Beginning with the Beginning

So many people through the ages and alive on Planet Earth today have refused to believe in the God of the Bible. Or they live as if there is no God. Others may concede there’s only one true God, yet they reject the timeless truth of His Word.

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:21-23).

The Apostle Paul wrote these words nearly 2,000 years ago, and people still worship the creation instead of the Creator. Except in this hi-tech post-modern world, the “enlightened and educated” among us don’t bow down before idols as some do in less-sophisticated cultures. Instead, they embrace political pluralism, moral relativism, and/or evolution as their religion.

Among other definitions of religion, it is: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith” (Webster’s Dictionary).

Despite the infinitely complex macro-universe and micro-biology of life (there’s no way even one cell could have come to life on its own) with the mind-boggling order of the heavenly bodies and incredible intricacy of earthly bodies, many believe that creation created itself. Or, that it simply developed by chance. As has been said: every watch needs a watchmaker; every house needs a builder. The universe and all living things are far more complicated than a watch. If anyone seriously believes in evolution or man-made gods, then they (according to God who they refuse to believe made them) are foolish.

This may be a roundabout way to introduce the main subject of today’s article. However, unless people accept the very first verse of Scripture, it’s unlikely that they’ll consider the true source and meaning of their existence, their fallen (sinful) condition, and the need for Biblical salvation through God’s Son, Messiah Jesus, and Him alone.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Many powerful prophecies and mighty miracles prove beyond any doubt that:

The God of the Bible IS GOD and His Son IS GOD

The reason religious leaders who worship other gods can’t predict the future nor perform miracles is actually quite simple: Those gods aren’t real. They exist only in the meandering minds and hardened hearts of those who have invented their own religion. Or those who have deceitfully imitated Biblical redemption by distorting the true Christian faith in God and His Son, Messiah Jesus. Or the elite and erudite among us who implicitly trust in their “enlightened” explanations for the origin and purpose of life.

The Apostle Paul also wrote: “So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe” (I Corinthians 1:20-21).

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer and Creator: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth? I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, People will live here again, and to the towns of Judah, You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’” (Isaiah 44:24-26).

The “I” (am the Lord) of the above passage is the majestic Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who in that same first chapter of Genesis said: “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us…” (Genesis 1:26, emphasis added).

In plain language, King David—inspired by the Holy Spirit—tells us that God has a Son. See Psalm 2 and Psalm 110.

Also, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else” (Psalm 45:6-7, italics for emphasis).

(See Eye of Prophecy articles, Does God Really Have a Son? Part I & II. Posted 10-31 & 11-7-15).

That Son is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, who fulfilled in extraordinary detail all Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. So much so that the Jewish author of the New Testament book of Hebrews (which definitively and dramatically demonstrates Jesus’s New Covenant once for all sacrifice for sin) declares:

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Most Biblical prophecies are panoramic and/or precise (specific) predictions that describe the coming Messiah (both first and second Advents); the return of the Jews to the Promised Land; the rebirth of Israel as a nation; and Israel’s final rescue, restoration, and redemption that will take place in the last generation before and during Messiah’s Millennial Reign on earth. As a result, Gentiles and Gentile nations that survive the Great Tribulation will share in Israel’s blessings.

For example: “In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear” (Micah 4:1-4).

How good is that! I, for one, can hardly wait.

Somewhat Shrouded, Yet Significant Time-Capsule Prophecies

A handful of prophecies are not as comprehensively conspicuous as the passage (and many others like it) that we just read. They require more correlation with other passages and sometimes closer scrutiny of the present and past (history). Nevertheless, they are strikingly significant in substance and scope. A handful of these prophetic hidden gems are based on time-dedicated dates of fulfillment or importance of a certain day or date.

One of these time-lapse prophecies is found in Daniel Chapter 9; the famous 70 weeks of Israel’s future (interacting with Gentile nations … the 70^th week—Tribulation period). Particularly the sixty-nine weeks from the command given to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem by Persian king Artaxerxes to the coming of Messiah (Palm Sunday)—exactly 483 years on the Hebrew calendar … 173,880 days. However, not until the late 19^th century did an ardent student of Bible prophecy, Sir Robert Anderson—a detective with Scotland Yard—actually calculate the dates of Daniel’s prophecy. He wrote about this in his book, The Coming Prince.

I’ve discussed this dramatic disclosure in several Eye of Prophecy articles, including one of the earlier articles, An Incredible Time-Lapse Prophecy. Posted 1-18-14. Also, the 2^nd most read Eye of Prophecy article thus far: Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here? Published 6-25-16.

Not only does Daniel’s prophecy pinpoint the exact day of Messiah’s first Advent, it also reinforces that phenomenal prediction with unmistakable evidence that Messiah must be killed before the (2^nd) Temple would be destroyed (Daniel 9:26).

(Also refer to articles detailing at length Daniel 9:24-27: The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible, Part I & II, published recently …1-13 & 1-20-18).

Another remarkable prophecy that relates to actual years of fulfillment is found in Leviticus Chapter 26, something the Lord disclosed to me in 2006. What Daniel 9 is to the first coming of Messiah, Leviticus 26 is to the second coming of Christ. More specifically, the exact year in which (what I’ve termed) the Seven Times Seven discipline of Israel ended when the IDF liberated Jerusalem in the stunning Six-Day War of 1967; thereby, ending Gentile domination of the Jews. Which, in turn, is an integral facet of the end-times final generation that will see the return of Messiah.

Once again, I’ll refer you to the articles of Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th Power) I, II, & III; followed in summary fashion by, The Omega Generation (1-25, 2-1, 2-8 & 2-15-14).

Regarding calculation of the actual years involved, here is an excerpt from Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th Power), Part II (in italics):

A Phenomenal Finding (Let’s do the Math)

Calculations: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 equals 2,401 (years). Remember the premise: This prophecy is a specific time-lapse utilization of sevens that can be measured in years, in a very similar manner to the Daniel Chapter 9 prophecy. We must now convert the 2,401 years to Jewish years.

Roman to Jewish calendar: 2,401 years x 365 Roman calendar days = 876,365 days. Dividing 876,365 by 360 Jewish calendar days = 2,434 years Jewish years. (We’re rounding this off, because we’re only interested in the year, unlike the exact day(s) of the Daniel prophecy).

Jubilee Years: Again, we need to remember that the ultimate criteria that God used to preclude or preempt any excuses or rationalization of the people was the Sabbatical rest of the land. But we also need to include all Jubilee years, which was a 50-year cycle of freedom from debt, servitude, and also resting the land from crop planting… Because the Israelites also failed to keep the Jubilee requirements, this would be a central part of God’s formula for discipline.

So we divide 2,434 Jewish years by 50 and we get 49 (rounded off) Jubilee years over that period of time.

We add 2,434 years + 49 (Jubilee) years. The sum of these two: 2,483 (years).

The Astonishing Result: 2,483 years minus 516 BC (we must subtract BC years from the total) leads us to the year: 1967! Or 1,967 years AD plus 516 years BC is a total of 2,483 years.

*Note: I certainly didn’t start with the year 1967 and work backwards. Initially, I had no idea in what year the seven times seven paradigm would end.

Another Date-Dedicated Pearl of Biblical Prophecy (Main Subject of This Week’s Article)

It’s found in a two-chapter book of the Bible; a book that even believers seldom study, compared to other books of the Bible read more often. We’ll begin with:

“On December 18^th of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord sent this message to the prophet Haggai” (Haggai 2:10).

The backdrop is a delayed interruption of some ten years (530 B.C. to 520 B.C.) during construction of the 2^nd Jewish Temple, which began in 536 B.C. after Cyrus issued the decree in 538 B.C. for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. On March 12^th (3^rd day of Adar—12th month of the Hebrew calendar), 515 B.C., the Temple was finally completed. The more complete account is found in the book of Ezra.

Haggai and Zechariah were the two prophets appointed by God to both warn and encourage the Jews to get back to the task of rebuilding the Jewish Temple.

