THE COUNTDOWN IS OVER!

Last night, while reading "A Bible Map:  "God's Plan of the Ages," available at www.bbea.org, I noticed there was something I had not previously observed; there is a sort of natural countdown before the "spaceship Church" launches into the heavens.  The chart shows seven dispensations, or periods of man's accountability for his stewardship of God's planet.  And, although this chart itself, nor any of the many like it, presents what I am about to share, it is nevertheless there for all to see.

The publisher shows a timeline from Creation to the Great White Throne Judgment (Gen. 1:1 to Rev. 20:11-15).  On the line, he uses a semi-circle to represent each of the dispensations:  Innocence; Conscience; Government; Promise; Law; Church; and Millennium.  Under the line, he uses smaller semi-circles to represent the judgment of God at the end of each dispensation, for man's failure to follow His instructions.  That differs little from other charts I have seen by Dispensationalists, such as Lance Ketchum, Charles Ryrie, Clarence Larkin; etc.  And yet, what none of them show, is that there is a definite pattern or countdown in God's timing.

Based upon the chronology of time taken from the calculations of Bishop Ussher, from the Creation of the Universe, to the Incarnation of the Creator Himself, was approximately 4000 years (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.).  That 4000 years, coupled with the nearly 2000 years from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (known as the Church Age), adds up to about 6000 years.  When one adds the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Jesus following His return (Rev. 20:1-10), we have 7000 years; in other words, the outworking of God's plan began with a seven-day creation (Gen. 1 - 2), and ends with man having had seven different chances to follow God's instructions, all failures by the way!  There is some irony in the fact that, to God, each day "is as a 1000 years, and 1000 years is as a day" (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8)!

During the first 2000 years of time, a period when there were only Gentiles, there were three dispensations:  Innocence; Conscience; and Government.  During the second 2000 years, a period in which there were two groups of people (Gentiles and Jews), and there were two dispensations:  Promise and Law.  During the third 2000 year period, with there being three groupings of mankind (Gentiles, Jews, and Christians), there has been but one dispensation.  I find it amazing that following the third 2000 year period, there will be a "lift-off" (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:42-57; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; etc.)!  Get it?  Three dispensations; two dispensations; one dispensation; the Rapture of the Church!  And, if that is not enough, just as our astronauts return to earth following a period of time in space, the Lord, with His Church, will be coming back down through the clouds, as well!

God has counted to one; are you ready for blast-off?