God's Timetable
The 7000 year theory:
As we look at developments in the Middle East, there is a sense of change in the air. Today, Messianic
expectations are rampant among Jews in Israel. (The Jews are still waiting for Messiah, God's promised
deliverer, to come. They did not believe that Jesus was He.) Everywhere predictions of the Rapture and
the Second Coming are widespread among Christians, and doomsday prophecies are flourishing among
cults.
(One Islamic group who owns a motel overlooking the Mt. Of Olives has sent out invitations to many
church organizations advertising rooms overlooking the sight of the second coming for January 1,
2000.) We will be careful not to make, or even insinuate, dates for Jesus' return, but we need to be
aware of the ideas that are circulating, for whatever merit they deserve.
The 7000 year theory starts with the fact that God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and
rested on the 7th. It rationalizes that God will deal with mankind for 6 days and will rest on the seventh. It
also assumes that all the days of the week are of equal length. Knowing 3 other scripture verses will
help in understanding:
1. 2 Peter 3:8 teaches that one day with the Lord is 1000 years.
Notice the context here – the subject is the endtimes.
2 Peter 3
7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being
reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8. But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.
9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-
ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.
2. Revelation 20:1-9 gives us the idea of a 1000 year Millennium.
Revelation 20
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years,
(The Pit)
3. Hebrews 4:4-11 presents the Millennium day as a day of rest.
Some theologians claim that the days he spoke of is the week of creation. Just as the creation and the
replenishing of the earth took six days and then God rested on the 7th, so there would be 6000 years
and then the great Sabbath rest of 1000 years.
The chronology of the Old Testament suggests that the time of the creation of Adam and Eve occurred
approximately 4000 BC. The age of each patriarch is listed when the next was born, giving us a way to
figure the time span.
Some scientists say the earth is billions of years old, but some dating techniques suggest that the earth
and moon are far younger. (Because the moon has no atmosphere, scientists calculated that billions of
years of falling meteorite space dust would have accumulated a thick layer up to 2000 feet deep. Thus,
the caution for moon landings. It turned out, upon a personal visit to the moon, that there was less than
2 inches of moon dust.) Could the scientists be wrong?
The Epistle of Barnabus, though not part of the canon of scripture, is nonetheless a genuine historical
document. Of the creation account, Barnabus says this: "And God made in six days the works of His
hands; and He finished them on the 7th day and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what that signifies.
He finished them in 6 days. The meaning of it is this: that in 6000 years the Lord God will bring all things
to an end. For with Him, one day is a thousand years; as Himself testifieth, saying, behold this day shall
be as a thousand years. Therefore children, in 6 days, that is, in 6000 years, shall all things be
accomplished. And what is it that He saith, and He rested on the seventh day; He meaneth this; that
when His Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one (the Antichrist), and judge the
ungodly; and shall change the sun and the moon, and the stars, then He shall gloriously rest in that
seventh year."
Early church commentators point out that the reason Adam died at the age of 930 years, was because
God had prophesied that, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." One day = 1000
years. He died at 930 years. Therefore, he died before 'the day' was completed.
Iranaeus wrote in his book Against Heresies : "This is an account of the things formerly created, as also
it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days
created things were completed it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand
years."
The Jews have taught that God's dealing with His people would be encompassed within a "Great
Sabbath Week" of 7000 years.
Ho 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten,
and he will bind us up.
Ho 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Ho 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the
morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Rabbi Elias, who lived 200 years before Christ, said, "The world endures 6000 years; 2000 before the
law, 2000 under the law, and 2000 under Messiah."
Lactantius, a Christian scholar who live around AD 300, wrote, "Because all the works of God were
finished in 6 days, it is necessary that the world should remain in this state six ages, that is 6000 years.
Because having finished the works He rested on the 7th day and blessed; it is necessary that at the end
of the 6th thousand year all wickedness should be abolished out of the earth and justice should reign for
a thousand years."
So, God will deal with man for 6000 years (His days) and rest on the seventh (the Millennium). According
to the Jewish calendar, 3760 years after creation the Christian Era began (1 AD). That is almost four of
God's days. Since its beginning, the Christian Era has lasted almost 2000 years, or 2 more of God's
days. This means that mankind is approaching the seventh God-day (the Millennium).
