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Bible Prophecy Numbers

1260 days, 1290 days, 1335 Days

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Pentecost:

The Day God Intended Israel
to Enter the Promised Land

(Page 1 of 2 pages)

 

Timeline of Events Surrounding the Exodus

According to Deuteronomy 1:2, Israel should have journeyed to the border of the Promised Land from Mt. Sinai in 11 days---but because of unbelief did not. Since they left Sinai on the 20th day of the second month, this means that God intended them to arrive at the border on the 1st day of the 3rd month, which was the anniversary of when they arrived at Sinai one year earlier,¹ (Numbers 10:11). The festival of Pentecost would have been 3½-days from then. Pentecost is the 65th day of the year, or the 5th day of the 3rd month. (Seven-weeks are counted off from the 16th of the first month, which is first fruits, Lev. 23:9-22). Thus, the question before us is: Is the evidence conclusive that God intended to wait this 3½-days so that Israel might cross over into Canaan on Pentecost morning? 

1. Often God has a 3-day period after any major journey or event. For example: Moses told Pharaoh that they were to embark on "a 3-day journey" into the wilderness in order to sacrifice to the Lord, (Exodus 3:18); they cleansed themselves 3 days when they arrived at Sinai (Exodus 19:14-16, cf., 24:4); they journeyed 3 days when they left Sinai, (Numbers 10:33); and most importantly, when they finally did cross over into Canaan 40-years later, they did indeed rest 3-days at the border, and then they crossed over on the morning after that, or 3½-days total, (Josh. 3:1-5; 4:19). Why then would God have done things any other way at this time? This is all the more true since each event that comprised the crossing would have been on the anniversary of when they arrived at Sinai and received the Law exactly one year earlier, (see point 2). Having events fall on the anniversary of other related events encourages the reader to look for theological parallels between events, and it also gives a sense of orderliness in the ongoing drama of redemptive history, (cf., Exodus 12: 41), (see points 3 to 5).
   
   

   Would-be events on bottom line are on the one-year anniversary of actual events on the top line.	Arrival at Sinai	3-day cleansing	Covenant of Law made the following morning
   	3rd month, 1st day	3rd month,  4th day	morning of 5th day, "Pentecost"
   	Arrival at  Canaan border (journeying from Sinai "11 days")	3-day  rest	Cross Canaan border   the following morning

   
   

2. It is reasonable to assume that the Law given at Sinai, and the crossing of Canaan, should both be on Pentecost (see above table) one year apart since the "11 days" given in Numbers 1:2 is an exact count and not a round number. Why an 11-day journey, and not, say, 10 or 12---the normal symbolic numbers used by Moses?  And when the reader investigates, "Why 11 days," as said, he discovers their arrival at the border of Canaan to be on the anniversary of their arrival at Sinai one year earlier. And if both arrivals are exactly one year apart, why not then the two climaxes of these journeys---the Law given at Sinai and the crossing of Canaan? Both would, therefore, be 3½ days after the said arrivals; both, therefore, on Pentecost.
   
   

3. The main events of the Exodus/Canaan-entry drama were on festival-related days. And the actual day when they finally did enter Canaan was no exception: It was on the 40th anniversary of the day when the Lamb was set aside 4 days to be tested for the Passover, (i.e., Nisan 10th, Exodus 12:1-3; Josh. 4:19). And Passover, we know, is when they left Egypt; but this was also the day when they entered Egypt exactly 430 years earlier, (Exodus 12: 41). And, as said, Pentecost was when the Law was given one-year earlier. Hence, it is logical that God originally intended Israel to cross over into Canaan likewise on a festive day, and likewise on Pentecost specifically.
   
   

4. Since all things have their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus the Messiah, it is worth noting that the "Triumphal Entry" of Jesus into Jerusalem was on the very day when the lamb was set aside for testing, and then He died 4-days later on Passover², but rose three days after that on Firstfruits²; and the Holy Spirit was poured out on His followers on Pentecost morning seven weeks later. Such is the importance of key events falling on anniversary days that provoke thought.
   
   

5. The Pentecost date for the would-be entry into the Promised Land also works well numerically and yields many interesting patterns that provoke further insight into the Scriptures. Here are some examples of numeric patterns.
   
