The Seventieth Week of Daniel

Transcript

GRM 556
1/25/1998
The Seventieth Week of Daniel
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

Our foundation for understanding prophecy is our hermeneutics. Hermeneutics simply means our method of interpreting the Scripture. We follow a literal, historical, grammatical method of interpretation which simply means we interpret the Bible literally or normally. According to its historical setting and context, according to the rules of grammar and according to normal patterns of speech. Basically, the way we read the newspaper. So literal interpretation doesn't mean you don't have figures of speech and allegories and so on. It simply means you interpret it in a normal sense. You don't take that which could be taken literally and try to allegorize or spiritualize it. As soon as you do that you lose your anchor for any kind of objective interpretation and then the interpreter becomes the authority for what he is reading into Scripture ultimately.

The foundation for biblical prophecy is the Abrahamic Covenant and that provides the framework of God's working in the world. The covenant He established with Abraham and the descendants of Abraham, the nation Israel. Now as we noted this morning, also within the Abrahamic covenant there is provision for the blessing of other nations beside Israel. Those blessings would come through the Jewish nation and particularly they focus on the Jewish Messiah who is the Savior not only of Israel but of all nations. We talked a little bit about the framework of the 70 weeks of Daniel in Daniel chapter 9 which gives you the time framework of God's work in connection with the nation Israel. We are living in the period of time between the 69th week and the 70th week of Daniel. The first 483 years of God's program in dealing with Israel in preparation for the earthly kingdom have been accomplished. Those first 483 years ended just prior to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ because He would be crucified after the 69th week. There is one sevenyear block of time yet future in Israel's program. We noted that's not unusual because in Old Testament prophecy the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ are seen together. God did not reveal to the Old Testament prophets the gap of time and what would take place in that gap of time between the first and second coming of Christ. So it deals with events that culminate in the first coming of Christ. So that includes some events just after it like the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Then it picks up with events relating to the Second Coming of Christ to earth which includes some events prior to that like the sevenyear period prior to the second coming to earth of Christ.

We live in the Church age when God is not dealing with the nation Israel as the prime focus of His work in the world today and His work of salvation. He is dealing with the Church which is comprised of all nationalities which is particularly Gentile in its makeup. Although there have been some Jews that have been saved by God's grace, they are an evidence of God's continuing remnant within Israel.


The next event we noted was the Rapture of the Church where the Church will be removed, believers in Jesus Christ, from the earth. That will be followed by the completion of God's program with Israel, the sevenyear, 70th week of Daniel. Sometimes we call it the Tribulation because it is a time of tribulation. Two things happening during that sevenyear period. God is pouring out His wrath on an unbelieving world and God is bringing judgment on the nation Israel with the purpose of turning them from their sin to Jesus as their Messiah. And we noted Daniel chapter 9 shows the six things that will be accomplished by the time you get to the end of the 70 weeks, the last sevenyear period when we will be at the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pick up with me in Revelation, in the book of Revelation, and go to chapter 13. We are going to go into chapter 11 too. Now keep in mind John is writing the book of Revelation approximately 60 years after the death of Christ, the middle 90's AD. 95, 96 AD in there. Clearly the 70th week of Daniel is yet future as John writes. I keep mentioning that because that clearly indicates there is a gap between the 69th and 70th week. If the Messiah was crucified after the 69th week and John writes 60 years after the crucifixion of Christ and the 70th week is yet future, there is obviously a gap of time. I stress that because some writers say, no, you can't put a gap between the 69th and 70th week. That’s arbitrary. Well, you have to study Scripture to see if Scripture puts a gap there. In Revelation chapter 11, for example, verse 2, the measuring of the temple which is another indication the temple will be rebuilt. Whether before the 70th week of Daniel begins or during the first half of the 70th week, there's no indication of Scripture. All we know is by the time we get to the middle of the 70th week, halfway through that sevenyear period, the temple is in operation. The sacrificial system is underway. So whether that's been underway for ten years or twenty years we don't know. Whether the temple is not rebuilt until after the Rapture and in the beginning of the Tribulation we don't know.

But you'll note here they measure the temple of God. They leave out the court which is outside the temple. "Do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; they will tread underfoot the holy city for fortytwo months." Fortytwo months is how long? Three and half years. So we are dealing with one half of that sevenyear period. "I will grant authority to my two witnesses; they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days." Twelve hundred sixty days is how long? Three and a half years. A year in prophetic Scripture is three hundred and sixty days. It is rounded off. Otherwise, we would have difficulty with the adjustments that need to be made periodically. Twelve hundred sixty days is three and a half years, the same as the fortytwo months. In this context as the seventh angel in the series of judgments prepares the sound down in verse 15 then there is a declaration, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." You see, they are still in anticipation of the time when the Messiah will take possession of the world. These judgments are preparation for that.


