The Book of Daniel is Unsealing - Focus on the Middle East and Prophecy!
People today are of the mindset that the events of the Old and New Testaments all happened back in the "Biblical days" of human history. They fail to grasp the awesome truth that we are still living in Biblical days. They never ended. What will yet happen on the face of this Earth in the years to come has already been prophesied and penned in the Bible. There remain things written in the Bible, in both the New and Old Testaments, that are yet to happen.
The Bible deals with the history of man's world across historical time, into the present, and forward until the very end of time as we understand it. You are living RIGHT NOW in Biblical days. The great "I AM" of Exodus 3:14, who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, STILL IS and speaks to us today through His written Holy Word and the Holy Spirit. And also, that ancient malignant spirit of Satan is still around too and whispering in the ears of modern man, "Yea hath God said?" (Genesis 3:1)
Although the prophets and the Apostles have long since passed from our world, what they spoke lives on, as true today as it was in the day it was written. If you really trust the Bible, it can and will tell you where we are today and what is about to come to pass in the very near future. We will now shift gears from, "In the beginning" to the 'Beginning of the End-Times'.
The Other "Gaps" of the Bible
Beside the "Genesis Gap" (at Genesis 1:2), there are other "gaps" in the Old Testament. One of those "gaps" is the Church Age, the roughly 2000 year period of time between the first and second advents of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is yet still another "gap" called the one-thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ when He bodily returns in glory to rule the Earth from Jerusalem (see Revelation chapter 20). All these gaps are hidden within the writings of the Old Testament but they are revealed by the illumination of the Holy Spirit through the New Testament.
The prophets in Old Testament days mostly saw and proclaimed the "mountain peaks" of prophetic events (like the crucifixion, the Day of the Lord, and the Final Judgment). The revelation of the "Bride" of Christ (both the Jews and Gentiles saved by Grace in the Church Age) is a prophetic "gap" that resides in the valley between the mountain tops of the first and second coming of the Lord (between the Crucifixion and the Day of the Lord). The one-thousand-years future Millennial Kingdom resides in yet another prophetic valley (between the Day of the Lord and the Final Judgment). Here is a chart from Clarence Larkin's old book, Dispensational Truth that visually illustrates these gaps:
Prophetically speaking, we are living today on the far right side of the valley of the Church and quickly moving up the mountain slope towards the coming of the Antichrist and the subsequent great Day of the Lord. This approaching point along the Biblical time line is called the "latter days" and "last days" in Old Testament prophecy and specifically concerns God's end-times dealings with His chosen people, the Jews.
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant
of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in
part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."
(Romans 11:25 KJV)
Note References: "latter days" (see: Nu 24:14; De 4:30; De 31:29; Jer 23:20; Jer 30:24; Jer 48:47; Jer 49:39; Eze 38:8,16; Da 2:28; Da 10:14; Ho 3:5) and the "last days" (see: Ge 49:1; Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1; Ac 2:17; 2Ti 3:1; Heb 1:2; Jas 5:3; 2Pe 3:3).
Many of the things written by the O.T. prophets concerning the end times happen before Daniel's "Seventieth Week" even begins (see: Daniel 9:24-27) and before the "Bride" is called out of this world (see: 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2 Thessalonians 2:2). The future events described in Daniel chapters 10-11 are yet to take place and a careful and prayerful reading of those prophetic events reveal they will require much longer than the remaining one "week" of years in the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27.
There is no clear-cut dividing line between the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the Daniel's last prophetic week. Some would argue that such a claim would falsify the doctrine of the "Immanency of the Rapture" of the Church. I disagree, because the prophecy deals with the Hebrew people and Jerusalem, not the Church. The Lord could call out the Bride anytime; even during a portion of the last prophetic week before the wrath of God is poured out on the world (Song of Solomon 2:10). We will examine the "Seventy weeks" prophecy more closely near the end of this page.
The overlap of the Church Age (Age of Grace) and God's end-times dealings with His "Chosen People" is historically recognizable beginning with the Hebrew Jubilee period of 1917, in which the world saw the liberation of the Jewish Holy Land from Ottoman Turk rule and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. In the Jubilee Year of 1967 the Jews liberated the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount area. Then, in 1979, the Iranian Revolution catapulted the ancient land of Persia (Israel's historical enemy) back onto the global political stage.
