l***@hotmail.com
2006-07-17 17:05:13 UTC
As a bible believing Christian, I cannot but be attentive to the
Israeli situation. However, I've lived long enough to know that one
can all to easily read into current events biblical prophecies.
Immediately I would say however, that the stage of prophetic events has
never been so completely set as it is today. However, Christians are
wrong to conclude that the Rapture of the Church inaugurates the
Tribulation.
There are several scriptural passages, both OT and NT, which disclose
the true designation as to the inauguration of Daniel's 70th week, and
that consistently has to do with what we
Christian's have come to call, the advent of the Antichrist.
The first passage which often comes to mind concerning this event is
Dan 9:24-27, when the prophet discloses that the 70 weeks are divided
with one week of years separated from the previous 69. The question
immediately in need of answering is "What is the one event which drop
kicks the remaining week into fulfillment?" Daniel answers that
question when he speaks of the "prince that shall come" (v 26) making a
7 year agreement/covenant with
national Israel.
Isa 28:14-22 support this analysis. Here God refers to those who make
this covenant as "scoffers" (v.14). In the verse immediately
following, God gives His reason for this characterization.
Is. 28:15 Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not
reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and
we have concealed ourselves with deception."
The leadership of Israel will enter into this agreement with the though
of obtain some measure of security and escape from "the overwhelming
scourge." The Hebrew word translated here as "overwhelming" or
"overflowing", when used symbolically, always refers to a militaristic
invasion. However, not all within Israel adhere to this covenant.
Is. 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in
Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation,
firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
Here, again, the believing remnant within Israel is distinguished from
the whole. The promise is that because of their continuation in their
belief that only God is their sure hope, they "will not be disturbed."
Coupled with the results of the making and the breaking of this peace
agreement, vs 17-22 reveals the true nature of the 70th week of Daniel.
Is. 28:17 "And I will make justice the measuring line, And
righteousness the level; Then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters shall overflow the secret place.
Is. 28:18 "And your covenant with death shall be canceled, And your
pact with Sheol shall not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes
through, Then you become its trampling place.
Is. 28:19 "As often as it passes through, it will seize you. For
morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or
night. And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."
Is. 28:20 The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket
is too small to wrap oneself in.
Is. 28:21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be
stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon; To do His task, His unusual
task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work.
Is. 28:22 And now do not carry on as scoffers, Lest your fetters be
made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, of decisive
destruction on all the earth.
Also note the two terms here used to designate the "tribulation." 1)
"unusual task,, and 2) an "extraordinary work." It is "unusual" and
"extraordinary" in that a decree is issued, i.e. "decisive destruction
on all the earth."
Thus, the key result of the leadership making this covenant with the
"prince to come" is nothing less than the advent of the wrath of God.
Many, many passages describe not only the nature of this wrath, but
also its goal.
Zeph. 3:8 "Therefore, wait for Me," declares the Lord, "For the day
when I rise up to the prey. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My
burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My
zeal.
Zeph. 3:9 "For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all
of them may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him shoulder to
shoulder.
Zeph. 3:10 "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My
dispersed ones, will bring My offerings.
Zeph. 3:11 "In that day you will feel no shame because of all your
deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove
from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be
haughty on My holy mountain.
Zeph. 3:12 "But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and
they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
The goal is for the leadership of Israel to finally accept the Gospel
of the 144,000 JEWISH witnesses. It is the "time of JACOB's trouble"
(Jere 30:4-7), not the Church.
1 Thess. 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
So the rapture of the Church does not, according to scripture, signify
the beginning of the seven year Tribulation. It is when the Antichrist
lures the leadership of Israel into signing the peace agreement. The
Church is the "mystery" entity and it has no relationship to the 70
weeks of Daniel in any form. As its advent was unannounced, so will be
its "departure".
So when we watch the current events surrounding Israel, we should
understand that the return of Christ for His Church, for His bride, is
not chronologically linked to Daniel's 70th week. That week of years
only relates to Israel's purification. Christ's return for the Church
is as it has always been, imminent.
