Eschatology is the study of end events.  It is the study of Biblical prophecy as God revealed long ago the major players, timeframes, and events that would occur at the ‘end of the age’ prior to the return of Yahshua the Messiah.  Eschatology also includes the study of the God’s acts through history to fulfill His prophetic words.

 

A clear understanding of each end events as defined by Bible prophecy, how they have developed over time, and what to expect is much needed in the Church today.  Below, major Biblical elements are grouped by testament and I provide an introduction of the Eschatological meaning as well as an overview of historical fulfillment.

 

 

Prophetic Overview of O.T.

 

In the Old Testament, God progressively revealed over time the reality of the Messiah, the two comings of the Messiah, the Church, and the 7,000-year timeline. 

 

The prophets foretold of the Messiah and in doing so described the coming Messiah in two distinct ways with very different goals.  The Messiah in the Old Testament is portrayed as a suffering servant (Messiah ben Joseph) as well as a conquering king (Messiah ben David).  The truth was revealed through Yahshua the Messiah that instead of two Messiahs, there was only one who comes twice.  First as the suffering servant to die for the sins of humanity; then as the conquering king to rule supreme for eternity.  This truth was portrayed earlier when God gave to Israel a Feast Cycle, which included 6 feasts.  The cycle included 3 Spring Feasts and 3 Fall Feast.  The Feast Cycle illustrates the truth of the two comings of the Messiah.  These two comings were separated by a 2,000-year period known as the Messianic Age or the Church Age. 

 

To understand God’s plan, and accurately identify end events (Eschatology), a clear understanding of the Old Testament is required.  New Testament prophecy BUILDS on Old Testament prophecy and further defines it.  Finding final fulfillment in the person of Yahshua the Messiah.  So I want to quickly give an introduction of what God revealed concerning His overall plan in the Old Testament and then explain how it has been fulfilled in Yahshua the Messiah.  This understanding is critical if we are to understand how history has developed and what Yahshua meant when He spoke about the end times. 

 

Below is a list of major Old Testament concepts regarding God’s Plan for Man covered in this section.  I provide a basic overview of each one.  The purpose is to establish a basic understanding of what God revealed concerning His plan in the Old Testament to help shed light on His revelation through Yahshua the Messiah in the New Testament:

 

·         Messiah ben Joseph – The first coming of the Messiah prophesied.

·         Messiah ben David – The second coming of the Messiah prophesied.

·         Feast Cycle – God revealed the Messiah’s comings in the Feast Cycle

·         Messianic Age – time during which the Messiah would reveal the Kingdom of God, regather His Elect, establish Jerusalem, and proclaim the Torah as the bar of righteousness revealing the Church Age through prophecy.

·         7-Good Years of Joseph – 7 good years prior to the tribulation prophesied.

·         7-Bad Years of Jacob – 7 years of tribulation prior to the Kingdom Age prophesied.

·         Dispensations – God revealed His plan in terms of 7 dispensations of time revealing the 7,000-year timeframe through prophecy.

 

Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David

 

God first revealed the concept of the Messiah in Genesis after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.  The Messiah was described as being a man, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who would suffer a blow from Satan.  The Messiah, the Son of God, would ultimately defeat Satan and restore man to his lost glory. 

 

The Messiah would come first as a ‘suffering servant’ to be slain for the sins of the world (suffer a blow from Satan) and then come again as a ‘conquering king’ to defeat Satan and reign eternal.  The prophets described both comings of the Messiah.  The first coming came to be known as Messiah ben Joseph (the suffering servant named after Joseph son of Jacob).  The second coming came to be known as Messiah ben David (the conquering king named after King David).

 

This two Messiah concept was the basis for John the Baptist's question from prison asking Yahshua whether he was the Messiah or should they expect another (Matthew 11:2). Because of the lack of Jewish understanding of this Messianic expectation, Christians have concluded that John the Baptist was in doubt as to whether Yahshua was the Messiah.  This is not true at all.  It is imperative that we examine these redemptive revelations within the context of their Jewish origin.  In truth, John had already declared Yahshua to be Messiah ben Joseph, the Suffering Messiah (John 1:29-34; 3:22-36).  John was questioning Yahshua as to whether he would also fulfill the prophecies regarding Messiah ben-David or if God would send another.

 

Yahshua answered expressing that he would fulfill all of the Messianic prophecies. What Yahshua revealed to us is that God was not sending two Messiahs, but one Messiah in two separate appearances.  These two appearances were to be separated by a 2,000 year period known in the Old Testament as the Messianic Age and in the New Testament as the Church Age.

 

The Old Testament is filled with pictures of the coming Messiah. For example the book of Isaiah offers a picture of the Messiah second to none in the entire Bible.  In the opening pages of Isaiah we see a dim glimpse of the Messiah.  As Isaiah progresses the picture of the Messiah grows much clearer until in the 40th Chapter of Isaiah the Messiah is disclosed in full glory!  There are many pictures of the Lord in the Old Testament, but all of them and all of the anticipations and prophecies can be categorized under four aspects of the Messiah all confirmed and fulfilled in Yahshua:

1.       The King of Israel - First, our Lord Yahshua is pictured in many prophecies, like those of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah, as coming as the King -- the King of Israel.  King David, a messianic type, gives us insight into the coming of the One who is to be King. 

2.        The Suffering Servant - Second, we have other Old Testament pictures, which speak of Messiah as the Servant, as the suffering One. Again, Isaiah is in the fore-view. Joseph, a messianic type, gives us a prior insight into the coming of One who is to suffer.

3.        The Son of Man - Third, we have frequent Old Testament pictures of the Messiah's coming as a man. He was to be born of a virgin, grow up in Bethlehem, walk among men. There are pictures of his childhood, youth and young manhood.

4.        The Son of God - Finally, we have those pictures, which speak of him as God, the Everlasting One. Micah says, "Out of Bethlehem shall come he who is to be the ruler of Israel, whose going forth is from everlasting."

Yahshua is the one and only Messiah who appears twice. He came the first time as head of the Church of the Firstborn [Ephraim, son of Joseph]. He was the suffering servant who died in the final battle between good and evil (Col. 2:15) symbolized in the cross. He will return as Messiah Ben David to rule and reign in the earth as symbolized in the Star or Shield of David.

 

 

Biblical Feasts and Prophecy

 

A means to understanding the two messianic themes is in the study of the Feasts. It is significant that God divided the Feasts celebrated in the Tabernacle into two groups, Spring and Fall. These two groups related prophetically to the first and second coming of the Messiah.  The feasts were given by God to Israel to celebrate God’s divine intervention in the affairs of Israel while pointing to the coming Messiah.   Each feast is to be celebrated at a specific appointed time.

 

Leviticus 23:2
"These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times."

 

Each feast represents a physical fulfillment in history and represents a spiritual prophetic fulfillment in the Messiah.  God commanded we keep the feasts because in doing so we are keeping alive the knowledge of the true God.  We are also celebrating God’s deliverance of the sons of God.  But most importantly, we are kept aware of the reality of the end times and the TIMING of Yahshua Second Coming. 

 

The western church has misunderstood much of the words of prophecy such as “no one knows the day or hour” because of our lack of understanding concerning these feasts.

 

Colossians 2:16-17
"Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or by with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in the Messiah"

 

The spring festivals typified things associated with Yahshua' first coming, and the fall festivals illustrate things associated with his second coming.   Yahshua promised that he would come again (John 14:1-3), and the Feast Cycle tells the story.  My purpose here is not been to go into a lot of detail but to provide an overview of the yearly festivals and to show how they point to Yahshua the Messiah and provide insight into the timing of His Second Coming.

 

THE SPRING FEASTS – Fulfilled in the 1rst Coming

 

PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Leviticus 23:4-8)

 

Historical Meaning: Prior to the Messiah, Israel celebrated the Passover to remember the saving power of the ‘blood of the lamb’ that saved God’s people from the Angel of Death as Moses delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

 

The celebration of the Passover included the slaughter of the Passover lamb, which typified the Lamb of God, who would cover the sins of the world and those found in the ‘blood of the lamb’ would be ‘passed over’ from the second death. 

 

Messianic Fulfillment: Yahshua celebrated the Passover dinner known as the ‘Last Supper’ before He offered Himself as the Passover Lamb fulfilling the Feast of Passover.

 

 

FIRSTFRUITS (Leviticus 23:9-14)

 

Historical Meaning: This day was like the American Thanksgiving holiday.  It was not observed on a particular date but always on a particular day. Just as Thanksgiving is always observed on the fourth Thursday in the month of November, the presentation of the Firstfruits was always celebrated on the first day of the week, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 

According to Leviticus 23:11, the priest is to wave the firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath.

 

Messianic Fulfillment:  Yahshua came as the Anoined One, the Messiah, nearly 2,000 years ago; and with that are associated the festivals the Israelites observed around the spring harvest. When he was crucified, Yahshua died as the passover Lamb; and he was raised as the firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath.  Yahshua was literally the ‘first fruit’ of the dead.  The first human to ever be raised eternal.  Fulfilling the meaning of the Firstfruits.

 

 

FEAST OF WEEKS (Leviticus 23:15-22)

 

"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD."

 

Historical Meaning: The Feast of Weeks was to be observed on the day after the seventh Sabbath--the seven full weeks (seven Sabbaths) from the presentation of the firstfruits. Thus, the Feast of Weeks was always on the first day of the week. Further, it was to be observed 50 days from the presentation of firstfruits, which indicates that the firstfruits were always presented on the same day of the week as well--the first.

 

Messianic Fulfillment: On the 50th day from Yahshua' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came on the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, which was the Feast of Weeks. On that day, 3,000 believed the words of the apostles and received salvation (Acts 2).  The Feast of Weeks is also a portrait of the divine timeline.  Celebrating the 7th Sabbath representing the 7th Millennium.

 

THE FALL FEASTS – Fulfilled in the Second Coming

 

 

FEAST OF TRUMPETS (Leviticus 23:23-25)

 

Historical Meaning: Observed on the first day of the seventh Jewish Holy month (September on our calendar). The purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is not clearly stated in the Bible, but according to Jewish tradition, it was to warn the people of the impending Day of Atonement, which came nine days later.

 

Messianic Fulfillment: The first of the autumn festivals described in Leviticus 23 is the Feast of Trumpets. Again, though Leviticus doesn't tell us much about the purpose of this day, Jews understand it to be the warning of the approaching Day of Atonement, by which all sin must be dealt with. I believe the Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled by the seven trumpets of Revelation 8-9, 11. Study indicates that the sounding of the trumpets coincides with the messages of the three angels--Worship the Creator God, Babylon is fallen, and Do not worship Babylon.  The Second Coming occurs at the last trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets.

 

 

DAY OF ATONEMENT (Leviticus 23:26-32)

 

Historical Meaning: Observed on the 10th day of the seventh month.  This was the day when the people were to be cleansed of sin. All sin was to have been confessed and transferred into the sanctuary by this time, and the high priest ministered on the Day of Atonement to remove the sins from the sanctuary and have them born into the wildreness by the scapegoat (Leviticus 16).

 

Messianic Fulfillment: The second of the autumn festivals is the Day of Atonement. This day was the only day on which the ministry of the high priest directly included the ark of the covenant. At no other time was the ark to be seen by human eyes. Revelation 11:19 is the first and--if memory serves--only time the ark is specifically mentioned; and I believe that it refers to the time by which all sin must be confessed and repented of. Notice, in the last few verses of Revelation 11, that the ark is revealed very shortly after the seventh trumpet is sounded.

 

 

FEAST OF TABERNACLES AND CLOSING ASSEMBLY (Leviticus 23:33-36)

 

Historical Meaning: The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the autumn harvest, just as the Feast of Weeks celebrated the spring harvest.

 

Messianic Fulfillment:  The third of the autumn festivals is the Feast of Tabernacles. This was the celebration of the harvest at the end of the year, just as the Feast of Weeks was the celebration of the spring harvest. The difference is that the Feast of Tabernacles was a much bigger celebration (see Leviticus 23). Revelation 14:14-16 describes the harvest; and Revelation 7:9-15 is another reference to those who are harvested from the earth.

 

Summary of God’s Feasts Fulfilled in Yahshua the Messiah

 

Hosea clarifies there is a 2,000-year Messianic Age or Church age between His two comings.  Then Hosea confirms that He, the Messiah, shall come twice according the Feast Cycle (former rain is the Spring Feasts, the latter rain is the Fall Feasts):

 

Hosea 6:1-3
1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

 

The Spring Feasts point to the Messiah’s first coming.  Yahshua presented Himself as the Passover Lamb on the Passover Feast.  Yahshua was resurrected as the first fruits of the Eternal Kingdom on the day after the Sabbath on the Feast of Firstfruits.  Fifty days after His resurrection, Yahshua sent the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Weeks.

 

The Autumn Feasts point to Messiah’s second coming.  Yahshua returns on the Feast of Trumpets, liberates Jerusalem during the Days of Awe, and atones for the sins of man on the Day of Atonement.  Then Yahshua celebrates the end time harvest with His bride during a weeklong feast on the Mount of Olives during the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

At that time, God’s Feast Cycle will be complete and the Kingdom Age or Millennial Reign begins.

 

 

Messianic Age

 

The Scriptures prophesy that the Messiah will suffer and even die and come back to life. Among these are Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10, and 13:6.

 

The messianic age does not come without a Messiah. And Messiah by definition is the one who ushers in the messianic age.  Messiah is the one who is responsible for bringing in the messianic age of peace, understanding, and prosperity.  He is not simply lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to receive all this blessing that will be brought about. But he takes an active role in establishing it. As Isaiah 11:3-9 says, he will strike the earth

 

 

 

with the rod of his mouth, with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Then the wolf will lie down with the lamb. And they will neither harm nor destroy on the holy mountain.

 

The Messianic Age was a time prophesied in the Old Testament when the Messiah would re-unite Israel (heel the breech between the two Houses), reveal the kingdom of God, re-establish the Nation of Israel, and to proclaim the truth of the Torah from the City of Jerusalem.

 

The 2,000-year Church Age fulfilled this period known as the Messianic Age in Old Testament prophecy.

 

 

14-Year Period of Joseph and Jacob (The End Times)

 

God disclosed the duration of the end times through prophecy in the Old Testament.  The end times are the end of the Messianic Age and the beginning of the Kingdom Age or Millennial Reign. 

 

This period begins with what is known prophetically as the 7 Good Years of Joseph followed by what is known as the 7 Bad Years of Jacob.

 

We know these are prophetic timeframes relating to the end of the age because the prophet Jeremiah confirmed this fact as I will explain below.  But first, let me give a brief introduction.

 

7-Good Years of Joseph and 7-Bad Years of Jacob

 

Joseph, 17, was given a "richly ornamented (i.e., bright-colored) robe" (Genesis 37:3) by his father, Jacob. His brothers were very jealous of him. They threw him into an empty well, and then sold Joseph into slavery (going to Egypt). Joseph's brothers dipped his robe with goat's blood, convincing his father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became a great leader there by telling the fortunes of several men and eventually the Pharaoh. Reading the Pharaoh's dream, he predicted 7 years of harvest followed by 7 years of famine. The Pharaoh made Joseph leader of the project to prepare for these 14 years. Joseph later met his brothers when they needed to buy food in the 7 years of famine. He tricked them at first, but later let them all come to Egypt and live in the land of Goshen in Egypt.

 

Prophetic Meaning and Fulfillment

 

The 14-year period of Joseph and Jacob is a prophetic portrait of the 14-year period known as the End Times.  We know this, because God disclosed this truth through prophecy.

 

Notice particularly what Jeremiah says.  Jeremiah, chapter 30, gives us a prophetic overview of Israel and Judah in the “latter days.” In the first three verses, the Lord tells Jeremiah to write the prophecy in a book so that the specific generation to which it is given might read and understand that God is speaking directly to them. That generation will know who they are because they are the ones who will “return to the land” of their ancient forefathers:

 

Jeremiah 30:1-3

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. “For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it”

 

This prophecy was fulfilled with the rebirth of Israel in 1948.   So WE ARE the generation this God was speaking about.  We know from the prophets that prior to the 7-year Tribulation period there will be a period of 7 good years.

 

Notice below that God speaks to “Israel” AND “Judah”, He is addressing both the House of Israel (Christianity) and the House of Judah (Judaism):

Jeremiah 30:3-9
3 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

We see above that the 7 good years of Joseph were a time of “false peace” (according to Isaiah) and next the world is writhing as a “man doth travail with child” the faces of men are pale with what is to come:

6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Now we see the 7 bad years of Jacob come upon the earth…

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

 

Dispensations

 

When looking at God’s Plan, it is revealed in the Bible in several ways.  In the various dispensations that give us a general look at how God has progressively disclosed Himself over time through covenants.  God gave us a measuring rod in the nation of Israel revealed to Daniel in the form of 70 weeks of years (70x7 years or 490 years).  And by His timeline laid out by the Prophets.  Combined, these three views work together to tell God’s Saints exactly where we stand relative to God’s plan.

 

Dispensation – God’s plan has been dispensed (or distributed) over His 7,000 year plan in 7 unique timeframes called Dispensations:

 

1.        The Dispensation of Innocence (Gen. 2:15-3:21) – From the creation of man and his commission to rule the earth in the Adamic Covenant to the violation of the Adamic Covenant and man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

2.        The Dispensation of Consciousness (Gen. 3:22-8:14) – From the fall of man to the flood of Noah and the Noahic Covenant.  Lasted 1,656 years.

3.        The Dispensation of Human Government (Gen. 8:15 – 11:32) – From the flood of Noah (the Noahic Covenant) through the call of Abraham (The Abrahamic Covenant).  Lasted 427 years.

4.        The Dispensation of Promise (Gen. 12:1 – Ex. 12:37) – From the call of Abraham (The Abrahamic Covenant) through to the exodus of Israel from Egypt under Moses (The Mosaic Covenant, or Mosaic Law).  Lasted 430 years.

5.        The Dispensation of Law (Ex. 12:38 – Matt. 2:23;11:10-13; Luke 16:16) – From the exodus of Isarel from Egypt under Moses to the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven by John the Baptist; or from Moses to the first coming of Yahshua the Messiah.  Lasted 1,718 years.

6.        The Dispensation of Grace (Matt. 3:1 – Rev. 19:10) – From Yahshua the Messiah’s first coming till Yahshua the Messiah second coming.  Lasts approximately 2,000 years.

7.        The Dispensation of Divine Government (The Millennium; Rev. 19:11-20:15) – From the second coming of Yahshua the Messiah until the last rebellion of Satan and man on Earth.  Lasts 1,000 years.

 

 

 

Prophetic Overview of N.T.

 

The New Testament is in part the fulfillment of prophecy in the Old Testament and confirmation of the unfulfilled prophesies that will be fulfilled in the End Times.  In this section I provide an explanation of prophetic timeframes and how they have been fulfilled to date.

 

In order to understand the words of prophecy spoken by Yahshua and the Apostles, we must understand the prophesies of the Old Testament explained in the last section; especially the Feast Cycle and the purpose of the Messianic Age, which was to reclaim Israel and Jerusalem. 

 

The ministry of Yahshua fulfilled the Feast Cycle and the commission of the Church went out to fulfill the Messianic Age to bless all nations with the knowledge of God, reclaim the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and to usher in the End of the Age.  I will begin with the End of the Age when the nation of Israel was reborn in 1 day in fulfillment of prophecy.  This section demonstrates clearly that we are living in the End Times.  In Chapter 4 I will prove prophetically and through historical fulfillment that we are living in the Tribulation.

 

Is Israel really the fig tree? If it is, then we are that generation which will not see death before the return of Messiah. Digging a little farther, if Israel is the symbolic fig tree, then are there prophecies that predict national life for Israel after almost 19 centuries in dispersion? Was the rebirth of Israel on God's time-table for the redemption of the world, or was it just coincidence?

 

It is certainly a miracle that Israel is in existence today. It ceased to be a free nation about 2500 years ago, beginning with the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar, which started the ``servitude of the nation'' in 606 B.C. Israel ultimately ceased to exist in any form after the year 70 A.D., when Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were scattered to the four corners of the earth. Never before in the history of the world had a country that had been so utterly devastated been regenerated after almost twenty centuries and even on the exact location where it originally existed!

 

It could only have been an act of God, especially considering the Holocaust and the attempted genocide carried out against the Jews by Stalin.

 

But if prophecies can show that Israel's rebirth in this generation was not a coincidence, but the sovereign work of God, then it is time to get excited. There would no longer be any doubt that Israel is the fig tree and that we are the generation that will not see death before the return of Messiah.

 

 

The End of the Age – 1948-2007

 

The study of end events begins with the re-birth of Israel as a sovereign nation as prophesied by Isaiah:

 

Isaiah 66:5-8

5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

 

 

 

This prophecy declares that Zion would bring forth her child (the Nation of Israel) comparing the rebirth of Israel to the world giving birth after much pain.  After the devastation rendered on the Jewish people by Hitler, the United Nations repaid the Jewish people declaring the land of Israel a sovereign Jewish state for the first time in over 2,000 years! 

 

The prophecy that Israel would be reborn in 1 day would mark the end of the prophecy known as the ‘Servitude of the Nation of Israel’ and Israel’s return to national sovereignty.  This duration that the Nation of Israel would be under foreign control was prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel and known as the ‘Servitude of the Nation of Israel’. 

 

Understanding these prophecies demonstrates God’s sovereign control over human events and the literal nature of prophetic fulfillment.  Bible prophecy ties it all these events together, resulting in the Nation of Israel’s punishment ending exactly on May 14, 1948 (the official date Israel was declared a nation).  Let me explain:

Jeremiah’s 70 Year Prophecy of Punishment - Jeremiah 25:11

Jeremiah prophesied a punishment upon the Nation of Israel for rebellion.  The Nation of Israel would have to spend 70 years under Babylonian captivity.  According to history, that punishment began in 606 BC.  The 70-year punishment was to end in 536 BC.

 

However, during this 70-year punishment, God pronounced, through Ezekiel, 430 years of punishment for the Nation of Israel’s continued rebellion.  This leaves 360 years (430 – 70 years already served).  The failure of the Nation of Israel to repent invoked the Law of Leviticus, which multiplied the remaining 360 years of punishment by 7 resulting in 2,520 years Israel would not be a sovereign nation:


Leviticus 26:18-28
18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

…

21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;

28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

 

The Servitude of the Nation of Israel

 

Let's examine Ezekiel, chapter 4, verses 1-8. In this passage, we see 430 years of judgment pronounced upon Israel. Seventy years can be accounted for by the Babylonian captivity. This leaves 360 years that does not seem to fit any particular date in history. However, there are passages in Leviticus (26:18,21,24,28) that indicate that if Israel does not obey Him the first time, God will multiply her punishment by seven. So if we take the 360 years of punishment pronounced on Israel and multiply by seven, we get 2,520 years.

 

 

Knowing that the Bible deals in 360-day years (the Jewish calendar consists of twelve 30-day months), if we convert the 2,520 ``360-day years'' into today's ``365.242-day'' years, we get 2,483 years plus nine months and 21 days.

 

Starting with the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar, which began the `Servitude of the Nation' in 606 B.C., the initial 70 years of Babylonian servitude ended in 537 B.C. as follows:

 

Seventy (360 day) years = 25,200 days = 69 (365 day years) less 2 days or: 606 B.C. (69 years - two days) = 537 B.C.

 

Counting from July 23, 537 B.C. with the release from servitude, we get:

537y 7m 23d (B.C.) plus 1year (because no year between 1 B.C. & 1 A.D.) plus 2483 years 9months and 12days = the 1948th year 5 month 14th day.

 

And what happened on May 14, 1948?

 

 

 

David Ben Gurion, citing the book of Ezekiel as his authority, proclaimed ``Israel'' as the new Jewish homeland. The nation of Israel was re-established on the exact day predicted by the Bible.

 

This is the exact date that God re-established the Nation of Israel and the date Yahshua said would mark the beginning of the ‘End of the Age’.  So, Yahshua as well as most Bible scholars have known the date of Israel’s restoration, as well as the timeframe for the Messiah’s second coming. 

 

On May 14, 1948 the United Nations declared the Nation of Israel a sovereign nation for the first time in 2,483 years!  This date fulfilled Isaiah 66:7-8 and marked the end of the prophecy called the ‘Servitude of the Nation of Israel’ declared through Ezekiel and Jeremiah. 

 

On May 14, 1948, the nation Israel was reestablished on the world scene. A remarkable coincidence. Isaiah appears to have highlighted this very restoration:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people:


Isaiah 11:11, 12
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

 

Now that we know the exact date of a specific prophecy, we can discern the entire timeline!  The next milestone would be the prophecy called the ‘Abominations of Jerusalem’ marking the beginning of what Yahshua called ‘The Last Generation’.