You come down into chapter 12 and here you have Satan who loses his access to heaven in the middle of the sevenyear Tribulation. You'll note verse 6 of Revelation 12, "And the woman fled into the wilderness." The woman represents Israel. She's the one who gave birth to the man child in verse 5. "She gave birth to a male child, who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron." It's a reference to the nation Israel. "She fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." Again, the last half of the Tribulation period. And now down in verse 14 the end of the verse, "She was nourished for a time and times and a half a time." Now if you would go back to Daniel chapter 12 there Daniel gives the time as a time, times and a half time. Or times, two times and a half time, a period of three and a half in length. We know from Daniel and we know Revelation the time, times, and a half time is a period of three and a half years. It's the same as the 42 months, the same as the 1260 days.

Down in chapter 13 verse 5, "And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; authority to act for fortytwo months." All that takes place. Now who is acting for these 42 months? Well, you note how chapter 13 of Revelation opens up. "I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, on his heads wee blasphemous names." And then you see the animals that characterize the beast. Same kinds of animals we saw in Daniel chapter 7. We didn't look at the details, but they picture the empires of the world that here are the culmination of the earth empires in one described now as a beast and he has ten horns. We saw those ten horns and we looked in Daniel chapter 7. They represent ten kings or ten kingdoms. We saw in Revelation 17 these ten kings or kingdoms have as their purpose to give all their authority to the Beast so for 42 months he will rule the world. So this sevenyear period begins when the little horn, the Beast, the Anti-christ, signs an agreement as representative of the western world particularly the revived Roman Empire, the ten nation confederacy, guaranteeing the security and sovereignty of the nation Israel. During that first three and a half years, he does not rule as world dictator, but he is solidifying his power and his dominance in the world.

In the middle of the sevenyear Tribulation events take place which enable him to assert himself. The ten-nation confederacy is in agreement that all power ought to belong to him and he becomes world ruler for fortytwo months. Verse 8 of chapter 13 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain."

So, the first three and a half years will be a time God's pouring out wrath on the earth and His judgments. But it will be a time of blessing and prosperity for the nation Israel because they are freed from the pressures that they live with now. They have an agreement that guarantees their security and their sovereignty. In the midst of that time, that will be broken for the last three and a half years. It will be the program of Satan to try to annihilate the nation Israel. That's what was said in chapter 12. We get a picture here completing what Daniel has said and filling in some of the details.

Turn over to chapter 17 of Revelation. We are mentioning plans to rebuild the temple. Turn over to chapter 17 of Revelation. We are mentioning plans to rebuild the temple. Some of you drew my attention to an article that was in today's paper, Lincoln Journal Star, Sunday morning, where an expert says the sacred mosque is in danger of collapsing. "Vast water reserves under the al Aqsa Mosque compound are in danger of collapse threatening sites sacred to Islam and Judaism, a British archeologist warns. The danger is great as during the fasting month of Ramadan when hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshippers pack on to the elevenacre wall platform every Friday, said archeologist Gibson of the Londonbased Palestine Exploration Fund."


Now what is interesting to me is not that that will happen or won't happen. But you see another possibility under the temple mount. There were water reservoirs and so on and tunnels dug. The claim here is that with the passing of time and you add hundreds of thousands of people to that site, you could have a collapse of that area. With that collapse would be the collapse of the mosque. And everything would be up for grabs again of what would be rebuilt there. There's debate about it.

The article goes on, "The risk goes beyond the prospect of a natural disaster. A calamity in the most sensitive spot in the Israeli/Arab conflict could trigger widespread violence. Muslim authorities have longstanding suspicions that Jews want to reestablish the Jewish temple on the site where al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock mosques now stand. Well, those are pretty wellfounded suspicions. I sometimes like to go through the files that I've thrown articles in and see how things have gone over the years. This came from the Lincoln paper in May of 1989, so I pulled it out. The Jews plan to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It's not new material, I have articles that are older than this that have addressed the same thing.

