Step 1. God s Calendar Defined God s Year is Spring to Spring

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1 Five Steps to determine e date of e Exodus May, 1993 (Updated May, 2010) Larry Wilson Only one date can satisfy e specifications necessary for e date of e Exodus. That date is 1437 B.C. This date is determined in five steps: Step 1. God s Calendar Defined God s Year is Spring to Spring By His own auority, God reintroduced His calendar to Israel two weeks before e Exodus occurred. God s calendar was unlike e Egyptian summer-to-summer calendar which e Hebrews observed at e time. In fact, God s calendar began in e Spring almost four mons earlier. New Year s Day (Nisan 1) in God s calendar is determined by e first new moon (conjunction), on or after e Vernal Equinox. The location of Nisan 1 determines e day for Passover (Nisan 15). Alough e alignment of e Vernal Equinox wi e Sun and e moon is not explicitly stated in Scripture, Jesus demonstrated e tru on is topic when He observed Passover wi His disciples just before His dea. (More on is in a moment.) Notice how God s calendar was observed just before e Exodus: Exodus 12:2 "This mon is to be for you e first mon, e first mon of your year. Exodus 12:3 Tell e whole community of Israel at on e ten day of is mon each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. Exodus 12:5 The animals you choose must be year-old males wiout defect, and you may take em from e sheep or e goats. Exodus 12:6 Take care of em until e fourteen day of e mon, when all e people of e community of Israel must slaughter em at twilight [just before e fifteen day of e mon arrives at sundown]. Leviticus 23:6 On e fifteen day of at mon e Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made wiout yeast. God s calendar is based on a lunar-solar year. Sometimes, God s year has 355 days (12 moons) and sometimes it has 384 days (13 moons). For example, in 1994 e Spring equinox occurred on March 20. The first new moon on or after March 20 occurred in e Eastern Time Zone on April 11. So, April 11, 1994 was Nisan 1 in God s calendar. Remember, at conjunction, a new moon is totally dark whereas a full moon is fully illuminated. After considering e 1994 example above, one might ask, How are e days between e Page 1

2 equinox on March 20 and e beginning of e new year on April 12 counted? Answer: The old year doesn t end until New Year s Day occurs. Because God s year can have 12 or 13 lunar mons in it depending on e alignment of e Ear, Sun and Moon, a 13 mon, called Adar II, occurs every ree years. This extra mon every ird year is someing like e extra day added to Gregorian/Julian calendar every four year. So, just ink of e 13 mon as a leap mon. Like e Jews, e Babylonians observed a Spring to Spring calendar, but e Babylonians started eir mon (and New Year s day) wi e first sighting of a new moon crescent instead of using conjunction (a totally dark moon). When Israel was exiled to Babylon, e Jews adopted e practice of sighting a new moon crescent to determine e first day of a mon and ey have maintained is practice to e current time. After e Babylonian empire fell, e Medes and Persians came to power. Some years after setting up eir empire, e Medes and Persians changed eir calendar from a Spring to Spring calendar to a Fall to Fall calendar.* (Because ey were grateful to e Persians for setting em free from Babylonian captivity and providing e means to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, e Jews adopted e new Persian Fall-to-Fall civil calendar so at eir civil records would be dated wi dates at were synchronous roughout e Persian realm.) Even ough is became e practice, e Fall-to-Fall civil calendar of e Medes and Persians and e calendar of God were not co-mingled. Therefore, many documents in ancient times were double and even triple dated if ree different calendars were in use. Bible writers during e post-exilic period sometimes date events wi two dates, but e two calendars are distinct and separate because ey do not share e same New Year s Day. * See Old Iranian Calendars by S. H. Taqizadeh, (printed and published under e patronage of e Royal Asiatic Society), For example, notice ese two passages: "The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In e mon of Kislev in e twentie year, while I was in e citadel of Susa..." (Nehemiah 1:1) "In e mon of Nisan in e twentie year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took e wine and gave it to e king. I had not been sad in his presence before..." (Nehemiah 2:1) Nehemiah dates e first text as e mon of Kislev (nin mon of God's year) wi e 20 year of Artaxerxes (20 year of e Persian king's rule). Then, Nehemiah dates e second passage as occurring in e mon of Nisan (first mon of God's year) which is still wiin e 20 year of Artaxerxes rule. Are e events in e book of Nehemiah out of chronological order or is ere a simple reconciliation needed between two calendars? The answer is simple. Here's a harmony of Nehemiah s statements: Page 2

3 Persian Calendar Fall Fall Fall Year Year Spring Spring x y Kislev Nisan God s Calendar Using is diagram, it is easy see how e mon of Kislev, marked wi an x, God's nin mon, and e mon of Nisan, marked wi a y, e first mon of a new year in God's calendar, harmoniously fit wiin e 20 year of Artaxerxes Fall to Fall calendar. Even in modern times, we align different calendars in e same way. For example, October begins a new model year for many auto makers. (Auto manufacturers typically observe a Fall to Fall calendar for eir model year. New cars usually become available in late September or early October. This is purposely done so at dealers can sell eir current inventory of current year new cars by December 31. ) Note: For simplicity in is study, God's calendar year will be labeled wi e same Julian year during which it begins. For example, when I refer to A.D. 33 in God s calendar, I am speaking of a year at began in e Spring of A.D. 33 and ended in e Spring of A.D. 34. Step 2. Proving A.D. 30 is e Year of Christ s Dea Please consider five points: 1. Jesus ate e Passover on Nisan 15 wi His disciples before His dea: Luke 22:8-16 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat e Passover." Where do you want us to prepare for it?" ey asked. He replied, "As you enter e city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to e house at he enters, and say to e owner of e house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is e guest room, where I may eat e Passover wi my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations ere." They left and found ings just as Jesus had told em. So ey prepared e Passover. When e hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at e table. And he said to em, "I have eagerly desired to eat is Passover wi you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in e kingdom of God." 2. The Jews observed Passover on Nisan 15 after Jesus was crucified: John 18:28,29 Then e Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to e palace of e Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness e Jews did not enter e palace; Page 3

4 ey wanted to be able to eat e Passover. So Pilate came out to em and asked, "What charges are you bringing against is man?" John 19:31 Now it was e day of Preparation, and e next day was to be a special Sabba. Because e Jews did not want e bodies left on e crosses during e Sabba, ey asked Pilate to have e legs broken and e bodies taken down. 3. It was a sin to observe Passover at any oer time at what God declared Num 9:13 But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate e Passover, at person must be cut off from his people because he did not present e Lord's offering at e appointed time. That man will bear e consequences of his sin. 4. In Christ s day, two calendars were used. Some Jews observed Nisan 1 according to conjunction, oers, according to e sighting of e new moon crescent. The emperor Constantine used e competing observance of two Passovers during e mon of Nisan to prove at Christians should not depend upon e Jews to determine e correct time for Passover (e observance of Easter was determined by e time for Passover in ose days). Notice his denigrating comments: We ought not, erefore, to have anying in common wi e Jews, for e Savior has shown us anoer way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course; and consequently, in unanimously adopting is mode, we desire, dearest breren, to separate ourselves from e detestable company of e Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear em boast at wiout eir direction we could not keep is feast [of Easter at e proper time]. How can ey be in e right, ey who, after e dea of e Savior, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as eir delusions may urge em? They do not possess e tru in is Easter question; for in eir blindness and repugnance to all improvement, ey frequently celebrate two Passovers in e same year. (Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib iii., 18-20, insertions mine) 5. Astronomical Data Answers e Question There is oroughly tested and widely accepted astronomical data for A.D. 30 at is accurate to wiin two hours. There is sufficient evidence to prove beyond reasonable debate at Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 7, A.D. 30. If we allow Bible history and e synchrony of God s Calendar to resolve e question of e time of Christ s dea, all of e data presented in e Gospels concerning Christ s passion week harmoniously fits togeer. In fact, A.D. 30 is e only year during which all of e events described in Scripture could have occurred. How Israel Measured Time Before we examine e timing of Christ s dea, a few words about how time is measured in e Bible is necessary. The Jews measured time inclusively. Any part of a year, mon or day counted as a whole unit. Notice e words of Luke: Page 4

