The BibleDocs Ichthys Bible Study is one of the BibleDocs Weekly Bible Studies that BibleDocs runs. It is associated with the BibleDocs Ichthys Community, and goes through various studies from Ichthys.com, another online Bible teaching ministry that my mentor runs.
This page contains a reverse-chronological list of weeks from the Bible study.
List of BibleDocs Ichthys Bible Study weeks
2026
God created the original universe in the blink of an eye. After the rebellion of Satan and his demons, God chose to re-create the earth over a period of six literal days, with the seventh day following as a day of rest. This is neither insignificant nor accidental, for these seven re-creative days of Genesis serve as a model for God’s plan for human history. In both the Genesis days of re-creation and the millennial days of human history, there are subdivisions into three discrete pairs: 1-2, (separation only); 3-4 (separation and filling); 5-6 (filling only). Re-creation was a physical separation of the good from the bad and a filling of the earth to make it habitable for human life, mirroring God’s work throughout the six millennial days wherein believers are separated from the devil’s world in mounting numbers, spilling over in abundance after the sacrifice and resurrection of God’s Son. Both the seventh Genesis day of rest and the millennium serve as a time of memorial rest and blessing to signify God’s completed work (of re-creation and the completion of His family, respectively).
Throughout the Bible we see beautifully constructed patterns, woven across the fabric of Scripture by the powerful hand of God, meant to point us towards spiritual truths. In the provision of marriage, we see the intimacy of Christ’s relationship with His bride, the Church. Through the provision of days and weeks, we are reminded of God’s plan for the ages, His separation of a holy people and a filling up of His eternal family to the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The seventh day is the final one in God’s plan for human history. As we have seen previously, each Genesis day of re-creation corresponds to one millennial day of human history. The seventh Genesis day of rest and the Millennium are mirror images of one another and their order corresponds in the sequence of seven: a crowning end to God’s perfect, completed work. In the Genesis re-creation, the seventh day of rest followed the reconstruction and refilling of the physical world. The millennium (the final one thousand years in God’s plan for human history) will follow God’s completion of the Church, the reconstruction and refilling of His family (which was depleted by the rebellion of Satan and his fallen angels).
God blessed the seventh day of the Genesis re-creation, setting it apart as holy, a special memorial to God’s holiness, faithfulness, and goodness. The millennium is likewise a time sanctificed by the Lord, when creation will be redeemed and humanity will flourish under the perfect rule of Jesus Christ. God will reclaim direct control over the earth, and man too will reclaim their rightful control over the earth (which had been lost in the fall); Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, will reclaim that which was lost by the first Adam. The wedding of the Lamb is the resurrection of all believers just prior to the commencement of the millennium, when Christ is united to His Church forevermore. The millennial believers are the “friends of the bride” who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb, Christ’s double portion given to Him throughout that time of rejoicing and celebration that lasts the full one thousand years. So it is that the process of God restoring the world under the personal rule of Christ will not just undo the damage of the fall, but will actually lead to an abundance greater even than initial paradise.
Christ’s incarnation and sacrifice on behalf of His bride, the Church, along with the filling of God’s family with a large influx of gentiles, is the mystery of God. This mystery was foreshadowed by the writers of the Old Testament, and has now been revealed in the Church age. Just as God physically filled the earth in re-creation days five and six, the Church age truly is the “fullness of times”, for in millennial days five and six (the span of the Church age) God’s family is being fulfilled. The gap in the family of God created by Satan’s rebellion and his angels is now all but filled up, as the bride of Christ is on the verge of completion. Before the cross and the gospel being disseminated to the gentiles, this seemed impossible, but now the necessary conditions have been met (Christ’s first advent and sacrifice for sin) and the unsearchable and perfect plan of God is on the point of being completely fulfilled. Here in the Church age, we see the mystery of Christ and His church, but we still anticipate the ultimate revelation of this mystery at the Second Advent, when Jesus Christ comes in glory, along with His bride. At that point we will experience what is still hidden from us, what we shall be forevermore, for when Christ appears, we shall be like Him.
God invented and sanctified the human institution of marriage from the beginning of human history. Marriage, the closest of all human relationships, was designed to teach mankind about God’s central purpose for human history: the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ (the loving husband) for the salvation of His Church (the faithful wife).
Marriage symbolizes and reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church. Jesus Christ loves His Church with a perfect, sacrifical love and this is the standard to which husbands are called to love their wives. When human husbands fall short of this, it reminds us of our divine Husband’s perfection. The Church owes Christ submissive obedience and faithfulness, and this is the standard to which wives are called to respond to their husbands. When human wives fall short of this, it reminds us of our own duty to respond to Christ. Just as Eve was created for and given in marriage to Adam, the Church is the bride of the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, designed for Him and destined to be one with Him forever.
