Since the Bible is the Word of God and is infallible, then it will be highly beneficial to study and date the Bible systematically. In this manner, we will be able to see where we are at this very moment (1993) in God's Time. The hope is that He may reveal to us His plan of the coming events. This will definitely help us to prepare ourselves to do His Will in accordance with His Plan and Timing.

SYSTEMATIC BIBLE DATING

Systematic Bible dating of Bible events is a simple, accurate and biblical method. Only dates given in the Bible are used. These dates are either of a historical nature or prophetic nature. The years are in Jewish years (also known as Lunar or Biblical years). The beginning always starts with the year 0. The year 0 signifies the creation of Adam and Eve. When Adam was 130 years old, Seth was born. Thus Seth was born in the year 130, which signified a period of 130 years from the creation of Adam to the birth of Seth. When Seth was 105 years old, Enos was born. The year of his birth was 130 + 105 = 235, which signified a period of 235 years from the creation of Adam to Enos' birth. Similarly when Enos was 90 years old, Cainan was born. The year of his birth was 235 + 90 = 325, i.e. 325 years from the creation of Adam to his birth. In this manner Jacob's birth was dated as 2108 years from the creation of Adam.

However when Jacob was 130 years old he went down to stay in Egypt in the year 2238 (i.e. 2108 + 130 = 2238 years after the creation of Adam). The Israelites were kept in bondage in Egypt for 400 years, thus the Exodus took place in the year 2638 (i.e. 2238 + 400 = 2638 years after the creation of Adam). From the Exodus of the Israelites to the building of the Temple in the 4th year of Solomon's reign was a period of 480 years. Thus the building of the temple was in the year 3118 (i.e. 2638 + 480 = 3118 years after the creation of Adam). Solomon ruled a total of 40 years, thus the end of his reign was in the year 3154 (i.e. 3118 + 40 - 4 =3154 years after the creation of Adam). Rehoboam ruled 17 years, thus the end of his reign was in the year 3171 (i.e. 3154 + 17 = 3171 years after the creation of Adam). In a similar fashion, Zedekiah was carried to exile in Babylon 3547 years after the creation of Adam, the rebuilding of Jerusalem was 3630 years after the creation of Adam, the crucifixion of the Messiah was 4064 years after the creation of Adam. FIG 2 shows the chart of the resulting events by systematic bible dating.

Notes:

• [a] - Shem was 100 when Arphaxad was born, i.e. during the 2nd year after the flood Noah was then 602 years old, thus Noah was 502 was Shem was born.
• [b] - Abraham was 84 years old when he was counted righteous by God (the view of most Historians and Theologians). God then made a covenant with him which is known as the Abrahamic Covenant.
• [c] - When Jacob was 130 years old, he went down to stay in Egypt in the year 2108 CA + 130=2238 CA.
• [d] - The Israelites were kept in bondage in Egypt  for 400 years, thus the Exodus took place in the year 2238 CA + 400=2638 CA.
• [e] - From the Exodus of the Israelites to the building of the Temple in the 4th year of Solomon's reign was a period of 480 years. Thus the building of the Temple was in the year 2638 CA + 480=3118 CA.
• [f] - Solomon ruled another 36 years(a total of 40 years) after having started on the building of the Temple of God, thus the end of his reign was in the year 3118 CA + 36 =3154 CA.
• [g] - Zedekiah was carried to exile in Babylon in the year 3547 CA
• [h] - Israel was taken to exile in Babylon for 70 years as stated by Jeremiah. {
• [i] - Exile returned to Jerusalem in the 7th year of King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:8), but only in the 20th year did Nehemiah journey back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Ne 2:1-11), i.e. 13 years after the return from Exile. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was in the year 3617 CA + 13 = 3630 CA.
• [j] - After the rebuilding of walls of Jerusalem in the year 3630 CA, a period of 62 weeks (1 week = 7 years) or 62x7 = 434 years lapsed before the Messiah (Jesus) was cut off (death). Thus our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in the year 3630 CA + 434 = 4064 CA.

