The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

Daniel nine. I wanna go ahead and look at this prophecy of Daniel chapter nine and I want us to go ahead and begin reading at verse 24 and this is a tremendous prophecy passage and I believe personally, it's the most important prophecy passage in scripture because while there are many prophecies in the Bible, there are many of them that are tied into this Daniel nine prophecy. So let's begin reading at verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring an everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. And who is the most holy?

To anoint Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Our heavenly father blessed the preaching tonight and please use it and apply it to our lives. Make it understandable and make it easy easy to listen to and make it motivational and Lord, use it in a special way in each of our lives as we discuss the coming of the Lord which we believe to be very soon In Christ name, we pray these things. Amen.

Thank you and you can be seated. Now, the prophecy, the seventy weeks of Daniel has with some people different opinions as to the calendar of how these events unfold. There are some questions in some people's minds who are not as smart as I am As to the dates of all the events but the questions are so small because the evidences are so many that this prophecy tells us that we are in the time of the Lord's return. And where there may be a question about a date or two by perhaps a year to maybe a few months. I personally believe that anyone who is as smart as me will figure out the correction.

I'm kidding about that. But I am saying, I do believe that what I look at tonight from this prophecy, there's no question that it is showing us that we are the generation that is very much at the door of the return of Jesus Christ. Now, by way of introduction, I need to explain something. The weeks that are mentioned here in verse 24, seventy weeks. We usually think of a week being seven days but in this prophecy, a week is seven years.

So, seventy weeks instead of totaling four ninety days, it's totalating totaling four ninety years and so over four ninety year period, certain events are going to take place in the end. Jesus, the Messiah, is going to be anointed king. Now, with that introduction, we're going to look at the concern, what this prophecy is about. Number two, we'll look at the calendar and understand it and then we'll conclude by looking at the good part, the coming Christ. Now, I want us to understand that if you will listen to this prophecy and you're a skeptic, you're somebody who maybe doesn't believe that this stuff is very true or you kind of wonder.

I don't blame you if you wonder. I don't blame you if you're a skeptic even of God in the Bible because there's so many people that are attacking faith today but I will tell you that if you listen to what Daniel was told in Daniel nine and you look at it, you will no longer be a skeptic. You'll be convinced. I promise you. You will be convinced that you can believe the Bible.

Thus, you can believe that you need Jesus to be your personal savior. Amen. And so, it's a very wonderful prophecy. Now, with that in mind, we're going to get started by looking at the concern. Alright.

Now, what is this prophecy about? Things that will take place in seventy weeks. Alright, first of all, notice the people that the prophecy is talking about verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people. Now, I am an American so my people would be the Americans.

I am from Canada. Originally, my ancestors stole my people in a way would be Canadians but I'm an American now. Now, Daniel was a Jew so his people would be the Jews. So, this prophecy has to do with the Jews, not with the entire world population. So, you've gotta keep your eyes on the Jews.

Alright. Now, secondly, I want you to look at the place. It is Jerusalem. Verse twenty four, seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, the Jew, and upon thy holy city. So, we can't just look at the Jews that are residing in our neighborhood.

We have to look at the Jews that are residing in the city of Israel because the prophecy has to do with Jerusalem. So, then, I want you to notice the purpose that God is giving us this prophecy so you understand why we're preaching on it. Alright, there are six that are given in verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city for these six reasons to finish the transgression, that means to stop the rebellion, that's what transgression means. So, there are a lot of people rebelling against God and it's going to be put to stop and particularly the Jews rebelling against Jesus in crucifying their Messiah.

So, one, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins. Somebody said, wouldn't it be great if God would end all sin? Well, one day, praise God, he will and then he says, to make reconciliation for iniquity. Now, here's what reconciliation means. Two people that are separated are brought back together, reconciled.

Now, this prophecy is saying that there needs to be this made. What? Reconciliation for iniquity. You know what that points out? That means that evidently, there is a need for our reconciliation with God and this is telling us about a Messiah that is going to come and fix it and so if you don't believe that you really need to be saved, even this verse says that you need to be reconciled to God and as you look through this passage, you're going to see, it's true and the evidence is true and your skepticism will be removed and I do believe you'll see then you must be reconciled to God evidently and you do.

Alright, to finish the transgression and make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. Jesus will do that and to seal up the vision and the prophecy that means complete all prophecies and fulfill them perfectly, completely, and then it says, to anoint the most holy and we've already established that this is talking about Jesus Christ being anointed and establishing his eternal kingdom. So, folks, it's an exciting prophecy. Now, let's move into the next part and that is the calendar. Now, this part, we're going to take a little bit longer but I wanted to establish, it has to do with the people, the Jews, alright?

