Hello, and welcome
00:00:38.73\00:00:40.20
to this second
presentation in the series.
00:00:40.24\00:00:43.81
There'll be eight all together
with a very important title
00:00:43.84\00:00:47.61
"God's Last
Message to the World."
00:00:47.64\00:00:51.68
Welcome,
00:00:51.71\00:00:53.05
no matter where you
may be those in the studio,
00:00:53.08\00:00:55.52
we're happy to see you here.
00:00:55.55\00:00:57.42
And also those
who may be listening
00:00:57.45\00:00:59.22
in some parts of the world,
wherever you are, welcome.
00:00:59.25\00:01:04.19
And may the Lord bless you
as we open God's Word today.
00:01:04.23\00:01:08.60
As we think about
the religious confusion
00:01:08.63\00:01:10.50
in the world today
00:01:10.53\00:01:13.87
and the Bible foretells that
00:01:13.90\00:01:15.37
the world will be
in a day of confusion
00:01:15.40\00:01:18.51
in the last days.
00:01:18.54\00:01:20.08
Does the Bible give us
any certainty for the message
00:01:20.11\00:01:24.41
that I'm going to
share with you today?
00:01:24.45\00:01:26.51
I believe it does.
00:01:26.55\00:01:27.88
So let's bow our heads
and have a word of prayer.
00:01:27.92\00:01:30.99
Our loving Father in heaven,
00:01:31.02\00:01:32.35
we thank You for
Your precious Word.
00:01:32.39\00:01:34.82
We thank You for the
guidance of the Holy Spirit,
00:01:34.86\00:01:37.96
who has been
promised to guide us
00:01:37.99\00:01:39.59
into an understanding of truth.
00:01:39.63\00:01:42.06
We ask for His presence today,
00:01:42.10\00:01:44.37
and we ask that each one
00:01:44.40\00:01:45.83
who is listening to this message
00:01:45.87\00:01:47.80
may be blessed
by His presence too.
00:01:47.84\00:01:50.31
And I ask this in
Jesus' wonderful name.
00:01:50.34\00:01:52.84
Amen.
00:01:52.87\00:01:55.11
Before I commenced this morning,
00:01:55.14\00:01:56.51
I'd like to invite
you to look at the chart
00:01:56.54\00:02:00.68
that we had on
the screen last time.
00:02:00.72\00:02:03.22
We'll be reviewing the
chart and building on it
00:02:03.25\00:02:07.12
during this come presentation.
00:02:07.16\00:02:09.36
You remember that
last week we talked about
00:02:09.39\00:02:11.26
how Daniel's book is
the only book in the Bible.
00:02:11.29\00:02:14.46
And you'll see
this on the screen
00:02:14.50\00:02:16.00
in the black and the center
00:02:16.03\00:02:17.57
that Daniel's
book was to be closed
00:02:17.60\00:02:19.27
until the time of the end.
00:02:19.30\00:02:22.97
But then when would
this time of the end begin?
00:02:23.00\00:02:25.61
It's a period of time leading up
00:02:25.64\00:02:27.31
to the second coming of Jesus.
00:02:27.34\00:02:29.08
When would it begin?
00:02:29.11\00:02:30.81
Well, fortunately,
00:02:30.85\00:02:32.18
the Bible doesn't
leave us in any doubt.
00:02:32.21\00:02:33.55
And in Daniel Chapter 12,
00:02:33.58\00:02:35.45
we are told that the
time of the end would begin
00:02:35.48\00:02:39.02
at the end of a period
00:02:39.05\00:02:40.92
called a time,
times and half a time.
00:02:40.96\00:02:43.83
We had to turn to
the Book of Revelation
00:02:43.86\00:02:46.09
to discover that
00:02:46.13\00:02:47.46
that time, times and
half a time is equivalent.
00:02:47.50\00:02:50.40
And you'll notice it
there on the screen in blue,
00:02:50.43\00:02:53.03
a period of 1,260 days
00:02:53.07\00:02:56.44
in actual time 1,260 years,
00:02:56.47\00:03:00.54
because in Bible
prophecy as we noticed,
00:03:00.58\00:03:02.74
one day stands for one year.
00:03:02.78\00:03:06.11
But when would that time
begin, that 1,260 year period?
00:03:06.15\00:03:10.75
We discovered as we looked
00:03:10.79\00:03:12.12
at the Book of Daniel Chapter 7,
00:03:12.15\00:03:14.12
that it would
begin in the year 538 AD.
00:03:14.16\00:03:18.86
And that brings us to
1,260 years afterwards
00:03:18.89\00:03:22.40
to the year 1798.
00:03:22.43\00:03:25.77
And in that year,
00:03:25.80\00:03:27.60
the time of the
end would begin, 1798.
00:03:27.64\00:03:33.34
That was the year when
Daniel's book was to be opened
00:03:33.38\00:03:37.55
and understood.
00:03:37.58\00:03:39.91
Well, what does it mean
00:03:39.95\00:03:41.28
that Daniel's
book was to be opened?
00:03:41.32\00:03:43.62
You know, people have
read the Book of Daniel,
00:03:43.65\00:03:46.82
read its stories
for many centuries,
00:03:46.86\00:03:49.62
many hundreds of years.
00:03:49.66\00:03:51.46
After all and this is
important to remember,
00:03:51.49\00:03:53.93
Jesus Himself
told His disciples.
00:03:53.96\00:03:56.56
Now that's 2000 years ago
00:03:56.60\00:03:58.93
that the Book of Daniel foretold
00:03:58.97\00:04:01.57
that coming
destruction of Jerusalem
00:04:01.60\00:04:04.37
and they would
have be ready for it.
00:04:04.41\00:04:06.04
And that was to occur
00:04:06.07\00:04:07.41
about 40 years after Jesus died.
00:04:07.44\00:04:09.84
And he tells them
there in Matthew 24,
00:04:09.88\00:04:11.71
look at it in
the Book of Daniel.
00:04:11.75\00:04:14.15
And so the Book of Daniel
has been read parts of it.
00:04:14.18\00:04:18.29
Look at the stories,
00:04:18.32\00:04:19.95
stories of the lions'
den experience with Daniel,
00:04:19.99\00:04:22.92
the three young men
00:04:22.96\00:04:24.29
who went into that
burning hot fiery furnace.
00:04:24.33\00:04:26.83
Children have
heard those stories
00:04:26.86\00:04:28.26
for well thousands of years.
00:04:28.30\00:04:31.30
Well, then what does it mean
00:04:31.33\00:04:32.67
that the Book of
Daniel was to be closed up?
00:04:32.70\00:04:34.94
Because Daniel makes it plain
00:04:34.97\00:04:36.77
that there are some
portions of the book,
00:04:36.81\00:04:39.37
the prophecies,
certain prophecies
00:04:39.41\00:04:41.84
that would relate
to the time of the end.
00:04:41.88\00:04:44.68
And therefore
it's important for us
00:04:44.71\00:04:46.05
to know those prophecies.
00:04:46.08\00:04:49.02
And when I
stopped to think about it,
00:04:49.05\00:04:50.55
there is one
prophecy in Daniel's book
00:04:50.59\00:04:54.39
that was to be
fulfilled, understood,
00:04:54.42\00:04:58.59
and proclaimed to the
world in the time of the end.
00:04:58.63\00:05:02.36
And that's the prophecy
we're going to look at today.
00:05:02.40\00:05:06.80
As we shall see this prophecy
00:05:06.84\00:05:09.74
is going to play
an important part
00:05:09.77\00:05:11.67
in the opening of
the Book of Daniel,
00:05:11.71\00:05:14.18
but also in
laying the foundation
00:05:14.21\00:05:17.35
for the last message
00:05:17.38\00:05:19.58
that God is ever
going to send to this world.
00:05:19.61\00:05:22.72
So let's turn to
Daniel Chapter 8,
00:05:22.75\00:05:25.15
the longest time
prophecy in the Bible.
00:05:25.19\00:05:27.76
It is.
00:05:27.79\00:05:29.12
And I want you to
notice in Daniel Chapter 8,
00:05:29.16\00:05:32.29
as we stand
looking at another vision,
00:05:32.33\00:05:35.06
this is the third vision.
00:05:35.10\00:05:37.23
You may remember the last time
00:05:37.27\00:05:39.30
I mentioned that
there are four visions
00:05:39.33\00:05:41.57
in the Book of Daniel.
00:05:41.60\00:05:43.64
There's the one in Daniel
2 that we looked at last time
00:05:43.67\00:05:46.78
with the metal man
with the head of gold
00:05:46.81\00:05:49.54
and the breast
and arms of silver,
00:05:49.58\00:05:51.41
those four metals in
that dream in Daniel 2
00:05:51.45\00:05:54.75
represented four kingdoms.
00:05:54.78\00:05:57.32
And finally at the end,
00:05:57.35\00:05:58.85
God is going to
set up His kingdom.
00:05:58.89\00:06:00.79
That's Daniel 2.
00:06:00.82\00:06:02.16
Then we looked last
time at Daniel Chapter 7,
00:06:02.19\00:06:04.53
which really repeats Daniel
2, but does it in more detail.
00:06:04.56\00:06:09.76
And that principle is
going to be helping us
00:06:09.80\00:06:13.17
as we study through
the visions of Daniel.
00:06:13.20\00:06:16.00
Because when we come
to the third vision today,
00:06:16.04\00:06:19.51
we'll see it still
covers those kingdoms,
00:06:19.54\00:06:23.21
Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome, et cetera,
00:06:23.24\00:06:26.48
but in much more detail.
00:06:26.51\00:06:28.48
And so let's
look at what it says.
00:06:28.52\00:06:30.39
In Daniel 8:1,
00:06:30.42\00:06:32.69
it's telling us about a dream
00:06:32.72\00:06:35.72
in which Daniel
sees two animals.
00:06:35.76\00:06:38.26
This time it's a two horned goat
00:06:38.29\00:06:41.56
or a ram,
00:06:41.60\00:06:42.93
and then a goat with a
big horn between his eyes.
00:06:42.96\00:06:46.13
Let's look at it.
00:06:46.17\00:06:47.50
The Bible says,
00:06:47.54\00:06:48.87
"That in the
third year of the reign
00:06:48.90\00:06:50.24
of King Belshazzar,
00:06:50.27\00:06:51.64
a vision appeared
to me, to me Daniel,
00:06:51.67\00:06:54.51
after the one
00:06:54.54\00:06:55.88
that appeared to
me the first time."
00:06:55.91\00:06:57.25
That's going back to Daniel 7.
00:06:57.28\00:07:00.72
Then it continues,
00:07:00.75\00:07:02.32
"I saw the ram
pressing westward,
00:07:02.35\00:07:06.69
northward, and southward."
00:07:06.72\00:07:08.06
In other words,
00:07:08.09\00:07:09.42
from which
direction does the ram come?
