The Temporal Timeline of the Earth

Elder Orson F. Whitney often used the phrase that we are in the "Saturday Evening of Time."  Through the following references we can better understand that we are in fact approaching midnight and many of the great events in history.

"We are living in the Saturday night of the world's history. Earth has labored six days, and will rest upon the seventh, her period of sanctification. Earth has labored six days but they are not days of twenty-four hours each. Joseph taught that there is a great planet named Kolob, nearest the Celestial Throne, and that it revolves once in a thousand years. That is a day with God. It was such a day that Adam was warned of when told: "The day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die; for Adam, after eating of the forbidden fruit, lived to the age of nine hundred and thirty years. It was such a day that Peter had in mind when he wrote: "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

"According to our Prophet's teachings, God gave to this planet, Mother Earth, seven thousand years as the period of "its temporal existence;" and four thousand years, or four of those great days, had passed before Christ was crucified, while nearly two thousand years, or two more days, have gone by since. Consequently, we stand at the present moment in the Saturday Evening of Time, near the close of the sixth day, at the week's end of human history. Morning will break upon the Millennium, the thousand years of peace, the Sabbath of the World."
(Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report, April 1920, p.123)

For additional references concerning the timeline of the earth go to the Seals Information section of this site.

  The earth has a seven thousand year temporal existence.  (D&C 77:6)    

  The seven thousand years are represented by seven seals.  Each seal represents a thousand years.   (D&C 77:7)    

  The sixth seal represents time from approximately AD 1,000 - 2,000.  (D&C 77:7)

  Christ's second coming will be AFTER events occur in the seventh seal to prepare the way for His coming.   (D&C 77:12, 13)    

  In Revelation chapter six John sees a book with seals and records a brief glimpse into each seal. 

  In Rev 6: 2 John sees in the 1st seal, 4,000 - 3,000 BC, a "white horse" and he that sat on the horse had a bow and he went forth conquering and to conquer.  This perhaps is referring to Enoch who had many battles with the enemies of the people of God.  (Moses 7:13-17)

  In Rev 6: 3-4 John sees in the 2nd seal, 3,000 - 2,000 BC, a "red horse" and peace was taken from the earth.  The time just prior to the flood was wicked, violent and corrupt.  (Moses 8: 22, 28-29)

  In Rev 6: 5-6 John sees in the 3rd seal, 2,000 - 1,000 BC, a "black horse" and describes famine conditions.  A measure of wheat for a penny is about two pints of wheat for a days labor.  (Matt 20:2)   There was no greater time of famine in the history of the earth than during the days of Abraham.  (Abraham 2: 17, 21)

  In Rev 6: 7-8 John sees in the 4th seal, 1,000 - 1 BC, a "pale horse" and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.  Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death.   During this seal there were powerful earthly kingdoms such as Assyrian, Babylonian and Roman that had many wars.

  In Rev 6: 9-11 John sees his own day, the 5th seal, AD 1 - 1,000, John describes those that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held of the Savior.  

  In Rev 6: 12-17 John sees our day, the 6th seal, AD 1,000 - 2,000.  In these verses John sees a great earthquake and the sun became as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood.  The stars fell unto the earth even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs.  The heaven departs as a scroll and every mountain and island were moved out of their place.