So, who the Jews and the place that this prophecy is talking about is the city of Jerusalem and the main purpose is to tell us when Jesus is going to be anointed king. That's what it says to anoint the most holy. Now, this prophecy then tells us the calendar of how these things will take place. Now, what does God say will happen? By their seventy weeks, remember, year weeks, seven years is a week, not seven days.

So, over four hundred ninety years, these events will take place. Now we're gonna look in two sections. First, we're gonna look at the first 69 and then we'll look at the seventieth week. Now why are we breaking apart in those two sections looking at the first sixty nine weeks and then the seventieth. Here's the reason.

The first sixty nine weeks have already happened. And the only week left is the seventieth week of Daniel which is the tribulation period and then you have the anointing of the most holy. Now, how many have ever heard that you can learn from history? Right now, as we look at the first sixty nine weeks, we're going to see that they happen just like they were prophesied and here's my question, for people that wonder if we can trust God or trust the Bible and he is welcome if he wants to go to kids meetings, he can do that. Okay, get some water.

Alright. Now, for people who wonder if there is anything to it, if you will see that the first sixty nine weeks happen just like they were prophesied, that would add some evidence to the fact that the seventieth week will happen too. Does that make sense? Alright. Now, let's look at the first sixty nine weeks.

Now, they are broken apart in three different areas. Now, it begins with a signing of a covenant that is the foundation of the seventy weeks of Daniel and this covenant is a covenant with these people that they will be the nation of Israel that they will be able to rebuild their temple and their city. Now, then, in the reason that that's significant is because at this time, the given of this prophecy, Daniel is in he's an exile. He's in Babylon and they're in Babylon. He is a captive and he's told good news.

Jerusalem is going to be rebuilt again and the temple's going to be rebuilt again and you are going to be able to live in your homeland again. Now if we were taken captive by let's say Iraq or Iran and we were taken out of The United States and then we got news that The United States would be reformed and Washington DC would be rebuilt and we could live in The United States again. Would that be good news? And so this is what Daniel was going to be told a decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Now, then later, there'll be the death of the Messiah and then there'll be the destruction of Jerusalem.

So, these are the first sixty nine weeks and I want you to see if they play out just like they're prophesied. Alright. Now, first, a decree is going to be made to restore and to build Jerusalem. Notice verse 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of a commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.

Under the Messiah the prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again and the wall will be built again even in troubleless times. So, the decree is going to be made, Daniel, that Jerusalem is going to get rebuilt, the temple is going to get rebuilt, and that the city is going to get rebuilt. Now, this is the beginning of the seventieth week of Daniel. Now, when was this decree? Here's what I believe.

How many remember the book of Nehemiah? And in Nehemiah chapter two, Nehemiah, the cup bearer goes to King Ahazarus and says, our king Artaxerxes and he's not happy and the king says, why aren't you smiling? Why are you sad in my presence? And Nehemiah prayed and he said, how can I be happy when my city is destroyed? The nation I grew up in and the king said, what would you want?

And so he prayed to God and God said, ask. So, I asked him, will you let me rebuild my city and rebuild my sanctuary and Nehemiah gave a decree that the city and the sanctuary could be rebuilt. Now, when did that happen? According to what I read, it was March fourteenth four forty five BC. And this is the foundation of the seventy week of Daniel prophecy.

Now, it all begins then and when we look at this, then, we can add the dates and I want to do it for the purpose of being convincing that we can believe this prophecy and all the other prophecies in scripture and if you're a skeptic, it'll help you. I did not write this Bible. I preach this Bible. Daniel was told this by the angel. It didn't come up with this idea and how do we know that Daniel really didn't manipulate things?

Get this, Daniel was given this prophecy in May and you know when that the decree came after Daniel was dead. And so Daniel did not manipulate these things. This was the divine hand of an almighty God. Pretty amazing. Now, here's the decree and then he says, the next event that will take place will be the death of the Messiah.

Now, notice what he says in verse 26 and after three score and two, that is 62 after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself again but not for himself. Now, why did Messiah die? He did not die for his own sins but he died for our sins and it played out just like it was prophesied. Now, after seven weeks and three scoring two weeks, that's a total of sixty nine weeks from that decree. This much time will go by.

Daniel and after this amount of time goes by, Messiah is going to be killed. Now, it's quite interesting how it played out. You don't have to remember all these numbers but I'll tell you one or two times this number and it doesn't matter if you remember it. When you look at the Jewish calendar, they have three hundred and sixty day years. And you take three hundred and sixty times sixty nine sixty nine weeks times all of this together it comes up to a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and eighty days.

Now if you take a look at when Jesus, was revealed to be the Messiah it comes out exactly a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and eighty days, get this, to the day when the decree was made on March fourteen forty forty five BC. Now how do we get this that it came out to the day? Alright, take your Bibles and turn Luke chapter 21 and Luke 21, does anybody know what happened in Luke 21 off the top of your head? Jesus was I'm sorry Luke chapter three. Luke chapter three.

