Last week we did a deep dive into Daniel’s 70 weeks.
What was Daniel looking for? I look forward to taking you all through the entire book of Daniel to really sew up nicely how God’s plan for salvation and Christ’s coming was told to Daniel in a wonderful, beautiful timeclock, almost down to the very last second. What End Timers will tell you is that there is a gap in Daniel’s timeclock and that there will be a secret rapture BEFORE “the great tribulation” and that the antichrist will come. We proved that to be an utter abomination to play on the word abomination of desolation. The coming of Christ, his First Advent, is what we see through the majority of Old Testament prophesies. It is this Gospel that the apostles were persecuted for, not for saying what a Messiah would do in a second coming, but that the Messiah had come…he brought salavation, and he was about to bring judgement on THAT generation. Last eschatos (where we get the term eschatology from_)
Days hēmera
Hebrews 1
God’s Supreme Revelation
1God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2has in theselast days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,4having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Son Exalted Above Angels
5For to which of the angels did He ever say:
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”? (Psalm 2:7, Paul in Acts 13:33)
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
6But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7And of the angels He says:
“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
8But to the Son Hesays:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
THE KINGDOM HAS COME
Mark 1 1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, (Malachi 3:1)
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John Baptizes Jesus
9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Satan Tempts Jesus
12Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
14Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
The time is fulfilled…what time? Well, Daniel’s 70 Weeks, the ones he was told to shut up, to seal up until, when…the time of the end. Hebrews tells us that that time had come….the end of Yahweh speaking and working through one race of people but bringing all into Abraham’s promises. The time all the prophets spoke about, the coming of Christ, the Messiah to set up his ultimate covenant, not to do away with the old but to build upon it, to make a New Covenant, this time with ALL PEOPLE from EVERY TONGUE AND NATION
Galatians 3 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
(Dispensationalists teach that there is a breaking up of the Old Testament and that those who are not ethnic Jews do not partake in ALL the promises of Abraham, such as land promises. Paul refutes this idea here)
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,saying,“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” Did you catch that? God taught Abraham the Gospel, which is Christ coming to reconcile the world to him to make two one, both Jew and all the nations!
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Whatever promises God had for Abraham, he has for anyone who is a believer in the Messiah!
15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Purpose of the Law
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, [f]kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.24 Therefore the law was our [g]tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Abraham did not have the law. In fact, his sons did not have the law, and for many generations the people of Israel lived under the promise given to Abraham. The Siani Coveant was given as a schoolmaster to lead us unto the perfect law of Christ. Jesus explains this when he says ALL the commandments are summed up in two things
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength
2. Love your neighbor as yourself
Christ now takes us beyond the law, through the promise, so we can be lead by His Spirit to do what is right, good, and holy to the fullest!
Sons and Heirs
26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This is what End Timers say about Daniel
The Dispensation that followed the Law was the Dispensation of Grace. But the Prophet Daniel prophesied that the Dispensation of Grace would be a parenthetical period WITHIN the Dispensation of the Law.
“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.”
Note first that the prophecy is about Daniel’s people and Daniel’s city, so this is the future history of Israel and Jerusalem.
“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.” (Daniel 9:24-25)
Daniel lists six things to be accomplished within the seventy weeks, or 490 years.
1. To finish the transgression. 2. To make an end of sins. 3. To make reconciliation for iniquity.
They break it up here…. 4. To bring in everlasting righteousness. 5. To seal up the vision and the prophecy. 6. To anoint the Most Holy.
For the Church, points one through three were accomplished at the Cross. The Church needs no further redemption. Points four through six are accomplished at the Second Coming and the Millennial Kingdom that follows.
The interval between point three and point four started at Pentecost and continues to this day. This is the Dispensation of Grace, or the Church Age.
The Dispensation of the Law was to be interrupted for an indeterminate period by the Dispensation of Grace, after which the Dispensation of the Law has one more week to run.
