Participants:
Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000014A
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00:10 Well, hello, everybody.
00:13 Good to see you here again. 00:15 Today, we are going to study part 2 00:18 of the 70-week prophecy. 00:21 We're gonna focus particularly on the closing date 00:24 of the 70 weeks. 00:26 But before we do, 00:27 we do want to have a word of prayer 00:29 and so I invite you to bow your heads 00:31 with me as we pray. 00:33 Father in heaven, 00:34 thank You for the privilege of being here again, 00:37 and as we conclude this study on the 70 weeks, 00:39 we ask for the presence of Your spirit. 00:42 It's amazing to us to see 00:44 how this prophecy has been fulfilled to the very latter. 00:48 We know that You sit on Your throne 00:51 and history is under Your control. 00:53 Bless us as we study together 00:56 and comfort us and give us assurance. 00:58 We pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen. 01:02 Well, let's review the 70-week prophecy. 01:06 The 70-week prophecy begins in the year 457 BC, 01:11 in the fall of 457 BC. 01:15 The first 49 years or the first 7 weeks have to do 01:20 with the rebuilding and restoring of Jerusalem. 01:24 That's from the year 457 to 408 BC. 01:28 And then 62 weeks beyond that takes us 01:31 to the anointing of the Messiah, 01:34 and that's redundant 01:36 because the word Messiah means anointed. 01:39 But anyway, Jesus is baptized in the year 27 AD 01:43 in the fall of 27 AD. 01:46 And then for the last week, 01:47 Jesus confirms the covenant 01:50 with the Jewish people 01:52 because the 70th week belongs to the Jewish nation as well. 01:57 And in the middle of that last week, 02:00 Jesus is cut off. 02:02 That means that he's killed, but not for himself. 02:07 So what we studied so far takes us 02:09 from 457 to 408 to 27 to 31, 02:13 the spring of 31. 02:16 However, we still have 3.5 years before the ending 02:20 of the 70 weeks from the year 31, 02:24 from the spring of 31, to the fall of the year 34. 02:29 Now the important point that I want us to notice 02:32 as we begin our study is that probation did not close 02:37 for the Jewish theocracy when Jesus was crucified. 02:41 Probation did not close in the year 31 02:45 because the Jewish people had 70 full weeks, 02:51 not only, you know, leading up to the year 31 AD. 02:57 Now I want to read a series of texts 03:01 that show that probation did not close 03:05 for the Jewish theocracy in the middle of the last week 03:09 when Jesus died on the cross. 03:11 Go with me to Matthew 10:5 and 6, 03:15 Matthew 10:5 and 6. 03:19 Here, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, 03:23 and He gives them prohibition and also a command. 03:29 It says there, 03:31 "These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying, 03:35 'Do not go into the way of the Gentiles.'" 03:39 Jesus says don't go to the Gentiles, 03:41 "And do not enter a city of the Samaritans, 03:44 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 03:49 Now why would Jesus say something like that? 03:52 You know, "Don't go to the Gentiles, 03:53 go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 03:55 Simply because Jesus was speaking 03:58 still during the period of the 70 weeks 04:01 which were determined or allotted for the Jews. 04:05 Now notice also Matthew 15:24, Matthew 15:24. 04:11 Here Jesus makes a statement that appears to be calloused. 04:16 It appears that He's saying that the salvation is basically 04:21 simply for the Jews and not for the Gentiles. 04:24 But that's not really what Jesus is saying. 04:27 Matthew 15:24, "But He answered and said, 04:32 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep 04:36 of the house of Israel.'" 04:38 He's saying this to a Canaanite woman 04:41 who's a Gentile. 04:42 Now that appears to be careless. 04:44 Jesus is saying, "I said, I was sent only to the Jews, 04:46 that wasn't sent to the Gentiles." 04:48 We need to understand, however, 04:49 that Jesus said that because the 70 weeks 04:52 were still not finished and the 70 weeks 04:55 were allotted to the Jewish nation. 04:59 So we need to understand that 05:00 this is not a callous statement. 05:02 By the way, Jesus did bring salvation to Gentiles 05:05 during His ministry too. 05:06 But it was the exception, not the rule. 05:09 This Canaanite woman, He said, 05:11 "Salvation has come to your house. 05:13 I haven't found this kind of faith in Israel." 05:15 Also the centurion, 05:17 remember the centurion that Jesus healed His servant? 05:20 The centurion was a Gentile. 05:22 We also have Jesus ministering to the Samaritan woman. 05:26 So it's not that Jesus ignored 05:28 the salvation of the Gentiles and the Samaritans. 05:31 It's that he was set specifically 05:34 to fulfill the events of the final week 05:36 of the 70 weeks, 05:37 which were allowed it to the Jewish nation. 05:41 Now go with me to Matthew 21:12-13, 05:44 Matthew 21:12-13. 05:47 This is at the conclusion of the triumphal entry 05:51 of Jesus into Jerusalem. 05:53 It says there, "Then Jesus went into the temple of God." 05:59 So when He goes in, it's the temple of God, 06:01 "And drove out all those who bought 06:03 and sold in the temple, 06:05 and overturned the tables of the money changers 06:09 and the seats of those who sold those. 06:11 And he said to them, it is written, 06:14 my house shall be called a house of prayer, 06:17 but you have made it a den of thieves." 06:20 So notice when he goes in, 06:22 it's called the temple of God 06:23 and Jesus refers to the temple as My house. 06:27 And then Jesus, in the next couple of chapters, 06:31 tells a series of parables to the different sects 06:36 of the Jewish nation. 06:38 And He concludes by pronouncing the woes 06:42 upon the scribes and Pharisees, 06:44 the scribes were the theologians 06:46 and the Pharisees were the ministers. 06:48 Matthew 23:32 to 38 06:52 has the concluding part of the woes 06:56 upon the scribes and Pharisees. 06:59 It says there beginning with verse 32, 07:02 and Jesus is speaking quite strongly, 07:04 "Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt." 07:08 In other words, the cup is gonna be full. 07:12 There's not gonna be any more room. 07:15 "Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt, 07:18 serpents, brood of vipers, 07:21 how can you escape the condemnation of hell?" 07:25 And now I want you to notice something very interesting. 