 

 

The Last Generation – 1967 – 2007

 

The next major marker during the ‘End of the Age’ is the re-capture of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  This event was prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel and known as the end to the ‘Desolations of Jerusalem’. 

The Desolations of Jerusalem

 

The Desolations of Jerusalem begins with the 3rd Siege of Nebuchadnezzar when Jerusalem fell in 587 B.C.

 

Counting from August 16, 518 B.C., which was the completion of the Desolations of Jerusalem, then we have:

 

518year 8month 16day (BC) plus 1 year plus 2483years 9months 21days = 1967 6month 7day

 

On June 7, 1967, as a consequence of the miraculous Six Day War where Israel miraculously defeated all the Arab armies combined, the Old City of Jerusalem fell under Israeli control for the first time since Yahshua' prediction:

 

Luke 21:24

``And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.''

 

 

 

 

 

Another coincidence? The Jews say coincidence is not a kosher word. In the natural, it is impossible that this is coincidence. It is clearly by supernatural design. The fig tree is a symbol of the Nation Israel and we are the generation that will see the return of Yahshua the Messiah in Glory and great Power.

 

The Last Generation

 

It was the end of the ‘Desolations of Jerusalem’ that Yahshua prophesied that He would return within 1 Generation.  Yahshua referred to both the Servitude of the Nation and the Desolation of Jerusalem prophesies in Matthew:

 

Matthew 24:32-36

vs 32 "When the tree is yet tender" meaning after the rebirth of Isreal in fulfillment of OT prophecy ... fulfilled April 14, 1948 the culmination of the "Servitude of the Nation of Israel" prophecy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel... "and puts forth its leaves" meaning Israel regains the Temple Mount and Jerusalem ... fulfilled on June 7, 1967 the culmination of the "Desolations of Jerusalem" prophecy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel...

vs. 34 "this generation will not pass away" meaning from June 7, 1967 there is 40 years 120 days which is a Biblical generation before everything concerning End Events are fulfilled.  Which is September 13, 2007.

vs. 36 "but of that day or hour no man knoweth" Yahshua was confirming His second coming according to God's Feast Cycle using a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets  "but my father only"  Yahshua was using another Jewish idiom referring to the wedding feast that occurs after the Feast of Trumpets because Jewish weddings were pre-arranged by the Father.

 

A Generation – 40 Years 120 Days

 

The Gospel of Mark teaches that Yahshua went up to His final Passover in Jerusalem, SIX DAYS prior to that event. More plainly put, He entered Jerusalem, for the final time, on the 8TH DAY of the 1ST MONTH (with Passover beginning on the evening of the 14th day at sunset).

We can easily discern the meaning of Yahshua’ words concerning the length of time of a generation.  Take out a calendar, and count how many days there are from this date (8TH of 1ST) until Tisha B'Av (9TH day of 5TH month):

8th day of 1st month = April 13, 2000
9th day of 5th month = August 10, 2000

Using Jewish inclusive reckoning, that means there are exactly 120 days between those anniversary dates. Also, as you know this is very significant a number, since it represents a period of testing and probation (i.e. the time mentioned before Noah's flood). As well, there are a total of 120 of these "120 day periods", in a biblical generation (3 per year X 40 years = 120).

Therefore, a generation is exactly 40 years and 120 days long.  120 sets of 120 day "windows".

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROM 13:11
``The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.''

 

Luke 21:34-36
``Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.''

 

 

The End Times – 1993 – 2007

 

Once the Servitude of the Nation of Israel ended in 1948 the world entered the End of the Age. Then as the Desolations of Jerusalem ended in 1967 the world entered the Last Generation. Israel now was a sovereign nation and in control of Jerusalem and we begin looking for the next milestone… the 7 Good Years of Joseph or rather the 70th Week of Daniel followed by the 7 Bad Years of Jacob.  A 14-year period known as The End Times.  I fully explain the 70th Week of Daniel in Chapter 4 and develop a clear timeline of events over this 14-year period.

 

The 7 Good Years of Joseph (the 70th Week of Daniel) – 1993 – 2000

 

The first half of the 14-year period of ‘The End Times’ is known as the 7 Good Years of Jacob.  It is defined by Daniel and Isaiah as a 7-year ‘false’ peace treaty that fails to achieve peace and focuses the world’s attention on Jerusalem.

 

Understanding that Yahshua returns on September 13, 2007 we simply need to count back 14 years to September 13, 1993 and we should see the fulfillment of this 7-year peace treaty.

 

On September 13, 1993 the ONLY 7-year peace treaty in the history of mankind between any nations was signed between Israel and her enemies (the Arabs):

 

 

 

This peace treaty was called The OSLO Peace Accords.  We will explore this most significant fulfillment of prophecy in Chapter 10.  OSLO was officially annulled on September 13, 2000 making it a perfect 7-year peace treaty.  The treaty failed over the permanent status of Jerusalem.  The failure of this treaty focused the world’s attention on Jerusalem and launched Israel into the most devastating time in her history… the 7 Bad Years of Jacob.

The 7 Bad Years of Jacob (Times of Jacob’s Trouble/ Tribulation) 2000 – 2007

 

The second half of the 14-year period of ‘The End Times’ is known as the 7 Bad Years of Jacob in the Old Testament and the Tribulation in the New Testament.  The first half (3.5 years) would be the period Yahshua declared as a time of Wars and Rumors of War.  Israel would now be at war.

 

 

The failure of OSLO resulted in what we now call the War on Terror.   As a result of the failure of OSLO, Ariel Sharon went to the Temple Mount to declare Jerusalem the sovereign property of Israel.  Sparking this current war on terror:

 

 

 

 

As a result of this trip to the Temple Mount, the Arabs rioted on top of the Temple Mount on September 28, 2000.  This is the date recognized world-wide as the beginning date of the War on Terror:

 

 

 

 

This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy.  Isaiah, speaking of OSLO as the Covenant of Death said this treaty would not be sufficient to achieve peace and would launch a series of daily TERROR ATTACKS:

 

Isaiah 28:15-19
15 Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge (of war) passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves."

…

18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.

19 As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report."

 

This war on terror is prophesied in the Bible as the War of Gog and Magog.  The war that finally resolves the long battle between Islam and Judaism/Christianity.  As the war broke out between Israel and the Arabs; the final status of Jerusalem was front and center in the daily world news.  This war was prophesied by Zechariah:

 

Zech 12:2-3

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

 

 

The War of Gog and Magog

 

The first half of the 7-year Tribulation is a time Yahshua referred to as “Wars and Rumors of War” better known as the War of Gog and Magog.   This is the time of war that Isaiah declares as a war on terror.  This war resolves the long struggle between the sons of Abraham Ishmael (Islam) and Isaac (Judaism/Christianity).

 

On the Feast of Trumpets 2001, one year after the beginning of this war, Islam attacked the heart of Christianity for its support of Isreal:

 

 

As this war developed the September 2002 issue of TIME Magazine tells the entire story of the war the Bible prophesied to occur during the first 3.5 years of the tribulation. 

 

 

 

 

The 3.5 Year Great Tribulation - 2004 – 2007

 

The period of time known as the Great Tribulation is the last three and one half years prior to the coming of the Lord on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. It is to be a very difficult time for the world as Satan will cause great harm and be on the earth through the auspices of the False Messiah and the False Prophet.

 

The Great Tribulation begins with the Abomination of Desolation when the agreement that permitted the altar to be setup and operated on the Temple Mount is cancelled. The altar service is forced to stop. Once the altar is stopped, the religious Jew participating in the service realizes that the altar is no longer valid; a new altar will have to be built.

 

Many will come to fast and weep for the altar being shut down. From that group, two men will emerge as the Two Witnesses. The angel Gabriel is dispatched to put the seal on the foreheads of the 144,000 and then Gabriel is removed.

 

Very shortly thereafter, God judges the Household of God, the church is martyred, and in particular judges all those saints who spoke against the altar operation. Voices will ring out that the Great Tribulation has begun and the counting of the 1290 days and 1335 days are underway.

 

This will be met with disdain, ignorance, and mockery. The warning will go out for all saints to leave Babylon (the religious system of churches). Unbelief and falling from faith will be commonplace fulfilling the Great Apostasy.

 

The Great Tribulation consists of the following events:

·         The Transgression of Desolation

·         The Rise of the False Messiah

·         The Rise of the False Prophet

·         Israel Flee