I have a speculation regarding the number 40 in the New Testament… My speculation is this.
Based on the pattern of God’s actions so very often taking place in spans of 40, one time reading Hebrews I got all twitchy excited because I believe that through knowing when the temple was destroyed – 70AD – we could lay money (if God were OK with gambling of course) on the year of the crucifixion having ACTUALLY for sure taken place in 30 AD. We already know it was around about then being that it’s now understood that the years are a bit off kilter with when Jesus was born – I’ve read anything between 2-6BC having been a more likely year (Constantine/Pope Gregory? Someone who did things with date setting/calendar years [Meredith?] miscalculated).
So when I look and see all these complicated ways others date the crucifixion and many times now, via astronomy, history, rethinking dates – I am abuzz with excitement to think the pattern of 40 continues… and why wouldn’t it? It’s part of how He has worked for thousands of years.
Hebrews had to have been written BEFORE the temple destruction.
Hebrews 8:13 By saying, a new covenant, He has declared that the first is old. And what is old and aging IS ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR.
Jesus had ALREADY been crucified, resurrected and ascended. The old order of things had already been completed but in that verse it says SOON – referring to something NOT YET happened i.e. the complete obliteration of the possibility of carrying out the sacrificial system.
Another judgement of God brought about 40 years after the murder of His Son.
Speculation… yah… reasonable? I think so… Why it matters? Because it goes to understanding God and His prophetic fulfilments just a leeeetle bit more… and because the perfect attention to detail and consistency of character fills me with awe and wonder. And THAT is worship.