07:28 Jesus is saying these words 07:31 shortly before his death on the cross, 07:34 shortly before his passion, 07:36 and yet Jesus is going to say 07:38 that even though He's gonna die in two or three days, 07:43 He is gonna send more messengers after His death 07:46 to literal Israel 07:47 because the 70 weeks have not yet come to an end. 07:51 Notice what He continues saying in verse 34, 07:54 "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, 08:01 wise men, and scribes." 08:05 And now notice, "Some of them you," 08:08 What tense is the verb? 08:10 "Will kill and crucify. 08:14 And some of them you will scourge 08:18 in your synagogues and..." 08:21 By the way, even though the helping verb is not there, 08:24 it is in the Greek, 08:26 "And will persecute from city to city." 08:30 So is Jesus gonna send more messengers 08:32 to literal Israel and they're gonna do 08:34 to the messengers what they did to Jesus 08:37 and all the messengers that came before? 08:39 Absolutely. 08:41 So probation is not close to the Jewish nation 08:43 when Jesus is crucified. 08:45 Verse 35 says, after he sends the messengers, 08:48 it says, "That on you may come all the righteous blood 08:52 shed on the earth, 08:54 from the blood of righteous Abel 08:56 to the blood of Zachariah, son of Berechiah, 08:59 whom you murdered between the temple 09:01 and the altar. 09:02 Assuredly, I say to you, 09:04 all these things will come upon this generation." 09:08 So Jesus is saying, "Even after My death, 09:10 I'm gonna send you, wise men, I'm gonna to send you prophets, 09:14 I'm gonna send you messengers and you are going to do 09:16 the same thing to them that you're going to do to Me 09:20 and that you did to the messengers 09:22 that I sent you in the Old Testament. 09:25 And then notice that Jesus next speaks about 09:29 the destruction of Jerusalem. 09:32 Once again, Matthew Chapter 23 and beginning with verse 37, 09:39 Jesus says, "O Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets 09:43 and stones those who are sent to her. 09:46 How often I wanted to gather your children together, 09:50 as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, 09:52 but you were not willing." 09:56 And then notice in verse 38, what Jesus has to say, 10:00 "See, your house is left to you desolate." 10:06 And then in the next chapter, 10:08 the first verse says that Jesus departs the temple. 10:13 When Jesus the Shekinah departs the temple, 10:16 the house is left what? 10:19 The house is left desolate 10:21 because God's presence isn't there 10:23 and yet mercy still lingers for three and a half years. 10:27 Remember in the Old Testament 10:29 when the Shekinah left the temple right before 10:31 Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple 10:33 that the Shekinah left the temple 10:35 and lingered for a little while 10:37 on the Mount of Olives as if saying, 10:39 "I don't want to leave." 10:41 Well, Jesus did the same thing. 10:43 He did not want to reject the Jewish theocracy. 10:47 And so after this, He goes to the Mount of Olives, 10:50 and He speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem 10:52 after saying that their house was left desolate. 10:56 When He goes in, 10:58 it's the temple of God and it's My house. 11:01 When He leaves after pronouncing 11:03 the walls on the scribes and Pharisees, 11:06 He says, "Your house is left unto you desolate." 11:09 Now what messengers were sent to the Jews 11:11 during those three and a half years? 11:14 Peter, John, the Seven Deacons, 11:18 men filled with wisdom, also, you know, 11:23 Stephen was sent during that period. 11:25 So messengers were sent to the Jews 11:29 even in those three and a half years 11:30 after the crucifixion. 11:33 You know, it's amazing that even after the Jews 11:36 at the trial of Jesus said we have no king but Caesar, 11:41 after they said his blood be upon us and our children. 11:45 After saying release unto us brothers, 11:48 mercy still lingered for three and a half years. 11:53 The Shekinah did not want to leave first permanently. 11:56 The Shekinah wanted to see if they would repent 12:00 and accept the Messiah. 12:03 Now I mentioned yesterday in our study 12:06 that there's an intimate connection 12:09 between what happened to the Messiah 12:13 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 12:15 Now you remember in the Old Testament 12:17 that the people became a past date, 12:20 they played the harlot as the Bible says, 12:23 and as a result, 12:24 God used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the city, 12:28 the sanctuary, the walls, 12:30 and they went captive for a period of 70 years. 12:34 After that, they rebuilt their city 12:37 and they rebuilt the temple. 12:39 But in Daniel Chapter 9, 12:40 we find that at the end of the 70 weeks, 12:44 actually beyond the end of the 70 weeks, 12:47 Jerusalem was going to be destroyed again, this time, 12:51 not by the Babylonians but this time by the Romans 12:55 and the reason why Jerusalem was gonna be destroyed 12:58 is because of what happened to the Messiah. 13:00 Go with me to Daniel Chapter 9 and I'll show you this, 13:03 the connection between 13:04 the death of the Messiah 13:05 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 13:07 Jesus said this was gonna happen to Jerusalem 13:10 because they did not know the hour of their what? 13:13 Of their visitation, in other words, 13:15 the crucifixion of Christ, 13:16 the rejection of Christ is directly related 13:19 to the destruction of the city later on. 13:22 In Daniel 9:26, we find these words. 13:27 "And after the 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, 13:31 but not for Himself." 13:34 And after talking about Messiah being cut off 13:36 and not for Himself, 13:38 we find a reference 13:39 to the destruction of Jerusalem. 13:41 It says, "And the people of the prince who is to come," 13:44 the prince is Jesus and the people of Israel 13:46 that bring destruction upon themselves 13:48 by rejecting the Messiah. 