LESSON TWO

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Scripture to read: Genesis 1&2, Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 15, Hosea 5&6

What does eschatology mean? The word “eschatology” comes from a combination of Greek words meaning “the study of last things,” or “the study of the end times”. There are five main eschatological views, and each proposes a different take on three key aspects of the end of the world: the millennium, the binding of Satan, and the relationship between Israel and the Church. 

The primary books of the Bible pertaining to end times prophecy are the book of Daniel, the book of Ezekiel, the book of Joel and the book of Revelation. Most important to these prophecies is the Olivet Discourse spoken by Jesus and written in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Olivet Discourse and the book of Joel coincidentally follow the same timeline as Revelation.

Starting my study, the first thing I knew I had to confirm was the eschatology timeline. Specific days on the calendar are important to God, and it pays to understand what they are all about. Observances of Sabbath, Sabbatical Years and Jubilee Years are specified in Leviticus 25. The Sabbath days mentioned in Scripture refer to the 7th day of the week – the weekly Sabbath – as well as to the special Sabbath days (High Holy Days) of some of the Feasts of the Lord. In addition, specific years are important to God. These are the Sabbatical Years and the Jubilee Years. 

In the Old Testament law relayed by God to Moses (Leviticus 25:1–7), God commanded that the Israelites let their lands lie dormant each 7th year—the Sabbatical Year. Just as the weekly Sabbath was a day of rest instituted by God for man (Genesis 2:2-3), the Sabbatical Year was a year of rest for the land. In addition, debts of fellow Israelites were required to be forgiven in sabbatical years (Deuteronomy 15:2). It appears that God prescribed a continuing cycle in which every 7th year would be a Sabbatical Year, in perpetuity. 

In the Jewish tradition, the year following the 7th Sabbatical Year was called the Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year occurs every fiftieth year, the year after seven Sabbatical Years (49 years) have passed. 

Understanding the importance of the number 7 to days and years of God’s laws, I knew that this must play a part in the timeline of mankind, His creation. So, I took my focus to the Bible to find anything pertaining to this eschatology or timeline. I then remembered a verse in 2 Peter that would take me to the next step of determining the Christian eschatology.

“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.” 2 Peter 3:8

So now we understand that a thousand years also plays a part in his 7-day week of creation. Knowing this, I moved on to find other scriptures besides Daniel 9 that spoke of a timeline for the end days. In Hosea 5, Jesus informs the people of Israel that because they rejected Him, He must turn His back on them and will not return until they acknowledge Him as the Messiah. This return to heaven occurred after His resurrection.

Hosea 5:15 “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”

Next in Hosea 6, he informs them he will come back after 2000 years (2 days) and during the next 1000 years (3rd day) they shall live with him in his millennial kingdom. 

Hosea 6:2 “After TWO days will he revive us: in the THIRD day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”

Not only does Hosea confirm that a 1000-year period is as a day, but that Christ's Second Coming is determined to be 2,000 years after his resurrection. This is the first supporting scripture to the theory of God having a 7,000-year plan for mankind.

Interestingly, the seventh day of the week is pictured as a type of the peaceful "rest" on earth which will follow Christ's return. Being a time of "rest", and lasting a thousand years, it makes perfect sense that God would correspond it to the seventh day rest of creation.

Revelation 20:4 “...and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a THOUSAND YEARS.”

Since the last "day" of God's plan for mankind is 1,000 years, it is logical to conclude that the other six days of creation typify 6,000 years of man's government on earth. This will be the second confirmation of a 7000-year plan.

Interestingly, early Christian writers such as Barnabas wrote:

“And God made in six days the works of his hands, and finished them on the seventh day, and rested in it and sanctified it. Therefore, my children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, shall all things be brought to an end. And the words, He rested on the seventh day, signify this: After that his Son hath come, and hath caused to cease the time of the wicked one, and hath judged the ungodly, and changed the sun and the moon and the stars, then shall he rest well on the seventh day. After that I have brought all things to an end, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, which thing is the beginning of another world.” (Barnabas)

What is dispensationalism? In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinely appointed age. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. Dispensationalism has two primary distinctives: 1) a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and 2) a view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the Church in God’s program. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity. Dispensationalists believe the church is the "seed of Abraham" in the spiritual sense.

Another early Christian writer Lactantius determined that there would be 7000 years based on dispensationalism.

‘'As there had been 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham, and 2,000 from Abraham to Christ; so, there will be 2,000 years for the Christian era and then would come the Millennium.” (Lactantius)

Premillennialism is the belief in Christian Eschatology that asserts Jesus will physically return to earth before a literal 1000-year reign. Dispensationalists believe the rapture will occur prior to tribulation. This study demonstrates how Daniel's prophetic timeline and Revelation 10 support a pre-wrath rapture. Furthermore, using Hosea 6 and Revelation 20 to confirm a 7,000-year eschatology, this study adopts Dispensational Premillennialism as its primary framework.