Sermon or Research on

The 7000 Year Theory

By C. B. Pepper
 

Today we will be looking at an interesting theory which has been proposed by some Christians, known as the 7000 year plan of God. What we will do is examine this theory, consider the weight of Biblical and other evidence for it, and assess whether it may be more than a theory. The theory goes something like this. God created the the world in six days and and rested on the seventh. However the creation week was also a blueprint of God's redemptive plan for earth. Symbolically each creation day represents 1000 years of earth's history so that the first six days represent the time of suffering under the works of Satan and the seventh day represents a 1000 years of rest. The 7000 year theory is based on the idea that to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. From God's perspective the plan will only take a week. Challenging Questions During the course of our discussion we will examine the following challenging questions: 1. Does God have a plan for planet Earth? If so, what are the objectives, the timeframe, what has occurred already and what is yet to occur? 2. Was the Earth created in 7 literal days? Does it really matter? 3. Can we determine how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden? 4. What is the significance of Jesus the Passover lamb? 5. Can we determine when Christ was crucified? 6. Can we predict when last day events will occur? 7. Can we predict the Second Coming of Christ? 8. What will occur after Jesus returns?   Sin Problem Prior to Creation It is important to note from the outset that prior to the creation of planet Earth there was a sin problem in the universe. Revelation 12:7-9 says, "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." So we see that Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven to the Earth. In Genesis chapter 3 we find Satan in the Garden of Eden speaking through a serpent at the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Now from the very beginning of Earth's history we see that God was still in control of the devil. Satan was not permitted to freely wander about and tempt Adam and Even in the garden of Eden. He was only allowed access to one location, ie the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God also demonstrated His special interest in the future of mankind by warning Adam and Eve that if they ate of the fruit of that tree they would die.   Did Adam and Eve Die when they Sinned? When God created Adam and Eve He warned them against eating the forbidden fruit. God told Adam, "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die", (Gen. 2:17 yet Adam lived to 930 years old. (Gen. 5:1-5) Is this a contradiction? No, because Adam did die 'spiritually' that day, (Gen. 3:1-24).  If we take a 'day of the Lord' as equivalent to 1000 years (2 Peter 3:8), we see that Adam died physically within the limits of the first day.  Death is separation. A physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. Spiritual death, which is of greater significance, is the separation of the soul from God.   Nakedness of Adam and Eve When Adam and Eve were first created, they were both naked and yet they had no shame (Gen. 2:25).  However after they sinned Genesis 3:7 says, "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked". This resulted in them trying to hide from the presence of the Lord, and they covered their nakedness with fig-leaf aprons. Some Bible students think that the time of their hiding from God’s presence was three hours, corresponding to the three hours when the sun was darkened at our Lord’s crucifixion (see Matt. 27:45).1,2 The part about Adam and Eve only discovering their nakedness after sin sounds a bit odd, as though there is something missing in the story. Because, when God created Adam and Eve, He didn’t make their human bodies something to be ashamed of. It was only after sin that Adam and Eve first saw their nakedness. Now isn't this a bit peculiar, because no other creature on the whole planet knows that it is naked, not wearing clothes – only mankind? The nakedness of Adam and Eve was a direct result of sin. It is thought that as sinless beings they had an inherent glory and wore a clothing of light, which disappeared after their sin. Sinless beings such as angels and the Deity have varying degrees of glory or brightness about them. When Christ was transfigured He shone with the brightness of His glory. When God created the earth, it was the glory of God which illuminated the Earth for the first three days of creation. What happened when Adam and Even sinned was that their glory or clothing of light disappeared. This was occasioned with their spiritual death and physical nakedness.   Temptation of Adam Eve may have been deceived by the serpent however Adam appears to have eaten of the fruit knowing exactly what he was doing. So why would Adam yield to temptation so easily knowing what God had told him? There seems to be more to the story, and there quite possibly was. Imagine Adam seeing Eve standing before him, arguably the most beautiful woman in earth's history, in her newfound nakedness, using her powers of persuasion and sexuality to tempt him while she was eating the forbidden fruit and obviously very much alive. Adam loved Eve and didn't want to be separated from her, as probably would have happened had he decided not to sin. Now what chance did Adam have? Satan himself probably couldn't have done a better job. Eve's punishment fits her crime. Pain in childbirth. God's Plan Revealed in the Garden When God created Adam and Eve He gave them freedom of choice and knew that there was a possibility that they might rebel as had Satan and his fallen angels. So this eventuality was considered by God when He created the Earth. God had a plan from the foundation of the Earth and this He revealed to Adam, Eve and the serpent (Satan) after the fall. God said to the serpent that the "seed of the woman" would crush the serpent's head. (Gen. 3:15) The plan was immediately implemented with the slaying of two innocent animals to clothe the nakedness of Adam and Eve. This was also the first substitutionary sacrifice for the atonement of sins, representing Christ who would one day pay the ultimate ransom for the penalty of sin. The consequence of Adam's sin is that he forfeited rulership of the Earth to Satan. He had chosen to disobey God, and Satan as prince of the Earth, was allowed to freely roam the earth as he pleased to tempt and deceive mankind.  Notwithstanding this, God had a plan to pay the penalty for sin and defeat the devil.  His redemptive plan was to annul death in two distinct stages, corresponding to His two advents.  The 7000 year theory predicts that the first advent of Christ in 4000 years will take care of spiritual death.  The second advent 2000 years later would take care of physical death. 7000 Year Theory The 7000 year theory is a belief that the seven day week reveals a 7000 year divine plan for mankind, with 6000 years for mankind to 'labour' under the rule of Satan and sin's penalties and a 1000 year period of 'rest' under the rule of Jesus Christ. Revelation 20:1-5 prophesies that there will be a 1000 year (millennial) period in which Jesus and the saints will reign. That is basically the theory. The Epistle of Barnabas, written about 200 AD, actually expounded on the concept of the 7000 year plan of God, stating that the 'end' would occur at the point of 6000 years from the creation of mankind. This ancient document of the early church period stated: “of the Sabbath He speaketh in the beginning of the creation; `And God made the works of his hands in six days and He ended on the seventh day, and rested on it, and He hallowed it. Give heed, children, what this meaneth, `He ended in six days` He meaneth this, that IN SIX THOUSAND YEARS THE LORD SHALL BRING ALL THINGS TO AND END, for the day with Him signifieth a thousand years; and this He himself beareth me witness, saying, `behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a THOUSAND YEARS.` Therefore, children, in six days, that is IN SIX THOUSAND YEARS, EVERYTHING SHALL COME TO AN END`. And He rested on the seventh day`. This he meaneth; when His Son shall come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day”. (Epistles of Barnabus, chap.15 The Apostolic Fathers, pp.151-152) 1 Day is 1000 Years in the Sight of God The 7000 year theory is based on an assumption that one day is like 1000 years in the sight of God. The following texts lend support for that assumption: Psalms 90:4 "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." 2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with YHWH as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of the Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years." In Gen. 2:17, it says: "In the day you eat of the fruit of this tree you shall surely die." It is no coincidence that those who lived before the Flood died just short of a 1000 years of age. Thus figuratively speaking, Adam, and all his offspring before the flood, died within a "day"---that is, within a thousand years.    Bible Analogies cited in Support 7000 Year Theory LAZARUS John 11 outlines the events over six days   1.  Lazarus is sick for 2 days (John 11:1,5-6)   2.  Lazarus is dead for 4 days (John 11:39). Lazarus is resurrected on the seventh day. (John 11:40-44)   SLAVES Slaves worked for six years, the 7th year is freedom (Exodus 21:2) (Deut 15:1)  KING JOASH King Joash was the rightful king of Israel but who was hidden in the temple of God for six years while an impostor reigned (Queen Athaliah).  Athaliah is a picture of Satan the devil, the great usurper. After six years, which represent 6000 years, the king was brought forth to sit on his rightful throne, and the usurper was put to death (2 Kings 11:16).  KING SOLOMON King Solomon (a type of Jesus) had six steps to this throne and the 7th step was his throne (II Chronicles 9:18). ISAAC Jacob is Israel (Genesis 32:27-28)   1.  Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20).   2.  Rebekah was barren for 20 years before Jacob (Israel) was born (Genesis 25:21,26). Isaac was 40 years old (4000) when He married, just as Jesus comes forth and pays for a bride (us) at 4000 years. Isaac was 60 years old when he has Jacob (Israel) just like Israel will be when it assumes its God ordained place after 6000 years during the millennium. ARK   Gen 8:4  And the ark rested in the seventh month NOAH Noah was 600 years of age when God destroyed the world with the Deluge (Gen.7:6).  Even so, when the world is 6000 years of age, God will once again intervene to destroy the wicked and usher in the Kingdom of God.   LAND TO REST Exodus 23:11   But the seventh [year] thou shalt let it rest and lie still. Lev 25:4   But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land (Israel was sent into exile to Babylon for 70 years for violating God’s Sabbaths) PROMISED LAND Israel's first full year in the promised land was a Sabbatical year (Joshua 5:11) (Adam and Eve’s full first day in Eden was the Sabbath) The Saints will enter the new heaven and new earth in the Sabbatical millennium. GOOD SAMARITAN PARABLE (Luke 10:25-35)  A "certain man" fell among thieves who stripped him of his raiment and wounded him, is a picture of humanity today!  The "priest and the Levite" refer of the "children of the flesh of Abraham,"  Israel, the Jews today that should have been true to their responsibility before God and ministered unto this man. Instead they "passed by on the other side." Jesus is the "certain Samaritan" because, He was rejected by Jews; He came where the certain man was...saw him...had compassion on him."; He provided for the man and promised to return. The provision was two pence.  A penny is equal to a day's wages. (Matt.20:1-16). Jesus (the certain Samaritan) gave Himself and provided for us, and will return after two days (the 5th. and 6th. day). TRANSFIGURATION "And AFTER SIX DAYS Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Matt.17:1-2). Here again, six days equals 6,000 years, in typology.  At the end of 6,000 years, Jesus Christ will appear IN HIS GLORY (Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Rev.1:13-16; 11:15-17; 19:11-16).   JUDAH Genesis 29: Children of Leah (seven children are prophecies of the 7000 year period). Leah was not loved. She asks God for a son. With the 4th son Judah we see an allusion to the appearance of Jesus the Messiah. Judah means "Praise". Jesus was born at the end of the fourth day (after 4,000 years) into the tribe of Judah. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.4,5 Why do we have a Seven Day Week? No more logic supports seven days than, say eight or five, yet the seven-day week has resisted any and all attempts at change. Unlike the year and the month, which correspond to the movements of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth, the week has no astronomical analogue. Seven days is roughly the same length of a phase of the moon (seven days, nine hours) but any system of timekeeping quickly falls apart due to the extra hours piling up. Atheistic revolutionaries tried, unsuccessfully, to get rid of the seven-day week. In 1793 the leaders of the French Revolution produced a new calendar divided into three ten-day "decades." It never caught on, and Napoleon abandoned it in 1805. In 1929 the Soviet Union tried a five-day week, with one day of rest. Instead of the traditional day names, the days were given colors: yellow, orange, red, purple, and green. In order to keep mass production going, each Soviet citizen was assigned a different day of rest, so that a husband might have a yellow day off, while his wife took her leisure on green. Due to mass confusion, the plan was revised in 1932 to a six-day week, with numbers replacing the colors. By 1940, the Russians were back on the familiar seven-day cycle!6 Just why did God choose to create the Earth in six days? Could God have created everything in six seconds? Of course the answer is yes. Could God have created everything in six minutes? The answer again is yes. Could God have created everything in one second? The answer is of course that an infinite Creator God could create in any time He wanted to. In fact, an omnipotent Creator could actually create everything in no time at all. Thus we need to be asking ourselves why God took so long. In other words, six ordinary days is a long time for an infinite Creator God to create the universe. He actually made His creative acts a process over six days to set a pattern for man-the basis of the seven-day week. This is why our Creator took so long-He did it for us. He set the pattern for our work week. An interesting research project would be to get people to investigate nations that have tried to change the seven-day week. Such experiments have always failed, because biologically man is set up for six days of work, one day of rest. Creation in Seven Days Now let's take a look at creation week. According to the Genesis account the Earth was created in six literal days. This is clear because at the end of each creation day it says, "And the evening and the morning were the first (second etc) day. (Genesis 1:5) Day 1 LIGHT appears Day 2 WATERS are divided Day 3 LAND appears with vegetation Day 4 SUN, MOON AND STARS created Day 5 WATERS bring forth living creatures Day 6 LAND is populated Day 7 REST     Genesis 2:1-2 says, '"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." The Creator is a planner. As such, he has a plan which is on a schedule. This should not be so difficult for us to imagine. But what is his time schedule? Back at creation, the Creator gave us a blueprint. He created the world in six days and rested or rather "ceased" on the seventh. However, in his ceasing from his work on the seventh day, he still created something: the pattern for seven day weekly cycle ending in a day later named the Sabbath. When he finally gave the Torah to Israel, He included a commandment about the seventh day.7 Exodus 20:8-11 says, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." So we have six days of work and then the seventh day brings REST! Some people wonder whether is makes any difference about which day the Sabbath is observed or how it is kept. Well, unlike the other commandments there is no logical justification for it apart from it being a memorial of creation and a specific command of God. However the Sabbath command stands out in the Decalogue because in it is found the seal of God, ie His name - God, His authority - Creator; and his Dominion - Heaven and Earth. Isaiah 58:13,14 points out that the Sabbath day is not a day to do your own pleasure or seek your own will, but is a day set aside for all of mankind to rest and worship the Creator.   Where did Light come from on the First Day? How could there be light, mornings and evenings on the first, second, and third days if the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day? This is only a problem if we fail to take into account an infinite and omnipotent God. God does not need the sun, moon, and stars to provide light. God is light! First John 1:5 declares, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." God Himself was the light for the first three days of Creation, just as He will be in the new heavens and new earth, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). Until He created the sun, moon, and stars, God miraculously provided light during the “day” and may have done so during the “night” as well (Genesis 1:14).8 The Wonder of the Solar Eclipses In the July-August 2009 issue of Discover Magazine there was a short feature on eclipses. It included these statements: “The beautiful symmetry of a total solar eclipse happens because–by pure coincidence–the sun is 400 times larger than the moon but is also 400 times farther from earth, making the two bodies appear the exact same size in the sky,” and “Earth is the only place in the solar system where that happens.” Well, is it possible to see “beautiful symmetry” in the heavens and dismiss it as pure chance? Genesis 1:14 records that God designed the capacity for lunar and solar eclipses into our solar system. It states that God arranged the positioning of the heavenly bodies for “signs, seasons, and for days and years.” Human calendars have always been synchronized to either lunar or solar cycles, and many civilizations of mankind have calculated “seasons” (i.e. such as when to plant crops) via the various equinoxes and solstices.   Does it Matter if Creation is Literal or Figurative? Throughout history and particularly in the last 200 years there has been concerted opposition to the creation account of Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2. Even a lot of Christians now doubt the literal interpretation and are of the view that God may have used evolution over millions or billions of years to evolve the animal kingdom to where it is now. So does it matter what you believe about the origins of the Earth? The answer if most definitely yes. There are huge implications with regard to the rest of Scripture. If the long geological ages really took place, that means there were at least a billion years of suffering and death in the animal kingdom before the arrival of men and women in the world. This fact leads to the following very disturbing chain of conclusions, as follows: 1) The Bible is not really an authoritative guide, for if it is wrong in these important matters of science and history, which we supposedly can check for ourselves, using scientific and historical investigation, then how can we trust it in matters of salvation, heaven, and everlasting life, which we have no means of verifying scientifically? In fact Jesus said in John 3:12, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?". 2) Death is not really the wages of sin, as the Bible says, for violence, pain, and death reigned in the world long before sin came in. God is directly responsible for this cruel regime, not Adam. 3) Still more significantly, if physical human death was not really an important part of the penalty for sin, then the agonizingly cruel physical death of Christ on the cross was not necessary to pay that penalty.   4) If God's Word was wrong about creation and about the meaning of Christ's death, it becomes obvious that its prophecies and promises concerning the future are of no value either. 5) Finally, there remains no reason to believe in God at all—at least not in the personal, loving, omniscient, omnipotent, holy, righteous God that the Bible makes Him out to be. If that kind of God really existed, He would never have created the groaning, suffering, dying world implied by the long ages required for evolution.10 God's Appointed Timetables are Implemented God did not create the Earth then walk away from it when man sinned. In fact when Adam and Eve sinned, God revealed His redemptive plan to them and the sacrificial system was initiated as a pointer to Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. Many prophecies have been made in the Bible, particularly in the Books of Ezekiel and Daniel, which show that God is in control over the nations and affairs of men down through thousands of years of human history. Tower of Babel The Bible records that God intervenes in human events to ensure that His appointed timetables are implemented. One striking example is after the Deluge at the tower of Babel. Essentially, the whole earth had one language, and all the world’s population had migrated to the same location. The whole world then joined together to build a great city, and had aspirations of building a tower that reached the heavens. Not much detail is given in regards to what exactly their great sin was, but the Lord came down and confused their language, so that they no longer understood each other, thus the people of the city of Babel were dispersed throughout the earth. What is noteworthy about this event was God saying in Genesis 11:6, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."12 What is interesting from this text is that God appears to have intervened and dispersed the people not primarily because of their sinfulness, but rather because of their technology capability and globalisation which threatened to interfere with His redemptive plan for Earth.   Advanced Civilisation before the Flood Evolutionists would have us believe that the further we go back in history the more primitive man was. However we know from the Bible that that was not the case. The civilization before the flood was advanced. Genesis 4:16-17 says, "Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD [after his evil deed] and dwelt in the land of Nod [which means "wandering"] to the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch." Adam was the first generation; Cain was second generation; and Enoch was the third generation. By the time we get to Enoch, Cain was already building a city. He was not building a village, town, enclave, or compound, but he built a city in the time of the third generation. What does that say about their abilities? The Bible also tells us about the achievements of others in the antediluvian world. Jabal was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. He industrialized agriculture, and that included breeding animals and selling them commercially. His brother Jubal was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. In Genesis 4:22 Tubal-Cain is mentioned as "an instructor of every artificer in brass an iron". An artificer is an inventor or craftsman.  Is that not interesting? This means that not only was Tubal-Cain able to work in bronze and iron (the Iron Age did not reappear until the time of David, 1000 BC), he was working at his own forge and teaching other craftsman in the art of metalworking. Thus, you are getting into the manufacture of tools. If you already have iron, it is not long before you create steel. Of course, when talking about iron ore and bronze—which must include copper—you are talking about mining the ore. How do you get the fire to be hot enough to be able to melt them and work with them? We are talking about advanced scientific knowledge that it takes to be able to do these things. What we have here is the kernel of civilization: agriculture, husbandry and all the assorted related fields, the arts, heavy industrial sorts of metalworking. Do not forget, either, that the Jews tell us that there was a calendar that was available within 250 or 300 years of creation. That means that there were people who were dedicated to watching the sky and the astronomical bodies go round and their cycles, which they calculated, which means they had higher math skills. There is no doubt that they all could read and write, because these things had to be written down and recorded to be made available to wider audience.13 Why God Intervened at the Tower of Babel So we see that God intervened at the tower of Babel when mankind was rapidly rebuilding the pre-Flood society and its technologies. God intervened powerfully in human affairs to stop mankind's progress in order to keep His divine timetable in effect. Genesis 11:1-9 records that God altered the language of all mankind in order to stop man from rebuilding the pre-Flood technologies and culture. By confusing everyone's language, God made it impossible for humanity to either pool its knowledge or read any pre-Flood manuscripts. This caused the work to be stopped and the people dispersed throughout the world as God intended.14 There are parallels in the world today with the time of Babel. The last 100 years has seen us develop into a high tech civilisation. We have also been going down the globalisation path.  Recent globalization started on a large scale with worldwide mail and the telephone, where we could almost instantly communicate with others all the way across the globe. Next it was air-travel, opening up global travel in a way like never before. Now, with the internet, email and 24hr news stations, we are experiencing a globalization at a growth rate unprecedented in all of human history (except, maybe, in the case of Babel). The governments and economies of the world are becoming increasingly integrated and the Book of Revelation predicts that this trend will continue. We are becoming, quite frankly, a modern-day, worldwide, Tower of Babel.15 As in the Days of Noah In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus gave us insight into what the world would be like at the time of the Second Coming. He said,  "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." What Jesus is saying in these texts doesn't appear to be very remarkable. However we need to look at other texts to get a better insight. Genesis 6:5 says, "Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". Genesis 6:12 says, "All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth". Genesis 6:13 says, "...the earth is filled with violence." Genesis 6:6 says,  "It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth." Well how did the Earth get into such a predicament? Genesis 6:1-2 provides some background. It says, "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." Sons of God and Daughters of Men There has been some difference of opinion as to what this marriage between "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men" represents. Some people have taken the rather remarkable view that they were angels and that at that time they were angels who fell in love with beautiful ladies and married them. There is a fatal objection to that interpretation and that is that angels have no bodies and that they are not in a position to marry anyone. Mathew 22:29,30 says, " Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken [margin: deceived], not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." Jesus tells us plainly that angelic beings neither marry nor are given in marriage. All the angels, including the demons as revealed in scripture, are described as if they were male. As far as I know, there are none shown to be female. Jesus' word suggests that beyond their appearance of having gender, they are not sexual beings and thus have no need for marriage. Humans were created as male or female in order to reproduce, and thus we have the need for the institution of marriage. That is what God has given us in order to reproduce and have a family and learn great things. Since angels do not reproduce and cannot reproduce, they are essentially sexless. However getting back to Genesis 6:1,2 many reliable Bible teachers believe, that < "the sons of God' were the descendants of faithful Seth and "the daughters of men" were from the wicked seed of the murderer Cain. For some hundreds of years they kept apart and intermarried only with themselves but nearer to the flood, they began to intermarry. There was loss of conviction on the part of the godly families and the effect of it was that the whole church, if I can call it that, was entirely at risk. The danger was there would be no godly men or women left in the next generation. That is why God had to intervene. There would have been nothing left - no religion at all; not a single godly man or woman would have been left - so God intervened. In fact only Noah and his family were saved in the Ark despite Noah having preached to the then world for 120 years.16 Are there Parallels in our World Today? We can possibly conclude from Jesus' statement about the "days of Noah" that the latter days will mirror the days of Noah. We know that the days of Noah were characterised by moral wickedness, violence, high technology and globalisation.  