7-Day Week Predicts 7,000 Years?

Time Transfixed - Rene Magritte 1938 - 7,000 years 7-day week
Time Transfixed – Rene Magritte 1938

There are many who believe that God has a 7,000 year plan based on the 7-day week. This belief appears to be mainly derived from three sources: from the understanding that the resurrected saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation); also from 2 Peter chapter 3, where Peter is discussing a period of time which includes the time before the flood and a coming destruction; and from the interpretations found in both Jewish commentaries and the commentaries of post-apostolic writers like Irenaeus.

Many bible historians through their research believe that the time between the creation of Adam and Eve and the birth of Jesus Christ was about 4,000 years. If this is true, then there is a problem for those who believe that 6 days of the 7-day week predict that the time of man’s rule will be exactly six-thousand years. In hindsight, they see that more than 6,000 years have passed since the creation of Adam and Eve and have therefore developed some creative workarounds—none of which are based in scripture

The 7-day week of creation does reveal that God has a plan for mankind. The 6 days reveal that God has given man a limited time to do his works, which is revealed by the number 6—the number of man. And the seventh day reveals that God has set a time in which man will be made to rest from his works and God will complete His purpose for mankind (7 represents completion). However, by itself, the seven day week does not reveal that the plan is exactly 7,000 years. History is proving that. An understanding of all the feasts of God must be considered when trying to understand the complete plan—which is much greater than just understanding the amount of time.

What follows is an attempt to explain from scripture that the time of man’s rule is more than 6,000 years and that the time of God’s rule—the day of the Lord— is more than 1,000 years. The following will also explain why the name of this website is Century72.

To simplify this article and to keep it from becoming unwieldy, the reader will be given links to other articles found on this website that offer scriptural support for certain stated conclusions made here. To keep from getting lost, it is suggested that the reader first read through this entire article, and then go to the linked articles for further support for what is presented.

“. . . in the last days mockers shall come . . . saying, Where is the promise of his coming (2 Peter 3:3-4)?”

Table of Contents

4000 years from Adam to Christ

We agree with what is generally believed by others—that the time from Adam to the birth of Christ is 4,000 years. We agree not because it is the consensus, but because the details given in Genesis about the flood, combined with knowledge of the biblical calendar, and combined with the details given regarding the ages of the patriarchs, makes us confident that the time span was 4,000 years.

Going over the details of counting the ages of the patriarchs to the flood and determining the year of the flood by its relationship to observation of the new crescent moon is not the purpose of this article. It would take a lengthy article of its own. For the purpose of this article, it is enough to accept the general understanding that the scripture indicates the time from Adam to the birth of Christ is 4,000 years.

Christ anointed at 30

The starting year of Christ’s ministry, when he was thirty years of age (Luke 3:23), was prophesied to be AD 27. This is shown by Daniel  9:24-27 and Ezra 7. It’s commonly called the 70 weeks prophecy.

This prophecy is explained well in an Adventist paper When Did the Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9:24 Begin? by William H. Shea. (Note: century72.com does not agree with Adventist theology. Nonetheless, the paper is well researched and contains a thorough explanation.) To quote the paper’s conclusion:

. . . it can be seen that the prophecy of the 69 weeks, or the 483 full historical years of Daniel 9, culminates in AD 27. . . we are not talking here about the time of Messiah’s birth or the time of His death; we are talking about the time when He would appear as the Messiah [be anointed] . . . There is . . . only one who fulfills this requirement . . . [comment added].

We can also confirm AD 27 as the year of his anointing by working backward from the spring of AD 31 when the first sighting of the new crescent in the month of Abib was on the evening of Tuesday, April 10. The 14th day of the month was therefore on Wednesday, April 25, the afternoon of which Jesus was crucified, ending his 3 ½ year ministry. Tuesday evening is when Jesus and the disciples kept the passover. AD 31 is the only year that fits the events of Christ’s final days as given in the scripture.

[Note: We use two software programs that we have written that collate specific criteria to determine for any year the times and dates of the equinoxes, the monthly conjunctions, and the likelihood of sighting the first visible crescent. Data from the JPL/NASA Horizons System was also used to determine and confirm the outputs of the other two programs.]

We can say with certainty that Jesus was anointed Messiah in AD 27 when he became 30 years of age, both literally and legally. He had to be thirty years of age to enter into the service of the tabernacle; he was becoming the high priest of a new covenant priesthood.

Time until Christ’s return—2,050 years

The next time period to consider is the time from the anointing of Christ until his return.

The length of this period of time is to be found in the feast of weeks—specifically in its 50-day count. A full explanation of this count is found in the article Pentecost, the End of the Age and Christ’s Return. This time period until Christ’s return is the barley harvest age when the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, beginning with Christ after John was put into prison. This age will last 2,050 years as explained in the above article.

Adding up what we have so far, we get 4,000+30+2,050=6,080 years from Adam until the return of Christ. Since we know for certain that AD 27 was the year of Christ’s anointing, this would make the year AD 2077 (27+2,050) the time of his return.

So the time of man would be 6,080 years; however, we have more time periods to add in order to account for the complete plan.

Reigning with Christ—1,000 years

One thousand years is the only specific amount of time clearly stated in scripture to be directly connected to a specific time period; it is commonly referred to as the millennium. It is declared that those who are in the first resurrection will reign with Christ for a 1,000 years. Revelation chapter 20, verse 4 and verse 6:
“ . . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years . . . and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

One thousand years. Seems clear enough. Most people understand this. No need to expound further on this point; except to point out that scripture shows this 1,000 years is foreshadowed by the day of atonement and not the feast of tabernacles. This is explained in the article Day of Atonement is the Millennium.

