Hour 13 How Sure Can We Be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud6pJaLLA8w&index=13&list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwHdeFua3pzmwPB_JCS0mIq1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)
• How Do You Measure Certainty
• How Do You Measure Your Degree of Confidence That the Bible really is what you believe it to be?
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
• Peter was an eyewitness to all of these fantastic things that happened in the Gospel Period, the transfiguration, the miracles, etc.
• Then a couple of verses later he makes a strange remark, “In addition to being an eyewitness” we also have a more sure word of prophecy.
• “The Scriptures”
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Prophetic Scriptures
• There are 8,362 predictive verses;
• 1,817 predictions on 737 separate matters.
J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy
Prophesy is littered throughout the entire 66 books of the Bible, but the Septuagint was written 3 centuries before the New (Covenant) Testament books.
These Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek by 270 B.C.
The Old Testament (The Tenach)
• These Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek by 270 B.C.
• They contain over 300 prophecies detailing the Coming Messiah.
• The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not a tragedy, but an achievement
Old Testament Prophecies Quoted in the Gospels
• He was to be of David’s family (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:3- 4; 110:1;
132:11; Isa 9:6, 7; 11:1).
• He would be born of a virgin (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14).
• He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
• He would sojourn in Egypt (Hos 11:1).
• He would live in Galilee (Isa 9:1, 2).
• …in Nazareth (Isa 11:1).
• To be announced by an Elijah-like herald (Isa 40:3-5; Mal 3:1; 4:5).
• Would occasion massacre of Bethlehem’s children (Gen 35:19-20;
Jer 31:15).
• Would proclaim a Jubilee to the world (Isa 58:6; 61:1).
• His mission would include the Gentiles (Isa 42:1-4).
• Ministry would be one of healing (Isa 53:4).
• He would teach through parables (Isa 6:9-10; Ps 78:2).
• He would be disbelieved, rejected by Rulers (Ps 69:4; 118:22; Isa
6:10; 29:13; 53:1).
• Would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Zech 9:9; Ps 118:26).
• Betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:1-13; Ps 41:9).
• Would be like a smitten shepherd (Zech 13:7).
• Would be given vinegar and gall (Ps 69:21).
• They would cast lots for His garments (Ps 22:18).
• His Side would be pierced (Zech 12:10; Ps 22:16).
• Not a bone would be broken (Ex 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20).
• Would die among malefactors (Isa 53:9, 12).
• His dying words foretold (Ps 22:1; 31:5).
• Would be buried by a rich man (Isa 53:9).
• Rise from dead on the 3rd day (Gen 22:4; Ps 16:10-11; Jon 1:17).
• Resurrection followed by the destruction of Jerusalem (Dan 9:26;11:31;
12:1,11).
There are others: these are quoted explicitly in the NT text…There is an additional list for the final week…
• The Old Testament (The Tenakh)
• Was translated into Greek by 270 B.C.
• They contain over 300 prophecies detailing the Coming Messiah.
• We are now going to examine just eight of them.
• For this statistical analysis, I am indebted to Peter Stoner, Science Speaks (which I took as the basis and modified).
• Can we measure our confidence that Jesus really was who He said He was?
Prophecy #1: Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
• This was fulfilled in Bethlehem of Judaea:
Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
What is the probability of any person, taken at random, of fulfilling this?
p = 10,000 / 1,000,000,000
p = 104 / 109 = 1:105 (1:100,000)
• 1 out of 100,000 which is generous
Prophecy #2: King riding on a Donkey
Zechariah 9:9 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.
• This was fulfilled in Jerusalem:
Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,...3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
How many have presented themselves as a king to Jerusalem riding a
donkey?
p = 1:100
Prophecy #3: 30 Pieces of Silver
Zechariah 11:12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
• Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver :
Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him....Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
How many people have been betrayed for 30 pieces of silver?
p = 1:1,1000
Prophecy #4: Temple, Potter, etc.
Zechariah 11:13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
Matthew 27:6-8 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.”And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
• Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
• The precision of Zechariah 11:13.
• The price: 30 pieces of silver;
• The location of the transaction: the House of the Lord (Temple);
• Who ends up with the money?
--The potters' field!
p = 1:100,000
Prophecy #5: Wounds in Hands
Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, “What are these wounds in thine hands?”
Then he shall answer, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
• The disciples, Thomas’s unbelief, wounded Jesus
• But he [Thomas] said unto them, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
• Jesus said, blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Thomas’ Unbelief
John 20:25-29 But he [Thomas] said unto them, “Except I shall see in his hands the print
of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand
into his side, I will not believe.” And after eight days again his disciples
were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut,
and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace be unto you.” Then saith he to
Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither
thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” And
Thomas answered and said unto him, “My Lord and my God. ”Jesus saith
unto him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
• How many people, taken at random, have been “wounded in their hands” in “the house of their friends?”
p = 1:1,000
Prophecy #6: No Defense Though Innocent
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he
is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers are dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
• Jesus was silent before his accusers:
Matthew 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
• How many prisoners, accused of a capital crime, make no defense even though innocent?
p = 1:1,000
Prophecy #7: Died with Wicked; Buried with Rich
Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
• Jesus crucified between two thieves:
Matthew 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
• Jesus was buried with rich:
Matthew 27: 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
• How many died among the wicked, yet were buried with the rich?
p = 1:1,000
Prophecy #8: Crucified
Psalm 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
• (This text was prophesied 700 years before crucifixion was invented.)
Matthew 27: 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.
• How many, taken at random, have died by having hands and feet pierced?
p = 1:10,000
Composite Probabilities
If a population has 60% male and 40% female, what is the probability that one taken at random is female? 40%, or p = 0.4If a population is 60% right-handed and 40% left handed, what is the probability that someone taken at random is left handed?
40%, or p = 0.4
What is the probability of selecting a left-handed female?
p = 0.4 x 0.4 = .16
Probability is: (P=0.4 x 0.4 = .16)
Born in Bethlehem 1:100,000
King on Donkey 1:100
30 pieces of silver 1:1000
Temple, Potter 1:100,000
Wounds in hand 1:1000
No defense, innocent 1:1000
Death with the wicked/ 1:1000
Grave with the rich
Crucified 1:10,000
1:1028
8 Prophecies Combined
• The probability of one person fulfilling all of these events would be one chance in 10 to the 28th (1028)• (= 28 zero’s 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
Take the 100 billion population as a guess
• Total population of 100 billion = (1011)
• Combined probabilities: 1028/1011 = 1017
Still a very large number after dividing 1028/1011 = 1017
• A “bucket” of 1017 silver dollars?
Try to demonstrate what is meant by 1 in a hundred (1:100)
• Take a “bucket” of 100 silver dollars, take one of them and mark it, mix them all up. And the chance of reaching in there and picking one at random is one chance in a hundred of getting the that was marked.
• To get, 1017 I need a “bucket” that will hold 1017 silver dollars, that is equivalent to the state of Texas, filled with silver dollars, two feet deep. That’s 1017 silver dollars, mix them up, blindfold the one to trying and find the marked silver dollar. Reach down and pick one, the chance of you picking the marked silver dollar is one chance of 1017.
It would be impossible to pick the marked silver dollar.
• That’s just dealing with 8 of the 300 prophesies 1017!!!
16 Prophecies Combined
• 16 prophesies would be more technical, and more precise
• Over 300 to choose from;
• The next 8 would be more specific (each less likely than the previous);
• Assuming no decrease in likelihoods: 1028 x 1028 = 1056
• Combined probabilities: 1056/1011 = 1045 (1011 is population)
• How big of a “bucket” do we need now? A bucket that will hold 1045 silver dollars
• A ball of silver dollars with a radius that is 30 times the distance between the earth and the sun!
• Now we triple the number of prophecies from 16 to 48, we have 300 to choose from
48 Prophecies Combined
• (Over 300 to choose from)
• Assuming no decrease in likelihoods:
• Note: There are prophecies that are so rare that they will stand on their own in this analysis.
1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 = 10168
• Combined probabilities:
Subtract 10168/1011 = 10157
• Silver dollars won’t work with this one, they are too big… 48 Prophecies: 10157
• We need the smallest thing that we can think of, an atom
• Make a “ball” of every atom in the universe: 1066
It is estimated that we have 1066 atoms in our galaxy
But we need 10157 atoms, we are way short
• We will make one ball for each atom of the universe to get 1066:
1066 x 1066 = 10132 we are still short of 10157
• Repeat this exercise every second since the universe began: 1017
10132 x 1017 = 10149
We are still short, so we repeat this process every second for 16 billion years
• Still short of 10149 vs 10157? 108 or 100,000,000 million to 1
• The point is Jesus Christ is proven to be the Messiah more than any other proof of reality.
