In our last blog (Seven Years To The Day - Part 1) we saw that after the Rapture of the Church God will again deal with His chosen people – the nation of Israel - in a very special way.The prophet Daniel was given revelation from God about the duration of His dealings with Israel called the 70 weeks of Daniel. In Daniel 9:20-27 we read:
And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
While Daniel was in exile, a period in Israel’s history known as the Babylonian captivity (606 BC - 536 BC), Almighty God gave him this vision: 70 weeks were to be determined upon the people of Israel and upon the city of Jerusalem. According to the quoted passage, this was to:
1. Finish the transgression
2. Make an end of sin
3. Make atonement for iniquity
4. Bring in everlasting righteousness
5. Seal up the vision and prophecy
6. Anoint the most holy place
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The 70 Weeks of Years
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The 70 Weeks are seventy “weeks” of years. Each week is 7 years. The total number of calendar years is calculated by multiplying 70 (total weeks of years) by 7 (the number of years in each week of years). The total number of calendar years is 490 years (based on a lunar calendar of 360 days a year). What Daniel and the believing remnant in Israel wanted to know was when would God's prophetic “time clock” of 70 weeks for Israel start? When Daniel received this divine revelation in about 538 B.C., he had absolutely no idea when God's prophetic time clock for Israel would commence. What he did know was that God's prophetic time clock would begin to tick as soon as "the commandment was given to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem." After Israel's 70 year captivity in Babylon was completed in 536 B.C., a small group of Jews went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of God (see the book of Ezra). About 90 more years would pass until the event would come for triggering the 70 weeks of Daniel. This extended beyond the natural life of the prophet Daniel. 
Finally, in 445 B.C. King Artaxerxes of Persia made the decree to "rebuild" Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 2:1-8). At the very moment that Artaxerxes made his decree to rebuild Jerusalem, God's prophetic time clock began ticking for the nation of Israel. Up to this time the events and dates of Israel's 70 weeks were unknown by all, but once this key event took place, the 70 Weeks determined for Israel by Almighty God could now be easily calculated. This point is key for understanding the Biblical formula for our "7 Years to the Day” study.As stated in the quoted passage (Dan. 9:20-27), the next event to transpire in God's prophetic 70 week calendar for Israel was the completion of the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem in 396 B.C. This occurred exactly 49 years (or 7 prophetic weeks) after the Decree of Artaxerxes was given to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C. - precisely as Almighty God had stated in His prophetic word to Daniel!
This very clear and accurate time-line given by Almighty God may be followed and fully trusted to give insight and understanding of the nation Israel and what befalls them in the future
The next prophetic event that would transpire in Israel’s 70 Weeks after the rebuilding of Jerusalem would be the rejection or "cutting off" of the long-awaited Messiah of Israel (The Lord Jesus Christ) in 32 AD. This prophetic event was fulfilled 434 years (or 62 prophetic weeks) later to the date*.
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(* Note that a calculated difference of ~ 6 years arises from when the year of the Lord’s birth in 1 A.D. was marked between the Alexandrian and Hebrew calendars, and also from the difference in counting lunar vs. solar years.)
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This very clear and accurate time-line given by Almighty God may be followed and fully trusted to give insight and understanding of the nation Israel and what befalls them in the future. This prophetic calendar was also given to encourage the believing remnant of Israel that God has a great plan and purpose for them.
(* Note that a calculated difference of ~ 6 years arises from when the year of the Lord’s birth in 1 A.D. was marked between the Alexandrian and Hebrew calendars, and also from the difference in counting lunar vs. solar years.)
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This very clear and accurate time-line given by Almighty God may be followed and fully trusted to give insight and understanding of the nation Israel and what befalls them in the future. This prophetic calendar was also given to encourage the believing remnant of Israel that God has a great plan and purpose for them.
According to our counting thus far, seven years (or one week) of the 70 total weeks determined for Israel are left to be fulfilled. With the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah (Christ), the time clock for Israel stopped and the Kingdom of God was put on hold. It is at this time that Almighty God raised up the Church (i.e, the called-out assembly described in Acts 2,3) to be His witness to the world (Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 9-11). The Church is made up of Jewish and Gentile believers in the Messiah of Israel, who is also the head of the Church (Eph. 5:23).
The last 70th week is yet to be fulfilled. This prophetic last week is called the Time of Tribulation, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, or the Day of the Lord. It is during this last 7-year period that Israel and the world will be affected by great distress, trouble and turmoil, such as it has never seen in its history. It is during this time that Almighty God will use this great tribulation period to bring the nation of Israel to repentance and to a saving knowledge of their Messiah (Romans 11:25-27). At the end of these last seven years, Christ will return to earth at Armageddon and Israel will be saved as a nation. The Millennial Kingdom of Messiah will then commence, in which Jesus Christ shall rule and reign from His throne in Jerusalem. Below is a link to a brief outline and chart of the Seventy Weeks Of Daniel. "CHART LINK"
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The Trumpet Will Sound!
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Soon the trumpet will sound and Christ will come for His own and remove the Church from the earth. At this time the Church Age will end (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
"With the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah (Christ), the time clock for Israel stopped and the Kingdom of God was put on hold"
The last 70th week is yet to be fulfilled. This prophetic last week is called the Time of Tribulation, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, or the Day of the Lord. It is during this last 7-year period that Israel and the world will be affected by great distress, trouble and turmoil, such as it has never seen in its history. It is during this time that Almighty God will use this great tribulation period to bring the nation of Israel to repentance and to a saving knowledge of their Messiah (Romans 11:25-27). At the end of these last seven years, Christ will return to earth at Armageddon and Israel will be saved as a nation. The Millennial Kingdom of Messiah will then commence, in which Jesus Christ shall rule and reign from His throne in Jerusalem. Below is a link to a brief outline and chart of the Seventy Weeks Of Daniel. "CHART LINK"
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The Trumpet Will Sound!
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Just after the Rapture the next major prophetic event will take place. This will be the "Confirming of the Covenant” with the Anti-Messiah (i.e., Anti-Christ) described in Daniel 9:27. When this Covenant (or treaty) is confirmed (strengthened), the prophetic time clock will once again start ticking. It is from this event forward that the time span pertaining to Christ's second coming to earth (i.e., Israel) will be exactly 7 years (or 2520 days) to the day. It is during this time date-setters will not be demeaned. It will be the sounding trumpet to the inhabitants of the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!! At the fulfilment of these days Christ (i.e., Israel's Messiah) will establishment the long awaited Millennial Kingdom in Israel! Amen!
In the next I. F. Blog we will conclude this brief study and look deeper into this seven-year period and its days, months and times that God has specifically described. It is terribly exciting and wonderfully awesome!! Even so come Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
DJP I.F.
To Continue this study, click on links below.
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In the next I. F. Blog we will conclude this brief study and look deeper into this seven-year period and its days, months and times that God has specifically described. It is terribly exciting and wonderfully awesome!! Even so come Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
DJP I.F.
To Continue this study, click on links below.
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