6000 Years
Not Just a Theory
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Introduction

This study is designed to take a closer look at the evidence for a period of 6000 years for the work of salvation and a 1000 year or “millenial Sabbath.”  The purpose is not to “date set” but to put forth evidence that we may definitely be living in the last generation, and that Jesus’ second coming may be closer than we think.

Bible Examples

7^th day Sabbath rest – a day for God is 1000 years

•  “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” –Psalm 90:4

·         “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” -2 Peter 3:8 (Note the subject is the promise of the second coming here.)

Enoch – The 7^th from Adam was translated

• “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,” –Jude 1:14
  • “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” –Genesis 5:24 (Note that Enoch is a type of the 144,000. See quotes below.)

Israel gathered a double portion of  “bread” on the sixth day

In the last 1000 years there has been a great increase in Biblical knowledge which could be called a “double portion.”

• “And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” –Exodus 6:5 & Exodus 6:22
• “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” –Daniel 12:4

The land was to rest every seventh year

• ”But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.” –Leviticus 25:4

The small cloud, “like a man’s hand” & rain came in “the seventh time”

• “And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” -1 Kings 18:44

Speaking of God’s deliverance, Eliphaz spoke to Job

·         “He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.” –Job 5:19

Ezekiel’s Vision of Heaven

• “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. … Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” –Ezekiel 47:1-6,12
• One cubit = 18 inches.  1000 cubits + 1000 cubits + 1000 cubits + 1000 cubits = 4000 cubits.  4000 cubits x 18 inches = 72,000 inches.  72,000 inches / 12 inches/foot = 6000 feet.  6000 feet was measured out to Ezekiel until there was a point the river was so deep he could not cross.  This river may possibly represent 6000 years of mercy, ever deepening to forgive sin that finally gets so deep at the end that only by direct intervention (His second coming) could God could save anyone alive out of it.  The next thing he is shown is the scene from Revelation 22:2 at the tree of life.

Jericho fell after 6 days and victory was obtained on the Seventh

• “³You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. ⁴And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.” –Joshua 6:3-5

Quotes

Ellen White

• The earth will rest again
  • “Then commenced the jubilee, when the land should rest. I saw the pious slave rise in victory and triumph, and shake off the chains that bound him, while his wicked master was in confusion and knew not what to do; for the wicked could not understand the words of the voice of God.”  {EW 286.1} (This view goes together with Lev. 25 above.)
    “Soon appeared the great white cloud, upon which sat the Son of man. When it first appeared in the distance, this cloud looked very small. The angel said that it was the sign of the Son of man.” {EW 286.2}
  • “⁸And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. ⁹Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. ¹⁰And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” –Leviticus 25:8-10

• Enoch’s example

o       “Enoch was a marked character. Many look upon his life as above what the generality of mortals can ever reach. But Enoch's life and character, which were so holy that he was translated to heaven without seeing death, represent what the lives and characters of all must be, if, like Enoch, they are subjects to be translated when Christ shall come. His life was what the life of every one may be who closely connects with God.” {GW92 383.1}

o       “Now Enoch was a representative of those who will be upon the earth when Christ shall come, who will be translated to heaven without seeing death.” -1SAT 32 (1886).  {LDE 71.3}

o       “For his faithful obedience to God he [Enoch] was translated. So, also, the faithful, who are alive and remain, will be translated. They will be removed from a sinful and corrupt world to the pure joys of heaven.”  {2T 121.1}

• Approximately 2000 years from Christ

o       “Christ, amid His sufferings, and being daily rejected of men, looks down the lines two thousand years to His church which would be in existence in the last days, before the close of this earth's history.”  {Ms 148, 1899, pp. 2-14. ("The Need of Self-Surrender," October 8, 1899.)} (released from White Estate Washington, D. C. April 26, 1956) {1MR 371.3},{3SM 18.2}

ORL Crozier

• The Sabbath typifies “the great Sabbath, the seventh millennium.”
  • “The Sabbaths under the Law typify the great Sabbath, the seventh millennium; Hebrews 4:3.” -THE DAY-STAR EXTRA - Saturday, February 7, 1846. O. R. L. Crozier
    • Ellen White fully endorsed this view, see below.
      • “The Lord shew me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary, and that it was his will, that Brother C. should write out the view which he gave us in the Day-Star, Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized by the Lord, to recommend that Extra, to every saint.”  {WLF 12.8}

Conclusion & Call

It seems fairly evident from even basic calculations that the Lord’s second coming is very near, “even at the doors.”  Patiently the Lord is waiting.  He is waiting for you.  The only question that remains is, what will you do with the time you have left?  Let’s seek the Lord while he may be found.