The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Twenty-One - J Sep 13, 2020 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20200913.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. Today we will begin to review the events of Daniel's 70th seven. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 13th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 21J The Remains of the Day 1). Da 9:24 “Seventy sevens are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two sevens Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” We have seen in our previous week’s of study that Daniel’s 70th seven is the final period of 7 years that remain to be fulfilled of the 490 years that God has determined for the nation of Israel to bring them to repentance and restoration in anticipation of the Millennial Kingdom that will follow; a period of time that began to be counted from the command given to restore and build Jerusalem by Artaxerxes in 444BC. a). We have seen how both through history and typology, God has and will disperse the Jewish people among the Gentile nations with the purpose of using those nations to bring about Israel’s repentance. b). And we have seen through history and typology how the Jewish people crying out to the God of their fathers as a result of Gentile persecution is an absolute certainty; how God’s response is an absolute certainty and how the subsequent overthrow of Gentile world power is also an absolute certainty. All ultimately leading to the fulfillment of God’s purpose, seen from the beginning – Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion….. A purpose fulfilled in the Church – Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And fulfilled in Israel – Jn 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. A purpose fulfilled through the only begotten Son – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And so, as we come to the end of dealing with Daniel’s 70th seven, and by way of review of the things we have looked at, we will spend some time today putting the events of the 70th seven together. 2). Now, as we know, the final 7 years will begin to be counted from the time that the beast makes the 7-year covenant with the ‘many in Israel’, as we see at the beginning of Daniel 9:27. An event also presented after a different fashion in Revelation Chapter 6 – Re 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. The making of the covenant between the beast and Israel is shown to us in Daniel and the purpose behind the covenant is shown to us in Revelation. a). The rider on the white horse has the intent of ruling the kingdom of this world. And this he will accomplish during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation through conquest after conquest. b). And the means by which he will accomplish this is given to us in Daniel – Da 11:21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. And having seized the kingdom ‘by intrigue’, having become the ruler of the kingdom of this world, he will begin his attempted annihilation of the Jewish people – And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…………….But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Now, to state the obvious; to bring an end to sacrifice and offering and to destroy the sanctuary requires a sanctuary in which sacrifice and offering can be given. And such a building does not exist in the present day – Da 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” The cleansing of the sanctuary and the end of the times of the Gentiles, particularly the end of that time when Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot, are parallel events. c). And here in Daniel Chapter 8 we see that there will be 2300 days from the time the sacrifices begin, to the time the sanctuary is cleansed. d). Let’s try to follow the math – the 7 years of the tribulation translates into 2520 days. If we subtract the 2300 days from the total of 2520 days, we are left with 220 days, or 7 months and 10 days. e). So then, from the making of the covenant at the beginning of the tribulation it will take 7 months and 10 days to rebuild the Jewish temple, prepare the priesthood and begin the sacrifices and offerings. f). There will therefore be 1040 days from when the sacrifices in the temple begin to the mid-point in the tribulation when the sacrifices will be stopped, and the sanctuary destroyed. g). And throughout the whole of this time, the first 3 ½ years – 1260 days – the rider on the white horse will go out conquering and to conquer. Power Point – Slides 1-3 3). As the rider on the white horse goes out conquering and to conquer during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation, there will be a ministry taking place in Israel, centered on Jerusalem – Re 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. Power Point – Slide 4 The 2 witnesses are Moses and Elijah, in whom are to be seen ‘the Law and the Prophets’, the complete OT Scriptures, in which the One who is being revealed through the opening of the 7 seals on the 7 sealed scroll is to be found. a). Just as the Word made flesh came to the Jewish people with a call to repentance with the Kingdom in view, so will Moses and Elijah come to the Jewish people, picturing that same Word, with what would have to be a call to repentance with the Kingdom in view. b). And it is evidently through the ministry of the 2 witnesses that 144000 Jews are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit – Re 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: And immediately prior to, and leading into, the mid-point of the tribulation when the beast will break the covenant with Israel and bring an end to sacrifice and offering, not only will the 144000 of all the tribes of the sons of Israel be sealed, but a number of other significant events will take place as well. c). At this time Satan will be cast out of heaven - Re 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And having been cast to the earth Satan will then give his power, throne and great authority to his son, who will himself be mortally wounded and healed - Re 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. And having completed their ministry, with the 144000 Jews being saved and sealed, the 2 witnesses will be killed and will lie untouched in the street, in Jerusalem, before being raised from the dead in the presence of their enemies - Re 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. Power Point – Slide 5 Then as we come to the mid-point in the tribulation, with the completion of the first 1260 days, the 2nd seal on the 7-sealed scroll is opened – Re 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. With the opening of the 2nd seal the beast commits the abomination that brings desolation to the city and the sanctuary, by entering the Jewish temple and declaring that he is God – Mt 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” 