SEVEN TIMES SEVEN (to the 4th power)! Part III

1967 … What a year! The Six-Day War … What a war! Like me, some of you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news of Israel’s stunning victory. Some of you were not yet born, but you read about it in the history books. I recall thinking: How can any nation win a war in just six days? That’s unheard of … simply not possible. On top of that we’re talking about the tiny nation of Israel, surrounded and vastly outnumbered by Arab nations on all sides. Well, we believe it because it happened. It’s true, and Israel will never be the same again. Why not? What is the dramatic difference in Israel after the June, 1967 Six-Day War?

Before we find answers to that question, just a little more suspense! I’m talking once more about the incredible prophecy in Leviticus that was revealed and explained in last week’s article; whereby the mathematical calculation of seven times seven (to the 4th power) beginning in 516 BC leads to the year 1967. Just in case you think this is a happen-chance coincidence, we’re going to further validate and authenticate the accuracy of this amazing prophecy. We’re going to connect more dots and see another astonishing correlation between the seven times over prophecy and historical events.

A brief review. By accepting the premise that the seven times over prophetic template (7 x 7 x 7 x 7) represented God’s encoded measurement of uninterrupted time/years, plus 49 Jubilee years, we reached the calendar year 1967. So, what would happen if we used only the first three sevens? Where would we find Israel, if we reduced the formula to 7 x 7 x 7?

A little hint: We should expect to find another significant incident in Israel’s antiquity that would corresponded historically to seven times over to the 3rd power. Meaning 7 x 7 equals 49. Then 49 x 7 equals 343 Roman calendar years (7 x 7 x 7). Moreover, this event should reflect the nature and extent of God’s discipline of Israel as described in Leviticus Chapter 26 … specifically the third phase or installment of seven times over.

Calculations: 343 Roman years x 365 days (in a year) =s 125,195 days.

125,195 (days) divided by 360 (Jewish days in a year) =s 347.76 Jewish years or 347 years, 9 months, or rounded off to 348 years.

Using the same beginning date of 516 BC—technically we could also use 515 BC, as the Jewish new year begins in Sept/Oct of our Roman calendar—we do the following math: 516 BC minus (we must subtract because we’re in BC history) 348 years leads us to the year 168 BC … or 167 BC, depending on the starting point of 516 BC or 515 BC.

So what happened in 168-167 BC? Only the most horrible thing that Israel had experienced since the 70-year Babylonian captivity: The infamous campaign of Antiochus Epiphanes IV against Egypt, then against Israel in which this evil prototype of Antichrist defiled the rebuilt Jewish Temple, killed some 40,000 Jews, and enslaved another 40,000. It was the darkest day of Israel’s post Babylonian history that matches the chronological time-lapse of phase three (7 x 7 x 7); to then be exceeded in horror by the fourth and final phase (the last 7 times over) that would last for over two thousand years, but finally end in 1967. In the fourth and final phase, Israel’s distress increased exponentially, beginning with the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, followed by massive dispersion of Jews to virtually every nation on earth. And, finally, the greatest of all Jewish tragedies … the Holocaust at the hands of Hitler’s Third Reich.

Let’s examine just a portion of the third phase of God’s punishment as found in Leviticus 26: “…I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins. I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken … you will be handed over to your enemies … I will destroy your food supply….” (Verses 24-26).

After 516 BC no armies had attacked Israel, until Antiochus IV’s assault on Jerusalem in 168-167 BC. So that part of the third phase of the Leviticus seven times over prophecy fits perfectly. But also notice that this third segment of the prophecy did NOT include exile to all nations of the world. That comes only with the fourth and final stage. However, the third installment does predict that armies will attack Israel and they will be handed over (temporarily) to their enemies. That’s precisely what happened when Antiochus attacked Jerusalem (only to be defeated several years later by the Maccabees). Furthermore, it occurred exactly at the end of the time period specified by the seven times over paradigm, as explained above … 347-348 Jewish years.

Think about it. That is absolutely extraordinary! Not only does the full scope of the prophecy (seven to the 4th power) take us to the end of the seven times over curse (1967), but we see the startling accuracy of the prophecy even at the end of the third phase, in which the described punishment matches the horrendous cruelty of Antiochus against the Jews.

*Note: You might ask, “What about the Jubilee years? Shouldn’t they be factored in as they were for the full extent of the seven times over period of time? No, they should be added only at the very end of all four sets of seven, not at the end of the third phase. Because we must track the passage of time continuously in terms of consecutive years, then add the number of Jubilee years to the total. However, if you think Jubilee years should be added as they occur (every 50 years), then the third phase of seven times would take us to the years 161-160 BC (7 Jubilee years). Which is the time frame when the Maccabees defeated the armies of Antiochus IV, temporarily regained their freedom, and restored the Temple, i.e. the modern-day celebration of Hanukkah. Either way, the prophecy works. Right? Of course, right!

