Year 6000
According to classical Jewish sources, the Hebrew year 6000 marks the latest time for the initiation of the Messianic Age.
The belief that the seventh millennium will correspond to the Messianic Age is founded upon a universalized application of the concept of Shabbat.
Based on Psalms 90:4, one of "God's days" is believed to correspond to 1000 years of normal human existence.
Just as Shabbat is the sanctified 'day of rest' and peace, a time representing joyful satisfaction with the labors completed within the previous 6 days,[9] so too the seventh millennium will correspond to a universal 'day of rest' and peace, a time of 'completeness' of the 'work' performed in the previous six millennia.
[2] According to two opinions in the Talmud (Rav Katina and Abaye), the world will be harov (ruined or desolate[10]) during the seventh millennium, suggesting a less positive outcome.
The reconciliation between the traditional Judaic age of the world and the current scientifically derived age of the world is beyond the scope of this article, with some taking a literal approach (as with Young Earth creationism), and others (such as Gerald Schroeder) an approach conciliatory with secular scientific positions.
[12]The Zohar explains further: The redemption of Israel will come about through the mystic force of the letter "Vav" [which has the numerical value of six], namely, in the sixth millennium.
[13] In this framework Shabbat (the day of rest), corresponds to the seventh millennium, the age of universal 'rest'—the Messianic Era.
Elaborating on the theme of the seventh millennium representing the Messianic Age are numerous early and late Jewish scholars, including Rashi,[14] the Ramban,[15] Chaim Vital,[16] Isaac Abarbanel,[17] Abraham Ibn Ezra,[18] Rabbeinu Bachya,[19] Rabbi Yaakov Culi (author of Me'am Lo'ez), the Vilna Gaon,[20] the Lubavitcher Rebbe,[21] the Ramchal,[22] and Aryeh Kaplan.
[19] Don Isaac Abarbanel wrote that similar to the structure of the week of Creation, so too the world will exist for six thousand years, with the seventh millennium being a Hefsek (break) and a Shvita (rest), like Shabbat, Shmita, and Yovel.
This would seem to lend support to the contention that the formation of the modern state of Israel is the beginning of the redemption".
[27]The Ramchal Moshe Chaim Luzzatto wrote that the seventh millennium will be a time of rest, which will be merited by the righteous.
All the forces of Gevurot (strict judgement) are rooted in the six Sefirot—Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod—which are the six days of creation ... and also the 6,000 years of history that the world will exist.
... We find that all that transpires is the result of the sparks from the time of Tohu, Chaos ...[31]Day of Creation: Sefirah: First (Sunday) Chesed Second (Monday) Gevurah Third (Tuesday) Tiferet Fourth (Wednesday) Netzach Fifth (Thursday) Hod Sixth (Friday) Yesod Seventh (Shabbat) Malchut The Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes: Never before has mankind been faced with such a wide range of possibilities.
... We need not belabor the point, but the past hundred years or so have brought about an increase in knowledge unsurpassed in all human history.
The ultimate goal of the historic process is the perfection of society ... is what we call the Messianic Age.
Here we see a clear prediction that in the Jewish year 5600 [or 1839–1840 CE], the wellsprings of lower wisdom would be opened and there would be a sudden expansion of secular knowledge.
[23]In an interview with Israel National Radio, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis said the following: Listen carefully, friends, to what I'm telling you.
Hashem [the Name], Elokei Yisrael [the God of Israel], created this world that we are living in today in six days.
