JOSEPH W. TKACH
PASTOR GENERAL

January 1989

Dear Friend:

Thank you for your recent inquiry in which you asked where the Bible mentions man's having 6000 years of self rule.

Most people have never heard about God's 7000-year master plan for mankind. That great plan is pictured by the seven-day week. As Genesis shows, God refashioned the earth and created all life forms in six days and then rested on the Sabbath. God also gave man six days in which to work, followed by a day of rest (Ex. 20:9-11). On the seventh day, man is to put aside his normal routine of daily activities and worship the true God (Isa. 58:13-14).

The apostle Peter undoubtedly understood that the seven-day week is a pattern which applies to time on a far grander scale. He wrote, "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Pet. 3:8, NKJV). The apostle Paul also had this principle in mind when he explained that the seventh day of the week pictures the peaceful time of rest that will follow this present age of human activity (Heb. 4:3-11). The apostle John tells us that this period will occur after Christ's intervention in world affairs and that it will last a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4).

Since the seventh day of the week symbolizes 1000 years of peace under the rule of Jesus Christ, the first six days of the week represent 6000 years in which man has been allowed to govern himself and work out his own ideas and plans. In other words, each day of the week represents 1000 years of human existence.

Where are we now in this great plan? Charts which list biblical events in time order (these can be found in some Bibles) are accurate enough to show that HUMAN LIFE was created about 4000 years before the birth of Christ. History makes it clear that almost another 2000 years have elapsed since then -- making a total of nearly 6000 years of human civilization to date. In short, man's "week" is nearly over, and God's great millennial rest will soon be here.

For information explaining God's plan in greater detail, please feel welcome to request a free copy of our booklet A WORLD HELD CAPTIVE. If you would like to know more about the exciting new age soon to dawn, and how you can have a vital part in it, also request our booklet THE WONDERFUL WORLD TOMORROW -- WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE.

We hope you will let us know whenever we can be of further assistance. It is our pleasure to be of service.

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT