Philologos
Bible Prophecy Research
Misc Study: How Long is a Generation?
Submitted by: various members of BPR
Date: August, 1999
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms035.htm
How Long is a Generation?
Matthew 1 :17 tells us that all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and [all the generations] from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and [all the generations] from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. When we add fourteen plus fourteen plus fourteen, the total is forty-two generations from Abraham to Christ.
The great chronologist, Thiele, says that from Abraham to Christ, we have a total of 2,160 years. Divide forty - two generations into that, and the length of a generation becomes 51.4. Add that to May 14, 1948, and one comes out at Rosh Hashanah, September 1999.
A list member in response:
Interesting. I couldn't help but notice the number 51 (153/3). Since these 42 generations are divided into three portions, what if....
... Theile was off by a few years? What if he were 18 years off the mark (pun intended for the mathematically inclined), and the number was actually 2142 years?
2142/42 = 51
2142/14 = 153
2142/3 = 714 = 21 x 34
2142/34 = 63
34 x 360 = 12240, or 153 x 80 - the number of days in Jesus' life?
Sept 29, 2 B.C. plus 12240 days is April 3, 33 A.D.
If Jesus' life was 1/63 of this total.... and this was the number of generations until his birth, then 2142 + 34 = 2176 = 8 x 8 x 34
(To be consistent with the 34 [prophetic] years of Jesus' life, this time frame would also need to be calculated using a 360 day year.)
If Jesus' ministry was 1224 days, or 153 x 8 - 1/10 of his life - could we then say "he gave a tenth"?
April 3, 33 A.D minus 1224 days = Saturday, 26 November, 29 A.D. (I am using an astronomy program, which verifies the 66% lunar eclipse at 7:07 P.M. on Apr 3, coordinating with the lunar aspect of the Jewish calendar).
Luke 4:16 - 21
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the *sabbath* day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to *preach* the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to *preach* deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To *preach* the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
Preach x 3. Is that a hint?
Another observation:
A time frame of 2160 years is more consistent in respect to man or the antichrist.
6 x 6 x 6 x 10 = 2160
6! + 6! + 6! = 2160
360 x 6 = 2160
This number might be more relevent to Jesus' crucifixion (the rejection by man). If he was crucified on a Friday (I have difficulty with that one, but that's another study), 3 P.M. Friday to 3 A.M. Sunday would be 36 hours, or 2160 minutes. Also, a 1224 day ministry would have been 216 days short of a full "day of the Lord" (one day being 1440 minutes).
If Daniel's 70th week commenced at the beginning of Jesus ministry (another self-study I have somewhere on this computer), then 2520 - 1224 = 1296 days left, or 6 x 6 x 6 x 6, which is 144 days short of a complete "day" (1440 - 1296 = 144).
Will the final portion of the week begin on the same day that the clock was stopped [by Daniel's people]?
14 Nisan, 5762 + 1296 days = 10 Tishri 5765
BTW, in a 2520 day "gestation" period of 40 weeks, one "week" equals 63 actual days 2520/40 = 63), making one "day" equivalent to 9 calendar days (63/7 = 9). The last day of pregnancy is the day of labor and birth, which in this instance, would correspond to the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The above items are all the fruit of self-study (IOW, I'm not pasting this stuff from other sources, and I have done my best to check my accuracy up one side and down the other). There is more, including a timeline which addresses the 1290 and 1335 days (the 2300 days are going to be tested here very shortly! :-=D4)
Follow-up:
When I tried to test my idea further (regarding Daniel's timeline), I ended up counting back somewhere to November (448 or 447 BC), but I am so leery of ancient dates. Astronomical markers are more trustworthy, but I still don't try to be too dogmatic.
Anyway, I thought I hit an "uh oh" when I reviewed Nehemiah, since Artaxerxes gave Daniel the "ok" in the month of Nisan. However, Nehemiah records that his prayer was in the month of Kislev. Then the "shazaam" hit me. In rereading the relevant portion of Daniel 9, verses 23-25 jumped out.
Gabriel tells Daniel flat out, "At the *beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth*, and I am come to show thee..."