“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. (Daniel 9:26)
They say that because the angel is speaking to Daniel about HIS PEOPLE, that MUST MEAN Israel, and that God must deal with Israel separately still in the future. That is not scriptural. They also believe that the temple must be rebuilt to be destroyed once again. They also are urging millions of Jews to go back to Israel only for 2/3 of them to be slaughtered in the “last days!”
Hal Lindsey says the Bible contains numerous prophecies that foretell of certain conditions and events that will occur in the world prior to Christ’s return. He continues, saying that, as these things occur, they are to serve as signs and reminders that we are in the era that the Bible calls the end times or last days.[9] Lindsey believes a prophetic event that officially begins the end times is the regathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland to form an independent nation after a prolonged worldwide dispersion.[10] He states that the establishment of the State of Israel during May 1948 is the fulfillment of this major prophecy. He also states that the last seven years of the end times is a period known as the Tribulation; which is described in the gospel of Matthew and the book of Revelation.
In The Late Great Planet Earth, Lindsey wrote that the biblical prophets identified certain nations that would ally with other countries to form “four major spheres of political power” during the same era that Israel would be reestablished as a nation.[11] Lindsey wrote that these nations and their allies can be identified as: (1) Russia with its allies, (2) China with other nations of the Orient, (3) Egypt with other Middle East countries, and (4) an alliance of Western European nations.[12]
According to Lindsey, the alliance of Western European nations is a revived form of the ancient Roman Empire, predicted in the books of Daniel and Revelation symbolically as ten horns and ten kings.[13] In The Late Great Planet Earth, Lindsey quotes from a 1969 Time Magazine article that the goal of the European Economic Community, which preceded the European Union, was to establish a ten-nation economic community.[14] Lindsey concludes, based on this and other sources, that this alliance will help cause the fulfillment of this prophecy and will ultimately be ruled by the Antichrist.[15]
Lindsey noted that the prophets did not refer to the United States of America directly or indirectly. He concluded that this is an indication that the U.S. will no longer be a great geo-political power by the time the Tribulation of the end times arrives.[16]
In a later book, titled, The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon,[17] he indicated that he believed it was possible that the battle of Armageddon could occur in the not too distant future, stating, “the decade of the 1980s could very well be the last decade of history as we know it.”[18] He noted again that there is no reference to the U.S. in Bible prophecy. He listed a few scenarios that seemed plausible to him at the time: (1) A takeover by Communists, (2) destruction by a surprise Soviet nuclear attack, or (3) becoming a dependent of the 10-nation European community.[19] The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 20 weeks.
More Failed Predictions
“A generation in the Bible is something like forty years. If this is a correct deduction, then within forty years or so of 1948, all these things could take place. Many scholars who have studied Bible prophecy all their lives believe that this is so … The most important sign in Matthew has to be the restoration of the Jews to the land in the rebirth of Israel. Even the figure of speech ‘fig tree’ has been a historic symbol of national Israel. When the Jewish people, after nearly 2,000 years of exile, under relentless persecution, became a nation again on 14 May 1948 the ‘fig tree’ put forth its first leaves. Jesus said that this would indicate that He was ‘at the door,’ ready to return. Then He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place’ (Matthew 24:34, NASB). What generation? Obviously, in context, the generation that would see the signs-chief among them the rebirth of Israel.”
Obviously nothing of any biblical significance happened in 1981—and for that matter nothing noteworthy occurred seven years later. It was presumed that in 1988, during the fortieth anniversary of Israel’s re-establishment, strategic end-time events would transpire. Countless futurists were predicting the rapture or other apocalyptic scenarios, but they were greatly mistaken.
In his hastily written book titled, 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988, Edgar C. Whisenant argued that the rapture of the Christian church would occur between September 11-13, 1988. He noted,
“Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong, and I say unequivocally. There is no way Biblically that I can be wrong; and I say that to every preacher in town … if there were a king in this country and I could gamble with my life, I would stake my life on Rosh Hashana 1988.”