5 Luke 3:1 In e fifteen year of e reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his broer Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- Luke 3:21 When all e people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened Luke 3:22 and e Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; wi you I am well pleased." Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about irty years old when he began his ministry. History says at on August 19, A.D. 14, Augustus died. Tiberius manipulated e Senate for a few weeks and did not allow it to name him emperor for almost a mon. On September 17, A.D. 27, Tiberius became e emperor of Rome at age 56. Because is is what history says, we find at Luke follows e Jewish custom of inclusive dating. This means Luke counted e ascension year of Tiberius as year 1, even ough e ascension year was just a few days in leng before a new civil year began on Tishri 1. Josephus also followed is practice when he dated e reigns of e Herods. (Antiquities xv. 5.2; xvii. 8.1) The Mishnah furer confirms is meod of Jewish regnal reckoning. (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1.1) During e time of Christ, e Jews continued to observe e Persian Fall-to-Fall civil calendar even ough Julius Caesar had imposed e Julian calendar (January to January) on e world in 45 B.C. The first mon of e Persian Fall-to-Fall calendar was e seven mon (Tishri) of religious year. Therefore, when Tiberius ascended to e rone on September 17, A.D. 14, he did so during a Jewish civil year at ended about one mon later (on October 12, A.D. 14.) But Luke counted September 17 to October 12 as Year 1 because Tiberius, counting inclusively, ascended to e rone at year! Therefore, e Jews regarded e following civil year Tishri 1 to Tishri 1 (October 12, A.D. 14 to October 03, A.D. 15), as e second year of Tiberius reign. Luke s Account: The Reign of Tiberius Caesar Year 1 = A.D. 14/14 (September 17 - October 12) Year 2 = A.D. 14/15 (Tishri 1 to Tishri 1) Year 3 = A.D. 15/16 (Tishri 1 to Tishri 1) Year 4 = A.D. 16/17 Etc. Year 5 = A.D. 17/18 Year 6 = A.D. 18/19 Year 7 = A.D. 19/20 Year 8 = A.D. 20/21 Year 9 = A.D. 21/22 Year 10 = A.D. 22/23 Year 11 = A.D. 23/24 Year 12 = A.D. 24/25 Year 13 = A.D. 25/26 Year 14 = A.D. 26/27 Year 15 = A.D. 27/28 Page 5

6 The fifteen year of Tiberius Caesar is defined above in e Persian Fall-to-Fall calendar as Tishri 1 to Tishri 1 (October 19, A.D. 27 rough November 6, A.D. 28). According to e Julian calendar, Jewish use of e Persian calendar, Luke s report and Daniel s prophecy, Jesus was baptized in e fall of A.D. 27, sometime after Tishri 1. Because four meods of counting time are brought togeer for one event, we can eliminate all wiggle room and precisely locate Christ s baptism. Just as Gabriel stated in e 6 century B.C., Jesus arrived at e banks of e Jordan River where John baptized Him right on time. Jesus began His public ministry in e Sunday year of A.D. 27, which happens to be a Sunday year, e first year of e seventie week! God s timing is astonishing. Because e ancients measured time inclusively and we typically use exclusive counting today, some confusion exists about e dea of Jesus. For example, if someone came to your home on Tuesday and left on Wednesday, e ancients would measure e time your guest visited in your home to be two days and two nights Tuesday and Wednesday even ough e actual time was less an twenty-four hours. Because a day consists of a dark portion and a light portion, any leng of time at covers parts of two days was called two days and two nights. This inclusive meod for measuring time explains how Jesus could be dead for ree days and ree nights (Matew 12:40), even ough e Bible says e Faer resurrected Jesus on not after e ird day (Acts 10:40), which was Sunday, e first day of e week. (John 20:1-5) Because of inclusive reckoning, it was said at Jesus was in e tomb for ree days and ree nights: Friday, Sabba and Sunday. However, He died on Friday afternoon, rested in e Tomb on Sabba and was resurrected early on Sunday morning. The number of hours at Jesus was dead was less an forty hours (approximately two hours on Friday afternoon, twenty-four hours on Sabba and ten to twelve hours on Sunday). The timing of is matter will be demonstrated beyond e point of reasonable controversy! One more point about e inclusive measurement of time. There are eighteen prophetic time periods in Daniel and Revelation, and from God s perspective, all of em use inclusive reckoning. The decree by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. was issued on or about Nisan 1 in e Spring of 457 B.C. (We know for a fact at Ezra left e Ahava Canal wi e decree in his possession on e 12 day of Nisan. Ezra 8:31) The point here is at 457 B.C. is e first year of e seventy weeks and 457 B.C. is included wiin e count of 490 years. This demonstrates e use of inclusive counting. Furermore, e forty years Israelites spent in e wilderness was measured wi inclusive reckoning. (Deuteronomy 2:14; Numbers 14:34) Also, e ree days allotted to Pharaoh s cupbearer was measured wi inclusive reckoning. (Genesis 40:12,13) One Moon Two Mons History says e Jews abandoned God s new moon synchrony for determining e beginning of a new mon. In its place, ey adopted e Babylonian meod of sighting e first crescent of a new moon to determine e beginning of a mon. Even today, Jews and Moslems continue e practice of sighting e crescent of a new moon to determine e beginning of a religious mon. Page 6