13:50 "And the people of the prince who is to come shall do," what? 13:54 "Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." 13:58 And now the keyword, 14:00 "The end of it shall be with a flood 14:02 till the end of the war." 14:04 What's the next word? 14:06 "Desolations are determined." 14:10 What was gonna happen as a result 14:11 of the Messiah being rejected, 14:13 the people of a prince rejecting the Messiah? 14:17 There was gonna be a war. 14:19 And the result of the war would be what? 14:21 Desolations. 14:23 Notice also verse 27, once again, 14:26 what happens to Messiah 14:27 determines what happens to the city. 14:30 It says in verse 27, 14:31 "Then he shall confirm a covenant," 14:33 this is the same prince of the people, 14:36 "With many for one week, but in the middle of the week, 14:40 he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering." 14:43 And now notice, here's the destruction of Jerusalem. 14:46 "And on the wing of abominations," 14:48 is that a keyword, abominations? 14:51 Yes. 14:52 "And the wing of abominations shall be one who makes" what? 14:56 Desolate. 14:58 Was that a keyword in Matthew Chapter 23, 15:00 your house is left on to you desolate. 15:02 So you have abominations, and it says, 15:05 shall be one who makes desolate, 15:07 "Even until the consummation 15:09 which is determined is poured out on the desolate." 15:14 Are you catching the picture? 15:16 Does the work of the Messiah 15:18 have anything to do with the destruction, 15:20 the second destruction of the city of Jerusalem 15:22 and the temple? 15:24 Absolutely. 15:25 It's because they did not know the hour of their visitation. 15:29 Now we need to notice also that God, 15:34 of course, gives Israel, 15:36 gives the Jewish theocracy 15:38 another three and a half years of probation. 15:42 The door did not close in the year 31. 15:47 I want to read a statement from Great Controversy Page 28 15:51 where Ellen White refers to the additional messengers 15:54 that are sent after the death of Jesus. 15:58 Great Controversy, Page 28, Ellen White wrote, 16:01 "Through the preaching of the apostles 16:03 and their associates, 16:06 God would cause light to shine upon them." 16:08 This is after the crucifixion. 16:10 "They would be permitted to see 16:12 how prophecy had been fulfilled, 16:14 not only in the birth and life of Christ 16:17 but in His death and resurrection. 16:20 The children were not condemned for the sins of the parents. 16:23 But when with all the knowledge 16:26 and the light given to their parents, 16:28 the children rejected the additional light 16:31 granted to themselves, 16:32 they became partakers of their parents' sins 16:35 and filled up the measure of their iniquity." 16:39 So you'll notice that even after the crucifixion, 16:42 God sent Apostles and their associates 16:45 still to linger with Israel and try to get the theocracy 16:50 to receive the Messiah, but it was in vain. 16:54 Now go with me to Matthew Chapter 24. 16:56 I'm gonna show you 16:58 that the destruction of the city of Jerusalem 17:00 in the year 70 by the Romans 17:03 was the abomination of desolation. 17:07 You remember in Daniel 9:26-27, 17:09 the word abomination is used, right? 17:11 And the word desolation or desolate is used. 17:14 Now when is that fulfilled? 17:17 Go with me to Matthew 24:15 and then I'll read a statement 17:21 from the Spirit of Prophecy. 17:23 "Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation," 17:29 Are those the words that we read 17:30 in Daniel chapter 9:26 and 27? 17:32 Yes. 17:34 Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, 17:37 in case you still doubted it, 17:38 spoken of by Daniel the prophet. 17:41 So this takes us back to Daniel 9:26 and 27. 17:45 Standing in the holy place, 17:47 when you see the abomination of desolation 17:49 spoken up by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, 17:52 whoever reads let him understand, 17:54 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17:58 Now what was Jesus referring to when He said that 18:01 when His followers saw the abomination of desolation, 18:05 they should flee to the mountains? 18:07 Well, in Great Controversy, Page 26, 18:09 we have this explanation. 18:11 "And the Savior warned His followers, 18:15 'When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, 18:19 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, 18:21 stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, 18:23 let him understand, 18:25 then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." 18:28 She quotes Matthew 24:15-16, 18:34 and then she makes this comment, 18:37 "When the idolatrous standards of the Romans 18:40 should be set up in the holy ground, 18:44 which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, 18:48 then the followers of Christ 18:50 were to found safety and flight, 18:52 when the warning signs should be seen, 18:54 those who would escape must make no delay." 18:59 So what was the abomination of desolation? 19:01 It was when those followers of Jesus inside saw 19:05 the standards of the Romans occupying holy ground 19:09 which extended a certain distance 19:11 beyond the walls of Jerusalem. 19:14 Now you not only get this from the Spirit of Prophecy, 19:18 you also get it by reading Luke 21:20, 19:22 which is the parallel verse to Matthew 24:15. 19:27 There it says in Luke 21:20, 19:30 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, 19:34 then know that its desolation is near." 19:38 So what is the abomination of desolation? 19:40 It's when the city was surrounded by what? 19:43 By armies. 19:44 Which armies? 19:46 The armies of Rome led by Titus. 19:50 So what follows the work of the Messiah 19:55 in verse 26 and verse 27 have met Daniel Chapter 9? 19:59 Very clearly, the rejection of the Messiah, 20:02 the crucifixion of the Messiah, 20:04 the people of the prince 20:06 causing the destruction of their own city 20:08 leads to the desolation of the city of Jerusalem. 20:14 Now there are other passages that show us 20:16 that probation did not close for the Jewish nation 20:19 for the Jewish theocracy, when Jesus was crucified. 20:23 Notice Acts 5:31. 20:27 This verse 20:28 is referring to the period before the year 34. 