1996 and Date Setting

Dr. Thomas Ice

1996marks the 6000th year since creation, according to the calculations of BritishBishop James Ussher (1581-1656). In 1701, Ussher's chronology was taken intothe margin of the King James Version of the Bible and is still included in manyeditions today. It has been noted that Ussher was motivated to study pastchronology because of his interest in dating the future second coming ofChrist.

Eventhough Ussher's approach to biblical chronology is usually disdained in ourday, I believe that he is basically correct in his approach and conclusions. Ithink a few calendar adjustments should be made that would begin creation at4000 b.c. instead of Ussher's 4004b.c. Thus, a.d. 2000 is more likely the 6000th yearsince creation. If I believed that it were possible to date the second comingof Christ, it is not possible, then the theory teaching that man has 6000 yearsbefore the second coming of Christ would make the most sense.

The 7000 Year Theory

Oneof the most widely held beliefs of the first 400 years of the early church wasthat Christ would return after 6,000 years of history and that He would reignon earth for an additional 1,000 years. This view was based upon the six daysof creation with the seventh day of rest (Gen. 2:2), and the belief (developedfrom Ps. 90:4 & 2 Pet. 3:8) that each day was to be reckoned asrepresentative of a thousand years. Thus, just as man's work week (Ex.20:8-11) is six days followed by the Sabbath rest, so the scope of historyfollows the pattern of six thousand years for man's history followed by theseventh thousand years of millennial rest (Heb. 4:9). This whole scheme isreferred to as the sex- or septa-millenary theory.

Earlychurch proponents believed that the end of the world would come around a.d. 500, because they followed theinflated chronology of the Septuagint. Ussher and later proponents of thesepta-millenary tradition followed the more accurate numbers of the Hebrew Masoretic Text which produced Ussher's 4004 b.c. date for creation with the 6000 years of man's weekending in a.d. 1996. Others see a4000 b.c. creation date with afocus on a.d. 2000.

Somehave noted the panic and great concern throughout Christendom that surroundedevents leading up to a.d. 500 andspeculated that we may expect similar behavior as the year a.d. 2000 approaches. This is highlyunlikely, because of the secular dominance of modern culture. Occasionally,some may be curious about a biblically related viewpoint, but never is societyas a whole fearful of anything relating to the God of the Bible. But does theBible support or allow for date-setting?

What About Date-Setting?

Atleast six passages (eight if parallel passages are included) specifically warnbelieves against date-setting. It is enough for something to be stated onlyonce in the Bible for it to be true, but when God says something many times theemphasis should make such assertions even clearer. I am listing the specificpassages below so that we can readily see these important biblical admonitions:

• Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, noteven the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Mark 13:32 is an exact parallel.

• Matthew 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do notknow which day your Lord is coming.

• Matthew 24:44 "For this reason you be ready too; for theSon of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

• Matthew 25:13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not knowthe day nor the hour. Mark13:33-37 is a parallel passage.

• Acts 1:7 He said to them, "It is not for you to knowtimes or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

• 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren,you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves knowfull well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

Thesepassages are absolute prohibitions against date-setting. They do not teachthat it was impossible to know the date in the early church, but in the lastdays some would come to know it. They do not say that no one knows the day orthe hour, except those who are able to figure it out through some scheme. No! The date of Christ's coming is a matter of God's revelation and He has chosennot to reveal it even to Christ in His humanity during His first advent (Mt.24:36).

As1996 progresses toward the year 2000 Christians may come under increasingpressure to speculate about the return of Christ, especially since God appearsto be setting the stage for end-time events. However, such a temptation mustbe resisted. The Bible is clear that date-setting is wrong and the furtherimplication of an any-moment rapture makes it doubly wrong. Our hope is thatChrist could come at any moment. "And everyone who has this hope fixed onHim purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).