After his September prediction failed to materialize, Whisenant changed his termination date to Rosh Hashanah 1989—publishing The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989. This is a pattern that Whisenant would later repeat in 1993 and 1994. Despite his impassioned pleas, the rapture and his cataclysmic understanding of the end-times never manifested. As the year 1988 (as well as 1989, 1993, and 1994) passed without major incident, apocalyptic teachers looked ahead to 2007—the fortieth anniversary of Israel reclaiming Jerusalem (1967). With this pivotal date in the cross-hairs, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins noted the following:
“If we use the 1948 or the 1967 date, apply the span of a person’s lifetime (give or take ten years for the person to ‘see’ and comprehend the events), then subtract seven or more years for the Tribulation and an interim period between the Rapture and the signing of the covenant with Israel, we come to the same time period for the return of the Lord that many others have suggested … our generation.”
Nevertheless, to the dismay of Dispensational Premillennialists, 2007 also passed without incident. Despite their feverish insistence, the apocalypse clearly didn’t transpire within a “generation” of 1948 or 1967. Because of this, many who held a cataclysmic view were forced to rethink what a “generation” really was. Some now suggesting that it is a 70 or 100 year span. They’re open to most any adaption, with the single exception of rethinking their erroneous end-time worldview.
Bruce Gore on Hal Lindsey’s Failed Early Predictions and our Unhealthy Focus on End Times
Example : That said, I think the 2/3rds reference comes fromZechariah 13:8-9where the Lord says in the whole land 2/3rds will be struck down and perish, and the 1/3 who are left will be brought into the fire. This refers to Israel. The phrase “the fire” is thought to be the refiner’s fire, a name sometimes given to the Great Tribulation. That means 2/3rds of the Jewish people will die sometime before the Great Tribulation begins.
A careful reading of Zechariah 13:8-9 shows that this 2/3rds will perish sometime between the scattering that took place after the crucifixion and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. One interpretation of this has the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust representing the 2/3rds. But it’s also possible that this many Jews could die during the Seal and Trumpet judgments of Daniel’s 70th Week.No matter how you calculate it, the fact remains that Daniel’s 70th Week will be the bloodiest time the people of Earth have ever experienced. https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/will-two-thirds-of-earths-population-die/
Tim LaHaye is a renowned prophecy scholar, minister and educator. He has written over forty works of fiction and these works have been published in over thirty languages. His wife, Beverly LaHaye is a conservative activist. Hal Lindsey’s book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” was a best seller in the 1970’s. In order for the fulfillment of the end times to occur, all of the Jews of the Earth must return to Israel so that two thirds of them can be slaughtered according to this evangelical interpretation of the Bible.
“As for us Jews, the Tribulation itself was the time when God made Israel ‘pass under the rod,’ according to Ezekiel 20. God says, I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord…Zachariah 13 says that two-thirds of Israel would die, so that of those left, ‘all Israel will be saved.'” Tim LaHaye’s “Glorious Appearing,” Page 367.
“Zachariah predicts that one-third of the Jews alive during this period will be converted to Christ and miraculously preserved. In the whole land, says the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.'” Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth,” Page 167. According to the doctrine of Premillennial Dispensationalists, as well as the literature written by LaHaye and Lindsey, Jesus will call the true Christians of the Earth to heaven 3.5 years before his tribulations take place. The Tribulations will be a time of suffering and death dealt out to the non-believers of the Earth. The Christians will get to ascend to heaven without having to die and enjoy an eternal paradise while everyone else back on Earth is suffering. These particular Evangelicals could be seen as using the Jews as pawns in order to escape from the problems of everyday life – or the boredom of their lives in suburbia.
Yet this prophesy cannot come to pass until all the Jews have been gathered into the state of Israel. Therefore, the Evangelical support of Israel is not merely some token of good will, it is a fulfillment of a prophesy of mass slaughter. There are currently 4.5 million Jews in Israel. If two-thirds of these Jews were to die at the time of “Great Tribulation,” this means that 3 million Jews will be killed. If we’re counting all the Jews in the world, (which is around 14 million people according to the Jewish Virtual Library), we’re talking about 10 million people dead. http://worldfuturefund.org/Reports/darksideofevangelism.html
This article from Newsweek pretty accurately sums up the absolute diabolical nature of a premillenial pre tribulation rapture that sees Israel and the Jews as a pawn in an escahlatogical game. We certainly want all Jews to come to Christ, but not by encouraging them to rebuild a temple, have all Jews move there, and then see 2/3 slaughtered.
