The Divine Lineage, the Abrahamic Generation

Beyond The Bible Series

“…in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst apart, and the floodgates of the sky broke open…” (Genesis 7:11). The second month correspond to the Hebrew month of “’Iyar”. It was known in ancient times as the month of “Ziv.” “Iyar” falls within the month of April and May in the Gregorian calendar. This date is crucial because it falls during the Judaic Holy Feast of “Pesach or Passover” in remembrance of God’s mighty hand over the Egyptians and the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 12:18-20).

“…And when the waters had swelled on the earth one hundred and fifty days, God remembered Noah…” (Genesis 7:24, 8:1). “…and at the end of one hundred fifty days the waters diminished, so that in the seventh month, on the seventeen day of the month…” (Genesis 8:3). The seventh month was the month of “Tishri” on the Hebrew calendar which normally is between the Gregorian calendar for the month of September and October. This is a significant calendar period because it coincides within the holy feasts of “Rosh Ha-Shanah (the New Year), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and the beginning of Sukkot (Booths)” (Leviticus 23:24, 27, 34).

“…the waters went on diminishing until the tenth month, in the tenth month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible…” (Genesis 8:5). The tenth month is during the Hebrew month of “Tevet” which falls within December and January. It also falls within the feast of “Chanukah (Feast of Lights or Rededication)” which commemorates the military and spiritual victory by the eldest son of the Temple priest Mattityahu, Judah, the Maccabee. In 164 B.C.E., Judah led a successful revolution against King Antiochus IV who was in control of the region. Antiochus suppressed the Jews severely and placed in the temple a Hellenistic (pagan) priest. The period was filled with death and persecution of the Jews. The desecration of the Temple came when the Hellenistic priest sacrificed pigs in what was customary to be a “holy” altar. Pigs of course, were considered “unkosher” to the Jews. The act of sacrificing pigs on the altar was in defiance against the Jews and God. After the success of his military campaign, Judah “rededicated” God’s Temple. The Temple had been desecrated, defiled, and in an unholy condition. After having the Temple cleansed and consecrated to God and considering to begin to conduct the daily holy rituals, it was discovered that the available special olive oil to light the Temple’s Menorah (Candelabrum) can only be for a day’s duration. It was customary for the Menorah to be lit every day. According to ancient writings, it was stipulated that the olive oil for the Menorah to remain lit as commanded by God it would take eight days to prepare. It was agreed, no one knows who decided to use the one day supply but some scholars believed that it was Mattityahu, the priest who made the decision. Surely, such decision would require prayers and fasting by the Temple authorities. The one day supply of olive oil lasted for eight days according to ancient narrative such as the Jewish “Talmud.” A miracle by God was recognized and an eight days festival was declared to commemorate the miracle. All of these events were not simply factors of coincidence but rather from a “divine matrix” devised by God, and is with the Great Flood that the first period of that matrix ends and a new one begins. “…God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, ‘Be fertile and increase, and fill the earth’…” (Genesis 9:1), and with this mandate the second period begins culminating with the Abrahamic generation. (Genesis 11:26).

Three sons came out of the ark with Noah. Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham being the father of Canaan, and from these three sons the whole world branched out (Genesis 9:18-19). Ham’s son, Canaan was cursed by Noah when Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside (Genesis 9:22). Ham, the youngest son (Genesis 9:24) Shem the oldest and Japheth, the middle son (Genesis 10:21), and sons were born to them after the Flood (Genesis 10:1).

The descendants of Japheth compiled fourteen generations. Japheth descendants occupied the land from Caphtorim, known today as the island of Crete on the west and what is Turkey to the east, and from the Black Sea in the North to the Mediterranean Sea in the south. Ham, the youngest son of Noah had twelve generations. Ham the father of Canaan, “the cursed one” and grandfather of “Nimrod” considered to have been “a mighty hunter” (Genesis 10:6-12). Nimrod, according to the bible was a mighty hunter “by the grace of the Lord” (Genesis 10:9) which connotes that Nimrod was uniquely identifiable by a special privilege bestow on him by God. In fact, he was considered to have been the “first emperor” by the description of the bible but he “rebelled” against God. His empire consisted of four major cities, Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calne (we-khalneh in Hebrew). The region was known in ancient times as “Shinar” and it is known today to have been located along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, today Iraq (Genesis 10:10-12).