Iran is Biblical Persia and, in retrospect, we can now see that the emergence of Iran as a world power and a modern-day growing global threat, is prophesized in the book of Daniel. The prophetic seal on the book of Daniel is unsealing right before our very eyes. The days of the 'Church Age' are rapidly drawing to a close and the shadows of the end-times are encroaching upon an unbelieving modern world.
The Old Persian Empire encompassed the areas of present-day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, present-day Turkey, Palestine, northern Egypt and Libya around the year 500 B.C. The Persian Empire figured most prominently in the captivity of Israel in Biblical history and, as we shall point out, Persia also figures prominently in future prophecy and the beginning of the "latter days" (See Daniel 10:14).
It is no coincidence that the Middle East is a powder keg awaiting only the proper spark to explode; it is no coincidence that radical Islam has become a global terror threat; it is no coincidence that Iran is threatening to wipe the nation of Israel off the map; and it is no coincidence that Israel exists as a nation, once again back on some of the very same Biblical land that God deeded to Abraham thousands of years ago. The official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital by the United States of America, a major policy shift that precipitated international condemnation, is all part of a pattern. Anti-Semitism is on the rise in many places. None of this is coincidence; it is the fulfilling and unfolding of God's Word. It is setting the stage for the fulfillment of coming events written about in the book of Revelation.
During the days of the Old Persian Empire when Israel was in captivity, the prophet Daniel received many visions concerning his people and Jerusalem and what would happen to Israel in the times before the end. God told Daniel that those things would be sealed until this "time of the end." It is written:
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
(Daniel 12:4 KJV)"And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."
(Daniel 12:9 KJV)
To begin to comprehend the context of Persia (present day Iran) in the prophecies of Daniel, we need to look at the vision of the "Ram" at the river:
"And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai."
(Daniel 8:2 KJV)
Daniel was in what, today, is southwestern Iran when he had this vision:
"3Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand."
(Daniel 8:3-7 KJV)
The Bible goes on to define the identities of this "ram" and the "he goat" spoken of in this prophecy:
"And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king."
(Daniel 8:19-21 KJV)
First of all, the Lord God reiterates that this is an END TIMES prophecy - a yet FUTURE event. Then the Lord God identifies the two horns of the ram as the kings of "Media and Persia" which, today, encompass many predominately Muslim nations.
"Grecia" is a reference to the regions immediately west and north of present day Turkey, specifically, Greece, Macedonia, etc. The word translated "Grecia" in the book of Daniel is the name "Yavan" ('Javan', the name of a son of Joktan, and of the race Ionians, i.e. Greeks). There is a strong enmity between the Greeks (Christian Orthodox) and the Turks (Muslims) that goes back to the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) and the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
"And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall
stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they
all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the
realm of Grecia."
(Daniel 11:2 KJV)
That "realm of Grecia" is generally the area shown below, comprising portions of southern and eastern Europe.
The prophecy of the "he Goat" and the "Ram" is still future prophecy and not the description of a past historical event, as many Bible scholars argue. Proponents of the historical interpretation school claim that this vision was fulfilled in the conquering of Persia by Alexander the Great (about 330 BC). But does the Bible really support that interpretation?
Notice in the prophecy that the "he goat" came from the West. Ok, so did Alexander the Great, but the historical Alexander's army touched the ground every step of the way there. The prophecy says he "touched not the ground," and that part of the ancient prophecy could not be literally fulfilled (or comprehended) until the invention of the airplane. What the prophecy seems to be describing could be a massive airborne-launched attack from the west (i.e. fighter jets, bombers, troop transports, and air and sea launched cruise missiles). The feet of attacking troops will not need to touch the ground until they parachute in or make marine landings.
Again, the Bible itself says this is a vision of the end-time:
"And he said, Behold, I will make thee know
what shall be in the last end of the indignation:
for at the time appointed
the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings
of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is
the king of Grecia: and the great horn
that is between his eyes is the first king."
(Daniel 8:19-21 KJV)
We are certainly living in the days before this 'Ram' vision will be fulfilled; prophecy is actually unsealing right before our eyes. The Ram is rising and will become "great" when nations like Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan are politically and militarily aligned with the predominately Shia Iranians. It is also within this alignment where the prophetic "king of the north" will arise (see: Daniel 11:6-15), while the "king of the south" (Daniel 11:5, 9, 11, 14, 25, 40) will arise from the Arab nations who inhabit the predominately Sunni nations that are on the western shores of the Persian Gulf (Arab Gulf) and in northern Africa.