"Hoping to rebuild the ancient Jewish temple where Islamic shrines now stand, a group of Israeli rabbis are compiling computerized lists of potential priests, weaving seamless linen robes and reproducing a gemstudded breastplate described in Exodus." Later on, one of the rabbis said, "All Jewish history as far as we're concerned is one big parenthesis until the temple is returned. Life without the temple is not really living," this rabbi said. "The Temple Institute’s 50 rabbis and artisans have made vessels and produced a computerized blueprint of the shrine in preparation for rebuilding on the site where it stood until AD 70 when the Romans destroyed it and so on.

I mean, this didn't come from somebody's Bible prophecy book. It just comes from the newspaper so you see the discussion still goes on. Well, what would happen to the mosque? I don't know what will happen to the mosque. But here's one possibility. You wake some morning and you find the ground gave way underneath and it's not there anymore. Hummm, I wonder what they would do? Well, there’s concern if that would happen that all of a sudden we'd have a major conflict where whether the mosque would be rebuilt or the temple would be rebuilt. I know how it's all going to come out. I don't what what's going to take place in the intervening times.


So, I find that of interest. I made reference and some of you have followed some of the articles on the red heifer. And I pulled an article out on this magazine where that's the subject of the magazine. And it's an article somebody wrote on the ashes of the red heifer. It goes on for four pages quoting from different writings and rabbis and so on. We come to Numbers chapter 19. We don't need to go there. It just says the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron saying this is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded saying speak unto the children of Israel that they bring you a red heifer without spot where is no blemish. What is developed both from the Scripture, but then more from tradition, is the importance of the ages of the red heifer in cleansing and in cleansing for the sacrificial system. So here's from the Boston Globe, April 1997. It's an article entitled "Heifer appears inside Israel stirs hopes and apocalyptic fears. She stares out at the world through dewy eyes tumbling on awkward legs, dipping into her draff with a band and oblivious to the soaring hopes and apocalyptic fears that have spread with the news of her birth. Watched over by an armed guard and a skull cap and visited by rabbis and other seekers of meanings, this rustcolored sixmonthold heifer is hailed as a sign of the coming of the Messiah and decried as a walking atom bomb. Of a variety believed extinct for centuries, the red heifer is seen by some as the missing link needed for religious Jews to rebuild their ancient temple in Jerusalem. Sacrificing the animal in its third year and using its ages in purification right would allow Jews to return 2000 years later to the temple site holy both to Jews and Muslims. Many fear the calf's arrival could create an explosive situation."

The point is not that that heifer was the accepted heifer but the issue that surrounds it and the intensity of the Jews interest in finding such a heifer. When they find such a heifer then the way is prepared because then that heifer can be sacrificed, the ashes can be used for purifying, then we are ready to get on with temple observance and temple construction, temple sacrifice and so on. Now it's amazing to me that read things relating to Daniel's prophecy in chapter 9 where in the middle of the final sevenyear period before the return of Christ to earth, the little horn, the Antichrist, the western world ruler, will put an end to the sacrifices. Well, 2500 years ago . . . They say now wait a minute. Those sacrifices ended in 70 AD and there's no hope they will ever be revived. And we just read in Revelation written 2000 years ago about the temple and so on. I'm saying any of these specifics are the fulfillment. I'm saying we see things coming together that the talk about rebuilding the temple and reinstituting the sacrificial system is more than just preachers who are trying to find things in Scripture that aren't really there. They really show that you can take the Scripture at literal face value because that is how God intends to carry out what He has said. It didn't matter that the Jews were out of the way land for almost 2000 years and were in no position to even consider building a temple. The fact is here they are. They are in possession of the site for the accomplishing of that.

In Revelation 17 we made reference to the great harlot the chapter opens up with. We looked more at the last part of the chapter. But in the first part of the chapter John is carried in the Spirit in verse 3 to the wilderness. He saw a “woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names having seven heads and ten horns. Now the woman is clothed in purple in scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality and upon her forehead her name was written "A mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth."” Here we see that we have the apostate church that is linked to this coming western world government. This harlot is “riding on the scarlet beast with blasphemous names, seven heads and ten horns,” noting a position of prominence and power and influence during the first three and a half years.


Then we noted down in verse 16 of chapter 17, "The ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot will make her desolate and naked, will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled." We saw in chapter 13 of Revelation that the Anti-christ will rule and be the object of worship for 42 months. So here we see what will take place during the f first three and a half years of the Tribulation. The Anti-christ is using the Apostate church, its power and influence to solidify his power. It may look like the power lies with the Pope. When that apostate system is no longer needed, this man is ready to step forward and declare himself as the only object of worship. That shouldn't surprise us. I've seen this happen more than once where men have formed friendships, seemingly, and alliances that were in affect only until they had enough power not to need that "friend" or "ally" any longer and then their intention was to do away with them as a rival and rule solely and so that will happen there.

