EXTENDING THE SYMMETRY Part 6 – Bro. David Rice

EXTENDING THE SYMMETRY [Part 6] – By Bro. David Rice

Evidence of design in the time periods of God’s Plan.

In our series on Bible Chronology we have explained the links of time from Adam to the founding of Solomon’s Temple, in the spring of 966 BC. Only four periods of time are necessary for this — Adam to the Flood, to Abraham entering Canaan, to the Exodus, to the foundation of the Temple. The matter is actually simple in retrospect. The complexities come in only in examining competing views of specific details. These complexities are worth investigating, and thus the articles foregoing. But the essence is sufficiently clear that it can be presented to a fresh audience (new to the subject) in less than half an hour’s time, satisfactorily.

This sums to 2992 years, and takes us to the date 966 BC. Beginning at this date, and counting back 2992 years, brings us to the year of Adam’s creation in 3958 BC. Forward from that date 6000 years takes us to 2043 AD. (Remember to adjust by one when crossing the BC/AD divide.) This takes us to the opening of the Seventh Millennium, which evidently is the period of Christ’s Thousand Year Reign, specified in Revelation 20.

[A]In the January [2006] issue we observed a symmetry of years around the date of the Exodus. From the Flood to the Exodus (858 years) is the same length of time as from the Exodus forward to the end of the Kingdom of Israel. All by itself, these two equal periods are engaging.

[B]In the March [2006] issue we explored an expansion of this symmetry. From the end of Adam’s 1000-year day of judgment, to the Flood (655 years), is the same length of time as from the burning of the temple in 587 BC by the Babylonians, to the autumn of 69 AD, ending Israel’s forty years of probation, after which the Romans burned the second temple.

Note these four periods of time on the chart below: 655, 858, 858, 655. Without regard for any other feature of the diagram, consider just these four symmetrical features, linking such milestone events in the Biblical history of the world. Does not the symmetry of these periods speak of thoughtful design?

1000 YEARS

Now observe that the chart below [now above] begins with a 1000-year period. This is the thousand-year day in which Adam would die – and he did. He died 70 years shy of the close of that day (see Genesis 2:17, Psalms 90:4).

Notably, none of the ages recorded for the antediluvian patriarchs reached 1000 years. Methuselah, the oldest man on record, fell 31 years shy of the mark. 1000 years was evidently an upper limit on the life spans of mankind under the curse. (This is one reason we do not think either Enoch or Elijah had their lives prolonged when they were taken by God in a miraculous way. As with Moses and Aaron, they had their lives completed by an intervention from God.)

The first 1000-year period on the chart is balanced with an ending period of the same amount, which is the Millennium of Revelation 20. But the noticeable gap on the chart between 69 AD and 2043 disturbs the symmetry. Is there an explanation for this?

There is. We explain this by the three items which follow.

(1) Israel’s 40 years of opportunity after the advent of Christ closed with the year 69 AD. This was followed by the collapse of their nation. This fulfilled the predictions of our Lord Jesus about the judgment coming within a generation of his warning. In Matthew 10:23, Jesus warned that his disciples would scarcely have time to go “over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come” – that is, come in judgment, closing the Jewish age with the Romans taking Jerusalem and burning its temple.

Jesus warned the rulers at his trial about this in his last words to them. Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64). Those he spoke to would not see this climax in 2043, for they would be long dead, and not raised for many years thereafter. Jesus referred to the climactic judgment to follow a generation later in the fall of Jerusalem. That would evidence the power and authority of the Son of man, and many of them would live to see it happen.

That is the immediate fulfillment also of Matthew 24:29, speaking of the collapse of the Jewish polity, and verse 30, “Then shall appear the sign [evidence, proof] of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, the power and glory of righteous judgment.

However, as expressed earlier, this has a second, deeper, broader fulfillment at the apokalupsis (revealing) of Christ’s second advent at the close of the present harvest of the Gospel Age. In other words, the events which followed 69 AD and the close of the Jewish Age, and the events impending about the year 2043 closing this Gospel Age, are parallel fulfilments. The asymmetry of the chart of parallel periods links those two times together, as the symmetry jumps over the years which intervene between these two fulfilments.

(2) The connection between these episodes is deepened another way. Both of them involve seven judgments against the ruling system of the day – Judaism in one case, Christendom in the other.

The seven judgments ending the Jewish Age are the seven woes recorded in Matthew 23:13-29. They are contained in verses 13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, and 29. (Verse 14 is omitted in the Nestle Greek text as reflected in Marshall’s Diaglott, also omitted in the NIV, and bracketed with notation in the NASB.)

The seven judgments ending the present Gospel Age are the seven last plagues of Revelation chapters 15, 16. The last of these brings Armageddon, anticipated about the year 2043.

The time parallels we are examining hinge at the Exodus, which also involved a series of plagues. The seven last of the 10 plagues in Egypt are distinct from the first three. Thus there also we have seven defined judgments, which foreshadow the seven judgments on Judaism, and the seven judgments on Christendom. Revelation 11:8 links all three of these together in one text – “the street of the great city [Christendom] … spiritually is called … Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified [Judaism].”

