We want to continue from where we left off in our last study where we took an Old Testament saint we called Nathaniel (or, perhaps, Simeon would be a better name for him) and using just the Old Testament, could he have ascertained the correct date for the coming of the Lord, the birth of the Messiah?
We saw regarding the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel 9 that it was a direct timeline (using only the Bible) from 490 B. C., going 483 years to 7 B. C. It is “sixty-nine sevens.” Along with several other things, that would have indicated the timeline for the birth of Christ.
There is much more evidence, but I do not know if we will have time to cover it all during this conference. We could spend the whole time just looking at time relationships in the Old Testament:
We would see a very close-knit interrelationship between all these key Biblical dates that would form the familiar pattern we now see in evidence as we project some of they key dates into our time, the time of the end, whether it be 1988, 1994, 2011 or 2033. In other words, it is built upon something that has already been tested and proven. If we know the date for Christ’s first coming (and we do) from 7 B. C. to 33 A. D. and these time relationships point to that, then it is a big indicator for following the same pattern not only for His second coming, but there were all those things that pointed to His first coming in Old Testament and they proved that timeline. And now we are using some of the same major Biblical events and projecting them into our time; and, in many cases, they are just separated by 2,000 years.
Just to remind us, I want to read, again, from Ezra 6:14-15:
And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
We saw that Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes were three titles for one king. This is the reason it says “king,” singular. The house was finished in the sixth year and twelfth month of that king. Then in the next chapter in Ezra, it picks up with the seventh year and first month of Artaxerxes, who is the same king. Chronologically, it just flows very naturally from the twelfth month to the first month, and from the sixth year to the seventh year, which is the year 490 B. C.
I know you probably have some questions and as you spend time thinking about it, you are going to have some questions about the “seventieth” week. There were the seven weeks, plus the sixty-two weeks (of Daniel 9), so we have “sixty-nine” weeks and that leaves the “seventieth” week. But right now I am not going to try to get into that question because there are a couple of possibilities, but I have not had a chance to look at it too much. This is the reason I am hesitant to say that Mr. Camping’s study on the seventy weeks of Daniel 9 is incorrect. It is true that the dates of 445 and 458 B. C. that he used in the booklet, “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9,” cannot be derived from the Bible. At least I have never seen anyone get those dates from the Bible. Recently someone just told me that years ago he had asked specifically about those dates and where they came from. The response was that 458 B. C. was based on a king’s reign during 445 B. C. Then a follow-up question was asked about how he knew that this same king reigned in 445, and it came from secular sources. So, that has always kind of stuck in the back of my mind when looking at this.
You know, it is one thing to establish a date from the Bible to 7 B. C. and then learn from a secular source that Herod died in 4 B. C., and since Herold caused the children from two and under to be slain it supports that Christ’s birth could have been no later than 6 B. C. Then with all the other Biblical support, it leaves no doubt that it was 7 B. C. when Christ was born. So, we can refer to a secular source to get the year Herod died as 4 B. C., but it does not prove anything, but rather it supports what we had already proven and shown from the Bible. Therefore, that is a different matter.
However, if we had Scriptures that established dates for the kings of the Medes and Persians and then we used secular sources that agreed with those dates, it would be relevant. We could do that with King Solomon’s reign and his death age and when we check secular sources like archeologists, I think it is only a year off. King Solomon died in 931 B. C. and the secular records might say 930 B. C.
But we always go to the Bible first, so that is the problem with the seventieth week. I think the teaching we did earlier today is accurate, but we would love to hear from someone if you find anything. Please send us an e-mail or call us and let us know what you have found.
