From: Tony Galli
To:       heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject:  The 6,000 year plan of God


                    Are We Living In The Last Days?

                     THE 6000 YEAR PLAN OF GOD


GOD'S 6000 YEAR PLAN

Sir Isaac Newton spent over half his life (60 years) calculating the
Time Of The End from the Books of Daniel and Revelation and has left
us with this interesting quote:

"About the Times of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will
turn their attention to the prophecies and insist upon their literal
interpretation in the midst of much clamor and opposition".

TESTIMONY OF THE EARLY BIBLE SCHOLARS

Epistle of Barnabas 15:3-5 He speaks of the Sabbath at the beginning
of the Creation, "And God made in six days the works of His hands and
on the seventh day He made an end, and He rested on the seventh day,
and He sanctified it. Consider, my children what this signifies: That
He made an end in six days. The meaning of it is this: that in six
thousand years the Creator will bring all things to an End, for with
Him one day is a thousand years. He Himself testifies, saying, Behold
the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore children,
in six days, that is in six thousand years, all things shall be
accomplished. And He rested on the seventh day: He means this, that
when His Son shall come He will destroy the season of the wicked one,
and will judge the godless, and will change the sun and the moon and
the stars, and then He will truly rest on the seventh day.

Secrets of Enoch 33:1 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 seven thousand, and that at the
beginning of the eighth thousand there should be a time of not
counting, endless, with neither years nor months nor weeks nor days
nor hours.

Elijah (Eliyahu) 200 BC. The world endures six thousand years; two
thousand before the Torah, two thousand under the Torah, and two
thousand under the Messiah.

Irenaeus 150 AD. (was trained by Polycarp who was trained by John who
wrote the Book of Revelation. Quote is from "Against Heresies" Book 5,
28, 3: For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand
years shall it be concluded.This is an account of the things formerly
created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of
the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were
completed; it is evident therefore, that they will come to an end at
the six thousandth year.

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

Lactantius 300 A.D. (Tutor to the son of the Roman Emperor
Constantine, was a highly respected scholar. He wrote sometime before
his death in 330 A.D. the following in "The Divine Institutes" Book 7,
Chapter 25: I have already shown above that when 6000 years shall be
completed this change must take place. Chapter 26: But he (Satan)
also, when the thousand years of the Kingdom, that is, 7000 of the
world, shall begin to be ended, will be loosed afresh, and being sent
forth from prison, will go forth and assemble all the nations, which
shall then be under the dominion of the Righteous, that they may make
war against the Holy City.

Methodius 300 A.D. (Banquet Of The Ten Virgins, Discourse 9, Chapter
1): For in six days God made the heaven and Earth, and finished the
whole world . . . and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, so by
a figure in the seventh month (Tishri ) when the fruits of the Earth
have been gathered in, we are commanded to keep the Feast to the Lord,
which signifies that, when this world shall be terminated at the seven
thousand years, when God shall have completed the world, He shall
rejoice in us. . . . Then, when the appointed times shall have been
accomplished, and God shall have ceased to form this creation, in the
seventh month, the Great Resurrection Day, it is commanded that the
Feast of our Tabernacles shall be celebrated to the Lord.

Latimer 1552 A.D. The world was ordained to endure, as all learned men
affirm, 6000 years. Now of that number there be passed 5,552 years, so
that there is no more left but 448 years.

Rabbi Ketina: The world endures six thousand years and one thousand it
shall be laid waste, whereof it is said 'The Lord alone shall be
exalted in that day'. As out of seven years every seventh is a year of
remission, that God alone may be exalted in that day.

THE TALMUD

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:

2 Pet 3:10, 14 But the Day of the Lord will come as a THIEF IN THE
NIGHT; whereby the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works
that are therein shall be all burned up. Therefore, beloved, seeing
that you are watching for such things, be diligent that you may be
found by Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

1 Thess 5:2-4 For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord
so comes as a THIEF IN THE NIGHT.but you brethren (in Christ) are not
in darkness that the Day (of God's Wrath) should overtake YOU as a
thief.

Matt 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40 And this know, that if the watchman of
the house had known what hour THE THIEF would come, he would have
watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken into. BE YOU
THEREFORE READY also: for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you
think not.

Rev 3:3; Rev 16:15 Remember therefore how you have received and heard,
and hold fast, and REPENT. IF therefore you shall not watch, then I
will come on you AS A THIEF, and you shall not know at what hour I
will come upon you. Behold, I COME AS A THIEF. Blessed is he who
watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his
shame.

NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR?

Matthew 24:36(KJV) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:36 (NIV) No one knows about that day or hour, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 24:36 (ASV) But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even
the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.

Matthew 24:36 (Fenton Translation) About the exact time, however, and
the hour, none knows - not even the messengers of Heaven; but My
Father alone.

