The Menorah Pattern in Jewish History

[Craig.Paardekooper]

A while ago I published an observation on a curious pattern of symmetry found in Jewish history -

Here I wish to outline a rather odd pattern that has emerged, or rather has become apparent. All dates are based on the Ussher chronology.

The first inkling of a pattern was suggested by the parallel between the gentile captivity, that began with the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, and the Egyptian captivity. What is so curious is that both captivities are said to have lasted 430 years. Hmmmm, such a curious repetition of history seems to indicate that God had set the duration for both events - deliberately - for some purpose. The prophet Ezekiel divided the period gentile captivity into two periods, vis 40 + 390 years.

Now, the opposite of captivity is kingdom, and what is truely remarkable is that the Kingdom of Israel (the time during which Israel had a king) was 40 + 40 + 40 + 390 years.
Infact, the period of Israels monarchy divides neatly into two sub periods - the period of united kingdom, and the period of divided kingdom. It so happens that the divided kingdom lasted 390 years, and the united kingdom lasted 120 years under three successive monarchs - each reigning 40 years!!

Consider this for a moment - the Kingdoms of the Gentiles lasted 390 + 40 years according to Ezekiel.
The Kingdom of Israel lasted 390 + 40 + 40 + 40 yrs.

It seems almost certain that these two durations were meant to parallel one another. Part of the meaning of this is that God gave equal time to Jew and Gentile. Fairness prevailed. But there is undoutedly a deeper meaning.

430 yrs - Egyptian Captivity
395 yrs - Wilderness and Judges
40 yrs - Saul
40 yrs - David
40 yrs - Solomon
390 yrs - Divided Kingdom
430 yrs - Gentile Captivity


The whole pattern centers on two numbers 40 + 390

The Bible tells us that the Egyptian Captivity lasted 430 years.

Ezekiel foretold that the Times of the Gentiles would be a time of captivity that would also last 430 years. He divided this period into two parts, 390 + 40 years.

It therefore comes as quite a surprise to discover that the period of Israelite Monarchy prior to the Gentile Captivity divides naturally into 40 + 40 + 40 + 390 years. During the reigns of Saul (40 yrs), David (40 yrs) and Solomon (40 yrs) the Kingdom of Israel was united. However, after Solomon the Kingdom of Israel became divided into a Northern Kingdom (consisting of 10 tribes), and a Southern Kingdom (consisting of 2 tribes – Benjamin and Judah). The divided kingdom lasted 390 years – from it’s beginning down to it’s last monarch.

To complete this pattern, we find that the period of the Judges (including the wandering in the Wilderness) comes to 395 years – an approximation to 390.


A basic pattern can be seen. The Egyptian Captivity lasted 430 years. This was followed by the period of the Judges lasting 395 years. However, Samuel was the last judge of Israel, during which time Saul was king, so the period of the judges comes to 395 + 40 years.

Then there is the reign of King David lasting 40 years.

After the reign of King David, Solomon became King and reigned 40 years. It was during Solomon's reign that Israel began to practice idolatry. Consequently the kingdom became divided, and remained so for 390 years, until the Gentile Captivity.

Finally, the gentile captivity itself, would last 430 years, according to Ezekiel.

Oddly enough, the end of the 430 years coincides with the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks in 165 B.C resulting in Jewish independence for the first time in 430 years ! This independence was to last just over 100 years until the Romans came to occupy Judea.

Victor blogged me to point out that this symmetrical arrangement of Jewish history coincides with both the Bible Wheel pattern and the 7 days of creation.

A few days ago I read Victors blog again and looked up Richards notes on the 3 + 1 pattern in scripture.

Then something really amazing fell into place - a really wierd synchrony. Check this out -



What is so wierd about this??

Well, here goes -

1. There are 7 divisions in both the Bible and in Jewish History
2. The time periods form a symmetrical arrangement around a central division ie

430 - 390 - 40 - 40 - 40 - 390 - 430

Similarly the Bible Wheel orders the books symmetrically, so that we get 5 - 12 - 5 - 22 - 5 - 12 - 5 - that is two outer circles of 5 - 12 - 5 arranged symmetrically arround a central circle of 22

In the case of the books, the first three divisions (5 + 12 + 5) reflect the last 3 divisions (5 + 12 + 5) , and both sum to 22 books

In the case of the historical periods, the first three periods (430 + 390 + 40) reflect the last three periods (40 + 390 + 430) and both sum to 860 years = 2200000/7 days

So, from the beginning of the Egyptian Captivity till the beginning of David's reign there were 2200000/7 days
From the end of David's reign till the end of the Gentile Captivity there were 2200000/7 days

Captivity to Kingdom = pi
Kingdom to Captivity = pi

The full cycle therefore is 2 x pi (the circumference of a circle)






As Richard has pointed out in his page on the 3 + 1 pattern in Scripture, the 7 days of creation also divide into a pattern such that day 1 reflects day 4, day 2 reflects day 5 and day 3 reflects day 6, and day 7 stands alone. This can be represented as follows

1 - 2 - 3 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4




Now things get really wierd.

If the 7 book divisions are placed along side the 7 period divisions , and if the book divisions are in the sequence 1 - 2 - 3 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 , just as in the Bible Wheel, then we get this pattern -

Egyptian Captivity - 430 y - Torah
Judges - 390 years - OT History
Saul - 40 years - Wisdom
David - 40 years - Epistles
Solomon - 40 years - NT History
Divided Kingdom - 390 years - Minor Prophets
Gentile Captivity - 430 years - Major Prophets

What is so wierd about this is that the Torah does indeed focus on the period from Abraham to Moses, a period of 430 years.

And the Major Prophets do indeed focus on the gentile captivity. Jeremiah, Daniel and Exekiel are completely set in this period - a period of 430 years.

Then, the minor prophets all lived during the divided kingdom, a period of 390 years.

The 5 books of wisdom are associated with Solomon who reigned for 40 years
The NT History takes place over a 40 year period from 30 A.D. to 70 A.D.
The Epistles were all written during the same 40 year period.

All this synchrony is extraordinary - the time periods covered by the 7 book divisions matches quite closely with the 7 periods of Jewish history.

In the diagram above we see an occilation from captivity to kingdom then back to captivity. The Kingdom of Israel was realised during the reign of King David, and likewise, the Kingdom of God was realised by the establishment of ther Church during the 40 year period 30 - 70 A.D.

Captivity - Kingdom - Captivity

The complete journey from capitivity to kingdom lasting 2200000/7 days, and then the reverse also lasting this time.