00:07:09.46\00:07:10.79
It comes from the east.
00:07:10.83\00:07:12.46
"No animal could
withstand against him,
00:07:12.49\00:07:14.66
nor was there any
00:07:14.70\00:07:16.03
that could
deliver him from his hand,
00:07:16.06\00:07:17.97
but he did
according to his will, "
00:07:18.00\00:07:19.57
and notice the
last couple of words,
00:07:19.60\00:07:21.40
"he became great."
00:07:21.44\00:07:22.87
You'll understand
00:07:22.90\00:07:24.24
why I'm
emphasizing that in a moment.
00:07:24.27\00:07:26.37
Then it continues
on in Daniel verse 5,
00:07:26.41\00:07:30.11
"As I was considering,
00:07:30.15\00:07:31.98
suddenly a male
goat came from the west,
00:07:32.01\00:07:36.92
across the surface
of the whole earth,
00:07:36.95\00:07:39.25
without touching the ground,
00:07:39.29\00:07:40.96
and the goat had a
notable horn between his eyes,"
00:07:40.99\00:07:44.19
as you see in that picture.
00:07:44.23\00:07:47.23
"Then he came to the ram,
it says, that had two horns,
00:07:47.26\00:07:52.43
which I had seen
standing beside the river,
00:07:52.47\00:07:54.70
and he ran into him
with furious power,"
00:07:54.74\00:07:57.61
the Bible says.
00:07:57.64\00:07:58.97
And Daniel is here
describing his vision.
00:07:59.01\00:08:01.31
"But he cast him
down to the ground
00:08:01.34\00:08:03.35
and trampled him,
00:08:03.38\00:08:05.11
and there was no one
00:08:05.15\00:08:06.48
that could deliver
the ram from his hand."
00:08:06.51\00:08:09.95
In verse 7,
00:08:09.98\00:08:11.65
but as we continue,
00:08:11.69\00:08:13.29
"Therefore the male goat grew."
00:08:13.32\00:08:15.46
and notice those words,
00:08:15.49\00:08:16.83
"very great."
00:08:16.86\00:08:18.79
Remember the first
animal became great.
00:08:18.83\00:08:21.60
This one becomes very great.
00:08:21.63\00:08:24.37
"But when he became strong,
00:08:24.40\00:08:26.33
the large horn was broken
00:08:26.37\00:08:29.50
and in place of
it four notable ones,
00:08:29.54\00:08:32.71
in other words,
00:08:32.74\00:08:34.08
four horns came up toward
the four winds of heaven."
00:08:34.11\00:08:39.91
Then we read in verse 9,
00:08:39.95\00:08:42.82
"And out of one of them, "
00:08:42.85\00:08:44.79
now that them refers to
the four winds of heaven,
00:08:44.82\00:08:47.56
and out of one of
the four winds of heaven
00:08:47.59\00:08:49.42
in other words,
00:08:49.46\00:08:50.79
one of the
directions around where it rose,
00:08:50.83\00:08:54.06
"came a little horn,
which grew exceedingly great."
00:08:54.10\00:08:58.57
Now that's the reason
why I wanted you to notice
00:08:58.60\00:09:01.27
the first one, the goat, great.
00:09:01.30\00:09:05.31
Then the ram, then the...
00:09:05.34\00:09:07.71
Sorry, the first
one that became great.
00:09:07.74\00:09:10.58
The second one,
00:09:10.61\00:09:11.95
which was the goat
that had that notable horn,
00:09:11.98\00:09:15.08
he became very great.
00:09:15.12\00:09:16.79
And then the third one
becomes exceedingly great
00:09:16.82\00:09:20.09
toward the
south, toward the east
00:09:20.12\00:09:21.92
and toward the Glorious Land.
00:09:21.96\00:09:24.53
"And it grew up to
the host of heaven,"
00:09:24.56\00:09:26.56
this little horn,
00:09:26.59\00:09:28.10
and you'll notice what it does
00:09:28.13\00:09:30.10
according to
this amazing prophecy,
00:09:30.13\00:09:32.37
"it casts down some of the hosts
00:09:32.40\00:09:34.20
and some of the
stars to the ground
00:09:34.24\00:09:36.71
and trampled upon them,
00:09:36.74\00:09:38.44
and even exalted himself
00:09:38.47\00:09:39.81
as high as the
Prince of the host,
00:09:39.84\00:09:42.44
and by him the daily
sacrifices were taken away,
00:09:42.48\00:09:46.58
and notice, the
place of his sanctuary,
00:09:46.61\00:09:50.12
the heavenly sanctuary,
00:09:50.15\00:09:51.49
the Prince of
the host's sanctuary
00:09:51.52\00:09:53.86
would be cast down by
this little horn power."
00:09:53.89\00:09:57.59
Then we notice in verse 12,
00:09:57.63\00:09:59.13
"Because of transgression,
00:09:59.16\00:10:01.66
an army was
given over to the horn
00:10:01.70\00:10:03.50
to oppose the daily sacrifices,"
00:10:03.53\00:10:06.53
and notice the next words,
00:10:06.57\00:10:08.17
"he cast truth
down to the ground."
00:10:08.20\00:10:11.57
That's this little horn power
00:10:11.61\00:10:12.94
that follows the
first two animals
00:10:12.97\00:10:16.14
and he did all
this and he prospered,
00:10:16.18\00:10:21.15
all this and prospered.
00:10:21.18\00:10:24.05
Then in Daniel 8:13,
00:10:24.09\00:10:26.65
"Then I heard a holy one,
00:10:26.69\00:10:28.46
one of the angels in
this vision speaking,
00:10:28.49\00:10:31.13
and another holy one
00:10:31.16\00:10:32.49
said to that certain
one who was speaking,
00:10:32.53\00:10:34.93
'How long will this vision be
concerning the daily sacrifices
00:10:34.96\00:10:41.57
and the
transgression of desolation,
00:10:41.60\00:10:43.74
the giving of both the sanctuary
00:10:43.77\00:10:45.37
and the host to be
trampled underfoot?"
00:10:45.41\00:10:47.28
In the light of all
that's proceeded this
00:10:47.31\00:10:49.58
and Daniel, no
doubt, very troubled
00:10:49.61\00:10:52.45
by what he sees this
little horn would do.
00:10:52.48\00:10:55.22
So the question is asked,
how long will this vision be
00:10:55.25\00:10:58.92
from the days of the
first animal to the end?
00:10:58.95\00:11:02.09
And I want you to
notice the next verse
00:11:02.12\00:11:05.19
because in Daniel 8:14
00:11:05.23\00:11:07.46
is the angel's
answer to that question.
00:11:07.50\00:11:11.07
"And he said to
me, for 2,300 days,
00:11:11.10\00:11:16.34
then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed."
00:11:16.37\00:11:20.58
Days, remember, refers to years.
00:11:20.61\00:11:23.04
And so here is this description.
00:11:23.08\00:11:24.98
The sanctuary will be cleansed,
00:11:25.01\00:11:27.05
whatever that means
after the 2,300 years.
00:11:27.08\00:11:32.15
The word days is
an interesting word,
00:11:32.19\00:11:34.79
meaning literally
evening and mornings.
00:11:34.82\00:11:37.76
And you'll see
why I'm saying that
00:11:37.79\00:11:39.19
a little later,
00:11:39.23\00:11:40.56
but there's a translation here
00:11:40.60\00:11:42.23
that we've quoted
on the screen that is,
00:11:42.26\00:11:44.43
comes from the New King
James Version of the Bible,
00:11:44.47\00:11:47.67
the word cleansed,
00:11:47.70\00:11:49.40
because it's
such a comprehensive
00:11:49.44\00:11:51.64
and very
significant word in the Hebrew.
00:11:51.67\00:11:55.34
It has a range of meanings.
00:11:55.38\00:11:57.38
I've noticed that
other translations say
00:11:57.41\00:11:59.61
the sanctuary shall be restored,
00:11:59.65\00:12:01.62
reconsecrated,
00:12:01.65\00:12:03.05
restored to its rightful
state will emerge victorious,
00:12:03.08\00:12:07.56
but the word has
the idea of a cleansing
00:12:07.59\00:12:10.43
and a
vindicating of God's temple,
00:12:10.46\00:12:13.26
the sanctuary
00:12:13.29\00:12:14.63
in view of the
attacks of the little horn
00:12:14.66\00:12:17.40
he would make against
the heavenly sanctuary.
00:12:17.43\00:12:21.37
Well, what follows,
let's look at verse 15.
00:12:21.40\00:12:24.64
"Then it happened
00:12:24.67\00:12:26.01
when I, Daniel,
had seen the vision
00:12:26.04\00:12:27.94
and was seeking the meaning,
00:12:27.98\00:12:30.05
that suddenly
there stood before me
00:12:30.08\00:12:31.71
one having the
appearance of a man."
00:12:31.75\00:12:34.38
Now notice, it's
only having an appearance.
00:12:34.42\00:12:36.35
Why?
00:12:36.38\00:12:37.72
Because notice what follows.
00:12:37.75\00:12:39.75
"And I heard a
man's voice in verse 16,
00:12:39.79\00:12:42.56
between the banks of
the Ulai, that's a river,
00:12:42.59\00:12:45.89
who called and said,
00:12:45.93\00:12:47.66
'Gabriel, make this man
understand the vision.' "
00:12:47.70\00:12:52.90
Let's just stop a little
00:12:52.93\00:12:54.94
and think about
that word Gabriel.
00:12:54.97\00:12:56.81
Who is Gabriel?
00:12:56.84\00:12:58.37
The Bible tells us that
00:12:58.41\00:12:59.74
he is the
leading angel in heaven.
00:12:59.77\00:13:03.01
And he's mentioned coming
to this earth only four times.
00:13:03.04\00:13:07.75
They must be very
important occasions.
00:13:07.78\00:13:10.52
What are they, twice
in the Old Testament,
00:13:10.55\00:13:13.05
twice in the New Testament?
00:13:13.09\00:13:14.96
What are the two occasions
00:13:14.99\00:13:16.32
when Gabriel comes
down in the New Testament?
00:13:16.36\00:13:19.23
He comes down to
announced to Mary
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.96
the birth of Jesus,
00:13:22.00\00:13:24.40
a very important occasion.
00:13:24.43\00:13:27.00
The other occasion is
00:13:27.04\00:13:28.37
when he appears to the
father of John the Baptist
00:13:28.40\00:13:32.67
telling him that
there's going to be a baby boy
00:13:32.71\00:13:35.14
who will play a
very important part
00:13:35.18\00:13:37.65
in preparing the
way for the Messiah.
00:13:37.68\00:13:40.48
And the two times
in the Old Testament.
00:13:40.52\00:13:42.62
One is in Daniel 8 that
we have just been reading,
00:13:42.65\00:13:46.15
and the other time
in Daniel Chapter 9.
00:13:46.19\00:13:50.19
Why do I mention that?
00:13:50.23\00:13:51.69
Because that must mean that
00:13:51.73\00:13:53.29
when Gabriel comes,
00:13:53.33\00:13:54.83
it's something
very, very important
00:13:54.86\00:13:57.87
that God is wanting to
make clear to the people
00:13:57.90\00:14:01.50
dwelling on the earth.
00:14:01.54\00:14:03.47
And so, the command is given,
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.94
make this man
understand the vision.
00:14:05.97\00:14:08.84
In other words, Gabriel was sent
00:14:08.88\00:14:10.78
to help Daniel to
understand the meaning
00:14:10.81\00:14:13.18
of what we've
just read in scripture.
00:14:13.21\00:14:16.82
Well, let's
follow on and notice,
00:14:16.85\00:14:19.42
here is this chart
that we have on the screen.
00:14:19.45\00:14:22.09
And you'll notice that.
00:14:22.12\00:14:23.46
Unto 2,300 days,
00:14:23.49\00:14:26.39
then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.
00:14:26.43\00:14:29.13
That's the prophecy
that we're looking at today.
00:14:29.16\00:14:33.23
Well, let's continue on
00:14:33.27\00:14:34.80
and we'll notice in Daniel 8:20,
00:14:34.84\00:14:39.07
the beginning of
Gabriel's explanation.
00:14:39.11\00:14:41.94
"The ram which you
saw, having two horns,
00:14:41.98\00:14:46.01
they are the kings
of Media and Persia."
00:14:46.05\00:14:49.82
You may remember
that in those visions
00:14:49.85\00:14:51.39
we've looked at earlier.
00:14:51.42\00:14:52.75
Last time that Medo-Persia
was the second kingdom
00:14:52.79\00:14:55.66
to follow Babylon.
00:14:55.69\00:14:57.56
Babylon doesn't
feature in this vision
00:14:57.59\00:14:59.89
because Babylon is
soon to be replaced
00:14:59.93\00:15:02.66
by Medo-Persia,
00:15:02.70\00:15:04.27
the great kingdom of
the Medes and the Persians.
00:15:04.30\00:15:07.87
So the ram which you saw,
00:15:07.90\00:15:09.24
they are the kings
of Media and Persia.
00:15:09.27\00:15:11.27
And as we look at the map,
00:15:11.31\00:15:12.64
you can see that
the Persian Empire
00:15:12.67\00:15:14.54
was a fairly extensive empire.
00:15:14.58\00:15:17.78
That's the kingdom represented
by this ram with the two horns.
00:15:17.81\00:15:22.78
But then the angel goes
on, Gabriel goes on and says,
00:15:22.82\00:15:25.69
"The male goat, he
represents the kingdom of Greece
00:15:25.72\00:15:30.63
that followed Medo-Persia
in those world kingdoms.
00:15:30.66\00:15:35.00
And the large
horn between his eyes,
00:15:35.03\00:15:37.53
Gabriel says, he's
the first king of Greece."
00:15:37.57\00:15:41.84
And so when we look
at the Grecian Empire,
00:15:41.87\00:15:44.24
we notice that it's
larger than the Medo-Persian.
00:15:44.27\00:15:47.24
Remember the vision said,
Medo-Persia will be great,
00:15:47.28\00:15:52.05
Greece will be very great
as you see there on the screen.
00:15:52.08\00:15:56.72
And that horn between his eyes
00:15:56.75\00:15:58.99
represents the
first king of Greece.
00:15:59.02\00:16:02.56
Who was the
first King of Greece?
00:16:02.59\00:16:04.46
I noticed in reading
a history book recently
00:16:04.49\00:16:06.43
that it actually says
that in the history book,
00:16:06.46\00:16:08.83
that Alexander was
the first king of Greece,
00:16:08.86\00:16:11.87
Alexander the Great.
00:16:11.90\00:16:14.60
The horn was to be broken
00:16:14.64\00:16:16.97
and in its place
four horns would come up
00:16:17.01\00:16:21.31
instead of the major horn.
00:16:21.34\00:16:22.94
What happened?
00:16:22.98\00:16:24.98
The horn was broken.
00:16:25.01\00:16:26.85
Alexander the Great died
very young comparatively.
00:16:26.88\00:16:30.69
He died in his early 30s,
00:16:30.72\00:16:33.22
and he was asked
on his death bed,
00:16:33.25\00:16:35.02
according to history,
00:16:35.06\00:16:36.39
who will take your
kingdom when you die.
00:16:36.42\00:16:39.83
And Alexander the Great
00:16:39.86\00:16:41.20
whether he was wise
or foolish, I'm not sure,
00:16:41.23\00:16:44.33
but he said,
00:16:44.37\00:16:45.70
"Let it go to the strongest."
00:16:45.73\00:16:48.50
And after he died,
00:16:48.54\00:16:50.14
his generals began to
fight among themselves
00:16:50.17\00:16:53.58
as to who
should be the strongest
00:16:53.61\00:16:55.61
to take over
Alexander's kingdom.
00:16:55.64\00:16:58.75
Finally, four of them
00:16:58.78\00:17:01.38
remember what
the Bible had said.
00:17:01.42\00:17:03.52
Four of them said,
00:17:03.55\00:17:05.45
"No, let's divide up
the kingdom into four."
00:17:05.49\00:17:10.39
And there you see on the screen,
00:17:10.43\00:17:12.69
it was divided up
00:17:12.73\00:17:14.20
among four generals,
Seleucus, Lysimachus, Ptolemy,
00:17:14.23\00:17:17.80
and Cassander,
00:17:17.83\00:17:19.17
the four divisions.
00:17:19.20\00:17:21.60
Let me just pause
here for a moment, friends,
00:17:21.64\00:17:24.77
this is an amazing prophecy.
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.58
More amazing
prophecies are going to follow,
00:17:27.61\00:17:30.35
but this, remember this
book was written in 551 BC.
00:17:30.38\00:17:36.22
Well, Alexander died 323 BC.
00:17:36.25\00:17:40.76
That's nearly 200 years later.
00:17:40.79\00:17:44.79
And then the division
into those four kingdoms
00:17:44.83\00:17:48.06
occurred in 301 BC,
00:17:48.10\00:17:52.17
and so more than
200 years have passed.
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.70
And the Bible,
00:17:54.74\00:17:56.07
this is one of these
amazing things in the Bible
00:17:56.10\00:17:58.37
that God knows the future.
00:17:58.41\00:18:00.58
And He could foretell
the future accurately,
00:18:00.61\00:18:03.35
even though He was looking
more than 200 years in advance.
00:18:03.38\00:18:08.28
Then in verses 23 to 25,
00:18:08.32\00:18:10.19
we won't take time
to really spend time
00:18:10.22\00:18:12.72
on looking at those details.
00:18:12.75\00:18:14.72
But Gabriel goes on to talk
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.36
about the work of
the little horn power
00:18:16.39\00:18:18.69
that would become
exceedingly great.
00:18:18.73\00:18:21.46
And in as much as the divisions
00:18:21.50\00:18:23.57
and the animals have represented
00:18:23.60\00:18:25.90
Medo-Persia, then Greece,
00:18:25.93\00:18:28.94
we go back to
the earlier visions.
00:18:28.97\00:18:30.97
There was another
kingdom after those two,
00:18:31.01\00:18:34.21
the kingdom of Rome,
00:18:34.24\00:18:36.98
and in this vision,
00:18:37.01\00:18:39.18
Rome would become
exceedingly great.
00:18:39.21\00:18:41.72
And if we put on the
map, the map on the screen,
00:18:41.75\00:18:44.35
it would take over much more
00:18:44.39\00:18:46.52
than even Greece
and Medo-Persia ruled.
00:18:46.55\00:18:50.66
And then this little horn
becoming exceedingly great,
00:18:50.69\00:18:54.03
we see the Roman
Empire, first of all.
00:18:54.06\00:18:57.57
And then after it papal Rome,
00:18:57.60\00:19:00.14
as we learned in
our last presentation,
00:19:00.17\00:19:02.60
who would come up
00:19:02.64\00:19:04.01
and do the damage to
the Lord and His work
00:19:04.04\00:19:07.48
as the Bible tells us.
00:19:07.51\00:19:09.94
Now the next part of the vision
00:19:09.98\00:19:11.31
that Gabriel is
about to explain.
00:19:11.35\00:19:12.98
He's talked about the goat
and he's talked about the ram
00:19:13.01\00:19:15.98
and he's talked about Rome,
00:19:16.02\00:19:17.95
the little horn
that would come up.
00:19:17.99\00:19:20.16
The next part of the
vision is the 2, 300 days
00:19:20.19\00:19:23.39
or evenings and mornings.
00:19:23.43\00:19:25.79
And he's now about
to start to tell Daniel
00:19:25.83\00:19:29.36
all about the 2, 300 years.
00:19:29.40\00:19:33.90
So let us notice
here, what happens next.
00:19:33.94\00:19:38.44
Gabriel says in verse 26,
00:19:38.47\00:19:41.94
"And the vision of the
evenings and mornings."
00:19:41.98\00:19:45.11
That means days.
00:19:45.15\00:19:46.92
That's what he's
about to talk about.
00:19:46.95\00:19:49.28
"And the vision of
the evenings and mornings,
00:19:49.32\00:19:50.89
which was told is true."
00:19:50.92\00:19:52.52
Please notice that
00:19:52.55\00:19:53.89
this is on the
authority of the angel Gabriel,
00:19:53.92\00:19:57.13
that the vision that
we're about to look at is true.
00:19:57.16\00:20:00.43
Gabriel says so,
00:20:00.46\00:20:02.43
"And the vision of
the evenings and mornings
00:20:02.46\00:20:04.00
which is told is true.
00:20:04.03\00:20:05.53
Therefore seal up the vision."
00:20:05.57\00:20:07.90
Now we've heard
those words before,
00:20:07.94\00:20:09.74
seal up the book.
00:20:09.77\00:20:11.77
Now this particular prophecy
also was to be sealed up for it
00:20:11.81\00:20:16.85
refers to many
days in the future
00:20:16.88\00:20:20.98
in Daniel 9:26,
00:20:21.02\00:20:25.15
but Gabriel doesn't
continue his explanation
00:20:25.19\00:20:29.06
of the vision of 2,300 days.
00:20:29.09\00:20:31.99
Why not?
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.96
Because in verse 27,
00:20:34.00\00:20:37.00
"And I, Daniel, fainted
00:20:37.03\00:20:40.00
and was sick for days afterward,
00:20:40.04\00:20:42.47
I arose and went
about the king's business.
00:20:42.50\00:20:44.77
He says, I was
astonished by this vision,
00:20:44.81\00:20:48.48
but no one understood it."
