This is the fifth installment of the "Millennial-Day Theory" series entitled "The Millennial-Day Theory (part 5): Rest & Renewal". This part will cover day 7 of God's Creation and how it corresponds to the 7th millennium and eternity afterwards.
I would like to also add that this is the final installment of the "Millennial-Day Theory" series. This has been quite a journey, and I have enjoyed every step of the way. It is my hope and my prayer that God will use this to His glory and honor, bless others with its content, and for the salvation of the unbeliever. I would also like to thank you for reading.
Moving right along...
Below is a chart of the time period that we will be discussing. This time period covers the 7th millennia of history (2000 AD - 3000 AD) and how corresponds with day 7 of Creation. We will also be discussing what happens after the 7th millennium--namely, eternity. Click here for a more detailed view of the chart.
In case you missed the parts one through four of this series, then you probably feel totally lost at this point. Feel free to get up to speed by reading "The Millennial-Day Theory (part 1): What Time Is It?", "The Millennial-Day Theory (part 2): Confusion & Void", "The Millennial-Day Theory (part 3): Under the Law", and "The Millennial-Day Theory (part 4): The Time of the Messiah"...go ahead, we'll wait. :)
If you don't have time to read all of that, then let me give you a short synopsis:
Basically, the idea behind the "Millennial-Day Theory" got its start from Psalm 90:4 and 2nd Peter 3:8 and supported by several other bible passages. In short, both verses state that, from God's perspective, 1 day to Him is like 1,000 days to us. If you map out the course of history on a timeline based on events in the Bible (Yes, it's true. Click here for a short summary by David V. Bassett), then you come to the conclusion that the Earth is only about 6,000 years old. Take into account that our news headlines today are strikingly similar to the biblical prophecies concerning the end times and that, according to the book of Revelations, we still have the 1,000 year of Christ on our to-do list, then it stands to reason that this world only has approximately 7,000 years in total for its life (6,000 + 1,000 = 7,000...get it?).
Let's proceed...
Day 7
As we all know, day 7 of Creation Week is the day that God rested, and it is appropriately named the "Sabbath" Day. The pervading theme of the 7th millennium will be great Sabbath rest where the work of God is declared as complete.
"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis 2:1-3)
There are specific events in the Gospel which seem to foretell events of the 7th millennium or "Sabbath Day" from the perspective of the "Millennial-Day Theory". In the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John certain connections between certain events which occurred on Sabbath days appear to point to their fulfillment during this millennial Sabbath.
As you will remember, Jesus began His ministry on a Sabbath from the synagogue in Nazareth. Luke 4:18-19 records that it was there that Jesus read from Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD..." (Isaiah 61:1-2)
If you have ever studied the passage in Isaiah that the Lord was reading from, then you have likely noticed that he stopped short of reading the entire passage, but instead He closed the book. If He had continued to read, then He would have read the rest of it as follows:
"...And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:2-3)
Maybe because He read the words on a Sabbath day means that "the day of vengeance of our God" will be fulfilled during the 1,000 year reign of Christ which is the seventh millennium? That all seems to fit the prophetic scenario. Revelations 19:11 prophesies the defeat of the anti-Christ, his false prophet, his army, and his followers. Revelations 20:1-3 prophesies the binding of Satan into the bottomless pit "for a thousand years" so he will "deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished". After the 1,000 years, Satan will released for his final defeat and confinement to the "lake of fire and brimstone".
Jesus' disciples picked ears of corn on a Sabbath:
"Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?' But Jesus answering them said, 'Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?' And He said to them, 'The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.'" (Luke 6:1-5).
The 1,000 year reign of Christ reign of Christ will be a time of planting and harvest it seems--an active and progressive time. You might be asking, "Yeah but where is the 'Sabbath rest' if we're 'planting and harvesting'?" This is a spiritual rest from evil and Satan's temptations. Remember, Satan will be bound for a thousand years during this time.
