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Well, turn your Bibles this morning, would you, to Daniel and chapter 9. We come to a very, rather tricky, difficult, passage of Scripture.

Now, if you are new here with us, I want to say, I would understand your difficulty, but I've tried to make it as simple as possible. And I hope you enjoy, I hope you will also be blessed, as you look at the wonders of God's Word.

Sometimes, when people talk about Christianity, when people talk about the Bible, we think it's some old-fashioned, silly little book, with no logic, with nothing behind it. But this morning, as we come to Daniel 9, I want to share with you the wonders of Scripture, and most of all, the wonders of our God, found in Scriptures.

00:49
Well, after church camp this Thursday, we got home at about 2, 3PM, and my wife started to wash, my wife started to clean up the utensils my kids were using for lunch. And as she was using the sink, water was flowing down the sink, and then we realized that the trap (you know, the bottle trap, the pipes and so on) started to overflow. You started to see those gunk, and you see those oil just spills out of, flow out of the bottle trap, and it went all around my kitchen. I said, "What a, what a good start after camp."

And all the oil was flowing around, and, and you know, we've dealt with this before. Whenever this happens, what we do is, we try to use the plunger, or we pour some solution, or we pour boiling, hot water to melt away whatever food and so on, to dissolve it.

But this time, pouring the hot water didn't work. It just flowed out more and more. So we called the plumber, and the plumber says, "All right, I can come, but it will be about $130 - $140", and eh, I said "Okay, I have no choice". He came; he used a torchlight, took a look into the bottle trap, and says "Wah, this type... I think cannot la, must use machine. Machine, $480." No choice, I said, "Okay lor, “bo bian” [“no choice” in Hokkien] lor."

And so he got his machine in. It's this, I didn't see the machine on the outside (he had to go downstairs, upstairs, I do not know what else he did), but he had to take this long pipe, and at the end of the pipe, I could see, were squirts of water (very strong high-powered jets). He sort of inserted it from downstairs up (I do not know what), but that thing was just squirting and squirting and squirting; he was pulling and pulling and pulling, squirting and squirting, and my kitchen is now a mess (all the dirty stuff), and after squirting and pulling, when he felt it was satisfactorily done, he reached his hand deep into the pipe, and he was reaching there like searching for gold, and after searching for a long time, he pulled out a piece of wood. What a big piece of wood in the pipe.

And then, he went in again and he dig out, dug out, some bits and pieces of bricks. And then, he reached in again, and pulled out some solidified pieces of grease. "See, show you, this is solid." "Eek…", and was squirting all around the place, and, and I said, "Okay, okay, okay." And then, when he had done all that, he used a torchlight, he shone right into the hole, and he says, "Now, can you see the bottom of the, of the pipe? Can you see how clear the water is?" And I say, "Ya. Here’s your $480." He had to do a lot to really clear the pipes.

You know, every time there's a choke; we could easily deal with it, maybe with hot water, hoping it will never recur. But the reality is, that, it will always come back, until you do a thorough clearing of the pipes.

03:56
I think about Daniel. Daniel is praying, "God, bring us back to Jerusalem." That's really what he wanted. But God says, "That is not good enough. Because, if I were to bring you to Jerusalem, and that would be all, you would still fall back into sin. But I do not want to do a half-baked job. I want to thoroughly cleanse my people. I want to secure you as my own."

And, that's why, in Daniel chapter 9, He gives us Daniel's 70 weeks. "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place." (Daniel 9:24 ESV)

There are 6 reasons, beautifully put together by God, to say, "I'm not just going to bring you back to Jerusalem; I will do that in a few years time, but, beyond that, I'm going to decree 70 sevens. There will be another 490 years that will be needed, in order to achieve all these, in order to really clear your pipes, to cleanse you as a people."

05:14
And, so, today we are privileged to look at Daniel's 70 weeks. It's God's master plan for cleansing; it's God's master plan for redeeming His beloved nation Israel.

And, we realized, 70 weeks is not really 70 times 7 days, in the Hebrew, it's actually 70 sevens (can be 70 seven days, or 70 seven years).

