Unlearning Christian Chronology | Dr. Randy White | July 9, 2023

The Problems With Christian Chronology

Problem 1: It Assumes The Bible To Be In Error

The most common Old Testament dates, such as the building of Solomon’s Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, are out of sync with literalist Biblical chronologies. These dates themselves come from secular, non-Biblical sources. Why do we assume the Bible to be in error by continuing to adopt these dates? This has led to some students of the Bible being dismissive of the precision of Biblical chronology and assuming that the Bible is filled with chronological errors.

However, I am convinced that what may appear to be errors are actually different points of calculation. These differences add to, rather than detract from, the evidences of verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. I contend that the numbers and dates of the Bible are as true and inspired as the remainder of the Scriptures, and that the Bible must be our sole source of authority, even in chronology.

For instance, 1 Kings 6:1 mentions 480 years from the Exodus to the Temple, but Acts 13:17-22 requires 573 years, a difference of 93 years. We can either dismiss this inconsistency or search the Scriptures for truth. When we examine the 450-year period of the Judges closely, we find that there were exactly 93 years in which Israel was out of favor with God. Therefore, we can build a "lo-ammi" (not a people) concept of chronology and see that in the Hebrew Scriptures, God only counted years in which He and Israel were in alignment.

Problem 2: It Assumes A Lunar Calendar

It is often taken for granted that the Hebrew people used a 360-day lunar calendar, with many Christian chronological arguments built on this assumption. However, there are reasons to question this. For starters, the number 360 is a rounded figure; an actual lunar calendar is about 354 days long. This discrepancy of approximately 11 days compared to a 365-day solar calendar might seem small, but over the course of years, it adds up.

To put this into perspective, consider the 40-year wilderness period in the Bible. If the Hebrew people were strictly using a lunar calendar, the Passover—a spring feast—would have gradually shifted seasons. It would have become a winter, fall, and summer feast before returning to spring by the end of the 40-year period.

This provides a strong argument for the necessity of some form of solar year for accurate biblical chronology. We must be mindful of these details when engaging in chronological study of the Bible. The concept of a "360-day prophetic year" may be an oversimplification that results in inaccuracies.

The Prevalence Of The Problem

An instructive example of the problem can be seen when studying Daniel 9:24-27. In this passage, Daniel prophesies a period of 70 “weeks”, which—following the commonly accepted interpretation of each "week" representing seven years—amounts to 490 years. The prophecy is broken down into periods of 7 weeks (49 years), 62 weeks (434 years), and 1 week (7 years). According to the prophecy, the Messiah is to be "cut off" after the combined period of the 7 and 62 weeks (483 years). This timeframe is often used to calculate the date of Jesus’ death.

Many interpret this prophecy by multiplying 483 by the 360 days they assume were in a biblical year, arriving at a total of 173,880 days. However, if we instead use the 365.25 days in a solar year, we arrive at a total of 176,416 days, a difference of almost 7 years.

Here is a common interpretation found on the website “GotQuestions”:

Converting the 360-day year used by the ancient Jews, 483 years becomes 476 years on our solar calendar. Adjusting for the switch from B.C. to A.D., 476 years after 444 B.C. places us at A.D. 33, which would coincide with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–9). The prophecy in Daniel 9 specifies that, after the completion of the 483 years, “the Anointed One will be cut off” (verse 26). This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified.<![if !supportFootnotes]>[1]<![endif]>

This interpretation assumes a 360-day year and then makes an incorrect conversion to a solar calendar, erroneously reducing the number of years from 483 to 476. But why make the initial assumption of a 360-day year when this would throw off the timing of the spring and fall feasts, a crucial aspect of Jewish religious life?

If we instead calculate using a 365.25-day solar year, the timeframe of Daniel's prophecy shifts considerably. This not only aligns better with historical and seasonal context but also may bring new insights to the interpretation of this prophecy.

Fixing The Problem

In "The Companion Bible," E.W. Bullinger presents dates that differ greatly from the commonly accepted Christian consensus. For instance, he places the siege of Jerusalem in 477 B.C. instead of the consensus date of 586 B.C. While his dates, especially those post-Exodus, differ significantly from textbook dates, they are actually more accurate to the Biblical text upon close examination. Bullinger then sets the decree to rebuild Jerusalem at 454 B.C., and by adding 483 solar years, he arrives at A.D. 29. Bullinger takes this to be the year of the crucifixion, but I believe it makes more sense for this to be the year His ministry began, which aligns with the text.

The problem with interpreting the final "week" in Daniel's prophecy as the seven years of the tribulation is that it is divided several times into two halves of 1,260 days, or 42 months, which is clearly based on a 360-day year. It would be unreasonable to assume that 483 of the years are solar and the final 7 are lunar. Therefore, we must set this assumption aside and consider an alternative explanation.

The best possibility is found in Daniel 12:12, which mentions a time period of 1,335 days. This additional 75 days is only three days different than if the necessary "leap months" were added to keep lunar calendars in sync with solar calendars.

The Reason It Matters

Most Christians are really not that interested in detailed matters of chronology, so why does it matter? The reason is that the accuracy of Scripture in all its details is fundamental to the Christian faith. Simply put, if the Bible is in error in minutia, then we have reason to question its validity in all things.

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<![if !supportFootnotes]>[1]<![endif]> What Are The Seventy Weeks of Daniel? https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html. Accessed July 8, 2023.

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