In Daniel 9:24-27, God gave us a remarkable prophecy laying out the future history of our world as centered around the nation of Israel. This prophecy covered a period of 490 years or 70 “7’s” of years. The prophecy was launched in 454 B.C. with Artaxerxes’ command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. It ran uninterruptedly for the next 483 years or 69 “7’s”. Then it stopped at the crucifixion of Christ.
The reason the prophecy stopped was that one condition to the prophecy— the “holiness” of Jerusalem— was destroyed at Yeshua’s crucifixion. Destroy the true “Temple” of God and you destroy that which made Jerusalem “holy.” And so the prophecy stopped. (See previous blog at prepare-bridgewell.com.)
During the ensuing breech, Daniel’s prophecy went on to say that the city (of Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the temple building) would be destroyed by the people of a future “prince.”
Just as prophesied, Jerusalem and its temple building were destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman army under the command of General Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian. The Jews were scattered all over the world. The great Jewish Diaspora had begun. The nation of Israel was seemingly dead:
“Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off,’” (Ezekiel 37:11).
The Jewish Diaspora would last for almost 2000 years. Yet, just as Ezekiel 37:7-10 prophesied, the nation of Israel would be reborn from the dead:
“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
Within the generation of people alive today, we have seen the original determinants to the prophecy — “thy people and thy holy city”— come back into place:
- ISRAEL BECOMING A NATION ONCE AGAIN AFTER ALMOST 2000 YEARS. Isaiah 66:8 asked: “Can a country be born in a day?” Israel was reborn as a nation on one day — May 14, 1948.
- ISRAEL REGAINING JERUSALEM (1967) AND MAKING IT HER CAPITAL ONCE AGAIN;
- PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR THE FUTURE REBUILDING OF HER TEMPLE.
The conditions to launch the final, 7-year period of Daniel’s prophecy are almost completed! The study of Biblical prophecy must be taken very seriously, since it is batting 100% in its accuracy. This final period may be on our horizon!
Next blog: The final 7 years of Daniel’s prophecy, a.k.a., the end times.
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