CHRONOLOGICAL CHARTS
From the very first chapter of Genesis God shows us that His work on Earth is being carried out according to a predetermined timeline. The better we understand that timeline, the better we can see God's hand throughout man's history.
The first chart on this page, a Bible chronology from the time of Adam until our present time, is the same as the one found on the "HOME" page.
Click here for Chart 1: Full Bible Chronology
The second chart focuses on the period known as the Divided Kingdom. It starts with the year after Solomon's death, when the 12 tribes of Israel had split into the Kingdom of Israel, comprising ten tribes led by Jeroboam, and the Kingdom of Judah, comprising two tribes led by Solomon's son Rehoboam.
The chronology of the Divided Kingdom has proved to be one of the most difficult challenges Bible students have had to face. In previous centuries Archbishop James Ussher and Sir Isaac Newton studied this subject at length. In more recent times, Martin Anstey, Edwin Thiele and Floyd Nolen Jones have contributed fresh ideas to this field of endeavour.
Whereas for many years Ussher's numbers were the benchmark, of late it has been Thiele who has been the most quoted and referenced.
Time has caught up with Ussher's chronology, in that it no longer fits the "seven day blueprint" that Genesis 1 and 2 provide (see "THE SEVEN DAY BLUEPRINT").
Thiele, on the other hand, is considered by many to have solved all the difficulties the Biblical text contains regarding the period of the kings of Israel and Judah. Unbeknown to most Bible students, however, Thiele did this by setting aside many clear passages of Scripture, and instead giving more credence to the Assyrian records, which he pronounced to be "sure", "established" and "historical truth".
Thiele's famous work "The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings" expounds his theories. It contains throughout, a line of thought that calls the Biblical record into question. For instance, on page 134 (of the 1983 version of this book) he states, "When the editors of Kings were bringing that book into its final shape, they did not understand dual dating [a dating method invented by Thiele] for Pekah; and this fact was responsible for the synchronisms of II Kings 17 and 18".
The first issue here is that Thiele doesn't seem to acknowledge the divine authorship of the Scriptures. Secondly, he claims that the "synchronisms" mentioned in these chapters are in error. Which synchronisms is he calling into question?
In II Kings 18:9-10 we are given the highly significant information that Samaria fell to the Assyrians in the 9th year of Hoshea, king of Israel, which it states is the 6th year of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Thiele says on page 135, "A careful survey of the account of Hezekiah's reign shows that when he began his reign Hoshea and the nation of Israel were gone". In other words, he is saying that the account in II Kings 18:9-10 is wrong!
This is a total denial of the validity of God's Word.
This highly regarded scholar doesn't believe that the numbers God has given us can be trusted.
More can be found about Edwin Thiele's work on the page "BIBLE CHRONOLOGY".
When I first began my study of Bible chronology, I too had some doubts, having heard from various sources about the problem of "scribal errors". Now, however, after a detailed study of the chronological numbers of Scripture, which has lasted for well over a decade, I can honestly say that I am not aware of any that cannot be logically explained.
There are certainly many difficulties in constructing a Bible chronology. This, however, is precisely in line with what the Author of Scripture Himself states in Proverbs 25:2: "it is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out". This is all by design. God is saying that if we are prepared to put time and effort into the study of His Word, we will be able to "search things out".
The complex manner in which Biblical numbers are presented, as indeed all Scripture is presented, is just another proof of divine authorship.
Some chronologists would have us believe that ancient Israel started the year in autumn, while Judah started it in spring, or vice versa. Some also claim that at times kings arbitrarily switched from one method of recording their regnal years, to another. However, the fact is that whatever methods these kings might have used is irrelevant, as the Scriptures were inspired by God, and He is not bound by the recording methods of men.
God tells us in Exodus 12:2 when the year is meant to start. He consistently employs the method of starting the regnal years of kings on Abib/Nisan 1. The arguments raised against this have all been negated, as briefly explained in the legend on Chart 2, and no alternative methods are required to work out the details.
Click here for Chart 2: The Divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah
The third chart focuses on the chronology of the most confusing period of the Divided Kingdom, namely the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Some verses about him appear to be contradictory and therefore many chronologists assert that errors have crept into the text. However, a close examination with the assistance of a chart clears up these issues. It can be seen that a total of ten years of the reign of Ahaz were spent in co-regency: eight years with Jotham, who preceded him, and two years with Hezekiah, who followed on from him.
Amazingly, this ten year period also appears to be figuratively pictured in the account of Hezekiah's sickness and Ahaz' sundial, found in II Kings 20:8-11. The sundial, a time measuring device, miraculously went back ten steps as a sign from God to Hezekiah.
Click here for Chart 3: Ahaz co-regencies with Jotham and Hezekiah