In essence, there currently exists a religious/political fault line that runs between the Greeks and the Turks; the peoples of the west facing the people of the east; the predominately Orthodox Greek peoples against the Turks and the Islamic peoples. It is no coincidence that the beginning of John's visions in the Book of Revelation focuses on the western shores of Turkey. That is the Biblical land of Asia Minor where the seven churches of Revelation are located.
All of the seven churches of Revelation chapters 1-3 are situated along the western edge of Turkey. The Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey is a geopolitical dividing line between the so called lands of Christianity to the west and the lands of Islam to the east. The Apostle John was on an island named Patmos (currently a Greek controlled island), situated in the Aegean sea just west of the Asia Minor mainland, when he saw his vision. Daniel's visions are a complement to the visions of John. The Middle East region is the future literal focus of the events in the book of Revelation.
Also make note that all this must happen BEFORE any of the 10 kings or horns of Revelation actually come upon the scene. In fact, notice the wording of the last sentence in that prophecy:
"And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king."
(Daniel 8:21 KJV)
That is, the king that leads the attack against the kings of the lands of the ancient Medes and Persians will occupy and breakup this resurgent empire and establish himself as the next ruler in that region. He will be the FIRST of the 10 kings of Revelation (See Daniel 7:24 & Revelation 17:13). The rest of the kings are nations in the Middle East region, not Europe.
Of course, all of this is just background to the key focus of end-times prophecy; the nation of Israel and the time of Jacob's troubles (see Jeremiah 30). The future city of Jerusalem will be the ultimate "ground zero" of all geopolitical focus and the Temple Mount will be the detonator. All present conflicts in this area of the world are but a precursor to the main events that are yet to come to pass on the Earth before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, before the Lord Jesus Christ returns, the Antichrist must also appear on the prophetic stage.
When this person actually first appears on the prophetic scene is not clear. In the book of Revelation, John says that one of the seven churches, located at Pergamos, is in a city where "Satan's seat is" (See Revelation 2:12-17). Since the Antichrist is Satan incarnate, Pergamos may be where this "man of sin" first emerges or establishes his power base. But the Bible is very clear in telling us that when he is finally revealed to the Jews and the world for what he really is, it will be in the future Jerusalem and in a Third Temple yet to be built in Jerusalem.
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 KJV)
The Bible believer knows that, however all this comes about, the still unbelieving nation of Israel will build a Temple on the Mount in Jerusalem and re-institute Temple worship and sacrifices (see Da 8:11-13; Da 11:31; Da 12:11). And this temple MUST be built before the Antichrist is revealed and before the Lord Jesus Christ returns and destroys him and his armies.
Considering the decades of bloodshed and violence between Israel and the Arabs and the entrenched respective positions of both the Jews and the Arabs concerning the Temple Mount and final status of Jerusalem, one can only imagine the magnitude of any sequence of geopolitical events that would bring this prophecy to pass. It WILL come to pass sometime in the near future; a literal Temple shall be built and this is a prophecy you can 100% bank on coming to pass before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. How exactly this will happen is unclear.
Israel claims Jerusalem as its eternal capital. The Palestinians and the Islamic world want Jerusalem too. Could there be a possible compromise leading to peace on the horizon (certainly a false peace - see: 1 Thessalonians 5:3)?
One key to how this could come about can be found in the writings of the prophet Daniel. In future times, after that Temple is built in Jerusalem, there is a prophecy about a "Holy Covenant" already being in place for some time prior. Here are the references:
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
(Daniel 9:27 KJV)"Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart [shall be] against the holy covenant; and he shall do [exploits], and return to his own land."
(Daniel 11:28 KJV)"For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant."
(Daniel 11:30 KJV)"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits]."
(Daniel 11:32 KJV)
These passages of prophecy seem to indicate that there will be some form of treaty or "covenant" between Israel and their cousins in the Arab world. It could be over the question of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount; a covenant between both sides to share the Mount.
Specifically, it could be an agreement where the Jews build their Temple on the Mount and are free to worship there, while the Arabs are free to worship beside them at the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques, with both sides respecting each other's religious claim to the Mount. A farfetched idea? Not really! Look at what is said in the book of Revelation about the Temple and the Mount during the Great Tribulation:
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months."