Does anybody know what happened in Luke chapter three off the top of their head? Jesus was what? Baptized. Right now, do you know that we actually can tell the exact day that Jesus was baptized? Now, not the day but we can tell the year that Jesus was baptized.

Alright. I want you to notice Luke chapter three and you'll see the baptism of Christ in verse 21. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was open and the holy ghost descended in bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said, thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased. So this is the event of Jesus' baptism and when was that? Look at verse one and it tells us.

It says now in the fifteenth year of the reign of who? Tiberius Caesar. Now Tiberius Caesar and a ruler, does anybody in this room say that you've heard the name Tiberius Caesar before? Now we've heard that name and I looked it up in Wikipedia and Wikipedia has to be right. It says that he began to reign in AD fourteen.

Now the fifteenth year then would be the fifteenth year of his reign would have been AD twenty nine. It's like President Trump was elected whether you like it or you don't in 2016. Now he is in the second year of his being president. The third year of his being president. Now Tiberius Caesar began AD fourteen and at the time of Christ's baptism he was in his fifteenth year which would be AD twenty nine.

Everybody follow me? So Jesus was baptized in AD twenty nine. Pretty neat isn't it? Now why is that helpful? Why does that help us understand the amazing fulfillment and the trustworthiness of the Bible?

How can we look at this and say, wow. Alright, here's how. When Jesus was baptized, the harmony of the gospel stated there were four Passovers from there. AD twenty nine thirty thirty one and then the fourth Passover was AD thirty two. Now in AD thirty two then you have the triumphal entry because according to what I read the calendar for the Jewish calendar they would have had on Nissan eight the end of the Passover.

That was a Friday. Then they would have had on Saturday Sabbath and that would have been Nissan nine. Nissan was the month's name like ours is April theirs was Nissan for that time period of the year. And that was Saturday, a Sabbath. And then the next day Jesus came into Jerusalem riding a donkey and everybody said Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

That is the triumphal entry. Now that would have been Nissan 10. Now our calendar that would be April 6. So Jesus would have done the triumphal entry on April '32. Now here are the two big dates.

March fourteen four forty five BC, there's a decree. Then from that a Jew who knows his history would count the days. A hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and eighty days later the angel said to Daniel, the Messiah would come and be revealed. Now do you know that though Jesus was on earth, people did not believe he was the Messiah but then all of a sudden when he came in Jerusalem riding on a donkey everybody says Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. How many are familiar with that event?

Now I have a question for you. Why is it that so many Jews were rejecting Jesus up to that point and then all of a sudden on that day he goes into Jerusalem and everybody says Hosanna, Hosanna, son of David and acknowledging he is the Messiah. Now why would they rejecting rejecting him and rejecting him all of a sudden accept him as the Messiah on that day? Here's my opinion. I believe the Jews knew their history like we should know American history.

And I know that the Jew would have known that the prophecy was given on March fourteen four forty five BC that there would be a Messiah on a certain day and I present to you that the people were looking for Jesus to come through that triumphal entry through that Jerusalem gate on that day because of the Daniel nine prophecy. Now how do we know that people were looking for him to come? Remember that when Jesus was talking to the woman of Samaria, she said, we know that Messiah should come. Remember that? How did they know that?

Daniel nine prophecy. And then also you remember that when John the Baptist was arrested and he was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to followers of John the Baptist to talk to Jesus. And he was discouraged and the disciples asked Jesus, John the Baptist sent us. He wants to know something. What?

What's his question? Are you he that should come or look we for another? And you know what he's saying? We know that Messiah is supposed to come on this day. Are you the one?

And so I believe that when he went through the triumphal entry it was to the day, to the day. Especially when you take a look at the four Passovers, the Passover day, the Sabbath, and then you look at the triumphal entry. And it comes to a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and eighty days to the day. That my friend is a wow. Now if I were to give you a prophecy and I would say next Tuesday at 2PM you're gonna go to McDonald's and you're gonna order a big mac and the lady's gonna take your order, has a red blouse and a green skirt and she's gonna mess up and she's gonna give you a fillet of fish, not a big mac.

You would say I'll prove that prophet wrong. What a joke, I'll never do that. So then the next Tuesday comes and you go to a buffet at lunch and you eat more than you should eat and could eat but you keep eating and eating so you couldn't have another bite. And about 01:30 you're saying, I'll prove that guy wrong. There's no way I'd ever wanna go to McDonald's at 02:00.

