An ancient mystery revealed in the Bible and Talmud tells of God’s 7,000 year plan for man and the Messiah that indicates Jesus could return this decade.
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God’s Seven Period Pattern of Time
An ancient mystery has existed from the beginning of creation that surrounds the time period of seven. This time period, broken into six plus one sets the pattern for major observances and events throughout the Bible.
The first example is in Genesis 1, when God created the world in six days and then rested for one.
The weeks followed this pattern with six days of work and one day of sabbath rest.
The years also followed this pattern with a Shimetah year after six years. During this seventh year, the land is given a sabbath rest from work and debts are forgiven.
The Shimetah years also followed this pattern with seven Shimetahs followed by a Jubilee year. During this year slaves are to be freed and land returned to its owners.
Does this mystery lead to a larger timeline with implications for the end of the age of man?
God’s 7,000 Year Plan
According to Jewish traditions as recorded in the Talmud, God has a 7,000 year plan for man on this earth.
Specifically, the Talmud states that the current world will last for 6,000 years followed by a 1,000 year sabbath era during which the Messiah rules the earth.
Though the Bible does not specifically state that God has a 7000 year plan for man, it can be inferred. Many writings of the prophets allude to a sabbath era. But the Book of Revelation specifically states that the sabbath period lasts 1,000 years. Christians frequently refer to this era as “the Millennial Kingdom.” Following God’s six plus one pattern, if there is a sabbath millennium, it must be preceded by six prior millenniums.
The apostle Paul described this in Hebrews, stating “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.’ (Hebrews 4:9-10)
The apostle John further describes this period of rest in Revelation 20. During this 1,000 year period, Jesus, the Messiah, will rule the earth with the saints, and satan will be imprisoned.
So all end-times prophecy concerning the Antichrist, the Beast, the invasion of Israel, Armageddon and the return of Jesus must occur before the sabbath millennium begins. Therefore, in the 7,000 year timeline, Jesus would return near the transition of the sixth and seventh millennium, which occurs in the year 6000.
So today how close are we to the year 6000?
The Six-Thousandth Year Looms
Based on the Hebrew calendar year 6000 begins in September 2239 and ends in 2240. So that being the case, the world has another 220 years to go before Jesus Christ returns, right?
Not necessarily. You see there is much controversy over the Hebrew calendar with several contested issues and possible errors. The most certain error is caused by a divergence from Torah/Biblical scriptures. Correcting for this one error, we can calculate a corrected Hebrew year that should be close the actual year.
Here is the error. The Bible states that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years before the Exodus (Exodus 12:40-41). This statement agrees with God’s words to Abraham. Specifically, God told Abraham (then Abram) that his descendants would be strangers in a land where they would be enslaved and oppressed for 400 years (Genesis 15:13).
However, the current Hebrew calendar is based on a Jewish exile in Egypt of only 210 years. Why is this?
The current Hebrew calendar was influenced by Torah commentator Rashi. Rashi referenced the list of relatives who went with Jacob to Egypt in Genesis 46:8-27. He concluded that if these descendants went with Jacob to Egypt, the span of the exile could only be 210 years.
Though researchers have since explained this apparent discrepancy, the Hebrew calendar remains out of line with scripture! For more details see this article from Jewish Bible Quarterly as well as this explanation from researcher Joseph Sasson.
So what year is it now, after adjusting the calendar for the scriptural exile period?
This year, 2020, is the Hebrew year 5780. By adding back the 220 years removed by Rashi, we come to the year 6000! If this is correct, then we are right at the cusp of the sabbath millennium!
Does this mean that the return of Jesus is imminent?
Could this be the Decade of Jesus’ Return?
There are likely other inconsistencies that move the year 6000 off of 2020. There are at least seven minor items that cause some variability. I have seen arguments for the years 2000, 2018, and virtually every year from 2025-2033. Still, this is a very tight range.
But another way of looking at this also places the year 6000 within this decade.
You see, Jesus revealed Himself at the transition of the 4th and 5th millennium. It is generally believed that He began His ministry in A.D. 26 at the age of 30 and was crucified and resurrected over three years later, around A.D. 29 – 30. Other estimates place His crucifixion at A.D. 33.
If Jesus first came to the earth as we entered the fifth millennium and is expected to return as we enter the seventh millennium, we would expect to see him return approximately 2,000 years later. That would be around 2026 – 2033.
While we are close to Jesus’ return,the time is not yet. This is because there are events prophesied to be fulfilled before His return that have yet to occur. Primarily, a seven year covenant with the concealed Antichrist and his revealing at the covenant’s mid-point through the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15)
So if this covenant were to be signed today, we wouldn’t expect Christ’s return for another seven years.
But in considering all the evidence converging today, this could be the decade that marks the beginning of the Jesus’ reign in the Sabbath millennium.
Be Vigilant, Be Watching
If we are truly exiting the sixth millennium, then we will see the fulfillment of biblical prophecy play out before our very eyes in this decade.
I’ve dedicated this site to identifying these signs and explaining them. 2020 has been extremely active, leading many to believe that we are nearing Christ’s return.
However, I must point out that our feelings are often wrong. People have been predicting Christ’s return since the time of the apostles. This is especially common in dark times.
Many of us are guilty of selecting scripture that matches what we see in the world. In doing so without an understanding of the full picture, we will error in our conclusions. To avoid deception we must first understand the scriptures as a whole and then watch for signs of their fulfillment. In doing so, we will understand the truth, avoid deception and overcome.
This is the destiny of those who believe the word of God, trust in Jesus and remain vigilant watchman for what is coming.