Now we are going to “change gears,” and go to the book of Judges. It says in Judges 10:1-5:
And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
I will stop reading there. Here, in these few short verses the Lord tells us about two judges, and He gives us the length of their judgeships. The first one, Tola, ruled 23 years. The second one, Jair, ruled 22 years. I want to read something from the book, “Are you Ready?” Mr. Camping wrote this book back in 1994. There is a lot of good stuff in this book and a lot of good Biblical material. I still read it regularly. On page 284, he was listing various events that pointed to the year 1994. We read the following:
Event No. 24: Upon the death of the judge Tola, Jair began to judge Israel in 1181 B. C. Relationship of the event to the Gospel message: Tola judged Israel for 23 years. When he died in 1181 B. C., Jair began to judge. Jair judged for 22 years and had 30 sons who rode on 30 ass colts and had 30 cities. The end of 23 years points to the end of the final tribulation period when Christ comes. Therefore, Jair is a picture of Christ as He comes at the end of the world. His 30 sons (3 x 10) represent the purpose of God that the complete number of the sons of God will be saved.
We are going to discuss what the 30 sons, 30 ass colts and 30 cities represent, but what Mr. Camping was saying is that the first judge, Tola, ruled for 23 years which points to the final tribulation. (Mr. Camping used the term “final tribulation” for several years before he began to call it the Great Tribulation.) The Great Tribulation was 23 years, and then the judge that followed was Jair, representing Christ as He would come in the Day of Judgment.
There was one more thing I intended to read, and that was a time path from the year 1181 B. C. At the time of writing this book, Mr. Camping thought the world would likely end in 1994. He gave the following timeline:
Years to the end of the world, 1994: (1181 + 1994 - 1 =3174 years, which breaks down to
“2 x 3 x 23 x 23.”
So, there was a “doubling” of the number “23,” and we find there were two judges ruling over two periods of time. Mr. Camping never discussed the fact that Jair judged for 22 years. He did not get into that because he thought that the year 1994 was the end. As far as I know, that fact never came up later in his ministry and, yet, Mr. Camping did recognize Jair as a type of Christ coming in the Day of Judgment.
Also, in that timeline to 1994, we see “2 x 3 x 23 x 23,” which is interesting because we have recently learned from the Bible that there are two “tribulation” periods. Tribulation is a judgment. The Bible says that judgment began at the house of God. It does not say that “tribulation” began at the house of God. It says judgment. The final judgment of the world is a process that began at the house of God back in 1988. And the tribulation upon the churches was a judgment that began the Great Tribulation in 1988. Then on May 21, 2011 that judgment transitioned to the entire world. It was a continuance of the judgment, but it is also like another tribulation period. We have seen that in a couple of places. In case someone did not hear that study, let us look at one reference in 2Thessalonians 1:4-6:
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
Who troubled who? Babylon troubled Judah, historically. Satan and his kingdom troubled the corporate church, and God will recompense or repay tribulation to those that troubled us, the people of God. We were “troubled” throughout the 23-year Great Tribulation, from May 21, 1988 to May 21, 2011. It was Satan that was victorious as he was troubling the people of God. He had no problems; he was “flying high.” The kingdom of Satan was being exalted like never before in history. Everything was going smoothly and wonderfully for the world. Would you say that about the circumstances of the world today? No – they are the object of the wrath of God because God has now “turned the table” and He is recompensing tribulation. This is the reason God says in Ephesians, “Faint not at my tribulation for you.” Did I quote the Bible correctly? No – it is not singular. It is plural. It says in Ephesians 3:13:
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
We can see why, because some people made it all the way through the 23 years of the Great Tribulation, even though it was a tough time. They professed to be faithful and gave every outward appearance of being faithful. And they endured to the end of a “tribulation,” but they have failed to endure into the next “tribulation” of Judgment Day itself. Basically, they fainted at God’s tribulations for them. God was telling us in advance, although we did not understand it at the time, that we should be prepared for two periods of “tribulation.”
