This is a follow-up to our June Focus article asking “What Time is It?”
A friend and co-worker from years ago messaged me last month with a question about how we
got our calendar. In essence, she was asking me why is it the year of our Lord—or the
abbreviation AD which is Latin AD or Anno Domino? AD is Anno Domino literally Latin-- in
the year of our Lord.
Well, I began researching and here is what I found.
For me the best way to get this clear in my mind, when we talk about history is to pay attention
to the centuries that are mentioned. (Remember how to count the centuries? For example, the
previous century, 1900-1999 was called what--the twentieth century? So Luther was in the
1500’s, or the 16 th century.)
Okay there’s this monk, named Dionysius Exiguus, from the 6 th century. What actual years? It
was the 500’s. Dionysius developed a system attempting to solve the problem Christians were
having of determining when to celebrate Easter. Be thinking about the years as we continue.
Calendars in general existed all along this period, such as the Julian calendar. They all were fine
tuning various issues such as leap day. They had roughly the same months as we do. But there
were abuses by various leaders, and it wasn’t universal outside of the empire. One such example
is Emperor Diocletian from the 3 rd century. He was responsible for the final wave of terrible
persecution of the church. Just a few years after his reign, Constantine arose and legalized the
Christian religion in 325. The church could now slowly begin to come out of hiding.
Christian’s now weren’t comfortable any more with their calendar revolving around his
influence.
Fast forward two centuries of Christian progress in terms of buildings, and institutions,
Dionysius wanted to create a new system based upon Christ’s birth—hence the Latin words
‘Anno Domino’ year of our Lord. And beginning there, he calculated the current year to be
525AD. This was certainly a church document, but it remains for more study to see if it was
intended to be widespread across the populace.
Obviously, then that allowed time prior to be “Before Christ” or BC. That, of course counted
backwards. Now for the first time, we have a universal way to mark historical events. So
reflecting on that for a bit, it explains what we see as a sometimes odd way the Biblical authors
speak of times and years—and, in the OT measured time by the reigns of kings. We know they
definitely marked times. And God gave the sun and moon for marking seasons and years. Think
of it, it wouldn’t be until recently, that we could see in the fullest measure the precision of the
solar system! All of history, of course watched it with the naked eye, but not like we can with
space based technology.
The Julian calendar with AD was popularized in the West, by the 9 th century. It was
universalized even more by the end of 14 th century. In 1582 Pope Gregory put into effect the
Gregorian calendar with even more fine tuning to the leap day problem, replacing the Julian by
papal edict. In the East, (Eastern Orthodox and the Russians) didn’t embrace the system until the
early 18 th century. Note the first calendar was named after a Caesar, and the current, a Pope.
But thanks to Dionysious, a monk, all the calendars have a starting point of the year of our
Lord—AD. Now note, many want to now change this to C.E. or common era. Why would that
be?

This is interesting. The Bible teaches about time constantly. We talked last spring about how the
sun stood still in the book of Joshua. Then there’s the ages of the Patriarchs. It gives us years,
such as the slavery in Egypt, the length of time for the wilderness wanderings. The books of
Kings and Chronicles mark years by king’s reigns. The Prophets, Daniel in particular, talks
about time in “weeks” of years, documenting future kingdoms and ages.
We commented in June about the big numbers of our modern age, but that we likely haven’t
experienced a trillion seconds if the earth is ‘young’. In that article we concluded that it already
has been a very long time since Bible times, and that arguing for Christ’s return to be yet
thousands of years out even from now is not necessary. It already has been a very long time.
Not only that, It could be very near. I truly wish I could roll my chair away from my desk and
say, “Nope, nothing to get excited about here. These worldwide, social, economic, political and
cosmological events are just coincidental, and don’t, in and of themselves, or combined together
mean anything significant.
There is no global political efforts
There is no global economic trends toward control
There is no surveillance state, or efforts.
There is no moral crisis, or trends, the traditional marriage and the nuclear family is intact.
There is no world conflict or threatening alliances. Peace prevails and is predominant.
Everyone loves the Jews and they are happily settled in their own land.
Nothing has ever been perfect after all. There’s always been a little conflict here and there.
But that is not the case, not in the least. All of those statements are in fact happening, and are
rolling out at a very fast pace. I’ve been listening to a few end time sermons by preachers from
half century ago. Even then, they were commenting about the signs they were seeing. They
were much smaller and farther apart. J Vernon McGee preached a sermon entitled “What has
happened to the United States?” It was recorded in the late 60’s because he referenced President
Johnson and the assassinations. He also mentioned the homosexuality in San Francisco. Same
signs, just smaller and farther apart. How do birth pains progress?
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians, “For when they say ‘Peace and Safety!’ then sudden destruction
comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1Thess
5:3)
Be comforted O child of God. Our redemption draweth nigh. “Now when these things begin to
happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)
That’s my view from the Blackberry Patch Pulpit
Pastor Tom ###