You see 2/3rds were killed, dispersed, or taken into slavery…in AD 70. It’s over. God’s punishment and judgement on Israel was for THAT GENERATION AND THAT GENERATION ONLY!!! To hold to any other position is anti semetic and deeply disturbing.
JESUS was accosted and accused by the religious leaders of his day. He came to offer up eternal salvation and they killed him. Acts 2:23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Jesus said straight to the religious leader’s faces…. ALL THE BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS would come on THAT generation
37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?41But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers!For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.48In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.49Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’50that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
THE FULNESS OF TIME HAS COME!!!!!
We, as Christians, are all Israel now.
Galatians 4 1Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
What fulness? Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand,
Even in troublesome times. “And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall [j]be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a [k]covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the [l]desolate.”
The Only Dispensation We Are In is the FULLNESS OF TIMES!!!!
Ephesians 1: 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,10that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
dispensation:oikonomia…. the management of a household or of household affairs, the management, oversight, administration, of others’ property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship
Fullness: plērōmaa fulfilling, keeping
Of time: kairos of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. set or proper time:—X always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while
To gather together: is to sum up…
Colossians 1 19For it pleased theFatherthatin Him all the fullness should dwell, 20and by Him to reconcile..
reconcile: apokatallassō (bring back to a perfect place of harmony)
all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
NOW IS JUDGEMENT COME… IF I BE LIFTED UP I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME
John 12 Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead… 12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna! ‘BlessedisHe who comes in the name of theLord!’ The King of Israel!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Fearnot, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?But for this purpose I came to this hour.28 Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.31Now is the judgment of this world; nowthe ruler of this world will be cast out.32And I,if I amlifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longerthe light is with you.Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you;he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may becomesons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
Where had these people heard about the Son of Man? 1Daniel 7 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion isan everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom theone
Which shall not be destroyed.
The 3 wise men and had been using the book of Daniel that prophesied the coming Messiah some 500 yrs later. Daniel’s book is so accurate that they found Jesus at the right time at the right place!!!
What we see in the book of Daniel is an almost obsession with 4 kingdoms that would rise before the coming Messiah, and the 5th kingdom being the perfect reign of the Son of Man…Jesus, the Messiah. God not only gives Daniel different visions of these kingdoms in different ways, he gives them to Nebuchadnezzar. A dream which none of Babylon’s seers could come up with, only Daniel.
Daniel 2 8 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: 29 As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may [j]know the thoughts of your heart.
31 “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and [k]thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of [l]clay. 34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 2 Cor 5For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly [m]fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall [n]break in pieces and [o]consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Luke 1
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
1 Cor 15 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[c] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. Isaiah 60:12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. Psalm 2:9 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b]; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Rev 2 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father.28 I will also give that one the morning star.29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Micah 4:7 I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. (come back to Micah 4 at end)
45Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure. Psalm 118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
These 4 kingdoms are
1 Babylon- Winged Lion, Babylonian symbol of royalty, statues and reliefs excavated.
2. The Medes-Persian- Bear with one side raised up, Persian domination over the Medo-Persian empire
3. Greece- 4 wings four headed leopard- Alexander the Great’s speed 334-332 conquering known world, at his death kingdom divided between 4 Generals
4. Rome – diverse from other beasts, terrible w/teeth of iron, 10 horns ( See Daniel chapter 8 the ram having two horns, one longer than the other, identified as the kings of Media and Persia Daniel 8:20. Under Cyrus and his son Cambyses three kingdoms were “chewed up,” as represented by the three ribs in the bear’s mouth (7:5). These kingdoms were Lydia 546 BC, Chaldean Empire 539 BC and Egypt 525 BC
The first beast is like a lion with eagles’ wings (v. 4). Its wings are removed and it is made to stand on two feet like a man. The second beast is like a bear (v. 5). It is raised up on one side and has three ribs in its mouth. The third beast is like a leopard (v. 6), but it has four wings and four heads. The fourth beast is almost indescribable (v. 7). It is terrifying and strong. It devours with its iron teeth and crushes what is left with its feet. It also has ten horns. As Daniel considers the horns, he sees a little horn arise among the ten (v. 8). The little horn has the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things.