And Daniel's 70 weeks is broken up into 3 sections. You have, first of all, 7 sevens, than you have 62 sevens and 1 seven (I'm just doing a recap, based on the sermon 2 weeks ago).

And, this means, Daniel's 70 sevens is 490 years, divided into 3 parts. First part: 49 years. Second part: 434 years. Third part: 7 years. They are not equal; there's a largest part in 62 sevens, and then there's a climax of the final 7 years.

And this is the chart we looked at. First, 7 weeks of 49 years. Second, 62 weeks of 434 years. And the final, one week of 7 years.

Daniel's prophetic timeline got started on 14th of March, 445 BC. What's the significance of that date? The date is the day King Artaxerxes, in Nehemiah, issued the decree for Israel to return and rebuild Jerusalem. Now, Daniel's 70 weeks got ticking.

After 49 years, the city is built up, so the first segment is accomplished. The second segment is from the time the city is rebuilt to the day Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem. It's a fascinating prophecy because this is a prophecy precise to the very day.

Remember, the last time we gathered, 14th of March, 445 BC, is the day King Artaxerxes gave the command, and, on the 6th of April, 32 AD, exact to the very day, 173,880 days, which is equal to 69 times 7 times 360 days, Jesus comes into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, on a colt. That is absolutely prophesied in Scripture. So that is the first 69 weeks.

Now, Daniel gives us a little bit more. After the 69 weeks, you will realize that the Messiah will be cut off. The Messiah Ruler, the King, Jesus, He will be crucified, He would die, He would be sacrificed on the cross. And that happened just a few days after He entered Jerusalem. And some 38 years later, the prophecy is also fulfilled that Jerusalem, the city, will be destroyed. So that is all we came up to in Daniel's first 69 weeks.

08:36
Today, we're going to look at the 70th week. This is the final, climactic week. You know, when you watch a movie, the first half may be a bit boring, slow, and then it picks up pace. And then the last 15 minutes will be the most exciting part. It's like, if you watch a kungfu show, wah, initially he “kena” [something has happened in Malay] beaten all the way, then, the last, last, 15 minutes of the movie, he becomes the superman right, wah there's so much fighting and victory. And this is exactly what it is going to be.

The final one week, though it's the shortest, is also the most intense, most exciting, with lots of twists and turns, and this is where God will show forth His total and complete victory.

09:20
So, we are going to look, today, at the 70th week. And you realize, that the 70th week doesn't follow immediately after the 69th week is over. There's a gap, there's a gap in between. You see, normally, we look at prophecy, all right, from Artaxerxes' command, to the building, to the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem - it's consecutive, it's without interruption.

But the unique thing about Daniel's prophecy is, at the 69th, 70th week gap, there's a period of at least 1982 years already.

You say, "How do I know that?" Well, Jesus entered on 6 April 32 AD. Today, we are 2014. So it has been 1982 years, but the events in the final week of Daniel's prophecy has not yet surfaced. So, this is a gap of a long time (I know this is not to scale, but I hope you'll remind yourself that there's a gap between 69 and 70).

Nothing, nothing, in Daniel's 70th week, has taken place yet. So, this is a future event; we do not know when, but it is in the future. Now, you say, "Pastor, isn't this weird? How come God gives prophecy in this way? Shouldn't be, it be, 69, then immediately 70? How come there is a gap? Is this something rare, or common, or what's this? Why is prophecy in this way?"

I want to tell you that this is common, especially when it is regarding prophecy about the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This gap may not be so well known to the Old Testament saints, but it is a teaching throughout the Scripture. I give you one example (there are several in the Bible, but let me just give you one). This is a commonly quoted example.

11:27
Remember, Jesus was in the temple one day, and, eh, He was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and He unrolled the scroll and flipped to this page where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor."

And then He rolled up the scroll; He gave it back to the attendant, He sat down, and everyone was looking at Him, and He began to say to them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:17-21 ESV)

Now, it's very straight, actually, if you knew where He was quoting from. Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61.

Let me show you Isaiah 61. And Isaiah 61 has almost identical words. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the [open or] opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;" (Isaiah 61:1-2 ESV).

