Jovial (10 Dec 2005)
"More on the 400 year period"

At http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2005/jovial128-3.htm I explained how the 400 year period spoken of to Abraham was, in all likelyhood, a discontinuous time period as shown in the following chart....

At http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2005/johnc129.htm , someone theorized that the 400 years started with Ishmael's persecution of his brother, saying...

"Therefore, from the weaning of Isaac until the Egyptian Passover, Abrahams seed was persecuted for a total of 400 years by the Egyptians and Ishmaelites. And it was 430 years from the time that Abraham was given the promise of a multitude of descendants and a land of his own, until that multitude was given their freedom and brought before the Father as a nation."

It was definitely 430 from the Promise until they left Egypt. Paul said so in his letter to the Galatians. But one problem with the idea that a contiguous 400 year period started with Ishmael is this.......After Joseph went to Egypt, he gained favor with Pharoah and was made Viceroy of all Egypt. During that period, ISRAEL WAS NOT PERSECUTED. THEY HAD THE POWER!

How long did Joseph reign? We know it was at least 14 years since we know he was made Viceroy of Egypt after giving a prophecy of Pharoah's dream and what it would mean over the next 14 years. Gen/Ber 37:1 tells us Joseph was 17 when he was sold as a slave and became viceroy shortly thereafter, even before he took a wife and got married. He died at the age of 110. So it would seem he reigned for some 80-90, possibly even 93 years. During that period, ISRAEL WAS NOT PERSECUTED. Egypt was foremost of all nations and everyone wanted to be their friends to get food, for everyone else was starving.

So even if we start the clock with Ishmael's persecution, we have to count it as two non-contiguous time periods, because there was an 80-93 year period in which Israel was not persecuted. And when you subtract even the low estimate of 80 from 430, you get 350 years, and need some time period AFTER Israel left Egypt to get the count up to 400 years.

Also, let's keep in mind that the prophecy was about Israel, AS A NATION, being not only persecuted, but IN SLAVERY. And while Ishmael may have "persecuted" Israel before they had any children, Jacob/Israel was never a slave to Ishmael. They did not become slaves to anyone before Joseph died, so the clock on the 400 year period could not have started before Joseph died. Also Israel could not have been considered a "nation" before he had any children.

But no matter where you start the clock, the 80-93 year reign of Joseph in Egypt tells us that we need at least SOME time periods from after Israel left Egypt to get 400 years, and we need some sort of discontiguous time period. I find the chart I have above the most plausible explanation, because otherwise, we have to pick and choose what we include and don't include.

Shalom,

Joe
Slide Presentation WITH SOUND : http://mywebpages.comcast.net/yoseph/ppts/s42j/sld001.htm
For ordering info on "The 42 Journey Pattern of Our Spiritual Growth and Prophecy", See http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jovial/ads/42journeys.htm#ORDERS
Home Page : http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jovial/learn/mc/mcindex.htm