I think amazing things are going on here with Roman Catholicism. I mentioned the influence and power of the Pope. But I have to say I find it awesome to watch on television the hundreds of thousands of people who will turn out. They are in awe of this man. There's a power even in a land like Cuba. The dominant religion is not Roman Catholicism but probably that mixture of Catholicism and African animism, Santeria, I believe it's called. But the Pope is still revered. Roman Catholicism is comfortable having a broad mixture. The Pope gave special attention in crowning an image, that was supposedly found in the 1600s in the water, of the virgin. But you know down there in Cuba, they worship, this is one come out of the African system, the goddess of love. It doesn't make a whole lot of difference to the Pope. As long as these people are responding to him and will acknowledge him these people are fine. A lady interviewed in the today's paper as recorded there said what? You know, I'm Catholic. I go to mass every week but I also worship in the Santeria religion as well. That's what dominates her life. Fine you have this mixture that enables Catholicism to be broad in its embrace. In “Christianity Today” Rome says we're sorry in apologizing for the persecution of the Waldensian church centuries ago. What is significant? "What this apology means we can only speculate but surely European Christians must sense what many American Christians know. That it is important to transcend many historic disputes within the Body of Christ while recognizing the importance of some of our doctrinal distinctions in order to face together the moral and ethical challenges of our time." You see, they see these apologies coming out now from Rome as what? Drawing together the Church, particularly here, European Christians.

I mentioned the article today. One of you gave me an article that appeared in the Lincoln paper this past year as well, "United Religion Movement Grows." This is the article I was referred to. "United Religions by the Year 2000”. “Since 1993 the idea of a worldwide united religion has been slowly taking shape. It began in connection with an interfaith service commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations charter. A San Francisco group led by an Episcopal bishop proposed the idea as an international interreligious organization dedicated to daily prayerful dialogue leading to peace among religions and cooperative action for global good. 1995 and early 1996 additional meetings took place. June of 1996 a variety of individuals, religious leaders, representatives of global organizations met the creative plan of action and moved toward a pulmonary charter writing conference tentatively scheduled at that time for June 97 in San Francisco to further develop the vision of purpose of united religions. The year 199798 would be the time of taking united religions home to as many religious organization groups of the faith community as possible. June of the year 2000 is envisioned as the united religious charter signing" and so on. Then it gives you where you can write or contact if you want to help further this. United religions by the year 2000.


Understanding of the description in Revelation 17 of mystery Babylon, the identification of the Babylonian religious system. As it has been carried down through history particularly in the Roman Catholic church and dominant elements of Roman Catholicism are the elements of the Babylonian religious system. Amazing to me is the ongoing communication between evangelicals and Catholics. We've talked about this in the past and this past year they came out with another agreement, an update of the Roman Catholic-Evangelicals together. And I've mentioned this on other occasions. "Evangelicals and Catholics together a new initiative." The paper entitled "'The Gift of Salvation,' published here for the first time." This was published in “Christianity Today” December 8, 1997. It's a little over a month ago. "Was adopted by a group of Catholic and evangelical theologians of which I was a part." Author of this is Timothy George. "Meeting in New York City, October 7, 1997. Unlike the Lutheran/Catholic joint declaration on the doctrine of justification issued earlier this year, this statement is not the result of an officially sponsored dialogue but the collaboration of work of individuals who speak from and too, but not for several communities." It will be translated into various languages and be disputed round the world. "We invite all Christians to consider what we have been able to say together about the gift of salvation," it goes on to say. And just jump along here, "Thus for all our differences Biblebelieving evangelicals stand much closer to cardinal Joseph Ratzinger than to Bishop John Spong."

Well that says nothing. You know, I don't know what to make of such a foolish statement. That may well be true. I've mentioned before. Paul had more in common with the Judiazers of his day than he had with those who were promoting the pantheist religions of Rome. Or those who were promoting the immoral worship at Corinth. But does that have anything to do with anything. Does that mean the book of Galatians is about why Christians and Judiazers ought to work together because we have more in common with the pantheon of Rome? We would have the religions of the Roman pantheon. I mean, it's a ridiculous statement.

