Part
12
Questions
Regarding Daniels’ 70th Week
“SEVENTY
WEEKS (70x7 = 490 years) ARE DETERMINED (Heb., hatak, decreed)
UPON THY (Daniel’s) PEOPLE (Israel) AND UPON THY HOLY CITY
(Jerusalem), TO FINISH (Heb., kala, restrain) THE
(Israel’s) TRANSGRESSION, and to make an end of sins, and
to MAKE RECONCILIATION for INIQUITY, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)
As noted, Daniels’s 70
weeks prophecy may be properly interpreted as 490 years by considering 70
weeks X 7 days, with each day for a year = 490 years. As we will see
Israel
is decreed to be under Gentile captivity or rule for 490 years for good
reason. Let’s
now consider some questions regarding Daniel’s 70th Week.
1)
“How do you know a day
can be Biblically interpreted as a year”
in Daniels prophecy of the 70 weeks of years such that each
day of the 70th week is a year long?
We
must let the Bible interpret itself wherein a “day”
is often spoken of as a “year.”
“After
the number of the days
in which ye searched the land, even
forty days, EACH DAY FOR
A YEAR, shall ye bear your iniquities, even
(that is) FORTY YEARS…”
(Num
14:34).
2)
Why would God place
Israel
in captivity or under the rule of Gentile kingdoms for 490 years?
Israel
was to be punished with Gentile rule for 490 years as repayment to the
Lord for disobeying the Lord’s command to rest
“the
land” every seventh year, which is called a Sabbatical year.
“Then
shall THE LAND [of Israel have the opportunity to] ENJOY ITS
SABBATHS as long as it lies desolate (empty) and YOU ARE IN YOUR
ENEMIES’ LAND; then SHALL THE LAND REST, to enjoy and
receive PAYMENTS FOR ITS SABBATHS
[divinely ordained for it].” (Leviticus
26:34 AMP)
Every
“week”
of Daniel’s 490 weeks
of 7 years is a “Sabbatical
week of years” ends in the seventh
year called the “Sabbatical
year.” This is also called the Hebrew “shmita”
– occurring every seventh
year or sheviit (Hebrew:
שביעית,
literally meaning “a
seventh”.
The “shmita”
is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle
mandated by the Torah
for resting the
Land
of
Israel
(See Leviticus 26).
This is still observed by some in contemporary Judaism
today. (http://www.hazon.org/resource/shmita-project/)
“Shmita”
literally means “release
of debts.”
Israel
had disobeyed the Lord’s commandment to allow the land to lay
fallow or at rest
for 490 Sabbatical years.
Aside
from Daniel’s prophecy, because
Israel
is currently set aside during this day grace for the Gentile “body
of Christ,” the next “shmita”
year would be from Oct. 4, 2014 to Sept. 22, 2015.
For its failure to obey
God’s law to “rest the land,”
Israel
was judged and sent into captivity
to allow the land to rest. The Gentile kingdoms of
Babylon
, Medo-Persia, Hellenistic
Greece
, and
Rome
had held
Israel
captive of ruled
Israel
for 483 years when Jesus was executed. Thus, seven of the four hundred
ninety years remain. In the last seven years Israel will be under
Antichrist’s rule as some form of a revived Roman empire, including its
religious element called “Mystery
Babylon, Mother of Harlots” (Rev 17:5).
So, just how many years and Sabbatical
cycles (the 7th year) did this prophecy entail? The Lord’s
judgment upon
Israel
was that
Israel
was to be in captivity for the 70 weeks of years or 490 years (Daniel
9:1-2); each was for the
Sabbatical years not kept by the people of
Israel
. Thus the Lord brought
Israel
into captivity “to
make reconciliation for their iniquity (lawlessness)”
(Dan. 9:24, above). This
was the length of time decreed by Gabriel to Daniel for what the Lord will
bring upon
Israel
. The 70 weeks of years of judgment are for “debt
due,” and “release of
debt” to the Lord for His land that supplied their sustenance.
