B I B L I C A L A G E G R O U P S

S t a g e s O f A C h r i s t i a n L i f e

Comment Scripture

One of the areas of Christianity where church elders and scholars show most insecurity, is the topic of biblical age groups.
I do not intend to answer all the related questions, simply based on the fact that the Bible is not always clear about the si-
Prologue gnificance of certain ages, but I do intend to point out some - partly very important and not yet recognised- concepts,
such as the Age of (Spiritual) Accountability.

The unborn, though enclosed in the womb So THEOS created humankind in His image, in the likeness of THEOS He Gen
1:27
0 of his mother, is already a child of THEOS. created him, male and female He created them.
Embryo And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out Exo
21:22-25
[...] he will surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands concerning him
and as the judges determine.
Did not He who made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us Job
31:15
in the womb?
Indeed you created my inward parts; you wove me in my mother’s womb. I Psa
139:13-16
praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your
works, and my soul knows it well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I
was created secretly, and intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes
saw my embryo, and in your book they all were written - days fashioned for
me when there was not one of them.
... Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What you are begetting?’ or to a Isa
45:9-11
woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’ ”Thus says KYRIOS, the HOLY ONE
of Israel, and its maker: “Ask me of the things to come about my children,
and you command me about the work of my hands.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out from Jer
1:5
the womb I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby Luk
1:41-42
in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. And she
cried out with a loud shout and said, “Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb!

This rather not important age stands for the time when male children were considered fit to come into the temple and
3 to become acquainted with its procedures. It is no coincidence that it closely follows the age when children walk inde-
pendently and with security (16-18 months).

Gill's Commentary states the following: And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and 2Chr
31:16
Shecaniah in the cities of the priests and entrusted to give to their brothers
Beside their genealogy of males, from by working groups, according to the eldest to the youngest, besides their
three years old and upwards [...] Their enrollment by genealogy, to males from three years old and upward, to
office was not only to give to the priests, all who came into the house of KYRIOS, as each day required for their
but to those of their males in their gene- service in their posts according to their working groups.
alogy, who were three years old and up-
wards; for under that age, they were not
fit to come into the temple; nor have they
knowledge to keep what is put into their
hands; nor fit to handle offerings, lest
they should defile them; but at that age
they might be taught how to hold them,
and be used to it ...

The next step in the life of a believer is the age of 12 years, when a child should actively visit and serve at a church, in the same
12 way JESUS independently visited the Temple and participated in the Holy Feasts. It is possibly also the age when fasting can be
introduced to the child, and a suggested age when a child is mature enough to be baptized.

Now JESUS actively visited the Temple, And when He was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom Luk
2:42
where He was once dedicated at the age of the feast.
of 40 days. The age of 12 years is also And He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that Luk
the age of His first recorded words. it was necessary for me to be in the house of my Father?” 2:49

On the other hand, 12 still means a age Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little Mar
5:41-42
when a person is considered a (young) girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking
boy or a girl. (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with
amazement.

This age range is not significant, but it is included here in order to underline the fact that people under the age of 20 years
16-17 are biblically considered as 'young' and 'youthful'. There are no biblical classifications / markers of the ages 18 and 19.

Josiah was still considered a youth / boy at Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one 2Chr
34:1-3
the age of 16. years in Jerusalem. 2. And he did that which was right in the sight of KYRIOS,
and walked in the ways of his father David, and turned not aside to the right
G3808; ΠΑΙΔΑΡΙΟΝ, paidarion; Neuter of a pre-
hand or to the left. 3. And in the eighth year of his reign, and he being yet a
sumed derivative of pais; a little boy -- child, lad.
youth [G3808 ΠΑΙΔΑΡΙΟΝ, paidarion], he began to seek KYRIOS the THEOS
of his father David ...

Joseph was at the age of 17 considered as And Joseph was seventeen years old, feeding the sheep of his father with his Gen
37:2
'young', a translation of the Greek word brethren, being young; with the sons of Balla, and with the sons of Zelpha, the
NEOC: wives of his father; and Joseph brought to Israel their father their evil reproach.