Also, the words of Christ to the Pharisees in Luke 6:5, "And He said to them, 'The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." which alludes to the fact that Jesus will have the title of King of kings and Lord of lords during His 1,000 year reign.
Jesus healed twice on Sabbath days. Luke 6:6-10 is where He healed a man's withered hand, and Luke 13:11-16 records where He healed the woman who was crippled in her back. Most versions call it an "infirmity" which basically means her back was crippled to a point where she was doubled-over. Jesus also said that this was the work of Satan in verse 16 of the same passage.
The millennial kingdom would be a time of healing just as Jesus healed these two on Sabbath days. No disease will stand a chance in the seventh millennium. Imagine a life without any ailments! Everyone will be healed. This will be a great time unparalleled by any other empire the Earth has ever witnessed.
So, what are the spiritual attributes behind the number 7?
E.W. Bullinger in his work titled "Number in Scripture" writes:
We come now to the great number of spiritual perfection. A number which, therefore, occupies so large a place in the works, and especially in the Word of God as being inspired by the Holy Spirit.[...]But now turning to the number Seven, we must first consider the meaning of the word.In the Hebrew, seven is "shevah". It is from the root savah, to be full or satisfied, have enough of. Hence the meaning of the word "seven" is dominated by this root, for on the seventh day God rested from the work of Creation. It was full and complete, and good and perfect. Nothing could be added to it or taken from it without marring it. Hence the word "Shavath", to cease, desist, rest, and "Shabbath", Sabbath, or day of rest.[...]It is seven, therefore, that stamps with perfection and completeness that in connection with which it is used. Of time, it tells of the Sabbath, and marks off the week of seven days, which, artificial as it may seem to be, is universal and immemorial in its observance amongst all nations and in all times. It tells of that eternal Sabbath-keeping which remains for the people of God in all its everlasting perfection.In the creative works of God, seven completes the colours of the spectrum and rainbow, and satisfies in music the notes of the scale. In each of these the eighth is only a repetition of the first.Another meaning of the root "Shavagh" is to swear, or make an oath. It is clear from its first occurrence in Genesis 21:31, "They sware both of them," that this oath was based upon the "seven ewe lambs" (vv 28,29,30), which point to the idea of satisfaction or fulness in an oath. It was the security, satisfaction, and fulness of the obligation, or completeness of the bond, which caused the same word to be used for both the number seven and an oath; and hence it is written, "an oath for confirmation is an end of all strife." Beer-sheba, the well of the oath, is the standing witness of the spiritual perfection of the number seven.
The 7th millennium is the defeat of the anti-Christ and Israel's proclamation that Jesus is their promised Messiah. The 7th millennium is the 1,000 year reign of Jesus who is our Messiah, our High Priest, and our King!
Please also watch the video of Chuck Missler's seminar on Day 7 of Creation entitled "The Book of Genesis: Session 8 Day 7"...fascinating material.
Day 8?...really?
Yes and No... We all know that there is no 8th day of creation, but after the 7th millennium what is next? No, not the 8th millennium, but something even better called "eternity". 8 follows 7 and there are some striking qualities between the number 8 and the concept of eternity that must be considered. The implications are astonishing.
When does the Bible say that eternity begins? As we observed, the 7th millennium (the final millennium) ended with the defeat of the anti-Christ Revelations 20:10. So, it would stand to reason that eternity would begin directly after the end of the 7th millennium which begins with Judgment Day:
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelations 20:11-15)
We have all heard of the word "eternity", but what is it? The reality of eternity is directly mentioned in several places in the Bible and alluded to in many other places. God describes it Himself in Isaiah:
"For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.'" (Isaiah 57:15)
Eternity is where God resides. It is a domain outside of our perception. Let's ponder this for a moment, but let's also keep in mind that we're constricted by our own concepts of reality. The only explanations we have of eternity are from those who have been there and came back. Who did that? Well, God lives there. The Apostles Paul and John said that they went there and came back. Enoch said that he did. More recently, Don Piper said that he did, and Bill Wiese said he did too. I've read the accounts from Paul, John, Enoch, Don Piper, and Bill Wiese. I have no reason to doubt any of these accounts. I haven't found any contradiction with their reports and the teachings from Scripture.
