Authors note: Even though Epochs 16-19 only cover 373 years, the historical events are so plentiful and due to lack of space, we will mostly be recording headlines and dates only. If you would like more information, I suggest you go to these sources: brittannica.com, history.com, historytoday.com, Wikipedia.org, and When and Where In the Bible and Throughout History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten.
Nettles Chronology thus far: Epochs 1-15 = 5608 years
Epoch 16: The Age of Reason (Enlightenment) and Revival (Great Awakening) – AD 1648 – AD 1787 = 139 years
“European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented during the course of the “long 18th century” as part of a movement referred to by its participants as the Age of Reason, or simply the Enlightenment. Enlightenment thinkers in Britain, in France and throughout Europe questioned traditional authority and embraced the notion that humanity could be improved through rational change. The Enlightenment produced numerous books, essays, inventions, scientific discoveries, laws, wars and revolutions. The American and French Revolutions were directly inspired by Enlightenment ideals and respectively marked the peak of its influence and the beginning of its decline. The Enlightenment ultimately gave way to 19th-century Romanticism.” {1) History.com
In AD 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia was signed which ended the Thirty Years War between the Protestants (Evangelical Union) and the Catholics (Catholic League). Year 5608 from creation – AD 1648
Puritan leaders develop doctrine and policy known as the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Platform which laid the foundation for American democracy – Year 5608 from creation – AD 1648
After forcing Charles II of England into exile, Oliver Cromwell, the commander in chief of the army, was named lord protector (head of state of England) of England, in lieu of a king. Year 5613 from creation – AD 1653. Cromwell ruled as lord protector until his death in AD 1658.
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and physicist who invented the first mechanical calculating machine and discovered the theory of probability, is converted to the Christian faith. Year 5614 from creation – AD 1654
John Milton, a scholar and government official under Oliver Cromwell, wrote Paradise Lost (his defining work) seven years before his death. Year 5627 from creation – AD 1667.
Rembrandt van Rijn completes the last of his 2300 known works of religious paintings, known as the Return of the Prodigal Son, in the same year of his death. Year 5629 from creation – AD 1669
John Bunyan, an English tinker turned preacher, writes Pilgrim’s Progress (an allegory of the Christian life) while he was in prison by the Church of England. He wrote this great literary work which has remained in print for more than 300 years and has been translated into more than 200 languages, seven years before his death. Year 5638 from creation – AD 1678
William Penn, an English Quaker, founds Pennsylvania in America and draws up the city of Philadelphia on his newly gained land grant from King Charles II. Pennsylvania was the first seat of true religious toleration in America. Year 5642 from creation – AD 1682
Sir Isaac Newton, an English professor of mathematics and physics at Cambridge University, publishes his defining work Philosophiae Naturalis Principis Matematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), which describes his theory of universal gravitation. Year 5649 from creation – AD 1687. Newton was an ardent Bible student but was a deist who did not believe in the deity of Christ.
England’s “Glorious Revolution” begins between the Roman Catholic king of England, James II and the Protestant, William of Orange of the Netherlands. Year 5650 from creation – AD 1688. The following year, the new king of England, William of Orange, wrote the Bill of Rights and the Toleration Act for English citizens.
After a year of “witch hunts” in Salem, Massachusetts, the final execution in Salem took place on September 22, 1692 when one man and seven women were hanged on Witches Hill. In all about 150 people were tried as witches and 19 were convicted and hanged. Year 5654 from creation – AD 1692
Peter the Great of Russia promotes missions in Siberia. Year 5662 from creation – AD 1700
Yale College is founded. Year 5663 from creation – AD 1701
Isaac Watts, an English pastor publishes Hymns and Spiritual Songs, a collection of Christian songs. Year 5669 from creation - Ad 1707. These hymns and songs broke the English restrictions against singing anything other than Psalms in public worship.
