Month: February 2015

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Eye on the End Times

Will the U.S. make a pact with an enemy who has sworn to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth?

Iran has made no bones about it. The leaders in charge have repeatedly expressed their desire to destroy the nation of Israel. The difference between now and the past is that Iran  now has the weaponry to do it. With its 10,000 centrifuges, it has the capacity to produce one weapon’s worth of enriched uranium.

Now, after months of behind the scenes negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has potentially masterminded an agreement with Iran for them to restrict their production of uranium.

Historic US-Iran nuclear deal could be taking shape

There are several things that stand out about this deal that are potential fulfillment of Scripture prophecies. First let’s revisit Daniel 9:27, which predicts that in the end times, “Then he shall confirm a 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 desolate.”

In the negotiations with Iran, these details have immerged:

1)      “The officials represent different countries among the six world powers negotiating with Iran — the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.” A covenant with many?

 

2)      “The U.S. initially sought restrictions lasting up to 20 years; Iran has pushed for less than a decade. The prospective deal appears to be somewhere in the middle.” Could it be for one week (7 years)?

 

 

 

3)      March 31 deadline – Will the agreement be confirmed immediately after the solar eclipse that will occur on March 20th?

 

 

Could the agreement become a formal treaty with many nations (Israel among them) and Iran? Could the agreement be for a period of seven years? Will the occurrence of the solar eclipse on March 20th be an omen that this agreement that the U.S. is spearheading is a bad agreement for Israel? The only thing this potential fulfillment is missing is a leader from Rome or the revised Roman empire who will step up to take responsibility for the enforcing of the agreement because Daniel 9:26 clearly states that the people who were to destroy Jerusalem in A.D. 70 were from the same place as the prince who would lead the negotiation of the covenant or pact.

 

It may not be that this is the agreement that leads Israel into the Great Tribulation. However, it could be an agreement that eventually leads to the Gog – Magog war, of which Persia (Iran) is a key player.

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Eye on the End Times – Israel Being Persecuted Again

 

By GF Herrin

If you read the news last week and are a Bible believing follower of Christ, Benjamin Netanyahu’s urging all Jews to come to Israel must have stood out to you.

http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-urges-jews-move-israel-copenhagen-attacks-111012753.html

This type of directive is perhaps is like a banner to the nations or to God’s people to return.

Isaiah 11:11-12 foretold that the Jewish people would return to their homeland a second time after being exiled:

“It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

The recent news of anti-Semitic protests in Germany and the U.S,, terrorist assaults against Jews in France and Denmark, and other actions against Jews, are a clear indicator of the Great Tribulation soon to come.

Daniel 12:1 tells us,

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered” (Dan. 12:1).

Remember the Great Tribulation will be worse than any other time of persecution that the Jewish people have EVER faced. Can you imagine? Think of it, because I want you to remember that in the Holocaust alone, 6 million Jews died.

Why?? Why have the Jewish people been targeted for so long through the ages? After all, the land that they now occupy is only a little sliver of real estate that is slightly larger than New Jersey (the fifth smallest state in the U.S.) Remember that Israel is the apple of God’s eye. And whatever God possesses or values greatly, the enemy also wants. So, ultimately the persecution of God’s people is of a spiritual (satanic) origin.

John’s Revelation tells us that Satan has been actively pursuing Israel since he was cast out of Heaven a long time ago, “When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child” (Rev. 12:13).

So, Islamic extremists, neo-Nazi groups, Jimmy Carter (a known antagonist of Israel), the Presbyterian church USA, or anyone else siding against the nation of Israel are certainly victims of the spiritual influence of the enemy who is contending for the destruction of God’s chosen people.

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Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy – The Coming of Israel’s Chosen King – Part 6

Conclusion

By GF Herrin

                Given the late dating of the book of Revelation, which correlates with prophecies in the book of Daniel, and also given that history lacks any single figure that has fulfilled the prophecies of Daniel 9:2-27, it is reasonable to expect a future fulfillment of Daniel’s predictions. Also, to fully understand the events of the Seventy Weeks revelation of Daniel, it must be fully understood for whom the prophecy was originally written: Daniel, his people, Israel, and their holy city, Jerusalem. The preterist view (which Mauro holds to) of the activities of God toward His covenant people, Israel, is one that is short sighted in scope. The preterist view seems to emphasize the judgment of Israel as the final decision of God, without any future chance for redemption or reconciliation for His chosen people. The preterists seem to underestimate God’s ability to forgive and woo Israel back to Him through the working of His ultimate plan for reconciliation.

Mauro claims:

The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is manifestly an account, given beforehand of the second period of the national existence of the Jewish people. They were to last as a nation only long enough to fulfill the Scriptures, and to accomplish the supreme purpose of God, in bringing forth the Messiah, and putting Him to death. The time allotted for this was 490 years. This being accomplished, God had no further use for Israel (Mauro, 21).

Mauro’s statement is careless in that it seems to discard all of the promises of God that reveal His faithfulness to Israel and His intentions to deliver them for His name’s sake.

Ezekiel states the reason that God will deliver Israel from the enemy in the end times:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sake. O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes (Ezek. 36:22-23).

Gabriel’s revelation to Daniel is given as an answer to his fervent, longing, and pleading prayer. God esteemed Daniel and in His grace revealed His plan for Israel’s reconciliation to Him. God has a covenant relationship with Israel that is not dependent on Israel’s faithfulness, but His own faithfulness. His sovereign power to bring forth Israel’s chosen King is the great Guiding force through the ages. To summarize, the seventy weeks are about God working through the age of the Gentiles to bring about His desired purpose: The end of the rebellion and transgression of the nation of Israel, the sealing up of sin, reconciliation to Yahweh, the fulfillment of prophecies, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness to Israel when Jesus is anointed as King at the beginning of His millennial reign in Jerusalem. His program for accomplishing these things occur inside and outside of the seventy weeks. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem, given by King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. to Nehemiah, marks the beginning of the Seventy Weeks. The finishing of the first seven weeks marks the restoral of Jerusalem as a re-built city.

The entrance into Jerusalem of Messiah, King Jesus, on April 6th, A.D. 32 marks 483 prophetic years (each consisting of 360 days), or sixty-nine weeks, after the decree is given (Anderson, 128). Then, outside of the sixty-nine weeks, but before the seventieth week begins, the Messiah is cut off, the people of the Roman prince who will come in the future, destroy Jerusalem, and the temple and the beautiful land lie desolate from the onslaught of war. Then, in the final week, the Roman prince, who is the antichrist, makes a covenant with Israel, but in the middle of the seven year period stops sacrifices and grain offerings from taking place at the third temple. Finally, after the antichrist commits abominations that desecrate the holy temple and offend God, the Lord pours out destruction on him. It is understood from the text of Daniel 12:3 and 12:12 that the millennial reign will begin shortly after.

Application

The truths of the Seventy Weeks prophecies of Daniel have a broad application today. They can be applied in leading a Bible study or delivered in a sermon to Christians anywhere. In knowing that many of the prophecies of Daniel 9:25-26 have been fulfilled as Gabriel’s message said they would be, we can stand firm on the promises of 9:27, which foretell the end of the Gentile age and the beginning of the Messianic kingdom. The message of Daniel focuses on the faithfulness and sovereign ability of God to work His plan and guide mankind to His desired conclusion. Specifically, God’s plan for Israel is in focus for the seventy weeks. The reader must remember that God’s promises remain in effect today. To conclude that God is finished with Israel and discard His covenant promises is to discard His sacred Word, itself.

Paul writes:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins” (Romans 11:25-27).

Christians everywhere should be encouraged by Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy to live holy lives in anticipation of living one day under the rein of the Lord Jesus Chris. Ultimately, God’s purposes will be fulfilled and the Messiah will come again to restore Israel and usher them into the millennial age in righteousness and faithfulness.

 

 

 

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Eye on the End Times – Lots of Questions in 2015

By GF Herrin

Lots to watch in 2015 in regard to prophecy… And.Lots of Questions…

What will happen with the current situation in the Ukraine? Russia is clearly an endtimes player that scholars believe is spoken of in Ezekiel 38. Will the present oil crisis they are experiencing be the impetus to make them continue to exert their aggressive nature?

What about Turkey? Several years ago the nation of Turkey had a good relationship with Israel. Now, since the coming to power of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, the country’s tone seems to have taken a very hostile turn.

Who will win the election in Israel this year? The national election in Israel is slated for March 17th. Will staunch conservative, Benjamin Netanyahu, win the election and stay in power? Or will his main rival, Isaac Herzog, win?

It seems like the Obama presidential election team has set up camp in Tel Aviv with the mission to defeat Netanyahu in the upcoming election for prime minister. Is Barack Obama working behind the scenes in Israel to prevent Netanyahu from being re-elected? If so, how much of a price will the United States pay for its cursing of God’s chosen people, Israel, yet again (see Genesis 12:3)?

 

http://www.jpost.com/Blogs/The-View-from-Israel/Obamas-shocking-interference-into-Israels-election-process-389858

 

“The “Anyone but Bibi” mission is headed by Jeremy Bird, Obama’s National Field Director in his successful presidential campaigns.

Under Bird, a group called “Victory 15” has been set up. It has recruited the young activists from Israel’s 2013 social protest movement and will man a massive social network and personal contact campaign to defeat Bibi. V15 is financed by an NGO called “One Voice” whose motto is to be “the voice of mainstream Israelis and Palestinians.” Research finds that One Voice is funded by John Kerry’s State Department.”

If someone else is elected, will the solar eclipse on March 20th portend rough waters for Israel in the future with Herzog in power?

Many biblical scholars believe that the anti-christ will be someone with a Jewish background. If a new president is elected in Israel, could he be the one?

What about Iran, another end time player (Persia) in Ezekiel 38? Will Obama give away everything to make a bad deal with Iran and cause the Gog – Magog war to begin?

I, and many of others have reason to believe that we very close to the day of the Rapture of the Church.

With Yom Kippur 2015 coming 49 prophetic years (a jubilee) to the day after the re-claiming of Jerusalem by the nation of Israel (on June 7th, 1967), it sure seems like it could happen this year. Or something significant could take place regarding Israel that has a major impact on the Great Tribulation beginning soon.

I still have no reason to believe that the Rapture will take place before Brother Billy Graham is called home. The one and only time I have heard the Lord’s audible voice was in 2008 when I felt that I heard Him tell me, “Shortly after I call Billy Graham home, I will come for my people”. I want to emphasize that this was an experience that I personally had. In all of my beliefs and when speaking to people about my faith and my eschatological writings I emphasize the concept of “Sola Scriptura”, or Scripture alone. By this I mean that my doctrine is founded on what I read in the Bible, and not any experiential event . But, just as there were people on earth when the Lord came the first time who were told they would not die before seeing Him, I believe that it is certainly possible that He can give us personal revelation on His second coming, also.

So, stay tuned, and Maranatha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Old Testament Prophecies with Personal References to the Messiah

The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), which was completed at least 400 years before the Messiah, Jesus, was born, contains many prophecies that predicted His coming. References to His physical birth to a virgin, His life, suffering, and death for mankind’s sins, along with references to His personality, mission, and future earthly Kingdom are all contained in these prophecies.

Several  are shown below.

Much of this information is taken from J. Barton Payne’s book, The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, 1973, pages 665-670.

*Denotes prophecies that will be fulfilled at Christ’s Second Coming

Scripture Prediction Text
Genesis
3:15 Jesus will reconcile men to God, at painful cost. He will be a man, springing from the seed of a woman crushing Satan, casting him down, and eventually destroying him “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
9:26 He will come from the Semitic branch of humanity And he said: “Blessed be the Lord, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant. “
22:18 Within this branch, His descent will be through the family of Abraham “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
49:10 He will come from the royal tribe of Judah and receive the obedience of the peoples The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Numbers
24:17* As a star of Jacob, He will strike down all defiance (at Armageddon) I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
Deuteronomy
18:15 He will be a prophet, like Moses, speaking the words of God The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
32:43 The angesl of God will worship at His birth Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.
1 Samuel
2:10* God will strengthen His anointed (the first use of the term Messiah for Jesus) for His rule The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
2 Samuel
7:13 He will descend from the line of David as an eternal king He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
7:14 God will be His father, and He will be His Son “I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. “
23:3* His rule will be righteous and good, in reverence toward God The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.
Job
17:3 As the divine Angel of Yahweh, he will ransom men and restore their righteousness Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself. Who is he who will shake hands with me?
19:25* He will come again and stand over the dust of the righteous, to resurrect them For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
Psalms
2:1 Gentile rulers will unite with Jewish people against Him at His trial Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2:2 He will be anoointed, in gladness above al others The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
2:4 He will break the nations with a rod of iron at Armageddon He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
2:6* God will install Him on Mount Zion as king over the nations “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
8:3 He will ascend to the Father’s right hand, gloriously crowned When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
16:10 God will not allow His holy One to see corruption For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
22:1 He will be forsaken of the Father while bearing men’s sins To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Deer of the Dawn.’ A Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
22:6 Men will wag their heads in mockery at His crucifixion But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
22:10 He will trust in God the Father, from His birth onward I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.
22:11 He will suffer from thirst and pierced limbs, as men gamble for His clothes beneath the cross Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.
22:19 But God will answer Him after His sufferings and receive Him But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
22:22 Shortly thereafter He will honor God in the midst of the church I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
22:27* Men will pray for Him continually and give worship to God All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.
40:6 He will delight to do the Father’s will Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
72:7* He will come down like showers upon the earth and cause abundance In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.
72:8* He will rule from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
72:12* He will have a particular concern for the poor For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.
72:17* His years will have no end His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed.
89:4 He will be the everlasting seed of David Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah
89:26 He will be God’s Son, His firstborn He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
110:1 He will be deity, “Lord” even to King David A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
110:3* In the day of His battle (Armageddon), young people will offer themselves to Him Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
110:4* He will be a priest, after the manner of Melchizedek The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
110:6 He will strike down the Antichrist over a wide land He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.
Isaiah
2:4* Kings will arise before His exalted presence, and princes worship He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
7:13 He will be born of a virgin Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
7:14 He will be Immanuel, God with us, the “Mighty God” Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
7:15 He will experince moral growth, although in an oppressed land Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
8:17* He will wait for Yahweh to convert Israel again to Himself And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him.
9:1 He will bring the light of His ministry to those in Galilee Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.
9:4* He will proclaim the day of vengenance of our God For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.
9:6* He will govern the world For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
9:7* He will sit on the throne of David and be swift to execute righteousness Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
11:1 He will be a neser: a “branch” from David, living in Nazareth There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
11:2 He will be anointed by God’s Spirit, for preaching the Gospel The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
11:4* He will decide with equity for the poor and the meek of the earth and will slay the wicked, the Antichrist But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
12:1* He will furnish His people with joy and praise And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
24:16 He will be a Light to the Gentiles, with worldwide salvation From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.”
26:21* The victorious Redeemer will come to Zion For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon– That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
40:3 John will be His forerunner: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
42:1 He will come as the prophetic Servant of Yahweh “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
42:2 His ministry will be unpretentious He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
42:3 He will be gentle toward the weak A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
42:6 He will embody God’s redemptive testament “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
49:1 He will be called before His birth to be God’s Servant “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
49:7 He will be worshipped by Gentiles Thus says the Lord, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the Lord who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.”
52:15 His death will serve as an atoning sacrifice to justify many So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
53:1 He will be rejected by Israel Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
53:4-6 He will take on Himself the sins of the world Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
53:7-8 He will voluntarily submit to suffering He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
53:9 He will receive honorable burial in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph or Arimathea And they made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
53:10 He will triumph over death Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
53:12 He will be exalted Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors
Jeremiah
23:5 God will raise up out of Israel an eternal Branch of David and He will execute justice and righteousness in the land “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
23:6* He will be called “Yahweh (is) our righteousness,” as men live in safety In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
30:21 He will pledge His life in priestly mediation for God’s people Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
Ezekiel
17:23 He will be an offshoot of David, through Jehoiachin and Zerubbabel On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell.
21:27* Yahweh will grant the Davidic throne to the One whose right it is “I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Daniel
7:13* The son of man will come with the clouds of heaven 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.
9:25 His Coming as Prince will be in 32 A.D., 483 years after King Artaxerxes gave the decree to Nehemiah to re-build Jerusalem Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
9:26 He will be cut off (crucified) after the 69th week is completed And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall 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.
Hosea
1:11* The Jews will seedk the Davidic King, whom they accept as their head Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!
6:2 After two days, i.e. on the third day, He will be raised from the dead After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
Joel
3:16* Through Him, Yahweh will “roar” from Zion and judge the attacking nations The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
3:17* Representing Yahweh, He will dwell on Zion the holy mountain “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
Amos
9:11 In Christ, God will raise up the booth (humbled house) of David On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;
Micah
2:13* As the “Breaker” of restraints, He will move befre His people The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the Lord at their head.”
4:3* He will be great unto the ends of the earth He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
5:2 The future ruler will be born in the little town of Bethlehem. Yet, He will have been with the Father from all eternity and brought forth by a woman, through childbirth “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
5:5* He will deliver His people from the Antichrist’s attack from Assyria And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men.
Zephaniah
3:15* The King of Israel, of the essence of Yahweh, will be in Jerusalem The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.
Haggai
2:9 In the temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel, God will give peace, in Christ The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah
2:5 God will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem as its glory For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ “
3:8 The Lord will bring forth His “Servant”, who is the One called the “Branch,” out of David ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.
3:9 He will remove the iniquity of the land in one day by His counsel of peace For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ‘
6:12 The Branch will grow up, where He is, through childhood Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord; “
6:13* But He will bear glory and sit and rule upon His throne Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ‘
8:3* The Jews will look upon Him as He return to Zion as He resides in Jerusalem, as deity present “Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’
9:9 His kingship will be one of justice. He will be granted saving help from God and will enter Jerusalem humbly, riding on a donkey “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
9:10* His dominion will be from sea to sea ” I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
11:12-13 He will be betryaed for 30 pieces of silver Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”–that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.
12:1* He will go forth and fight against the nations gathered at Jerusalem The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
12:10* At His return, the Jews will mourn for Him and accept Him. God will identify the Savior with Himself as deity, “My fellow”. The Good Shepherd will be smitten and “pierced”. “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. “
13:7 He will bring back His hand over “the little ones” of His flock (the disciples) and regather them to Galilee “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. “
14:4* His feet will stand in that future day upon the Mount of Olives And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south
14:5* He will be accompanied by a host of holy ones, angels (or saints or both) Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You.
Malachi
3:1 His way will be prepared by a messenger, John the Baptist. As deity and as redeemer, “the Angel of the Testament”, He will come to His temple “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.
3:2* At His second coming, none will be able to stand before His refining power “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap. “
3:3* He will purify His people who serve as Levites He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.
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Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy – The Coming of Israel’s Chosen King Part 5

Daniel 9:27 – Gabriel Reveals the Events of the Seventieth Week

By GF Herrin

                Daniel 9:27 is perhaps the key verse in properly understanding the entire seventy weeks revelation. Interpreting this verse correctly is also the key to understanding many of the other End Times prophetic passages in the Old and New Testaments. The passage begins with a confirmation of a covenant or agreement between “he” and the “many”. Since this revelation is given to Daniel in regard to his people and his holy city, it is logical to understand that “many” refers to the people of Israel. The question briefly touched upon earlier in regard to verse 27 is, “What is the identity of the person who is referenced to by the pronoun ‘he’?” Preterists, such as Mauro and Michael Blume, hold to the belief that “he” refers to the Messiah, Jesus, who is referenced early in verse 26 as the one “who shall be cut off, but not for Himself” (Michael F. Blume, “What Do Preterists Believe About “The Prince” in the 70 Weeks of Daniel?” http://www.preteristarchive.com/Modern/2001_blume_daniel-9.html 2001). Blume says that the Messiah, in verse 26, is the main subject of the passage while the prince is only a “sidenote”. He claims that to interpret the word, “he” in the verse as the antichrist is to employ bad grammar.

In reality, though, if one interprets the passage using the standard Hebrew grammar rules, it is apparent that the “he” in verse 27 is indeed the antichrist who is also referred to in Daniel 7:25 and 11:36-45. The interpretation of “the coming prince” in verse 26 as the antecedent for the pronoun, “he”, in verse 27, makes more sense because it is closer in proximity to the pronoun than the word “himself”. To argue that the “Messiah” is the subject of the sentence and therefore it must be the antecedent for “He” is to create Hebrew grammar rules that just do not exist (Thomas Howe, 9.113, see also, Daniel in the Preterists’ Den, 2008).

Mauro states: “(1) that it was by the cutting off of the Messiah that the six predicted things of verse 24 were to be accomplished; (2) that it was by the cutting off of the Messiah that the covenant with many (verse 27) was to be confirmed and the sacrifice and oblation caused to cease” (Mauro, 21). Most assuredly, the Messiah’s sacrifice for sins is the one single event that enables the six predicted things of verse 24 to be realized. But, to suggest that Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary was an actual covenant that the nation of Israel literally entered into for a period of seven years is inaccurate. It is true that Jesus’ covenant sacrifice negated Israel’s necessity to perform any more sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. However, it does not represent a literal covenant that has been accepted or entered into by the people of Israel at any time in their history.

The overarching problem in Mauro’s interpretation of the passage is his attempt to spiritualize the reference dealing with the entering of a literal covenant or agreement with many. Many scholars, such as Mauro, make the mistake of interpreting Scripture in a spiritual or metaphorical manner. That is, they discard the most literal type of interpretation to fit it into their own view. However, that system of interpretation is inconsistent and flawed. The more consistent manner of interpretation is the historical grammatical method. As Robert L. Thomas says, “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise” (Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary, vol. 1, 1992, 50).

In addition, to suggest that the Messiah, who is God, would make a covenant for a limited period of time (seven years) is inconsistent with God’s nature, which is eternal. God, being eternal, possesses a nature that is unchanging. So, any truth, acknowledgement, or agreement affirmed by Him would not be of a temporal or changing nature but of an eternal nature. Since He is eternal, His faithfulness or adherence to His covenants must be eternal as well. To suggest that God would make a covenant for a limited period of time is also inconsistent with the nature of His other covenants (see Gen. 13:15; Gen. 15:18; Gen. 17:7-8; Gen. 28:13; Gen. 35:12; 1 Chron. 16:17-18; 2 Chron. 20:7; Dan. 7:18; Jer. 7:7; Jer. 25:5; Jer. 31:35-37; Jer. 33:20-22) made with Israel. Regarding the nature of the covenant made in verse 27, Dwight Pentecost writes, “Inasmuch as all the covenants made by Messiah with Israel are eternal covenants, Messiah cannot be the one making the covenant, inasmuch as it will be temporary” (Pentecost, Things to Come, 250).

So, in interpreting verse 27, it can be determined that the ruler or the prince who is to come will confirm a literal covenant with the nation of Israel for a period of seven years (the final week). In the middle of the final week (or after three and a half years) he will put an end to the sacrifice and offerings. Verse 26 describes the destruction of the second temple which actually occurred in A.D. 70. So, it can be discerned that during the time of the seventieth week, there must be a third temple in existence since Israel is obviously making sacrifices again when “the prince who is to come” puts an end to them. Israel, traditionally, has offered their sacrifices and offerings to God in the temple. So, it makes sense to believe that they will offer them again if given the chance. Even now, there is an established Temple institute in place in Israel that has in place blueprints for the third temple, along with the vessels, menorah, pure olive oil to be burned in the menorah, priestly garments, a red heifer, and even priests from the tribe of Levi who are ready to begin the sacrifices whenever the temple is re-built.

The second part of verse 27 describes an event after the sacrifices and offerings are brought to an end in which the ruler will apparently do something that is so offensive to God that the Lord must intercede and pour out his wrath on the one who performed the desecration. The text “on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate” could be interpreted to mean that the Ruler’s desecrating actions to the temple will cause it to be unclean.

The actions of Antiochus Epiphanes (who set up an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar, and sacrificed a pig in the Temple), which are in fact foretold in Daniel 11:31, could be a typology of the nature of the desecrations performed by the future prince. Like Antiochus, the future ruler or prince will do something “abominable” in reference to the use of the temple and its holiness to God. But, Antiochus could not have been the ruler that Daniel was writing of in verse 27 because Jesus’ statement concerning the future desecration of the temple was made long after Antiochus desecrated the temple.

Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved (Matt. 24:15-22).

This future event of the “’abomination of desolation” is a more logical fit for the events describe in Daniel 9:27. According to 12:7, the time period during which the daily sacrifices and offerings are suspended matches the time period of verse 27, exactly. It is “time, times, and half a time” (Dan. 12:7) or three and a half years. Also, John’s Revelation describes a matching timeline in which the “beast” will exercise his authority over Israel as well: “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:5-6).

The prophecies in Revelation and Daniel regarding the forty-two months (three and a half prophetic years), during which Jews will be persecuted, correlate with each other and seem to be addressing the same event. In addition, there is substantial evidence to believe that John’s Revelation was written in the 90s A.D. (Norman L. Geisler, “A Friendly Response to Hank Hanegraaff’s book, “The Last Disciple” [online], Available: <http://normangeisler.net/articles/theology/Eschatology/FriendlyResponseToHHanegraffsBookLastDisciple.htm>). Since Revelation was written at the end of the first century, the destruction of the second temple and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. would have taken place prior to its composition. Given the late dating of the book, which contains the prophecy that details the anti-christ’s oppression of the people of Israel for a period of forty-two months (three and a half prophetic years), it is more reasonable to understand the event as futuristic and taking place at the same time as Daniel 9:27.