AN INCREDIBLE PROPHECY (WITH A PRECISE TIME-LAPSE FULFILLMENT)

What the book of Revelation is to the New-Testament, the book of Daniel is to the Old Testament. Some of Daniel’s predictions were fulfilled about 360 years later, others 560 years afterwards, and still others await the onset of the Tribulation and glorious return of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

To be sure, there are several other books of both Testaments that are replete with astounding predictions of the future; many have already come to pass, and many more pending fulfillment. The very fact that the Bible boldly forecasts the future (with amazing accuracy), separates it from all other religious writings the world over.

From the Garden of Eden announcement in Genesis of the coming Savior who would conquer the very source of sin and evil, Satan (Genesis 3:15); to a future Prophet like (greater than) Moses, Duet. 18:15); to a Son given to us who will be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9); to a divine child born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); to a Messiah who would first be a suffering servant (Isaiah 53); to the Son of Man who would be nailed to a cross, dice thrown for his garments, and all the ugly things that Christ suffered on the cross (Psalms 22); to a Redeemer raised from the dead (Psalms 16:10), and many others.

The books of Daniel and Revelation deliver breath-taking revelations that are similar in scope and detail, particularly disclosures of the Anti-Christ (Daniel 7, 9, 11, alongside of Revelation 13 & 17, including the very identity of this wicked man—see my book Out of the Abyss). Likewise both books provide astonishing before and after information of the four Gentile kingdoms that dominated the world in their time (Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome); as well as Daniel’s precise predictions of the “king of the north” fulfilled hundreds of years later by Antiochus Epiphanies IV. Many are familiar with these prophecies, but not too many are acquainted with or accurately understand a phenomenal prophecy found in Daniel Chapter 9. Let’s read the words given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel:

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times” (Daniel 9: 24-25).

Many Old Testament prophets speak of the coming Messiah, listing dozens of literal details as to what the Messiah would experience, how and from where he would originate, how he would be received, and what he would accomplish. What, then, makes the Daniel Chapter 9 prophecy so extraordinarily unique? It pinpoints the actual time when Messiah would arrive on the scene of human history!

There are a handful of other prophecies in which God specifies the length of time before the event will take place or how long the event will last. For example, God told Abraham that, “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land…” (Genesis 15:16). As later confirmed, the Israelites spent 400 years in Egypt, before they were delivered by God through Moses, enabling them to return to the Promised Land. Moreover, at that time, a generation was essentially defined and measured (in terms of time) as a hundred years.

Another example is the precise 70-year exile of the Jews in Babylon foretold by Jeremiah before the mighty Babylonian Empire sacked Jerusalem and demolished Solomon’s Temple. The period of captivity began in 586 BC and ended in 516 BC.

Regarding Daniel’s prophecy, he was told that a period of 70 weeks would be needed to, among other things: “finish their rebellion … atone for their guilt … bring in everlasting righteousness…” (Daniel 9:24). One significant Hebrew expression and measurement of time is that of one week equaling seven years, which is certainly the case in this passage. Nearly all Bible scholars agree with this application. Thus, there would be a total of 490 years (70 x 7) to achieve this remarkable transformation for the nation of Israel—one that would accomplish the very purpose for being a people chosen by God (to bring God’s Word and God’s Savior to all of mankind); and one that would ultimately fulfill Israel’s destiny of people and land (complete physical/spiritual restoration of Israel and Messiah ruling the world from Jerusalem).

Then, however, this specific time-lapse prophecy is narrowed down and essentially “split” as noted in the following verse. “…Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass…” (Daniel 9:25). The preciseness of this prophecy is indisputable in terms of the exact period of time needed (483 years) to accomplish an integral, component part of the entire prediction. When will the 483 year count begin, and what will take place at the end of this fixed period of time? We find the answer in the last part of the verse: “…from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes…” (Verse 25). Thus, there are two events that signal the beginning of the prophecy and its subsequent fulfillment. Daniel’s vision of these astounding events took place in approximately 539 BC.

First Event: The command to rebuild Jerusalem.

At the outset it is vitally important to distinguish the command to rebuild Jerusalem (starting with the walls of the holy city) from another edict/command issued by a totally different ruler to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. It was the Persian King Cyrus who issued the decree in 538 BC for the Jews to return from their Babylonian captivity and rebuild their holy Temple. In fact restoration of the Temple began a few years later and was completed in 516 BC, 70 years after Israel was conquered and exiled to Babylon, i.e. the 70-year prophesied captivity. Some Bible scholars erroneously selected Cyrus’s edict as the beginning point of Daniel’s 483-year prophecy. They mistakenly assumed that the prophetic words of Daniel’s prophecy (rebuild Jerusalem) also applied to the Temple. But, prophetically and historically we can now clearly see that the rebuilt Temple and rebuilt walls of Jerusalem were two distinct events separated by nearly 100 hundred years.

