Participants:
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000101S
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00:01 Music...
00:31 James: All right, we are back in Daniel chapter 9. 00:34 Again, we're going to be here for a while potentially. 00:37 This is Part 3 of Daniel chapter 9. 00:42 We already covered the first half of the chapter 00:45 with Daniel's humility... 00:47 his humility of attitude... of spirit... 00:50 his humility of action... 00:52 his humility of motive... God's glory... not my glory 00:55 and that led us to understand 00:58 how his prayer was answered quickly... 01:00 the King James says, "Swiftly... " 01:02 Gabriel came to him swiftly 01:04 and then, we made a connection between Daniel 9 and Daniel 8... 01:08 very clear in those two verses in verses 21, 22 and 23 01:14 that there's a connection. 01:16 "I've come to give you understanding 01:17 so, understand the vision. " 01:18 Well, as Ivor said, there's no vision in Daniel 9 01:22 up to this point, so the vision he must be referring to... 01:24 that Gabriel's referring to is in Daniel 8 01:26 and it's the vision of the 2300-Day Prophecy 01:29 which Daniel didn't understand. 01:31 It made him sick... he just couldn't get it... 01:33 he couldn't grasp it... he went back to Jeremiah 01:36 like we all should do and study the Bible 01:38 and he was trying to understand the 70 years 01:41 and how that relates to the 2300-Day prophecy 01:43 and now, we started understanding 01:46 more about this vision in verses 24 and 25, 01:52 we looked at the 70 weeks 01:54 and how all these tasks that were committed to God's people 01:58 were committed to "Israel" in Jesus 02:02 and that's why Jesus... Messiah comes in 69 weeks 02:07 because they've only got 70 weeks to finish 02:08 and they're not going to get it done. 02:10 We're never... you can give us 170 weeks... 02:12 270 weeks... 02:13 we're not going to finish transgression of sins 02:15 and iniquities. 02:16 We're not going to bring everlasting righteousness... 02:18 seal up the vision... the prophecy... the Most Holy... 02:20 but Jesus is... and that's kind of where we left off 02:22 and so, we thought we would 02:24 kind of expand on that a little bit... 02:26 see how these specifics were fulfilled in Christ 02:29 and then move into the rest of the prophecy 02:31 because there's a lot here 02:32 and there can be some misunderstandings... 02:35 that can lead to a whole different eschatological... 02:37 isn't that a... a deep theological word? 02:39 "Eschatological... " 02:41 Yvonne: Yeah... yeah... Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 02:42 James: That's last-day events... 02:44 a whole different eschatological interpretation in relationship, 02:47 especially the seventh week which we... 02:48 which we found all around us 02:50 so... so we should start with a word of prayer... 02:52 Yvonne, would you like to pray for us? 02:53 Yvonne: Yes... yes, "Oh Lord, we're so grateful 02:55 for this privilege of studying Your Word 02:57 and just seeing how much You love us 02:59 and how You demonstrate that love through Jesus in the Word 03:03 and we thank You for that... 03:05 so, we pray for Your guidance and Your direction 03:07 through Your Holy Spirit, Lord, 03:09 we thank You again for Your presence and Your power 03:12 and Your anointing, in Jesus' name, amen. " 03:14 All: Amen. 03:16 James: So, I don't know if you remember, 03:19 we compared Daniel 9 to Revelation chapter 10. 03:23 In Revelation chapter 10, you have a seven-thunder message 03:27 that is in the book of Daniel 03:29 because it's a little book that's opened 03:31 and I don't want to go to Revelation 10 03:33 and look at all that because we've already covered that 03:35 in our Revelation Series which, by the way, 03:37 just to put a little hook in for our Revelation Series: 03:40 Salvation, Symbols and Signs on the book of Revelation... 72... 03:43 Jason: 72 Episodes. 03:45 James: 72 Episodes... 03:46 and there's a whole section there on the seven thunders. 03:49 They connect with Daniel chapter 9 verse 24 03:54 because in Daniel 9:24, you have the seven tasks 03:57 to finish transgression... 03:59 sin... end sin and iniquity... 04:02 bring in everlasting righteousness... 04:04 seal up the vision... seal up the prophecy 04:05 and anoint the Most Holy 04:07 and Jesus is the only One that can accomplish this 04:09 so, in Daniel... 04:10 in Revelation, the little book that's opened 04:12 is the book of Daniel 04:14 and the seven-thunder message is the message 04:15 right from Daniel chapter 9. 04:16 Yvonne: Wow! 04:18 James: So that... so that John in Revelation is seeing now 04:21 this prophecy as he's never seen it before 04:24 and he's committing that to a church 04:27 that will go through a sweet-bitter disappointment 04:29 and then take that message to the entire world... 04:31 "prophecy again before many nations, tongues, kindreds, 04:33 tongues and peoples about the sanctuary 04:35 and the measuring of the altar and the temple 04:38 and those who worship therein" the judgment... 04:40 and it's so beautiful because 04:42 as we trust in Christ and His righteousness... 04:44 His doing and dying... 04:46 we stand with Him as our Mediator in the judgment 04:48 and He covers everything... all of our history is covered 04:52 as we put our complete weight... 04:53 our complete trust upon Him and His righteousness 04:55 and that leads us to live for Him 04:57 and when we live for Jesus Christ, 04:59 you obey His commandments... 05:00 that's why we have the people who keep the commandments of God 05:02 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ... 05:06 they testify of Jesus. 05:08 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... 05:09 James: All right, so... 05:11 you're going to say something, Ivor? 05:13 Ivor: No, you go ahead... go ahead... I'm following up, 05:15 yeah, go ahead... go ahead. 05:17 I'm thinking we're about to get into verse 24. 05:21 James: Yes. Ivor: Yeah, so let's go ahead. 05:26 James: All right, so, we'll start with verse 24 05:28 and just touch on this, this is... 05:30 these tasks were fulfilled in Christ, 05:32 I want you to start here with this phrase... 05:34 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people 05:37 and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression... " 05:40 now, remember we talked about transgression, sin and iniquity 05:43 as being the summation of everything fallen... 05:47 everything about us that's fallen 05:48 and out of whack with God... 05:50 so, transgression... finishing transgression... 05:52 this word "finish" is actually found in the Old Testament 05:58 prophecies of Christ 05:59 and the prophecy I'd like to look at right now 06:01 to see how this was fulfilled in Christ is Psalm 88. 06:05 If we can open our Bibles to Psalm 88... 06:08 the word is "kala" ka lah 06:11 and it means to restrain or to shut up. 06:15 He's going to restrain or shut up transgressions 06:18 and I want you to look in Psalm 88 06:21 and Jason, if you could read for us verses 4 through 8 06:25 of Psalm 88 06:27 and I want you to look for this word "finish" 06:28 which means "to shut up" 06:30 so that we can see how it is fulfilled in Jesus. 06:32 Jason: "I am counted with those who go down to the pit; 06:37 I am like a man who has no strength, 06:40 adrift among the dead, 06:42 like the slain who lie in the grave, 06:45 whom you remember no more, 06:47 and who are cut off from your land... 06:50 from your hand... " excuse me. 06:52 "You have laid me in the lowest pit, 06:55 in darkness, in the depths. 06:57 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, 06:59 and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. 07:03 You have put away my acquaintances far from me; 07:07 You have made me an abomination to them; 07:10 I am shut up, and I cannot get out... " 07:13 James: Okay, "I am shut up and I cannot get out... " 07:15 come forth... 07:17 this is a Messianic prophecy... 07:20 this is a prophecy of the Messiah... 07:21 this is a prophecy of Jesus. 07:22 Yvonne: Hmmm... 07:24 James: Do you see as you read this 07:25 how this is the experience He went through on the cross? 07:26 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 07:28 James: He felt like He was not remembered by God... 07:29 He felt like He was cut off by God. 07:32 He felt like God's wrath was lying hard upon Him... 07:35 that the waves of God's wrath... all of God's wrath 07:38 because He was experiencing all of the wrath 07:40 for all generations of all people of all time. 07:43 He felt like all of God's wrath was coming over Him... 07:46 wave after wave. 07:48 His acquaintances were put forth from Him. 07:50 In other words, all His disciples left Him... 07:52 they forsook Him... He... it says here, 07:55 that He was made an abomination unto them... 07:57 hanging on the cross... He was a curse. 