Vision of the Four Beasts Danial
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
Study note: Whereas the people of Israel looked for a continual peace, after the seventy years which Jeremiah had declared, he shows that this rest will not be a deliverance from all troubles, but a beginning. And therefore he encourages them to look for a continual affliction until the Messiah is uttered and revealed, by whom they would have a spiritual deliverance, and all the promises would be fulfilled. And they would have a certain experience of this in the destruction of the Babylonian kingdom.
2Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4The first waslike a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Vision of the Ancient of Days
9“I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
Rev 1:14, Rev 20:4
10A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened. Rev 5:11 Rev 20:4
11“I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion isan everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom theone
Which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel’s Visions Interpreted
15“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
19“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21“I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made infavor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23“Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then thesaints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
26‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
28“This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”
2 Timothy 2:11 – we reign with him Isaiah 60 Rev 2:26
Daniel 7
The four beasts in Daniel’s vision symbolize the four Gentile empires that had conquered Israel before the arrival of the kingdom of God. According to v. 3 all four beasts rose-up out of the sea. In this chapter, as is also the case in the Book of Revelation, sea is used to symbolize the Gentile world (Revelation 17:15).
The first is a lion with wings. This beast is a cherub or lamassu, and it represents the then present empire, Babylon. Cherubs were often depicted as winged bulls or lions that stood guard at the entrances of temples in ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Jews used this term to describe those angels that stood in the presence of God (Isaiah 37:16, Ezekiel 9:3). In Daniel’s vision the cherub or lamassu becomes a man.
The second beast resembles a bear. This is an appropriate symbol for the Medo-Persian Empire which crushed its enemies with brute strength. The fact that this bear “was raised up on one of its sides” represents the fact that the Persians rose to dominance over the Medes in this dual alliance. This point is also implied in Daniel 8:3 in which the ram with the two horns representing the Medo-Persian Empire has one horn longer than the other. The fact that one horn is longer than the other again represents the fact that Persians were the more prominent of the two allies.2 With a vast army, the second beast conquered Lydia, Babylon and Egypt represented in v. 5 by the three ribs in its mouth.3
The Medes and Persians were allies that together toppled the Babylonian Empire. In Daniel 8 the prophet sees a vision of a two-horned ram defeated by a one-horned goat representing Greece. The angel Gabriel interprets this vision for Daniel. And in Daniel 8:20 says that the two horns of the ram represent “the kings of Media and Persia.” If these two allies are represented by the two horns of one animal in Daniel 8
The third beast is a four-headed leopard. This is Greece. The leopard with its grace, speed and ferocity is the perfect metaphor for the small well-trained, well-equipped, and brilliantly led Greek army that supplanted Persia. After the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire was divided into four kingdoms each ruled by one of Alexander’s four generals. The four generals are symbolized by the four heads of the leopard.4Meaning Alexander the king of Macedonia.
(i) That is, his four chief captains, which had the empire among them after his death. Selencus had Asia the great, Antigonus the less, Cassander and after him Antipater was king of Macedonia, and Ptolemeus had Egypt. (k) It was not of himself nor of his own power that he gained all these countries: for his army contained only thirty thousand men, and he overcame in one battle Darius, who had one million, when he was so heavy with sleep that his eyes were hardly open, as the stories report: therefore this power was given to him from God.
