Study 7: Acts 13:20 | tm91 ~ studies

Acts 13:20

"And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet."

Background:

Many of the pioneers have taken the above verse and interpreted it as such: from the time of Judges to the beginning of Samuel is a span of 450 years. This interpretation leads to further conclusions such as the 6,000 years since the beginning of time terminates in the year 1843-1844. However, if the time between the beginning of Judges to the beginning of Samuel is a span of 450 years, this would contradict 1 King 6:1 which reads as the following:

"And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord."

The 480-year span starts with the children of Israel coming out of the land of Egypt, which is before the time of Judges, and it ends in the fourth year of King Solomon's reign over Israel, which is after the beginning of the reign of Samuel.

At the very minimum, we know that the children of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness wandering after coming out of Egypt, which shortens the 480 year period to 440, making it smaller than the 450-year figure given by Acts 13:20.

In addition, periods of Joshua's reign, the years of the elders that outlived Joshua before the period of Judges, Eli's reign, Samuel's reign, King Saul's reign, and King David's reign, all have to be taken away from the 480 years to match same 450-year period of from Judges to Samuel.

This leads to the conclusion that if Acts 13:20 is interpreted according to Snow, it would directly contradict 1 King 6:1.

So how do we interpret Acts 13:20 then?

First let us study the chronologies of Acts 13:17-19, then let us divide the word of truth according to the word of God as the Holy Spirit leads. For it is written: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". {2 Timothy 2:15}

Note: Dividing the word of truth DOES NOT give us permission to add words to the verse, NOR take away words from the verse. It simply allows us to divide the line into different parts to form a sentence that is in harmony with the rest of the Scripture. For example: rightly dividing Luke 23:43 would render the verse to read as follows: "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise." For neither the thief nor Jesus were in paradise on the day of crucifixion.

Acts 13:17-19
"The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot about the space four hundred and fifty years , and after that, he gave unto them judges until Samuel the prophet. "

So the 450-year period starts with "God of this people of Israel chose our fathers". This is not when God first appeared to Abraham when he was 75 years old because it would be "father" (singular) not "fathers" (plural). The earliest commencement of this period would be the year of the birth of Isaac. The same period ends in the division of their land by lot in Canaan.

Detail breakdown of the 450-year period:

Chronology

Jacob was born to Isaac at the age of 60. Genesis 25:26
Jacob came to Egypt at the age of 130 years old. Genesis 47:9
The children of Israel spent 215 years in Egypt. See note A below
The children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Acts 13:18
The children of Israel spent another 5 years conquering most of the 7 nations in the land of Canaan. Joshua 14:10. See note B below
Adding all the periods up we would have: 60+130+215+40+5 = 450!

Note A:

In order to find out how many years the children of Israel spent in Egypt, we have to involve the following time period from the bible.

Exodus 12:40,41
"Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt."

The sojourn of the children of Israel started when Abraham is 75 years old and ended the day they came out of Egypt. And that period is 430 years. We know Isaac was born to Abraham 25 years later, and Jacob was born to Isaac 60 years later and Jacob was 130 years when he entered the land of Egypt.

Taking away the above 3 periods from the 430-year period would leave the rest of the time the children of Israel spent in Egypt.

The time the children of Israel spent in Egypt = 430 - 25 - 60 - 130 = 215

Note B:

While the exact year of the complete conquest is not stated explicitly in the bible, we know that by the time Caleb was 85, the land is mostly conquered.

Caleb was 40 (Joshua 14:7) when he first spied out the land of Egypt, and 85 when the land of Canaan is mostly conquered. This makes the conquest to be 5 years after the death of Moses when the land is mostly conquered. Caleb was 80 when the 40 years of wandering expired. I think this is also the reason why Paul used the word "about" because the actual finishing of the conquest is not known.

Note C:

As you can see in the comparison of two verses below, 1 King 6:1 is the first verse of a new chapter. This is an indication that a new story is starting here. Whereas Acts 13:20 is falls right in the middle of a paragraph that started in verse 17 and does not end until after verse 20. So 1 King 6:1 is a self contained statement whereas Acts 13:20 is not.

1 Kings 6:1

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

Acts 13:17-20

The God of this people...And...And...And...And...And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

The Great Controversy 598.3

The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.

MISC:

Early Writings 14.1
They had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path and gave light for their feet so that they might not stumble.

Many have taken the liberty to interpret the above quote to say that the paper published one month after the Exeter Camp meeting by Samuel Snow in the year 1844 titled: [The True Midnight Cry] to be infallible and free from errors.

Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, p. 34

I then saw the Word of God, pure and unadulterated, and that we must answer for the way we received the truth proclaimed from that Word. I saw that it had been a hammer to break the flinty heart in pieces, and a fire to consume the dross and tin, that the heart might be pure and holy. I saw that the Apocrypha was the hidden book, and that the wise of these last days should understand it. I saw that the Bible was the standard Book, that will judge us at the last day. I saw that heaven would be cheap enough, and that nothing was too dear to sacrifice for Jesus, and that we must give all to enter the kingdom.

Many have taken the liberty to interpret the above quote to say that the Apocrypha is also infallible and free from errors.

E. G. White Letter 43, 1899. (Published in The Colporteur Evangelist, 21)

The light given was that Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, The Great Controversy, and Patriarchs and Prophets would make their way. They contain the very message the people must have, the special light God had given his people. The angels of God would prepare the way for these books in the hearts of the people.

Many have taken the liberty to interpret the above quote to say that the [Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation] is also infallible and free from errors.

Isaiah 8:20

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

The bible is the ONLY Standard Book. All other writings needs to be tested by it and if it contradicts the bible, then the other writings are in error.
Just because a book was endorsed by Ellen White does not deem it infallible. It only supports the idea that most of the book has important ideas and concepts we can contemplate and learn from. However common sense and critical thinking is required to compare the works of man with the word of God. Men are changeable and depending on their spiritual condition the books will manifest the sentiments of thoughts and idea according to their spiritual eye sight or condition. We can learn from many books, but the bible says: "prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ".