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(From the study "Should Christians Support Israel?" ) In our modern times, it has become fashionable for those in political, academic, and media spheres to attack Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation. Unfortunately, similar sentiments are often expressed in Christian circles. For instance, some have taken the position that due to Israel’s current state of unbelief, the attitude of the Christian towards them as a nation should be one of opposition ("unbelief" meaning they still have not accepted their true Messiah, Jesus Christ). Some have gone as far as to say that their current state of unbelief makes even the State of Israel’s national sovereignty illegitimate in God’s eyes. They claim that since Israel’s return to the land in the 1900s took place while in this state of unbelief, then that return is not in any way connected to Bible prophecy. From this train of thought, they often deny that the modern State of Israel has any significance at all in terms of Bible prophecy. What is the truth about this? Where does Israel fit into God’s future program for humanity and world events? Is the modern State of Israel prophetically significant? Does God have a future plan for national Israel? And if so, what does it include? Answering these questions will help us gain a perspective as to the proper attitude of a Bible-believing Christian towards Israel. As Christians today, one of the best ways we can gain further understanding concerning the proper perspective we should have towards Israel as a nation is by recognizing what the Bible has to say about their prophetic destiny. First, we will explore the topic of whether Israel’s current regathering from worldwide dispersion (or in other words, the establishment of the modern State of Israel in the 1900s) has any connection to Bible prophecy. The answers we uncover will logically guide our perceptions going forward. In other words, if we do find that the modern State of Israel has prophetic relevance, and we recognize what Scripture tells us about Israel’s future in God’s plan, then those understandings must logically guide how we as Christians think towards modern Israel. Israel's Two Worldwide Regatherings In order to recognize how prophetically significant the current State of Israel actually is according to Bible prophecy, we need to first have an understanding of what the Bible says about Israel’s regathering to their ancestral homeland. The Bible is full of these prophecies. In fact, Bible scholar Thomas Ice notes: Every Old Testament prophet, except Jonah, speaks of a permanent return to the Land of Israel by the Jews. [1] The Biblical focus on the people of Israel being permanently regathered to the land is a pervasive theme throughout the Old Testament. But one of the most ignored topics of Bible prophecy is the awareness that Scripture plainly declares that Israel will undergo two different regatherings from worldwide dispersion (or if you prefer, two distinct phases of worldwide regathering). Further, the Bible also declares that these two regatherings would take place under very different circumstances and for very different purposes . It turns out that these differences actually help us recognize just how significant the current State of Israel is within the Bible’s prophetic outline for Israel’s future. We will begin by first stating our proposition. We will then thoroughly demonstrate the reality of this proposition as being a clear Scriptural teaching throughout the remainder of this article and the one to follow. Our proposition is that the Bible contains a number of prophecies indicating that Israel would be regathered first in a state of unbelief in preparation for judgment (the judgment that culminates in the Tribulation ), and that afterwards, they would then be regathered a second and final time in faith (this taking place after the Tribulation), in preparation for blessings to be received in the Millennial Kingdom. This is significant because many people overlook the distinction of these two regatherings and only recognize one regathering. Some only recognize or expect a regathering in faith – and because of this, they deny the prophetic significance of the current secular regathering (in unbelief ) that has been taking place over the past hundred years or so. Let’s dive right into this and see for ourselves what the Bible has to say about it. The first thing to take note of is that from the very beginning of Israel's history, God had promised to scatter them among the nations worldwide if they refused to keep the terms of the Mosaic Covenant and later refused to recognize Him as Messiah when He visited them. For instance, Deuteronomy 28:64 says God would: Scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other... -Deuteronomy 28:64 From this passage, it’s clear that the dispersion would be global, as God had promised to scatter them from one end of the earth to the other. Predictions like this one are spoken of in a number of places throughout the Old Testament. Although the nation was somewhat scattered during the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, in which many were brought captive into those lands, these events were only a local dispersion and cannot act as the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies describing a worldwide dispersion. Instead, these prophecies of worldwide dispersion find clear fulfillment in the events of 70 AD and following. At this point in time, God brought discipline upon unbelieving Israel through the invasion of the Roman general Titus Vespasian, whose armies would level Jerusalem and the Temple in order to quell the Jewish uprisings of the late 60s AD. During this time, many Jews were killed or sold into slavery and removed from the land. Then, during the 130s AD, the Bar Kokhba revolt would result in most of the remaining Jewish population of Judea being killed, sold into foreign slavery, or forced to flee the land. The area of Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina by the Romans. For the last two thousand years, the Jews have found themselves in this worldwide dispersion without a home country (this dispersion referred to as the Diaspora) exactly as foretold by God through the writings of Moses in Deuteronomy, and in many other places. But just as Israel’s disciplinary dispersion is prophesied in the Old Testament, so is her eventual restoration. As we already stated, the Bible specifically predicts two worldwide regatherings for national Israel. First, there would be a regathering in unbelief when Israel returns to part of her original land promise – a return in preparation for the eventual judgment of the Tribulation, through which the nation will be brought to faith. But this regathering will be followed by another future regathering in faith, after the discipline of the Tribulation leads the Jewish remnant to cry out unto Christ in their time of trouble – prompting His response. After He returns to save this righteous remnant and destroy their enemies, He will then regather the global outcasts of Israel and bring them back to the land in preparation for blessings in the Kingdom Age. In this final regathering, Israel will be restored not only to part of her land, but to all of her land, according to the original boundaries promised by God to the Patriarchs and reiterated to Joshua in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4). These boundaries have never yet been completely under Israel’s control, but they will be in this future Kingdom Age. But here’s a key point to recognize: We know that there are only two worldwide regatherings of Israel, and that this second and final one will occur after the Tribulation, prior to the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. We learn all of this from Isaiah 11:11-12. 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, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 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. -Isaiah 11:11-12 The setting of this passage is clearly eschatological, referring to the final regathering in faith after the Tribulation as the Millennial Kingdom is being established. Verses 1-5 of this chapter describe the Second Coming of Christ in judgment to rule the earth. Verses 6-9 depict the peaceful conditions of restoration under the New Covenant, and Verse 10 introduces Israel’s national repentance and return to their true Messiah. Verses 11-12 (which we just read) continue this theme, helping us understand the context of this final worldwide regathering. You will see this clearly in the other parallel passages we will examine in Part 2. But let’s recognize the important marker given to us in Verse 11 – the phrase “the second time.” In light of what we just discussed, it becomes clear that if this final worldwide regathering is the “second one,” then that means there was an earlier worldwide regathering – “the first one”. The Hebrew-Christian scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains this further. [Isaiah] is speaking of the final worldwide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing. Isaiah numbers the final worldwide gathering in faith in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom as the second one. In other words, the last one is only the second one. If the last one is the second one, how many can there be before that? Only one. The first one could not have been the return from Babylon since that was not an international regathering from the four corners of the world, only a migration from one country (Babylonia) to another (Judea). The Bible does not allow for several worldwide regatherings in unbelief; it allows for one worldwide regathering in unbelief, followed by the last one, the one in faith, which is the second one. This text only permits two worldwide regatherings from the four corners of the earth. [2] Let’s take note that this “second time” regathering as a time of repentance indicates that national Israel must have existed in a state of unbelief prior to this (cf. Zechariah 12:10-14; 14:4; Romans 11:25-27). If this was not the case, then there would be nothing for Israel to repent of! Therefore, the “first time” regathering, which must be identified as taking place before this, must have involved Israel's regathering to the Land in unbelief. If there are only two regatherings, then this “first time” regathering of the Jews to the Land of Israel must be the modern one we’ve witnessed over the past hundred years or so – and it certainly has been a return in unbelief. Further yet, since the Bible describes Israel dwelling “in the land” throughout the end-times, and if there are only two regatherings, then there cannot be another dispersion before the future “second time” regathering. Logically then, this requires that the modern State of Israel will remain in possession of the Land perpetually from now until the fulfillment of end time prophecy. Otherwise, there would be more than two worldwide regatherings. Although the first regathering has already been occurring within modern times, we of course can recognize that many Jewish people will remain scattered among the nations awaiting the future “second time” regathering, according to prophecy. In other words, there have to be Jews still in worldwide diaspora who do not return during the first regathering, in order for a final worldwide regathering to occur later on. Another way of putting it is there must be Jews living both in Israel and in the worldwide diaspora among the nations throughout the end times. That of course is what we see currently taking place. The first regathering has been gradual and partial. The final regathering will be a full regathering of all remnant Jews, and seems to be more of an immediate event. So, the logical conclusion of all of this requires us to accept that the modern return of Israel to the Land (even while in a state of unbelief) is a divinely ordained event – and therefore, the modern State of Israel must be part of God’s prophetic program. Clearly, it is part of God's plan to bring the nation of Israel to future repentance and spiritual restoration. Fruchtenbaum arrives at the same conclusion. Therefore, the present Jewish state is relevant to Bible prophecy. [3] And so, from this key passage in Isaiah 11 that tells us of this second and final regathering, we can recognize the logical conclusion we are brought to: the modern State of Israel is prophetically significant! [1] Mark Hitchcock and Thomas Ice, Breaking the Apocalypse Code , Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 2007, pp. 136-137. [2] Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events , rev. ed., Tustin, CA: Ariel, 2003, pp. 102-103. [3] Ibid.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) Within the famed “seventy weeks prophecy“ found in Daniel 9:24-27 exists an often debated conundrum in Christian eschatology. This debate surrounds the mysterious shift between Verses 26 and 27, focusing on Verse 26’s reference to “the prince that shall come“ which is followed by Verse 27’s opening phrase “and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.“ Does this pronoun “he“ refer to the Messiah, Titus Vespasian, or a future Antichrist figure? Understanding Daniel's Prophecy In order to begin to answer this question, we must understand more about this prophecy as a whole. The context concerns Daniel while he was in Babylon during the Babylonian exile of the Jews (605-536 BC). Daniel understood from reading Jeremiah’s prophecies that the exile would last for seventy years (Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10). He recognized that Israel's national restoration depended on their national repentance (Jeremiah 29:10-14), so Daniel personally interceded for Israel in prayer. He prayed specifically for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple, as they had been destroyed by the Babylonians (Daniel 9:3-19). Daniel apparently expected the immediate and complete fulfillment of Israel’s restoration with the conclusion of the seventy-year captivity. However, in these verses of Daniel 9, the future of the Jews and Jerusalem was shown to him by the angel Gabriel (who gave him the seventy weeks prophecy), revealing that Israel’s restoration would be progressive and only ultimately fulfilled at the time of the end (see also Daniel 12). Through this prophecy, God decreed that He would complete His Messianic redemption of the Jews and Jerusalem over the course of a seventy-week period (which as we now understand, includes both advents of Christ). This prophecy in Daniel 9 describes seventy “sevens” (or weeks) of years – in other words, 490 years that would be designated for the Jews and Jerusalem in order to complete six key objectives related to this full Messianic redemption (essentially, to wrap up this age of human history and introduce the Messianic Kingdom). Let’s begin by reading this passage in Daniel 9, beginning with Verse 24 and ending with the last verse of this chapter – Verse 27. We have added some parenthetical inserts in order to help you understand what each part of this prophecy is saying within the context of our topic here. We will then go over each verse in more detail to make sure it’s clear. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city [meaning the Jews and Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy [basically meaning “to finish this age”]. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks [7 + 62, equaling a total of 69 weeks, or 483 years since each week is 7 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [in other words, after the 62 weeks that follow the 7 weeks, or put another way, after the entire 69 weeks, or 483 years] shall Messiah be cut off [this happened in 33 AD with the crucifixion of Christ], but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined [this happened in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem]. And he [the topic of this article] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [speaking of the final seventieth week]: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:24-27 In order for us to properly engage the issue of the mysterious “he“ in Verse 27 and how it relates to the “prince that shall come“ in Verse 26, a verse-by-verse analysis of this entire prophecy is in order. Due to the constraints of space and time in this article, we will attempt to reduce our summaries of the preceding verses to the bare basics. Let’s begin. An Analysis of Verse 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. -Daniel 9:24 Verse 24 makes it clear to us that seventy weeks of years (70 x 7, or 490 years) are designated by God for the future of the Jews and Jerusalem in order to complete six key objectives. Since these objectives were not explicitly defined for us, it leaves the interpreter to find a plausible explanation of what they point toward. We believe it is clear that they point towards the culmination of the major Biblical themes of this age – judgment of sin, atonement, forgiveness, and spiritual restoration. It is critical to recognize that all of these objectives have not yet been fully completed. When we look at these themes while using the backdrop of Old and New Testament prophecy, it becomes clear that although some may have been fulfilled – or have begun being fulfilled – it is clear that in the ultimate sense, these events will be brought to complete fulfillment when Israel is brought to spiritual restoration and revival at the time of the Second Coming of Christ and the inauguration of the future Millennial Kingdom. An Analysis of Verse 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. -Daniel 9:25 As we pointed out earlier, we have a total of seventy weeks of years, or 490 years. However, Verse 25 focuses on the first sixty-nine weeks of years, separating them from the seventieth. It breaks them down into a first seven weeks of years followed immediately by sixty-two weeks of years (or threescore and two weeks), totaling sixty-nine . It tells us that these sixty-nine weeks of years would be a countdown that begins with a commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem , and culminates with the appearance of the Messiah to Israel. It’s a countdown to the arrival of the Messiah, or what Christians would call the “First Coming.” In the our study entitled “The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy – An Exact Timeline For the Arrival Of The Messiah” , we conclusively proved in great detail that this sixty-nine week countdown began during the Hebrew month of Nisan in 444 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1 and 2), and ended on March 30th of 33 AD at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Several days following His Triumphal Entry, He was then crucified on April 3rd – a key element which we will see anticipated in the next verse (Verse 26). So, we should recognize that the sixty-nine weeks have concluded long ago. If you have any doubts about this, or would like to understand the evidence for yourself, feel free to consult the aforementioned study. An Analysis of Verse 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. -Daniel 9:26 Verse 26 discusses the events that occur after the completion of the sixty-nine weeks, which we said terminated on March 30th of 33 AD – the day of the Triumphal Entry, the day Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. So, as stated earlier, we should recognize that the sixty-nine weeks have concluded long ago. So, this verse discusses the events that would follow the termination of the sixty-ninth week. It says that after the sixty-nine total weeks, the Messiah would then be “cut off,” and that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed by a prince who would come. These events happened exactly as this prophecy predicts. First, as we have shown in the aforementioned study, several days following the Triumphal Entry, Jesus (the Messiah) was cut off. The Triumphal Entry took place on Monday, ending the sixty-nine weeks, and then Jesus was crucified on Friday of that same week – in 33 AD. Let’s briefly discuss this term “cut off” so there is no confusion. The Hebrew term for “cut off” here, is karath (Strong’s # H3772). This word literally means to be “cut off, cut down, or cut asunder,” and is often used to mean that one would be executed or killed. [1] Interestingly, this word also is used to imply the “cutting of a covenant,” in which two people would literally cut off a piece of animal flesh and pass between the pieces while making vows – as was done during the giving of the Abrahamic Covenant by God to Abraham in Genesis 15. [2] Is there any word that better summarizes the work of Christ on the cross? He was “cut off” and rejected by His people, the Jews, and was then executed. But this act of laying down His life was the cornerstone upon which the New Covenant was based! So, there should be no confusion regarding this expression “cut off.” It means the Messiah would be executed after the conclusion of the sixty-nine weeks – which, as we have shown in our companion study, Christ was (four days – as we count – following His Triumphal Entry). Second, Verse 26 then predicts that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed by a prince who would come. This was fulfilled precisely as spoken in this Verse, as the city and the sanctuary were indeed destroyed by a prince who would come about thirty-seven years later in 70 AD. Our knowledge of the history of this time is well-preserved and well-known. History records in detail the actions of the Roman prince and general, Titus Vespasian , who led the assault on Jerusalem and the Temple, destroying them in 70 AD. [3] For more information on this, feel free to consult our companion study entitled, “The Luke 19:43-44 Prophecy: The Destruction Of Jerusalem Foretold” . During the Jewish rebellion against Rome in the late 60s AD, Titus’ father Vespasian, also formerly a general, had now become the emperor of Rome. He put Titus in charge of carrying out the assault on Jerusalem, which he accomplished in 70 AD – resulting in the massacre and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. [4] So, Titus Vespasian had just become a prince, since his father had just become the emperor – exactly as the prophetic text required. And like the prophecy states, the end came for Jerusalem in its destruction in 70 AD, and following that, war continued with its desolations, as history has confirmed. The entire countryside was leveled, as recorded in the writings of Josephus, and beginning at that time, the Jewish people over the next century would be sent into a worldwide Diaspora. [5] The fulfillments of this prophetic verse are very clear. At this point, we have discussed the first through sixty-ninth weeks, as well as the events that took place after the sixty-ninth week. We have not yet discussed a seventieth week. An Analysis of Verse 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:27 Verse 27 seems to make an unusual jump to describing the beginning of the mysterious seventieth week, but gives no description of how the events following the sixty-nine weeks link into the seventieth. Our understanding of the previous verse is clear that the sixty-nine weeks were completed, and tells us of events that would occur after their completion – forcing us to recognize a gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. The sixty-nine weeks concluded on March 30th, 33 AD at the Triumphal Entry. Then after that, Jesus the Messiah was “cut off” four days later. Then still even further after that, the city and sanctuary were destroyed almost forty years later in 70 AD. So, any way you cut it, this passage mandates a gap of time following the sixty-nine weeks. But when we look at Verse 27 and notice its description of the final seventieth week, the question is, when should we understand this final week to occur? Did it occur in 70 AD? Or, is it yet future? The only point of continuity or linkage with the previous verse is the use of the pronoun “he,” which would seem to refer back to the antecedent – “prince that shall come” in Verse 26. We are told that a covenant will be confirmed (or enforced), which would appear to be the marker for the beginning of the final seventieth week – “and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week”. We are then told of a marker that would appear to designate the middle of the seventieth week – “and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” There is often much confusion as to whether these events have already happened, or if we should understand them to be future events. Does the "He" in Verse 27 Refer to the Messiah in Verse 25 or "the Prince That Shall Come" in Verse 26? As mentioned at the outset, the identification of the pronoun “he” in this verse has been the topic of much debate. While some believe it refers to the “Messiah the Prince” originally mentioned in Verse 25, others believe it refers to the “prince that shall come” mentioned toward the end of Verse 26 (which we have already identified with Titus Vespasian). In normal laws of reference in language, a pronoun refers back to the last preceding person mentioned. In this case, the antecedent is “the prince that shall come” in Verse 26. Those who instead argue that “he” means the Messiah face a number of difficulties. For example, if this is taken to mean Christ confirming the New Covenant (as some have suggested), it immediately runs into major problems, as the New Covenant is obviously longer than seven years in duration. Further, those who apply this to Christ often apply the first half of the final seven years to Jesus’s earthly ministry. However, doing that would overlap the seventieth week with the sixty-ninth week, which we showed in our companion study to have been still in progress until 33 AD. Further yet, there are no noteworthy events to designate as markers that would conclude the seventieth week if you applied this to the years following 33 AD. Some also try to connect the “prince that shall come” in verse 26 with being the Messiah mentioned in verse 25, but that obviously falls apart since the passage says that Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed by the “people of the prince that shall come,” and history shows that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, not the Jewish people. J. Dwight Pentecost, quoting Alva McClain, writes: The expression "prince that shall come" cannot possibly refer to "Messiah the Prince" for the simple reason that it is " the people of the prince that shall come" who are to destroy Jerusalem after the death of Messiah. And since it is now a matter of history that Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman people, not by the Jewish people, it follows that "the prince that shall come" cannot be the Jewish Messiah… [6] But getting back to the “he“ in verse 27, the most problematic issue for a “Messiah view“ is probably the great number of parallel prophetic passages (to be mentioned shortly) that clearly identify the seventieth week as a future time period that terminates with the Second Coming of Christ – a period often called the Tribulation. Since the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ are clearly and obviously portrayed in scripture as future events, then this requires a futurist interpretation of this prophecy. This is the view that we of course embrace. So, we find that the better interpretation of the pronoun “he” is in reference to the “prince that shall come.” How Can the "He" in Verse 27 Refer to the Future Antichrist if We Already Identified Him With Titus Vespasian? The next obvious question becomes, if the pronoun “he” refers to “the prince that shall come,” who we already identified as Titus Vespasian, how can this prophecy be yet future, and how can it refer to the Antichrist? Let’s begin to explore the answer to this question. Many interpreters (especially Preterists ) have interpreted Verse 27 to have already been fulfilled in the first century AD with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets the end times prophecies of the Bible as being events which have already been fulfilled in the past, mainly in the first century. [7] The term Preterism comes from the Latin praeter , meaning “past.” Preterism is directly opposed to futurism, which sees the end times prophecies as having a still-future fulfillment. Another typical aspect of Preterism is the belief that Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian Church following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. [8] In other words, this view falls into the camp of Replacement Theology , the idea that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s program. Preterists generally attribute the complete fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 to the actions of Titus Vespasian and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Many Preterists have noted the similarities between the actions of Titus and the content of Verse 27 – “he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.” Titus put an end to sacrifice and offering by destroying Jerusalem and the Temple. The Romans set up their pagan emblems on the eastern wing of the Temple and offered sacrifices to them. The Jewish/Roman historian Josephus, who was there, records all of this in The Wars of the Jews , Book 6, Chapter 6.3. [9] At quick glance, and when isolating this passage from the rest of the Biblical commentary on the seventieth week, this interpretation may appear convincing. Yet, when we utilize a systematic, precise, literal reading of all of the parallel Biblical passages that also discuss the seventieth week, we find that this Preterist view is indefensible. We must recognize that numerous future end times discourses in the New Testament were given based upon this template of Daniel 9:24-27. Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Paul’s teaching on the eschatological “Day of the Lord” in 2 Thessalonians 2, and the apocalyptic prophecies of Revelation 6-19 are all prime examples. Although we can't delve into an exploration of those in this article, any simple investigation will reveal that these passages all act as parallel or clarifying Biblical commentary on the events of the seventieth week, expounding upon this particular verse (Verse 27). Their plain, literal readings necessitate a future context of interpretation – meaning the events that Verse 27 describes cannot have found ultimate fulfillment in 70 AD, or any other time up until the present. These parallel prophecies, as well as other passages that clearly depict the seventieth week, describe it as a future end-times period that will involve the desecrating actions of the figure often called the Antichrist . The only Biblically coherent way to understand the seventieth week described here in Verse 27 is through the futurist interpretation. But let’s focus our attention on the question we posed earlier. If the pronoun “he“ in Verse 27 refers to the “prince that shall come,“ who we already identified as Titus Vespasian in Verse 26, then how can this prophecy be yet future? In order to further answer this question, we need to make note of several key peculiarities that we repeatedly note in prophetic scripture. First, we shouldn’t be surprised that between Verse 26 and Verse 27 exists a gap of time (if there is a significant gap here, then by that fact alone we cannot understand the “he“ in Verse 27 to refer to Titus Vespasian who is referred to in Verse 26). It is somewhat common in scripture for a prophecy to, in the course of a single line, or even in the space of a comma, jump from one fulfillment event to another, being hundreds or even thousands of years apart. We may refer to these as hidden intervals or gaps in prophecy. This is a common occurrence in Bible prophecy, often due to the hidden nature of the Church Age in God’s prophetic program. In an earlier article , we discussed how the Church was a mystery entity hidden throughout the Old Testament. Some have illustrated this concept as a series of mountain peaks, separated by a valley that lay in between. The first mountain peak represents the events of the First Coming of the Messiah, and the next taller mountain peaks represent the events of the Second Coming and then the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. In between the first two peaks sits a valley encompassing the Church Age, which was below the line of vision for the prophets. They could see the mountain peaks in the distance, and from their view, they seemed to follow each other sequentially without gaps or interruptions. But from their vantage point, they couldn’t tell that between the mountains was a valley. In other words, they couldn’t know that there was a two thousand-or-more-year Church Age that separated the events they saw. All of these things were beneath their line of sight. Their prophecies often discuss events fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming and seemingly flow right into events that will take place at His Second Coming (two prophetic “mountain peak” events). Through the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that they skip over the several thousand years we’ve experienced so far in the Church Age. If while initially reading them, you didn’t already know there was a mystery gap period (the Church Age) inserted in between, you’d think they were all continuous and uninterrupted prophecies. A prime example of this is the clear gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10. Verse 9 is a clear prophecy related to Jesus’ First Coming, describing His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem several days prior to His crucifixion. Verse 10 then immediately moves to a Second Coming context, prophetically describing the glorious return of Christ as the conquering Messiah who will defeat His enemies and establish His Millennial reign on earth. Verse 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Verse 10: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. -Zechariah 9:9-10 From an Old Testament perspective prior to Christ, one would be hard-pressed to recognize a prophetic gap that separates these two verses. But by virtue of hindsight, the gap becomes clear. Between the events of Christ’s two comings lies the Church Age, a mystery intercalation in God’s program. Scholar Warren Wiersbe writes: The entire age of the Church fits between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10, just as it does between Isaiah 9:6 and 7 and after the comma in Isaiah 61:2. [10] As Wiersbe notes, this prophetic gap is also obvious in Isaiah 9:6-7. Note how clearly the beginning of Verse 6 refers to the First Coming, but then immediately shifts to Second Coming events. Verse 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Verse 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah’s prophecy of a child being born and a son being given obviously refers to Jesus’ Incarnation at His First Coming. But then the passage immediately transitions to a Second Coming context in everything that follows. While Wiersbe suggests that the transition takes place between the two verses, we must point out that the government has never yet been upon Jesus’s shoulder. This will not take place until He establishes His earthly reign following His Second Coming. Jesus has also never been called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” by the Jewish nation to which He was sent and to whom this prophecy was given. This will not occur until all of Israel is brought to faith around the time of the Second Coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the gap is actually located in Verse 6 between the phrases “unto us a son is given” and “and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” Verse 7 then continues to describe the establishment of Christ’s earthly reign in the Millennial Kingdom, which follows the Second Coming. So, again, without the benefit of hindsight, it would seem as if these prophecies flow together. But because we can look back on them with the clarity of New Testament revelation, it becomes obvious that a mystery time-gap separates them. Wiersbe also mentions Isaiah 61:2, possibly the most classic example of this “hidden gap” phenomena in all of scripture. Jesus Christ Himself interpreted this for us in Luke 4:16-19. This passage records how at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue when it was His turn to read, and opened to the book of the prophet Isaiah. He proceeded to read Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming His mission at His First Coming. He finishes with His mandate: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” What you probably wouldn’t realize without going back to Isaiah to read the original prophecy, is that Jesus stopped reading right in the middle of the sentence! The rest reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” Jesus stopped reading at the comma that preceded “and the day of vengeance of our God…” He left that last segment out. Why? Because we now understand that after that comma, the prophecy jumped from the time of the Messiah’s First Coming to some several thousand years or more into the future – past the present time in which we are now living, to the time of His Second Coming. The “day of vengeance” was not part of His mission during His First Coming, but it will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. So, in the original prophecy in Isaiah, we see that one comma separated several thousand years of history (to date), but this gap would have been unknown and undetectable to the original readers. This is exactly what we also see happening in Daniel 9:26-27, as thousands of years separate the two verses – and yet, from a casual reading, they seem to flow together. This explains how the timing context of Verse 26 can involve the first century, while the timing context of Verse 27 can involve the future seventieth week. But how can the personal context shift from Titus Vespasian in Verse 26 to the future Antichrist in Verse 27? If the “he” in Verse 27 refers back to the antecedent (Titus Vespasian, the prince that shall come) in Verse 26, then how can we say the Antichrist is meant? In scripture, there are also many examples of multiple reference prophecies . In these prophecies, it’s clear who the original subject is, but then at some point in the text, the prophecy clearly begins to transcend that local person and point to a person of far greater significance who will act as the ultimate fulfillment. One example of a multiple reference prophecy is found in the Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 28:12-19), which gives a description of someone called the King of Tyre. Although there was an actual historical person who was the King of Tyre, the description the Bible gives of this person at some point seems to go far beyond just describing this human leader. Though in context, Ezekiel was first speaking about the historical King of Tyre, at some point in the prophecy, he seemingly moved into the dateless past with a description of the original fall of Satan – the true power behind the earthly King of Tyre. This also seems to be happening here in Daniel 9:26-27. Verse 26 obviously refers to the actions of Titus Vespasian, and yet we understand from the many other parallel prophetic passages in scripture that the events of Verse 27 are yet-future. And so, even though the pronoun “he” from Verse 26 is carried into Verse 27 without any obvious change in context, we understand from these other parallel supporting texts that the “he” in Verse 27 clearly transcends Titus – and instead, refers to the coming Antichrist in the eschatological seventieth week. Furthermore, it is even possible that the events of Verse 27 as a whole do find a typological near-term fulfillment in the events of 70 AD. In other words, Titus Vespasian and the events of 70 AD may be in some ways a prophetic type (like a prototype) of the Antichrist and his future actions. And as usual with typology, the type is not identical in all ways to the antitype. That is perfectly compatible with the futurist interpretation, as futurists recognize the routine usage of multiple-stage fulfillment or multiple-reference prophecies in scripture, as we just outlined. You may also hear many of these simply referred to as dual reference or near/far-term fulfillment prophecies. Sometimes the event being prophesied of ripples forward many times in history before it is ultimately fulfilled – but only the ultimate fulfillment event perfectly mirrors the Biblical description. For instance, we find something similar in Daniel 11:31, another place in which the term abomination of desolation is referenced, which futurist scholars understand to have both near-term and far-term fulfillments. This is the essence of prophetic typology, and there is no limit to the number of types that can occur. It is often a reoccurring pattern that has the purpose of prefiguring an ultimate future far-term fulfillment event. In the near-term sense, this passage (Daniel 11:31) refers to the events that took place in 167 BC, in which a Seleucid-Greek ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes erected an idol of Zeus in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem – and also sacrificed a pig on the altar. This historical abomination of desolation is the event that lead to the Maccabean Revolt, in which the Greeks were expelled from Judea, and the Temple was then cleansed and rededicated. This historical event is commemorated by the Jews each year at Hanukkah. But in the far-term sense, this passage in Daniel 11 also appears to transcend this and find ultimate fulfillment in the actions of the Antichrist during the future seventieth week. This is made clear for us in many ways, but maybe most obviously in the fact that Jesus referenced this event in Matthew 24:15 and spoke of it in the future tense. In other words, He implied that this historical event would be recapitulated in a final abomination of desecration that will constitute the ultimate fulfillment. Further yet, this future understanding is also confirmed in the fact that the Daniel 11 narrative (which flows into Daniel 12), like the Matthew 24 narrative, ends with the Second Coming of Christ. In other words, this chapter in Daniel is yet another example of a prophecy that begins to transcend the local near-term application and end with a far more significant and ultimate event that is clearly in the future. And like Daniel 9:26-27, you will find that Daniel 11 also skips over several thousand years of the Church Age, culminating in the Second Coming event described early in Chapter 12. This concept alone refutes the Preterist view that “all of this has already happened.” If it already happened, when did the Second Coming take place? Scripture is clear that these seventieth week events end with the Second Coming of Christ. So, this prophecy of an abomination of desolation that we see described in Daniel 11:31 did describe an actual historical event that has occurred in the past, yet we also understand it to be a type or a shadow of an ultimate fulfillment yet to come. Like we said, this may also be the case in Daniel 9:27 with the actions of Titus Vespasian in 70 AD. But at most, they only act as a shadow (a prophetic “ripple“) of something yet-future that will occur in the seventieth week. And as is the case in many of these instances, the near-term fulfillment doesn’t perfectly fit the prophecy. In other words, a shadow is hazy and indistinct. The actual object casting the shadow is detailed and well-defined. Even if we ignore the host of parallel passages necessitating an end times context, there are a number of other reasons why Daniel 9:27’s ultimate fulfillment could not have been found in the events of 70 AD. The most obvious reason is that the abomination of desolation refers most specifically to the desecrating action of a Gentile outsider erecting a false god in the Holy of Holies – and Titus did not do this. He did not even step foot into the Temple until it was already on fire and about to be destroyed. In fact, history records that Titus had actually ordered his men to preserve the Temple. Yet, due to their anger against the Jews, they disobeyed the order of their general and set fire to the Temple, destroying it and pillaging it of its gold. [11] The Jewish Encyclopedia records this ancient historical account, telling us: One of the Roman soldiers, weary of fighting, threw a burning piece of wood into the Temple. In vain did Titus give orders to extinguish the flames; his voice was drowned in the uproar. Titus himself, impelled by curiosity, entered the Sanctuary, but the smoke forced him to withdraw; and thus the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem became associated with his name. [12] So, in some ways you can make the argument that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was a type of an abomination of desolation event, and yet it doesn’t completely fit the bill regarding everything the Bible tells us about the ultimate and final desolation. Parallel prophetic passages in the Bible tell us that the ultimate future abomination of desolation will involve the Antichrist physically standing in the Holy of Holies claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). It is therefore impossible to apply the full and ultimate fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 to Titus Vespasian and the events of 70 AD. At most, it can represent a partial near-term fulfillment or a type that will be ultimately fulfilled by the Antichrist in the future seventieth week – the Tribulation. And so, although it can be confusing to read Daniel 9:26-27 in isolation and without the benefit of other clarifying parallel passages, we should not allow this to cause us to misinterpret the text as Preterists and others do. Along with the host of additional insights presented, we do also have the other clarifying passages that clearly detail this final week, and we must not view Daniel 9 in isolation. We must take into account the entire corpus of Biblical commentary on this subject before formulating our conclusion. [1] James Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible , Updated and Expanded Ed., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007, p. 1517. [2] Ibid. [3] Kate Lohnes, article “Siege of Jerusalem, Jewish-Roman war [70 CE],” Aug. 29, 2018, Encyclopedia Britannica . ( https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70 - Retrieved 2/18/19) [4] Guy Edward Farquhar Chilver, article “Vespasian, Roman emperor,” Sept. 22, 2022, Encyclopedia Britannica . ( https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vespasian - Retrieved 2/18/19) [5] Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews , in Josephus, The Complete Works , trans. William Whiston, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998. [6] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1964, pp. 249-250. [7] Wikipedia contributors, “Preterism,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preterism - Retrieved 2/25/19) [8] Ibid. [9] Josephus, The Wars of the Jews , VI, 6.1, p. 891. [10] Warren W. Wiersbe, “Zechariah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Prophets , Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002, pp. 447-476. [11] Ray C. Stedman, “What’s This World Coming To?” (An expository study of Matthew 24-26, the Olivet Discourse). Palo Alto, CA: Discovery Publications, 1970, Ch. 1. [12] Joseph Jacobs and Samuel Krauss, Jewish Encyclopedia , entry “Titus (full name, Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus)” JewishEncyclopedia.com . ( http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14412-titus - Retrieved 11/3/20)

(Based on information presented in The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology ) For many years, there have been strong disagreements among Christians concerning the chronology of the end-times. But even among fellow adherents to the interpretive camp known as Premillennial Dispensationalism, there are often variances in the way certain passages of scripture are interpreted. Often, those variances are embraced in an attempt to remain consistent with one’s own predetermined stance. At times, these views may result in awkward and “forced” conclusions that open the door for the attacks of our eschatological opponents, who seem to salivate at the opportunity to attack the Dispensational belief in a pretribulation Rapture. But these vulnerabilities turn out to be unnecessary when we simply allow the Bible to plainly speak, and avoid superimposing our own terminological assumptions onto its teachings. When we simply allow the Bible to interpret itself , the apparently difficult issues we must answer turn out to be just that: only apparent and not actual.   The Pattern of the Parousia   Over the past decade, I’ve engaged in an ongoing study where I’ve attempted to do exactly that. Although I was already convinced of the soundness of the pretribulation Rapture view, I was unsatisfied with some of the standard explanations related to some of these “difficult” passages, such as a number of the “Parousia (or Second Coming) teachings” of Jesus in the gospels (e.g. Mt . 24, 25; Mk. 13; Lk. 12, 17, 21). For instance, concerning the Olivet Discourse, many typical explanations concerning whether Jesus is speaking of the Rapture or the Second Coming “proper” (at the end of the Tribulation) are contextually illogical and contradictory. I also found these explanations to be inconsistent with the later epistolary writings, which often employ the same figures of speech and “imminence language” used by Jesus in those original teachings. A sound exegesis requires us to understand Jesus’s original “Parousia” teachings in the same way that the later New Testament writers understood them. Since these writers used the same eschatological idioms and expressions originally introduced by Jesus, it’s clear that they actually got their understanding of eschatology from those original teachings of Jesus. We must then ensure our understanding is consistent with theirs.   Ultimately, I discovered that when the plain text is allowed to speak – free from popular assumptions or personal definitions – it turns out to be quite capable of interpreting itself! This basic dispensational hermeneutic resulted in my identification of a biblical paradigm that at present is not widely recognized by students of eschatology, despite its pervasive and somewhat obvious presentation in the scriptures. While many excellent scholars have rightly acknowledged different aspects of this paradigm, few have acknowledged it in its fullness. And until now, it has never been systematically developed as a framework that can consistently be applied to the Bible’s eschatological content. My wholehearted conviction is that when it is consistently applied, this paradigm solves all of these problems. In fact, it is the only way to make sense of the many passages that have caused dispensational teachers to resort to awkward and inconsistent interpretations and explanations. I refer to this paradigm as the “missing key,” and it’s built upon three key claims (with one additional necessary insight noted afterwards).   Claim #1 – Scripture teaches that the Rapture and the broad period of the Day of the Lord are temporally connected (meaning connected in time or sequence; i.e. they don’t each occur randomly or independently of one another). Claim #2 – Scripture both explicitly and implicitly teaches that the Rapture and the beginning of the broad period of the Day of the Lord are simultaneous . Claim #3 – Scripture teaches that the Rapture and the broad period of the Day of the Lord are both imminent (a feature I refer to as “dual imminence”).   Note: “Imminence” is a term that describes an event that is perpetually looming and can occur at any moment. An imminent event has no preconditions or prerequisite signs or events. It occurs suddenly, without warning, and is completely unpredictable. Dispensationalists normally recognize the Rapture of the Church as being imminent, but often overlook the fact that the Bible presents the broad Day of the Lord as also being imminent.  In addition to these three key claims, I also identified one other important puzzle piece that acts as a critical differentiator in support of this paradigm. This additional insight involves two elements: 1.) that the beginning of the broad period of the Day of the Lord is not biblically equivalent to the beginning of the Tribulation period, and 2.) that an intervening gap of time between these two points will almost assuredly exist. All of this however, falls within the broad Day of the Lord. The combination of all of these observations yields the following visual representation: The three key claims, along with the additional insight noted above, in many ways overlap, undergird, and support one another, leading to the undeniable common-sense conclusion of the imminent and simultaneous occurrence of the Rapture and broad Day of the Lord. In other words, at the beginning of the broad Day, the righteous are removed and immediately a series of divine judgments begin to fall upon the wicked who are left behind. These judgments escalate progressively and culminate in the Second Coming “proper” at the end of the Tribulation.   It is astonishing to recognize the simplicity of this understanding and its pervasive nature throughout the scriptures. It is the clear pattern given to us by Jesus, which is then repeated and built upon in the subsequent epistles. Once you grasp this template, it becomes impossible to ignore. We even find it established in the Old Testament in the form of prophetic typology – which is later interpreted for us by Jesus Himself in the gospels. He would explicitly define these “types” as teaching tools as He began to disclose prophetic revelation concerning His future Parousia (coming). We will only be able to briefly examine two such examples in this article.   The Flood of Noah’s Day   The first typological example of simultaneous judgment and deliverance is Noah’s Flood, which Jesus uses as a pattern for His Parousia as He introduces His teachings on eschatology. When we look back at the original Genesis account, it is clear that the righteous (Noah and his family) entered the ark on the same day that the judgment began to fall on the wicked.   11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. … 13 On this very same day Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. -Genesis 7:11, 13 (NASB)   The righteous (Noah and his family) were removed and physically relocated into an environment of safety (the ark) just as the judgment of the Flood was beginning to fall upon the wicked. The scriptures are clear that this was a same-day occurrence. In other words, the rescue and judgments aspects were simultaneous.   In the Gospels, Jesus then uses this Flood account as a typological template to teach His disciples about His future return (the beginning of the broad Day of the Lord, or Parousia). This is recorded in Matthew 24 in His Olivet Discourse.   37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. -Matthew 24:37-39   An essentially identical saying is also recorded in an earlier teaching in Luke 17, a chapter that includes similar content to the later Olivet Discourse.   26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. -Luke 17:26-27 (NASB)   It is critical to note that the focus of Jesus’s typological comparison in both of these accounts is primarily on two specific aspects , which are both explicitly demanded by the text itself:   the suddenness of the Flood judgment upon the wicked world, taking them off guard during a period of complete normalcy (think signless and unpredictable imminence) the simultaneous “same day” rescue of the righteous and judgment of the wicked   Jesus first conveys to us that in the times leading up to the Flood, people were absorbed in lifestyles of complete normalcy (eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage) and were entirely unaware of the sudden judgment that was about to befall them. Their obliviousness is explicit in Jesus’s statement that the wicked of Noah’s day “knew not until the flood came.” His adamant emphasis on the routine activities of life communicates the relative mundaneness of the time immediately prior to the outpouring of the judgment. There were no signs or precursors. Things were not falling apart. It was life as usual. (Notice the total incompatibility of this description with an “end of the Tribulation” context!) Second, Jesus emphasizes that this normalcy continued until the day righteous Noah entered the ark, and then immediately (that same day), as the righteous were removed, the judgment fell suddenly on the unsuspecting, wicked world.   Jesus uses this Noahic judgment analogy to teach His disciples about the ultimate future judgment event – the broad Day of the Lord (of which the judgment phase in its entirety comprises His “coming” or Parousia). His entire point is to communicate that the broad Day will likewise come suddenly (without signs) during a time of complete normalcy, and that it will simultaneously bring salvation for the righteous and a period of judgment upon the wicked. He uses the Flood of Noah as a prophetic pattern for understanding the arrival of the broad Day at which time His Parousia begins. The two points identified are the two points of emphasis upon which Jesus built the comparison. We must limit our primary understanding of this comparison to the points Jesus emphasized since they are explicit in the text. His intended meaning is not vague or difficult to understand.   The Destruction of Sodom in the Days of Lot   The second Old Testament typological example of simultaneous deliverance and judgment is the destruction of Sodom in the days of Lot. Jesus uses this as an equivalent example to teach about His Parousia. The Genesis account of this judgment is clear that the righteous (Lot and part of his family) were removed from Sodom on the same day that the judgment began to fall on the wicked inhabitants of that city. We find this account in Genesis 19.   15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out and put him outside the city. … 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the town was named Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. -Genesis 19:15-25 (NASB)   Righteous Lot and his two daughters (remember, his wife was turned into a pillar of salt) were removed and physically relocated into an environment of safety away from Sodom immediately prior to the beginning of the city’s destruction. God would not allow the angels to begin the judgment until Lot had safely arrived in Zoar. Once the righteous were removed, the Lord immediately rained down sudden judgment on Sodom that same day . It all took place within a twenty-four-hour period.   This is confirmed in the New Testament, as Jesus then uses this example (directly following His allusion to Noah’s Flood in Luke 17) to further teach His disciples about His coming.   26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: … 28 It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. -Luke 17:26, 28-30 (NASB)   Like the previous example of Noah’s Flood, we see that Jesus’s comparison focuses on both the suddenness of Sodom’s judgment during a period of apparent normalcy and the simultaneous “same day” rescue of the righteous and judgment of the wicked. First, He teaches that in the times leading up to the destruction of Sodom, the setting was of complete normality (the people were engaged in normal living – eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, etc.). They were completely unaware that any judgment was coming, and they were not yet experiencing the judgment. Life was as ordinary as ever and no warnings or signs were apparent. This continued until the day righteous Lot was removed from Sodom, and then immediately and suddenly the judgment fell on the unsuspecting, wicked inhabitants. (Like the Noah example, this is wholly incompatible with an “end of the Tribulation” context.)   And like the Noah example, we once again see from the text itself, that these concepts of “sudden” and “simultaneous” are the two points of emphasis that we must note. We cannot insert our own ideas about why Jesus uses these two examples of Noah and Lot. To infer meanings related to Nephilim (“days of Noah”) or homosexuality (Sodom) is to completely miss His point. The text clearly dictates His reasons, which are identical in each case. Jesus declares that it will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. In other words, He’s using these judgment examples to teach His disciples of the similar aspects of the coming ultimate judgment event – the broad Day of the Lord, or the protracted period whose beginning phase is Christ’s Parousia, or coming. The onset of the broad Day will come suddenly (imminently), with no preconditions or preceding signs, and will bring simultaneous salvation for the righteous and a period of judgment upon the wicked. It will come at a time of complete normalcy (not Tribulation) upon an unsuspecting world that will be experiencing “life as usual” and will usher in a broad period of eschatological signs and judgments, climaxing in the Second Coming proper of Christ at the end of the Great Tribulation.   The “ righteous ” who are being rescued then can easily be identified. The contextual criteria allow for only one conclusion. Jesus’s description of the judgment beginning suddenly on an unaware population during a period of routine normalcy can only refer to the absolute beginning point  of this entire period of judgment (the beginning of the broad Day), not sometime during it . This can only refer to the rescue of the righteous Church at the pretribulational Rapture. The Rapture of the Church is the opening event that triggers this eschatological period. This is the only interpretive option possible, since the entire context of both examples is built upon imminence (suddenness, signlessness, and unpredictability). The only imminent rescue of a righteous group that coincides with an imminent beginning of judgment upon the wicked takes place at the absolute beginning of this broad eschatological period called the Day of the Lord (what we think of as the “end-times”). As was stated several times already, this can in no way be referring to the Lord’s coming at the end of the Tribulation, which is a time incompatible with imminence and a setting of “routine normalcy.” It also cannot be said that this final phase of His coming can suddenly take the world off-guard without signs. As J.F. Strombeck states, There can be no complacency nor unexpected destruction after the most terrible destruction of all time has begun. [1] To the contrary, it will conclude the most predictable and sign-filled time in history; a period which scripture tells us even the wicked recognize as the time of God’s wrath (Rev. 6:16-17) and will be expecting His return with such intensity that they are actually preparing to do battle with Him (Rev. 19:19). The wicked world cannot be “taken off guard” if they are knowingly preparing for and expecting His return.   Further, both of these examples (Noah and Lot) especially emphasize that the judgment began on the  same day , directly  after  the righteous were removed.  In other words,   the righteous in both examples experienced  none  of the judgments.  Once again, this was one of the two primary points of emphasis in the Lord’s comparison and is yet another reason the context cannot refer to the end of the Tribulation. This is obvious since Scripture states clearly that the righteous of the Tribulation period will  not  be spared from experiencing the intense misery of that time. Since this is the case, then the “rescued righteous” that Jesus referred to in the Noah and Lot examples must of necessity correspond to the righteous of the Church Age being removed in the imminent Rapture, just as the also-imminent broad Day and its sequence of judgments begin to befall the wicked (our paradigm of dual imminence + simultaneous occurrence). Also anchoring this “imminence” context is the observation that Jesus’s uses of the Noah and Lot examples are routinely accompanied by exhortations toward eschatological watchfulness ( “ watch, ” the Greek verb grégoreó ), in light of the unknown time of His coming. The call toward watchfulness for the Lord’s coming is commonly used alongside the “thief in the night” imagery (as well as the equivalent “master at the door”) and always refers to the Rapture and simultaneous beginning of the broad Day. This is seen plainly in Matthew’s recording of the Olivet Discourse, as Jesus elaborates on His usage of the Noahic example by following with a parable of the sudden, signless, and unpredictable coming of a thief in the night (Mt. 24:42-44). His message is simple: imminence! Since a thief gives no indication of the timing of his coming to plunder a house, a homeowner must perpetually watch for the thief himself. In like manner, Jesus’s followers are instructed to perpetually watch, not for some preceding signs, but for Him! This thief parable is consistently used to refer to the beginning of the Parousia when the righteous are removed and judgment simultaneously begins to fall upon the wicked. This is the only setting in which it can fit. The end of the Tribulation is unable to accommodate such a context.   We find confirmation of this understanding in the subsequent epistles and book of Revelation. An examination of these books reveals that this is precisely how writers like Paul, James, Peter, and John understood these teachings of Jesus (and therefore how we must also). They consistently apply the same parables and imminence expressions Jesus uses throughout these discourses to the Rapture of Church Age believers at the opening of the broad Day and its immediate outpouring of judgment. They also routinely distinguish this “beginning of the Parousia” context by employing consistent “imminence language,” including the equivalent expressions “near,” “soon,” “quickly,” “at hand,” “shortly,” “draws near,” and others. (Ja. 5:1-11; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:3-10; Rom. 13:11-12; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 2:16; 4:15-5:11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2:1-5; Rev. 1:1-3; 2:5, 16, 25; 3:3, 10-11, 15-16; 19-21; 16:15; 22:6, 7, 10, 12, 20, et al.). These observations galvanize this context, and the recognition of “imminence language” makes this simple.  Imminence only can refer to the  beginning  of this extended eschatological period, and the associated removal of the righteous at this time can only be the pretribulational Rapture of the Church.   Conclusion While we cannot have expected Jesus’s original audience on the days He issued these discourses to have understood much, if anything, about the Church or especially the Rapture (as these concepts weren’t yet fully disclosed in all of their eventual fullness), His message was easily understandable: the righteous living during that hour will be immediately removed as sudden judgment simultaneously begins to fall upon the wicked. That was the simple message! But today, having the benefit of full New Testament revelation, we can look back upon these early teachings of Jesus and easily recognize that He was planting “seed form” doctrine that would later be expounded upon more fully in John 14 and the epistles of Paul.   So, from Jesus’s usage of the Noah and Lot examples, we recognize a clear typological pattern established by these Old Testament judgment events that provides a basis for the “missing key” paradigm. No other view satisfies all of the contextual criteria. The Church will not experience any part of this time of judgment. Both the rescue of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked will commence simultaneously and imminently, just as was established in both of these Old Testament types. This is the only pattern Jesus gives us for understanding the end-times, and this evidently was the only pattern the subsequent New Testament authors anticipated. We therefore must embrace it as well. [1] J.F. Strombeck, First the Rapture , Moline, IL: Strombeck Agency, 1950, p. 69.