20:33 It says there in Acts 5:31, why Jesus ascended to? 20:38 It says here, "Him God," that is Jesus, 20:42 "God has exalted to His right hand 20:45 to be Prince and Savior, and to give" what? 20:49 "Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." 20:55 So could Israel still repent during this time period? 20:59 They most certainly could. 21:00 Did the Jewish nation repent? 21:03 No. 21:04 Individuals repented 21:07 but the theocracy did not repent. 21:09 The Sanhedrin dug in their heels, 21:12 and they refused to receive the Messiah. 21:17 There's another passage that I want to show you 21:19 that clearly indicates that probation did not close 21:24 when Jesus was crucified and the reason why, folks, 21:28 is because there were still 3.5 years 21:31 in the prophecy of the 70 weeks, 21:34 which were allotted to the Jews. 21:35 Are you understanding my point? 21:37 Jesus could not close the door probation, 21:40 His crucifixion because the 70 weeks, 21:42 said that there were going to be 70 weeks, 21:45 and the 70 weeks did not end at the crucifixion. 21:48 That was the half of the last week. 21:50 It ended three and a half years later. 21:53 Now Matthew 22:1 through 8 21:55 is an interesting parable of Jesus 21:57 and I will give you the interpretation. 22:00 "And Jesus answered and spoke to them again 22:05 by parables and said, 22:07 'The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king," 22:11 God the Father, "who arranged a marriage for his son," 22:16 Jesus, "and sent out his servants." 22:20 The apostles and the 70. 22:22 Were the apostles and the 70 sent out 22:25 to preach the gospel of Jesus? 22:27 Absolutely. 22:28 So it says here, 22:30 "And sent out his servants 22:32 to call those who were invited to the wedding," 22:35 that is the wedding of the son that was planted by the Father. 22:38 And they were not willing to come. 22:41 Again, he sent out other servants 22:43 and now notice the chronological detail. 22:46 Again, he sent out other servants saying, 22:48 "Tell those who are invited," 22:49 the same group that were invited first 22:51 by the apostles in the 70. 22:54 Once again, "Tell those were invited. 22:56 See, I have prepared my dinner, 22:59 my oxen and fatted cattle are killed." 23:03 What did the sacrifice of oxen and fatted cattle represent? 23:08 The death of Jesus? 23:10 Didn't the death of animals represent the death of Christ? 23:13 So at this point, Christ has died. 23:17 But other messengers are sent out 23:19 after Jesus dies according to this. 23:22 So once again, it says in verse 4, 23:25 again, he sent out other servants saying, 23:27 "Tell those who are invited. 23:29 See, I have prepared my dinner, 23:30 my oxen and fatted cattle are killed," 23:32 representing the death of Christ, 23:34 "And all things are ready. 23:36 Come to the wedding." 23:38 How did they respond to the additional messengers? 23:41 Oh, "But they made light of it and went their ways, 23:45 one to his own fire, another to his own business, 23:48 and the rest seized his servants, 23:51 treated them spitefully and killed them." 23:55 Are you getting the picture? 23:57 Was Stephen killed? 24:00 Yes. 24:01 Was James killed? 24:03 You can read it in the scriptures. 24:05 They killed the messengers 24:07 that were sent after the crucifixion. 24:09 Now how did the God... 24:13 How did the father of this son react to this rejection? 24:18 Notice verse 7, 24:20 "But when the king heard about it, 24:22 he was furious. 24:27 And he sent out his armies." 24:29 Which armies would those be? 24:32 Which armies? 24:33 The Roman armies, right? 24:35 God the Father sends out the Roman armies 24:38 and what did he do? 24:40 He destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. 24:44 When did that happen? 24:46 In the year 70 AD. 24:50 Did the burning of Jerusalem have anything to do 24:52 with the rejection of the Messiah? 24:55 Clearly, like Daniel 9 says. 24:58 Now verse 8 says then that the message 25:01 is going to go now to the Gentiles. 25:03 See the sequence that we've been studying. 25:05 It says in verse 8, "Then he said to his servants, 25:08 'The wedding is ready, 25:10 but those who were invited were not worthy.'" 25:14 So what's going to happen now? 25:15 Who's going to announce 25:16 that the wedding is going to take place 25:18 and call people to come to the wedding? 25:20 Verse 9, "Therefore, go into the highways..." 25:25 I don't have time to show you this 25:26 but when the word highways is used by Jesus, 25:30 it refers to the Gentiles. 25:32 He told His disciples, don't go into the highways, 25:36 don't go to the Samaritans. 25:38 To go to the highways means to go where? 25:41 It means to go to the Gentiles. 25:43 So he says, "Therefore, go into the highways," 25:47 in other words, 25:48 the Gentiles are not going to do this, 25:50 "and as many as you find, invite to the wedding." 25:55 Is that clear? 25:57 Crystal clear. 25:59 Now the question is, 26:02 when was the ending date of the 70 weeks? 26:06 What event marked the end point of the 70 weeks? 26:11 Unfortunately, when we read the story of Daniel 9, 26:17 there's a clear starting point. 26:20 It says, 26:21 from the command to restore and build Jerusalem for 57 BC. 26:27 Then it gives us a next chronological detail, 26:30 the next 49 years or 70 weeks, 26:33 has to do with the rebuilding of the city 26:35 and restoring the civil religious order. 26:38 Then after that, 62 more weeks, 26:41 it takes you to the year 27, baptism of the Messiah. 26:46 Then in the middle of the last week, 26:49 the Messiah is cut off but not for himself 26:52 and He causes the sacrifice and the oblation to seize. 26:57 But unfortunately, 27:01 there appears to be no event mentioned 27:03 that concludes the 70 weeks, the year 34. 27:09 Wouldn't it be the year 34? 27:11 Of course, it would be. 27:12 Because if Jesus was baptized in the year 27, 27:15 by the way in the fall of 27, fall of 27 to the fall of 28, 27:18 to the fall of 29, to fall of 30, 27:20 to spring of 31 is 3.5 years. 27:24 From the spring of 31 to the spring of 32, 27:28 to the spring of 33, to the spring of 34, 27:31 to the fall of 34 is another 3.5 years. 27:36 Are you following me or not? 27:38 Simple then. 27:40 Now what event marked the ending of the 70 weeks? 