These same conditions exist today. We are living in violent times. Crime and arrests are continuing to increase. Law enforcement officers are concerned because more and more young people under the age of sixteen are becoming involved in serious offences. But this should not surprise us. Many of these young people have been conditioned from birth to violence—to commit it, to acquiesce in it, and to consider it normal. Our entire nation is being geared to produce a generation like unto that of the days of Noah. The carefree use of sex and violence on TV, internet, in comics, DVDs, videos and video games, in movies, and in books is producing - and will continue to produce - a harvest of horror, of immoral sex and sexual deviancy, brutality and crimes of every nature. Censorship laws have been so relaxed that almost anything goes. Our Lord also said that in the days before the flood the people were "eating and drinking" (Matt. 24:38). The mention of eating has real significance for our generation. We are a nation of heavy eaters. Go into any city and just take note of the number of eating places. Medical statistics prove that we eat too much. For the most part, people are more interested in the physical and material spheres of life than they are in the spiritual. The marrying and giving in marriage refers to the looseness which abounds in relation to the marriage vows. It also has reference to men and women living together without being married. Divorce and separation are on the increase. It is alarming that in the past forty years divorce has risen from one in forty to one in two marriages. Juvenile delinquency, the result of broken homes, is increasing by leaps and bounds. Sex crimes are sweeping over our communities like a flood. Disobedient Christians are marrying unbelieving partners in outright rejection of God's Word which says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Some churches even ordain openly gay priests.17   History of Earth Let's have a look at the history of Earth and see whether any part of the so called 6000 year plan has occurred. A study of the "begats" of Genesis 5 reveals that there are approximately 2000 years (2 Redemptive days) from Adam to Abraham. Abraham to Christ can be chronicled to be another 2000 years (2 Redemptive days), which gives 4,000 years from Adam to Christ. (4 days) Our calendar places us about 2000 years AD. (another 2 days) completing about 6000 years since Adam, or 6 days before the Lord. (Note: God's Redemptive plan is 6000 years  or six days old. Let's take a look at some of the chronological events of Earth's history to see whether historic events fit within the 7000 year theory. The dates ascribed in the following table can be verified by looking at Bible genealogies.   BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGY CHART Time begins - creation of Adam 4004 BC5 Fall of Adam and Eve 3974 BC2 Flood 2350 BC Noah dies at 950 yrs 1998 BC Abraham born 1996 BC Abraham 100 yrs at birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:5) 1896 BC3 David becomes Israel's 2nd king and reigns 40 yrs (2 Samuel 5:4,5) 1010 BC Artaxerxes yr 7- he issues decree for Jews to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Start point for Daniel prophecies. 458 BC4 Jesus Christ, the Messiah is born on Tishri 15 (Feast of Tabernacles) 4 BC2 Messiah is baptized in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar 26 AD2 Passover. Messiah is crucified. Christianity begins. 30 AD2 The Gospel is taken from the Jews to the Gentiles 33 AD Siege of Jerusalem and destruction of Herod's temple 70 AD Abomination of Desolation Beginning of '1335 day' prophecy 508 AD Beginning of the Time of the End and end of '1260 year' prophecy 1798 AD End of Daniel 8 '2300 day' prophecy and Daniel 12 '1335 day' prophecy. Jesus begins His Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary. 1843 AD6 End of 6,000 years since the creation of Adam 1996 AD Sunday laws (1260 days) 2026 AD8 10 Kingdoms to rule the World for 15 days 2030 AD7 Death decree / Close of Probation / 7 Last Plagues 2030 AD8 Second coming 20302 Assumptions: 1. The dating system used is based on the Ussher chronology which is a 17th-century chronology of the history of the world formulated from a literal reading of the Bible by James Ussher, the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh (in what is now Northern Ireland). The chronology is sometimes associated with Young Earth Creationism, which holds that the universe was created only a few millennia ago. 2. Two redemptive days or 2000 years from the crucifixion of Christ arrives at 2030 however several texts suggest time will be shorter. 3. There is some conjecture as to the date of birth of Abraham depending on whether his father Terah begat Abram at 70 or 130 years of age. 4. Daniel's prophecy of 69 weeks commences with a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem which was in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:8-9). Artaxerxes' reign began with the murder of his father Xerxes in 465 B.C. His 1st regnal year (per Tishri accession year reckoning used by Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah), begins in Tishri of 464 B.C. It follows that seventh year of King Artaxerxes was in the year 458 B.C. (Jewish Encyclopedia) 5. 4004 BC is the generally accepted date of creation. However counting back 4000 years from Jesus birth at about 5 BC accords with a creation date of 4005 BC (see discussion below). 6. "I have seen that the 1843 chart (which placed the 1335 days as ending in 1843) was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered..." Ellen G. White, Bible Commentator, Early Writings, p 74-75.gs, 7. Revelation 17:12-14 - 1 prophetic hour equals 15 days; Sustainable Development 2030 agenda. 8. See below. The first 2000 years are characterized, by the school of Elijah the prophet, as years of "tohu" -- that is, waste, emptiness, confusion and chaos -- or "void."  That would be the world prior to Abraham, including the Flood of Noah's time, from 4005 B.C. to 2005 B.C. The next 2,000 years is the time of the "Torah," or "Law" of God -- from the time of Abraham, 2005 B.C. to the birth of Jesus Christ in 5 B.C.!  Analogies of Isaac Looking approx. 2000 years from creation we come to Abraham and Isaac, and we find some amazing parallels between Isaac and Christ. They both had miraculous births. God had promised that a child would be born to Abraham in his old age. In fact Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 91. It was only through the work of God which allowed Sarah to conceive and it was the power of God that bought about Jesus in an even greater miraculous birth. Isaac, whom Abraham loved, was to be a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. This was actually a mountain range upon which Calvary stood. So this is the same place that approximately 2000 years later God would allow His own Son to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. While Abraham carried the fire and the knife, it was left to Isaac to carry the very wood on which he would be sacrificed. This again pictures the Lord Jesus who, while he was physically able, carried his wood, the cross, to Golgotha where He would die. In Genesis 22:7,8 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Just as Isaac was to take the place of the lamb for this sacrifice, so Jesus became the ‘lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.’ Mt Moriah then, is absolutely sacred to both Jews and Muslims. The Jews believe Abraham was directed by God to take his son Isaac, to go into the land of Moriah, and there to offer him for a burnt offering upon a mountain which God would show him. The Muslims agree that this was the spot where Abraham was tested to sacrifice Ishmael and so on top of the Temple mount where Herod’s Temple once stood, they have built “The Dome of the Rock” Mosque.18 The Two Adams What is important about the 7000 year theory is to establish a start date. I believe that it is possible to obtain clues by looking at Jesus, the second Adam. In 1 Corinthians 15 St Paul repeatedly asserts direct parallels between Adam and Jesus. In verse 45 he refers to 'the first man Adam' who was made 'a living soul' and 'the last Adam' who became a 'quickening spirit.' In verse 22 Paul states: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." In verse 47 he refers to them as 'the first man' and 'the second man.' Paul three times asserts a direct linkage between the lives of Adam and Jesus ('the last Adam' or 'second man'). Similarities Between the Two Adams Why does St Paul refer to Christ as the 'second Adam', or words to that effect? Can we draw any inferences for the purposes of our study by looking at the similarities between the two Adams?   Adam Similarities Jesus The Bible tells us that the first man, Adam, was created by God, in His image and likeness, directly from the dust of the ground. A miraculous beginning Jesus too had a miraculous beginning when He was incarnated as a human being—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20–23; Luke 1:26–35). Adam was created a perfect man, in full possession of all human faculties, and had full communion with God.  Perfect, innocent, holy The last Adam, Jesus, was also perfectly man, one with God (John 10:30; 17:21-22), innocent, sinless, and holy (Hebrews 7:26). Adam was the head of the human race. He lost this status to Satan when he sinned. Humanity’s head Jesus Christ is the head of redeemed humanity (see, for example, Ephesians 5:23). He gained this status after victory over Satan at the cross. The first Adam gave life to all his descendants. Both givers of life The last Adam, Jesus Christ, gives eternal life to those who receive Him and believe on His name, giving them ‘power to become the sons of God’ (John 1:1–14). Adam, representing mankind, was given dominion over the created world (Genesis 1:26). Two rulers After being raised from the dead, Jesus Christ was elevated to God’s right hand, and given dominion over all things, which were ‘put under his feet.’ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:20–22). Genesis 2:21-23 tells us that God put Adam into a deep sleep, during which time God made Adam’s bride, Eve, from Adam’s side—a wound in Adam’s side produced a bride! A deep sleep produces a beautiful bride After the last Adam, Jesus, died upon the cross—suffering the sleep of death for everyone—His side was pierced by a spear thrust (John 19:34). Thus a wound in the last Adam’s side also produced a bride—the true Church!19   Parallels between the 2 Adams and the Passover   As seen in the above table there are many parallels between the 2 Adams. Now let's explore the parallels further with reference to the Passover. The following table compares significant events of the 2 Adams with respect to Passover dates:   Date Passover Crucifixion (2nd Adam) Adam & Eve (1st Adam) Heaven (in time of Adam & Eve) 10th Nisan A male lamb without blemish, perfect in every way, was selected (Exo 12:3-5). Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:36). He was chosen by the people on the 10th day of Nisan (Palm Sunday) as their lamb (John 12:12-13). Eve sinned, possibly toward the evening of the day, which would make her sin occurring 3 1/2 to 4 days before Adam's. Although possible that Adam sinned on Nisan 10 it is more likely to have occurred at about noon 14 Nisan. See below. In all the universe there was found only One (Jesus Christ) who could make atonement for the transgression of man. 10th to 14th Nisan The next four days were spent checking or testing the lamb for imperfections. After Jesus entered the city, He endured intense scrutiny for the next four days. During that time the leaders tried to find fault with or in Him (Matt 22 & 23). In a last desperate attempt they took Jesus to Pilate on Thursday morning who said in John 19:4, "...I find no fault in Him". Eve tempted Adam, she expressed greater love for him than before. (P&P EG White). The 4 days more easily accommodates the ‘counsel of peace’ which occurred in heaven. Before the Father Jesus pleaded in the sinner’s behalf. There was a ‘counsel of peace’ in heaven. Angels prostrated themselves at the feet of Jesus and offered to become a sacrifice for man (P&P p.65 EG White). 