00:20:48.51\00:20:50.75
Now, Daniel had
heard the explanation
00:20:50.78\00:20:52.38
for most of the
vision from Gabriel.
00:20:52.41\00:20:55.62
The only part he
didn't really understand
00:20:55.65\00:20:58.32
was the vision
of the 2,300 days.
00:20:58.35\00:21:01.92
And Gabriel had only
just got to the place
00:21:01.96\00:21:03.89
where he said
that vision is true,
00:21:03.93\00:21:05.46
but it's sealed it up
00:21:05.49\00:21:06.83
because it applies a
long time in the future,
00:21:06.86\00:21:10.57
and then Daniel fainted.
00:21:10.60\00:21:13.70
The meaning was well interrupted
00:21:13.74\00:21:16.30
to say the least.
00:21:16.34\00:21:17.91
And we read as we follow
00:21:17.94\00:21:19.31
this very
interesting story in scripture
00:21:19.34\00:21:22.18
that as a result of this,
00:21:22.21\00:21:26.92
Daniel had to wait
00:21:26.95\00:21:29.02
for further
explanations from Gabriel.
00:21:29.05\00:21:32.65
Well, we notice now
that Gabriel, after this,
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.89
it says here,
00:21:36.93\00:21:38.26
"While I was
speaking and praying
00:21:38.29\00:21:40.23
and confessing my sin,
00:21:40.26\00:21:41.60
the sin of my people
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.43
and my supplication
before the Lord, my God,
00:21:43.47\00:21:45.87
for the Holy
mountain of my God."
00:21:45.90\00:21:47.40
Gabriel comes back
00:21:47.44\00:21:48.90
because very soon
after it had that sickness,
00:21:48.94\00:21:52.57
some years actually passed by,
00:21:52.61\00:21:55.14
and then he's
worried obviously about
00:21:55.18\00:21:56.88
what he'd seen about this
2,300 evenings and mornings.
00:21:56.91\00:22:00.85
And he's praying, in fact,
00:22:00.88\00:22:02.22
it's the longest prayer
in the whole of the Bible
00:22:02.25\00:22:05.29
in Daniel Chapter 9,
the very next chapter.
00:22:05.32\00:22:09.52
And in the middle of the prayer,
00:22:09.56\00:22:11.36
or perhaps it's
more accurate to say
00:22:11.39\00:22:13.03
when we look at it,
00:22:13.06\00:22:14.40
toward the end of the prayer,
00:22:14.43\00:22:15.93
who should
reappear, but Gabriel,
00:22:15.96\00:22:19.43
and what does he say?
00:22:19.47\00:22:21.54
Gabriel says,
00:22:21.57\00:22:22.90
"While I was
speaking and praying"
00:22:22.94\00:22:25.14
or what Daniel is saying,
00:22:25.17\00:22:26.51
"While I was speaking in praying
00:22:26.54\00:22:27.88
and confessing my sin
00:22:27.91\00:22:29.24
that suddenly, while I
was speaking in prayer,
00:22:29.28\00:22:32.41
the man Gabriel,
00:22:32.45\00:22:34.12
whom I had seen in the
vision at the beginning
00:22:34.15\00:22:37.55
reached me about the
time of the evening offering.
00:22:37.59\00:22:41.19
And he informed me and
talked with me and said,
00:22:41.22\00:22:44.13
'O, Daniel, I
have now come forth
00:22:44.16\00:22:47.46
to give you
skill to understand.' "
00:22:47.50\00:22:50.97
Now, remember way
back, Gabriel had been told,
00:22:51.00\00:22:54.07
make this man Daniel understand
the whole of the vision.
00:22:54.10\00:22:57.67
Gabriel had done that
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.51
until he'd come
to the 2,300 years.
00:22:59.54\00:23:02.74
That was interrupted
because Daniel got sick.
00:23:02.78\00:23:06.35
And now Gabriel comes
back again and he says,
00:23:06.38\00:23:08.98
"Daniel, I've come to
finish the explanation.
00:23:09.02\00:23:12.42
I've come to explain to you
00:23:12.45\00:23:14.06
what the 2, 300 year
prophecy really means."
00:23:14.09\00:23:19.66
Well, at the
beginning of your supplications,
00:23:19.69\00:23:24.03
that is at the beginning
of your prayer, Gabriel says,
00:23:24.07\00:23:27.17
and this says something about
00:23:27.20\00:23:28.84
what happens in
heaven when we pray.
00:23:28.87\00:23:31.07
"At the beginning
of your supplications
00:23:31.11\00:23:33.51
the command went out,
and I've come to tell you."
00:23:33.54\00:23:36.81
Why? Look at
that wonderful answer.
00:23:36.85\00:23:39.65
Gabriel says to Daniel,
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.18
"For you are greatly beloved,
00:23:41.22\00:23:43.72
therefore understand the matter,
00:23:43.75\00:23:45.69
and consider the vision.
00:23:45.72\00:23:48.96
He's about to explain the vision
00:23:48.99\00:23:52.39
of the 2,300 days.
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.73
And he does so
00:23:54.76\00:23:56.10
by introducing
another Bible prophecy,
00:23:56.13\00:23:58.73
which if I can
whet your appetite
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.84
is probably one of the
most amazing prophecies
00:24:00.87\00:24:03.97
in the whole of the Bible.
00:24:04.01\00:24:07.28
Here we see that
00:24:07.31\00:24:08.98
the 2,300 years would reach down
00:24:09.01\00:24:12.35
into the time of the end.
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.98
And we got to go
back to the beginnings
00:24:15.02\00:24:17.59
to hear the explanation
that the Angel Gabriel gave.
00:24:17.62\00:24:22.82
Let's have a look at it.
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.49
First of all,
00:24:24.53\00:24:25.86
I want you to
notice in verse 24,
00:24:25.89\00:24:29.73
that it says
00:24:29.76\00:24:31.10
70 weeks,
00:24:31.13\00:24:32.47
that's the beginning
of Gabriel's explanation.
00:24:32.50\00:24:34.80
Seventy weeks are
determined for your people.
00:24:34.84\00:24:39.37
Now, again, he used
an interesting word,
00:24:39.41\00:24:40.98
the word determined
00:24:41.01\00:24:42.34
because it's
associated with another word
00:24:42.38\00:24:44.88
that it can be
translated into called cut off.
00:24:44.91\00:24:49.18
That the 70 week
period was to be determined,
00:24:49.22\00:24:52.05
but cut off,
00:24:52.09\00:24:53.62
cut off from what?
00:24:53.66\00:24:55.26
He's there to
explain the 2,300 years,
00:24:55.29\00:24:58.39
therefore he's
saying cut off 70 weeks
00:24:58.43\00:25:03.37
from that period of time.
00:25:03.40\00:25:06.13
And then we'll continue
00:25:06.17\00:25:07.60
the explanation
of the 2,300 years.
00:25:07.64\00:25:11.04
So what, as we look
at this 70 week period,
00:25:11.07\00:25:13.81
we noticed this,
00:25:13.84\00:25:15.84
that 70 weeks have
seven days in them.
00:25:15.88\00:25:19.51
And when we
multiply 70 by 7, it's 490,
00:25:19.55\00:25:24.69
and 490 is equal to 490 years
00:25:24.72\00:25:31.39
because it was days and
a day represents a year.
00:25:31.43\00:25:34.90
So what's it that Angel
Gabriel is really saying
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.37
that from that
long period of time
00:25:37.40\00:25:38.80
of 2,300 years,
00:25:38.83\00:25:40.90
we've got a first of all cut off
00:25:40.94\00:25:43.41
a period of 490 years.
00:25:43.44\00:25:49.34
Know therefore,
00:25:49.38\00:25:51.01
and look at verse 25
as it comes on the screen.
00:25:51.05\00:25:55.12
But here we see
490 years cut off
00:25:55.15\00:25:59.39
leaving a hand, 1, 810 years
on the right-hand side left
00:25:59.42\00:26:05.26
before we reached
the end of the 2,300.
00:26:05.29\00:26:09.83
Well, as we continue,
00:26:09.86\00:26:12.80
verse 25 gives
this amazing prophecy.
00:26:12.83\00:26:17.24
"Know therefore and
understand, Gabriel says,
00:26:17.27\00:26:20.94
that from the going
forth of the command
00:26:20.98\00:26:23.88
to restore and
to build Jerusalem
00:26:23.91\00:26:27.35
unto Messiah the Prince
00:26:27.38\00:26:30.29
shall be seven
weeks and 62 weeks."
00:26:30.32\00:26:35.06
And then he says,
00:26:35.09\00:26:36.42
"The street
shall be built again,
00:26:36.46\00:26:37.79
and the wall, even
in troublesome times."
00:26:37.83\00:26:40.23
Because remember,
00:26:40.26\00:26:41.60
Jerusalem at that
time was in ruins.
00:26:41.63\00:26:44.87
But he's saying that
the day is going to come
00:26:44.90\00:26:46.67
when the city of Jerusalem
00:26:46.70\00:26:48.87
is going to be
rebuilt and restored.
00:26:48.90\00:26:51.97
And then he says, therefore,
00:26:52.01\00:26:54.08
that from that time
00:26:54.11\00:26:56.78
until the
cleansing of the sanctuary,
00:26:56.81\00:26:59.85
we have a long
period to consider.
00:26:59.88\00:27:03.69
Know therefore and understand,
00:27:03.72\00:27:05.29
look at this prophecy
that I've put on the screen,
00:27:05.32\00:27:08.46
from there going
forth of the command
00:27:08.49\00:27:10.16
to rebuild Jerusalem
00:27:10.19\00:27:12.13
unto the Messiah comes,
shall be 69 weeks altogether.
00:27:12.16\00:27:17.30
And when we look at the screen
00:27:17.33\00:27:18.70
69 weeks,
00:27:18.73\00:27:20.24
which is one short
of 70 multiplied by 7,
00:27:20.27\00:27:24.41
483 days or years.
00:27:24.44\00:27:28.94
To me, every time I
think about this, my friends,
00:27:28.98\00:27:32.35
I stand in amazement at
the God who knows the future
00:27:32.38\00:27:38.12
and He's revealed it to us.
00:27:38.15\00:27:40.16
And in this amazing,
00:27:40.19\00:27:41.59
that's the only word I can use,
00:27:41.62\00:27:43.26
prophecy.
00:27:43.29\00:27:44.63
Daniel is being told
sometime in the future,
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.80
there's going to
be a command given
00:27:47.83\00:27:49.56
to restore and
to build Jerusalem.
00:27:49.60\00:27:51.83
It's in ruins now, Daniel,
00:27:51.87\00:27:53.44
but there's coming a time
00:27:53.47\00:27:54.80
when a decree will
be given to rebuild it.
