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A Biblical Structure of History — HISTORY'S DAY IN ITS TWENTY–FOUR REVEALED PARTS — |
of significant events, both past and future, according to the Bible's awesome perspective on those events.
to become finite – thereby beginning time and space as the framework of all existence (Colossians 1:17).
| In direct consequence thereof, within the plural-consciousness of the One and only Infinite Eternal God (there can ever only be one infinity) — | ||
| ♥ | The Father thereby becomes such to the Son, and so head over all things to all that is to be (in special association with Heaven's Throne); and, |
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| ♥ | The Holy Spirit alone therefore continues in the intrinsic absolute infinity of God's eternal mode of Being. . . |
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This reality is not to be confused by metaphorical language such as – 'the Father and I are one', and 'when the Comforter comes', etc. |
This is the ontological-effect of Christ's self-limitation within God – for the duration and purpose of this revealed history.
HOUR
| — THE LOVE OF THE CREATOR ♥ IS THE HEART OF HUMAN HISTORY — |
| The Infinite humbles Himself into a direct relationship to the finite (this was not His beginning) |
“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation [having primacy in creation]. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17). |
See:
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In the structured ranks of God's angelic administration, Śâṭân leads a pride rebellion,
thinking that God's moral character made Him vulnerable to structure-based authority. (Job 1:6-7; Revelation 12:9.)
"Then God said,
'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
And let them [as a consequence] have dominion – |
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| 1. | over the fish of the sea, and | ||||
| 2. | over the birds of the sky, and | ||||
| 3. | over the livestock and over all the earth, and | ||||
| 4. | over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth'." | ||||
God could have created all things instantly!
But instead – God's own Six-Day-work-week, leading to a rest-Day, presents God Himself as the role-model for human behaviour to follow —
But instead – God's own Six-Day-work-week, leading to a rest-Day, presents God Himself as the role-model for human behaviour to follow —
The Eden lesson is aborted by human failure (in doubting God); so life is re-ordered...
... followed by human multiplication, ...corruption, ...specie intrusion and consequent biological mutation ...
Noah, the righteous great-grandson of the prophet Enoch, is warned that judgment will now come in 120-years, for God will no longer 'shield' humanity (from natural catastrophe), and he is therefore instructed to prepare a three-story pitch-covered floating barge to preserve his family, and a breeding base of wild, domesticated animals, and birds: two of each inedible (unclean) specie and seven of each edible (clean) specie.
Methuselah, son of prophet Enoch, dies and the Flood comes. Noah and his family live 370 days in their floating zoo.
Changes to human diet in consequence of the climatic change as secondary-effect of the cause of the Flood, with its natural consequence for human longevity; a change to administration of justice for the new society; and the Creator's covenant-of-preservation promise to four categories of earth-life: human, domesticated animal, wild animal, and bird life (these four are later represented in the symbolic appearance of the four guardian-cherubs around the rainbow-encircled Throne of God).
Ezekiel 1:10; Revelation 4:7.
Human society is fractured to induce dependence on their Creator (Acts 17:27), and so spreads world-wide from southern Mesopotamia/Iraq.
Abram's initial faith response in Ur of Chaldea, to migrate to the unknown, stops at Haran until his father dies.
In Palestine Abraham's faith comes to maturity, he meets Jesus (Jn.8:56), with two angels en-route to Sodom, and receives promises.
To Jacob, God says: "fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation".
430 years pass 'to the day'
God's conditional Covenant with Israel at Sinai; Tabernacle construction; and the beginning of Holy Scripture (Romans 3:2).
Israel is led through the wilderness by Hobab the Gentile brother-in-law of Moses (Num.10:31);
followed by a 38-year delay for their unbelief at Kadesh (Num.14) until all adults who left Egypt are dead except Joshua and Caleb.
followed by a 38-year delay for their unbelief at Kadesh (Num.14) until all adults who left Egypt are dead except Joshua and Caleb.