Certain Old Testament believers prophesied about the sufferings of the Messiah, but many of the details surrounding the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ were not revealed until the first advent. Likewise, the widespread expansion of God’s family to include the gentiles was predicted in scripture, but not well understood until the event took place. The great “mystery of God” (a mystery that even angels longed to understand), is thus the coming of the Savior in true humanity and His sacrifice for the sins of the world, and the great influx of believing gentiles into God’s family.
In the Church age, God has chosen to send the Holy Spirit, and everything about gentile salvation rests upon the ministry of the Spirit, for if Israel largely rejected her Messiah, how could the gentiles - so much farther from God - be reconciled to Him? The present hardness of Israel will persist until all the gentiles destined for salvation have come into God’s family. However, throughout the generations there has always been a remnant of believing Jews, and this present hardness of Israel will soon reverse and salvation among the Jews will rise in the last days, culminating in a glorious multitude of believing Jews at the second advent of the Messiah. The restoration of Israel did not occur immediately after the Messiah’s first advent, but will occur after the completion of the calling of the gentiles, and this is the “mystery” we have been experiencing since the victory of the cross.
God’s purpose for human history is the refilling of His family, the replacement of fallen angels one for one with believing human beings, until the body of Christ - the Church - is complete. From the Gentile fathers, to the faithful Jewish believers of Israel, to the wave of believers in the Church age, we are all part of Christ’s body, His bride. Thus, the Church is composed not only of believers since the day of Pentecost, but of all believers throughout the first six millennial days (Millennial believers, the “friends of the bride”, are Christ’s “double portion” and not included in the numerical replacement of the devil and his demons).
The first four thousand years of human history (i.e., the Gentile and Jewish ages) passed with only a (relatively) few people saved. Since Satan knows that believing humanity will replace fallen angels to the exact number, and that God’s plan for human history will follow the seven millennial day pattern, then prior to Pentecost he must have felt that God could not fulfill the necessary replacement number on time. Given Israel’s uniqueness and God’s prior focus on them, the calling out of the Gentiles in large numbers after Christ’s victory on the cross must have surprised Satan, despite it being foreshadowed by Old Testament prophecy. The Church - the universal assembly of believers throughout the ages - are the “elect”, those chosen out of the devil’s world because of and for the elect, the chosen One, Jesus Christ.
Israel holds a special place in God’s plan. Jewish believers are the foundation for the holy building that God is erecting - not only in the Jewish age, but also in the Church age. Jewish believers have played and continue to play a critical part in all generations of the Church. Salvation belongs to the Jews as first priority, coming to the Gentiles by the grace of God. Rather than replacing Israel, gentile believers have become part of God’s household along with Israel. Gentile believers are the wild olive branch that has been grafted into the natural olive tree Israel.
Israel has largely rejected their Messiah, tripping over the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and the “offense” of His cross. Jesus Himself mourned the hardness of the Jews. While many first century Jews rejected the gospel just as their Judean countrymen had rejected their own Messiah, Jewish believers were both the original foundation of the Church and continued to play a huge role after the influx of the gentiles had begun. Despite this general “hardness” towards Christ that currently dominates the Jewish people, Israel will once more take the lead in spectaular fashion when the Jewish age overlaps with the Church age for its final seven years, known as the Tribulation. This leading role is seen in two major ways: the ministries of Moses and Elijah, and also of the 144,000 witnesses. At Christ’s Second Advent, the hardness will end as the vision of Him returning in glory will bring about a profound and glorious change of heart of Israel and many Jewish people will turn to Christ for salvation. In the millennium, Jesus will rule from Jerusalem, as the inheritor of the Davidic line of Jewish Kingship. All this makes our Jewish brethren the perfect people to run alongside as we worship our Savior, who delivered Jew and Gentile alike.
In this lesson we will continue our study on how each of the Genesis days of re-creation correspond to one millennial day of human history. Here we are covering days five and six, which deal exclusively with filling. In day five of re-creation, God creates aquatic life and bird life, filling the waters and the sky. In day six of re-creation, God creates land animals, and finally, He creates Man (a type of Christ as rightful ruler of the earth). The creation of man at the end of the sixth day is also symbolic of the completion of God’s family which will occur at the end of the sixth millennial day, as willing human beings replace fallen angels.