7 God s synchrony for starting a new mon is based on e alignment of Ear, e Sun and moon. A new moon occurs when e center of e moon aligns wi an imaginary line at runs between e center of e Ear and e Sun. When e centers of all ree orbs are aligned, conjunction occurs. Since a new moon cannot be seen when e moon is between Ear and e Sun, (e side of e moon facing Ear receives no light and is us invisible) e moment of conjunction has to be calculated. The calculation of a new moon is not difficult: Most of e time, e second night of total darkness after e moon fades from view is e day during which conjunction occurs. (See Numbers 28:14; 1 Samuel 20:24-27; Isaiah 66:23.) Of course, when two different meods for starting a given mon are used, ere are two different results. The difference between ese two meods is usually two days. The sighting of e new crescent of a moon occurs in Jerusalem anywhere between sixteen to forty hours after conjunction. Because ere are two meods for starting a new mon (us, two calendars) in e New Testament, ere is confusion about e timing of Christ s dea. The Bible indicates at Jesus and His disciples (and some oer Jews) observed Passover according to God s calendar, even ough e nation of Israel observed its national Passover according to e Babylonian meod for starting a new mon. (Mark 14; John 13) Since e moon determines e first day of e mon for calendars, e position of e moon plays an important role in determining e date for Passover during e year at Jesus was crucified. God commanded e Passover lamb to be slain on Nisan 14 as e day was ending, and after roasting e lamb for a few hours, it was to be eaten at midnight on e fifteen day of e first mon. Any deviation from is command was sin. (Numbers 9:13) We know at e Lord passed over Egypt at midnight on e fifteen of Nisan. (Exodus 12; Leviticus 23:5,6; Numbers 28:16,17; Luke 22:1-8) Therefore, any attempt to determine a date and time for e dea of Jesus has to address e astronomical position of a new moon for Nisan 1, as well as e first sighting of e crescent of a new moon. After e Babylonian captivity, some Jews observed Passover according to conjunction and oers observed Passover according to e sighting of e New Moon crescent. This meant at wiin e nation, two Feasts of Passover were found during Nisan. This conflict (and many oer contradictory issues) gave e Romans anoer reason to mock e Jews. Even as late as e four century A.D., e emperor Constantine used e competing observance of two Passovers during e mon of Nisan to prove at Christians should not depend upon e Jews to determine e correct time for Passover (e observance of Easter was determined by e time for Passover in ose days). Notice his denigrating comments: We ought not, erefore, to have anying in common wi e Jews, for e Savior has shown us anoer way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course; and consequently, in unanimously adopting is mode, we desire, dearest breren, to separate ourselves from e detestable company of e Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear em boast at wiout eir direction we could not keep is feast [of Easter at e proper time]. How can ey be in e right, ey who, after e dea of e Savior, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as eir delusions may urge em? They do not possess e tru in is Easter question; for in eir Page 7