00:27:54.84\00:27:57.04
From that time unto
the coming of the Messiah
00:27:57.07\00:28:01.68
will be 483 years.
00:28:01.71\00:28:06.35
Think about this.
00:28:06.38\00:28:07.88
This has being given to Daniel
00:28:07.92\00:28:09.35
500 years before
the time of Christ.
00:28:09.38\00:28:12.79
And yet God is
revealing to Daniel and to us
00:28:12.82\00:28:16.09
the very time when the Messiah,
00:28:16.12\00:28:18.89
the Promised One way
00:28:18.93\00:28:20.30
back from the days
of the Garden of Eden
00:28:20.33\00:28:22.70
will be given to Daniel
00:28:22.73\00:28:26.67
the coming of
the wonderful Christ
00:28:26.70\00:28:29.57
who's going to be
born to save the world.
00:28:29.60\00:28:32.54
And so here we see the 69 weeks.
00:28:32.57\00:28:36.14
I want to divert just a
moment to show something to you.
00:28:36.18\00:28:40.95
You know, some time ago,
00:28:40.98\00:28:43.35
there was a man
called Dr. Peter Stoner
00:28:43.39\00:28:45.95
who wrote a book
called Science Speaks.
00:28:45.99\00:28:50.06
Now Dr. Stoner was
the former chairman
00:28:50.09\00:28:52.39
of the Department of
Mathematics and Astronomy
00:28:52.43\00:28:54.90
in the Pasadena College.
00:28:54.93\00:28:56.53
And he wrote a book
called Science Speaks.
00:28:56.56\00:29:00.30
And he made some calculations
that I want to share with you
00:29:00.34\00:29:03.04
even, I don't know.
00:29:03.07\00:29:04.41
I hope it
wouldn't be too involved,
00:29:04.44\00:29:06.24
but he was a
mathematician, this man,
00:29:06.27\00:29:08.88
and he knew about
the law of probability.
00:29:08.91\00:29:11.58
Now let me explain
the law of probability
00:29:11.61\00:29:13.42
mathematically.
00:29:13.45\00:29:14.92
If I say to you look
about a special event,
00:29:14.95\00:29:19.95
the chance of one man coming
00:29:19.99\00:29:21.66
and doing that on
Wednesday in a week,
00:29:21.69\00:29:27.26
the chance of that
happening on Wednesday
00:29:27.30\00:29:29.06
rather than the
other six days of the week
00:29:29.10\00:29:31.10
would be one in seven,
00:29:31.13\00:29:32.97
one chance in seven, that
it will come on Wednesday.
00:29:33.00\00:29:36.17
If I add another statement
00:29:36.20\00:29:37.87
by saying, well, the
chance of that happening,
00:29:37.91\00:29:40.18
not only Wednesday but
Wednesday day or night,
00:29:40.21\00:29:43.45
let's say the
chance of it happening
00:29:43.48\00:29:45.01
on Wednesday day
time is one in two,
00:29:45.05\00:29:48.68
either day or night.
00:29:48.72\00:29:50.79
Then the law of probability says
00:29:50.82\00:29:52.52
the chance of a
person or an event
00:29:52.55\00:29:55.02
happening on a
Wednesday during the day
00:29:55.06\00:29:59.93
is one chance in 14,
00:29:59.96\00:30:01.66
you multiply the
seven by the two.
00:30:01.70\00:30:03.93
Now a bit of an
evolved mathematics, I know.
00:30:03.97\00:30:06.84
But what this mathematician did,
00:30:06.87\00:30:08.47
he said,
00:30:08.50\00:30:09.84
suppose that there
were just eight prophecies
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.74
in the Old Testament.
00:30:11.77\00:30:14.48
What's the chance of one man
00:30:14.51\00:30:17.38
fulfilling all
those eight predictions.
00:30:17.41\00:30:20.95
And in his book,
00:30:20.98\00:30:22.32
he discusses the
eight predictions
00:30:22.35\00:30:23.69
that he chooses
00:30:23.72\00:30:25.05
and looks at each
one of them, and says,
00:30:25.09\00:30:26.42
what's the
chance of that happening
00:30:26.45\00:30:27.82
and that happening
and that happening?
00:30:27.86\00:30:29.49
Then he
multiplies them together.
00:30:29.52\00:30:31.33
And he says for one man
00:30:31.36\00:30:32.69
to come and
fulfill eight predictions
00:30:32.73\00:30:35.23
is, look at it.
00:30:35.26\00:30:37.43
One in 10 raised
to the 17th power,
00:30:37.47\00:30:41.14
which is one
followed by 17 zeros.
00:30:41.17\00:30:45.47
Suppose there
are eight prophecies,
00:30:45.51\00:30:47.18
the chance of one man
00:30:47.21\00:30:48.54
fulfilling eight
prophecies is one,
00:30:48.58\00:30:50.88
whatever it says in the screen.
00:30:50.91\00:30:52.78
But then he said this
00:30:52.81\00:30:54.15
and you can read it in his book.
00:30:54.18\00:30:55.52
It's available on the internet.
00:30:55.55\00:30:57.65
Suppose that there were
not just eight prophecies,
00:30:57.69\00:31:03.12
but 48 prophecies.
00:31:03.16\00:31:06.26
What's the chance of somebody
being born into this world
00:31:06.29\00:31:10.23
that fulfilled
all 48 predictions?
00:31:10.27\00:31:15.04
And look at the screen,
00:31:15.07\00:31:18.17
it's one in 10
raised to 157th power.
00:31:18.21\00:31:24.21
That is one
followed by 157 zeros.
00:31:24.25\00:31:30.72
Notice that.
00:31:30.75\00:31:32.52
What's the chance of
somebody coming and doing
00:31:32.55\00:31:35.12
fulfilling 48 prophecies?
00:31:35.16\00:31:37.06
It's one in that man,
00:31:37.09\00:31:38.59
almost impossible for one man
00:31:38.63\00:31:40.13
to come and fulfill
those prophecies by accident.
00:31:40.16\00:31:44.87
But then there was
another mathematician,
00:31:44.90\00:31:47.10
Dr. Olinthus
Gregory, who worked out.
00:31:47.14\00:31:50.57
Suppose we add just
two more prophecies,
00:31:50.61\00:31:53.94
one prophecy to tell us
00:31:53.98\00:31:55.68
where on earth the
Messiah will be born.
00:31:55.71\00:32:00.45
And the other prophecy,
00:32:00.48\00:32:01.82
what time in human
history will He be born?
00:32:01.85\00:32:07.49
The chance of one man
00:32:07.52\00:32:09.62
fulfilling all
of those prophecies,
00:32:09.66\00:32:12.83
50 now
00:32:12.86\00:32:15.26
exceeds the power
of numbers to express.
00:32:15.30\00:32:21.14
But dear friends,
00:32:21.17\00:32:23.20
God has not just given us
in His Word 50 prophecies.
00:32:23.24\00:32:30.01
Bible scholars tell us that
00:32:30.05\00:32:31.38
there are more
than 300 predictions
00:32:31.41\00:32:34.22
in the Old Testament
00:32:34.25\00:32:35.85
about the coming of Jesus.
00:32:35.88\00:32:37.89
If you couldn't
express a number big enough
00:32:37.92\00:32:39.72
when there are four, 48 or 50,
00:32:39.75\00:32:42.19
what would it be
when God has given us 300?
00:32:42.22\00:32:46.49
You know, somebody
has said to me once,
00:32:46.53\00:32:48.76
there wouldn't
be an honest atheist
00:32:48.80\00:32:51.17
or infidel in the world
00:32:51.20\00:32:54.14
if they studied
the 300 predictions
00:32:54.17\00:32:57.04
in the Old Testament,
00:32:57.07\00:32:58.91
because the chance of somebody
00:32:58.94\00:33:00.38
fulfilling those 300 by accident
00:33:00.41\00:33:03.45
is just, it's
impossible to think
00:33:03.48\00:33:05.51
that anybody could do that.
00:33:05.55\00:33:08.05
And so I've
mentioned this to you
00:33:08.08\00:33:10.09
because does the Bible
give us the time and the place
00:33:10.12\00:33:13.66
for the prophecies of Jesus?
00:33:13.69\00:33:15.42
Is there a one text in
the Bible that tells us that
00:33:15.46\00:33:17.93
where Jesus would be born
of all the places on the earth?
00:33:17.96\00:33:20.70
There is in
Micah 5:2, Bethlehem.
00:33:20.73\00:33:24.07
That's where
He's going to be born.
00:33:24.10\00:33:25.57
That was hundreds of
years before He came.
00:33:25.60\00:33:28.44
And does the
Bible give us the time
00:33:28.47\00:33:30.54
when Jesus would
come into human history?
00:33:30.57\00:33:33.51
Yes.
00:33:33.54\00:33:34.88
As we will see, as we
study this amazing prediction.
00:33:34.91\00:33:39.25
Let's go on.
00:33:39.28\00:33:41.35
Know therefore, verse 25,
00:33:41.38\00:33:44.19
and understand that
00:33:44.22\00:33:45.55
from the going
forth of the command
00:33:45.59\00:33:47.46
to restore and
to build Jerusalem
00:33:47.49\00:33:49.56
unto the Messiah the Prince,
00:33:49.59\00:33:51.33
there shall be
seven weeks, two weeks,
00:33:51.36\00:33:55.43
and the street
should be build again,
00:33:55.46\00:33:57.23
and the wall, even
in troublesome times."
00:33:57.27\00:34:01.87
We must ask the
question therefore,
00:34:01.90\00:34:04.41
what is the date for the decree
00:34:04.44\00:34:07.84
to rebuild and
restore Jerusalem?
00:34:07.88\00:34:10.88
Because once we know that
date, that's the beginning date.
00:34:10.91\00:34:13.92
Everything else is
gonna fall into place.
00:34:13.95\00:34:16.38
Do we know that
there was such a decree?
00:34:16.42\00:34:19.39
Actually, when we
look into the Bible,
00:34:19.42\00:34:21.02
we find that there were three.
00:34:21.06\00:34:22.52
Now this may surprise you,
00:34:22.56\00:34:24.06
but there are three
decrees that the Bible gives us.
00:34:24.09\00:34:27.10
They're all recorded
in the little Book of Ezra
00:34:27.13\00:34:30.17
in the Old Testament.
00:34:30.20\00:34:31.97
The first decree was
by a King called Cyrus
00:34:32.00\00:34:36.20
in 537.
00:34:36.24\00:34:38.57
And that's found in Ezra 1:1-14,
00:34:38.61\00:34:42.48
Darius 5:20, Ezra 6:1-12,
00:34:42.51\00:34:48.82
and then there
is the third decree.
00:34:48.85\00:34:52.35
And can I just say
this, dear friends,
00:34:52.39\00:34:54.12
of the three decrees,
00:34:54.16\00:34:55.82
the only one that deals
with building and restoring.