In Romans 2:5, the Bible speaks of the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. It joins together the day of wrath (Judgment Day) with revelation. This is exactly what God has been doing throughout this entire period. He has opened the Scriptures to reveal many things, especially things pertaining to His judgment program. So, Judgment Day is a time wherein God continues to reveal truth. Then it goes on to say in Romans 2:6-9:
Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
It is a little difficult to grasp the idea because there is a lot of information but let us read it again and leave out some of the statements. First, God is telling us it is the day of wrath and He will render to every man according to his deeds. There are many verses that speak of God examining individuals, as it says in Revelation 2:12: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” And deeds are works, so Christ comes to render according to one’s work, whether we have done good or bad. So, Romans 2:6 tells us that it is continuing the theme of the Day of Judgment when everyone must appear before God to show whether we have done good or evil. Again, God said in Romans 2:8:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
We could understand the “Jew” to spiritually represent the churches. In Matthew 24, it said to “flee Judaea,” which is referring to fleeing the corporate church. God first brought judgment upon Judah or Judea, the churches and congregations. Jeremiah 25 tells us that God first bring judgment on the city called by His name and then transitions His judgment to the nations. Then it adds, “and also of the Gentile,” which would refer to the time when the judgment on the corporate churches ended and the judgment on the entire world began. That is what God has done, and now we are living in those days after that tribulation. We are living in those days after judgment came upon the churches, and currently living in the time of judgment upon the world.
As far as the two judges that are spoken of in Judges 10, the first judge, Tola, ruled for 23 years. The word “Tola” is Strong’s #8439, and it comes from Strong’s #8438, a word translated as “worm,” “crimson,” and “scarlet.” It is the word found in Job 25:6:
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
It is also found in Psalm 22, a Messianic Psalm which refers to Christ. It says in Psalm 22:6:
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
It says in Isaiah 41:14:
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith JEHOVAH, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
So, we see it can refer to Christ, as in Psalm 22:6. It can refer to body of Christ, the elect.
This word is also used in Jonah 4 where Jonah went outside the city and a gourd came up in a night. It said in Jonah 4:6-7:
And JEHOVAH God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
The Lord Jesus coming as Judge would be the spiritual teaching, and the “gourd” probably points to national Israel and also to the corporate churches when God brought judgment against them.
Let us look at one more place where this word that “Tola” is derived from is used in Deuteronomy 28. This chapter from verse 15 to the end of the chapter discusses the judgment of God upon His disobedient people that had identified with the kingdom of God. It says in Deuteronomy 28:39:
Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
Again, this would be the judgment of God upon the gospel of the churches and congregations as He brought judgment upon them.
So, this Tola that judged for 23 years is like a “worm” that is destroying the vineyard and grapes or destroying the gospel of the churches and congregations. Maybe we should look at some Scriptures because we are so accustomed to the terminology and the Great Tribulation as being 23 years. We do get that number from the Bible. There is the example of the 23 musical instruments in Daniel 3. Or, we could go to 1Corinthians 10 where the Lord gives an historical example of His judgement. He spells it out. He tells us that these things were examples, in 1Corinthians 10:6-8:
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
In the historical account, there were 24,000 that died in this plague. But God is very exact, so 23,000 must have died in one day, and the other 1,000 people died in later days. The 23,000 points to God’s judgment on His rebellious people. That is why it was an example for the churches. We could also go Daniel where God speaks of 2,300 evening mornings and the number “2,300” is “23 x 10 x 10.” This was the actual number of days (2,300) that comprised the first part of the Great Tribulation, but the number “23” is used in association with the Great Tribulation itself. We know, based on the calendar of history and how things worked out for Judah of old, that good king Josiah died in 609 B. C. Then 23 years (inclusively) later in 587 B. C., the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians.
And there is much more information like this, including the number of kings of Israel and the number of kings of Judah. How many kings ruled over Israel in the North until they were destroyed and then had only earthly kings to rule over them? It was 23. How many kings ruled over Judah in the South before their line of kings was cut off and they never had another king? It was 23. The judgment on Samaria and Israel and the 10 tribes in the North and the judgment on Jerusalem and Judah in the South were both historical parables pointing to the Great Tribulation. So, the evidence for the number “23” pointing to “tribulation” is very strong. This is the reason Mr. Camping made the comment I read earlier concerning Tola.
