The “End Times” – 3
A Look into the Immediate Future
Dr. Roger G. Ford, Ph.D., P.E.
dr-ford.net
April 2018

Introduction

Last time, we began our look at Old Testament End Times prophecies beginning at the very start of the Bible. We learned about dispensations or time periods when God allowed man to assume certain things about existence here on earth and how we, as humans, could get along without God. From Innocence to Grace, the first six time-periods or dispensations reveal quite plainly that we need God and His forgiveness to overcome our sinful natures.

This Age of Grace that we live in today is about to come to an end because it has lasted 2,000 years and has answered the question, “Since we have forgiveness of all our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then we can survive and please God on our own, right God?” The answer to that question is “NO!” since we need the Lord daily to guide and direct us. In God’s timing, we know this Age of Grace is coming to an end because Jesus said there would be signs or birth pains that the End Times were approaching. Those signs are quite evident today. Wars and rumors of wars, numerous false teachers who deceive many, division of not only nations but within nations, love growing cold, increase in size and frequency of earthquakes, increase in famines, signs in the heavens, and the most significant sign, the sign of Israel becoming a nation again and flourishing. That last one started May 14, 1948, Jerusalem was united to the Jews in 1967 after the Six Day War, and Jerusalem will be recognized as the capitol of Israel this coming May 14, 2018, on Israel’s 70th birthday.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:33 and 34, “So you also, when you see all these things, know that He is near – at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” This passage is aimed at the generation that is seeing all the signs of the End Times we just mentioned, sees them growing in frequency, in intensity, in significance. WE ARE THAT GENERATION! The generation that begins with the birth of Israel in 1948. The generation that saw Jerusalem unified in 1967. The generation that is seeing all the turmoil, the blatant turning away from God, the blasphemy of Jesus’ Name and His teaching. And, how long is a generation that should not completely pass away before the end comes? The Bible says 70 years, maybe 80. Psalm 90:10 says, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” It has been exactly 70 years since Israel became a nation. Interesting!

Old Testament Prophecies

Last time, we covered Old Testament prophecies about the End Times from Genesis to Ezekiel. Tonight, we start with Daniel and progress through the Minor Prophets all at the end of the Old Testament. And, please realize what I am praying and hope to make you intently aware of – that the Bible, Old and New Testaments alike, are alive, inerrant, pertinent, accurate, and applicable to us now and in our future for daily life, for loving one another, for becoming more like Christ, and for learning of what God has in store for His Church, His people Israel, and for the unbelieving rest of the world today what is very soon in store for them. Now is the time to be excited and watchful because God is about to bring to a close His Plan for the salvation of man.

 

Daniel’s Prophecies

Daniel Chapter 2 tells us of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, the great image (90 feet tall or as tall as a nine story building) that represents the four successive great empires starting with Babylon followed by Medo-Persia, then Greece, and then the two legs of the Roman Empire that, indeed, had two capitols – Rome (West) and Constantinople (East). The feet of the statue were composed of both iron and clay representing the fifth empire of the future Antichrist, the Revived Roman Empire as we refer to it today, that will be crushed and destroyed by the stone cut out without human hands which represents Jesus Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom.

Daniel Chapter 7 is Daniel’s vision of four beasts representing those same four successive empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome) plus the Antichrist’s empire emerging at the end of the age or End Times. Daniel sees a heavenly courtroom where the Father as the Ancient of Days gives the Son Jesus power over all the nations and decrees judgment over Antichrist to be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulation. This still future Revived Roman Empire will consist of ten worldly areas or groups of nations with a king over each, all of which will give their allegiance to the Antichrist. It is very interesting to note that the United Nations has divided the world into areas, distinct areas combining countries and borders, and allegiances to form exactly ten global communities, regional groupings, where the United States and Canada form the North American community with one king over all countries. The groups are as follows:

1. North America including the United States and Canada
2. Western Europe
3. Japan
4. Australia, South Africa, and the rest of the market-economy of the developed world.
5. Eastern Europe, including Russia
6. Latin America including Central America and South America
7. North Africa and the Middle East
8. Tropical Africa
9. South and Southeast Asia
10. China

Of course, this has not gone into effect as yet, but it does show the intent of the globalists to accomplish exactly what Daniel predicted some 2600 years ago in Babylon.