27:46 Go with me to Daniel 9:24. 27:50 It doesn't appear on the surface 27:52 but there's a very important detail 27:55 in Daniel 9:24 that indicates... 27:58 That gave us an indicator of when the 70 weeks would end. 28:03 What event would lead to the end of the 70 weeks? 28:07 Daniel 9:24 mentions several things 28:13 that were going to happen during the 70 weeks, 28:16 particularly the last week of the 70 weeks. 28:19 Daniel 9:24 says that six accomplishments 28:22 would take place primarily 28:24 during the final of the 70 weeks. 28:26 It says to finish the transgression, 28:29 to make an end of sins, 28:31 to make reconciliations for iniquity, 28:34 to bring in everlasting righteousness, 28:37 to seal up vision, and prophecy, 28:41 that's what we're going to look at 28:42 and to anoint the most holy. 28:46 Now the point of these six 28:49 that we want to particularly focus on 28:52 is the phrase to seal up vision and prophecy. 28:59 Now there's something very important 29:00 that we need to realize, 29:02 and that is that when this is translated 29:04 to seal up the vision and prophecy, 29:08 it's the identical word that is used in verse 24, 29:12 the same verse where it says to make an end of sins. 29:17 In other words, 29:19 to seal the vision in the prophecy 29:21 means the end of the vision and the prophecy. 29:24 Unfortunately, in the translation, 29:27 in verse 24, you have one reference to chatham, 29:31 which is to seal, 29:33 and the other translation is to end. 29:38 But really the word chatham means to end. 29:43 So basically, the meaning of Daniel 9:24 29:48 is end to end vision and prophecy, 29:53 just like it says to end sins, to bring an end to sins. 29:59 Now why is this important? 30:02 It's extremely important because we need to determine 30:05 who had the last vision for Israel, 30:09 and which was the last prophet of Israel? 30:12 In other words, 30:13 what event ended the prophets that were sent to Israel 30:18 and ended the visions 30:20 that were given to literal Israel 30:22 because the prophecy says 30:24 to bring to an end vision and prophecy. 30:27 In other words, for the Jewish theocracy, 30:29 there would be no more visions, 30:31 and there would be no more prophets. 30:34 The question is, when did this happen? 30:38 Well, when you examine 30:40 the story of Stephen's stoning in Acts 7, 30:45 something is very interesting. 30:49 Most of the chapter, in fact, 30:52 verses 2 through verse 53 is a long sermon 30:58 that Stephen preaches 31:01 telling the whole history of ancient Israel. 31:03 He's speaking to the Sanhedrin. 31:06 He's speaking to the experts, to the theologians, 31:10 and the ministers of the day, and yet, 31:12 he preaches this long sermon from verse 2 through verse 53 31:17 reciting the history of ancient Israel, 31:20 which these individuals knew very well. 31:24 So why did Stephen waste this time 31:27 telling this long story of the history of Israel if... 31:32 You know, they already knew all of the details of this history. 31:37 There's a particular reason. 31:39 Two scholars, 31:40 two Old Testament scholars by the name of Meredith Kline 31:43 and George Mendenhall, many years ago, 31:47 dug up ancient covenants that were made in the nations 31:52 that surrounded Israel. 31:54 And they discovered that covenants were structured 31:58 in a very interesting way. 32:01 When a king was going to rebuke 32:05 a subject king or a subject nation, 32:09 he first thing that the king would do 32:12 would be to recite the benevolent acts 32:15 that he had had towards that rebellious people. 32:20 And if you read Acts 2, Acts 7:2-53, 32:26 you're going to see that the emphasis 32:29 that Stephen gives to this 32:31 is the benevolent acts that God, 32:34 the blessings that God poured out 32:37 upon Israel. 32:39 Now the prophets in the Old Testament 32:42 were actually God's lawyers in divorce court. 32:47 God was saying, "I was good to you. 32:49 I'll release you from bondage. 32:51 I blessed you with every spiritual 32:53 and material blessing, and you played the harlot. 32:56 And so I am asking for a divorce." 33:00 That was what the prophets were called to do. 33:03 God was saying, "I want a divorce." 33:09 However, 33:10 if you read 33:12 the rebukes of the prophets in the Old Testament, 33:13 you're going to discover that God always said, 33:17 "You know, I am asking for a divorce 33:19 because you played the harlot, you had other lovers, 33:22 and you didn't preserve yourself only to me. 33:25 But if you repent I will take you back." 33:29 You have, for example, the book of Hosea. 33:31 That's a very, very important book 33:33 when it comes to this type of covenant. 33:35 God says, "I was so good to you. 33:37 You know, you played the harlot. 33:38 But if you repent, I'll take you back." 33:41 And so the lawyers that are sent, 33:43 the prophets that are sent, you know, 33:45 they're not making a final declaration 33:49 that Israel can't repent, 33:50 and Israel cannot turn to the Lord 33:52 and be accepted once again by the Lord. 33:57 In other words, 33:58 all of the Old Testament covenants were covenants 34:01 that were not final. 34:04 But in this case, in Acts 7, the stoning of Stephen, 34:08 the tone of Stephen is totally different. 34:11 I'm going to show you that in a moment. 34:14 Stephen is the last of God's lawyers 34:17 in divorce court. 34:20 And he's going to tell Israel, this is it. 34:24 No more repentance. 34:26 No more door mercy open. 34:29 The theocracy is over. 34:31 Now let's go to Acts 7:51-53. 34:37 Stephen ends his sermon in a very accusatory tone, 34:42 just like the prophets of the Old Testament did. 34:45 And by the way, who is Stephen speaking to? 34:49 He is speaking to the Jewish Sanhedrin. 34:53 The Supreme Court of the Hebrew theocracy. 34:58 The leadership... 34:59 The Supreme leadership of the Jewish theocracy. 35:03 And in Acts 7:51, Stephen says, 35:09 "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised 35:13 in heart and ears. 35:16 You always resist the Holy Spirit, 35:19 as your fathers did, so do you. 35:23 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? 