Part 7

The Great Week of Time

In the writings of E. G. White the phrase “Great Week of Time” (GWT) is not used. However, within a wide array of writings she alludes to the age of this earth at six thousand years. Students of those statements have interpreted them in a variety of ways, often veering from the rich message she is conveying. Isolated statements are impossible to understand. A collective review of these statements brings out amazing insight.

One of the most frequently quoted thoughts is not her focus on the six thousand years but on a word or two before the number. Note the variation of expressions:

“For six thousand years ...” GC659.3 (1911 ed.)

“For nearly six thousand years ...” GC518.1 (1888)

“More than six thousand years ...” HS133.3 (1886)

“About six thousand years ...” 1SP87.1 (1870)

What is it? More, less or at six thousand years? It is our judgment that E. G. White is consistent in her use of these terms, and the context when compared with similar statements elsewhere conveys a meaning that is very specific and states important concepts.

The first group of quotations that are frequently quoted involve the approximation of the earth’s age. These are not trying to do anything more than make a statement: “The earth is around six thousand years old.” But the question arises, From what reference point? Let’s see if we can  define her orientation to help us grasp her other statements.

Age from the Bible Record

“Infidel geologists claim that the world is very much older than the Bible record makes it. They reject the Bible record because of those things which are to them evidences from the earth itself that the world has existed tens of thousands of years. And many who profess to believe the Bible record are at a loss to account for wonderful things which are found in the earth, with the view that creation week was only seven literal days, and that the world is now only about six thousand years old. These, to free themselves from difficulties thrown in their way by infidel geologists, adopt the view that the six days of creation were six vast, indefinite periods, and the day of God’s rest was another indefinite period; making senseless the fourth commandment of God’s holy law. Some eagerly receive this position; for it destroys the force of the fourth commandment, and they feel a freedom from its claims upon them. They have limited ideas of the size of men, animals, and trees, before the flood, and of the great changes which then took place in the earth.”1

All her thoughts are based on a simple premise! The approximate age of the earth is six thousand years old. That is found in the Biblical record. Thus, Ussher’s work, so widely quoted is close to a correct understanding.

General Age of the Earth

The “six thousand years” is to be generally referenced from most of her comments.

General Age Since Creation of Man

“The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God, but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between.... The mysteries of the visible universe – ‘the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge’ – afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men’s study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all.”2

General Preservation of Vital Power

“God endowed man with so great vital force that he has withstood the accumulation of disease brought upon the race in consequence of perverted habits, and has continued for six thousand years. This fact of itself is enough to evidence to us the strength and electrical energy that God gave to man at his creation. It took more than two thousand years of crime and indulgence of base passions to bring bodily disease upon the race to any great extent. If Adam, at his creation, had not been endowed with twenty times as much vital force as men now have, the race, with their present habits of living in violation of natural law, would have become extinct. At the time of Christ’s first advent the race had degenerated so rapidly that an accumulation of disease pressed upon that generation, bringing in a tide of woe and a weight of misery inexpressible.”3

“Man came from the hand of his Creator perfect in organization and beautiful in form. The fact that he has for six thousand years withstood the ever-increasing weight of disease and crime is conclusive proof of the power of endurance with which he was first endowed (CTBH 7).4 

General Six-millennial Period

This is referenced as the timeframe for the climax of the struggle that ends with God’s wrath.

“‘A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.’ Jeremiah 25:31. For six thousand years the great controversy has been in progress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. ‘The Lord hath a controversy with the nations;’ ‘He will give them that are wicked to the sword.’”5

Sin’s existence has been for six thousand years, and as the end approaches, Satan’s temptation increases, especially in the area of appetite.

General Duration of Sinning Man

“The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.”6

All these “general” quotations affix only an approximate time. Another way she expresses time:

“More than” Six Thousand Years

There appears to be two ways E. G. White extends the time of six thousand years. One relates to Satan’s experience with evil, and secondly, one quotation states that a perfect creation occurred beyond six thousand years ago.

Satan’s Experience: This is a fascinating timing statement regarding Satan:

“The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries on his warfare against God, begun in heaven and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.”7

Here the war was begun in heaven and then transferred to the earth nearly six thousand years ago. In that context, carefully note the use of the words “more than” in the following thought:

“A cunning and cruel foe attends our steps, and is working every moment, with all his strength and skill, to turn us from the right way. Ever since he succeeded in overcoming our first parents in their beautiful Eden home, he has been engaged in this work. More than six thousand years of continual practice has greatly increased his skill to deceive and allure [includes heaven and earth]. On the other hand, he who once yields to temptation becomes spiritually weak, and yields more readily the second time. Every repetition of sin blinds his eyes, stifles conviction, and weakens his power of resistance. Thus while the power of the human race to resist temptation is continually decreasing, Satan’s skill and power to tempt are continually increasing. This is one great reason why the temptations of the last days will be more severe than those of any other age.”8

A cursory review of this might suggest that since the Edenic home, it has been greater than six thousand years. That is a statement only of Satan’s “practice time,” consistent with the previous thought in The Great Controversy, pp. 552-553 (cf. HS 133).