I'm stuffed at 01:30. I couldn't eat another bite. But then, you're thinking about this prophet and you're driving along and you get lost because you are disoriented and then as you're driving along, you think, now, where am I? And you don't have a GPS and you can't figure out where you are. So, you're just trying to think, well, I'll just drive and I'll find something that looks familiar.

And as you're driving, time's going by. You're not seeing anything familiar. Time's going by and now it's 01:53. Time's going by. Now it's 01:55 and you see up ahead of you what appears to be the Golden Arches.

You go, that's strange but I'll never pull in. And then you go further, I'm never gonna pull in and at 01:59 you stop right there at the red light and there's the driveway. Boy that's weird but I could need another bite. I'm so stuffed. I will never pull in at 02:00.

It is weird but I'm not going in there, I know. And then 02:00 comes, the light turns green, your stomach goes and you think, maybe I'll get something to eat and you pull in why didn't I do that and then you say, ma'am sometime here I'll grab something and yeah I'll take a big mac. Why did I do that? And you pull up sure enough the lady has a green blouse and a red skirt and she messed up and gave you a fillet of fish. Now wouldn't you kind of be going, And I'm telling us that's what this is.

The prophecy is gonna come about a hundred years later it happened. You know what that is? The decree came. And then one hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred and eighty days later, threescore in two weeks, sixty nine weeks later by their Julian calendar totaling that specific number and it happened to the day triumphal entry. Folks, remove all skepticism, this prophecy is trustworthy.

Now after this it goes on and it says something else that will happen. Turn back here to Daniel chapter nine. Somebody says, well, it doesn't say that Jesus died on the same day as the triumphal entry. So, the prophecy is found to have a weakness and not to be completely accurate. Impressive, yes, but not completely accurate.

Alright, it is completely accurate. I want you to notice this verse 26. It says, and after threescore and two weeks, the decree is gonna be made, rebuild the city and it happened and it got rebuilt. And then after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. Now do you know what the word after means?

Not the exact day. After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. Now notice the terminology. From the decree unto the Messiah will be three score and two weeks and after three score and two weeks shortly after that Messiah will be cut off. You see how that happened?

That's a wow. And then Jesus, the one that they said, Hosanna, blessed is he that come to the name of the Lord that they were following. All of a sudden, they want to kill him and they crucified him and it shows how fickle people's hearts are and folks, let's not let our heart be fickle with the Messiah. Talking it this week and leaving it next week. Let's be faithful.

Amen? Amen. Now here we have another wow and I want you to see this. Just in case there's somebody who is not sure you're on your way to heaven and you are skeptical, I understand your skepticism because of all that are attacking God and his word but you saw with your own eyes displayed out to the day and it also said this, it said, that Messiah was cut off but not for himself And you know how that was explained in another prophecy? Isaiah 53.

He, the Messiah, was wounded for our transgressions. He, the Messiah, was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace or the punishment that we should have had was on him and with his stripes we are healed. So we have no doubt that one, we're following the right person folks and we have no doubt that we are not wrong, we are right and then if you have not been reconciled to God this is where the reconciliation comes. Christ died for you.

He was cut off not for himself but for you and for you he died and you can be reconciled to God through what he did. Death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Now, first, we have the decree. Secondly, we have the death of the Messiah and then the third thing in this first six to nine weeks and it happened just like prophesied would be the destruction of Jerusalem. Let's read verse 26 again.

And after three scorn two weeks shall Messiah be cut off and he was to the day not for himself and he was cut off for us, not for himself and the next word, and. Man, that simply means, here's the next thing that's going to be revealed. Shortly after this is the next event and it says, the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Now, what city? Jerusalem.

The one that just got rebuilt Jerusalem. The one that just got restored Jerusalem and that happened and then a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred eighty days later from that time that that decree was made then Messiah appeared. Then shortly after that he was crucified and now shortly after that this very city is gonna get destroyed again. Now this is the way it was prophesied and folks this is how it played out. Shortly after Jesus was crucified, the city was destroyed.

Now, anybody remember this fellow named Titus? Titus was a Roman soldier and in seventy AD he surrounded the city Jerusalem and he destroyed the city of Jerusalem and it played out just like it was prophesied. Now how was it prophesied? Alright, let's look at some of the details. It says, and the people of the prince that shall come.

Who is the prince that shall come? It is the antichrist. It is the antichrist not Jesus Christ. How do we know? Because Jesus is the Messiah.

The people, the prince that shall come and the prince that shall come is different than the Messiah in this passage. Okay? So, it can't be talking about Jesus, the prince that shall come. It's not. It's talking about the the people of the Antichrist.

Now, where does the Bible say that the Antichrist comes from in Revelation seventeen nine? It says, the city of seven mountains which is Rome. So, it was prophesied that the Antichrist will come from Rome and so Daniel's people were Jews, The Antichrist people were the Romans. Follow me? So, here's the amazing prophecy, the Romans are going to destroy this city in Jerusalem shortly after the crucifixion and who destroyed it?

