5784 B”H

The Prophet Daniel had much to say about the end times and the war in Israel has really brought some of the Biblical prophecies to light as we witness the ongoing conflict. I have received many questions regarding the Biblical timeline of the end of days, so I thought we should take a closer look at Daniel today.

End-times prophecy in Daniel 9

A key prophecy found in the book of Daniel: 70 weeks

Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.

Daniel 9:24

Daniel‘s prophecy describing the determined “seventy weeks” can be better understood as 70 “7’s.”

What is translated as “weeks” in most English Bibles is really describing groupings of 7 in Hebrew.

During the 70 “7’s, 6 important things will happen:

1. To finish with transgression
2. To put an end to sin
3. To make reconciliation (atonement) for iniquity
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness
5. To seal up vision and prophecy
6. To anoint the Most Holy (or the Most Holy Place)

Notice the first three are concerned with eradicating sin and transgression. The last three speak to the everlasting reign of our King.

In the Bible, 6 indicates lack of completion or total fulfillment. Therefore, we know to look more deeply, search God’s Word for more. Let’s move on to the next verse:

“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.” Daniel 9:25

We have certainly witnessed the troublesome times of today. In this verse, we see another reference to time: “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.”

This is all a prelude to the revealing of the antichrist:

“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.
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.” Daniel 9:26-27

The antichrist is also known as the “little horn” of Daniel 7:

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 

I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” Daniel 7:7-8

Daniel 9:27 clearly informs us that the antichrist (antimessiah) will make a covenant with Israel and then betray Israel. Daniel 7:8 so aptly describes this evil charismatic figure as the epitome of pompousness.

With the war in Israel, many Bible-believing Christians are starting to wonder:

Has the antichrist already been born? Is he walking the earth today?

Only prayer and discernment will answer those questions as history continues to unfold.

But for those who believe that the coming of our King is in the very distant future, consider all that is going on right now. If Iran and even Russia get involved in the current conflict (in a greater way than they already have by supporting Hamas and even Hezbollah) the violence will escalate to a level never seen before. The people of Israel will become desperate for hope and change, and many could quickly be swept away by the lies of a false messianic figure.

The final seven years begin with the covenant.

Are you prepared for the true end of days?

This is not intended to incite fear in you, but do you realize how very close we are to the true end of the age? We are nearing the end of the Biblical timeline of history. We must be prepared! We must know the Word and hide it in our hearts, we must have a living, ongoing relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach), and we must do everything we can to share the Gospel to as many people as we can.

There is revival happening in pockets all around the world. It is not coincidental that we see so many falling away and so many also being rescued just in time. These are all signs that the end is near and soon, so very soon, our Righteous Redeemer will come again and reign!

Time to Forgive

Don’t worry if some of this seems overwhelming. Mathematics has never been one of my strengths so these prophetic words of Scripture make me scratch my head, too!

But there’s no escaping math, and even Jesus said we have to forgive 70 x 7 times!

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

The return of Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach) is imminent

The imminent return of Christ should motivate each one of us to study the signs of the times and the signs in the heavens. Each of us should be diligently praying and fasting and studying the Word of God. There are so many parallels between the different concepts presented in the Bible and I believe this passage on forgiveness is one such parallel.

Redeeming the time

We know time is short. And so for that very same reason, we must be diligent to love and to forgive so that we can make the most of our time, redeeming our time:

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

I pray that you have taken to heart the importance of knowing the Word of God and where we stand in relation to the fulfillment of significant portions of Biblical prophecy.

I am praying for you today, dear reader, and your family – that you and your household may be saved. Please leave a comment below with any prayer requests, comments, or questions!

5784 B”H

The Nation of Israel is the only Jewish state

When I was in undergrad, “just war theory” was a hot topic among my overwhelmingly liberal, pacifist- agenda-pushing professors. In fact, one of my first theology professors spent many years living in Palestine unfairly decrying Israel’s policies. He always condemned Israel as an occupier and he refused to give a balanced perspective of the Middle East conflict. This professor claimed that his “‘Christian’ convictions” brought him to conclude he must side with the “oppressed” as he vehemently opposed Zionism and all things related to the nation of Israel.

True Christian conviction must be Biblically sound.

The Bible is very clear that the nation of Israel and those who love it will be be blessed.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: ‘The LORD bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!’” Jeremiah 31:23, NKJV

Bethlehem of Judea and modern Palestine

Bethlehem is located in Judea, but it has been governed by the Palestinian authority for many years now.

Because of this, people like my first college professors like to insist that Jesus (Yeshua) was a poor, “Palestinian” Jew.

They reach a fallacious conclusion that because Jesus was born in modern-day Palestine, we as American Christians “must” therefore support the leftist pro-Palestine agenda.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Judah).

The modern Palestinian agenda has nothing to do with Him.

The West Bank is actually Judea and Samaria.

Accountability for universities

Institutions of higher learning should promote Biblical principles and the ideals of democracy, including support for Israel, the only Jewish state.

The Jewish nation as a whole has endured oppression time and time again and deserve a safe homeland free of radical Islamic terrorism.

Israel is engaged in justified war. The beautiful, prosperous nation of Israel was unfairly targeted by hate-filled organized terrorists who are unwilling to compromise and are set on destroying Israel.

We must pray, as David did, for God’s people in Israel:

“Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.” Psalm 6:10

The Scriptures are clear that the nation of Israel will not only exist, but will thrive!

“The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.” Psalm 115:12

Universities need to be held accountable when they promote a false tolerance at the expense of Israel. The Holocaust happened, it was real, and cannot legitimately be denied. Raping and pillaging innocent civilians in Israel cannot be justified, under any circumstance. Universities should be held accountable for any anti-Semitic posture they are taking because it influences our future American leaders.

The recent news that some Harvard students signed an anti-Israel statement as part of the Harvard  Palestine Solidarity Group didn’t surprise me at all. These students have been taught to believe lies about Israel, propagated by far too many leaders in American higher education.

What did surprise me has been some of the backlash and I am grateful that people are holding these Harvard students accountable. Companies want to know who these students are so that they don’t end up hiring these kids. It is harsh, but it is justified, and necessary given the current climate.

Personally, I don’t think it was right to post the students’ photos and names on billboards, but I do appreciate our nation overwhelmingly supporting Israel despite the abundance of anti-semitic rhetoric that is pervasive in most American universities today.

Our nation has long stood with Israel, and that is a friendship worth keeping. Universities would do well to re-evaluate the way that the Israel/Hamas conflict is presented to encourage unwavering support for Israel.

What does the Bible say about the current conflict?

Gaza City is one of 5 formerly Philistine cities

Gaza City has a long history.

It was one of the five formerly Philistine cities which included Gaza, Ashqelon (Ashkelon), Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.

Even our English term “Palestinian” comes from the root words for Philistia and the Greek, palaistinei.

The Philistine and Edomite partnership

One prophecy that really stands out to me is found in Amos. Philistine Gaza had partnered with the descendants of Esau (the Edomites) to turn in Jews to them:

“This is what the LORD says: 

“For three offenses of Gaza, and for four, 

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they led into exile an entire population

To turn them over to Edom.

So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza

And it will consume her citadels.'” Amos 1:6-7, NASB

These offenses will not go unpunished. The God of Israel will not allow the Philistine goliaths of the world to conquer His chosen people. Gaza has remained unrepentant and hostile toward Israel, and the Word of God is very clear that the wall of Gaza will be burned.

Likewise, a prophecy in the book of Obadiah speaks against the treasonous Edomites:

“You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.” Obadiah 13

The Day of the LORD is near

“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.” Obadiah 15

Deliverance will come and Israel will triumph

Obadiah’s prophecy against Edom ends with hope for Israel’s future:

“But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance,
And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
They shall kindle them and devour them,
And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.

The South shall possess the mountains of Esau,
And the Lowland shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim
And the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
And the captives of this host of the children of Israel
Shall possess the land of the Canaanites
As far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
Shall possess the cities of the South.
Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. Obadiah 17-21

A moment to demonstrate love

The war that Hamas started when they attacked Israel is a decisive moment in history.

It has been so heartbreaking to know that so many innocent lives have been taken and in such horrific manners.

Being pro-Israel does not mean anti-Arab. Let it be known that there is plenty of room in the household of God for people of every ethnic background – every tribe and tongue – to repent of his or her sin and be welcomed with open arms into the Kingdom of God.

There is a stark difference between the terrorizing, hate-filled message of radical Islam and the message of love, forgiveness, and acceptance offered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach).

This is a moment in which God’s people – believers around the world – need to stand with Israel while at the same time demonstrating fierce love.

Pray for the Palestinian people who are being used and abused by terrorists.

Pray for the Palestinian people who have been deceived into accepting lies and hatred.

Pray for unbelieving Jews to recognize the Eternal Savior who has come to rule and reign.

Pray for all of the hurting families (on both sides) who have lost dear loved ones. Pray for Israel’s hostages to be rescued. Pray for all the little children who are witnessing such horror. Pray for nations to support Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Please leave a comment about how you and your family are personally praying for Israel!

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love you.'” Psalm 122:6