Two years (year 1658) after the Flood, Shem, Noah’s oldest son had his first son at the age of 100 years old. Thus the Flood may have taken place when Shem was 97/98 years old. Since the Flood occurred around the year 1656 after creation, then Shem was born around the year 1556-1558 after creation and his brothers shortly after that. Also, according to the Bible, Noah was notified of the pending doom when he was 500 years old and also was when his sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham were born (Genesis 5:32). Later, the bible identified that Noah was 600 years old when he entered the ark and the Flood came (Genesis 7:11). There is possibly a small discrepancy of +/- 2 to 5 or possibly 10 to 50 years, small considering that time keeping was not a function of the times. Keep in mind that the ancients kept a Babylonian twelve months “lunar calendar time” of 29-30 days usually amounting to 354 days whereas today we follow a “solar calendar time” of 30-31 for 365 days. There is a 19 year time lag on lunar calendar periods. Modern Jewish calendars correct this lag by adding an extra month (Adar).

The Bible tells us that the line of Shem begins with him followed by the birth of his son “Arpachashad”, followed by “Shelah”, followed by “Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and then Abram.” (Genesis 11:10-26). There are ten generations from “Shem to Abram” consisting for a total of 290 years. The Bible does not tell us how Abram came about the concept of the “All Powerful” single God but by comparing the years of existence from Shem for example, the Bible tells us that Shem lived after the birth of Arpachashad 500 years (Genesis 11:10). So from 1656 after the creation and the year of the Flood to Abram are 290 years. When Abram was born, Shem was 392 years old. Ancient narratives seem to indicate that there was knowledge of a great Flood throughout the Chaldean territory, the place where Abram was born and grew up. Surely, Abram must have had some contact in his younger years with travelers from what is today the Arabian Peninsula because this is the region in which Shem’s descendants settled. This was a sparse populated area but still maintained some degree of commerce through caravans from Arabia to Babylon and Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:28). Keep in mind that Peleg and Eber descendants of Shem were familiar with the Flood, the Nephilims, and Babel because of Shem would have told them all that had taken place during preceding years. It was an “oral tradition” to relate past events to the upcoming generation. Besides, Shem’s descendants lived well into the years when God called Abram to leave his father’s house and follow His mandates (Genesis 11:31, 12:1). Thus, seems practical that Abram (Abraham) had some degree of knowledge that a greater God existed beyond the ones made of wood and stone his father Terah worshipped (Joshua 24:2).

Now in terms of dates, we are more familiar with the terms, “Before Common Era, B.C.E.” and many times is very confusing when applying it to the matrix spoken earlier. For example, Judaism currently uses a “from creation” year frame. However, the secular world uses a different time reference calendar, for example, today we use what is known as the Gregorian calendar, and this happens to be the year 2016, and is recognized to mean “After the Common Era, or A,C.E.”. This term is used to correlate with the birth of Jesus; whereas for the same year (2016) in Judaism is denoted as the year 5776 after creation. Thus, if you calculate Abrams birth by using the ancient creation format and apply it to have been around 290 +/- 2 years after the Flood, it comes to be around the year 1946-1948 after creation (1656 + 290 = 1946 years [+/- 2 to 5years]) that the patriarch Abraham (Abram) was born (Genesis 11:26).

In reverse, if you were to consider it in the Gregorian frame, Abrams birth took place around the year 2134 B.C.E. To determine this date, a reverse approach must be used. For example we are at the current year 2016 A.C.E. Regressing to Jesus birth would be the year -4B.C.E. That is 2,220 years have passed. From the birth of Jesus and the existence of the “Second Temple” and “Herod, the Great King of Judea, (37-4 B.C.E.)” to “building of the Second Temple (520 – 515 B.C.E)” are approximately 516 years (-4BCE – 520 BCE = 516). From 516 B.C.E. to David the King of Israel (1005 – 965 B.C.E.) is 489 years (516 + 489 = 1005). From King David Reign to the “presence of Israel in the Promised Land (1250 B.C.E.)” are 245 years (1005 + 245 = 1250). Conquering the Promised Land and the Wilderness (1300 B.C.E.) is 50 years (1250 + 40 + 10 = 1300 +/- 2 years). Thus, the plagues may have taken place during the period of 1301 to 1303 B.C.E. and the first “Passover” right after the death of the first born around 1301 B.C.E. The Hebrew slavery in Egypt lasted 430 years (1730 to 1300 B.C.E., Exodus 12:41). Jacob (Israel) arrives in Egypt around 1860 B.C.E. at the age of 130 (1730 + 130 = 1860) and remains in Egypt for seventeen years (Genesis 47:28), and from Jacob’s birth around the year 1990 B.C.E. (1860 + 130) to Isaac’s birth, Abraham and Sarah’s son around 2034 B.C.E. are 40 years (1990 + 40 = 2034, Genesis 25:7). A year earlier in 2033 B.C.E. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:9-10, 17, 19:23). It was also around 2033 that God visited Abraham by the “Terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1). Finally, remember that Sarah gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old thus Abraham’s birth was around the year 2134 B.C.E. or 1946 +/- 2 years after creation (Genesis 21:5).