But even though all of these men give us accounts of their experiences in eternity, what makes us think that they could explain it in words that we can understand? Paul said:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1st Corinthians 2:9)
So, let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we will figure out what eternity is all about until we get there. However, perhaps we can get a glimpse...?
There are basically two schools of thought concerning eternity:
- Eternity is a timeless realm without succession, duration, or sequence. There is no "before" or "after" in eternity. All past, present, and future is at an "Eternal Now".
- Eternity is never ending time, without beginning or end. It is forever time, time from everlasting to everlasting.
Here are a few quotes from some of the early Church fathers, about eternity:
"It is not as if the knowledge of God were of various kinds, knowing in different ways things which as yet are not, things which are and things which have been. For not in our fashion does He look forward to what is future, nor what is present, nor back upon what is past; but in a manner quite different and far and profoundly remote from our way of thinking. For He does not pass from this to that by transition of thought, but beholds all things with absolute unchangeableness; so that of those things which emerge in time, the future indeed are not yet, and the present are now and the past no longer are; but all of these are by Him comprehended in his stable and eternal Presence. [...] nor does His present knowledge differ from that which it ever was or shall be, for those variations of time, past, present ad future through they alter our knowledge, do not affect His... Neither is there any growth from thought to thought in the conceptions of Him in whose spiritual vision all things which He knows are at once embraced." (Augustine, "City of God" XI Ch. 21 p.333)
"[...] in the Eternal nothing passeth, but the whole is present; whereas no time is all at once present: and that all time past, is driven on by time to come, and all to come followeth upon the past; and all past and to come, is created, and flows out of that which is ever present... see how eternity [is] ever still-standing, neither past nor to come." (Augustine, "Confessions" Book XI p.262)
From this we can assess that Augustine believed in the theory that eternity is a timeless realm without succession, duration, or sequence. He believed that God resides in what some scholars call the "eternal now" state where past, present, and future all occur at once and always. In effect, there is no past, present, or future in this theory. The problem that I have with this concept is that it restricts everyone and everything in this type of domain to do nothing. I visualize "eternity [is] ever still-standing" as someone who hit the pause button on the DVD player and never unpaused it...forever!
So, how do we reconcile this "ever still-standing" state of eternity with the Apostle John's account from the Book of Revelations? John is brought into eternity and it is anything but "still-standing". Man, they're over there breaking seals, pouring out vials, angels singing--a far cry from "still-standing".
On the contrary, Justin Martyr said, "Some are sent to be punished unceasingly unto judgment and condemnation of fire." and "he goes to the everlasting punishment". In his view, things are ongoing and not standing still. Likewise, Origen said that the unbelievers will "perpetually endure torture". Irenaeus called eternity a "length of days forever and ever" and described the "eternal" as "without end" or "never-ending". The writings of Theophilus spoke about "life everlasting" for the believer and "everlasting fire" for the unbeliever.
Ok, so it looks like I am beating up on Augustine here. Well, I am sorta. While I don't believe that eternity is a state of perpetually "still-standing", I believe that we may be misunderstanding Augustine and that we must consider his thoughts as a whole on eternity.
Yes, Augustine said "eternity [is] ever still-standing, neither past nor to come," but that was after he said, "For He does not pass from this to that by transition of thought, but beholds all things with absolute unchangeableness; so that of those things which emerge in time, the future indeed are not yet, and the present are now and the past no longer are; but all of these are by Him comprehended in his stable and eternal Presence."
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as though Augustine is trying to describe our concept of time from God's perspective. I have no doubt, that from God's viewpoint that the whole of world history is a done deal. I am certain that from eternity, God sees what we call past, present, and future as one completed thing.
Personally, when it comes to understanding the concept of eternity, I am pretty sure that my explanation of it will fall far short of the reality by comparison. But I want to give my take on it anyway. I think both concepts make good points. However, I believe that a semi-mixture of the two is probably closer to the truth. I believe that that eternity is a timeless realm, without beginning or end.
Think of a movie director looking over a roll of film through his projector. The film is neither past, present, nor future--it is all right there, right now. He can look at any part or all of it whenever he wants. Also, because he is the director, he knew how it would end before it ever began. He knew where he would have to interject (intervene) in the process. Perhaps even as one of the actors in the film. He knew well in advance which of the actors would die and when. He even knew which of the actors would be brought back to life. Sounds a little like Jesus, huh? He's the director!
Ok, let's get back to the number 8 and how if correlates to eternity.
E.W. Bullinger in his book entitled "Number in Scripture" writes:
In Hebrew the number eight is "Sh'moneh", from the root "Shah'meyn", "to make fat," "cover with fat," "to super-abound." As a participle it means "one who abounds in strength," etc. As a noun it is "superabundant fertility," "oil," etc. So that as a numeral it is the superabundant number. As seven was so called because the seventh day was the day of completion and rest, so eight, as the eighth day, was over and above this perfect completion, and was indeed the first of a new series, as well as being the eighth. Thus it already represents two numbers in one, the first and eighth.[...]In the creative works of God, seven completes the colours of the spectrum and rainbow, and satisfies in music the notes of the scale. In each of these the eighth is only a repetition of the first.[...]Seven means, as we have seen, according to its etymology, that which is spiritually complete or satisfying; while eight denotes that which is superabundant or satiating. Hence we often find these two numbers associated with these distinctions.
In short, 8 is the new 1. 8 symbolizes a "new series" that is "superabundant".
Let's read on:
Eight is the first cubic number, the cube of two, 2 x 2 x 2. We have seen that three is the symbol of the first plane figure, and that four is the first square. So here, in the first cube, we see something of transcendent perfection indicated, something, the length and breadth and height of which are equal. This significance of the cube is seen in the fact that the "Holy of Holies," both in the Tabernacle and in the Temple, were cubes. In the Tabernacle it was a cube of 10 cubits. In the Temple it was a cube of 20 cubits. In Revelation 20 the New Jerusalem is to be a cube of 12,000 furlongs. Dr. Milo Mahan is inclined to believe that the Ark of Noah, too, had a kind of sacred Shechinah in "the window finished in a cubit above"—a cube of one...[...]Resurrection is the great truth which is signified. Christ rose from the dead on "the first day of the week," that was of necessity the eighth day.[...][Eight] is 7 plus 1. Hence it is the number specially associated with Resurrection and Regeneration, and the beginning of a new era or order.
There is no doubt in my mind that 8 represents eternity. "Transcendent perfection", "Resurrection and Regeneration", and "the beginning of a new era" all speak of what God has established in eternity:
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.'" (Reveleations 21:1-7)
And from there it just keeps getting better and better! I want you to look closely at what God said. He is "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End". Some consider the circle as representing eternity because is has no beginning and no end. Another way to say that is to say that the entire circle is the beginning and the end.
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Someone tell me where the beginning or the end of the number 8 is please?
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Is not the symbol for infinity an 8 turned on its side?
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Can we say that just as the symbol for infinity is a "∞", then the symbol for eternity is an "8"?
Question: What is the difference between "infinity" and "eternity"? Not much according to the dictionary:
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As a matter if fact, "infinity" and "eternity" are synonymous!
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The Secrets of Enoch, dating from before the first century A.D. (also called II Enoch), is translated from Slavonic. In it, God is said to have shown Enoch the age of the world and its allotted 7,000 year total timespan. Plus, notice what is said about the "eighth day":
"And I appointed the eighth day also, that the eighth day should be the first-created after my work, and that the first seven revolve in the form of the seventh thousand, and that at the beginning of the eighth thousand there should be a time of not-counting — endless..."
Here is where it seemingly all ties together, folks:
- Eight being "first of a new series", "spiritually complete or satisfying", "superabundant", and "Resurrection and Regeneration, and the beginning of a new era or order" according to Bullinger.
- As illustrated, Eight (8) represents eternity in an adjusted form of the symbol for infinity (∞).
- And according to Enoch's account, "at the beginning of the eighth thousand there should be a time of not-counting — endless".
After the 7th millennium, we have eternity or the 8th Day, if you will. Is there any other conclusion that we can come to?
Please watch these video testimonies from these two gentlemen. One is from Don Piper who visited Heaven, and the other is from Bill Weise who visited Hell. Where do you want spend eternity? It is your choice. Check out the timeline chart again. There's not much time left.
Don Piper - 90 minutes in Heaven
Bill Wiese - 23 Minutes in Hell
Conclusion
If you have not asked God to forgive your sins by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, then I want to ask, in fact beg, you to pray a simple prayer to God so that you will be among the saved who will spend eternity with God. If you watched the video testimony above by Bill Wiese, then you know that the alternative is far from desirable.
Sin, according to the Bible, is any action that violates the law given by God in the Ten Commandments. The law was given by God to show us what it means to live a life deserving of God's love. It was also given to show us that none of us can live that kind of life. God knew that in advance, and that is why He sent His Son Jesus to be that perfect life for us. Jesus, God in human flesh, voluntarily laid aside His God-hood to connect with us, to show us He understands us and to give us a way to be reconciled to the Father, since none of us can keep the law to its letter. "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer or one similar, then I want to be the first to congratulate you. I am certainly proud to call you my brother or sister in Christ. I'd also like to encourage you to get yourself a Bible (if you don't have one already), and find yourself a Church home (again, if you don't have one already) with other Christians who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible (yes, there are some who don't).
Or perhaps, you did not pray to God for the forgiveness of your sins. Well, if you didn't pray a similar prayer today, then I hope that you had already done so prior to reading this.
However, if you are not saved, then maybe you said to yourself, "Well, I don't have to pray anything like that. I'm pretty good so I won't be going to Hell anyway."
Respectfully, I would have to disagree. To you and me, you might be a decent person, but that is our standards. However, we will not be judged by our standards, but we will definitely be judged by God's standards. Ever read the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses? Please read them below:
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself a carved image -- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
Have you ever lied? If so, then you have broken the ninth commandment which makes you a liar. Have you ever stolen anything (a pen? a piece of candy?)? If so, then you have broken the eighth commandment which makes you a thief. Most people have done one of these. Breaking only one of these makes you a sinner and there is no leeway. God's standard has no leniency, and it does not bend.
Perhaps you didn't ask God for forgiveness because you know that you are a sinner. Maybe you broke more than two of these laws? Maybe you broke them all? Maybe you think that you don't deserve to be forgiven, and God won't forgive you. Well, you're half-right: you don't deserve to be forgiven, but neither does anyone else. :)
You see, in God's perfect judgment, there are no "good sinners" and "bad sinners", there are only "sinners" and we're all bad. From the lowest murderer to the most famous preacher--we are all sinners worthy of nothing more than God's most severe punishment (me included).
That is why God sent His son Jesus. Jesus is the only person to have never sinned; therefore, He is the only person whose sacrifice meets the payment requirements for anyone’s sins--my sins, your sins, Billy Graham's sins, Mother Teresa's sins, the Apostle Paul's sins and any other person that has ever lived or ever will live.
So, please, pray the prayer or one similar to it. I will list it again below so you don't have to look for it. You have nothing to lose by asking for forgiveness, and I assure you that you will not regret having done it.
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
In Christ,
Watchman
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