Let’s read the exact wording of Cyrus’s command, “In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 6:3, italics for emphasis). The verse goes on to record exactly what Cyrus ordered, “…Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet…” (Italics for emphasis). The crucial point here is that Cyrus is referring ONLY to the Temple itself. Also, there are extensive details of the decree … I’ve quoted just the beginning of those details. The Jewish leader Zerubbabel subsequently led the Jewish exiles back to Israel, and supervised the restoration of Solomon’s Temple.

*Note: In the study of Biblical prophecy it is of paramount importance to examine ALL prophecies that relate directly or indirectly to the specific prophecy you’re looking at. If this is not done, then a student of prophecy is subject to error in the application of the Bible to historical events.

Once again notice that Daniel’s prophecy is referring exclusively to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The specifics of his prediction came to pass generations later, through another decree; this time given by another Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus to Nehemiah in 445 BC. The Old Testament book of Nehemiah contains the records/history of the edict and renovation of the walls. As with Cyrus’s decree for the Temple, there are several details in King Artaxerxes’ letter to Nehemiah granting permission to, among other things: “beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself. And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me” (Nehemiah 2:8, italics for emphasis). *Note: the fortress gates for the Temple was not part of the Temple itself.

Second Event: Until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes.

The Anointed One is none other than the Messiah; in fact, many Bible translations actually use the term Messiah in Daniel 9:25 (Messiah means Anointed or Chosen One). Yet, Messiah Jesus was on this earth for some 33 years, so what aspect (time-frame) of his life do we select as the year/time when he would come (to the earth)? His birth, passing into Jewish adulthood (age 13), beginning of his ministry, his crucifixion, his resurrection? Answer: none of the above. The moment in time to identify the passage of 483 years can be none other than Palm Sunday, a week before his crucifixion. Why? That is the precise time when Jesus allowed others to recognize and worship him as the Messiah, which is the specific fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Prior to his heralded ride into Jerusalem, he had discouraged even his disciples from publicly hailing him as Messiah. Why?

It wasn’t the right time yet. The time chosen by God long before was to synchronize and confirm his very identity as Messiah (Son of God) with his ultimate mission of purchasing our redemption through his death, burial, and resurrection. As indicated, Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday occurred in consecutive weeks. Nearly all Bible scholars agree that the accolades from thousands of people given to Christ as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (historically kings would ride into a city on a donkey if the king was coming in peace … a horse if the king was coming to conquer) demonstrated public acknowledgment that he was Messiah.

If you like, read Luke 19 for the progression of events culminating with shouts of, “Blessings on the King, who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38). The very cries of the people recorded in Luke had been prophesied by the prophet Zechariah: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9).

If then, Daniel’s phenomenal prediction is accurate, adding 483 years to the proclamation of Artaxerxes in 445 BC should match up with the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. So, let’s do the math: 483 years minus 445 years =s 38 AD. Oops, we have a problem! This would be several years after Jesus arose from the dead and returned to heaven. Has Daniel’s prophecy failed?

Sir Robert Anderson

In 1894, a Scotland Yard Detective, Robert Anderson, who was also an ardent student of the Bible, especially prophecy, published his book called, The Coming Prince. Through extensive study and research, he corrected and clarified previous applications of Daniel’s prophecy from such notables as Sir Isaac Newton … one of the greatest scientist of all times, but also a Christian who studied Biblical prophecies extensively. We simply can’t do justice to Sir Robert Anderson’s book in one article; therefore, we will briefly examine the two most important discoveries by him (which are really disclosures and discernment given to him by the Lord).

1. Correct Application of Biblical Years: Simply stated, every Jewish month consists of 30 days (based on the moon’s phases); therefore, every year contains 360 days, not 365 days that we use on the Julian or Roman calendar. Biblical months/years are based on the Jewish calendar. The Roman calendar came along thousands of years after the Jewish calendar. Time doesn’t permit explanation as to why we use the Roman calendar, except to say that Sir Robert Anderson fully realized the necessity of converting Julian years to Jewish years if he or anyone could accurately correlate precise dates in Biblical and secular history …. Days, months, years.
2. Pinpoint Identification of Exact Dates, via Meticulous Investigation of Historical Records: Once again, time/space prohibits extensive review of what he found, so I will highly condense his amazing discovery: Sir Robert Anderson calculated (with partial assistance from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich) the Julian date of King Artaxerxes edict to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to have been March 14th, 445 BC. Furthermore, the Julian date for Jesus’s magnificent ride into Jerusalem was April 6th, 32 AD. By employing the Hebrew calendar, Sir Robert Anderson tallied 173,880 days had elapsed which is exactly 483 Jewish years!! Absolutely astounding! I repeat for emphasis: Incredible!!

