SUNDAY, JUNE 1 (SUNDOWN) – JUNE 2, 2025
Shavu’ot (a.k.a. Pentecost), will begin at sundown on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
SHAVUâOT ׊ָ×××֟ע×֚ת literally means âweeksâ and the festival is also known as the “Feast of Weeks.” In the third month [Read more…]
One of the questions that arises from this section of the Bible is the amount of time utilized in the creation process. Actually, the real question should focus on the time utilized in the creation process up to the time of the fall. Science estimates that this period is something of the order of 18 billion years (18,000,000,000 years). Strict Bible creationists believe that the creation event took 7 twenty-four hour days (168 hours) and hence the creation is only a few thousand years old. In both cases, we are speculating about the quantity of time taken in these activities. I maintain that God, who is the agency of creation, operates outside of time and that attempting to assign a specific duration to His activities is generally fruitless.
Time is an elusive quantity. We measure it in terms of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, etc. Actually we are attempting to measure duration between events. Thus the âdurationâ of our lives is;
“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years.” (Psalm 90:10)
Godâs view of time is different from ours.
“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
Science argues that the true measure of duration is entropy. Entropy is the measure of order. The creation is moving from order to disorder; from a state where energy transfer is possible to a state of uniform temperature where no energy transfer is possible. Therefore, true measure of time is the duration between these two end-points.
The creation story is told twice in this Biblical section. Firstly, we have the general account of the creation (Genesis 1:1-2:3) and, secondly, the more detailed account of manâs creation (Genesis 2:4-2:25). Scientists argue that the duration between the creation events is a very long time, perhaps billions of years. This position facilitates the position of natural evolution. Again, those who support a strict creationist position argue that the entire process required only 7 days (or 168 hours). It seems to me that the more important question behind these two positions is âwho is responsible for the creation instead of how long did it take?â
But returning to the question at hand, what was the duration of the creation event. I believe our best insight comes from the account of the seventh day.
âBy the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.â (Genesis 2:2-3)
The activity of creating is something that only God can do. It means âbringing something into existence where nothing existed beforeâ. The fundamental laws of Physics declare that the quantity of matter and energy in the universe is constant, i.e., nothing is being created at this point of history. This means that God has been resting from creating activities since the initial creation events. The implication of this is that the âseventh dayâ spans a duration of at least many thousands of years. More specifically, the âseventh dayâ is longer than 24 hours. If the seventh day is longer than 24 hours then the other creation days may also be longer than 24 hours. Therefore, we conclude that the duration of the creation event and thus the age of the creation has not been revealed.
There is one other clue that indicates that we do not have sufficient information to determine the duration from the creation event until the present. Man was originally created and placed in âthe Garden of Edenâ in what we might call a state of âinnocenceâ. The duration of the period between his creation and the âfallâ is not revealed. As we read the story we may imagine that the duration could be seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, etc. In other words there is an undetermined period of time between the creation of man and his fall. We simply do not know. This fact makes it impossible to determine the duration of the events recorded in this section of the Bible.
Again, I would like to emphasize that duration of the creation event is much less important than the question of âwho is the Creatorâ. For this we credit the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This is His memorial name to all generations. He is the creator, the sustainer and the redeemer.
One of the many outstanding qualities of Godâs word is the reality of prophetic messages presented to us in prefigured forms. The Bible is brimming with them. They are found primarily in the Tanakh, what is referred to as the Old Testament. They are usually centered on narratives involving notable biblical characters: such as Abraham, the first such notable example, prefiguring the believer walking in faith; and King Solomon, a type of the Sovereign King and Son of David, King Jesus Himself.
There are, however, prefigurations that are not centered on characters of the Bible but rather on bold actions and expressions on Godâs part. Usually these paint for us grand pictures of the end goals of Godâs great work of redemption. One such example is found in the book of Leviticus, chapters 8 and 9. Before we begin to consider this example, I think itâs important at this time to mention that the primary objective of God, as revealed in the Bible, is redemption of fallen creation. This is where Godâs heart is and we should frame our paradigms accordingly.
This example begins with the consecration, anointing and ordination of Aaron and his sons as Kohanim (×ÖšÖź×Ö˛× Ö´×× the Hebrew word for priests). Chapter eight begins with God giving Moses very detailed instructions as to how to proceed with this event. As one reads the chapter, the inherent seriousness of the proceedings becomes evident. In many cases this is indicative of a bigger picture being painted. Towards the end of the chapter we see the culmination of all that Moses was instructed to do, carried out by him; âSo Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with himâ (Leviticus 8:30). At that point Godâs anointed vessel is ordained and equipped for His work of redemption.
I should mention here that Aaron, as High Priest, is presenting yet another typeâthat of Jesus, the ultimate and âGreat High Priestâ (Hebrews 4:14, 6:20). Jesus was consecrated and ordained for this function from the very worldâs foundation (Rev.13:8). It is important to note that, like Aaronâs sons, we, in Jesus, were also appointed at the same time as Jesus, The Great High Priest: âJust as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus the Messiah to Himself, according to the kind intention of His willâ (Eph. 1:4-5). This fact on its own merit should bring us to humility.
My reason for bringing to bear what was presented in the former paragraph is to bring to light what follows at the end of Leviticus chapter 8: âYou shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven daysâ. (Lev. 8:33). And “At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded”. (Lev. 8:35). Godâs vessel, sanctified for His work within Israel, is ready after seven daysâthe number seven being Godâs number of completion or perfection.
What follows in chapter 9 of Leviticus brings together the grand collage that God has assembled for us see. God instructs that on the eighth day, offerings of sacrifices would be made on behalf of Aaron and his sons and that the children of Israel would make offerings for themselves as well. Following these offerings, God declared that He would appear, that same day, to all Israel (Leviticus 9:1-5). Moses relates this to Israel in verse 6; âMoses said, âThis is the thing which the Lord has commanded you to do, that the glory of the Lord may appear to youâ (Note: Moses said that God would appear in His glory). Following Mosesâ and Aaronâs execution of all that God had instructed them to do, we see a glorious manifestation of God recorded in verses 23 and 24; âMoses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedownâ.
To sum-up what weâve seen thus far; God sanctified His anointed High Priest together with his sons for a period of seven days and then revealed Himself in glory on the eighth day.
Allow me now to bring this picture into prophetic focus. The number eight, as it follows a specific action of God relative to the number seven, is pointing to the hope of a new beginning or the initiation of something new. The greatest hope provided for us in scripture is the hope of a new beginning. Isaiah the prophet saw this hope: âFor behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things would not be remembered or come to mindâ. (Isaiah 65:17-18). The apostle John saw the same event but with greater detail. He reported: âThen I saw âa new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.â (Rev. 21:1-2) Yes, indeed. The New Creation is the hope of all creation and is the great culmination of Godâs work of redemption. At this time God would again dwell in the midst of His creation as He had intended from the beginning, âAnd I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, âLook! Godâs dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. âHe will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed awayâ. (Rev.21:3-4).
With Israel, God revealed Himself in glory following seven days of preparation for Aaron and his sons. God likewise will reveal Himself to all creation in glory at the end of the seven millennia which have been set aside for redemption. Jesus, our High Priest, has been set asideâor consecratedâfor this from the beginning of Godâs work of redemption and we, the Royal Priesthood (as we are referred to in 1 Pet. 2:9 ) along with Him.
Godâs longing desire to return fallen creation to perfect order and, once again, to dwell in the midst of man is great; so great that He gave us that picture through His Word millennia ago by His servant Moses. Our responsibility is to proclaim it, for this is the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.