"All who believe in Jesus. . . " now note this. "All who believe in Jesus, Catholics and Evangelicals alike are comrades in a common struggle. Not a struggle against one another but against the prince of evil himself. A spiritual conflict with powers and potent takes of this dark world." The article I referred to and you can read it. I believe it's the Lincoln paper. I can't remember if it's the Lincoln or Omaha paper. Today . . . I think maybe both of them have an article on it. The Santeria religion. You know what they say there on that. We believe in Jesus. Now to say all who believe in Jesus does that include this Santeria religion which is basically a worship of spirits.

And the satisfying of the spirits. You open a bottle of rum. You pour a little bit on the ground for the spirits before you drink it. I mean, this kind of thing. Because they say we believe in Jesus. I mean, the Jesus they believe in is not related to the Jesus of the New Testament. It is these kind of statements that are drawing us together in an ecumenical church.


And what they've found is we've now signed an agreement that conservative evangelicals would agree regarding salvation and Roman Catholics are agreeing too so we don't have anything that divides us. But they do acknowledge, "We rejoice in the unity we have discovered and are confident of the fundamental truths about the gift of salvation we have affirmed. So, we have affirmed fundamental truths about the gift of salvation. So, we are in agreement on that. We can start to work together. The other differences will be worked out. We recognize there are necessarily interrelated questions that require further and urgent exploration. Among such questions are these: the meaning of baptismal regeneration." Well, wait a minute. Wait a minute. How do you say we've agreed on salvation? You just told me you haven't resolved the question of baptismal regeneration. That's like saying to the Judiazers, "Look, we agree salvation is found in Christ alone so can work together. By the way, we haven't worked out the issue of circumcision and salvation." Well, Paul says you are under a curse then. But here, "We have a unity and we rejoice in our unity and are confident about the fundamental truths of the gift of salvation. But we haven't resolved the issue of baptismal regeneration."

"The Eucharist, sacramental grace, the historic usages of language of justification as it relates to imputes and transformative righteousness, the assertion that while justification is by faith alone, the faith that receives salvation is never alone, diverse understandings of merit, reward, purgatory, indulgences, Mary and devotion, the assistance of the saints in the life of salvation, the possibility of salvation for those who have never been evangelized." Sounds to me like you haven't resolved anything. You've just signed a piece of paper. Now why this is significant to me, these aren't just nobodies who signed it. The names on this are Bill Bright, Campus Crusade for Christ; Chuck Colson, Os Guinness, Max Lucado, two professors from Wheaton College, J. I. Packer, a professor from Evangelical Divinity School.

So we talk about an evangelical church which will provide a power center if you. We see an unfolding before us. I didn't think I would see those who calm to be evangelicals leading the way in promoting alliances with the Roman Catholic Church.

I got out one of the books I have today and was just was reading through the Council of Trent and the anathema’s of the Council of Trent. The Roman Catholic Church has denied none of those, pronouncing anathema on those who believe that salvation is by faith alone, pronouncing anathema on those who do not believe the real presence of Christ is present in the Eucharist, pronouncing more anathemas and on it goes. Some of Roman Catholics have signed this document when they have not rejected any of these curses pronounced. It just becomes a meaningless contradiction.


So the move though toward an ecumenical church is almost overwhelming. Even those who won't align themselves with saying, "Yeah, we ought to get together with Catholics," are what.? Playing down doctrinal differences today. Let's not emphasize our differences. So we have preaching from the pulpit that does not attack biblical doctrines. It just ignores them. It's like Robert Schuller preaching. He doesn't get up and preach, attacking the doctrine of sin. He just doesn't mention it. That's going on in church after church after church. So we have a sweeping moment toward an ecumenical church. And you know what happens? The broader of the moment becomes, the more isolated those who are not part of it become, the more they are viewed as troublemakers as those who don't want to get along with anyone. Those who are doctrinal knit-pickers, those who are unloving, those are uncaring, those who want to fight more than show love. Pretty soon you begin to feel the weight of it. Again, I have been in awe of the ecumenical developments that have taken place very, very recently. They have taken on a scope that I would have never thought would have happened. That whole area of the ecumenical church ought to be of great interest to you.

I mention this alliance. There was an article in today's paper, Omaha World Herald, Sunday morning, January 25th. "European Union could revival U.S., Hagel says. Returning from a tenday congressional trip through Europe, US. Senator Chuck Hagel said last week that the immerging European Union could become an economic powerhouse reviling the United States by slowing down U.S. imports and promoting European exports. The Nebraska Republican characterized the 15nation union as a work in progress, hoping to pull its half a billion people in economies into the second largest market force on the world's stage. It's not certain whether the European countries will all form a kind of United States of Europe and adopt a universal currency, the euro. But if it does, Hagel said, European leaders hope to overpower the U.S. in aircraft manufacturing as well as in pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals." Amazing because we read in Daniel, read in Revelation, coming resurrection of the Roman empire, that ten-nation confederacy. Here it says there's 15 nations, but it will settle out to ten that will form that union when all is said and done. It's amazing to me. I'll accept it if the Scripture it within five? It's not the way God operates though. It will be ten.

