Page 20 - February 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Comprehending the End from creation through New Testament glasses,
the Beginning it’s too conspicuous not to acknowledge
that amid the details of that creation week,
The first time we encounter the word our omniscient God was tantalisingly
“rest” in Scripture is in Genesis 2 when, portraying for us His great dispensational
having expressed total satisfaction (Gen framework. As we lay those opening
1:31), God “rested on the seventh day from seven days alongside the seven distinct
all his work which he had made. And God dispensations of time, let us appreciate
blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: some direct correlation between them,
because that in it he had rested from all his noting how they all point forward to the
work which God created and made” (Gen grand climax of millennial tranquillity.
2:2-3). The second time this Hebrew word First, the creation of light and its
1
is used (the only other time in Genesis) is subsequent separation from darkness
in the context of Noah, who, embarking can surely be recognised within the
upon a new world, offered sacrifices to dispensation of Innocence. Our human
God, who in turn promised never to repeat parents came into the knowledge of good
the judgment of the flood. Any student of (light) and evil (darkness), before being
Scripture would immediately recognise separated from the garden of God into a
that the parallel between the first two world where men would love darkness
usages of this word is that both scenes rather than light (Joh 3:19). With fresh
foreshadow the millennial reign of Christ. hope, we look to the promise of an age
It is therefore both necessary and delight- when the glory of God and the Lamb will
fully intriguing to see how that long before be the light (Rev 21:23).
Israel ever existed as a nation, God, who
knew exactly what would take place in Day two, the only one that God makes
this world, promised that there would no reference to being “good,” was the
come a distinct period of rest, designated separation of the waters, a great body
“the dispensation of the fulness of times” reserved above the expanse undoubtedly
(Eph 1:10). Yes, long before Abraham or for coming judgment. In this we detect
Israel, Job wrote of that “latter day” when the dispensation of Human Conscience.
with his own eyes he would witness his When Cain murdered Abel, he didn’t
redeemer standing upon the earth (Job need the Mosaic Law to teach him it was
19:25-27), undoubtedly a reference to mil- wrong. He had the law of God written in
lennial glory. As we rise above and view his heart, his conscience bearing witness
time from this divine perspective, let us (Rom 2:12-15). Unsurprisingly, the dispen-
appreciate how that even in the creation sation ended with God’s unleashing those
week, God was painting for us a delightful mighty waters upon an ungodly world.
picture of His wisdom in the plan of the Inside that ark (Christ), Noah and his
ages, culminating in a millennium of rest. family (Jewish remnant) and the animals
Viewing, then, those first six days of (multitude of Gentiles – see Gen 7:14; Act
10:12ff.) would be brought safely through
to a cleansed world.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the
KJV. Day three contained the gathering of

52 TRUTH kTidings February 2025