ISRAEL
AND CHRIST’S RETURN
Brian G C Huggett
The
purpose of Jesus'
miracles in Matthew
chapters 4 to 12 was
to focus Israel's attention on his Messiahship – his claim
to being the
promised Redeemer
and King of Israel.
In Matthew 12:22 the
demon possessed man
was both blind and
dumb, therefore
contact with the
demon could not be
made through
physical means.
This particular type
of miracle was
believed by the Jews
to be one that only
Messiah could
affect.
It
is obvious the
people thought so
for in vs.23 we
read, “…the people
were amazed, and
said, Is not this
the son of David?”
Yet the Jewish
leadership rejected
this confirmation,
and needing to
justify their
rejection accused
Jesus of performing
this miracle by the
power of Beelzebub
the prince of
devils.
(Jesus pointed out
that this could not
be the case because
no kingdom divided
against itself can
stand.)
According to Matthew
12:31-39 this was
the unpardonable sin
- Israel rejected the Messiahship of
Jesus on the grounds
he was demon
possessed (The
people proved they
were accomplices to
this, for they were
unwilling to make a
stand and accept the
evidence before
them, but blindly
followed the
leaders).
From this point on
the only sign they
would be given would
be the sign of
Jonah, i.e. the
resurrection, seen
in the resurrections
of Lazarus and of
Jesus, and still to
come, the two
witnesses of
Revelation 11:11-12.
This unpardonable
sin was the point of
no return; there
would be no revoking
of God's judgement.
Such a sin occurred
3 times in
Israel’s
history:
1.
Numbers
chapters 13-14, i.e.
the withdrawal of
the offer of the
Promised Land (the
people were still
redeemed but would
die outside the
land.)
2.
2
Kings Chapter 23; 2
Chronicles Chapter
34 - ending in the
Babylonian
captivity, which
judgement even
Josiah’s reforms
could not cancel.
(For Josiah’s sake
the captivity did
not occur until
after his death.)
3.
And here, Matthew
Chapter 12.
These were all
national sins where
the leadership at
the time rejected
truth and were
willingly followed
by the nation.
On the basis of this
national sin the
offer of the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
to this generation
was withdrawn and
the offer of eternal
life through faith
in Christ took its
place; an offer made
to all individuals,
both Jew and
Gentile.
The Kingdom
of Heaven will
again be made
available to the
nation when it
acknowledges this
national sin, and
this will happen at
the end of the age –
after the age of the
Church.
The precondition for
Israel
entering the Kingdom
will be the national
confession of the
national sin.
See DOCTRINE:
KINGDOM below
After this sin,
Jesus spoke to the
Jewish people only
in parables so that
they might not
believe, but gave
the meaning to those
who did believe in
him.
The return of Israel’s Messiah
to the earth will
not happen until a
prerequisite is met.
1.
I will go [and]
return to my place,
till they
acknowledge their
offence, and seek my
face: in their
affliction they will
seek me early (Hosea
5:15).
‘Return to my place’
is an O.T. reference
to the ascension of
Christ.
2.
O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, [thou]
that killest the
prophets, and
stonest them which
are sent unto thee,
how often would I
have gathered thy
children together,
even as a hen
gathereth her
chickens under [her]
wings, and ye would
not!
Behold, your house
is left unto you
desolate.
For I say unto you,
Ye shall not see me
henceforth, till ye
shall say, Blessed
[is] he that cometh
in the name of the
Lord (Matthew
23:37-39).
Then “…I will pour
upon the house of
David, and upon the
inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the
spirit of grace and
of supplications:
and they shall look
upon me whom they
have pierced, and
they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth
for [his] only
[son], and shall be
in bitterness for
him, as one that is
in bitterness for
[his] firstborn”
(Zechariah 12:10).
The Jewish people
have suffered
horrific times
throughout the
Christian era with
most of them being
instigated by
Christendom or its
political allies,
which in their
religious bigotry
have reflected the
thinking of Satan
rather than the mind
of Christ.
This bigotry has
caused Jewish people
to reject everything
to do with the name
Christ, and
therefore they have
not heard Christ’s
voice.
True and Biblical
Christians should
have a love for the
Jewish people since
the Saviour came
from the seed of
David, and our
salvation and our
Christian walk has
its roots in the
Jewish faith.
Last century,
because of general
unbelief and
ignorance of the
mind of Christ (the
Bible), Christendom
remained silent as
Hitler rose to power
spouting his anti
Jewish cant, and
during his reign the
Jewish people
suffered the loss of
one out of every
three in the Nazi
holocaust; yet still
they did not call
upon their Messiah.
Like the Scribes and
Pharisees of old
Christendom also has
committed the
unpardonable sin of
rejecting the truth,
and in the process
distorted God’s word
so that they changed
the glory of the
incorruptible God
into an image made
like to corruptible
man (Romans 1:23).
In so doing they
have rejected the
Saviour and put in
his stead their own
works.
Christendom has lost
its savour and if
“salt have lost his
savour, wherewith
shall it be salted?
it is thenceforth
good for nothing,
but to be cast out,
and to be trodden
under foot of men”
(Matthew 5:13; c.f.
Revelation 3:16).
As Christian
influence has waned
(as Christendom has
become apostate) so
satanic religion has
begun to wax great
in the world yet God
will have the
victory and Israel will turn
back to him in faith
and repentance.
What will it take to
turn
Israel
from unbelief to
faith?
First
of all they must be
given the
untarnished truth,
and then they must
believe and act upon
it.
In a day to come God
will raise up
144,000 Jewish
evangelists as a
world wide witness
to his name
(Revelation 7:4),
and will refine
Israel
“as silver is
refined, and will
try them as gold is
tried” through fires
far worse than the
Nazi years.
(Zechariah 13:8-9).
“And it shall come
to pass, that in all
the land, saith the
LORD, two parts
therein shall be cut
off and die; but the
third shall be left
therein.
And I will bring the
third part through
the fire, and will
refine them as
silver is refined,
and will try them as
gold is tried: they
shall call on my
name, and I will
hear them: I will
say, It is my
people: and they
shall say, The LORD
is my God.”
Hosea 5:15 in the
words of Messiah
writes: “I will go
and return to my
place, until they
acknowledge their
offence, and seek my
face: in their
affliction they will
seek me earnestly”.
From the prophecies
scattered throughout
scripture there
emerges a picture of
this terrible time
of trial, and it is
very clear that that
time is nigh, even
at the doors (Mark
13:29).
However, it will
come only after the
true Church has been
resurrected, that
great body of
redeemed souls from
throughout the
centuries, who ‘in
the twinkling of an
eye, at the last
trump’ will be
raised incorruptible
and immortal, and
caught away together
‘to meet the Lord in
the air: and so
shall we ever be
with the Lord’
(1Corinthians 15:52
– Thessalonians
4:14-18).
This moment has been
termed the
‘rapture’.
See DOCTRINES:
RAPTURE & RAPTURE –
PRE-TRIBULATION
RAPTURE below.
There is a deal of
scepticism, even in
Christendom about
the resurrection,
yet the whole of the
Christian faith
hinges on the
resurrection of
Christ; and if God
was able to raise
Christ from the dead
why should he have
difficulty raising
those who believe in
him?
To be sceptical
regarding the
resurrection of the
Church is to be
sceptical regarding
Christ’s
resurrection and if
we do not believe
Christ was raised we
are in danger of
being unsaved
(Romans 10:9; c.f.
1Corinthians
15:16-17).
When the Church is
raised, and only
then, the day will
come when the man of
sin is revealed, the
son of perdition;
the one who exalts
himself above God,
making himself out
to be God, whose
coming is after the
working of Satan
with all power and
signs and lying
wonders, and whom
the Lord will
consume with the
spirit of his mouth,
and shall destroy
with the brightness
of his coming at his
return to the earth
(2Thessalonians
2:3-9; Revelation
19:11-20).
This man will reign
for seven years, a
time known in the
Scriptures as The
Tribulation - then
will the end come.
These seven years
are Daniel’s
seventieth week.
The pre-tribulation
resurrection of the
Church:
Paul wrote
2Thessalonians some
months after his
first letter to that
church in which he
spoke of the
catching away of the
saints
(1Thessalonians
4:13-17, see also
1Corinthians
15:51,52): He wrote
his second letter to
warn the brethren
that they be not
soon shaken in mind,
or troubled,
regarding any false
reports, including
letters alleged to
be from him, of the
‘day of the Lord’
being at hand; for
he says, it will not
be “except there
come a falling away
first, and that man
of sin be revealed,
the son of
perdition”.
The day of the Lord
is always depicted
as a day or time of
extreme judgement
and destruction.
Why Christians were
concerned is not
immediately obvious;
surely the coming of
our Lord must be an
event to be looked
for.
However, if they had
been told that the
believer’s ‘meeting
the Lord in the air’
was to be prior to
his return to the
earth in judgment,
then there would be
cause for concern;
there would be a
fear of having
‘missed out’, and to
those who know they
are ‘born again’
this would cause
dismay to the point
of devastation.
It seems obvious
that this was their
reaction to such
reports - that this
was their fear.
Paul tells them not
to fear because the
day of the Lord
judgements would not
occur until certain
things happened.
He
continues: “…he who
now letteth (or
restrains) will
continue to
restrain, until he
(the restrainer) be
taken out of the
way”; then and only
then “shall that
Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall
consume with the
spirit of his mouth,
and shall destroy
with the brightness
of his coming”
(2Thessalonians
2:7-8).
Who is the one that
restrains?
He who restrains,
katecho to hold down
(fast) is one who
has the power to
restrain wickedness.
It cannot be a man,
for all are subject
to the old nature
and unless we abide
in the Son of God by
being filled with
the Spirit we can do
nothing, let alone
restrain evil (cf.
John 15:4-5;
Galatians 5:22;
Ephesians 5:9).
It cannot be God’s
Son for he is, at
present,
representing us
before the throne of
heaven.
It can only be the
Spirit of God, the
one whom the Son
sent to be a
comforter for us
(John 14:16-17) and
the one whose
ministry is to
convince the world
of sin, of
righteousness and of
judgement to come
(John 16:8).
The resurrection or
‘rapture’ of the
Church must occur
simultaneously with
the taking of the
Spirit out of the
way, for God has
said that while we
live, “I will never
leave thee, nor
forsake thee”.
Also, the Spirit of
truth who dwells
with us and is in
us, is God’s pledge
until the redemption
of our bodies (the
purchased
possession) and is
the one by whom we
are sealed (Hebrews
13:5-6; John 14:17;
2Corinthians 1:22;
Ephesians 1:13-14).
For God to be true
to these promises,
the indwelling of
believers by the
Holy Spirit must
continue until the
redemption of their
bodies at their
resurrection, at the
‘catching away of
the saints’; from
which moment on,
they will ever be
with the Lord.
It is clear that the
Church will be
removed prior to the
coming of the man of
sin; that Wicked
one.