Daniel Chapter 8 describes the rise of Medo-Persia (the ram with two horns representing the Medes and the Persians) and Alexander the Great of Greece represented by a goat with a prominent single horn who is , of course, Alexander the Great. The Grecian Empire is broken up into four kingdoms at the demise of Alexander in Daniel 8:8, and these four were Alexander’s generals who did not have great power as Alexander did. Daniel 8:15-26 is interpreted by Gabriel because Daniel did not understand the symbolic animals. Gabriel then describes a “Dual Mountain” prophecy that was partially fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes in about 167 B.C. and will be completely fulfilled by the Antichrist in the Tribulation to come.

Daniel 8:23-26 tells us of these two men, first Antiochus Epiphanes who was a Greek tyrant that captured Jerusalem and the Temple, tried to claim that Zeus was to be worshipped, but then he was defeated by the Maccabean Revolt Led by Judah Maccabee that restored the Temple and Temple worship to the Jews and also saw the feast of Dedication or Hanukah begin to commemorate the miraculous preservation and continual burning of the oil in the Menorah for eight days until new oil could be made.

Then, in the middle of the Tribulation, Satan himself possesses the Antichrist, who is a man, and enters the third Temple in Jerusalem, proclaims himself as God, and demands worship across the planet. The Jews at this time have been warned by God to flee to a safe place, probably Petra in Edom, where God supernaturally will protect them until Jesus’ Second Coming. This enrages Satan/Antichrist to the point that he knows he cannot get to the Jews, so he goes after the new Christians that have believed during the Tribulation to kill them all. Revelation 15 refers to these martyred Christians pleading with God to pour out His Wrath on the beast.

Daniel Chapter 9 contains the “70 Weeks” prophecy that so many have misunderstood for so many years. Daniel 9:24-27 speaks of 70 “weeks” (“heptads” or “shavuim” in Hebrew) which are interpreted as 70 “weeks” of years. Since the Hebrew word for “weeks” means “sevens”, we see that Gabriel is telling Daniel about a period of time lasting 70 “weeks” of years, or 70 times 7 years, or 490 years. This prophecy is for the Jews and for Jerusalem and its result will bring the end of sins, reconcile the Jews to God, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.

This time of 490 years was to show the Jews and Jerusalem that God never goes back on a promise. This time, the promise was the Abrahamic Covenant which comes from Genesis 12:2,3. The provisions of the Abrahamic covenant are outlined in their main factors in Genesis 12:2, 3, “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” As many writers have indicated, this covenant includes seven provisions: (1) the promise of a great nation through Abraham; (2) personal blessing on Abraham; (3) the name of Abraham shall be great; (4) Abraham is to be a blessing to others; (5) blessing will rest on those blessing Abraham; (6) a curse will rest on those who curse Abraham; (7) all nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham.

Four things stand out in the original covenant: (1) the national promises given to Israel; (2) the personal promises given to Abraham; (3) the principle of blessing or cursing upon nations other than Israel based on their attitude toward Abraham and his seed; (4) the promise of universal blessing through Abraham, fulfilled through Christ. However, in order for the Jews to actually receive the fulfillment of this covenant, they have to experience Daniel’s 70 Weeks. The 490 years start from verse 25 where it states, “that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince (Jesus) thee shall be seven weeks (49 years) and sixty-two weeks (434 years) for a total of 483 years. Notice the difference in 483 years and 490 years.

We have three groups of years within the 490 years: 49 years, 434 years, and 7 years. During these 490 years, six things are to take place, all listed in Daniel 9:24, “to finish the transgression, to make and end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” None of these prophecies have been fulfilled, so there must be a provision for them to come to pass in 490 years.

First, the 49 years is a direct fulfillment of Ezra 9:9. Gabriel said the prophetic clock would start at the time that a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem. From the date of that decree to the time of the Messiah would be 483 years. We know from history that the command to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was given by Ezra in 457 B.C. We must also dispel the notion that a Jewish year was based solely on the Moon cycle of just under 30 days.
The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena: the rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day); the revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are independent of each other, so there is no direct correlation between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in about 29½ days. The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days, that is, about 12.4 lunar months.

The civil calendar used by most of the world has abandoned any correlation between the moon cycles and the month, arbitrarily setting the length of months to 28, 30 or 31 days. The Jewish calendar, however, coordinates all three of these astronomical phenomena. Months are either 29 or 30 days, corresponding to the 29½-day lunar cycle. Years are either 12 or 13 months, corresponding to the 12.4 month solar cycle. Therefore, a Jewish year generally corresponds to the Gregorian calendar (named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582). We do not have to calculate new time periods based on 30-day months to see exactly what event took place 483 years in Israel’s future, we just go forward 483 years from Ezra’s declaration or 457 B.C.