You say, "What's so strange? It seems the same." No, it's not the same. What is different? What is it that Jesus didn't say in Luke chapter 4?

The statement is, "The day of vengeance of our God." See, Jesus was reading, and He said, "To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor", and He said, "I'll wrap up here; today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

He's saying, "All this is true, and I am come to fulfill what is prophesied. But that's all, will be fulfilled at this point of time. The day of vengeance of our Lord will not be fulfilled now." He's referring, of course, to the fact that the day of vengeance of our God will come when He returns again. And that is a gap of at least 1982 years already.

So you see, in Isaiah, it is written as if they are right next to each other, but Jesus knew it was not immediately after. As far as he could say, "this is fulfilled today, when I read these verses before you." But it will take some 1982 years, and more, for the day of the vengeance of our Lord to take place. And you will see this kind of a gap quite common in the Scriptures.

So when you come back to Daniel chapter 9, Daniel is saying, "There is a 70th week", but there is, there is this gap, that we recognize, and it is needful, otherwise, you would say that the prophecy fails; it doesn't fail. There's a gap, and this is what the Old Testament saints were never able to see.

See, the Bible tells us, "the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy [prophets] apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel." (Ephesians 3:4-6 ESV)

Paul is saying, there's a mystery that the Old Testament saints could not tell. It's not that God didn't know, but God didn't reveal it. So the Jews only thought it are all about them. But there's a mystery. There's going to be an age of grace for the Gentiles, and it's inserted between the 69th and 70th week, unknown to Daniel, unknown to Jeremiah, unknown to Ezekiel, unknown to the Old Testament saints.

Colossians tells us the same thing, "the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27 ESV)

15:59
So let's now look at the events that will take place in the 70th week. We've looked at the 69, we've looked at the gap, and so it's time to look at the final climax of this prophecy.

It starts with these words, "The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, [this is Daniel chapter 9 verse 27], but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27 NLT)

So, this tells us the events in the final week of Daniel's 70 weeks. There is going to be a one week of 7 years, and it will be divided into 2 halves, 3.5, 3.5 years, half this time. And this is when the … the ruler will put an end to all the sufferings. What he promised them was peace and freedom for worship, but right in the middle, the covenant, this promise, this treaty, is broken, and they cannot worship. The Jews. Israel, cannot worship, as was agreed.

Say, what is Daniel's 70 weeks about? Who is the central figure or character?

17:28
Well, he's called "the ruler". It revolves around this man called "the ruler", and this ruler makes a pact, a covenant, with Israel for 7 years. And this ruler, in the middle of this seven-year period, will stop their offerings and sacrifices.

And, as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he sets up a sacrilegious, blasphemous object. This ruler is also called the defiler, and this ruler will ultimately be judged when wrath is poured out on him.

By now, having gone through 8 chapters of Daniel, now 9 chapters, you would know that this ruler is really the "the Antichrist", absolutely.

Now, what does he look like? Nobody knows. Who is he? No one knows. But, from our study in Daniel so far, let me tell you his characteristics (we have gone through this before).

He's likely a political figure who starts as a little king (remember the 10 toes, remember the 10 horns). He is one of the little kings in this revived Rome Empire, which is formed by a 10-king confederacy. This little horn would start to arise, and he'll topple 3 kings. And then, he'll grow to be the most significant ruler of them all. He's extremely powerful, because he's empowered by Satan. He's even able to perform miracles. He's highly intelligent, he's a master of deceit, and he lives in a very sinful era. The world is in a very sinful era the time the antichrist comes on the scene.

He's arrogant, he's blasphemous, he's defiant before God. He's a cruel and malicious ruler, he causes fearsome destruction. He persecutes saints, he will be successful for a season, and we did learn that he will bring in the abomination of desolation.

So all these characteristics speak of the Antichrist. And today, we learned, some more, that he will form a treaty with Israel for 7 years, break it at the 3 and a 1/2 year mark, and ultimately be destroyed by God directly.