So, so far we know that Abram (Abraham) was born in Ur, the land of the Chaldeans around 1946 to 1948 after creation and 290 years after the floods. The Bible tells that he lived to be 175 years old. He married twice and had seven (7) off-springs (Genesis 16:16, 21:5, 25:1-2). Therefore, Abraham died during the year 2121 to 2123 after creation. From Isaac’s birth in 2021 after creation and Jacob’s dying in Egypt at the age of 147 years old are 188 years. Isaac had Jacob and Esau when he was 40 +/- 2 years (Genesis 25:19). Thus, slavery in Egypt for the Hebrew began in the year 2309 – 2311 (2121 + 188) after creation. It lasted 430 years and ended around the year 2739 after creation (2309 + 430). So, it is very possible that the Exodus took place between the years 2739 to 2741 after creation. Adding, the 40 years in the Wilderness and 10 years for the conquest of the Promised Land, it comes to the year 2789 – 2791 after creation. The crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land would have been 10 years earlier in the year 2779 after creation (Joshua 1:10-11, 2:14-17). And also, Jericho would have fallen during the years 2780 to 2781 after creation.

These “divine time matrix” are very crucial to modern man because it clearly outlines key element of final days. First, from the arrival of Jacob to Egypt in 1860 B.C.E. (+/- 1 year) coincides with the beginning of our Civil War (April 12, 1861 A.C.E.), a nation that God allowed to be created to give Him honor (1520 – 1776 A.C.E.), second, the birth of Jacob in 1990 B.C.E. also comes to proximity of Israel celebrating their first Jubilee Year in May, 1998 A.C.E. after becoming a nation, and decisively denoting the birth of the nation of Israel on May, 1948 A.C.E. to the birth of Abraham in the years between 1946 – 1948 after creation. There is definitely a time correlation from ancient events to modern prophetic events. This correlation is not coincidental as many would love to say and describe. I am certain that from the birth of Israel as a nation in May 1948, the end-of-time clock began to finally tick.

At least, we can stipulate some events according to their time frame. The year 1948 A.C.E. is vital, as well as 1998 A.C.E., and will be the years 2018, 2021, 2025, 2031 to 2034 when it does mirror the year of Isaac’s birth (2034 B.C.E.) and 2033 A.C.E. when also correspond to the year of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Another vital period for modern man to contemplate is the year 2033 – 2034 A.C.E. because it does correspond to the birth of Ishmael, Abraham’s first born when he was 86 years old (Genesis 16:16). Consider this; Israel became a nation in 1948. Add the 85 years of Abraham’s age and Ishmael birth and you come up with the year 2034. The years between 2034 thru 2048 are fourteen years. These are the years between Ishmael and Isaac’s births. Thus, it would be recognizable that such parity can have an impact on our times. Back in the time of Abraham, existed already discordance and fears from Sarah, Isaac’s mother and Hagar, Ishmael’s mother. Such conflict will rise again during these coming mentioned years. It will be precarious years for Israel and the Middle East because there is already evidence of such animosity from Syria to Iran. This period can bring much displeasure coinciding with revolts from his descendants. It may be a period of suspicions, betrayals, and deception. This period will also coincide with the second Jubilee year of the nation of Israel in 2048 (1948 + 100). Thus, three to four years before it will not be unusual to encounter new governments throughout the Middle East under the governorship of one supreme leader. It is very possible that from 2045 to 2051 may be years of much conflict within Israel and the Middle East involving other nations as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremy.

I am aware that there is much anticipation as well as declaimers over prophetic events applicable to our modern lives because within the modern world of Christianity there is a basic lack of the true knowledge of the ancient people of Israel and the prophets. There is one thing that is certain after years of research and documentation, there is a correlation between the dates in the bible and what the ancient prophets spoke of. I am convinced that this “divine matrix” is applicable to our times more than ever. All of the uncertainties, fears, unstable emotions ancient prophets spoke of are prevalent in our days. There is also this notion that the Messiah should soon be able to appear and render peace to this troubled world. However, no one seems to determine during what time his birth will come or his appearance takes place, and this is the quandary of our religious world, but I can assure you that the Bible does give us a hint of the period of presence within this “divine matrix” I spoke about. Much more will be provided in my continuing articles, “America’s Dark Hours. Until then, God keep you safe, shalom!