35:28 And they killed those who foretold 35:30 the coming of the just one, 35:32 of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers 35:36 who have received the law by the direction of angels 35:39 and have not kept it." 35:40 Now there's a very interesting detail. 35:42 If you read Stephen's sermon before this, 35:47 before this passage, verses 51 to 53, 35:50 Stephen always refers to our fathers. 35:55 But when he gets to the end of his sermon, 35:58 did you notice the change? 36:01 He's disengaging himself from the patrimony 36:05 in history of Israel. 36:07 Because he says, 36:09 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute, 36:14 and they killed those who foretold 36:16 the coming of the just one." 36:18 In other words, 36:19 he's disconnecting himself from the history of Israel 36:22 because they now are doing the same thing 36:25 that their fathers did, 36:27 and Stephen did not share that spirit. 36:30 Now unlike 36:34 all of the previous prophets, 36:37 Stephen did not make any call to repentance. 36:41 His speech has a finality to it. 36:46 In other words, he's not saying, you know, 36:48 "You stiff-necked people, you know, 36:50 you always persecute those messengers 36:52 that are sent to you. 36:53 But if you repent, God will take you back." 36:57 Doesn't happen. 36:58 In the Old Testament, the prophets would say, 37:00 you know, "God sends you messengers, 37:02 you will pass the tithes. 37:03 But if you come back, 37:05 God will receive you back again." 37:06 Not here, there's a finality. 37:08 There's no call to repentance. 37:11 There's no remedial point here. 37:16 Now when Stephen preached this last part of his sermon, 37:22 I want you to notice the reaction of the Sanhedrin, 37:25 they were hardened beyond repair. 37:30 In verse 54 through 58, 37:33 we find this reaction to the message of Stephen. 37:37 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, 37:42 and they gnashed at him with their teeth." 37:46 Wow! 37:48 So did a sermon go over real nicely? 37:52 It went over like a lead balloon, right? 37:56 It says that they were cut to the heart, 37:58 they gnashed at him with their teeth. 38:01 "But he being full of the Holy Spirit, 38:03 gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, 38:05 and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 38:07 and said, 38:08 'Look, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing 38:11 at the right hand of God.' 38:12 Then they cried out with a loud voice, 38:14 stopped their ears and ran at him with one accord. 38:18 And they cast him out of the city." 38:21 So what they did with Jesus? 38:23 "They cast Him out of the city and stoned Him. 38:27 And the witnesses laid down their clothes 38:31 at the feet of a young man named Saul." 38:37 So when he presented his message, 38:38 was there repentance? 38:41 Did He make a call to repentance? 38:43 Absolutely not. 38:46 Who was the last prophet of Israel 38:48 that was given a vision? 38:51 Stephen? 38:53 Was Stephen a prophet that had a vision? 38:58 I see that you're saying... 38:59 Was he a prophet that had a vision? 39:02 Well, didn't he tell the benevolent acts of God? 39:06 Didn't they do what the prophets 39:08 of the Old Testament did, 39:09 tell the whole story of Israel how God was good to them 39:12 and blessed them physically, 39:14 mentally, spiritually, materially? 39:17 He played the role of a prophet. 39:19 By the way, did he also have a vision? 39:23 We just read it. 39:25 By the way, there's no evidence that anyone else 39:27 that was present there saw that vision. 39:30 It was only Stephen. 39:31 And that's what really made them Jewish leadership angry 39:35 was the vision that he said he had, the vision of Jesus. 39:40 And so it says, once again, in verse 55, 39:45 "But he being full of the Holy Spirit 39:47 gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God." 39:49 So he's having this vision, he saw the glory of God, 39:52 and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 39:56 And he said, "Look, I see, the heavens opened, 40:00 and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 40:04 Whoa! 40:05 That infuriated them even worse. 40:09 And it says, 40:10 "Then they cried out with a loud voice, 40:12 stopped their ears and run at him 40:13 with one accord." 40:15 Let me ask you, 40:16 what was the reaction to the last vision given 40:19 to the last prophet of Israel? 40:21 It was rejected. 40:23 In other words, 40:25 prophecy and vision came to an end. 40:30 Just like Daniel 9 had said was going to happen. 40:35 They silenced the last voice of the last prophet to Israel, 40:41 there's nothing more that could be done 40:43 for the Jewish theocracy. 40:46 What more could God do now with the Jewish theocracy? 40:50 Nothing. 40:51 They rejected Christ. 40:54 They rejected the messengers 40:55 that were sent to them after Christ, 40:58 culminating with the rejection of the message 41:03 of the last prophet of Israel who received a vision. 41:09 But here's the good news. 41:11 When the 70 weeks end for the Jewish nation 41:15 and the door is closed, another door opens. 41:20 Did you notice in Acts? 41:24 Not in Acts. 41:25 Yes, Acts 7:58, it says, 41:31 "And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. 41:35 And the witnesses laid down their clothes 41:36 at the feet of a young man named Saul." 41:43 Who was present there 41:44 when the Jewish theocracy came to an end, 41:46 when the vision and the prophet came to an end? 41:49 Saul of Tarsus. 41:52 What was Saul of Tarsus going to do? 41:55 He was going to be the champion 41:58 to take the message to the Gentiles. 42:03 So when the theocracy ends for the Jewish nation, 42:07 God already has chosen right there the champion 42:11 that will now take the message to the Gentiles, 42:15 just like it says in the parables 42:17 that Jesus told. 42:19 Notice Acts 22:20 and 21. 42:23 Here, 42:25 Saul of Tarsus is reminiscing about his participation 42:30 in the martyrdom of Stephen. 42:33 And it says there in Acts 22:20 and 21, 42:37 "And when the blood of your martyr, 42:40 Stephen was shed, 42:42 I also was standing by consenting to his death 42:47 and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. 42:51 Then He said to me, "this is what God says to him, 42:54 "'Depart for I will send you 42:58 far from here to the Gentiles.'" 