So the 70th week revolves around the Antichrist. This king, this ruler, will make a treaty for 7 years, apparently to give peace to Israel. You know, peace, there's no peace in Israel today. It's always wars and rumours of wars. But when the antichrist comes on board, he offers to Israel what they have been craving for a long time peace, freedom to worship.

He signs this covenant for 7 years. He seems to be the guy to help them, but at the 3 and a 1/2 year mark, he says, "Stop all that." He shows his true colours, and he sets up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration. He sets up something, an idol that blasphemes Jehovah God.

20:42
Now those, for those of you who have been with us over the weeks and months, this brings to memory this man, Antiochus Epiphanes, remember him? He is of the line that follows Alexander the great.

At 167 BC, this man conquered Jerusalem, burned down Jerusalem, killed many Jews, and he forbade the Jews from worshiping the true God. He stopped their sacrifices, he stopped their circumcision, he drew Greek gods upon the sacred scrolls of the Bible, of God's Word.

And what he did was horrendous. He took a female swine, a pig, he killed it, sacrificed it on the altar at Jerusalem, took its blood, spread it around the holy of holies, around the scrolls and the Scriptures of God's Word. He made the priests eat those pork. And then, as a final climax, he brought in the Greek god Zeus, and say, "This is the god you worship."

Antiochus Epiphanes is significant because Daniel 8 speaks about him, and because he is a kind of a type, he's a kind of foreshadowing of the ultimate antichrist who is to come.

So, when you read, in Daniel 9 verse 27, that he will set up this sacrilegious object, you shouldn't be surprised. He would do far worse than Antiochus. He's going to desecrate God's temple.

He's going to shame God's name, and this is what the Bible says, in Daniel 12, he, he will put away; he will take away the regular burnt offering. "And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up." (Daniel 12:11 ESV)

And this, in 2 Thessalonians, is revealed, "... the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 ESV)

Antiochus, in 167 BC, proclaims, "Zeus is God", but the Antichrist says, "I am God."

23:09
So this is what Jesus speaks of. "So, when you see [he's saying, when you see] the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place [it's in the temple of God] (let the reader understand) [this is for us, folks, let us understand this, let us know the background, let us know this is God's Word] then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16 ESV)

This will be a time of unparalleled tribulation. That's why, with the abomination of desolation, with the midpoint mark of the last week of Daniel, it will usher in, what we will call, the great tribulation. The great tribulation means the time of great pain, the time of great suffering, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." (Matthew 24:21 ESV)

Think of all the wars in the world. Think of all the massacres in the world. This is right at the top. It is said, if you study the book of Revelation, half of the world's population would die during this 3 and a 1/2 year period.

If you read Revelation chapter 6, all the way to Revelation chapter 19, you say, "What is this all about?" It is squeezed into this 3 and a 1/2 years. 14 chapters in Revelation to describe to you the horrors and the tragedy of the great tribulation.

Who brings that in? The antichrist. Right in the middle of Daniel's 70 weeks.

You say, "Pastor, “zhun bo” [“is it true or not” in Hokkien]? Is it really 3 and a 1/2 years?" Well, the Bible is very precise. Daniel 7, you remember, "how long is this for?" Daniel was asking.

Well, it is for a time, times and half a time. Time is 1 year, times is 2 years; half a time is half a year. 1 + 2 + 1/2 is 3 and a 1/2 years.

And if you're still not convinced, Revelation 11 gives us another 2 ways to measure. It is 42 months, which, simple maths will tell you, is 3 and a 1/2 years. 1260 days, which, simple maths will also tell you, is 3 and a 1/2 years, because it is based on the Jewish calendar of 360 days per year.

25:35
So, what am I saying? I'm saying that the final week of Daniel's 70 weeks is a scary week. It looks all right in the beginning, for the first 3 and a 1/2 years, there's a peace in Israel. And he shows his true colours, stops the worship, brings in his very own image, ushers in a period of unprecedented pain and tribulation, for a total of 1260 days.

If you were there, you better mark your calendars. But this will come to an end, because, in Daniel's 70th week, it does say, "the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."