00:34:55.86\00:35:01.13
Those other decrees talk about
building the city of Jerusalem
00:35:01.16\00:35:04.30
and even the temple,
00:35:04.33\00:35:05.93
but the only one that restores
the government of Israel
00:35:05.97\00:35:08.60
and makes it a
nation on its own right,
00:35:08.64\00:35:11.47
which is required by that decree
00:35:11.51\00:35:13.98
is the decree by Artaxerxes.
00:35:14.01\00:35:16.75
Ezra 7:1-26,
00:35:16.78\00:35:19.45
this is such an important decree
00:35:19.48\00:35:22.18
in the light of
what we need to know
00:35:22.22\00:35:24.79
in interpreting Daniel,
00:35:24.82\00:35:27.09
that God has
actually inspired Ezra
00:35:27.12\00:35:30.13
to write out the decree in full,
00:35:30.16\00:35:33.19
just as Artaxerxes gave it.
00:35:33.23\00:35:37.00
And we know when it was.
00:35:37.03\00:35:38.87
It was given
00:35:38.90\00:35:40.24
in the seventh year of
the reign of Artaxerxes
00:35:40.27\00:35:44.51
in the year 457 BC.
00:35:44.54\00:35:48.54
Without having time,
00:35:48.58\00:35:49.91
without the time to explain why,
00:35:49.94\00:35:51.58
but may I just say this,
00:35:51.61\00:35:53.35
that date 457
00:35:53.38\00:35:55.15
is one of the
best attested dates
00:35:55.18\00:35:57.75
in ancient history.
00:35:57.79\00:35:59.72
God made sure of that
00:35:59.75\00:36:01.39
because so much
depended on what would fall out.
00:36:01.42\00:36:05.99
Well, there already is 457 BC.
00:36:06.03\00:36:10.20
And from that time, 69
weeks, look at the chart,
00:36:10.23\00:36:16.00
69 weeks should
bring us down 483 years
00:36:16.04\00:36:22.18
to the year 27 AD.
00:36:22.21\00:36:25.55
And in that year,
what should happen?
00:36:25.58\00:36:28.52
According to Daniel's prediction
00:36:28.55\00:36:30.99
from the going
forth of the commandment
00:36:31.02\00:36:32.85
to restore and
to build Jerusalem
00:36:32.89\00:36:34.86
unto the Messiah.
00:36:34.89\00:36:36.93
It's the only verse
in the whole of the Bible
00:36:36.96\00:36:39.86
that fixes the very year
when the Messiah would come.
00:36:39.89\00:36:44.00
But if 483 years
brings you to 27 AD,
00:36:44.03\00:36:48.30
that's the
appearance of the Messiah.
00:36:48.34\00:36:50.71
Does that mean to say
that He'll be born then?
00:36:50.74\00:36:53.41
Can't be born, not 27 AD.
00:36:53.44\00:36:56.54
That's not His birth.
00:36:56.58\00:36:58.25
What then does it refer to?
00:36:58.28\00:37:00.72
What does it refer to?
00:37:00.75\00:37:03.12
What does the word Messiah mean?
00:37:03.15\00:37:06.76
I'm going to show you
something that's important.
00:37:06.79\00:37:09.32
In John 1:41, we read
this interesting verse.
00:37:09.36\00:37:13.53
"He first found
his brother Simon."
00:37:13.56\00:37:16.70
This is referring to one
of the disciples, Andrew.
00:37:16.73\00:37:19.47
"He first found his
brother Simon, and said to him,
00:37:19.50\00:37:22.17
'We have found the Messiah,
00:37:22.20\00:37:25.01
which is translated the Christ."
00:37:25.04\00:37:28.94
Notice that.
00:37:28.98\00:37:30.31
When we refer to Jesus Christ,
Christ was not a surname.
00:37:30.35\00:37:35.35
It's more a title, a status.
00:37:35.38\00:37:38.22
Jesus, the Christ,
Jesus is the Messiah.
00:37:38.25\00:37:41.29
That's what that
word really was meaning.
00:37:41.32\00:37:44.16
So here, the word
Messiah means the Christ.
00:37:44.19\00:37:49.63
That's a Hebrew word.
00:37:49.66\00:37:51.67
Christ is a Greek word.
00:37:51.70\00:37:54.17
And in English
He's the Anointed One.
00:37:54.20\00:37:58.47
Ah, so from the days
from 483 years would extend
00:37:58.51\00:38:04.08
from the going
forth of the commandment
00:38:04.11\00:38:05.81
until the Anointed One appears,
00:38:05.85\00:38:09.12
the Christ, the Messiah.
00:38:09.15\00:38:12.09
What does that mean?
00:38:12.12\00:38:14.12
When did Jesus
become the Anointed One?
00:38:14.16\00:38:18.59
Again, let's look at scripture.
00:38:18.63\00:38:20.76
In the Book of Acts 10:37-38,
00:38:20.80\00:38:24.27
"That word, you know,
00:38:24.30\00:38:26.60
which was proclaimed
throughout all Judea,
00:38:26.63\00:38:29.64
and began from
Galilee after the baptism,
00:38:29.67\00:38:33.64
which John preached:
00:38:33.68\00:38:35.38
how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth
00:38:35.41\00:38:39.65
with the Holy Spirit and power."
00:38:39.68\00:38:42.78
Notice that.
00:38:42.82\00:38:44.15
The record says
there in the Book of Acts,
00:38:44.19\00:38:46.76
that God anointed
Jesus with the Holy Spirit
00:38:46.79\00:38:50.79
at the time of Jesus' baptism.
00:38:50.83\00:38:55.96
Now let's look at
the amazing prediction,
00:38:56.00\00:38:58.17
dear friends.
00:38:58.20\00:39:00.04
In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 3,
00:39:00.07\00:39:02.94
I read these words.
00:39:02.97\00:39:05.47
"Now in the 15th
year of the reign
00:39:05.51\00:39:08.18
of Tiberius Caesar, "
00:39:08.21\00:39:09.68
notice the date.
00:39:09.71\00:39:11.91
You know, God is wonderful
00:39:11.95\00:39:13.28
in terms of
providing the evidence
00:39:13.31\00:39:15.32
to support our faith.
00:39:15.35\00:39:16.85
"In the 15th year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar."
00:39:16.89\00:39:20.52
And then he lists to make sure
00:39:20.56\00:39:21.99
we don't miss what
happens in that year.
00:39:22.02\00:39:24.33
"Pontius Pilate
being governor of Judea,
00:39:24.36\00:39:26.43
Herod being tetrarch of Galilee,
00:39:26.46\00:39:29.03
his brother
Phillip tetrarch of Iturea,
00:39:29.06\00:39:31.27
and the region of Trachonitis,
and Lysanias tetrarch,
00:39:31.30\00:39:34.27
that's an office
the word tetrarch,
00:39:34.30\00:39:36.67
of Abilene,
00:39:36.71\00:39:38.77
while Annas and
Caiaphas were high priests,
00:39:38.81\00:39:41.71
the word of God came to John,
00:39:41.74\00:39:43.78
the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness.
00:39:43.81\00:39:46.01
And he went into all the
region around the Jordan,
00:39:46.05\00:39:48.75
preaching a
baptism of repentance
00:39:48.78\00:39:51.65
for the remission of sins."
00:39:51.69\00:39:53.79
Why does Luke go to all
the trouble of recording
00:39:53.82\00:39:57.39
the things that
happened in the 15th year
00:39:57.43\00:39:59.39
of the reign of Caesar?
00:39:59.43\00:40:02.20
To provide the faith to us.
00:40:02.23\00:40:04.83
That was the year
Jesus was baptized.
00:40:04.87\00:40:08.34
And we read in Luke 3:21,
00:40:08.37\00:40:11.47
"When all the
people were baptized
00:40:11.51\00:40:14.71
in that 15th year
of the reign of Caesar,
00:40:14.74\00:40:17.25
it came to pass that
Jesus also was baptized.
00:40:17.28\00:40:20.58
And while He prayed,
the heaven was opened.
00:40:20.62\00:40:24.52
And the Holy
Spirit, look at the words,
00:40:24.55\00:40:26.89
descended in bodily
form like a dove upon Him,
00:40:26.92\00:40:30.69
and a voice came
from heaven, which said,
00:40:30.73\00:40:32.63
'You are My beloved Son,
in whom I am well-pleased."
00:40:32.66\00:40:39.07
What happened in the 15th
year of the reign of Caesar?
00:40:39.10\00:40:43.41
27 AD, right on time,
00:40:43.44\00:40:47.74
Jesus became the Anointed One
00:40:47.78\00:40:50.48
by the Holy
Spirit at His baptism.
00:40:50.51\00:40:54.48
How marvelous,
00:40:54.52\00:40:56.25
but there's another
very interesting event
00:40:56.28\00:40:57.95
that followed this
00:40:57.99\00:40:59.32
that just
confirms what I'm saying.
00:40:59.35\00:41:01.66
Because soon after His baptism,
00:41:01.69\00:41:04.16
Jesus was visiting
His hometown of Nazareth.
00:41:04.19\00:41:08.66
And what happened the
day that He went there?
00:41:08.70\00:41:12.07
I read in Luke 4:16,
00:41:12.10\00:41:13.90
"So He came to Nazareth,
where He had been brought up.
00:41:13.94\00:41:18.27
And as His custom was,
00:41:18.31\00:41:19.77
He went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day,
00:41:19.81\00:41:22.68
and stood up to read.
00:41:22.71\00:41:24.78
And he was handed the
book of the prophet Isaiah.
00:41:24.81\00:41:28.72
And when he had opened the book,
00:41:28.75\00:41:30.39
He found the place
where it was written."
00:41:30.42\00:41:31.99
Now, remember, He's
coming into the synagogue,
00:41:32.02\00:41:33.56
the church on Sabbath morning,
00:41:33.59\00:41:36.06
and He's handed
the prophecy of Isaiah,
00:41:36.09\00:41:39.43
the prophet in
the Old Testament.
00:41:39.46\00:41:41.46
And he
deliberately finds this text
00:41:41.50\00:41:44.77
when He is given
the copy of the script.
00:41:44.80\00:41:48.54
"The Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me."
00:41:48.57\00:41:51.97
Why?
00:41:52.01\00:41:53.34
"Because He has anointed Me
00:41:53.38\00:41:55.81
to preach the
gospel to the poor.
00:41:55.84\00:41:57.81
He sent me to
heal the brokenhearted,
00:41:57.85\00:42:00.42
to proclaim
liberty to the captives
00:42:00.45\00:42:02.12
and recovery of
sight to the blind.
00:42:02.15\00:42:03.99
That's why these wonderful Jesus
00:42:04.02\00:42:05.49
came to this earth
00:42:05.52\00:42:06.86
to relieve
suffering and to restore
00:42:06.89\00:42:09.59
and to transform our lives.