Russian czar Peter the Great issues a “Spiritual Regulation” and establishes a Holy Synod to bring the Russian Orthodox Church under his control. Year 5683 from creation – AD 1721
Johann Sebastian Bach was an orthodox Lutheran from Germany and was a gifted organist and composer. His greatest work was known as St. Matthew Passion which was published in AD 1729 - Year 5691 from creation
“The Great Awakening was a religious revival that impacted the English colonies in America during the 1730s and 1740s. The movement came at a time when the idea of secular rationalism was being emphasized, and passion for religion had grown stale. Christian leaders often traveled from town to town, preaching about the gospel, emphasizing salvation from sins and promoting enthusiasm for Christianity. The result was a renewed dedication toward religion. Many historians believe the Great Awakening had a lasting impact on various Christian denominations and American culture at large.” {2} History.com
First Moravian Missionaries set sail for West Indies to set up missionaries. Year 5694 from creation – AD 1732. Over a 50 year period, the Moravians had baptized about 13,000 converts. By the mid 18th century, more than 200 Moravian missions had been established in Australia, North/South America, Tibet, Russia, and parts of Africa.
Jonathan Edwards, a Northampton, Massachusetts Anglican minister began preaching in AD 1735 and was largely credited with a great revival that came into the area. He is considered one of the chief fathers of the Great Awakening and one of America’s greatest theologians. Year 5697 from creation – AD 1735. On July 8, 1741, Edwards preached to an indifferent audience in Enfield, Connecticut. The title of the sermon was called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and was in reference to God’s wrath and man’s sinfulness. The audience went from being indifferent to fearful for their souls and some began to cry and shout out, “What shall I do to be saved?” Many were converted that day in Enfield Connecticut. Edwards wrote many books, including The End for Which God Created the World, The Life of David Brainerd, and Religious Affections.
George Whitefield was educated at Oxford’s Pembroke College and joined a Christian small group at Oxford University in AD 1733, which included Charles and John Wesley. Some students made fun of the group and referred to them as the “Holy Club” or “Methodists.” However, Whitefield was not actually converted until AD 1735. Year 5697 from creation. He was ordained in the Church of England the following year. Whitefield traveled to the New World seven times and is considered to be the founder of American revivalism and was considered to be the leader of the Great Awakening in America.
John and Charles Wesley go to the colony of Georgia on a missionary trip to convert Indians that was mostly unsuccessful. They were still of the belief in the theology of works and not faith and so they failed in their mission and returned to England. Year 5697 from creation – AD 1735
Three years after the Wesley’s unsuccessful trip to America, the brothers came under the influence of Peter Boehler, a Moravian preacher who taught on justification by faith and not works. They also began reading Martin Luther’s writings on Galatians and Romans. They were both converted to Christ in AD 1738. Year 5700 from creation. Charles went on to write over 7000 hymns and became known as the “sweet singer of Methodism.” John became a powerful speaker and evangelist and later became known as the “founder of Methodism.”
Revival begins at Fetter Lane Chapel in London, England on New Year’s Eve, AD 1738 – Year 5700 from creation. There were about 60 people in attendance, including George Whitefield, John and Charles Wesley, and other former members of the “Holy Club: at Oxford University. Their annual Watch Night service followed Moravian custom where they held a prayer service and “love fest: and then the Lord’s Supper. At about three in the morning the group was moved by the Holy Spirit and experienced what Whitefield called “a Pentecostal season indeed.” This Moravian service began what came to be known as the Evangelical Revival and reverberated throughout England.
George Whitefield begins his practice of preaching in the open air at Bristol, England in AD 1739 – Year 5701 from creation. In AD 1740, Whitefield returned to New England and preached more than 175 times to tens of thousands. He also made fifteen visits to Scotland, two to Ireland, and one each to Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Netherlands. In his 34 year career, Whitefield gave more than 15,000 sermons to millions of people, which 78 have been published.
John Wesley also began his itinerant (open air) preaching in AD 1739. Year 5701 from creation. He was a member of the Church of England and his mission was to evangelize Great Britain. John Wesley is known as the father of Methodism. It is estimated that in his lifetime, he rode 250,000 miles on horseback, preached 40,000 sermons, and published, edited, or abridged nearly 400 publications.
George Frideric Handel, a German born son was of Lutheran heritage and possessed uncommon musical talent. Handel could play the harpsichord, organ, violin, and oboe by the age of seventeen. After moving to England, Handel wrote about forty operas and oratorios. He composed his most famous work, Messiah, in AD 1741 which tells the story of Christ from prophecy to fulfillment. Year 5703 from creation – AD 1741. Handel inspired later composers like Haydn, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn.
David Brainerd was born in Haddam Connecticut and was converted at the age of twenty-one. He became involved with the Great Awakening in AD 1742 when he was commissioned as a missionary to the Indians. Year 5704 from creation – AD 1742. He died at an early age from tuberculosis and his friend, Jonathan Edwards published Brainerd’s diary which became a devotional classic.
