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seventy-five when he left Haran (not Ur), where he had remained till the death of Terah. But
Stephen (Acts 7: 1) says that the glorious God appeared to Abraham while he was still in Ur,
before he went to live in Haran. If we reckon that the sojourning began (as Stephen implies) when
Abraham left Ur, the five years are accounted for by the sojourn in Haran. Thus:
Departure from Ur
Abram = 70
0
Death of Terah and departure from Haran
Abram = 75
5
Birth of Isaac
Abraham = 100
25
-------
30
Sojourning of Seed
400
-------
Total Sojourning until Exodus
430
We are grateful for this explanation and commend it to our readers.
The Scripture tells us that at the end of the 430 years, even the self same day, the
children of Israel went out of Egypt. Such is the way that God keeps His Word, and
carries out His purpose. We believe it to be a fundamental of dispensational truth that
prophecy shall be fulfilled literally. The prophetic statements of Scripture concerning the
Messiah which have found their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ at His first coming
have been fulfilled literally. His place of birth, His manner of life, His ministry,
His death, burial and resurrection, have all been literal fulfillments of prophecy. Those
Scriptures which concern Him that await their fulfillment at His second coming, these
too, we most surely believe shall be likewise fulfilled to the very letter. How comforting
it is to realize that "all are in the hand of God"! Habakkuk was assured that in spite of
apparent delay:
"The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:
though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Hab. 2: 2).
Job seemed to perceive this grand fundamental, when he said:
"If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till
my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the
work of Thine hands" (Job 14: 14, 15).
To the one who looks upon the Bible as a collection of `texts', this article may not
mean much, but to everyone who has learned to look upon the Scriptures as the unfolding
of the purpose of the ages, every confirmation of the faithfulness of God in the fulfillment
of His Word is a source of joy and peace:
"Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall
want her mate" (Isa. 34: 16).
How many readers could say, without referring to the chapter, with what subject the
book of Exodus closes? Some may say the Tabernacle, and be partly right, but the actual
closing reference is to the pillar of cloud and fire, "throughout all their journeys".