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 angel 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 70 AD, by the Romans under General Titus.
On the walls of the Temple all the lineages of the 12 tribes of Israel were inscribed. If Jesus came after 70 AD, His lineage back to David would have been impossible to prove. Read Matthew 1 to see the lineage.
In Daniel 9 v 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. There 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 throughout the world. They have a supernatural song to sing that only the true Israelites can hear and understand.
Revelation 7 v 2 - 4: "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." The following verses mention each of the 12 tribes having 12000 Jewish boys sealed by the living God.
Revelation 14 v 1 - 5: "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."
Our God is mindful of His promises and covenants with Israel. The more dire their circumstances the more grace He pours out upon them. He sends 144,000 undefined boys with a unique song that has the power of Heaven behind it.
It will unlock all the deception Satan has visited upon Israel in a desperate attempt to have her as an ally when his schemes are starting to unravel. She is the perfect hostage blinded by "Stockholm Syndrome" she loves her captor.
Revelation 14 v 6 - 7: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
While the Jewish boys are gathering the true Israelites back into the Kingdom of God, the Lord has sent another mighty Angel to bring the true gospel to those who remain upon the Earth after the Rapture. The verses following warn the people of the Beast saying do not follow after him as you will be deceived.
By now the Church, the Body of Christ, will have been restored at the Rapture, when born again believers, rose 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 (head plus body) is ready to rescue Israel, 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. The war that Hamas started on Saturday 7 October 2023 is the curtain raiser to the final big battle.
Jesus said in Matthew 24....there will be wars and rumours of wars but the end is not yet. He will not appear on Earth again until after the Rapture. It has to happen first.
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 and John 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.