Described in greater detail in the Book of Revelation, the fourth empire is Rome, the seven-headed leviathan. As is echoed in Daniel 2, these kingdoms are supplanted by a fifth kingdom. Verses 11 and 12 predict the death of this beast at the establishment of the fifth kingdom
That is, the Roman empire which was a monster, and could not be compared to any beast, because there was no beast that was even comparable. (m) Signifying the tyranny and greediness of the Romans. (n) That which the Romans could not quietly enjoy in other countries, they would give it to other kings and rulers, so that whenever they wanted to, they might take it again: which liberality is here called the stamping of the rest under the feet. (o) That is, various and different provinces which were governed by the deputies and proconsuls: and each one of these might be compared to a king. p) Which is meant of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, etc., who were as kings in effect, but because they could not rule, except by the consent of the senate, their power is compared to a little horn. For Muhammad did not come from the Roman Empire, and the pope has no vocation of government: therefore this cannot be applied to them, and also in this prophecy the Prophets purpose is chiefly to comfort the Jews until the revelation of Christ. Some take it for the whole body of antichrist.
(q) Meaning a certain portion of the ten horns: that is, a part from the whole estate was taken away. For Augustus took from the senate the liberty of choosing the deputies to send into the provinces, and took the governing of certain countries to himself. (r) These Roman emperors at the first used a certain humanity and gentleness, and were content that others, as the consuls, and senate, should bear the names of dignity, so that they might have the profit. And therefore in election and counsels they would behave themselves according as did other senators: yet against their enemies and those that would resist them, they were fierce and cruel, which is here meant by the proud mouth.
5th Kingdom Christ!
At the coming of the fifth kingdom, Daniel foresees the heavenly coronation of the Jewish Messiah. The kingdom that Christ receives in Daniel 7:13-14 is the fifth kingdom–the Messianic kingdom. In the first century, the Messianic kingdom was believed to be an empire centered in Jerusalem that would extend throughout the known world. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus describes his kingdom, the Messianic kingdom, under the cryptic guise of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.5 Jesus gave His kingdom, the Messianic kingdom, these ambiguous titles because to speak openly and explicitly about the Messianic kingdom in Israel in the first century could mean instant death to both him and his followers. The client king, King Herod, and the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, would certainly never tolerate a rival to their throne nor would Tiberius Caesar whose authority was also threatened if the Messiah extended his kingdom throughout the world.
First century Israelites were correct. The Messianic kingdom was to be a world-wide kingdom centered in Jerusalem. However, what they did not know was that the throne of this kingdom was not in the Jerusalem on earth. The throne of this kingdom was to be in the Jerusalem that is in heaven. Galatians 4:26 states, “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.” Hebrews 12:22 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.” Notice that in Daniel 7:13-14 Jesus receives his kingdom in heaven, not on earth. The fact that Christ rules from a heavenly throne is pictured in Acts 8:55-56. Here Stephen sees Christ standing at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
his kingdom, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, was present in both heaven and earth. Concerning the presence of the kingdom of heaven on earth, Jesus says the following in Luke 17:20-21:
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst [is among you].
John 18:33-37:
Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.
Here is where I would love to break off and explain Revelation ch 11 but that will have to be another day…. 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The [f]kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! Christ is reigning now and forever and ever! He is seated at the right hand of God! Revelation 20 1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.
Hebrews 2 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, Colossians 2 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Revelations 13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. … Romans 16 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Luke 10 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Micah 4
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid,- (Side note Zechariah 3:10 10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
You are now high priests – Joshua represents future Messiah who will take away the sins of the world 3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[a] standing at his right side to accuse him.2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”
Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua:7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.- (Messianic term Jer 23:5, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto aDavid a righteous bBranch, and a cKing shall dreign and prosper, and shall execute ejudgment and fjustice in the earth.Jer 33:15 15 “ ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.) 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes[b] on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. – Revelation 5 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Jeremiah 31:34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” – See ALL of Jeremiah 31/ last of Jeremiah 30
10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken. 5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7 I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. 8 As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”
9 Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king[b]? Has your ruler[c] perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? 10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!” 12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. 13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.” You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. Micah 5- Messiah prophesied from Bethleham, proves this text is about the Messiah
[a]Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