(Revelation 11:1-2 KJV)
Keep in mind that both Israel and the Arabs are blood cousins, being the common descendants of Abraham through his sons Isaac and Ishmael respectively. Both people's faiths are rooted in the same Old Testament traditions, and they are both from common genetic stock, although the Messianic line is through the bloodline of Isaac and Jacob (the Hebrews), a fact the Arabs deny. And, politically, both of these people have something else in common - both consider Iran a threat.
From a doctrinal perspective, both the Jews and Arabs have one more thing in common (besides eschewing pork): Both their religions deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that God came in the flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus.
"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
(1 John 4:3 KJV)"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
(2 John 1:7 KJV)
Therefore, based on the authority of the Holy Scriptures, both the mainline Jewish and Islamic faiths of today (to say nothing of other world religions, including any apostate "Christian" cults and sects who deny the physical resurrection of Jesus and His Deity), are all under that spirit of antichrist. It is not inconceivable that both the Jews and Arabs, indeed the whole unsaved world, could find a common basis for religious unity under that spirit (i.e. religions of works and ritual, not faith in the Grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God).
Jerusalem is considered a holy city by three monotheistic faiths; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. What the Bible does tell us about the Jerusalem of that future time (before the second coming) is revealed in the book of Revelation. And what is revealed gives us an unbelievable glance into the state of the earthly city of Jerusalem, at that yet future time.
Jerusalem will be a "great city" in this present evil world and a global center of religious worship, commerce and political power. It will be a corrupt place where religious authorities (much like the Pharisees and Sanhedrin of olden days) rule over and suppress the poor and persecute the truly righteous. And once again the sins of Jerusalem and the world will cause the Lord God to rise up and send prophets to Jerusalem, preaching repentance and that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the very same message of John the Baptist, Elijah and Jesus. (see Matthew 17:10-11 & Mark 9:11-12). Two of those future coming prophets are killed by the rulers of the city in that day:
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
(Revelation 11:8 KJV)
The Jerusalem of the future is likened unto Sodom and Egypt. In Old Testament Jerusalem, the city was replete with sodomites when the Lord was angry with His people for their falling away from His laws and commandments (see 1Ki 14:24; 1Ki 15:12; 1Ki 22:46; 2Ki 23:7). When the Hebrews were in Egypt they were cruelly oppressed as being in an iron furnace (see De 4:20; 1Ki 8:51; Jer 11:4). Future Jerusalem, being likened to Egypt, indicates that the Hebrew people may at that future time be oppressed by an occupying foreign power. Perhaps this is why other references in Revelation to the "great city" refer to it as "Babylon" (indicating a captivity) and "The Mother of Harlots" (center of religious apostasy) and place of internal persecution of the righteous within that "great city" at that future time.
Keep in mind that, in Old Testament prophecy, cities like Jerusalem are spoken of as women and usually in less than flattering terms when the Lord God is angry with them:
"Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."
(Lamentations 1:17 KJV)
It is a popular belief in the fundamental protestant school of prophecy that Papal Rome and the Catholic Church system somehow comes to power in Jerusalem at the end times and that Rome is the identity of the "woman" spoken of in Revelation as riding the beast. That belief is based on the last sentence of the following passage:
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth."
(Revelation 17:7-9 KJV)
Since the city of Rome is situated on seven hills, a phrase commonly associated (in song) with the city of Rome, they interpret this passage to be pointing to the Roman Catholic Church of Rome. Therefore, they believe that Rome is "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS." (See Revelation 17:5) They further justify this identification based on this verse:
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
(Revelation 17:15 KJV)
Reasoning that the Catholic Church has over a billion members in all countries across the world, and since the Catholic Church claims to be the "True Church" of the Apostles, then this could be none other than Rome the Bible is speaking of in Revelation. They then cite this verse as further justification:
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
(Revelation 17:18 KJV)
The interpreters further base there reasoning on the claim that the Catholic Church rules the politics of many countries on the Earth. They then make the point that the Vatican is a sovereign "State" apart from Italy, and that the "Holy See" has its own embassies and diplomatic status around the world. All these things are true, except this identification of Rome as the "woman" riding the beast of Revelation does not exactly pass the rightly-divided Biblical smell test. And here is why:
Yes, Rome is a city that sits on seven hills, but so do the cities of Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople) and Jerusalem (and for that matter, so does Cincinnati, Ohio). HOWEVER, Jerusalem is specifically referred to as the "great city" in the book of Revelation, not Rome...
