1975 is still a year of significance.
Even more significant is the Day of Jehovah

page 2.

Dateline: Sept. 4, 2001

Continued from page 1

Adam's creation calculated

2370 B.C.E.1 Noah's flood 2370 B.C.E.1 Methuselah died at age 969 (Gen 5:27) +600 years Noah 600 yrs. old when entered ark. (Gen. 7:11) +969 years Add Methuselah's years to count further backward (Gen 5:27) =2970 years B.C.E.       +182 years Lamech 182 yrs. old when fathered Noah. (Gen. 5:28)     =3152 years B.C.E.       +187 years Methuselah 187 yrs. old when fathered Lamech. (Gen. 5:25)     =3339 years B.C.E.   =3339 years B.C.E. mathematical alignment +65 years Enoch 65 yrs. old when fathered Methuselah. (Gen. 5:21) =3404 years B.C.E.   +162 years Jared 162 yrs. old when fathered Enoch. (Gen. 5:18) =3566 years B.C.E.   +65 years Mahalel 65 yrs. old when fathered Jared. (Gen. 5:15) =3631 years B.C.E.   +70 years Kenan 70 yrs. old when fathered Mahalel. (Gen. 5:18) =3701 years B.C.E.   +90 years Enosh 90 yrs. old when fathered Kenan. (Gen. 5:18) =3791 years B.C.E.   +105 years Seth 105 yrs. old when fathered Enosh. (Gen. 5:18) =3896 years B.C.E.   +130 years Adam 130 yrs. old when fathered Seth. (Gen. 5:18) =4026 years B.C.E.   1 Further information about establishing the time of Noah's Flood can be found in the publication "All Scriptures Inspired" pgs. 184-298; published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

What is the link between the creative days and Christ's thousand year reign?

We note that in Genesis 1:31, the sixth day was closed. Then in Genesis 2:2 we read that a seventh day has opened up, and that all of the creative activities were completed before this point in time. Thus Adam and Eve were created during the sixth creative day, and some time after they were created the seventh creative day began. In Hebrews 4:3 the avid Bible student can realize that those who are obedient can enjoy God's favor during His day of rest. (note also Hebrews 3:18) Thus, the seventh creative day is still openA. Since 1975 marked the six thousandth year of Adam's existence, we might conclude that the evidence leans toward the seventh creative day being at a minimum approximately six thousand solar years.D Embedded within the ancient law code given to the Israelites was a directive that they should rest on the seventh day of each week. (Exodus 35:2) Also they were to give the land a rest every seventh year. (Leviticus 25:4) So there was a cycle of seven contained within a major cycle of seven. Jesus Christ is identified as the "Lord of the Sabbath" in Matthew 12:8, and he is also prophesied to rule as king for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-6) And according to prophetic fulfillment's, we know we are in the time of the end. (Matthew 24:3-14) Thus the fulfillment of Matthew 24:29,30 are close at handB. This information could be compiled in two ways, first by adding the six thousand years since Adam's creation to one thousand gives us an approximation of seven thousand years as a minimum for one creative dayC. This method is approximate at best, because the first man and Eve were created as a part of the sixth creative day, as well as the possibility of creative day overlapsD, and third, but probably not finally, the unknown certainty of how long after his creation the creative day actually began (if not during or before). The other method of compilation would be to take the length of the sabbath day, and multiply it into reverse time. 1,000 X 7 equals 7,000 years. (See also the Questions From Readers in The Watchtower, October 1, 2001, page 30, first paragraph in second column) However, this too leaves the uncertainty of starting and ending bindings to the humanly measurable stream of time. But both methods tend toward agreement that the length of the seventh creative day is 7,000 solar years long.

A See Insight of the Scriptures, volume 1, "Creation"; published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

B See The Watchtower, May 1, 1999, pg. 13, ¶ 19.

C Genesis 1:1 puts the creation of the universe and the planetoid we call earth outside of the creative days. Thus it is impossible to determine from the scriptures the length of time these have been in existence.

D It's probably too much of a stretch with a lack of scriptural evidence to conclude that the first through sixth creative days were of equal length as the seventh creative day. Note that only the seventh creative day is hinted at as to length, and the first six are briefly mentioned, probably even overlapping one another in their accomplishments. It's even possible that they decreased in lengthy gradually, the first day being some 100's of millions of years, the second some tens of millions, the third some 100's of thousands, etc... (Note, these numbers are just 'plucked out of the air' for illustration and not as evidentiary information.) While it is possible, in fact quite probable, that the previous six creative days overlapped, Genesis 2:2 is strong evidence that the seventh creative day does not befall this lack of definition. It would seem that indeed the sixth creative day ended when the seventh began, the creative process of all new life forms, including Adam and Eve as the progenitors of the human race, having already come to a completion.

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