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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | what is important about 40 | Bible general Archive 4 | Searcher56 | 229532 | ||
God's day to you, Peggy, and I add my welcome to the SBF, One problem in assigning as significance to a number in the Bible, it must be consistent. I have read that 40 means probation, trial, chastisement or being tried. First, is whenever the number 40 appears, is it about what someone says? Biblicalman pointed out some places where this is not true. There are more. Note Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, because the spies were out spying for 40 days (Num 14:33-34) … How does the later fit in? Then there is 1 Kings 6:17 and 7:38. In Acts 23:13-21 there were 40 men who plotted to kill Paul. Second, I'd like to point out there were periods of probation, trial, chastisement or being tried, that were not a measure of 40. In Judges, Israel was never under the rule of another country for a 40 period. Israel was in Babylon for 70. Not 40 years (Jer 25:11-22, 29:10; Dan 9:24). I doubt Jesus’ trails were 40 minutes long. Searcher |
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2 | what is important about 40 | Bible general Archive 4 | biblicalman | 229547 | ||
I cannot agree that if we give a significance to a number in certain contexts it has to be consistent throughout the Scriptures. The use of numbers developed over time. It may well be that in some cases a number had a significance for a certain time, and that that significance was then dropped. I would see the 40 years old of Isaac and Esau when they married in that light (although I suppose marriage could be seen as a trial - lol). The periods of forty years in the wilderness, forty years rest on Judges (three times), forty years of Eli's rule, forty years of David's rule, and forty years of Solomon's rule are in a cluster. They may well indicate 'a generation'. But this does not tie forty down to always meaning a generation (it could only do so in the case of years). Or it could be that the same number has twofold significance, used in one way sometimes, and another way the other. The Bible was written by a large number of different authors and they could well have had their own viewpoint. This is why when a pattern does emerge it suggests that it is significant. The spies went out for forty days (possibly a round number) which may well have been intended to indicate a significant period of testing out the land. The 'forty years' of wandering, was in fact thirty eight years. Thus the 40 years brought in their journeying, and encampment at Sinai, before they started wandering. But it was called forty years because instead of Canaan being tested, they were being tested. Note how in fact they are deliberately contrasted. The forty men who sought to kill Paul parallesl the forty days of Goliath's testing of Israel. Both had a death in mind. It was certainly a test of Paul's faith, and of his calling, as it was with Israel. 1 Kings 6:17 and 7:38 are measurements which may well not have been seen in the same light. There is in fact a forty year period during which Israel was under the rule of another country (Judges 13.1), and this may well be intended to cotrast with the 40 years periods of rest. It was thus both a period of trial, and indicating a generation. I am not sure why just because forty is intended to indicate a period of testing and trial it must therefore follow that all periods of testing have to be forty years. Approximate length of time also has to be taken into account. Incidentally Judah were not in Babylon for seventy years. Even if we commence the period from the first exile in 605 BC the period was only 67 years. But Jeremiah did not say that they would be. His seventy year prophecy was concerning the period when 'these nations (including all the nations round about) will serve the King of Babylon'. Thus we can date it from 609 BC (when Nebuchadnexzzar first operated against the nations) to 539 BC. And of course 70 is the number of divine completeness. We can compare the deliberate manipulation of the names of the patriarchs who went into Egypt (Genesis 46.8-27), who of course went with 'their households' probably numbering a few thousand. Best wishes |
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3 | what is important about 40 | Bible general Archive 4 | Searcher56 | 229551 | ||
God's day to you, biblicalman, You said, "The Bible was written by a large number of different authors and they could well have had their own viewpoint." ... What is your source to say "their own"? The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." Likewise, 2 Peter 1:21 says "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." When God inspired them to write 40, I believe it wasn't their own viewpoint, but God's. Searcher |
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4 | what is important about 40 | Bible general Archive 4 | biblicalman | 229555 | ||
Hi Searcher, Both of us believe that the final words written by the Scripture writers were verbally inspired by God, so that in one sense each word is God's, but where we differ is on how God went about it. I am in no doubt that God allowed each writer to write from his own viewpoint, although kept from error, and that each writing reveals the personality and slant of its author. One obvious example is where in Samuel we read that God caused David to number Israel, whilst in Chronicles we read that it was Satan who caused David to number Israel. Both are correct. If you study Samuel you will discover that he writes with a strong emphasis on God's sovereignty in everything that happened. He rightly sees God as the prime cause of everything that happens. The Chronicler on the other hand looked at second causes. That too is correct. There are many second causes. They also wrote in terms of their own times, and used the ideas in vogue in those times, while again being kept from error,although of course gradually a tradition would build up, as it did in the use of numbers. Indeed that all this is so is clear when we examine their writings. God was quite happy for them to use numbers as they wished as long as it did not produce error when looked at from their viewpoint. We have to be astute. Thus if one wanted to use 40 or 70 symbolically, and another did not, God did not intervene. The Bible is not so artificial. Take for example the numbers connected with the reigns of Israel's and Judah's kings. In some cases there appear to be blatant contradictions. But the truth is that some sources dated the reigns from when they became regents with their fathers, others dated them from when they began their sole reigns. Again some included the year of accession, while others excluded the year of accession. Both methods were in use at the time. Best wishes |
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