2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And with the declaration that he is God, the beast’s armies will enter Jerusalem, the city will be trampled by Gentiles and the Jewish people put to the sword or enslaved – Lk 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Power Point – Slide 6 As these events at the mid-point in the tribulation unfold, so they give rise to more significant events that lead into the final 1260 days. That period of time that the Lord has called ‘great tribulation’. d). As we have seen from the verses in Luke Chapter 21, the city of Jerusalem is breached. Those in the city and throughout the land are either put to the sword or sold as slaves amidst the Gentile powers allowing the attempted genocide to begin. Here we have the final dispersal of the Jews among the Gentile nations, foreshadowed in Egypt, in the times of the Judges and in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, that will lead to their repentance and deliverance, as we have seen in the Book of Esther. e). As the beast strikes the Jews in the city so the 144000, the ‘male child’, saved under the ministry of the 2 witnesses will be caught up into heaven where they will be both protected and prepared for their ministry to the Gentile nations during the Great Tribulation, the final 1260 days – Re 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Re 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— Power Point - Slide 7 These final 1260 days of Daniel’s 70th seven have been described by the Lord in verses that will be very familiar to us – Mt 24:19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. These are the days of ‘great tribulation’, a time such as there has never been before, nor will ever be again. These are days that begin with the opening of the second seal on the 7-sealed scroll and encompass the opening of the next 4 seals as well. f). And as we have seen in previous studies, the opening of each seal progressively builds on the previous seal, with the effects of each continuing throughout this whole period of time. g). And if we look at the opening of the 3rd and 4th seal on the scroll, we will begin to see why these are the days of ‘great tribulation’ – Re 6:5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. The consequences of war, famine and death, we can see even today on our TV screens, but that unleashed with the opening of the second seal, seen here through seals 3 and 4 is ‘such as has not been since the beginning of the world’ – Eze 5:5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. 6 She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— 8 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. Power Point – Slide 8 We do of course know that 2/3rds of the entire Jewish population will be killed during this time – Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the LORD, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. But perhaps we have shielded ourselves from the full horror of these days – De 28:53 You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you. 54 The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, 55 so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. 56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter, 57 her placenta which comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of everything in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. We will continue with this next time – If the Lord is willing. The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Twenty-One - J Sep 13, 2020 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20200913.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. Today we will begin to review the events of Daniel's 70th seven. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 13th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 21J The Remains of the Day 1). Da 9:24 “Seventy sevens are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two sevens Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” We have seen in our previous week’s of study that Daniel’s 70th seven is the final period of 7 years that remain to be fulfilled of the 490 years that God has determined for the nation of Israel to bring them to repentance and restoration in anticipation of the Millennial Kingdom that will follow; a period of time that began to be counted from the command given to restore and build Jerusalem by Artaxerxes in 444BC. a). We have seen how both through history and typology, God has and will disperse the Jewish people among the Gentile nations with the purpose of using those nations to bring about Israel’s repentance. b). And we have seen through history and typology how the Jewish people crying out to the God of their fathers as a result of Gentile persecution is an absolute certainty; how God’s response is an absolute certainty and how the subsequent overthrow of Gentile world power is also an absolute certainty. All ultimately leading to the fulfillment of God’s purpose, seen from the beginning – Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion….. A purpose fulfilled in the Church – Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And fulfilled in Israel – Jn 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. A purpose fulfilled through the only begotten Son – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And so, as we come to the end of dealing with Daniel’s 70th seven, and by way of review of the things we have looked at, we will spend some time today putting the events of the 70th seven together. 2). Now, as we know, the final 7 years will begin to be counted from the time that the beast makes the 7-year covenant with the ‘many in Israel’, as we see at the beginning of Daniel 9:27. An event also presented after a different fashion in Revelation Chapter 6 – Re 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. The making of the covenant between the beast and Israel is shown to us in Daniel and the purpose behind the covenant is shown to us in Revelation. a). The rider on the white horse has the intent of ruling the kingdom of this world. And this he will accomplish during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation through conquest after conquest. b). And the means by which he will accomplish this is given to us in Daniel – Da 11:21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. And having seized the kingdom ‘by intrigue’, having become the ruler of the kingdom of this world, he will begin his attempted annihilation of the Jewish people – And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…………….But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Now, to state the obvious; to bring an end to sacrifice and offering and to destroy the sanctuary requires a sanctuary in which sacrifice and offering can be given. And such a building does not exist in the present day – Da 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” The