The Romans. Now here we have folks unarguable evidence. We have truth and we can believe everything written in the prophecies of the scriptures. Now it doesn't say much the details but it does say it will be the people of the prince that shall come in this passage but let's look more. Verse 26 and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and they destroyed Jerusalem and they knocked down every stone in the temple and now one stone stood in the temple and then it says, and the end thereof shall be with a flood and that's also in other passages prophesied and under the end of the war, desolations are determined.

Now, notice that word desolations. We're going to draw attention to that right now. Let's turn to Luke chapter 21. Luke chapter 21. Now, he did not give all the details of the prophecy in Daniel but Jesus gave more details and he did in Luke 21.

Now, Jesus is in the temple with his disciples and while there, the disciples are saying, look at how beautiful the temple is Jesus and Jesus says to him, basically, why are you excited about this? This is about to be destroyed. Notice verse seven, and they, the disciples, where? At the temple. And they asked him, Jesus saying, master, actually, we'll look up at verse five.

As some, the disciples spake of the temple and how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts. Look how beautiful the temple is, Jesus. He said, as for these things which you behold, the days will come into which there shall not be left one stone upon another. Interesting. That was given in AD thirty two and then the destruction came in eighty seven D and every stone in the temple was turned over just like Jesus said it would be.

Now folks, if we read these things and we don't leave with a full faith in every word of this book, we're missing the amazement of this truth. I can believe every word in this book. I can believe he knows my name. I can believe he cares for me. I can believe that God will not allow me to go through more than I can handle because he said he wouldn't.

I can also believe he's gonna come back to earth again because he said he would. I can also believe that he forgives me when I sin because everything in this book is proven that it is trustworthy. So, this is a faith builder for us even if we're already born again. Now Jesus said every stone would be turned over. Now notice verse seven, they asked him saying, master, when shall these things be and what signs will there be when these things shall come to pass and he tells them.

Look at verse 20. And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then know that get this word, the desolation thereof is nigh or near. Now, remember I said in Daniel nine, this word desolation. Remember that? And I said, remember that word.

I'm going to show you this in the New Testament and Jesus uses the same word. He says, the desolation. He doesn't say, A, but the. Meaning, he's speaking about a specific one. And so what he is saying is the desolation prophesied in Daniel chapter nine is near.

That's what I believe that he is saying. Now then he says let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains and let them which in the midst of it depart out let not them which in the countries enter therein for these be the days of vengeance for crucifying Jesus that all things which are written where in Daniel nine, I believe, may be fulfilled and the Bible says these things in Daniel nine are to seal up the vision and the prophecy to fulfill all prophecies and so that even the language is in keeping with Daniel nine. Now, verse 23, but woe unto them that are with child to them that give suck in those days for there shall be great distress in the what? Land and wrath upon this people, the Jew. What's the prophecy have to do with the Jews?

And they, the Jews, shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive in all nations, the Jews, and Jerusalem, the city, Jesus says, shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Now, Jesus said many things. The desolation is here and it says, the desolation will come. You better run from Jerusalem. You better not come back into this city.

You better flee. These are the days of vengeance for what you did to the Messiah as prophesied would happen and then, it says, that there will be Jews that will be killed with a sword and one. 1,000,000 Jews were killed with a sword. When Titus killed them. Jews would be killed with a sword.

One. One millions a lot. And then it says, the rest would be left captive among the nations and this is when the Jews were in that dysphoria where they dispersed them around the nations and that's why they're Jews in Germany, Poland, and all these parts of the world because of what happened in seventy AD. And then it says Jerusalem would be taken over by Gentiles until their time was done. Now folks, in 8070 Gentile powers took over that city Jerusalem and do you know what?

The Gentile powers controlled the city of Jerusalem until 1967. Now, folks, that is almost nineteen hundred years of Jerusalem being trodden down at the Gentiles and did Jesus say that would happen? And it happened. Were the Jews killed with a sword as Jesus said would be done? And then, it says, that Gentile powers would control that city.

And they did. And all of these things are telling us that we can trust the prophecy here. Now, the reason we lay this down is because if we can trust the first sixty nine weeks, then we can trust the end events of this prophecy and that's where we go now to the seventieth week of Daniel and then we'll close by looking at the anointing of the most holy. Alright, now the seventieth week of Daniel turn back to Daniel chapter nine. Now why are turning there?

How many years are in the tribulation period? Anybody? Seven. So the seventieth week of Daniel is seven years and that is the tribulation period. So, this is another name for the tribulation period.