G3501; NEOC, neos; A primary word, including the

comparative (second form); “new”, that is, (of per-
sons) youthful, or (of things) fresh; figuratively
regenerate: - new, young.

see page 2
 B I B L I C A L A G E G R O U P S
S t a g e s O f A C h r i s t i a n L i f e

Comment Scripture

The most important age in the life of a human is the Age of Accountability of 20 years, when a person is not saved anymore
20 by default, but is responsible for his or her own salvation. What seems to be a new concept, is easily derived from the follow-
ing Bible passages and from the importance of the number 20, which is a number that stands for a complete or perfect waiting
period. The term 'twenty years old' is found 32 times in the Bible (highly overproportional compared to other ages; only the
numbers of 1/2/3/7 years appear more often; see also the addendum with a detailed analysis), clearly underlining the impor-
tance of this age.

Age of manhood / womanhood / maturity. ... ‘When a man makes a vow according to your proper value of persons [...] Lev
27:1-7
Children, who will have died before the [20-59] for a male from twenty years of age up to sixty years of age [...]
age of 20 will experience salvation, be- [5-19] And if from five years of age up to twenty years of age [...]
cause they could not yet know 'good or [0-5] And if from a month of age up to five years of age [...]
bad'. [60+] And if from sixty years of age and above [...]
... in this desert your corpses will fall, and all your counted ones, according to Num
If THEOS excluded in 1446 BC children all your number, from twenty years old and above who grumbled against me. 14:29
under the age of 20 from condemnation,
then He will most certainly do so after [parallel passage to Num 14:29] And your little children, who you thought Deu
1:39
the First Coming of JESUS CHRIST. shall become plunder, and your sons, who do not today know good or bad,
shall themselves go there [to the Promised Land; allusion to our Promised
It would be abstruse to assume the con- Land = Eternity], and I will give it to them, and they shall take possession of it.
trary - to assume that innocent children Affirmation & Application Outside the Mosaic Laws
would go into condemnation. ... Look! the virgin is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and Isa
7:14-16
she shall call his name ‘THEOS with us.’ He shall eat curds and honey until
he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good. For before the boy knows
to reject the evil and to choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread
will be abandoned.
And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, the great city, in which there Jon
4:11
are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people [=children, one
translation even translates it with 'children'; the estimated total popu-
see also
lation of Niniveh was 600.000 people] who do not know right from left commen-
[=innocent children], plus many animals?” [see also Ecc 10:2 The heart taries
of the wise inclines to his right, but the heart of the fool inclines to his left; affirming
see also Mat 25:31-34 "... the SON of Man ... will place the sheep on His right those
people to
and the goats on the left. Then the KING will say to those on His right, be
‘Come, you who are blessed by my FATHER. Inherit the Kingdom ... children
on His left, ‘Depart from me ..."].

Army

The mandatory enlistment in the an- “Take a census of the entire community of the Israelites [...] every male Num 1:3
cient Israelite army started only with individually from twenty years old and above, everyone in Israel who is Num 1:20
the age 20, in order to protect from able to go to war. Num 26:2
possible death those who would only And David did not take a census of those twenty years old or under because 1Chr
in a few years multiply their families KYRIOS promised to make Israel more numerous than the stars of Heaven. 27:23
and provide the next generation(s).
And Amasias assembled the house of Juda, and appointed them according to 2Chr
25:5
the houses of their families for captains of thousands and captains of hundreds
in all Juda and Jerusalem: and he numbered them from twenty years old and
upwards, and found them three hundred thousand able to go out to war,
holding spear and shield.

Census

The minimum age for inclusion in a ... and they summoned the entire community on the first day of the second Num
1:18
census. month. And they registered themselves among their clans according to their
families, according to the number of names from those twenty years old and
above individually ...

Contributions

Minimum age for special contribution. Everyone who is counted from twenty years old and above will give the Exo
30:14
contribution of KYRIOS.

Kings

Age of King Josiah to have full (spiritual) Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one 2Chr
34:1-3
power as king. years in Jerusalem. 2. And he did that which was right in the sight of KYRIOS,
and walked in the ways of his father David, and turned not aside to the right
1. Age 8 - Start of his reign hand or to the left. 3. And in the eighth year of his reign, and he being yet a
2. Age 16 - Conversion, he is described as youth
youth, he began to seek the KYRIOS the THEOS of his father David: and in the
3. Age 20 - Full (spiritual) power to remove high
places twelfth year of his reign he began to purge Juda and Jerusalem from the high
places, and the groves, and the ornaments for the altars, and the molten
images.

Kings most often started their reign at - Kings of the United Kingdom Saul (30 years) · Ish-bosheth · (40 years) ·
the age of 20-25 years (where recorded). David (30 years) · Solomon (20 years)
- Kings of Israel (Northern Part) Jeroboam I · Nadab · Baasha · Elah · Zimri ·
Omri · Ahab · Ahaziah (20 or 22 years) · Jeho-
ram (32 years) · Jehu · Jehoahaz · Joash (7 years) ·
Jeroboam II · Zechariah · Shallum · Menahem ·
Pekahiah · Pekah · Hoshea
- Kings of Judah (Southern Part) Rehoboam (41 years) · Abijam · Asa ·
Jehoshaphat (35 years) · Jehoram (32 years) ·
Ahaziah (22 years) · Athaliah · Joash · Amaziah
(25 years) · Uzziah (16 years) · Jotham (25 years) ·
Ahaz (20 years) · Hezekiah (25 years) · Manasseh
(12 years) · Amon (22 years) · Josiah (8 years)
· Jehoahaz (23 years) · Jehoiakim (25 years)
· Jehoiachin (18 years) · Zedekia (21 years)

Temple

Age for Levites to fully serve in These were the sons of Levi [...] who were to do the work of the service of the 1Chr
23:24
the house of KYRIOS. house of KYRIOS, from twenty years old and above.
... the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, according to their posts by 2Chr
31:17-18
their working groups. And they were enrolled with all their little ones, their
wives, their sons, and their daughters ...

The Little Children

David's actions clearly prove that children ... and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead. 2Sam
12:19-23
are saved. Then David rose up from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and
changed his raiment, and went into the house of THEOS, and worshipped
him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set
bread before him and he ate. And his servants said to him, What is this thing
that thou hast done concerning the child? while it was yet living thou didst
fast, and weep, and watch: and when the child was dead thou didst rise up,
and didst eat bread, and drink. And David said, While the child yet lived,
I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if KYRIOS will pity me, and the
child live? But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? will I be able to
bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.

JESUS proved what the Old Testament ... but JESUS said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, Mat
19:14
taught. He taught that all children belong for to such belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.”
to the Kingdom of the Heavens, without But when JESUS saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children Mar
providing any further qualification. But come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of THEOS. 10:14
this automatism is only effective until
before the children achieve the Age of But JESUS called them to Him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not Luk
18:16
Accountability. hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of THEOS. 17 Truly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of THEOS like a child shall not enter it.”

The age of 30 years is the time when a particular task or calling (e.g. ministry) is often materialized.
30
Joseph, Saul and David rose to power ... Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Gen
41:46
at the age of 30.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years. 2Sam 5:4

JESUS started His ministry And JESUS, when He began His ministry, was Himself about thirty years old ... Luk
3:23
at the age of 30.

We do not know the day of our death. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. Job 1:21

Death “If I want Him to remain [alive] until I come, what is that to you? Joh
21:22
You follow me!”

We should not fear death at all. For to me to live is CHRIST and to die is gain. But if I live, I can do more fruit- Php
1:21-24
ful work for CHRIST. So I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between
two desires: I long to go and be with CHRIST, which would be far better for
me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

see addendum
 B I B L I C A L A G E G R O U P S
D i s t r i b u t i o n O f B i b l i c a l 'Y e a r' S p e c i f i c a t i o n s

Related To Life Stages Related To Specific Events Others

Years Captivity, Sum

Leadership,
Father- Remainder Total Human Event, Circum- Disaster, Kingship, Work, Planting,
Census Dream Healing Ministry, Marriage Testing Animals Symbolism
hood Lifetime Lifetime Value General cision Slavery, Judges Rest Harvest
Serving
War

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70, by
l 37
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* Double mentions of the same event within the same book are not counted. 536

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