cleansing of the sanctuary and the end of the times of the Gentiles, particularly the end of that time when Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot, are parallel events. c). And here in Daniel Chapter 8 we see that there will be 2300 days from the time the sacrifices begin, to the time the sanctuary is cleansed. d). Let’s try to follow the math – the 7 years of the tribulation translates into 2520 days. If we subtract the 2300 days from the total of 2520 days, we are left with 220 days, or 7 months and 10 days. e). So then, from the making of the covenant at the beginning of the tribulation it will take 7 months and 10 days to rebuild the Jewish temple, prepare the priesthood and begin the sacrifices and offerings. f). There will therefore be 1040 days from when the sacrifices in the temple begin to the mid-point in the tribulation when the sacrifices will be stopped, and the sanctuary destroyed. g). And throughout the whole of this time, the first 3 ½ years – 1260 days – the rider on the white horse will go out conquering and to conquer. Power Point – Slides 1-3 3). As the rider on the white horse goes out conquering and to conquer during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation, there will be a ministry taking place in Israel, centered on Jerusalem – Re 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. Power Point – Slide 4 The 2 witnesses are Moses and Elijah, in whom are to be seen ‘the Law and the Prophets’, the complete OT Scriptures, in which the One who is being revealed through the opening of the 7 seals on the 7 sealed scroll is to be found. a). Just as the Word made flesh came to the Jewish people with a call to repentance with the Kingdom in view, so will Moses and Elijah come to the Jewish people, picturing that same Word, with what would have to be a call to repentance with the Kingdom in view. b). And it is evidently through the ministry of the 2 witnesses that 144000 Jews are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit – Re 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: And immediately prior to, and leading into, the mid-point of the tribulation when the beast will break the covenant with Israel and bring an end to sacrifice and offering, not only will the 144000 of all the tribes of the sons of Israel be sealed, but a number of other significant events will take place as well. c). At this time Satan will be cast out of heaven - Re 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And having been cast to the earth Satan will then give his power, throne and great authority to his son, who will himself be mortally wounded and healed - Re 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. And having completed their ministry, with the 144000 Jews being saved and sealed, the 2 witnesses will be killed and will lie untouched in the street, in Jerusalem, before being raised from the dead in the presence of their enemies - Re 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. Power Point – Slide 5 Then as we come to the mid-point in the tribulation, with the completion of the first 1260 days, the 2nd seal on the 7-sealed scroll is opened – Re 6:3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. With the opening of the 2nd seal the beast commits the abomination that brings desolation to the city and the sanctuary, by entering the Jewish temple and declaring that he is God – Mt 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” 2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And with the declaration that he is God, the beast’s armies will enter Jerusalem, the city will be trampled by Gentiles and the Jewish people put to the sword or enslaved – Lk 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Power Point – Slide 6 As these events at the mid-point in the tribulation unfold, so they give rise to more significant events that lead into the final 1260 days. That period of time that the Lord has called ‘great tribulation’. d). As we have seen from the verses in Luke Chapter 21, the city of Jerusalem is breached. Those in the city and throughout the land are either put to the sword or sold as slaves amidst the Gentile powers allowing the attempted genocide to begin. Here we have the final dispersal of the Jews among the Gentile nations, foreshadowed in Egypt, in the times of the Judges and in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, that will lead to their repentance and deliverance, as we have seen in the Book of Esther. e). As the beast strikes the Jews in the city so the 144000, the ‘male child’, saved under the ministry of the 2 witnesses will be caught up into heaven where they will be both protected and prepared for their ministry to the Gentile nations during the Great Tribulation, the final 1260 days – Re 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Re 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— Power Point - Slide 7 These final 1260 days of Daniel’s 70th seven have been described by the Lord in verses that will be very familiar to us – Mt 24:19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. These are the days of ‘great tribulation’, a time such as there has never been before, nor will ever be again. These are days that begin with the opening of the second seal on the 7-sealed scroll and encompass the opening of the next 4 seals as well. f). And as we have seen in previous studies, the opening of each seal progressively builds on the previous seal, with the effects of each continuing throughout this whole period of time. g). And if we look at the opening of the 3rd and 4th seal on the scroll, we will begin to see why these are the days of ‘great tribulation’ – Re 6:5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. The consequences of war, famine and death, we can see even today on our TV screens, but that unleashed with the opening of the second seal, seen here through seals 3 and 4 is ‘such as has not been since the beginning of the world’ – Eze 5:5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. 6 She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— 8 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. Power Point – Slide 8 We do of course know that 2/3rds of the entire Jewish population will be killed during this time – Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the LORD, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. But perhaps we have shielded ourselves from the full horror of these days – De 28:53 You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you. 54 The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, 55 so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. 56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter, 57 her placenta which comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of everything in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. We will continue with this next time – If the Lord is willing.