07:58 Yvonne: Hmmm... Jason: Hmmm... 08:00 James: He was shut up and He couldn't come forth. 08:02 Now, that shut the word "shut up" is "Kala" 08:04 it's the same word "finish" here 08:06 in... in Daniel chapter 9 and verse 24, 08:10 so, He was going to finish... He was going to shut up... 08:12 He was going to "kala" transgression... 08:15 He was going to "kala" it. 08:17 Now, that... that experience is what Christ went through 08:20 because in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21 it says, 08:24 "He" God made "Him" to be sin for us 08:28 so He was treated as we are and when Jesus was shut up, 08:32 our transgressions were shut up. 08:34 When Jesus was forsaken... when he was cut off, 08:37 our transgressions were cut... they were finished... 08:39 they were finished in Christ. 08:41 Yvonne: Hmmm... 08:42 James: So, this is how this prophecy is fulfilled 08:45 in Jesus Christ. 08:46 That's one phrase... that's one thought here 08:49 in Daniel chapter 9 and verse 24. 08:51 The next phrase is that He would make an end of sins. 08:55 Ivor: James, if I could just jump in real quick here 09:00 and I'm going to jump down to verse 26 09:02 to build on that same point you just made. 09:05 James: Yes, please do. Ivor: Verse 26... it says, 09:07 "After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, 09:11 but not for Himself... " 09:13 James: Wow! 09:14 Ivor: and the other 09:18 way in which we should see this being fulfilled 09:24 is that in the Old Testament, 09:29 the way that a non-Jewish person got access 09:39 to the Jewish rites and rituals 09:43 is that they had to be circumcised. 09:45 James: Okay. 09:47 Ivor: That's the cutting off of the flesh. 09:49 Ivor: When the Bible tells us that Jesus is our circumcision, 09:54 it's telling us that because He was cut off for us. 09:58 James: Hmmm... 10:00 Ivor: And so, in that covenant, Christ becomes our circumcision 10:06 which actually opens up the door 10:09 for the Gentiles to come in and be a part of this covenant. 10:15 James: Wow! Yeah. Yvonne: Hmmm... 10:16 James: Praise the Lord. Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 10:18 James: And I love that phrase... He was cut off... 10:21 but not for Himself. 10:23 Did you love that? 10:24 Yvonne: Yes... yes. 10:26 Ivor: Absolutely. 10:27 James: See, if any of us are cut off... 10:28 we're cut off for ourselves 10:30 because of our sins and our iniquities. 10:32 Yvonne: Right. Jason: Hmmm... 10:34 James: Jesus was sinless... He never sinned... 10:35 He was perfect. 10:37 So, for Him to be cut off... 10:38 because that phrase "cut off" is talking... 10:40 in first... the second death... 10:41 in first... being completely separated from God. 10:45 That's... that's the implication of that. 10:48 He was cut off... He was separated from God 10:50 but not for Himself... 10:52 so, who was He separated from God for? 10:54 In whose behalf was He separated? 10:55 Yvonne: For us. Jason: For us. 10:56 James: For us... "All we like sheep have gone astray, 10:58 we've turned, every one, our own way, 11:00 and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. " 11:03 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 11:04 James: You know, some people look at God 11:06 in a negative sense, you know, 11:08 they see Him as, you know, a... a... a tyrant 11:12 and as a... a bad person... I don't... 11:16 I can't even... it's hard for me to even fathom that 11:18 because when I see this picture of God, 11:20 I don't... I can't even relate to that. 11:22 You know, He was cut off but not for Himself. 11:25 He was cut off for us. 11:27 Yvonne: Yes. 11:28 James: I love that. Jason: Amen. 11:31 James: I was... I was just wanting to emphasize that point, 11:34 Ivor, as you came up... 11:35 as you brought those thoughts together, 11:37 great connection between "cut off" 11:39 and what we saw in "finish. " 11:40 Yvonne: And also cutting off of the flesh for us, like, 11:46 changing us from being in the flesh 11:49 to being more spiritual. 11:51 He... He was... and I think... 11:54 James: That's good... now, that's good, yeah. 11:55 Yvonne: That really... to me... that resonated with me. 11:58 James: It does because when we're in Christ, 12:00 the flesh goes away... the flesh is gone. 12:03 Yvonne: Yes... yes. 12:04 Ivor: Go ahead... go ahead Jason. 