hey Rhody

Your two questions are kind of tied together... I will try to clarify.

Yes, the Time of Trouble is in the last days... better rendering: "Last one of the days"... Sometimes called the last day; IN THAT DAY... when you see that phrase in the OT, it refers to the last day. Remembering that a "day with the Lord is a thousand years..." (2 Peter 3:8)... in connection with the day of judgment that is mentioned in vs. 7, thus the day being discussed as 1,000 years; the first part is the time of trouble. 40 years of trouble on the Church as its final membership is decided... followed by the great time of trouble or tribulation mentioned by Daniel the Prophet in Daniel 12:1 and reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 24:21. This 1000 year day is the Millennium often spoken of... and the one that the Revelator speaks of as being the 1000 year reign of Christ and the Church (Rev 20:4). It is for the judgment of the entire human race, as Jesus stated in John 5: 28-29... "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unot the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment." This is the time of the second coming also.


Rhody: "Also, I have read in other boards that Bible Students believe that the 1000 years has already begun."

The study of Chronology and Prophecy will lead us down the correct path in determniing this question, so that we may be sure that we are walking in the light of His Truth.

From a chronological standpoint we can look to the Scriptures and find an unbroken chain of events that allow us to arrive at the point in our secular history wherein the dates and reckoning of time are known to be accurate. Our God has not left us in the dark on this subject, yet He had for centuries allowed these facts to be hid from the view of earnest students of His Word. The unveiling of these truths began with the raising up of a special servant named Bro. William Miller who was born in Pittsfield Mass. USA in 1782, and just in time to be used by Jehovah for this special purpose. He was used of God to unlock truths along both chronological and prophetic lines which both point to the same answer as to your question. He died in 1849, just about three years before Pastor Charles Russell was born, who was able to complete the puzzle as to time reckoning in the Bible in regards to prophecy and pinning where were were in the stream of time.

From the standpoint of time measurement we would point to the God-given chronology which begins in Genesis chapter 5 where ten important links are given that will take us from Adams creation all the way to the drying up of the Great Bible Flood spoken of in Genesis chapter 8. This Chronology is listed in the second volume of Studies in the Scriptures (The Time is at Hand) on page 43. The links are found in Genesis 5: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 28; 7:6 and finally 8:13. When you add these figures together beginning with the 130 years of Adam at the birth of Seth, you compute 1656 years. This is the first important link of chronology.

The second stage of the Chronology is the period from the flood to the making of the Oath-bound covenant with Abraham at the time of the death of his father Terah. Likewise nine additional links of chronology are given beginning with Genesis 11:10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. 22. 24 , 32 (see the same book, page 44). These links likewise add up to an additional 427 years.

Following this is the period from this covenant to the giving of the Law Covenant with Moses. This period is not so easily found in the Scriptures, as the key to its understanding was not given until the writing of the New Testament by the Apostle Paul who gives the clue in Galatians 3:17, wherein he states: And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Third stage: 430 years.

The next stage of the chronology shows the period of time from the Exodus to the division of the land of Canaan amongst the twelve tribes of Israel, which consists of Israels 40 year journey in the wilderness and the six years of war with the inhabitants of the land and the aforementioned division. These six years began with the one year period between their leaving Egypt to the sending of the spies into Paran; the other five years are described by Joshua in Joshua 14: 7, 10.
Fourth Stage Total: 46 years.

Next is the period of the Judges which spans from the division of the land to the anointing of Saul to be King in Israel. In the book of Judges and that of 1 Samuel, nineteen chronological links are given, but the mathematics is difficult and confusing due to all of the fragments or uneven periods of time. However, once again we are saved by the Apostle Paul who told us in Acts 13: 19-21: And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. Fifth Stage Total: 450 years

Next is the period of the Kings which once again consists of numerous links or reigns of the various kings of Israel (21 to be exact). These links are found on page 50 of the second volume and they total 513 years.

Finally we have the period of the desolation of the land which began with the overthrow of the last King of Israel and lasted 70 years according to 2 Chronicles 36: 20, 23.
Seventh Stage: 70 years

This brings us to the date of 536 BC, which is a well established secular date wherein King Cyrus of Persia gave his famous edict and consequently the same place where the Bible falls silent in revealing these Biblical links of chronology. Thus from this point in history to 1 AD we add another 536 years.



Thus far:

FROM THE CREATION OF ADAM To the end of the flood 1656 years

Thence to the covenant with Abraham 427 years

Thence to the Exodus and the giving the Law 430 years

Thence to the division of Canaan 46 years

The period of the Judges 450 years

The period of the Kings 513 years

The period of the desolation 70 years

Thence to AD 1 536 years

Total from creation of Adam to AD 1 4128 years

Now, from the point of AD 1 to the end of mans 6,000 years of suffering under the curse (six days shall ye labor) brought upon them by father Adam due to his disobedience in Eden we arrive at the year 1872, and thus realizing that our first parents spent between 1 and 2 years in Eden before their dreadful experience with sin, that date is adjusted to 1874 AD as the due time for the Millennium to begin. From the argument of chronology alone we see that we are in the Millennium, but we would need yet the voice of another witness to prove the matter according to Scriptures, which would be prophetic proofs. (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1). And herein, we suggest that for 6 1,000 year days humankind labored under sin and its effects as the curse that God placed on Adam and his offspring... and that the millennium mentioned by St Peter in chapter three of his third epistle is the great sabbath wherein mankind will be saved; freed from the bondage of sin; as described in the first few verses of Revelation 22 "and there shall be no more curse"; as Paul stated in Galatians 3:8, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God WOULD JUSTIFY THE HEATHEN THROUGH FAITH, preached before the Gospel to Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."



Prophetic proofs to come...
thanks

jonalfred