“For the mystery of
iniquity doth
already work: only
he (the Holy Spirit)
who now restrains
will restrain, until
he be taken out of
the way. And then
shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the
Lord shall consume
with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall
destroy with the
brightness of his
coming:”
Daniel’s 70th Week -
THE TRIBULATION
(Hopefully all the
events of this seven
year period, from
throughout
scripture, may
sometime be placed
in good and
acceptable order
(probably after the
event), but although
that would be a good
thing it is not
within this writer’s
ability or the
purpose of this
article.
The purpose is to
put forward a
realistic scenario,
allowing the student
of Scripture to
imagine the scene
and see in it a
political/historical
connection, not just
a series of
semi-detached
supernatural
events.)
The purpose for the
Tribulation is
manifold; it is a
time of mass
evangelism (Severe
stress is oftentimes
the only way God can
gain the attention
of people); it will
bring to a head the
great conflict
between good and
evil – between God
and the devil; it
will prove the
hardness – the
rejection of truth
so engrained in the
human heart;
it will purge evil
from the world and
cleanse it for the
reign of Christ, and
it will be the means
of bringing Israel
back to their God –
the cause of them
confessing their
iniquity and saying
“blessed is he that
cometh in the name
of the Lord”.
Daniel 9:26-27
reveals the start of
this seven year
period. It does not
begin at the rapture
(the catching away
of the Christian
church
(1Thessalonians
4:17), it begins
when he, the
‘prince’ of the
people that
destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, confirms a covenant with
many ‘for one week’.
This is Daniel’s
70th week and is of
seven years
duration.
See PROPHECY –
DANIEL'S SEVENTY
WEEKS below.
The ‘many’ are Jews.
This is seen in the
context of the
entire passage in
its relation to the
sanctuary (Temple)
and the city (Jerusalem),
and in the fact that
this ‘prince’
destroys the
covenant by causing
the sacrifices and
prayers to cease.
The tone of this
passage is wholly
Jewish.
It is in the midst
of the week (after
3½ years) that the
‘breaking of the
covenant’ occurs,
leading into a time
of desolation -
another 3½ year
period.
Although the
covenant is made
with ‘the many’, not
all Israelites will
agree with it,
however ‘the many’
will include the
leadership, and
those who would
rather follow than
think.
(This principal of
preferring to follow
than to think has
been the downfall of
the Church today.
“For there are
certain men crept in
unawares, who were
before of old
ordained to this
condemnation,
ungodly men, turning
the grace of our God
into lasciviousness,
and denying the only
Lord God, and our
Lord Jesus Christ”
(Jude 1:4).
Such men have
infiltrated the
leadership of
Christianity and
with their
pernicious doctrines
have twisted God’s
truth into the
Devil’s lie, and the
unthinking
multitudes have
followed them into
the ditch (Matthew
15:14; Luke 6:39)).
The rapture of the
Church must occur
before this
‘prince’, this ‘man
of sin’ or ‘anti
Christ’ is revealed
(2Thessalonians
2:3-7) and so there
may be some time
between the rapture
and the ratifying of
this covenant.
One reason for the
belief that this
time is near is that Israel is back
in the land and a
recognised
government.
Israel
is now a recognised
government and able
to sign such a
covenant, whereas up
to 1948 that was not
possible.
(There is a commonly
held belief that the
generation which saw
the rebirth of Israel will also
see the coming of
Christ.
If there is any
truth in that belief
then we must indeed
be close, for in
Psalm 90:10 the
lifetime of man is
given as three score
years and ten
(70years), or eighty
if he does well,
which allows another
nine to nineteen
years from the date
of writing.)
An exciting thought
even if it turns out
not to be an
accurate chronology.
The book of The
Revelation chapters
6-19 cover these
seven years.
Revelation
Chapter 7 speaks of
the sealing of the
144,000 servants of
God out of every
tribe of
Israel
and it is obvious
that these Jewish
men are taken from
the four corners of
the world (vss.1-3);
this is an ideal
situation for world
wide evangelism.
These are Jewish men
from every nation
and language and yet
they are of one
culture and belief -
Judaist/Christian;
they have come to
believe that Jesus
Christ is their
Messiah (Revelation
14:4). Someone has
described them as
144,000 Saul’s of
Tarsus
coming to know
Christ all at the
same time.
Whatever way these
men come to believe,
it is evident they
know and preach the
truth.
Verses 9-14 reveals
an innumerable
number of people who
understood and
accepted the gospel
they proclaim.
This is the
fulfilment of
Matthew 24:14; “And
this gospel of the
kingdom shall be
preached in all the
world for a witness
unto all nations;
and then shall the
end come.”
The major reason for
the tribulation in
regards to Israel however, is to break the will
of God’s people - to
‘scatter the power
of the holy people’
(Daniel 12:7).
Daniel chapter 12
refers to ‘a time of
trouble, such as
never was since
there was a nation’
(vs.1), a time span
of only 3½ years -
‘a time, times, and
an half’.
These 3½ years are
the latter half of
the 7 years of
Daniel’s seventieth
week.
The length of this
period of intense
suffering is given
again in vs.11, ‘a
thousand two hundred
and ninety days’ -
3½ years. There is a
short span of days
after these 1290
days, which if the
people wait
patiently through
it, they will be
blessed (presumably
in seeing their Lord
and the setting up
of the Kingdom).
Ezekiel 20:34-38.
This 3½ years is the
time the Lord has
set aside for the
re-gathering and
purging of his
people, and he will
remove from them
‘the rebels, and
them that transgress
against me’ and
‘they shall not
enter into the land
of Israel’, but the
remainder ‘shall
know that I [am] the
LORD’ and enter into
the land and all
it’s blessing -
‘into the bond of
the (new) covenant’
(vs.37).
In Israel today, as
in yesteryear, many
religious leaders
are also political
leaders, and in
Isaiah 28:13-19 the
LORD condemns the
leaders who make
this covenant with
Anti Christ (see
DOCTRINES:
ANTICHRIST below)
and tells them that
although they have
made a covenant with
this prince (the
LORD calls it ‘a
covenant with
death’), it will be
cancelled and an
‘overflowing
scourge’ shall sweep
through Israel, and
the leadership will
be trodden down by
it.
This is the intense
persecution against
the Jewish people
instigated by the
anti Christ when
they reject his
claim of being God
and reject his image
in the
Temple
- the abomination of
desolations of
Matthew 24.
Jesus spoke of this
event in Matthew
24:15-22.
“When ye therefore
shall see the
abomination of
desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in
the holy place …then
let those in
Judea
flee into the
mountains...”
Don’t go from the
rooftop into the
house for
belongings; those
who are burdened by
a babe in arms - and
if winter rains were
to slow one down,
the danger will be
extreme.
This persecution
will have the speed
and ferocity of the
Nazi blitzkrieg and
haste is vital.
In this same warning
(Matthew 24:15), the
apostle was impelled
by the Holy Spirit
to add the
parenthesis (whoso
readeth, let him
understand) and this
comment contains a
strong message.
The word for
understand means to
exercise the mind
and is a forceful
encouragement for
readers to get to
know what the
abomination of
desolation was all
about, and directs
them to the book of
Daniel to find out.
(Daniel Chap 11)
Daniel’s words were
prophetic and
referred first of
all to the exploits
of Antiochus
Epiphanies and
particularly to his
desecration of the
Temple in BC 167
(see below).
This parenthesis by
the Holy Spirit
shows there is
something of real
significance in
those ancient
events.
So much Old
Testament prophecy
had a short and a
long term
application, and if
the advice of the
Holy Spirit is taken
and that prophecy
transposed into the
time the Lord Jesus
speaks of, then not
only Daniel 11:31
but also vss.32-45
can be safely looked
at as long term
prophecy yet to be
fulfilled in another
leader likened to
the Antiochus
Epiphanies of
history.
Matthew Henry has
written of those
times thus:
“He (Antiochus
Epiphanies) carried
on his malicious
designs against the
Jews by the
assistance of some
perfidious apostate
Jews. He kept up
intelligence with
those that forsook
the holy covenant
(Daniel 11:30), some
of the Jews that
were false to their
religion, and
introduced the
customs of the
heathen, with whom
they made a
covenant. See the
fulfilling of this,
1 Macc. 1:11-15,
where it is
expressly said,
concerning those
renegade Jews, that
they made themselves
uncircumcised and
forsook the holy
covenant.
We
read (2 Macc. 4:9)
of Jason, the
brother of Onias the
high priest, who by
the appointment of
Antiochus set up a
school at Jerusalem,
for the training up
of youth in the
fashions of the
heathen; and (2
Macc. 4:23, etc.) of
Menelaus, who fell
in with the
interests of
Antiochus, and was
the man that helped
him into Jerusalem,
now in his last
return from Egypt.
We read much in the
book of the
Maccabees of the
mischief done to the
Jews by these
treacherous men of
their own nation,
Jason and Menelaus,
and their party.
These upon all
occasions he made
use of. “Such as do
wickedly against the
covenant, such as
throw up their
religion, and comply
with the heathen, he
shall corrupt with
flatteries, to
harden them in their
apostasy, and to
make use of them as
decoys to draw in
others,” (Daniel
11:32). Note: It is
not strange if those
who do not live up
to their religion,
but in their
conversations do
wickedly against the
covenant, are easily
corrupted by
flatteries to quit
their religion.
Those that make
shipwreck of a good
conscience will soon
make shipwreck of
the faith.”
The False Prophet:
It is almost certain
that a future
religious/political
Jewish leader will
be the second beast
of Revelation
13:11-15.
There is good
evidence for this
belief.
This beast’s
ministry is to
establish Anti
Christ as the
supreme ruler and
worthy of worship,
even by the Jews.
With the
significance of
Daniel’s prophecies
on the life and
times of Antiochus
Epiphanies having an
end-time fulfilment,
this man will be the
antitype of those
Jewish leaders who
attempted to
introduce
Hellenistic culture
into the
Temple
worship in BC 167.
Other pointers to
the Jewishness of
the False Prophet:
This second beast
comes to the fore in Jerusalem where we first
see him and his
ministry, a ministry
in keeping with
those apostate Jews
of old, i.e. the
establishment of the
‘abomination that
makes desolate’.
He comes out of the
earth, which can be
a reference to
Israel; he has two
horns, two sources
of power which would
be religious and
political power, and
he is described as a
lamb, which has
great religious
significance to the
Jewish mind, and he
has some degree of
Temple authority,
seen in his
introduction of the
worship of man, the
worship of Anti
Christ.
All this makes it
fairly obvious that
he is Jewish.
Great tribulation:
Isaiah 28:21 speaks
of God rising up
(for action) and
being wroth, and
performing his
strange work, his
strange act.
It is described in
vs.22 as a
consumption that is
coming upon the
whole earth, a time
of extreme pressure
and destruction that
is designed to purge
evil from
Israel
and also from the
earth.
It is considered
strange because it
is so far removed
from God’s norm of
defending Israel.
In this instance he
will be seen as
fighting against
them, although in
could also be seen
as a final act of
love, in trying to
turn a rebellious
people back to
himself.
