There are many calendars in use: The Julian, Gregorian – which we use; it reformed the Julian one in 1582 by bringing Easter to the time of the Spring Equinox. Also, there’s the Jewish calendar. I want to go back to the beginning and see how God formed His pattern for life. He did it in a week’s time, and completed it through another week’s events – The Passion Week. We will go down the original seven days of creation and see how they correlate to the seven days of the passion.
- God orders through time (doesn’t dwell in time, but it is His servant).
- He created in seven days as a week.
- The Bible says “…One day is as a thousand years” –II Peter 3:8.
- That means in God’s economy, what happened yesterday is a thousand years ago and the hurts of decades ago is recent.
- During the creation and timing of seven days, God actually prophesied the time frame of the Earth He created, as it dismantles.
- The Garden of Eden would have been around 4,000 B.C., while Jesus lived 2,000 years ago. Together this means we would be in the seventh day, or the 7,000th year sequence of his working.
- Seven days of creation/seven days of passion
- 1st- creation- Original light source/passion -triumphal entry.
- Separates night from light and forms night and day (the Hebrew day starts at evening; hence, the usage of phrase night and day). In Psalm 139, dark and light are alike to God, so it was separated for use on this Earth. Remember that this is not the light of the sun, moon, etc. That was on day 4. This is God showing up in His own creation to light it up.
- Triumphal Entry John 12:12 (six days before Passover). Remember that the triumphal entry was a high point, yet it began the descent that led to the crucifixion. And as they cried “Hosanna”, they were shouting “save, help us”; it wasn’t as much worship as it was crying out for help. Though God accepts our requests gladly, we do need to go beyond that level of relationship to Him and worship Him solely because He is the King of Kings. Jesus comes into the city of Kings (Jerusalem) as King incarnate and eternal sovereign. He came in on a donkey, not a horse; showing His purpose here was not self exaltation, but self-sacrifice and service.
- 2nd- Creation – Expanse in Heaven/passion – Jesus cleanses the temple
- Separated waters from the waters (body’s 80-85% water-his agent). Heavens are the result, but not God’s Heaven, for that is His throne and is perpetual. This “Heavens” is the atmosphere/sky as the canopy over this Earth, which protects it.
- Passion progression – Cleanses temple in Matthew 21:12. Why? The canopy of Earth’s Heaven is unrolled, as Jesus pierces darkness with truth that making merchandise of God’s house is unacceptable. It turns a festive mood into disruption. Jesus is separating the higher order and piercing the atmosphere of this Earth, because it denigrates the honor of God in his throne above.
- 3rd – Creation-Earth and seas/passion-barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18).
- Creation – God separates the waters and creates Earth and seas, which will be the home of the coming creation of man and animals. It includes the sprouting of vegetation, seed, etc., with the biblical standard of life “to beget after their own kind”.
- Passion -Jesus looks to the nature He created and a barren fig tree does not please Him. Though it is not in season to fruit, Jesus is making a point that His people have not sprung up with His life.
- 4th – Creation – Lights of sun, moon/passion – Olivet discourse.
- Creation – The sun & moon were created to rule/order the planet for seasons, days and years. Don’t worship the sun or moon or creation. Only worship the creator – the others will cease to exist; He will not.
- Passion – Matthew 24 is the Mount Olivet discourse, as it speaks about the coming undoing of this creation. The Passion Week includes the future of this Earth losing the light of the sun and moon, for the real eternal home God created is in his Heaven – his throne. During this time referred to in Matthew, signs and wonders on Earth will be displayed. Even the elect will be deceived, but the lights turning off will reveal the creator’s separation from his creation.
- 5th – Creation – creation of water animals & birds/passion-Noah’s Ark.
- Creation – The water animals and birds of the air were made to be “fruitful and multiply” (another one of God’s standards).
- Passion – This is a continuation of Olivet’s discourse (Matthew 24:37), where the story of Noah’s Ark is referenced. The great sea creatures and birds work at the behest of the creator, like the doves tell Noah that it is safe to go forth from the ark. These thoughts focus sight beyond this week’s time and go into the end of the age (the 7th day or 7000th year).
- 6th – Creation – creation of land animals & man/passion-crucifixion
- Creation – Creation of land animals after their kind and mankind as the highest creation, after God’s own image. Animals were made to serve man and man was created to serve and have a relationship with God.
- Passion – This includes the Lord’s Supper, the Passover Feast – which took four days and then came the actual feast, Gethsemane (“The Olive Press”, which is where Jesus was squeezed out in that garden which would undo the effects of the Garden of Eden as the second Adam). Jesus was the Lamb of God (Exodus 12:11) – Unblemished, fulfilling the standard of God’s Holiness. At the end of each day of creation God said “it is good”; at the cross Jesus said “it is finished”. The crucifixion finished the creation work God began in Genesis.
- 7th – Creation – Day of rest; passion – rest from devours.
- Creation – This was the day of rest, but not because God was pooped out. This was his day to enjoy His creation – to see it in its infancy, yet its absolute perfection and excellence.
- Passion – Though this was a day of mourning on Earth (the disciples had scattered and gone to their homes, for fear of a reprisal), it was a day of rest in Heaven. Why? Because the sacrifice for sins was made and accepted. The finished work of creation was complete, so Jesus descended into the domain of darkness, not under the power of Satan, but under orders to retrieve the keys of the kingdom and bring forth life from the grave (the resurrection account tells of bodies coming forth from the grave for those who died in faith – Matthew 27: 52-53). Also, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 talks about the day of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt as Sabbath, so again, the separation of the waters brought death to the enemy (Pharaoh and army), but life to the saints.
- Day 1 returns – It is perpetual light. Passion is over, while light begins.
- Creation – We go back to day 1, which is the original light source. This light source is God showing up in light, to back light, spot light Him and His eternal work. This God revealed in light is the second person of the Godhead – the person of the trinity who is the revelation of God to man. It is the Son of God – Jesus Himself.
- Perpetual order – The sixth day includes the Garden of Gethsemane, a return to the Garden of Eden, while the seventh day includes the enemy realizing he is done. He was finished, which would ultimately undo his deception in the Garden of Eden, as well as cement his eviction from God’s Heaven and thereby, give access into the grace in which we stand. All of that builds to the restoration of day one, the day that God intended, for “the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.”
- 1st- creation- Original light source/passion -triumphal entry.
In conclusion, the English word calendar is from the Latin word “kalandae”, which was the Latin name of the first day of every month. God’s creative purpose comes from God’s calendar, the day of light. He lit up what He created and stepped inside.