• His identity is surer than my own, beyond a reasonable doubt
Question: 4
Because Dr. Chuck Missler started out with only 8 of the 300 prophesies concerning Jesus Christ, and ended up with an astronomical number that proved that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Then he added 8 more totaling 16, which resulted in an even more impossible number. Finally, he tripled that number to make it a total of 48, prophesies totaling
10157 (10 with 157 zeros behind it!!) Which would take 16 billion years to meet the required time of counting atoms at an interval of 1017 every second for 16 billion years. This is only 48 of the total 300 prophecies.
There are prophecies that are so rare that they will stand on their own in this analysis.
Take for instance:
The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
Let’s say, out of an estimated 10 billion (1010) people that have ever lived on the planet earth. What are the odds of 1 out of 10, 000,000,000 will be born of a virgin.?
1:10, 000,000,000
0 x 1010 = 010 (0 x 1010 = 0)
That would make this an impossibility! But in the book of Isaiah, the told king Ahaz that, He would bring this to pass. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And it happened! And in Daniel 9:26 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;.... This one prophesy alone is equivalent to the 10157
8 Prophecies
Micah 5:2 Born in Bethlehem 1:100,000Zechariah 9:9 King on Donkey 1:100
Zechariah 11:12 30 pieces of Silver 1:1,000
Zechariah 11:13 Temple, Potter, etc. 1:100,000
Zechariah 13:6 Wounds in hands 1:1,000
Isaiah 53:7 No defense; innocent 1:1,000
Isaiah 53:9 Died with the wicked 1:1,000
Grave with the rich
Psalm 22:16 Crucified 1:10,000
1:1028
• …we are still short by 108: 100,000,000 times!
• …and we’ve dealt with only 48 of over 300 prophecies!
The Most Amazing Ones
• His detailed genealogy;
• The specific prediction of the precise day that the Messiah would present Himself as King to Jerusalem; in Daniel 9. This one prophesy alone is equivalent to the 10157 that we did.
• Old Testament Midrashic Prophecies. . .
The Scarlet Thread
• The “Seed of the Woman” Genesis 3:15 His plan of redemption involves the human race and not for the “super angels”.– The Human Race
• Abraham Genesis 22:18
– The Nation of Israel
• Jacob Genesis 49:10
– The Tribe
• David 2 Samuel 7:11-16
– The Family
The Stratagems of Satan
• Corruption of Adam’s line Genesis 6• Abraham’s seed Genesis 12, 20
• Famine Genesis 50
• Destruction of male line by Pharaohs Exodus 1
• Pharaoh’s pursuit Exodus 14
• God told Abraham that He would give them the land, Satan had 400 years to lay down a minefield “The populating of Canaan” Genesis 12:6
• Against David’s line 2 Samuel 7
Attacks on David’s Line
• Jehoram kills his brothers 2 Chronicles 21
• Arabians slew all (but Ahazariah)
• Athaliah kills all (but Joash) 2 Chronicles 22
• Hezekiah assaulted, etc. Isaiah 36, 38
• Haman’s attempts Esther 3
New Testament Strategems
• Joseph’s fears: Matthew 1
• Herod’s attempts: Matthew 2
• At Nazareth: Luke 4
• Two storms on the Sea, not normal, Jesus rebuked the sea: Mark 4; Luke 8
• The Cross
• Summary: Revelation 12
…and he’s not through...Satan has marked the believing Jews, making them his targets
Prophetic Scriptures
• 8,362 predictive verses
• 1,817 predictions
• 737 separate matters
J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy
No Other Equivalents
• All of these religious books have no concept of hyperspace, that we now know exist, but the Bible does.
• None of them have the audacity to lay out history before it happens
• Islam’s Koran,...can’t even stand up under scholastic scrutiny
• Hindu’s Veda
• Bhagavad-Gita
• Book of Mormon
• Nostradamus’ Centuries
• Occultic mediums, channelers, “New Age” spirit guides, etc.
Specifications are filled:
Born of a virgin
Born in Bethlehem
Taken into Egypt
Heal the sick and make people whole
He would be crucified
Die for our sins
Raised from the dead, etc., etc., etc.