Then in verse 25:
"Know therefore and understand, that from the *going forth of the commandment* to
restore and build Jerusalem..."
When did the commandment (in Daniel's case) go forth? At the beginning of his supplications! When, then, did the *going forth of the commandment* occur concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem? I must strongly suspect, that is was when Nehemiah prayed for it! Compare the prayers of Daniel 9 to Nehemiah 1. They are so much alike. Compare especially Nehemiah 1:5 to Daniel 9:4. When did Nehemiah pray? In the month of Kislev. Gabriel told Daniel twice to know and understand.
The original word for commandment is the same in these verses, and the "going forth" in v. 25 is derived from the word in v.23. Hmmm... God's commandment, not man's??? I realize that this flies in the face of all the "experts", but I never paid them much mind. So many "authoritative" but contraditory opinions just encourage confusion, IMO.
Say, I just got the idea to look over at the Septuagint. Interestingly enough, Dan 9:25 reads:
"And thou shall know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the prince..."
From a list member in response:
Just a bit more on the 6000 years and 153 discussion going on:
Given that a biblical generation is 40 years; and
Given that the 153 fish represents: 76 generations: Adam to Jesus' generation (77th) then 76 more generations (=153) till his return in the 154th (77 +77)
Then 153 gens x 40yrs = 6120 years.
In 6000 years there are 120 jubilee years or rest years. As such these rest years are null years and 6120 years therefore represents 6000 active years.
From a list member in response:
I hope you find this as exciting as I have. I was doing a study on the number 40 one night but instead, God showed me something else. I had to skip over scriptures in order to get to the point as quickly as possible but the removal of the scriptures was in no way meant to take away from the word.
Genesis 5 speaks of the generations of Adam (6th day). In that "day" God created man. We are in that 6th day which is almost over.
Gen 5:1-32 CHAPTER 5
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God
created man, in the likeness of God made he him;3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 130 years;
6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
130 + 105 = 235 years9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
235 + 90 = 325 years12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
325 + 70 = 395 years15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
395 + 65 = 460 years18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
460 + 162 = 622 years21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and
begat Methuselah:
622 + 65 = 687 years25 And Methuselah lived a nhundred eighty and seven years, and begat
Lamech:
687 + 187 = 874 years28 And Lamech livedan hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
874 + 182 = 1056 years29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
Now jump forward to Genesis Chapter 9.
Gen 9:28-29
28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.
What I find the most exciting about this is the 29th verse. The book of Matthew states that "as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be". We tend to often think of the days of Noah as the ungodly conditions that existed and rightly so we can see the similarities in this present day. But perhaps there is something more to be derived from this scripture in Matthew.
Let's take a closer look at the "days" of Noah and finish the whole equation to see what we come up with. As we should all well know, God does not haphazardly give us dates and years in the scripture just to take up space and fill the pages. There must be a deeper meaning.
The death of Noah marked the end of a dispensation. A new dispensation began through his sons, Shem Ham, & Japeth.
Take the 1056th year when Noah was born, let's continue to track the number of years accumulated by adding the span of Noah's life found in Genesis 9:29. "And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years." Add 1056 years, plus 950 years, and you come up with 2006. If the 7 year tribulation is to be figured into this then subtract the 7 years from 2006 and you come up with 1999.
With the events that are rapidly unfolding such as Barak's push for final status peace, the May 4, 2000 deadline, and for example, the strides being made by the United Religions Organization for One World Religion. A cashless society is on the horizon which will pave the way for the mark of the beast. One can easily see the year 1999 being a plausible candidate for the kickoff of the tribulation.
Whether you're stance on the rapture is one of pre-tribulation, middle of the week, or post tribulation, the time for riding on the fence should be over. If you hold a pre tribulation view of the rapture, then we could not be any closer than we are right now.
Moses once drew the line in the sand and asked, Who's on the Lord's side? Those who remained opposed were swallowed up by the earth. We too are quickly approaching a place where we will be asked Who's on the Lord's side? Will you take the mark or will you refuse? For those who accept the mark, it will be the point of no return.