14th Nisan The daylight part of Nisan 14 (Friday 6am to Friday 6pm) was the time when the Israelites were preparing for the Passover lambs which were killed that afternoon. The lambs were slain about 3-5 PM in the afternoon, at the "going down of the sun" (Deut.16:6), or "between the two evenings" (Exo.12:6). In the evening part of Nisan 14 (Thursday 6pm to 12pm) Jesus prayed and agonized over His decision to die in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Matthew 26: 36-46; Luke 22:43) We see in Mark 15:33 that "At the sixth hour (Hebrew time) darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour." Hebrew time: 12 noon and 3 PM It was about 3:00 p.m. that Jesus died (Luke 23:44-46)—the same time that the sacrificial Passover lamb in the temple was slaughtered.  There was a terrible struggle in Adam’s mind (P&P EG White). Possibly in the evening part of Nisan 14 (Thursday 6pm to 12pm) Adam made his decision to give up his life for Eve. In the day part of Nisan 14 Adam possibly ventured to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and ate the fruit at about 12 noon. Adam died spiritually and was without hope for 3 hours. At 3pm Adam and Eve experienced the first Passover when the innocent life was offered in the garden on behalf of their sins.  Before they left the garden (an exodus) innocent blood had to be shed so the angel of death would not slay them.  Genesis 2:16; Romans 6:23  It was a struggle for God to give up His Son to die for the guilty race (P&P p64 EG White).   15th & 16th Nisan At midnight Nisan 15 the Angel of Death visited Egypt it "passed over" Hebrew homes, which had been marked with lambs blood on the doorposts. By daybreak, Thursday the 15th, word spread among the Israelites that Pharaoh had released Israel and the Israelites departed after receiving silver and gold and garments from the Egyptians for their journey.   Numbers 33:3 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men (Matthew 28:2-4).   After Adam’s fall angels were immediately commissioned to guard the tree of life. Around these angels flashed beams of light having the appearance of a glittering sword (P&P p.60 EG White) Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden of Eden.       In common The  perfect lamb was chosen The lamb was checked for imperfections Decisions were made to die. Sacrifices occurred. Angels of death Angels of life How far do the Parallels Go?   We know that there are many similarities between the 2 Adams. Is it possible that similarities go much further than previously thought, ie even to their individual days and dates of birth and to their sinless life spans? Is there evidence to support the proposition or hypothesis that the sinless lives of the 2 Adams were the same chronologically?   Chronologically matching days and years for 14th Nisan in times of Adam and Christ In the table below note that the day sequence corresponds with biblical days, eg we know that Good Friday or the crucifixion day in AD 30 was on Friday Nisan 14. However keep in mind that Friday Nisan 14 starts from about 6pm Thursday evening and goes 24 hours to about 6pm Friday. The table also accounts for changes to day sequences in leap years. 14th Nisan Year Year Day start Creation Jesus Creation Jesus Saturday 0 -4 BC Saturday 17 14 AD Sunday 1 -3 BC Sunday 18 15 AD Monday 2 -2 BC Tuesday 19 16 AD Wednesday 3 -1 BC Wednesday 20 17 AD Thursday 4 1 AD Thursday 21 18 AD Friday 5 2 AD Friday 22 19 AD Saturday 6 3 AD Sunday 23 20 AD Monday 7 4 AD Monday 24 21 AD Tuesday 8 5 AD Tuesday 25 22 AD Wednesday 9 6 AD Wednesday 26 23 AD Thursday 10 7 AD Friday 27 24 AD Saturday 11 8 AD Saturday 28 25 AD Sunday 12 9 AD Sunday 29 26 AD Monday 13 10 AD Monday 30 27 AD Tuesday 14 11 AD Wednesday 31 28 AD Thursday 15 12 AD Thursday 32 29 AD Friday 16 13 AD Friday 33 30 AD In the above table we know that Nisan 14 in year 0 (creation) was a Saturday (day beginning Friday evening). This is based on the assumption that days 1,2,3 etc from creation week were Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc respectively. We know that Nisan 14 in year 30 AD (crucifixion) was a Friday (day beginning Thursday evening).  We reference years 0 (creation) and AD 30 as start days in to determine the day sequences in other years. The above table confirms the possibility that the 2 Adams may have lived identical sinless life spans and that the Passover sacrifices at the end of their 33 years occurred on Friday Nisan 14. This provides further support for the proposition that the Passover and Crucifixion dates were in fact anniversaries of when the first substitute lamb was scarified in Eden.   Can we determine Jesus' Real Birthday? The only sources of information on Jesus' birth are the gospels of Matthew and Luke of the Bible. Matthew describes King Herod as the ruler during the time of the Nativity, and Herod is believed to have died in 4 BC. Furthermore, to kill Jesus and eliminate him as a rival king, Herod orders the "Massacre of the Innocents" — the killing of all male children in Bethlehem aged two years and under. This means that Jesus would likely have been up to two years old or younger by Herod's death in 4 BC, possibly setting the Nativity between 4 to 6 BC. Luke places the Nativity during the Census of Quirinius, which took place in 6 AD, although Luke states the conception took place during the reign of King Herod — about 10 years earlier. Because both Gospel accounts agree that the birth took place before the death of Herod, historians generally assume Jesus was born around 5 BC or slightly before.45 The likely date of Jesus' birth was 4 BC, which fits the Biblical and historical evidence. This date is based on Jesus being less than 2 years old at the time of the 'Massacre of the Innocents', and having been born sometime before the death of Herod in 4 BC. Matthew 2:14,15 says that "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod". The day we celebrate Christ's birth, ie December 25th was first celebrated in 336 AD, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December. Most biblical scholars think Jesus was born either in the spring or autumn. During the spring (in March or April) there's a Jewish festival called 'Passover'. This festival remembers when the Jews had escaped from slavery in Egypt about 1500 years before Jesus was born. Jews from all over the Roman Empire travelled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, so it would have been a good time for the Romans to take a census. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census (Bethlehem is about six miles from Jerusalem). The other likely time for the birth of Jesus was the Jewish festival of 'Sukkot' or 'The Feast of Tabernacles' which occurred in the autumn (in September or October), as it might fit with the description of there being 'no room in the inn'. It also would have been a good time to take the Roman Census as many Jews went to Jerusalem for the festival and they would have brought their own tents/shelters with them! Let's go back to the above table. It can be seen that there is chronological support for the proposition that the 2 Adams lived identical sinless lives in terms of years. That being the case, let’s now check whether they both had the same birth dates in terms of days.  Keep in mind that Adam was born on the 6th day, ie Friday (beginning Thursday evening).  In the following table we trace the years back to Jesus’ birth to determine whether this was also on the 6th day, ie Friday (beginning Thursday evening). 6th Nisan Year Day start Creation Jesus Friday 0 -4 BC Saturday 1 -3 BC Sunday 2 -2 BC Monday 3 -1 BC Wednesday 4 1 AD Thursday 5 2 AD Friday 6 3 AD Saturday 7 4 AD Monday 8 5 AD Tuesday 9 6 AD Wednesday 10 7 AD Thursday 11 8 AD Saturday 12 9 AD Sunday 13 10 AD Monday 14 11 AD Wednesday 15 12 AD Thurday 16 13 AD Friday 17 14 AD Saturday 18 15 AD Monday 19 16 AD Tuesday 20 17 AD Wednesday 21 18 AD Thursday 22 19 AD Saturday 23 20 AD Sunday 24 21 AD Monday 25 22 AD Tuesday 26 23 AD Thursday 27 24 AD Friday 28 25 AD Saturday 29 26 AD Sunday 30 27 AD Tuesday 31 28 AD Wednesday 32 29 AD Thursday 33 30 AD   From the above table we can see that there is chronological support that Nisan 6 in 4 BC was on the 6th day of the week or a Friday (beginning Thursday evening). This supports the proposition that Jesus was born exactly 4000 years after the birth of Adam. Most Bible commentators agree that creation was 4004 BC and Jesus was born in 4 BC but they don’t make the 4000 year connection from creation. We know from the creation account that the sun was created on the 4th day. Most people and scientists believe that the sun came into being before the earth, not the other way around. However the 7000 year theory based upon the creation week predicts that Jesus, the light of the world, would come on the 4th day of the world’s history or after 4000 years as was the case. Also from the above table it is noted that Jesus’ birth in the first month of 4 BC accommodates the death of Herod which is generally believed to have been in 4 BC. Jesus’ death on Friday 14 Nisan 30 AD corresponds with astronomical records. We know that 14 Nisan AD 30 corresponds to 7 April in today’s calendar. So let’s check when Jesus was born in terms of today’s calendar.   Chronologically checking for the Birthday of Christ   6th Nisan Day Nisan March/ April Saturday 1 25 Sunday 2 26 Monday 3 27 Tuesday 4 28 Wednesday 5 29 Thursday 6 30 Friday 7 31 Saturday 8 1 Sunday 9 2 Monday 10 3 Tuesday 11 4 Wednesday 12 5 Thursday 13 6 Friday 14 7   The date Friday 31 March is within the probable dates of Jesus’ birth which most biblical scholars predict, ie either in Autumn or Spring.   How long did Adam live in the Garden of Eden? The Passover lamb was taken on 10th Nisan and slain at evening on 14th Nisan. Likewise Jesus was taken (when Adam sinned) and hid for 4 redemptive days or 4000 years. It is generally believed that Adam was created at about 4004 BC. Jesus was born at about 4 BC exactly 4000 years later. As the perfect Passover lamb, Jesus' death paid the ransom for the penalty of sin. His crucifixion marked the end of 4000 years of sin and 4000 years of redemptive work. The 2 Adams both lived sinless lives up until their temptations. Both Matthew 4:1 and Luke 4:1 say that "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Why? Jesus lived His life according to a timetable which in some ways was similar to that of the first Adam. The first Adam (and Eve) ventured where they would be tempted of the Devil at the forbidden tree. Christ likewise was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Whilst the first Adam succumbed to temptation, Christ prevailed in large part because of 40 days fasting and prayer. When did this happen? Luke 3:23 says, "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age..." Given that Jesus' ministry lasted 3 1/2 years from this time until His death on 5 April AD 30, the year would have been AD 26. Therefore it is likely (on the 2 Adams parallel) that Adam and Eve were tempted when they were also 30 years of age. 30 years from creation would bring us to 3974 BC. 4000 years on brings us to 26 AD and 2000 years further on brings us to 2026, which marks the end of 6000 years of sin. Another aspect of the temptation of Christ is that there were 3 temptations recorded. The first about turning stones to bread possibly has similarities to Eve's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit. The last temptation was about Satan offering Christ dominion of the world. This is what Adam gave up to Satan when he yielded to temptation. Yet another aspect of the temptations is that they possibly occurred over a 3 1/2 day (or 4 day period (passover lamb parallel). This could have been the original "dark ages", a precurser to the "dark ages" from 538 AD to 1798 AD (3 1/2 prophetic days) and the time of trouble (3 1/2 literal years) from 2026 to 2030 when there will be one world religion. In the Garden of Eden after Eve sinned, she was doomed to die for 3 1/2 (or 4) days until a Saviour was found in Christ and the first passover lamb died as a substitute.   Jesus Lived according to a Time Schedule There is only one story of Jesus after his birth before he begins His public ministry. This story is found in Luke 2:41-52. This gives us a little insight into Jesus' life from twelve years old until He is in his early 30s. According to Luke 2:51 (TNIV), “As Jesus grew up, he increased in wisdom and in favor with God and people.” Jesus seems to be growing or maturing in some way before the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus understood the Scriptures. He knew His mission as did John the Baptist. John's first words when he saw Jesus coming toward him were, "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). Jesus knew that God had appointed, not only a pathway for the Messiah to follow, but the very program and time in which the events would occur. Jesus first words in the gospel according to Mark, are these, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, TNIV). Jesus seems to recognize that there is a particular time for the beginning of His public ministry. In other places in the gospels, Jesus speaks about the right timing, or that His time has not yet come. Jesus had a sense about the timing of His ministry, and the beginning of His ministry fits into this timing. In the previous section we saw that there was a specific time for Jesus' temptation. Also from the time Jesus first realized why He had been sent into the world, He knew that His main purpose was to arrive in Jerusalem at a precise, exact time and date on God's calendar that had been prophesied by Daniel 700 years earlier, (Daniel 9:24-27). There He knew that He would be betrayed by one of His own, and that He would become a sacrificial lamb for the sins of all the world." Jesus Knew He Would Be Crucified on the Passover. He said in Matthew 26:2 "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." Jesus spoke of a specific time in which he was to lay down his life. In John 7:6-8 KJV "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come..."  