When will Jesus Christ return to establish God’s kingdom?
If the 7 day week is a type of God’s 7000 year plan (Hebrews 4), and God created man in 4004BC, surely we should already be living in the 7th day – the ‘Millennium’?
The creation date of 4004BC was calculated by James Ussher, in The Annals of the World, published in 1658. His was not the only scholarly biblical chronology, but this creation date was incorporated in some bible versions from 1701 onward, and gained widespread popularity when it was promoted by C.I. Scofield in the 1917 edition of the Scofield Reference Bible.
Ussher wrote his work in Latin, but in 2003 Larry and Marion Pierce, authors of the Online Bible, published an English translation on the internet. This provided the opportunity to check Ussher’s calculations and the validity of the 7000 year plan.
Ussher began the AM years (AM = ‘Anno Mundi’ – year of the world, counting from creation), in the Autumn, because the Jewish calendar year begins then. Exodus 12, however, shows that the biblical calendar begins 6 months earlier, but the 1st of Nisan is not even a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar.
In order to align AM years with the Roman BC/AD years beginning in January, he affixed a letter to each AM year: a = Autumn; b = Winter; c = Spring; d = Summer.
Although many who observe the annual holy days talk of the Spring and Fall (Autumn) feasts, these seasons are not found in the Bible. There are only two biblical seasons, Summer and Winter.
In the following tables a purely scriptural chronology is set alongside Ussher’s dates.
Chapter |
Event |
Script’l |
Ussher’s |
Ussher’s |
Gen. 1:27 |
God created Adam and Eve |
1 |
1a |
4004 |
Gen. 5:3 |
Seth born when Adam 130 |
131 |
130d |
3874 |
Gen. 5:6 |
Enos born when Seth 105 |
236 |
235d |
3769 |
Gen. 5:9 |
Cainan born when Enos 90 |
326 |
325d |
3679 |
Gen. 5:12 |
Mahaleel born when Cainan 70 |
396 |
395d |
3609 |
Gen. 5:15 |
Jared born when Mahaleel 65 |
461 |
460d |
3544 |
Gen. 5:18 |
Enoch born when Jared 162 |
623 |
622d |
3382 |
Gen.5:21 |
Methusaleh born when Enoch 65 |
688 |
687d |
3317 |
Gen. 5:25 |
Lamech born when Methusaleh 187 |
875 |
874d |
3130 |
Gen.5:28-29 |
Noah born when Lamech 182 |
1057 |
1056d |
2948 |
Gen. 7:6 |
Flood begins when Noah 600 |
1657 |
1656a |
2349 |
Gen.8:13-16 |
Flood ends 1 year later |
1658 |
1657a |
2348 |
Gen. 11:10 |
Arphaxad born 2 years after flood |
1660 |
1658d |
2346 |
Gen. 11:12 |
Salah born when Arphaxad 35 |
1695 |
1693d |
2311 |
Gen. 11:14 |
Eber born when Salah 30 |
1725 |
1723d |
2281 |
Gen. 11:16 |
Pelag born when Eber 34 |
1759 |
1757d |
2247 |
Gen. 11:18 |
Reu born when Pelag 30 |
1789 |
1787d |
2217 |
Gen. 11:20 |
Serug born when Reu 32 |
1821 |
1819d |
2185 |
Gen. 11:22 |
Nahor born when Serug 30 |
1851 |
1849d |
2155 |
Gen. 11:24 |
Terah born when Nahor 29 |
1880 |
1878d |
2126 |
Abram born when Terah age 70 |
1950 |
|
|
|
Gen. 11:26 |
Abram born when Terah age 130 |
|
2008c |
1996 |
Acts 7:4 “Then came he (Abram) out of the land of the Chaldees, and dwelt in Charran: and from there, when his father was dead, removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell.”
Genesis 11:32 states that Terah died age 205, and Genesis 12:4 that Abram left Haran age 75. Ussher therefore concluded that Terah was age 130 (not 70) when Abram was born.
The stumbling block with this reasoning is Abraham’s reaction to God’s announcement that he and Sarah would have a son. “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old?” (Genesis 17:17)
Why should Abraham laugh – if his own father Terah was 130 when Abraham was born?
Strong’s Lexicon defines the Greek apothnesko in Acts 7:4, ‘to die off (literally or figuratively)’. Jesus spoke figuratively of the dead burying their dead in Matthew 8:22. Adam Clarke’s Commentary states: “Let the dead bury their dead. It was usual for the Jews to consider a man as dead who had departed from the precepts of the law; and, on this ground, every transgressor was reputed a dead man.”
Paul uses this figurative sense many times, e.g. “But she who lives in self-pleasure has died while living.” (1 Timothy 5:6)
Haran, like Ur, was a center of moon worship, and Joshua records that Terah was an idolater: “And Joshua said to all the people, So says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers lived beyond the River (Euphrates) in times past, Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.” (Joshua 24:2)
Albert Barnes’s Commentary says, “The Jews unanimously affirm that Terah relapsed into idolatry before Abraham left Haran; and this they denominate death, or a moral death … Stephen (in Acts 7:4) only used language which was customary among the Jews.”
Scripture |
Event |
Scriptural |
Ussher’s |
Ussher’s |
Gen.12:1-5 |
Abram leaves Haran age 75 |
2025 |
2083a |
1922 |
Ex. 12:40-41 |
Exodus from Egypt – |
2455 |
2513b |
1491 |
Josh.14:7-13 |
45 years after the Exodus, |
2500 |
2560a |
1445 |
Ussher comments: “Joshua, a type of Jesus, had brought them into this place of rest, which was a type of that Sabbath and rest which the true Jesus was to give to God’s people (Hebrews 4:9). From this time is reckoned the years of Jubilee, which was every fifty years (Leviticus 25:8-13).”