   

Summary:

God intended Israel to cross over into the Promised land on Pentecost morning. We know this because the precise number "11 days" (Numbers 1:2), rather than a round number, alerts us to the fact that 11 days converges on the very anniversary at Sinai one year earlier, which in turn, leads us to speculate a 3½-day delay till Pentecost morning for the subsequent crossing---exactly one year after the Sinai covenant. This 3½-day pattern is found elsewhere in similar contexts, most critically, when they actually did cross over into Canaan. Moreover, the use of anniversary and festival dates to signify key events is a normative procedure, both at the time of the Exodus/Entry, and at Christ. Also, numerically and theologically a "Pentecost" (intended) crossing makes powerful sense. 

What is the meaning of a Pentecost-entry into the Promised land?

Pentecost was the festival that celebrated the first wheat harvest in the Promised Land. Since Pentecost was the day God intended them to enter the Promised Land, and since, at this time, Israel would have had nothing to present to the Lord (since they were only then entering it), therefore, it seems logical to conclude that the people of Israel were themselves this harvest to the Lord---a harvest of souls. But since they failed to enter this rest, (Heb. 3:7-4:11), it thus remains for a people to enter it, which the New Testament declares to be the Church. This is why the Church was born on Pentecost morning, (Acts 1, 1Cor. 15:20-23; Revelation 14:4): to fulfill the promises of God. This is not to say that God has set aside Israel as a nation forever---God forbid! Because of Israel's unbelief, God graciously used the opportunity to bring in the Gentiles (non-Jews) so as to provoke them to jealousy. But when Israel turns to Messiah nationally, then the final resurrection harvest will happen, of which the remaining feast of tabernacles is symbolic, (Rom. 10-11). 

Moreover, the reason that this would-be entry into Canaan was on the first anniversary of Mount Sinai and the Law was because we have here, in type, the march of the sons of God from Law to Grace, (that is, from Egypt to the Promised Land, cf., Ps. 68); but, a postponed march for the nation of Israel until Jesus, their Messiah, comes the second time. Individually, however, the door to enter His rest remains open for Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus, Lord and Savior, is that door by which a man must enter by simple faith. The works of the Law, however, were simply meant to point us to this "Door." The Law of Moses reveals our sins and provokes a cry for deliverance from them. Jesus is the complete answer to this desperate cry. He leads us from Egyptian bondage unto the Promised land; from death to life where all that love Him shall reign with Him forever and ever. His blessed reign, however, starts now in the hearts of all that believe and follow Him, for apart from Him there is no salvation, only damnation.

 

Day Count 
of Intended Entry into Canaan

(from New Year's day of Exodus,
based upon Numbers 1)

Leave Sinai	Intended arrival day at border of Canaan	3-days rest (Josh: 3:1-4)	Canaan crossing (Josh: 3:5) (Pentecost morning)	Begin conquest
Day 410	420 or1 421	424	425	Day 426
If we add another 40 days to spy out the land, "at the Lord's command," (Numbers 13:3), then...
	especially 460 or 461	464	465	466

 

What do these day-count numbers mean symbolically?

Footnotes:

1. The journey of "11 days" can be understood inclusive or exclusive of the first-days journey; the ambiguity being intentional. Hence, their would-be arrival at the border of the Promised land was either day 420 or 421 (from New Year's day of Exodus), just as the arrival at Mt. Sinai one-year earlier can be viewed as the ending of the 60th day, or the 61st day; this is suggested by the Hebrew, "on that very day" (of the 3rd month), i.e., the very start of the first day of the 3rd month, which began after sunset, (Exodus 19:1). (Go back.)
   
   

2. The day of His death is Passover in the book of John, but the day after Passover in the other Gospels. Also, the 3-days in the tomb included the day He died; [he died before that day ended]. The ambiguity of days in the Gospels is intended; (compare with the above footnote). See "Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ," by Harold Hoehner, [Zondervan, 1981], pg. 89, for what I believe is the likely reason for this intentional discrepancy. (Go back)

Also see, How Israel became a nation in 1948 on the exact date predicted in the Bible, Pentecost!

Timeline of Events Surrounding the Exodus

***Also, "The day equals a consecutive year/date of time" principle.***

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