Participants:
Series Code: GLM
Program Code: GLM200002S
|
00:38 Hello, and welcome
00:40 to this second presentation in the series. 00:43 There'll be eight all together with a very important title 00:47 "God's Last Message to the World." 00:51 Welcome, 00:53 no matter where you may be those in the studio, 00:55 we're happy to see you here. 00:57 And also those who may be listening 00:59 in some parts of the world, wherever you are, welcome. 01:04 And may the Lord bless you as we open God's Word today. 01:08 As we think about the religious confusion 01:10 in the world today 01:13 and the Bible foretells that 01:15 the world will be in a day of confusion 01:18 in the last days. 01:20 Does the Bible give us any certainty for the message 01:24 that I'm going to share with you today? 01:26 I believe it does. 01:27 So let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. 01:31 Our loving Father in heaven, 01:32 we thank You for Your precious Word. 01:34 We thank You for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 01:37 who has been promised to guide us 01:39 into an understanding of truth. 01:42 We ask for His presence today, 01:44 and we ask that each one 01:45 who is listening to this message 01:47 may be blessed by His presence too. 01:50 And I ask this in Jesus' wonderful name. 01:52 Amen. 01:55 Before I commenced this morning, 01:56 I'd like to invite you to look at the chart 02:00 that we had on the screen last time. 02:03 We'll be reviewing the chart and building on it 02:07 during this come presentation. 02:09 You remember that last week we talked about 02:11 how Daniel's book is the only book in the Bible. 02:14 And you'll see this on the screen 02:16 in the black and the center 02:17 that Daniel's book was to be closed 02:19 until the time of the end. 02:23 But then when would this time of the end begin? 02:25 It's a period of time leading up 02:27 to the second coming of Jesus. 02:29 When would it begin? 02:30 Well, fortunately, 02:32 the Bible doesn't leave us in any doubt. 02:33 And in Daniel Chapter 12, 02:35 we are told that the time of the end would begin 02:39 at the end of a period 02:40 called a time, times and half a time. 02:43 We had to turn to the Book of Revelation 02:46 to discover that 02:47 that time, times and half a time is equivalent. 02:50 And you'll notice it there on the screen in blue, 02:53 a period of 1,260 days 02:56 in actual time 1,260 years, 03:00 because in Bible prophecy as we noticed, 03:02 one day stands for one year. 03:06 But when would that time begin, that 1,260 year period? 03:10 We discovered as we looked 03:12 at the Book of Daniel Chapter 7, 03:14 that it would begin in the year 538 AD. 03:18 And that brings us to 1,260 years afterwards 03:22 to the year 1798. 03:25 And in that year, 03:27 the time of the end would begin, 1798. 03:33 That was the year when Daniel's book was to be opened 03:37 and understood. 03:39 Well, what does it mean 03:41 that Daniel's book was to be opened? 03:43 You know, people have read the Book of Daniel, 03:46 read its stories for many centuries, 03:49 many hundreds of years. 03:51 After all and this is important to remember, 03:53 Jesus Himself told His disciples. 03:56 Now that's 2000 years ago 03:58 that the Book of Daniel foretold 04:01 that coming destruction of Jerusalem 04:04 and they would have be ready for it. 04:06 And that was to occur 04:07 about 40 years after Jesus died. 04:09 And he tells them there in Matthew 24, 04:11 look at it in the Book of Daniel. 04:14 And so the Book of Daniel has been read parts of it. 04:18 Look at the stories, 04:19 stories of the lions' den experience with Daniel, 04:22 the three young men 04:24 who went into that burning hot fiery furnace. 04:26 Children have heard those stories 04:28 for well thousands of years. 04:31 Well, then what does it mean 04:32 that the Book of Daniel was to be closed up? 04:34 Because Daniel makes it plain 04:36 that there are some portions of the book, 04:39 the prophecies, certain prophecies 04:41 that would relate to the time of the end. 04:44 And therefore it's important for us 04:46 to know those prophecies. 04:49 And when I stopped to think about it, 04:50 there is one prophecy in Daniel's book 04:54 that was to be fulfilled, understood, 04:58 and proclaimed to the world in the time of the end. 05:02 And that's the prophecy we're going to look at today. 05:06 As we shall see this prophecy 05:09 is going to play an important part 05:11 in the opening of the Book of Daniel, 05:14 but also in laying the foundation 05:17 for the last message 05:19 that God is ever going to send to this world. 05:22 So let's turn to Daniel Chapter 8, 05:25 the longest time prophecy in the Bible. 05:27 It is. 05:29 And I want you to notice in Daniel Chapter 8, 05:32 as we stand looking at another vision, 05:35 this is the third vision. 05:37 You may remember the last time 05:39 I mentioned that there are four visions 05:41 in the Book of Daniel. 05:43 There's the one in Daniel 2 that we looked at last time 05:46 with the metal man with the head of gold 05:49 and the breast and arms of silver, 05:51 those four metals in that dream in Daniel 2 05:54 represented four kingdoms. 05:57 And finally at the end, 05:58 God is going to set up His kingdom. 06:00 That's Daniel 2. 06:02 Then we looked last time at Daniel Chapter 7, 06:04 which really repeats Daniel 2, but does it in more detail. 06:09 And that principle is going to be helping us 06:13 as we study through the visions of Daniel. 06:16 Because when we come to the third vision today, 06:19 we'll see it still covers those kingdoms, 06:23 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, et cetera, 06:26 but in much more detail. 06:28 And so let's look at what it says. 06:30 In Daniel 8:1, 06:32 it's telling us about a dream 06:35 in which Daniel sees two animals. 06:38 This time it's a two horned goat 06:41 or a ram, 06:42 and then a goat with a big horn between his eyes. 06:46 Let's look at it. 06:47 The Bible says, 06:48 "That in the third year of the reign 06:50 of King Belshazzar, 06:51 a vision appeared to me, to me Daniel, 06:54 after the one 06:55 that appeared to me the first time." 06:57 That's going back to Daniel 7. 07:00 Then it continues, 07:02 "I saw the ram pressing westward, 07:06 northward, and southward." 