Chapter 5
An end times calendar
Some have argued that we should not force the book of Revelation to follow a prescribed calendar; this section is meant to discuss the fact of calendars which God used in the past, and how they inform us about the future.
During one of most important events of Abraham's life, The Father proclaims that his seed will spend 400 years serving in a land that is not theirs.
Gen 15:13-16
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge:and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
This foretelling came to pass and the children of Israel left Egypt with mighty signs and wonders in an event we commonly call the exodus. This is a primary example of God foretelling what would come to pass regarding his people and accomplishing what He promised.
Ex 12:40-42
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
See also Acts 7:6; Gal 3:17
(There is an explanation which easily accounts for the year difference from 400 to 430 which we may describe in a later post.)
In a subsequent time Jeremiah prophesied to the descendants of those same people that they would serve the king of Babylon because of their sins.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
It shortly came to pass that the people of Israel were allowed to return to their home under the rule of the Persian empire. This return is detailed primarily in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Malachi.
These examples give us an understanding that God is not adverse to declaring a calendar of events.
Thirdly, there is another significant foretelling. Moses prophesied of a prophet to come, (Deut 18:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37) the name used to refer to him is Messiah. Daniel prophesied (Chapter 9) that 70 weeks were determined upon Israel, and that 7 and 62 weeks (483 years) would be fulfilled before Messiah was cut off. At the time of Jesus, Messianic fervor was clearly gripping Jerusalem and the people of Israel. They understood that the time was right and there were some who gained followers claiming to be somewhat and then falling by the wayside. (Acts 5:33-40) This fervor was a result of the calendar specified in Daniel. They believed that Messiah would destroy the Romans and bring about the end of the world, He showed up at the right time, but His mission turned out to be somewhat different, He died to pay the price for the sin of all men and then rose from the dead, conquering the much more important foes of Hell and Death.
What is waiting to be fulfilled is the seventieth week determined upon Israel. Some have argued that this time has passed already, but according to Matt 24 there will be the final end immediately after those days. The seventieth week must be like the first sixty nine; a week of years. A seven year period in which to finish the seventy weeks determined upon Israel. What better candidate than the 7 year period noted in months and days in Revelation 11-12
Dan 9:26-27
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate
Matt 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
Matt 24:29-30a
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven
Matt 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only
After the days of the abomination which makes desolate shall be intense signs in the heavens; and it will happen in the midst of the seventieth week.
Our purpose here is to note the fact of the end time calendar, and that it is not inconsistent for there to be one, and that it is of the same type as others which are now in the past. The key is that the exact day is known only to the Father, so we speak only of a coming day and a clearly defined time period beginning at some time known only to him. Once that time begins, all the events are logically laid out. These facts are important to our understanding of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and as a context for the catching away.
Some have argued that we should not force the book of Revelation to follow a prescribed calendar; this section is meant to discuss the fact of calendars which God used in the past, and how they inform us about the future.
During one of most important events of Abraham's life, The Father proclaims that his seed will spend 400 years serving in a land that is not theirs.
Gen 15:13-16
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge:and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
This foretelling came to pass and the children of Israel left Egypt with mighty signs and wonders in an event we commonly call the exodus. This is a primary example of God foretelling what would come to pass regarding his people and accomplishing what He promised.
Ex 12:40-42
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
See also Acts 7:6; Gal 3:17
(There is an explanation which easily accounts for the year difference from 400 to 430 which we may describe in a later post.)
In a subsequent time Jeremiah prophesied to the descendants of those same people that they would serve the king of Babylon because of their sins.
Jer 25:11-12
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations
He also declared that the end would be good!
Jer 29:10
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations
He also declared that the end would be good!
Jer 29:10
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place
Daniel, about 70 years later, is praying because he read the prophesy of Jeremiah and instead of taking it complacently, took the matter to the relationship he had in prayer before the Father. His prayer is an outstanding example of a man praying for the sins of an entire people as if they were his own, and calling out to God to accomplish what he had promised.
Dan 9:1-2In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
It shortly came to pass that the people of Israel were allowed to return to their home under the rule of the Persian empire. This return is detailed primarily in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Malachi.
These examples give us an understanding that God is not adverse to declaring a calendar of events.
Thirdly, there is another significant foretelling. Moses prophesied of a prophet to come, (Deut 18:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37) the name used to refer to him is Messiah. Daniel prophesied (Chapter 9) that 70 weeks were determined upon Israel, and that 7 and 62 weeks (483 years) would be fulfilled before Messiah was cut off. At the time of Jesus, Messianic fervor was clearly gripping Jerusalem and the people of Israel. They understood that the time was right and there were some who gained followers claiming to be somewhat and then falling by the wayside. (Acts 5:33-40) This fervor was a result of the calendar specified in Daniel. They believed that Messiah would destroy the Romans and bring about the end of the world, He showed up at the right time, but His mission turned out to be somewhat different, He died to pay the price for the sin of all men and then rose from the dead, conquering the much more important foes of Hell and Death.
What is waiting to be fulfilled is the seventieth week determined upon Israel. Some have argued that this time has passed already, but according to Matt 24 there will be the final end immediately after those days. The seventieth week must be like the first sixty nine; a week of years. A seven year period in which to finish the seventy weeks determined upon Israel. What better candidate than the 7 year period noted in months and days in Revelation 11-12
Dan 9:26-27
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate
Matt 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
Matt 24:29-30a
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven
Matt 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only
After the days of the abomination which makes desolate shall be intense signs in the heavens; and it will happen in the midst of the seventieth week.
Our purpose here is to note the fact of the end time calendar, and that it is not inconsistent for there to be one, and that it is of the same type as others which are now in the past. The key is that the exact day is known only to the Father, so we speak only of a coming day and a clearly defined time period beginning at some time known only to him. Once that time begins, all the events are logically laid out. These facts are important to our understanding of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and as a context for the catching away.