By the way, because I read from Mr. Camping’s book, there will be people that say, “Oh, anything Mr. Camping says…” But do not forget that in our last study we brought information that was not the same as Mr. Camping taught about the “seventy sevens” of Daniel 9. I just wanted to quote from his teaching because sometimes it helps to see that it is “just not me” that sees these things in the Bible. It occasionally helps, not that it is the authority, just like I have mentioned at other times that A. W. Pink did some studies in Exodus. He was a well-respected Reformed theologian of the early 20th Century. He may have been alive at the time Mr. Camping was a young man, but his period of ministry was far in advance of Mr. Camping. When A. W. Pink did a study in Exodus and he came to some numbers in that book, he began to “break down” some of the numbers. For instance, he would take a number that broke down to “5 x 7,” and he would say that the number “5” represents this and the number “7” represents this. When he tried to do that, the spiritual meaning of the numbers was, perhaps, different than what we have learned. However, we have made corrections, too, have we not? For instance, we used to say that the number “2” represented the church, but then we corrected it to represent the caretakers of the Word of God. Or, we could say it was further refined. Mr. Pink seemed to be a faithful man in many of the things he taught. Of course, he had limitations, because the Scriptures were still sealed during the church age, so he did not have things perfect.
By the way, how often do I mention theologians? It is rare, but if I do it once there will be someone listening with a mind to find fault and they will say, “Oh, he always talks about this theologian.”
However, the reason I mentioned A. W. Pink is because the breaking down of numbers is not new to God’s people, and Mr. Camping was not even the first one to do this. I think we can be sure that if A. W. Pink did this, it probably did not originate with him either. In other words, the saints of God have approached the Bible in the past, and they have looked for spiritual understanding when it came to “numbers,” just as we do.
So, when we come to a number like “23” and we see it used in the Bible in a consistent way – especially when it is in the context of Israel – it points to judgment on the churches, the people of God. Tola, the man whose name means “worm,” judged for 23 years. We know the Great Tribulation took place from 1988 to 2011, for a total of 23 years. The year 2011 was 13,023 years from creation. We saw that there were 6,023 years from creation to the flood, so it just seemed fitting that if we went 7,000 years more, we would come to 13,023 years and then comes the end. However, we did not take into account “two earths.” We did not take into account a judgment time period leading from creation to the flood of the “first earth” and a very similar time period from the flood to the end of the “second earth.” But when we do that, if we take 11,013 B. C., plus 2033 (the Biblical evidence points to that year 2033 A. D.), it equals 13,046 years.
By the way, does that number “46” sound familiar? Remember Zerubbabel’s temple? It was 46 years in building. That was the second temple. So, from 1988 to the year 2033 are 45 years or 46 years inclusively. Even if we do not count inclusively, we do have that over-arching timeline from creation: 13,046 calendar years and 13,045 actual years. So, we have this 45/46 connection.
The first temple (Solomon’s temple) could be a type and figure of the early rain or church age. I am not saying it is limited exclusively to that. It is odd that God caused a temple to be built and then allowed it to be destroyed by the Babylonians. Then after the Jews came out of Babylon, God arranged for a second temple to be built. It makes us wonder why God would do that. And now we have a timeline for that second temple of 46 years. (I am open to correction on that.) That 46 years could match a timeline that would begin in 1988 through 2033, inclusively. During a certain segment of that 46 years, the Latter Rain was poured out and God completed His spiritual temple. Perhaps that is what Zerubbabel’s temple pointed to, spiritually.
We have all these numbers that are coming together. And do not forget the timeline from creation to 33 A. D. The year 33 A. D. is an established date wherein we know that Jesus went to the cross, died and was resurrected. From creation, how many years was it? Remember when you go from a time in the Old Testament to the New Testament, you must add them together. So, we have 11,013 + 33 = 11,046 calendar years (or 11,045 actual years). Again, we see the 45/46 relationship. There are a bunch of 45s and 46s. The temple was in building for 46 years. Then from creation to the birth of the Lord, we see the fulness of “11,000,” plus “45/46.” The year 1988, we see the fulness of the “13,000” years, and then if you go 45 actual years we come to the date all these other dates strongly point to (and which is exactly 2,000 years from the cross), the year 2033 A. D. We have the over-arching timeline from creation of 13,045/13,046 years.