What does it mean? It means that he will die. "He shall be broken - but not by human hand." Again, this is consistent, because, remember, in Daniel 2, the smashing of human kingdoms is not done by human hands; it's done by the rock carved from the mountain, not with human hands.

So, God is saying, all the destruction of the evil kingdoms and reigns will be done by God Himself, absolutely what Daniel 8:25 is saying.

26:50
Now this, then, officially marks the end of Daniel's 70th week. But right after that, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Matthew 24:29 ESV)

There will be signs in the, in the atmospheres above. This happens immediately after the tribulation. And, "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, [Does this mean Jesus will occur immediately after the tribulation? Not necessarily. He comes at a day we do not know when. So, however, this has to be after the antichrist comes, the Antichrist performs the abomination of desolation, the Antichrist is destroyed. So He will come right after that.] And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30 ESV)

27:51
Are you lost? I hope not. It's like a documentary, you know, it's a movie, and you move along, but if you are lost, here is: What is Daniel's 70th week? It begins with the appearance of the antichrist. He signs a treaty of 7 years with the Jews, promising peace and, maybe, freedom of worship.

Right in the middle, there is a breaking of this covenant, and not only that, he shows his true colours. He desires the worship of the world, and brings in the abomination of desolation, the idol, which is himself, and it will usher in the great tribulation.

And the Antichrist, ultimately, will be destroyed. This is the end of the 70th week, but right after that, before the coming of the Lord, will be heavenly signs, and then Jesus will return.

You say, "What will be the end of this world be like?" It will exactly turn out the way God has given in Daniel's 70 weeks. So this is the overview. Tremendous prophecy.

Daniel thought it's just going back to Jerusalem. God says, "There's so much more. I'm going to tell you, 70 weeks are decreed upon your people, to cleanse them from sin, and this is the climactic ending before Israel will turn back to Me". So we're all longing for the day Jesus returns.

29:21
But as we look at Daniel's 70 weeks, there's some interesting things, I thought, it will be good for us to be aware of, so that, as Christians, we can look at current affairs, history and the Bible, and see how it all ties in. And it will fill our hearts with a sense of the awesome grandeur of God, and be confident in His leadership and sovereign plans.

Now, if Jesus is to return, then Daniel's 70 weeks must take place, and in order for Daniel 70th week to take place, there are a few essential conditions.

Number 1: I say, Israel must be a nation; otherwise, the Antichrist cannot make a covenant with his people. So, number 1, Israel must be a nation.

Number 2: Israel must be in control of Jerusalem, because that's where the temple will be, and the temple is constantly referred to with regards to the end times. There's no temple now in Jerusalem, there is none, but there's got to be in the future.

And number 3: the Jerusalem temple is being rebuilt. Let me go through this a little at a time.

30:31
Number 1: Israel must be a nation. Why? Because they must be a people, sovereign state, in order to make a pact with the Antichrist.

This doesn't seem likely at all, especially after AD 70. We looked at this some time ago, eh, where Titus Vespasian, the Roman Emperor, came, and conquered Jerusalem, wiped out the city, and the soldiers broke down the rocks, the stones of the temple, and everything was raze to the ground. Israel is now captured again. Israel is now scattered again. The nation is no more.

Say, how will Israel be a nation when they are scattered? And for hundreds of years, they remain in that state. And it was exacerbated, it was even worse if you think about the Holocaust, and how under Hitler, the Nazis systematically and intentionally exterminated every Jew they could find. They killed 6 million Jews. The dream, the hope, that Israel will be a nation, seems impossible.

If I were to be preaching this message a hundred years ago, if we all lived a hundred years ago, and we say, looking at Daniel's 70th week, Israel must be a nation. The church today will probably throw eggs at me, "Pastor, you “siao” [mad in Hokkien] ah? You never study history eh? You never study the Nazis? You don't know Israel today? They are scattered, there's no way they would ever come back."

But the miracle of miracles took place in May 14, 1948. It's quite interesting, if you just Google it or Wikipedia it, you will read about the rebirth of the nation of Israel. By the way, it's a reality today. Nobody doubts that there is Israel today. Many of you travel all the way to Israel to visit the country. But, imagine, you were people on 10th of May 1948. You say, "This is not possible. No way. This nation that has been persecuted, dispersed, after 2000 years. How can they come back as a nation?" It took place.