In Jeremiah 30:4-7
the LORD warns
Israel
regarding this time,
describing it as
being ‘great
travail’.
He calls it the time
of Jacob’s trouble
but promises that
Israel
will be saved out of
it.
This does not mean
every Jew, but a
believing remnant of
the nation.
It is in the remnant
that the nation of Israel will be saved to enter into the Kingdom
of Heaven - the
millennial reign of
Christ.
In Matthew 24:22 the
Lord again promises
the nation that
although this period
will be a time of
the world’s greatest
tribulation ever,
yet for the elect's
sake (the remnant),
those days shall be
shortened.
It is estimated that
during the reign of
this anti-Christ, 65
- 75% of the world’s
population will
perish through mass
murder, warfare, and
by natural and
supernatural
calamities.
In Revelation
12:1-6, in the
figure of a woman,
we see Israel fleeing into the wilderness.
This flight is
preceded by a quick
overview of Satan’s
enmity toward Israel.
The woman clothed
with the sun and the
moon under her feet
and a crown of
twelve stars is a
direct reference to
Genesis 37:9-10 and
a picture of
Israel.
The pregnancy refers
to Israel as being
the nation from
which Christ came,
and verses 3-4 tell
of Satan’s concerted
effort to destroy
Christ as an infant.
The whole scene is a
thumbnail sketch of
the centuries, with
vs.5 encompassing
the life, ministry,
resurrection and
ascension of Christ.
God had told Satan
that although he
will bruise the heel
of the seed of the
woman, he (the seed)
would bruise Satan’s
head (Genesis 3:15)
and Satan must
either destroy
Christ, which he
failed to do, or
keep Israel from
fulfilling the
prerequisite for
Christ/Messiah’s
return; they must
call for him in
repentance and faith
(see Zechariah
12:10; Matthew
23:39).
If Satan can keep Israel from
calling upon the
name of the Lord,
Christ/Messiah will
not return and Satan
will go on to
slaughter them all
and will have won
the day.
But we can rejoice
for we have read THE
BOOK and know the
end of His-story.
Joel Chapter 2 is a
prophecy of this
terrible time but it
ends with the words
“And it shall come
to pass, [that]
whosoever shall call
on the name of the
LORD shall be
delivered: for in
mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be
deliverance, as the
LORD hath said, and
in the remnant whom
the LORD shall call”
(Joel 2:32).
The woman (believing
Israel)
flees into the
wilderness, where
she hath a place
prepared of God that
they should feed her
there a thousand two
hundred and
threescore days –
the 3½ years of
‘great’ tribulation,
or Jacob’s trouble.
She is given the
means to escape into
this wilderness (she
is given the wings
of a great eagle,
c.f. Exodus 19:4;
Psalm 103:5; Isaiah
40:31).
This wilderness
refers to Bozrah
where the Lord says
he will assemble and
protect Jacob (Micah
2:12), and from
where he, the King,
shall break forth
and go before them
(Micah 2:13).
There
will be a great
number of people at
Bozrah for it is
written, “they shall
make great noise by
reason of [the
multitude of] men”
(Micah 2:12).
On his return to
deliver Israel and
starting from this
wilderness, Messiah
sweeps all his
enemies before him
as he returns to the
mount of Olives to
deliver Jerusalem at
his second coming
(ref. Isaiah 34:6,
Isaiah 63:1;
Zechariah 14:4).
Revelation 12:7-17
gives further
reasons for the
devil’s hatred of
all things Godly.
It is at this point,
half way through the
seven years that the
devil and his angels
are cast out of
heaven - they no
longer have access
there (vs.8).
And now; “Woe to the
inhabiters of the
earth and of the
sea, for the devil
is come down unto
you, having great
wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath
but a short time”.
Satan now knows his
end is near and it
is from this moment
that he sets in
motion his pogrom of
exterminating the
Jews (vss.13-17).
It is at this point
that the abomination
of desolations is
set up in the Temple, and at this point we see the flight of
the believing
remnant into the
wilderness.
In the first half of
the tribulation the
political structure
of the world looks
likely to be a ten
kingdom
confederation as per
the ten toes of the
beast (Daniel 2:42)
and the ten horns
(Daniel 7:24 and
Revelation 13:1).
There are many
autonomous nations
in the world today
(2010), but it is
highly probable the
world (or possibly
the democracies of
the world) will be
divided into ten
regions, for even
now we can see the
foundations of this
being laid and its
fulfilment
attempted.
The religious
structure of the
world will change;
something we can
also see happening
today.
As Christendom
becomes more
apostate and we hear
increasingly of a
united world
religion, it is easy
to understand how
this will end in
what Revelation 17:5
calls “MYSTERY -
BABYLON THE GREAT -
THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH”.
In the political
scene, after the
true Church has been
taken out from “the
hour of temptation
that is to come upon
the world, to try
them that dwell upon
the earth”
(Revelation 3:10),
the Anti Christ will
come to the fore and
in a short time,
conquer three of the
ten regions and will
be given allegiance
by the others.
This will prove to
be an uneasy
alliance.
It
is debated whether
the religious system
rides to power on
the back of the
political beast or
whether the
politicians gain
power through
religion. It is more
probable that the
second option is the
case.
It is the belief of
some very sound
Bible teachers, that
the headquarters of
this
political/religious
system will be
transferred to the
site of the ancient
city of
Babylon
on the
Euphrates
River
in present day
Iraq.
If this is the case
we could see more
movement in that
direction in our day
(the restoration of
the ancient city was
started by Saddam
Hussein).
In support of this
belief we have in
Zechariah 5:5-11 a
vision by the
prophet, which
refers to the
relocation of a
woman, whose
designation is
‘Wickedness’ to a
permanent base in
the land of Shinar,
i.e. Babylonia (I
believe we can
equate this woman
with the MOTHER OF
HARLOTS above).
The fact that Babylon is the original
site of anti God
religion would have
a certain attraction
to the anti Biblical
religions of today
(including many in
Christendom), and
would be more
acceptable to all
the participating
kingdoms as a
central and neutral
point for a new
world order.
In Revelation
17:12-18, the kings
- the rulers of the
ten political
regions give their
allegiance to Anti
Christ and because
of their contempt
for religion will
turn and destroy the
religious system.
Revelation 17:16
says the kings “hate
the whore, and shall
make her desolate
and naked, and shall
eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire”.
The cause of this
hatred may be the
religious objections
to absolute power
being given to Anti
Christ; on the other
hand destruction of
the religious system
may be the only
means for that power
to be had.
It would certainly
remove the major
opposition to his
image being set up
in the Temple in a renewal of ‘Emperor’ worship.
Such a system of
worship would
combine both the
political and
religious systems
under a single
authority.
Religion and
politics are
fundamentally
antagonistic and
when these two
systems compete for
power the one who
holds the allegiance
of the military, and
the resolve to
annihilate the other
will win out: In
this future instance
it is the political
head.
Satan cannot allow
two centres of power
and to bring
people’s allegiance
directly to himself
he destroys religion
and concentrates all
his power into this
one man (remember
the word’s of Christ
Jesus regarding a
divided kingdom not
being able to
stand).
Religion in the
second half of the
tribulation will be
the enforced worship
of this man who
claims to be God, a
man whose image will
be in the
Temple.
The Kings of Daniel
11:40 and Beyond
Sometime prior to
the second 3½ years
with all its horror
of a Satanic
dictatorship, there
is an attack against
Anti Christ’s reign
by the Kings of the
South and of the
North (Daniel
11:40).
We know it is during
the tribulation for
it is an attack
against Anti Christ
(and therefore after
he had come to
power), and we can
know it is before
the second 3½ years
because in Daniel
12:1, just after the
invasion, the
Archangel Michael
stands up in
readiness to help
the people of Israel
through “a time of
trouble, such as
never was since
there was a nation
[even] to that same
time”.
The identity of the
king of the north is
not known with
certainty although
there are thoughts
of him being ‘Gog of
Magog’ (Ezekiel
38-39) but this is
unlikely for reasons
we shall cover
shortly.
Another possibility
is the rebellion of
one or more of the
ten confederate
Kings (see below).
(The king of the
south is probably
Egypt,
for anti-Christ
sweeps through
Palestine
and conquers
Egypt
in what may be an
act of retribution.)
King of the North
(Daniel 11:40)
The term King of the
North in Daniel 11:6
to 20 refers to the
ancient Kings of
Syria.
In 11:21, 28, 29 it
refers to Antiochus
Epiphanes, with
Daniel 11:31-39
alluding to
Antiochus'
desecration of the
Temple, and also on
into the 'time of
the end'/'the time
appointed' (vs.35)
to the time of
Antiochus'
counterpart
(Antichrist), of
which Christ Jesus
spoke in Matthew
24:15.
In Daniel 11:40,
speaking of
anti-Christ, it
states that at the
time of the end (see
vs.35) the 'King of
the North' shall
come "against him
like a whirlwind,
with chariots, and
with horsemen, and
with many ships".
This latter king
cannot therefore
refer to Antichrist
for he would have to
come against
himself.
There must be
another King of the
North "having a
mighty army
chariots, horsemen,
and with many
ships".
Ezekiel 38: 14-15,
speaks of Gog of
Magog, a chief
prince, coming out
of the north parts
to invade Israel
with "many people
with thee, all of
them riding upon
horses, a great
company, and a
mighty army", and
being destroyed upon
the mountains of
Israel (Ezekiel
38:22 - 39:1-2).
This description
does correspond with
Daniel 11:40 and
suggests the
identity of this
King from the North
as being Gog of
Magog.
But does it?
Probably not, for at
least three reasons:
1. Gog’s invasion is
against
Israel,
“the people [that
are] gathered out of
the nations, which
have gotten cattle
and goods, that
dwell in the midst
of the land”
(Ezekiel 38:12).
Gog comes down to
take a spoil from Israel not to
attack anti-Christ.
2. The aftermath of
both invasions speak
of events that
preclude them being
concurrent, for
Daniel 11:40-43
shows anti-Christ as
an invader, entering
into Israel ‘the
glorious land’
overthrowing
(killing or
conquering) many
people, and other
countries in the
area being invaded.
The point is that
during such a time
Israel is unlikely
to have the freedom
to spend seven
months in burying
the dead of Gog’s
invasion forces
(Ezekiel 39:12-16),
therefore Daniel
11:40-43 and Ezekiel
39:12-16 are
separate events.
3. In line with the
second reason,
Israel also makes
use of the captured
military hardware of
the Gog invasion to
produce their energy
needs for seven
years (Ezekiel
39:9-10), which
would indicate Gog’s
invasion occurs at
least seven years
before anti-Christ’s
invasion of the
‘glorious land’.
This burning of the
weapons of war might
occur after the
tribulation and in
the first years of
Christ’s reign, but
that is improbable.
(A note on the ‘many
people being
overthrown’: With
the Hebrew rab
meaning ‘abundant in
quantity’ and there
being limited
nations in the area
it seems clear the
‘many’ refers to
people, not
countries as the KJV
implies.