“And
them that had escaped from the sword (survived) carried
he away to Babylon (CAPTIVITY);
where they were servants to
him and his sons until the
reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 To
fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, UNTIL
THE LAND HAD ENJOYED HER SABBATHS:
for as long as she lay
desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years (70
years).”(2 Chronicles
36:20-21)
The decree for
Israel
to return to
Jerusalem
and rebuild the
Temple
came from the Persian King Artaxerxes. Then, as
prophesied, Messiah was “cut-off”
at the end of the 69th Sabbatical year, number 483. The
beginning of the next and final civil 7-year cycle of Daniels prophecy
appears to be on the Rosh Hashanah, which will be the “new year’s
day” after the Rapture. This starts the next
Sabbatical cycle of Daniel’s prophesied 70th week. This
timeframe is important to establishing Christ’s 2nd coming to establish His
Kingdom, wherein there is the ultimate “rest
that remaineth for the
people of God (Heb 4:9).
Having completed
483 years in captivity, Daniel’s 70th week of 7 years to come will fully
restore the 490 Sabbatical years that
Israel
took from the Lord by not allowing the land to have its Sabbath rest
every seventh year. This remaining “debt” is paid in the 7-yr
Tribulation judgments of Daniel’s 70th week under
Antichrist’s rule. With the debt then discharged, the Lord will return
to earth to reign with believing
Israel
, to bless the
earth in His righteous
Theocratic
Kingdom
.
After
the pre-tribulation War of Gog & Magog (see Eze 38-89), Daniel
specifically tells us the 70th week will begin with a “covenant”
between Antichrist and
Israel
. This deceptive guarantee of peace and safety for
Israel
will mark the beginning of the 70th week, the seven-year
Tribulation period.
There is no
indication in Scripture regarding exactly when the
Temple
will be reconstructed. It may be rebuilt during the present age or at the
latest during the first half of Daniel’s 70th Week. Today,
even though
Israel
has possession of
Jerusalem
, they are unable to rebuild the
Temple
because of the presence of the Islamic Al Aksa Mosque that sits on the
Temple
mount. The
Temple
mount is a Muslim holy site (Haram al-Sharif) and because of the religious
strife between the Jews and Muslims it is currently impossible to rebuild
the
Temple
. The Bible strongly indicates there will be a Jewish Temple and “sacrifice”
will be restored (v27) for a time before the time of the abomination of
the “image of the Beast.”
We know from
Daniel that the temple will be rebuilt and sacrifice will be reinstituted.
This will be in ignorance, not
having believed the real Messiah, Jesus Christ, has come and been offered
already “for
the sin of the world,” once and for all time. The website www.templeinstitute.org
describes the ongoing preparation for the coming
Temple
. They have reproduced and readied the gold Menorah and other
Temple
elements.
The
Nation Israel will continue to be a center of trouble for the world
as we see today, until
the Antichrist confirms his covenant of peace with
Israel
as prophesied in Daniel 9:27.
“Behold,
I will make
Jerusalem
a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they
shall be in the siege both against
Judah
and against
Jerusalem
. 3 And in that day will I
make
Jerusalem
a burdensome stone for all people: all
that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though
all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah
12:2-3)
In
Isaiah 28:15-18 we see that
Israel
’s false security with
Antichrist’s covenant will be broken.
“And
he (Antichrist) shall CONFIRM
THE COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE WEEK (7 YEARS)… and in THE MIDST
OF THE WEEK (at 3-1/2 yr)
he shall cause
the (Temple) sacrifice
and the oblation (offerings) to
cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he
shall make it desolate,
even (that is) UNTIL THE
CONSUMMATION (end of the age),
and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
“Because
ye (Israel) have said, WE
HAVE MADE A COVENANT with DEATH, and with
hell are we at agreement;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto
us: for WE HAVE MADE LIES OUR
REFUGE, and UNDER FALSEHOOD have we hid ourselves:” (Isaiah
28:15)
Israel
’s
covenant with the Antichrist will not last. Antichrist will break his
security covenant with
Israel
in the middle of
the seven years. Antichrist will put an “end
to sacrifice”
to God offered in the newly built
Temple
. In a wing of the temple, the “False
Prophet”
will set up an image of Antichrist that will
actually speak (Daniel 9:27). This will convince many to
“worship
the image of the Beast
(Antichrist)”
(Rev 3:15).
“He
(the
“false prophet” Rev 16:13, 19:20)
was granted power to give breath to the image of the Beast,
(the coming Antichrist)
that THE IMAGE
OF THE BEAST should both SPEAK
and cause as many as
would NOT worship the
image of the Beast to be killed.”
(Revelation 13:15)
“Your
covenant with death (Antichrist)
will be annulled (broken);
your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming
scourge sweeps by, you will be
beaten down by it”
(Isaiah
28:18).