00:42:09.62\00:42:12.56
But as we go on,
00:42:12.59\00:42:13.93
"To set at liberty to
those who are oppressed,
00:42:13.96\00:42:16.23
to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord."
00:42:16.26\00:42:18.43
Then when Jesus had finished
quoting that text from Isaiah,
00:42:18.47\00:42:21.90
it says,
00:42:21.94\00:42:23.27
"Then he closed the book,
00:42:23.30\00:42:24.77
gave it back to the
attendant and sat down.
00:42:24.81\00:42:28.04
And the eyes of all
who were in the synagogue
00:42:28.08\00:42:31.41
were fixed on Him."
00:42:31.45\00:42:32.78
This is the boy
00:42:32.81\00:42:34.15
who had grown up
there in Nazareth.
00:42:34.18\00:42:36.55
And now He's speaking
to the people in 27 AD,
00:42:36.58\00:42:41.36
just after His baptism.
00:42:41.39\00:42:43.79
And then we read,
00:42:43.83\00:42:45.83
"And He began to say to them,
00:42:45.86\00:42:48.33
'Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing.' "
00:42:48.36\00:42:54.30
Isn't that wonderful?
00:42:54.34\00:42:55.80
Jesus is now saying
after reading the text,
00:42:55.84\00:42:58.31
the Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me
00:42:58.34\00:42:59.67
because He's anointed me.
00:42:59.71\00:43:01.14
Those people in
the synagogue knew that
00:43:01.18\00:43:03.28
that was being
connected to the Messiah
00:43:03.31\00:43:06.15
because it means
the Anointed One.
00:43:06.18\00:43:10.22
And Jesus said this day,
00:43:10.25\00:43:12.25
the Scripture is fulfilled
00:43:12.29\00:43:14.46
and the year, of
course, was 27 AD.
00:43:14.49\00:43:20.23
Well, does the
Bible in its prophecies
00:43:20.26\00:43:25.20
tell us of anything that
was to happen after 27 AD?
00:43:25.23\00:43:29.54
Let's have a look at this.
00:43:29.57\00:43:32.27
Did the Book of Daniel
predict anything to happen
00:43:32.31\00:43:35.61
after Jesus was
baptized in 27 AD?
00:43:35.64\00:43:40.08
Sixty nine of the
70 weeks had gone.
00:43:40.12\00:43:45.12
Jesus had been baptized
at the end of the 69 weeks.
00:43:45.15\00:43:48.72
One more week that
was allotted to the Jews
00:43:48.76\00:43:51.73
as a period of probation
remained of the 490 years.
00:43:51.76\00:43:58.43
Let's have a look at this.
00:43:58.47\00:44:00.94
In Daniel 9:26,
00:44:00.97\00:44:03.74
"After the 62
weeks, that is after 27 AD,
00:44:03.77\00:44:08.58
Messiah shall be cut off."
00:44:08.61\00:44:10.68
This is still in
this prophecy in Daniel.
00:44:10.71\00:44:13.78
"The Messiah would be cut off.
00:44:13.82\00:44:15.15
He would die,
but not for Himself,
00:44:15.18\00:44:19.15
and the people of the prince
00:44:19.19\00:44:20.56
who is to come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary."
00:44:20.59\00:44:23.19
So there's two predictions here.
00:44:23.22\00:44:25.43
It says after the 62 weeks,
the Messiah will be cut off.
00:44:25.46\00:44:29.43
He will die.
00:44:29.46\00:44:31.10
This is way back
in the Book of Daniel
00:44:31.13\00:44:32.70
this is being written,
00:44:32.73\00:44:34.84
but not for Himself.
00:44:34.87\00:44:36.20
He wouldn't die for Himself.
00:44:36.24\00:44:38.41
Dear friends, as
I think about this,
00:44:38.44\00:44:40.08
He would die for you and for me
00:44:40.11\00:44:44.21
and for the world at that time.
00:44:44.25\00:44:48.85
He's referring also here
00:44:48.88\00:44:50.79
that one day,
00:44:50.82\00:44:52.15
the city of
Jerusalem would be destroyed
00:44:52.19\00:44:54.82
and the sanctuary,
the temple as well.
00:44:54.86\00:44:57.46
And that, of course,
00:44:57.49\00:44:58.83
was fulfilled 40
years after Jesus died.
00:44:58.86\00:45:02.90
What happens?
00:45:02.93\00:45:04.33
That text doesn't tell
us when during the week,
00:45:04.37\00:45:07.57
it just says
sometime after 27 AD,
00:45:07.60\00:45:10.87
in that last week,
00:45:10.91\00:45:12.24
he would die.
00:45:12.27\00:45:13.61
The very next
verse in Daniel says,
00:45:13.64\00:45:16.88
"Then He, the Messiah
will confirm a covenant
00:45:16.91\00:45:20.08
with many for one week."
00:45:20.12\00:45:21.75
That's that one
week, the 70th week.
00:45:21.78\00:45:24.42
"But in the middle of the week,
00:45:24.45\00:45:26.96
He shall bring an end
to sacrifice and offering."
00:45:26.99\00:45:33.16
I stand amazed, dear
friends, when I think of this.
00:45:33.19\00:45:36.46
In the middle of the week,
00:45:36.50\00:45:38.67
three and a half years
after Jesus was baptized
00:45:38.70\00:45:43.30
in the year 31 AD Jesus died,
00:45:43.34\00:45:48.38
but not for Himself.
00:45:48.41\00:45:51.18
Think about this.
00:45:51.21\00:45:53.28
As we look at our screen,
00:45:53.31\00:45:56.28
it was just halfway
through that 70th week,
00:45:56.32\00:46:00.26
31 AD that Jesus
was raised on a cross
00:46:00.29\00:46:06.06
and died for the
sins of the world.
00:46:06.09\00:46:10.53
How amazing.
00:46:10.57\00:46:11.93
Not only does it
foretell Jesus' baptism.
00:46:11.97\00:46:15.04
His death,
00:46:15.07\00:46:16.81
but also how long
His ministry would be,
00:46:16.84\00:46:19.74
three and a half years.
00:46:19.77\00:46:22.14
That's this wonderful prophecy
in Daniel Chapters 8 and 9,
00:46:22.18\00:46:27.48
but then we have to continue on
00:46:27.52\00:46:30.32
because we noticed that
there follows another date
00:46:30.35\00:46:35.32
because three and a half years,
it's the middle of that week,
00:46:35.36\00:46:38.16
three and a half
years on either side,
00:46:38.19\00:46:40.40
then three and a half years
00:46:40.43\00:46:41.76
after 31 AD brings us to 34 AD.
00:46:41.80\00:46:46.50
That's the end of
the 490 year period
00:46:46.53\00:46:51.17
that was allotted
to the Jewish people
00:46:51.21\00:46:53.31
as a period of probation.
00:46:53.34\00:46:55.94
During that time,
00:46:55.98\00:46:57.91
God was going to send
His Son to die for the world.
00:46:57.95\00:47:01.88
The Jews, instead
of accepting that,
00:47:01.92\00:47:03.75
you remember, rejected Jesus.
00:47:03.79\00:47:07.26
And Daniel had warned them
00:47:07.29\00:47:09.56
a long time before
00:47:09.59\00:47:11.49
that after the Messiah died
00:47:11.53\00:47:14.26
only three and a
half more years remained
00:47:14.30\00:47:18.93
before the Jewish people
were rejected as a nation,
00:47:18.97\00:47:23.61
because of all the Old
Testament stories of them
00:47:23.64\00:47:25.97
rebelling against God
00:47:26.01\00:47:27.34
and walking with
Him for a little while
00:47:27.38\00:47:28.94
and then disobeying Him.
00:47:28.98\00:47:30.35
And that's the story
of the Old Testament.
00:47:30.38\00:47:32.91
God is now saying,
00:47:32.95\00:47:34.78
I'm giving you 490 more
years He said to Daniel,
00:47:34.82\00:47:38.95
and that elapsed in 34 AD.
00:47:38.99\00:47:43.69
I want you to notice
00:47:43.73\00:47:45.06
as you look at that
diagram on the screen.
00:47:45.09\00:47:47.70
In that three and
a half year period,
00:47:47.73\00:47:49.90
31 to 34 AD,
00:47:49.93\00:47:52.27
knowing that
probation was soon to finish
00:47:52.30\00:47:55.20
for the Jewish people,
00:47:55.24\00:47:57.47
Jesus said something
very important to them.
00:47:57.51\00:48:02.34
Speaking to His
disciples in Acts 1:8,
00:48:02.38\00:48:06.15
He says this,
00:48:06.18\00:48:07.82
"But you shall receive power
00:48:07.85\00:48:09.32
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you,
00:48:09.35\00:48:11.95
and you shall be
witnesses to Me."
00:48:11.99\00:48:13.46
Now He's saying
this to the disciples
00:48:13.49\00:48:14.96
just before He
goes back to heaven.
00:48:14.99\00:48:17.06
He's telling
them to be witnesses,
00:48:17.09\00:48:18.53
but have you
ever noticed the order
00:48:18.56\00:48:20.06
in which Jesus
gave that instruction.
00:48:20.10\00:48:22.96
"You shall be witnesses
to Me, in whereabouts first,
00:48:23.00\00:48:26.23
Jerusalem, and then in
Judea, and then in Samaria,
00:48:26.27\00:48:30.71
and then to the
ends of the earth."
00:48:30.74\00:48:33.78
Why did He start
with Jerusalem and Judea?
00:48:33.81\00:48:38.21
Why were the disciples to
take the gospel first there,
00:48:38.25\00:48:41.38
not to all the
nations of Europe beyond,
00:48:41.42\00:48:43.72
not then?
00:48:43.75\00:48:45.42
Because three and
a half years remained
00:48:45.45\00:48:49.66
of that period of probation
00:48:49.69\00:48:51.66
God had given to
the Jewish people,
00:48:51.69\00:48:55.60
three and a half years, 34 AD.
00:48:55.63\00:48:59.30
What happened then in 34 AD?
00:48:59.33\00:49:03.64
What event brought
00:49:03.67\00:49:05.54
that 490 year
period of probation
00:49:05.57\00:49:08.78
to a close?
00:49:08.81\00:49:10.91
Well, we read about it
00:49:10.95\00:49:13.11
there in the Book of Acts
00:49:13.15\00:49:15.02
of how Stephen the
deacon was in prison
00:49:15.05\00:49:20.06
because of the false charges
that were being brought to him.
00:49:20.09\00:49:24.06
And finally, he came
before the Sanhedrin,
00:49:24.09\00:49:27.03
that was the
leading council in Israel.
