The Little Book that John Ate"
Chapter 17
The
Little Book That John Ate - If Ye Have Ears to Hear
The 70th Week
In the scriptures concerning the last times, the 70th
week of years is divided in the ‘midst’.
The division of the last seven years is denoted in several ways.
There are two periods of three and a half years.
Each portion is listed as 42 months in the book of Revelation chapters 11
and 13. But sometimes either the period is designated as,
‘time and times and a dividing of time’ or ‘time and times and an half
time’.
Reference also is made in terms of days: “a
thousand two hundred and threescore” (1,260) days.
In Revelation 12 both designations are used, days
and times. Daniel also uses both.
This information is important. The
Lord focused the majority of the rest of this book on the last seven years and
the period just preceding it. Here
is a part of the breakdown of the last seven years:
Daniel 12:11
“And from the time that
the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh
desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
This verse begins in the midst of the last week of years and
covers the second period of three and a half years. Jesus said a sign of his return would be, “When
ye see…the abomination of desolation…stand in the holy place…” This is set up when the sacrifice is taken away.
The anti-christ exalts himself and puts his own image in the place of God
Almighty. (Daniel
11:37-39).
The number of days is 1,295. This is more than 3 ½ years.
But God is still the final keeper of time. He can shorten or lengthen time as He desires to fulfill
scriptures..
Daniel
12:12
“Blessed
is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty
days.”
Here again time is expressed as a variable number of days.
This emphasizes the schedule is in His hands.
All we need to know is that no one will be late for the marriage feast of
the Lamb. God will see to that
also. You’ll be there on time or
you won’t be there at all.
Daniel 12:7b
“
…it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have
accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be
finished.”
Daniel
7:25
“And
he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given
into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
The political power of anti-christ will be used in these last
seven years, even prior to it, against all the saints of God on earth.
All those of the anti-christ mind shall join in on the persecution.
His last great push in the last seven years scatters the saints.
The entire world comes under his rule for the final 3 ½ years.
As we consider the actions of anti-christ look again at
I Peter 4:15-17. If any
come under persecution let none be guilty of an offense or crime.
The
anti-christ will change laws to suit his whim.
He will hate the fact that time is measured according to Christ’s
birth; designated as BC and AD. This means Before Christ and Anno Domini - in the year of our
Lord, meaning Jesus Christ. The
verses from Revelation that deal with the dividing of time refer to the same
seven-year period.
We learn in Daniel
9:27 that a covenant is made for seven years. This is the scripture where Jesus directed us.
It is an agreement concerning the daily sacrifice or rite of public
worship.
How compelling it is to the Jews to worship in Jerusalem.
This became clear at the end of the six-day war in 1967.
Pictures of Jews at the old wall showed them weeping and worshipping for
the first time in centuries. The
count down for the end of all time will be triggered at the signing of an
agreement or covenant concerning Jews worshipping God.
This seven-year agreement shall be signed as it concerns the
rite of worship. This is the 70th
week of years. In the midst of the
week, after 3 ½ years, the anti-christ shall cause the worship to cease.
Jerusalem falls into his hand. The
anti-christ then establishes the abomination that makes desolate.
He will sit in the holy place, God’s temple.
The prophecy is very explicit. We should hear of this agreement and its provision granting
access of the Jews to the holy city and the temple where ‘daily sacrifice’
takes place. Watch the small print
of treaties made with Israel.
All this leads us into the vision contained in the last two
chapters of Daniel. There are some
points of information to know as we go into Daniel 11. The
two who make war against each other are designated as “north” and
“south”. These are not limited
to one place or country as in olden days. Each
of these is a camp including more than one people.
For example, the camp of the south contains, along with many
others, those who rebel against the king (ruler) and also, the robbers of thy
people. (Daniel 11:14) In
verse 15 we find the chosen people are also numbered in the camp of the south.
These camps are not limited to a geographic north or south.
Remember, this is the end time and the forces of all hell are mustered
from the entire earth against the Word of God.
Each of these visions of Daniel and the first one of King
Nebuchadnezzar deal with the end times. There
are specific verses in each vision to identify them.
Each vision provides additional information on these last times.
The great vision of Daniel as related in chapters 11 and 12
expose several views of the same sequence of events. One of the understandings the Lord gave follows.
In the following verses, the treaty is made.
As soon as it is consummated the ‘he’ of the camp of the north begins
his deceitful work. He does at the
specified time emerge and stand revealed as the one who takes away the
sacrifice.
Daniel 11:6a
“And
in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter
of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement:”
Daniel 11:23
“And
after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up,
and shall become strong with a small people.”
Daniel 11:31
“And
arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength,
and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination
that maketh desolate.”
Daniel 11:36
“And
the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify
himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of
gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is
determined shall be done.”
This king, or anti-christ ruler, will also honor a ‘strange
god’ whom his fathers did not know. Additional
information is found in Revelation 13. In Daniel
11:27 we see that the anti-christ and other
leaders speak lies at their conference table.
In Daniel 11:30
he has ‘intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
He makes a conspiracy with traitors.
In his rise to the pinnacle of power in the world he takes away the daily
sacrifice. His term of office is
described thus:
Daniel 12:11
“And
from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination
that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety
days.”
The people who are still on the earth do have God’s
promise, in Jesus words, in Matthew 24:22 that the time will be shortened. There
is also another help promised for those days:
Dan 12:1
“And
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the
children of thy people:”
This promise of God and cannot fail.
Be encouraged and strengthened by it.
Above all, hold fast. The
great archangel is given as help through the last indignation.
Praise God! These people
also have the prayers of the saints.
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