Tag: Luke 21

Daniel 9 and Holy Week

On By TimIn Daniel 09, Last Days, Prophecy1 Comment

I will endeavor to look at Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks in a new way to me, as it intersects Holy Week. The center crux of the prophecy is the presentation and then cutting off of the Messiah. That single event is precisely foretold.

It comes as Daniel is praying for his people. He knows the end of exile is near, as he pondered the writings of Jeremiah. His intercessions for the nation called for Hod to be merciful and restore the people. Before he could finish praying, Gabriel swiftly arrived and gave an interpretive answer to Daniel’s prayer.

It is my opinion that since Daniel was interceding for his people, that the answer involved Israel. I also think that the interpretation is solely for Israel, which means the 70 weeks would accomplish the restoration of Israel. In the entire prophecy, the odd thing is that Israel is not completely retired until the end. A second temple would be rebuilt and the city destroyed. Then it is foretold that the restored city and sanctuary would be destroyed yet again. I think it will be clear that the final week of years for Israel to come at the end, sometimes yet future.

Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 9:24

At the start, Israel’s weeks are established and the summary of accomplishments for those are given. At the close of the 70 weeks, there are six things determined to be completed.

  • Finish the transgression
  • Make an end of sins
  • Make atonement for iniquity
  • Bring in everlasting righteousness
  • Seal up the vision and prophecy
  • Anoint the Most Holy Place

I will note that these things are to be accomplished in Israel and not some task or extended program for Gentiles, or that the universal church is the completeness or replacement of Israel. It is clear from some New Testament writings l that the first three of these things were accomplished by Jesus’ death in Jerusalem. The last three have not yet happened. Yet it follows that they will, and they will most likely happen in Jerusalem.

The list also provides the first hint of a division here. (There are more divisions or gaps in the prophecy.) It’s something that must be kept in mind, as three of the above list have not yet seen fulfillment. It points to something yet to come. As it does point to the future, the fact that the Most Holy Place being anointed one can assume there is a need for a physical temple. It is a real suggestion that a temple must then exist. One in need of cleansing, perhaps say from an abomination of the Most Holy Place.

Previous chapters in Daniel have outlined the abomination by Antiochus. Daniel was written far before that event occurred in 164 BC. The precision of that prophecy leads to the precision timing Gabriel gives of a seminal event in history, the first advent of Messiah. If this list is ordered, then the anointing of the Most Holy Place in the Temple happens last.

Sunday 10 Nisan

The seven-day week was established by God at creation; six days of work, followed by the seventh day of rest. As that week of days was established, it then follows that a week of years in the same pattern can be established. And it is.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruit, but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. That which grows by itself from your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your unpruned vines, for it is a year of complete rest for the land.

Leviticus 25:1–5

The natural extension of the pattern of a week also seems to extend and apply to millennia (a thousand years.) Some hold that the amount of time given to Earth before makeover is 7,000 years. (A week of millennia.) 6,000 years of work, and 1,000 years of rest, the Millennium. As Biblical types go, the Promised Land is an analog to the Millennium. Well, the Millennium is the fulfillment of the Promised Land of rest.

I think those things are an important concept to keep in mind. The patterns have real significance. And if the significance is real, could there be a similar starting reference?

What I mean is, that this pattern of a week of days has a starting reference. It is Sunday. In the same way, so does a week of years, it is Nisan.

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: This month shall be the beginning of months to you. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a household.

Exodus 12:1–3

As the month of Nisan becomes the first month of the year, attention is drawn to the significance of the tenth day of that month. It is the day that the Passover lamb was chosen and brought into the household. It is also the day that the Israelis entered the Promised Land. When Joshua led the camp into and out of the Jordan River, the priests and the Ark remained. When all had crossed, Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan!” This is another significant pointer to Nisan and specifically the tenth day.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho.

Joshua 9:19

The Israelis were instructed to begin counting their weeks of years “When you come into the land that I give you.” That happened on 10 Nisan. It follows that the starting reference for a week of years will be 10 Nisan. This date is foundational in discussing these weeks of years. Just as Sunday is the first day of the week, 10 Nisan becomes the first day of the year.

The Triumphal Entry of Messiah

“Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Prince Messiah shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of trouble.

Daniel 9:25

Gabriel gives a starting reference. He also provides a breakdown that involves the first 69 weeks of years. It is broken into two segments… 7 weeks and 62 weeks. These are weeks of years. Generally, the first is one group of 49 years and encompasses the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. There is another period of 434 years following when exiled Israelis returned to Israel.

From the reference and the year count, there is a precise day foretold. It is the advent of the Prince Messiah. Using the 360-day lunar year of the ancients, 483 years total 173,880 days until the Messiah comes. We know Jesus entered Jerusalem. We commemorate that day as Palm Sunday. Some scholars think the day of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem was on 6 April AD 32.

Gabriel clearly says to Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. The commandment to restore Jerusalem was given in the month of Nisan by Artaxerxes Longimanus. No exact date is given, which is taken to mean the first day of the month of Nisan. That date is 14 March 445 BC on the solar calendar. Note that the command is the one to rebuild Jerusalem, not just the temple.

Now, do some mathematical calculations from 14 March 445 BC. From that date to 14 March AD 32 is 476 years. 476 x 365 days in a year = 173,740 days. Correcting for leap years adds another 116 days. From 14 March to 6 April is another 24 additional days. The math works out precisely, 173,740 + 116 + 24 = 173,880 days!

That precision is remarkable. Remember the discussion of weeks?

The Holy Spirit offers us another degree of precision. In the Gospel of John, we are provided a reckoning of the date Jesus came into Jerusalem. He says that six days before passover, Jesus went to Bethany. Passover is 15 Nisan, six days before is 9 Nisan. The next day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, making the date 10 Nisan. We can also count the days backward from the resurrection of Jesus, which was Sunday, 17 Nisan. 10 Nisan, the first day of the week and the first day of the week of years all coincide. By the reckoning of Daniel’s prophecy, this was to be the beginning of the 70th week of years.

So many things coalesce on this day. It is precisely the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, really the unwieldy colt of a donkey. The signs were unmistakably precise to the astute person.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! And cry aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king is coming to you; he is righteous and able to deliver, he is humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the offspring of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; and the bow for battle will be cut off. He will speak peace to the nations; and his dominion will be from one sea to another, and from the Great River to the ends of the earth. And as for you, because of the blood of your covenant, I will send your prisoners from the empty, waterless pits. Return to your stronghold, prisoners who now have hope. Today I declare that I will return to you a double portion.

Zechariah 9:9–12

Jesus did ride into Jerusalem in exactly that way. And He came on the colt. It is with a double portion just as Matthew records it.

When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go over into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them.’ And he will send them immediately.”
All this was done to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Look, your King is coming to you,
humble, and sitting on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their garments on them, and He sat on them. A very large crowd spread their garments on the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went before Him and that followed Him cried out:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”

Mathew 21:1–9

The First Pronouncement of Delay

As Jesus prepared to ride into Jerusalem, we are given an aside, He wept over Jerusalem. Because of their unbelief and rejection of Him, the truth was hidden from their eyes. They didn’t know the day. He foretells destruction over the city and by extension the Temple, the same that Daniel’s prophecy will foretell.

When He came near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had known even today what things would bring you peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you and surround you, and press you in on every side. They will dash you, and your children within you, to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another within you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19:41–44

The Israelis were expected to know the signs indicating the importance of this day. Yet they did not. Jesus then proceeded to the Temple. The daylight was then quickly fading away.

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. When He had looked around at everything, as the hour was now late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Mark 11:11

Monday 11 Nisan

Now that blindness had come over the city and the people for their rejection of Jesus, the next day as Jesus returned to Jerusalem, He encountered a fig tree. Here the fig tree is a Biblical type representative of the nation of Israel.

On the next day when they had returned from Bethany, He was hungry. Seeing from afar a fig tree with leaves, He went to see if perhaps He might find anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing except leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Jesus said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And His disciples heard it.

Mark 11:12–14

It can seem trivial to the disciples who heard it as recorded here. Mark will later add more information to show the significance of this. Jesus is showing yet again, that the kingdom would be delayed because of the fruitlessness of Israel. Other Gospels record the tree withering.

As the day progresses, Jesus again goes to the Temple. He cleanses the place of money changers. Then He and His disciples leave the city.

Tuesday 12 Nisan

Returning to Mark for his recording of the events of the next day.

In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter, calling to remembrance, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

Mark 11:20–21

The fig tree is dried up, unable to produce fruit. The message being conveyed is that Israel is dried up. That the ministry and privileges it now enjoys are gone.

To compound the problem, the people don’t recognize the One they’ve been waiting to see. The days interlaced with the underlying intrigue of the leaders of Israel. It is overtly revealed that they are looking for an opportunity to kill Jesus.

As the day progresses, Jesus is questioned as to the origin of His authority. His interlocutors are hoping to trip Him up. Jesus answers that question with another to them.

Jesus answered them, “I will also ask of you one question. Answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”
They debated among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for everyone held John to be a real prophet.
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”
Jesus answered them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 11:29–33

They could not answer, so Jesus did not answer their question of the origin of His authority. They remain in the dark

Jesus teaches through many questions designed to trip Him up. Amongst the answers are parables. Each has significance as it pertains to the Holy Week and what Daniel wrote. I leave that for the astute reader to explore. But I draw attention to one of these that is necessary to understand.

The Delay of the Kingdom

“Listen to another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and built a wall around it. He dug a winepress in it and built a tower. Then he rented it to vinedressers and went into a distant country. When the season of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to receive his fruit.
“The vinedressers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did likewise to them. Last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
“But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they caught him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

Matthew 21:33–40

I know most understand this parable. The season of fruit drew near. The Messiah was presented as King. The parable reveals that Jesus is also prophesying of Himself and His impending death. It is the answer to the question that becomes fascinating.

They said, “He will severely destroy those wicked men and rent his vineyard to other vinedressers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

Matthew 21:41

Jesus has their answer that they knew the vineyard will be given to another. So He continues to show them from their Scriptures exactly what is happening right before them.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing its fruits. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

Matthew 21:42–44

They didn’t know their visitation. They didn’t know the Messiah on the day they were to expect Him. They didn’t know He would be killed at their hands. They didn’t know the Kingdom would be delayed. Yet they knew Jesus was talking about the nation of Israel in the parable.

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But as they tried to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him as a prophet. In the midst of the Holy Week, Jesus is meticulously showing that the double-portion kingdom coming to Israel will be delayed.

Matthew 21:45–46

The Destruction of the Temple

As the day wound down and Jesus and His disciples exited the temple. Even His disciples had not really caught many of the things Jesus was saying.

As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

Luke 21:5–6

Jesus then teaches those disciples present about what will happen in the coming end of days. This private briefing is known as the Olivet Discourse. It is recorded in the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke.) It is Luke’s version where a short synopsis is given, followed by an interruption.

“But before all these things, they will seize you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will turn out as a testimony for you. Therefore resolve in your hearts beforehand not to practice your defense. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your opponents will be able to neither refute nor resist. You will be betrayed by parents and brothers and relatives and friends. And they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake, but not a hair of your head shall perish. In your endurance you will gain your souls.

Luke 21:12–19

While this is yet future for the disciples hearing it, the fulfillment of that is recorded for us in history and the Bible. These friends of Jesus endured some severe persecution. Along with the foretelling of that persecution is the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple of God. This is also part of the prophecy of Daniel.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led away captive to all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:20–24

For the astute reader, it is clear that there is an extended period of time that comes with the last phrase, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. This also tracks with everything Jesus taught in that Holy Week, that the program for Israel will be delayed and given to another.

Following as if this were narrative, is what happens next:

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28

The ideas conveyed here are often confused. But make note of the distinctions. First is between the groups of people… They and your. What they witness is going to be perplexing. The second is the before and after these things begin to happen. Jesus says clearly that when these things begin to happen, redemption comes for believers.

