How close are we to the end? As evil tightens its grip on humanity and Western institutions crumble like the monuments of Rome before the barbarian hordes, Dark Ages 2.0 looms large. In the past, God has allowed falsehood and evil to seemingly triumph for centuries. Will He stand by and allow it again? Not according to the books of Daniel and Revelation. These predict that things will indeed get much worse before they get better, but this will not last. Scripture assures us that, compared to the grueling centuries of benighted feudal Europe, the current gross darkness is temporary. It is a watch in the night before the dawn of the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.
We know where we stand prophetically not only by the books of Daniel and Revelation but also by the signs Christ gave in His Olivet discourse which are in the process of fulfillment. I haven’t published anything for a few weeks, but, I’m back here today to remind you, my brothers and sisters, that there is one more prophecy of Scripture that especially gives us our bearings. It’s called the “great week of time” and for those who aren’t familiar with it, it goes like this:
According to scripture, a day to God is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. Psa 90:4 and 2 Pet 3:8. Inspiration affirms that a millennium of peace will close human history. Rev 20:1-7. This suggests that, like the week of creation, the earth will last 6000 years in its fallen condition but it will rest from the controversy at the arrival of the Sabbath/seventh millennium.
In Genesis 1 it says God created the world in six literal days. On the first day God said, “Let there be light” and the earth was illuminated. But light has always existed because God has always existed. Therefore, in creation, light was not something new. Rather, on the first day of our world, He caused the light to shine out of the darkness onto this world and He separated the two. The light He called day and the darkness night.
This is a sublime truth, pregnant with implications that we ought to ponder. What better day to do that than today, Dec 21, the solstice, the darkest day of the year. From this time forward the days get brighter notwithstanding that today is the first day of winter. Even while the days grow colder, the rays of the sun grow continually warmer and brighter until winter gives way to spring.
Notice that when God created the first day and night, He hadn’t yet created the sun, moon, or stars. He made them on the fourth day. On the first day, the light shone out of darkness without them. What was its source? It was the Son, the one true light.
When Adam sinned the light of the Son was obscured in the minds of humanity. Men rejected the bountiful grace God extended to restore us in His image and the majority of our race chose darkness over light. Rather than worshiping the Son, their Creator, at the appointed time, the seventh-day Sabbath, they worshipped the sun and His creation, objects not worthy of worship, and they did this on a counterfeit Sabbath, Sunday. Thus they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. Rom 1:21.
Nevertheless, after 4,000 years of deepening darkness, “when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman.” Gal 4:4. As the sun was made on the fourth day of creation, Christ was manifested to the world in 27 AD after 4,000 years of sin. The chronology of the Old Testament confirms this and Ellen White says the same.
James White and J.N. Andrews, two of our most respected theologians, and the pioneers of Adventism were agreed on this concept as well. But after they passed on, their views were discredited by our modern theologians as “soft time-setting” and discarded. Only in the last few years have their opinions made a sudden comeback.
Some skeptics will say this rejuvenation is totally predictable: As the 2,000th anniversary of the ministry of Christ approaches, the fanatical and superstitious will be looking for some kind of apocalyptic event. But let these folk scoff if they choose. Those who believe inspiration will be on their watch as Christ advised us to be. They will, at a minimum, look at the evidence that 2027 may be a prophetically significant year.
But what should the students of Scripture be especially looking for in the lead-up to 2027? Firstly, the mark of the beast has to be fulfilled before Christ returns. That crisis is depicted in Daniel 12 in literal time. All indications are that it is imminent. Ellen White states that the twelfth chapter of Daniel contains a warning that all must understand before the end. Furthermore, Christ Himself directs us to read and understand the warning in this prophecy. Secondly, the sanctuary must be cleansed as stated in Daniel 8:14. This encompasses the sealing of the 144,000, the removal and blotting out of their sins, and the wedding of Christ to His bride. Thirdly, none of these things are possible without the refreshing of the Holy Spirit who will quench the thirsty soul and ripen the harvest. Christ only puts the sickle to His field when the grain is fully ripe.
But back to Daniel 12. Notice that 3.5 years are at the heart of the prophecy, the same timespan as the ministry of Christ. Dan 7:25, 12:7. Working back 3.5 years from the fall of 2027 AD lands us in the spring of 2024. Will the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 be anointed to prophesy then for 3.5 years as Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism? Will we soon face a major test of faith, as Christ did in the wilderness at the start of His ministry? No one can say for sure, but the wise will be watching, praying, studying and sharing.
As 2023 comes to a close, I want to say thank you to all my readers and subscribers and wish you all the best over the holidays. May the grace of God be with you and His face shine on you this season and in the New Year.
Thank you Mark. G. Edward Reid was the first book I ever came across in re: to the great week of time: “Even At The Door” I think was the title. When I look at Daniel 12 I always appreciate it in context with Daniel 11:40-45 and the rise of the false Messiah. I agree that this is not date setting as many are apt to accuse. It is reasoning based on biblical evidence if we would be willing to search and wrestle. Have a blessed Christmas season!
Correction by the author: After posting this, a subscriber asked me for the references to James White's endorsement of the "great week". I could not remember the reference so I did a search and was not able to find any endorsements. At this point, I am fairly sure he did not endorse the "great week" directly. My mistake must be from not listening carefully enough to Walter Vieth's lecture on this in which he quoted White's exposition of the text "No man knoweth the day or hour" and endorsed White's view that the text should read "No man will make known the day or hour, but the Father only". I mistakenly confounded Veith's use of this material with his main point, the validity of the "great week". I apologize.
That said, James White was originally a staunch Millerite preacher before the Great Disappointment. The Millerites strongly believed that the 2300 days terminated at the millennium. Even their hymnal was entitled "The Millennial Harp". Although they took the year 457 BC from Ussher, they believed he missed 153 years during the time of the judges. As a Millerite, James White would have shared the common Millerite belief.
Since Substack does not allow revisions, I can only correct this by adding a correction notice in a future article or by putting a comment at the bottom. I've opted for the latter. Thanks to my subscribers for your input.