12:09 Jason: I was going to say, how does that verse go 12:10 where it was like, 12:12 "I will remove that heart of stone... " or something 12:16 "and give you a heart of flesh. " 12:18 James: How does that correlate with the two? 12:20 Jason: Hmmm... hmmm... like, I mean, like, 12:22 how's the rest of that verse? 12:24 Ivor: It's the circumcision of the heart. 12:27 Panel: Yes. 12:28 Ivor: Right, yeah, it's the circumcision of the heart 12:31 and it's... it's so interesting because 12:34 in the book of Esther chapter 8 verse 17, 12:37 the whole story of Esther 12:40 and, you know, how she was used to deliver her people, 12:44 at the very end of that when everything goes their way, 12:48 the Bible says that many people in the land "feared" 12:52 and became Jews. 12:54 James: Hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 12:55 Ivor: They became Jews... 12:57 how did they become... how do you become a Jew? 12:59 They had to be circumcised 13:02 in order to become a part of Israel. 13:04 Yvonne: Right. 13:05 Ivor: So, you remember in our last Study, 13:08 we talked about the fact that Jesus became Israel for us. 13:12 James: Hmmm... hmmm... yes. 13:14 Ivor: Right, so in the Old Testament 13:15 in order to become part of Israel, 13:17 you had to be circumcised. 13:19 In the New Testament, He is our circumcision. 13:23 James: Hmmm... Yvonne: Wow! That's good. 13:25 James: So you accept... you accept Christ. 13:27 Ivor: And that... absolutely. James: Hmmm... hmmm... 13:30 Ivor: When we accept Christ, 13:31 we are heirs according to the promise. 13:33 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 13:35 James: Amen. Yvonne: Amen. 13:37 Ivor: We are Christ's... 13:38 so this just is another way of showing that 13:42 part of the original plan of God for Israel, 13:46 was that it was to become the Promised Land 13:49 for the entire world. 13:52 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 13:54 Ivor: Gentiles were to flow into Israel 13:57 and now these barriers that would have kept them, 14:00 you know, circumcision... that's a pave... 14:03 no... in Christ, the whole world can have access 14:08 to the promises. 14:10 James: Amen. Yvonne: Hmmm... 14:12 Ivor: But again, we're going to see that... 14:14 that, you know, the Nation failed in doing that 14:16 and this prophecy will bear out what happens as a result. 14:20 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 14:21 James: The next phrase is "to make an end of sins" 14:26 and this one is found in Hebrews, 14:28 Yvonne, if you could just look there in Hebrews chapter 9 14:32 and we're going to look at verse 26... 14:35 Hebrews 9 verse 26. 14:37 Yvonne: 9:26... 14:39 James: Again, we're looking at how these seven points 14:40 were fulfilled in Christ. 14:42 Yvonne: Yes... 14:43 "He then would have had to suffer often 14:46 since the foundation of the world; 14:48 but now, once at the end of the ages, 14:51 He has appeared to put away sin 14:53 by the sacrifice of Himself. " 14:55 James: So He made an end of sins 14:57 by the sacrifice of Himself. Yvonne: Yes. 14:58 James: He has put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 15:01 Yvonne: Yes... yes. 15:02 James: So, he finished transgression 15:04 by becoming sin for us and being shut up. 15:06 God's wrath was poured upon Him... He was cut off from God, 15:10 he felt like He was remembered no more... 15:12 He was shut up... He couldn't come forth 15:13 and He finished transgression... 15:15 He made an end of sins by basically sacrificing Himself 15:19 so, all of these verses we're looking at 15:21 are showing how these points... 15:23 there's... you can't find a verse 15:24 to show how this was fulfilled in the Jewish nation... 15:26 you're not going to find anyone in the Jewish nation finishing 15:30 not even Daniel can... can stand before God 15:32 without saying, you know, 15:34 "My goodness is turned into corruption... " 15:36 but Christ could... Christ could actually 15:38 experience all of God's wrath 15:40 and still come forth from the grave because He was sinless. 15:42 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm. 15:44 James: The only human being 15:45 who lived the sinless, perfect life 15:47 and, therefore, can make a perfect atonement for us 15:50 because He was the Lamb without blemish and without spot. 15:52 Yvonne: Yes. 15:53 James: And then it says in the... the next phrase here 15:56 that He would make reconciliation for iniquity. 