“While
people are saying, “Peace and safety,”
DESTRUCTION WILL COME ON THEM
SUDDENLY, as labor pains
on a pregnant woman, and THEY
WILL NOT ESCAPE”
(1
Thessalonians 5:3).
The
sacrilege of the image of Antichrist in the
Temple
being worshiped is the “abomination
that causes desolation (Heb. shamem, “astonishment,”
Dan 11:31, 12:11).
This is a significant event because Jesus Himself gave it as a specific
sign of His soon return at “the
end of the age,” (below). Jesus
said; “when
you see the appalling
sacrilege [the abomination
that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel,
standing in the Holy Place
— let the reader take notice and
ponder and
consider and
heed [this]
(Matt 24:15 (AMP).
This
event has been prophesied in Scripture from Isaiah to Revelation. The
“Great Tribulation” occurs
when the Antichrist declares that he
is God, in the
Temple
of
God
, in the middle of the 7-year Tribulation. Antichrist will stop Jewish
sacrifices from being offered and begin a period of unprecedented
persecution of
Israel
known as “The Great Tribulation.”
As
we detailed in the past installment, “The Great Tribulation” will
last for “a time, times, and half
a time” – 3-1/2 years (Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 12:14),
recorded also as “42 months” in Revelation 11:2 and
as 1,260 days in Revelation 11:3 and 12:6.
The Great Tribulation will be a time
of incredible supernatural activity on the earth and in the lives of
mankind.
“The
1st resurrection”
of the Old Testament believers
and the Tribulation martyrs will occur at the time of the harvest, to
reign on earth with Christ as “priests
of God” in His
Theocratic
Millennial
Kingdom
.
“And
many
of them (of
Israel
) that sleep in the dust of the earth (the
dead and buried) SHALL AWAKE, SOME
to EVERLASTING LIFE,
and SOME to SHAME and
EVERLASTING CONTEMPT.”
(Dan 12:2)
“Blessed
and holy is he that hath
part in THE FIRST RESURRECTION:
on such the second death
(in the lake of fire) hath no
power,
they shall be PRIESTS OF
GOD
and of Christ, and SHALL REIGN
WITH HIM (Christ) a THOUSAND
YEARS.
(Rev 20:6)
In
the Bible only those of the children of
Israel
can be referred
to as “priests
of God” (v6, above). The term “priests
of God”
is never seen in Paul’s letters to or concerning the members of “the
body of Christ.”
His
Jewish disciples asked Jesus “what
shall be the sign of thy coming, and THE END OF THE AGE” (Matt
24:3). Their question reflects their understanding that His
return would be at “the
end of the age.” Jesus told them that the angelic harvesters
would come with a “sickle”
at “the
end of the age” (Matt 13:39). They separate “the
tares” (the false grains, unbelievers) to be
burned, from “the
wheat” (Messianic believers) taken into His “barn”
(Matt 13:30). (See the page of Part 7 for more detail.) Jesus
gave them several signs,
warning them to “watch”
or “stay
alert” because
of the great deception that would come in the last days.
Note
by contrast, “the body of
Christ” is NOT looking for any “signs,” but rather awaits “the
shout” at the Rapture (1Thes 4:13-18).
The Rapture of “the
church, which is body of Christ” (Eph 1:22b-23a) was not
among the signs since it wasn’t yet revealed. Only later did Paul
receive the “revelation
of the mystery,”
which includes
the Rapture. “I
shew you a MYSTERY; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1Cor
15:51). The
“mystery”
was
“kept secret” (Rom 16:25) until Jesus from
heaven revealed it to Paul for “the
body of Christ.”
The
following list includes some of the signs and events that will take place during
The Great Tribulation, prior to, and at the Lord’s return.
(Not necessarily in chronological order.)
1. Worldwide
“rebellion” and believers “falling way” from faith in the God. (Matt
24:9-11; Dan 8:11-12)
2.
The Antichrist will persecute and kill the
people of God. (Revelation
12:13-17, 13:5-7, Dan 7:25)
3.
A Jewish remnant will flee to what appears to
be
Petra
in ancient
Edom
, in the Jordanian desert for three-and-a-half years (Revelation
12:14), out of the reach of
Antichrist’s influence (Dan 11:41).
4.
Angels will announce the fall of “Mystery
Babylon
the Great is Fallen” (Rev 18:1-2).
This religious/political power will
support the Antichrist, but then he will destroy her. These angels
will warn the world not to worship the beast or take his “mark”
(Rev 14:6-11, Matt 24:14).
5.
