This article is the first in a series of articles that present the ideas of my print-on-demand book, “The Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically Accurate”.

When I was college student, I was introduced to the concept of biblical inerrancy. My pastor, Al Jackson of Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama, drove the point home that the Word of God, the Bible, was “God-breathed”. He explained that since the Bible was “God-breathed” it was created in the same manner as Adam when God breathed life into man in the book of Genesis. The Bible was designed, just like man was at creation, when God instructed over forty authors exactly what to write. The Bible was designed in the sense that the whole book’s purpose is the revelation of the messiah of mankind, Jesus Christ. The Bible points to Christ in very direct ways by giving the specific characteristics of his human life. The prophecies of the Old Testament indicated he would be born in Bethlehem, through the line of Jesse, and by a virgin. The spiritual aspects of Christ are alluded to in the symbols of the atonement sacrifices where animals were put on an altar and then sprinkled with salt, a symbol of eternity, to represent the once-and-for-all sacrifice that the Son of God would make on a cross one day. God coordinated all this information to point to Christ, God’s plan for man’s salvation.

Since the time that my pastor explained these things to me I have taken them to heart and I have studied the Bible with the attitude that the Bible is historically correct as well as spiritually correct. Conservative Christians have adopted this philosophy in every subject covered in the Bible except for one, chronology. Chronology, the study of the historical timeline, has been a subject where it seems the Christian community has conceded defeat. For whatever reason, Christians in the modern era have sought compromise with scholars, many of whom are downright antagonistic to Christian beliefs, so that the timeline of the Bible would have the stamp of authenticity from historians.

An article in Biblical Archaelogy Review effectively demonstrates the level of Biblical antagonism that archeological community can exhibit. Consider an excerpt from the opening paragraph of an article entitled Minimalists on Parade (Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb 2005, Vol 31, No. 1, Page 16-17): “At a recent conference on reconstructing Israelite history held in Rome, the so-called Biblical minimalist position was upheld by a number of prominent scholars. This position is not monolithic, however, and different minimalist scholars stressed different arguments. Among them:

* The Bible cannot be used as a historical source. [The position that defines a Biblical minimalist.]

* Neither can archaeology, which can only tell us whether ancient Israelites ate from a bowl 20 or 30 centimeters wide. A history of Israel based on archaeology is useless.

* There was no Exodus.

* The famous Tel Dan inscription mentioning David, excavated by Israeli archaeologist Avraham Biran, is probably a forgery; and the Hebrew words in the inscription that read “House [Dynasty] of David” probably mean something else.

* David and Solomon are only symbolic characters, not real characters.

* The Biblical accounts of the United Kingdom of Judah and Israel under David and Solomon are simply later projections into a distant mythic past.

* Judah did not even become a state until about a hundred years after David-if he lived.” One scholar mentioned in this article, Giovanni Garbini of the Universita’ di Roma La Sapienza, makes a particularly provocative comment in this article: “The name Jacob “is clearly an artificial creation of post-exilic age [after the Babylonian Exile]. It was not Jacob who became Israel, but Israel who became Jacob…”. These minimalists, who appear to represent the majority of the archaeological community, don’t regard the Bible as historically accurate. Among their objections: they don’t believe that David, Solomon or Jacob existed and don’t believe the Exodus ever occurred. These positions are as idealogically opposed to the conservative Christian view of the Bible as one can image. So why should we (Christians) seek the counsel of this group in the understanding of such a precious concept as the historical timeline of the Bible? Yet this is what has happened.

Here’s another problem with relying on the scientific community to authenticate the Bible: they have “rational” blinders on. Scientists that have no faith in Christ are limited in their ability to investigate because they assume that certain phenomena are impossible even before the investigation has begun. Since they consider themselves to be “rational” scientists the assumption that an “irrational” event has occurred is implausible. The scientific method basically allows anyone to make an assumption (any assumption), conduct research of known facts or run an experiment and use the research and/or the experiment to validate the assumption. These “rational” scientists when confronted with an “irrational” assumption simply leap over the research and experimental process and declare that the assumption in invalid because they have assumed the “irrational” assumption is just not possible. So why do these “rational” scientists behave this way? Well, consider the following possibility. Let’s say that an “irrational” event is assumed and information is collected or an experiment is performed to confirm its validity. Let’s say that the irrational event has been validated. What would be the response of the “rational” scientist? More than likely, complete denial. Such an outcome would create complete chaos in his philosophy since his “rational” method of investigation, the scientific method, would have been used to prove that an “irrational” event was possible. So what is an “irrational” event? It is just another way of saying a supernatural event, one that is beyond our understanding. Can the scientific process be used to validate an “irrational” event? Jesus Christ thought so. Jesus was explaining this idea of being “born again” to a Pharisee named Nicodemus in the New Testament (John 3:8): “The wind blows where it wishes, and you here its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus was clearly confused by this concept of being “born again” but Jesus was saying that even if you didn’t comprehend or believe this supernatural phenomenon could occur, just like something as intangible as the wind, there would be tangible evidence of it.

