Why 6,000 Years? -

During the course of my studies of prophecy I have seen and read many articles about the 6,000 years or 6,000 year timeline. In each case there are a number of references to writings outside the Bible and of course the scriptures of the counting of one day as a thousand years to the Lord. While most are very good writings and give very good supporting evidence, I have not seen any that would show anywhere in the Bible that directly connects the counting of each day of creation as a thousand years. I have also not seen any that directly connect the counting of years to creation week itself. I've seen many that show passages that seem to imply this; but never a direct connection. This always left the question in the back of my mind: how can we be sure this is correct?

I know that there are a lot of items in the Bible that weren't meant to be fully understood until the appointed time and many not until the last days; but since I believe we are living in the last days I felt that this item (the counting of time) was too important to fall into this category. In other words I felt that we should be able to prove it by God's word.

Please don't misunderstand - I have always believed the conclusion that there was to be 6,000 years before Christ's return, followed by His millennial reign; but I just couldn't prove it if anyone were to ask me about it. Let me just say that not being able to prove something with the Bible always leaves me wondering or at the very least it bothers me.

I started studying the 6,000 year timeline to see for myself where we stood and how close we might be to the second coming of Christ, and as a result I found what I believe is proof in scripture for the seven days of creation week equaling seven millenniums (7,000 years), and how the 7,000 years are directly related to the 7 days of creation week.

To start with, I will show some of the items commonly used as evidence for the counting of the 7,000 years. Then I will give you the verse that I found and explain why I believe it answers the question of proof.

Here are some of (what I now consider to be) the support items for the counting of the 7,000 years:

Irenaeus: (Source #1 below)
Irenaeus, born in A.D. 140, worked intensely against powerful Gnostic heresies and wrote a treatise on the virtues of the Christian faith. Among his writings was found this statement:

"For in so many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded ... and God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works He made ... This is an account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come ... in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end after six thousand years."

According to Irenaeus (one among many who held this view) the history of the human race from creation to the consummation will span a 7,000 year period of time. The seventh millennium is to be the reign of Christ. Irenaeus was not alone in his belief. There are several other ancient writings that concur. Among them are The Secrets of Enoch, the Epistle of Barnabas, the Testament of Adam and other writings of early Jewish theologians.

The Secrets of Enoch: (Source #1 below)
The Secrets of Enoch, dating from before the first century A.D. (also called II Enoch), is translated from Slavonic. In it, God is said to have shown Enoch the age of the world and its existence of 7,000 years:

"And I appointed the eighth day also, that the eighth day should be the first-created after my work, and that the first seven revolve in the form of the seventh thousand, and that at the beginning of the eighth thousand there should be a time of not-counting — endless..."

The Epistle of Barnabus: (Source #1 below)
The Epistle of Barnabas was found among a collection of New Testament books, bound in a single volume called the Sinaiticus, discovered in 1844 at the monastery of Saint Catherine located at the foot of Mount Sinai. It dates back to at least the fourth century A.D. and reflects the theology of some early Christian theologians:

"And God made in six days the works of his hands; and he finished them on the seventh day, and he rested the seventh day, and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what that signifies, he finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this; that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with him one day is a thousand years; as 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 accomplished. And what is that he saith, And he rested the seventh day: he meaneth this; that when his Son shall come, and abolish the season of the Wicked One, and judge the ungodly; and shall change the sun and the moon, and the stars; then shall gloriously rest in that seventh day."

The Testament of Adam: (Source #1 below)
In the Testament of Adam (dating back to the middle or late third century) the career of the world is said to last for 6,000 years after the Flood, or, presumably, for 7,000 years in all. Seth, the supposed author, writes about the deathbed account of his father Adam:

"You have heard, my son Seth, that a Flood is coming and will wash the whole earth because of the daughters of Cain, your brother, who killed your brother Abel out of passion for your sister Lebuda, since sins had been created through your mother, Eve. And after the Flood there will be six thousand years (left) to the form of the world, and then its end will come."

Cyprian: (Source #2 below)
Cyprian 250 A.D. (arch champion of orthodox Christianity against heresies) "The Treatises Of Cyprian" Chapter 11: The first seven days in the Divine arrangement contain seven thousand years.

The Talmud: (Source #2 below)
In the Talmud (Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 97a), there is an interesting comment made by Rabbi Zera who was in support of calculating the coming of Mashiach (the Messiah - Jesus):

Even as R. Zera, who, whenever he chanced upon scholars engaged thereon (I.e., in calculating the time of the Messiah's coming), would say to them: I beg of you, do not postpone it, for it has been taught: Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article and a scorpion.