Palestinian, Palestine Post, the "State of Israel is born". The New York Times, "Zionists proclaim new state of Israel; Harry Truman recognizes it and hopes for peace; Tel Aviv is bombed, Egypt orders invasion."

Well, the day they were declared a sovereign state, war took place, of course. But they were victorious, and they preserve their sovereignty right up to today. "Free Israel born amid war".

This is the miracle. But this is the work of God. In Isaiah, it is said, "He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11:12 ESV)

When God says so, He does so. It's a fascinating thing. When you read Isaiah, you read Jeremiahs, you say, "Wah, I don't understand these verses." You know why? Because these verses refer to Israel. And how God, in His word, has already said "Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, [I won't bring Israel to Malaysia or Singapore; I'll bring them back to Israel, to this exact place] and I will make them dwell in safety." (Jeremiah 32:37 ESV)

"then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land." (Ezekiel 37:21 ESV)

Wow, our mouths, our jaws, should drop to the floor, when we recognize this is all the work of God, and this will take place before Jesus returns. Condition 1.

34:50
Condition 2: Israel is to be in control of Jerusalem. Now, you say, "Pastor, of course they got Jerusalem after they were a sovereign state in 1948, isn't it?" Well, no, it didn't.

In fact, it took another, some 19, 20 years before they could control this very important city of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is a very important city. To the mind of the Jew, the centre of the world is Israel.

Now, for Chinese, what is the centre of the world? Chinese people, what do you think is the centre of the world? “哪里呀” [Na3 li3 ah1, where is it in Chinese]? China. The Chinese people think China is the centre of the world. “中原” [zhong1 yuan2, “China” in Chinese.] It's China. We, we are the centre of the world.

But no, according to the Jews, the centre of the world is Israel. And the centre of Israel is, not Tel Aviv, nor Nazareth, it's Jerusalem. This is how the ancient Jews think. If you could read, this is the word Jerusalem.

The ancient Jews think of the world like this, not the map we have today, but they think of the world as, Europe, Asia, Africa and then America somewhere in the corner. That is how they see the world. If you're Australian, I'm sorry. But they see Jerusalem as the centre of civilization. The crux of all human history is the hub of everything, right here, in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is a fascinating city, spoken or some 800 times in the Bible. It is obviously the hottest real estate in the world today. Now, you can talk about London, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, but there is no city like Jerusalem, passionately defended and loved, battled over 20 over, it's destroyed 20 over times in the 20 over centuries passed by, but it's always rebuilt.

This is a city that has no natural resources. This is a city that has no major trade routes; yet, this is the most important city in all the world. This is a city, the hometown, of Melchizedek.

Remember, Genesis 14, Melchizedek the high priest, he's the king of Salem. Jerusalem is where, they believe, Abraham sacrificed, or, was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. Jerusalem is where King David word reign. Jerusalem is where King David paid Ornan a price for a 35-acre piece of land, so that Solomon may build the temple of God. Jerusalem is the centre of the Jews. This is their holy city.

Most importantly, Jerusalem is important because God says so. Repeatedly, in the Bible, God says, "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6)

"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest." (Isaiah 62:1)

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5)

It's going to be hot, surrounded by nations that want to get her. "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem." (Zechariah 1:17)

"And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again." (Zechariah 2:12)

So, Israel must control Jerusalem. It did not take place in 1948. It got the rest of Israel, but not Jerusalem. But in 1967, those who are a bit older, you may remember war, called "The Six Day War", where Israel pre-emptively struck the Arab nations, and secured for themselves Golan Heights, several parts of Israel, and, most importantly, Jerusalem.

Right up to today, the Israelites, the Jews, celebrate Jerusalem Day - This is the day we got back the holy city. Now, all this is amazing. Hundred years ago, you would not even dream of this. A despised, persecuted people would return to their homeland, and be a sovereign nation, and to be in control of Jerusalem. I show you a little video clip of all that we've shared, and may it also encourage you to think along these lines.

