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John the Revelator saw the Last Seven Years of Daniel's Seventy Weeks of Years - Part 1
By Joseph Chambers
God's Holy Bible does not contain a more spectacular vision than Daniel's Seventy Weeks, with seven years in each week. The Church is placed between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week. Sixty-nine weeks are four-hundred and eighty-three years and one week is seven years. Jesus Christ spoke of this last seven years, or one week as seen by Daniel. In the middle of the last week is where the Anti-Christ will strut and scheme while the world trembles. Let us search this truth to learn of God's perfect prophecy. The length of this vision demands a three part series. Search the scriptures with me and take part in this Revelation analysis.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION PRESENTS AN UNDENIABLE PICTURE OF THE PERFECTION WE FIND IN THE HOLY BIBLE. This masterpiece is like a capstone. Truth of scripture from Genesis to Jude is faithfully interwoven into the very heart of this final book. The perfect harmony of the whole is supernatural. Jesus had spoken of the Great Tribulation and indicated that the Anti-Christ would be revealed in the middle of that time. Here are Christ's words. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." (Matt 24: 15-16)
First, let's get an understanding of dispensationalism. There is not any reliable defense against the truth of Biblical dispensationalism. God has dealt with specific segments of individuals in different manners from the Garden of Eden to the present. For almost two thousand years God provided witness to the pre-Noahic generations. After the flood, He chose Abraham and taught him faith as a pathway to God while He prepared the Jewish race to receive His laws. Beginning with Moses, He taught them those laws and provided the many types of sacrifices, each to find fulfillment in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The church was born at Pentecost and brings us to the present as we await the climax of His chosen bride out of the Jews and Gentiles. Again, this is called His church. While opinions vary, the accepted view identifies six different dispensations from Adam to the present.
The next dispensation (seventh) will be the Millennium, a thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Both the Jews and the church have distinctive and different parts to play in this millennial period. Literal interpretation of Scripture never allows any blurring of these two distinct and different people. Nothing confuses Holy Scripture worse than trying to merge the church as a called-out body of believers with Israel as a nation. Both have an incredible future, but a very different one.
Now John saw that very period called the "Great Tribulation of seven years" and the Anti-Christ revealed. His unveiling in Revelations thirteen is spoken of as having only three and a half years to exist. The Anti-Christ actually divides the seven years by openly accepting the role of the false Christ. He blasphemes the Father, the Jewish Tabernacle, and the saints that have been raptured. John said, "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who [is] like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." (Rev. 13: 3-6)
Now we will look at Israel's part in the seventy weeks of Daniel. The First Testament is written especially for Israel and must be understood in their language. The seventy weeks of Daniel are an outline of Israel's future from that time until the millennial kingdom. This revelation is recorded in Daniel chapter nine and is one of the most breathtaking prophecies in Holy Scripture. The details and dates cannot be viewed as less than spectacular. Read these specifics very carefully before we proceed. "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" (Daniel 9:24-27).
Only a supernatural revelation would dare lay out the minute details that had to be fulfilled perfectly or all of it would be in doubt. Jesus Christ Himself confirmed this prophecy in Matthew 24:15 and detailed the last week of these seventy weeks. He divided it in half and then confirmed the event characterizing the middle of this last week of seven years. I repeat His words, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (who so readeth, let him understand)" (Matthew 24:15). This perfectly settles the fact of a literal seven years and that it is future.
The words of Jesus Christ shatter anyone's denial of this great prophecy. Again, notice that Jesus accepted this prophecy as literal and confirmed its absolute future fulfillment. The only way to treat Bible prophecy is to treat it as Jesus did. It is literal with a Biblical definition of all types and symbols. Do not spiritualize any part of Holy Writ. God said what He meant and we'll have no trouble understanding it if we read and study the Word in that fashion. When you see a symbol or type used in Scripture, let the use of that symbol or type be interpreted by how it is used in all other Biblical settings. God does not confuse His symbols and types. When we see a beast, we are dealing with a character, not an appearance. When we see seven consecutive things that denote a particular subject, it shows the complete presentation of the matter. Seven churches represent the church in its total picture and dispensation. Seven spirits are the Holy Spirit in all His functions and person. Interpret these types and symbols literally after you identify their use and meaning.
The Seventy Weeks of Daniel understood
These four verses as they are presented detail the entire history of Israel from Babylonian captivity until their entrance into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ at the end of the last week of seven years. There is no question but that the 70 weeks as named in this prophecy were 70 weeks of years or 70 X 7 years. This was a concept clearly known to the Hebrew mind as a manner of designing time periods. Jacob served two seven-year weeks for his wives, Leah and Rachel. The Scripture accounts the second seven years as following, "Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years" (Genesis 29:27).
When this was given to Daniel, Israel was just finishing a 70-year period of captivity because of their backsliding and disobedient lifestyle. It is amazing to learn that these 70 years of bondage were a result of ignoring God's Sabbaths of rest for the land they had been given by Jehovah God. Jeremiah has prophesied this as recorded. "And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years" (2 Chronicles 36:19-21).
Stealing from God the tithe or disobeying His commandments for the Sabbath or the Lord's Day in our New Testament brings the exact results today as it did to Israel. Holy things or Holy Commandments are ignored at your peril and destruction. You do not break God's commandments; you break yourself on God's commandments. His laws are indestructible. To be continued next week!!!
Original Article
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