Why aren’t the fearful and perplexing happenings the hallmarks of the nearness of redemption?

Jesus clearly states that it is before these things happen. So as redemption comes for believers, concerning and foreboding disasters will follow for the world. Everything will be shaken, and then Jesus comes in judgment. In another place, the people mourn His return.

The Delay of the Kingdom Will Be Revoked

Coupled with the idea of before the bad stuff happens, is that the withered fig tree Jesus cursed. It is going to produce leaves.

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are sprouting leaves already, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So in like manner, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Luke 21:29–31

This is the precursor to the restoration of the kingdom. The culmination of which will be the fulfillment of the last three items from the list above.

“Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Luke 21:32–33

Those in the generation that witness the new budding of the tree will not pass away before these things are done.

Wednesday 13 Nisan

Now the feasts of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread were two days away. And the chief priests and the scribes looked for a way to seize Him secretly and kill Him. But they said “Not on the feast day, lest there will be an uproar among the people.”

Mark 14:1–2

The narrative now enters the days of Passover and the Feast. The days before, people are to prepare. They are to remove leaven from their homes.

The Betrayal

As with the underlying tension in all of the accounts of Holy Week, there is the intrigue of those in power. They are looking for an opportunity to seize Jesus and kill Him. Enter the one to betray Him. This will be by one of those He chose to be His friend.

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. When they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he looked for how he might conveniently betray Him.

Mark 14:10–11

Now the plot is afoot. I will not give a comprehensive account, but the crucifixion of Jesus is central to this discussion, as are some of the events that immediately precede it.

The Preparation for Passover and the Feast

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Mark 14:12

Here is where we encounter some blurriness. Each of the Gospels relates details that are not always chronological nor identical. I also think that some other details that are lost in translating from Aramaic to Hebrew and then to English. What is known is that the day Passover Lambs are slaughtered is 14 Nisan. The first day of Unleavened Bread is 15 Nisan. This means that given the word for word translation above, it may be a loose account of an idea. Maybe even a type of synechdoche. The underlying Greek can mean something like, “Now at the beginning of the time of Unleavened Bread.” In my mind, this makes a bit more sense.

When looking to the other Gospels, they do not alleviate the seeming confusion, either. The word day is inserted but can be left out.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will You have us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Matthew 26:17

There are other contextual problems. Passover, as originally instituted, is on 14 Nisan with the celebrations being kept in homes. Later provisions added to Passover required it be kept in Jerusalem. This presents a logistical problem. According to Josephus, he records that over 250,000 lambs were sacrificed for Passover in 4 BC.

So He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you there. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it as He had told them. And they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:13–16

In my mind, it would seem that there may have been a Passover season. One in which people prepared for Passover and then the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These texts may indicate that. Nevertheless, it is my speculation. If some seders were kept in homes, as the one Jesus held, it could be the day before with a private slaughter of the lamb. Though noticeably absent are the other traditional items at a Passover meal like lamb and bitter herbs. So I like to think on Wednesday, they prepared for the meal, which would occur that evening. Others speculate that because of the sheer number of lambs needed, it could not all happen on that one day, 14 Nisan.

Thursday 14 Nisan

Remember the days for Israel begin at evening. Jesus would sit with His disciples for a seder meal, the Passover meal in the evening. That means the Last Supper would come on Wednesday, 14 Nisan after sunset.

The Passover With the Disciples

In the evening He came with the twelve. As they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me.”

Mark 14:17–18

There are other accounts of the events that happened at that meal. I will leave that for another time.

Judas did betray Jesus. He was led away, and questioned by many. The people of Jerusalem were adamant on having Jesus executed even though the governor did not find anything He could assign guilt to Jesus. At least no guilt worthy of capital punishment.

Messiah Shall be Cut Off

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:26

As it has come to that point in the week where the Messiah is betrayed, and then cut off at Golgotha. Many times Jesus told the Jewish people present with Him that the kingdom for them is delayed. It will be given to another. They understood this, and in their blindness did not see the prophetic patterns in play. Jesus did indeed die with nothing.

When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Listen, He is calling Elijah!”
One man ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
But Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the spirit.

Mark 15:33–37

Beyond Holy Week

After the death of the Messiah, the city and the Temple would be destroyed. History informs us of this as happening in AD 70. What I hope is clear, is that the patterns in Daniel 9 have not yet all been completed. There are still three things that remain from the list:

  • Bring in everlasting righteousness
  • Seal up the vision and prophecy
  • Anoint the Most Holy Place

The New Modern Temple

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Mark 15:38

After Jesus died, the veil in the sanctuary that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn. This signifies that the presence of God is no longer veiled. It foreshadows that God’s dwelling place and temple will now be in men’s hearts.

What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19

Though the temple of God exists today in every believer, there will be a future building in Jerusalem called the Temple of God. That is overwhelmingly attested to in prophetic writings. Things are going to happen in that temple, namely sacrifice and offering, which will cease. This will be clear from what Gabriel spoke to Daniel.

The Prince Who Shall Come

And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel 9:27

After this other prince arrives, he will make an agreement with many. Many is often a rhetorical device used to mean the nation of Israel. The unspoken idea is that Israel accepts this impostor as Messiah. He makes an agreement. One which allows Israel to make sacrifices and offerings. Presumably, it is the reinstitution of the Mosaic system. With those things comes the necessity of a sanctuary. The Temple is necessary to the Mosaic system.

A sudden change in situations occurs as this prince reveals his true self. He stops the offerings and sacrifices. Gabriel offers a reference to abominations that make desolation. The Tanakh tends to describe the idols of other nations as abominations. It follows that this abomination is an object for worship. It is not unlike before where Antiochus stops the sacrifices. The appalling event becomes another pattern. One that is dastardly reenacted in history and culminates at some future point. Paul foretells the same event to the church in Thessalonica.

Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and concerning our gathering together unto Him, we ask you not to let your mind be quickly shaken or be troubled, neither in spirit nor by word, nor by letter coming as though from us, as if the day of Christ is already here. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day will not come unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself as God.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–4

I believe that the resumption of the Mosaic law is part of the covenant established with the impostor prince. I hold that the falling away described here is not an apostasy of believers from the universal church. The gist of that is Paul’s use of the Greek word apostasia. It is used only twice in the Scriptures. The only other occurrence is in the New Testament is here. It is used in the context of forsaking (or abandoning) the law of Moses. So it follows that when the man of lawlessness is revealed, it will come with a breaking of the covenant, and the compulsory forsaking of the Mosaic Law. He won’t allow sacrifices, but to himself as he sees himself to be God to worship. These multiple abominations reveal the desolator. And with this event is the defilement of the sanctuary. Precision timing markers indicate this happens in the middle of a week of years.

He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. And he was given authority to wage war for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to wage war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation.

Revelation 13:5–7

For One Week

The covenant made is for one week. It is the final missing week of years from Daniel’s prophecy. It doesn’t go with the first 69 weeks. It is not Holy Week. It comes after Messiah is cut off. It comes after the city and the sanctuary are destroyed. It comes after the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles.

One week of years is 84 months. The prince who shall come breaks his word in the 42 months into the final week. He was given authority to wage war with the saints for 42 months after. The timing markers are precise, to help identify the time, place, and person. Yes, there will be saints in the last week of years. But because this is Israel, these will primarily be Jewish in nature. This is deduced from this text, and in that last week of Daniel 144,000 evangelists are revealed from the twelve tribes of Israel.

Don’t be tricked into thinking God gave or granted the authority this false prince. He comes with the work of Satan and that power, signs, and false wonders. It is the dragon who grants his authority.

One Week Yet Future

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel 9:26–27

The decreed destruction poured out on the desolator is the end when Jesus returns and destroys this appalling abomination. It is the end of the war. Jesus consumes those who oppose Him with the breath of His mouth. This is the underlying answer to Daniel’s prayer. His prayer included petitions to God to restore Israel. Israel’s restoration comes after the war is ended and the desolator is gone.

The restoration of Israel is the Millennium. In Gabriel’s answer to Daniel’s prayer, there is no real revelation of the restoration for which Daniel interceded. The foretelling of the deliverance of the people seems to come a bit later in the book, though in the same time-frame as the first year of Darius. Daniel 9 is written to have occurred in the first year of Darius. The deliverance of the people comes after a time of great trouble.

“And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn the many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Daniel 12:1–4

The premillennial nature of this is difficult to ignore. Yet, as we’ve witnessed Jesus attest to the delay of the Kingdom. Just as it was foretold to Daniel. The Kingdom is restored to Israel, which is also foretold to Daniel. One of the best witnesses of the premillennialism comes as a dispute arose among the early church holy ones.

The controversy being addressed was whether Gentiles needed to be circumcised. Paul and Barnabas were dispatched to Jerusalem. Leave it to the Pharisees’ legalism to point us in the right understanding. And it is not about circumcision.

Then some believers of the sect of the Pharisees rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

Acts 15:5

There was much discussion on the matter. There was no lack of dissension.

After much disputing, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God decided among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, approved of them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and made no distinction between them and us, and purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why test God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”

Acts 15:7–11

After Peter spoke, Paul and Barnabas relayed what God had done with the Gentiles. The matter was heavy and amidst some silence, James spoke up.

After they had become silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. Simon has declared how God first visited the Gentiles to take from among them a people for His name.

Acts 15:13–14

James is retelling a specific encounter Peter had. Most know of the account in Acts 10. When Peter returned from Caesarea, it was not without controversy. As many had heard that the Gentiles also received the word of God. As Peter expounded on what occurred in Caesarea, this is the conclusion:

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as He fell on us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?”
When they heard these things, they were silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then God has granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life.”

Acts 11:15–18

I thank God that He has chosen to take a people for Himself from the Gentiles. When the Jewish elders of the church heard that these were baptized with the same Holy Spirit that came upon them, there was silence. They did glorify God, but why was there silence?

Perhaps they had suddenly recalled Jesus’ words from Holy Week, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing its fruits.” Yet it was James who made the connection of this to what the prophets say, and he cites Amos:

With this the words of the prophets agree. As it is written:
‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tabernacle of
David, which has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will set it up;
that the rest of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
says the Lord who does all these things.’
Known to God are all His works since the beginning of the world.

Acts 15:15–18

After This

God says, “After this I will return.” After what?

All of what is ascribed in the answered prayer, then interpreted as prophecy, and given to Daniel by Gabriel.

Prince Messiah came first, precisely at the end of the 69 weeks of years. After Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Holy Week, He spoke many times of how the kingdom was going to be delayed, and even given to another people. Then Messiah was cut off with nothing.

The city and sanctuary would then be destroyed. And until the end of the war, the desolation of Israel will remain. The many will then fall for a charismatic leader who will give them a covenant for one week of 7 years. He will allow them to build a new temple and reinstate the Mosaic sacrifices. In the middle of that covenant week, this leader will make an appalling move that desolates the temple. These things culminate in the determined complete destruction of the desolator. At which time, the people would be delivered.

After this… I will return, says Jesus. The throne of David will be restored with the rightful promised King. He will bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy Place.

The Seventieth — Jubilee!

On By TimIn Jubilee, Leviticus 252 Comments

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruit, but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

Leviticus 25:2–4

Most folks are already familiar with the Sabbath, which occurs weekly on Saturdays. When considering the entirety of the Torah, sabbath is more than an every Saturday occurrence. It is more than just a day, too. It is also more than just for humans. The passage above mandates a sabbath year of rest for the land. Just as God instructs Moses, he will pass on the information to the Israelis. They are to let the land rest every seven years.

With the seventh-year sabbath, God has further instructions for the Israelis that will be explored. These are instructions on counting years. As it is with the Word of God, some peculiarities deserve attention. These are encoded within these instructions.

Take the number six in this passage. Six days are given to humans to work the land. The seventh year is a sabbath for the land and for the Lord. It’s not that He needs rest, the land is to have rest, leading the people to the Lord to provide for them.