The first unit of 49 years (seven “sevens”) covers the time that it took to rebuild Jerusalem, “with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble” (Daniel 9:25). The decree given to Zerubbabel authorized the rebuilding of the Temple in 536 B.C. The decree issued to Nehemiah concerned the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra’s decree was more general in nature, covering a variety of subjects. But we know from Scripture that he interpreted it to mean that the Jews were authorized to launch a general rebuilding campaign that included the temple, the city, and the walls. His interpretation is stated in Ezra 9:9 — “God has not forsaken us, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 9:9).

Now, using Ezra’s decree as the starting point (457 B.C.), if we count forward 483 years we will arrive at 27 A.D. (There is only one year between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D.) According to the translator of Josephus, the Jewish new year that began in the fall of 27 A.D. marked the beginning of the last Jubilee Year that the Jews enjoyed in the land before their worldwide dispersal by the Romans in 70 A.D. and the very year of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey colt and being proclaimed as blessed as Messiah by the shouts of “Hosannah” which means “I beg you to save us!” We factor in the known fact that Herod the Great, the Herod that commanded that all Jewish boys under the age of two be killed in Bethlehem, died in 4 B.C. From this, we can assume from Jesus riding into Jerusalem happening in 27 A.D. that Jesus was born in approximately 6 B.C. by going back from 27 A.D. 33 and a half years. Herod’s death in 4 B.C. plus the 483 years from Ezra’s decree both lead to a confirmation that 27 A.D. was the year of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Since the prophecies of Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy have still not happened, the final seven years of the prophecy for it to add up to 490 years must still be in the future since all of God’s prophecies must come true. What is that seven-year time period? The Tribulation! So what?, you say? Add 2,000 years to 27 A.D. and you arrive in 2027 A.D. Subtract the seven years remaining in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy and you arrive at 2020. Then, subtract the time gap that must lie “In-Between” the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation, you arrive at our present day of 2018. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Daniel Chapter 11 is probably the most detailed chapter of prophecy in the Bible. Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire is detailed, the three kings in Persia, the splitting of Alexander’s kingdom into four parts, the King of the North, one of Alexander’s generals Seleucus I in Syria, the King of the South, another of Alexander’s generals Ptolomy I in Egypt, Antiochus Epiphanes and his capture of Jerusalem as a type of Antichrist, then the parallel prophecy of Antichrist yet to be fulfilled in the Tribulation second half.

Daniel Chapter 12 describes Israel’s going through the Great Tribulation lasting three and one-half years plus the very significant statement by a prominent angel that Daniel was to seal up these prophecies until the time of the end which is now. Also, the two time periods mentioned add 30 days and 45 more days to the last half of the Tribulation (3 ½ years equals 1260 days) which could refer to the completion of the final judgments plus the sheep and goat judgment plus preparation for the Millennial Kingdom.

Old Testament Minor Prophets

We do not have the time to cover every single end time prophecy in the Minor Prophets. Suffice it to say that all Old Testament prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi hold pictures of the coming day of the Lord or the End Times. We will cover only the most prominent ones starting with Hosea. Hosea Chapter 3 tells of Israel’s return to the fear of the Lord in the later days. Hosea Chapter 14 says that Israel will return to the Lord and receive healing from her apostasy.

Joel Chapter 2 and 3 sound as if they were written yesterday. Chapter 2 begins with, “For the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand…”. It goes on to say in verse 28, “…I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Joel prophesies , “And I (God) will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Joel Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2 speak directly to those nations that are clamoring for a two-state solution to Israel and Palestinian conflict, when the real goal is to utterly destroy Israel. “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have divided up My land.”

The Book of Amos Chapter 5 relates the judgment of God on Israel for afflicting the just, taking bribes, and diverting the poor from justice. In an answer to the self-righteous Jews who believed that they were worshiping God and earning salvation through vain and evil works, God through Amos says, “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness and not light…Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light?” Without repentance, God’s judgement is inescapable! Chapter 9, however, is God’s promise to rebuild the Davidic Tabernacle Israel in the Millennial Kingdom will never leave the land God has given them (Amos 9:15).

Obadiah promises that, “The house of Jacob shall be a fire…and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau.” Knowing that Iranians are descendants of Esau places this prophecy directly in our future. Micah 4 describes the time when the Messiah will rule in peace from Jerusalem over all the nations after they have been “threshed” by the Lord. Micah 5 prophecies that the Messiah will be the birthplace of Jesus. Also, the nations will be ashamed of their military might and shall come before the Lord trembling in fear.

Zephaniah contains strong messages to the nations that are Israel’s enemies as well as to Israel for disobedience. Zephaniah 1 refers to the day of the Lord, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hastens quickly…a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess…”. Chapter 2 covers the judgment of many nations by name like the Philistines (read Palestinians), Moab (Syria), Ethiopia, and Assyria (Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey). Then, Chapter 3 speaks of a faithful remnant of Israel who will be saved by the Lord their God resulting in joy and singing when He brings them back to their land along with fame and praise. This does not happen until the Second Coming.

Zechariah is a Minor Prophet who had much to say about the End Times. All the way through Zechariah, God is assuring the Jews that he will restore Israel’s prosperity, rebuild Jerusalem, give Israel prominence in the Millennium, make Israel a shining lamp in the End Times, purify Israel by removing evil in the End Times, deal with all of Israel’s enemies, provide for Israel’s safety, and fully restore Israel spiritually, agriculturally, physically, and financially. Zechariah 12 shows us that we are living in the End Times because Zechariah 12:2 and 3 says, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” Is that not true today? We hear of the persecution of the Jews by all their surrounding neighbors, of the rocket attacks that occur weekly but are not reported, and of the so-called two-state solution to the forever conflict with the Palestinians (read Philistines dating back to Samuel around 1,000 B.C.). The end of Zechariah 12 tells of the pouring out on the house of David and on Jerusalem when the Jews will look on Whom they have pierced, mourn for Him, and feel the guilt for having crucified Him.

Zechariah Chapter 13 lets us know that only one-third of the Jews will live through the Tribulation and be allowed into Christ’s Millennial Kingdom as completed Jews or those Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord, and their Savior. We now come to one of the most significant chapters in the Bible concerning the Day of the Lord – Zechariah Chapter 14. As all the nations gather together to fight against the Lord at the battle of Armageddon at the very end of the Tribulation, Jesus returns to the earth in His Second Coming accompanied with all saints who were raptured seven to ten years earlier to fight for Israel. After Jesus defeats Satan’s armies with a single word, Jesus returns to the very spot from which He ascended – the Mount of Olives just East of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. When His feet touch ground, the Mount of Olives will split from North to South creating a valley from East to West clearing the way to the Temple and providing a pathway for living waters to flow East and West to the Mediterranean and to the Dead Sea making the Dead Sea alive once more. Jesus will then rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years.

The last book in the Old Testament is the book of Malachi. After this book, there was a four-hundred-year scriptural silence before Jesus’ birth. Malachi foretells of another “dual mountain” prophecy preceded by the awesome words, “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn like an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble.” (Malachi 4:1) Malachi goes on to foretell of Elijah the prophet coming before the Lord comes. Of course, Jesus called John the Baptizer Elijah (actually Elias) to prepare the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers (vs. 6). But, the real fulfillment of this prophecy is that the real Elijah, who did not die, will be one of the Two Witnesses of Revelation Chapter 11, minister for the first half of the Tribulation at the Temple in Jerusalem alongside the second witness (perhaps Moses, but probably Enoch because Enoch did not die either), then be allowed to be killed by the Antichrist, lie in the street for three days, then be resurrected in front of the entire world. This satisfies the Hebrews 9:27 “appointed unto men once to die” for both Elijah and Enoch. Elijah thus fulfills the verse, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

Conclusion

We have covered many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the End Times and shown how they often have an initial, partial fulfillment, then a later and complete fulfillment mostly in our immediate future. To have the knowledge of what God has planned for all of us soon is a true blessing and a great comfort. Of course, it is also a call to all of us that time is very short, and we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet so that they will not be subject to God’s Wrath and the coming Tribulation.

Next week, we will investigate the New Testament prophecies of the End Times and their obvious relevance to our current day and time. We should all come away from this study with a growing awareness of just how close we are to eternity and the wondrous blessing of serving with Christ, learning of Christ, and worshipping the Risen Savior for all eternity in His Presence! God Bless! And, Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!