Failing to think like Jesus and taking phrases out of Hebraic context
can lead one to misunderstand His words. For example, in many places
of the New Testament, Jesus knew the future and talked about it
openly. In one instance, He warned His disciples about their future
saying, "See, I have told you ahead of time" (Matthew 24:25). If He
knew the future in Matthew 24:25, and the context concerns the Day of
Trouble, why would He suddenly speak as though He did not know the
future in the same context just 11 verses later in Matthew 24:36? Was
He confused? Or was He making perfect sense in light of the customs of
the Jews?

It has to do with the moon and its 29-1/2 day cycle of renewal. In
this period of slightly less than 30 days, the moon goes from darkness
to light and back to darkness again. This is not a haphazard
occurrence attributed to evolution or science. God planned it for many
reasons, one being as a picture of renewal and resurrection. With each
cycle of nearly 30 days the ancient rabbis understood that the moon
was being reborn or "BORN AGAIN" (Sefard siddur, Mussaf for Shabbat
and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, p. 509 and 646-648).

If the moon is so important to God, why do we pay so little attention
to it? We have lost touch with God's faithful witness in the sky
(Psalm 89:37). But Jesus and the people of His day never lost touch
with it. And not only was the new moon necessary for the Hebrew
calendar, it was also a monthly festival celebrated with a feast fit
for a king! No one in Judah could plan for the first day of the
seventh month Tishri, called the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah in
Hebrew). When they knew how many days to count to a festival, that
would be easy. But: HOW COULD THEY PLAN FOR A FESTIVAL THAT THEY DID
NOT KNOW AT WHAT DAY OR HOUR IT WOULD BE ANNOUNCED AND THUS BEGIN?

This was unique to Rosh HaShanah and dependent upon the testimony of
two witnesses.

Explaining Matthew 24:36

From the Hebraic perspective, Matthew 24:36 can now be understood.
Like all the other people of His day, Jesus too COULD NOT KNOW the day
or hour to begin the Feast of Trumpets. From His viewpoint, He of
course knew and understood future events as seen in His words of
Mattityahu 24:25 and no doubt, knew not only on what day the new moon
would be announced, but probably at what precise minute it would be
announced. But that did not matter because only a member of the
Sanhedrin or the Nassi had the authority to interview the two
witnesses and to proclaim the start of the Feast of Trumpets. From
this first century Jewish context, the surrounding verses of
Mattityahu 24:36 make perfect sense. The prophetic allusion is that
"Only the Father" has the authority to proclaim Rosh HaShanah 6000!

Jesus clearly makes a Messianic-Age statement by using a figure of
speech understood only by those who are preparing to celebrate the
Feast of Trumpets. With so many factors determining Rosh HaShanah, it
was indeed, from everyone's vantage point including Jesus and His
talmidim (disciples), a "day and hour no man knows, not even the Son".

Why did Jesus use figures of speech concerning the End-Times? Why not
say it plainly? Please consider the following suggestions:

1)To intentionally hide or mask the meaning of His words:

Matt 13:10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you
speak unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because
it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the Kingdom Of Heaven,
but to them it is NOT given.

2) To help those listening to remember His teachings using
word-pictures:

A figure of speech is a good way of making a point stick. In His day,
memorization was the rule, not the exception. Those involved in the
field of memorization today tell us that word-pictures help us to
remember. That is precisely what Jesus did in Matthew 24. Using
lightning, vultures, fig trees, servants, hypocrites and images of the
new moon being announced by the Sanhedrin, Jesus painted pictures with
Jewish concepts grounded in the Torah.


JESUS "SENT" ON THE 4TH DAY

The Jewish sages of the past understood that HaMashiach Ben-Yosef (the
suffering servant Messiah Son of Joseph) would "appear" on the "fourth
day" of the symbolic Creation week. The arrival of The Messiah was
expected in the period known as the "fourth day" after the creation
(of Adam). How did rabbinical interpreters and sages of Torah arrive
at this timeline for the coming of The Messiah? For one, they
interpreted the prophet Malachi's words about the Messianic Age:

Malachi 4:1-2 or Mal 3:19-20 Hebrew Tanakh For behold, the day is
coming, burning like an oven, when all the wicked people and all the
evildoers will be like straw; and that coming day will burn them up,
says HaShem, Master of Legions, so that it will not leave them a root
or branch. But THE SUN of Righteousness will rise for those who Fear
My Name, with healing in its rays.

2 Pet 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do
well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place,
until THE DAY DAWN, AND THE DAY STAR arise in your hearts.

Rev 22:16 (Rev 2:28) I Jesus have sent My angel to testify unto you
these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of
David, and THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.

Matt 24:27 For as the SUNRISE (bright shining; Strong's #796) comes
forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall the
coming of the Son of Man be.