Princeton University is founded. Year 5707 from creation – AD 1746
John Newton, the son of a merchant sea captain, was forced into the British Royal Navy at age nineteen. After trying to escape, Newton was caught, and flogged. Later, he went to work on a slave trader vessel shipping slaves from Africa. In AD 1748, Newton’s ship nearly sank in the North Atlantic. That is when he prayed to God for deliverance and the result was the ship and crew survived. John Newton was now a converted man and put his faith in God. Year 5709 from creation – AD 1748. Later, Newton wrote perhaps the greatest hymn of all time, “Amazing Grace” which was based on his life experiences and subsequent salvation.
The famous French philosopher Voltaire writes the satirical critique of the common ideas about good and evil, Candide, in AD 1759. Year 5719 from creation – AD 1759. Voltaire was one of the greatest spokesmen for the Age of Enlightenment, advocating the use of reason over religion. He considered the Catholic Church to be superstitious and intolerant. Thirty nine of his works were banned by the Roman Catholic Church. Voltaire was a humanist and emphasized tolerance as the major characteristic of society. Voltaire’s beliefs were widely held among the educated in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Francis Ashbury was the son of some of the followers of John Wesley. He joined the movement and travelled to America as a missionary. He set sail in AD 1771. Year 5731 from creation. Once in America, Ashbury became a itinerant preacher and preached the message of Christ. He was the only Methodist missionary who remained in America once the Civil War broke out. By the end of Ashbury’s life, it is estimated that he had ordained more than 4000 preachers, preached more than 16,000 messages, and more than 214,000 Methodists had joined the ranks in the U.S.
On April 19, 1775, the Revolutionary War of the United States started in Lexington and Concord Massachusetts. In the summer of that year, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington commander of the Continental army. The next year on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed declaring the colonies independence from British rule and the United States of America emerged as a new and sovereign nation. Year 5736 from creation – AD 1776. The Revolutionary War ended on September 3, 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed between Great Britain and the United States, then ratified the following spring.
John Wesley writes the Articles of Religion as the official doctrinal standard for American Methodists. Year 5744 from creation – AD 1784. The same year Thomas Coke joined Francis Ashbury in America as a joint superintendent for the Methodists in America. Thomas Coke was one of the most influential figures in the Methodist movement.
The Abolition Society was the first organized group that sought to abolish slavery. This group was formed in England by Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce and the Abolition movement began at this time. Year 5747 from creation – AD 1787
The Second Great Awakening in the United States begins at Hampden-Sydney College. Revival then spreads to Washington College, Williams, Dartmouth, Yale, and Amherst. Year 5747 from creation – AD 1787. The Second Great Awakening in America. , which was led by preachers and students alike lasted from 1787 to 1825
5608 years (Epochs 1-15) + 139 years (Epoch 16) = 5747 years
Epoch 17: The Age of Revolution – AD 1787 to AD 1871 = 84 years
Author’s note: The Age of Revolution was probably started in AD 1775-1786 when the Revolutionary War started between the 13 colonies of America and the British. However, I included it in the Age of Revival as Francis Ashbury, Thomas Coke, and other Methodists were doing great missionary work and revival in America during the late 18th century. Also, the Second Great Awakening began in this time period, so the two ages overlap somewhat. We will start the time of the Age of Revolution with the next great revolution…the French Revolution.
“The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. The upheaval was caused by widespread discontent with the French monarchy and the poor economic policies of King Louis XVI, who met his death by guillotine, as did his wife Marie Antoinette. Although it failed to achieve all of its goals and at times degenerated into a chaotic bloodbath, the French Revolution played a critical role in shaping modern nations by showing the world the power inherent in the will of the people.” {1} History.com
The revolution not only overthrew the monarchy but it also attempted to abolish the Catholic Church in France by removing Christianity from French culture. The French Revolution started in AD 1789 – Year 5694 from creation.
Catherine the Great of Russia establishes the Pale of Settlement, an area the Jewish people were restricted to and isolated from the rest of Russian society. Year 5751 from creation – AD 1791
The U.S. Bill of Rights, including the first amendment to the U.S. constitution is ratified by Congress. Year 5751 from creation – AD 1791. The first amendment declares that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government of a redress of grievances.”