Satan released and the great white throne—120 years

Many believe that the great white throne of Revelation chapter 20 is a single day in the future when God will resurrect and proclaim his sentence on all non-believers, consigning them to an eternity of suffering. However, there is solid evidence in God’s word that this time of judgment is not just a single day, but that this time of “judgment” will last for 100 years.

But immediately before this time of judgment and just after the 1,000 years, Satan will be released for a “little season” in order to deceive the nations one last time (Revelation 20:3; Ezekiel 38:16). There is scripture that indicates this small amount of time is 20 years. Both the time period of Satan’s release and the time period of the great white throne of judgment are foreshadowed by the account of Noah and the flood and the feast of tabernacles. This is explained in detail in the article Day of Judgment—What a Difference a ‘Day’ Makes.

If we now add up the number of years leading up to the 100-year judgment period we get: 4,000+30+2,050+1,000+20=7,100 years or 71 centuries.

Feast of tabernacles completes the summing up of all things

We really do need to understand that it is the feast of tabernacles that foreshadows the great white throne of judgment period, aka the day of judgment. It is the day of atonement that foreshadows the 1,000 years when the saints reign with Christ. This is all explained in the article Day of Atonement and in the article Day of Judgment—What a Difference a Day Makes.

The feast of tabernacles and the time of the judgment are explained in the last two chapters of Revelation.

Now, are there any scriptures that can support this idea of 71 centuries of mankind? There are, and they are found in the sacrifices that begin on the first day of the feast of tabernacles.

Numbers chapter 29, verse 12 begins to list the sacrifices to be made during the 7-day feast in the 7th month, starting on the 15th of the month, the feast of tabernacles. The next 4 verses list the burnt-offering, sin-offering, meal-offering, and drink-offering for just the first day. Then for each of the following six days 3 verses are devoted to the sacrifices for each day, followed by 4 verses detailing the sacrifices for the eighth day.Here are some of the numbers given:

  • For each of the eight days, a single goat for a sin offering.
  • For each of the first seven days, two rams and 14 lambs for a burnt offering.
  • For the eighth day, half as many, one ram and 7 lambs for the burnt offering.

But the real difference from day to day is the number of bulls for the burnt offering. Starting on day one, 13 bulls. On day two, 12 bulls. On day three, 11 bulls. This continues until on day seven it is 7 bulls.

Adding those numbers we get, 13+12+11+10+9+8+7 = 70.

If the seven days of the feast of tabernacles represents all the people who ever lived in 7,000 years, brought to life for the judgment, then the total of 70 bulls represents those 70 centuries.
At the beginning of that hundred-year judgment (the first day of the feast of tabernacles), many may readily accept what is offered, and will repent. As the years pass, the number of unrepentant people will diminish. By the very end, the time represented by the seventh day, the process will be completed. The last of those who will repent have done so.

But we have seen earlier that the total number of years leading up to the judgment is not just 7,000 but 7,100. There is one more century to be accounted for. And that is represented by the one bull of the eighth day. The smallest number of all because few will ultimately be unrepentant and lose their life on the eighth day. That is the ultimate purpose of all the 71 centuries of tribulation and the single century of judgment—to maximize the number who inherit eternal life, so that God might be all in all as the apostle Paul said.

The whole plan is 72 centuries—71 centuries and then 1 final century, the judgment. And the numbers make biblical and prophetic sense. There are 144 periods of 50 years each. 50 is the number for the Jubilee. The wall of the new city of Jerusalem is measured as 144 cubits (Rev 21:17); its walls are called salvation and its gates praise (Is 60:18); its foundations are the 12 apostles and its gates are the 12 tribes of Israel; 12 is the number of foundations and beginnings12 foundations x 12 gates = 144; there are 144,000 firstfruit to God = 12 x 12,000; 72 and 144 are multiples of 12. Is this not enough to warrant serious consideration?

Let’s add the numbers again. 4,000 years from Adam to Jesus, 30 years until his anointing, 2,050 years during which the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, 1,000 years called the millennium and 20 years for Satan’s deception—and finally the 100 years for the judgment.

4,000+30+2,050+1,000+20+100 = 7,200 years = 144 x 50=72 centuries.

More insight

Now if we add, day by day, the number of each day plus the number of bulls sacrificed on that day, for each of the seven days the sum is 14. It is generally accepted by those who have studied biblical numerology that the number 14 represents spiritual perfection or completion. But on the eighth day, the sum of the day number plus the one bull is 9. The number 9 is generally regarded as representing final judgment.

Then consider the number of lambs for each day. 14 for each of the 7 days, representing spiritual completion. But on the eighth day the number is only 7. Completion. Just completion. The end has come. The end of the beginning, that is. It is the completion of the entire opening plan. Time to move on into eternity.

There is likely to be a lot more information hidden in the numbers in that chapter alone. Why three tenths meal (grain) for each bull, two tenths for each ram, and one tenth for each lamb? Is it only relative to their sizes, or is there some symbolism in that, with information hidden in all those numbers? As of the writing of this article, there are still 50-plus years for someone to find out. After all, God told Daniel that there would be those who will understand his prophecy the closer it gets to the time of the end (Daniel 12:8-10).

God’s plan and purpose is found in the 7-day week, the sabbaths, and all His feasts—His appointed times. Everything outlines the different time periods in which God intends to accomplish His ultimate purpose for all mankind. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven . . . (Ecclesiastes 3:1 ASV).”