All Biblical prophecies have or will come to pass. Some prophecies are as clear as day for all to understand. Others are what I call twilight prophecies, in which a student of Scripture needs to squint and focus intently on what’s being said. Then there are the midnight prophecies that require a good deal of Biblical/historical comparison and juxtaposition, and illumination to fully grasp their meaning. The Leviticus 26 prophecy falls into the latter category, as does the Daniel 9 prophecy disclosed to/by Sir Robert Anderson.

Back to 1967

I vividly recall the Six-Day War … where I was and what I was doing when the news flashed around the world. Since then, I and many students of Biblical prophecy and current events have better understood the tremendous significance of Israel’s victory. But no one appreciates the impact of those six days in June and the aftermath more than the Jews, both religious and secular.

The Six-Day War took place 50 years–a Jubilee period of time–after the first milestone in Israel’s modern-day rebirth as a nation. I’m referring to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, in which Lord Balfour of Great Britain paved the way for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine by validation of the Zionist movement initiated by Jewish leaders Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann. These founding fathers of modern-day Israel believed that the only solution to the “Jewish Question” was a return of the Jews to Palestine. In 1922, the League of Nations approved the Balfour Declaration via a “Mandate for Palestine.” This was the beginning of Jews returning in increasing numbers to the Holy Land and resettling the land originally given to them by God, himself. No other nation or land on the earth has a title-deed signed, sealed, and delivered by God, as does the Promised Land known as Israel.

Sadly, return of the Jews and Israel’s statehood came too late to avoid the greatest disaster in Jewish history: the Holocaust during World War II … which constituted the full and final expression of the seven times over discipline.

However, were it not for the horror of the Holocaust, there would have been no United Nations approval of a Jewish Homeland (November, 1947); then the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in May, 1948. Immediately five Arab countries attacked the fledgling state of Israel with the express purpose of erasing Israel from existence before she could even show up on global maps of the earth. In those early days of statehood, Israel had no formally trained or sophisticated military; thus their War of Independence was essentially a guerilla or paramilitary type of defensive war—fought and won (against staggering odds) as a matter of sheer survival.

On paper, there’s absolutely no way that Israel should have defeated her enemies in 1948. But then the God of Israel is not a paper god nor a god invented by man. He is the true and living God. With him any victory is possible; without him all the military might in the world is useless. Just ask the inhabitants of Jericho, whose walls were virtually impenetrable! That is, until Joshua and the Israelites marched around the city, blew the ram’s horn, shouted at the top of their lungs, and watched as the walls crumbled to the earth.

Our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is an awesome God! All other gods are imposters. No, they are not imposters … they are non-existent! They are figments of vain imaginations. They cannot make their predictions come true like the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible can. In fact, they dare not make predictions. Our God IS God! Our Messiah IS Messiah! We await his soon return … come quickly Lord Jesus!

The Ultimate Significance of 1967

Not until the Six-Day War, did Israel really possess and then demonstrate the capacity to take the offensive against Arab armies. Meaning, that their military (IDF) was strong enough to recapture Jerusalem from the Jordanians, to take back the Western Wall and Temple Mount. They were skilled enough to literally take the high ground of the Golan Heights from Syria, and equipped enough to retake Gaza and Sinai from Egypt. From international pressure including the United States, Israel gave back much of this territory including the Temple Mount (the most holy Jewish site in the most Holy City of Jerusalem); but they still exercise ultimate authority over these strategic areas of the Holy Land.

The Jews for the very first time since the days of their Babylonian captivity, were free of Gentile domination!

This unquestioned ability to defend herself and, if necessary, to take the offensive, was reconfirmed in the brutal, yet victorious Yom Kippur War of 1973. Since then, no Arab nation or coalition has dared use their armies or conventional warfare to attack Israel. Instead, they have resorted to terrorist attacks, mortar/missile launchings against civilians, propaganda, and BDS strategies.

What does all this mean? I believe the evidence is indisputable, not the least of which is the seven times over prophecy ending in the year 1967. Now that this mysterious prophecy has run its full course, Israel and the Jewish people are no longer under the thumb of Gentile nations. The Times of the Gentiles ended in 1967! This is an astonishing sign of the end times; that is the physical rebirth and restoration of Israel, substantial return of millions of Jews to the land of their ancestors, and the miracle of such a small country and small population being one of the top five military powers of the modern world.

