For a Christian, the prospect is delightful. With a smile on our face, a lighter spring in our step, we have a chance to show a more Christian character in each new experience that comes in this year. That is the interest of our heart. Can we improve a bit more? More trust, more activity, more self-denial, more reverence, more joy in spiritual values?

Perhaps we wrestled with indecision or with some sin which "easily beset us" in the past year (Hebrews 12:1). Perhaps we were overcome by the loss of a loved one or a cherished possession, a lost job, home, car, or dream. It is in the past. Now, how can we make the best of our given situation? It is a pleasant challenge that can bring us delight. With something lost, some burden is lost with it, and we are free, less encumbered, less troubled. With fewer encumbrances come brighter spirits.

Even the world is approaching something like that. They are close to the most wonderful time the earth will have known to that point — the introduction of a kingdom of righteousness to rule over all. It will come at the loss of many old and cherished encumbrances during the closing troubles of this age. But it will also bring release.

Ultimately it will bring peace, prosperity, purity, kindness, wealth, freedom from drudgery, freedom of creative activity, artistic expression, and every other good thing imaginable. But even before all that comes in the process of time, think of the spark that will come to each mind as they realize that God is intervening to provide the answer for all of the ills, and bringing to fruition the dream of centuries.

The Flood of Noah’s day stemmed the downward tide of humanity and brought a new beginning. According to the sum of years from Genesis chapter five, connected to the lifespan of Noah mentioned in Genesis 8:13, the flood ended 1656 years from the year in which Adam was created. The flood was a one year event, so the years from Adam to the end of the old world at the beginning of the flood were actually 1655 years.

It engages our attention that the number of years between these two main "new beginnings" in God’s plan are 1845 years. That is, 3500 minus 1655 is 1845. This is important to us, because Bible Students have long appreciated that two other new beginnings — the first advent of Christ, and the second advent of Christ — are separated by precisely this same number of years. That is, from 29 AD when Jesus was baptized, until 1874 at the end of the 1335 years of Daniel 12:12, is precisely 1845 years (1874 - 29).

This repetition of the same number speaks of order, plan, thought — design. This at least suggests that we have correctly understood the scriptures that relate to these points.

When Israel prepared to leave Egypt under Moses, God told Moses to count the month of their departure as the first month of their year. "The month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you" (Exodus 12:2). It has been that way ever since. Whenever we see a month numbered in the scriptures, those numbers count from the spring. Abib, later called Nisan, is month one.

The Israelites left Egypt on day 15 of that month (Numbers 33:3). Earlier, Israel had chosen Passover lambs on the 10th day, and killed the lamb on the 14th day (Exodus 12:3, 6). Nothing of record is specially noted on day one of that month. However, the following year, something significant did occur.

Israel had then camped at Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. Moses had twice spent 40 days up in the mount, and artisans in Israel had constructed the Tabernacle of the wilderness. Now it was time to set up that structure for the first time. The day chosen for that was the first day of the second year.

"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation" (Exodus 40:1, 2). "And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up" (Exodus 40:17). At the close of this day the entire arrangement was accepted by God in a remarkable way. "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34).

That was a momentous day. It was a new beginning. It seems fitting that the occasion for this new beginning was the opening day of a new year. For us, this may represent the beginning of a new age in God’s Plan, namely the first age of redemption, the Gospel Age. The tabernacle represents God’s plan of redemption as it unfolds during the Gospel Age.

At this point it may be of interest to understand the connection between the books of Exodus and Leviticus. Exodus chapter 40 records the setting up of the tabernacle and also speaks of the high priest, Aaron, and his sons, the under priests. "Thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations" (Exodus 40:12-15).

Those verses record what God told Moses to do regarding Aaron and his sons. It is part of the larger section of verses 1 through 15, that record God’s instructions to Moses about setting up the tabernacle. What Moses actually did, to comply with God’s instructions, is recorded in verses 16 and following. However, there is no mention in those verses about Moses adorning Aaron and his sons with their special garments, or anointing them, or washing them. [2]

That ritual is recorded in Leviticus chapter eight, which occurred on the same day that closed the record of Exodus chapter 40. In other words, Leviticus 8:1 continues the record of events given in Exodus 40.

The intervening seven chapters that open the book of Leviticus record rules and regulations about how to offer the five kinds of sacrifices presented at the tabernacle, namely, burnt offerings, meal offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings. Those seven chapters do not record the activities of any particular day. Presumably those regulations were placed in the opening part of Leviticus because they are fundamental to the offerings that will be mentioned in the rest of Leviticus.

Those seven chapters contain vital information about the offerings of the Law. For example, Leviticus 16 gives an account of the annual Day of Atonement in Israel. It is common to think of three burnings on the Day of Atonement: the incense in the holy, vital organs and fat on the brazen altar, and the hide and carcass outside the camp. Of these three burnings, the first and last are specifically mentioned in Leviticus 16. However, the second is not. We know of the burning of vital organs and fat on the brazen altar (in the court) because that is stipulated in the law of the sin offering recorded in Leviticus chapter four. Specifically, Leviticus 4:8-10 speaks of this.

Following the parenthesis of those first seven chapters of Leviticus, chapter eight connects the thread of thought back to where Exodus chapter 40 ended. Leviticus 8:1-3 repeats enough of God’s instructions to Moses about Aaron and his sons to connect the narrative. Then verses 4 through 13 describe what Moses actually did to comply with God’s instructions.