Israeli situation. However, I've lived long enough to know that one
can all to easily read into current events biblical prophecies.
Immediately I would say however, that the stage of prophetic events has
never been so completely set as it is today. However, Christians are
wrong to conclude that the Rapture of the Church inaugurates the
Tribulation.
There are several scriptural passages, both OT and NT, which disclose
the true designation as to the inauguration of Daniel's 70th week, and
that consistently has to do with what we
Christian's have come to call, the advent of the Antichrist.
The first passage which often comes to mind concerning this event is
Dan 9:24-27, when the prophet discloses that the 70 weeks are divided
with one week of years separated from the previous 69. The question
immediately in need of answering is "What is the one event which drop
kicks the remaining week into fulfillment?" Daniel answers that
question when he speaks of the "prince that shall come" (v 26) making a
7 year agreement/covenant with
national Israel.
Isa 28:14-22 support this analysis. Here God refers to those who make
this covenant as "scoffers" (v.14). In the verse immediately
following, God gives His reason for this characterization.
Is. 28:15 Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not
reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and
we have concealed ourselves with deception."
The leadership of Israel will enter into this agreement with the though
of obtain some measure of security and escape from "the overwhelming
scourge." The Hebrew word translated here as "overwhelming" or
"overflowing", when used symbolically, always refers to a militaristic
invasion. However, not all within Israel adhere to this covenant.
Is. 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in
Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation,
firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
Here, again, the believing remnant within Israel is distinguished from
the whole. The promise is that because of their continuation in their
belief that only God is their sure hope, they "will not be disturbed."
Coupled with the results of the making and the breaking of this peace
agreement, vs 17-22 reveals the true nature of the 70th week of Daniel.
Is. 28:17 "And I will make justice the measuring line, And
righteousness the level; Then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters shall overflow the secret place.
Is. 28:18 "And your covenant with death shall be canceled, And your
pact with Sheol shall not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes
through, Then you become its trampling place.
Is. 28:19 "As often as it passes through, it will seize you. For
morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or
night. And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."
Is. 28:20 The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket
is too small to wrap oneself in.
Is. 28:21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be
stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon; To do His task, His unusual
task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work.
Is. 28:22 And now do not carry on as scoffers, Lest your fetters be
made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, of decisive
destruction on all the earth.
Also note the two terms here used to designate the "tribulation." 1)
"unusual task,, and 2) an "extraordinary work." It is "unusual" and
"extraordinary" in that a decree is issued, i.e. "decisive destruction
on all the earth."
Thus, the key result of the leadership making this covenant with the
"prince to come" is nothing less than the advent of the wrath of God.
Many, many passages describe not only the nature of this wrath, but
also its goal.
Zeph. 3:8 "Therefore, wait for Me," declares the Lord, "For the day
when I rise up to the prey. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My
burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My
zeal.
Zeph. 3:9 "For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all
of them may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him shoulder to
shoulder.
Zeph. 3:10 "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My
dispersed ones, will bring My offerings.
Zeph. 3:11 "In that day you will feel no shame because of all your
deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove
from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be
haughty on My holy mountain.
Zeph. 3:12 "But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and
they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
The goal is for the leadership of Israel to finally accept the Gospel
of the 144,000 JEWISH witnesses. It is the "time of JACOB's trouble"
(Jere 30:4-7), not the Church.
1 Thess. 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
So the rapture of the Church does not, according to scripture, signify
the beginning of the seven year Tribulation. It is when the Antichrist
lures the leadership of Israel into signing the peace agreement. The
Church is the "mystery" entity and it has no relationship to the 70
weeks of Daniel in any form. As its advent was unannounced, so will be
its "departure".
So when we watch the current events surrounding Israel, we should
understand that the return of Christ for His Church, for His bride, is
not chronologically linked to Daniel's 70th week. That week of years
only relates to Israel's purification. Christ's return for the Church
is as it has always been, imminent.