Seven Millenniums

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1

This issue of THE HERALD opens a new millennium. Men may debate whether the new millennium dawns on January 1, 2000, or January 1, 2001, but one thing is certain: the millennium is one of the most frequently discussed topics today.

In the popular press, commentators on the incoming millennium swing between enthusiasm for the technological progress they see on the horizon and mounting perplexity concerning the moral fiber that has produced such gigantic problems as a culture rife with drugs and drive-by shootings locally and pollution and ethnic battles internationally. This millennium of the year 2000 is in sharp contrast with the millennium predicted in the Bible.

To Christians the word has an even deeper meaning. Throughout the past 2000 years Christians have looked forward to the millennium promised in the last book of the Bible. This is the thousand years during which Christ shall reign (Revelation 20:4-6). This is the great kingdom which promises to ultimately bring peace, health, prosperity, and life to the human race. It is little wonder that Christians continuously pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This Millennium of the Bible does not coincide with the millennium of today’s media but, according to Bible chronology, began over 100 years ago.

There is a venerable Jewish tradition that says sin and evil would dominate this world for 6000 years, followed by the return of the Messiah who would rule for the next thousand years. This tradition is not without biblical foundations. If this reasonable conclusion be correct, God’s plan for man spans a period of seven millenniums, leading up to "the ages to come [when] he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).

The articles in this issue of The Herald will examine each of these thousand-year periods of man’s history. We will see how God has worked with his human creation during each of these long periods of time.

From the very start of God’s plan, when he created Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, until its grand climax with a kingdom of world-wide peace, the Bible presents one common theme of sin, redemption, and deliverance. It is the purpose of this issue to note the way in which the Creator of the universe is carrying out his intentions for the human race. Each era is methodically based on the one preceding, and sets a foundation for the one following. We have tried to trace the systematic developments of these progressive time periods in this issue of The Herald.

The ending of each millennium does not coincide with the time periods of the various ages and dispensations in God’s plan. The chart below illustrates how these millenniums are distributed in the various ages and dispensations. We trust that this issue will enable us each to glorify the heavenly Father as we note "the stately steppings of our God."