07:08 In other words, 07:09 from which direction does the ram come? 07:10 It comes from the east. 07:12 "No animal could withstand against him, 07:14 nor was there any 07:16 that could deliver him from his hand, 07:18 but he did according to his will, " 07:19 and notice the last couple of words, 07:21 "he became great." 07:22 You'll understand 07:24 why I'm emphasizing that in a moment. 07:26 Then it continues on in Daniel verse 5, 07:30 "As I was considering, 07:32 suddenly a male goat came from the west, 07:36 across the surface of the whole earth, 07:39 without touching the ground, 07:40 and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes," 07:44 as you see in that picture. 07:47 "Then he came to the ram, it says, that had two horns, 07:52 which I had seen standing beside the river, 07:54 and he ran into him with furious power," 07:57 the Bible says. 07:59 And Daniel is here describing his vision. 08:01 "But he cast him down to the ground 08:03 and trampled him, 08:05 and there was no one 08:06 that could deliver the ram from his hand." 08:09 In verse 7, 08:11 but as we continue, 08:13 "Therefore the male goat grew." 08:15 and notice those words, 08:16 "very great." 08:18 Remember the first animal became great. 08:21 This one becomes very great. 08:24 "But when he became strong, 08:26 the large horn was broken 08:29 and in place of it four notable ones, 08:32 in other words, 08:34 four horns came up toward the four winds of heaven." 08:39 Then we read in verse 9, 08:42 "And out of one of them, " 08:44 now that them refers to the four winds of heaven, 08:47 and out of one of the four winds of heaven 08:49 in other words, 08:50 one of the directions around where it rose, 08:54 "came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great." 08:58 Now that's the reason why I wanted you to notice 09:01 the first one, the goat, great. 09:05 Then the ram, then the... 09:07 Sorry, the first one that became great. 09:10 The second one, 09:11 which was the goat that had that notable horn, 09:15 he became very great. 09:16 And then the third one becomes exceedingly great 09:20 toward the south, toward the east 09:21 and toward the Glorious Land. 09:24 "And it grew up to the host of heaven," 09:26 this little horn, 09:28 and you'll notice what it does 09:30 according to this amazing prophecy, 09:32 "it casts down some of the hosts 09:34 and some of the stars to the ground 09:36 and trampled upon them, 09:38 and even exalted himself 09:39 as high as the Prince of the host, 09:42 and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, 09:46 and notice, the place of his sanctuary, 09:50 the heavenly sanctuary, 09:51 the Prince of the host's sanctuary 09:53 would be cast down by this little horn power." 09:57 Then we notice in verse 12, 09:59 "Because of transgression, 10:01 an army was given over to the horn 10:03 to oppose the daily sacrifices," 10:06 and notice the next words, 10:08 "he cast truth down to the ground." 10:11 That's this little horn power 10:12 that follows the first two animals 10:16 and he did all this and he prospered, 10:21 all this and prospered. 10:24 Then in Daniel 8:13, 10:26 "Then I heard a holy one, 10:28 one of the angels in this vision speaking, 10:31 and another holy one 10:32 said to that certain one who was speaking, 10:34 'How long will this vision be concerning the daily sacrifices 10:41 and the transgression of desolation, 10:43 the giving of both the sanctuary 10:45 and the host to be trampled underfoot?" 10:47 In the light of all that's proceeded this 10:49 and Daniel, no doubt, very troubled 10:52 by what he sees this little horn would do. 10:55 So the question is asked, how long will this vision be 10:58 from the days of the first animal to the end? 11:02 And I want you to notice the next verse 11:05 because in Daniel 8:14 11:07 is the angel's answer to that question. 11:11 "And he said to me, for 2,300 days, 11:16 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." 11:20 Days, remember, refers to years. 11:23 And so here is this description. 11:25 The sanctuary will be cleansed, 11:27 whatever that means after the 2,300 years. 11:32 The word days is an interesting word, 11:34 meaning literally evening and mornings. 11:37 And you'll see why I'm saying that 11:39 a little later, 11:40 but there's a translation here 11:42 that we've quoted on the screen that is, 11:44 comes from the New King James Version of the Bible, 11:47 the word cleansed, 11:49 because it's such a comprehensive 11:51 and very significant word in the Hebrew. 11:55 It has a range of meanings. 11:57 I've noticed that other translations say 11:59 the sanctuary shall be restored, 12:01 reconsecrated, 12:03 restored to its rightful state will emerge victorious, 12:07 but the word has the idea of a cleansing 12:10 and a vindicating of God's temple, 12:13 the sanctuary 12:14 in view of the attacks of the little horn 12:17 he would make against the heavenly sanctuary. 12:21 Well, what follows, let's look at verse 15. 12:24 "Then it happened 12:26 when I, Daniel, had seen the vision 12:27 and was seeking the meaning, 12:30 that suddenly there stood before me 12:31 one having the appearance of a man." 12:34 Now notice, it's only having an appearance. 12:36 Why? 12:37 Because notice what follows. 12:39 "And I heard a man's voice in verse 16, 12:42 between the banks of the Ulai, that's a river, 12:45 who called and said, 12:47 'Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.' " 12:52 Let's just stop a little 12:54 and think about that word Gabriel. 12:56 Who is Gabriel? 12:58 The Bible tells us that 12:59 he is the leading angel in heaven. 13:03 And he's mentioned coming to this earth only four times. 13:07 They must be very important occasions. 13:10 What are they, twice in the Old Testament, 13:13 twice in the New Testament? 13:14 What are the two occasions 13:16 when Gabriel comes down in the New Testament? 13:19 He comes down to announced to Mary 13:22 the birth of Jesus, 13:24 a very important occasion. 13:27 The other occasion is 13:28 when he appears to the father of John the Baptist 13:32 telling him that there's going to be a baby boy 13:35 who will play a very important part 13:37 in preparing the way for the Messiah. 13:40 And the two times in the Old Testament. 