Several Old Testament prophets record the exact day or month, or both day and month in which they received a message from the Lord. Some will then identify the year of the ruler’s reign … be it a Jewish king, or a Gentile king. Thus, in most Bible translations like the KJV, New American Standard Bible, or Complete Jewish Bible, Haggai 2:10 reads: “On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius…”

If you have a study Bible, the footnotes may sometimes identify the number of the month by its Hebrew name. In this case, the Hebrew month (ninth) is the month of Kislev, which overlaps parts of November and December on the Gregorian calendar. The first Jewish Biblical (religious) month is Nisan (March/April). Subsequently, the month of Tishrei (7^th month of the religious calendar) became the first month of the civil year … Rosh HaShana (New Year Feast of Trumpets).

(Periodically, the Hebrew calendar has 13 months … Nisan is moved up a few days … to account for the 29 1/2 days of the lunar cycle, which over time balances the years out 30 days per month. The solar Gregorian calendar adjusts its precision by adding leap years)

However, a few Bible translations (such as New Living Translation that I quote from unless otherwise noted) make it easier for the reader by citing the Gregorian calendar date, in this case December 18^th. In a footnote, the study Bible will then identify (through historical records) the precise year. In Haggai it was December 18^th, 520 B.C.

Twice more the date of December 18^th is mentioned, which emphasizes and enhances its significance, as we shall soon see. There are at least two other times in Scripture where God’s repetition, such as the one (date) we read in Haggai, actually depicts two events of the same nature. With the first reference applicable at that time or soon thereafter; the second fast forwarding to the end times.

For detailed explanation of one of these double descriptions concerning Israel’s two separate exiles and two returns to Israel, please see Eye of Prophecy article, Double Israel’s Troubles & Double Her Blessings! Posted 8-13-16.

Another dual emphasized event: “Babylon is fallen, Babylon is fallen” (Revelation 18). The first taking place when Persia conquered it the 6^th century B.C.; the second when Rome (encoded by the name of Babylon) is destroyed during the Great Tribulation.

Continuing in Haggai:

“Think about this eighteenth day of December, (and also) the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you” (Haggai 2:18-19, parenthesis mine).

*Note: The Complete Jewish Bible reads, “…keep this in mind, from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of Adonai’s temple was laid, consider this…” (Haggai 2:18). The Lord is not saying that the foundation of the temple was laid on the 24^th of Kislev; rather, from this day onward (24^th of Kislev) AND also (going back) to when the foundation was laid … “I will bless you.”

In fact, the foundation of the Temple was actually laid nearly 16 years earlier.

As explained in Haggai 2:14-17: Before the people began to lay the foundation (they had reconstructed the altar and resumed sacrifices but had not actually begun the Temple construction, as recorded in Ezra), their crops yielded only a portion of what they should have.

The Lord is telling Haggai that he would now begin to bless them in a way he hadn’t since years before they were conquered by Babylon, their exile in Babylon, and after they had stopped work on the Temple. But also they needed to, “get (back) to work” (Haggai 2:4). Consequently, they should pay special attention to that 24^th day of Kislev, which (nearly 20 years after they first did anything about rebuilding the Temple) would be a memorial milepost in their history. But also their future! The Lord wanted his people to grasp the “back to the future” significance of that day.

Before we read further in Haggai what the Lord would do, we need to place the Lord’s promise “from this day onward, I will bless you” into a broader Biblical perspective of other prophecies. The Israelites were still under the blessings and curses of the Mosaic Law. Scripture clearly demonstrates that the spiritual revival of God’s people was short-lived after the Temple and walls of Jerusalem (in that order) were rebuilt. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi confirm this.

Not long after Nehemiah returned to Israel to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the Lord ceased all communication with his people for 400 years. Until John the Baptist, there were no more prophets in and to Israel. During this time Judaism split into different sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots, and Essenes. The Jews became more legalistic than ever, especially through extra-Biblical interpretations of the law … subsequently written down in the Talmud.

The Jews would continue under Persian, Grecian, Syrian, and Roman domination for the next 600 years. However, because of God’s reinstated blessings as stated in Haggai (also Zachariah) they still prospered as much as a nation could under foreign control. In fact, the Lord miraculously delivered them from the rule of the Seleucid King Antiochus Epiphanes IV in 167-168 B.C. That’s what the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah is all about to this very day! And until Nero Caesar ordered the Roman Legions to march against Israel in 66 A.D., the Jews had maintained (comparatively speaking) a thriving community and economy under Roman rule.