The numbers in the text are not there by mistake. The interplay of six and seven seems to be overt. The Bible tells us that six is the number of man in Revelation 13:18. Man was created on the sixth day. In the same manner, humans work the land for six years, giving the land rest on the seventh. Seven is the number of God. It almost sounds synergistic, because it is.

That which grows by itself from your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your unpruned vines, for it is a year of complete rest for the land. The sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, and for your male and female servants, and for your hired servant, and for your stranger who sojourns with you, and for your livestock, and for the wild animals in your land, shall all its increase be food.

Leviticus 25:5–7

The synergism between God and humans continues. While the land is cultivated by humans for six years giving them provision and sustenance, it rests for God on the seventh. Humans are instructed to not eat of their cultivation even the unpruned vines. What grows from the wild shall be sustenance for all. In other words, God will provide their needs.

Seven leads to God.

Seven Times Seven

You shall count seven sabbath weeks of years, seven times seven years, and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the horn blasts on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall make the sound of the horn throughout all your land. You shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee to you, and each of you shall return to his possession, and every person shall return to his family. That fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you. You shall neither sow nor reap that which grows by itself, nor gather the grapes of your unpruned vines.

Leviticus 25:8–11

Six and seven are the prominent numbers in the previous text. The repertoire is now expanded to include ten, forty-nine, and fifty.

There is now a counting of years assigned to a different purpose. It marks the time of restoration for the people of Israel, which is called the Jubilee. There is much to learn about the Jubilee and restoration. Some of that will be explored, but it will not be comprehensive.

Jubilee is the time when sold land is returned to the owner, and it is the time when slaves are set free. Land was never really sold in ancient Israel. It was rented knowing it would be restored at the Jubilee. The indentured were also rented, knowing that release from their bondage came at the Jubilee.

Seven sets of seven years are counted. Seven is the number of God, and seven squared is forty-nine (72=49.) Forty-nine years are counted. The fiftieth year follows and is then consecrated and proclaimed when it begins. In addition to freedom and restoration, it is a sabbath year of rest for the land. There is more here that will be examined a bit later.

The Jubilee was announced on the seventh month on the tenth day. This is 10 Tishri. Tishri is the seventh month. As noted before, the number seven is the number of God. It signifies perfection and completion. Those meanings are gleaned from the creation narrative among other places. The number ten means completeness of order. This is also gleaned from the creation narrative where the phrase “God said” is used ten times. Ten is also the number of commandments given to Moses.

Seventh Month, Tenth Day

10 Tishri is also one of the moedim (feast days) given to Israel. It is the Day of Atonement solemnized by the selection of two goats, one offered for the presence of God and the other carrying sins away. The rituals prescribed for that day also signify the idea of freedom from the bondage of sin and restoration. In addition to that celebration, every fiftieth year Jubilee is proclaimed by the blasting of the shofar.

This combination of the seventh month and the tenth day has another obscured message. The numbers seven, perfection, and ten, completeness of order… It follows that this day marks the perfection of complete order.

It must be noted that Israelis observe more than one calendar. The sacred one is the most familiar. It begins in the month of Nisan. This one was instituted by God after the flood of Noah. The original calendar from Genesis had the new year on 1 Tishri, which is one of the moedim celebrated as the Feast of Trumpets. As seen in the text, Tishri is the new year for counting years and on the original calendar Noah used before it was changed.

I don’t mean this to be an exhaustive study of biblical numerology or Israeli calendars. But as I study and write, fascinating things come to mind; thoughts scatter, and I try to render some coherence.

Nisan/Tishri

Counting the seventh month from Nisan brings one to Tishri. The seventh month from Tishri is Nisan. Both Nisan and Tishri begin the new year on differing calendars. The difference in calendars is only which month is first. The order of them stays the same. Even more unsettling, six full months are counted to get to the seventh. The interplay of this pattern is repeated if one pays attention.

Now, consider that Noah’s Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on 17 Nisan (seventh month, seventeenth day, Genesis 8:4.) Coincidentally, 17 Nisan is the month and day of the resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection Day is three days away from the sacrifice of Passover on 14 Nisan. The Passover lambs were selected on 10 Nisan and brought into the home. Which is the seventh month and tenth day of the original calendar. Again as coincidence would have, 10 Nisan is the same day and month Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Of course, I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in the precision of the Bible. Every detail is there by design. There are multiple interplays of seven and ten that purposefully and overtly point to the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Lunar Calendar

The Hebrew calendar is lunar. It has a year with 360 days. There are twelve months in most years. But there are also a thirteenth and a fourteenth month to accommodate the differences between solar and lunar calendars. Why a thirteenth and fourteenth month, though?

Consider the listings of the twelve tribes of Israel in the Tanakh. Each one is never the same, even the order of the names can be different. The tribe of Dan becomes obscured to the point of non-existence. Sometimes Ephraim and Manasseh are included in the lists. Obviously, there is also a thirteenth and fourteenth tribe of Israel.

I understand the unsettling nature of this information.

A similar pattern is present in the listing of the inner circle of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Like Dan above, a time came when Judas was gone. The lot fell on Matthias as his replacement. Jesus fell on Paul in Light on the Damascus Road making Paul an apostle. It follows that there is also a thirteenth and fourteenth apostle.

How do I assimilate that?

I know this all seems to get rather blurry. I think it allows for a greater degree of precision and design. Many will read past these, but God conceals things for His glory. And for those who diligently seek for those hidden things. When one encounters a listing, the names and their order become significant, and even a clue as to a hidden deeper meaning. Even the omission of one or more has meaning to explore.

Seven and Ten, Seventeen and Seventy

As has been shown, seven and ten are meaningful on their own. Added together they become seventeen. Seventeen is the day the Ark rested at Ararat. It is the day Jesus rose from the dead. Seventeen is the number of new beginnings, God vanquishes the enemy. (The last enemy to be destroyed is death.) Seventeen is complete order in perfection.

Seven times ten is seventy. And like seventeen above, it has significance. Seventy connotes perfection in complete order. Seventy members of Jacob’s family come to Joseph in Egypt. There are seventy elders appointed to help Moses with the affairs of the people. There are seventy Gentile nations. Seventy weeks are given to Israel. The number seventy is a complete set, or as the Hebraism is all of them.

When Jesus teaches about forgiveness, he says to forgive seventy times seven, it is more than hyperbole. The inherent meaning of the numbers is to forgive all of the sins of another completely and perfectly.

Correcting the Common Misconceptions

The counting of the seven weeks of years gives a forty-nine-year period. It is when the fiftieth year is announced and liberty is proclaimed that the cycle is complete. The common misconception in counting the Jubilees is they occur every fifty years, which is taken to count fifty between them. It is not fifty, but forty-nine. When the Jubilee is proclaimed the cycle completes and resets. It becomes the first year of the next cycle. This is just as God prescribed it. That concept may prove difficult to grasp, nevertheless, it is the reality.

There is another misconception about counting that may be easily overlooked.

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord.

Leviticus 25:2

Examine the text closely for the clue. Through Moses, God told the Israelis that the first year was a sabbath year. It would also mean it is the first year in the count to the forty-ninth year for the Jubilee.

For six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruit,

Leviticus 25:3

There is a slightly different way of numbering for the sabbath. It is not a count. The Israelis were to work the land for six years, and the seventh is a sabbath. It is a different system. Because the year Israelis entered the Promised Land is a sabbath, the next year is year one of six years of working the land. The seventh would be the sabbath year.

Say that Israel entered the Promised Land in the year 1406 BC. 1405 BC would be the first year of working the land, with 1400 BC as the sixth. 1399 BC would be a sabbath year. Following the pattern of sabbath years, 1392 BC, 1385 BC, 1378 BC, 1371 BC, 1364 BC, and 1357 BC. 1357 would then be the first Jubilee. It would be the fiftieth year from 1406 BC. The forty-ninth year, counting seven sevens would be 1358 BC. The next year was the Jubilee. It would also be the first year in our next count of forty-nine to the second Jubilee in 1308 BC. Do the math, 1357–1308=49.

The number of years between Jubilees is forty-nine in the way God instituted the count. The fiftieth year is proclaimed, and the next count begins. Meaning it is year one of the next count to forty-nine. The way it works is the Jubilees will always be in a sabbath year.

The count may seem confusing, but God has already given the precedent for this count.

Shavuot (Pentecost)

You shall count seven full weeks from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf bundle of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.

Leviticus 23:15–16

Counting seven full weeks after the Sabbath after Passover, each week beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday. Seven full weeks brings us to Sunday… Not Saturday. Just as the Israelis were to count six years of working the land, these were full years, to arrive at the seventh. The forty-ninth day, Saturday, is part of the seven full weeks. The Holy Spirit provided error correction in the next way of counting. Counting 50 days from Sunday ensures the end day is always Sunday.

It is in this way that the count to Jubilee is related to the count to Shavuot. It also provides a foundation for understanding the meaning of the number fifty. It has already been shown that it signifies freedom and deliverance. It also leads directly to the Holy Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues as of fire, being distributed and resting on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

Acts 2:1–4

The number fifty connects with the giving of the promised Holy Spirit at the birth of the church in the first century. The correlation between Shavuot and Jubilee is not a coincidence. Both occur on a celebration of the fiftieth. One of the fiftieth day, the other on the fiftieth year. Adding importance, Pentecost occurred on the fiftieth day from the resurrection of Jesus.

These numbers are all interlaced in meaning and concept. Seven times ten makes seventy. That number has precise biblical significance, too. Seventy is a perfect complete set.

What if there is a complete set of Jubilees for Israel?

The Complete Set in Daniel

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which were specified by the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishment of the desolations of Jerusalem, that is, seventy years. I set my face toward the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:1–3

The significance of the numbers seven and ten provided much to ponder. When adding seven to ten, it makes seventeen. To review, the number seventeen has significance and points to new beginnings and resurrection. Noah’s Ark came to rest on 17 Nisan, the same day and month of the resurrection of Jesus.

Seventy conveys the idea of perfection of complete order. As stated before, I like to say all of them as in a full set that matches the Hebraism.

In the text above, Daniel was reading a passage from the book of Jeremiah on the desolations of Israel being complete in seventy years. This was to repay the seventy years of sabbaths that the land of Israel never had. Daniel realized the release from captivity was soon and sought to pray about that particular text to understand its meaning. His prayer is recorded in the following verses of Daniel 9, along with the answer to it.

While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, indeed, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. He informed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved.

Daniel 9:20–23a

I don’t want to summarize this. I find the reading of it exciting and so compelling that it needs no other simplification or amplification. God’s messenger Gabriel gave Daniel the understanding he prayed to have.

Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision:
“Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 9:23b–24

I would point out that seventy weeks are given to the people. And seventy weeks are given to the city of Jerusalem. Hidden within the precision of the text is a hint at dual application. A dual application with a common consummation.

“Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Prince Messiah shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of trouble.

Daniel 9:25

It seems clear that the messenger is explaining the vision for the city. It will be rebuilt. There is also a precise calculation given, 69 weeks of years from the decree until the Anointed One comes. The order to rebuild the city, not just the temple, would be the impetus to start counting 483 years (69 weeks of years.) The command to rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on 14 March 445 BC.

The math is precise. 483 years of 360 days corrected for leap years and there is no year zero takes us to 10 Nisan AD 32. That is the first Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as King on the back of a donkey. (Seventh month, tenth day of the original calendar.)

Jesus was crucified on 14 Nisan, the day the Paschal lambs were slaughtered for observation of Passover. He was put in the grave that night. This tracks exactly what Gabriel said to Daniel.

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:26

Messiah was cut off from His people. That’s a euphemism for the sudden death that is due for sins. The focus here turns to the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. The text also explains that both would be destroyed.