John 13:1 says, "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." Jesus' death and resurrection kept a holy timetable on God's Calendar.20,21 When did the 7000 Year Theory Start? By analysing recorded Bible chronology it is generally understood that the Creation occurred at about 4004 BC. It is simply a matter of addition to see that the end of a 6000 year period would be somewhere near 1996 AD. The only unknown in this discussion is when the 6000 years started. The start date could not have been at creation because God created everything perfect. There was no sin, corruption, ageing or death until they sinned. The redemption plan, being a contingency plan, would only be necessary should Adam sin. The start date was when Adam and Eve sinned. On the day that Adam and Eve sinned God revealed His redemption plan to all parties, ie Adam, Eve and the Serpent (Satan). Genesis 3:21 says that God made a covering of skin for Adam and Eve after they sinned. This is the first time blood is shed - right after Adam and Eve followed Satan's advice and rejected God's warning. The result was that some living animal had to die to provide a covering for Adam and Eve. This is the first of a theme in Scripture that something has to die to atone or make payment for sin. The sacrifices were merely a symbol or prophetic picture of how God would do this. Jesus, symbolised as the Passover lamb, was taken and hid for 4 days (4000 years). The sin of Adam and Eve resulted in them being exiled from the Garden of Eden and cut off from the intimate presence and communion which they had previously experienced with God. Some have speculated that the period in the Garden of Eden may have only been a short time, perhaps a few months, before they fell into sin. The rationale given is that after God made Adam and Eve, He told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). It is known that they were created as full-grown adults and we don't read anything about the children of Adam and Eve until after they have left the Garden (Genesis 4:1,2). So it is presumed that they may have lived in the Garden for less than a year. There is a flaw to the above arguments because they assume that the human being was the same both before and after the fall. This was definitely not the case. After Adam's sin all nature changed. Adam and Eve lost their covering of light and saw their nakedness. The serpent, once believed to be a glorious flying creature with feathers, was now condemned to slither on its belly. Animals became wild and unfriendly toward man, and many became predators of other animals. Weeds and thistles grew. Another aspect to consider is that Bible chronologies during the antediluvian period reveal that child raising occurred at a relatively late age. For example, Adam's son Seth lived 105 years before his first born, and grandson Enos lived 90 years before his firstborn. The Bible does not tell us how long that sinless time period lasted. The Book of Jubilees in fact pegs it at seven years, however that book is not considered Scripture and may not be reliable. And as it turns out, adding those seven years to the year 1997 (a reasonable guess for the 6000 year anniversary of creation) would require that the end of the 6000 years of man arrive in 2003. Because the Second advent is still in the future it is likely that the period before sin may have been much longer. 7,22 It is noted from our previous discussion that the 7000 year theory started in 3974 BC (based on the 2 Adams parallel). However that does not necessarily mean that Christ will come 6000 years later in 2026. This is because there was a 3 1/2 year period from when Jesus was tempted until His crucifixion. Similarly there will be a 3 1/2 year time of trouble from 2026, when the False Messiah comes, prior to the 2nd coming of Christ. Why did it take 4000 Years for the Messiah to Come? Now why did it take some 4000 years from creation for the Messiah to come? We find the answer in the theology of the ritual of the Passover lamb.  Israel was instructed to keep the Passover Lamb for 4 days before killing it in the evening. (Exod. 12:1-6)  Also notice that when Adam sinned, Christ our Passover was taken and kept for 4000 years (4 days) and crucified at the end (i.e. the evening) of the fourth day. St Paul confirms this in 1 Cor. 5:7: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." 1 Peter 1:20 says Jesus "was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you." Another thing to note about the Passover lamb is found in Exodus 12:5: "Your lamb shall be without blemish." Now why did it matter whether the sacrificial lambs had any spots or blemishes? The answer is that the sacrificial lambs symbolically represented Christ. 1 Peter 1:19,20 says, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot".  Atonement for our sins could be made by none other than Christ, not even the highest of angels. Christ was the only one worthy because He was God.   Jesus the Passover Lamb I believe that we may see clues to the start date of the redemption plan if we take at look at Jesus' crucifixion and His role as the Passover lamb. There are a number of parallels between Adam, Jesus and the Passover lamb. The first ever Passover occurred back in the Garden of Eden when the angel should have killed Adam physically, but he did not, in the kindness of God he passed over him. And the same 'Angel' then gave His life as a ransom for him, having spared him at the will of His Father.   Jesus Hour of the Day Passover Lambs Jewish "Hours" starts at Sunrise Sunrise = 1st hour = 6AM   Roman Day starts at Midnight Midnight = 1st hour = 12 PM On 10th Nisan Jesus made His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey following exactly the same path to the temple that the Passover lamb had just taken (Matthew 21:1-11).  During the four days, the chief priests, elders, Pharisees, and Sadducees interrogated Jesus; but He always left them speechless, because they could find no fault with His impeccable logic and character (Matthew 21:23-27, 22:23-46, 26:59,60).23 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL What happened literally on 10th Nisan which necessitated a passover lamb? Possibly the sin of Eve. These four days are prophetic of the Messiah being hid from the world and not coming to earth for four days or 4,000 years after the fall of Adam. NISAN 10th - 13th (Sun. 6PM to Thurs. 6 PM)   On the tenth of Nisan the priests carried the lambs for the Passover sacrifices into the Temple, as commanded by God (see Ex. 12:3). (A Jewish historian Josephus records the number of lambs slain during the feast to be about 256,500)24 The lambs were kept in public view at the temple for everyone to examine and if no blemish or defect could be found, they qualified for the sacrifice and were killed on the fourteenth.24 The Passover lamb entered Jerusalem with a sign hanging around its' neck with the name of its' owner inscribed on it. Likewise Jesus' died with a sign hung over him. The Hebrew initials for "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was YHWH--the Hebrew name for God.24   NISAN 14   Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with disciples and afterwards went to Mount of Olives.25 (6 PM Thursday   Jesus was betrayed and arrested in the middle of the night and was taken to the High Priest. (Luke 22:47-53) Midnight   Peter is in the High Priest's courtyard and denies Jesus three times and the rooster crows. (Luke 22:56-62) 2-3 AM   At daybreak the elders, chief priests and scribes question Jesus asking whether he was the Christ (Luke 22:66,67) Daybreak   After Jesus said He was the Son of God they sent Him to Pilate. (Luke 22:69 - 23:1) 6 AM   Pilate sent Jesus to Herod (Luke 23:7) Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate (Luke 23:11) 6 -9 AM   "It was ... about the sixth hour (Roman time) ... Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." (John 19:14-16) Soldiers mocked Jesus, struck him, spat on him and took him to Golgotha. (Mark 15:16-24 and Luke 22:60-23:32). Jesus carried his own cross, to Golgotha. (John 19:17) 6-9 AM 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL The Passover lamb must be a male. It was through one man’s sin…Romans 5:12. Adam the first male sinned; therefore, a firstborn male must make atonement for man’s sin. Jesus was the first born Son of God.26 “It was the third hour when they crucified [Jesus]” (Mark 15:25); that is, it was the third hour of daylight, or about 9:00 a.m.  9 AM The Passover lamb in the temple was bound to the altar at about 9:00 a.m.23 "At the sixth hour (Hebrew time) darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour." (Mark 15:33) Hebrew time: 12 noon and 3 PM 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL It is quite probable that Adam ate the forbidden fruit at about 12 Noon. Some Bible students think that the time of Adam and Eve hiding from God’s presence was three hours, corresponding to the three hours when the sun was darkened at our Lord’s crucifixion (see Matt. 27: 45).2 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL Just as Adam died spiritually in the Garden but remained alive physically when he disobeyed, so Christ was spiritually dead on the Cross while darkness enveloped the Earth for 3 hours, signifying His alienation from the Father for our sakes but remained alive physically (Matt. 27:45-46; Gal. 3:13). 12 Noon - 3 pm PERIOD OF DARKNESS The sixth hour (Noon our time) was Israel's preparation of the Passover—That is, the time in which they were just preparing to kill the paschal lamb.27 During the 6 hours on the cross Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. He destroys the separation that sin caused between God and man.28 This darkness testifies to the Father’s having forsaken his Son. It demonstrates the Father has withdrawn the light of his glory, mercy, and blessings from Jesus to abandon him to His dark wrath and punishment.30   "and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice. . . With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last." (Mark 15:34) Hebrew time: 3PM The following events occurred during the earthquake following Jesus' death (Matthew 27:51-52): 1) The earth shook and the rocks split 2) The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom 2) The tombs opened and the dead raised to life 3) Jesus was acknowledged as the Son of God by a Roman soldier. These also point to the fact that Jesus' redemption work was done and finished when He died. Paul explains that Jesus triumphed over the powers of darkness, ‘by the cross’ (Colossians 2:14,15). 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL After Adam and Eve sinned and realized they were naked, God killed two innocent animals and made coverings for the man and his wife. (Genesis 3:21) This was the first picture of the atonement. 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL After Adam and Eve sinned God told the serpent (Satan) that he would be defeated by the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). This occurred 4000 years later when Jesus shed his blood on the cross. 3 PM JESUS DIED Jesus was slaughtered with all the other lambs that same day at 3:00 p.m. on the 14th of Nisan.27 It was about 3:00 p.m. that Jesus died (Luke 23:44-46)—the same time that the sacrificial Passover lamb in the temple was slaughtered.  As the high priest killed the lamb, he would have announced, “It is finished.”  It is no accident that, on the cross a few kilometres away, Jesus’ last words also were, “It is finished” (John 19:30), which literally meant, “Paid in full.”23 7000 YEAR THEORY PARALLEL Adam regained life spiritually through saving faith in God's mercy and His plan of redemption through a future descendant. Christ regained life spiritually on the Cross when he was reunited with the Father at the end of that period of darkness. It was then that Jesus could declare, 'It is finished' (John 19:28-30; Luke 23:46). Jesus' bones were not broken. John 19:32 says, "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs". The Soldier Pierces Jesus Side (John 19:34) Jesus was taken down and buried in a nearby borrowed tomb just before the end of the day or before 6 PM. (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42) It was Preparation Day (that is the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus' body." (Mark 15:42-43) (no work was allowed on the Sabbath). 3-6 PM There were clear instructions concerning the Passover sacrifice. Exodus 12:46 says, "neither shall ye break a bone thereof." Between 3-5 PM thousands of lambs are being slain for Passover at the same Jesus dies.30 The body of the Passover lamb was to be killed and eaten in the same night. Jesus was tried, convicted, crucified and died all on the 14th of Nisan the Feast of Passover. Death by crucifixion and the burial usually took more than one day. Jesus died in a matter of 6 hours.27   NISAN 15   Sabbath starts at 12th hour or Sunset. 6 PM Sabbath starts at Sunset 6 PM Chief priests and Pharisees ask Pilate to put a guard on the tomb about 7 PM (4 hours after Jesus died and one hour into the Sabbath but our Friday night) Matthew 27:62 The Messiah rests in the tomb, observing the Sabbath day rest the entire day. This is the second day in the grave.31 7 PM     NISAN 16   The resurrection takes place     When was Jesus' Crucified? The next step in analysing the 7000 year theory is to establish when Jesus died. If this date can be established then the 7000 year theory predicts 2000 more years to the Second Coming of Jesus. The most likely years when Jesus died are between 29 AD and 34 AD. We also need to find a year with a Friday Passover and one that accords with  Bible prophecy and historians. Generally it assumed that Jesus lived about 33½ years. In the years suggested there are only two viable dates accepted by scholars for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. These are Fri 5 Apr AD 30 (on our modern Gregorian calendar) and Fri 1 Apr AD 33. Briefly, the AD 30 date best fits all of the evidence concerning both the birth and death of Christ, including secular sources, whereas the AD 33 date is the one that best fits the New Testament account of the Crucifixion. In both years 30 AD and 33 AD there was a Friday Passover. The AD 30 date (unlike AD 33) accommodates the death of Herod having been in 4 or 3 BC as Josephus states (and hence Christ's birth about 4-6 BC). If Jesus died in 30 AD He would have been 33 years of age, which is generally accepted. AD 31 has also been mentioned. The World Wide Church of God has traditionally taught that the crucifixion occurred in A.D. 31.  