Not until God’s people made their biggest mistake of all, did they suffer a second even more catastrophic loss of their nation and subsequent dispersion that would last for some 1,900 years. They rejected God’s New Covenant and their Messiah who brought (purchased with his life’s blood) that covenant to them and also to the Gentiles.

Thus, when the Lord said he would bless Israel from that day forward (Kislev 24^th) he was contrasting it to the withdrawal of his protection and blessings before and during the Babylonian captivity. Until God’s end time’s sovereign design to finally redeem and restore Israel as a nation, the blessings would be conditional and comparatively limited. Yet, even during the Diaspora, right up to and through the Second World War, the Lord blessed and prospered many of his people throughout the world. The main reason that many Germans—especially the Nazis—and also people from other nations despised the Jews was because many Jews were successful in business, arts and entertainment, science, and specialized professions such as law and medicine. Sadly, Anti-Semitism has once again reared its ugly head in the 21^st century.

*Note: Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not minimizing the horrors of the Holocaust and other terrible persecution of the Jews during their Diaspora. Yet with exception of only a few Jews (including some Rabbis) most are in denial or don’t realize why the Diaspora took place. Not until the Great Tribulation to come will both Israel and the Gentiles fully understand.

Here’s what the Lord says after he completely crushes the Gog/Magog coalition:

“And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them and let their enemies destroy them … Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind” (Ezekiel 39:22-23 & 28).

A Remarkable Correlation of the 24^th day of Kislev in Haggai’s Time to the Beginning of the Omega Generation

Perhaps there is one (temporarily overlooked), but I know of nowhere else in Scripture where God instructs his people to reflect on a specific date in this fashion, except one—Passover. Later, through Moses, the Lord established precise days/months of the year for observance of the Sabbath and Festivals. However, the Lord didn’t actually tell them to observe the 24^th day of the 9^th month. Kislev. Rather he told them to think about it … then and in the future.

It’s crystal clear that the 24^th of Kislev in Haggai’s time was also prophetic, beyond the immediate day when the Lord gave him the two messages. Here’s why:

“On that same day, December 18 (24^th of Kislev), the Lord sent this second message to Haggai: ‘Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms…” (Haggai 2:20-22).

This was also the second time in Haggai Chapter 2 that the Lord said: “I will shake all the nations…” He goes on to say, “…and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory…” (Verse 7).

Both Biblical and secular history demonstrate that this first “shaking of the nations” took place with the fall of Persia, Greece, and then the Roman Empire. Moreover, the splendid improvements to the Ezra built temple accomplished by Herod the Great, included “treasures” from nations other than Israel. And the filling of the Temple with God’s glory was achieved by and through the presence of Messiah Jesus (glory of the Son of God) during his many visitations to the Temple.

(While Teaching in the Temple, Jesus Said, “I am the light of the world! If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to light” … John 8:12)

If the Lord placed a repetitive emphasis (high regard) on that momentous day by expanding or extending it to the future, there should be a subsequent event that fits the end-time’s generation. Not until a recent article about Jerusalem’s first liberation in the early 20^th century, did the Lord show me the relevancy.

The Startling Connection

The article written by a Messianic Jew, Mike Evans (fairly well-known … a good friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) was simply a brief summary of Jerusalem’s deliverance (the second liberation taking place in 1967 by the Israelis themselves) from the Ottoman Empire. Although I’ve read about Great Britain’s victory over the Ottoman Turks during World War I (1917), I didn’t pay that much attention to the fact that it took place in December until I read Mike’s article. Even then, not until I read Haggai again just a few days later.

December? I thought. I wonder if….!

Mike Evans focused more on the day of December 11^th, 1917, when the British General, Sir Edmund Allenby walked through Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate to officially announce the end of Ottoman rule over Jerusalem. Evans focused on that date because this past December 11^th he met with President Trump at the Oval Office to present him with the Friends of Zion Award. This to recognize the President’s declaration on December 6^th, formally acknowledging Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In attendance were most members of the Faith Advisory Council, appointed by President Trump. Such members as: James Dobson, Jack Graham, Greg Laurie, Robert Jeffries, Robert Morris, Ralph Reed, and James Robinson.

