In Genesis 6:3-7, when God pronounced His plan to destroy all of mankind except for Noah and his family, He declared that man's days would be limited to 120 years. One hundred and twenty years later the flood came and destroyed the wicked from the face of the earth while the righteous were delivered in the ark.
In Deuteronomy 34:7 we are told that Moses died at 120 and in Deuteronomy 31:3 we are told that Joshua ( a foreshadow of Jesus) led God's people into the promised land in Moses' place.
In both of these historical pictures of two great men of God, Noah and Moses, we are given hints of some greater prophetic meaning to the 120 allotted to them.
At the close of Noah's 120 years of ministry to the pre-flood population the wicked were judged, the righteous were delivered and the earth was cleansed and renewed.
Moses' life span of 120 years concluded with the arrival of God's chosen people at the promised land and in Romans 5:14 we are told that death ended its reign at the time of Moses. The giving of God's law by Moses was the beginning of the end for death as the law prepared the way for the salvation of grace through Christ.
The big question remains, "where does this profile of 120 fit into the grand scheme of God's overall plan for mankind?"
It is fascinating to consider that the answer to this question might be found in God's appointed holy year, which He declared to be the "Jubilee."
In Leviticus Chapter 25, we are told that every 50th year, after 7 times 7 years, is to be counted as a Jubilee. During that year we are told that liberty is to be proclaimed throughout all the land. All debts are to be forgiven, oppression is to end, lost land is to be restored to its original owner and slavery ended.
The pictures given through Noah and Moses and their 120 years are seemingly brought together in God's appointed year of Jubilee. It is to be a time of glorious forgiveness, deliverance and renewal.
The individual Jubilees celebrated over the passage of time point to the day of the great and final Jubilee which will usher in the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth.
God's time line throughout the Bible shows us that after 6,000 years the Lord will deliver mankind and will reveal His majesty in perfect rulership over the earth.
Dividing the 6,000 years by the 50 year cycles of Jubilees we find there will be precisely "120" Jubilees completed at the return of Jesus Christ. Many scholars are convinced that the completion of the 120th Jubilee cycle is near at hand in spite of calendar errors.
According to Leviticus 25, Christ will most likely consecrate this most holy of Jubilees on some future Feast of Atonement.
Looking back once again to the profiles given of Noah and Moses and the 120 years appointed to men, it must be noted that the times of deliverance were first proceeded by a time of judgement and testing. This brings to mind the years of tribulation which we are shown in Scripture will proceed the advent of Jesus Christ.
As we have been sharing through our messages, current events in light of Bible prophecy reveal that the final 7 years of tribulation, which will be initiated with the signing of a 7 year covenant with Israel, are very near at hand.
It is our decided opinion that this covenant of Daniel 9:27 will be signed shortly after Iraq is devastated in the final phase of the coming Middle East war prophesied of in Jeremiah 50 & 51 and Psalm 83.
We believe that it will be at that time that the prophecies which also speak of the spectacular return of the Jews to Israel will be fulfilled. It will be the prophesied time of when the world will be believing they have finally established "peace and safety" (I Thess. 5:3).
It will also be during this time that the Jews will be permitted to rebuild their ancient temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and to restore their ritual animal sacrifices. A condition of this peace plan will most likely be the requirement that Israel subjugate its military defenses under the United Nations.
Soon after this the Russian/Islamic invasion of Israel will take place as is prophesied in Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39. Russia and its allies will be defeated by the direct hand of God and the former Roman Empire will once again have an opportunity to take its place as the world's foremost super power in its present form of the European Union.
Just as I Thessalonians 5:3 has prophesied, "...when they say, "peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them..."
From this European conglomerate will arise the cunningly, devilish, world dictator known in Scripture as the Anti-Christ (I Jn. 2:18). The Anti-Christ and his cohort the False Prophet, who is revealed in Rev. 13:11-15 & 19:20, will be the cause of more deception and suffering on this planet than has been caused by any other human being in all of history. To find out what will transpire upon the earth during their reign we recommend that Revelation Chapters 5-19 be read.
At the close of the rule of the Anti-Christ the war of Armageddon will be fought. It will be at that time that Jesus Christ and all of His glorified saints will return to this earth to take final possession (Rev. 19:11-21).
What happens next will be one of creation's greatest moments. The surviving Tribulation saints will be blessed with deliverance from the Devil and every force of evil. We are told in Matthew 13:40-43 that all the wicked will be removed from the earth at that time and Revelation 20:1-3 reveals that Satan will be bound with a heavenly, forged chain which will keep him from roaming free for a period of 1,000 years.
Then, for a short period, he will be allowed to tempt the earth's population one last time at the close of the 1,000 years. Revelation 20:10-14 tells us that after this brief moment of freedom the Devil will then be forever removed from the affairs of God and men.
Revelation Chapters 21 & 22 reveal the eternity of pure joy which will be the reward of believers after the 1,000 years are completed.
A perusal of the Scriptures bless the devout with glorious disclosures of what will be experienced by those whom God has granted to inhabit the earth during Christ's 1,000 year reign. The Word of God reveals a world unlike anything experienced by man since the Garden of Eden.
In Isaiah 65 the Lord tells us that during this time the life span of mankind will increase dramatically. So much so that the longevity of humans is compared to that of trees. It will be a world where those endowed with such long lives will rejoice in every passing moment.
It will be a time, says God, that He will answer prayers before they have been spoken.
The nature of previously carnivorous animals at Jerusalem will change so dramatically that they will no longer desire meat.
People throughout the earth will rejoice and sing praises to Christ the Lord who reigns from out of Jerusalem. They will weep no more in Jerusalem and they shall prosper and enjoy fully all the fruit of their hands.
In Isaiah 35 we are told that it will be a time of divine healing. The blind shall see, the deaf will hear, the mute shall speak and sing and the lame will leap like the deer.
We are further told that waterfalls will flow from every high hill and pools will form in the deserts, the wilderness and upon the parched grounds.
Throughout the Old Testament Scripture upon Scripture describe the unfathomable riches of beauty, joy, peace, mercy and justice that will overflow from the Lord upon the earth during that time.
As for believers in Christ who were changed into their glorified bodies prior to the Tribulation Period at the event commonly referred to as the Rapture (I Thess. 4:15-18), we are told in Rev. 5:9-10 & 20:4-6 that they are to be holy, priestly kings. It will be impossible for them to ever be ruled over by sin again since they will have been completely redeemed from their bodies and minds of corruptible flesh and will have put on the new nature of Christ.
All this and more than words can ever describe are available to anyone who wants the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for their sins.
This moment eternal life is available to all who will put their faith in the saving power of the blood of the Lord which He shed on the cross almost 2,000 years ago for the sins of the world.
Believe on the Son of God, Jesus Christ today and receive the promise of eternal life.