Major Prophetic ThemesAttack by the world and Satan
• Israel• Jerusalem
• Temple
• Babylon
• Russia (Magog)
• Rise of China as a Super Power (desperate for oil and oil alternatives)
• European Super State (desperate for oil and oil alternatives)
• Ecumenical Religion Pseudo - Christian Religion
• Global Government
• Rise of the Occult (In ways that we can’t even imagine)
Our Challenge
• We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than about any other period in history…including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea.Find out what the Bible says for yourself, concerning all of these thongs
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A priori estimate
In the theory of partial differential equations, an a priori estimate (also called an apriori estimate or a priori bound) is an estimate for the size of a solution or its derivatives of a partial differential equation. A priori is Latin for "from before" and refers to the fact that the estimate for the solution is derived before the solution is known to exist. One reason for their importance is that if one can prove an a priori estimate for solutions of a differential equation, then it is often possible to prove that solutions exist using the continuity method or a fixed point theorem.
A priori estimates were introduced and named by Sergei Natanovich Bernstein (1906, 1910), who used them to prove the existence of solutions to second order nonlinear elliptic equations in the plane. Some other early influential examples of a priori estimates include the Schauder estimates given by Schauder (1934, 1937), and the estimates given by De Giorgi and Nash for second order elliptic or parabolic equations in many variables in their solution to Hilbert's nineteenth problem.
Israel Became A Nation:
On 14 May 1948, the day before the expiration of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel."
Just As God Prophesied Through Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 36:23-24 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
The 1967 Six Day War:
The Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian armies were decisively defeated, and Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The 1967 war, which lasted only six days, established Israel as the dominant regional military power.
Ezekiel's 430 Days Timely Speculation?
by Chuck Missler • August 1, 2000
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2000/276/
Prophetic Simile:
The Prophet Ezekiel was called upon to undertake a number of strange performances, one of which was to lie on his side for a total of 430 days. Each day was expressly to represent a year of judgment against the nation.
A number of commentators acknowledge a difficulty which appears when one attempts to apply this specifically to Israel's history. Seventy of the years would seem to be accounted for in the Babylonian Captivity, but that leaves 360 years (430 minus 70) unaccounted for. The 360 years do not seem to fit any period of their history.
Leviticus 26:
It has been suggested by some that there might be a clue in Leviticus 26, where God indicates that:
...if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. -Leviticus 26:18
(In fact, this commitment is reiterated four times in that chapter for emphasis.)
It has been suggested that multiplying the "problem" 360 years by seven yields 2520 years, which is "approximately" the duration of time from the exile through the Diaspora.
This seemed rather contrived. Furthermore, it had bothered me since I never like to use the term "approximately" and "God" in the same sentence! I felt that if it was meant to fit, it would fit precisely.
Calendar Reconciliation:
Ezekiel's Temple Sir Robert Anderson, in his classic work The Coming Prince, noted that the Bible uses 360-day years in both Genesis and Revelation. However, I noticed that no one seemed to try to apply this insight to the 2520 years potentially suggested in Ezekiel Chapter 4.
In attempting to reconcile the 2520 360-day years to our Roman calendar, one is faced with the discrepancies between the sidereal year and the solar year. (The Julian year is 11 minutes and 10.46 seconds longer than the mean solar year.)
In 1572, it was recognized that errors had accumulated to 11 days too many, and adjustments were required. In the Gregorian Reform, September 4th was declared September 14th, and the formula for leap years was changed to exclude centuries unless divisible by four (and millennia by 400). Thus, 2520 360-day years contain 907,200 days, which are accounted for on our current calendar as 2483 years, 9 months and 21 days:
2483 x 365 = 906,295 days
9 months x 30 = 270
21 days 21
Leap Years - 2483/4 = 621
-18
+11
614
2520 x 360 = 907,200 days
Great. But what do we do with this? Where do we begin to apply it?
Terminus Ad Quem:
Another problem occurs when we examine more closely the "Babylonian Captivity." There are two different periods that are candidates: "the Servitude of the Nation," and the "Desolations of Jerusalem." Each of these was prophesied to be seventy years in duration and many assume they are synonymous of each other; however, they are not.
