INTRODUCTION.
(Gen 6:3 NIV) Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years .”
This Scripture contains the basic teaching of 120. The end of all flesh.
The ultimate purpose of God was that all corrupt flesh was to be destroyed from off the earth and the presence of God revealed in the making of a new covenant.
SINFUL FLESH
A final judgement will come upon all flesh life. God drove out sinful flesh from the garden. This is a great truth…..”sinful flesh cannot stand in the presence of God.”
(Gen 3:24 KJV) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
(2 Pet 3:7 KJV) But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
This is to be a fire that will consume all flesh.
(Gen 15:17 KJV) And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Note there are eight pieces that speak of the possibility of resurrection life. At Pentecost tongues of fire sat upon the disciples A symbolic destruction of flesh ministry and the beginning of the Spirit filled ecclesia.
THE DAYS OF NOAH
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The first example of destruction of all flesh happened when God caused a flood of waters in the days of Noah
Chapters 6-7 of Genesis tell this story.
This account was in a sense the baptism of the world and has implications similar to the baptism experienced by the new believer in the church. The same truth is being conveyed.
MOSES.
Moses was 120 years when he died. Three periods of 40 years.
(Deu 34:7 NIV) Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.
This was the end of his fleshly life and God took the body and buried it..
(Deu 34:5-6 NIV) And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. {6} He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is.
It is certain that he was resurrected and translated into heaven
(Jude 1:9 NIV) But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
(Luke 9:30 NIV) Two men, Moses and Elijah,
It is believed that he may well be one of the two witnesses who will come and witness during the great tribulation.
THE DEDICATION OF SOLOMON’S TEMPLE.
There were 120 priests and 120 trumpets at the dedication of king Solomon’s temple.
(2 Chr 5:11-14 NIV) The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. {12} All the Levites who were musicians–Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives–stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. {13} The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, {14} and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.
The praise came as one voice and perfect harmony prevailed. The 120 points to the end of fleshly ministry and the presence of God came upon the people. No priest could minister, no flesh had anything to offer.
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
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Then came the day of Pentecost.
(Acts 1:15 NIV) In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty )
This was the dedication of another temple. This time it was the true temple of the Holy Spirit…the ecclesia, the called out ones, the church.
They were all in one accord, they made one sound. They ALL spoke in new tongues as they were filled with the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:1-13 NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. {2} Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. {3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. {4} All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. {5} Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. {6} When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. {7} Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? {8} Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? {9} Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, {10} Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome {11} (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” {12} Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” {13} Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
The new Ecclesia were now filled with the Holy Spirit and this signified that this was the end of fleshly operations. God would only bless that which was done by the power of His Holy Spirit. God’s promises are not to the Adamic nature but to His seed which is Christ.
(Zec 4:6 NIV) So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit ,’ says the LORD Almighty.
THE END TIMES. (an early and commonly held interpretation)
At the end of the present age 6000 years will have been reached. Six one thousand year days of the Lord.
Six thousand years is one hundred and twenty jubilees. – 120 x 50 = 6000.
We look forward to the coming of the Lord at this time. He will bring an end to all flesh life
| 40 jubilees | 40 jubilees | 40 jubilees |
40 x 50 yrs = 2000 yrs 40 x 50 yrs = 2000 yrs 40 x 50 yrs = 2000 yrs
| 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | REST |
| 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day | 4th day | 5th day | 6th day | 7th day |
A jubilee is fifty years in the Jewish calendar. Seven times seven years were decreed then the jubilee year. It was a time when all the captives were set free. The year of Jubilee was proclaimed on the 10th day of the seventh month.
This kind of reasoning was highly speculative. There are symbolic and allegoric ideas involved but at best it is just interesting.