00:49:27.06\00:49:31.03
And he preached
to them a sermon,
00:49:31.07\00:49:32.83
which is recorded there in
the Book of Acts Chapter 7.
00:49:32.87\00:49:36.07
Read it sometime,
a powerful sermon.
00:49:36.10\00:49:38.94
And at the end of that
sermon, he said to them,
00:49:38.97\00:49:41.34
you have murdered the Messiah,
00:49:41.38\00:49:44.55
and you can
imagine the reaction.
00:49:44.58\00:49:46.88
The Bible says,
00:49:46.92\00:49:48.25
they were gnashed in their teeth
00:49:48.28\00:49:49.62
and they
approached him with stones,
00:49:49.65\00:49:52.22
led him outside the
city and killed Stephen.
00:49:52.25\00:49:57.43
That day the Jewish leaders,
00:49:57.46\00:50:00.60
the ones in the
governing council
00:50:00.63\00:50:04.20
heard the last appeal
for the gospel for them
00:50:04.23\00:50:10.61
to accept the Messiah.
00:50:10.64\00:50:13.24
And the year
00:50:13.27\00:50:15.08
when Stephen was stoned
00:50:15.11\00:50:17.71
34 AD.
00:50:17.75\00:50:22.52
When we remember those
events, some years later,
00:50:22.55\00:50:28.42
Paul was preaching
00:50:28.46\00:50:29.79
in a little town
of Antioch in Pisidia.
00:50:29.82\00:50:34.76
And as he was
preaching there that day,
00:50:34.80\00:50:38.77
he noticed that the people
00:50:38.80\00:50:40.44
and there were many
Jews in the audience
00:50:40.47\00:50:42.14
and it's recorded
in Acts Chapter 13.
00:50:42.17\00:50:44.94
Many Jews were in the audience,
00:50:44.97\00:50:47.21
but got very upset
00:50:47.24\00:50:48.58
when he started to
talk to them about Jesus,
00:50:48.61\00:50:50.51
the Messiah.
00:50:50.55\00:50:51.95
And at the end of his sermon,
00:50:51.98\00:50:53.52
I want you to notice the
words that he spoke to them.
00:50:53.55\00:50:56.72
"It was necessary
00:50:56.75\00:50:58.12
that the word of God
should first be spoken to you,"
00:50:58.15\00:51:04.59
the three and a
half years of probation,
00:51:04.63\00:51:08.46
"but since you reject
it, and judge yourselves,
00:51:08.50\00:51:12.03
unworthy of everlasting life,
00:51:12.07\00:51:14.90
behold, we turn
to the Gentiles."
00:51:14.94\00:51:20.24
Why did Paul say
that day to the Jews
00:51:20.28\00:51:22.81
who were very upset
in that little town?
00:51:22.84\00:51:25.95
You Jews had to hear it first,
00:51:25.98\00:51:29.18
but seeing you have
rejected the message,
00:51:29.22\00:51:32.72
we're going now to the Gentiles.
00:51:32.75\00:51:36.12
And that happened in 34 AD,
00:51:36.16\00:51:41.00
exactly three and a half years
00:51:41.03\00:51:43.97
after what had preceded it.
00:51:44.00\00:51:48.27
How marvelous is prophecy?
00:51:48.30\00:51:50.94
God was giving to His people,
00:51:50.97\00:51:54.64
the offer of salvation
for the last time as a nation.
00:51:54.68\00:51:57.71
Individuals, yes,
00:51:57.75\00:51:59.08
they could
continue to hear the gospel,
00:51:59.11\00:52:01.85
but as a nation,
God was now saying,
00:52:01.88\00:52:04.29
I'm going to give
it to the Gentiles.
00:52:04.32\00:52:06.25
And I'm going to raise
up the Christian Church
00:52:06.29\00:52:09.02
to take the gospel
to the whole world.
00:52:09.06\00:52:13.43
How wonderfully God
had prepared the way.
00:52:13.46\00:52:17.57
And when we add 1,810 years
00:52:17.60\00:52:22.14
to AD 34,
00:52:22.17\00:52:24.91
when Stephen was stoned,
00:52:24.94\00:52:27.11
it brings us to the year 1844.
00:52:27.14\00:52:32.68
In that year unto
2,300 days or years,
00:52:32.71\00:52:37.69
then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.
00:52:37.72\00:52:42.09
1844, that was the
date, and that was the year.
00:52:42.12\00:52:48.06
When I stopped to
think of Jesus' life,
00:52:48.10\00:52:50.33
His baptism, His
death, dear friends.
00:52:50.37\00:52:53.70
And remember that
00:52:53.74\00:52:55.07
this is the
essence of the gospel,
00:52:55.10\00:52:57.77
the good news of
why Jesus has come
00:52:57.81\00:53:00.04
to bring us salvation.
00:53:00.08\00:53:02.28
I just think of
that text, you know,
00:53:02.31\00:53:03.81
what manner of love
00:53:03.85\00:53:06.01
has the great love has
our father bestowed upon us
00:53:06.05\00:53:12.35
that we should be
called the sons of God
00:53:12.39\00:53:15.42
because of what
Jesus died to accomplish.
00:53:15.46\00:53:19.86
I remember, dear friends,
the story of a legal case,
00:53:19.89\00:53:23.67
it really is true this story.
00:53:23.70\00:53:25.93
In 1830, George
Wilson was robbed,
00:53:25.97\00:53:29.50
had robbed a male train
00:53:29.54\00:53:30.91
and had held the life
of the driver of the train
00:53:30.94\00:53:34.38
in jeopardy,
00:53:34.41\00:53:35.74
threatened to kill him.
00:53:35.78\00:53:37.85
And when this
came to the knowledge
00:53:37.88\00:53:39.45
of the law situation,
00:53:39.48\00:53:42.65
he was condemned to
death for his crime.
00:53:42.68\00:53:47.12
But later, he was pardoned
00:53:47.16\00:53:49.32
by the president
of the United States.
00:53:49.36\00:53:53.26
The pardon was
presented to George Wilson
00:53:53.29\00:53:55.26
when he was in the
cell waiting to die.
00:53:55.30\00:53:59.00
And George Wilson refused
00:53:59.03\00:54:02.00
to accept the
pardon from the president.
00:54:02.04\00:54:06.11
He said, "He wished to die."
00:54:06.14\00:54:08.51
And his attorneys
00:54:08.54\00:54:10.65
went to the
authorities and said,
00:54:10.68\00:54:12.71
"You can't execute a
man who's been pardoned."
00:54:12.75\00:54:18.22
And do you know that
case went to the Supreme Court
00:54:18.25\00:54:21.92
of the United States of America.
00:54:21.96\00:54:24.39
I'm going to read to you
the decision of the court.
00:54:24.43\00:54:29.80
"A pardon is a deed
00:54:29.83\00:54:32.83
to the validity of
which delivery is essential.
00:54:32.87\00:54:36.00
And delivery is not
complete without acceptance.
00:54:36.04\00:54:39.54
It may even be rejected.
00:54:39.57\00:54:41.44
And if it be rejected,
00:54:41.48\00:54:42.81
we have discovered
00:54:42.84\00:54:44.18
no power in this
court to force it on him.
00:54:44.21\00:54:48.05
It may be supposed
00:54:48.08\00:54:49.42
that no being condemned to death
00:54:49.45\00:54:50.79
would reject a pardon,
00:54:50.82\00:54:53.12
but the rule must be the same.
00:54:53.15\00:54:57.03
And George Wilson was executed.
00:54:57.06\00:54:59.96
The only man in the
history of the United States,
00:55:00.00\00:55:03.47
who was
executed though pardoned.
00:55:03.50\00:55:08.00
My dear friends, have
you accepted the pardon
00:55:08.04\00:55:11.47
that Jesus died to give to you?
00:55:11.51\00:55:15.51
Or are you
rejecting that pardon?
00:55:15.54\00:55:18.91
It may be suppose that
no being condemned to death
00:55:18.95\00:55:22.25
would reject a court pardon?
00:55:22.28\00:55:24.72
But the rule must be the same.
00:55:24.75\00:55:28.42
And so they had to
hear the gospel first
00:55:28.46\00:55:32.49
among the Jews, and
then to the Gentiles.
00:55:32.53\00:55:37.53
As we consider our
chart, as we close,
00:55:37.57\00:55:42.04
I want to take you back to
look at those very early times
00:55:42.07\00:55:47.08
that we have considered
this afternoon for a very,
00:55:47.11\00:55:49.98
to consider today
00:55:50.01\00:55:51.35
because of a
very important reason.
00:55:51.38\00:55:53.45
And that is that
when we look at the chart,
00:55:53.48\00:55:55.38
we noticed that
00:55:55.42\00:55:56.75
on the
right-hand side of the top,
00:55:56.79\00:55:58.62
there is the date 457.
00:55:58.65\00:56:01.82
And we come down
through time, 70 weeks,
00:56:01.86\00:56:06.39
490 years brings us to
34 AD, but the 69 weeks,
00:56:06.43\00:56:10.87
you remember,
came to the Messiah.
00:56:10.90\00:56:13.40
Why do I put this
chat on the screen
00:56:13.44\00:56:15.10
before I close?
00:56:15.14\00:56:16.87
Because I want to
remind you, dear friends,
00:56:16.91\00:56:19.04
that if Jesus was
baptized in 27 AD,
00:56:19.07\00:56:22.71
the 15th year of
the reign of Caesar,
00:56:22.74\00:56:24.88
if that dates fixed in history,
00:56:24.91\00:56:26.75
then you've only
got to go back 483 years
00:56:26.78\00:56:29.98
and you come to 457.
00:56:30.02\00:56:32.22
And if 457 is right,
00:56:32.25\00:56:35.16
what does that say
about the year 1844?
00:56:35.19\00:56:38.79
You've only got to
add 2,300 years to 457.
00:56:38.83\00:56:43.77
And you come to that year,
00:56:43.80\00:56:46.33
the year of the
cleansing of the sanctuary.
00:56:46.37\00:56:50.41
Let us bow our
heads in a word of prayer.
00:56:50.44\00:56:53.74
Dear loving Father in heaven,
00:56:53.78\00:56:55.11
we thank You for
your prophetic word.
00:56:55.14\00:56:57.58
We thank You for its power,
00:56:57.61\00:56:59.65
for what it reveals to
us about why Jesus came.
00:56:59.68\00:57:03.75
May we open our
hearts to the Messiah,
00:57:03.79\00:57:07.56
and accept the pardon
that He died to give us.
00:57:07.59\00:57:11.16
And may we
continue to be blessed
00:57:11.19\00:57:12.99
as we study further,
00:57:13.03\00:57:15.30
what's going to happen in 1844.
00:57:15.33\00:57:18.23
And we ask this in
Jesus' precious name.
00:57:18.27\00:57:21.37
Amen.
00:57:21.40\00:57:22.90