15:59 Jason, there are a bunch of verses 16:00 that I want you to read in Romans chapter 5. 16:04 Now, these verses are really significant 16:05 in the whole context of the 70-Week prophecy... 16:08 the timeline... I mean... 16:09 so, if you want to start with verse 6 16:11 and read all the way through verse 10 16:13 we'll go back and just touch on... on the points. 16:16 Jason: Okay, "For when we were still without strength, 16:19 in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 16:21 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; 16:25 yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 16:28 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 16:32 in that while we were still sinners, 16:34 Christ died for us. 16:35 Much more than, having now been justified by His blood, 16:39 we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 16:42 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God 16:46 through the death of His Son, 16:48 much more, having been reconciled, 16:50 we shall be saved by His life. " 16:53 Yvonne: Hmmm... 16:54 James: Okay, so in Daniel chapter 9 verse 24, 16:57 the third phrase is that He is going to make reconciliation 17:02 for iniquity. 17:03 Yvonne: Wow! Look at that. Jason: Wow! 17:05 James: Now, what's really interesting about these verses 17:07 is how they start out. 17:08 "For when we were without strength... " 17:10 that's the point we've been trying to make here 17:13 that we don't have any strength 17:15 to do away with sins and iniquities and transgressions. 17:17 We don't have any... 17:18 "For when we were still without strength, in due time... " 17:20 now, that phrase right there is used consistently 17:23 in the New Testament 17:24 and it's referring specifically to the 70-Week prophecy 17:28 because that word "time" means: the set or appointed time 17:31 it's referring back to the prophecy that predicted 17:34 the Messiah was going to come and be anointed. 17:37 James: He's going to be anointed after 483 weeks 17:40 or prophetic, you know, weeks would be... 17:43 a day for a year... 483 years. 17:45 So, 483 years... Jesus arrives on the scene... 17:48 we're still going to lay out that time... 17:50 that time frame right there 17:51 and He is going to... in due time... do something for us 17:56 that we can't do because we have no strength. 17:57 Yvonne: Wow! James: Isn't that amazing? 17:59 In due time... 18:01 the right time, Christ died for the ungodly 18:05 and that's Paul's emphasis 18:07 and then it goes on to basically say, 18:08 "We're reconciled to God... 18:10 and much more than being reconciled, 18:11 we're going to be saved by His life. " 18:13 So, you have "finish" "kala" that is "shut up" 18:17 you have "to make an end of sins" 18:19 and then you have "to make reconciliation for iniquity... " 18:21 and then in the last phrase that I want us to look at is 18:23 "to bring in everlasting righteousness... " 18:26 and this is the gospel... the righteousness of God. 18:30 We can read about this in Romans chapter 1, 18:32 Yvonne, would you like to read there... 18:35 Romans chapter 1 verses 16 and 17? 18:37 Yvonne: Sure... "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 18:41 for it is the power of God to salvation 18:44 for everyone who believes, 18:45 for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 18:48 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed 18:51 from faith to faith; 18:52 as it is written, 18:54 'The just shall live by faith. '" 18:56 James: So, Jesus Christ brings in everlasting righteousness 18:59 and Paul says, 19:00 "I'm not ashamed of this gospel that focusses on Christ... 19:02 I'm not ashamed of that 19:04 because that's the righteousness of God 19:05 established in Jesus Christ... " 19:07 and we could look at lot of verses... 19:09 one of the one that comes to my brain is Revelation 14 19:11 verse 6: "I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven 19:14 having the everlasting gospel. " 19:16 Well, Paul just said that in the gospel is righteousness, 19:20 right? So the everlasting righteousness 19:22 the everlasting gospel is synonymous... synonymous 19:25 so... so... so here we have Jesus Christ 19:27 fulfilling the specifics 19:29 at least of these first four points... 