This is supported in
vs.42 where it goes
on to speak of
countries as also
being conquered.
Even though Edom, Moab
and the chief of the
children of Ammon
escape invasion,
anti-Christ does
invade
Egypt even to the borders of
Ethiopia.)
The question ‘who is
the king of the
north’ in Daniel
11:40, therefore
remains.
With Gog of Magog
being an improbable
contender and with
no other
identifiable
candidate, it leaves
the identity of this
‘king’ unknown.
But his existence is
real and rebellion
against anti-Christ
his aim.
It appears his is
not the only
rebellion, for later
while anti-Christ is
in Egypt, Daniel
11:44 speaks of
tidings coming “out
of the east and out
of the north” ,
tidings
that alarm him to
such an extent that
he loses control,
and in intense anger
sweeps northward to
annihilate ‘many’.
What those tidings
are is open for
conjecture but it is
probably a second
break of allegiance.
We saw in the events
of Antiochus
Epiphanies’
incursion into Israel, a type of anti-Christ, and
it could be that
other events of
Antiochus’ day may
have prophetic
significance also.
AUBERLEN, on page 65
of his THE
PROPHECIES OF DANIEL
etc, accepts
Porphyry's statement
that “Antiochus, in
the eleventh year of
his reign (166-165
B.C.), invaded Egypt again, and took Palestine on his way. The "tidings" of Daniel
11:44, as to the
revolt of tributary
nations then led him
to the East”.
Porphyry made the
statement that,
“Antiochus, starting
from
Egypt
took
Arad in
Judah
and devastated all
Phoenicia;
then he turned to
check Artaxias, king
of Armenia. He died in the Persian town
Tabes, 164 B.C.”.
This statement from
history does seem to
fit with the future
movements of
anti-Christ
prophesied in Daniel
11:44-45.
“But tidings out of
the east and out of
the north shall
trouble him:
therefore he shall
go forth with great
fury to destroy and
utterly to make away
many. And he shall
plant the
tabernacles of his
palace between the
seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet
he shall come to his
end, and none shall
help him.”
Rebellion against
anti-Christ by
unidentified persons
from the north seems
to be the best we
can do in answering
the question: Who is
the ‘king of the
north’ of Daniel
11:40.
The ‘tidings’ from
the north and the
east of Daniel 11:44
may refer to the
arrival of the huge
army from the east,
whose passage was
made clear by the
drying up of the Euphrates river (Revelation 16:12).
Whatever the
identity of the
kings of vs.40 is,
their attack seems
to be the grounds
for anti-Christ’s
invasion of Israel -
the ‘Glorious Land’,
and probably the
catalyst for
breaking his
covenant with her -
the time when he
causes ‘the
sacrifice and the
oblation to cease’
(Daniel 9:27).
In the frustration
and anger caused by
this attack from the
north and south,
anti-Christ could
lash out at anyone
who he perceived as
an enemy and if at
this time Satan is
ejected from heaven
and indwells him,
just as Antiochus
Epiphanies did
before him, this
Anti Christ could
turn on Israel in satanic fury.
Daniel continues:
“He (Anti Christ)
shall stretch forth
his hand also upon
the countries: and
the
land
of Egypt shall
not escape. But he
shall have power
over the treasures
of gold and of
silver, and over all
the precious things
of
Egypt:
and the Libyans and
the Ethiopians
[shall be] at his
steps.” (Daniel
11:42-43)
The mention of Ethiopia and Libya
here may link this
whole campaign back
to the time of the
‘Gog of Magog’
invasion for we read
in Ezekiel 38:5 of
Ethiopia
and
Libya’s
part in that
confederacy.
Anti-Christ’s
incursion into
Egypt
could be one of
retribution against
Egypt
and a mopping up in
regards to
Ethiopia
and
Libya.
Invasion of Israel and the desecration of the Temple will cause many in
Israel
to flee to the
wilderness of
Edom
and Bozrah, or to be
more specific to
Petra.
This corresponds to
the flight of the
woman into the
wilderness
(Revelation 12:6).
The armies of Anti
Christ pursue them
but are swallowed
up.
We should keep in
mind that at the mid
way stage of the
seven years; the
kingdoms of the
world suffer a great
earthquake and
almost certainly
many casualties.
The timing of this
first great
earthquake may be
analogous to the
earth opening to
swallow Satan’s
pursuit of the woman
into the wilderness
(Revelation 12:16).
Ant-Christ is able
to advance on
Egypt
however, and will
take control of that
nation’s wealth.
As he prepares to
invade Ethiopia and Libya, “…tidings out of the east and
out of the north
shall trouble him:
therefore he shall
go forth with great
fury to destroy, and
utterly to make away
many.
And he shall plant
the tabernacles of
his palace between
the seas in the
glorious holy
mountain; yet he
shall come to his
end, and none shall
help him (Daniel
11:44-45).
While he is in Egypt tidings
from the north and
the east bring him
hurrying with great
fury to destroy, and
utterly to make away
many.
There is no mention
what these tidings
are, or who ‘the
many’ might be.
One would suspect
invading forces to
be involved but he
does not enter into
a battle; in fact he
“plants the
tabernacles of his
palace” (sets up
headquarters) near Jerusalem.
This leads one to
suspect ‘the many’
may be those
inhabitants of
Jerusalem who were
not killed or taken
captive in Anti
Christ’s initial
attack against her
and are now
fortified in
Jerusalem and
offering strong
resistance to his
will.
(I refer you to
Zechariah 14:2,
where Anti Christ’s
initial attack
against
Jerusalem
sees half of the
city going into
captivity and “the
residue of the
people not being cut
off from the city”).
The many may be
those who manage to
fight off the Anti
Christ’s armies, and
in offering
resistance, are the
reason for his fury.
We
notice that in this
passage from Daniel
there is no mention
of any immediate
battle and the news
from the East may
have been of chaos
in
Babylon,
the results of the
destructive
earthquake (if
Babylon
had been rebuilt to
serve as his palace
and capitol, its
destruction would
cause his anger).
Such a natural God
ordained
destruction, plus
the Jewish
resistance in Jerusalem, could very well turn this Satan
possessed, anti
Christ/anti God man
into uncontrollable
and destructive fury
against all that is
of God.
It is this last
campaign of Anti
Christ centred
against Jerusalem
and against the
defences of Bozrah
that will refine the
remnant of Israel,
the remaining 1/3,
who in the immense
pressure of certain
annihilation will
call on the name of
the LORD and so
fulfil the
prerequisite for the
Lord’s return
(Zechariah 13:9).
There are so many
events recorded in
the scriptures to do
with this last 3½
years that to fit
them all in
chronological order
seems more a matter
of assumption than
of evidence.
The reality of these
individual events is
sure and although
the chronological
order is difficult
to know, we can
visualize the
overall scene as a
world in geological,
political, social
and economic chaos,
and armies and
allegiances in
disarray.
Revelation chap 16:
These final years,
months and days are
covered by this
chapter with its
bowls of God’s
wrath.
God says his fury is
likened to strong
drink, and is
sufficient to make
men mad “because of
the sword that he
sends among them”
(Jeremiah 25:15-16).
The bowls of wrath
include plagues,
natural catastrophe,
panic, excruciating
heat and pain and
these will take toll
on the world’s
sanity and will end
in a mad scramble to
bring it all to an
end.
It is clear from
vs.13 that satanic
forces are used to
gather the nations
for an all out
assault on
Israel
(and on the Lord).
Nations that have
rejected God can
only make evil
decisions; and
because evil is
susceptible to
greater evil, the
persuasion of these
demonic spirits will
ensure the kings of
the earth and of the
whole world, will
gather to the battle
of that great day of
God Almighty.
Fear, jealousy,
anger, hatred, pride
etc. are all areas
of human nature that
can be manipulated
by the forces of
evil, for they are
predisposed to evil.
The political
puppets of Anti
Christ will not be
strong enough to
stand against him
and will do his
bidding.
Such evil is well
documented in
history; there are
several instances
from Nazi Germany of
Hitler’s demonic
control over the
hearts of other evil
and weaker men.
It is possible that
not all of these
leaders are weak,
yet their evil will
still be manipulated
to bring them down
to this conflict.
In Revelation 16:16
we see that it is
God who gathers
these armies to har
meghiddo, the Mount
of Megiddo.
Using the arrogance
and pride of man God
draws them to the
campaign of
Armageddon and they
assemble in the valley of Jezreel
about fifty
kilometres north of
Jerusalem.
This will be the
staging area for two
final battles; one
against Jerusalem and the other
against the Jews at
Bozrah.
In Joel 3:9-11 God
displays his
derision for the
pretensions of
ungodly men, and in
Psalm 2:2-5 he
laughs them to
scorn.
This final great
battle is Satan’s
and man’s attempt to
“break their (God’s)
bands asunder, and
cast away their
cords from us”
(Psalm 2:3).
God’s reply to this
arrogance is seen in
verses 5-9:
He shall ‘speak to
them in wrath and
will vex them in his
sore displeasure’
and because these
kings are not wise
nor will they be
instructed, God’s
Son ‘shall break
them with a rod of
iron; and shalt dash
them in pieces like
a potter's vessel’.
In Revelation 16:18
we have the record
of a second
earthquake, the
central earth
shattering event of
this final
judgement, “…a great
earthquake occurred,
such as did not
occur since man came
into being on the
earth, such a huge
earthquake, so
great!”
This
is greater than the
breaking up of the
great deep in the
time of Noah,
greater than
anything in the age
of Israel, and no
city of the world
survives.
They all collapse
and because
Babylon
is mentioned in the
same context this
total destruction
must also include Babylon (the new capital of Anti Christ).
The vibrations of
strong earthquakes
are known to liquefy
the earth and solid
objects (buildings)
have been seen to
sink deep into the
earth.
This earthquake is
so great mountains
and islands
disappear.
The earthquake and
total destruction of
Babylon
follow the
assembling of the
armies on the
Plain of Esdraelon.
The destruction of
Babylon
is spoken of in
Isaiah 13:19 “And
Babylon, the glory
of kingdoms, the
beauty of the
Chaldee’s
excellency, shall be
as when God
overthrew
Sodom
and
Gomorrah.
It shall never be
inhabited, neither
shall it be dwelt in
from generation to
generation: neither
shall the Arabian
pitch tent there;
neither shall the
shepherds make their
fold there.”
This whole chapter
from Isaiah 13 seems
a foretaste of the
latter part of
Revelation 16.
Although it
originally applied
to Cyrus as the one
who had been
sanctified, set
apart for the task
of humbling Babylon, Babylon
was conquered but
never destroyed in
such a manner as we
see happen in these
final verses.
In Revelation 16 it
seems that the end
has come at last.
Sodom and Gomorrah were not
destroyed by
invading armies but
by volcanic activity
and here it seems Babylon is finally
destroyed by this
world shattering
earthquake.
No amount of
emphasis on these
words can describe
the destruction that
is going to occur to
the earth’s surface,
and it is impossible
that loss of life
would not be in
proportion.