13:42 One is in Daniel 8 that we have just been reading, 13:46 and the other time in Daniel Chapter 9. 13:50 Why do I mention that? 13:51 Because that must mean that 13:53 when Gabriel comes, 13:54 it's something very, very important 13:57 that God is wanting to make clear to the people 14:01 dwelling on the earth. 14:03 And so, the command is given, 14:05 make this man understand the vision. 14:08 In other words, Gabriel was sent 14:10 to help Daniel to understand the meaning 14:13 of what we've just read in scripture. 14:16 Well, let's follow on and notice, 14:19 here is this chart that we have on the screen. 14:22 And you'll notice that. 14:23 Unto 2,300 days, 14:26 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 14:29 That's the prophecy that we're looking at today. 14:33 Well, let's continue on 14:34 and we'll notice in Daniel 8:20, 14:39 the beginning of Gabriel's explanation. 14:41 "The ram which you saw, having two horns, 14:46 they are the kings of Media and Persia." 14:49 You may remember that in those visions 14:51 we've looked at earlier. 14:52 Last time that Medo-Persia was the second kingdom 14:55 to follow Babylon. 14:57 Babylon doesn't feature in this vision 14:59 because Babylon is soon to be replaced 15:02 by Medo-Persia, 15:04 the great kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. 15:07 So the ram which you saw, 15:09 they are the kings of Media and Persia. 15:11 And as we look at the map, 15:12 you can see that the Persian Empire 15:14 was a fairly extensive empire. 15:17 That's the kingdom represented by this ram with the two horns. 15:22 But then the angel goes on, Gabriel goes on and says, 15:25 "The male goat, he represents the kingdom of Greece 15:30 that followed Medo-Persia in those world kingdoms. 15:35 And the large horn between his eyes, 15:37 Gabriel says, he's the first king of Greece." 15:41 And so when we look at the Grecian Empire, 15:44 we notice that it's larger than the Medo-Persian. 15:47 Remember the vision said, Medo-Persia will be great, 15:52 Greece will be very great as you see there on the screen. 15:56 And that horn between his eyes 15:59 represents the first king of Greece. 16:02 Who was the first King of Greece? 16:04 I noticed in reading a history book recently 16:06 that it actually says that in the history book, 16:08 that Alexander was the first king of Greece, 16:11 Alexander the Great. 16:14 The horn was to be broken 16:17 and in its place four horns would come up 16:21 instead of the major horn. 16:22 What happened? 16:25 The horn was broken. 16:26 Alexander the Great died very young comparatively. 16:30 He died in his early 30s, 16:33 and he was asked on his death bed, 16:35 according to history, 16:36 who will take your kingdom when you die. 16:39 And Alexander the Great 16:41 whether he was wise or foolish, I'm not sure, 16:44 but he said, 16:45 "Let it go to the strongest." 16:48 And after he died, 16:50 his generals began to fight among themselves 16:53 as to who should be the strongest 16:55 to take over Alexander's kingdom. 16:58 Finally, four of them 17:01 remember what the Bible had said. 17:03 Four of them said, 17:05 "No, let's divide up the kingdom into four." 17:10 And there you see on the screen, 17:12 it was divided up 17:14 among four generals, Seleucus, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, 17:17 and Cassander, 17:19 the four divisions. 17:21 Let me just pause here for a moment, friends, 17:24 this is an amazing prophecy. 17:27 More amazing prophecies are going to follow, 17:30 but this, remember this book was written in 551 BC. 17:36 Well, Alexander died 323 BC. 17:40 That's nearly 200 years later. 17:44 And then the division into those four kingdoms 17:48 occurred in 301 BC, 17:52 and so more than 200 years have passed. 17:54 And the Bible, 17:56 this is one of these amazing things in the Bible 17:58 that God knows the future. 18:00 And He could foretell the future accurately, 18:03 even though He was looking more than 200 years in advance. 18:08 Then in verses 23 to 25, 18:10 we won't take time to really spend time 18:12 on looking at those details. 18:14 But Gabriel goes on to talk 18:16 about the work of the little horn power 18:18 that would become exceedingly great. 18:21 And in as much as the divisions 18:23 and the animals have represented 18:25 Medo-Persia, then Greece, 18:28 we go back to the earlier visions. 18:31 There was another kingdom after those two, 18:34 the kingdom of Rome, 18:37 and in this vision, 18:39 Rome would become exceedingly great. 18:41 And if we put on the map, the map on the screen, 18:44 it would take over much more 18:46 than even Greece and Medo-Persia ruled. 18:50 And then this little horn becoming exceedingly great, 18:54 we see the Roman Empire, first of all. 18:57 And then after it papal Rome, 19:00 as we learned in our last presentation, 19:02 who would come up 19:04 and do the damage to the Lord and His work 19:07 as the Bible tells us. 19:09 Now the next part of the vision 19:11 that Gabriel is about to explain. 19:13 He's talked about the goat and he's talked about the ram 19:16 and he's talked about Rome, 19:17 the little horn that would come up. 19:20 The next part of the vision is the 2, 300 days 19:23 or evenings and mornings. 19:25 And he's now about to start to tell Daniel 19:29 all about the 2, 300 years. 19:33 So let us notice here, what happens next. 19:38 Gabriel says in verse 26, 19:41 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings." 19:45 That means days. 19:46 That's what he's about to talk about. 19:49 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings, 19:50 which was told is true." 19:52 Please notice that 19:53 this is on the authority of the angel Gabriel, 19:57 that the vision that we're about to look at is true. 20:00 Gabriel says so, 20:02 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings 20:04 which is told is true. 20:05 Therefore seal up the vision." 20:07 Now we've heard those words before, 20:09 seal up the book. 20:11 Now this particular prophecy also was to be sealed up for it 20:16 refers to many days in the future 20:21 in Daniel 9:26, 20:25 but Gabriel doesn't continue his explanation 20:29 of the vision of 2,300 days. 20:32 Why not? 20:34 Because in verse 27, 20:37 "And I, Daniel, fainted 20:40 and was sick for days afterward, 20:42 I arose and went about the king's business. 