Right after that vision, Daniel had said in 7:28, "As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself." In the next chapter, Daniel has another vision. This vision related to what was going to happen in their near future, although one could look at it as being a twofold prophecy, also relating to the end times. This prophecy also ended with the enemies being defeated. And after that vision, Daniel had said in 8:27, "Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business, but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it."
Daniel greatly desired to know when this things would be. Of course he knew that for all that to come about, this required the nation of Israel to be obedient to God. But WHEN would this ever happen??? Then...
(Daniel 9:1-2) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years...
(Jeremiah 25:11) This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
After reading that, Daniel went into the most heartfelt, fervent prayer for him and his people...
(Daniel 9:20-24) Now 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 in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place..."
"One week" equals 7 prophetic years. A prophetic year has 360 days in it. Israel has been given 490 years TOTAL in order to complete the Jewish Age. On completion, they will enter the Millennium (the kingdom of God) with salvation and with all their covenants fulfilled...
(Daniel 9:25) “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress..."
The Jewish Age is split into 3 sections. The first two are mentioned in the verse above.
THE FIRST SECTION: ("seven weeks" / 49 years) began in 445 BC, when Artaxerxes Longimanus gave the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Neh.2:1-8), which included the rebuilding of the wall (Neh.6:15), and included the temple (Ezra 6:13).
THE SECOND SECTION: ("sixty-two weeks" / 434 years) began in 396 BC, after the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Isaiah 53:8), and ended at the birth of their Messiah, Jesus Christ - whom they rejected...
(Daniel 9:26) “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined..."
There is an interruption to the completion of the Jewish Age, with only one week (7 years) left.
During this "interruption", several things had to happen. The Israelites would crucify their Messiah in 32 AD. And Rome would destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD. Here is the mystery! This new age would come to be known as the Church Age, the Age of Grace, and the Age of the Gentiles. We are not told how long this will last; but at some point the Jewish Age will continue.
THE THIRD SECTION: ("one week" / 7 years) will begin at the rapture of the Church.
The beginning of the Tribulation is described in verse 26 as "the end will come with a flood", with "war" and "desolations"! "The prince" is a twofold prophecy, as the Antichrist will also plot to destroy Jerusalem.
"He" - the Antichrist - will make a covenant with many of the Israelites at the beginning of the Tribulation; but in the middle of the "week", the Antichrist will betray them and desecrate the Temple by demanding that all people worship him (Matthew 24:16, 2 Thess.2:4)...
(Daniel 9:27) “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
The second half of the Tribulation ("a time, times, and half a time" / 3 1/2 years) is called the Great Tribulation, because the judgments intensify during this time...
(Daniel 12:7b) ...it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.
There will be people during the Tribulation who will become believers - those having "insight" and not falling for the Antichrist's deception; and they will be very blessed if they live through the Tribulation, as then, they will enter into the Millennial Age...
(Daniel 12:10-12) “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. 11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!..."
As a recap, this portion of scripture gives an overall explanation of what will happen to the Antichrist during the Tribulation (although this prophecy is possibly twofold)...
(Daniel 11:36-45) “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. 38 But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. 39 He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
40 “At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape.43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
From the beginning of the Tribulation and until the end of the Tribulation, there will be a great spiritual battle. The believers before the Tribulation will be rescued at the rapture, so they do not have to experience any of the judgments upon the earth.
(Daniel 12:1-3) “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever..."
All believers from past times, especially the Israelite believers (in their glorified, heavenly bodies), will be able to help serve and share in the blessings of the Millennium, because the Israelites have always had God's promise of seeing their covenants fulfilled.
Anyone not becoming a believer, in any age, will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium, and will be judged at the White Throne Judgment, and sentenced to hell.
Daniel did not fully understand the explanations given to him about his vision, but at the end of it, he was told to continue on as he should, and then after he passed away, he would be resurrected (at the rapture), and then he would be able to see the covenants fulfilled in the Millennium...
(Daniel 12:13) “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”
Today's takeaway: talk about being exact! The Israelites were given the exact time when their Messiah would arrive, and still they did not accept Him, because He was not what they WANTED. How many times do we pray for something we WANT, but are disappointed when God gives us something that we NEED???...
(James 4:1-3) What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
(Matthew 7:7-11) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!.."
(Philippians 4:19) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment