Daniel’s 70th Week

We have been studying the last prophetic week of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy. Last month, I wrote about how the Pope called the (former) President of Israel Shimon Peres and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas together for prayer at the Vatican on June 8, 2014, which was a strong indicator that they are able to come together and confirm a Middle East peace covenant, as foretold by the prophet (Daniel (9:27), which the antichrist will break during the middle of the seven-year peace treaty (Daniel 9:27). With the war going on between Israel and Gaza right now, it seems that the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 may precede the peace treaty that will occur at the start of the last seven years before the Day of the Lord. In fact, so often throughout history we have seen wars precede peace agreements between nations. Either way, we are rapidly nearing the Day of the Lord’s return, according to Bible prophecy, as we see these events unfolding before our eyes. The prophet Zechariah gave some detail about the last week of Daniel’s 70-week prophecy, “I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, the women ravished, and half of the city shall go forth into captivity and the residue of the people (Jews) shall not be cut off from the city” Zechariah 14:2. At the end of the 70th week of years, the culmination of all Bible prophecies (Daniel 9:24), the antichrist, and all the nations with him, will come against Jerusalem. Christ will return near the conclusion of this battle, according to Joel’s prophecy (chapter 3). A clearer description of that event is described in Zechariah 14. The nations will converge upon Jerusalem, but the Lord comes down from heaven on a white horse to rescue the remnant of Israel, and He steps His feet on the Mount of Olives, which will cause a massive earthquake and a valley will appear under His feet (verse 4). He will arrive with His saints (verse 5) to war against the wicked nations of the world, with power like a nuclear blast (verse 12), to defend the remnant of His “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22), the Jews. John the Revelator also wrote: “I saw heaven opened and, behold, a white horse and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True and in righteousness he judges and makes war” Revelation 19:11. He returns as the warring “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5), not the tortured and humiliated slain Christ, the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). This is the Christ most preachers won’t preach about today, the returning Lion! They only want to talk about the slain Christ, the tortured Christ, the One who suffered for the sins of all mankind and who died; not the One who will soon return to exact vengeance on the enemies of God and His elect. “His eyes were as a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns” (Revelation 19:12). He will return as Victor, “with His vesture dipped in blood” (Revelation 19:13), not the blood He shed on Calvary, but the blood spilled on His vesture as He destroyed His enemies on the Day of the Lord: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore are you red in your apparel and your garments like him who treads the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Me, for I will tread them in My anger and trample them in My fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments and I will stain all My raiment; for the day of vengeance is in My heart and the year of My redeemed has come” Isaiah 63:1-4. “His name is called the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). To know Him is to know His Word. I pray you are prepared for the last week (seven years) of Daniel’s prophecy, as it is upon us, and the faithful will be “caught up,” just after the resurrection of the dead, before the great tribulation beings (Isaiah 26:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18), and we shall return with Him (Revelation 19:11-14). This concludes this study of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy. May the Lord bless you with knowledge of Him - the Word.