Rest and Restitution
"The Apostle Paul explains that the Law was a "shadow of good things to come," and that the experiences of the children of Israel "happened unto them as types, and are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the Ages have come" (Heb. 10:1; 1 Cor. 10:10, margin). Now, times and seasons constituted an important feature of the ordinances and experiences of the nation of Israel. In Exod. 20:8-11 we read: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt do no work . . . 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." Also from Lev. 25:1-5 we learn that the people of Israel were commanded to let the land rest every seventh year. According to the Apostle we must regard the Sabbath day, and the Sabbath year, as types (Col. 2:16, 17).
The seventh day of rest of the Great Jehovah began after he created man. For a short period Adam had dominion over the earth under the sovereignty of his Creator; we therefore understand that God's rest would not begin till the fall* (See Note #1 at the bottom of page), when the whole world was abandoned to its fate because of the disobedience of its federal head Adam. From that time till the flood God permitted the angels, and after the flood he has permitted Satan, to exercise the controlling power over man. During the Millennial Age Christ will reign. Accordingly, it will not be until "the thousand years" are finished and God has resumed his sovereignty that his great "Rest Day" will have ended. Thenceforward the condition will be as it was during the short period of innocence in the Garden of Eden; the perfect man will once more have dominion over the earth under the sovereignty of his Creator."
"The harmony of the diagram we are now considering, and also of several other diagrams shown on pages 24 and 25, gives us reason to believe that the short period of innocence between the creation and fall of Adam was two years. As the Bible dates show that Adam was created in 4128 B.C., his fall took place in 4126 B.C. From then till 1874 A.D. (the date of our Lord's return) is 6000 years. 1000 years more will bring us to the time when Christ will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28). Thus, God's Sabbath day comprises a period of seven thousand years in all. It is probable (that is to say, most logical, being as order is heavens first law) that the six preceding "days" during which God pursued his works of creation that they were likewise periods of seven thousand years as illustrated in the diagram below (See Note # 2 at bottom of page)."
Note # 1: from the account given in the scriptures specifically Gen 2:1, 2 it would appear that God’s rest began prior to Adam’s fall, not after his fall. It should be noted that the true ending of the first chapter of Genesis ends with Verse 3 of Chapter 2, not verse 31 of Chapter 1. If then we follow the narrative in its proper order we note that in verse 31 God declared the work of the sixth day “very good”, i.e. perfect, for all God’s works are perfect, the last of these works being the creation of man. It was at the end of this “day” that God’s work was finished (2:1), and on the seventh day he rested. One would imagine that God would not enter into his rest until he had completed his work and declared it perfect, and as such this would be while Adam was in his perfect condition not his fallen condition. This of course is only my personal thought on the matter.
Note # 2: this in no way implies that the physical earth itself is only a little over 49,000 years old at present; this is not what is meant here. We’re speaking here only of the creative or preparation work in readying the earth for the arrival of man, the physical globe, the earth itself is… as is suggested by many scientist well over 4 billion years old. If you note closely in the Genesis account prior to the LORD’s first work on the first day it states in Verse 2, “Now the earth was…” that is to say it already existed, but was without form, not yet prepared for the arrival of life.
Continued with next post.
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"The Apostle Paul explains that the Law was a "shadow of good things to come," and that the experiences of the children of Israel "happened unto them as types, and are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the Ages have come" (Heb. 10:1; 1 Cor. 10:10, margin). Now, times and seasons constituted an important feature of the ordinances and experiences of the nation of Israel. In Exod. 20:8-11 we read: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt do no work . . . 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." Also from Lev. 25:1-5 we learn that the people of Israel were commanded to let the land rest every seventh year. According to the Apostle we must regard the Sabbath day, and the Sabbath year, as types (Col. 2:16, 17).
The seventh day of rest of the Great Jehovah began after he created man. For a short period Adam had dominion over the earth under the sovereignty of his Creator; we therefore understand that God's rest would not begin till the fall* (See Note #1 at the bottom of page), when the whole world was abandoned to its fate because of the disobedience of its federal head Adam. From that time till the flood God permitted the angels, and after the flood he has permitted Satan, to exercise the controlling power over man. During the Millennial Age Christ will reign. Accordingly, it will not be until "the thousand years" are finished and God has resumed his sovereignty that his great "Rest Day" will have ended. Thenceforward the condition will be as it was during the short period of innocence in the Garden of Eden; the perfect man will once more have dominion over the earth under the sovereignty of his Creator."
"The harmony of the diagram we are now considering, and also of several other diagrams shown on pages 24 and 25, gives us reason to believe that the short period of innocence between the creation and fall of Adam was two years. As the Bible dates show that Adam was created in 4128 B.C., his fall took place in 4126 B.C. From then till 1874 A.D. (the date of our Lord's return) is 6000 years. 1000 years more will bring us to the time when Christ will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-28). Thus, God's Sabbath day comprises a period of seven thousand years in all. It is probable (that is to say, most logical, being as order is heavens first law) that the six preceding "days" during which God pursued his works of creation that they were likewise periods of seven thousand years as illustrated in the diagram below (See Note # 2 at bottom of page)."
Note # 1: from the account given in the scriptures specifically Gen 2:1, 2 it would appear that God’s rest began prior to Adam’s fall, not after his fall. It should be noted that the true ending of the first chapter of Genesis ends with Verse 3 of Chapter 2, not verse 31 of Chapter 1. If then we follow the narrative in its proper order we note that in verse 31 God declared the work of the sixth day “very good”, i.e. perfect, for all God’s works are perfect, the last of these works being the creation of man. It was at the end of this “day” that God’s work was finished (2:1), and on the seventh day he rested. One would imagine that God would not enter into his rest until he had completed his work and declared it perfect, and as such this would be while Adam was in his perfect condition not his fallen condition. This of course is only my personal thought on the matter.
Note # 2: this in no way implies that the physical earth itself is only a little over 49,000 years old at present; this is not what is meant here. We’re speaking here only of the creative or preparation work in readying the earth for the arrival of man, the physical globe, the earth itself is… as is suggested by many scientist well over 4 billion years old. If you note closely in the Genesis account prior to the LORD’s first work on the first day it states in Verse 2, “Now the earth was…” that is to say it already existed, but was without form, not yet prepared for the arrival of life.
Continued with next post.
Return to Index