Isn't it amazing that 2500 years ago Daniel wrote that out of that Roman empire will come ten nations federated together? They'll will have the weakness and brittleness of clay and the strength of iron. And this is the very thing that is talked about in these kinds of articles, the fragileness of it. An article that appeared in Newsweek a number of months ago. "European Fudging" by George Will. "The drive for a common currency is part of a political agenda unfriendly to the democracy." It sounds like the iron and clay mixed because he's talking about "the symbol of European union has an elegant simplicity. It is twelve gold stars, one for each of the original member nations” [now there are 15] “in a circle on a deep blue background. But it should now be a crumbling slab of fudge." And they are fudging on this European currency. But we know where it's going. And what he says is what is happening is there's a struggle. "To become a power entity the individual nations, have to give up so much of their sovereignty and that's the struggle and will they do that." But we know they will. By the time you get to the middle of the 70th week of Daniel what's going to happen? All ten nations are going to want to give their power to the Antichrist. Because they are thrilled to have him lead. If you watch the old news reels on Nazi, Germany, and Hitler's rise to power there comes a point that everybody is just thrilled. You get the idea that there's an overwhelming tie that's so excited to have him have power and control. He talks in this article about the tension and going back from national sovereignty to solidified power.


"Each step has been sold to Europe's publics as a step toward more certain prosperity. But the real objective has been political. It has been the dilution of nationalism by the siphoning away of national sovereignty to supernational entities in Brussels. The ideological motor for this is the belief that the nation state is dangerous. Supernational entities inevitably are augmented by subtracting from the authority of national parliaments." The United States of America is an example. Each state doesn't function with the sovereignty of . . . . For example, one of the nations of Europe does. Why? Because we have given that to a centralized government. That gives us a power but that also means that government takes away some of the independence we have as an individual state. So that's what they are struggling with there.

"The drive for European unification has been stealthy because the drivers, the political elites have always been at odds with their publics. The elites share the watery cosmopolitanism of the intelligentsia, including the belief that patriotism, pride in national particularities is retrograde and must be superseded by larger, vaster more universal attachments. Secular writers throughout the Scripture wonder whether the nations will really give up their power and come together." The Bible has already told us they will. And amazingly 2000 years after it's been written we see this kind of article being written. And you have the elements of clay here but the strength of iron and the clay. Do people want to give up their individualism to give the strength of iron. Well, they are never going to totally give it up because those ten nations will what? Be a mixture with the strength of iron and brittleness of clay. You know, I read these kinds of things and I say, "Lord, You are an awesome God." Am I saying this is the fulfillment? No, I'm just saying that the fact that these kinds of things are being discussed in the secular media thousands of years after God set forth what it would be like as we get to the end times, is amazing to me. How can you not be in awe of the Scripture and its accuracy?

Jump back to Ezekiel 38 and 39. And I don't want to say much about this but at least mention it to you because it's another major piece. Ezekiel 38 and 39 unfold the war which will take place. Nations allied with Russia. Some of these nations come out of what was formerly the Soviet Union. Several years ago, now I did a more detailed study of the identity of these nations and so on. You can get the recording if you want to work through that. We don't have time to do it tonight and it won't be part of our purpose. But in Ezekiel 38 and 39 there are ten nations named that are included in the nations that are going to be involved in the invasion of Israel in the last days. Now the precise timing of this is disagreed upon by some. When I was Dallas a month ago for a prophecy conference, some of those who spoke there held to a view that the battle of Ezekiel 38 takes place three and a half years before the 70th week of Daniel. Some of you are reading Tim LaHaye's prophetic novels and Tim LaHaye is one who holds that view. So you read his books and he'll be talking about the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. He believes that will happen three and a half years before the final sevenyear period and so will probably happen before the Rapture of the Church. There are others who hold to that view. Arnold Fruchtenbaum who has written a book "Israelology," also holds to that view.

