“Write down the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that everyone may read it fluently” Hab 2:2
“Chronology is the basis of dispensational truth. The great central doctrines of the Christian religion, the Ransom, Justification and Sanctification, have stood through all periods of the Gospel Dispensation; but there is a department of Bible truth which Providence has supplied for the well-being of the Church while engaged in her earthly pilgrimage, in which the element of time largely enters; and such truths as come within this department-on which much light has been thrown in recent times-are of inestimable value to thoughtful (i.e. awake) Christians now living on earth, for they enlighten their pathway (Psa 119:105), and are, furthermore, intimately connected with faith.
In an age characterized by apostasy and rampant skepticism, when few have any real faith in God and His Word, these special dispensational truths come to our assistance, imparting steadfastness, courage and peace, for they prove to the sanctified intelligence that the Bible is indeed God's Word of truth, and that His plan, therein contained, is being executed on time, and exactly as foretold.”
Bishop Usher is the originator of the Chronology that is typically found in our Common Version English Bibles; it begins with the era known as Anno Domini (viz. A.D. , the year of our Lord--although Usher believed, with many scholars, that our Lord was born 4 years earlier than that era, we believe it to be 1-1/4 years earlier.) Usher reckons backward from A.D., calling the years B.C., we have generally followed the same usage, however since some might grasp the subject better by a presentation of it in consecutive order, from Adam's creation to the present time, we will here give such a presentation, known as A.M. (Anno Mundi) or the year of the world.
The Chronology we here wish to present we claim not as “ours” on the contrary, we claim it is God's chronology, as supplied in the Bible to all that are his, and for our common use and benefit. We fear all human speculations and manufactures along these lines, both by others and ourselves.
Now some are of the persuasion that it is impossible to determine the dates of the beginnings and endings of the various dispensations or ages, we beg to differ, in fact we believe that through the use of the true bible chronology as provide in the scriptures by the Lord we can very near date every significant event spoken of in the scriptures all the way up to our very day. Not necessarily the very day, but a close if not exact year date for most of these events.
Now of course in this study we will only be looking to find the dates marking the beginnings and endings of the various dispensations with a few prominent events thrown in to aid us in connecting them. In order to determine all the various significant prophetic events recorded in the scriptures that would require the study of the various prophecies related to each event, and that’s for another study altogether. Right now we wish simply to establish the basic dispensations or ages so as to get an over-all view of the time-line and where precisely we are located on it.
It has been well said that a picture (whether a photo, illustration, chart or diagram) is worth a thousand words, and we believe this to be true. And so we will begin with a clean slate (or tablet) of the Seventh Creative Day, God’s great “rest” day, as depicted above showing the various dispensations or ages of which it is composed. However before we begin we should first like to explain a little bit about our chart. First of course we have the three basic division of time or dispensation spoken of by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter Chapter 3, known as the “World that was”, the “Present Evil World”, and the “Millennial Age” or “World to come”. The present evil world, the day in which we presently live is likewise sub-divided into three smaller periods of time. Next you will note on our chart that this great creative day is divided into equal periods of 1000 years covering 7000 years total.
The Apostle in 2 Pet. 3:8 says: "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." From this standpoint we may regard the period of seven thousand years from the fall of Adam to the end of the Millennium as a "week," each "day" of which is a thousand years long. The first period of one thousand years forms the First Adam's "day," referred to by God when he said to Adam: “in the day thou eats thereof dying thou shalt die." Adam died within his 1000-year day (Gen. 2:17; 5:5).
The seventh period of one thousand years is the "day" appointed by God during which the "Last Adam" shall judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:45, 47). As our Lord said: “The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" (Matt. 12:8).
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“Chronology is the basis of dispensational truth. The great central doctrines of the Christian religion, the Ransom, Justification and Sanctification, have stood through all periods of the Gospel Dispensation; but there is a department of Bible truth which Providence has supplied for the well-being of the Church while engaged in her earthly pilgrimage, in which the element of time largely enters; and such truths as come within this department-on which much light has been thrown in recent times-are of inestimable value to thoughtful (i.e. awake) Christians now living on earth, for they enlighten their pathway (Psa 119:105), and are, furthermore, intimately connected with faith.
In an age characterized by apostasy and rampant skepticism, when few have any real faith in God and His Word, these special dispensational truths come to our assistance, imparting steadfastness, courage and peace, for they prove to the sanctified intelligence that the Bible is indeed God's Word of truth, and that His plan, therein contained, is being executed on time, and exactly as foretold.”
Bishop Usher is the originator of the Chronology that is typically found in our Common Version English Bibles; it begins with the era known as Anno Domini (viz. A.D. , the year of our Lord--although Usher believed, with many scholars, that our Lord was born 4 years earlier than that era, we believe it to be 1-1/4 years earlier.) Usher reckons backward from A.D., calling the years B.C., we have generally followed the same usage, however since some might grasp the subject better by a presentation of it in consecutive order, from Adam's creation to the present time, we will here give such a presentation, known as A.M. (Anno Mundi) or the year of the world.
The Chronology we here wish to present we claim not as “ours” on the contrary, we claim it is God's chronology, as supplied in the Bible to all that are his, and for our common use and benefit. We fear all human speculations and manufactures along these lines, both by others and ourselves.
Now some are of the persuasion that it is impossible to determine the dates of the beginnings and endings of the various dispensations or ages, we beg to differ, in fact we believe that through the use of the true bible chronology as provide in the scriptures by the Lord we can very near date every significant event spoken of in the scriptures all the way up to our very day. Not necessarily the very day, but a close if not exact year date for most of these events.
Now of course in this study we will only be looking to find the dates marking the beginnings and endings of the various dispensations with a few prominent events thrown in to aid us in connecting them. In order to determine all the various significant prophetic events recorded in the scriptures that would require the study of the various prophecies related to each event, and that’s for another study altogether. Right now we wish simply to establish the basic dispensations or ages so as to get an over-all view of the time-line and where precisely we are located on it.
It has been well said that a picture (whether a photo, illustration, chart or diagram) is worth a thousand words, and we believe this to be true. And so we will begin with a clean slate (or tablet) of the Seventh Creative Day, God’s great “rest” day, as depicted above showing the various dispensations or ages of which it is composed. However before we begin we should first like to explain a little bit about our chart. First of course we have the three basic division of time or dispensation spoken of by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter Chapter 3, known as the “World that was”, the “Present Evil World”, and the “Millennial Age” or “World to come”. The present evil world, the day in which we presently live is likewise sub-divided into three smaller periods of time. Next you will note on our chart that this great creative day is divided into equal periods of 1000 years covering 7000 years total.
The Apostle in 2 Pet. 3:8 says: "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." From this standpoint we may regard the period of seven thousand years from the fall of Adam to the end of the Millennium as a "week," each "day" of which is a thousand years long. The first period of one thousand years forms the First Adam's "day," referred to by God when he said to Adam: “in the day thou eats thereof dying thou shalt die." Adam died within his 1000-year day (Gen. 2:17; 5:5).
The seventh period of one thousand years is the "day" appointed by God during which the "Last Adam" shall judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:45, 47). As our Lord said: “The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" (Matt. 12:8).
Due to the 10000 character limit we will continue with our next post.
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