“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
Galatians 4:4
“Chronology is the backbone of history” insisted Dr. John C. Whitcomb, one of the most godly and gifted Bible teachers of the modern age. Whitcomb pointed out that within a religious context, it was the Bible that first gave us a sensible and coherent picture of historic eventuation. Some saw randomness or chance as the basic principle according to which events occurred. Others saw history as cyclic, repeating itself over endless ages of time. It was the Bible, however, that first portrayed history as linear and goal-directed. Whereas fairy tales and fables normally begin with, “Once Upon a Time” or “Long Ago and Far Away,” the Bible’s description of earth history involves a precise chronology. The heavens and the earth were made in six days (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11). The world before the flood lasted 1656 years before God judged it for its sinfulness (Genesis 5-7). A worldwide aquatic catastrophe came upon the earth in the 600th year of Noah’s life (Genesis 7:11) and lasted a total of 371 days (Genesis 7-8). The Bible’s detailed chronology is possible because God created a precise and reliable clock-calendar system, namely, the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14). Interestingly, physicists today acknowledge that orbital time based on the motions of the stellar bodies is more reliable than atomic clocks, which were at one time thought to be the superior time-keeping devices. The sovereign, covenant-keeping God of the Bible assures us that every event in earth history has significance; all things work together to usher in the Kingdom of His dear Son. As today’s verse passage reminds us, Christ came the first time just as God had predicted and at precisely the right time (Genesis 49:10; Daniel 9:24-26). This was Christ’s message at the beginning of His earthly ministry. “The time is fulfilled,” said the Lord, “and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). In fact, the Lord rebuked unbelieving Israel for their willing ignorance in failing to recognize the time of their visitation (Luke 19:43-44). Much of what the Lord said and did directly fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Matthew 13:34; Luke 19:43-44). Amazingly, there are eight times as many prophecies concerning the Lord’s second coming as there are concerning His first. As we begin this new year, we are that much closer to the Lord’s return and the establishment of His kingdom, which will be a glorious age of restoration (Matthew 19:28; Acts 3:21) and righteousness (Isaiah 32:1: Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15). The world will return to Eden-like conditions and at long last the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:1-10). Maranatha, O Lord! Thy kingdom come!
God bless and encourage you today dear saints,
Pastor John
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