William Carey sails for India to establish missionaries. Carey and his evangelists established 26 churches and more than 125 schools. He translated Scripture into at least 35 languages and baptized 1800 converts. William Carey is known as the father of Modern Missions. Year 5753 from creation – AD 1793
The Methodists begin to separate from the Church of England – Year 5757 from creation – AD 1797
Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the Emperor of France in 1804 – Year 5764 from creation – AD 1804. He reigned for 10 years until AD 1814.
Due to the power and pressure from Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor Francis II resigned and the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved. Year 5766 from creation – AD 1806. The H.R.C. was replaced by Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine.
English Parliament votes to abolish the slave trade from the British Empire. Year 5767 from creation – AD 1807. The actual act of abolition of slavery was finally adopted in AD 1833.
Princeton Seminary is founded by Archibald Alexander, a Presbyterian minister, in Princeton New Jersey. Year 5772 from creation - AD 1812.
In AD 1815, after Napoleon’s defeat, Pope Pius VII re-established the Ghetto of Rome which forced the Jews in Rome to live within its confines. Year 5775 from creation – AD 1815
The American Bible Society was founded in AD 1816 in New York City by representatives of regional Bible societies throughout the country. John Quincy Adams and Francis Scott Key were among the society’s first officials. Year 5776 from creation – AD 1816
Lott Carey becomes the first black missionary to Africa. Year 5781 from creation – AD 1821
Czar Nicholas I issues the Cantonist decrees in Russia for the indoctrination of Jewish boys and young men into military service. It also forced the Jewish boys into Russian Orthodox Christianity. Year 5787 from creation – AD 1827
Joseph Smith Jr. and five other people meet in Fayette, New York to found a new religion called the Church of Christ (later renamed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Mormon Church). Year 5790 from creation – AD 1830. In contrast, the same year of 1830, John Nelson Darby revives the hermeneutics of dispensationalism and the eschatology of the pretribulation rapture based on the writings of the apostle (to the Gentiles) Paul.
The missionary David Livingstone sails for Africa on a missionary expedition to take Christianity to Africa, as well as fighting to end the slave trade. Year 5800 from creation – AD 1840
William Miller forms a group based on his predictions of the date of the Second Coming of Christ. His first prediction date was for March 21, 1843. When Christ failed to return during that period, Miller recalculated the date to be October 22, 1844. When that date failed as well, many left the group, but those who remained formed the foundation for what later became the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Year 5804 from creation – AD 1844
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels write the communist Manifesto. Year 5808 from creation – AD 1848
Charles Haddon Spurgeon begins his pastorate at New Park Baptist Chapel (later renamed Metropolitan Tabernacle) in Southwark, London at age 19. Year 5814 from creation – AD 1854. Spurgeon authored sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, and hymns. Many sermons were transcribed as he spoke and were translated into many languages during his lifetime. Spurgeon’s great oratory skills and gift for preaching is evidenced by the fact that his sermons are still popular and available today.
Pope Pius IX issues a papal bull statement regarding Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, declaring that, “from the first moment of her conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary was, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of Mankind, kept free from all stain of Original Sin.” Of course, Protestants rejected the dogma. Year 5814 from creation – AD 1854.
Charles Darwin, the naturalist, publishes The Origin of Species in regards to the theory of evolution, Year 5819 from creation – AD 1859
The Seventh Day Adventist Church is formally founded. Year 5820 from creation – AD 1860. Ellen Gould White was the most prominent leader of the group that formally organized in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1860. White claimed to have experienced some 2000 visions in her lifetime.
On April 12, 1861, the United States Civil War begins at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. This war was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America (eleven southern states that left the Union in 1860 and 1861). Year 5821 from creation – AD 1861, The Civil War lasted for four bloody years until the Confederate States surrendered to the Union.
On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. This amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. Year 5825 from creation – AD 1865
In 1871, Chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck arranged for William I to be crowned emperor of Germany and established an elected governing body. Knowing most of the German empire was Protestant, Bismarck initiated a campaign against the Roman Catholic Church. Year 5831 from creation – AD 1871
5747 years (Epochs 1-16) + 84 years (Epoch 17) = 5831 years
Epoch 18: The Age of Progress – AD 1871 – AD 1914 = 43 years
Dwight L. Moody, the American evangelist, travels to England to hold evangelistic meetings. Year 5833 from creation – AD 1873. Moody preached to 2.5 million people throughout England during the next two years. He founded Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute, Moody Publishers, and Northfield Mount Hermon School.