From the above Bible dating, it is seen that from the creation of Adam to the Abrahamic Covenant is a period of 2032 Biblical years.

From the Abrahamic Covenant to the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ {4064 - 2032 = 2032} is also 2032 Biblical years.

THE ANCIENT CALENDAR

The Ancient Calendar is based on the lunar month, which alternates between 29 to 30 days. The new moon signifies the beginning of the new month and 12 lunar months made up a Biblical (Lunar or Jewish) year. The Ancient calendar has only 354 - 355 days in a year. The Ancient Calendar was the only calendar used in the olden days. The Mohammedan Calendar still maintains the Ancient calendar format. The present-day Hebrew calendar was compiled in 358 AD. {Unfortunately Theologians and Bible scholars are using this Hebrew calendar for interpretation of Bible dates, feasts and past events.}

Biblical (Jewish or lunar) Year

• 1 lunar month = 29.30556 days
• 1 Jewish year = 12 x 29.30556 = 354.3667 days

Divine (God's) Year

• 1 Divine month = 30 days {Rev 11:2-3}
• 1 Divine year = 12 x 30 = 360 days.

Thus 2032 Biblical years = 2032 x 354.3667/360 years = 2000 Divine years.

2032 Biblical years = 2000 Divine years

ESTABLISHING THE CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS

The chart showing most of the important events is given in the following pages. This will be of assistance to you when reading the Bible and following the time sequence. The various books of the Bible written for the period are also included. Only the date of the birth of our Lord Jesus is assumed to be end of 1 AD. However, this assumption is taken from the belief of the historians.

• If , birth of Jesus was at the end of the year 1 AD*  (historian gave the date as 25th. December, which many Christians rejects)
• then, the the 33rd. birthday of Jesus was at the end of 34 AD
• therefore, the death or resurrection of Jesus was in the April 35 AD  (He was crucified at the age of 33 1/2 yrs. old) 

[ * There is an error of a few years ]

Thus, the resurrection of Jesus was assumed to be 35 AD, the most probable date.

All dates found in the Bible are in Jewish (Lunar) years, and they are taken directly from the Bible. Dates after 35 AD. are in Gregorian (Solar) years, and these are taken from historical books and journals. Only simple arithmetic is needed to compute the dates given in the following chart (FIG 3) from the Systematic Bible Dating chart (FIG 2).

Basis:-

• Crucifixion (Resurrection) of our Lord was in the year 35 AD (an assumption only - error of a few years)
• Systematic Bible Dating chart for references

35 AD would correspond to the 4064th year (death of the Messiah) from the creation of Adam. The completion of the building of Jerusalem's walls 3630 years after the creation of Adam (or 434 years before the death of the Messiah) would be in (434 - 35 + 1 = 400) 400 BC (enumerating from 1 BC & 1 AD). From henceforth the dating is straightforward and simple. The return from Exile in Babylon was 13 years before the building of Jerusalem's walls, thus it took place in the year 400 + 13 = 413 BC. They were in exile for 70 years, thus the end of Zedekiah's reign was in the year 413 + 70 = 483 BC and the beginning of Zedekiah's reign (he reigned for 11 years) was in the year 483 + 11 = 494 BC. In a similar fashion, the beginning of Solomon's reign was found to be in the year 916 BC. From the Bible, we know that David, the father of Solomon, ruled Israel for 40 years before Solomon came to the throne. Thus David began his reign in the year 916 + 40 = 956 BC. In a similar manner other important names and events were computed for easy reference. You can add other items into this chart or prepare your own chart for your own convenience.

However, from 35 AD onwards all records are in Solar or Gregorian years. These records are taken from Church history or Historical books and journals.

The period from the creation of Adam to the Abrahamic Covenant was 2032 Jewish years or exactly 2000 Divine years.