So Exodus 40 and Leviticus 8 are connected. They describe activities of the same day. In Exodus 40 God told Moses what to do respecting Aaron and his sons; Leviticus eight describes Moses doing as commanded.

The connection is further strengthened by this observation. In Exodus 40:9-11 God said that after all was set up, Moses should then anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings, the altar of burnt offering and its vessels, and the laver and its foot. The section beginning with verse 17, describing what Moses actually did, does not mention anointing all of these items. But Leviticus 8:10, 11 does. There Moses anointed the tabernacle and its furnishings, the altar in the court and its vessels, and the laver with its foot.

When that activity was complete, then Aaron and his sons were consecrated for seven days. "Ye shall not go out [away from] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you." Apparently those seven days picture the Gospel Age, which in Revelation chapters two and three is depicted as comprised of seven parts, represented in the seven churches of Asia Minor.

The tabernacle was a temporary structure. Solomon’s temple was a more enduring structure. The contrast between them has long been supposed to represent the two ages of redemption, the Gospel Age and the Millennial Age. The first age is for calling and developing the saints of God. In the tabernacle the floor was of earth or sand, whereas in the temple the floor was gold. This, and the comparison between the materials, size, and durability of the two structures, suggests that the Tabernacle represents the temporary experience of the Church during the Gospel Age, and that the Temple represents the permanent, glorified state of the Church in the next age and beyond.

We know that the Israelites after the Exodus numbered their years from the spring, by comparing Deuteronomy 1:3 with Numbers 33:38. These texts tell us that in year number 40, month number five came before month number eleven. That may seem too obvious to carry meaning, but actually it affirms that the year number did not change between month five and month eleven. Thus the year number did not change when month seven began.

The change of the year in the spring when the tabernacle was built, and then in autumn when the temple was built, has meaning. The spring festivals under the law pertain to the church and the Gospel Age. The autumn festivals pertain to the world and the Millennial Age.

The tabernacle was set up at the beginning of a spring year. The temple was begun in the spring, but it was completed in the autumn. The temple was built during parts of seven years, representing the seven stages of the Gospel Age, during which the church are shaped as "living stones" for a spiritual temple. Autumn — when the temple was completed — is the season of the year that represents the second age of redemption. This is appropriate because when the church class is complete, then the second age of redemption begins.

If the temple had been dedicated on the first day of month seven, that might indicate a new age beginning in God’s Plan, the Millennial Age. However, though the temple was dedicated in month seven, it was not on day one. What day was it, and does it have meaning?

The day number is not stated directly. We must deduce it from the record. 1 Kings 8:65 says that on this occasion Solomon held a feast for Israel that lasted for "seven days and seven days, even fourteen days." This information is repeated in 2 Chronicles 7:8-10, with more specifics.

"Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents."

Notice the two feasts — the dedication of the altar seven days, and "the feast seven days." That second feast evidently refers to the Feast of Tabernacles, that occurred in month seven from days 15 through 21, followed by an 8th day of holy convocation that would be day number 22. Following that, Solomon sent the people home with his blessing on day 23. Therefore, the dedication of the altar for seven days just preceded the Feast of Tabernacles — namely, days eight through 14. In other words, the whole dedication process commenced on day number eight. What meaning is shown here?

Remember that at the construction of the tabernacle, the priests were dedicated for seven days, days one through seven of month one, representing the seven parts of the Gospel Age. Thus the priesthood was ready to function on day eight. Thus Leviticus 9:1 says, "It came to pass on the eighth day" that the priesthood was ready to act. That day "eight" represents Christ’s Kingdom, which follows the seven parts of the Gospel Age.

Perhaps that is the point of the dedication of Solomon’s temple commencing on day "eight." That picture recognizes that the seven preceding days belong to the Gospel Age, which precedes the Millennial Kingdom.

Pictures in the Bible that are related to each other often differ a little in the way they are presented. For example, the seven branched lamp stand in the Holy was of one piece, representing the seven stages of the one Church class. However, in Revelation 1:20, the seven churches are represented by seven separate lamp stands, to emphasize the distinctions between them. One should not miss the connection, even though there is diversity in the representation.

The same principle applies with the timing used to represent the Kingdom age. The new beginning that came when the flood swept away the old world pictures the beginning of the Gospel Age (1 Peter 3:20, 21). Therefore, drying up the flood represents the close of the Gospel Age, the end of the curse, and beginning of the Kingdom. Genesis 8:13 gives an auspicious date for this event. "In the 601st year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and ... the face of the ground was dry."

This "first month" may have been in the autumn of the year, if counting months in the spring of the year was an innovation at the time of the Exodus. In that case, the season would connect well with the opening of the Millennial Kingdom for the world. The first day of the new year represents the opening of the new age. But an added dimension emphasizes the new beginning even more deeply. This new beginning was also the first day of a new century. It was the first day of the seventh century.

During the Millennial Kingdom, the curse that has ravaged the world for six millenniums will end. The waters of destruction will be dried. A new world will open for a world very ready for it. The despair of the final experiences will soften hearts of mankind. Then, from the news emanating from the Middle East, people will come to see that their fondest hopes and dreams for something better are at hand. "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him!" (Isaiah 25:9). It will be the new beginning that man has been waiting for, for so long.