One more time!

[Dr Denis O'Callaghan]

Gentle readers,

I soon will be celebrating 40 years of Bible teaching, which is 280 years in dog years. Forty has long been universally recognized as an important number, both on account of the frequency of its occurrence, and the uniformity of its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement—(not judgment, like the number 9, which stands in connection with the punishment of enemies, but the chastisement of sons, and of a covenant people). It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal ( . This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation. But where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification. There are 15 such periods which appear on the surface of the Scriptures, and which may be classified:

Forty Years of Probation by Trial: Israel in the wilderness, Deut 8:2-5; Psa 95:10; Acts 13:18 (the third 40 of Moses' life, 120 years). Israel from the crucifixion to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Forty Years of Probation by Prosperity in Deliverance and Rest: under Othniel, Judg 3:11, under Barak, Judg 5:31, under Gideon, Judg 8:28.

Forty Years of Probation by Prosperity in Enlarged Dominion: under David, 2 Sam 5:4, under Solomon, 1 Kings 11:42, under Jeroboam II. See 2 Kings 12:17,18, 13:3,5,7,22,25, 14:12-14,23,28, under Jehoash, 2 Kings 12:1, under Joash, 2 Chron 24:1.

Forty Years of Probation by Humiliation and Servitude: Israel under the Philistines, Judg 13:1. Israel in the time of Eli, 1 Sam 4:18. Israel under Saul, Acts 13:21.

Forty Years of Probation by Waiting: Moses in Egypt, Acts 7:23. Moses in Midian, Acts 7:30

FORTY DAYS There are eight of such great periods on the surface of the Bible: Forty days Moses was in the mount, Exo 24:18; and to receive the Law, Exo 24:18. Forty days Moses was in the mount after the sin of the Golden Calf, Deut 9:18,25. Forty days of the spies, issuing in the penal sentence of the 40 years, Num 13:26, 14:34. Forty days of Elijah in Horeb, 1 Kings 19:8. Forty days of Jonah and Nineveh, Jonah 3:4. Forty days Ezekiel lay on his right side to symbolize the 40 years of Judah's transgression.* Forty days Jesus was tempted of the Devil, Matt 4:2. Forty days Jesus was seen of His disciples, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, Acts 1:2. * Thus 40 becomes a number closely connected with Judah, as 390 (Eze 4:5) is the number of separated Israel. The significance of this will be seen for 40 is a multiple of 8, and 390 is a multiple of 13. It may also be noted that 65 (5x13) is the number of Ephraim, while 70 is specially connected with Jerusalem.

And with this in mind, beginning in January 2010, I will be teaching through the entire Bible on our wee study site http://scripturalstudies.ning.com (A study and social network an outreach of Scripture Institute) on the Christianity 101 Group I would like to invite you to join with us for this perhaps last of my teaching through the Bible Under the heading Doc notes.

Here is a wee sample in the Word of God.

The Bible is not the earliest revelation of God. Genesis is explanatory. The other writings of the Bible are inseparably bound up with it as it gives us the origin and initial explanation of all that follows. The bible carries our minds back to the patriarchal and primeval and even pre-Adamite eras on earth, the bible itself did not begin to be written until the time of Moses. As a historical revelation its commencement coincides with the third Chapter of Exodus, which records the communication of God through the burning bush of Horeb, and synchronizes with the eightieth (40 x 2) of Moses. All that proceeds this chapter was already past when the writing of our Bible began.

The Bible is not the earliest revelation of God. its pages clearly convey that the first human pair and the antediluvian and post-flood partriarchs received Divine revelation; and it is not improbable that was in some degree committed to written form.

In Genesis we have a synopsis of all former revelation, sufficient to constitute a working introduction to further revelation of God. Moreover besides being introductory, Genesis is explanatory. Here we have in germ form all that is later developed. “Whoever would truly understand the Revelation of God must begin here”.

To be continued...

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