William Booth and his wife, Catherine, found the salvation army in London, England. Year 5838 from creation – AD 1878
Dwight L. Moody begins the first of his annual Northfield (Massachusetts) Conferences training laypeople in-depth Bible training and a time of spiritual renewal. Year 5840 from creation – AD 1880. The conferences promoted dispensational premillennialism.
Massive migration of Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe to America begins – Year 5841 from creation – AD 1881. The next year, 1882 Jews began the first of six migrations to Palestine (which was then ruled by the Ottoman Turks). The Hebrew word for these migrations was “aliyah”, meaning “going up.”
William (Billy) Sunday, formerly a professional baseball player with the Chicago White Stockings begins his evangelistic ministry, which lasted for 10 years. Year 5855 from creation – AD 1895. Sunday preached to more than 100 million people during his career with over 1 million people converted to Christ.
The Jewish-Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud publishes his first work on psychoanalysis, which he titled Studies on Hysteria. Year 5855 from creation – AD 1895
Theodor Herzl, a Hungarian of Jewish descent publishes The Jewish State after witnessing anti-Semitism in France. In The Jewish State. Herzl called for the establishment of a Jewish state. Year 5856 from creation – AD 1896. In 1897 Herzl coordinated the First Zionist Congress, held in Basel, Switzerland. The movement defined the purpose of Zionism for obtaining a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, guaranteed by public law.
The second Aliyah to Palestine begins as thousands of Jews flee the persecution in Russia, Year 5864 from creation – AD 1904
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield publishes the Scofield Reference Bible, in which he acted as the editor for the book. The bible was focused on Bible prophecy and popularized dispensationalism, a theology that divides history into 7 distinct eras or dispensations. Year 5869 from creation – AD 1909
Jewish settlers found the all-Jewish community of Tel Aviv. Year 5869 from creation – AD 1909
World War I begins in AD 1914 – Year 5874 from creation
5831 years (Epochs 1-17) + 84 years (Epoch 18) = 5915 years
Epoch 19: The Age of Ideology – AD 1914 – AD 2021 = 107 years
World War I begins on June 28, 1914, when the Hungarian crown prince in Serbia was assassinated. This was the first war to be fought on land, sea, and in the air. Year 5874 from creation – AD 1914. The war ended on November 11, 1918. More than 12 million people died as a result of this “war to end all wars.”
The Pentecostal movement that had begun in the early 20th century believed in the baptism of the Holy Spirit which was evidenced by speaking in tongues. The Assemblies of God were organized in Hot Springs, Arkansas in April 1914. Year 5874 from creation – AD 1914
Christian Armenians are massacred (approximately 1 million) by Turkish forces during World War I. Year 5875 from creation – AD 1915
Woodrow Wilson leads America into World War I after the Germans sank five American vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. Year 5877 from creation – AD 1917
David Lloyd George, prime minister of England, and his foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917. It promised that England would support and help facilitate the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in the land of Palestine. Year 5877 from creation – AD 1917. Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish chemistry professor and Zionist, influenced George and Balfour in regard to the Zionist cause.
The British capture Jerusalem from the Turks during World War I. The capture of Jerusalem by England proved to be a major step toward Israel becoming a nation. Year 5877 from creation – AD 1917. The same year the Russian Revolution began, in which the Communists came to power.
Vladimir Lenin, the first Communist dictator of Russia bans churches from owning property and outlaws teaching any religion to those under 18. Year 5878 from creation – AD 1918
The third Aliyah to Palestine occurs in 1919. Most of the migration came from Poland. Year 5879 from creation – AD 1919
Following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, the British are given a mandate to govern and have oversight over the land of Palestine, until a self-sustaining Jewish government could be formed. Year 5881 from creation – AD 1921 (100 years from our current year of 2021). The mandate was accepted by the League of Nations in 1922.
After Albert Einstein, the German Jewish genius, migrated to the U.S. to escape Nazism, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity. Year 5881 from creation – AD 1921
Dallas Theological Seminary is founded by Lewis Sperry Chafer in AD 1924 – Year 5884 from creation. The nondenominational seminary has always been a strong proponent of dispensational theology.
Adolf Hitler publishes his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in AD 1925 – Year 5885 from creation.