The earth has been
rocked and shattered
(all the cities are
in ruins), there
have been plagues,
there has been
warfare, and
criminality will be
rife.
With 2/3rds of the
surface of the earth
shattered it is
logical to assume
there would be a
proportionate loss
of life.
The destruction of
2/3rds of the Jewish
people during this
time is foretold,
and it is estimated
by some scholars
that this same
figure will apply to
the gentile nations
also.
The destruction
during these years
will mean the power
arrayed against Israel in the latter stages is
unlikely to have the
same force as
before, especially
if the armies
involved have used
nuclear weapons
against each other.
From the breaking of
the covenant these
events are limited
to just 3½ years and
with decimated
forces; the warfare
could possibly be
restricted to ground
warfare or even hand
to hand fighting.
Armies of Anti
Christ at
Jerusalem:
Zechariah 12:2-3.
God will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling (likened to
drunkenness) and a
burdensome stone to
all who try to
conquer her, and
will utterly destroy
them, even if it be
the entire world.
Many nations have
overrun Jerusalem in the past; therefore the day
spoken of here must
be another day, a
future day.
Vs.4 God will be
behind the scenes
causing disruption
to the enemy in both
equipment failure
(horse with
astonishment), and
psychologically
(madness – i.e.
fear, rage, and
perhaps stupid
bravado).
Vs.8 In the day of
this siege God is
going to motivate
the people of Jerusalem so that the feeble will have the
strength of a young
and vigorous
fighting soldier and
the leadership will
be inspirational;
likened to the angel
of the LORD.
That this is God’s
Spirit at work there
can be no doubt.
Vss.5-6 The people
of the surrounding
countryside (Judah)
will see the valour
of the citizens of
Jerusalem
and will be moved to
emulate them.
Their exploits in
the field of battle
is likened to a
devouring flame.
In Micah 4:9 - 5:1
we have this same
battle described,
with the Jewish
residents (daughter
of Zion) being strengthened
by the Lord to
destroy many of the
enemy.
It must be clear to
those who know
anything about the
six day war of 1967
that
Israel
had supernatural
help to sustain,
strengthen and
enable her to win
against such
superior numbers.
This end-time event
will be even more
unequal in the
natural sense (but
God is on the side
of his people).
There will be
deaths, but God uses
death as judgement
and as pressure for
testing, and the
people who survive
this onslaught will
know it is God who
has been with them
and given them the
victory.
From Zechariah 14,
it appears the last
3½ years are all
considered to be the
Day of the Lord, for
the passage begins
with
Jerusalem
being overrun and
half of the people
being taken captive,
but the rest
remaining in the
city (vs.2).
These manage to hold
out against the
armies of the world
until the Lord’s
personal
intervention against
Israel’s
enemies in his
return to the earth
on the
Mount of Olives
(vss.3-4).
The cataclysm that
results splits that
mountain in two with
a great valley being
formed, to which the
Jewish people are
told to flee; the
valley will be a
means of protecting
the people from the
effects of the
‘plague’ that is to
follow.
Before this final
event, we are told
in Zechariah 12:7,
the LORD will
deliver ‘the tents
of Judah’ first.
The countryside will
be made secure
before the Lord
turns his attention
to the deliverance
of Jerusalem.
Armies of Anti
Christ at Bozrah:
Micah 2:12 tells of
the gathering of the
remnant of Israel to a place called Bozrah.
Bozrah means
sheepfold.
In this verse God is
saying that the
remnant of
Israel
will be as a flock
of sheep gathered
into the sheepfold
(Bozrah).
The walled-in rock
city of Petra would make a wonderful and very large
sheepfold.
Bozrah is recognised
by many as being the
same as
Petra,
and this being true,
the rock walls of
this wilderness city
of Petra will be the place to which the Lord
gathers his remnant.
In the first 3½
years of the 7 year
treaty with Anti
Christ, there will
be many Jews who
hear the words of
Jesus of Nazareth
found in Matthew
24:15-16, "Therefore
when you see the
'abomination of
desolation,' spoken
of by Daniel the
prophet, standing in
the holy place"
(whoever reads, let
him understand),
then let those who
are in Judea flee to
the mountains."
The mountainous area
surrounding and
centred on
Petra
is the place where
they will flee, in
heed to the words of
Jesus of Nazareth.
Edom,
and
Moab,
and the major
portion of Ammon are
all part of the
kingdom
of
Jordan,
and include Petra.
Isaiah 34:1-2, 5-6
speaks of God’s
indignation and
wrath against the
heathen and a great
slaughter that rains
upon them in the
land
of
Edom.
For this to happen,
those gentile armies
must first be there.
In vs.8 the reason
for God’s wrath is
made clear; it is “a
year of recompense
for the cause (the
defence) of
Zion”.
Since 1948 the
Jewish peoples have
had to defend
themselves against
Arab attacks,
incessant terrorism
and at times full
scale warfare, and
God’s wrath waits
the day when his
people call upon his
name.
Israel’s
national salvation:
We saw at the very
start of this study
the prerequisite for
the Lord’s return;
the Jews must call
upon the name of the
Lord.
They must
acknowledge their
offence, which
offence was the
utter rejection of
Jesus as Messiah,
and they must call
to this same Jesus
who their forebears
had rejected, as
‘blessed’ favoured
of God who comes in
the name of the
Lord.
Under the threat of
national
annihilation the
remnant that have
heeded the warnings
thus far “will (in
their affliction)
seek me early
(earnestly)” (Hosea
5:15).
Arnold Fruchtenbaum
believes Hosea 6:1-3
suggest this will be
three days prior to
the return of
Messiah to Bozrah
and then to the
Mount of Olives:
“Come, and let us
return unto Jehovah;
for he hath torn,
and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and
he will bind us up.
After two days will
he revive us: on the
third day he will
raise us up, and we
shall live before
him.”
One can imagine, in
the terror of these
last 3½ years, the
Jewish people
anxiously discussing
this issue.
Obviously Jesus the
Messiah/Christ, the
Son of the Living
God has been
preached to them (by
the 144,000
evangelists) and
they will, by the
end, understand the
claims of Christ and
will come to
agreement that they
must call on his
name.
Second coming of
Christ:
We now see the
fulfilment of
Christ’s promise:
They call, and he
returns to save and
re-gather the Jewish
people.
The deliverance from
their enemies will
be witnessed by the
entire earth for
“…every eye shall
see him, and they
[also] which pierced
him: and all
kindreds of the
earth shall wail
because of him”
(Revelation 1:17;
Matthew 24:30; Mark
13:26; Luke 21:27).
He will return first
to Bozrah to destroy
the armies of Anti
Christ and to lay
waste the country of
Edom.
“The sword of the
LORD is filled with
blood, it is made
fat with fatness,
[and] with the blood
of lambs and goats,
with the fat of the
kidneys of rams: for
the LORD hath a
sacrifice in Bozrah,
and a great
slaughter in the
land of Idumea”
(Isaiah 34:1-6)
“And the streams
thereof shall be
turned into pitch,
and the dust thereof
into brimstone, and
the land thereof
shall become burning
pitch.
It shall not be
quenched night nor
day; the smoke
thereof shall go up
for ever: from
generation to
generation it shall
lie waste; none
shall pass through
it for ever and
ever” (Isaiah
34:9-17).
In Micah 2:13 we are
told of a breaker
(deliverer),
shattering the siege
against the
sheepfold (Bozrah)
and freeing the
remnant that had
been shepherded
there 3 ½ years
earlier: “They will
break out, Pass
through the gate,
And go out by it;
Their king will pass
before them, With
the LORD at their
head."
This is the
beginning of the
final battle; which
is fought by the
Lord himself.
In Isaiah 62 the
LORD tells Israel of their
deliverance and
redemption, and
follows in Chapter
63 with a
description of their
conquering King of
kings and LORD of
lords:
“Who [is] this that
cometh from
Edom,
with dyed garments
from Bozrah? this
[that is] glorious
in his apparel,
travelling in the
greatness of his
strength? I that
speak in
righteousness,
mighty to save.
Wherefore
[art thou] red in
thine apparel, and
thy garments like
him that treadeth in
the winefat? I have
trodden the
winepress alone; and
of the people [there
was] none with me:
for I will tread
them in mine 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
mine heart, and the
year of my redeemed
is come. And I
looked, and [there
was] none to help;
and I wondered that
[there was] none to
uphold: therefore
mine own arm brought
salvation unto me;
and my fury, it
upheld me. And I
will tread down the
people in mine
anger, and make them
drunk in my fury,
and I will bring
down their strength
to the earth”
(Isaiah 63:1-6).
In Revelation
19:11-13 we
recognise this to be
the one who is also
called The Word of
God.
“And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a
white horse; and he
that sat upon him
[was] called
Faithful and True,
and in righteousness
he doth judge and
make war. His eyes
[were] as a flame of
fire, and on his
head [were] many
crowns; and he had a
name written, that
no man knew, but he
himself. And he
[was] clothed with a
vesture dipped in
blood: and his name
is called The Word
of God.”
This is the
resurrected Christ
pictured as Israel’s deliverer and Messiah, and
judge of all the
earth.
This battle extends
from Bozrah to
Jerusalem
and beyond, for
Revelation 14:20
speaks of a
wine-press extending
a thousand and six
hundred furlongs.
There is divergent
opinion as to what
is meant by this
fantastic flow of
blood, but because
the Greek haima can
refer to any liquid
or similar substance
of a reddish colour,
it is more than
probable Tom
McElmurry is correct
in his assessment
that it is magma
flowing out of the
fissures caused by
the geological
upheaval of the
time.
This winepress of
God’s wrath against
the ungodly enemies
of
Israel
will bring death to
countless numbers.
It is seen in
Revelation 19:21
that prior to this
great slaughter, the
Anti Christ and the
False Prophet, the
leaders of the
armies of the world,
are cast into the
Lake of Fire.
This battle will be
fought outside the
walls of
Jerusalem
and in a place
called the
Valley
of
Jehoshaphat
(Joel 3:2, 12, 14).
This is not a
historical name,
there has never been
a valley known by
that name; it is a
designation given in
this instance to the
Kidron Valley
between Jerusalem
and the Mount of
Olives because it is
the place of the
final great
deliverance of the
Jewish people (c.f.
2Chronicles chap
20).
Zechariah 14:4-5.
“And his feet shall
stand in that day
upon the mount of
Olives, which is
before Jerusalem on
the east; and the
mount of Olives
shall be cleft in
the midst thereof
toward the east and
toward the west, and
there shall be a
very great valley;
and half of the
mountain shall
remove toward the
north, and half of
it toward the south.
And ye shall flee by
the valley of my
mountains; for the
valley of the
mountains shall
reach unto Azel;
yea, ye shall flee,
like as ye fled from
before the
earthquake in the
days of Uzziah king
of Judah; and
Jehovah my God shall
come, and all the
holy ones with
thee.”
Zechariah 14:12-15.