Seventieth week of Daniel. Same thing as the tribulation. Now, as you look at this seventieth week of Daniel, the tribulation period, it says in verse 27, some of the things that will take place. It says, and which simply means, after this, the next thing I'm revealing to you, not right away and now we're moving forward to 2019 and beyond between verse twenty six and twenty seven. This is modern day where we are now.

And he, the Antichrist, the prince that shall come. Verse 26, the people of the prince that shall come will destroy the city and the sanctuary and then verse 27 and he, the prince that shall come, shall confirm the covenant with many, the covenant, a specific covenant with many for seven years, one week and in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Now, basically, what it teaches is the Antichrist is going to sign a covenant with the nation of Israel and with other people because it says, with many. And what is that covenant? Evidently, it is rebuilding the temple is part of it because the sacrifice and oblations will start and then he's gonna cut it off halfway through.

So the covenant, couple things have to happen. One, there has to be a nation of Israel. You can't sign a covenant with people that don't exist as a nation. Two, there has to be a temple. Now, the temple will not be allowed to be built until this covenant is signed and so, there are a lot of things that are coming together and I'll tell you about the temple and about how that is getting ready to be rebuilt but it will not be rebuilt, I believe, until after we're raptured and the antichrist is revealed and then the covenant is signed.

Go ahead and build your temple. Alright. Now, how does this play out? At first, in 1948, Israel became a nation. Now, would you agree with me that's pretty miraculous?

A nation doesn't exist for nineteen hundred years and all of a sudden, they're back into existence. Amen. Is the divine hand of God. Just as Jesus going in triumphal entry to the day, divine hand of God. Just as Jesus being cut off, divine hand of God, not for himself to reconcile his dam.

God's hand is was in that all the way and then now, Israel becoming a nation, divine act of God. No way that would ever happen but because they were horrified by Hitler's holocaust and 6,000,000 Jews being exterminated, what they meant for evil, God meant for good and the United Nations voted to partition Palestine and give the settlers of those survivors of Hitler's holocaust some land and that is now grown into modern day Israel. That was a divine act of God. What man meant for evil, God meant for good. And God is able to work all things together for good to them that love him and then in time then, he teaches that now that treaty can be signed and the antichrist is ready to sign with them because they exist as a nation.

And then as far as the temple being rebuilt that will begin the tribulation period, a signing of a covenant. When I was in Israel, I've been there twice. I got to go to the temple institute and in the temple institute, it is a place where a rabbi has said it's time to rebuild our temple and so they began to work on plans and they have made all of the utensils. They're done. I have seen the table of showbread.

I have seen David's harps. I have seen all the utensils. They are done. I've seen the blueprints for the new temple and I have seen the golden menorah. I've seen it with my own eyes.

I haven't read it in the book. I've seen it with my own eyes. Now, the golden menorah has those seven lamps and it's very important part of the worship And you know what they spent $16,000,000 worth of gold when they built just the menorah. They spent millions of dollars of gold on the table of showbread. Millions of dollars of gold and silver on the other utensils.

Millions. Now folks, you don't put $16,000,000 of gold into a piece of furniture unless you're planning to use it. And I'm telling you, they are pumping and pumping and pumping millions into rebuilding their temple. When I was in Jerusalem, my guide took me to the Eastern Gate which is where Jesus goes to the enter in and set up his millennial reign. And at the Eastern Gate, the guy told me to put my back to the back, I did, as it's sealed up with brick by the Turk government.

When they were in charge. So, trying to stop Jesus from going through the Eastern Gate. And so the back is up against it and he said, now, shut your eyes and shut my eyes and he said, and when I tell you to, I want you to open your eyes. I said, okay. So, I put my back there and he tells me, now, open your eyes.

So, open my eyes. He said, what do you see? I said, nothing. He said, right. What's that mean?

I said, I don't know. So, then he said again, well, where is the dome Of the rock? Over there. He said, right. What's that tell you?

I said, I don't know. He said, that means that the Muslims built the dome Of the rock in the wrong spot. They thought that they build it where the old temple was where Abraham offered Isaac they think Ishmael but they are wrong because it's in front of the Eastern Gate. You know what that means? This Jew guy told me there's enough room over here to keep their dome of the rock and enough room here to build our temple and he said they can keep their dome of the rock and we can build our temple.

We just gotta get the freedom to come up on this temple Mound and begin construction. But now, the Arabs do not allow them on the Temple Mount. In fact, the second time I couldn't go up there because my Jewish guide wasn't allowed to go up this time. They'll arrest him. They'll kill him.

They do not want the Jew on that mount. Why? Because they're afraid that the Jews are trying to rebuild their temple. Well, guess what? They are and they will prophesy and they will not be able to stop them.