(3) The events following 69, and those following 2043, are brought into contrast in Old Testament prophecy. Zechariah 13:7 speaks of the smiting (death) of our Lord Jesus – “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” (so applied in Matthew 26:31). Zechariah 13:8 then speaks of the judgment on Jerusalem following 69 AD. Two parts (the religious and political) would be “cut off and die”, but the third part, the elect, would be brought through the fire ending the Jewish age and refined as silver and gold.

Zechariah 14:1, 2, then explains how this judgment comes. “The day of Jehovah cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken …” This refers to the capture of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Roman army took Jerusalem, “half of the city” went into captivity, but “the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city” – in other words some residents would remain. So it happened.

In the end of this age Jerusalem again will be targeted, but in this case the city will not be taken. Ezekiel 39:4, Joel 2:17-20, Isaiah 37:33, all affirm God will not allow Jerusalem to fall to the enemy again. Instead, “Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives … In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem … and Jehovah shall be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:3, 4, 8, 9).

Zechariah 14:2 is about the capture of Jerusalem following 69 AD. Verse 3 is the deliverance of Israel by God at the establishment of the Kingdom, 1974 years later. (Observe a similar jump in time between the close of Zechariah chapter 11, and the opening of chapter 12.)

BUT 1974 YEARS?

But is there any specific point to the number of years – 1974 –which constitute this interval? Something numerical which would be fitting for this chart of parallels? Since the pivot of these parallels is at the Exodus, let us examine that pivot point for some clues. Four prominent periods either close or open at that event.

The sum of these periods is 1974 years. These periods are each linked symbolically. The three which precede the Exodus represent the Gospel Age, which ends with the judgment of this world, represented by Egypt. The period which follows the Exodus represents the Millennial Kingdom which follows the judgment of this world. Here are the specifics.

• The 430 years is the period following the Abrahamic Covenant, picturing the Gospel Age when the spiritual Seed of Abraham is developed.
• The 400 years connects to the 144,000 of the elect class, for 400 years x 360 per year = 144,000. Genesis 15:13 says this was a period of affliction for the seed of Abraham, representing the afflictions of the Gospel Age when the saints are called and developed.
• The 144 years denotes the same class, by a briefer form of the number. (See Revelation 21:17 where this briefer form also represents the church class.) This period begins at the death of Joseph, who is a picture of Christ. Thus it represents the Gospel Age from Christ to the judgment of this world.
• The 1000 years is the duration of the Kingdom which follows the plagues on this world, and the completion of the walls of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:17).

987 YEARS

As each of the periods on the chart we are discussing are found twice — 1000, 655, 858 — so the gap of 1974 can be expressed as two periods of 987 years. We observe the following about this period of years. (a) From Adam to the taking of Enoch was 987 years. (b) 858 plus 987 yields 1845 years, the time so familiar to Bible Students as the span between the first advent of Christ in 29 AD, and the second advent of Christ in 1874.

[C][The 987 years to the taking of Enoch means that it was short of a full 1000 by 13 years. This is a little picture that the risen saints were raised at the outset of the harvest, in 1874. And that the number 13 here is a small picture of the full 13 x 13 or 169 years before the end of mankind’s 6000 years, and the opening of the Kingdom.

We see something similar in the account of the Exodus, which fell at 2513 years after Adam. This is 13 years later than a round 2500 years. The Exodus represents the end of the harvest, the 10th plague then picturing the 7th and last of the seven plagues of Revelation 16. This, occurring at the end of the harvest, is shown here at 13 years beyond the full round number — expressing that the last plague of Revelation 16 occurs at the close of the 13 x 13 years of the harvest of the Gospel Age.

There is something more in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra represents the work from the beginning of the harvest forward — Nehemiah completing the temple represents the work completing the Church at the end of the harvest. The years between the beginning of their respective works was 13 (seventh year to 20th year of Artaxerxes) — a small token of the 13 x 13 length of the harvest.

And, as though to link the picture of the Exodus (last plague) with Nehemiah (completion of Church), the date for the one is 1445 BC, and the date for the other is 445 BC — 1000 years between — a reminder perhaps that the 1000-year Millennium begins at the point marked by each event.]

– By Br. David Rice – From Faithbuilders Fellowship, September, October 2006.

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Good subject.

• In the January issue we observed a symmetry of years around the date of the Exodus – Refer to the subject, NOAH TO ABRAHAM (From Faithbuilders Fellowship, January 2006).
• In the March issue we explored an expansion of this symmetry – Refer to the subject, ABRAHAM TO EXODUS Part II from March 2006 issue.
• The 987 years to the taking of Enoch means that it was short of a full 1000 by 13 years … a reminder perhaps that the 1000-year Millennium begins at the point marked by each event – This entire section seems to be from another source, which we are unable to trace now.