In the context of the Bible, the term "periods" can refer to various aspects, including time periods, menstrual cycles, and specific durations mentioned in Scripture. Each of these aspects holds significance within the biblical narrative and the cultural context of ancient Israel.

Time Periods

The Bible often refers to specific time periods that are significant in the unfolding of God's plan. For instance, the creation account in Genesis describes a seven-day period, with six days of creation and a seventh day of rest (Genesis 1:1-2:3). This establishes the pattern for the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship.

Another notable period is the 40 years of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, a time of testing and reliance on God (Numbers 14:33-34). Similarly, the 70 years of Babylonian exile represent a period of judgment and eventual restoration for the people of Judah (Jeremiah 25:11-12).

The prophetic books often speak of periods of time in symbolic terms, such as the "seventy weeks" in Daniel 9:24-27, which are interpreted as a prophetic timeline leading to the coming of the Messiah.

Menstrual Cycles

The Bible addresses the topic of menstrual cycles primarily in the context of ceremonial law. Leviticus 15:19-30 outlines the regulations concerning a woman's menstrual impurity, emphasizing the need for ritual purification. This reflects the broader Levitical concern with holiness and the separation from anything considered unclean.

In the New Testament, the account of the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34) highlights Jesus' compassion and power to heal. Her condition, which had lasted for twelve years, rendered her ceremonially unclean, yet her faith led to her healing and restoration.

Specific Durations

The Bible frequently uses specific durations to convey theological truths or historical events. For example, the three days between Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew 12:40) are significant for understanding the fulfillment of prophecy and the victory over death.

The period of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness lasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:1-2), echoing the 40-year period of Israel's testing and underscoring Jesus' role as the faithful Son of God.

In the book of Revelation, periods such as the "time, times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14) and the "thousand years" (Revelation 20:2-7) are often interpreted symbolically, representing God's ultimate plan for history and the final establishment of His kingdom.

Cultural and Theological Significance

Understanding the concept of periods in the Bible requires an appreciation of the cultural and theological context. Time periods often serve as markers of divine action, judgment, and redemption. Menstrual cycles, while addressed in terms of ceremonial law, also point to the broader themes of purity and restoration. Specific durations, whether literal or symbolic, highlight key moments in salvation history and God's sovereign control over time.

In all these aspects, periods in the Bible underscore the unfolding of God's redemptive plan and His interaction with humanity throughout history.

Periods of Church History.
... Section 4. Periods of Church History. ... These we call periods or ages. The beginning
of a new period is called an epoch, or a stopping and starting point. ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 4 periods of church.htm

Ages and Periods of Biblical History.
... Chapter VII. Ages and Periods of Biblical History. Chapter VII. Ages and
Periods of Biblical History. Bible history is commonly ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter vii ages and periods.htm

Be not Ignorant of This, However, that those Four Determining ...
... Section XVII. Be not ignorant of this, however, that those four determining
periods? Be not ignorant of this, however, that those ...
/.../the paschal canon of anatolius of alexandria/section xvii be not ignorant.htm

That Having Conferred the Dignity of C??sars on his Three Sons at ...
... Chapter XL."That having conferred the Dignity of C??sars on his Three Sons at the
Three Decennial Periods of his Reign, he dedicated the Church at Jerusalem. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xl that having conferred the.htm

Of the First Prophecy, which is that of the Seals; and in the ...
... The scope of the seven seals in general is this, that the periods of time, as it
continues to flow, being distinguished by the characters of events, it may be ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the first prophecy which.htm

Christ's 'little Whiles'
... and of Sight. The words are plain enough; the difficulty lies in the
determination of the periods to which they refer. He tells ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/christs little whiles.htm

Composition and Style
... Juncture follows, which is equally requisite in words, articles, members, and periods,
all these having their beauty and faults, in consequence of their manner ...
/.../kleiser/the training of a public speaker/composition and style.htm

The Early Training of a Race.
... The accounts regarding the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness lack
the unity which characterizes the records of the earlier and later periods. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study xi the early training.htm

Other Self-Asserting Augustae --Verina, Ariadne, Sophia, Martina ...
... It is a noteworthy feature in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire that periods
in which empresses figure prominently in the affairs of state alternate with ...
/.../women of early christianity/xii other self-asserting augustaeverina ariadne.htm

References
... Zeitgeschichte (1895), 57-118; S. Mathews, History of NT Times in Palestine (1899),
1-158; Riggs, Maccabean and Roman Periods of Jewish History (1900 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/references.htm

Periods (8 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Periods (8 Occurrences). Acts 17:26 He made from
one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface ...
/p/periods.htm - 9k

Negeb (37 Occurrences)
... Today, as through most periods of history, it is a land for the nomad rather than
the settled inhabitant, although abundant ruins in many spots testify to ...
/n/negeb.htm - 26k

Negev (39 Occurrences)
... Today, as through most periods of history, it is a land for the nomad rather than
the settled inhabitant, although abundant ruins in many spots testify to ...
/n/negev.htm - 26k

Time (7245 Occurrences)
... common until after the exile, although the sun-dial of Ahaz (2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah
38:8) would scent to indicate some division of the day into periods of some ...
/t/time.htm - 21k

Botany
... But besides this, we have abundant historical evidence that at several periods
it was much more productive. This is shown, for example ...
/b/botany.htm - 38k

Biblical
... HISTORY OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY 1. Its Rise in Scientific Form 2. Patristic and Scholastic
Periods 3. Biblical Efforts in 17th and 18th Centuries 4. Old Testament ...
/b/biblical.htm - 45k

Theology
... HISTORY OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY 1. Its Rise in Scientific Form 2. Patristic and Scholastic
Periods 3. Biblical Efforts in 17th and 18th Centuries 4. Old Testament ...
/t/theology.htm - 95k

Watches (23 Occurrences)
... The periods into which the time between sunset and sunrise was divided. They are
so called because watchmen relieved each other at each of these periods. ...
/w/watches.htm - 14k

Buying (12 Occurrences)
... bi'-ing (karah, laqach, qena', qanah, shabhar; agorazo, oneomai, emporeuomai): I.
IN THE EARLIEST PERIODS AND AMONG NOMADS 1. The Primitive Stage (the "Shop") 2 ...
/b/buying.htm - 23k

Cock (12 Occurrences)
... So uniformly do the cocks keep time and proclaim these three periods of night that
we find cock-crowing mentioned as a regular division of time: "Watch ...
/c/cock.htm - 13k

Does Genesis chapter 1 mean literal 24-hour days? | GotQuestions.org

What are the seventy sevens in Daniel 9:24-27? | GotQuestions.org

What is progressive creationism and is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Periods: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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