Sir Robert Anderson factored in leap years and the 24 days from March 14th to April 6th. Some mathematicians/scholars determined that Anderson was two days off or so; but whether they’re right or Sir Robert was right, doesn’t matter all that much. The fact is: to calculate within two days, or two weeks, or two months, or even two years is remarkable. When you’re talking about 483 years, even a gap of two years still gives significant validation to the prophecy. Meaning that it’s not the God-given prophecy that’s a little off; rather, it might just be a slight miscalculation of what is a fairly complex system of balancing two calendars over such a long period of time.

Summary

Unless God, himself, directly inspires someone (such as the prophet Daniel), there’s absolutely no way for a man or woman to predict either the decree of Artaxerxes (some 95 years after Daniel’s vision) or the coming of the Messiah (some 483 years—Jewish calendar) years later to the year and the very day! Or, for that matter to predict anything, with or without a definitive time-frame of fulfillment, on a error-free, 100% standard of accuracy … or even 10%, which is nothing but pure luck.

There are many features that distinguish Judaism and later, Christianity, from all other world religions and philosophies. One thing is the Bible itself, authored by God, himself. Why can I or anyone make this assertion? Because of two other elements found in Scripture that simply do not exist and cannot be found in other so-called holy texts or records. One is the incredible miracles recorded in both the Old and New Testaments, many of which have been documented through archeology, recorded eye-witness accounts, secular historical records; not the least of which is the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Secondly, the hundreds of fulfilled Biblical prophecies, with equal confirmation by the above described sources.

But the greatest distinction of all is God’s plan of salvation and rescue of the entire human race: God doing for us through his Son’s death on the cross, what we can’t possibly do for ourselves: forgiveness and pardon from our sins and eternal life in Heaven.

Please, tune in next week, and we’ll look at another spectacular prophecy in Scripture, from the 26th Chapter of Leviticus of all places. A prophecy that also contains a specific number of years for its fulfillment, but one that wasn’t discovered until a few years ago. Much like it took over 1800 years for the Lord to give such precise insight to Sir Robert Anderson.

Things to Ponder
– The 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy is a whole different study, but essentially it consists of the Tribulation period that begins with the 7-year treaty orchestrated by the Antichrist, as found in Daniel 9:27.
– These precise prophecies in Daniel Chapter 9 are some of many Messianic prophecies that the Jews missed before the first advent of Jesus Christ to the earth. It is well documented, both in the Bible and historical records, that Israel and the Jews (and a few Gentiles) were anticipating the appearance of the Messiah a relatively short time before and after Jesus came to the earth. The Magi had to have known about Daniel’s prophecy; otherwise they would never have traveled hundreds of miles to bear gifts to the Messiah. Whether the Jewish scribes and religious leaders had figured out Daniel’s prophecy and chose to ignore it, or whether they hadn’t even bothered to look more closely at the prophecy, is anybody’s guess. But had they examined Daniel’s predictions and all Messianic prophecies in more detail, they would have known that Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of them.
– According to Daniel 9:26, the Messiah would appear before the destruction of the Temple, which took place in 70 AD. And that’s exactly what occurred … Jesus birth, death, and resurrection some 40 years before the Romans sacked Jerusalem–which further validates the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy. But then thousands of Jews and Gentiles witnessed first-hand or heard first-hand from eye-witnesses of Jesus’s many miracles (such as raising Lazarus from the dead), and they still refused to believe that he was Messiah Savior. So what does it take?!

PROPHECY & A JEWISH HOLIDAY

Happy Thanksgivukkah! What in the world is that, you ask? Good question, because it’s a term that was just recently coined; one that went internet viral in just a few days—to explain an event that won’t occur on the Jewish/Roman calendars for another 77,000 years. The phrase is a clever mixture of the uniquely American Holiday of Thanksgiving with the exclusively Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which just happened to coincide this year. The eight days of Hanukkah began on Thanksgiving eve, whereas usually Hanukkah more closely tracks on the calendar with the Christmas season. In fact, Hanukkah’s normal proximity to Christmas down through the ages has given rise to its increasing prominence, even sometimes referred to as the “Jewish Christmas” which, of course, it’s not. With one notable exception: both Hanukkah and Christmas emphasize lights … Menorah candles and Christmas tree lights, respectively.

We all know about the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. Although most have heard the term Hanukkah (Happy Hanukkah) not too many know what it means … why it has become one of two enormously important holidays for Jews that are not part of the original seven festivals (as found in the books of Exodus and Leviticus) given by God through Moses and to Jews for generations thereafter. With the exception of the two most revered Jewish Holidays of Passover and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), these two events are the most widely celebrated throughout Israel and by Jews world-wide. *Note: Sukkot, (Feast of Tabernacles) comes close.

The first non-Mosaic celebration is called Purim and occurs mostly in our month of February. It is a jubilant celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jews from genocide at the hands of the wicked Persian official, Haman. You remember the story: God, through a Jewish government official named Mordecai asked (pleaded with) Queen Esther (approximately 483 BC) to daringly approach and appeal to King Xerxes to spare the Jews from annihilation. At risk of her very life, she accepted the challenge to deliver her people for “such as time as this.”