Joshua leads Israel into Palestine and subdues its Amorite cities.
Tribal judges; prophet-priest Samuel; and Israel's first monarchy...
1 & 2 Samuel
God's dynastic covenant with David and the Jerusalem Temple construction under Solomon, both of whom write God's Word.
Solomon's unfaithfulness divides Israel after his death, into two political entities (northern House of Israel, southern House of Judah)
Prophets to each kingdom continue their witness and write God's Word concerning it, until...
Gentile domination of the nation Israel begins
Presented to Daniel in Babylon as a succession of –
Presented to Daniel in Babylon as a succession of –
• four metals in a human image in contrast to God's rule/kingdom as a rock mountain (2:44,45);
• four animals in contrast to God's rule/kingdom as a human being (7:13,18).
• four animals in contrast to God's rule/kingdom as a human being (7:13,18).
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The Twenty-Four |
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| • 'Watchers' | Daniel 4:17 | |
| • 'Thrones' | Daniel 7:9 | |
| • 'Holy Ones' | Psalm 89:7 | |
| • 'Angels' | Luke 12:8-9 | |
| • 'Elders' | Revelation 4:4 | |
| Their number is a reflection of God's structure of time in dividing the year into 12-moons/months (so understood by the ancients as a sign of HIS RULE – see Genesis 17:20) from which the division of day into 12 and night into 12 derives, to give us our 24-hour-day today. | ||
[Please note: "a son of man" (7:13) does not represent Jesus, it represents "the people of the saints of the Most High", see verse 27; 'son of man' was not and never has been a messianic-title, it is simply a semitic-idiom for 'human' as in Psalm 8:4; and Jesus used it repeatedly to emphasize His exemplary humanity as God had intended our humanity to be, see Mark 2:27-28].
• as a 'lion with wings of an eagle', wings plucked off and made to stand 'as a man', Dan.7:4 (Nebuchadnezzar's conversion, Daniel 4);
• Dictatorial form of government, Daniel 5:19.
• as a 'bear raised on one side', Daniel 7:5;
• as a 'ram charging' with 'two horns, both high, one higher than the other' Daniel 8:3-4.
• Legislative form of government, Daniel 6:8, 12, 15.
• as a 'leopard with four wings of a bird on its back' Daniel 7:6 (4 wings are four leading generals, among whom the kingdom is eventually divided, and Israel eventually suffers under its Damascus-based dynasty of General Seleucus);
• as a 'male goat' with a 'conspicuous horn between his eyes' (Alexander the Great), broken and replaced by 'four conspicuous horns' (his 4 generals) followed by a 'little horn' from one [Seleucus in Syria] (Daniel 8:4-14; see note to the right);
• Democratic form of government by registered citizenry at city level (the Athenian model).
• as a hybrid 'fourth animal, terrifying, dreadful and exceeding strong', Daniel 7:7.
• Combining all three types of government (dictatorial in Caesar; legislative in Senate; democratic in the Tribunes).
| In Old Testament Prophecy: | |
The two prophetic themes of Messiah/Christ (מָשִׁיחַ/Χριστός) and the Suffering Servant were kept totally separate from each other in order to hide the hidden-time, hence even today Judaism understands the latter role as either themselves or the prophet Isaiah. |
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In Jesus Christ the Future invades the Present. |
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Daniel 9:25's 483 ((7x7)+(63x7)) years (of 360 days each) now ends at Christ's baptism. His ministry of 3½ years comprises the first half, of the final seven years (of the 490), ending Palm Sunday. The second half will complete under Antichrist. See below, and: |
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| 15. | Messiah ♥ Comes |
He 'confirms [God's] Covenant with many' (Daniel 9:27), which none can do except God's true representative – the Messiah! |
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This confirming of Covenant has been frequently misapplied to Antichrist through not understanding the hidden-time revealed in the New Testament which splits the last Seven years of Daniel's 490-year prophecy (of 360 days each). |
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See Also: The Mystery of the Kingdom (separation between the presence and the appearance of God's kingdom) |
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The Lord Jesus Christ said:
1. "For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John [the Baptizer], and
if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:13-15).