39:53
Video: "With the eyes of the entire world watching in stunned amazement, Israel declares her independence. For the first time in more than 2000 years, the Jewish people are, once again, a sovereign nation. The joy of independence, however, is short-lived; the Islamic world is enraged. No sooner has Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion declared the resurrection of the Jewish state, then seven Arab nations attacked with all the fury. Overnight, 800,000 Jews find themselves at war with 15 million Arabs. The fledgling Israeli army has not a single tank. Their enemies have 2,000. Yet, amazingly, Israel not only wins their war of independence, but succeeds in establishing herself as the only democracy in the modern Middle East. Israel's enemies, however, do not give up. Instead, they regroup, rebuild, rearm, until they are ready to strike again. The leaders of the Arab world vowed to throw the Jews into the sea. The Soviet Union sells the Arab powers $2 billion worth of arms, tanks and fighter jets. Soviet military advisers flood the region, training Arab forces, and even designing a strategy to destroy Israel. June 1967. Surrounded by Soviet-armed enemies, and on the brink of another Holocaust, Israel strikes hard, fast, and without warning. In just six days, Israeli forces stunned the world. They crushed the combined Arab armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. They quadrupled their land, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. They re-unified Jerusalem. They bring the Temple Mount back under Jewish control for the first time in 2000 years. Some call it a triumph of Zionism, a tribute to the skill and cunning of the Israeli Defence forces. Others call it a miraculous victory, the fulfillment of biblical prophecy."

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It is an amazing consideration that Israel will be back where they are supposed to be, and in control of Jerusalem.

And there is one more condition, and that is the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, and this gets even more tricky, especially when we have not seen this take place.

Well, this is Jerusalem. Whenever you go to Jerusalem, wen you have pictures of Jerusalem, this will be the one that you would see. And this is in a very particular location there. This is where we call the "Temple Mount". You'll see, this is the site of interest. This is the hottest of hottest properties of all the world. It is.

If you think that Israel is the centre of the world, then Jerusalem is the centre of Israel. And the centre of Jerusalem is the Temple Mount. This is the epicentre of civilization. This is really the focus of all that will take place.

Now, the Temple Mount is where, they believe, Herod's temple (the temple Jesus went to) was built. Of course, it has been raze to the ground by the Roman soldiers, there is no more Temple there. But in this site, instead of a Jewish Temple, there is, now, a Muslim shrine. And you could see the gold dome. It's rebuilt by someone who donated millions of dollars to rebuild this, and this is a Muslim shrine called the "Dome of the Rock". It sits on the Temple Mount. And that's why it is tricky. How will the Jewish people re-establish the Temple?

Now, for this Dome of the Rock, if you are a non-Muslim, you cannot pray there. In fact, you cannot bring your Bibles inside; neither can you bring any materials with Hebrew Scriptures within. The Israeli police will stand guard and ensure that none of these is violated. This place is under the Arab rule. So it's very strange. Right in the middle of Jerusalem is this, is this Arab-ruled place called the Dome of the Rock.

But the Jews are not deterred. In recent years, they have been building up, preparing for a day where the Temple will be re-established, and for them to reinstate Jewish worship. So, you could see the sequence of events, for example, they are getting ready the Temple Menorah. What is the Menorah? The Menorah is the lampstand; it's one of the pieces of furniture in the Temple. They're getting ready the laver, that's where they wash, the priest wash their hands. They are getting ready all these things. And there's an organization called the Temple Institute, and they are preparing priests for Jerusalem's third Temple.

By the way, this is not from Bible sources; this is from the news, in May 2014, just a month ago.

So, there is a movement of people preparing for the Temple. Does it look anywhere close? I'm not sure, but the temple's got to be ready before Jesus comes, because that's where offerings are made, and that's where the abomination of desolation will take place. So it's got to be there before Jesus returns.

Now, some people believe that the Dome, now if you, just now after service, someone, who has been to Israel, came up to me, and showed me pictures of what they've taken in Israel, and they showed a model of the dome of the rock, a cross-section, and showed that on, at the base of the Dome of the rock is a foundation stone. Now, that is the foundation stone, which they believe, is the foundation stone of the Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac, and where David bought the land for the building of Solomon's Temple.