Certainly not all scientists believe in this manner, but the great majority of them do. How many of these scientists will view the Bible with no preconceived notions? When these scientists read in the Bible that the Earth was created in seven days they will not consider this as true because they have been trained that the universe is billions of years old. When these scientists read that a man lived to be 969 years old in the Bible they dismiss it as myth or fairy tale because men don’t currently live to be that old. They will not consider the possibility that at one time in history men did live that long. When these men read the account of Noah and a worldwide flood they have always attributed it to “local” flooding. This may have some ring of truth to it since until that time, according to the Bible, the world was one big land mass (the world was all in one place, i.e., local). According to the Bible the continents didn’t divide until the life of Peleg, a descendant of Noah. Again, the scientists certainly are not going to agree with this theory of the land mass shift because they will insist that this geological process needed millions of years to accommodate the movement of the continental land masses. Since these archeologists disagree with Christians in so many fundamental matters described in the Bible how will we ever reach an agreement on a historical timeline?

The present chronological model of the Bible is based on a mixture of Biblical truth and theoretical historical models. I believe it is time that we consider a new approach to Biblical chronology. The model I propose is based solely on the information in the Bible. If the Bible is true then historians will confirm the result of the theologians (assuming the theologians have interpreted the Bible correctly). Why should God’s Word have to be authenticated by men? If the Bible is truly trustworthy the truth of the Bible should be laid out for men to see and respond to its truth. In 1995 David Rohl, an Egyptologist, wrote his book A Test in Time to propose a radically different theory in chronology. He proposed a timeline that was based on some Biblical evidence. In fact, Rohl’s proposed date of Solomon’s reign is consistent with the timeline developed from my literal interpretation of the Bible. What is even more amazing about David Rohl is that he is described among archaeologists as a maximalist, someone who believes the Bible is historically accurate, yet he characterizes himself as a spiritual “agnostic”. If David Rohl is a maximalist then I am a “maximum” maximalist, someone significantly to the right of David Rohl’s view since I believe that the Bible is historically accurate and indeed the very word of God as it claims to be. Therefore I believe my perspective on the chronology of the Bible is unlike anything you have ever heard before.

The purpose of my book, “The Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically Accurate”, was to prove a biblical concept that I believe will synchronize the events recorded in the Bible with Egyptian history, Babylonian history, Persian history and Archaeology. The recognition of this concept will allow the reader to tie together all these areas of study in one neat package so that when viewed together there is no discrepancy between the Bible and these other elements of ancient history. The recognition of this concept will also illustrate that the Bible is not only a trustworthy religious document but a trustworthy historical document because of its chronological precision. First, assume that from the beginning of creation to the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ is a period of 7000 years; a time period analogous to the 7 day period of creation of the world mentioned in the book of Genesis. Next, recognize that the sacrifice of the Passover lamb in the Old Testament is symbolic of the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified exactly 4000 years after the creation of the world. According to the Mosaic Law each family that observed Passover was to purchase a lamb 4 days prior to the day of Passover and that lamb was to live in that household until the late afternoon of the day when the Israelite priest had to sacrifice the lamb and it was to be accomplished by nightfall. I believe these 4 days were God’s way of illustrating that the lamb of God, Jesus Christ, would be sacrificed on a cross 4000 years after the creation of the world. Therefore, symbolically and in actuality, Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the fourth day.

When you recognize this concept to be true, several significant conclusions regarding history become evident. The Israelite Monarchies of David and Solomon occurred about 180 years later than held by historians. The period of the Persian Empire from Cyrus the Great’s announcement of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until Alexander the Great’s invasion lasted only 21 years (not the approximately 200 year period currently held by historians). Egypt did not have a king (a Pharaoh) for 300 years between the 20th and 21st dynasties. I support these conclusions using the Bible, Astronomy, Archaeology, the writings of ancient historians and the monuments of ancient kings.

In the next installment of this series of articles I will address one of the most provocative discoveries of this approach to history; the discovery that the Persian Empire described in the book of Daniel only lasted for 21 years and not the 200 years claimed by historians.