20:44 He says, I was astonished by this vision, 20:48 but no one understood it." 20:50 Now, Daniel had heard the explanation 20:52 for most of the vision from Gabriel. 20:55 The only part he didn't really understand 20:58 was the vision of the 2,300 days. 21:01 And Gabriel had only just got to the place 21:03 where he said that vision is true, 21:05 but it's sealed it up 21:06 because it applies a long time in the future, 21:10 and then Daniel fainted. 21:13 The meaning was well interrupted 21:16 to say the least. 21:17 And we read as we follow 21:19 this very interesting story in scripture 21:22 that as a result of this, 21:26 Daniel had to wait 21:29 for further explanations from Gabriel. 21:32 Well, we notice now that Gabriel, after this, 21:36 it says here, 21:38 "While I was speaking and praying 21:40 and confessing my sin, 21:41 the sin of my people 21:43 and my supplication before the Lord, my God, 21:45 for the Holy mountain of my God." 21:47 Gabriel comes back 21:48 because very soon after it had that sickness, 21:52 some years actually passed by, 21:55 and then he's worried obviously about 21:56 what he'd seen about this 2,300 evenings and mornings. 22:00 And he's praying, in fact, 22:02 it's the longest prayer in the whole of the Bible 22:05 in Daniel Chapter 9, the very next chapter. 22:09 And in the middle of the prayer, 22:11 or perhaps it's more accurate to say 22:13 when we look at it, 22:14 toward the end of the prayer, 22:15 who should reappear, but Gabriel, 22:19 and what does he say? 22:21 Gabriel says, 22:22 "While I was speaking and praying" 22:25 or what Daniel is saying, 22:26 "While I was speaking in praying 22:27 and confessing my sin 22:29 that suddenly, while I was speaking in prayer, 22:32 the man Gabriel, 22:34 whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning 22:37 reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22:41 And he informed me and talked with me and said, 22:44 'O, Daniel, I have now come forth 22:47 to give you skill to understand.' " 22:51 Now, remember way back, Gabriel had been told, 22:54 make this man Daniel understand the whole of the vision. 22:57 Gabriel had done that 22:59 until he'd come to the 2,300 years. 23:02 That was interrupted because Daniel got sick. 23:06 And now Gabriel comes back again and he says, 23:09 "Daniel, I've come to finish the explanation. 23:12 I've come to explain to you 23:14 what the 2, 300 year prophecy really means." 23:19 Well, at the beginning of your supplications, 23:24 that is at the beginning of your prayer, Gabriel says, 23:27 and this says something about 23:28 what happens in heaven when we pray. 23:31 "At the beginning of your supplications 23:33 the command went out, and I've come to tell you." 23:36 Why? Look at that wonderful answer. 23:39 Gabriel says to Daniel, 23:41 "For you are greatly beloved, 23:43 therefore understand the matter, 23:45 and consider the vision. 23:48 He's about to explain the vision 23:52 of the 2,300 days. 23:54 And he does so 23:56 by introducing another Bible prophecy, 23:58 which if I can whet your appetite 24:00 is probably one of the most amazing prophecies 24:04 in the whole of the Bible. 24:07 Here we see that 24:09 the 2,300 years would reach down 24:12 into the time of the end. 24:15 And we got to go back to the beginnings 24:17 to hear the explanation that the Angel Gabriel gave. 24:22 Let's have a look at it. 24:24 First of all, 24:25 I want you to notice in verse 24, 24:29 that it says 24:31 70 weeks, 24:32 that's the beginning of Gabriel's explanation. 24:34 Seventy weeks are determined for your people. 24:39 Now, again, he used an interesting word, 24:41 the word determined 24:42 because it's associated with another word 24:44 that it can be translated into called cut off. 24:49 That the 70 week period was to be determined, 24:52 but cut off, 24:53 cut off from what? 24:55 He's there to explain the 2,300 years, 24:58 therefore he's saying cut off 70 weeks 25:03 from that period of time. 25:06 And then we'll continue 25:07 the explanation of the 2,300 years. 25:11 So what, as we look at this 70 week period, 25:13 we noticed this, 25:15 that 70 weeks have seven days in them. 25:19 And when we multiply 70 by 7, it's 490, 25:24 and 490 is equal to 490 years 25:31 because it was days and a day represents a year. 25:34 So what's it that Angel Gabriel is really saying 25:37 that from that long period of time 25:38 of 2,300 years, 25:40 we've got a first of all cut off 25:43 a period of 490 years. 25:49 Know therefore, 25:51 and look at verse 25 as it comes on the screen. 25:55 But here we see 490 years cut off 25:59 leaving a hand, 1, 810 years on the right-hand side left 26:05 before we reached the end of the 2,300. 26:09 Well, as we continue, 26:12 verse 25 gives this amazing prophecy. 26:17 "Know therefore and understand, Gabriel says, 26:20 that from the going forth of the command 26:23 to restore and to build Jerusalem 26:27 unto Messiah the Prince 26:30 shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks." 26:35 And then he says, 26:36 "The street shall be built again, 26:37 and the wall, even in troublesome times." 26:40 Because remember, 26:41 Jerusalem at that time was in ruins. 26:44 But he's saying that the day is going to come 26:46 when the city of Jerusalem 26:48 is going to be rebuilt and restored. 26:52 And then he says, therefore, 26:54 that from that time 26:56 until the cleansing of the sanctuary, 26:59 we have a long period to consider. 27:03 Know therefore and understand, 27:05 look at this prophecy that I've put on the screen, 27:08 from there going forth of the command 27:10 to rebuild Jerusalem 27:12 unto the Messiah comes, shall be 69 weeks altogether. 27:17 And when we look at the screen 27:18 69 weeks, 27:20 which is one short of 70 multiplied by 7, 27:24 483 days or years. 27:28 To me, every time I think about this, my friends, 27:32 I stand in amazement at the God who knows the future 27:38 and He's revealed it to us. 27:40 And in this amazing, 27:41 that's the only word I can use, 27:43 prophecy. 27:44 Daniel is being told sometime in the future, 27:47 there's going to be a command given 27:49 to restore and to build Jerusalem. 27:51 It's in ruins now, Daniel, 27:53 but there's coming a time 27:54 when a decree will be given to rebuild it. 27:57 From that time unto the coming of the Messiah 28:01 will be 483 years. 28:06 Think about this. 28:07 This has being given to Daniel 28:09 500 years before the time of Christ. 28:12 And yet God is revealing to Daniel and to us 28:16 the very time when the Messiah, 28:18 the Promised One way 28:20 back from the days of the Garden of Eden 28:22 will be given to Daniel 28:26 the coming of the wonderful Christ 28:29 who's going to be born to save the world. 28:32 And so here we see the 69 weeks. 28:36 I want to divert just a moment to show something to you. 28:40 You know, some time ago, 28:43 there was a man called Dr. Peter Stoner 28:45 who wrote a book called Science Speaks. 28:50 Now Dr. Stoner was the former chairman 28:52 of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy 28:54 in the Pasadena College. 28:56 And he wrote a book called Science Speaks. 29:00 And he made some calculations that I want to share with you 29:03 even, I don't know. 29:04 I hope it wouldn't be too involved, 29:06 but he was a mathematician, this man, 29:08 and he knew about the law of probability. 29:11 Now let me explain the law of probability 29:13 mathematically. 29:14 If I say to you look about a special event, 29:19 the chance of one man coming 29:21 and doing that on Wednesday in a week, 29:27 the chance of that happening on Wednesday 29:29 rather than the other six days of the week 29:31 would be one in seven, 29:33 one chance in seven, that it will come on Wednesday. 29:36 If I add another statement 29:37 by saying, well, the chance of that happening, 29:40 not only Wednesday but Wednesday day or night, 29:43 let's say the chance of it happening 29:45 on Wednesday day time is one in two, 29:48 either day or night. 29:50 Then the law of probability says 29:52 the chance of a person or an event 29:55 happening on a Wednesday during the day 29:59 is one chance in 14, 30:01 you multiply the seven by the two. 30:03 Now a bit of an evolved mathematics, I know. 30:06 But what this mathematician did, 30:08 he said, 30:09 suppose that there were just eight prophecies 30:11 in the Old Testament. 30:14 What's the chance of one man 30:17 fulfilling all those eight predictions. 30:20 And in his book, 30:22 he discusses the eight predictions 30:23 that he chooses 30:25 and looks at each one of them, and says, 30:26 what's the chance of that happening 30:27 and that happening and that happening? 30:29 Then he multiplies them together. 30:31 And he says for one man 30:32 to come and fulfill eight predictions 30:35 is, look at it. 30:37 One in 10 raised to the 17th power, 30:41 which is one followed by 17 zeros. 30:45 Suppose there are eight prophecies, 30:47 the chance of one man 30:48 fulfilling eight prophecies is one, 30:50 whatever it says in the screen. 30:52 But then he said this 30:54 and you can read it in his book. 30:55 It's available on the internet. 30:57 Suppose that there were not just eight prophecies, 31:03 but 48 prophecies. 31:06 What's the chance of somebody being born into this world 31:10 that fulfilled all 48 predictions? 31:15 And look at the screen, 31:18 it's one in 10 raised to 157th power. 31:24 That is one followed by 157 zeros. 31:30 Notice that. 31:32 What's the chance of somebody coming and doing 31:35 fulfilling 48 prophecies? 31:37 It's one in that man, 31:38 almost impossible for one man 31:40 to come and fulfill those prophecies by accident. 31:44 But then there was another mathematician, 31:47 Dr. Olinthus Gregory, who worked out. 31:50 Suppose we add just two more prophecies, 31:53 one prophecy to tell us 31:55 where on earth the Messiah will be born. 32:00 And the other prophecy, 32:01 what time in human history will He be born? 32:07 The chance of one man 32:09 fulfilling all of those prophecies, 32:12 50 now 32:15 exceeds the power of numbers to express. 32:21 But dear friends, 32:23 God has not just given us in His Word 50 prophecies. 32:30 Bible scholars tell us that 32:31 there are more than 300 predictions 32:34 in the Old Testament 32:35 about the coming of Jesus. 32:37 If you couldn't express a number big enough 32:39 when there are four, 48 or 50, 32:42 what would it be when God has given us 300? 32:46 You know, somebody has said to me once, 32:48 there wouldn't be an honest atheist 32:51 or infidel in the world 32:54 if they studied the 300 predictions 32:57 in the Old Testament, 32:58 because the chance of somebody 33:00 fulfilling those 300 by accident 33:03 is just, it's impossible to think 33:05 that anybody could do that. 33:08 And so I've mentioned this to you 33:10 because does the Bible give us the time and the place 33:13 for the prophecies of Jesus? 33:15 Is there a one text in the Bible that tells us that 33:17 where Jesus would be born of all the places on the earth? 33:20 There is in Micah 5:2, Bethlehem. 33:24 That's where He's going to be born. 33:25 That was hundreds of years before He came. 33:28 And does the Bible give us the time 33:30 when Jesus would come into human history? 33:33 Yes. 33:34 As we will see, as we study this amazing prediction. 33:39 Let's go on. 33:41 Know therefore, verse 25, 33:44 and understand that 33:45 from the going forth of the command 33:47 to restore and to build Jerusalem 33:49 unto the Messiah the Prince, 33:51 there shall be seven weeks, two weeks, 33:55 and the street should be build again, 33:57 and the wall, even in troublesome times." 34:01 We must ask the question therefore, 34:04 what is the date for the decree 34:07 to rebuild and restore Jerusalem? 34:10 Because once we know that date, that's the beginning date. 34:13 Everything else is gonna fall into place. 34:16 Do we know that there was such a decree? 34:19 Actually, when we look into the Bible, 34:21 we find that there were three. 34:22 Now this may surprise you, 34:24 but there are three decrees that the Bible gives us. 34:27 They're all recorded in the little Book of Ezra 34:30 in the Old Testament. 34:32 The first decree was by a King called Cyrus 34:36 in 537. 34:38 And that's found in Ezra 1:1-14, 34:42 Darius 5:20, Ezra 6:1-12, 34:48 and then there is the third decree. 34:52 And can I just say this, dear friends, 34:54 of the three decrees, 34:55 the only one that deals with building and restoring. 