Another beast, the “False
Prophet,” is a religious leader
performing great signs to deceive the world, causing the majority to
worship the Antichrist and receive
his
“mark” or be killed.
(Rev 13:11-18)
6.
“Two witnesses” will preach for 1,260 days and be killed, but then
after 3-1/2 days be resurrected in the sight of the whole world, ascending
to heaven, followed by a killer earthquake. (Rev
11:1-13)
7.
The wrath of God will be poured out on the unbelieving and
disobedient world. (Rev 16:16, 19:17-19
8.
The Lord Jesus Christ will judge His people,
Israel
, wherein the non-believers, two thirds of
Israel
’s number, will die. (Psalm 50:4-5, Jeremiah 13:7-9, Revelation 11:18).The
sun, moon and stars will be darkened before the “Day
of the Lord.” (Joel
2:31, Mat 24:29, Isa 13:10, Acts 2:20), perhaps
by volcanic ash and/or an eclipse of some sort.
Upon
Christ’s 2nd Coming to Earth
1. The “trumpet”
of the Lord’s 2nd
coming will sound (Matthew 24:31 and Rev 11:15). In the Bible a
trumpet sounding always speaks of imminent victory. There was no trumpet
at Jesus’ 1st humble coming as a lowly servant. This “trumpet”
marks Christ’s return as King of kings and Lord of lords. “And
he hath on his vesture
and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev19:16).
2.
Christ will come to earth from heaven and appear in “the
clouds” (Matt
24:30) with His holy “angels”
(v31)
and with the resurrected the Old Testament saints and Tribulation
martyrs (Rev 17:14, 20:6).
3. The
living surviving “elect” of
Israel
who were preserved during the Tribulation will be gathered at His coming.
5.
At His return, The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olivet it will split
apart in two. On the day of the Lord’s
return an earthquake will split the
Mt.
of
Olives
in two, along an East-West line
(Zechariah
14:6
9).
It creates a great valley through the center of
Jerusalem
and will immediately fill with “living
waters “that shall go out from
Jerusalem
” for a waterway from the Mediterranean to the
Dead Sea
(Zech 14:8).
6. The
Lord will prepare “a
feast” on
Mount
Zion
and “wipe
away all tears” (Isaiah 25:6-8).
8.
The Lord will separate the Tribulations surviving wheat
believers from the tare
non-believers, and divide the believing sheep
nations from the unbelieving goat nations, judging the goats and tares
with destruction by fire. (Matt
13:30, Matt 25:31-34, 46)
9.
All the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord.
(Revelation 11:15; 20:4-6)
10.
He will rule in His Theocratic Millennial Kingdom with “the
rod of iron” in righteousness.
We’ve
recounted the expected horrible judgments but there will be blessing also
coming just as the light of day follows the dark of night. A Biblical “day”
begins with the evening, with the darkness of night time. It is followed
by the brightness of the daytime. Most people know the Jewish
Sabbath begins at sundown (Gen 1:5). The darkness of the “day
of the Lord”
covers the whole 7-year Tribulation period, climaxing in “THE
Great day of the Lord” (Zeph 1:14).
The Tribulation judgments are the night side of the “day of
the Lord,” while the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom age that
follows are the day side of the “day
of the Lord.” Christ’s return
ushers in the thousand-year benevolent and righteous
Theocratic
Kingdom
reign of Christ on the earth. Christ will eliminate most of the curse at
the time of His return for the 1,000 years. He will renew and restore
Israel
when He reigns from the David’s throne in
Jerusalem
.
“Of
The Increase Of His (Christ) Government and Peace There Will Be NO END.
He will reign on David’s throne and
over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice
and righteousness…FOREVER”
(Isa 9:7). “Then the
sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms UNDER
the whole heaven
will be HANDED OVER TO THE SAINTS (
Israel
resurrected saints), THE PEOPLE
of the Most High…” (Dan 7:27 NIV).
At
Christ’s return the heavens will be ablaze with the glory and brightness
of His victorious 2nd coming. He will be accompanied by
millions of His holy angels and also and by the resurrected believing Old
Testament and martyred Tribulation saints who will then be in their glorified
spirit-bodies.
The
resurrected saint’s spirits will have moved from heaven’s “paradise”
to join to their newly resurrected glorified
spirit-bodies, to dwell on earth
where they will then co-reign with Christ in His Theocratic Millennial
Kingdom… and then in the Eternal Kingdom on the New Earth.