Now be honest, parents. Isn’t there the slightest bit of dread coming to the surface as you contemplate your next family vacation? First, there’s the whining chorus, “Are we there yet?” This only grows worse when you “get there” and, about an hour into the sightseeing, the kids begin to moan that there’s no fun and they’re bored stiff. Well, I’ve got a prime solution to this age-old problem. I’ve got five destinations that are guaranteed to keep the kids laughing and the parents rejoicing. Check out these ideas: 1) Wisconsin Dells: You may have never even heard of the Dells. If not, where have you been? Hiding out under a rock somewhere? Well, I must admit, the population is only about 4,000 but it’s known as the water park capitol of the world. You can surf or boogie board 365 days a year. You can do family raft rides down super fast rapids, tube down a six-story-high thrill ride, do body slides that twist and turn from ten stories up into flumes and stomach-turning drops. And the water sports are just the beginning. Ride a go-cart, go snowmobiling, bungee jump, creep through a haunted house, or take off on the world’s tallest vertical accelerator. Go to a petting zoo, visit the Bartlett Exploratory with 150 interactive exhibits, visit Wizard Quest’s interactive game of fantasy, enjoy the self Paint-it Pottery Shop. Need I say more. You will not run out of things to do, even if you stay for two weeks. The Dells is a winner. 2) Yellowstone National Park: Everyone’s heard of this place, but do you really know what it offers? Besides the idyllic camping experience, you can go horseback riding, snowmobiling, snowcoach or stagecoach riding, cross-country skiing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, or cruising around gorgeous Yellowstone Lake. The best place to view wildlife up close is probably in Lamar Valley and the Northeast Entrance. Here you see grizzly, coyote, gray wolf, fox, black bear, river otters, elk, bison, and pronghorn and mule deer. You can watch Old Faithful spout off or go to the Norris Geyser Basin and watch the geysers in a little sweet privacy. The best news for you parents is the excellent Junior Ranger program offered by the park. It offers day hikes introducing kids to the natural wonders throughout the park. A lot of fun. Then come back to the campsite just in time to grill chicken, steak, or burgers for the perfect end to a great day. 3) Black Hills/Badlands of South Dakota: This area takes in a whopping 10,000 square miles of vast prairies, badland landscapes, rugged mountains, and grasslands. It’s also home to seven National Parks and many State Parks. View the breathtaking Mt. Rushmore and the new monument of Chief Crazy Horse. Explore caves or visit an archaeological dig of 50 giant mammoths. Pan for gold, hike, bike, cross-country ski, snowmobile, ride ATVs, or ride horses, Again, the Junior Ranger program is excellent here also. Kids will examine fossils, watch amazing nature movies of the park, and enjoy rare hands-on displays and dinosaur exhibits. If you ever weary of these activities, take in an Old West shootout and a cowboy dinner show. Then take the family to one of the six theme and amusement parks in the area. The Badlands is bad!…in a good way. 4) San Francisco: I can tell you now, San Fran is far, far more than Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge. There are two great zoos to choose from: the San Francisco Zoo and the Oakland Zoo. San Fran Zoo is larger and has more varied wildlife. Oakland is part of 525-acre Knowland Park. It’s a bit more laid back and less congested with crowds. The Bay Area Discovery Museum includes 28,000 square feet of exhibits. Kids can climb all over a wrecked fishing boat, learn to ride a unicycle, and create clay animation movies. There are mixed reviews about the Children’s Fairyland. Admittedly, it’s an ancient playground, but young kids seem to adore it. For some of them, it will be their favorite destination. At the Zeum Museum kids can record their own music video to take home, they can have fun in the Claymation Studio, or they can use kids’ desktop publishing to create their own piece of full-color art. At the Hershey Factory kids see how candies are made and get some free chocolate. And, for the older kids, I haven’t even covered the massive Underwater World and Steinhart Aquarium or Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and exploring World War II submarines. 5) Kingsmill Resort: This place stretches out over 3,000 acres of Virginia wilderness. For the adults, there are three 18-hole golf courses, 15 tennis courts, and a sports club featuring indoor and outdoor pools, exercise classes, personal trainers, and a billiards and game room. For the kids, a wonderful Kids’ Camp offers 5-12-year-olds a chance to learn tennis, golf, ping pong, arcade games, swimming, and fishing. They also enjoy theme days and the creation of arts and crafts. Kids can also play at the beach area and collect shells, The Kid’s Night Out offers parents a romantic evening alone as the kids enjoy a pizza, game, and movie party. If you explore everything the resort has to offer, Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens is close by. The hardest part will probably be deciding which of these fantasy family vacations you want to plan. You simply cannot go wrong choosing any one of these trips. Have fun.