43:02 Are you catching the picture? 43:05 Does the stoning of Stephen clearly indicate 43:09 that the door has closed for the theocracy, 43:12 and now it's going to go to the Gentiles? 43:14 Yes, the Gentiles, 43:16 the champion to the Gentiles is right there 43:19 at the stoning of Stephen. 43:21 Now go with me to Acts 1, 43:23 Acts 1:6-8, Acts 1:6-8. 43:30 Here, Jesus is still on Earth, 43:31 He's about to ascend to heaven and we find out these words, 43:37 "Therefore, when they had come together," 43:39 that is Jesus and those who are going 43:40 to see the ascension, "they asked Him, saying, 43:43 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' 43:48 And He said to them, 43:49 'It is not for you to know times or seasons, 43:51 which the Father has put in His own authority. 43:55 But you shall receive power 43:57 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. 44:00 And you shall be,'" what, "'witnesses to Me,'" 44:03 where first, 44:05 "'in Jerusalem 44:08 and in all Judea and Samaria, 44:15 and to the end of the Earth.'" 44:18 Do you know that that verse has the structure 44:20 of the entire book of Acts? 44:26 Acts 1-7, 44:29 everything is happening in Jerusalem and Judea. 44:33 There are no Gentiles involved in Acts 1-7, 44:38 all of the work has been done in Jerusalem and Judea. 44:40 You can check me out. 44:43 But when you get at Acts 8:25, actually the entire of 8, 44:49 it says now that the gospel has gone to Samaria. 44:56 Now listen carefully, 44:59 the gospel goes in Acts 1 to Acts 7 45:02 to Jerusalem and Judea. 45:04 That's chapters 1 through 6. 45:06 Chapter 7 is the stoning of Stephen, 45:11 which is taking place there in Jerusalem. 45:16 Then in Acts 8, you have the gospel going to Samaria. 45:22 In Acts 9, you have the conversion of Saul. 45:27 And from Acts 10 to Acts 28, 45:31 you have the message going to the Gentiles. 45:34 So this one verse tells you 45:36 how the gospel is going to proliferate. 45:39 It's going to begin in Jerusalem and Judea. 45:41 Why would it begin in Jerusalem and Judea? 45:43 Because the 70 weeks were not finished yet 45:47 when Jesus gave this command. 45:49 But after the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 45:52 because the first seven chapters deal 45:53 with Jerusalem and Judea, 45:55 but the seventh chapter when Stephen is stoned, 45:59 now in the next chapter of the gospel goes to Samaria. 46:03 In Acts 9, 46:04 the champion to the Gentiles is converted. 46:09 And in Acts 10 through Acts 28, 46:12 now the gospel is going to the entire Roman Empire. 46:17 Are you following me? 46:18 Amen. 46:20 Now let's go to Acts 13, Acts 13. 46:26 I'll give you a little bit of historical context 46:29 so that we understand where and why this is taking place. 46:34 Acts 13:1-2 is describing the official beginning 46:40 of Paul's ministry. 46:42 This is when Paul and Barnabas are going to be ordained 46:46 and sent out as missionaries on a missionary journey, 46:50 their first missionary journey. 46:53 And so now after their ordination, 46:55 Paul and Barnabas traveled to Antioch of Pisidian. 47:00 You can read this all in chapter 13. 47:02 I'm just giving you the details. 47:03 So Paul and Barnabas traveled to Antioch of Pisidian, 47:09 and there the Apostle Paul preaches a powerful sermon 47:12 to the Jews in the synagogue. 47:16 When the Gentiles heard this sermon 47:18 because they were present, they're listening, 47:21 they said, "Wow, this is great stuff. 47:24 Paul, why don't you preach to us 47:26 the Gentiles next Sabbath?" 47:30 The Bible tells us that the next Sabbath, 47:31 the whole city came to listen to Paul. 47:34 You can read that in Acts 13:44. 47:38 And when the Jews saw all of the Gentiles in the city, 47:43 who came to listen to the sermon 47:44 of the Apostle Paul, they were filled with jealousy. 47:48 They said, "Last Sabbath, 47:50 there were just a sprinkling of people. 47:51 Look at all the Gentiles that are coming 47:52 to hear about Jesus." 47:55 And so they became jealous. 47:58 And we're told in verse 45 that they contradicted 48:01 and blasphemed the message of Paul. 48:06 So now Paul says something very significant. 48:10 It's found in verses 46 and 47. 48:14 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, 48:18 "It was necessary that the Word of God 48:21 should be spoken to you first." 48:24 Why would Paul say that it was necessary 48:26 for the Word of God to be spoken to the Jews first? 48:30 Why would he say that? 48:33 Because of what? 48:35 The 70 weeks. 48:38 You see, the 70 weeks were determined 48:40 for your people in your city is what God told Daniel. 48:45 And so Paul is saying, "You know, 48:47 it was necessary for the gospel 48:50 to be preached first to the Jews." 48:53 But then notice when he says, 48:55 "But since you rejected and judge yourselves 49:00 unworthy of everlasting life, 49:03 behold, we turn to the Gentiles." 49:08 Are you catching the picture? 49:12 So do we have all of the events in the 70 weeks clearly marked 49:18 by important historical events? 49:21 Absolutely. 49:23 Seventy weeks were determined 49:25 for the literal Jewish theocracy. 49:28 457 BC, the command goes forth to restore, 49:34 that means to reestablish the religious system, 49:37 their civil system and to build Jerusalem 49:40 that means to build the city and the walls, 49:43 that took place historically, 457 BC the command was given. 49:49 The next 49 years or 70 weeks, 49:53 you have the story and you can read this 49:55 in the Book of Ezra, 49:56 all of the opposition and so on 49:58 while they were building the city. 50:00 You have the restoring of the religious system 50:05 of the Jews and the political system, 50:08 and you have also the rebuilding 50:11 of the city and of the walls. 50:15 Then you have 62 more weeks 50:18 that take you to the year 27 AD. 50:22 And in the year 27 AD, just like the prophecy says, 50:26 Jesus comes to John, the Baptist in the Jordan, 50:29 and he is baptized in the fall of the year 27 AD. 50:35 Then there's one whole week remaining. 