35:01 Those other decrees talk about building the city of Jerusalem 35:04 and even the temple, 35:05 but the only one that restores the government of Israel 35:08 and makes it a nation on its own right, 35:11 which is required by that decree 35:14 is the decree by Artaxerxes. 35:16 Ezra 7:1-26, 35:19 this is such an important decree 35:22 in the light of what we need to know 35:24 in interpreting Daniel, 35:27 that God has actually inspired Ezra 35:30 to write out the decree in full, 35:33 just as Artaxerxes gave it. 35:37 And we know when it was. 35:38 It was given 35:40 in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes 35:44 in the year 457 BC. 35:48 Without having time, 35:49 without the time to explain why, 35:51 but may I just say this, 35:53 that date 457 35:55 is one of the best attested dates 35:57 in ancient history. 35:59 God made sure of that 36:01 because so much depended on what would fall out. 36:06 Well, there already is 457 BC. 36:10 And from that time, 69 weeks, look at the chart, 36:16 69 weeks should bring us down 483 years 36:22 to the year 27 AD. 36:25 And in that year, what should happen? 36:28 According to Daniel's prediction 36:31 from the going forth of the commandment 36:32 to restore and to build Jerusalem 36:34 unto the Messiah. 36:36 It's the only verse in the whole of the Bible 36:39 that fixes the very year when the Messiah would come. 36:44 But if 483 years brings you to 27 AD, 36:48 that's the appearance of the Messiah. 36:50 Does that mean to say that He'll be born then? 36:53 Can't be born, not 27 AD. 36:56 That's not His birth. 36:58 What then does it refer to? 37:00 What does it refer to? 37:03 What does the word Messiah mean? 37:06 I'm going to show you something that's important. 37:09 In John 1:41, we read this interesting verse. 37:13 "He first found his brother Simon." 37:16 This is referring to one of the disciples, Andrew. 37:19 "He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, 37:22 'We have found the Messiah, 37:25 which is translated the Christ." 37:28 Notice that. 37:30 When we refer to Jesus Christ, Christ was not a surname. 37:35 It's more a title, a status. 37:38 Jesus, the Christ, Jesus is the Messiah. 37:41 That's what that word really was meaning. 37:44 So here, the word Messiah means the Christ. 37:49 That's a Hebrew word. 37:51 Christ is a Greek word. 37:54 And in English He's the Anointed One. 37:58 Ah, so from the days from 483 years would extend 38:04 from the going forth of the commandment 38:05 until the Anointed One appears, 38:09 the Christ, the Messiah. 38:12 What does that mean? 38:14 When did Jesus become the Anointed One? 38:18 Again, let's look at scripture. 38:20 In the Book of Acts 10:37-38, 38:24 "That word, you know, 38:26 which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, 38:29 and began from Galilee after the baptism, 38:33 which John preached: 38:35 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 38:39 with the Holy Spirit and power." 38:42 Notice that. 38:44 The record says there in the Book of Acts, 38:46 that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit 38:50 at the time of Jesus' baptism. 38:56 Now let's look at the amazing prediction, 38:58 dear friends. 39:00 In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 3, 39:02 I read these words. 39:05 "Now in the 15th year of the reign 39:08 of Tiberius Caesar, " 39:09 notice the date. 39:11 You know, God is wonderful 39:13 in terms of providing the evidence 39:15 to support our faith. 39:16 "In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar." 39:20 And then he lists to make sure 39:22 we don't miss what happens in that year. 39:24 "Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, 39:26 Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, 39:29 his brother Phillip tetrarch of Iturea, 39:31 and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch, 39:34 that's an office the word tetrarch, 39:36 of Abilene, 39:38 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, 39:41 the word of God came to John, 39:43 the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 39:46 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, 39:48 preaching a baptism of repentance 39:51 for the remission of sins." 39:53 Why does Luke go to all the trouble of recording 39:57 the things that happened in the 15th year 39:59 of the reign of Caesar? 40:02 To provide the faith to us. 40:04 That was the year Jesus was baptized. 40:08 And we read in Luke 3:21, 40:11 "When all the people were baptized 40:14 in that 15th year of the reign of Caesar, 40:17 it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized. 40:20 And while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 40:24 And the Holy Spirit, look at the words, 40:26 descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, 40:30 and a voice came from heaven, which said, 40:32 'You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." 40:39 What happened in the 15th year of the reign of Caesar? 40:43 27 AD, right on time, 40:47 Jesus became the Anointed One 40:50 by the Holy Spirit at His baptism. 40:54 How marvelous, 40:56 but there's another very interesting event 40:57 that followed this 40:59 that just confirms what I'm saying. 41:01 Because soon after His baptism, 41:04 Jesus was visiting His hometown of Nazareth. 41:08 And what happened the day that He went there? 41:12 I read in Luke 4:16, 41:13 "So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. 41:18 And as His custom was, 41:19 He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, 41:22 and stood up to read. 41:24 And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. 41:28 And when he had opened the book, 41:30 He found the place where it was written." 41:32 Now, remember, He's coming into the synagogue, 41:33 the church on Sabbath morning, 41:36 and He's handed the prophecy of Isaiah, 41:39 the prophet in the Old Testament. 41:41 And he deliberately finds this text 41:44 when He is given the copy of the script. 41:48 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me." 41:52 Why? 41:53 "Because He has anointed Me 41:55 to preach the gospel to the poor. 41:57 He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 42:00 to proclaim liberty to the captives 42:02 and recovery of sight to the blind. 