There is much controversy here. Much of that controversy comes about by not taking the time to examine the precision of the Scriptures and how they interrelate. They do, surprisingly and intricately. Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed quickly. That is the meaning behind flood, swiftness of the action. The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem did come about swiftly in AD 70.

The understanding Gabriel gave Daniel didn’t end there.

And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel 9:27

Implicit in the text is the assumption that there is a temple for sacrifice and offering to take place after it has been destroyed. The seemingly new temple is in place, it would have to be some time after the destruction previously foretold. This new temple would necessarily have to be in Jerusalem. These ideas have to be inferred to make sense of the text. Moving further along, those things are coupled with the language of destruction to the desolator, it is a consummation of the seventy weeks. It follows that the desolation is destroyed after there is a new temple. It all points to a time then yet future Daniel, and yet future to the destruction of the Temple then existing. That will be when the transgression is finished and the end of sins comes.

That’s the account of the seventy weeks for the city of Jerusalem. Is there one for the people?

Seventy Years of Jeremiah

It shall come to pass when seventy years are finished that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, says the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Jeremiah 25:12

This is the text Daniel had concerns about. He knew the 70 years of captivity were nearing an end. The phrase perpetual desolations stands out as also connecting this to what Gabriel said. This also then hints at a long view yet future. This means Gabriel gave a longer view of the 70 years for the people (of the captivity.)

I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them. And I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the works of their hands.

Jeremiah 25:13–14

There is that promise of God, I will bring upon Babylon all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in Jeremiah’s book. God spoke many words to Babylon. Some of them were written many centuries after Jeremiah lived.

Standing far off for the fear of her torment, they will say:
‘Alas, alas for that great city,
that mighty city, Babylon!
In one hour your judgment has come.’

Revelation 18:10

If, as one reads in Jeremiah, all of the things pronounced against Babylon must take place, it must include those written in Revelation. Since there are things in Jeremiah which have not yet come to pass, and there are other things pronounced against Babylon that have not seen fruition… It follows that some of what is written in Revelation has not yet been fulfilled completely. God is promising that all of it will happen, and because it has not… These things point to events yet future.

In the Jeremiah text above, God also declares He will repay all of the nations that went against Jerusalem according to their deeds and according to their works. The idea of all nations being judged is spread through the bandwidth of the Bible. This is the apocalyptic language that points to the end times.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Luke 21:20–22

As Luke records the words of Jesus, it is clear that His words connect to the ideas presented so far by both Daniel and Jeremiah. It is my clear conviction that the preponderance of the evidence indicates that these events are yet future.

But is there something else that may have been overlooked?

Going back to Jeremiah 25:12, God said it shall be when seventy years are finished that He will do these things. Well, all the things pronounced against Babylon have not yet happened. It means that those seventy years are not yet complete.

When examining the word translated into English as years, we encounter the Hebrew word sana. It is almost always translated as years, but the meaning of the Hebrew word has a much broader context. The meaning of sana encompasses the passing of seasons or cycles. A year encompasses a cycle of seasons, as does every fiftieth year encompasses the Jubilee cycle.

The Full Set of Jubilees

There is not an overt count of one set of 70 Jubilees in the Scriptures. It is hidden away in the text of Jeremiah as seen. Especially considering the difference between the precise English 70 years, to the less precise Hebrew 70 sana.

If this set of complete Jubilees exists, then there is some very specific math that can be applied. But that math requires an objective starting point.

Back a bit, I chose the year 1406 BC as the year Israel entered the Promised Land. There is much controversy over the dating of the sojourn of Israel in Egypt. Many of the secular scholars have purposefully excluded biblical data. We know the day and month from the Scriptures.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho.

Joshua 4:19

Israel entered the Promised Land on 10 Nisan, but what year?

The evidence points to 1406 BC. The selection of Passover Lambs in Egypt 40 years before brackets the wilderness wandering with the entrance into the Promised Land on 10 Nisan 1446 BC.

Why choose these dates?

I favor 1446 BC as the year of the Exodus based on the work of two individuals. The first is the book “Origins of the Hebrews: New Evidence of Israelites in Egypt from Joseph to Exodus” by Douglas Petrovich. The book presents compelling evidence for not only the Israeli sojourn in Egypt but also provides a detailed timeline. One that includes an exit year of 1446 under Pharaoh Amenhotep II. Mr. Petrovich maintains an academia.edu page where he has published other materials.

The second reason why I favor 1446 BC as the year of exodus is based on some of the work of Heather R. She maintains an academia.edu page, too. Her books are published there for free. Of particular interest is the book “The Jubilee and Ezekiel’s Temple” where she provides a comprehensive timeline of the Jubilee cycle complete with data and methods.

The count for the full set of Jubilees begins in the year 1406 BC. This is by the instructions given to Moses in Leviticus 25. With that start date, the complete set of Jubilees can be determined. With the last being the seventieth Jubilee. It will occur in AD 2025.

Big deal, right?

It could very well be. What else is there to learn?

Jesus and the Jubilee

There is an incident recorded in the book of Luke. Jesus is reading from the prophet Isaiah in a synagogue in Nazareth.

He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. When He had unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me
to preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Luke 4:16–19

Jesus read from chapter 61 in the book of Isaiah. This is what Jesus said about this:

Then He rolled up the scroll, and He gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:20–21

It’s brief. But what Jesus read has language that fits the idea of the Jubilee… Freedom from oppression and restoration. It would be awesome if this coincided with a Jubilee. It does not. And it’s not even close.

When examining what Jesus read, the last two lines are compelling, especially “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” The definitive article (the) is not in Greek but is assumed for translation clarity.

When the passage in Isaiah 61 is examined, something else is unveiled.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
to preserve those who mourn in Zion,
to give to them beauty
for ashes,
the oil of joy
for mourning,
the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness,
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord,
that He might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:1–3

It is what Jesus didn’t read, and precisely where He stopped. It was halfway through the passage. This implies He’s not finished yet proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. The next step in the program is to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God. That is a specific period of time. I also note that the acceptable time is a year, exponentially greater than the day of vengeance.

What can be gleaned about that?

Isaiah uses the phrase day of vengeance multiple times. It is apocalyptic in nature. It speaks to a time period that is referred to as Jacob’s Trouble.

Jacob’s Trouble

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book. For surely the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah. The Lord says, I also will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Jeremiah 30:1–3

There is a time of restoration for the Israeli people, all of them. Note that God includes Israel, the northern kingdom, and Judah, the southern kingdom. Colloquially, the northern kingdom is spoken of as the lost tribes. It is a nod to the fact that these tribes have never been regathered into the land. It is my contention that all of Israel is being gathered into the land and for a while, now. The purpose is for restoration, but there is also trouble for both Israel and Judah. There’s a reason why both are named twice, that is both have to have returned to Israel. And tribulation looms for both.

These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. For thus says the Lord:
I have heard a sound of trembling,
of fear, and not of peace.
Ask now, and see,
can a male labor with child?
Why do I see every man
with his hands on his loins, as a woman in labor,
and all faces turned pale?
Alas! for that day is great,
so that no one is like it;
it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble,
but he shall be saved out of it.

Jeremiah 30:4–7

All of Jeremiah 30 is worth a read. God is pointing to a consummation of events in the latter days. Like Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, there is nor will be no other day like it. Ones in which, Jacob will be saved out of it. And as Daniel says, knowledge will be increased.

Look, the whirlwind of the Lord
goes forth with fury,
a continuing whirlwind;
it will fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.
The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return
until He has done it
and until He has performed the intentions of His heart.
In the latter days
you will understand it.

Jeremiah 30:23–24

These are the latter days. These are the days to understand it. There is the day of vengeance, that day. It is a period called the Tribulation. It is the time of consummation from Daniel 9 above when all things will be finished. It will be with the return of Jesus to vanquish His enemies. It is described graphically.

The Return of Jesus

“Who is this who comes from Edom
with dyed garments from Bozrah?
This one who is glorious in His apparel,
traveling in the greatness of His strength?”
“It is I who speak in righteousness,
mighty to save.”
“Why is Your apparel red,
and Your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?”
“I have trodden the winepress alone;
and from the peoples there was no one with Me.
For I will tread them in My anger,
and trample them in My fury,
and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments,
and I will stain all My raiment.
For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
and My year of redemption has come.
I looked and there was no one to help,
and I was astonished, and there was no one to uphold;
therefore, My own arm brought salvation to Me;
and My fury upheld Me.
I will tread down the peoples in My anger
and make them drunk in My fury,
and I will pour out their lifeblood on the earth.”

Isaiah 63:1–6

This is the end of the tribulation when Jesus comes. There is an order to things, Jesus stopped at the reading of the scroll of Isaiah. There is a long length of what is acceptable time for people to be saved. Which is followed by a day of vengeance. After which is to preserve those who mourn in Zion.

Who is this Who treads the wine press?

I saw heaven opened. And there was a white horse. He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written, that no one knows but He Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. His name is called The Word of God. The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, with which He may strike the nations. “He shall rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury and wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11–16

It truly is the Day of Lord!

Isn’t this still the acceptable year?

Lurking behind the English translation there is that Hebrew word sana again. It is most often rendered as year but has a broader meaning of a cycle of seasons. Perhaps that cycle is the complete set of Jubilees.

Conclusion

If all of this is true, then 2025 is significant in meaning. It is a Jubilee year. As demonstrated, it is probably the closing of the acceptable time. What does that mean?

Jubilee is about freedom from bondage. It connects with the giving of the Holy Spirit by the number fifty. It is the restoration of inheritance. It is resurrection. All of which happen in the acceptable time before the day of vengeance.

God does not restore people to take vengeance on them. So, it makes sense that those being restored will necessarily need removal from that vengeance. What is that?

Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible will put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality. When this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then the saying that is written shall come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your sting?
O grave, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:50–58

Maranatha!

Mind the Gaps in Daniel’s 70 Weeks

On By TimIn Daniel 09, Prophecy5 Comments

“Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 9:24

It goes without saying, that when having discussions about eschatology someone is going to mention the prophet Daniel. It would most likely be this particular portion of the writings of the prophet that will be used. So it is our springboard into a very interesting concept one might not consider.

Daniel establishes the high-level panorama of the time given to Israel for the specified purposes of finishing the transgression, making an end to sins, making atonement for iniquity, and bringing in everlasting righteousness. Seventy weeks is the amount of time for that. The idiom means these are weeks of years.

Those seventy weeks times seven years should make one remember what Jesus said about forgiving others (Matthew 18:21–22.) I do try to pay attention to the numbers and the ideas behind them. Most folks know that the number seven is biblically significant representing perfection. The number 70 also has significance. While it can be literal in use, it can also convey the idea of all of them. And as I have said before the forgiveness we must give is all of them perfectly. In the same way, Israel will make all the purposes God has assigned come to pass perfectly. Remember the promises given to Abraham:

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country, your family, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless them who bless you and curse him who curses you, and in you all families of the earth will be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1–3

Israel is to be a blessing to the world. The promise God made to Abram here also has prophetic implications. Though, those are probably things most do not consider. But the principle is, that the things done to Israel will be reflected back onto the doing them. Meaning, that if one expects a blessing from Israel, one ought to bless Israel. When you read the media reports and hear the talking heads, what are they saying about Israel?

I see some pretty nasty things being said by a lot of people. It probably is not going to go well for those given God’s promise. Those are things I would not want to experience.

Yet, I digress. Let’s get back to Daniel. The excursion in this piece is to mind the gaps.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem

“Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Prince Messiah shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of trouble. After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:25–26

The panorama Daniel gives is not comprehensive of Israel’s existence. It is a portion of it that begins at a specific place. Here it begins on the day of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. That is particularly important to understand that it is not just the rebuilding of the temple. The decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem on 14 March 455 BC by Artaxerxes Longimanus. There is a precision given here to help alleviate confusion. Note the emphasis on the plaza and moat. It is difficult to confuse this mandate with earlier ones confined to rebuilding the Temple. The mandate is recorded in Nehemiah 2:1–10.

