I agree with DaveL That there isn't a gap year but we differ on belief in a literal millennium. The following is why I believe as you two with regards to a literal 1000 years. It's something that was taught to me a while back.
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Isaiah 46:9-10
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
The word for "beginning" is the same word translated as "Genesis". So if we take this literally the end was declared from Genesis. Next, we have passages like...
Psalms 90:4
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
So 1000 years is like a day to the Almighty. But is this metaphorical or literal? Is there a 3rd testimony to confirm which this is? Yes, I believe it's the following passage:
Genesis 2:17; 5:5
2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
The Almighty doesn't lie. In the
"day" Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he sure did died, that is, within the first 1000 years of mankind (specifically year 930), Adam died. The time of man began with the first man. So the formula
"1000 years = 1 day" is a
literal measurement of time from the Almighty's pov with regard to his judgment for Adam's sin...which means there should be other testimonies to prove this throughout the time of mankind.
This brings me back to Genesis and Isaiah's passage referenced above. Again, the end was told from Genesis; a day = 1000 years.
What you'll find when you measure out each of the major themes of scripture they match the events and the day of the creation story, to the exact millennium. Now, to measure years correctly we must remember that there is no such thing as a "zero" year for anyone or anything in the bible. So the birth year - or year of creation - of a person is "year 1". And the year a nation/kingdom is founded is also "year 1" of that nation/kingdom.
I think it's also important to understand that in order to count as a fulfillment, these events must occur
within the millennium of the matching day of the creation story but can occur at any time
in that millennium. In other words, it doesn't need to be at the very start of a millennium.
Every 1000 Years of man = 1 "Day" to the Almighty
Day 1
Years 1 - 1000 (from Adam)
Day 2
1001 - 2000 Years From Adam
Day 3
2001 - 3000 YFA
Day 4
3001 - 4000 YFA
Day 5
4001 - 5000 YFA
Day 6
5001 - 6000 YFA
Day 7
6001 - 7000 YFA
Day 1 Theme: Light separates from Darkness
During the 1st Millennium of man: "In the day" (
930 YFA) Adam ate the forbidden fruit he died; death entered into the world; Good from Evil (sin) was established; sinful mankind was separated from paradise & personal presence of the Almighty.
Day 2 Theme: Earth's waters divided to reveal dry ground
2nd Millennium: The great flood occurs. After the flood, the waters from above divided from the waters below to reveal dry ground again. And if you count the birth years of each firstborn from Adam to Noah (remembering the rule that there are no "zero" years) we reach the year
1648 YFA, which puts us well within the 2nd 1000 years of man.
Day 3 Theme: The Seed, The Trees, bearing fruit on the land
3rd Millennium: Abraham was given the "promised seed" through barren Sarah. Isaac was given the "promised seed" through barren Rebecca. Jacob was given the "promised seed" through his barren wives. Israel multiplies into a great multitude of people in Egypt and was given the "promised land" bearing "great fruit". Counting the years of each firstborn from Noah to Abram through to Moses and through their time of sojourning & slavery until reaching Canaan, we find everything occurred between approx.
2032 YFA and 2990 YFA.
[I fully believe this is one of the reasons why the Almighty shared ages and years in scripture...so we can keep track of time.]
Day 4 Theme: Stars, Moon and Sun rule the Day and Night
4th Millennium: From approx
3013 YFA The judges, prophets, and kings ruled and judged Israel. The heavenly hosts are called the "stars of heaven" that preside as "princes" over the nations (remember the Prince of Persia that prevented Gabriel from delivering his message to Daniel). Finally, we have the arrival of the "Sun of Righteousness" with healing in his "wings" (i.e. the hem of his garment -
Mal 4:2), The Messiah was born at the end of the 4th millennium of mankind on approx.
3998 YFA (
or 3 BCE).
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If I stopped here these four witnesses should be enough to make a pretty strong case that the Almighty is indeed following His plan laid out in Genesis, to the very millennium of mankind, which means the
7th day of creation must correspond to a literal
1000-year reign of the Messiah as the prophesied "The Day of the Lord". The Sabbath rest.
...It also provides additional support for why I believe
Revelation 13's
beast of the sea and
beast of the earth are already present on earth ruling for the last 2000 years. But I'll leave these events for a later discussion.