“And this shall be
the plague wherewith
Jehovah will smite
all the peoples that
have warred against
Jerusalem:
their flesh shall
consume away while
they stand upon
their feet, and
their eyes shall
consume away in
their sockets, and
their tongue shall
consume away in
their mouth. And it
shall come to pass
in that day, that a
great tumult from
Jehovah shall be
among them; and they
shall lay hold every
one on the hand of
his neighbour, and
his hand shall rise
up against the hand
of his neighbour.
And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations
round about shall be
gathered together,
gold, and silver,
and apparel, in
great abundance. And
so shall be the
plague of the horse,
of the mule, of the
camel, and of the
ass, and of all the
beasts that shall be
in those camps, as
that plague.”
This entire scene is
the moment of the
Lord’s return ‘with
his saints’, and
from vs.12 and 15 we
see it is
accompanied by what
is described as a
plague.
It is unlikely this
plague is a nuclear
explosion, for the
Lord fights this
great final battle
alone, therefore it
is almost certainly
a supernatural
destruction of all
things flesh -
Because of the
symptoms, it is
likely to be
something of great
heat, heat that
consumes flesh but
not bone therefore
superheated air from
the volcanic
activity is a real
possibility (ref.
Tom McElmurry).
Every other living
creature surrounding Jerusalem will feel the
effects of this
plague.
The Jewish remnant
is told to flee into
the great valley
caused by the
cleaving of the Mount of Olives; suggestive of it being a protection from
the plague.
This time of
destruction and
upheaval ends with
rivers of living
(clean fresh) water
flowing from
Jerusalem, east into
the Dead Sea and
west into the
Mediterranean
(vs.8), followed by
the statement that
“Jehovah shall be
King over all the
earth: in that day
shall Jehovah be
one, and his name
one” - It is seen in
this statement that
Messiah/Christ is
Jehovah.
One can imagine the
mopping up that will
be needed following
such a catastrophic
time, but Messiah’s
destruction of these
armies finalises the
time of Jacob’s
trouble and ushers
in events leading
into his Kingdom on
earth – the
Millennial reign.
These events will
include the
incarceration of
Satan into the
bottomless pit and
the ejecting of
demonic forces off
the earth,
presumably along
with Satan and
awaiting the final
great battle at the
end of time
(Revelation 20:8).
And there will be
the judgement of the
sheep and goats -
the nations of the
earth (Matthew
25:32-33).
Many teachers tend
to gloss over the
immediate aftermath
of these terrible
years as if a magic
wand will be waved
and everything set
to rights in a
moment; but the
earth will continue
to be ruled by God’s
natural laws,
survivors will be
people of flesh and
blood and will have
all the emotional
trauma to cope with,
it will be a time of
physical and
emotional adjustment
throughout the
world.
God’s will however
will have been done,
the earth will have
been purged of
incorrigible
sinners, Israel will
have called upon
Jesus their Messiah,
and the thousand
year reign of Christ
will have begun; a
time of faith but
also a time of
enforced law and
order (Revelation
12:5) and subsequent
peace.
The fact that law
and order need
enforcing proves the
continuation of the
sinful nature within
mankind.
We are a fallen
race, a race of
selfish beings that
need encouragement
in controlling our
nature.
Selfishness is a
basic characteristic
of all human beings,
with the criminal
element coming from
those among us who
will not control
their selfishness or
tolerate others to
do so.
The proportion of
criminals within a
society increases as
law and order
decreases. This is a
fact today and will
be seen again at the
end of the
Millennium in the
great battle of
Revelation 20:8
where Satan it let
loose for a little
season to test those
born during the
thousand years of
peace.
Criminals rebel
against law, and the
emotional tension of
a rebellious heart
will be intensified
during this time of
enforced law and
order.
After one thousand
years of peace and
prosperity due to
such enforcement, it
is inevitable the
criminal element
will revolt at the
instigation of
Satan, and in so
doing prove their
criminality and
ungodliness.
Criminality is
ultimately destroyed
when fire comes down
from God out of
heaven, and devours
them (Revelation
20:7-9) and this old
world is changed.
The Apostle Peter
tells how this will
come about, “Looking
for and hasting unto
the coming of the
day of God, wherein
the heavens being on
fire shall be
dissolved, and the
elements shall melt
with fervent heat”
(2Peter 3:12).
Isaiah prophesies
it, “For, behold, I
create new heavens
and a new earth: and
the former shall not
be remembered, nor
come into mind”
(Isaiah 65:17).
The Apostle John had
a vision of the
event, “And I saw a
new heaven and a new
earth: for the first
heaven and the first
earth were passed
away; and there was
no more sea”
(Revelation 21:1).
And the aftermath,
“And there shall in
no wise enter into
it any thing that
defileth, neither
[whatsoever] worketh
abomination, or
[maketh] a lie: but
they which are
written in the
Lamb's book of life”
(Revelation 21:27)
It is therefore seen
that believers of
the Millennium will
have been given
resurrection bodies,
for they survive
this destruction and
the fervent heat of
God’s recreation
(2Peter 3:10-12) and
enter into the
Kingdom where there
is only
righteousness, peace
and harmony.
From 1Corinthians
15:42 it would
appear that only
death does away with
the old sin nature
and resurrection
allows entrance into
eternity.
ASSOCIATED
DOCTRINES:
ANTICHRIST
1. SCRIPTURE -
Daniel 7:8,21-26;
8:23-25; 9:26,27;
11:36-45; 2
Thessalonians
2:1-12; Revelation
13:1-18; 17:16,17;
19:19,20.
2. BIOGRAPHY
The Antichrist is
the world ruler who
will emerge as a
violently anti-God
despot, who will
emerge after the
removal of God's
church. He comes
from the gentile
nations (the sea) in
the last times. His
power base will be a
ten nation empire
closely related to
the old
Roman Empire
known as the Revived
Roman Empire. The
Antichrist is very
clever and
infiltrates by means
of a peace campaign.
He is, however, very
hungry for power and
once he wrests power
from his subjects,
he destroys the
apostate religious
system which has
been working closely
with him until then.
He makes a covenant
with Israel, allowing
them to sacrifice in
the temple, but
eventually sets
himself up to be
worshipped as God in
the temple. His
reign of almost
seven years duration
becomes increasingly
and openly anti-God,
involving signs and
wonders. He has a
close relationship
with the false
prophet, the leader
of Israel at that
time. At the end of
his empire he moves
on Jerusalem, which is being held by believers.
Jesus Christ returns
at the second advent
to deliver those in Jerusalem and capture the Antichrist and false
prophet, throwing
them into the lake
of fire.
3. EVALUATION
a) The Antichrist
arises out of the
Gentile nations with
the final empire of
ten nations
(Revelation 13:1).
b) The seven heads
are seven mountains
which speaks of
Rome
(Revelation 17:9).
c) There are seven
kings:
five are fallen, one
is, and one is to
come (Revelation
17:10). These are
empires - the five
that are fallen are
Egypt, Assyria, Chaldea, Persia
and
Greece.
The one in existence
in 96 AD (when John
wrote Revelation)
was Rome, and the one to come is the Revived Roman
Empire.
d) The ten horns are
ten future kingdoms
which receive power
for a short time.
(Revelation 17:12).
e) He rules empires
(Revelation 13:2;
cf. Daniel 7:4-6).
f) His power is from
Satan (Revelation
13:2; cf. Revelation
20:2).
g) Satan gives
Antichrist the world
empire (Revelation
13:2).
h) Satanic worship
is a key part of
Antichrist's regime
(Revelation 13:4,8).
i) He is a great
orator. He is
anti-God and has
power for 3 1/2
years (Revelation
13:5).
j) His empire
becomes a world
empire (Revelation
13:7).
k) The dictator of
Palestine who is
demon possessed
("the false
prophet") promotes
him (Revelation
13:11).
l) Great wonders and
miracles are a
feature of this
empire (Revelation
13:13).
m) A statue of the
Antichrist is
constructed. It has
the ability to
speak. Worship of it
is compulsory on the
pain of death
(Revelation
13:14,15).
n) The Antichrist
controls the world
economy by marking
members of the human
race on the forehead
or on the right hand
(Revelation
13:16,17; cf.
Revelation 14:9-1
1).
o) His number is
666, a number which
represents "perfect
man" or "perfect
sin" (Revelation
13:18).
p) He will not be
revealed until the
restrainer is
removed (2
Thessalonians 2:3-7)
q) The Antichrist's
rule features power,
signs and lying
wonders from Satan
himself (2
Thessalonians 2:9).
r) He deceives the
unbeliever (2
Thessalonians
2:10-12).
s) The Antichrist is
destroyed and thrown
into the lake of
fire at the second
advent (Revelation
19:19,20).
4. PRINCIPLES
a) Satan is the
ruler of this world
(John 16:11).
b) World domination
and internationalism
is Satanic in origin
(Genesis 11:6-9).
c) Miracles, signs
and lying wonders
are strategies
employed by Satan to
deceive (John 8:44).
d) Economic control
of the individual
enslaves that
individual (Proverbs
22:7).
e) Ultimately vast
power creates the
delusion that the
person in control is
God (Genesis 3:5;
Isaiah 14:13,14).
f) The antichrist
will not be revealed
until after the
Rapture of the
Church when the Holy
Spirit who restrains
him (and indwells
all Christians) will
be removed from the
world (2
Thessalonians 2:3-7)
g) A few years of
power is not worth
an eternity of
suffering.
h) Eventually man
must account to
Jesus Christ as his
judge if he does not
accept Jesus Christ
as Saviour
(Revelation
20:12-15).
i) At a point,
people become so
hardened to God that
God gives them over
to their own
delusions (2
Thessalonians 2:11,
Romans 1:28).
j) The Antichrist is
a person, not to be
confused with the
many antichrists of
(1 John 2:18) or the
"spirit of
antichrist" of (1
John 4:3)
5. In the
Tribulation there
will be a
counterfeit trinity
with Satan (father),
the Antichrist (son)
and False Prophet
(spirit).
6. Names given to
the Antichrist:-
a) The seed of Satan
(Genesis 3:15)
b) The little horn
(Daniel 7:8)
c) The king of
fierce countenance
(Daniel 8:23)
d) The prince that
shall come (Daniel
9:26)
e) The desolater
(Daniel 9:27)
f) The wilful king
(Daniel 11:36)
g) The man of sin (2
Thessalonians 2:3)
h) The son of
perdition (2
Thessalonians 2:3)
i) The lawless one
(2 Thessalonians
2:8)
j) The Antichrist (1
John 2:22)
k) The beast
(Revelation 11:7)
7. Characteristics:-
a) He is called the
seed of Satan
(Genesis 3:15). Just
as Jesus Christ had
a supernatural birth
being born of a
virgin, it may be
that there will be
something
supernatural about
the birth of the
Antichrist. It is
likely that Satan
will impregnate a
human woman and thus
be the father of the
Antichrist in a
similar way to the
angelic infiltration
of (Genesis 6:2)
b) In (Daniel 9:26)
he is said to be of
the people who
destroyed the Temple. The Roman Empire destroyed the Temple in 70 AD. The
Antichrist may
therefore be of
Roman origin.
c) The identity of
the man of sin will
not be clear until
the start of the
Tribulation,
although he may be
fairly prominent in
politics prior to
that period. He will
not be revealed
until after the
Rapture of the
Church when the Holy
Spirit who restrains
him (and indwells
all Christians) will
be removed from the
world (2
Thessalonians
2:3-7).