I'm not convinced of it myself. So I am one of those who are more comfortable that this battle probably takes place within the framework of the last sevenyear period. And I think Ezekiel 38 in particular probably takes place about the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. Because of the indication that Israel is at peace during this time. Verse 8 of Ezekiel 38, "After many days you will be summoned in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword." Now we're carried to Israel's future. "And they have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been continual waste." Isn't that amazing? That has happened. Israel is being back in the land, the land of continual waste, a land that they had been out of for close to 2000 years. "It's people were brought out from the nations," now note, "and they are living securely, all of them." There was a time when Israel is dwelling insecurity. Verse 11, "And you will say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages.'" Unwalled villages was a village without military defenses because you built the wall around the city in those days as your military defense and the major cities were the place where the people in the villages then retreated when military danger threatened. So to be an unwalled city is speaking of a city that has not developed its military defenses.

"I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates." Well it seems to me that fits the description of what it will be like for Israel during the first three and half years of the Tribulation. Whereas the results of the covenant signed with the little horn of Daniel 9, the Antichrist, the Beast verse 14, "Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely."'" Again, that's repeated here. It couldn't happen today. Israel is a military power. Their existence is dependent on being a military power. It's hard to imagine where they would come to a point where they are willing to abandon that and put themselves in someone else's hands but a lot more amazing things have happened in a short period of time than that. You know, things you scratch your head and said, would you really sign that? Did you really give them this? Yes and now if they had the confidence that this agreement would really secure their power.

It's interesting. Israel and their history here recently has been more interested in having Europe involved in resolving some of this and more possibility of some of that taking place than even the United States.

"So you will come out," verse 15, "from your places out of the remote parts of the north, you and many people with you." Verse 16, "You will come up against my people like a cloud to cover the land. It will come about in the last days that I will bring you up against My land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through you before their eyes."

Now again, some would say this happens at the end of the Tribulation, but Israel will not be dwelling in peace at the end of the Tribulation. But it seems to me the time that fits the description here is probably the middle of the Tribulation. I mention this because it’s interesting to watch the Muslim nations. Part of this would include what is Turkey, up in some of the countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, along with Russia itself. The animosity toward Israel is still there. The animosity of Islam toward Israel is still there. So again, you watch this development. The military power that is still held within these nations is somewhat frightening. In fact, I got a note here, these six new Muslim nations have three things in common. They are all Muslim, they all lack hard currency, they all have nuclear weapons within their boundaries and at their disposal. It's talking about the six new Muslim nations that's come out of the former Soviet Union. And they all have nuclear weapons within their boundaries and at their disposal. Now how that will all play in this, we don't know. But there is, and it comes out in the news periodically, a fear about the military weaponry that is floating around in these countries and there is no centralized government dominating it anymore. There will come that kind of attack on Israel in the latter days.


We didn't go into the natural judgments, Revelation 6, the seal judgments, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, famines, death. You know, I find this interesting. I usually pull out articles. I was looking through on diseases, insects and spreading everything from Lyme disease and mosquitoes becoming a problem. How is all this? I don't know. But you know there is all this discussion going on, you read the article and it says the potential for a plague of tremendous proportions could be in the making. So it's even interesting that they are even talking about that because we're going to find that when we move into that sevenyear period there are going to be those kinds of plaguesfamines, natural disasters, diseases that are overwhelming, along with things like earthquakes and those kinds of diseases. All will take place and build through the sevenyear Tribulation. And we are moving toward the second coming of Christ to earth.

Now I mention the second coming of Christ seems to be in two phases. The first phase is when He comes in the air for the Church and He'll take the Church to Glory, to the place He has prepared for them, the New Jerusalem. Then at the end of the sevenyear Tribulation He comes to earth.

Now Revelation chapter 19, you can stop at chapter 16. Now we see all this happening, it ought to condition us as believers not to be surprised or not to expect things to get better and better. Now I realize the things I'm talking about are things that will happen after the Rapture of the Church and the Tribulation but I expect as we move toward that time, we see the development of some of these things. In Revelation chapter 16 we are coming to the conclusions of the judgments that bring us to the climax of the Tribulation and really these judgments will be done as we come to the end of chapter 16 and we are ready for Armageddon. And you'll note write up to the end of Revelation 16 verse 19, "Men were scorched with fierce heat. They blasphemed the name of God. They did not repent." Verse 11, "They blasphemed the name of God. They did not repent." Awesome. How stubborn sinful man is in his rebellion against God. He will not be brought to His knees. He fails to see the grace of God at work even in these judgments, that give him the opportunity to recognize his wretched sinfulness, turn from his sin and trust in the Savior. No, they continue to blaspheme God, to curse God and will not repent.