The "Sun" is the "Bright and Morning Star". The rabbis deduced from
Malachi's words that he was referring to the Messiah and hence to
Bereshith (Genesis) 1:14-19 where we find that the "Sun" was fashioned
on the FOURTH DAY of Creation:

Gen 1:14-19 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights
in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the Earth: and it
was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the
Earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening
and the morning were THE FOURTH DAY.

The link between the coming of the Messiah on the fourth day and the
creation of the sun on the fourth day was taught by the rabbis of
ancient Israel as a "remez" of Messianic Redemption. A remez was one
of four methods of scriptural interpretation that was believed to
foreshadow a Divine Truth to be revealed in its time. Thus when
Malachi wrote concerning the "Sun of Righteouseness", the remez in the
text was the Messiah who was to come. In the ancient Midrash Rabbah
Exodus (the great rabbinic teaching on Exodus) is an explanation
concerning the lending of money to a fellow Jew. The problem being
addressed deals with the passage in Shemot (Exodus) 22:25 which says:
If you lend money to My People, to the poor among you, do not act
toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.

The rabbis interpreted this Scripture in the form of a drash or story:
With Moses, too, did I make this condition concerning them; as it
says, `If you lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with
you, you shall not be to him a creditor'; but if you transgress these
commands, I will hand over two pledges, as it says, "If you at all
take your neighbor's garment to pledge - habol tahbol".' Moses asked,
`Shall they remain in pledge for ever?' God replied, `No, only until
the Sun appears', that is, till the coming of the Messiah; for it
says, "But unto you who Fear My Name shall the Sun of Righteousness
arise with healing in its wings". (Midrash Exodus Rabbah)

The concept that The Messiah would come in the fourth day was so
understood in ancient Israel that when the fourth day arrived,
Messianic expectation flourished! For example, it was during this time
that Yeshayahu (Isaiah) talked about "Immanuel" and the "Prince of
Peace" (Yeshayahu-Isaiah 7-9). It was during this time that the
prophets Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) and Hoshea (Hosea) and Daniel brought
forth the Messianic oracles of God.

God chose Daniel in Babylon to reveal the exact details of The
Messiah's arrival(s):

Dani'el 9:22-27 Daniel, I have now come forth to give you
understanding. At the beginning of your supplications a word went
forth, and I have come to relate it to you; for you are greatly
beloved. Contemplate this matter and gain understanding in the vision.
Seventy weeks hare been determined upon your people and upon your Holy
City, to terminate transgression, to end sin, to wipe away iniquity,
to bring in Everlasting Righteousness, to confirm the visions and
prophets, and to Anoint the most Holy of Holies. Know and comprehend:
>From the emergence of the word to return and to build Jerusalem until
the Messiah the Prince will be seven weeks, and for sixty two weeks it
will be rebuilt, street and moat, but in troubled times. Then, after
the sixty-two weeks, the MESSIAH WILL BE CUT OFF and will exist no
longer; the people of the prince that shall come will destroy the City
and the Sanctuary; but his end will be (to be swept away as) in a
flood. Then, until the end of the war, desolation is decreed. He will
confirm a covenant with the great ones (the many) for one week; but in
the midst of the week he will abolish sacrifice and meal-offering, and
the mute abominations will be upon soaring heights, until the
extermination as decreed will pour down upon the mute (abomination).

The Book of Daniel records some of the most intense words of Messianic
prophecy in the Bible. The first Temple (built by David/Solomon Ben
David) and Jerusalem was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Daniel was taken captive into Babylon where he recorded the Book which
bears his name. God told Daniel it would be 483 years (69 "weeks":
62+7 - Dani'el 9:25 above), from the issuing forth of the decree (by
King Cyrus the Persian) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and the
Temple, that the Messiah would come.

2 Chr 36:22-23 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, upon the
fulfillment of the prophecy of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD
aroused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he issued a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom - and put it also in writing -
saying: "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: HaShem, God of Heaven, has
given to me all the kingdoms of the Earth, and He has commanded me to
build Him a Temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah (Judaea). Whoever
there is among you of all His (Chosen) people - may The LORD his God
be with him, and let him go up!"

Thus, God has also foretold us through the prophet Dani'el that The
Messiah would come in the year 4000! Jewish oral tradition affirms
that Adam was created on Rosh HaShanah. Our chronology starts with
Adam. We can trace the chronology from Adam to The Messiah by adding
all the years of the Biblical patriarchs, judges, kings, and finally
the kingdom of Judah's 70-year exile to Babylon, where Daniel recorded
his writings. Then, from the word (decree) to return (Jeremiah 29:10)
and to rebuild Jerusalem, we are given a prophetic time period of 49
years (7 "weeks") + 434 years (62 "weeks"), to the coming of the
"Anointed One". When we add all of these years up, we arrive at the
year 4000!

There was no mistake as to when the Messiah would appear. He came
right on schedule, and He will return right on schedule!

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