So he showed me pictures of that. But, is this precise location where the original Temple was? Nobody really knows. There are people who drew, and say, "Well, maybe the site is somewhere off. It's not exactly on the Dome site, but somewhere off, still within the Temple Mount.

The reality is, like I said, no one really knows. All I know is, that, before Jesus comes, the Temple will be rebuilt, and the sticky question now is, where should it be and what about the Dome of the rock?

Now, let me show you a short, shorter video clip, of the Temple being looked into, or the, eh, worship in the Temple being looked into by the Jews.

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Video: "The Jews are going to rebuild the Temple here in Jerusalem, and already, we are seeing preparations. In the headlines, we see groups, Jewish groups; begin to prepare already to rebuild the Temple. For years now, there's been a movement, associated with what's called the Temple Institute, to build the laver, the menorah, other, table of showbread, other kinds furniture and furnishings associated with the Temple. Now, the Temple itself is only 2,700 square feet. To replicate that building today would roughly cost $11 million, so we're talking about $4000 a square foot. Why? Because Solomon believed this was the very spot that God dwelt, and was to be worshiped. So there has been a movement to, sort of, in the wings, have the right implements, the right furniture, the right, the required ceremonial kinds of trappings, ready to go for the new Temple at the time that it's built, and that has been underway for several years."

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So, we could see that Israel must be a nation, control of Jerusalem, and the Temple is to be rebuilt.

This is Daniel's 70 weeks. I think this is mind-boggling. This is amazing. Without Scripture, all current affairs, and so on, may not make sense to us. But when you look at the Word of God, and how it corresponds with history, I hope, it, it registers in your mind, and gives you a sense of wonder and awe at the God we worship.

At the end of the day, remember, this is not about the Temple, it's not about some wars, it's not about some events. It's really about God's purposes, and God is doing all this to clear the pipe, as it were (I started with that illustration).

The "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people [this is about Israel] and your holy city [it's about Jerusalem], …" (Daniel 9:24 ESV).

And you can be sure that God will fulfill this.

My friends, I want you to remember, this is all about God, I'm, like I said, let's not be hung up over the facts, eh, the details and, and, and lose sight, that this whole prophecy is to help us know God. And this is the God we worship: a God who is faithful, a God is gracious, a God who is sovereign in all His ways.

He has promised, "My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes." (Ezekiel 37:24 ESV)

Is it ever accomplished when they returned to Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago? No. It will come at a later time, when Jesus would return.

"I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they [Israel] shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." (Ezekiel 37:26-28 ESV)

Our God is faithful. Our God is great. Our God is able.

"When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands,... Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God... I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 39:27-29 ESV)

Zechariah 12:10 - Israel, today, are rejecting Jesus, by and large, but there will come a day they will flock to him. I will pour out, on that day, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced [they will now look at Jesus], they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10 ESV)

And Paul, understanding all this, great guy, understood the Old Testament, understood the Scriptures, the purposes and plans of God for both the Jews and for the Gentiles, he says, "I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: [we didn't know this, you didn't know this last time, but let me tell you what it is, at this stage] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [That's why, there's this intervening gap, but there will come a day, where] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; [not just bring them physically, but deliver them spiritually.] 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Romans 11:25-27 ESV)

This is our God, our God who is faithful. He loves Israel with a passionate, unchanging love. Yes, it costs more, it takes longer. But our God will always be faithful to His people. Let's bow for a word of prayer this morning.

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Father, we pray, today, that You will bless Your people. It's a heavy message, but, I pray, whatever You're pleased to speak into our lives, would You do that. Cause us all, right here, right now, to come to You in faith, in repentance, in obedience.

We thank You, today, for Jesus, Your Son. Thank You that He has paid it all. We ask that You will be pleased to save souls right in the midst of all who are gathered here. And we'll be careful to give You the glory and praise that is due Your Name. We ask, and pray, all these now, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

 

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