For the first time in nearly 2,500 years, Israel has the military resources to fight its own battles and even conduct preemptive strikes to silence the ominous threats of extinction by her enemies, such as a nuclear Iran. She is a beacon of democracy in a Middle-East full of totalitarian Muslim regimes that fight among themselves and have only one thing in common: the malicious desire to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. She is powerful enough to be a deterrent to terrorist groups and quite capable of making rogue rulers think twice about use of WMDs. Before 1967, this kind of prestige, power, presence, and position was not available to Israel. When God ended Israel’s discipline in 1967 (7 x 7 x 7 x 7), he also ended the Gentile nation’s conquest, oppression, suppression, dominance, and defeat of Israel.

However, please don’t misunderstand: Israel is still destined for a time of great distress called the Time of Jacob’s trouble in Scripture. The intensity of this will peak during the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. But with one huge distinction … one monumental difference: this time Israel can and will inflict great hurt on her attackers. And even more importantly: At the midnight hour when all seems hopeless, when Israel’s survival is very much in doubt, her Messiah (our Messiah) will return to fight with the Jews, to lead the Israelis in battle.

Forty years before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, Israel’s Messiah was led as a lamb to the slaughter, in order to die and atone for the sins of Israel (the whole world). For 2,500 years the Jews have been led as sheep to slaughter because they disobeyed their God and then rejected their ultimate atonement from sin, their Redeemer. When the risen Christ returns, he will conquer Israel’s enemies and bring final salvation to the Jews. This time, God’s chosen people will listen. They will reach out to their Messiah. They will fight with him, not against.

Listen to the words of the prophet Zechariah: “They (the Jews) will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the Lord is with them as they fight … I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries. The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors….” (Zechariah 10: 5-7).

When Israel’s back is to the wall, Zechariah goes on to say: “On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! … For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12: 8-9).

Finally, after all these years, the curse of the Leviticus seven times over discipline has ended. Never again will the God of Israel withdraw his protection from the people he has loved and chosen to bring salvation through none other than the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Once again, the Jews live in the land promised to them by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This time, they are there to stay. This time the Lord will protect them as he did long ago.

“Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem….” (Zechariah 14: 3-4).

And in those last days, the Lord tells his people, “…I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations … I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles” (Zechariah 9: 10 & 12).

Summary

The seven times over prophetic fulfillment is more evidence that the last days are upon us. It is far beyond mere coincidence that the seven times seven model applied to chronological time/years just happens to end in 1967. The fact that Israel is now a sovereign nation reborn from the fires of Nazi death camps and from the tragic floods of world-wide exile among the nations is proof-positive that Messiah is soon to return.

The first step was return of the Jews to Israel; followed by the rebirth of their nation in a single day (Isaiah 66); followed by the God-given empowerment to fight for and protect their people, whether through defensive or offensive military victories; ultimately peaking with superhuman strength to fight the nations that will be led by the Antichrist (Nero); and finally the majestic return of Christ to rescue Israel from annihilation and to bring final spiritual restoration to the apple of God’s eye, the beautiful land of Israel, and the holy city of Jerusalem.

God’s continuous discipline of Israel ended in 1967, a punishment that was administered by withdrawal of his sovereign protection of Israel from her enemies. “Never again,” say the Jews. Never again will they be led as sheep to the slaughter (Antiochus IV, Titus, Hitler; crusades, inquisitions, pogroms) without the means to defend themselves against enemies who seek their utter destruction.

Like in the days of old, the Jews will also remember that their trust in the Lord is what wins battles, not just military might. Once again they will face insurmountable odds and stare defeat in the eyes; but this time they will call on the name of the Lord … they will call out to their Messiah. He will hear their call and he will fight for them, as he did when they first entered the Promised Land with Joshua, and as he led King David in victory after victory during Israel’s glory days.

They will shout, “Baruch haba, beshem Adonai.” Blessed is he (Jesus) who comes in the name of the Lord (God the father). And then, all Israel will be saved!

Things to Ponder
– Are you ready for the Rapture? According to Christ, himself, no one knows the day or hour. On the other hand, Jesus gave us many signs of the last days, as do many books of the Bible. Most of these Biblical end times indicators pertain directly to Israel, as addressed in this article and in many prior articles on the Eye of Prophecy blog site. Check out the Eye of Prophecy archives.
– As Israel goes, so goes the final days before Messiah’s return. We will continue to match the breathtaking prophecies of Scripture to what is happening in today’s world, especially in Israel and the Middle East.