However, they teach that the 14th of Nisan fell on a Julian Wednesday as the fourth day of the week.  This necessitates the explanation that Christ had to remain in the tomb for three full 24 hour periods, thus bringing them to a Sunday resurrection. The Seventh-day Adventists also believe that Jesus was crucified in 31 AD, on a Friday. However there is a weakness to their case because astronomical calculations going back to 31 AD don't coincide with a Friday Passover in that year. Seventh-day Adventists then say that it is not possible to reconcile the Judean calendar with our modern calendar. This presents an inconsistency because on the other hand Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Saturday Sabbath they keep today is the same Saturday Sabbath of Jesus' time. Historians also tell us that the weekly cycle of days has not changed since Biblical times.   Possible Astronomical Dates of the Crucifixion We know that both Pilate (Mt. 27:2, Mk. 15:1, Lk. 23:1, Jn. 18:29) and Caiaphas (Mt. 26:57, Jn. 18:24) participated in the trial of Christ. Since Pilate was governor from 26-36 AD and Caiaphas was High Priest from 28-36 AD, Christ died between 28 and 36 AD.33 The Passover traditionally took place upon the 14th of Nisan, the day of the Full Moon. According to the US Naval Observatory, in the years 30 and 33 A.D. the 14th of Nisan took place upon a Friday. This coincides with John 19:14 that tells us the day of the crucifixion was "the day of preparation for the Passover."34 Year Day of the week of the 14th of Nisan 28 A.D. Tuesday 29 A.D. Monday 30 A.D. Friday 31 A.D. Tuesday 32 A.D. Sunday 33 A.D. Friday 34 A.D. Wednesday The day of the week of Jesus' crucifixion has been debated. But it seems best to consider it as Friday, since His body was laid in the tomb on the evening of the "Day of Preparation" (technical term for Friday), the day before the Sabbath (Matt. 27:62; 28:1; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54,56; John 19:31,42). (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) Note also the reasoning in Nelson's article. "Astronomically, Jesus' death fits best with either A. D. 30 or 33". Now, what does that mean? It means that these are the only two years within an acceptable time frame where the Sabbath of the fifteenth of Nisan coincides with the weekly Saturday Sabbath.35   15th Year of Tiberius Caesar Tiberius Caesar A clue to when Jesus was crucified is that it is generally believed that His ministry lasted 33½ years. The start date of Jesus' ministry was His baptism. Luke records that Jesus' baptism occurred in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1). A dispute has existed concerning the date of the fifteenth year of Tiberius. This is a result of the two year co-rulership Tiberius had with Augustus. Tiberius began his co-rulership with Augustus in A.D. 12. This means that the 15th year of Tiberius was A.D. 26. There was a two year co-regency from A.D. 12 to A.D. 14. Some scholars calculate his 15th year from the beginning of his sole rulership in A.D. 14 and arrive at an A.D. 28 date. This is the source of conflict. However, A.D. 12 is the only date that harmonizes with all other events.36  Therefore, John the Baptist began his ministry, as a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ, in the spring of A.D. 26. Jesus was then baptized by John the Baptist, some time in the fall of A.D. 26. 3½ years after the fall of A.D. 26 brings us to the spring of A.D. 30. Luke 3:23 says Jesus was about 30 at the time of His baptism. In the time of Jesus, priests began their service at 30 years of age. From a Jewish point of view a man of 30 was not too young to be in a position of spiritual authority, yet not too old to carry on a vigorous ministry. We should accept that Jesus began His ministry very near the age of 30. This also accords with Jesus having been born in 5 BC. The implications of this is that Jesus' ministry lasted 3½ years to the Spring of 30 AD, and that He lived a life of 33½ years. Daniel's Prophecy To confirm that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah ("anointed one"), the divine Saviour of the world, God sent Daniel the spectacular prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 which not only prophesied over 500 years in advance the very year of Jesus' baptism and "anointing" with the Holy Spirit, but also the very year of His death and its meaning as a saving act on our behalf!  The chart below is premised on the assumption that the command to rebuild Jerusalem was made in 458 BC, based upon Sir Isaac Newton's research and interpretation. According to Ezra 7:8 the decree came in the 7th year of Artaxerxes who reigned from 465BC. There have been other start dates proposed however this date best fits all the evidence.37 Each of the last three verses of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy foretold events that were to take place relative to both Jerusalem and the Messiah. Daniel 9:25 foretold the very year He would be anointed and become the Messiah, which occurred exactly as prophesied, in A.D. 26. Daniel 9:26 foretold that "after the sixty-two weeks (i.e., sometime after 26 A.D.), Messiah shall be cut off" (put to death). Daniel 9:27 prophesied about the last seven years of the 490 year prophecy, the seven years after 26 A.D., and it explicitly states that "in the middle of the week (the middle of the final 7 years of the prophecy), He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering."  These phrases–"cut off" and "bring an end to sacrifice and offering"–are direct references to Jesus' death.  The "Messiah shall be cut off," put to death, and "bring an end to" the lamb sacrificial system of the Old Testament, "in the middle of" the final 7 years of this prophecy, or three and a half years after 26 A.D., which would be 30 A.D.38 If one does an Internet search for "seventy weeks prophecy" the result is at least fifty articles, with almost as many interpretations. Most of them have seemed contrived with several starting points in order to  to end on any of several dates, including proposed dates for the Saviour's baptism and crucifixion. With one notable exception, most interpretations claim that the prophecy is accurate to the year, but they all have to change one or both of the end years to make it work. Sir Isaac Newton undertook a very credible analysis of the '490 year' prophecy and applied his extensive knowledge of ancient history which allowed him to identify the Persian king as Artaxerxes I (Artaxerxes Longimanus), and to place the decree in the year 458 BC. Newton then calculated the Crucifixion date as being either in AD 33 or 34. The way he did it was remarkable, because he used his own new theory of gravity to calculate the position of the moon in antiquity to reconstruct the Judean calendar to find a year in which the day of the preparation for Passover fell on a Friday. That same method was "rediscovered" some two centuries later by someone totally unfamiliar with Newton's work, with the same results. Newton then pointed out that Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks, or 490 years, would fit perfectly either between the year of Ezra's commission in 458 BC and AD 33, which he acknowledged as the commonly accepted year for the Crucifixion, or it could also fit between the years 457 BC when Ezra actually got started working and AD 34. Newton favoured the latter choice for two reasons. First it makes Daniel's prophecy come out even not only in weeks of years, but both ends would also fall in the sacred seventh sabbatical year of the cycle. That is, both the years 457 BC and AD 34 were Jewish sabbatical years, which seemed like a very tidy fit to Newton because the entire prophecy was about weeks of years. Secondly, Newton favoured AD 34 because he thought he found evidence for the Saviour's ministry having been 4 years, rather than the traditional 3½ years. This evidence has not been accepted by modern scholars, who do not consider AD 34 as a plausible year for the Crucifixion. Sir Isaac Newton placed the crucifixion of Jesus at the end of Daniel’s 70 week (490 years) prophecy. This however is incorrect as Jesus was crucified in the middle of the final seven years (7 prophetic days - 7 years), which would make his favoured date of 33-34 A.D. more like 30-31 A.D. Here is the verse taken verbatim from the King James Version. Daniel 9:27 says, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."37 Ezekiel's Prophecy Another prophecy which gives us a clue as to when Christ was crucified is found in Ezekiel 4. The prophet was told to intercede for Israel and Judah according to specific time cycles for each nation. God told him first to lie on his left side for 390 days for the house of Israel —the northern tribes that had been taken into the Assyrian captivity a century earlier. The 390 year prophecy of Ezekiel covered the span of time from when Solomon Died in his 40th year in 975 BC to Zedekiah’s 11th year in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple in Jerusalem.39 Then Ezekiel was to lie on his right side for 40 days for Judah and Jerusalem, as we read in Ezekiel 4:6 and 7, "When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it." This prophetic intercession assigned a 40-year time of grace to Judah, leading to the siege of Jerusalem. There was not enough time in Ezekiel's day to give the city a 40-year grace period, but it did establish a 40-year grace period in the next great siege by Rome during the first century A.D. God's mercy endured a full 390 years for the iniquity of Israel before the punishment came. But for the iniquity of Judah, only 40 years grace is given! What sin of Judah could have been so much greater than that of Israel as to meet such a swift retribution? How do we even know that Judah's sin exceeded Israel's? In the scriptures, which side, left or right, is more significant? You would agree, I'm sure, that it is the right side. The right arm represents strength, blessing, and greatness. For Israel's sin Ezekiel is commanded to lie on his left side, whereas for Judah's sin he is to lie on his right side. This indicates which sin is greater. The sequence of the two sins in the passage also has relevance. Israel's sin gets the first attention, and Judah's next. Not only does Judah's sin come after that of Israel; it comes much after...a thousand years to be sure. We need to understand the makeup of the Jewish people during the time of Christ to fully realize the importance of Judah's sin. During the Babylonian captivity (70 years) and the seventy years that followed (the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and the rebuilding of the temple) the ten tribes were all but lost through intermingling and marriage to the surrounding nations. The tribe of Judah, by God's grace and mercy, was preserved as a remnant of the Jews. In Christ's time, the Jews hated their brethren of the ten tribes because they had not kept themselves pure. Samaritans were included in this group and, though formerly belonging to the nation of Israel, they were no longer permitted to worship in the temple at Jerusalem because of the hatred of the "pure" Jews towards them. Thus it was Judah for whom Christ laboured most while on this earth. Whereas Israel had rejected the kings whom God had appointed, Judah rejected the King of kings. Whereas Israel turned away from God to worship idols, Judah turned away from God to worship pride and tradition. Whereas Israel neglected to follow God, Judah murdered Him. Titus (Louvre, Paris) Just 40 years later, one biblical generation, the punishment came. Again Jerusalem was besieged. Again a famine came. Again the walls crumbled. Again the temple ended in destruction and ruins.  And thus is fulfilled the second part of Ezekiel's prophecy. The parallels between the two parts of this prophecy give the evidence that the interpretation holds true. Israel and Judah both rejected God. The sins are much the same. The fulfilment of the prophecy is the same. In both cases the temple, along with the city of Jerusalem, is destroyed.40 Flavius Josephus Usibus, the earth church father tells us that Titus brought about the siege of Jerusalem on Nisan 14 (Jewish Encyclopaedia) of 70 AD, during Passover, 40 years after Jesus crucifixion on Nisan 14, 30 AD. So this ancient historian tells us that Jesus died in 30 AD by way of subtracting the 40 years from the time of the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD which was known, following Ezekiel’s prophecy. Josephus (Jewish historian) also tells us that Titus began the siege of Jerusalem on Nisan 14, 70AD, 40 years to the day after the crucifixion, again proving when Jesus was crucified.39   Destruction of the Temple The fulfilment of Christ's prophecy concerning the destruction of the magnificent temple at Jerusalem reveals the year of Christ's crucifixion. Herod the Great In 40 B.C., the Roman senate appointed Herod, later known as Herod The Great, as the ruler of Judea. Herod had previously served as the governor of Galilee and was a personal friend of Mark Antony before Antony was defeated by Octavian. Later Herod became a friend of Octavian who became the first Roman emperor as Caesar Augustus. Herod the Great ruled Judea for the next 36 years, during which time he began many huge building projects including the building of a new Temple in Jerusalem for the worship of God. From the beginning of the Temple project in 19 B.C., it took 46 years to complete the main building and another 36 years to finish the entire Temple complex. This was a huge undertaking which required a tremendous amount of labour and money. This new temple was said to be a larger and a more beautiful temple than the one that Solomon built. Mark Antony The historian Josephus said that much of the exterior of the Temple was covered with gold that reflected the fiery rays of the sun. Moreover, he said that, from a distance, the Temple appeared like a mountain covered with snow. This was probably because those parts that were not covered with gold were made of white stone. From what is said in many writings about Herod's Temple, it was indeed a magnificent structure of awesome proportions. However, four years after it's completion, it was totally destroyed and wiped from the face of the earth. During Jesus' time, many of the Jews were so awe struck and impressed with the grandeur of the Temple that they replaced the worship of God with respect and reverence for the Temple complex itself. Herod's Temple The Passover season of 30 A.D. began much as it had in previous years. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world crowded into Jerusalem. Because they were concerned with preparing for the Passover, they did not realize that this particular Passover would be the most important event in all of human history. It was on this Passover that the Lamb of God would be sacrificed for the sins of humanity.41   Significant Events at the Crucifixion Jesus died about 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon of 30 A.D. on the first of two authorized Passover ceremonies. His death set into motion a series of events and warnings to the Jews which were meant to show that indeed the Jews had murdered the Messiah and that His prophecy concerning the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem would come to pass. There were three simultaneous events that happened during the earthquake at Jesus' death that are of major importance to the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem: 1) The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom 2) The tombs opened and the dead raised to life 3) Jesus acknowledged as the Son of God Temple Curtains History seems to indicate that there were two curtains in Herod's Temple: One at the huge gated entry into the temple and the other separating the Holy of Holies and the main sanctuary. These curtains were said to be 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and as thick as the palm of a man's hand. We are told that these curtains were so heavy that 300 priests were needed to manipulate each one. The curtain being torn from top to bottom was a foreboding omen indicating that God's hand had torn it in two and that his presence was leaving that holy place. (See the Jewish Talmud, Yoma 39b). This resurrection of the dead shows the following: 1) Christ's blood is life-giving (pictured in the blood of the Passover lamb) and has now wiped away the penalty of sin (Rom. 6:23) for all those who only had their sins covered by the sacrifice of animals. 2) There will be a time when all those who have or will have lived a righteous life will be given eternal and immortal life at the return of Christ. 3) The great enemy death has lost its power over humanity through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. The Jews had rejected Christ as the Messiah and murdered him as their fathers had murdered many others whom God had sent to them to teach his laws and ways of life. To their shame, it was a Roman centurion, not an Israelite, who recognized and acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God. See Psa.118:22-24; Jer.8:9; Matt.13:57; 21:42. Because of their rejection of the Messiah and his message the Jews would now pay a heavy price. The magnificent structure which symbolized God's presence and on which the Jews lavished much praise and showed great reverence would be destroyed along with their beloved city.41   Unusual Events of 30 AD The Bible records several remarkable events that occurred at the time when Jesus was crucified, ie a great earthquake, rocks split, the temple veil torn from top to bottom, tombs opened and dead saints resurrected. However what is interesting is that historians also recorded several strange events in the year 30 AD. Says the Jewish Talmud in Yoma 39b of the events which occurred in 30 A.D.: “Forty years before the Temple was destroyed [i.e., 40 years before 70 A.D., or in 30 A.D.] . . .the gates of the Hekel [Holy Place] opened by themselves, until Rabbi Yohanan B. Zakkai rebuked them [the gates] saying, Hekel, Hekel, why alarmist thou us? We know that thou art destined to be destroyed...” For the huge doors of the Temple behind the Veil to open, of their own accord, or in association with the great earthquake, would cause them to pull powerfully against the Veil, and with the lintel falling, at the same time, could have torn it in two from top to bottom.42   The Sanhedrin Says the Talmud: “Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the Sanhedrin was BANISHED (from the Chamber of Hewn Stone) and sat in the trading station (on the Temple Mount)” - (Shabbat 15a). The Sanhedrin officiated from the Chamber of Hewn Stones which was about 120 feet southeast of the Temple and its enormous stone lintel, which was at least 30 feet long, weighed some 30 tons and had cracked during the earthquake at the Messiah's death. History tells us that the Sanhedrin moved from their opulent surroundings in the Chamber of Hewn Stones to lesser accommodations shortly after the earthquake. Because there is no record of the Sanhedrin being forced by the Romans to move from the Temple (which would have caused a major political crisis), one can assume that the Sanhedrin moved because the earthquake had so damaged the building that it was unsafe for them to continue to meet there. 42 A Black Stone “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat” (Lev.16:8 KJV). There is much debate over exactly what kind of objects the lots were. However, the information found in the Babylonian Talmud and the Mishnah indicates that the lots were two stones—one white and one black. The white stone had the words “For the Lord” written on it, and the black stone had the words “For Azazal” (i.e., the goat that is sent away or banished) written on it. These two stones were placed into a container and it was shaken; then, without looking into the container, the high priest would put his right hand into the container and draw out one of the lots. The Babylonian Talmud shows that, for two hundred years before 30 A.D., the first stone to appear in the right hand of the high priest randomly fluctuated each year between the white and black stone. One would expect this type of randomness, because God selected the more perfect goat to be slain for the sins of the people. But, beginning with the Day of Atonement in 30 A.D. (the year of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), the black stone appeared in the right hand of the high priest for the next 39 years. The chances of the black stone (For Azazal) appearing 40 consecutive times in the right hand of the high priest is over a trillion to one according to Pascal's table of numerical odds. The continual appearance of the black stone in the right hand of the high priest was surely a sign of God's displeasure with the House of Judah and a warning for them to repent. The fulfilment of the prophetic black stone came after forty years of continuous warning when the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 70 A. D. by the Roman Empire. The Scarlet Thread On the Day of Atonement, a scarlet wool thread was placed on the door of the sanctuary. It was said that this thread turned white when the live goat was set free. But, beginning on the Day of Atonement in 30 A.D., this thread never turned white again. See Yoma 39b, Babylonian Talmud and pages 166, 170 Mishnah, by Danby. Clearly, the failure of the scarlet thread to turn white was another sign of God's disapproval of Israel's worship of him and their impending punishment if they did not repent. See Isa.1:18.   Final Warnings to the Jews In 66 AD, just 3½ years prior to the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of Herod's temple the Jewish historian Josephus recorded several dramatic events and warnings that concerned the Temple worship system at Jerusalem (War, Book 6. ch.5.) and foretold the end of the Temple worship system at Jerusalem. The following are just a few of the many warnings of impending disaster to come upon Jerusalem.  1. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 66 A.D. 3½ years prior to destruction of temple), at about 3 in the morning, a light as bright as daylight appeared around the altar for half an hour. Although some thought it was a good sign, the scribes understood it to be a precursor to the supernatural events that followed during the Feast: A heifer being led for sacrifice was said to have given birth to a lamb in the midst of the Temple. Around midnight, during the Feast, the huge eastern gate of the inner court of the temple, which was made of brass and normally took twenty men to shut, opened on its own. Josephus says that this was understood by knowledgeable men to mean that the Temple's protection had vanished and that the gate was opened for the benefit of their enemies. These enlightened men publicly declared that this sign foreshadowed the disaster that was coming on them (Wars IV,5,3). 2. On the twenty first of the month of Iyar, just before sunset, chariots and soldiers in armour were seen running about in the clouds around the city. See Lk.21:20.   3. During the night portion of the day of Pentecost in 66 A.D., as the priests were entering the inner court of the Temple, they felt a quaking and heard a great noise and a sound like a great multitude of voices saying, "Let us remove hence".   4. Jewish historical records state that the shekinah glory departed the Temple at that time and remained over the Mount of Olives for 3½ years, during which time, a voice could sometimes be heard coming from the mount pleading for the Jews to repent. See Midrash Lamentations 2:11. It is said that, just before the Roman's final siege of Jerusalem, that this light which appeared over the Mount of Olives disappeared into the heavens.                                    The Jews failed to heed these and many other warnings to repent of their sins and return to their God in humble obedience. If indeed the nation of Israel began its covenant relationship with the Creator God on the day of Pentecost at the foot of Mount Sinai, it ended this relationship on the day of Pentecost in 66 A.D. 41   Jerusalem Siege and Temple Destruction in 70 AD As soon as the walls of Jerusalem were breached on the 9th of Ab in 70 A.D., a Roman military force of about 30,000 troops under the command of Titus marched into Jerusalem and began a systematic slaughter of the Jews and the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem—exactly as Jesus foretold 40 years earlier. The Romans brutally slaughtered an estimated 600,000 people in Jerusalem including many of the Passover visitors who had been trapped there for the 143 days during the Roman siege. Many of the people who were not killed by Roman soldiers were shipped off to the gladiatorial games, Roman mines, and otherwise exiled from Judea and scattered throughout the Roman empire and other nations. By the year 73 A.D., all traces of a self-ruling Jewish nation had completely disappeared. Josephus records that the Romans put the city and the Temple to the torch and that these fires were still burning a month later on the eighth day of the Roman month Gorpieus (Jewish month Elul). The magnificent Temple that Herod had built was completely destroyed as the fires raged inside and out. These fires were so hot that the gold fittings, and the gold gilding inside and on it's outside walls melted and ran into the cracks between and in the stones. During the pillaging of the Temple these stones were broken up to get at the gold. Therefore, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy that no stone would be left on another—the destruction was total, just as Jesus foretold.   Can we Predict the Second Coming? So we have three perspectives, Biblical, historical and mathematical calculation and a three way triangulation pointing to Jesus' death on Nisan 14th (7 April), 30 AD. We see that 4000 redemptive years were completed at the cross. Another 2000 years redemptive work covers the period from the cross to the Second Coming. After Christ's resurrection He returned to heaven and has been performing High Priestly duties as our intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary. So does that mean we can confidently predict that Jesus will return on 7 April 2030? The answer is no because in Matthew 24:36 Christ said "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." It is important to note that Jesus never said the angels did not know the year of His return. Since the angels all know the year of Adam's and Eve's fall, and they can surely do simple arithmetic, they can calculate the exact year that the 6,000-year period will end. The fallen angels' comments in Matthew 8:29 also indicate that they knew there was a fixed timetable for them to be free because they asked Jesus if He would "torment [them] before the time." Revelation 20:2 shows the future period of restraint for Satan and his angels is based on the same one-day-equals-1,000-years principle that governs the length of the Millennium.14 The chances of the black stone (For Azazal) appearing 40 consecutive times in the right hand of the high priest is over a trillion to one according to Pascal's table of numerical odds. The continual appearance of the black stone in the right hand of the high priest was surely a sign of God's displeasure with the House of Judah and a warning for them to repent. The fulfilment of the prophetic black stone came after forty years of continuous warning when the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 70 A. D. by the Roman Empire. Coming may be Sooner than we think In Matthew 24:22 Jesus said "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." So we see the end of our age will be "shortened" by an unspecified number of days in order to stop human extinction. In Matthew 24:45-51 and 25:1-13 Jesus offered two parables that also made the point that believers at the end of the age will be