And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Gen 15:6

because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statues, and My laws. Gen 26:5

The Period from the Abrahamic Covenant to the crucifixion of our Lord was also 2032 (4062 - 2032 = 2032) Jewish years or 2000 Divine years.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Gal 4:4-5

Then the period of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to the end of the era of the Holy Spirit will be assumed to be 2000 Divine years or 1971 Gregorian years.

THE JEWISH CALENDAR

The Jewish Calendar was a type of the Ancient Calendar, which was the only calendar in the olden times. This was based on the lunar month when the new moon signified the beginning of a new month and 12 lunar months made up a lunar year. The Babylonians and the Egyptians were the early people who tried to adjust the Ancient Calendar so that it was also suitable for agricultural purposes (i.e. solar year). Today, only the Arabian (commonly referred to as the Mohammedian) Calendar maintains the Ancient Calendar's format.

The Bible is dated in Jewish (biblical) or lunar years and this is confirmed as follows:- In the Bible the months are normally not named; instead they are referred to as the 1st, 2nd......up to the 12th month. No 13th month is found. This clearly shows that one Jewish or biblical year is 12 months. In Exodus 12:2-4, the first month was referred to as the month of Abib. The five books of Moses in the Bible (Pentateuch) only named the first month as the month of Abib. All other months are referred to as numerical months, such as the 7th month. In 1 Chron 27:1-15; the 12 tribes supplied food to King David for 12 months only, and here it again indicates a 12-month year. God revealed to His people again and again that a year was 12 months only. In the book of Revelations chapters 11 & 12 , we find that 3 1/2 years (times) is 42 months giving a 12-month year and 36 months for 3 years.

It was only during King Solomon's reign that the names of the 2nd month Zif (1 King 6:1), the 8th month Bul (1 King 6:38) and the 7th month Ethanim (1 King 8:2) were recorded. However these names are not the names of the months found in the present Hebrew calendar. Only after the Israelites were exiled to Babylon were the names of the months of the present Hebrew calendar mentioned but hardly used. From here it may be deduced that the format of the present Hebrew calendar follows the Babylonian calendar. e.g. Adar (Ez 6:15; Est 3:7), Chisleu (Neh 1:1; Zec 7:1), Nisan (Neh 2:1; Est 3:7), Elul (Neh 6:15), Tebeth (Est 2:16), Sivan (Est 8:9), and Sebat (Zec 1:7).Throughout the Bible, the names of the months were hardly used except for the few occasions mentioned above.

PRESENT-DAY HEBREW CALENDAR

The present-day Hebrew calendar, which was only compiled in 358 AD, provides an additional lunar month for approximately every 3 years to compensate for the difference of almost 11 days every year between the Solar (Gregorian) year and the Lunar year. The Jewish calendar had only 36 months in a period of 3 Jewish years but the present-day Hebrew Calendar has 37 months in the same period of 3 Hebrew years. This new Hebrew calendar is similar to that of the present-day Chinese calendar. It is unfortunate that many Bible scholars and Theologians are using the present-day Hebrew calendar to teach Christians the times and seasons of the Lord's feasts. The Jews provided this new calendar for their own convenience, for they had gone away from the commandments of the Lord by making the traditions, teachings, or commandments of men as doctrines of God (Mat 15:3-9). Please read Matthew chapter 23 and other chapters for a better understanding.

God knew the wickedness of the Jewish people in the compilation of the present day Hebrew calendar in 358 AD. Since 35 AD His time-clock for Salvation of Israel had stopped ticking. The signing of the peace treaty with the enemies (abomination of desolation) will restart God's time-clock for the final salvation of all the Israelites (Read chapter 6 page 50 `The Last Seven years of the Jews' for more detail). The calendar used by God during this last 7-year period are Divine years and months i.e. 30 days in a month, 12 months a year or 360 days a year. {prophesied by Daniel in 8:14; 12:11-12, and also in the book of Revelation chapters 11 & 12}