8 blindness and repugnance to all improvement, ey frequently celebrate two Passovers in e same year. (Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib iii., 18-20, insertions mine) To end a long running controversy over wheer Easter should be observed on e date of Christ s resurrection or on e day of His resurrection, Constantine determined e date for Easter for all Christians: Easter will be e first Sunday after e first new moon after e Spring Equinox. Two Passovers in One! When Jesus came to Ear, He came to declare e tru on many issues which e Jews had distorted. The presence of two calendars (and e observance of two Passovers) in Israel solves an interesting mystery, namely, how Jesus could observe Passover at its appointed time wi His disciples in e upper room (on Nisan 15 Mark 14:14-16), and wiin e same year, also die at e time of e national Passover which took place on Nisan 15. (John 19:14-31) The solution to is mystery is quite simple. Jesus and His disciples observed Passover in e upper room according to God s synchrony for e mon (conjunction to conjunction) but Jesus died on e cross according to e Babylonian meod of starting a new mon (e sighting of e first crescent of a new moon)! Since e observance of two religious calendars was common at e time of Christ, Gospel writers do not mention e conflicting calendars except to note e presence of two Passovers during e year of Christ s dea. For two ousand years, is silence has caused a lot of controversy and I hope e following explanation eliminates e confusion. Jesus died on Friday afternoon, April 7, A.D. 30, which is e precise year required by Daniel 9! Even ough most Christians accept A.D. 30 as e year of Christ s dea, few understand at it is in e middle of e seventie week and even fewer understand how is date is determined. Daniel 9:27 says,... In e middle of e 'seven' [or week] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. Gabriel said at Jesus would die in e middle year of e seventie week. 70 S M T W T F S Step 1 Solar and lunar tables posted at e United States Naval Observatory (USNO) website offer astronomical data covering e years during which Jesus was on Ear. This data has been carefully verified by several astronomers rough e years and is accurate to wiin one or two hours. The dates and times from e USNO are given in Universal Time. Notice e date of e equinox and e time of conjunction for years A.D , especially notice e days of e week: A.D. 29 Vernal Equinox: Tuesday, March 22, 4 p.m. First New Moon on or after Equinox: Saturday, April 2, 5 p.m. A.D. 30 Vernal Equinox: Wednesday, March 22, 10 p.m. Page 8

9 First New Moon on or after Equinox: Wednesday, March 22, 6 p.m. A.D. 31 Vernal Equinox: Friday, March 23, 3 a.m. First New Moon on or after Equinox: Tuesday, April 10, 12 noon Source: * *The USNO website changes frequently, so is link may not work. However, search for Spring Phenomenon and you will find e tables. Step 2 According to e dates and times published by e USNO, a new moon occurred on e same night as e Equinox in A.D. 30. (Jerusalem local time for e new moon was 8 p.m. and for e Equinox, midnight.) Since a new moon and e Equinox occurred on e same day, a new mon and a new year began on Wednesday night, March 22, Universal Time. Converting Universal Time to Bible Time: Wednesday night, March 22 becomes Thursday, March 23 and Nisan 1. This translation is necessary because a day in God s calendar begins at sundown. (Genesis 1; Leviticus 23:32) Notice in calendar below at New Year s day (Nisan 1) occurred on Thursday and Passover (Nisan 15) occurred on a Thursday in A.D. 30. New Moon Calendar Jesus Ate Passover Thursday Night (April 6), Nisan 15, A.D. 30 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sabba Nisan 1 March 23 Nisan 2 March 24 Nisan 3 March 25 Nisan 4 March 26 Nisan 5 March 27 Nisan 6 March 28 Nisan 7 March 29 Nisan 8 March 30 Nisan 9 March 31 Nisan 10 April 1 Nisan 11 April 2 Nisan 12 April 3 Nisan 13 April 4 Nisan 14 April 5 Nisan 15 April 6 Nisan 16 April 7 Nisan 17 April 8 Jesus and His disciples observed Passover according to God s calendar. This means at Jesus and His disciples ate e Passover togeer on Thursday night at midnight as required by law. (Remember, in God s calendar night precedes light.) We know at God required e Jews to slay e Passover lamb near sundown on Nisan 14. (Exodus 12:6) In is case, e disciples killed e paschal lamb about sundown on Wednesday afternoon and ey roasted it until about midnight on Thursday, Nisan 15. Jesus and His disciples en celebrated e Passover at midnight, for it was at midnight at e Lord passed over Egypt. (Exodus 11:4) From its origin at e time of e Exodus, e Jubilee calendar operated Spring to Spring and e annual feasts and ceremonies were synchronized wi it. (As I said earlier, e Jews did not observe a Fall to Fall civil calendar until eight centuries after e Exodus.) Page 9

