede the generations of Jacob. In all this it is easy to recognize the foreshadowing of the great Bible truth concerning the failure and rejection of the first man, who is of the earth, earthy (1 Corinthians 15:45-47) and the correlative and complementary truth of the bringing in of the Second Man in his stead. For "that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual." These dry chronological details also put vividly before us that while the "natural" man, who comes first, is pursuing whole-heartedly his earthly career, setting his heart upon, and devoting his energies to, the acquisition of earthly place, possessions and enjoyments, the "spiritual" man, who comes afterward, has to wait, to endure trials and hardships, wherein, however, he is sustained by believing what God has spoken concerning "things not seen as yet," and is well content to confess that he is a stranger and pilgrim on the earth. From what is written of the patriarch Jacob, we should probably not have regarded him as particularly "spiritual." But spirituality is wholly of grace, which is given to those who are of faith. Jacob believed God as to the value of the birthright; and the fact that he set his heart upon that which was "not seen," but of which God had spoken, constituted the difference (which is everything in God’s estimation) between him and his elder brother, who "despised his birthright," and whom God therefore counted a "profane person" (Hebrews 12:16). The facts to which we have just referred serve to illustrate also the Scripture: "He taketh away the first that He may establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9). For in each of the above instances, "the first" was permanently taken away, whereas "the second" was established. Thus the line of Cain was removed, while that of Seth was established; the line of" Japheth, the elder "(Genesis 10:21) was set aside, and that of Shem established; and so likewise of all the rest. This principle comes to light in the later times also. Thus the first king of Israel, Saul, is the "natural" man. He had endowments such as natural men admire; whereas David was the "spiritual" king, the man after God’s own heart. Hence David has to wait, amidst manifold trials and afflictions, while Saul comes "first," and is allowed to fill out his full period of forty years on the throne. But ultimately Saul’s dynasty is taken away, while that of David is established, according to the word of the promise, "Thy seed will I establish forever" (Psalms 89:4).

We find the same sequence of "natural" and "spiritual" in connection with the nation composed of the natural descendants of Abraham, and which came first into existence, contrasted with the "holy nation" (1 Pet. 2 9) composed of the spiritual "seed" of Abraham, which came upon the scene only after the former had enjoyed a complete career in the world. Yet the first is set aside while the second is established permanently as a people for God’s own possession.

Again we see the same truth illustrated by the two Covenants, of which "the first" was associated with the temporary priesthood of Aaron, whereas the second is associated with the priesthood of Jesus Christ, Who is established as an High Priest forever (Hebrews 6:20). The Noah-Shem Connection

It has been shown that the first series of connected events to which dates are attached extends from the creation of Adam to the flood, in the 600th year of Noah, the length of the entire period being 1656 years. The next series begins with these words:

"These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad, two years after the flood" (Genesis 11:10). But there is no statement of the age of Noah at the birth of Shem; for the first table ends thus: "And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Genesis 5:32). There is, therefore, an apparent break between the generations of Adam and the generations of Shem. And not only so, but there are other like breaks or interrup­tions in the course of the entire chronology, the continuity of the record being apparently broken at five places in all. The other four places are as follows:

1. The second table of chronology, which, like the first, contains ten generations "from Shem to Abram "ends by naming the three sons of Terah, just as the first ends by naming the three sons of Noah, without stating the father’s age at the birth of the son (in this case Abram) who was to continue the line of God’s dealings. Here again there is an apparent break in the continuity of the count of years. But the connecting link is in the Scriptures, and has been discovered and clearly identified, as we shall see.

2. The Book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph, down to which point the chronology is clear; and the Book of Exodus begins with the birth of Moses. But the time-link between the history of Joseph and that of Moses is not given in the narrative, and must be searched for elsewhere in the Scriptures. This apparent break needs also to be mended; and this too has been accomplished.

3. Again there is a break between Joshua (and the elders who overlived him) and the period of the Judges, the chronology of which period begins with the oppression of the Israelites by Cushan-Rishathaim (Judges 3:8).

4. Finally, there is no direct statement of the number of years between the death of Eli (where the epoch of the Judges ends) and the beginning of the reign of Saul, with whom began the epoch of the Kings. But the information needed to fill these five gaps, and thus to make the chronology of the Bible complete from start to finish, has been found through the studies of various chronologers; and it will be brought to the attention of our readers in these pages. The break which immediately concerns us, that between Noah, with whom the first table ends, and Shem, with whom the second begins, is easily mended. Shem was not the eldest son of Noah. Genesis 10:21 (which is correctly rendered in the A.V.) states that Japheth was the elder. The words of Genesis 5:32 do not give us Noah’s age at the birth of Shem. But from Genesis 7:6 we learn that Noah was 600 years old "when the flood of waters was (i.e. came) upon the earth"; and from Genesis 11:10 we learn that Shem was 100 years old two years after the flood, the year Arphaxad was born. From these statements it follows that Noah was 502 years old at the birth of Shem. For since Shem was 100 years old two years after the flood, he was 98 at the time of the flood; and at that time Noah was 600 years old (Genesis 7:6). Deducting 98 from 600 gives us 502 years as the age of Noah at the birth of Shem. Thus we have a perfect con­nection between the chronological table of the patriarchs before the flood, and the corresponding table of the patriarchs (Shem to Abram) after the flood. The Detailed Chronology of the Flood

Between these two tables the Book of Genesis gives us the detailed chronology of the flood itself. It began on the 17th day of the 2nd month of the 600th year of Noah’s life (Genesis 7:11). The ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month of the same year (Genesis 8:4), five months later. This is the month Abib or Nisan, in which the Passover was (later on) appointed to be observed on the 14th day. The Passover, as a type, was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as it is written, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). The resting of the ark, as a prophetic type, was fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21). Thus the type of the death of Christ occurred on the very day He was crucified (the 14th Nisan) and the type of His resurrection occurred just three days later (the 17th Nisan), that being the day the ark rested on Mt. Ararat. These striking correspondences could not be mere coincidences, nor could they possibly have been contrived by the several writers of successive portions of the Bible, seeing that those writers were separated from one another by long stretches of time. Hence the correspondences we have noted afford strong evidence of Divine superintendence over the entire Scripture. And what is of even greater importance, they tend to establish that redemption through the death and resurrection of the Divine Redeemer was in contemplation from the beginning. The five months from the beginning of the flood to that day, during which time "the waters prevailed upon the earth," are set down as a period of "an hundred and fifty days" (Genesis 7:24) which gives 30 days to the month. Then the waters were assuaged; and "after the end of the one hundred and fifty days the waters were abated; and the ark rested on the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:1-4). The process of the subsidence of the waters continued until, by the first of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains were seen (v. 5). Then, after another 44) days (which brings us to the 11th day of the 11th month), Noah sent forth a raven and a dove. The latter returned, and was sent forth again after seven days (the 18th), on which occasion she returned in the evening with an olive-leaf plucked off (v. 11). Another seven days passed, and on the 25th of the 11th month the dove was sent forth the third time, and returned not again. On the first day of Noah’s 601st year Noah removed the covering of the ark, and saw that the earth was dry (Genesis 8:13); and on the 27th day of the 2nd month the earth was dried, and God bade Noah to go forth of the ark (vv. 14-16). Thus the duration of the flood was one year and ten days.