This is a study that examines the prophetic typology behind the eight feasts that Israel was instructed to observe. We will discover how they act as prophetic "dress-rehearsals" for future divine appointments on God's calendar for mankind. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, 8th Day let us reason typology of the moedim Description Contents Download In this study, Typology Of The Moedim: The Levitical Feasts As Prophetic Macrocodes , we examine the eight feasts that the Israelites were commanded by God to celebrate during the Hebrew religious calendar year. The institution of these feasts by God provides incredible meaning and relevance to modern observers in light of the events of the New Testament, which occurred over a thousand years later. We will thoroughly investigate the typological themes and details of each feast, recognizing how they strategically profiled future prophetic events. find that the typology of these feasts demonstrates a profound verification of the integration and prophetic nature of the Bible – evidence pointing to its authorship as being from outside time. How do the Hebrew words moedim and miqra - which the Bible uses to refer to the Jewish feasts - reveal the mystery of how we should view them? What do these words mean? In what way do these feasts picture future events on God's calendar for mankind? Were the spring and summer feasts fulfilled? If so, how precisely? What do the fall or autumn feasts tell us about God's future plans? And what can they teach us about eschatology, or the study of the end-times? How do the feasts uniquely reveal God's Word as being one integrated message system given to us from outside of time? Download this free study and find out for yourself! Introduction Overview of the Moedim The Feast of Passover (Erev Pesach) The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag ha-Matzah) The Feast of First Fruits (Hag ha-Bikkurim) The Feast of Weeks (Hag ha-Shavuot, Pentecost) The Summer Months The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) The Feast of Tabernacles (Hag ha-Sukkot) The Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) Conclusion Bibliography Download ePub/iBook Format Download PDF Format Back to Home Home Studies The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy A Refutation Of Alternative Chronologies The Basis Of Our Epistemology Prophecy - The Various Forms... The Nature Of Time How Sure Can We Be That Jesus Was The... The Psalm 22 Prophecy Establishing The Prophetic Validity... The Daniel 11 Prophecy The Isaiah 53 Prophecy The Luke 19:43-44 Prophecy Typology Of The Moedim Understanding The Distinction Between... Jeremiah's 70 Years Prophecy... The Identity Of The Nephilim Should Christians Support Israel? Nimrod - Was He An Actual Historical Fig Videos Articles Charts Contact

Let Us Reason is a Christian ministry dedicated to the pursuit and discovery of truth. Our primary objective is to help viewers better understand Biblical truth by providing in-depth studies on topics that are frequently either ignored or overlooked in most churches. All of these resources are provided for free on this site. Feel free to download, distribute, and use them to further your investigation of truth. let us reason Recent Articles “The Missing Key” – A Biblical Paradigm That Enables a Consistent Interpretation of Eschatology From Jesus’s usage of the Noah and Lot examples, we can recognize a clear typological pattern established by these Old Testament judgment ev Michael Filipek Dec 24, 2024 14 min read The Double Sense of the Future Day of the Lord (From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology ) In addition to the two-fold nature of the future Day of the Lord that we... Michael Filipek Mar 27, 2024 13 min read The Two-Fold Nature of the Future Day of the Lord (From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In the previous article, we examined the Biblical Day of the Lord,... Michael Filipek Mar 8, 2024 11 min read What Is the Day of the Lord?
 (From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) The Day of the Lord is a Biblical term that, within Bible prophecy... Michael Filipek Feb 18, 2024 6 min read Is There a Post-Rapture Gap Period? (From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In a previous article, we detailed a number of reasons that strongly point... Michael Filipek Jan 20, 2024 15 min read Daily Script ure/Devotional Weekly Torah P ortion (Parsha) Western Wall Live Video Feed “The Missing Key” – A Biblical Paradigm That Enables a Consistent Interpretation of Eschatology Michael Filipek Dec 24, 2024 The Double Sense of the Future Day of the Lord Michael Filipek Mar 27, 2024 The Two-Fold Nature of the Future Day of the Lord Michael Filipek Mar 8, 2024 Subscribe Mail Let Us Reason is a Christian ministry dedicated to the pursuit and discovery of truth. Our primary objective is to help viewers better understand Biblical truth by providing in-depth studies on topics that are frequently either ignored or overlooked in most churches. All of these resources are provided for free on this site. Feel free to download, distribute, and use them to further your investigation of truth. "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord..." -Isaiah 1:18 Our goal is to provide current believers with the tools and information to have a more "perfect" understanding of God's Word, as He intended it to be understood - not necessarily how religious traditions and institutions have interpreted it. Additionally, it is also our goal to educate non-believers and complete skeptics on the genuine truth of the Bible and its teachings and concepts. If you have some background with Christian teaching, but yet it never quite made sense to you or became real for you personally, we encourage you to spend some time going through our study material. We find that the majority of Christians today unfortunately do not understand the true teachings of the New Testament through Christ and the Apostles - resulting in them never being able to experience the type of full and genuine Christianity that God intended for the believer. Many Christians today have unknowingly become the spiritual casualties of erroneous doctrines that have evolved through man-made religious institutions. Although the Reformation was an important time in Christian history, the reality is that the Reformers didn't go as far as they needed to in their attempt to return to the original patterns and teachings of the Apostles. Many errors remain mainstream, including - but not limited to - hermeneutics (methods of Biblical interpretation) and eschatology (the study of end-times prophecy). Our hope and mission is to provide the content and the study tools for you to investigate these things for yourself and arrive at your own conclusions based on the evidence - not the traditions of men. We hope that you enjoy exploring the resources provided on this site! Please consider subscribing below in order to receive email notifications when we post new content on the site! Subscribe to LetUsReason to receive notifications of new content uploads Subscribe Thanks for subscribing!! Popular Studies Read More Order Our Books! Buy on Amazon 1/2

This is a study that examines some of the major objections put forward by those who reject the traditional viewpoint of a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection – and we will explore their validity. Description Contents Download Today, there exists much confusion surrounding the dating and chronology of events taking place during the Passion Week of Christ. There are those who now are advocating for a Wednesday or a Thursday crucifixion and a Saturday resurrection. To the casual onlooker unschooled in the original languages, their points may initially appear to have some validity. But because this issue is so important – in that it affects so many other date-sensitive prophetic timelines in the Bible – it is imperative that we go into some further depth in order to examine these points. In this study, A Refutation Of Alternative Chronologies Of The Passion Week , we will touch on some of the major objections put forward by those who reject the traditional viewpoint of a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection – and we will explore their validity. Download this free study to learn more! Introduction The Traditional Christian View – Friday Crucifixion and Sunday Resurrection Introduction to the Alternative Chronologies Objection #1: “Scripture indicates there were two separate Sabbaths in between the time Jesus died and resurrected, making the crucifixion Wednesday or Thursday rather than Friday” Objection #2: “Certain passages of Scripture indicate that the resurrection took place on a Saturday rather than a Sunday” Objection #3: “The women bought spices after the Sabbath (Mark 16:1) and prepared spices before they rested on the Sabbath (Luke 23:55-56)” Objection #4: “A Friday crucifixion with a Sunday resurrection would violate the 'three days, three nights ‘sign of Jonah’ prophecy' in Matthew 12:40” Further Considerations Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Download ePub/iBook Format Download PDF Format let us reason refutation chronologies passion week Back to Home Home Studies The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy A Refutation Of Alternative Chronologies The Basis Of Our Epistemology Prophecy - The Various Forms... The Nature Of Time How Sure Can We Be That Jesus Was The... The Psalm 22 Prophecy Establishing The Prophetic Validity... The Daniel 11 Prophecy The Isaiah 53 Prophecy The Luke 19:43-44 Prophecy Typology Of The Moedim Understanding The Distinction Between... Jeremiah's 70 Years Prophecy... The Identity Of The Nephilim Should Christians Support Israel? Nimrod - Was He An Actual Historical Fig Videos Articles Charts Contact