THE ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY OF HIS COMING & GLORIOUS KINGDOM

From the earliest chapters of the Bible, God laid out His plan for a Redeemer for fallen mankind. Messiah’s coming would unfold in two phases: as a suffering Servant, whose “heel would be bruised” by Satan…and as a victorious King, who would one day “crush the head” of Satan, (Genesis 3:15).

The promise of the coming Messiah was kept alive & passed down through the line of Seth, the younger brother of Abel. But by the 10th generation, corruption of the human race had increased to the point that— except for Noah & his family— God was forced to destroy mankind by water.

After the flood, the original promise of a Redeemer was re-affirmed to a descendant of Noah’s, named Abram or Abraham. God promised Abraham that “in your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” (Genesis 22:18). The promised Messiah was to come through the descendants of Abraham, but not just for the benefit of the Jews. His salvation was meant for all people!

Throughout the Old Testament, God added to His picture of the coming Messiah. It was two revelations of the same Man: a suffering Servant and a victorious King. Of the two portraits, the vast majority of prophecy described His coming kingship— destroying the enemies of God’s people and bringing about a kingdom of peace on earth. Some Bible scholars estimate that there are three times as much prophecy about Jesus as the coming King, as compared to Jesus the Suffering Servant. Quite humanly, the Jews focused their attention upon Messiah’s kingship, rather than His sufferings.

God gave Israel a foretaste of the Messianic kingdom during the reign of King David, when Israel arose to prominence and power among all the kingdoms of the world. However, after the death of King David, the nation began a descent into sin. This resulted in a split of the nation into two kingdoms. Sadly, both kingdoms eventually went into captivity for their idolatry.

It was during the captivity in Babylon that a man of God named Daniel, began praying for the restoration of his people back to their own land of Israel.

God answered Daniel with a prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) that 490 years were determined upon Israel before the fullness of the promised Messianic kingdom would come. However, Messiah’s public revelation to Israel would occur at the 483-year mark! This was fulfilled in 30 A.D. when Jesus was publicly hailed as “Son of David” (a messianic title) by the Jews on Palm Sunday.

After His public reveal, the prophecy went on to say that Messiah would be “cut off.” At the end of the same week as Palm Sunday, Messiah was crucified as the Suffering Servant for the sins of the whole world. The prophetic clock stopped when the very Essence of Israel’s temple was killed!

Forty years after the crucifixion in 70 A.D., the Roman government would annihilate the nation of Israel by destroying Jerusalem, tearing down her temple building, and killing, enslaving, or scattering the Jews to all parts of the world. In every respect, Daniel’s prophecy— “determined upon” Israel— was dead without the final 7 years having been fulfilled.

But God’s word never fails.

Abraham’s Seed had originally been promised as a blessing for “all the nations of the earth.” Israel had carried the promise of Messiah/Savior for 1800 years. But now it was time to spread to the Gentile nations. For approximately 1800 years following the crucifixion, the gospel went out to the “uttermost parts of the earth.”

Today, the gospel is returning full circle to Israel as the end of the age approaches. The final 7 years of Daniel’s prophecy must play out around the nation of Israel!

The final 7 years of Daniel’s prophecy can only begin when the Jews are back in their land as a people (fulfilled, 1948); with Jerusalem as their capital (fulfilled in 1967 & affirmed by the nations in 2017-18); and with a rebuilt temple (awaiting its official launch at any time). This is because the original prophecy was “determined upon thy people and thy holy city.”

The final portion of Daniel’s prophecy will begin with the confirmation or signing of a treaty between Israel & other nations (Daniel 9:27). Permission to erect a temple will be associated with the agreement. The fact that Israel will build a temple should not be taken as God’s approval of it, but as a SIGN of prophetic significance, heralding the launch of the final 7 years of this age!

The final 7 years of this age will unfold with increasing birth pangs. Satan will endeavor to present a world leader– an antichrist– as mankind’s expected savior. But, the elect of God will hold fast to the word of God– awaiting the true King– as the universe labors to give birth to Jesus/Yeshua’s return and the establishment of His long-awaited Messianic kingdom! God’s revelation of King Jesus, Messiah of the world, will come at Revelation’s 6th Seal when the very cosmos bows down to its Creator. There will be a great earthquake, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the sky will roll up like a scroll! This will be followed by a flash of lightning from the east to the west as Deity returns on the clouds of heaven to gather His elect to Himself, pour out judgment & wage war on the kingdom of Antichrist, and finally establish His Millennial reign on earth!

The present coronavirus crisis is nothing that should significantly disturb the peace or joy of any of God’s elect. It is a blip, a mere pang compared to the glory that awaits us. We may be the generation privileged enough to witness the return of Christ! The magnitude of that should overshadow everything else!

Halleluia & Rejoice!