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Shortly thereafter he adds:-- This Sabbath shall appear still more clearly if we count the ages as days, in accordance with the periods of time defined in Scripture, for that period will be found to be the seventh. The first age, as the first day, extends from Adam to the deluge; the second from the deluge to Abraham, equaling the first, not in length of time, but in the number of generations, there being ten in each. From Abraham to the advent of Christ there are, as the evangelist Matthew calculates, three periods, in each of which are fourteen generations - one period from Abraham to David, a second from David to the captivity, a third from the captivity to the birth of Christ in the flesh. There are thus five ages in all. The sixth is now passing, and cannot be measured by any number of generations, as it has been said, 'It is not for you to know the times, which the Father hath out in His own power' [Acts 1:7]. After this period God shall rest as on the seventh day, when He shall give us (who shall be the seventh day) rest in Himself. But there is not space to treat of these ages; suffice it to say that the seventh shall be our Sabbath, which shall be brought to a close, not by an evening, but by the Lord's day, as an eighth and eternal day. (Ibid. 618) (189:1) This 'seventh day' interpretation continued to the nineteenth century, most believing that, according to biblical chronology, it would terminate in the mid-nineteenth century. The 6,000-year understanding of biblical chronology, the 1,260 days and the 2,300 days prophesied by Daniel, together filled Christians with confidence and expectation. (189:2) In time, however, the seventh day interpretation (was) emphasized less and less because of modern scientific findings. A literal interpretation of Genesis and an acceptance that the earth was roughly 6,000 years old prevailed among interpreters of chronological prophecy. When geological science soundly refuted the literal interpretation of Genesis, this understanding of prophecy was gradually abandoned and, for the most part, has now been forgotten.
(189:3)
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