Re: Rachel (26 Apr 2005) "Timing of the Lord's return"http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/apr2005/rachel426.htm
You ask some very good questions. Yes, I believe we need to measure the 2,000 years for the Church Age from when the Church was started, like you said from Pentecost in around 32 AD. However, I also believe we need to number our days the same way the Bible does:
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12
In scripture we find occasions where it appears the same event is described with two different units of measure:
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Revelation 12:6
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. Revelation 12:14
Taking these two units of measurement to be equal we can calculate that one "time" is equal to 360 days. These "times" are also sometimes referred to as "prophetic years" . This lines up with the compass being divided up into 360 degree and each day that passes being marked off as one degree, as seen from the night sky. After 360 degrees the count starts over.
So where does that take us from Pentecost? Using any of the many calendar converters on the web one can find First-Fruits in 32 AD was most likely April 18th on the Gregorian calendar extrapolated backward which shows up as Nisan 20 as the back calculated Hebrew date although this would have been Nisan 18 on the actual calendar of the day, taking into account the drift in the Hebrew calendar and the uncertainty of sighting a new moon. Pentecost would have been 49 days from this date or June 6, 32 AD on the Gregorian.
If we add 2,000 prophetic years we end up with the year 2003. So to end up in 2005 we either need to start in 34 AD, such as Isaac Newton proposed for the crucifixion based on observing the mention of 5 Passovers in Scripture instead of the commonly accepted 3 during Christ's ministry, or have a different definition of 1,000 years. It has been proposed that since all years were counted in increments of 7 by the Israelites because of God's commandments with the land resting every 7 years, a millennium should be no different. It turns out that 1,001 years are divisible by 7 years.
Using 1,001 years for a millenium definition is not that much different than using 1,024 bytes as the definition of a kilobyte. (1,024 happens to be the closest increment to 1,000 based on 2 raised to a power for the binary code used in computers.)
So where does 1,001 time 2 prophetic years or 720,720 days from June 6, 32 AD come to? Happens to be September 11, 2005. September 11th? Naw, can't think of anything for this date based on the past.
What about 34 AD? There are actually two dates for First-Fruits, either March 26, 34 AD (Greg) or April 23, 34 AD (Greg). March 26, 34 AD is shown as Nisan 20 and April 23 is shown as Iyer 18. For a number of reasons included the Spring Equinox for when Christ was crowned beside agreeing with the calculated Hebrew calendar, I believe March 26th is probably more likely. However, using both one has respectively May 14 and June 11, 34 AD. If we add just 2,000 years or 720,000 days we end up on August 29, 2005 or September 26, 2005.
So there are several ways to calculate 2,000 years and end up in 2005. However, this should not be viewed as when the Lord returns to establish His millennial kingdom but when the Church Age ends. Which I expect to be followed by 10 "days" (representing years) of tribulation that are not part of the Church Age as spoken of in Revelation 2:10.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10
(parts of this were taken from mainly page 20 of the free ebook "Passion, Power & Glory"):
http://www.endofage.com/ppgview1.htmlShalom!
Ted Porter