The second post-Mosaic festival celebration of Hanukkah became a vital part of Jewish tradition following the stunning campaign of a Jewish priest named Mattathias, his five sons, and a relatively small group of followers—later to be known as the Maccabees—against a vastly superior force of Syrian Greeks led by Antiochus IV (historians estimate the Jews were outnumbered a thousand to one). This evil ruler reigned over the northern kingdom, one of four kingdoms that emerged from Alexander the Great’s fragmented empire. Historians recognized the impossible odds facing the Maccabees, which is why the final victory through a series of battles is considered miraculous. But then another miracle occurred, which is as much of an integral part of Hanukkah as the defeat of the Greeks: the supply of oil to keep the Menorah candles burning for eight days. So, what is so supernatural about that? Because the fact is: The Maccabees found only enough oil for one day of candle burning!

Some Jewish rabbinical scholars maintain that the primary reason for celebrating Hanukkah is not necessarily the stunning military victory, nor even a one-day supply of oil lasting for eight days. Rather, they assert: It is to remember the remarkable renewal of the (2nd) Temple back to its consecrated holiness for and service to God, before Antiochus IV defiled it with pagan sacrifices; not the least of which was his order to erect a statue of Zeus in the Temple followed by the sacrifice of a pig to insult the Jews and blaspheme their God.

The resistance began in 167 BC, when Mattathias refused to comply with a decree to offer a sacrifice to a pagan idol. When a Jew (there were many Jews who had resigned themselves to subservience to Antiochus IV and the Syrian Greeks, to the extent that they abandoned God and their faith in Him to appease their captors) began to comply with the Syrian order of idol sacrifice, Mattathias killed the Jew and ripped down the idol. Then he and his five sons escaped to the hills of Judea and began their revolt against the cruel Greeks.

In 164 BC, Mattathias’ third son, Judah Maccabee, with his band of freedom fighters, defeated the Greek armies, recaptured the Temple, and then cleansed the Temple. On the 25th day of Kislev (which is the Jewish calendar month that overlaps our months of November and December), the menorah was rekindled and for eight days the Jews celebrated the Temple’s renewal. In fact, the Hebrew word hanuka basically means the inauguration or rededication of the Temple on Kislev 25th.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Obviously it was the sacrilegious brutality of the Seleucid Empire in general and Antiochus IV in particular that led to the Jewish revolt and recapture of their sacred Temple. Which, in turn, initiated the annual observance of this magnificent accomplishment through Hanukkah, a Holy Day (holiday) that is passionately celebrated to this very day. Were you aware that the Bible predicted the rise of Alexander the Great, then the division of his empire into four kingdoms (one of which was the Seleucid dynasty)? Of course. you say; It’s all found in Daniel Chapters 2 and 7 … complements of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the monumental statue and Daniel’s terrifying vision of the four beasts; that the third beast represented Alexander the Great’s ancient Greece. And you would be totally right on!

But did you also know that two other chapters in the amazing book of Daniel provide extensive prophetic facts on two of the four lesser empires (the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemy’s of Egypt) that emerged after Alexander’s sudden and early death? The prophecies of the ram and goat, of the one large and four prominent horns, of the king(s) of the north and king(s) of the south and all of the intricate future events explained in Daniel Chapters 8 & 11 were explicitly fulfilled over a period of time some 200-375 years later … during the reigns of Antiochus II, Antiochus III the Great, Seleucus IV (Seleucids) and Ptolemy I, II, V, & VI (Egypt).

However, the most notorious of these rulers was Antiochus IV, whose deplorable exploits are recorded in Chapter 8 and then resumed in the 21st verse of the 11th chapter of Daniel that says: “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue.” Secular history confirms the amazing accuracy of Daniel’s prophecies. Then beginning primarily in Daniel 11:36 to the end of the chapter, this astounding prophecy switches from Antiochus IV to another future and later king, which clearly is the Antichrist—as later confirmed by the book of Revelation.

Antiochus IV given name was Mithridates; he assumed the name of Antiochus upon ascension to the throne, having succeeded his brother, Seleucus IV, although Seleucus’ son, Demetrius I Soter, should have been the rightful heir. Time and space boundaries of this article do not permit elaboration on how all these things took place, but it does allow for some highlights of what the Bible clearly portrays Antiochus IV to be: a representative prototype or precursor of the Antichrist, which in Daniel is called the “little horn” and a “prince who is to come.” Moreover, Antiochus IV was the first Seleucid king to inscribe divine epithets on coins. One example of these markings was the Greek word epiphanies which means, “Manifest god.” He arrogantly added that divine designation to his regal title, which is how he was known then and remembered in history … Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

The English word epiphany is almost an exact transliteration of the original Greek words, epiphaneia (appearance) or epiphainein (to manifest), and the parent Greek word, phainein (to show). Likewise, the modern definition and understanding of epiphany is an appearance or manifestation of a divine being. Biblical scholars have accurately and rightfully employed this word to explain the pre-incarnate appearances of Christ as found in several Old Testament passages, then later during the spectacular post-incarnate appearance of Jesus to John in the book of Revelation.