So the king said to me, “What are you requesting about this matter?” Immediately, I prayed to the God of heaven and then said to the king, “If this pleases the king and if this might be good for your servant who is before you, then would you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs so that I may rebuild it?”

Nehemiah 2:4–5

I further said to the king, “If this pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors of the province Beyond the River so that they would allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, as well as a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple mount, for the city wall, and for the house into which I will enter.” The king granted me these things, because the good hand of my God was upon me.

Nehemiah 2:7–8

That decree is to rebuild the city… Jerusalem. This clearly matches the criteria Daniel gives.

Now, Daniel expects us to do the math. He says there will be 69 weeks, and after the completion of those weeks, the Messiah will be cut off. Daniel does not say 69 weeks, but “the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Prince Messiah shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks(.)” One might be inclined to just read the text, but we have a hint of the first gap. It’s not substantial, but merely a separation clearly established. It is generally considered that 49 years were given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah and his people endured times of trouble as they rebuilt the city, completing their project in 396 B.C. (That account is in Ezra 9–10.)

King Messiah

If the first period was to rebuild Jerusalem, it is not too difficult to infer that the 62 weeks of years is to await the Prince Messiah. About that Prince, the Hebrew is Meshiach Nagid. Nagid is first used in the Bible in 1 Kings 14:7. It is used to describe Jeroboam’s relationship to the people of Israel. He was their king. And we know from our Bibles the exact day Messiah was presented as King.

When He was coming near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with loud voices for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Luke 19:37–38

Now that I have introduced math, let’s do some. Jesus entered Jerusalem that day. The date is Nisan 10. How do we know?

In John 12:1, John tells us Jesus entered Bethany six days before Passover. It was a supper with Martha and Lazarus among others. We know that Passover is on 15 Nisan.

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a household. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to what each man shall eat, divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats. You shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses in which they shall eat it. They shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire, its head with its legs and its entrails. And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, but that of it which remains until the morning you shall burn with fire. In this way shall you eat it: with your waist girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.

Exodus 12:3–11

The lamb was taken into the household on 10 Nisan. It was slaughtered before twilight on 14 Nisan. The blood was sprinkled on the lintel and doorpost protecting the firstborn inside from certain death. The protection was for overnight, meaning when the Angel of the Lord would pass through the nation. Nisan is the first month of Israel’s ecclesiastical (religious) year.

10 Nisan

Back to the text in John, we know Jesus entered Bethany on 9 Nisan. According to John 12:12, it was the next day (10 Nisan) that Jesus entered Jerusalem.

This is a dual witness, one is from mathematics. The second comes from Jesus fulfilling the type of the Passover Lamb being brought into the household for inspection. This occurred on 10 Nisan according to the first Passover as established.

There is still some more math to do.

Calendars in the Ancient Near East used a 360-day year. This means that 69 weeks of 360-day years provides 10 Nisan as the date that Artaxerxes Longimanus made the decree. The start of the 7 weeks of years to rebuild Jerusalem was on 10 Nisan. The beginning of the 62-week wait began on 10 Nisan. With these two witnesses, it seems that Israel’s final week will also start on 10 Nisan.

The Bible is amazing. That 173,880-day interval between the mandate given to rebuild Jerusalem Palm Sunday is exceedingly precise. Jesus was presented as King the very day Daniel gave. (For more on that, read this: The Unexpected King.) This is exactly why Jesus held Jerusalem accountable for her day of visitation.

When He came near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had known even today what things would bring you peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you and surround you, and press you in on every side. They will dash you, and your children within you, to the ground. They will not leave one stone upon another within you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19:41–44

Given the precision of the math, the expectation of the King was preannounced on the precise day! The event was preannounced with other amazing precision.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! And cry aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king is coming to you; he is righteous and able to deliver, he is humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the offspring of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9

Israel missed it and are now blinded to the truth. The future for Jerusalem is bleak. Jesus would not return to them as King until a point yet future.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you shall not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Matthew 23:37–39

Something that comes to mind and bears a mention is Nisan is the new year for kings. Jewish commentaries in the Mishnah tell us that the year of the reign of Jewish kings began in Nisan. This is attested to in the Bible, but takes some digging. 2 Chronicles 3:2 gives us the very start day when Solomon began building the temple. It is a relative reckoning based on the beginning of his reign; fourth year, second month, second day. We must now move to 1 Kings 6:1 which tells us it is the month of Zif (Iyyar.) That month follows Nisan. The traditional Jewish understanding is that kings were crowned on Passover. Could that be attested to in the Bible?

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him. The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they hit Him with their hands.
Again Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the Man!”

John 19:1–5

Jesus was crowned King and presented to Israel. It was intended to be mockery, but in my opinion, the stage was set for the return of the conquering King. Israel expected King Messiah. He was crowned and His next advent to Earth would be as King. It all happened on Passover, 14 Nisan of that year.

Messiah Shall be Cut Off

Daniel told us that after sixty-two weeks Messiah would be cut off. We know that happened on Passover immediately following that first Palm Sunday. This provides us with our next gap. The gap is the time between the Triumphal Entry and the crucifixion.

The Gospels record some of the happenings in that short week including the Olivet Discourse. That was a private briefing Jesus gave to some of His disciples. It is recorded in Matthew 24 and 25. This makes it a relevant part of this discussion because no matter how the discourse is understood, there is a perceived gap between when it was spoken by Jesus and when it would actually occur. Keep that in mind.

It’s the conjunctions that are often overlooked. For some of us Gen-Xers, we know the function of Conjunction Junction. It is to connect two ideas that may or may not be related. We come to that place now in the text where two different ideas are joined together.

And, And, And…

And shall have nothing. Three things have happened. Messiah is crowned King and presented to Israel. They rejected Him. (This is for our… That is Gentiles’ benefit, but that’s another post.) Messiah was then summarily cut off. He was crucified in the prime of life. For all intents and purposes in the physical world, He didn’t have a people to reign because they rejected Him. He had nothing.

And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The insertion of the conjunction and informs us of another perceived gap in the text. Considering the differing views on eschatology, it is undeniable that it was almost 40 years after the death of Jesus that the city and sanctuary were destroyed. Luke speaks of it as He writes of what was said on the Mount of Olives that night.

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led away captive to all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:20–24

Even though Luke uses similar language to Matthew’s version, this is a different event. Matthew has one looking for the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15.) Luke speaks of armies surrounding Jerusalem. Though, Jesus introduced both versions with the destruction of the temple, neither of these accounts assumes that. They are a warning of impending wrath and judgment.

Prophecy is better understood as patterning. This means multiple events may fit the pattern (more on that will come.) Luke’s account points to what we know was a near-fulfillment of the siege of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple. That occurred in the first century and would have been within the 40-year generation of those who witnessed the ministry of Jesus. It also is a pattern that will be witnessed again.

After the fall Jerusalem began the days of vengeance. This is an important concept to understand. The prophets speak of God avenging Himself on Israel (as well as other unbelievers.) This text renders it plainly God is going to judge the Earth.

The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is insane, because of your great iniquity and great hatred.

Hosea 9:7

Israel knows! As I write this, it is several days before the ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av.) That is it has become a solemn day of remembrance of the many calamities that came to Israel. It is the day the spies returned from the Promised Land with a bad report instilling fear in the Israelites that led them to a generation (40 years) of wandering. It is also the day Solomon’s temple and Herod’s temple were destroyed. Many bad things happened to the nation on that day. (Read more here: Tisha B’Av.)

The end of it shall come with a flood. This speaks to the sudden catastrophe that would befall those in Jerusalem at the time. Just as the flood was sudden and unexpected by those who perished in it, this destruction in like manner would be unexpected.

“Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Matthew 24:36

This is another often misunderstood and misapplied verse. It deserves mention here as it connects the suddenness with the word flood.

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating, drinking, marrying, and were given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:26–27

The destruction comes quickly and is unsuspected. Just as Jerusalem was sieged and the temple was burned, Jesus coming in judgment will likewise be unexpected and sudden. That is why the sudden taking of people is mentioned commensurate with this. This speaks to the sudden and unexpected destruction that would come.

And Until the End… War. What war? The translation I used says: “And until the end of the war desolations are determined.” It is translated in different ways. In one translation, the Lexham English Bible, says, “and on to the end there shall be war(.)” I have included the italics contained in the translation to show the assumed words that make a clear translation. I will explain and hopefully answer the question as to what war is.

Desolations are Determined

Until the end, desolations are determined. It is specifically this phrase that helps one to understand that multiple desolations will happen to Jerusalem until the end. It is precisely that phrase that helps to clarify that the abomination of desolation in Matthew 24 may or may not necessarily coincide with the surroundings of Jerusalem in Luke 21. What I mean is that the siege of Jerusalem that resulted in the temple being destroyed could be a partial fulfillment, and still points to a future siege of Jerusalem. Remember, until the end war and desolations are determined.

The war on Jerusalem (and Israelis) did not end with its destruction in AD 70. History is replete with the persecution of the Jewish people in the diaspora. Those people had no homeland until fairly recently. Yet they retained their ethnicity and national identity. Even though their desolations are many.

Indignation

He has violently taken away His tabernacle as if it were a garden; He has destroyed His place of assembly; the LORD has caused the solemn feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion. In his fierce indignation He has despised the king and the priest.

Lamentations 2:6

I would challenge all to read the whole chapter of Lamentations 2. Perhaps even more before and after. In this portion, God despised the king of Jerusalem by destroying the seat of government of the nation. He also despised the priest by laying in pieces the temple. Jesus spoke of this happening in the Olivet Discourse. It is clear to see the patterning in the prophets, and that has a name… fierce indignation.

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him a command, to seize the plunder, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 10:5–6

The idea of indignation is connected with the Jewish people having no homeland. Just as Jeremiah used in Lamentations, it is a term directed at Israel when the nation is judged. This term is mentioned multiple times and is connected with the dispersion of the people of Israel. I think it applies aptly to the last almost 2,000 years and has not yet seen an end.

It is the question someone asked me of how could there be almost 2,000 years for all of it to be connected. God has already answered that.

The Long War

Gabriel provided Daniel with an interpretation of the vision he had concerning the ram with two horns. As I have stated, prophecy is patterning. The patterning in that vision seems initially pointed partially to a figure in history named Antiochus IV. Later chapters of what Daniel wrote reads almost like history, but I think there is more to it. Let’s look.

He said, “Listen, I will make you know what shall be in the final period of the indignation, for the end shall be at the appointed time. The ram which you saw having two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The rough goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now the broken horn and the four horns that stood up in its place are four kingdoms that shall stand up out of his nation, but not with his power. “In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king will arise, having a fierce countenance, skilled in intrigue. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice his will and shall destroy the mighty men and the holy people. By his cunning, he shall cause deceit to succeed under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in a time of peace. He shall also rise up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken, not by human hands.

Daniel 8:19–25

Note that Gabriel draws Daniel’s attention to a certain character in the latter time of that kingdom. Also, note his great might that is not from his own power. But it is that last line that this king shall rise up against the Prince of princes. That’s Jesus. When did Antiochus IV rise up against Jesus?

I suppose it could be one of those allegory things. I don’t think so. In my wacky way of seeing things, I don’t consider the Greek empire gone. It eventually broke up into Hellenistic kingdoms. I think even in our modern times, we live with the vestiges of power from this empire. The western education system is Greek. We teach children Greek letters. We teach them Greek mythology. While the Western education system is Grecian in nature, the government system is decidedly Roman. It was Rome that eventually unified these kingdoms politically.

