Did the Jews Teach a 7,000 Year Plan?

Although people like Ronald Weinland believe that the Great Tribulation began in 2008, the truth is that for reasons that I have given here previously (no King of the North, no King of the South, no deal for Daniel 9:26-27, etc.), the end cannot be now.

However, the end apparently is very soon.

Throughout history some of those professing the Jewish or Christian religions taught and believed that God has a 7000 year plan. The first six thousand years for humans to rule themselves, followed by a one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ–the Great Tribulation will begin before the 6000 years are up.

There is an old tradition that the prophet Elijah taught that there would be six thousand years for humans to rule under Satan’s kingdom, followed by one thousand years of abundance in the kingdom of God.

Edward Gibbon from the 1776 work “THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE”, where he documented the facts regarding the first century Christians…

“The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the works of the creation had been finished in six days, their duration in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labor and contention, which was now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon earth till the time appointed for the last and general resurrection”. – Vol I, p.403

While traditions should never supersede scripture, the above is certainly an interesting and ancient tradition as it shows that the idea of a 6,000 year plan followed by Christ establishing His kingdom on the earth was a common teaching among the early ones who professed Judaism, as well as Christianity.

Here is are specific traditions related to the millennium from the Jewish Talmud:

R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day {Isaiah 2:11}.

Abaye said: it will be desolate two [thousand], as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight {Hosea 6:2}.

It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,’ and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day {Psalm 92:1}, meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath — and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past {Psalm 90:4}.

The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin Folio 97a).

And while there are some errors in the above, it is true that there is an apparent six/seven thousand year plan, that the current two thousand years essentially represents the Church/Messianic era, and that a one thousand year period remains.

Essentially, it was believed that since God a day is like a thousand years to God (Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8), God recreated the earth in six days (Genesis 1:3-31), and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:1-2), that God had a 7,000 year plan.

Many who keep the seventh-day Sabbath are aware of this. Most who do not, simply do not realize this.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church?