DANIEL'S 70 WEEKS COUNTDOWN TO CHRIST'S SECOND COMING

The Book Daniel is one of the Old testament source of Bible prophecy to unveil the End Time events apart from the Book of Revelation.Quoting the maxim of Saint Augustine again,who said "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed.The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed",time and again I was drawn to read through the book of Daniel which I've found much "New testament"prophetic events been revealed by the Holy Spirit.It started when our Lord Jesus Christ Himself quoted the book of Daniel when He refered to the coming of the Antichrist during the Tribulation period.Jesus said: "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,'spoken of by Daniel the prophet,standing where it ought not"(let the reader understand) (Mark 13:14).I knew then as reader, that I must read thoroughly Daniel's book to get a better understanding about the study of the End Times.

Jesus in quoting Daniel's portion of scripture,was quoted from Daniel 12:11,where Christ was refering to this man Antichrist who stand in the temple of God during the midst of the seven years tribulation.Proclaiming himself to be God,he brought in his own living image,the "abomination of desolation"to be place and worship in temple of God."And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away,and the abomination of desolation is set up,there shall be a one thousand two hundred and ninety days"(Daniel 12:11-1290 days refers to the last 3.5 years Great Tribulation period).

Daniel the prophet who lived some 600 years before Christ,foresaw the End Time last days event as shown by God in a series of visions and dreams.Daniel saw a glimpse of the future events where the beast,the antichrist rose to power (Daniel 7:23-28).He even saw Christ's sitting on His throne to judge the living and the dead sometime in the future (Daniel 7:9-12).What amazed me the most was how God through His angel told Daniel that before the Glorious second coming of the Lord,a 70 weeks or 490 years of God's prophetic events and time frame must be fullfil.

Let us examine Daniel's prophecy pertaining to this End Time events."While I was speaking in prayer,the man Gabriel,whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,being caused to fly switfly,reached me about the time of the evening offering.And he informed me,and talked with me,and said,"O Daniel,I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.at the beginning of your supplications the command went out,and I have come to tell you,for you are greatly beloved;therefore consider the matter,and understand the vision:Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city,to finish the transgression,to make an end of sins,to make reconciliation for iniquity,to bring in everlasting righteousness,to seal up vision and prophecy,and to anoint the Most Holy.

Know therefore and understand,That from the going forth of the commmand to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince,there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;the street shall be built again and the wall,even in trouble times.After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off,but not for Himself;and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.The end of it shall be with flood,and till the end of the war desolations are determined.Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.And on the wing of abominations shall be one makes desolate,even untill consummation,which is determined,is poured out on the desolate"(Daniel 9:21-27)

The Angel Gabriel told Daniel that this 70 weeks started when the command to restore and build Jerusalem."70 weeks" or 70 heptads,meaning 70 times seven weeks of years,which totalled up to 490 years.This command or decree came from King Artaxerxes (Cyrus) during the Babylonian captivity.The Jews took 7 weeks or 49 years building the wall of the City Jerusalem.This gigantic project to build Jerusalem's wall was under the prophetic eye of both Ezra and Nehemiah the prophets.A study of Jewish history also revealed this fact that it took 49 years to build Jerusalem's wall.After the wall was build,another 62 weeks or 434 years of "trouble times"was being prophesied.These are times when God seem to be so silence until the advent of John the Baptist who began to cried out the Israel to "repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!"(Matt 3:1-2).These were the lowest spiritual point of times where the Israelites which extend to period where they went under the rule,cruelty of the Romans during Jesus's time.It was then prophesied that the Messiah shall be cut off as the climax of the 62 weeks period.

Without the shadow of doubt this portion of prophetic word points to the death of Jesus the Messiah on the cross of calvary to atone the sins of all mankind.The 62 week or 434 years was fullfiled exactly as predicted by the book of Daniel.With that,the sum to 69 weeks or 483 years have been culminated.Therefore another 1 weeks or 7 years is needed to complete the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel to be fully fullfilled.This 1 week time frame was revealed as the time where the Anchrist sign a 7 years treaty with Israel."Then he shall confirm with many for one week.But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.."(Daniel 9:27).It was also mentioned that the Antichrist will brake this treaty by the middle of week.This is the only portion of scripture in which I see that has not been fullfiled to date.We will seen this 7 years or 1 week Daniel's last portion of of the 70 weeks unfulfill prophecy which is also called the 7 years Tribulation period.Notice very carefully that there was a "gap"period time mentioned prior to this 1 week prophetic event.Daniel 9:26 stated that "The end of it shall be with flood,and till the end of the war"

I believe that we are living in this "gap"prophecy period prior to the 1 week of Daniel's 70 week prophetic fullfilment.I did mentioned in my previous posting how the Lord Jesus Christ come down from heaven to "rapture"his church prior to this 1 week or 7 years Tribulation.This "gap"period is the so called the Church age,the "acceptable year of the Lord"Isaiah 61:2)for indeed,these are the years of God's grace to the gentiles.Jesus also predicted this similar gap event by saying "Nation will rise againts nation,and kingdom againts kingdom.And there will be great earth quakes in various places,and famines and pestilences;and there will be fearfull sigths and great sings from heaven"(Luke 21:10-11).It is interesting to note in the Book of Daniel that flood and war was mentioned.Jesus completed this prediction by adding not only wars,but earthquakes,famines and pestilence.Now,its very interesting to note that to date, whenever there is an earthquake,a warning of potensial Tsunami are to occur.I look at this Tsunami as the 'flood' because the sea will rose up high being triggered by the earthquake and flooded the land bringing much calamity.

At the time of this writing,another earthquake of 8 M magnitude has just hit the nation of Chile some few days ago and a total of 700 lives were lost to date.The whole world was shock when a 7M magnitude of earthquake hit Haiti a month ago leaving over 300,000 dead.As predicted by Jesus,there will more earthquakes to follow in these borrowed time.for over 2000 years,our church history has recorded a continuors period of wars all over the world,namely the first and the second world war.War is inevitable and there will be a potensial 3rd world war that maybe coming since Jesus did mention about a "nation"who will go to war againts another nation and then kingdoms of the world will follow this war pattern to trigger a big potensial third world war.Many prophecy teachers now are looking at the possible country of Russia as the nation of "Gog,the prince of Rosh,Meshech and Tubal" to invade Israel,whereby many Arab nations who hated Israel all these years will join Russia to make war againts Israel as being prophecied by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 38:1-23.Our generation might be seeing this great coming war just prior to the rapture of the church that will usher possible world war 3 during the Tribulation period.Only the Lord knows when and we are commmanded to watch and pray.
Maranatha.Come Lord Jesus!