Scripture: Daniel 9 v 24 - 26: "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.
25 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.26 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."
These profound and complex words were given to Daniel by the Archangel Gabriel, who was the same one who appeared to Mary to tell her she would be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. Unravelling those seventy weeks is very interesting.
Gabriel told Daniel to consider the vision. We must too. Firstly the weeks are weeks of years so the numbers must be multiplied by 7 to get the correct time frame.
Therefore seventy weeks becomes 490 years, which starts at the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes, which was when he commanded that Jerusalem be rebuilt. Ezra 7 v 6 - 7: "This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king."
It was calculated that it took 483 years from that date to the death of Jesus, exactly 69 weeks i.e. seven weeks plus threescore and two weeks - 69 x 7 = 483. This had to happen before the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD, by the Romans under Titus.
On the walls of the Temple all the lineage of the 12 tribes of Israel were inscribed. If Jesus came after 70AD, His lineage back to David would have been impossible to prove. Read Matthew 1 to see the lineage.
In verse 27 it says that the Messiah shall confirm the covenant with many for 1 week i.e. seven years. This other week refers to the seven year tribulation which is already in our sights. From the time that the Messiah was cut off, crucified, within that generation of forty years, the Temple was destroyed as Jesus told them it would be.
The remnant of the Jews fled to Masada, an impregnable fortress outside the city, where they stayed for months until the Romans discovered their hiding place. They were about seventy Jews left and they scattered into different parts of the world.
It took Israel 1900 years to return to their own land.
In this final week Israel will recognize her Messiah, when the abomination that makes desolate, the Antichrist, will enter the Holy Place in the rebuilt Temple, and declare himself to be God. At that moment the eyes of Israel will be opened to the truth that this person was a terrible deception and that Jesus is their true Messiah, and they will flee into the mountains of Petra in Jordan. This recognition happens midway through the seven years.
The first half of the Tribulation is called The beginning of sorrows by Jesus in Matthew 24. And the second half is known as the Wrath of the Lamb.
I personally believe that the world revival will take place in the first half of the Tribulation because the Bible timeline will be obvious. Millions of fence-sitters will make the full commitment to the Lamb of God.
I believe the Rapture will occur mid-trib. The Holy Spirit will have come upon all flesh to bring in every willing soul to the Kingdom of God, the rest will face the music. Then we which are alive will be caught up into the sky above the Earth to be with Jesus forever.
Then the 144 thousand Jewish boys will bring revival to the Jews, the true Bride, to prepare her for the completion of the Marriage Feast. This Marriage began in Heaven but was interrupted by Lucifer seducing her on her wedding day. War broke out in Heaven and Lucifer and his angels were thrown out, taking the Bride hostage for leverage. Jesus was the Ransom for her.
The Bridegroom, Jesus, is restored at the Rapture, when His actual Body, made up of born again believers, rises to meet Him in the air. Jesus is the Head, the church is His body. Colossians 1 v 17 - 18: "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
The now complete Bridegroom is ready to rescue His Bride when Satan tries to destroy her again at the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus with millions of saints arrives to destroy that army and rescue her.
Revelations 22 v 16 - 17: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (This occurs long after the Rapture!)
In Daniel's prophecy as imparted by Gabriel, the Messiah would make an end of sin and bring in everlasting righteousness, which is what the life and death of Jesus did for those who believe in Him. To me this is a profound vision and prophecy as it accurately pinpoints the time the Messiah would be on Earth, plus the fact that the tribulation could only come after Israel became a nation again.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we do always pray for the peace of Jerusalem yet in a time of trouble Jesus will be revealed to Israel. Thank You for faithful prophets like Daniel, who preserved Your word for us to consider and understand. We long for Your Heavenly courts where all this will be behind us, and we will know You as we are known by You. In Jesus' name. Amen.