Now, when you look at Daniel nine, this idea of signing a covenant to rebuild the temple with many, the antichrist will say, I have a plan for peace and safety. You keep your dome of the rock, you Muslims and Jews, you build your temple and will build a wall in between and everybody, let's do this for seven years and let's have peace and safety. And halfway through, he'll break that covenant and he being possessed by the devil himself will do everything he can to destroy the nation of Israel. Then they'll flee again and after three and a half years, the greatest friend that that you ever had, the Lord Jesus Christ himself will bodily come back to earth and the blood will flow four feet deep, 200 miles wide in Edom and Bozrah and he will usher in the millennial kingdom. And that's we come to the coming Christ.

Alright, let's turn back here to Daniel chapter nine and I want you to see this and then we'll just see a brief thing then turn to Luke 21 again or Luke chapter, yeah, 21. Alright. Now, Daniel nine, notice what it said, the purpose of the prophecy. It says, at verse 24, seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, the Jew, upon thy holy city, Jerusalem, to finish the transgression, make an end of sin, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring an everlasting righteousness, seal up the vision and the prophecy, and get it to anoint the most holy. Now, notice that it says, Messiah will be cut off but it also said here before it ever said he'd be cut off that he'd anointed as the most holy.

Question, can you anoint a dead man as a king? No, not really. He can't sit on the throne if he's dead. Here's how you can and you're right. If that dead man comes back to life again.

And Jesus arose from the dead. And I believe there was insight to the resurrection of Christ in Daniel nine. Follow me? Pretty amazing folks. We're believing the right thing.

Pick up your Bible and you read it and you say, is it really possible? Absolutely. And it will happen. Now, let's turn over to Luke 21 and spend the rest of our time there briefly and I want you to now see that we are the generation that is at least at the door of the Lord's return. And the Old Testament, it kind of plays out after two days then the Messiah is gonna come and raise up Israel again.

And a day with the Lord is in a thousand years and a thousand years is a day. So, Jesus was even prophesied to raise us up this nation of Israel after two thousand years and it was about two thousand years they were destroyed and now they're a nation again. And I am amazed by that. But as I look at Luke 21, we see now the coming Christ. Now, there are some prophecies and I don't claim to be a scholar or claim to be a deep authority but I do know that I've read that some of these prophecies have dual applications and so what I'm seeing is some of these things we're about to read apply to the tribulation period but they also apply to Jesus coming and reigning as a king.

Now, let's I think particularly the city being destroyed has a dual application and that has to do with the tribulation period and it has to do with Titus in seventy AD and it played out just as prophesied and it will play out. Now, here's where we are in Luke chapter 21 and I want you to notice verse 24 again and they, the Jew, shall fall by the edge of the sword, shall be led away captive in all nations. Jerusalem, the city shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled or finished. Now, verse 25, 2,019 and forward. And there shall be signs in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, and upon the earth, distress of nations with perplexity.

The sea and the waves roaring and have you ever seen a time when the sea and the waves are roaring and the sun, moon, and stars are doing different things than they ever did? Than our day? And then men start failing them for fear for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the son of man, Jesus, coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Does that sound like a kingdom, power, and great glory? Yeah.

And then it says, and when these things, what things? The sea and the waves roaring, signs in the sun, the moon, the stars. I was reading in National Geographic Magazine and National Geographic magazine had on the front cover, scientists have charted over 500 meteors that are lined up to hit the planet in the next twenty six years. And National Geographic magazine is not a Christian periodical. But they said something strange is happening with those meteors.

And in the next twenty six years, they estimate 500 stars or meteors. Well, at least come close enough that many of them will most likely hit our planet and you know what Revelation sixteen six says, excuse me, Revelation six says, I think verse 16, the stars of heaven fall into the earth. Even as a fig tree casts a throne, figs, and that's what God says is going to happen and science says, that's going to happen in next twenty six years. You know what that means to me? I better be thinking.

Time is coming to an end. Of this church age. But then it says this, it says, verse 28, and when these things begin to come to pass, look up, you Jew. Lift up your heads, you Jews. For your redemption, you Jews, draweth nigh.

Now, why do you keep saying you Jews, you Jews, you Jews? Because he's saying in verse 24, the Jews and he's saying the city and the redemption is when Jesus comes in Isaiah 63 from Edom and Bozrah and his blood is stained with the blood of the enemies of Israel and Jesus comes in and the rapture is taking place already. The seven year tribulation is taking place and now the king comes and their redemption comes. So, some of this is tribulation but some of this is telling us, hey, when these things begin to come to pass and look up and it has begun. Now, particularly, this has begun.

Notice verse 29. And he spake a parable unto them saying, behold, the fig tree and all the trees. Look at them. Look at the fig tree. Look at all the trees.

When they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. How many of you have ever seen a tree in the spring budding? And that's a refreshing sight. When I see this tree branches budding, I know that summer is coming. Spring's coming.