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
(Revelation 11:8 KJV)
...and is proclaimed by the Scriptures to be the true whore of Babylon:
"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath."
(Revelation 16:19 KJV)"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
(Revelation 17:5 KJV)
The Bible tells us that future Jerusalem, not Rome, is the true "whore" of Revelation. In the future Jerusalem, the 'City of Peace' will be the city of a great false peace. It will be a center of power much like ancient Babylon and will once again go a 'whoring' as she did so many times in Old Testament days. At this future time Israel will have abandoned its current democratic form of government and will once again be a theocratic monarchy, ruled by kings and ruling with the kings of the earth. Now, I know that you may find this to be shocking and hard to believe. After all, we all think of Jerusalem as the heart of the holy land and the place where the Lord Jesus Christ will someday reign (and He will), but not before He avenges Himself on the city that rejected the Lamb of God and nailed Him to a tree outside the city walls.
How do we know for sure that Jerusalem is the "woman" spoken of? Consider this undeniable truth: In the Bible God says that Babylon, the mother of harlots, is responsible for shedding specific holy blood:
"And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
(Revelation 18:24 KJV)
And the only city on the face of the Earth that meets those criteria, according to the Bible, is the city of Jerusalem:
"Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."
(Luke 13:33 KJV)
And that is the verse of Scripture that nails the woman's identity. Jesus Himself said this. And Jesus (who was also a prophet), was slain at Jerusalem. In fact, search your Bible and you will find that EVERY true prophet of the Lord God who perished did so at Jerusalem.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
(Luke 13:34 KJV)
I know that some of you will find this revelation troubling. That is understandable, since we know that God has not finished dealing with or completely forsaken the children of Israel. Paul testified to this truth:
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
(Romans 11:25-29 KJV)
Before God saves the Jewish remnant, they must be brought to repentance and their eyes must be opened. What happens at Jerusalem in the future is how He brings that about. (See Romans 2:4 & Hosea 3:5)
There is another corner stone prophecy in the book of Daniel that you should study:
"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. 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, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
(Daniel 9:24-27 KJV)
There are two (2) "princes" spoken of in this passage. There is "Messiah the Prince" (a reference to Jesus - note that the "P" in prince is capitalized in your KJB). Then there is the "prince of the people that shall come." This is not Jesus, but another prince (the Antichrist) and the passage is speaking of Jerusalem in the future. (Notice the "p" of this latter prince is not capitalized in the KJB.) Also, keep in mind the mention of the "holy covenant" which could be a peace deal between the Jews and the Arabs that we mentioned previously.
The seventy weeks are seventy times seven years, or 490 years. This is the sum total of time God has determined for dealing with the Hebrew people and Jerusalem. This includes the time from history past (after the Babylonian captivity), up until the future day of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His anointing as the King of Kings, by His earthly Hebrew people (Daniel 9:24). As you can see right off the bat, it has been over 2400 years since these seventy weeks of prophecy started, and they are not yet completed. And this is where the "gap" of the Church Age enters the picture. The prophetic clock was stopped for the duration of the Church Age. You can read more about this prophecy of the seventy week on this page of our website: Daniel's Seventy-Weeks.
The fullness of the Gentiles has just about come in and the Lord God will once again turn His mercy to unbelieving Israel and save them. But in order to do that, a great time of testing and punishment is still ahead for His chosen people. He will bring them to repentance at Jerusalem through Great Tribulation.
Our Bible tells us that the resurgence of the Persian Empire is only the beginning of the end. The Ram is already pushing its influence northward, southward and westward; there will be more wars and conflict in the Middle East region before the end. The daily news is filled with ever increasing concern about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Will Iran build a nuclear bomb? Will they use it? Will the Israelis preemptively attack in an attempt to stop them? The rulers of the Iranian government, a hard line Islamic regime, has publically declared it is hell-bent on destroying the nation of Israel. What is coming next?
"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see."
(Revelation 6:1 KJV
John describes hearing something that sounded similar to thunder just before the opening events of the Great Tribulation begin to unfold on the Earth.
The Book of Daniel is unsealing. Read it, and get understanding! It is my prayer that you will search the Scriptures, and rightly-divide them to see what things are true and honest. TRUST YOUR BIBLE!
In the final chapter that follows, we are going to show you more reasons why the old Holy Bible King James Translation is worthy of your trust.
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Gaines R.
Johnson, D.D., D.Th.
The Bible, Genesis & Geology Ministry
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