Joshua (Jesus in Greek) is a shortened form of Yehoshua, which means ‘God our salvation’.
(Compare the trumpets of jubilee in Joshua 6 with Rev. 8:2, 1 Thess. 4:16, Heb. 12:18-23, and the ‘sevens’ in Joshua 6 with Revelation.)
Scripture |
Kings of Judah |
Script’l |
Years |
Ussher’s |
Ussher’s |
1 Kings 6:1 |
Solomon begins reign: |
[2455] |
40 |
[2513b] |
[1491] 1015 |
1 Kings 14:21 |
Rehoboam begins reign |
2971 |
17 |
3029c |
975 |
2 Chr.12:16, |
Abijah begins reign |
2988 |
3 |
3046c |
958 |
1 Kin.15:8-10 |
Asa begins reign |
2991 |
41 |
3049c |
955 |
1 Kings 22:42 |
Jehoshaphat begins reign |
3032 |
25 |
3090c |
914 |
2 Chr.21:1,5 |
Jehoram begins reign |
3057 |
8 |
3115c* |
889 |
2 Kings 8:26 |
Ahaziah begins reign |
3065 |
1 |
3119c* |
885 |
2 Kings 11:1-3 |
Athaliah begins reign |
3066 |
6 |
3120c |
884 |
2 Kings 12:1 |
Joash begins reign |
3072 |
40 |
3126c |
878 |
2 Chron.25:1 |
Amaziah begins reign |
3112 |
29 |
3165c |
839 |
2 Kings 14:1-2 |
Azariah begins reign |
3141 |
52 |
3194c |
810 |
2 Chron.27:1 |
Jotham begins reign |
3193 |
16 |
3246a |
759 |
2 Kings 16:1-2 |
Ahaz begins reign |
3209 |
16 |
3262a |
742 |
2 Kings 18:1-2 |
Hezekiah begins reign |
3225 |
29 |
3278b |
726 |
2 Kings 21:1 |
Manasseh begins reign |
3254 |
55 |
3306c |
698 |
2 Kings 21:19 |
Amon begins reign |
3309 |
2 |
3361c |
643 |
2 Kings 22:1 |
Josiah begins reign |
3311 |
31 |
3363c |
641 |
2 Kings 23:31 |
Jehoahaz begins reign |
3342 |
0 |
3394c |
610 |
2 Kings 23:36 |
Jehoiakim begins reign |
3342 |
11 |
3394d |
610 |
2 Kings 24:6,8 |
Jehoachin begins reign |
3353 |
0 |
3405c |
599 |
2 Kings 24:18 |
Zedekiah begins reign |
3353 |
11 |
3405c |
599 |
2 Chr. 36:6 |
70 years desolation begin |
3364 |
70 |
3398a |
607 |
2Chr.36:22-23 |
Proclamation by Cyrus |
3434 |
|
3468a |
537 |
* This is not a typo – Ussher reduced the reign of Jehoram from 8 years to 4.
As 588BC-537BC is only 51 years, Ussher reconciled scripture with the dates given by secular historians by reckoning the 70 years desolation from the 4th year of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1-2) in 607BC. However, 2 Chronicles 36:19-21 clearly shows when Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled.
The year 3434AM is exactly 500 years (10 jubilees) after King Solomon ordered the building of the 1st temple in 2934AM, the 4th year of his reign.
Scripture |
Event |
Scriptural |
Scriptural |
Ussher’s |
Ussher’s |
|
Birth of Christ |
|
|
4000a |
5BC |
|
Death of Christ |
4000 |
30AD |
|
|
Rev.11:15 |
Final year of this world |
6000 |
2030AD |
(6000) |
(1996AD) |
The net difference between the two chronologies – 34 years (3468-3434AM) – shows that the year 4000AM is not the year of Jesus Christ’s birth, but his death. (If he began his ministry at age 30, he would have become 34 on new year’s day (1st of Nisan) in the month of his death.
Note: the scriptural AD dates rely on 537BC being the correct year for Cyrus’s proclamation.
According to Ussher’s chronology, in 538BC:
[940] “Darius the Mede, son of Assuccus or Cyaxares, the son of Astyages, took over the kingdom as given to him by Cyrus the conqueror. (Daniel 5:31; Daniel 9:1)”
Daniel 5:30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
He then writes that in 537BC:
[949] “After Cyrus’s father Cambyses died in Persia, Cyaxares in Media held all the empire of the east. From this year, both Xenophon, [8.Inst.] reckons the 7 years of his reign, but the Holy Scripture from the records of the Medes and Persians, reckons this the first year. It states that in this year came that famous edict of his. Thus said Cyrus king of Persia: ‘Into my hand hath God given all the kingdoms of the earth’.”
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
“In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house …..And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (Exodus 12:3,6)
The Lamb of God, chosen for sacrifice from the foundation of the world, was killed at Passover 4 days (i.e. 4000 years) later, in the 1st month of the 80th jubilee year.
Jesus Christ was sacrificed at the due time:
Romans 5:6 (KJV) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Luke 4:17-19 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 [Isaiah 61:1], “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 broken-hearted, 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.”
“a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of jubilee” – Adam Clarke
“an allusion to the jubilee year” – Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
“Plainly alluding to the year of jubilee” – John Wesley
Hebrews 4 shows that Jesus will soon bring us spiritual salvation – also Hosea 6:2:
“After two days [i.e. 2000 years after his resurrection] will he revive us: in the third day [the “millennium”] he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
Author: Peter Cross – e-mail 7th-day@mail.com