I had this similar conversation with a bible study group I attend, and I asked them this simple question:
"It's the Year 2013...but 2,013 years from what? From the earth's creation? Are we saying the earth is 2013 years old?" And of course the answer is no...so then I asked them, "what is 2,013 years a measurement of?" Then they began to think...
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2013 is a measurement of the reign of the latest kingdom ruling this world; The ("holy") Roman Empire. That's when A.D. (C.E.) began. "The Year of our Lord" is what it used to be called. And this is exactly what we see all throughout secular history, and biblical history. Whenever the newest kingdom emerged to rule the known world, the year (of reign) was reset back to 1 to record that kingdom's reign.
...so what I'm getting at is this; our measurement of time (i.e. years) has ALWAYS been from the perspective of man. It has always been a measurement of "MAN'S TIME" on the earth, and not a measurement of the time of Earth's existence. Glean the scriptures and see that it's true for every new reign.
The time of man started with the 1st man...Adam. We started counting years (as we know them) from the first man. But unfortunately, the years of man's rule has always been incorrectly lumped together with the years of the Earth's creation, since both creations are mentioned within the 1 chapter of the same account. But it's clear from the very first day marked off by God that the earth was here *before* Adam...and before the 1st day was even finished.
Now notice that Adam is recorded to have died at 930 years old...so you have to ask the question: what year was it? Well if we base it on how mankind has ALWAYS counted its years, (not so) obviously it was year 930. And the year of Adam's creation was year 1. Year 1 of what? Again, year 1 of man's first kingdom; year 1 of Adam.
Now if you take the time to count out the total number of years from Adam to Christ (starting with the genealogy of Adam in Gen 5), you come up with approx. 4000 years.
Years 1 to 1000
In the 1st day of Man, Sinful Adam (darkness) is separated from God (light)
Years 1001 to 2000
In the 2nd day of Man, The Waters of the Flood are separated (again) so Noah's family finds dry ground
Years 2001 to 3000
In the 3rd day of Man, Abraham is told he'll be a father (tree) of many, and is given the promised seed (fruit)
Years 3001 to 4000
In the 4th day of Man, Prophets (moon) & Kings of Israel (stars) are introduced along with the "Sun of Righteousness" (Christ)
Then if you add the past 2,013 years - starting with "Holy" Rome's rule (papacy) - you come up with approx. 6000 years:
Years 4001 to 5000
In the 5th day of Man, the "Beast(s) of the Sea" emerge (Genesis 1:20; Revelation 13:1)
Years 5001 to 6000
In the 6th Day of Man, the "Beast(s) of the Earth" emerge (Genesis 1:24; Revelation 13:11)
This is where that number comes from. 6000 years is not a measurement of the earth's age, but of Man's age.
The scriptures are accounts about MAN'S relationship with GOD; not accounts about the earth. So (fallen) man has been ruling for roughly 6000 years on the earth, but man's rule is just about at an end because the 7th day (day = 1000 years, and 1000 years = day) is the Lord's day (i.e. the Day of the Lord = Millennium Reign).
"It's the Year 2013...but 2,013 years from what? From the earth's creation? Are we saying the earth is 2013 years old?" And of course the answer is no...so then I asked them, "what is 2,013 years a measurement of?" Then they began to think...
---
2013 is a measurement of the reign of the latest kingdom ruling this world; The ("holy") Roman Empire. That's when A.D. (C.E.) began. "The Year of our Lord" is what it used to be called. And this is exactly what we see all throughout secular history, and biblical history. Whenever the newest kingdom emerged to rule the known world, the year (of reign) was reset back to 1 to record that kingdom's reign.
...so what I'm getting at is this; our measurement of time (i.e. years) has ALWAYS been from the perspective of man. It has always been a measurement of "MAN'S TIME" on the earth, and not a measurement of the time of Earth's existence. Glean the scriptures and see that it's true for every new reign.
The time of man started with the 1st man...Adam. We started counting years (as we know them) from the first man. But unfortunately, the years of man's rule has always been incorrectly lumped together with the years of the Earth's creation, since both creations are mentioned within the 1 chapter of the same account. But it's clear from the very first day marked off by God that the earth was here *before* Adam...and before the 1st day was even finished.
Now notice that Adam is recorded to have died at 930 years old...so you have to ask the question: what year was it? Well if we base it on how mankind has ALWAYS counted its years, (not so) obviously it was year 930. And the year of Adam's creation was year 1. Year 1 of what? Again, year 1 of man's first kingdom; year 1 of Adam.
Now if you take the time to count out the total number of years from Adam to Christ (starting with the genealogy of Adam in Gen 5), you come up with approx. 4000 years.
Years 1 to 1000
In the 1st day of Man, Sinful Adam (darkness) is separated from God (light)
Years 1001 to 2000
In the 2nd day of Man, The Waters of the Flood are separated (again) so Noah's family finds dry ground
Years 2001 to 3000
In the 3rd day of Man, Abraham is told he'll be a father (tree) of many, and is given the promised seed (fruit)
Years 3001 to 4000
In the 4th day of Man, Prophets (moon) & Kings of Israel (stars) are introduced along with the "Sun of Righteousness" (Christ)
Then if you add the past 2,013 years - starting with "Holy" Rome's rule (papacy) - you come up with approx. 6000 years:
Years 4001 to 5000
In the 5th day of Man, the "Beast(s) of the Sea" emerge (Genesis 1:20; Revelation 13:1)
Years 5001 to 6000
In the 6th Day of Man, the "Beast(s) of the Earth" emerge (Genesis 1:24; Revelation 13:11)
This is where that number comes from. 6000 years is not a measurement of the earth's age, but of Man's age.
The scriptures are accounts about MAN'S relationship with GOD; not accounts about the earth. So (fallen) man has been ruling for roughly 6000 years on the earth, but man's rule is just about at an end because the 7th day (day = 1000 years, and 1000 years = day) is the Lord's day (i.e. the Day of the Lord = Millennium Reign).