The Spiritual Significance of a 1960 year period
All the Christian Scriptures have a numerical base, every letter, word and phrase whether it be Hebrew, Chaldee or Greek. The meaning of the words is based upon the meaning of the numbers. Thus The Word of God is unbreakable because its mathematical base is absolute. As any Godly scientist will tell you, mathematics is also the base of the created universe, whether it be in time or space. Our purpose in studying the numerics of Scripture is to understand how God times His activity when applying it to mankind, His children Israel or the nations. God freely explains the timing of His activities in many ways:
[1] The Patriarchs ages, before and after the universal flood, are given in sequence, being easy to total.
[2] The timing of the events leading to the crossing of the Jordan river by the twelve tribes of Israel are clearly stated.
[3] The span of Jubilees, thirty in all, total the years from the time of seed planting, after Israel occupied The Land, to the Jubilee year in which, according to the Law, The Lord Jesus Christ returned to His home town of Nazareth at the beginning of His Kingdom commission.
[4] The years of Christ’s Kingdom Ministry and that of His apostles ended in 62ad when proclamation of the kingdom was abruptly postponed by God when He Spiritually blinded the Jews.
[5] At this point, during the time of this postponement, God introduced a new Administration, that of His Grace whose purpose is to demonstrate in the ages to come the exceeding riches of His Grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
[6] Christ’s Kingdom Ministry will be reintroduced by restoring the Spiritual sight of the Jews and thereby continuing the seventy weeks of Daniel’s prophecy which end when the Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of Our Lord and of His Christ
Item [5] above is the exception. No specific time is stated in The Word of God for the duration of the Spiritual Blindness of the Jews during the present Administration of God’s Grace. The determination of this time is the subject of this study.
The first of the two previous studies in this short series examines the meaning and importance of the Jubilee periods of forty-nine years [By Grace No:86]. The second shows by examples the various purposes of God’s use of the number forty, mostly relating to time periods of days, nights and years. [By Grace No:85].
The present period of The Administration of God’s Grace [Eph ch.3] continues to-day at the beginning of the 21st century, This Administration is one of the many Godly mysteries referred to in the Scripture, not being understood by most Christians because they fail to recognise and exercise their gift of God’s intelligence which is available to them for enlightenment.
During this period, the Jews as a race, are still Spiritually blind, not being enabled to recognise their true Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ, and as with many other long periods of God’s activity, the continuing cycle of the Jubilee period of 49 years plays a unique roll. Although 49 years determine the sequence of the Jubilees themselves, it also plays a major role as a factor in other time spans [see p.4 BG 86].
Dr.Stephen E. Jones, whose important and unique work in determining the scripture meaning of the numbers one to forty, has also recognised the importance of the number 40 together with the Jubilee span of 49 years, when seeking to understand the total number of years limiting the present Administration. His comment is as follows:
In the New Testament we find that Jesus ascended after appearing to His disciples [and to about 500 people] over a period of forty days [Acts 1:3]. When He ascended he said He would return in like manner. Perhaps this forty day period is prophetic of a forty-Jubilee period, wherein He has continually taught us since His resurrection. Perhaps He will return sometime after forty Jubilees……...if so we are in that season now…..
The duration of the period which we are seeking to determine is characterised by the meaning of the factors of the number forty.
The Administration of God’s Grace,
by Grace and the promise of Resurrection, defined by the factors of the number 40…...5 x 8.
The Spiritual blindness of the Jews,
by God’s authority over Trial and Probation, also defined by the factors of the number 40...1 x 40
It should be recognised that although the Jews, i.e. The House of Judah, have been Spiritually blinded and without understanding, they still remain The Children of God, being subject to the 49 year span of the Law of Jubilees.
Dr. Stephen Jones recognised that, by the characteristic meaning of its factors, forty when multiplied by the Jubilee span of forty-nine years, would result in a period of 1960 years, taking us from the time of Christ to the present day.
Biblical chronologists such as Bishop Usser, Dr.E.W.Bullinger and Rev C.I. Scofield are agreed that the ministry of The Lord Jesus Christ began when He announced His commission before the people of Nazareth in their synagogue in the year 27ad. [Luke 4:16-21] From thence His ministry continued until His murder and resurrection, after that He worked with His apostles during their Acts [Mark 16:20]. introducing the Kingdom in Israel. This ended in 62/63ad. when the Jews were Spiritually blinded [Acts 28:25-27]. thereby postponing the introduction of the Kingdom. It is also the time when God introduced His previously hidden Administration of Grace [Eph 3-12]. Important acts of God take place at Shemittahs, i.e. the seven year cycles which divide a Jubilee span of 49 years into seven divisions. It is highly probable therefore that the important events occurring at the end of Acts took place in the year 62ad., 35 years, or five Shemittahs from the year of Christ’s commission in 27ad.
The announcement by Christ of His commission is extremely important because it is the beginning of the Seventy Week prophecy that the archangel Gabriel gave to Daniel the prophet [Daniel ch.9, also BG 70]. It is also important to recognise that NO prophetic statements, whether they occur in the Old or New Testaments, are applicable during this present, previously hidden, Administration of Grace.
The times of Gabriel’s 70 week prophecy of 490 years, is divided into three parts:
1] The first 49 years devoted to the ministry of Christ and His apostles.
[2] The next 434 years, when Israel is ruled by the resurrected King David.
[3] The final seven years following King David’s crucifixion, includes, the three and one half years of Great Tribulation. It ends in the kingdoms of the world becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ [Rev 11:15].
God’s introduction of this present, but previously hidden Administration, began in 62ad and has therefore postponed the remaining fourteen years which completes the total of 49 years of the ministry of Christ with His apostles. When completed, the commandment, the Word, to restore and rebuild Jerusalem will be given.
In a similar way, The Last Days of Israel’s ‘walk’, which began when their Messiah was born in 4bc, was also postponed in 62ad. when the Jews were Spiritually blinded.
On the following page all this information is shown in chart form, so that these actions of God can be readily understood. The first chart shows those Godly activities relating to the Jews had He NOT intervened by Spiritually blinding them. The second shows the present reality of God’s intervention.