10 For e moment, consider e alignment of Jubilee cycles from e Exodus in 1437 B.C. and e decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C.: Counting s from e Exodus (1437 B.C.) and e Decree of Artaxerxes (457 B.C.) Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sab s Since Decree s Since Exodus 1437 B.C. Exodus B.C st 141 nd s 3 rough 68 A.D A.D A.D st Step 3. A.D. 30 is e middle year of e 70 week If A.D. 30 = Wednesday year en e following is true (based on e weekly cycle of seven days): 457 B.C. = Sunday year 1437 B.C. = Sunday year 1388 B.C. = Sunday year A.D. 30 = Wednesday year 1994 = Sunday year The 70 weeks prophecy began in e Spring of Sunday year (457 B.C.) wi e decree of Artaxerxes and e 70 weeks ended in e Spring of A.D. 34. A total of 490 years (counting from Spring to Spring) fully elapsed. The decree by Artaxerxes was issued in e first days of e Page 10

11 mon of Nisan, probably on Nisan 1 as a new year s gift from e king to Ezra. See Ezra 6:19; 7:9 & 8:31. Step 4. The Bible pinpoints e location of a Jubilee year as occurring during e 15 year of King Hezekiah. Isaiah 36:1 "In e fourteen year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all e fortified cities of Judah and captured em. {37:30} "This will be e sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and e second year [e 15 year] what springs from at. But in e ird year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat eir fruit." [insertions mine] This Sabba year / Jubilee year combination can be accurately located because (1) King Sennacherib has to be in power and (2) we know at Jubilee years are always Sunday years. History says at Sennacherib came to power in 705 B.C. So, e 15 year of Hezekiah has to occur after 705 B.C. and e first Sunday year after 705 B.C. is 702 B.C. We can determine if Sunday year 702 B.C., is a Jubilee year. Here's how: We will start wi e well known and widely accepted date of 586 B.C. when Jerusalem was finally destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. We will count backwards from at date rough e reign of kings to Hezekiah's 15 year: Regnal Actual Date 1. Hezekiah* Manesseh Amon Josiah Jehoiakim Jehoiachin Zedekiah Jerusalem's destruction ---> 586 Total A regnal year is counted as a year on e rone even if it is only a partial year. A regnal year is also credited to a king even if two kings reign at e same time. For example, David and Solomon (faer and son) were kings of Israel at e same time. The Bible says ey bo reigned 40 years, but e actual number of years ey reigned over Israel does not equal 80 years. This is because eir reigns ran concurrently for a few years. Such were e customs in ancient times. Often, e outgoing king stayed on e rone to stabilize e auority of e incoming king if he was a young heir to e rone. Because ere are overlapping reigns, e regnal years and e number of elapsed years are different. The difference between regnal and actual years in Page 11

12 my list is 6.75 years. Seven years is well wiin e number of years allowed by scholars for is time-period. (They typically estimate e difference to be about 10 years.) *In Hezekiah's 14 year, he was given a promise of 15 more years of life so his total reign would last 29 years. The Jubilee year promised to Hezekiah occurred during his 15 year on e rone -- leaving him 14 more years of life. He placed his son, Manesseh, on e rone when e child turned 12 years old to establish him as king before he died (after all, Hezekiah knew e year of his forcoming dea). Thus, Hezekiah reigned for a total of 29 years, but he reigned alone for less an 26 years. Summarizing: From e dea of Jesus in e middle year of e 70 week (A.D. 30 is a Wednesday year), we can determine e date and location of all Sunday years. Hezekiah's 15 year is a Sunday/Jubilee year combination which follows a 49 Sabbatical year. We also know at Hezekiah's 15 year has to occur after Sennacherib comes to power in 705 B.C. One date, 702 B.C., exclusively satisfies e parameters set for. Oer Sunday years are eier too late or too early to satisfy all of e specifications. (Most scholars on is time-period date e 15 year of Hezekiah as 701 B.C. a difference of one year. This is remarkable when you consider ey are not using e Jubilee calendar to determine is date.) Notice e impact of is conclusion: If 702 B.C. is correctly identified as a Jubilee year en, e decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. falls on a Jubilee year because 457 B.C. is a 49 year multiple of 702 B.C.! When one Jubilee year is known, we can calculate all Jubilee years -- forward or backward. For example, A.D. 34 is a Sunday year, and it is a Jubilee year. In addition, ere is special harmony between 702 B.C. and 457 B.C. The prophecy in Daniel 9:25 indicates at e decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem would occur at e beginning of a Jubilee cycle. The prophecy states: "Know and understand is: From e issuing of e decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until e Anointed One, e ruler, comes, ere will be seven 'sevens,' [a Jubilee cycle of 49 years] and sixty-two' sevens..." Sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years is described as two units of seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens' because seven 'sevens' define a Jubilee cycle (Leviticus 25:8). In oer words, God told Israel at e decree marking e beginning of e 70 weeks would occur in a Jubilee year. Four decrees were issued for e restoration of Jerusalem, but only one occurred during a Jubilee year and it occurred in e Spring, on or about Nisan 1, New Year s Day. (See Ezra 7, Ezra 8:31) Summary: God defined a calendar for Israel at e time of e Exodus. The year of e Exodus is year 1 in e Jubilee calendar. It is a Sunday year because it is e first year in e Jubilee calendar and e Sunday year of e Exodus will align wi 702 B.C., 457 B.C., e 70 weeks, and of course, e 70 week. Maematically, ese dates align wiout conflict! Furermore, since e year of e Exodus is e first year of e first Jubilee cycle, e seven year Sabba Page 12

