GOD’S TIMELINE FOR MAN
(The Key to Rightly Dividing God’s Word)
While studying God’s word, I, along with so many other Believers in Christ have come to the conclusion (based upon the evidence we have through prophecy, science, etc.) that God’s word is true (John 17:17), and that there are no lies in His word (1 John 2:21). Based upon the fact that it is ‘impossible for God to lie’, many Believers take a unique approach to God’s word. While many Believers find it easier to change bibles or seek truth elsewhere when they find something in God’s word that seems contrary to their doctrine, many of us Believers take this as a sign that we need to spend more time laboring in His word and doctrine (1 Tim 5:17, 2 Tim 2:15). During this time of studying and laboring in God’s word, the Holy Spirit will reward us by revealing to us a truth, that at first sight, may have appeared to be a contradiction.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
In this first issue of “Thy Kingdom Come”, we will construct a timeline for man from the time that God placed Adam in the garden of Eden until the final judgement of man at the Great White Throne Judgment. We will learn that there are two judgments, two resurrections, two places of torment, etc. Once we understand the order of the events that take place during this time period; we will be able to more thoroughly understand scripture, that to the unstudied Believers mind, seems to be contradictory.
Have you ever questioned why:
- Scripture says that salvation is ‘NOT OF WORKS’ (Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.), yet scripture also says that we are to ‘WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION’ (Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.)?
- Scripture says that you are ‘SAVED THROUGH FAITH’ (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:), yet scripture also says ‘CAN FAITH SAVE YOU?’ (James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?)?
- Scripture says that as a child of God, He will ‘NOT CAST YOU OUT’ (John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.), yet scripture also says that Paul feared being ‘A CASTAWAY’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.)?
Once we understand God’s timeline for man, we will be able to easily answer these as well as other questions, proving that it truly is ‘impossible for God to lie’.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
FRAMING OUR TIMELINE
Just as a house must first have a foundation and frame, so must our timeline. Once our timeline has a foundation and frame, then we will be able to build upon it. Our foundation can only be built upon one thing; and that is the fact that God has always been here, and that He will always be here. God is not bound by time, therefore He has no beginning or ending
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
This timeline only represents one of the attributes of God. In scripture, we have a name for this attribute, and it is called ‘Eternal Life’.
1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Since our timeline is dealing with the creation of man, it is at this point (The creation of Adam) that we will begin to build a frame upon our foundation.
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Let us now look at a couple of scriptures that will help us to finish the frame of our timeline.
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
In the book of Isaiah God declares the end from the beginning. So if we want to know about “the things that are not yet done”, then we must first look at the beginning.
Genesis 2:2 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.
God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh day. This is a beautiful picture of the future millennial (1000 year) rest to come.
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
In the book of Hebrews, Paul makes it very clear that this ‘rest’ is a future event (There remaineth) which has not happened yet.
“Where is a Bible-lover who does not anticipate with great joy the hope of reigning with Christ during the thousand years? Where is the believer, with a vision of the things to come, who does not look for what Hebrews 4:9 calls “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” That word “rest” is a sabbatical rest, a sabbath rest. It is after their six thousand years of wilderness toil is over that the saints have promise of a rest that remaineth, a millennial rest, when Satan, and the antichrist, and the false prophet, will have been put out of the earth.”
IF THEY SHALL FALL AWAY (by R. E. Neighbor)
“For Paul labours to make clear that the ninety-fifth Psalm names a Rest which, since it has never yet occurred, is therefore open to us: for David, though himself enthroned and at rest (2 Sam 7:1), wrote of God’s Rest as still future; a fact which at once dissociates it both from the Divine rest after creation three thousand years earlier, and from Israel’s rest in Canaan five hundred years before David wrote. “There remaineth therefore a SABBATH-REST” -a word used nowhere else in the Bible, nor ever in classical literature, but coined by the Holy Ghost to express a toil completed – “for the people of God” (Heb 4:9). So the Rest is the Millennial Reign. For it is the sabbath rest, or seventh millennium, following on six thousand years of redemption toil; it is God’s rest in the old earth’s closing dispensation, foreshadowed by every sabbath under the Law:”
THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST (by D. M. Panton)
“Then the men of faith, the workers with God and the sufferers for Christ after God’s redemption-work of six thousand years is over-will rest a thousand years with Him.”
