'It was taught in the school of Elijah: The world will endure 6000 years -- 2,000 years in chaos, 2,000 years with Torah, and 2,000 years will be the days of the Messiah' ('Talmud,' Sanh.97a). This remarkable quotation from the Talmud shows that Elijah knew of the 6,000 year plan of God based on the six working days of the week, each day representing a 1,000 years in God's Plan, followed by a 1,000 year Sabbath rest (compare II Peter 3:8-10; Psalm 90:4; Rev. 20:1- 4).

The phrase '2,000 years will be the days of the Messiah' is also remarkable, showing Elijah -- who lived in the ninth century before Christ -- knew Christ would come after 4,000 years. Adam and Eve were created in 4004 B.C., and Christ Jesus/Yeshua Moshiach was born literally in 4 B.C. -- after precisely 4,000 years. The implication is that He would be 'preached' for the next 2,000 years, till His second coming, which will be 2,000 years after His first coming -- within the next decade!

Since Adam and Eve sinned after living for seven years in the garden of Eden, according to the book of Jubilees (see the cover article in the June-July issue of Prophecy Flash), the 6,000 years of man's 'work week' actually began in 3997 B.C. This means that very likely the 6,000 years of 'man's work' (6 thousand-year 'days') would terminate in 2004 A.D. at Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah). How exciting it is that this truth, about the 6,000 year plan of God, was actually taught by Elijah the prophet in the school of the prophets, about 900 years before the first coming of the Messiah, and that we are living in the days of the very 'countdown' to His Second Coming!