In millennial day five, the gospel is taken to the Gentiles for the first time, leading to an explosion in numbers of the family of God on Earth (corresponding to God’s creation of aquatic and bird life, a quantum leap in the re-filling of the once empty world). The fifth millennial day is also characterized by the collection and distribution of the holy scriptures into one, complete Bible, and the emergence of the infrastructure necessary for studying and teaching it in its original languages. In millennial day six, the spread of the gospel across the globe has led to the re-filling of God’s family with people from nearly every nation and tongue, creating the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ which extends to even the ends of the earth (corresponding to God’s creation of terrestrial life, which finally spread creature life to every part of the world, whether the sea, sky, and land). The gospel’s global worldwide spread will eventually reach its conclusion at the end of millennial day six, with the belief of the very last replacement members of the family of God, at which point Jesus Christ will return.
As we have examined previously, each of the seven Genesis days of re-creation correspond to one millennial day of human history. In this lesson we are covering days three and four. While days one and two are paired in that they focus primarily on acts of separation, days three and four are paired in that they involve both separation and filling. In day three of re-creation, God separates dry ground from the water and He fills the earth with vegetation. In day four of re-creation, God fills the heavens with the sun, moon, and stars and separates the light from the darkness.
Millennial day three was the separation to God of a holy people (corresponding to the separation of dry land) and the first substantial filling of God’s family through the seed of Abraham (corresponding to the creation of vegetation). Millennial day four was the separation of Israel, a holy nation (corresponding to the separation of light from darkness) to establish an environment to seek the truth, a nation which would provide a witness of God’s truth to all other nations (corresponding to the filling of the heavens with the sun, moon, and stars). In this lesson we will also discuss the ten commandments and other aspects of God’s separating and sanctifying for Himself a holy family.
Each of the seven Genesis days of re-creation correspond to one millennial day of human history. In this lesson we are covering days one and two. In day one of re-creation, God separated the light from the darkness. In day two of re-creation, God separated the waters above from the waters below by means of the sky. These physical acts of separation correlate to the spiritual framework of the first pair of millennial days (days one and two).
Millennial day one was the separation of truth from lies. Just as light is necessary for physical life, the spiritual light of God’s truth is necessary to sustain our spiritual life. God’s promise of the coming Messiah (who is the Light of the world) first appears in millennial day one (in Genesis 3:15). Millennial day two was the separation of human freedom of choice from Satan’s efforts to destroy free will. Just as air is necessary for physical life, human freedom to pursue God’s truth is essential to our spiritual growth.
The seven days of re-creation model God’s plan for the seven millennial days of human history. While the first six Genesis days are concerned with separating good from bad and light from dark physically, this foreshadows God’s ultimate plan of the spiritual separation playing out in the first six millennial days, the separation of those who refuse to follow God from those who choose to love Him. Just as God physically filled the earth with good things in the days of re-creation (making it suitable for human life), He is now filling up His family with believing humans over the course of the seven millennial days. Just as the first Adam ruled the paradise of Eden in the seventh day of re-creation, so also the Last Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ, will rule the earth in paradise conditions during the seventh millennial day.
God created time and exists outside of it, using it as a tool to accomplish His will in creature history. The Bible commonly uses short time spans to refer to longer chronological times (showing us God’s sovereign control over all of history). The Millennium is described in scripture as a period of one thousand literal years, and is directly called a “day”, commencing at the second advent of Christ. The Transfiguration, a preview of Christ’s glory at His return, happens on the seventh day (after six prior days). God also completes His re-creation of earth in a seven day week, resting on the final day (compare the day of rest to the Transfiguration and the Millennium). This chronological information contained in the Bible indicates that God has a definite timetable for human history, the seven millennial days of human history planned down to the finest details by God.
The seven days of re-creation start the process of God’s judgment upon evil and His restoration of the earth as a suitable habitation for mankind, the replacements for Satan and the fallen angels. Additionally, each day of re-creation corresponds to one millennia of human history. While Satan intended the fall of Adam and Eve to disrupt God’s plan, it only served to set it in motion, leading to the person and work of Jesus Christ who will judge, restore and replace all things according to God’s divine plan at the end of the seven millennia of human history.
Without considering the divine point of view, human history is characterized by dark, satanic attack. The six chronological divisions of human history in this lesson highlight the different approaches Satan takes as he opposes God. As a mere creature, Satan’s actions are only reactions to God’s perfect divine plan. Despite Satan’s attempts to foil God’s plan, he cannot win against his Creator (even when Satan deploys his most furious efforts during the Tribulation). Our highest priority should be serious spiritual growth so that we can withstand that imminent time, for the Tribulation will be the most intense time of satanic activity in all of human history.
2025
The cherubim (the fourfold angelic guardians of God’s chariot-throne), have taken over some of the responsibilities Satan used to have in his duties before his rebellion, but more importantly, also serve to point to Satan’s true replacement: Jesus Christ, the God-Man. Each of the four faces that these angels possess represents a “mission” that Jesus has undertaken/will undertake as humanity’s liberator and champion.
TODO: Summary