surprised that Jesus returns sooner, not later, than they expected. So while Matthew 24:36 tells us that God has reserved to Himself some flexibility regarding the hour and day when this age will end, that flexibility would result in our age being shortened. Rather than being preoccupied with calculating the date (or year) of Jesus' return, Christians are better served by being spiritually ready for our Lord's return. (Matthew 24:45-46). Will Jesus Rule over the Earth for 1000 Years? Some proponents of the 7000 year theory are of the view that after 6000 years there will be a 1000 year period of time when Jesus Christ will come back, and personally take over the government of this earth, after man has made a real mess of it for the previous 6000 years since Adam's fall. According to this theory Christ with His Church halts Armageddon. Antichrist and his forces are slain. Israel accepts the Lord as the Messiah, and enters with Him as His covenant people into a 1000 year Kingdom Age. Christ rules directly over the nations in their mortal state from the throne of David in Jerusalem. Incongruous as it may seem (after Calvary and Christ's mediatorial ministry) the temple and the typical services function again. Those who reject Christ's rule are eventually judged and destroyed at the end of the Millennium; the new believers receive immortality, and eternity begins. The problem with this interpretation is that it is contrary to the Scriptures since it proposes a kingdom on earth-ruled directly by Christ - composed of glorified saints (the Church) on the one hand, and non-glorified Jews and nations on the other! Such a scheme creates the anomaly of offering grace to both Jews and Gentiles after human probation has closed. The Bible is clear that the mediatorial ministry of Jesus ceases just prior to His coming (cf Heb 7:25; Rev 8:3-5; 15:1, 5-8). No subsequent Millennial age can provide another chance for salvation when Christ's ministry terminates in the heavenly temple. The day of grace will then be over for both Jew and Gentile. Christ brings His reward with Him when He comes-not a further extension of grace (Rev 22:12). Furthermore, the destruction wrought upon the earth by the seven last plagues (Rev 16), and the slaying of the world's impenitent by Christ's glorious return (Rev 19:19-21; 2 Thess 2:8; Isa 11:4) renders the earth unfit for a millennial reign.44 The Redemptive Sabbath 6000 years after the first Passover is the last Passover, the greatest Passover. The seventh day in the 7000 year theory is the redemptive Sabbath — otherwise known as the Millennium — to which the saints look forward.  As Paul writes: “There remaineth therefore a Sabbath-keeping (sabbatismos) to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9).  This sabbath-keeping is associated with that “better resurrection,” in which the promises made to the Fathers shall be fulfilled.  Until that resurrection occurs, death must continue.  But only in a limited sense. Our Saviour's purpose was to annul death in two distinct stages, corresponding to His two advents.  The first advent took care of spiritual death.  The second advent will take care of physical death. What therefore remains to be annulled but physical death?  This will occur at the Lord’s second advent, when the bodies of the saints will rise from the dust and be refashioned after the image of Christ.  This resurrection is yet future.  It was foreshadowed by Christ’s “first-fruits” resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20, 23), and the raising of many saints from their graves (see Matt. 27:52-53).  According to the law, the ”first-fruits“ demands a future harvest of the same nature and kind — not of something different.  Because fulfilment of the first-fruits resurrection was physical in nature, the harvest will also be physical.   However, I trust it is clear to any honest and intelligent student of Scripture that the “death” brought upon the race by Adam includes physical death, which will one day be annulled at the glorious appearing of Jesus.  “For our seat of government (politeuma) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21).2   Last Day Events There are a number of last day events mentioned in Bible prophecy which are in the future. These include: 1. The 2nd Beast of Revelation 13 (USA / Apostate Protestantism) to maketh fire come down from heaven - Possibly Project Blue Beam - Fake alien invasion and deceptions (Revelation 13:13) 2. Such wonders will make the whole world conducive to formation of One World Government and One World Religion. The Papacy deadly wound to be healed. (Revelation 13:12) 3. Satan will counterfeit Christ's 2nd Coming (2 Thessalonians 2) 4. The Image to the Beast set up by the 2nd Beast of Revelation 13 (Apostate Protestantism) will legislate Sunday laws. Can't buy or sell unless you receive the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:17) 5. The Image to the Beast will legislate a death decree for those who refuse the Mark of the Beast. (Revelation 13:15) 6. The Loud Cry / The Spirit of God will be poured out / The everlasting Gospel message to be preached to all the world. 7. Close of Probation occurs when Death Decree is enacted. 8. 7 Last Plagues is poured out on those who receive the Mark of the Beast (includes fire, brimstone & a noisome and grievous sore) (Revelation 14:9, 10; Revelation 16:2) The Spirit of Prophecy by E. G White indicates that the 1260 days, 1290 days, and 1335 days prophecies of Daniel 12 which have had fulfilment in prophetic time will also have fulfilment in literal time. A futuristic literal interpretation of Daniel 12 would place the 1335 days immediately prior to the Second Coming. The "abomination of desolation" that begins the last 1260 days in Daniel 11:31, would be described as, the mark of the beast, in Revelation 14:9.  Quotes from E. G. White The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation [the United States] in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath {the ensign of papal Rome's power and authority} will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains. {Mar 180.1}{5T 464-465}   By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} The beast is given power for 42 months (or 1260 days), to make war with the saints and cause everyone to worship him whose names are not written in the book of life. During this time people cannot buy or sell unless they receive the mark of the beast. Generally the shortest time for the enactment of the decrees is 30 days. Close of probation occurs upon enactment of the death decree. At this time everyone has made their decision. The 7 last plagues rain down on those who receive the mark of the beast whilst those sealed by God will be protected. The Second Coming occurs 45 days later. Daniel 12:12 says, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. The prophetic 1335 concluded in 1843 when the world expected Jesus to come.     Back to the Questions Let's now come back to the initial questions and see if we now have the answers: Q1. Does God have a plan for planet Earth? If so, what are the objectives, the timeframe, what has occurred and what is yet to occur? Answer: Yes, the Passover plan was revealed to Adam, Eve and the serpent after the fall of Adam. This substitutionary sacrifice represented Jesus who would pay the ransom for the penaty of sin some 4 prophetic days later. After the resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven and is making intercession for sinners in His High Priestly role. Q2. Was the Earth created in 7 literal days? Does it really matter? Answer: Yes, if creation was not literal and Adam had not committed the original sin there would have been no need for a Saviour. Q3. Can we determine how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden? Answer: A guesstimate of 33½ years corresponding to the life of Christ. Q4. What is the significance of Jesus the Passover lamb? Answer: Jesus paid the ransom to atone for the sins of the world. Eternal salvation is now assured to as many who believe and accept Christ's sacrifice. Q5. Can we determine when Christ was crucified? Answer:  A guesstimate of 30 AD according to the assumptions in our analysis. Q6. Can we predict the Second Coming of Christ? Answer: A guesstimate of no later than 7 April 2030 AD according to the assumptions in our analysis. Q7. What will occur after Jesus returns? Answer: At His second coming (6000th year) Jesus will give us eternal life (defeat death) and take His saints to be with Him in heaven. After the millennium (the 7000th year) God will re-create the Earth and destroy the devil and the wicked. Conclusion In conclusion I would say that the 7000 year theory is very interesting and gives us insight into what might be God's grand plan for Planet Earth and the eradication of sin in the universe. When we look back in history we can see that events predicted by this theory have come to pass, and I think it would be fool hearted for one to ignore future predictions. However until these predictions come to pass the 7000 year theory remains a theory. Whether we wish to believe in the 7000 year theory is a very individual thing, like whether we choose to believe and accept God's free gift of salvation. References and notes 1.  What is spiritual death? - http://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-death.html 2.  What Death Did Adam Die? - http://antipreterist.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/what-death-did-adam-die/ 3 .  THE 6000 YEARS - http://www.cephasministry.com/water/bible_believers_6000_years.html 4.  God's Redemptive Week - http://bibleteachingonline101.net/God_s_Redemptive_Week.html 5.  Spiritual Pictures of 6000 and 7000 Years in the Bible - Part I - http://www.hebroots.com/lul11.html 6.  Why the Week Has Seven Days - http://www.almanac.com/content/why-week-has-seven-days 7.  The 6000 Year Timeline Dilemma - http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/6000-year-timeline.htm 8.  How could there be light on the first day of Creation if the sun was not created until the fourth day? - http://www.gotquestions.org/light-first-sun-fourth.html 9. ECLIPSES A MIRACLE OF GOD’S DESIGN (WITH FUTURE SIGNIFICANCE?) - http://stevenmcollins.com/WordPress/?p=594 10.  THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF BELIEVING IN RECENT CREATION  - http://www.icr.org/i/pdf/btg/btg-138.pdf 11.  What does Genesis 1 really teach? - http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/OT/tripp.htm 12.  Globalization and the Tower of Babel - http://shepherdtheflock.com/2009/01/26/globalization-and-the-tower-of-babel/ 13. Sermon: The Days of Noah - http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.details/ID/2201/Days-Noah.htm 14. 6,000 years for mankind as understood by Churches of God still valid - http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue121/six-thousand-years-for-man-still-valid.html 15.  Globalization and the Tower of Babel - http://shepherdtheflock.com/2009/01/26/globalization-and-the-tower-of-babel/ 16. Online Text Sermon - The Days of Noah, Matthew ch.24 v.37 - http://www.bible-sermons.org.uk/text-sermon/421-the-days-of-noah/ 17. Revealing That The Days of Noah and The Flood Are Here! - http://www3.telus.net/thegoodnews/noah.htm 18. Jesus in the Life of… Isaac – The Sacrificed Son - http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/downloads/jcisaac.doc 19.  First Adam - Last Adam - http://www.hebrew4christians.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=122&t=504 20. Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man - http://ldolphin.org/accomplish.html 21. Why did Jesus preach for such a short period of time? - http://andrewconard.com/2009/09/01/why-did-jesus-preach-for-such-a-short-period-of-time/ 22.  Old Testament Pictures of Jesus - http://www.onlinethoughts.com/onlinethoughts/old_testament_pictures_of_Jesus.htm 23.  Hebraic Spring Festivals/Holy Days - http://www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/c_4a.html 24.  THE FEAST OF PASSOVER - http://brenda.ratcliffs.net/03Passover.pdf 25. The Last Supper (Luke 22:7-23) - http://bible.org/seriespage/last-supper-luke-227-23 26. THE PASSOVER - http://www.bibleprophesy.org/feasts2.htm 27. The Feast of Passover Exodus 12 - http://www.bibleinsong.com/Music/Images1/Jesus%20the%20Passover%20Lamb.pdf 28. It is Finished Six Hours One Friday… - http://www.onlinethoughts.com/onlinethoughts/it_is_finished.htm 29. Jesus Died a Startling Death - http://www.christianinconnect.com/jstardea.htm 30. Christ Our Passover is Slain for Us - http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/ex12v1.html 31. Was Jesus crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday? - http://biblelight.net/pasover.htm 32. The date of Armageddon without using the code - http://www.biblecodeintro.com/intro44.html 33. A CHRONOLOGY OF THE BIBLE - http://www.cocoris.com/BBC%20pages/Microsoft%20Word%20-%201.%20Bible%20Chronolgy.doc.pdf 34. ON WHAT DAY DID JESUS DIE? - http://www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/date-crucified.html 35. Notes on The Sabbath - http://ldolphin.org/sabbath.html 36. Jesus born 5 B.C. #1 - http://www.keithhunt.com/Wheborn1.html 37. Daniel's Prophecy - Foretells date of crucifixion - http://www.ldsmag.com/sci_rel/040915prophecy.html 38. Year of Jesus' Death - http://www.rusearching.com/nostradamus/nostradamusyearofdeath.htm 39. When Was the Crucifixion? - http://www.hissheep.org/messages/when_was_the_crucifixion.html 40. A Prophecy Explained - http://www.mundall.com/erik/ezekiel4.htm 41. THE TEMPLE DESTROYED, 70 A.D. - http://www.bibleresearch.org/articles/a11pws.htm 42. THE MYSTERIOUS EVENTS OF THE YEAR 30 A.D.! - http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/mysteriousevents.html 43. IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT  - http://www.electalert.org/content/b7c62.html 44. Futurism's Countdown: Fact or Fantasy? - http://biblicalresearch.gc.adventist.org/documents/Futurism's%20Countdown.htm 45. Chronology of Jesus - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus