Israel sermon 3
Daniel 9: 24 “Seventy [u]weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [v]finish the wrongdoing, to [w]make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a [y]decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until [z]Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [ab]Messiah will be cut off and have [ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [af]abominations will come the one who [ag]makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is [ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [ai]makes desolate.”
Scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center report that one of the largest stars in our galaxy is about to self-destruct. Eta Carinae, which has a mass 100 times greater than that of our sun, is giving signs that its life is about over. Researchers say that it could become a supernova -- a blazing, exploding star -- within the next 10,000 years. What was especially interesting about the Science 81 report was the statement that since light from the star takes 9,000 years to reach the earth, the actual explosion could have already taken place.
This striking fact reminds me of the nature of biblical prophecy. For example, the predictions found in Revelation 8 are often written in the past tense. This is done because even though the prophet is writing of a future event, he has already "seen" it. Also, in the mind of God it's as if the events have already happened. Even though Christians differ on the interpretation of today's Scripture, we can definitely say that God's judgment against sin is certain. The outpouring of His anger against those who continually resist Him is so sure that it has been written about in the past tense. This should cause us to reflect with the apostle Peter, who wrote so appropriately, "Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness?" (2 Peter 3:11). As Christians, we know what's ahead for this world, and that knowledge should keep us living close to God.
So, today we continue with our study entitled; “What is happening in Israel?” and “What does it mean?” And as these weeks have progressed in this study, I have been more and more awed at how world events have played out, and how Scripture described them almost 3000 years ago in prophecy.
There are a number of Old Testament and New Testament prophecies we could look at to discover Israel’s role in end-times prophecy, but I chose to narrow our study to Daniel 9.
Last week we started with some bullet points; 1. This prophecy in Daniel reveals history all the way to the return of Christ. 2. This prophecy laid out the precise time when Jesus came the first time. 3. This prophecy predicts Jesus’ being put to death. 4. This prophecy predicts the rise of the antichrist. 5. This prophecy predicts the antichrist war against Israel. And jumping forward, this prophecy predicts the Great Tribulation, the return of Christ, the battle of Armageddon, and the restoration of Israel.
Last time
1. This prophecy reveals history all the way to the return of Christ.
Just to refresh your memory, the seventy weeks prophecy begins by summarizing all that God intends to accomplish in the 490 years of this prophecy.
24 “Seventy [u]weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [v]finish the wrongdoing, to [w]make an end of sin, (God is going to end the rule of sin in this world by the end of these 490 years.) to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, (He will not just end the rule of sin, He will provide an everlasting “atonement” or covering for sin by the death of His Son.) to seal up vision and [x]prophecy, (by the end of 490, all prophecies will be fulfilled, and there will no longer be any need for visions and prophecies, because Christ will rule on earth.) and to anoint the Most Holy. (The Lord Jesus Christ will be present in all His glory, and receiving all that was intended for Him since before the foundation of the earth. He will be the Anointed King, Priest, and Prophet.)
2. 2. This prophecy laid out the precise time when Jesus came the first time.
25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a [y]decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until [z]Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with [aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress.
We went into a lot of detail last time, but suffice it to say that this prophecy was given to Daniel, and it stated that from the time that Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and oversee its rebuilding, a conversation that happened on the 14th of Nisan, 445 B.C., until Messiah comes and is recognized as Prince, would be 483 years. When we calculated all that and translated it to the Hebrew calendar, it was 173,880 days. And, long story short from Artaxerxes permission to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, was exactly 173,880 days.
And how remarkable is that?
This is where we left off last week. So today, I want to finish our look at Daniel 9, and then I want to summarize the whole of our study by describing, “what pieces would we expect to come into place, in Israel, to lay the groundwork for the coming of antichrist, and the final seven years of history, called the Tribulation?
3. This prophecy predicts Jesus’ being put to death.
Notice what Daniel is told will happen next. First, he is told that in 483 years, Messiah will be recognized, one could say, “coronated.” But immediately after Daniel is given that glorious news, he is told that He will be killed.
LSV 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the [x]Messiah will be cut off and have [y]nothing
After the 62 weeks, 434 years from Jerusalem rebuilt and Jesus’ triumphal entry, Messiah will be cut off.
And if there is any doubt about what “cut off” means here, the same Hebrew word is used in other places in the Old Testament.
Genesis 9:11 11 Indeed I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, and there shall never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Obadiah 1:9 Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, So that each one may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.
The Messiah will be killed. Again, this is an extraordinary prophecy made over 400 years before it happened. One might ask if this would have been shocking to Daniel. In other words, would he already know from other prophecy that the Messiah was to be killed. Well, there are prophecies that imply harm coming to the coming Messiah, but nothing as pointed and direct as this.
In Genesis God tells Eve that there will come One born of a woman who will crush the head of the serpent, but that the serpent will strike His heel. But that does not necessarily mean death.
Psalm 22:16 states, “My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.” But, this reference did not specifically refer to the Messiah.
Zechariah 13:7 is the scripture Jesus quoted: “God will strike the shepherd and his sheep will scatter.” Zechariah prophesied along the same time period as Daniel, so we don’t know how much of his prophecy Daniel had access to. And, in addition to that, the Zechariah reference also is not extremely clear.
Isaiah 53:7b says, “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep is silent before shearers, He never said a word.”
9: So His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But [m]Yahweh was pleased To crush Him, [n]putting Him to grief; If You would place His soul as a guilt offering,
Daniel would have been familiar with Isaiah. But would he have interpreted this passage as referring to Messiah? I think is undeniable that he would have understood that it refers to the Coming Messiah.
Isaiah 52: 13 Behold,
My Servant will prosper; He will be high and lifted up and [g]greatly exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons
of men.
Jewish Bible Scholars today will say that Isaiah 52-53 does not refer to Messiah and His suffering and death, but to the suffering of Israel, as God’s son. But what is interesting is that we find no Jewish scholar interpreting Isaiah 52-53 that way until 1000 A.D. After Jesus came and died. Before then, do you know how Jewish scholars interpreted this passage? They interpreted it as referring to the Messiah. So, Daniel would likely have understood the prophesied suffering and death of the Messiah. But here it gives an actual timetable of events.
Now, notice that it says after the 62 weeks, Messiah will be cut off. That means that Jesus’ crucifixion is not an event in those 62 weeks, it is after those 62 weeks. This is important because it is the first indication that there is a pause between the 69th week and the 70th week. Some of you probably wondered this earlier. I kept saying that this prophecy predicts 70 sevens, or 490 years until the return of Christ. Well, we know that far more than 490 years have passed since Artaxerxes first decreed that the city of Jerusalem be rebuilt. But here are the details.
The prophecy says that Jesus would be “cut off” or killed, after the sixty-nine weeks.
Then the prophecy turns to future events.
4. This prophecy predicts the rise of the antichrist.
26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [ab]Messiah will be cut off and have [ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war;
the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
5. This prophecy predicts the antichrist war against Israel.
And [ad]its end will come with a flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war;
Now I want to transition to answering a third question. We’ve talked about what is happening in Israel today. We’ve talked generally about Bible prophecy. Now I want to talk about what pieces we would expect to see come into place indicating that the time is very near for the antichrist and the last seven years of history.
What pieces of the puzzle must move into place for these events to occur in Israel?
Remember where we are headed.
24 “Seventy [u]weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to [v]finish the wrongdoing, to [w]make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
What has to happen? What has to be in place?
and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [af]abominations will come the one who [ag]makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is [ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [ai]makes desolate.”
A. The Jewish people have to be in Israel.
It may seem obvious to say but, the Jewish people have to be in Jerusalem, and Israel. We sometimes forget that that wasn’t always the case. This is something that I think we take for granted now.
The implication of Daniel 9 is that the Jewish people occupy Israel when all these things happen.
24 “Seventy [q]weeks have been determined for your people and for your holy city, to [r]finish the transgression, to [s]make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and [t]prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 So you are to know and have insight that from the going out of a [u]word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
but in the middle of the week he will make sacrifice and grain offering cease; and on the wing of [ac]abominations will come one who [ad]makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who [ae]makes desolate.”
The presence of the sanctuary, and the desolation of that sanctuary implies that the Jewish people are actively populating Jerusalem and participating in sacrificial worship when these things transpire.
Another passage that tells us more of that detail is,
Zechariah 13:9. “And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, 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.’” As part of the process of bringing the Jewish remnant to faith Zechariah 13:8 speaks of a purging out of the non-elect Jewish element from the nation. “’And it will come about in all the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.’” The Old Testament prophets speak frequently of the purging out of the Jewish non-elect during the tribulation.
But for 2000 years, from 70 A.D. to about the 1800’s, there wasn’t a significant Jewish population in the region given to Abraham called Israel. But in the 1800’s a movement among Jewish people began.
https://reformjudaism.org/history-jewish-immigration-israel-aliyah
“While Herzl and others were laying the groundwork outside of Palestine for a state, many Jews were moving there from Europe in waves called aliyot. The first wave, known as the “First Aliyah,” took place prior to political Zionism, in the late 1800s. Most of these new immigrants came from Russia and Yemen, and set up towns including Petah Tikvah, Rishon LeZion and Zikhron Ya’akov. The Second Aliyah , prior to World War I, was almost exclusively made up of Russian Jews, following pogroms and anti-Semitism in their country. Inspired by Socialism and Jewish nationalism, this group started the first kibbutz and revived the Hebrew language.
After World War I and until 1923, the Third Aliyah came to Israel. This group was also from Russia, but they arrived after the establishment of the British Mandate over Palestine and the Balfour Declaration and set about creating a sustainable Jewish agricultural economy by strengthening and building the kibbutz movement and its ancillary institutions. The Fourth Aliyah, which took place over a short period of time from 1924 to 1929, was mostly made up of Jews seeking to escape anti-Semitism in Poland and Hungary. Many of these immigrants were made up of middle-class families who established small businesses and created a more rounded economy.
The Fifth Aliyah coincided with the rise of Nazism in Germany and extreme nationalism across Eastern Europe and included the largest number of immigrants to date- nearly one quarter of a million Jews entered Mandate Palestine between 1929 and the beginning of World War II. This group of immigrants included professionals, doctors, lawyers and artists. They created a thriving art and architecture scene, and with the establishment of the Port of Haifa, a thriving economy. Most arrived prior to 1936, when the British began imposing harsh restrictions on Jewish immigration as a result of increasing anger and violence in the Palestinian Arab community. In 1939, the British issued the White Paper of 1939, which severely restricted Jewish immigration, leaving many European Jews during the Holocaust with nowhere to go. Illegal immigration, though dangerous, became a necessity. By the time the United Nations agreed to split Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, a very well ordered and lively Jewish society had been created there.”
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-mass-migration-of-the-1950s/
“Some 688,000 immigrants came to Israel during the country’s first three and a half years at an average of close to 200,000 a year. As approximately 650,000 Jews lived in Israel at the time of the establishment of the state.” May 14th 1948.
In the 50’s, after the war, there was another mass immigration of Jewish people to Israel.
So, there has to be a significant Jewish population in Israel before the end-times countdown begins.
But Scripture told us this thousands of years before.
A verse we read earlier,
“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land” (Ezek. 36:24).
Jeremiah 16: 14 “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares Yahweh, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the crevices of the rocks.
And I think one of the most interesting things about this mass return to Israel, and eventual statehood in 1948, is the reaction to it. Everybody has gotten more religious because of it. The Jewish people have begun to identify more culturally and religiously as Jews. Christians took the establishment of Israel as a nation as a sure sign that the return of Christ is near. And the enemies of Israel have coalesced around one value; the death of Israel, and every Jewish man woman and Jewish child. Many current terrorist groups trace their origins to the day that Israel became a nation.
So that piece is already in place. What else has to be in place?