On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Market crashed. It triggered the Great Depression that lasted until World War II. Year 5889 from creation – AD 1929
Clive Staple(C.S.) Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland and was raised in the Church of England, but as a teenager became an atheist. He was converted into the Christian faith at the age of 33. Year 5891 from creation – AD 1931. In 1933, he wrote an autobiographical novel titled The Pilgrim’s Regress. C.S. Lewis wrote extensively regarding Christianity, including fiction, apologetics, theology, children’s books, and poetry. Some of his most famous works are: The Screwtape Letter, Mere Christianity, and the Chronicles of Narnia.
The fifth Aliyah begins in AD 1932 – Year 5892 from creation. This wave of persecuted Jews came mostly from Germany and other parts of Europe.
Adolf Hitler is elected the new German Chancellor of Germany and the boycott against Jews in Germany begins. Year 5893 from creation – AD 1933
In AD 1935, the German Reichstag adopted the Nuremberg Laws on Race and Citizenship. This began the racial discrimination against Jews in Germany. Year 5895 from creation – AD 1935
On November 9, 1938, Jews were attacked and their establishments were destroyed throughout Germany. The night became known as Kristallnacht, or the “night of broken glass.” The Jews were blamed and had to pay for the damage and their children were removed from German schools. Some of the Jews were sent to concentration camps. Year 5898 from creation – AD 1938
World War II begins between the Axis powers in Germany and Italy (and later Japan and others) and the Allied powers in the United Kingdom and France (and later the U.S. and others). On September 1, 1939 German armies invade Poland, which drew Europe into World War II. Year 5899 from creation – AD 1939. The Nazis in Poland tortured and killed the Jews living there. The persecutions/pogroms were so violent that more than 250,000 Jews were killed before the end of the year. The sixth Aliyah took place at this time. Ghettos were established in Poland in 1940 and Jews were used as slave labor before they were eventually sent to the concentration camps.
Many important historical events happened before the end of World War II in 1945. Here are a few of them:
AD 1941 – Jews are prohibited from emigrating from Germany. The Nazi, Adolf Eichmann, initiates his “final solution to the Jewish problem,” where Jews were rounded up and sent to death camps. More than 6 million Jews were killed before the end of the war in these camps. Germany invades the Soviet Union. The United States enters World War II after the Japanese air force attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor.
AD 1942 – Mass Transports to Auschwitz begin where Jews were killed in gas chambers. Approximately two and a half million Jews were murdered there. AD 1943 – Germany is declared free of Jews. AD 1945 – Liberation of concentration camps by the Soviets and Americans. England, appointed by the League of Nations to rule Palestine, outlawed the immigration of Jew into the region. The British had restricted large numbers of immigration into Palestine since 1939. On August 6, 1945, the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and on August 9, 1945, a second bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. On August 15, 1945, the Japanese army unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, and World War II was over.
AD 1945 – End of World War II – Year 5905 from creation
On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states, one for the Jews and one for the Arabs. Jerusalem was designated as an international city. Year 5907 from creation – AD 1947. The motion, was denounced by the League of Ara States, which supported the cause of the Palestinian Arabs. The U.S. and the Soviet Union supported the motion.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered on the northwestern side of the Dead Sea in Israel. Year 5907 from creation – AD 1947. The ancient scrolls are believed to have been written by the Essenes, a Jewish priestly sect living at Qumran. The scrolls are dated during the period between 250 BC and AD 68. The complete book of Isaiah was included in the scrolls. Many scholars believe the Dead Sea Scrolls to be the most important archaeological discovery of all time.
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed a plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. The British mandate over Palestine was scheduled to end on May 15, 1948, but on May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion called a historic meeting and read Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Year 5908 from creation – AD 1948. For the first time in more than 2000 years, there was an independent Jewish state of Israel. Israel’s war of independence begins on May 15, 1948, after it was attacked by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. By the end of the year, Israel had defeated the Arab nations and had gained territory that was originally planned for the new Arab nation. The other half was divided between Jordan and Egypt. Jordan controlled the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Old city and the Temple mount, and Israel controlled the western half of the city.
