Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the Book of Genesis. Tonight, is study #10 of Genesis, chapter 14 and we are continuing to look at Genesis 14:4-5:

Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

I will stop reading there. We have spent considerable time looking in to this and we have seen that these numbers are extremely significant: the numbers “12” and “13” and “14.” The number “12” deals with the figurative duration the Bible presents for the timeline of the history of the world. There were 11,000 years until the Messiah, plus “1,000” (figurative) years of Satan’s binding. Then there was the unfolding of the end stage from that point, which if it would work out from 1988 to 2033, would be 45 actual years or 46 inclusive years.

The number “13,000” is the actual number of years from creation to 1988. On one hand, the duration is portrayed as 12,000, but, in reality, it was 13,000 years to the loosing of Satan and the time that this historical battle that typified the Great Tribulation would take place. We have discussed this and we have seen how 12 years and 13 years both come in to view.

Then there is the reference to the number “14,” where it says: “And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer…” Historically, they did service to him for 12 years and then in the 13th year (which came after the completion of the “12”), they rebelled and then he waited for the completion of the 13th year before he gathered the other kings and came to battle in the 14th year.

We have seen how 12,000 and 13,000 identify with that point of May 21, 1988 when Satan was loosed out of the bottomless pit and the Great Tribulation began, but 1988 was the completion of the 13,000 years of earth’s history and, therefore, when you go beyond the 13,000 full years by days or years, you are in the 14th year or the 14th millennium and the 14,000th year would continue to count, for example, as “13,100” or “13,500” or “13,999” and then the 14,000th complete year, but time will not continue to that point. The 14th year will not be completed, as the Bible will not allow for that possibility because of this wicked world and the wicked churches or the idea that the abounding evil (as God has lifted His hand of restraint off the hearts of men) could continue for another thousand years. We should not think that. That is why it says, “And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer,” because when Satan was loosed at the completion of 13,000 full years, “day 1” was in the 14,000th year and the 23-year Great Tribulation all took place (in millennial terms) in the 14,000th year.

God very meticulously used these numbers and you could not get any more careful with language than God did here to let us know that it is 1988 that is in view because only that date could fit the numbers “12,” “13” and “14,” simultaneously. You could not pick another year. If you picked an earlier time within the figurative “1000” years, the church age would still be active and you would not have “12,000” and you would not have reached “13,000,” nor would you have the beginning of “14,000.” There is only one year in all history that can identify with the year “12,000” and the year “13,000” and the beginning of “14,000,” and that is the year 1988. No other year in history – whether a prior year or a time to come if we did go another thousand years – would identify with “12,000” or “13,000.” Only the year 1988 does so and that is just incredible. It shows the amazing hand of God to present an historical situation in which He casually mentions these numbers. Bible readers throughout history have read these numbers and not understood them. How could they? It was only at the time of the end that God opened the Scriptures to reveal the Biblical calendar and the timeline of history so that we can see a perfect fit for each of these numbers mentioned.

Now I would like to go to another place in the Bible where all three of these numbers are also in view: 12 years, 13 years and 14 years. Let us go to a passage in Luke 2:40-50:

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

In this passage, we find that Jesus was 12 years old. So, we see how that relates to one of the numbers in Genesis 14:4: “Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer.” Jesus was 12 and we also know He was born a Jubilee Year in 7BC and we know that He was born in the seventh Hebrew month, which (probably) was either October 1 or October 2 in 7BC. Since Jesus was 12, we might think of “7 + 5,” but that would be 5AD and because you must subtract “1” for the fact that there is no year “zero” that would only equal “11.” So, it had to be 6AD when Jesus was 12. However, Christ was born in the fall of the year in October of 7BC and in October of 6AD He would have turned 12 years old, but in Luke 2 it says in Luke 2:41:

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

It was only a few days that He was lost and then found, so at this Passover He was 12 and, yet, the Passover comes in the first Hebrew month, which works out to our March or April. But in March or April of 6AD Jesus would not have been 12 yet, so that means that the events taking place in Luke 2 at the time of the Passover must be in March or April of 7AD because Christ would still be 12. And He would be 12 until October of 7AD, so we then have everything straight: we know Christ is 12. We know it is the first month of the Hebrew calendar (March or April) in 7AD. Now we look at the dates God has given us. Christ was born in 7BC and for some reason the Lord picks an event in Jesus’ life when He was 12 years old.

By the way, this is the only event recorded in the young Jesus’ (earthly) life. We have the birth of Christ recorded and we have the time when He was a very young child and the wise men came to visit Him and then there is nothing more said until He was 12 at the time of this account. Then after He was 12, there is no additional information given until the Lord was baptized in the river Jordan in 29AD, so this event stands out because of its singularity. God chose this one event and then we are told about the ministry of Christ for three and one half years (1335 days) and His death on the cross and up until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So, why did God choose this account and why did God decide to tell us Christ’s age? Could he not have told us something about the life of Christ when he was 15 or 18 or 22? Yes, but we know that God has purpose for everything He tells us in the Bible and, therefore, there is purpose in Christ’s age being 12. Furthermore, it only takes on this relevance because the Lord has opened up the Biblical calendar of history and we can lay these things out. We understand that end time mark of May 21, 1988, which is 12,000 years or 13,000 years from creation and begins the 14,000th year. Now we see in Christ’s life that He was 12 and when we look at this based on actual years, from 7BC to 7AD we would arrive at 14 years and then we subtract “1” for no “year zero” and we get 13 years. And, yet, God has given us an additional way of calculating time paths to assist us. We have talked about this a lot. There are “calendar years” and because there is no “year zero,” we can come up with two different ways of counting when we look at a timeline or time path – we can count actual years, which in this case was 13; or, we can count calendar years by adding 7BC and 7AD, for a total of 14. Do you see how the same numbers are in view that are in view in Genesis 14? Jesus was 12 years old and it was in the 13th actual year since 7BC and it is in the 14th calendar year since He was born in the Jubilee Year of 7BC. Is that a coincidence? I do not think it is. What is the point and significance of it? Since we know that Jesus would go to the cross in 33AD, we know that 33 minus 7 is 26 and that is “2 x 13” and that can have some significance, but we also know that from 7AD until Christ began His ministry in 29AD is 23 inclusive years and 22 actual years. Then in 29AD He began His ministry that continued for three and one half years to the cross.

So, as we have looked at 1988, we have seen it identifies with the beginning point of the Great Tribulation. It is the mark of “12,000/13,000” years and the beginning mark of the 14,000th year. The Great Tribulation continued for 23 years. From a point in Jesus’ life where we can correctly identify Him with the age of 12 and 13 and 14 (all at the same time), there would be 23 years inclusive until the beginning of His ministry. Then what significance does the ministry take on? I am not sure about that. We know that it concludes with the demonstration or tableau of Christ going to the cross. He truly suffered under the wrath of God, even though no payment (for sin) was being made. We see the entire ministry period of Jesus’ earthly life leading into that final judgment at the cross, so it could somehow relate to 23 years and then comes Judgment Day, which is finding us in a day of demonstration until the completion of that demonstration at the end of the prolonged Judgment Day period. Again, I am not sure, but I am just suggesting that. I am sure that Christ’s age of 12 and the additional numbers of 13 and 14 being in view are significant, like they are in Genesis 14. By God’s grace, when we look at the Biblical calendar of history, they are in view at the point of the end of the world (beginning) in 1988. And that cannot be a coincidence.