Regarding the British victory over the Ottoman Turks, it was actually two days earlier that Jerusalem’s Muslim Mayor, Haj Amin Hashashibi, surrendered Jerusalem to the British … without a shot being fired!

December 9^th, 1917: The Ottoman 7^th army and some German soldiers and advisors fled Jerusalem rather than continue fighting bloody battles with the British, the most recent of which had taken place on November 25^th. On December 8^th, the British began their final march on Jerusalem; however, the Turks and Germans already had enough. The following day, December 9^th, the city was handed over to the British.

With a combination of anticipation and apprehension (what are the chances), I proceeded to look up December 9, 1917 on a Hebrew calendar converter. What do you suppose I discovered? Having asked that question, you already know the answer. If what was found wasn’t found, you would be reading some other Eye of Prophecy article this week!

That’s right. The 9^th of December, 1917 was the 24^th day of Kislev!

Stunning!

Hello Haggai. From this last day’s generation we want you to know: We’ve thought about it!

Such is the sovereignty of our Almighty God. Once again in the second (end times) fulfillment of the Lord’s prophetic reminder (through Haggai), he began to “overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms” (Verse 22). The word foreign is used because they would be foreign to Israel. That’s exactly what happened to the Ottoman Empire, to Germany and its allies in World War I. And in World War II. And again during the soon to come Gog/Magog alliance led by Russia, Iran, and (that’s right) Turkey! And finally when Messiah returns in power and great glory to destroy the Antichrist-led coalition in the final battle of Armageddon.

Not only that: Just a little over a month earlier (November 2, 1917), the Balfour Declaration had been approved by England, to facilitate what would become the Palestinian Mandate for the Jews (and Arabs if they chose, which they didn’t) to reclaim Israel as their own, and begin the process for statehood. As stated in several Eye of Prophecy articles, the Balfour Declaration was the launch-pad preparation point for fulfillment of last day’s (generation) prophecy. (See articles, The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation Part I & II, posted in May, 2017).

However, unless the British had conquered the Ottoman Turk Empire and ended its 400-year control of Jerusalem, the Balfour Declaration would barely be worth the paper it was written on. And had the Turks not joined Germany and other nations aligned against Great Britain, France, and their allies (which eventually included the United States joining the war in 1917), the First World War probably would have been confined to Europe. The Ottoman Empire would have continued, and Jerusalem would not have been liberated.

It wasn’t an easy victory over the Turks, including the fierce battles that led to Jerusalem’s emancipation. Most of us recall something about the epic battle at Gallipoli (more than one movie has been made of this famous battle) where the British and Australians suffered a crushing loss to the Turks. And there would be mop-up skirmishes in other towns of Israel (Palestine at the time) such as Jaffa—that would prolong the inevitable British victory for three more weeks, until December 30^th, 1917.

There’s more!

The Effective Origin of Zionism

Just like the foundation of the Temple was laid 16-17 years before the Lord’s emphasis on the 24^th of Kislev (in Haggai’s time and also in the future), then finally finished some 20 years after the foundation was laid; so, too, there was another event in Jewish history that marked the beginning of the beginning of the final generation.

Twenty years earlier (1897), Theodor Herzl, an Austrian Jew, persuaded many influential Jews and some Gentiles to meet at the First Zionist Congress in Switzerland. From that first ever gathering to discuss restoration of a Jewish homeland, the World Zionist Organization was created, with Herzl as President. Theodor Herzl is considered the father of Zionism, which is simply the return of Jews to Israel as so powerfully and prevalently predicted in Scripture.

Thus, Herzl laid the foundation that would result in the liberation of Jerusalem, just like Jerusalem was freed (at the decree of Cyrus) enough for the Temple to be rebuilt by those Jews who returned from exile. Unfortunately, Herzl died from pneumonia in 1904 at the early age of 44. Obviously, his visionary dream for Israel’s restoration lived on.

