The 430 years and 400 years Countdown to Exodus

 Yves Peloquin

Montreal, March 5, 2011

http://ezekielmasterkey.com/

 Anybody who has studied the Bible’s chronology for some time will agree. There is only one way to obtain the date of Exodus and it is by properly identifying the origin of the 430 years mentioned in Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17. These two verses are fundamental to the building of an elaborate and consistent chronology of the Bible.

·       Ex 12:40-41 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. … all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. NKJV

·       Gal 3:17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise NIV

The purpose of this article is first to identify the covenant alluded to in Galatians 3:17, determine the right date for the Exodus, and finally find out what happened 400 years before the Exodus.

The Israelites left Egypt at the Exodus and according to Exodus 12:40 it was at the end of a period of 430 years[1]. Here the Bible verse is unclear about where the period started. Fortunately we are not left without a clue as Galatians 3:17 supplies us with an important clarification: the 430-year period originated at the time of a covenant. In Galatians 3:16, one verse before, we learn that the covenant was known to Abraham, the first patriarch of Israel.

·       Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. NKJV

Our initial approach will be to build a timeline of the important events in Abraham’s life. One of those events is more likely to have triggered the 430-year countdown to the Exodus. We have to keep in mind that we don’t know if we are looking for a covenant that was enunciated, confirmed or activated.

Important: The following timeline uses the year 2008 AM for the birth of Abraham. The readers can refer to the last page of this article where a complete list of all the patriarchs from Adam to Jacob is enumerated. (Anno Mundi (Latin: "in the year of the world"), abbreviated as AM or A.M., the year since the creation of the world, according to biblical revelation.)
 

Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 Abraham’s timeline

Should we start the 430 years …       (see the previous figure for references)

Þ   When Abraham left Haran at age 75? He was certainly obeying God in doing that.

Þ   When Abraham received the covenant of the land when he was 85?  This is the first time a sign is requested to confirm that the land will be given (the cutting into parts, Gen 15:8-11).   

Þ   When Abraham was circumcised at age 99?  By marking his own flesh and the flesh of his people Abraham was ratifying a very special agreement with God.

Þ   When 100-year-old Abraham became the father of Isaac? This was the fulfillment of a promise received the previous year and the beginning of an important dynasty.

Intuitively it seems right to associate the ‘Covenant of the land’ and the origin of the 430 years. One could say that the period started with a promise to give a land and the covenant that came with it, and, many years after, ended with several millions of people escaping slavery to come back and claim the very land that was promised to their patriarchs. --- Unfortunately that argument wouldn’t be strong enough to convince everyone that those events are absolutely complementary. But there is more…

Very few people are aware of it but during the Exodus the strange ritual performed by Abraham when he learned of the covenant of the land (cutting into parts) was subtly echoed in several points.

 A journey that lasted 
430 years   (in 6 steps)

(Covenant of the land in 2093 AM to Exodus in 2523 AM)

(1) For the first time Abraham received a covenant 

• Gen 15:18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river

(2) that was accompanied by a sign

• Gen 15:9-10 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. NKJV

(3) And in order to inaugurate (and seal) this covenant, God went through the cutting into

parts.

 (5) God remembered the covenant and was ready to give the Israelites their land:

• Ex 6:4-5 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. NKJV

• Ex 6:8 and I will give it to you as a heritage NKJV

(6) Prior to receiving the object of the covenant[2] that was sealed when God went through the parts, the Israelites went through the sea, which had been physically split. (We have here a clear reminder of the true origin of this covenant.)       

• Ex 14:16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. NKJV

The purpose of showing that there is a strong association between the ‘Covenant of the land[3]’ and the Exodus was to stress that the 430-year period is more likely connecting two events that already share bonds together.  But any persisting doubts should disappear with the following discovery. The Exodus also echoed extensively two others events that occurred during the very same year of the ‘cutting into parts’. These are the rescuing of Lot by Abram just before he received the covenant of the land, and Hagar’s pregnancy that began right after.

The first event: The rescuing of Lot

Just before receiving the covenant of the cutting (covenant of the land) Abram was told that his relative had been taking captive.

• Gen 14:14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, NKJV

Moses was sent to rescue his brothers the Israelites.

• Ex 3:13 The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' NKJV

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After Abram had rescued Lot, he gave a tithe of everything to the king of Salem.

• Gen 14:20 And he gave him a tithe of all.  NKJV

In exchange for having saved the Israelite males in every family, God asked Moses to consecrate every firstborn among the Israelites to Himself.

• Num 3:11-13  "Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, 13 because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the LORD." NKJV
   

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Against all odds Abram refused to accept any part of the goods that were offered by the King of Sodom.

• Gen 14:22-23 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours." NKJV

At the Exodus, just before leaving Egypt, against all odds, the Israelite received a huge amount of goods from the Egyptians themselves.