KINGDOM STUDIES (by Robert Govett)
“While the writer, as stated, is disposed to believe that the Return of the Lord is “past due”, and while he is no “time setter”, yet there is a “theory” that may throw some light on the IMMINENCY OF HIS RETURN that it might be well to examine. It is called THE GREAT WEEK OF HUMAN HISTORY, and is based on the “Seven Days” of the “Creative Week”, and the declaration of Scripture (2 Pet. 3:8), “That one day is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a thousand years as ONE DAY.” The Millennium in the Old Testament is described as a “Sabbath Keeping” period of rest, and is referred to as such in Heb. 4:4-11, where it is associated with the “Seventh Day” of the “Creative Week”. Now we know that the length of the Millennium is 1000 YEARS (Rev. 20:1-9), and if it corresponds with the “Seventh Day” of the “Creative Week”, why should not the remaining six days be of the same length? If so, and those days correspond with the past of human history, then from the date of the “Creative Week” up to the beginning of the Millennium should be 6000 years of human history.”
DISPENSATIONAL TRUTH (by Clarence Larkin)
Observe how the Jews believed on this subject. Bh. Newton has well stated on the thousand years of Rev. 20, “that the Jewish Church before John, and the Christian Church after him, have believed and taught that these one thousand years will be the seventh Millenary of the world. A pompous heap of quotations might be produced to this purpose, both from Jewish and Christian writers.” He then produces a few quotations from Rab. Ketina, from “the tradition of the house of Elias, who lived two hundred years or thereabouts before Christ,” etc. Mede, Burnet, Lightfoot, Russell, Brookes, Taylor, Elliott, Bush, and many others, give various extracts establishing the general view thus entertained. As impartial authority, we may give what Dr. Whitby observes on Heb. 4:9, quoting R. Eliezer as saying, “the blessed Lord created seven worlds, but one of them is all Sabbath and rest in life eternal,” and then adds: “he refers to their (the Jews) common opinion that the world should continue six thousand years, and then a perpetual Sabbath should begin, typified by God’s resting on the seventh day and blessing it.”
Barnabas commenting on the words: “ ‘And God made in six days the works of His hands and He finished them on the seventh day and He rested in it and sanctified it,” says: “Consider, children, what that signifies, He finished them in six days. This it signifies, that the Lord God will finish all things in six thousand years. For a day with Him is a thousand years; as He Himself testifieth, saying: “Behold this day shall be as a thousand years.” Therefore, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, shall all things be consummated.
THE THEOCRATIC KINGDOM /volume 2 (by George N. H. Peters)
HIS APPEARING AND HIS KINGDOM
Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
2 Timothy 4:1 I CHARGE the therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
When Jesus Christ returns, He will have His kingdom with Him. You will now notice that the seventh millennium after Adam is referred to by several names (Seventh Day, Day of Rest, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven); these different names will all be important in helping the Believer to properly interpret the meaning of scripture.
Building on the Frame
Now that we have a solid foundation and frame, we can begin to build upon our timeline for man. Let us begin with a man the bible calls the forerunner to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
John the Baptist arrives on our timeline for man approximately four thousand years after Adam, or what we will refer to as the end of the fourth day and the beginning of the fifth day. Jesus follows John the Baptist, and lives for approximately 33 years before He is crucified. (Cross on timeline represents the death of Jesus Christ)
Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
To get a reference point on our timeline as to when God gave Moses the law, we will use several events (Noah’s flood, Abraham’s Birth and the Birth of Moses). Noah’s flood took place approximately 1656 years after Adam, while Abraham’s birth was approximately 1948 years after Adam (see Adam to Jacob chart). We then have the birth of Isaac, then Jacob (Israel), and finally Joseph. After Joseph’s death in Egypt, their arose a king, who “knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). It is during this time that Moses was born. After fleeing Egypt, God calls Moses to lead His people from bondage, and gives them the “Law of Moses”.
ADAM TO JACOB
(INCLUDING NOAH’S FLOOD)
*Translated
NAME YEAR BORN YEAR DIED YEARS LIVED
ADAM 0 (GEN 1:26) 930 930 (GEN 5:5)
SETH 130 (GEN 5:3) 1042 912 (GEN 5:8)
ENOS 235 (GEN 5:6) 1140 905 (GEN 5:11)
CAINAN 325 (GEN 5:9) 1235 910(Gen 5:14)
MAHALALEEL 395 (GEN 5:12) 1290 895 (Gen 5:17)
JARED 460 (GEN 5:15) 1422 962 (GEN 5:20)
ENOCH 622 (GEN 5:18) 987* *365 (GEN 5:23-24)
MUTHUSELAH 687 (GEN 5:21) 1656 969 (GEN 5:27)
LAMECH 874 (GEN 5:25) 1651 777 (GEN 5:31)
NOAH 1056 (GEN 5:28-29) 2006 950 (GEN 9:29)
NOAH’S FLOOD BEGAN IN 1656 (GENESIS 7:11)
SHEM 1558 (GEN 11:10) 2158 600 (GEN 11:10-11)
ARPHAXAD 1658 (GEN 11:10) 2096 438 (GEN 11:12-13)
SALAH 1693 (GEN 11:12) 2126 433 (GEN 11:14-15)
EBER 1723 (GEN 11:14) 2187 464 (GEN 11:16-17)
PELEG 1757 (GEN 11:16) 1996 239 (GEN 11:18-19)
REU 1787 (GEN 11:18) 2026 239 (GEN 11:20-21)
SERUG 1819 (GEN 11:20) 2049 230 (GEN 11:22-23)
NAHOR 1849 (GEN 11:22) 1997 148 (GEN 11:24-25)
ABRAM 1948 (GEN 11:26) 2123 175 (GEN 25:7-8)
ISAAC 2048 (GEN 21:5) 2228 180 (GEN 35:28-29)
JACOB 2108 (GEN 25:26)
Note: This chart does not indicate the actual year that a specific event takes place. It is used to determine the number of years that the specific event takes place from the time of Adam.
Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
We can see that God used the law and the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc) to communicate His word to us. But when John the Baptist came along, since that time the “kingdom” is preached. That time starts at the beginning of the fifth day and continues until the end of the sixth day. These are the last two days before Jesus Christ sets up his kingdom.
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Matthew 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Why would both John and Jesus preach that the kingdom was “at hand” if it was still approximately 2000 years away? Because four days (2 Pet.3:8 . . .one day is with the Lord as a thousand years) had passed, and only two days were remaining until the (kingdom) “day of rest”. More commonly known as the “last days”, because these are the last two days before Jesus Christ returns with His kingdom.
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE TWO JUDGMENTS AND TWO RESURRECTIONS
We now arrive at the “two judgments” and “two resurrections”. In Revelation 19 we see the second coming of Jesus Christ
Revelation 19:11-13 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
After Jesus Christ returns with His kingdom, we see the first judgment (The Judgment Seat of Christ / (2 Cor 5:10, Rom 14:10) and the “first resurrection”.
2 Timothy 4:1 I CHARGE the therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Revelation 20:4-5 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
After the 1000 year kingdom, we see the second judgment (The Great White Throne) and the second resurrection.
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired , , , ,
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
THE EIGHTH DAY
The ‘Great White Throne’ and the ‘Second Resurrection’ begin what is called the ‘eighth day’. It is the eighth day from Adam, but it is also referred to as the day of ‘circumcision’.
Genesis 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
This eighth day is also referred to by two other names. It is called the ‘first day’, because there are seven days in a week, and then the week begins over with the ‘first day’ of the week.
It is on this ‘first day’ of the week, after ‘the day of rest’ or ‘seventh day’, that God begins again His creative work just as He did in Genesis. We notice that immediately after the ‘Great White Throne’ judgment in Revelation 20 (the end of the seventh day), that God begins his ‘new work’.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
The eighth day is also called the ‘last day’. It gets this name for two reasons. Firstly, the feast of tabernacles lasted seven days and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly (Lev. 23:36, Num. 29:35, 2 Chron. 7:8-9). The eighth day is therefore the last day. It also gets this name from the fact that this is the ‘last day’ spoken of in scripture as it relates to the judgement and salvation of man. It is the ‘last day’ when all things in scripture have finally been fulfilled.
Nehemiah 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE TWO PLACES OF TORMENT
We will now finish our timeline with the two places of torment. One is called ‘hell’, and the other the ‘lake of fire’. Though many Believers refer to hell as the place where unbelievers will spend eternity in torment, this is not what the testimony of scripture teaches.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
After the 1000 year kingdom, all that are being held in the prison of hell, are delivered up to be judged. Once hell has been emptied, hell itself is cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Though hell is a place of torment (James 3:6, Luke 16:23-24), it is not the final destination of the unbeliever. Scripture teaches that hell is a place that the disobedient are held (or reserved) until the judgment.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Though the disobedient are cast into hell, this is not their final destination. Hell is not eternal!
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
(See also Rev. 20:13 “hell delivered up the dead”)
At the Great White Throne Judgment, all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire with the beast, false prophet and Satan. It is here, at the Great White Throne Judgment, that once you have been cast into the lake of fire, that there is no coming out.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Conclusion
As we close on this ‘timeline for man’, I urge all Believers to please understand the order of events for man. In issue 2 as well as future articles of “Thy Kingdom Come”, the importance of this timeline will become very evident. Questions that have both bothered and puzzled many Believers will come to light as you learn to ‘rightly divide the word’.
(Warning: All quotations from authors are only for the purpose of showing that other men throughout history have held similar beliefs. Those authors beliefs as well as the beliefs of myself should NEVER REPLACE the study of the Holy Scriptures. I encourage all men to lay the books of other men aside and to receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God….and the Spirit of Truth will guide you into ALL TRUTH)