Since the great Roman Empire, Jewish folk have suffered persecution in Europe. This practice was embraced and continued by the spread of Latin Christianity under the vestiges of the Roman Catholic church. This persecution gave way to forced conversions, property confiscation, expulsion, and outlawing of Jewish people. It’s shameful, really. One of those things not taught in American history classes is the fact that the journey of Christopher Columbus was funded by money seized from the Jewish people as they were expelled from Spain. Of course, recent history seems to cap the plight of the experience of the Jewish people in Europe. Millions were not just expelled, but systematically murdered during the expansion of the German (supposed thousand-year) Third Reich.

Think of the magnitude of these troubles with what Jesus said.

For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:21

It is this that makes me think that the indignation against the people of God is long-term. These people have suffered the anger of God and other people for millennia since before the birth of Jesus. Even amongst all of this God sent His Son to them. They rebelled yet again, and God had removed Himself from the influencing of His people. It makes them an easy target for Satan. It is as if there is a lot of war against them. One could say it is a long war against them. It is the book of Daniel that conveys a loose outline of history beforehand. It is also written to those witnessing the final period of indignation.

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Daniel 12:4

Until the Indignation is Accomplished

“The king shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak blasphemous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper until the indignation is accomplished. For that which is determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above them all. But instead he shall honor the god of forces, a god whom his fathers did not know. He shall honor him with gold and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus he shall do in the strongest of fortresses with a foreign god. He shall give great honor to those who acknowledge him, and shall cause them to rule over the many and shall divide the land for gain.

Daniel 11:36–39

Like the text previously cited in Daniel 8, Antiochus IV also seems to typify what is written here. That previous text presented a divergence to include another yet future figure that will fit the pattern. Likewise, this text does, too. It says this one shall prosper until the indignation is finished. It is this that I think is important. And I want to understand it. I think the indignation has stretched over a far greater length of time than we can imagine.

It is this prophetic and apocalyptic literature that speaks of the indignation God has. It was prophesied long before the Assyrians were used as a tool by God. When the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 721 BC, they dispersed the people to other nations. Subsequently, the southern kingdom of Judah fell in 701 BC. The children of Abraham were dispersed into many nations. Yet God promised to gather them back.

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.”

Jeremiah 31:10

That is just one of the many places where God has promised to regather Israel back into their land. Some scholars seem to think there will be two gatherings. I don’t hold to that. Yes, there was a partial gathering of Judah from which became the modern namesake to describe the people of the nation. Yet there are 10 ‘lost tribes‘ that have not been regathered and indicate the days of vengeance are not quite done.

I think that we live in the time of the gathering. There is a yet future gathering of God’s people from wherever they were scattered. It casts shadows that are easily witnessed today.

If You Will Not Listen to Me

But if you will not listen to Me, and will not do all these commandments, if you despise My statutes, or if you abhor My judgments, so that you will not do all My commandments, but you break My covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with terror, with wasting disease, and with a fever that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart, and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.
If you will not yet listen to Me after all this, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heaven as iron and your land as bronze. Your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield her increase, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
If you continue to walk contrary to Me and will not listen to Me, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number. And your roads shall be desolate.
And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I will also walk contrary to you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. I will bring a sword upon you that shall extract vengeance for My covenant. And when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. When I have broken the supply of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall ration your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
If you will not listen to Me for all this, but walk contrary to Me, then I will walk contrary to you also in fury, and I Myself will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your funeral offerings on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I shall abhor you. I will make your cities a waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your fragrant offerings. I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies that dwell there shall be astonished at it. I will scatter you among the nations and I will draw out a sword after you. And your land shall be desolate and your cities a waste. Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest because it did not rest during your sabbaths when you lived upon it.

Leviticus 26:14–35

Now, as has been established, prophecy is patterning. While the land did rest after the invasions of old, I think this has application today. Especially when one pays particular attention to the talk of scattering and desolation. Mark Twain testified to the desolation in his book Innocents Abroad. As a skeptic, Twain wrote of the Sea of Galilee like it was, “a solemn, sailless, tintless lake, as unpoetical as any bath-tub on earth.” While passing through the Jezreel Valley, he said, “There is not a solitary village throughout its whole extent – not for 30 miles in either direction. There are two or three small clusters of Bedouin tents, but not a single permanent habitation. One may ride 10 miles, hereabouts, and not see 10 human beings.”

Long before Twain’s visit, there was another observation by a write. Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, known as Nachmanides, fled Spain for Palestine. After a long journey, he arrived at the Port of Acre in AD 1267. He was traveling to Jerusalem. He couldn’t even find many other Jewish folk to pray with. He wrote, “Many are Israel’s forsaken places, and great is the desecration. The more sacred the place, the greater the devastation it has suffered. Jerusalem is the most desolate place of all.”

Seeing the long-term desolation of the land of Israel is real, the 70-weeks prophecy referenced above by Daniel becomes relevant. Not in that it is done, but that there really is a long gap of time from the culmination of the 69th week to the beginning of the 70th week. Much of the Tanakh references the rebellion of Israel and Judah. It doesn’t look as if they were real in their relationship with God. In fact, in the book of Hosea, that relationship was pretty much one-sided.

Then the LORD said to me, “Go, again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just as the LORD loves the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love raisin cakes.”
So I purchased her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley. Then I said to her, “You will remain with me many days. You will not play the whore, and you will not belong to another man. And also I will be with you.”
For the children of Israel will remain many days without a king and without a prince, without a sacrifice and without a standing stone, and without an ephod and teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come in fear to the LORD and to His goodness in the latter days.

Hosea 3:1–5

Go, Again. Hosea went back, just as a foretype to Jesus Who will come back to Israel as the conquering King. They will seek God in the latter days.

Math… Again

God says He is going to repay the rebellion seven times, it requires us to do some math. Taking Daniel’s 70 weeks of years computes to 490 years. Multiplying that by 7 yields 3,430 years. That is a huge number of years.

Israel entered the Promised Land around 1406 BC. Taking those 3,430 years and subtracting those years leaves 2,024. Accounting for year “0” gives 2,023 years after the birth of Christ. (Yes, I know it is politically correct to use BCE and CE instead of BC and AD, they both reference the same standard.)

While the exact date means little, it is the calculation that points to the modern day. What is even more astonishing, is taking into account the seven years required to subdue the land from the Canaanites comes to the year 2030. What comes to my mind is the UN’s Agenda 2030. It seems that somebody else had some inside knowledge.

Now I know that for part of those years, Israel lived in the Land in relative peace. Yet from the time of Moses on, her rebellion is recorded. And the nation suffered repeatedly for the rebelliousness. The culmination came after the cutting off of the Messiah.

It is not that if the math is exactly correct. It shows the real validity of a period of judgment that can last over millennia. It would not be surprising that there could be 2,000 years since the death of Jesus Christ until He sets it all right. But could it be that precise? Could it be that the end of the indignation nears?

Convergence

I must speak to the Last Jubilee. Heather Rivard has put together a small book that is available online. It is called The Jubilee and Ezekiel’s Temple. In this work, she lays out the case for 70 jubilee years for Israel. (I will leave you that homework to read it.) In her calculations, she makes the case for the Last Jubilee to occur in one of three years 2023, 2024, or 2025. It will mean the restoration of the land and the people. It will probably come with the restitution of the Mosaic Law. Ezekiel’s Temple will be built at the beginning of this Jubilee. It will be the start of Daniel’s final week. If indeed there are 70 jubilee years given to Israel, the final one is upon us.

As stated previously, the weeks of years begin on 10 Nisan. Ms. Rivard provides three data sets in her conclusion. The first points to the year 2023 as the Last Jubilee. Another points to the year 2024. The final data set gives the year 2025. It is this final dataset that intrigues me.

If the Last Jubilee begins 10 Nisan 2025, then with it begins the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy. As I have previously cited the work by Chuck Missler in The Unexpected King, I want to call attention to the precise date given for the first Palm Sunday. That is 6 April AD 32. That day would be 10 Nisan in AD 32 (by modern reckoning of years.)

I know Ms. Rivard set a date.

An examination of the history of antisemitism shows something remarkable. In the Eleventh century, antisemitism surged. From then on, the specific recorded accounts grow exponentially. It continues to grow until the recorded occurrences explode in number. It is like the last 1,000 years is real warfare that is ramping up in frequency and atrocity. If there ever was a need for a peacemaker, it is becoming plainly evident.

The Prince Who Shall Come

And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

Daniel 9:27

There’s the conjunction and indicative of yet another gap. This prince who shall come will appear to be a peacemaker. The text indicates he will make a firm covenant with many. The translation here may be a bit misunderstood. It is not that this prince will make an agreement. The prince that comes will be the one who usurps Jesus and stands in His place. Israel will mistakenly see him as the Messiah. Jesus spoke to this truth.

I have come in My Father’s name, but you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

John 5:43

As to the covenant, the King James translation conveys exactly what is going to happen. He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. In other words, this prince will establish the covenant Mosaic Law to be practiced in Israel in the coming temple for seven years. The word many in the text is another rhetorical device used in the Bible. It is a synecdoche used to refer to the people of Israel.

In the middle of the week is preceded by another conjunction… But. Connecting these two ideas exposes another gap of time between the establishment of the covenant and three-and-a-half years later. The prince causes the sacrifices and offerings to cease. This is indicative that the covenant made was for Temple sacrifices and the rudiments of the Mosaic Law to be restored.

On the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate. To understand this phrase we must go back to where Daniel first used the word desolation.

Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spoke, “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”

Daniel 8:13

He used it in a question about a previous event explained to him from the vision he had.

Indeed, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and from Him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.

Daniel 8:11

The prince in Daniel’s vision “shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak blasphemous things against the God of gods(.)” He will establsih himself as to the one to be worshipped and erected an altar to that purpose. In history, Antiochus IV erected an altar to Zeus over the existing altar. Hence the rhetorical device used in Daniel 9:27 of spreading of wings. The Grecians’ mythology is a twisted version of true history. Zeus is Satan. The Titans are other fallen angels.

The conjunction and coupled with the preposition until denotes another gap of time that leads to the appointed culmination.

Until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator. There comes an end for this enemy of God and His people. It is when Jesus comes back to Earth as King.

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to wage war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The remnant were slain with the sword which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.

Revelation 19:19–21

Concluding Thoughts

I know this was long. I know I didn’t fill all the gaps, so to say. The goal was to find precedence to justify the anger of God toward Israel to last over a long period of time. I do think the evidence is profound and clear.

Like the patterning in all prophecy, the generation that saw the death of Jesus and the destruction of the Jerusalem spanned that 40-year timeframe. It is clear that not all of the events Jesus spoke of in the Olivet Discourse have come to pass. Therefore, there is a future time when all these things take place. Likewise, the generation that witnesses the budding of the fig tree will see the events of the end.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: When its branch becomes tender and grows leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you shall see all these things, you know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Matthew 24:32–35

I do not have a problem with anyone being able to know the times and seasons.

Before the Beginning of Sorrows

On By TimIn Last Days, Matthew 24Leave a comment

Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:4–8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We are just about at the point of mass deception on this timeline. That would be before the beginning. Jesus did give this intel in a private briefing to a few of His disciples. They wanted to know what signs would come with the end of the age.

The deception we experience today isn’t even what comes in the “beginning of sorrows.”

Make no mistake, the governments of the world are aligning in unity quickly. They are already practicing the precursors and cover stories to obfuscate the things Jesus said.

  • Deception.
  • Wars. Rumors of wars.
  • Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom.
  • Famine.
  • Epidemics.
  • Earthquakes.

Each of these is actively propagandized, even in the United States. Pay attention to what is happening.

UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena formerly known as UFOs) will bring the new Jesus. These will bring our so-called space brothers. The story will be that the massive disappearance of people happened because they are not fit for the next evolution of humanity. These are removed by the brothers who seeded life on the earth.

The mass movement of troops isn’t preparation for war. Outfitting neighborhood police departments with military-grade gear isn’t normal.

Need I say Ukraine… anyone?

Look at the empty shelves at the grocery store. There are things that are periodically hard to find. Food supply lines are being disrupted. That is usually the cause of most famine in our world. People are starved not because there is no food. It is purposefully kept from them.