The World Council of Churches is formed where 147 mainline denominations from 44 nations gathered in Amsterdam for the event. Year 5908 from creation – AD 1948
William (Billy) Franklin Graham Jr, an ordained Southern Baptist minister and Wheaton College graduate, hosts his first crusade in Los Angeles. Year 5909 from creation – AD 1949
On November 29, 1947, Israel was recognized as a sovereign state by the United Nations, and was admitted as a member of the General Assembly. The United States and the Soviet Union supported the act. Year 5909 from creation – AD 1949
The Assumption of Mary is declared to be an article of faith in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XII, which the Protestants do not accept. Year 5910 from creation – AD 1950. This Assumption of Mary is a R.C.C. tradition that believes when the Virgin Mary died, she was bodily raised and glorified as a prefigurement of the resurrection awaiting all Christians.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is founded by Don McClanen, a basketball coach in Norman, Oklahoma. Year 5914 from creation – AD 1954
The author of this article, Randy Nettles, is born. Year 5915 from creation – AD 1955 (I just wanted to insert this here to see if anyone would notice, Lol).
Adolf Eichmann is captured and brought to trial in Israel for committing crimes against humanity. Year 5920 from creation – AD 1960. Eichmann was found guilty and was hanged in 1962.
Seventeen African nations are set free from colonial domination. Year 5920 from creation – AD 1960
Israel’s Six Day War begins after Egypt and Syria send troops to the Sinai Peninsula. On June 5, 1967, Israel responded with a preemptive strike and demolished the Egyptian air force in just three hours. They also captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, then conquered the Old City of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights in just six days. Year 5927 from creation AD – AD 1967
Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist preacher and civil rights leader, is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Year 5928 from creation – AD 1968. King was Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1963, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
The U.S. Supreme court supports abortion with its Roe vs. Wade decision. Year 5933 from creation – AD 1973. It has been estimated that over 60 million abortions have occurred in the U.S. since 1973.
The Yom Kippur War begins when Syria and Egypt attack Israel during Yom Kippur, a religious holiday observed by most Jews. Once again the Jews are victorious in battle. Year 5933 from creation – AD 1973
The Camp David Accords Lead to a peace agreement in which Israel surrendered the Sinai region to Egypt in exchange for Egypt’s political recognition of Israel and a more stable alliance between the two nations. The peace talks were held in Camp David, Maryland under the urging of President Jimmy Carter of the U.S. Israel was represented by Menachem Begin and Egypt by Anwar Sadat. Year 5939 from creation – AD 1978
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes general secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union. Year 5945 from creation – AD 1985. Gorbachev became president of the USSR in 1989. In 1991, he resigned as president of a USSR that had been largely broken up.
The Berlin Wall, which divided Berlin into East Berlin (under the control of the Russians) and West Berlin (under the control of the Allies)is dismantled, after standing for nearly three decades. Year 5949 from creation – AD 1989. In 1990, Jewish Emigration from the Soviet Union peaks to record highs. Most immigrated to the U.S. or Israel.
The Oslo (peace) Accords are signed between the Israeli government (represented by Yitzhak Rabin) and leaders from the Palestine Liberation Organization (represented by Yasser Arafat) where they meet in Oslo, Norway. Year 5951 from creation – AD 1991
Israel signs a peace treaty with Jordan on October 26, 1994. Year 5954 from creation – AD 1994. King Hussein I represented Jordan and Yitzhak Rabin represented Israel. Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995 by a Jewish fanatic.
Events of AD 2001 – Year 5961 from creation:
George W. Bush is elected 43rd president of the U.S. Al-Qaeda terrorists crash two planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and one plane into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001. The U.S. invades Afghanistan and topples the Taliban regime. This resulted in a long term war in the region. China becomes a member of the World Trade Organization.
Events of AD 2002 – Year 5962 from creation: The Euro enters circulation in Europe as a currency. Switzerland joins the United Nations as the 190th member. SpaceX is formed by Elon Musk.
Events of AD 2003 – Year 5964 from creation: The United States invades Iraq and ousts Saddam Hussein resulting in an 8 year war.
Events of AD 2004 – Year 5965 from creation: NATO and the European Union incorporates most of the former Eastern Bloc countries. Facebook is formed by Mark Zuckerberg and four others. Events of AD 2005 – Year 5966 from creation: Angela Merkel becomes Germany’s first female Chancellor. YouTube is founded.
Events of AD 2006 – Year 5967 from creation: Google buys YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars. Saddam Hussein is executed in Iraq by U.S. forces. Twitter is launched.