Frankly, I think this otherwise obscure passage in Haggai is amazing. Yet, it’s just one of many fulfillment of prophecy that continue to unfold before the watching eyes of the world. For that matter, all of the Bible is amazing. Which is why it also never ceases to amaze me that so many people disregard and disrespect Scripture, because it’s so old. Therefore, outdated. Consequently, irrelevant.

Seriously? It’s no more outdated than today’s news flashes online and offline. It’s no more irrelevant than the staggering rapid-fire changes in the world’s geopolitical, economic, and cultural scene caused by and continuing since both World Wars. Even more so by the global obsession with Israel, beginning with the Balfour Declaration, implementation of which was made possible by the transfer of Jerusalem from the Turks to the British on the 24^th of Kislev 1917. Then the rebirth of Israel in 1947-48. Then the reclamation of Jerusalem by the Jews themselves in 1967.

So, let’s think about it!

Not to mention the fact that the absolute spiritual truths of Scripture are universally timeless, no less than the God of the Bible who is from everlasting to everlasting. But I’ll mention it anyway!

Things to Ponder

This week’s Eye of Prophecy article is number 240 written since this labor of love project began in July, 2013. One each week, always posted on Saturday. The correlation (symmetry) between that number (the first two digits) and the 24^th day of Kislev caught my attention. But nothing like the superb symmetry and synchronization of Scripture; God-breathed inspiration to 40 authors of the 66 books of the Bible, in three different languages, throughout a 2,000-year span.

There is another significant (somber) event in Biblical and Jewish history; one that also happened twice, incredibly on the same Hebrew calendar day. I’m referring to the 9^th of Av … July/August. At the time, it was the worst day in Jewish history, the day that the Babylonians completed their conquest of Judah and destroyed Solomon’s Temple. Afterward, the Jews annually set aside that awful day as a national day of mourning. Then it happened again, when the Romans demolished the second temple. God’s people were incredulous that the temple would be destroyed a second time, let alone on the 9^th of Av.

Although no one knows the day of Messiah’s return, perhaps it might be on the 9^th of Av. To finally and fully demonstrate that he is, indeed, the Messiah, the Author and Finisher of the New Covenant of Grace. That salvation is exclusively through faith in his once for all substitutionary sacrifice for sin, not the Levitical sacrificial system that had to be repeated again and again.

In a trilogy of Eye of Prophecy articles, Where is the Temple? (Posted 11-29, 12-6, & 12-13-14), the primary premise was as follows:

No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.

One more fascinating fact concerning the month of Kislev.

As indicated earlier, it was December 6^th (2017) when President Trump made the historic announcement that the United States would officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and also confirmed his previous promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem?

No, December 6, 2017 was not the 24^th of Kislev.

It was, however, the 18^th of Kislev!

Though not as important as the 24^th day of Kislev in Haggai’s time—with God’s blessings on Israel magnified 2,437 years later when Jerusalem was liberated from Ottoman control on that very same day of the Hebrew month—it does bear significance when you juxtapose the Hebrew and Gentile calendars.

Remember that the first significant 24^th of Kislev in Haggai equals the 18^th of December on the Gentile calendar. Combining the two on the day when the United States validated Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital, we have the 18^th Jewish day (of Kislev) in the confines of the (Gentile) month of December.

Also recall that the 24^th of Kislev is mentioned three times in Haggai. The first time in the context of that particular (present) day in Haggai’s time, the other two in the broader future context of the Lord blessing Israel. A blessing that would intensify and then culminate with the onset of Israel’s final restoration and redemption accompanied and facilitated by the Lord’s shaking the earth, overthrowing royal thrones, and destroying the power of foreign kingdoms.

“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” (Zechariah 10:6).

God’s people have, indeed, gone to Israel, and are still going. This time to stay!

**A special tribute to Billy Graham, who died this past Wednesday (2-21) at the age of 99. Such a great evangelist who proclaimed and defended the Gospel of Jesus Christ to over 200 million people of 195 cities in 185 countries and territories for some six decades.

He was born on November 7, 1918, a little over a year after the Balfour Declaration and less than a year after Jerusalem’s liberation.

He was born in the month of Kislev (3^rd)!

My father came to know Messiah Jesus through one of Billy’s messages.

Thank you Lord for sending us Billy Graham.

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).