And, were you aware that it was an epiphany appearance of Christ to Daniel with the pre-incarnate Jesus interpreting the visions given to Daniel as recorded in Chapters 10 and 11. Some of Daniel’s other visions were interpreted by the angel Gabriel, but most of the prophecies that deal with the future rulers (Antiochus and the Antichrist—who we know is Nero) were explained by Christ, himself. And there’s a rock-solid reason for that: Who better or more qualified than Messiah, himself, to expose these two evil men, who would dare to manifest themselves as God or anti-Christ?

Comparisons of Antiochus IV & Antichrist

The hideous atrocities of Antiochus IV and Nero some 200 years later (only to be exponentially intensified when Nero returns at the outset of the Tribulation) are a matter of historical record. Whereas, Antiochus and his armies killed some 40,000 Jews (men, woman, and children in just three days of carnage), and Nero vented his wickedness by slaughtering thousands of Christians, we find extraordinary similarities between the two. To wit.
– Both tyrants set themselves up as gods; Nero carried and will again carry it one step farther, “…exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods…” (Daniel 11:36). See Revelation 13:5-6.
– Both of these despots ascended to the throne but not as the rightful heir; rather through a series of unlawful and deceitful maneuvers.
– Both Antiochus IV (Daniel 11:31) and the man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2:4 & Matthew 24:15) would desecrate and defile the Jewish Temple by stopping the Jewish sacrifices and setting up a “sacrilegious object” … as applied to Antiochus, the 2nd Temple; as applied to Nero, the yet-to-be rebuilt 3rd Temple.
– Both would do battle with a king(s) of the south as explained in Daniel 11, with verses 40-42 applying to the Antichrist.
– Both would reward their allies by distributing plunder, wealth, and land, which is a rare thing for any dictator to do.
– After engaging their enemies to the south, both would return to their northern based empire by going through Israel and, while in the holy land, inflict great damage and destruction on Israel. This is exactly what Antiochus did to the Jews on his way back from war with Ptolemy VI of Egypt. (Daniel 11:28 for Antiochus and verses 41-42 for the latter king—Antichrist).
– Both would inexplicably halt their conquest of Israel because of alarming news from other battle fronts and their evil reigns would abruptly end. Their time would run out, because that was God’s plan for them. Antiochus IV died suddenly from a mysterious disease in 164 BC. Regarding Antichrist: “…But while he is there (meaning at Megiddo), his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him” (Daniel 11:45). See also Revelation 19: 19-21.

Of course there a few dissimilarities, because they are two distinct rulers and operate in different periods of time. But in parallel terms of character flaws, egotism, pride, godlessness, brutality, they are two wicked peas in a warped pod.

It wouldn’t surprise me … in fact, I fully expect Nero to put a stop to the sacrifices and offerings (Daniel 9:27) of the Jews during the time of the Great Tribulation at the beginning of or during the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah.

Understanding the Value of Prophecy

So then, what’s the significance of and application to us in today’s world? What does it matter that a Greek demigod of ancient times even existed or that yesterday’s and today’s Jews celebrate his demise and cherish the astounding events that returned the sacred Temple to their control? The answer is: RELEVANCY!

Prophecy creates an incredible connection between the past and the present; and it also marks a clear path for the future. From God’s vantage point (and as much as we can grasp with finite minds) what happened hundreds/thousands of years ago might as well have occurred last week. Thus, we can better understand the timeless attribute of our God, who knows the end from the beginning, who sees everything in the present tense. And then we remember that, “…A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day” (II Peter 3:8).

Once again, we see the fascinating link between events of long ago with what is happening in today’s world. Biblical prophecy and history combined with secular history shows us the profound significance of ancient Israel’s victory over the forces of an evil tyrant and its relevance to the nation of Israel down to this very generation. It is a time of thankful remembrance for God’s providential control over Gentile nations and corresponding deliverance of his special possession, Israel. The lighting of the Menorah reminds Jews all over the world that they were chosen to be a light to the nations. As Christians, we are grafted into the tree that is Israel. We are one new man (Jew and Gentile, one in Christ) in God’s eyes. Our very salvation comes from the Jewish Messiah, who is THE Light of the World.

And, we better understand and appreciate our God; who providentially brings everything together according to his magnificent plan for Israel and for the Church. In this case the evil ruler, Antiochus IV—who in a fit of rage over events in Egypt (King of the South) took out his vengeance and frustration on Jerusalem and the Temple—was almost an exact prototype of the coming ruler (Antichrist) who also will vent his anger on the Jewish people. “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north (Antichrist) will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall…” (Daniel 11: 40-41).

