Chapter VI: Extent of the Fifth Age of the World

Table XII. Monarchal Eras and Intervals, from Usher and
Cuninghame—Correction of the mistakes of chronologers as to the
true extent of this period, by Mr. Cuninghame—Table XIII. Extent
of the _first five ages_ of the World—Confirmation of the true
extent of the _fifth age_ from sacred history and prophecy.

The extent of the _Fifth_, or Monarchal Age, is ascertained from the Books of Kings and Chronicles, and confirmed by chronological notices of the Prophets. The difference between the Hebrew and Septuagint chronologies in this period, amount only to about fifteen years, which is chiefly owing to an interregnum between the reigns of Amaziah and Uzziah not acknowledged by Usher and his followers. The following table, from Usher’s “Chronologia,” pp. 2–23, and Mr. Cuninghame’s “Synopsis,” p. 73, where the texts of Scripture containing them are distinctly enumerated, exhibits the intervals of the _Monarchal Eras_, and the corresponding _years of the world_, according to both systems:—

TABLE XII.
MONARCHAL HEBREW. SEPTUAGINT.
ERAS. Intervals. A.M. Intervals. A.M.
From the Foundation of 0 2992 0 4452
Solomon’s Temple
Death of Solomon 37 3029 37 4489
Reign of Rehoboam 17 3046 17 4506
Abijah 3 3049 3 4509
Asa 41 3090 41 4550
Jehoshaphat 25 3115 25 4575
Jehoram *4 3119 *6 4581
Ahaziah 1 3120 1 4582
Athaliah 6 3126 6 4588
Jehoash *39 3165 *40 4628
Amaziah 29 3194 29 4657
Interregnum *0 *12 4669
Reign of Uzziah 52 3246 52 4721
Jotham 16 3262 16 4737
Ahaz *15 3277 *16 4753
Hezekiah 29 3306 29 4782
Manasseh 55 3361 55 4837
Amon 2 3363 2 4839
Josiah 31 3394 31 4870
Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, 11 3405 11 4881
and Jehoiachin
To the Destruction of *11 3416 *10 4891
Solomon’s Temple
———— ————
FIFTH AGE 424 years. 439 years.

The discrepancies in the different columns of this table, have been very carefully and laboriously investigated by Mr. Cuninghame, in his “Chronology of Israel,” pp. 18–39, 87, 88, 115 and 116; and in his “Fulness of the Times,” part i. pp. 193–197, and part ii. pp. 32–49, and 56–60, where the errors of Usher, Lightfoot, Hales, Russell and Clinton, and of the “Seder Olam Rabba,”[25] are clearly pointed out and refuted on Scripture authority; and, by the correction of obvious mistakes of two or three current years in their computation, the testimonies of Josephus, Clemens, Theophilus, and Eusebius in favour of the true chronology, are satisfactorily established. By excluding the interregnum, and reckoning the years of each reign complete, Dr. Russell and Mr. Clinton, both estimate the length of this period at 430 years; the latter, however, in his tabular view, p. 329, vol. i., ultimately reduces this number from 430 current, to 426 complete years, by reckoning from Rehoboam to Zedekiah 389 years. Jackson reckons this period at 428, and Hales at 441 years. The true extent of the _fifth_ age being determined at 439 years, the following table exhibits according to the two systems, the extent of the _first five_ ages of the world:—

TABLE XIII.
AGES OF THE WORLD. HEBREW. SEPTUAGINT.
Years. Years.
First four Ages 2992 4452
Fifth Age 424 439
———— ————
FIRST FIVE AGES 3416 4891

The true extent of the fifth age is strongly confirmed by Ezekiel iv. 1–8, where, in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity, or in A. M. 4885, the prophet is commanded to predict in a striking manner the siege of Jerusalem, and to lie on his left side 390 _days_, according to the _number of the years_ of the iniquity of the house of Israel; and, on his right side _forty days_, according to the _number of the years_ of the iniquity of the house of Judah; EACH DAY FOR A YEAR. The sum of these prophetic days, namely 430, is therefore, the whole _number of the years_ of the iniquity of Israel and Judah. This number of years singularly coincides with that of the period appointed for the “sojourning of the fathers and children of Israel,” and has no doubt a very extensive prophetic signification. But the period of 390 years more particularly points at some _great general defection_, when the iniquity of Israel was particularly prominent. This iniquity in fact, rose to its highest pitch, when the Ten Tribes separated themselves from the house of Judah, and took to the worship of the golden calves. Now, it appears from 2 Chronicles xi. 13–17, that the general defection from the worship of the true God, both in Israel and Judah, did not take place till _three_ years after the accession of Rehoboam to the throne of David, and the election of Jeroboam to the kingdom of Israel. For a period, therefore, of _forty years_ after the foundation of the Temple, the iniquity of the Twelve Tribes was restrained, and an apparent desire to worship God aright, prevented the full manifestation of their idolatrous propensities. After this, however, “Rehoboam forsook the law of the Lord, _and all Israel with him_,” (2 Chron. xii. 1); and by this time the subjects of Jeroboam had become more accustomed to the “new gods that came newly up” at his accession, and had begun to think that it was indeed “too much for them to go up to Jerusalem” to worship; and accordingly, they went to worship a golden calf, “even unto Dan,” (1 Kings xii. 30). If from this epoch, A. M. 4491, therefore, the period of 390 years be computed, it will terminate in the first year of the _captivity of Jehoiachin_, A. M. 4881; and, if the whole period of 430 years be computed from the epoch of the _completion of the Temple_, A. M. 4459, it will terminate in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, A. M. 4889, when the _holy city was besieged_ by Nebuchadnezzar; and when, according to Ezekiel’s prophecy, “he and all his host came against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about,” (2 Kings xxv. 1). Moreover, in two years after this epoch, in A. M. 4891, and when the 439 years from the _Foundation of the Temple_ in A. M. 4452, were completed, the “city was broken up,” the “walls were broken down,” and the Temple was “burned with fire!” (2 Kings xxv. 1–10). Thus, the true extent of the _fifth_ age is established by Sacred History, and confirmed by prophecy. On this subject, see Mr. Cuninghame’s “Synopsis,” p. 47, and “Fulness of the Times,” p. 195.[26]