CV-19 introduced us to the age of the pandemic. That certainly guarantees that more pandemics will not be unexpected.

Did you know earthquake data from the US often doesn’t match location and intensity as other governments’ sources? This link is old but explains the problem.

We aren’t even at the beginning of sorrows.

At the risk of TL;DR… That is possible to be to your own detriment.

The point of the beginning of sorrows will be marked by a mass disappearance of a lot of people. Christians call this the rapture. The powers-that-be already have a cover story prepared. You have been groomed to accept it as true by popular movies, TV, fiction, and music. Falling for it may very well be the impetus that seals the fate of those caught up in it. What I mean is that most people are not going to think any of this suspicious and will dutifully go along with the story they are told.

Jesus is coming.

He is coming to judge the world. The judgment will come after the wrath of God is poured out on the world that is ambivalent toward Him. Even before all of that, Jesus is coming to whisk His own church away.

In a harmonized account of the briefing, Jesus drops a hint about this at the end of what He says.

When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

When we go up, they will come down.

There is still time for you. You can repent (change your mind) and believe Jesus. Believe that He rose again to save you. Confess your sins.

You don’t have to obey the Ten Commandments, be a good person, give to the poor, or do any other things… Save believe Jesus died and rose again for you as He is your only way to God.

Of course, if you’re just gonna wait it out, I’d say good luck. But there is no such thing. You could listen to a favorite band… And a cool song. But, really… Trust Jesus.

The Rapture (Part 3) – What it is Not

On By TimIn 1 Thessalonians 04, Rapture2 Comments

The previous post attempted to explain what the rapture is. We know the rapture is a catching away of church saints. It helps to have an understanding of what the rapture is not, and the other things people say about the rapture.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall be forever with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The Word Rapture is Not in the Bible

This is often one of the most widely used ideas used to deny the rapture. It is true, that the English word rapture is not in the Bible. But the Greek word for the rapture is. That word is harpazo. Here is a definition from a reliable lexicon.

ἁρπάζω harpazō, – ‘snatch, seize’, i.e. take suddenly and vehemently, or take away in the sense of
1. to make off w. someone’s property by attacking or seizing, steal, carry off, drag away
2. to grab or seize suddenly so as to remove or gain control, snatch/take away

Definition provided by William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 134.

The word rapture enters the English language from Middle French rapture, which is derived from the medieval Latin raptura. Raptura is defined as seizure and/or kidnapping. The medieval Latin word has as its root the Latin raptus, which conveys the idea of a carrying off.

For the word nerds like I tend to be, here is a technical explanation (not that I do prefer technical illustrations.) In the text above from 1 Thessalonians, the Koine Greek verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagēsometha) is used. It means we shall be caught up or taken away. The Koine word is correctly translated into the Latin Vulgate as rapiemur, meaning we are caught up or we are taken away. The Latin word has a root in the Latin verb rapio, meaning to catch up or take away.

Clearly, the word idea meant by rapture is in the Bible. To help alleviate any confusion let’s use an older, yet still reliable lexicon.

RAP’TURE, noun [Latin raptus, rapio.]
1. A seizing by violence. [Little Used.]
2. Transport; ecstasy; violence of a pleasing passion; extreme joy or pleasure.
  Music when thus applied, raises in the mind of the hearer great conceptions; it strengthens devotion and advances praise into rapture
3. Rapidity with violence; a hurrying along with velocity; as rolling with torrent rapture
4. Enthusiasm; uncommon heat of imagination.
  You grow correct, that once with rapture writ.

Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 (https://webstersdictionary1828.com/)

Using the word rapture or the term catching up to translate harpazo doesn’t change the way we understand the doctrine. Jesus comes and catches church saints up and away. We know now that the word rapture is not ‘not in the Bible.’

The Rapture is Not the Second Coming

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:29–31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is the second coming of Jesus. It is markedly different than the rapture. As we’ve learned from previous posts, the rapture is for church saints. The second coming is for Israel, which is easily discerned by the usage of the term elect. It is almost always a term used for Israel as the chosen to make God known to the world. We also know this by the immediate context and audience. Jesus is speaking to a small group of Jewish disciples about as they asked Him what the sign of His coming would be and that of the end of the age (Matthew 24: 3.)

Yes, there are similarities to the rapture of church saints. There is the coming in the clouds, but with great power and glory. There is the great sound of the trumpet, military language for sure. But there is no shout, no voice of the archangel. The elect are gathered, yet the text is silent on where they are gathered.

Let’s examine the other two gospel accounts of the same event.

“But in those days, after that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken.’
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Mark 13:24–27 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Each of these accounts describes the same event. There are intriguing details in all three and some that are unique to each.

Common details include coming in the clouds with great power and glory. There are a lot of natural disasters that precedes the event. There is also a sense of doom and foreboding. Two accounts mention the elect being gathered. I will leave the rest for you to examine, and see what other commonalities you can uncover.

The unique details are the things that ought to draw our attention. In the Luke account, a subtle exhortation gives us a hint to the rapture. “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus is encouraging His disciples to look up for redemption when these things begin to happen, not after. That is an important, yet subtle detail. Especially when we examine the Matthew passage, “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” Redemption for saints is when these begin to happen, the second coming is after the tribulation.

Remember the previous post from Acts 1.

When He had spoken these things, while they looked, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him from their sight.
While they looked intently toward heaven as He ascended, suddenly two men stood by them in white garments. They said, “Men of Galilee, why stand looking toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:9–11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The rapture occurs in like manner to Jesus’ assumption. It is a private event for those (future) church saints present. There is no fear. There is no perplexity. There is no mourning.

Paul, in another epistle referencing the rapture, calls it the blessed hope.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, righteously, and in godliness in this present world, as we await the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a special people, zealous of good works.

Titus 2:11–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Contrast that with the passage in Matthew that says “all the tribes of the earth will mourn.” These are not the same events.

Now to really ruffle feathers.

The Rapture is Not Middle-Tribulation Nor Post-Tribulation

I understand that statement may be hard to take. But the passages cited above provide us with all we need to know that the rapture occurs before the tribulation. There are other ways to know this.

Alas! for that day is great, so that no one is like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Jeremiah 30:7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I encourage everyone to keep in mind when reading the Bible and encounter the phrase ‘that day.’ Most often it is a reference to the end times or last days. Jeremiah calls those days Jacob’s Trouble. In other places, it is described as a time of unprecedented trouble. It is even called great tribulation to explain its unprecedented severity.

“And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 12:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These citations are not meant to be all-inclusive, but they serve as sufficient witnesses to this period of time being unprecedented. God even foretold this to Moses as he was dying.

The LORD said to Moses, “You are about to lie down with your fathers, and this people will rise up and begin to prostitute themselves after the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they are going to be among them, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger will burn against them on that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they will be devoured, and many disasters and troubles will befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil things which they shall have done, in that they turned to other gods.

Deuteronomy 31:16–18 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

When these things begin to happen look up for redemption. We are looking to a blessed hope. As previously discussed, the rapture serves as the end of the ministry of the church saints on earth.

The tribulation is judgment for Israel, not the Spirit-baptized church saints. The church escapes that judgment.

The Rapture is Not Already Passed

Because we understand that the rapture comes just as the days of tribulation being, it could not have happened in the first century. This is a view called preterism, which claims all things in the Bible have already happened. Let us look again at Daniel 12.

“And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 12:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Preterism will tell you that the Day of the Lord happened when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in 70 AD. That just cannot be true given the verse in Daniel. What happened in Jerusalem then, happened in a little backwater of the great Roman Empire. Sure it was devastating to Israel and her people, but relatively non-concerning to the rest of the empire.

Looking at the 120 million or so people that perished in and around the 20th century is surely a great sign of terrible trouble for a greater number of people. Yet according to what we read, even that won’t match what comes.

Given modern knowledge, preterism cannot be true.

The Rapture is Not This

I tell you, on that night two men will be in one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; the one will be taken and the other will be left.”

Luke 17:34–36 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This text is often used as a rapture text. Examining the context and evidence that surrounds it provides a different conclusion. One that is very different. Let’s see the whole passage and what we can learn.

For as the lightning flashes and lights up the heavens from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating, drinking, marrying, and were given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
“Likewise as it was in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. But on the day that Lot departed from Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all.
“So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away. And likewise let him who is in the field not return to the things behind. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two men will be in one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain together; the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; the one will be taken and the other will be left.”
They asked, “Where, Lord?” He replied, “Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Luke 17:24–37 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Like the previous citations from the Gospels, this text is not describing a blessed hope. Jesus sets the tone in the discussion as judgment and begins that discussion with the days before the judgment carried out by the flood. The unbelievers died in the waters. Was it because they couldn’t discern the signs?

To continue pressing His point, the destruction of Sodom is remembered. This is to demonstrate the sudden revealing of the Son of Man. It won’t be expected, at least not with joy for redemption. It comes with a heavy sense of foreboding. People are suddenly taken away.

Those present ask an intriguing question… Where?

They wanted to know where these taken would be. Jesus answers “Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” That is a reference to scavenging birds feasting on a dead corpse. It is explained here.

In Conclusion

We know the rapture is not not in the Bible. It is not the second coming. It does not happen during or after the tribulation. It has not already happened. And it is not the gathering of the elect, nor is it the gathering of unbelievers for a bird feast. As always, my intentions are not to be exhaustive, but to provide enough of a starting point for your own excursion into the depths of God’s Word.

The Olivet Discourse: 02 – The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

On By TimIn Israel, Last Days, Luke 21, Mark 13, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse2 Comments

Continuing from the previous post, there are things to keep in mind. The first is the perspective of the author and the ideas he chooses to convey. Here is the foundation text beginning with the account in Matthew.

Jesus departed from the temple and was leaving when His disciples came to show Him the temple buildings.
Jesus answered them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

Matthew 24:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As Matthew starts, he relates the impetus for the conversation, the temple is mentioned, but no attention is given to describing it. The group was leaving the temple, and the disciples wanted to show Him the buildings. Imagine the change in the conversation. One moment it was about the temple; The next, destruction is foretold. This conversation was probably still in public, as the group had not yet come to the Mount of Olives. There may have been others privy to this part of the conversation.

Let’s examine the other synoptic accounts.

As He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what great stones and what great buildings are here.”
Jesus answered him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

Mark 13:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Already one can discern some differences. Mark doesn’t just relate the gist of the conversation. He relates what is said. That is the action that is occurring. We also see the usage of the title Teacher.

Look at the mention of the great stones. Though the temple wasn’t yet complete, the stones they were looking at were 10 to 12 feet long. It was Herod’s goal for the temple mount to be a massive 1600 by 900 feet edifice soaring to nine stories in height. The walls were to be up to 16 feet thick. All this still wouldn’t match the glory of Solomon’s temple, had it been finished. Its destiny was to be toppled.

We come to Luke.

As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

Luke 21:5–6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Like Matthew, Luke relates the impetus of the conversation. He too points out the stones. He also mentions the gifts. These are the decorative items donated by others to adorn the temple. Herod gave a golden vine that had bunches of grapes that were as tall as a human.

All three accounts, though differing, are conveying the same basic information. The temple’s beauty would come to be ruined.

The stylistic differences also become apparent in how the content is conveyed. Matthew draws attention to the temple building as if the reader is already familiar with it. Mark’s style is about title and action. He gives a bit of detail, perhaps as his audience may need help to understand how great the stones are, as if such are unfamiliar with it. Luke points to the ornate decorations and gifts. It’s a bit of humanity, and the artistry is of great interest to a Greek.

This is also a perfect example of what not to see. The disciples were concerned with the outward beauty of the temple. Absent from the conversation is what went on inside it. The temple was certainly the focal point of life in Jerusalem at the time. Its beauty was certainly something to admire.