By making these connections, the saints of the Tribulation period and a remnant of the Jews will wisely perceive the true intentions of Nero (Antichrist), who is essentially an exact replica (only on a global scale) of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. They will remember their history and fully realize that Daniel’s prophecy now applies historically to Antiochus and prophetically (during the Tribulation) to the beast. Here’s what Daniel said: “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him” (Daniel 11: 31-32, italics for emphasis).

Then we see another correlation: Just like the miraculous victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus IV’s armies, and the equally miraculous burning of the Menorah lights for eight days with only one day’s supply of oil, so will The Light of the World (Messiah Jesus) completely conquer the Antichrist beast of Revelation and his armies. But this time, Messiah will come—not as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world—but as the Lion from the tribe of Judah, with power and great glory!

And we more passionately long for world-wide righteousness, justice, and peace that our glorious Messiah will bring in Daniel 7:14: “He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

Thus, we learn even more that our Lord is completely trustworthy because what he says will happen, does happen; and what he says he will do, he does.

Things to Ponder
– I would never criticize anyone for not being all that interested in Biblical prophecy. In and of itself, there’s nothing erroneous about an indifference to prophecy. We’re not even supposed to judge someone for the bad things they do, let alone their personal preference for certain parts of the Bible. But to minimize or overlook prophetic passages in Scripture means that we’re missing approximately 1/3 of the entire Bible!

BIBLICAL PROPHECY … why is it so important?

How many Christians don’t know what to say or are reluctant to respond with much certainty, when unbelievers challenge them with questions like, “I can’t prove that God doesn’t exist, but can you prove that he does.” Or, “How do you know the Bible is true?” What makes the Bible different from any other religious book?

A typical reply by many Christians is, “Well, I believe it’s true, and that’s good enough for me.” There’s nothing wrong with that kind of response, but keep in mind that some might call it “blind faith.” Or worse, someone might say, “Don’t followers of other religions say the same thing.”

For sure we, who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, can say, “I know it’s true because he changed my life.” Or, “I believe the Bible is true because it works.” No doubt: the miraculous change of the human heart is still the ultimate testimony the world over to the awesome salvation freely given to all who believe in and receive Christ as personal Savior. Yet, there are many who still defy the Bible as the word of the true and living God; and, therefore reject what it claims (for example about Jesus being the only way of salvation). Basically there are two types of doubters: (1) those who are really searching for truth, who have genuine, authentic questions about why they were born and where they are going. (2) Those who challenge just for the sake of challenge, as they have no real desire to know the truth or to give up the lifestyle or belief system they’ve chosen while on this earth. Whenever possible, they like to make Christians squirm.

Is there anything, then, that goes beyond any hesitation whatsoever that God exists and, therefore, the Bible is 100% accurate (true)? The answer to that question—one that believers in Christ can and should propose whenever called upon to explain the evidence behind what they believe—is a resounding, “Yes.” The answer can be found in the proof of Biblical Prophecy.

Talk about challenges about and against the truth of the Bible so commonplace in today’s world; did you know that God, himself, answered these challenges thousands of years ago—for all those who doubt who he is, or who are deliberately cynical or, perhaps, honestly uncertain that the Bible is the very Word of God. But God didn’t stop there; he threw down his own gauntlet to test the false prophets and non-existent gods of that day, as well as the scoffers and skeptics of successive generations, particularly the last generation before the majestic return of Jesus Christ.

God’s Answer to the Challenges

Let’s begin with God’s announcement to the prophet Isaiah: “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens” (Isaiah 42: 8-9).

This is one of several Biblical declarations, wherein, God addresses and rebuts claims from leaders or prophets of other religions or from the agnostics among us. Paraphrasing, God is saying, “You want proof that I am the only true and living God, and that my Word is truth itself. Then know this: I am the only One who can tell you the future before it happens.” Moreover, God asserts that, “Everything I prophesied has come true.” Not just a few prophecies, not half of them, not most of them … All of them!

If you closely examine all of the other major religions of the world, you’ll find that their so-called sacred books or annals of the sayings of their prophet(s) contain little or no eschatology, i.e. prophetic predictions. For example, about the only reference to end times events found in Islam pertains to the coming 12th Imam, who is essentially their messiah; or a few references to Allah’s rewards of the good and judgments of the bad, as defined by Islam. Moreover, the idea of a messiah didn’t originate with Islam, nor did the concept of a final judgment. At least 1500 years before the Koran was written, the Bible foretold of a coming Messiah, who would judge the nations, rule and reign from Jerusalem, and who would save the Jewish people (nation) and Gentiles alike.

Unlike the God of the Bible, who has made hundreds of predictions that have already come to pass and hundreds more still unfulfilled, other religions dare not predict the future, on anything approaching a regular basis. Their leaders know, full well, that they or the gods of these religions could never predict the future with 100% accuracy (or even 10% accuracy). Why? Because their gods are man-made, meaning non-existent. *Note: As you might guess, I’m not talking about weather-like predictions, in which the forecaster has a 50% of getting it right!