"The sixth angel," verse 12, "poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates. Its water was dried up. The way was prepared for the kings from the east. I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty." Verse 16, "And they gather them together to the place which in the Hebrew is called Harmageddon," or Armageddon, the Mount of Megiddo, to be slain that is associated with that area. There's a parenthesis in verse 15, "(Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.)" We are in the brink of the return of Christ to earth. A warning here to be ready in the context of the gathering of the nations of the earth to Armageddon.


So the seventh angel pours out his bowl in verse 17. That's the final judgment. It is done. So we are ready for the return of Christ. But look at verse 21, "Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail." Amazing! We are not to act like we're surprised at the sinfulness of the people of the world around us. Do we really believe the biblical doctrine of sin? We ought to be amazed that there is not a more open display of man's vileness surrounding us and overwhelming us.

Revelation 17 talks about the destruction of religious Babylon, it gives you an overview of that and Revelation 18 of political Babylon. You come to Revelation 19, "After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His servants.' And a second time they said, 'Hallelujah! He smoke rises up forever and ever.'" And the host of heaven fall down in worship saying, Amen, hallelujah. And they give praise and this great heavenly proclamation and acclamation of praise to God. We will be part of that host, recognizing the righteousness of God. Rejoicing that He has dealt with sin and sinners and that He is ready to take possession of creation.

Verse 7, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." Verse 9, "'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" 'These are the true words of God.'" Verse 11, "I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; righteousness He judges and wages war." And what you have now is the descent of Christ, fully visible. Remember Matthew 24 Jesus said as you come through that Tribulation period telling the Jews if they say to you the Messiah is here and the Messiah is there, don't believe it because when the Messiah comes everyone will see Him. He'll come in power and great glory, pictured here. Heaven opens and He descends in glorious power to destroy the nations of the world who have been gathered at Armageddon to do battle with one another but ultimately to do battle with Him.

"The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses." I take it the host of heaven which would I assume include us joined in His return.

"From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; He will rule them with a rod of iron: He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty." And He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. An angel stands in the sun and invites the birds to come to the great supper of God in verse 17. And the mighty men of the earth suffer destruction.


Just an awesome scene. Now I find no foundation in Scripture to allegorize this, to spiritualize it, to make it anything other than literal any more than I do the first coming. Quite frankly if I was sitting in the years and centuries before the first coming of Christ to earth, I would have probably said, I don't see how you can take this literally. The Messiah can't suffer and die. It must be spiritually talking about the spiritual agony He will undergo or some such thing. How can the Messiah who will reign in Glory suffer and die as Isaiah 53 says? It couldn't happen. It couldn't happen. But it did happen exactly as God said. I take it the return of Christ to earth at His second coming will be just as He said. Remember, Acts chapter 1? What did the angels tell the disciples? Jesus will come in the same way you have seen Him go. That was a literal body that ascended to heaven in clouds of glory. Matthew 24 Jesus said He'll return in clouds of glory.

That ought to thrill us. I know, I stop and think. Here I am plodding along day after day and I read a description like Revelation 19 and realize I will be there in a glorified body. Heaven will open and I'm in heaven. Wow! I should be worried about the mundane things of this life. I should be consumed with trivial trinkets like whether my house is big enough or my car is big enough, my bank account is big enough or whatever. The things of this life are nothing. This is my destiny. I will be called into glory. Perhaps very, very, very shortly. We may be on the brink of that time. I trust your heart's thrilled and you are anticipating it the beginning of this year that Jesus Christ may be coming. You say, oh we say that every year. We ought to say it every day and it ought to be our expectation that it may be today and I want my life ordered and arranged according. And the only real preparation is the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the unfolding of Your purposes and plans for this world. Lord, we are amazed again at Your sovereign power. That everything takes place as You have ordained it. Lord, the passing of centuries and millenniums do not alter in any way Your truthfulness or the truthfulness of what You have said. Lord, we are even amazed to take a glimpse at the world around us to read the Scripture that you've entrusted to us and see what seems to be the coming together of so many of those things prophesied so long ago. Lord, how we must be a people who are diligently about Your work and Your service. Lord, how godliness should be the passion of our lives in these days. How a passion for sharing truth, the truth of the Gospel with men and women who are on the brink of judgment. Lord, I pray these might not just be interesting bits of information. But Lord, we might be thrilled in our hearts and minds and challenge the thought that we are a people privileged to be living in these days and to be serving you the living God. Use us to honor Yourself. We pray in Christ's name, amen.