Considering the words here, perhaps there is an underlying message to keep a light touch on the things of this world, as they will fade away. Perhaps to keep what is inside of the temple kosher instead of fixating on the outward appearances.

The Olivet Discourse: For Israelis Only?

On By TimIn Mark 13, Olivet Discourse3 Comments

Matthew, Mark, and Luke give much of the same testimony of the life and teaching of Jesus. The material offered is presented in the same general order of events. These three are called the synoptic gospels for that reason.

In an endeavor to understand the similarities recorded in the Olivet Discourse, it is more intriguing to notice the differences. When studying eschatological passages such as this, it isn’t difficult to encounter controversy. In an effort to avoid errant misunderstanding, context is important.

One of those controversies in interpretation is inevitably going to include the intended audience of the writers. In other words, there are some who say Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse was written only for the Israelis. Let’s see if such a sentiment can be demonstrated.

As He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

Mark 13:3–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I give this verse for context. Matthew wasn’t present for this private briefing. Neither was Mark or Luke. Therefore, the things they wrote were as they understood from others. One thing is clear, though. They were Jewish people asking about the temple.

We also need to understand that everything Jesus taught… He taught to Israelis. His earthly ministry was to Israelis. The words He gave to them are for Israelis. He came only to them.

This is what He said to a gentile woman who came to Him to plead for her daughter.

But He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
But He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and to throw it to dogs.”

Matthew 15:24–26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It’s only Matthew that records Jesus’ sentence, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” It follows, everything we read of Jesus and His earthly ministry must be understood first in that context. Especially as it is given to us in Matthew. It was Israel who was chosen to be God’s ambassador to the nations. When Jesus speaks and teaches, He is almost always speaking directly to Israelis.

Scholars also suggest that the synoptic gospels have intended audiences that differ. For Matthew, his audience was Jewish folks with Messianic expectations, proving Jesus is Messiah. Mark’s audience was the Gentile Romans and Greeks. Luke’s audience was new Gentile (Roman and Greek) Christians.

Can this idea be detected?

In the Olivet Discourse, when Jesus is speaking of how many will be martyred, it is recorded with some slight differences. The differences here seem to apply to the perspective of the intended audience.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

But take heed. For they will hand you over to councils, and in the synagogues you will be beaten. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

Mark 13:9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

But before all these things, they will seize you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will turn out as a testimony for you.

Luke 21:12–13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Each account has Jesus speaking of the testimony of the witnessing would-be martyrs. Matthew says the testimony is “to all nations.” Mark, it’s to “them (kings and rulers.)” While Luke records it’s a testimony for the individual believer.

Yes, the similarities are important. But the differences ought not to be challenges to our understanding. They are there to enhance and bolster our understanding.

Men Fainting from Fear and Expectation

On By TimIn Apostasy, Death, Israel, Last Days, Luke 21, ProphecyLeave a comment

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples during a private briefing He gave them in the week before His death. Clearly, we can understand that the events portrayed here will happen around the time closely preceding Jesus’ return to judge the world.

Reading through this, there was something that stood out. Jesus speaks of the signs that seem to be unprecedented at any time heretofore. He then makes an interesting statement, that there will be humans “fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming.”

What is Coming

Perhaps He is speaking to that period of signs and distress He spoke of in the immediately preceding context. But then He could be speaking of the immediately preceding context, as bad as it was, things coming would be more perilous and frightening.

I am thinking the latter is probably a better explanation. Those people faint from fear connect right here:

In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 9:6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As the revelation unfolds beginning in Revelation 6, seals are opened. As each seal is opened, it reveals an event among other things.

The Seals

As the first is opened, it reveals a horseman given the ability to conquer. This is most likely what will bring a one world leader into power. Yet it will not be without bloodshed. The second reveals peace being taken the earth. Again, this will probably prove fatal to some humans. The next brings massive inflation. How much death would occur during each of these?

The fourth horseman brings death to one-quarter of the Earth’s population. The next seal reveals comfort and encouragement given to the servants of God murdered during this time. They seem to have already been informed that God would avenge them. They ask God, “How long?”

The sixth seal reveals massive earthquakes and signs in the sky. The stars of heaven fall to the Earth. This could be figurative, or it could be the fallen angels coming to Earth as the marshaling of forces to confront Jesus when He comes to Earth to judge at the end of these events.

So far we see that this stuff is so disconcerting, people will go underground and hide in caves. They will hide from what they know is the great day of His (Jesus’) wrath.

A pause ensues, the servants of God on Earth are marked. We also see the saints that were murdered for their testimony during this time of perplexity worshipping Jesus. We see the prayers from those still alive being heard in the heavens and answers to them are prepared.

As the seventh seal is opened, there is a short period of silence. After the silence, angels are revealed, seven of them have trumpets.

The first angel sounds his trumpet, a third of all vegetation burns up. The second sounds and a great rock falls into the sea destroying a third of the living creatures in it and a third of the ships on it. The third blares, a star falls from heaven and makes a third of the freshwater rivers bitter; killing those who drink the water. The fourth angel sounds and a third of the day and a third of the night have no light.

There is yet another pause.

Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other trumpet blasts of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

Revelation 8:13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Now considering all that has been revealed so far from Revelation 6 through 8 and how it is easily and succinctly summed up in Luke 21:25. Think of the reaction you might have to an angel flying over your head saying loudly, “Woe, woe, woe.” Would there be overwhelming fear so bad you would want to die?

God says they will desire to die, but death will elude them.

men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Luke 21:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)
The Powers of Heaven Will Be Shaken

The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. The star was given the key to the bottomless pit. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke ascended from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. And out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. Power was given them as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were given authority, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 9:1–6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I cannot even begin to imagine the things that would follow. An angel opens a pit, from which locusts thick as clouds come. These won’t bother anything other than those men who do not have the seal of God. These will have a painful sting and cannot kill either.

That Time Approaches Quickly

Given the greater context of our primary text in Luke 21, this setting is in the period before these things happen. By the parable of the fig tree that comes immediately after, we can surmise we are most likely in that time period.

What is coming is a drastic and systematic reduction of the population of the Earth. It’s going to happen. God didn’t write this to scare anyone, but to warn those who have ears to hear… So they may prepare.

That preparation is to become a servant of God… Not a servant of the needy, the culture, or yourself.

Harmonizing the Tribulation of Those Days

On By TimIn Israel, Jesus, Last Days, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Prophecy, Rapture, Redemption, Return of JesusLeave a comment

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:29–31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

“But in those days, after that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken.’
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Mark 13:24–27 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25–28 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In the harmony of these presentations of the special briefing that Jesus gave His disciples at the end of the age, there are similarities that can be harmonized. All three are describing a time of great tumult, with signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and the heavens being shaken. We also see Jesus coming in the clouds.

To understand the coming in the clouds, we must delve into the old testament. We find over the many mentions of clouds associated with God it came in the form of divine intervention for His people. During the exodus, God led the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day. When the cloud descended on the tent of meeting, it signified the presence of God. God coming in the clouds is a powerful and symbolic way to demonstrate divine intervention, divine judgment, or divine provision for the preservation of His people.

In this ‘sign’ we see ALL three. There is also another truth in the harmony that isn’t discussed. That is, Jesus is referring to Himself as God. If one understands the trial with the high priest, Jesus was asked if He was the Messiah, the Son of God. In His reply, He affirmed the questions the priest asked and claimed He is God. This is understood when we know the identity of Who comes in the clouds. Jesus said it would be Him by the title He chose for Himself. This title is also a direct reference to all of this.

I saw in the night visions, and there was one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. There was given to Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The differences are also important. Let’s poke at some of these.

The first is the introductory phrase to this time. In the Matthew and Mark account, the audiences’ attention is drawn toward the period after these distresses. More things would happen on Earth and in the heavens, and then the Son of Man would appear. The elect would be gathered, and a kingdom established (The latter part is inferred.) Both accounts seem to give a contemporaneous account of events.

Now note how Luke explains it, paying special attention to where he wants the audiences’ attention drawn. From the outset, Luke is asking his reader to understand the time before these events occur. This is clearly understood by this phrase “of what is coming on the inhabited earth.” Luke describes the same events that will happen, not contemporaneously.

Then we encounter the last sentence. “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.” Luke is a gentile writing to gentiles. He is admonishing them to pay attention to when these things begin to happen. We also have the use of a unique word, ‘redemption.’

Matthew and Mark are drawing attention to the time of God’s intervention, judgment, and preservation of His people. Perhaps it could be redemption. Yet they did not use the word. I think it is because the attention of the reader is being drawn to two different events. Luke is drawing attention to redemption that occurs before the harmonized disasters that are described.

Considering redemption and the way the word is used in the New Testament, we can readily see the references of the majority of forms in the graphic. There are two other uses, one reference meaning ransom/release is cited in Hebrews 11:35 (Red.) The other is referencing an event and is the one word from Luke 21:28 we are discussing, ‘Redemption.’

The End of it Shall Come with a Flood.

On By TimIn Daniel 09, Olivet Discourse2 Comments

After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the troops of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall come with a flood. And until the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I had highlighted this during the week to pursue later. What caught my attention is the phrase “The end of it shall come with a flood.” It in this case would be the city Jerusalem, or better the temple sanctuary in it.

Yet somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember hearing an account of a certain ancient civilization wanting to extract the last vestiges of gold from a sacked place, they flooded it with water. As the water washed through the ruins it then gushed over a grassy plain before eventually finding an outlet to a body of water. The treasure was lifted from the ruins by the water and caught in the grass of the plains. It was then retrieved. I think somewhere in my mind I always want to connect this idea with the temple but can find no sources for even the account. There is plenty of speculation on how the alleged melted gold was retrieved, but that is for another time.

Setting out this morning to try and understand, I have at least settled in my mind what is being said.

“The end of it shall come with a flood.”

In the passage, the word flood is translated from the Hebrew sheṭeph (שֶׁטֶף.) I think I want to read an English primary understanding into the translated word, meaning a flood with water. However, it seems as if the idea conveyed is just overwhelming devastation. A little later in Daniel, that same word is used as connected with armies to convey an overwhelming military army that is swept away.

A flood of armies shall be swept away before him and be broken, and the prince of the covenant as well.

Daniel 11:22 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I think that helps to understand the context being offered. Still not satisfied, I checked out how the Septuagint translated the idea. The English transliteration is something like this:

Will come its end with destructive anger.

I think that better suits the idea as a judgment sent from God and overwhelming on many fronts; militarily, vast and emotional. Given some of the scant historical gleanings, the Israelis were so protective of that sanctuary. That was their identity, as the only ones who could approach and serve God.

Yet clearly in the prophecy, the Anointed One is cut off. We know Jesus was crucified. His death wasn’t for Himself (and shall have nothing.)

It is the troops of the prince who shall come who set to destroy the sanctuary. The command to do so wasn’t from Rome, a local legion set the fire. I can imagine the overwhelming confusion of the moment.

“And until the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Let’s not confuse the term desolations with what is commonly called the abomination of desolation. The former is specifically speaking of the desolations that are decreed to Jerusalem (and its people.) It is this very thing Jesus spoke of in the Olivet discourse. He was speaking of the second diaspora, the scattering of Israelis, and the desolations to come upon the city and its people.

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led away captive to all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:20–24 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

There would be a specific season for this diaspora and will end when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Even in recent history, we continue to see the desolations that happen to the Jewish people; expulsion from Spain, the pogroms in Russia, and the Holocaust. These readily come to mind as modern desolations. Even now we see continued desolations spoken of in our media. The zeitgeist would shame Israel for settlements, for defending herself. The same would also divide Jerusalem for the sake of peace. Even then, the end of war won’t come until Messiah arrives.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:30–31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The flood destroyed the city and sanctuary, and with all floods, the aftermath seems hopeless. These are the desolations that are decreed until the end of the war.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”

Psalms 122:6–7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is not meant to be an extensive explanation of prophecies, but of clearly understanding that phrase in the light of Scriptures.