Since Creation per se: “To this earth angels have come, with the message of redemption, and its hills and valleys have echoed their songs of rejoicing. Its soil has been trodden by the feet of the Son of God. And for more than six thousand years, in its forms of beauty and gifts for sustenance, the earth has borne witness of the Creator’s love.”9

This singular quotation appears at first to be out of harmony with all of her other thoughts. But, it suggests only that slightly more than six thousand years ago the world was created. It wasn’t long before sin entered and the conflict, which represent virtually when all the other quotations began. The GWT applies to the Levitical Jubilee restoration model. Once sin commences, it becomes a redemptive timing issue.

In six thousand years the time would come for restoration and land rest.

“Less than” Six Thousand Years

This is used in two major ways: One, to define the time period of man’s sin and two, to state how long Satan has been conducting his evil work on this earth.

Great Controversy Period

“The world is full of those who need to be ministered unto – the weak, the helpless, the ignorant, the degraded. The continual transgression of man for nearly six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruit. Multitudes are perishing for lack of knowledge.”10

Satan’s Time: “The great controversy between Christ and Satan, that has been carried forward for nearly six thousand years, is soon to close; and the wicked one redoubles his efforts to defeat the work of Christ in man’s behalf and to fasten souls in his snares. To hold the people in darkness and impenitence till the Saviour’s mediation is ended, and there is no longer a sacrifice for sin, is the object which he seeks to accomplish.”11

“Under a new disguise the great rebel still carries forward his warfare against God, begun in Heaven, and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.12

“Satan has great advantages. He possessed the wonderful intellectual power of an angel, of which few form any just idea. Satan was conscious of his power, or he would not have engaged in a conflict with the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Satan closely watches events, and when he finds one who has a specially strong spirit of opposition to the truth of God he will even reveal to him unfulfilled events, that he may more firmly secure himself a seat in his heart. He who did not hesitate to brave a conflict with Him who holds creation as in His hand, has malignity to persecute and deceive. He holds mortals in his snare at the present time. During his experience of nearly six thousand years he has lost none of his skill and shrewdness. All this time he has been a close observer of all that concerns our race.”13

The Great Week of Time Intimation Via a Restoration Theme

Notice the beautiful flow of Jubilee atonement–restoration language that she draws on:

“‘A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.’ Jeremiah 25:31. For six thousand years the great controversy has been in progress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. ‘The Lord hath a controversy with the nations;’ ‘He will give them that are wicked to the sword.’”14

“For six thousand years, Satan’s work of rebellion has ‘made the earth to tremble.’ He had ‘made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof.’ And he ‘opened not the house of his prisoners.’ For six thousand years his prison house has received God’s people, and he would have held them captive forever; but Christ had broken his bonds and set the prisoners free.”15

“Satan’s work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now God’s creatures are forever delivered from his presence and temptations. ‘The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they [the righteous] break forth into singing.’ Isaiah 14:7. And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe. ‘The voice of a great multitude,’ ‘as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,’ is heard, saying: ‘Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ Revelation 19:6.”16

“The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. ‘The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ Daniel 7:18.”17

Conclusion

The writings of E. G. White are consistent and support the following concepts:

1.   Satan’s experience in evil is greater than six thousand years because it extends back into the warfare in heaven.

2.   This earth’s age is slightly more than six thousand years old.

3.   Sin began slightly less than six thousand years ago.

4.   When the restoration is complete, six thousand years will have been finished from the onset of sin.

The six-thousand-year comments of E. G. White do not argue with each other – even though written over approximately a 50-year period. Her understanding of the restorative Levitical model of six preparation and the seventh rest within a restoration theme is clear. Though she does not use the theological expression “Great Week of Time,” her millennial comments lend credence to its concepts.

References

1Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 87 (1870).

2Sons and Daughters of God, p. 7.

3Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 138.

4Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1082 (cf. Fundamentals of Education, p. 22).

5The Great Controversy, p. 656 (1888).

6Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 492 (1875).

7The Great Controversy, pp. 552-553.

8The Signs of the Times, 9/29/1887.

9The Story of Jesus, p. 183 (Adapted from Ellen G. White Material 1896 and 1900).

10Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 467.

11The Great Controversy, p. 518 (1888).

12Ibid., p. 552.

13Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 171 (1868–1871).

14The Great Controversy, p. 656.

15Ibid., p. 659 (1911).

16The Great Controversy, p. 673.

17Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 342 (1890).

Christian Heritage Foundation, CS © 2004-2005 – Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D., Director