19:31 I'm just going to touch on the next two... 19:33 I'm not going to give you a Bible verse for them. 19:34 "He is also going to seal up the vision and the prophecy. " 19:40 Now, the reason why I think there's a distinction 19:42 between those two 19:43 is because we're dealing with two aspects here 19:45 of this prophetic declaration. 19:48 One aspect is... who it applies to 19:51 and the other aspect is... when it applies in time. 19:54 So, the vision, I think, deals with who it applies to... 19:57 it applies to Jesus... 19:59 it applies to Jesus Christ 20:00 and then the prophecy is when it applies 20:02 and we still got to break that open 20:05 but we are believing that this applies to Jesus Christ 20:08 and therefore, it would be fulfilled in A.D. 27... 20:11 He was anointed in A.D. 27 20:13 and if you start in A.D. 27 20:16 and you go back 483 years, 20:19 you're going to come to the date 457 B.C. 20:23 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm... 20:25 James: So all we need to do is 20:26 if we can... is show that A.D. 27 was the day... 20:30 the time... the year... I should say 20:31 that Christ was "anointed" 20:33 because that's what the word "Christ" means, 20:35 "the anointed One. " 20:36 If we can show He was anointed in A.D. 27, 20:38 we go back 483 years 20:40 and we have our beginning date 457 B.C. 20:41 Yvonne: Hmmm... 20:43 James: And once we have our beginning date 20:45 for that 70 weeks, 20:46 we can take it to Christ being anointed... 20:48 we can take it to Him being cut off 20:50 in the midst of that final week... 20:51 we can take it to the close of the 70-Week prophecy 20:55 for the Jews 20:56 and then we can extend it all the way out 20:58 to the very end of 2300 days... years... prophetic days... 21:01 literal years to the year 1844. 21:03 Yvonne: Hmmm... 21:05 James: When we see the sanctuary being "cleansed" 21:07 and we see it made right... 21:09 and God's people actually realizing it's not the earth... 21:12 it's heaven... I'm way ahead of myself right now, 21:15 but hope we'll nail all this stuff down 21:17 and we'll see this picture just... just come out 21:21 and just show this glorious harmony 21:23 between the Old and the New Testament 21:24 and where we are now and where we come from. 21:26 Yvonne: Yes. 21:27 James: It's going to be really good. 21:29 Yvonne: Yes... amen. 21:30 James: Ivor, what have you got for us? 21:31 Ivor: So, I would like to point us to the beginning point, 21:37 you were just talking about 457 B.C. 21:40 in Daniel 9, it says, "Know therefore and understand, 21:44 that from the going forth of the commandment 21:46 to restore and to build Jerusalem... " 21:48 James: Hmmm... 21:50 Ivor: There were four different decrees 21:52 revolving around the Jews going back to Jerusalem... 21:57 the first was given by Cyrus 21:59 and it dealt with the building of the temple. 22:03 James: Okay. 22:04 Ivor: The second was given by Darius 22:06 which was basically a re-affirmation of the first 22:10 again dealing strictly with the temple. 22:12 James: Okay. 22:13 Ivor: The third decree 22:16 was the decree given by Artaxerxes. 22:18 James: Hmmm... 22:20 Ivor: And that decree was given in 457 B.C. 22:24 James: Okay. 22:26 Ivor: And there's a reason why we need to focus on that decree 22:28 and why that is the decree that begins... 22:30 not only do we know this from counting backwards, 22:34 27 A.D. going backwards to 457... 22:37 but I want you to... to notice this in Isaiah chapter 1. 22:42 So, in our previous programs, we were talking about 22:45 how many places Daniel's 70-Week prophecy is... 22:48 I'm going to show to you again in Isaiah chapter 1. 22:51 James: All right. 22:53 Ivor: So, if you go to Isaiah chapter 1... 22:55 if I could have someone read for me just two verses... 22:58 verses 7 and 8 23:01 and then, there will be two more verses after that 23:04 but let's just go ahead and read verses 7 and 8. 23:06 Jason: "Your country is desolate, 23:09 your cities are burned with fire; 23:11 strangers devour your land in your presence; 23:15 and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 23:18 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, 23:23 as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, 23:26 as a besieged city. " 23:28 Ivor: Okay, now, Isaiah is writing before the destruction 23:33 of Jerusalem. 23:34 He's prophesying... that it's coming to pass... 23:36 this is exactly what he's talking about here, right, 23:39 "You're going into captivity 23:41 for 70 years... " 23:43 right, he doesn't call it seventy years here 23:45 but he's saying, "Your country is going to be desolate" right? 23:48 Now, I want you to go down to verse 26 and 27. 23:56 Jason: Okay... 23:59 "I will restore your judges as at the first, 24:02 and your counselors as at the beginning. 24:05 Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, 24:08 the faithful city. " 24:10 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, 24:12 and her penitents with righteousness. " 24:15 Ivor: Okay, so now you have in this same chapter 24:20 Isaiah, speaking on behalf of God, 24:22 is saying, "I'm going to restore Jerusalem 24:26 with judges and counselors 24:31 and then you will be called, 24:33 'the city of righteousness... the faithful city.'" 24:35 James: Okay. 24:37 Ivor: Could someone go to Ezra chapter 7 and verse 25. 24:41 James: Here we go... here we go. 24:42 Ivor: Ezra 7 verse 25. 24:44 This is the... this is the verse in which... 24:48 Yvonne: Ezra... what? James: 7:25. 24:52 Ivor: Chapter 7 verse 25. 24:54 Now, what you're about to read here 24:57 is the decree that was given by Artaxerxes. 25:00 Yvonne: Okay. 25:02 Ivor: And you'll see why this decree is set apart 25:05 because we just read in Isaiah 1:26, God says, 25:07 "I'm going to set up your judges again 25:09 and then you will be called: the faithful city. " 25:12 Judges judge the city, right? 25:15 Without judges... you don't have a city. 25:17 So, remember the first two decrees... the temple... 25:21 but it's not until Artaxerxes that we find something... 25:25 read it right now, look at verse 25. 25:27 Yvonne: "And you, Ezra, 25:29 according to your God-given wisdom, 25:32 set magistrates and judges 25:33 who may judge all the people who are in the region 25:36 beyond the River, 25:37 all such as know the laws of your God; 25:40 and teach those who do not know them. " 25:42 James: Hmmm... Ivor: All right. 25:44 This is Artaxerxes' decree... 25:46 this is the decree which we should begin counting from 25:51 because it's the decree that not only addresses the temple 25:55 but also sets up judges and magistrates 25:58 and counsellors in the city 26:00 according to what Isaiah chapter 1 verse 26 said. 26:04 James: I love it... I love it, Ivor. 26:07 Ivor: So, now, who would have thought 26:09 that the 70 weeks is found in Isaiah chapter 1? 26:14 James: Hmmm... hmmm... 26:16 Ivor: What in the world? 26:17 And then, right after that "Zion shall be redeemed 26:20 with judgment, 26:22 and her converts with righteousness. " 26:23 That is pointing forward to the redemptive work of Jesus 26:27 that was just described by James 26:32 in all those seven points. 26:33 James: Yeah. Yvonne: Wow! 26:34 James: You know, Ivor, I just want to say something here... 26:36 just a little thought and I just... 26:39 I'm so thankful for what you just shared 26:41 because I've never heard this before... 26:42 it's just brand new to me 26:44 and so, just for those who are listening, 26:46 you know, we can study the Bible for decades... 26:48 I've been studying the Bible for decades 26:49 but it's always this... there's always going to be new, 26:52 new... new manna... 26:54 you know, more stuff that we've never seen before... 26:56 that's the first point I wanted to encourage people with... 26:58 the second point is this, 27:01 this prophecy is so vital 27:03 that I believe God is giving new light 27:06 and new light and new light... 27:07 you know, so many people have left... 27:09 people have left the church because of this prophecy, 27:11 Adventists... because of this prophecy... 27:13 it's been attacked in any way and shape you can think of 27:16 and I feel that God is just building it up 27:18 and strengthening it... 27:20 when we look at what Ivor just shared, 27:21 it affirms the 457 date... 27:24 we look at... we're going to look at in the New Testament, 27:27 Luke chapter 2 and Luke chapter 3, 27:29 it affirms the 27 A.D. date 27:31 and those two dates just become solid pillars 27:34 based in Jesus Christ 27:36 and I think this is so vital for us to understand. 27:38 Yvonne: Hmmm... 27:39 James: You know, God... 27:41 our confidence will be shaken a little bit 27:42 and we'll meet with people who are against the message 27:44 but we need to stay in the Bible and stay in the Word 27:47 and God will show us more and more truth as is needed 27:50 to be a witness for Him in these last days. 27:52 Praise God. 27:54 Yvonne: Amen. Jason: Amen. |
Revised 2021-05-19