2. "...if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God [His reign/authority] has come upon you." (Matthew 12:28).
if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:13-15).
2. "...if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God [His reign/authority] has come upon you." (Matthew 12:28).
In Christ therefore this kingdom/authority of the God of Heaven has become 'near' (ηγγικεν); beginning now –
• from His anointing by the Spirit at His baptism...
• until 'Messiah is cut off' (Dan.9:26) 3½ years later ('in the midst of the seven' Daniel 9:27) with His unique Four Jerusalem Works, namely –
• from His anointing by the Spirit at His baptism...
• until 'Messiah is cut off' (Dan.9:26) 3½ years later ('in the midst of the seven' Daniel 9:27) with His unique Four Jerusalem Works, namely –
| 1. | His substitutionary Death; | ♥ | 2. | His Resurrection from the dead; |
| 3. | His Ascension to the right hand of the throne of God; | 4. | His grace Gift to us of the Holy Spirit's relationship to Him. |
[God's offer of His messianic kingdom to Israel is fulfilled/completed on the first day of their Passover week (Palm Sunday) as Christ enters Jerusalem upon a donkey to fulfil Zechariah 9:9. This rejected offer to Israel is then renewed to them through Christ's Church from Pentecost (Acts 3:17-21) until their stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:56); after which no successor is appointed upon the death of any of the Twelve, such as when Herod kills James, brother of John (Acts 12).] |
Please note that the individual spiritual experience of Christ's first disciples is absolutely unique! This is because they lived through the overlap of the Old and the New Covenants in Christ's first coming,
• 1. Justification (John 15:3); • 2. Regeneration (John 20:22; Ephesians 2:5); • 3. Exaltation (Ephesians 2:6); and • 4. Gift of the Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:33).and thus in the personal distinction between these four historically-based acts of God in Christ for us all – After Pentecost, all-four of these realities in Christ are simultaneously the immediate inheritance of every true believer because he/she belongs to Christ, even though their realization may take time with each person individually as their faith in Him grows. (See also: the Need for Samaritan delay; and note that the Ephesian disciples in Acts 19 were only disciples of John the Baptist, and did not then know Christ as their personal Saviour). |
| '...when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies [70AD], then know that its desolation has come near. They [its Jews] will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, UNTIL the times of the Gentiles [nations] are fulfilled1 ...And THEN they will see the Son of Man [Christ] coming in a cloud with power and great glory.' (emphasis mine). |
1Not 'fulfilled' in 1948
or 1967, or 1973 AD/CE!
Not until Jesus Comes!
| 'Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.' Romans 11:25. |
| '...to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things...' Ephesians 3:9; |
| '...the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.' Colossians 1:26 |
now continues in
Christ's Church
The Mission Begins
Pentecost AD 30
 YOU ARE NOW HERE |
This current period of history, which is in the split between:
the first coming of Christ as the spiritual Sower \ . . . . . . / and His future return for the spiritual world Harvest,
[Therefore John the Baptist became confused when Christ did not take power (Matt.11:3),was completely hidden from all prophets and angels, until it was made known through the Gift of the Holy Spirit. and so Satan's strategy was to crucify the Christ, not knowing the effect it would then have] This is the 'mystery of the kingdom' of which Jesus spoke – in which the kingdom is directly present without its physical appearance. |
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| '...UNTIL we all* attain to the UNITY of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ |
| 'And THIS gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and THEN the end will come.' |
Mission Completed
| See: Revelation Text & Commentary |
In other words, the judgment of this world begins with the casting out of Satan from his role as Accuser before the Throne, which is only after the work/mission of Christ's Church is completed.
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