50:38 And we're told that for that week, 50:40 the covenant would be still available for the Jews. 50:46 He will confirm the covenant for one week. 50:48 Why? 50:49 Because the 70 weeks said that the whole 70 weeks 50:53 were for the Jews. 50:54 Are you with me or not? 50:56 And then we're told that in the middle of the week, 51:00 the Messiah would cause the sacrifice 51:03 and the oblation to cease. 51:05 Did that literally happen? 51:07 When Jesus... 51:09 Remember we read, when Jesus died on the cross, 51:11 the Lamb escaped? 51:13 Because the true Lamb of God who takes away 51:15 the sin of the world had been sacrificed. 51:19 So in the middle of the week, 51:21 Messiah is cut off in the year 31, 51:23 but he's not cut off for himself. 51:27 Interesting. 51:29 And then there's 3.5 more years. 51:32 The 3.5 years as we've studied, 51:35 does God send them additional messengers? 51:38 Yes, He does. 51:39 The apostles preach. 51:41 Stephen preaches, the seven deacons preach, 51:44 sends the many messengers. 51:46 What do they do during those 3.5 years 51:48 where additional messengers are sent? 51:52 The story tells us that they reject them. 51:54 They go about their business and they kill some of them. 51:58 So then you reach the ending point 52:00 of the 70 weeks. 52:02 The year 34 AD, the Jewish Sanhedrin, 52:08 here's this powerful sermon that is given by Stephen, 52:12 telling all the benevolent acts of God toward His people, 52:18 and how they were rebellious time and again, 52:21 he is God's lawyer in divorce court. 52:24 But this time, he's not saying repent, 52:26 and God will take you back. 52:28 There was a finality to the story. 52:31 And then, Stephen at the end of his sermon, he says, 52:35 "I have had a vision, 52:37 the last vision given to the last prophet 52:42 of the Jewish theocracy. 52:43 I see heaven open and the Son of God in glory." 52:49 And what does the Jewish Sanhedrin do? 52:52 Oh, they don't say, 52:53 "Oh, we're sorry for what we've done. 52:55 You know, we want to be married with this Messiah, with Jesus." 53:01 Oh, no, their hearts raged within themselves, 53:04 they grit their teeth. 53:07 And it says that they run at him 53:09 with one accord and they kill him. 53:14 But present there was the messenger 53:18 that God had chosen 53:20 to now continue taking the message. 53:24 See, the Gentiles don't take a new message. 53:27 They take the same message 53:29 that the theocracy failed to take. 53:31 That's why the church is still Israel, 53:34 spiritual Israel, 53:36 because it is taking the same message 53:38 to the world now. 53:40 Now the world will not come and see Israel the blessed. 53:43 Now God's people will go out 53:46 and they will preach the gospel. 53:48 And thousands upon thousands of Gentiles will become Jews, 53:54 spiritually speaking. 53:55 And then they will become messengers 53:58 and the message of the gospel 54:00 will proliferate to the entire world. 54:04 Isn't this a magnificent prophecy? 54:07 It's amazing. 54:09 No human mind could have invented this. 54:14 It's the clearest passage in the Bible 54:16 that Jesus is the Messiah 54:19 because everything was fulfilled to the very letter, 54:23 not only as to events 54:26 but as to specific timing as well, 54:29 the greatest messianic prophecy of the Old Testament. 54:33 Let me conclude by saying something about the year 1948. 54:38 Futurists teach that the re-establishment 54:43 of literal Israel as God's chosen people 54:47 in disobedience to their land in 1948 54:51 is the greatest sign 54:53 that the rapture could take place at any time 54:57 and that God is soon going to kick start 54:59 His suspended plan for the liberal Jewish nation, 55:03 and that the Antichrist prophecies, 55:06 and that, you know, 55:07 the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, 55:09 and 3.5 literal years of antichrist, 55:12 all of that is going to be fulfilled 55:14 in the future after the rapture of the church. 55:18 Instead of seeing Christ at the center of the prophecy 55:21 of the 70 weeks, 55:23 they see antichrist as the center of this prophecy. 55:29 God's plan for the literal Jewish nation 55:31 has come to an end. 55:33 That does not mean I will repeat 55:36 that Jews individually cannot reach salvation. 55:40 God loves the Jews. 55:43 The Bible says salvation is of the Jews 55:45 because God called the Jews to preserve the truth 55:49 in the midst of a world of paganism. 55:51 So, you know, we're not saying that individual Jews are lost. 55:55 No, no, no. 55:57 God loves the Jews. 55:59 He just wants them to understand 56:01 that Jesus is the Messiah. 56:04 And that in receiving Christ, they will be free indeed, 56:09 and that they will be saved indeed. 56:12 And when they receive Jesus, then they become real Jews, 56:17 they will become real Israel because not all of Israel, 56:22 Paul says, is Israel. 56:24 Not all the seed of Abraham is the seed of Abraham. 56:29 But in Christ, you are Israel. 56:32 "If you are Christ's, 56:34 you are Abraham's seed 56:37 and heirs according to the promise." 56:39 Amen. 56:41 Why does the devil cause so much turmoil 56:47 in the Middle East? 56:49 Al Qaeda, ISIS, 56:54 militant Islam war against the West. 56:59 It's because Satan wants the Christian world to look 57:02 over there for the fulfillment of prophecy, 57:05 and that's where they're looking. 57:07 And meanwhile, the Antichrist, 57:09 and it's held from the United States 57:11 grows in Rome and in the United States, 57:15 and no one can see it 57:17 because they're looking in the wrong place. 57:21 In football, there's a play that's called the counter play. 57:26 You know, the blockers, 57:27 they all run towards one side because supposedly, 57:30 the runner or the halfback is going to run that way. 57:34 And so when the opposing team sees 57:36 that the blockers are all going this way, 57:39 they say, "Oh, the runner is going that way." 57:41 But then the runner goes around the other end, 57:44 there's no blockers but the other team 57:46 doesn't have anybody to tackle him either 57:48 because they thought he was going the wrong way." 57:50 The devil is an expert at the counter play 57:55 and making it appear that prophecy is fulfilled 57:58 where it isn't. 58:00 We have to let the Christian world know, 58:03 so that they will not make the wrong decisions 58:06 in the time ahead. |
Revised 2019-10-31