In the middle of the
Tribulation, he sets
himself in the
Temple
calling himself God
(v4-8).
d) In (Daniel 9:27)
the start of the
Tribulation is
marked by the
signing of a seven
year covenant
between the
Antichrist and the
nation of Israel. When Israel signs the
covenant, God issues
a decree of
destruction against
the whole earth
(Isaiah 28:14-22) -
the judgements of
the book of
Revelation. The
Antichrist is shown
as the rider on the
white horse of
(Revelation 6:1) who
brings the promise
of (false) peace.
e) The rise of the
Antichrist to
power:-
i) In (Daniel
8:23-25) he is seen
as a skilful leader,
involved in the
occult power (v23),
will war against the
Jews (v24), and will
rise to power
through deceit
(v25).
ii) In (Daniel
11:36-39) he shall
do what he wants,
claiming to be God
and exalting himself
(v36), he will
repudiate all
religious practices
from his ancestors
(v37). He however
will honour a god
whom his ancestors
did not know (v38)
who assists him to
power (v39), this
god being Satan. He
will accept the
offer of the
kingdoms of the
world which our Lord
refused in the
wilderness.
iii) In (2
Thessalonians 2:8-9)
we are told that his
coming is according
to the energising of
Satan accompanied by
miracles, signs and
wonders.
iv) During the first
half of the
Tribulation, he
gains political
control of the ten
groups that make up
a One World
Government.
This includes the
removal of three of
the ten leaders
(Daniel 7:23-24,
Revelation 17:12-17)
v) He also destroys
the
One
World
Church
("Mystery Babylon")
that has operated in
the first half of
the Tribulation
(Revelation
17:5,16.) In
(Revelation 11) he
is able to kill the
two witnesses who
have been causing
him major problems.
They however will be
resurrected much to
his dismay.
f) The death and
resurrection of the
Antichrist .In
(Daniel 11:40-45) he
kills the Kings of
the North, South and
East. and in (v 45)
he will come to his
end and none shall
help him. However in
(Revelation 13:3) he
receives a fatal
wound but the fatal
wound is healed.
This suggests that
the Antichrist dies
and is resurrected
by the power of
Satan. This miracle
deceives the world
that the Antichrist
is god and the world
now worships him.
KINGDOM
1. The Kingdom of
Heaven is
distinguished from
the
Kingdom
of
God.
a) Kingdom
of Heaven
i) The Kingdom
of Heaven will
be the visible
future Kingdom of
the Lord on the
earth. (Luke
1:31-33)
ii) Entrance into
the
Kingdom
of Heaven,
includes those
physically alive
going into the
Millennium. (Matthew
13:24-30, 36-43,
47-50)
b) Kingdom
of God
i) The Kingdom
of God is
spiritual (John 3:3,
Romans 14:17, Luke
17:20)
ii) Entrance into
the
Kingdom
of God is
through
regeneration. (John
3:3-7)
iii) The Kingdom
of God covers
the divine authority
over all creation
for all time. (Luke
13:28, 29, Hebrews
12:22, 23)
2. The King was born
as prophesied of a
virgin (Isaiah 7:14
cf Matthew 1:18-25)
and in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2 cf
Matthew 2:1)
3. The Kingdom was
announced as at hand
(Matthew 4:17) but
was rejected by the
Jews both from a
moral (Matthew
11:20) and official
viewpoint (Matthew
21:42-43). As a
result the King was
crowned with thorns.
4. Afterwards He
announced His
purpose to build His
church. (Matthew
16:18)
5. The mysteries of
the Church and the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
were seen as
concurrent - they
both refer to the
spiritual kingdom.
(Ephesians 3:9-11)
6. When He returns
at the second
advent, the Lord
Jesus Christ will
establish the
Kingdom for 1000
years before
eternity resumes.
(Matthew 24:27-30,
Luke 1:31-33, Acts
15:14-17, Revelation
20:1-10)
7. At the end of the
Millennium, Jesus
Christ will deliver
up the Kingdom to
the Father (1
Corinthians
15:24-28)
8. The eternal
throne is of God and
the Lamb.
(Revelation 22:1)
PROPHECY – DANIEL'S
SEVENTY WEEKS
1. Scripture:-
Daniel 9:24-27
"Seventy weeks are
determined upon thy
people and upon thy
holy city, to finish
the transgression,
and to make an end
of sins, and to make
reconciliation for
iniquity and to
bring in everlasting
righteousness and to
seal up the vision
and prophecy, and to
anoint the most
Holy. " (Daniel
9:24)
2. What is a week?
In the ancient world
both Greek and Latin
philosophers knew
the week, as the
week of years. In
this system one week
equals 7 years. Thus
seventy weeks equal
70 x 7 years = 490
years.
3. What Type of
Year?
The year used in
scripture of
Daniel's time was
the Jewish year
which Abraham had
preserved from his
Chaldean home.
Abraham's year was
the lunar year and
consisted of 360
days. The period
stated then is 70 x
7 x 360 days giving
a total of 176 400
days.
4. Who are Involved?
'Thy people, thy
holy city' refer to
the Jews and
Jerusalem
or Judea. We therefore have a period of 490 years involving
the Jews and
Jerusalem.
5. When Does this
Period End?
a) In the second
half of verse 24 the
end of the period is
given by six
separate events:
i) to finish the
transgression - the
start of the
Millennium at the
2nd advent.
ii) make an end to
sins - perfect
environment starts
at the 2nd advent
and continues for a
thousand years.
(Romans 8:19-21)
iii) make
reconciliation -
since AD 70 the Jews
have been dispersed
amongst the nations,
they will continue
to be dispersed
until Jesus Christ
calls them back to
their land at the
2nd advent.
iv) bring in
everlasting
righteousness - the
millennium starts a
period of
everlasting
righteousness with
the reign of Christ,
this everlasting
righteousness
continues into the
eternal future. This
period starts at the
2nd advent.
v) to seal up the
vision and prophecy
- the 2nd advent
fulfils the
Abrahamic,
Palestinian and
Davidic covenant and
this prophecy.
vi) to anoint the
most Holy - at the
2nd advent Jesus is
anointed King of
Israel.
b) The terminal
point in all six
statements can
therefore be said to
be the 2nd advent of
the Lord Jesus
Christ or the
midnight hour of
(Matthew 25:6). We
thus have a period
from (Daniel 9:24)
of 490 Jewish years
each having 360 days
terminating at the
2nd Advent.
c) In the next three
verses the period of
70 weeks is
carefully divided
into three sections.
d) "Know therefore
and understand that
from the going forth
of the commandment
to restore and to
build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah the
Prince shall be
seven weeks (49
years) and three
score and two weeks
(434 years):the
streets shall be
built again, and the
wall even in
troubled times. "
(Daniel 9:25)
e) We have therefore
three periods into
which the 70 weeks
is split - 7 weeks +
62 weeks leaving a
balance of 1 week.
Expressed in years
we have 49 years +
434 years + 7 years.
6. What is the
Starting Point?
a) There were three
edicts issued by
Persian princes
dating after the
time of Daniel and
relating to the Jews
returning to their
homeland, they
were:-
i) The edict of
Cyrus in 538 BC to
rebuild the house of
the Lord (Temple) (Ezra 1).
ii) The edict of
Darius in 520 BC to
rebuild the temple
which is found in
(Ezra 6) Darius'
edict was to confirm
Cyrus' previous
order, the temple
works having been
stopped after the
death of Cyrus.
iii) The edict of
Artaxerxes
Longimanus to
rebuild
Jerusalem
in 445 BC (Nehemiah
2)
b) Inspection of
Daniel 9:25 shows
that the critical
commandment which
starts the 70 weeks
clock ticking was
the order to rebuild
Jerusalem
not the temple. The
correct order was
the edict of
Artaxerxes in 445 BC
The practice of
Persian Kings was to
issue such orders on
their New Years day,
the 1st of the month
of Nisan. Using the
services of the
Astronomer Royal in London, Sir Robert
Anderson, was able
to determine that
the 1st Nisan of 445
BC occurred on 14th
March 445 BC. We
therefore have the
following date:-
c) 14th March 445 BC
-- 490 years -- 2nd
Advent
d) It also states
that
Jerusalem
will be rebuilt with
its walls completed
after 49 years (7
weeks) in difficult
circumstances. There
is considerable
biblical evidence
that Jerusalem was rebuilt under very difficult
circumstances.
e) "And after three
score and two weeks
shall Messiah be cut
off, but not for
Himself. " (Daniel
9:26a)
7. Who is the
Messiah? - Jesus
Christ!
In Luke's gospel on
entry into Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday, just
prior to his
crucifixion, the
crowd welcomed Jesus
Christ as the
promised Messiah
(Luke 19:38) this
being the only time
when he was so
called by the mass
of the inhabitants
of Jerusalem.
8. When was He cut
off?
According to (Luke
3:1) Jesus Christ
was baptised in the
15th year of
Tiberius Caesar. As
his ministry was
three years in
length, the entry
into Jerusalem occurred in the 18th year of
Tiberius. Searches
of literature
including, 'The
Decline and Fall of
the Roman Empire' by
Gibbon, has shown
that Tiberius became
Caesar in 14 AD
Entrance into
Jerusalem was
therefore on Palm
Sunday 32 AD Again
by computation the
date of Palm Sunday
32 AD was 10th Nisan
or 6th April AD 32,
the crucifixion
occurring on 9th
April AD 32.
9. If this is
correct, we should
find correlation
between the 483
Jewish years to the
cutting off of the
Messiah and the time
between 14th March
445 BC and 6th April
AD 32. The time
between these two
dates is 476 years
and 24 days. Total
number of days are
therefore as
follows:-
476 years x 365 days
=
173,740
14/3 to 6/4 =
24
Leap years =
116
TOTAL =
173,880
days.
Jewish time:
483 x 360 =
173,880 days
10. Our scale now
shows:-
14th March 445 BC --
483 years -- 6th
April 32 AD
11. The following
questions now arise:
Has the second
advent of Jesus
Christ occurred? -
No.
Is it longer than 7
years since Jesus
Christ rode into
Jerusalem?
- Yes.
Therefore there must
be a gap between the
69th week and the
70th week.
445 BC -- 483 years
-- 32 AD -- GAP -- 7
years -- 2nd Advent
12. This gap has
been filled in God's
view of history by
the church age. (see
topic of
Intercalation).
The 70th week which
is 7 years in length
therefore starts at
the end of the
church age - at the
Rapture. These 7
years of the 70th
week are the worst 7
years in the history
of man - the
tribulation.
13.
