testimony.doc
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Nov. 16, 2005
CHRONOLOGY AS A TESTIMONY TO INERRANCY
Rodger C. Young
Valley Forge, 16 November 2005
Beginning with the genealogy of chapter 5, the Book of Genesis presents the years
associated with the various patriarchs, down to the death of Joseph at age 110 with which
the Book of Genesis closes. This interest in giving year-spans for events continues
through the remaining books of the Pentateuch, and then to some extent through the
books of Joshua, Judges, and First and Second Samuel. But it is the books of Kings and
Chronicles, particularly from the time of Solomon onward, that furnish the most elaborate
system of chronology in the entire corpus of the Scriptures. It is this period of rich
chronological information that will be the focus of the present study.
THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM
From the beginning of the Davidic dynasty to the release of Jehoiachin from prison
mentioned at the end of 2 Kings represents a period of about 448 years. For this time-
period the books of Kings, Chronicles, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel provide over 120 dates,
lengths of reign, and synchronisms that form the raw material for constructing a
chronology for these times. For anyone who tries to assemble these data into a
chronological scheme, it soon becomes clear that is a formidable task. Some older
interpreters such as Martin Anstey handled the apparent discrepancies in the numbers by
introducing interregna, that is, periods of time during which no king was assumed to be
on the throne. This is like using scissors to fashion fill-in pieces as needed for a picture
puzzle that otherwise doesn't seem to fit together. To the credit of these interpreters, it
could be said that they genuinely regarded the Bible as the Word of God, and their aim in
writing was to explain the text and to strengthen the faith of God's people by attempting
to produce a harmonious chronology from the received text.
However, there arose interpreters who did not share this goal of building up others in the
faith. Their goal was to discredit any supernatural explanation of the origin of the
Scriptures and the miracles recorded in the Scriptures, replacing these matters of faith
with what they were quick to label as a scientific approach to religion. But the science