And then the fig tree doesn't have buds. It shoots out little sprouts at the base of it. And so when you look at a fig tree shooting forth its sprout, you know that spring is here, summer's near. And a tree, all the trees when they bud, you know that summer is nine. Now, notice verse 30, when they now shoot forth, you stand no of your own selves.

I'm certain of it. That summer is now nigh at hand. Now, notice first two words in verse 31. So, likewise, just like this, as sure as you're seeing the buds on a tree, spring is here and summer is coming. You can be sure when you see this that the son of man is coming.

You can be just as sure and positive as you are spring and summer. What is it? Verse 35, 31. So, likewise, when you see these things come to pass, know you that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Now, in this passage, he says, so likewise, when you see these things come to pass, I think what thanks?

The sea and the waves roaring? What things? The sign and the sun, moon, and stars? I don't know. Maybe I'm just not up on it but I don't think we've ever seen the blood moons like we've seen him in our recent days.

I don't know. I'm not a student of that. But I do find that interesting. I've never seen a time when I picked up a National Geographic magazine and was warned that there are 500 plus meteors ready to hit the planet in twenty six years. That ever happened when you were a kid?

And you can go to a library and you can find National Geographic magazine talked about that a few years back. I could try to find the date. I wrote it down but I can't recall it. But it's amazing. Now, all of these things but particularly, I want you to notice the fig tree.

Now, Bible prophecies related to the fig tree. Now, the fig tree, many people have said, relates to the nation of Israel and why? I can show you Zechariah three ten. Jeremiah twenty six two. Hosea one or nine and verse 10 and I cannot quite read this handwriting of mine at the moment but I can show you three at least times that Israel was called the fig tree.

In the Old Testament. So, when Jesus is talking about the kingdom and he's talking about the kingdom of Israel being restored and he says, look at the fig tree when it begins to sprout. Know that the kingdom of God is near. He's saying basically this, when you see Israel coming back as a nation, you know that you're near the Lord's kingdom but I believe and I think it's even a little bit more specific than that. I think the fig tree is referring to Jerusalem budding again.

Now, why do I think that? I actually wondered if I came up with something new. I didn't want to preach it because I didn't want to be the only guy coming up with something new because if it's new in the Bible, it's probably not true. If nobody ever saw it, it's probably not true and you know what I found to my encouragement? I'm not the only one who believes this and I'm encouraged by that.

I believe that the fig tree is not just talking about Israel. I think it's specifically talking about the city Jerusalem because the city, Jerusalem will be trodden down and the Daniel nine prophecy, the Jerusalem city and the fig tree tied to that Jerusalem and the Jews went back into Israel in 1948 but they didn't get into Jerusalem until 1967. And that my friend, I believe is the budding of the fig tree. Now, if you go into Israel today, there are four sections. Two of them, Arabs live in.

In Jerusalem, two of them, Jews, Israelites, living. You know what that means? The Jews have not fully bloomed. They are budding in that city and when you see the Jew back in Jerusalem budding, know that the kingdom of God is near. Now, I believe that we are very clear in scriptures clearly told that the rapture of the church comes first.

I believe we are very clearly taught that it is as a thief in the night. Nobody knows the day or the hour. And for anyone to say, well, this means that the rapture is right around the corner or to say something like that, you cannot be sure except for this fact. When you see these things happen, you know that the kingdom is near and then the rapture comes first. That means that the rapture must be that much closer.

Amen. Now, when we say, well, this shows us something. I'm going show you something in the end of this but when I show you what I'm going to show you, when I say, well, that means the rapture is near. I believe the rapture could have come at any time in history. I personally believe that Peter was looking for the rapture.

Paul was looking for the rapture and every disciple in the Bible is looking for the rapture and he told us, be looking for the rapture. Why? Because the rapture doesn't have to come right next to the tribulation period. The tribulation period begins. When?

Rapture. No. The tribulation follows the rapture because we're not appointed under wrath but it the tribulation period begins with the signing of the covenant with Israel for seven years and so the rapture technically could have taken place a thousand years before the tribulation period. I don't think it ever was going to. In fact, because of the day that we're in, I know that that's not going to happen.

We are very near the kingdom so that means this, we are even closer to the rapture. Now, why do we believe that? And I hope I didn't confuse you with that. But we're close folks. We're close.

Notice what he says here in verse 20. There are three words I want you to notice and when you see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then, know that the desolation thereof is nigh. When, no, nigh. Now, notice verse 30, when Jesus using the same words, they now shoot forth, you see, and know of your own selves at summers now, nigh, when, no, nigh. Verse 31, so likewise, when you see these things come to pass, know you that the kingdom of God is nigh and what have we seen?

The budding. So, the kingdom nigh. Let's bow our heads.