• Ex 3:21-22 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians." NKJV

The second event: Hagar’s pregnancy

A subordinate journey that lasted 400 years

(From Akeda in 2123 AM to Exodus in 2523 AM)

With the date of Exodus known we are now well positioned to determine with absolute certainty the origin of the 400 years of Gen 15:13.  

·       Gen 15:13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.  NKJV

The Bible doesn’t give any direct chronological link to Isaac’s sacrifice. Isn’t it surprising when we think about it? Isn’t it quite inconceivable that the biggest act of obedience and faith ever described in the Bible, the most important symbolic act, an act that would even be mirrored at Yeshua’s death, wouldn’t be accurately dated when more than 300 chronological references are available to chart all kinds of other events?  Isn’t it possible that the 400-year period had its origin in the year of Isaac’s binding?  Is there any other event that could be more meaningful to mark the beginning of this important period?             

In Gen 15:13 we are told that the 400-year period has to do with the whereabouts of Abraham’s descendant. Logically, by arguing in favour of Isaac’s birth, which gave Abraham his first legitimate descendant, we would have a very convincing event to initiate this period. Unfortunately the preceding chart shows that it is not possible, as Isaac was already 15 years old when the 400-year period started in 2123 AM. But then wouldn’t the Sacrifice of Isaac be the next best candidate, if not in fact a better one?  Here is why.

First a few facts to show that Isaac was neither an infant nor an adult at the time of the sacrifice. One can say that at 15 years old he was in the right age range.

       Old enough to worship

·       Gen 22:5 We will worship and then we will come back to you."  NIV

Strong enough to hold all the wood

·       Gen 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, NIV

Still young enough to be called “boy”

·       Gen 22:5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. NIV

NOTE: wªhana`ar the Hebrew word translated here as “the boy” could describe Isaac at any period from the age of infancy to adolescence.

We are told that God would establish a covenant with Isaac.

·       Gen 17:19 I will establish My covenant with him [Isaac] for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.  NKJV

·       Gen 17:21 1 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, NKJV  

We are also told that Abraham and Isaac would be involved (together?) in a covenant and a promise.

·       1 Chron 16:16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, NKJV

·       Ps 105:9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. NIV

We know that a covenant was confirmed to Abraham at Akeda.

·       Gen 22:15-17 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you.. NIV

Could it be that Isaac was also chosen during Akeda?

Isaac’s relationship with his father Abraham culminated at Akeda.  The only bonding activity between them ever documented in the Bible is the three days’ journey to Mt. Moriah. During this trip Abraham’s sadness must have been almost unbearable. How could it have been different? He had just been asked to do the most difficult thing ever: offer to God the unexpected son of his old age, the only son he shared with Saraï, a son that he loved[4] very much.  At 15 Isaac was old enough to understand what was going on and if he had ever witnessed his father offering a sacrifice to God in the past,  he must have sensed that this time something was quite different.

• Gen 22:7 "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Whether  he had known for some time or had only learned at the last minute that he would be the victim, it didn’t make any difference. Isaac never offered any resistance and he followed his father unrestrained, to the top of the mountain where an altar would be built. 

·       Gen 22:5 Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there.

In 2123 AM Abraham was 115 years old and  would never have been able to bind his 15 year old son if he had refused to cooperate. Isaac was a consenting victim who could have found many opportunities to run away, but he didn’t. On the contrary he even walked the last stretch to the altar by himself.

• Gen 22:9 He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

There was no other situation in Isaac’s life (that we are told about), which provided him with the possibility to show his unconditional faith in his father and in God. The sacrifice of Isaac was a request so well chosen that it allowed Abraham and Isaac to independently prove their worth to God at the same time. 

v    Abraham proved himself by offering his son in sacrifice.

v    Isaac proved himself by accepting to be the sacrificed.

At Akeda Isaac didn’t object to his father’s plan and he totally accepted that he would die. In fact, he came so close to death that one can say that symbolically he did die. But then, if there was a symbolic death it had to be followed by a symbolic resurrection and the opportunity of a new beginning. That day Isaac inherited his father’s covenant. 

·       Gen 15:13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.  NKJV

The only remaining question before one can fully accept that Akeda is at the origin of the 400-year period is the following. Did Isaac, the new born descendant, begin this new journey by being a stranger  in a land that was not his? The answer is: Absolutely! Have you noticed that Isaac never returned home with his father?

• Gen 22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. NIV

In fact 25 more years went by before Isaac appeared again[5] when we learn that he was living in the Negev and was about to be married.

• Gen 24:62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. NIV

Some facts from Akeda that were echoed 400 years later during the Exodus

The next figure shows that the 15-year-old Isaac had symbolically died and was resurrected during the sacrifice. On that day Isaac began his own ‘prophetic’ journey that was going to last 400 years.