There were actually three sieges of Nebuchadnezzar upon Jerusalem. The first siege began the "Servitude of the Nation" and was prophesied to last 70 years. (And it did, to the very day. When Cyrus conquered Babylon he encountered the amazing letter written to him by Isaiah a century and a half earlier, which addressed him by name, highlighted his meteoric career, and predicted that he would free the captives. His astonishment resulted in his releasing the Hebrew captives to return to Judea to rebuild their temple.)
The vassal king that Nebuchadnezzar left later rebelled; a second siege resulted in his uncle, Zedekiah, being appointed to the throne. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel both went on to warn that if they persisted in rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. Yet Zedekiah ultimately yielded to the false prophets and rebelled.
A third siege resulted in the destruction and desolation of the city of Jerusalem. The "Desolations of Jerusalem" also lasted 70 years, until Nehemiah ultimately succeeded in getting the authority to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This, too, was precisely 70 years. To which of these two periods should we apply the 2520 years?
The "Servitude of the Nation"?
The 70 years of servitude, to be consistent, should be reckoned as 25,200 days, or two days short of 69 years on our Roman calendar. The first siege of Nebuchadnezzar, in 606 B.C., began the "Servitude of the Nation," which lasted until the summer of 537 B.C. If July 23, 537 B.C. was the time of their release:
-537y 7m 23d
+1 (no year "0")
2483y 9m 21d
1948 5 14
On May 14, 1948, the nation Israel was reestablished on the world scene. A remarkable coincidence. Isaiah appears to have highlighted this very restoration:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, 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
Yet, there is another alternative application of the 2520 years:
The "Desolations of Jerusalem"?
The third siege of Nebuchad-nezzar, in 587 B.C., began the "Desolations of Jerusalem," which lasted until 518 B.C. If August 16, 518 B.C. was the completion of the walls of Jerusalem, then:
-518y 8m 16d
+1 (no year "0")
2483y 9m 21d
1967 6 7
On June 7, 1967, as a result of the Six Day War, the Biblical city of Old Jerusalem was restored to the nation. Another remarkable coincidence!
It should be borne in mind that the "starting" dates are not known precisely to the day. More research needs to be done. But this certainly seems provocative enough to ponder.
Whence Jerusalem?
Zechariah predicted that the day would come when the entire world would be against Jerusalem, and that it would prove intractable to resolution. Even as this goes to press, a climax is in the making.
Yassir Arafat has announced that Jerusalem will be the declared capital of a Palestinian State on September 13th of this year. Ehud Barak has indicated that he would annex the "West Bank." President Clinton has called for a meeting at Camp David in the hopes of bringing this to a "permanent resolution."
Many are optimistic that some kind of permanent peace can be arranged. Most of us know, from a Biblical perspective, that no real peace will occur until the Prince of Peace intervenes. In fact, the enforcement of a seven-year covenant, by a coming world leader, is the very definition of the "Seventieth Week" of Daniel.
The current "piece (sic) process" is virtually a guarantee of war because it is built on a false premise: it's based on the assumption that the Muslim interests can be appeased by reducing the borders of Israel.
The Muslims, however, have made it very clear - before, during, and subsequent to the Oslo Accords - that they will be satisfied with nothing less than the extermination of Israel. They are insisting on what Israel cannot give. All we can do is watch the unfolding drama.
Let us remember that:
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. -Psalm 121:4
Perhaps an ostensible peace treaty will emerge on the international scene; we'll be watching with intense interest. It certainly does seem that we are moving along the classic Biblical scenario. What a critical time to prioritize your Bible study time and do your homework!
* * *
1. Ezekiel 4:1-8.
2. Failure to keep the sabbath of the land was the basis for the 70 year's captivity:
2 Chronicles 36:19-21.
3. Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28.
4. Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince, originally published by Hodder & Stoughton, London, in 1894.
5. The "70th Week" of Daniel is the most precisely authenticated period of time in the Bible: 3 years (Daniel 12:7); 42 months (Revelation 11:2; 13:5); 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; Daniel 12:6); "week" (Daniel 9:27); "Time, times, and the dividing of time" (Daniel 7:25; 4:16, 23, 25); ["times" = a dual, later lost in Aramaic].
6. Subtract from the total leap year days three excess days every four centuries.
7. Eleven leap year days were accounted for in the Gregorian Reform.
8. Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 29:10.
9. Zechariah 12:2, 3.
10. Daniel 9:27.
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