Again, God declares: “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish” (Isaiah 46: 9-10). God is plainly insisting that, above all other proof, the litmus test of whether or not he is the one and only true God is fulfillment of prophecy. And, as found in other Bible passages, God asserts that if just one prediction from any other source does not come to pass, then that prophet or religion is false.

Listen to what Jesus said to the religious leaders who refused to believe that he was Messiah, the Son of God, “…why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God?’ After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me…” (John 10: 36-38).

Jesus was confirming virtually the same thing that God, the Father, said in the Old Testament: If you choose not to believe what I say (my Words), then what about the miracles I have done? Or, what about the hundreds of predictions that have come to pass? What more proof do you need than that? These are rhetorical questions from God; with answers so obvious that they are irrefutable by any test of what is rational, logical, reasonable, and self-evident. The result is that no one is left with any excuse not to believe. Thus, it’s a matter of the heart, meaning the person chooses not to believe despite all the evidence to the contrary.

God Issues His Own Challenge

In case you might be thinking that most people in our “sophisticated” post-modern world are pretty much disinterested in or indifferent to prophecy (the future), just take a look at the saturation of mystics, mediums, psychics, fortune-tellers, spiritualists, and shamans throughout the earth. What daily newspaper would think of sending their journal to “final print” without today’s horoscope? Society is rife with occult and new age influence, from the halls of higher education and seats of governments to the digger of ditches.

More than just refuting the biased skepticism of those who take pleasure in mocking the Bible, God has established his own test for who and what is true. Let’s read more words of the prophet, Isaiah, “This is what the Lord says … I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future … Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” (Isaiah 44: 6-8).

So, then; what do these false teachers and all who follow them say in response to God’s challenge? The answer is all too clear: They don’t say anything (that directly responds to God’s challenge) because they can’t. How can they refute statements like, “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 44:26). Or, “When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple’” (Isaiah 44:28).

In just these two verses, God predicts three distinct events that have come to pass in spectacular fashion. (1) After 2000 years in exile and some 2700 years after the book of Isaiah was written, Israel and Jerusalem have, indeed, been restored and re-born as a nation (1948). Just look at modern-day Israel to see that this miracle is real! (2) The rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple and the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem 70 years after the Babylonian captivity which began in 586 BC, foretold by Isaiah some 150 years before it happened. (3) Cyrus, the Persian world ruler, who issued the decrees that Jerusalem and the Temple would be rebuilt, wasn’t yet alive when these prophesies were uttered! The Lord referred to him by name nearly 150 years before he was even born and given his Persian name! That is a matter of historical record.

So you see: If anyone challenges you to prove that God (the one and only God) exists and the Bible is God’s Word, you only need to refer to Biblical fulfilled prophecy. Our faith is NOT a blind faith. Prophecy is not the only defense; what about all of the miracles found in Scripture, and the historical accuracy of Scripture as proven by archeology and comparison to secular historical records? And, what does one do with the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? Ignore it? Tragically, many have. Last, but not least, the miraculous transformation of the human heart through God’s salvation (believing and receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah) experienced by millions the world over. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”

PROPHETIC CERTAINTY VERSUS PROPHETIC SPECULATION

As alluded to in the previous five articles on the Rapture, I’ve noticed an increasing reluctance of many Christians, including pastors and teachers, to talk or even think about Biblical prophecy … especially end-time revelations. And this saddens me. But I believe I know why. Although the reasons are diverse, there is a common thread in what I see, hear, and read. It can be summarized with the following statement: “There are too many views or interpretations of prophecy. How can anyone know for sure which view is correct?” Which then leads to another observation or action: “I’ll just stick with those things in the Bible that are easy to understand and that are clear to me.”

May I offer a humble opinion: Prophecy is a lot easier to grasp than you might think. Not necessarily the process of grasping … only the final result once you commit to the time/effort in studying the Old Testament prophets, portions of the Psalms, the book of Revelation, Jude, I Thessalonians, I Corinthians, and a few other select passages on prophecy. Permit me to ask a common sense question: Why would God even disclose the future to us, if we couldn’t grasp at least the basics? Is he “teasing” us? Is he playing games with us? Or, why would he give us teachers to connect the dots and help us to better understand, unless he knew we could … if we really wanted to?

But first, we need to ascertain the difference between the certainty of any Biblical prophecy and the speculation that sometimes accompanies the study of any given prophetic passage. Rather than taking the time/space to explain the contrast between certainty and speculation as applied to the understanding of prophetic passages in Scripture (most readers know the difference between the two words and how they would fit in the context of prophecy), let’s just refer to one example.

Gog, Magog Attack on Israel (Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39)

If you’re not familiar with this yet unfulfilled prophecy, I encourage you to read these two chapters; or even if you know them well, it wouldn’t hurt to read them again. As an overview, the prophet Ezekiel is prophesying against a ruler (Gog) from the land of Magog, and provides extraordinary details in explaining why this ruler/nation and other aligned nations will attack Israel, what will happen to them, how it will happen, and who will make it happen. To illustrate the difference between prophecy that is certain (we can understand the basics and know beyond reasonable doubt that it will take place) and speculation (we can elaborate, conjecture, guess, or consider, within the confines of a sensible risk), let’s place some of the details of this passage into one or the other category.

Certainty: (the text is sufficiently clear and comprehension can be equally clear or certain)
– Because an attack like this has never occurred (to date), we know for certain that it is yet to take place.
– Gog/Magog and their allies will be soundly defeated.
– This coalition will consist of “a vast and awesome army” and will roll down on Israel “like a storm and cover the land like a cloud” (Ezekiel 38:9).
– The attack will be after the Jews “…have returned from exile in many nations…” (Ezekiel 38:12).
– When this invasion takes places, God’s “fury will boil over!” (Ezekiel 38:18).
– Several verses make it crystal clear that it is God, himself, who will defeat this coalition, with supernatural power such as, “torrential rain, hailstones, burning sulfur, disease, bloodshed (the armies turn on each other); contrasted to Israel winning the war, herself.
– The reason for such display of God’s power and supernatural intervention is, “In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38:23).
– By reference to Gog originating from, “your homeland in the distant north” (verse 15), then comparing the land of Magog to the writings of ancient historians (like Josephus), Bible scholars have identified this land/country as modern-day Russia. Absent any other valid geographic alternative, we can with a great deal of certainty (and very little speculation) equate Gog & Magog with Russia, i.e. Moscow is due north of Jerusalem.
– It will take Israel seven months to “bury the bodies and cleanse the land” and Israel will have enough fuel from the spoils, “…to last them seven years!” (Ezekiel 39: 9-12).

Speculation:

– Several Bible scholars (including me) have gone a step farther, and attempted to determine when this stupendous attack will take place. Some say just before the Rapture, some say soon after the rapture, others say at the mid-point of the seven-year treaty with Israel (mid-tribulation), or at the end of the tribulation, and still others say after the 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth. (If you’re curious and must know, I personally “speculate” that the Gog/Magog war will take place in the early part of the Tribulation, i.e. one-three years after the Rapture!) Although I could give you some fairly logical and reasonable evidence, it’s still conjecture.
– Although there are some possible “clues” in other end-times passages, ultimately the fact of the matter is: We do not know with certainty when this attack will take place. Thus, it must be confined to the arena of speculation.
– For that matter, one could successfully argue that we don’t absolutely, beyond all doubt, know with total certainty that the distant land from the north is, in fact, Russia. It fits much better in the certainty file; however, if you want to err totally on the safe side, then put it in the speculation file. But all the points listed above (and other details of the text) can be classified as certain.

SUMMARY:

I realize that reducing the study and understanding of prophecy to the categories of certainty and speculation is somewhat of an oversimplification; however, it can be feasible and productive to separate these two dimensions … a good start to a better understanding of prophecy without being overwhelmed by different or conflicting views. So that those who tend to give up on the study and discussion of prophecy can place the fundamentally clear, unmistakable facts of any given passage into the folder of certainty, and place other non-textual conjectures into a speculation folder, and then keep the two folders separate.

As applied to Ezekiel 38 & 39, don’t let the conjecture of when the attack will take place detract from all you can and should know about the who, where, why, and how of this great prophetic event. Although it would be nice to know when it will take place (kind of a bonus), the fact is Scripture does not give us enough information to know with total certainty when it will happen.

As Moses told the Israelites: “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions” (Deuteronomy 29:29). As applied to prophecy, this obviously means that we don’t know everything there is to know. But why not know what is meant to be known? Why not skillfully and accurately assemble the prophetic puzzle?

In the up-coming articles on my book, Out of the Abyss, you may have opportunity to apply this test of certainty versus speculation. Granted, however, there is also another dimension; that of correlation (association, connection, linking). Which essentially is the application of ALL Scripture passages on a given subject that results in a better and more accurate fit of the prophetic puzzle. A fit, nevertheless, that I propose can be classified as a certainty, i.e. the identity of the Antichrist.

Things to Ponder:

– Do you agree or disagree that Biblical prophecy is the best, or least one of the best, means of answering the critics; those who doubt/deny the Bible and the God of the Bible?
– How would you respond to this observation: “As a general rule, it’s best for a believer not to engage in philosophical or theological debates over the existence of God or the veracity of the Bible? Instead, just simply present the Gospel and/or your own testimony.
– Was the distinction between prophetic certainty and speculation adequately explained in this article? If not, what other factors are there?
*Note: These are tough questions that might require long answers. If you choose to make a comment, try to be somewhat moderate in the response, i.e. four medium-size paragraphs or less!

P.S. Two new permanent pages have been added to Eye of Prophecy blog site, entitled, God’s Plan of Salvation and Out of the Abyss. Click on at the top of the screen, and check them out. Also, if you haven’t yet, click on the About page. GB