Events of AD 2008 – Year 5969 from creation: The stock markets plunge around the world, signaling the start of the Great Recession. Barack Obama is elected president of the U.S. Google Chrome is released. The Large Hadron Collider is completed as the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider.
Events of AD 2009 – Year 5970 from creation: Barack Obama takes office as the first African-American president (44th) of the U.S. Joe Biden is his vice-president. The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is launched. Swine flu pandemic begins in North America.
Events of AD 2010 – Year 5971 from creation: Arab Spring starts. The IPad is introduced. Instagram is launched.
Events of AD 2011 – Year 5972 from creation: World population reaches 7 billion. Osama bin Laden is shot dead by United States Navy SEALS in Pakistan. Snapchat is launched. Syrian civil war begins. A 9.0 earthquake in Japan triggers a tsunami and the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant begins to meltdown. Iraq War ends.
Events of AD 2012 – Year 5973 from creation: Xi Jinping is elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.
Events of AD 2013 – Year 5974 from creation: Pope Benedict XVI resigns (the first Pope to do so since 1415, and Pope Francis is elected, becoming the first Pope from Latin America. Edward Snowden releases classified document concerning mass surveillance by the NSA.
Events of AD 2014 – Year 5975 from creation: Ebola epidemic occurs in West Africa resulting in the deaths of over 11,000 people. King Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicates his throne and his son becomes King Felipe VI. The people in Scotland vote to remain in the United Kingdom.
Events of AD 2015 – Year 5976 from creation: China announces the end of One-child policy after 35 years. European migrant crisis. The Supreme Court of the U.S. determines that same sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.
Events of AD 2016 – Year 5977 from creation: Pope Francis and Patriarch Krill sign the Ecumenical Declaration, the first meeting between Catholic and Orthodox heads since their split in 1054. The people of the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. Donald Trump wins the 2016 presidential election, in an upset against Hillary Clinton.
Events of AD 2017 – Year 5978 from creation: Donald Trump takes office as the 45th President of the U.S. with Mike Pence as his vice-president.
Events of AD 2018 – Year 5978 from creation: China’s National People’s Congress vote to abolish presidential term limits, allowing Xi Jinping to rule for life. Xi is also the General Secretary of the communist Party of China, the highest position without term limits.
Events of AD 2019 – Year 5979 from creation: U.S. President Donald Trump is impeached by the House of Representatives. The Covid-19 pandemic begins in Wuhan, China, the start of an ongoing global pandemic. The United States Space Force is announced by Vice-President of the U.S. Mike Pence and is created in December. Avengers: Endgame was released in theaters, becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time.
Events of AD 2020 – Year 5980 from creation: The Covid-19 pandemic claims 4 million lives and infects 185 million people worldwide. Donald Trump is acquitted by the U.S. Senate in his first impeachment trial. The United Kingdom formally withdraws from the European Union. China’s National People’s Congress grants itself sweeping powers to curtail civil liberties in Hong Kong. Joe Biden wins the 2020 U.S. presidential election with Kamala Harris as his Vice-President.
Events of AD 2021 – Year 5981 from creation: Joe Biden takes office as the 46th President of the U.S. and Kamala Harris becomes the first female Vice-President in American history.
As I stated in the first part of this article, we are now (AD 2021) 19 years away from 6000 years of recorded history for mankind according to my calculations, as I have just demonstrated with this chronology. However, it may be possible we are even closer than that due to a possible rounding off of the recordings of the ages of the antediluvian and Jewish patriarchs at the time of their son’s birth, as recorded in the Bible. For example, take this verse In Genesis 5:6, “And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos.”
What if Seth was actually 105 years and 1 month old when Enos was born? He was still 105 years old, as he had not yet turned 106 years old, but when you are counting total chronological years in sequence, you must add the exact total of years and months. In reality, Moses probably did not record that precise and exact of a chronology (years +months + days) when he wrote Genesis, although it’s absolutely amazing all the information that God gave him while he was on Mount Sinai; and that he could retain it until he was able to write it all down in a book (scroll).
In my opinion, this discrepancy could amount to 7 to 10 years, which would bring us even closer to the benchmark 6000 years for mankind. If you believe, as I do, that Jesus Christ will return to the earth after 6 days (6000 years) of recorded history to establish his Millennium Kingdom, then that means the Rapture of the Church is near indeed.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Randy Nettles