[OBW]

I just read parts of the Life Study of Hebrews, messages 18 and 22, which Tomes references. He is correct to say that Lee does not say that the 6,000 years followed by the 1,000 year millennium is entirely true. Lee adds nuances about the “church” and the Sabbath rest. But he does not contradict the 6,000 years, even continually repeating it as “approximately 6,000 years.”

But if there is this literal 6,000 years because of the day=1,000 years statement in scripture, then we must presume that the genealogies are accurate, and they put Adam’s creation at about 4,000 years BC. According to some, 4,004 BC. And Jesus was born approximately 4 BC. A nice, neat 4,000 years of OT era. Then there is only 2,000 years to go. And it is looking like the number of years is pretty precise. So you put that in the caldron and out comes this “calf” of 1997. And since that means that, with a 7 year tribulation, the rapture is either 1990 or 1993-ish, they had to start rethinking it by about 1995. So put the destruction of Jerusalem into the caldron and the calf changes to about 2070. (I guess we can be a little less precise now since the final 2,000 years does not start precisely at the end of the first 4,000 years.)

My main point is that this is all malarkey. Even if Lee never predicted a precise date, or even the precise year (but only the general period for the year) he is missing the point. If Jesus told his disciples to be watching, then “now” was always possible. If scripture was very soon going to provide enough information to ignore “now” for almost 2,000 years, then what was Jesus doing?

Why is everything always in the next life? Why is our Sabbath rest simply the millennium? Or even the church life? Why is right-living in this life so marginalized? Yes, there are always sermons on it (even in the LRC manner). Spending any time thinking about why some future date is probably it is an invitation to slack-off now.

Why should I concern myself with the end times? Because it is evident that there are consequences for our decisions now. Now is the time for salvation. Now is the time for sanctification. Now is the time for righteousness. Now is the time to walk according to the Spirit (and not some false “spirit”).

And if I truly believe in Jesus, then I would do what he commands. And he commands much more than spiritual living. More than plans about the rapture. More than having a great “church life.” He commands much more obedience. He commands righteousness beyond the simple 10-commandments. (And suggesting that we should just ignore them because “we can’t do it anyway” is to capitulate from the outset. And is subject to a kind of censure by Jesus.)