42:04 That's why these wonderful Jesus 42:05 came to this earth 42:06 to relieve suffering and to restore 42:09 and to transform our lives. 42:12 But as we go on, 42:13 "To set at liberty to those who are oppressed, 42:16 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 42:18 Then when Jesus had finished quoting that text from Isaiah, 42:21 it says, 42:23 "Then he closed the book, 42:24 gave it back to the attendant and sat down. 42:28 And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue 42:31 were fixed on Him." 42:32 This is the boy 42:34 who had grown up there in Nazareth. 42:36 And now He's speaking to the people in 27 AD, 42:41 just after His baptism. 42:43 And then we read, 42:45 "And He began to say to them, 42:48 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' " 42:54 Isn't that wonderful? 42:55 Jesus is now saying after reading the text, 42:58 the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me 42:59 because He's anointed me. 43:01 Those people in the synagogue knew that 43:03 that was being connected to the Messiah 43:06 because it means the Anointed One. 43:10 And Jesus said this day, 43:12 the Scripture is fulfilled 43:14 and the year, of course, was 27 AD. 43:20 Well, does the Bible in its prophecies 43:25 tell us of anything that was to happen after 27 AD? 43:29 Let's have a look at this. 43:32 Did the Book of Daniel predict anything to happen 43:35 after Jesus was baptized in 27 AD? 43:40 Sixty nine of the 70 weeks had gone. 43:45 Jesus had been baptized at the end of the 69 weeks. 43:48 One more week that was allotted to the Jews 43:51 as a period of probation remained of the 490 years. 43:58 Let's have a look at this. 44:00 In Daniel 9:26, 44:03 "After the 62 weeks, that is after 27 AD, 44:08 Messiah shall be cut off." 44:10 This is still in this prophecy in Daniel. 44:13 "The Messiah would be cut off. 44:15 He would die, but not for Himself, 44:19 and the people of the prince 44:20 who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." 44:23 So there's two predictions here. 44:25 It says after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off. 44:29 He will die. 44:31 This is way back in the Book of Daniel 44:32 this is being written, 44:34 but not for Himself. 44:36 He wouldn't die for Himself. 44:38 Dear friends, as I think about this, 44:40 He would die for you and for me 44:44 and for the world at that time. 44:48 He's referring also here 44:50 that one day, 44:52 the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed 44:54 and the sanctuary, the temple as well. 44:57 And that, of course, 44:58 was fulfilled 40 years after Jesus died. 45:02 What happens? 45:04 That text doesn't tell us when during the week, 45:07 it just says sometime after 27 AD, 45:10 in that last week, 45:12 he would die. 45:13 The very next verse in Daniel says, 45:16 "Then He, the Messiah will confirm a covenant 45:20 with many for one week." 45:21 That's that one week, the 70th week. 45:24 "But in the middle of the week, 45:26 He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering." 45:33 I stand amazed, dear friends, when I think of this. 45:36 In the middle of the week, 45:38 three and a half years after Jesus was baptized 45:43 in the year 31 AD Jesus died, 45:48 but not for Himself. 45:51 Think about this. 45:53 As we look at our screen, 45:56 it was just halfway through that 70th week, 46:00 31 AD that Jesus was raised on a cross 46:06 and died for the sins of the world. 46:10 How amazing. 46:11 Not only does it foretell Jesus' baptism. 46:15 His death, 46:16 but also how long His ministry would be, 46:19 three and a half years. 46:22 That's this wonderful prophecy in Daniel Chapters 8 and 9, 46:27 but then we have to continue on 46:30 because we noticed that there follows another date 46:35 because three and a half years, it's the middle of that week, 46:38 three and a half years on either side, 46:40 then three and a half years 46:41 after 31 AD brings us to 34 AD. 46:46 That's the end of the 490 year period 46:51 that was allotted to the Jewish people 46:53 as a period of probation. 46:55 During that time, 46:57 God was going to send His Son to die for the world. 47:01 The Jews, instead of accepting that, 47:03 you remember, rejected Jesus. 47:07 And Daniel had warned them 47:09 a long time before 47:11 that after the Messiah died 47:14 only three and a half more years remained 47:18 before the Jewish people were rejected as a nation, 47:23 because of all the Old Testament stories of them 47:26 rebelling against God 47:27 and walking with Him for a little while 47:28 and then disobeying Him. 47:30 And that's the story of the Old Testament. 47:32 God is now saying, 47:34 I'm giving you 490 more years He said to Daniel, 47:38 and that elapsed in 34 AD. 47:43 I want you to notice 47:45 as you look at that diagram on the screen. 47:47 In that three and a half year period, 47:49 31 to 34 AD, 47:52 knowing that probation was soon to finish 47:55 for the Jewish people, 47:57 Jesus said something very important to them. 48:02 Speaking to His disciples in Acts 1:8, 48:06 He says this, 48:07 "But you shall receive power 48:09 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 48:11 and you shall be witnesses to Me." 48:13 Now He's saying this to the disciples 48:14 just before He goes back to heaven. 48:17 He's telling them to be witnesses, 48:18 but have you ever noticed the order 48:20 in which Jesus gave that instruction. 48:23 "You shall be witnesses to Me, in whereabouts first, 48:26 Jerusalem, and then in Judea, and then in Samaria, 48:30 and then to the ends of the earth." 48:33 Why did He start with Jerusalem and Judea? 48:38 Why were the disciples to take the gospel first there, 48:41 not to all the nations of Europe beyond, 48:43 not then? 48:45 Because three and a half years remained 48:49 of that period of probation 48:51 God had given to the Jewish people, 48:55 three and a half years, 34 AD. 48:59 What happened then in 34 AD? 49:03 What event brought 49:05 that 490 year period of probation 49:08 to a close? 49:10 Well, we read about it 49:13 there in the Book of Acts 49:15 of how Stephen the deacon was in prison 49:20 because of the false charges that were being brought to him. 49:24 And finally, he came before the Sanhedrin, 49:27 that was the leading council in Israel. 49:31 And he preached to them a sermon, 49:32 which is recorded there in the Book of Acts Chapter 7. 49:36 Read it sometime, a powerful sermon. 49:38 And at the end of that sermon, he said to them, 49:41 you have murdered the Messiah, 49:44 and you can imagine the reaction. 49:46 The Bible says, 49:48 they were gnashed in their teeth 49:49 and they approached him with stones, 49:52 led him outside the city and killed Stephen. 49:57 That day the Jewish leaders, 50:00 the ones in the governing council 50:04 heard the last appeal for the gospel for them 50:10 to accept the Messiah. 50:13 And the year 50:15 when Stephen was stoned 50:17 34 AD. 50:22 When we remember those events, some years later, 50:28 Paul was preaching 50:29 in a little town of Antioch in Pisidia. 50:34 And as he was preaching there that day, 50:38 he noticed that the people 50:40 and there were many Jews in the audience 50:42 and it's recorded in Acts Chapter 13. 50:44 Many Jews were in the audience, 50:47 but got very upset 50:48 when he started to talk to them about Jesus, 50:50 the Messiah. 50:51 And at the end of his sermon, 50:53 I want you to notice the words that he spoke to them. 50:56 "It was necessary 50:58 that the word of God should first be spoken to you," 51:04 the three and a half years of probation, 51:08 "but since you reject it, and judge yourselves, 51:12 unworthy of everlasting life, 51:14 behold, we turn to the Gentiles." 51:20 Why did Paul say that day to the Jews 51:22 who were very upset in that little town? 51:25 You Jews had to hear it first, 51:29 but seeing you have rejected the message, 51:32 we're going now to the Gentiles. 51:36 And that happened in 34 AD, 51:41 exactly three and a half years 51:44 after what had preceded it. 51:48 How marvelous is prophecy? 51:50 God was giving to His people, 51:54 the offer of salvation for the last time as a nation. 51:57 Individuals, yes, 51:59 they could continue to hear the gospel, 52:01 but as a nation, God was now saying, 52:04 I'm going to give it to the Gentiles. 52:06 And I'm going to raise up the Christian Church 52:09 to take the gospel to the whole world. 52:13 How wonderfully God had prepared the way. 52:17 And when we add 1,810 years 52:22 to AD 34, 52:24 when Stephen was stoned, 52:27 it brings us to the year 1844. 52:32 In that year unto 2,300 days or years, 52:37 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 52:42 1844, that was the date, and that was the year. 52:48 When I stopped to think of Jesus' life, 52:50 His baptism, His death, dear friends. 52:53 And remember that 52:55 this is the essence of the gospel, 52:57 the good news of why Jesus has come 53:00 to bring us salvation. 53:02 I just think of that text, you know, 53:03 what manner of love 53:06 has the great love has our father bestowed upon us 53:12 that we should be called the sons of God 53:15 because of what Jesus died to accomplish. 53:19 I remember, dear friends, the story of a legal case, 53:23 it really is true this story. 53:25 In 1830, George Wilson was robbed, 53:29 had robbed a male train 53:30 and had held the life of the driver of the train 53:34 in jeopardy, 53:35 threatened to kill him. 53:37 And when this came to the knowledge 53:39 of the law situation, 53:42 he was condemned to death for his crime. 53:47 But later, he was pardoned 53:49 by the president of the United States. 53:53 The pardon was presented to George Wilson 53:55 when he was in the cell waiting to die. 53:59 And George Wilson refused 54:02 to accept the pardon from the president. 54:06 He said, "He wished to die." 54:08 And his attorneys 54:10 went to the authorities and said, 54:12 "You can't execute a man who's been pardoned." 54:18 And do you know that case went to the Supreme Court 54:21 of the United States of America. 54:24 I'm going to read to you the decision of the court. 54:29 "A pardon is a deed 54:32 to the validity of which delivery is essential. 54:36 And delivery is not complete without acceptance. 54:39 It may even be rejected. 54:41 And if it be rejected, 54:42 we have discovered 54:44 no power in this court to force it on him. 54:48 It may be supposed 54:49 that no being condemned to death 54:50 would reject a pardon, 54:53 but the rule must be the same. 54:57 And George Wilson was executed. 55:00 The only man in the history of the United States, 55:03 who was executed though pardoned. 55:08 My dear friends, have you accepted the pardon 55:11 that Jesus died to give to you? 55:15 Or are you rejecting that pardon? 55:18 It may be suppose that no being condemned to death 55:22 would reject a court pardon? 55:24 But the rule must be the same. 55:28 And so they had to hear the gospel first 55:32 among the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. 55:37 As we consider our chart, as we close, 55:42 I want to take you back to look at those very early times 55:47 that we have considered this afternoon for a very, 55:50 to consider today 55:51 because of a very important reason. 55:53 And that is that when we look at the chart, 55:55 we noticed that 55:56 on the right-hand side of the top, 55:58 there is the date 457. 56:01 And we come down through time, 70 weeks, 56:06 490 years brings us to 34 AD, but the 69 weeks, 56:10 you remember, came to the Messiah. 56:13 Why do I put this chat on the screen 56:15 before I close? 56:16 Because I want to remind you, dear friends, 56:19 that if Jesus was baptized in 27 AD, 56:22 the 15th year of the reign of Caesar, 56:24 if that dates fixed in history, 56:26 then you've only got to go back 483 years 56:30 and you come to 457. 56:32 And if 457 is right, 56:35 what does that say about the year 1844? 56:38 You've only got to add 2,300 years to 457. 56:43 And you come to that year, 56:46 the year of the cleansing of the sanctuary. 56:50 Let us bow our heads in a word of prayer. 56:53 Dear loving Father in heaven, 56:55 we thank You for your prophetic word. 56:57 We thank You for its power, 56:59 for what it reveals to us about why Jesus came. 57:03 May we open our hearts to the Messiah, 57:07 and accept the pardon that He died to give us. 57:11 And may we continue to be blessed 57:13 as we study further, 57:15 what's going to happen in 1844. 57:18 And we ask this in Jesus' precious name. 57:21 Amen. |
Revised 2021-02-05