CONCLUSION The
course of this 70th
week is denoted in
(Daniel 9:26b, 27).
a) "and the people
of the prince (the
dictator of the
Revived Roman
Empire) that shall
come shall destroy
the city and the
sanctuary, and the
end thereof shall be
with a flood, and
until the end of the
war, desolations are
determined.
b) And he (the
dictator) shall
confirm the covenant
(mutual defence
pact) with the many
(the Jews) for one
week (7 years) and
in the midst of the
week (31/2 years) be
shall cause the
sacrifice and the
oblation to cease,
and for the
overspreading of
abominations be
shall make it
desolate, (this
refers to the
erection of a statue
in the rebuilt
temple in Jerusalem,
see Revelation
13:11-15). even
until the
consummation (the
2nd advent) and that
determined shall be
poured upon the
desolate (the
dictator will be
judged and cast into
hell, see Revelation
19:20)."
c) We thus have
Daniel's 70 weeks
divided as shown:-
d) 445 BC -- 483
years -- 32 AD --
CHURCH --
unspecified period
of time -- RAPTURE
-- 7 years -- 2nd
Advent
PROPHECY:
SEQUENCE OF END TIME
EVENTS
1. Note:
Some of the events
in the Tribulation
may occur in a
slightly different
sequence.
2. CHURCH AGE
a) Rapture of the
Church. (1
Corinthians
15:51-58, 1
Thessalonians
4:13-18)
b) Judgment Seat of
Christ (believers
only - purpose is
rewards) (1 Cor
3:12-15).
3. TRIBULATION
(first 3 1/2 years)
a) Revival of Roman Empire, a Ten Nation Confederacy. (Daniel 7:7, 24,
Revelation 13:1,
17:3, 12, 13)
b) Rise of the Anti
Christ. (Daniel 7:8,
Revelation 13:1-8)
c) Peace treaty with
Israel
(Daniel 9:27)
d) Temple rebuilt in
Jerusalem
e) World church
established.
(Revelation 17:1-15)
d) Seven seals
judgments
(Revelation 6:1ff)
and seven trumpets
judgments
(Revelation 8:7ff)
e) Two witnesses
preach from
Jerusalem
until killed.
h) Russia attacks Israel about four years before the
second coming of
Christ. (Ezekiel 38,
39)
4. GREAT TRIBULATION
(second 3 1/2 years)
a) Peace treaty with
Israel
broken
b) Antichrist sets
up Abomination of
Desolation and
demands worship
(Matthew 24:15,21)
c) World government,
world economic
system, world
religion begins.
(Daniel 7:23,
Revelation 13:5-8,
17:16, 17)
d) Seven trumpet
judgments
(Revelation 16:2ff)
e) Martyrdom of many
Tribulation Saints
and Jews.
(Revelation 7:9-17,
13:15)
f) Catastrophic
divine judgments
poured out on the
earth. (Revelation
6:17)
g) World war breaks
out in
Middle East;
battle of
Armageddon. (Daniel
11:40-45, Revelation
9:13-21, 16:12-16)
5. SECOND ADVENT OF
CHRIST
a) Second coming of
Christ. (Matthew
24:27-31, Revelation
19:11)
b) Tribulation
surviving believers
proceed into the
Millennium (Matt
3:12).
c) Unbelievers cast
off the earth
(Ezekiel 20:33-38,
Matthew 3,12,
25:31-46, Jude 14,
15, Revelation
19:15-21, 20:1-4)
d) Satan bound.
(Revelation 20:1-3)
e) Resurrection of
Old Testament saints
and Tribulation
martyrs. (Revelation
20:4)
6. MILLENNIUM
a) Millennial
kingdom begins.
(Revelation 20:5, 6)
b) Christ reigns on
earth for 1,000
years in perfect
environment and
peace (Rev 20:4-6)
c) Satan released at
the end of the
Millennium (Rev
20:7-9).
d) Rebellion of Gog
and Magog at the end
of the millenium.
(Revelation 20:7-10)
e) Resurrection of
all unbelievers
(Revelation 20:5a)
f) Great White
Throne Judgment.
(unbelievers only -
purpose is judgment)
(Revelation
20:11-15)
7. ETERNITY
a) New heaven, new
earth, new
Jerusalem.
(Revelation 21, 22)
b) Believers blessed
forever with Christ
(Rev 21 - 22:5).
c) Unbelievers
punished forever
with Satan (Matt
25:41
RAPTURE:
1. The Rapture of
the Church is the
termination of the
Church Age and is
the taking of all
believers since
Pentecost to Heaven
by the Lord Jesus
Christ.
2. General Scripture
(John 14:1-3, 1
Thessalonians
4:13-18)
3. The Rapture and
the 2nd Advent
should not be
confused, they are 7
years apart being
separated by the
Tribulation and have
different
characteristics.
4. Rapture
a) Not revealed in
Old Testament.
b) Promises to the
Church fulfilled.
c) Judgement Seat of
Christ rewards
(1 Corinthians
3:12-15, 2
Corinthians 5:10-11,
2 Timothy 2:11)
d) Christ the
Bridegroom and Head
e) Believers body
changed (not
creation) (1
Corinthians
15:51-58,
Philippians 3:21)
f) Church goes to
heaven. (1
Thessalonians 4:17)
g) Imminent - no
signs to be
fulfilled before the
Church can be
removed.
h) Time of comfort
for believer. (1
Thessalonians 4:18)
i) Christ will meet
the Church in the
air.
(1 Thessalonians
4:13-18)
j) Private (only
believers will see)
k) Before
tribulation
l) Believers go out
of the world. (1
Thessalonians
4:16-18)
m) Removal of the
Holy Spirit. (2
Thessalonians 2:7)
5. Second Advent
a) Spoken of by all
major Old Testament
prophets. (Zechariah
14:4)
b) Promises to Israel
fulfilled.
c) Great White
Throne Judgement
(after Millennium) -
unbelievers.
(Matthew 25:31,
Revelation
20:12-15).
d) Christ the
Messiah to
Israel
(Daniel 9:25)
e) Radical changes
in nature. (Romans
8:19-22)
f) Church comes back
to earth (1
Thessalonians 3:13)
4:17)
g) Many details of
prophecy yet to be
fulfilled.
(Revelation Chapters
6-19)
h) Time of terror
for unbeliever.
(Revelation 6:15-17)
i) Christ will come
back to earth
(Zechariah 14:4)
j) Public - every
eye shall see him
(Revelation 1- 7)
k) After
tribulation.
l) Unbelievers taken
off the earth
(Matthew 24:37-42)
m) Removal of Satan
(Revelation 20:1-3)
6. The Rapture is
before the
Tribulation. Thus
the Pre Tribulation
Rapture position is
shown by nine
factors.
a) The worried
Thessalonians (2
Thessalonians 2:1-6)
b) The Restrainer
removed (2
Thessalonians
2:7-12)
c) The lack of the
word 'Church' in
(Revelation 13:9)
d) The verb Tereo in
(Revelation 3:10)
e) Grace before
judgement (John
14:3)
f) Resurrections in
their order. (1
Corinthians
15:22-26)
g) The Covenant
approach. The
Abrahamic, Davidic
and Palestinian
covenant fulfilled
at 2nd Advent.
h) The Church is in
heaven before the
Seal Judgements
(Revelation 4,5)
i) The contrast
between the 2nd
Advent and the
Rapture
RAPTURE –
PRE-TRIBULATION
RAPTURE:
(Why the Church will
not go through the
Tribulation)
1. On the basis of
the distinction
between
Israel
and the Church:
a) God never deals
with
Israel
and the Church at
the same time.
b) Because of the
promises to
Israel,
yet unfulfilled,
Israel
must have a future.
Evangelistic and
missionary
responsibility of Israel will be
completed in the
Tribulation.
c) The nation Israel has not
been completed.
d) "Daniel's 70
weeks" not
completed. (Jeremiah
25:11, 12, 29:10,
Daniel 9:2, 24, 25)
2. Statement and
Structure of
Revelation:
a) The statement
(Revelation 3:10)
"Tereo ek" (to keep
out), not "Aireo"
(to take out) used
in context.
b) The structure:
Church
Age/Tribulation/Millennium/Eternity.
(Revelation 2-3,
7-19, 20, 21:1-8)
3. The Statement of
Thessalonians:
a) Removal of the
restraining presence
of the Holy Spirit
is impossible
without removing the
Church at the same
time. 2
Thessalonians 2:6,
7.
b) In 2
Thessalonians 2:2
the incorrect
translation in the
A.V. confuses the
entire passage. "Day
of Christ" should
read "Day of the
Lord".(False
teachers came with a
forged letter
supposedly from Paul
which implied that
the Day of the Lord,
or the Tribulation,
had already come).
c) In 1
Thessalonians
4:16-18 the phrase
"in Christ" refers
to believers in the
Church Age. Verse 18
emphasises a comfort
which could not
exist if the Church
went through the
Tribulation.
4. Remnant of the
Tribulation:
a) Christ returns to
the earth with His
saints. (1
Thessalonians 3-13,
Jude 1 4).
b) Jesus at the same
time delivers saints
at the Second
Advent. (Zechariah
14:1-5)
c) Christ cannot
come with saints and
deliver saints
unless there are two
groups of saints -
Church and
Tribulational.
Obviously, both
groups exist and
both groups of
saints are
separated.
5. Grace before
judgement:
God gives grace
before judging.
a) Warning - Noah
was rescued by
heeding God's
warning.
b) Rescue - Lot was rescued by God.
6. Imminence of the
Rapture:
a) No prophecy of
Scripture has to be
fulfilled before the
Rapture can take
place. (1
Corinthians 1:7,
Colossians 3:4, 2
Thessalonians 2:1,
Titus 2:13)
b) Hence, the
Rapture can take
place at any time.
c) Not so the Second
Advent:
much prophecy must
be fulfilled before
Second Advent.
7. Nature of the
Tribulation:
a) Purpose of the
Tribulation:
to bring judgement
on a
Christ-rejecting
world. God
demonstrates that
man cannot provide a
perfect environment
when Satan has full
control and
restraining ministry
of the Holy Spirit
is removed.
b) God completes His
dealings with
Israel,
which allows the
Jews to fulfil their
missionary ministry
begun after the
Babylonian
Captivity.
c) God prepares Israel for the fulfilment of the Unconditional
Covenants by the
return of Christ
during Israel's darkest hour and the low
point of human
history
Tribulation).
8. Activity of the
Church in Heaven
(Revelation 4,5)
a) Before the Church
returns to the earth
with Christ, they
must appear before
the Judgement Seat
of Christ for
evaluation of
production in the
Christian walk -
rewards. (2
Corinthians 5:10, 1
Corinthians 3:11-15)
b) Hence, some
interval is
necessary (7 years)
before the Bride of
the Lamb can be
prepared.
c) The marriage of
the Lamb takes place
in heaven.
(Revelation 19:6-8)
after which the
Bride returns to the
earth with the
Groom. (Revelation
19:14). The wedding
feast is held on
earth. (Revelation
19:9)
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