This is one of the reasons that Tola and Jair are so interesting, and it is one of the reasons I read that portion from Mr. Camping’s book, and maybe just to show that I am not the only “nut.” [Laughter] Seriously, there are others that see these 23 years. Tola’s name means “worm” and we saw how it identifies with judgment. Then we go on to read in Judges 10:3:
And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
So, we had the 23 years. Now let us say that is the Great Tribulation and it is picturing God’s judgment on the corporate church. When did that 23-year period end? It was May 21, 2011. So, let us say that Jair is a type of Christ, and he comes with 30 sons on 30 ass colts and they have 30 cities. So the number “3” is tripled. The number “3” is God’s purpose and the number “10” is completeness; it is God’s purpose to complete these things as Christ comes to judge the world.
If this is all correct, then we already see the 23 years to 2011, and then we add 22 years. Where does that go if you add 22 years to 2011? It is the year 2033. Basically, it would be a timeline for the “two tribulations.” It breaks down to 23 years for the tribulation (judgment) on the churches, plus 22 years for tribulation (judgment) on the world.
This was the reason I also read how Mr. Camping broke the number “1181” down. The year 1181 B. C. was the year that Tola died and Jair began to reign, so they are both connected to that year. From 1181 B. C. to 1994 is 3,174 years, which breaks down to “2 x 3 x 23 x 23,” and we see the number “23” twice, representing “two tribulations.” With the doubling of the number “23” we do see “two tribulations.” So, it appears it focuses on two separate periods of time of judgeship and pointing to two separate judgments of God. Or, we could say it is two parts of the whole judgment, as God began judgment on the churches and transitioned to the world.
Let us look at the name “Jair” before we finish this study. The word “jair” is Strong’s #2971 in the Hebrew and it comes from Strong’s #215, which is translated as “enlighten” in 1Samuel 14:24:
And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
Then it says in 1Samuel 14:27:
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
Basically, the meaning of Jair’s name is to be “enlightened,” which is interesting because we read in Romans 2 of the day of wrath and “revelation.” So, it is not all negative. Yes – Judgment Day is grievous. It is the great day of the Lord and it is terrible in that sense, but it is also a day of enlightenment. In Jair’s time, it would not be pointing to being enlightened in the Great Tribulation, but it would refer to the time following that 23 years which is the period of Judgment Day, the prolonged judgment period that we live in now.
I do not time to go through all the verses, so tomorrow we can look at many other places where the Hebrew word #215 has to do with “light” and understanding the Word of God. And Jair is picturing this.
Let us look at one more Scripture in Revelation 18. This would be in the Greek, but it has the word “lighten” and it is in the proper context as far as the time setting is concerned, as it says in Revelation 18:2: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…” Just to emphasize this, when did Babylon fall, historically? Did it fall fifty years into that tribulation? No – it fell at the end of the seventy years, which is a type of the Great Tribulation. It happened in that very night. God wrote on the wall and Daniel interpreted it for the king of Babylon, and in that night, Cyrus took the kingdom. It was after the full seventy years, just as the Lord Jesus Christ took the kingdom of Satan immediately after the Great Tribulation, on May 21, 2011. Christ has taken the kingdom of Satan and Satan was put down, and we see the evidence for this everywhere regarding the “division” that is going on in this world. In Mark 3, the Lord made a point to tell us that a house divided cannot stand and He tied it to Satan’s end. So, today unsaved men are at each other’s throats, and we can expect that to continue and worsen over the course of Judgment Day. We know from this statement in Revelation 18:2, it is like saying, “Judgment Day is here! Judgment Day is here! Babylon is fallen, is fallen!” So, this is the context in Revelation 18, and it says in Revelation 18:1:
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
It is almost simultaneous. The earth is “lightened” with His glory at the very time that Babylon is fallen. It would not seem to make any sense until we realize what it says in verses like Romans 2:5 regarding judgment day and the “revelation” of His righteous judgment. You can read Luke 17 where in the context of Judgment Day, the Son of man is revealed. And where is He revealed? It is on the pages of the Bible, just as Satan was revealed as the “man of sin” in the Bible in 2Thessalonians 2. God opens the eyes of His people to comprehend and learn these things as He reveals them. Lord willing, we will continue this study tomorrow morning.