In other words, we should look, study and maintain a constant vigil, because if you are not prepared, His Coming will catch you unaware even as one finds a long-lost article or is surprised by a scorpion! These things should not be! Pay attention. Look for that long-lost article! Watch for scorpions when you are out hiking! Jesus and His disciples repeatedly warned us to "keep watching". The "thief in the night" parables reveal that believers, who are watching (paying attention), will NOT be taken by surprise.

Sources:

1. Prophecy In The News: Irenaeus through The Testament of Adam
2. Hebrew Roots: Cyprian and The Talmud

As you can see there have been many Bible scholars who have held this belief. I believe it is past time though to prove it by scripture. I will give you what I have found, an explanation, and how the scriptures also give us (at least to me) a clear indication of when the counting should have begun.

Since I was looking for something that would give me a definitive point from which to start the 6,000 year count and the fact that the 7,000 years are supposed to be directly related to the seven days of creation, I went to Genesis first. I read through Genesis one and in the first part of Genesis two I found the answer as to when the 6,000 year count was to begin and the same verse answered the question of why the seven days of creation week represent 7,000 years.
Here is the verse that I found:

Genesis 2:4...These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

NOTE: This verse immediately follows the description of the seventh day (Sabbath) of creation week.

At a quick glance this verse doesn't appear to be very significant; but if we take a closer look we can see that this verse gives us the direct link between the counting of time with the week of creation.

Explanation: The first part of the verse let's us know that the generations of the heavens and earth are directly related to the time that they were created. Which is to say that the length of time from creation until these heavens and earth will pass away (be destroyed) are directly related to the days of creation.

NOTE: I believe it is important to note here that the counting is based on the generations of the heavens and the earth and not the counting of man's time or reign on this earth!

The next thing to look for is how the seven days should be counted. It's obvious that they cannot equal seven 24 hour days or even seven generations; because that would mean everything would have ended over 5,000 years ago. This is where the second part of the verse comes in - it states: "in the day that the Lord God created the earth and the heavens". Why is this important? Allow me to explain -

Between Genesis, chapter 1 and Genesis 2:4 we are given clear indication that there are two separate and distinct values for a day as follows -

1. By stating that the evening and the morning were the first day and repeating this through the seventh day, it is made clear that each of these days represents a 24 hour period of time.
2. The second reference is to one of God's days, and by stating (in the second part of the verse - Genesis 2:4) that all of these things were created in one of God's days, God lets us know that the counting of the generations are in God's days and not man's 24 hour days.

We must then look to scripture for an explanation of how we are to count a "day" in God's time. We are told later in scripture that one day is as a thousand years in God's eyes as follows:

Psalm 90:4...For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

II 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.

Now, putting it all together we can know (with certainty) that creation week consisted of seven 24 hour days and that the generations of the heavens and the earth - from creation to destruction - will be 7,000 years. This verse also provides the direct link between the creation week and the 7,000 years.

Now to establish the 6,000 years until Christ's return, we only have to look in Revelation. The book of Revelation refers to Christ's reign on earth as being one thousand years six times:

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 20:3...And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Revelation 20::4...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.

Revelation 20:5...But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

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 Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:7...And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Knowing that Christ will reign for the last one thousand years leaves us with the 6,000 years from creation to the Lord's second coming.

Final Notes:
Genesis 2:4 (shown above) also indicates to me that the counting of years would not begin until the end of the day (God's day) in which creation occurred. My reason for saying this is that by the days of creation being grouped together into one of "God's days"; this would further indicate that the counting of the generations (also in "God days") would begin immediately following the "day" of creation.

I would also mention here that the same pattern of a day having a second value is repeated in the visions of Daniel. I will explain this further in the section below concerning the 70 weeks of Daniel.

I believe the one thing we should see, understand, and keep in mind (from this example) is that God, in His perfect ways, established right from the beginning (in Genesis) a pattern of items having dual meanings or values in prophecy and their fulfillment.

I would recommend to all who study prophecy to keep the following additional scripture in mind:

Ecclesiastes 1:9...The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

As we can see, scripture even tells us the things that have been or have been done will be repeated, and that there is nothing new under the sun.

The Seven Feasts of Israel - God's Feasts
Coming Soon

Daniel's 70 Weeks
Coming Soon

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