If these things are true, and the calculations for Jesus' birth are accurate, His being born on or near the
Feast of Tabernacles in 1 BC, then we could look for the beginning of the millennium in the fall of the
year 2000 on the day of the Feast of Tabernacles. (Note: This is not a prediction, just a possibility.)
Also, let us consider this: Christianity has been around for 2000 years. That’s 2 millennial days. We are
about to enter into the third day. Jesus was raised on the third day. Would it not be logical for the
church, His body, to be raised on the third day?
Actually, the millennium cannot begin until after the 7 years Tribulation. Before the Millennium occurs
two things must take place - the Rapture and the Tribulation Period.
Now, into the 4th Chapter:
· 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which
must be hereafter.
The voice John heard was like a trumpet. It was the same kind of voice the Bible says will rapture the
church.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Many prophecy experts believe that John represents the whole church, and that his ascending into
heaven is symbolic of the Rapture of the church into heaven. When the Rapture occurs, the church will
ascend into heaven at the sound of a trumpet, like John did.
There are several biblical illustrations of the Rapture:
· Enoch - went up to heaven without first dying.
Ge 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
· Elijah - was taken up by a fiery chariot.
2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of
fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
· Jesus - was taken up into a cloud.
Ac 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received
him out of their sight.
· Philip - was taken away, then reappeared in another location.
Ac 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the
eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Ac 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to
Caesarea.
· Paul - was caught up into heaven and returned.
2 Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful
for a man to utter.
· Two witnesses - after being killed will rise and ascend into heaven.
Re 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Re 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood
upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Re 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they
ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
John says he was taken up into heaven …
"…and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet…"
Was this 'trumpet' voice the trumpet sounding the Rapture?
So, we will assume, if we are correct in our belief in the pre-tribulation rapture, that the rapture has
taken place. The church is gone. Now we will see God's future dealings with the human race. Do we
have any idea when these things will take place? Yes, there are some signs - some indicators set in the
scriptures that the 'watchful' can discern the times with. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day,
Mt 16:2-3 When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will
be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Then he gave some clear indications of the signs:
Mt 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh:
Mt 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mt 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Now, this is very important! The disciples asked:
Mt 24:3 . . . Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end
of the world?
In 1948 Israel became a nation. This is the fulfillment of Matthew 24:32 which speaks of the fig tree
blossoming. When Israel became a nation -- May 14, 1948 -- that's when the fig tree blossomed! How do
we know that Israel is the fig tree? The law of first mention. When anything is mentioned the first time in
Scripture, it becomes that throughout God's Word. For instance, Joel 1:7 tells us that when the enemy
armies were invading Israel, "…He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree Israel". Then, of
course, Hosea 9:10 says, "I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree". Here, again, God is
speaking to Jews. Thus, the fig tree is Israel.
And so, the parable of the fig tree indicates that when Israel is restored, that generation will not pass
until we see these predictions of the end come to pass.
How long is a generation? Matthew 1:17 tells us that all the generations from Abraham to David are
fourteen generations; and all the generations from David until the carrying away into Babylon are
fourteen generations; and all the generations from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are
fourteen generations. When we add fourteen plus fourteen plus fourteen, the total is forty-two
generations from Abraham to Christ. The great chronologist, Thiele, says that from Abraham to Christ,
we have a total of 2,160 years. Divide forty-two generations into that, and the length of a generation
becomes 51.4. Add that to May 14, 1948, and one comes out at Rosh Hashanah, September 1999,
when this generation that lives to see "all these things" comes to a glorious conclusion. Add that to
1967, the time Israel captured Jerusalem, and you get 2007.
BUT, we are not setting dates.
Mt 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mt 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.
We must be careful about trying to predict dates. Past generations have gotten into trouble here.
Several times people have gotten ready for the end and it didn't come.
There are some things we must not do -
Borrow large sums of money because we won’t be around to pay it back.
Stop planning for the future because we are leaving.
Move to the mountains and wait for Jesus to come.
Rapture practice.
Things to do –
Pay attention to the signs.
Realize the urgency of the times.
Clean up your life.
Pray & Witness.
Pray & Witness.
Pray & Witness.
But the point here is that the signs indicate that it could be soon and, unlike the generation of Noah, we
had better pay attention and be ready.
As we look at developments in the Middle East, there is a sense of change in the air. Today, Messianic
expectations are rampant among Jews in Israel. (The Jews are still waiting for Messiah, God's promised
deliverer, to come. They did not believe that Jesus was He.) Everywhere predictions of the Rapture and
the Second Coming are widespread among Christians, and doomsday prophecies are flourishing among
cults.
(One Islamic group who owns a motel overlooking the Mt. Of Olives has sent out invitations to many
church organizations advertising rooms overlooking the sight of the second coming for January 1,
2000.) We will be careful not to make, or even insinuate, dates for Jesus' return, but we need to be
aware of the ideas that are circulating, for whatever merit they deserve.
The 7000 year theory starts with the fact that God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and
rested on the 7th. It rationalizes that God will deal with mankind for 6 days and will rest on the seventh. It
also assumes that all the days of the week are of equal length. Knowing 3 other scripture verses will
help in understanding:
1. 2 Peter 3:8 teaches that one day with the Lord is 1000 years.
Notice the context here – the subject is the endtimes.
2 Peter 3
7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being
reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8. But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.
9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-
ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.
2. Revelation 20:1-9 gives us the idea of a 1000 year Millennium.
Revelation 20
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years,
(The Pit)
3. Hebrews 4:4-11 presents the Millennium day as a day of rest.
Some theologians claim that the days he spoke of is the week of creation. Just as the creation and the
replenishing of the earth took six days and then God rested on the 7th, so there would be 6000 years
and then the great Sabbath rest of 1000 years.
The chronology of the Old Testament suggests that the time of the creation of Adam and Eve occurred
approximately 4000 BC. The age of each patriarch is listed when the next was born, giving us a way to
figure the time span.
Some scientists say the earth is billions of years old, but some dating techniques suggest that the earth
and moon are far younger. (Because the moon has no atmosphere, scientists calculated that billions of
years of falling meteorite space dust would have accumulated a thick layer up to 2000 feet deep. Thus,
the caution for moon landings. It turned out, upon a personal visit to the moon, that there was less than
2 inches of moon dust.) Could the scientists be wrong?
The Epistle of Barnabus, though not part of the canon of scripture, is nonetheless a genuine historical
document. Of the creation account, Barnabus says this: "And God made in six days the works of His
hands; and He finished them on the 7th day and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what that signifies.
He finished them in 6 days. The meaning of it is this: that in 6000 years the Lord God will bring all things
to an end. For with Him, one day is a thousand years; as Himself testifieth, saying, behold this day shall
be as a thousand years. Therefore children, in 6 days, that is, in 6000 years, shall all things be
accomplished. And what is it that He saith, and He rested on the seventh day; He meaneth this; that
when His Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one (the Antichrist), and judge the
ungodly; and shall change the sun and the moon, and the stars, then He shall gloriously rest in that
seventh year."
Early church commentators point out that the reason Adam died at the age of 930 years, was because
God had prophesied that, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." One day = 1000
years. He died at 930 years. Therefore, he died before 'the day' was completed.
Iranaeus wrote in his book Against Heresies : "This is an account of the things formerly created, as also
it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days
created things were completed it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand
years."
The Jews have taught that God's dealing with His people would be encompassed within a "Great
Sabbath Week" of 7000 years.
Ho 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten,
and he will bind us up.
Ho 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Ho 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the
morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Rabbi Elias, who lived 200 years before Christ, said, "The world endures 6000 years; 2000 before the
law, 2000 under the law, and 2000 under Messiah."
Lactantius, a Christian scholar who live around AD 300, wrote, "Because all the works of God were
finished in 6 days, it is necessary that the world should remain in this state six ages, that is 6000 years.
Because having finished the works He rested on the 7th day and blessed; it is necessary that at the end
of the 6th thousand year all wickedness should be abolished out of the earth and justice should reign for
a thousand years."
So, God will deal with man for 6000 years (His days) and rest on the seventh (the Millennium). According
to the Jewish calendar, 3760 years after creation the Christian Era began (1 AD). That is almost four of
God's days. Since its beginning, the Christian Era has lasted almost 2000 years, or 2 more of God's
days. This means that mankind is approaching the seventh God-day (the Millennium).
If these things are true, and the calculations for Jesus' birth are accurate, His being born on or near the
Feast of Tabernacles in 1 BC, then we could look for the beginning of the millennium in the fall of the
year 2000 on the day of the Feast of Tabernacles. (Note: This is not a prediction, just a possibility.)
Also, let us consider this: Christianity has been around for 2000 years. That’s 2 millennial days. We are
about to enter into the third day. Jesus was raised on the third day. Would it not be logical for the
church, His body, to be raised on the third day?
Actually, the millennium cannot begin until after the 7 years Tribulation. Before the Millennium occurs
two things must take place - the Rapture and the Tribulation Period.
Now, into the 4th Chapter:
· 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which
must be hereafter.
The voice John heard was like a trumpet. It was the same kind of voice the Bible says will rapture the
church.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Many prophecy experts believe that John represents the whole church, and that his ascending into
heaven is symbolic of the Rapture of the church into heaven. When the Rapture occurs, the church will
ascend into heaven at the sound of a trumpet, like John did.
There are several biblical illustrations of the Rapture:
· Enoch - went up to heaven without first dying.
Ge 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
· Elijah - was taken up by a fiery chariot.
2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of
fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
· Jesus - was taken up into a cloud.
Ac 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received
him out of their sight.
· Philip - was taken away, then reappeared in another location.
Ac 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the
eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Ac 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to
Caesarea.
· Paul - was caught up into heaven and returned.
2 Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful
for a man to utter.
· Two witnesses - after being killed will rise and ascend into heaven.
Re 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Re 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood
upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Re 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they
ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
John says he was taken up into heaven …
"…and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet…"
Was this 'trumpet' voice the trumpet sounding the Rapture?
So, we will assume, if we are correct in our belief in the pre-tribulation rapture, that the rapture has
taken place. The church is gone. Now we will see God's future dealings with the human race. Do we
have any idea when these things will take place? Yes, there are some signs - some indicators set in the
scriptures that the 'watchful' can discern the times with. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day,
Mt 16:2-3 When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will
be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Then he gave some clear indications of the signs:
Mt 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh:
Mt 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mt 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Now, this is very important! The disciples asked:
Mt 24:3 . . . Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end
of the world?
In 1948 Israel became a nation. This is the fulfillment of Matthew 24:32 which speaks of the fig tree
blossoming. When Israel became a nation -- May 14, 1948 -- that's when the fig tree blossomed! How do
we know that Israel is the fig tree? The law of first mention. When anything is mentioned the first time in
Scripture, it becomes that throughout God's Word. For instance, Joel 1:7 tells us that when the enemy
armies were invading Israel, "…He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree Israel". Then, of
course, Hosea 9:10 says, "I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree". Here, again, God is
speaking to Jews. Thus, the fig tree is Israel.
And so, the parable of the fig tree indicates that when Israel is restored, that generation will not pass
until we see these predictions of the end come to pass.
How long is a generation? Matthew 1:17 tells us that all the generations from Abraham to David are
fourteen generations; and all the generations from David until the carrying away into Babylon are
fourteen generations; and all the generations from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are
fourteen generations. When we add fourteen plus fourteen plus fourteen, the total is forty-two
generations from Abraham to Christ. The great chronologist, Thiele, says that from Abraham to Christ,
we have a total of 2,160 years. Divide forty-two generations into that, and the length of a generation
becomes 51.4. Add that to May 14, 1948, and one comes out at Rosh Hashanah, September 1999,
when this generation that lives to see "all these things" comes to a glorious conclusion. Add that to
1967, the time Israel captured Jerusalem, and you get 2007.
BUT, we are not setting dates.
Mt 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mt 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.
We must be careful about trying to predict dates. Past generations have gotten into trouble here.
Several times people have gotten ready for the end and it didn't come.
There are some things we must not do -
Borrow large sums of money because we won’t be around to pay it back.
Stop planning for the future because we are leaving.
Move to the mountains and wait for Jesus to come.
Rapture practice.
Things to do –
Pay attention to the signs.
Realize the urgency of the times.
Clean up your life.
Pray & Witness.
Pray & Witness.
Pray & Witness.
But the point here is that the signs indicate that it could be soon and, unlike the generation of Noah, we
had better pay attention and be ready.