13 points back to deliverance from bondage much like e seven day Sabba points back to e first day of Creation. Step 5. 1 Kings 6:1 "In e four hundred and eightie year after e Israelites had come out of Egypt, in e four year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in e mon of Ziv, e second mon, he began to build e temple of e LORD." The of Seven s Is Aligned wi e Exodus, 1437 B.C. Sunday Year Monday Year Tuesday Year Wed Year Thursday Year Friday Year Sabba Year Sunday Exodus 1437 B.C (Year 7) 1 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sabba (Year 14) (Year 21) (Year 28) (Year 35) (Year 42) (Year 49) Jubilee Cycle # Sunday Jubilee 1388 B.C (Year 7) 1 Mon Tue (Year 14) (Year 21) 2 3 Page 13

14 Now, we measure from e year of e Exodus to Solomon's four year on e rone. We know e distance is 480 years. If we can pin down e years of Solomon's reign, we can find e date of e Exodus. Providentially, ere is a widely tested and accepted date for e dea of King Ahab. He was killed in 852 B.C. This is important because we know at e distance between Solomon's 4 year and Ahab's dea is a maximum distance of 120 regnal years (106 actual years). Here are e regnal years from Solomon's 4 year to Ahab's dea: Solomon: 36 more years (Solomon reigned 40 years total) Jeroboam: 22 years Nadab: 2 years Baasha 24 years Elah 2 years Zimri 1 week Omri 12 years (5 years co-regent) Ahab 22 years Total: 120 regnal years Therefore: The date of Ahab's dea: 852 B.C. Plus regnal years to Solomon: 120 Plus 480 back to Exodus: B.C. BUT: 1452 B.C. is not a Jubilee year nor is 1452 a Sunday year. Moving to e closest Jubilee year: Ahab's dea: 852 B.C. Add 106 actual years: 106 Add 480 to Exodus: B.C. Again, e 14 year difference between regnal and actual years is wiin tolerance for e succession of ese 8 kings. (Scholars vary on e e difference between regnal and actual for is period. Some say as few as five years and oers say 10. However, e problem is at records of who reigned concurrently are non-existent.) However, 1437 B.C. is e only year at qualifies for e Exodus B.C. is a Sunday year, a Page 14

15 Jubilee year and it occurs wiin e time-frame allotted by Scripture. All oer Jubilee years are too near or too far away from e regnal or actual reigns of e kings to qualify. Based on e certainty of 702 B.C., 457 B.C. and e dating of e 70 week (which precisely centers on e dea of Jesus in A.D. 30), 1437 B.C. solves e mystery. This date aligns wi e Exodus, e 4 year of Solomon s reign, Hezekiah s Jubilee year, e decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and e dea of Jesus in A.D B.C B.C. < B.C B.C. Therefore, 1437 B.C. becomes e exclusive date of e Exodus and e expiration of 70 complete Jubilee cycles (3,430 years) occurred on April 11, 1994! Page 15