49 YEARS FOR THE REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM

 49 YEARS FOR THE REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM

DANIEL 9:24, 70 WEEKS, B.C.533

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 9:24 is a foundational Messianic prophecy stating that "seventy weeks" (literally seventy units of seven, interpreted as 490 years) are decreed for the Jewish people and Jerusalem to accomplish six divine objectives: finishing transgression, ending sin, making atonement for iniquity, bringing in everlasting righteousness, sealing up vision and prophecy, and anointing the most holy place. 

Key interpretive points include:

Timeframe: The "weeks" are widely understood as seven-year periods, totaling 490 years, beginning with a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. 

Messianic Fulfillment: The passage is the only Old Testament scripture explicitly calling the Messiah by name, prophesying that the Anointed One would appear after 69 of these weeks (483 years) and be "cut off" (killed) not for himself. 

Theological Significance: It outlines a comprehensive plan for spiritual restoration, where the Messiah's death serves as the ultimate atonement for sin, establishing a new era of righteousness and closing the era of prophetic vision through its fulfillment. 

Unfinished Elements: Many scholars note that since full "everlasting righteousness" and the "end of sins" have not yet manifested globally, the final week (70th week) is often viewed as a future event associated with the Second Coming or the Millennium.

69 WEEKS (Daniel 9:25) “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

69 weeks consists of 7 weeks ( prophetically  49 years for rebuilding of Jerusalem ) plus 62 weeks ( 434 YEARS TO MESSIAH ) to A.D. 30 .

From A.D. 30 , Luke 21:24 is a prophecy by Jesus describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent period of Gentile dominance over the city.  The verse states: "They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations.  And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." 

This passage is interpreted in two primary ways:

Historical Fulfillment: Many scholars view this as a direct prediction of the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies, where hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed or dispersed into captivity across the Roman Empire. 

Eschatological Significance: The phrase "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" refers to an indefinite period of Gentile political control over Jerusalem, which continues until a future divine intervention or the Second Coming of Christ. 

The verse is found in the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus details the signs preceding the end of the age and the destruction of the Temple. 

Period of the seven church ages , from A.D. 30 to A.D. 70 .

Jews Returning to Jerusalem . 

STONE OF Daniel 2:34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.

Daniel 2:34 describes the pivotal moment in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream where a stone cut out without human hands strikes the feet of iron and clay of a colossal statue, shattering them.  This event symbolizes the divine establishment of God’s eternal kingdom, which will overthrow all transient human empires represented by the statue’s various materials. 

The verse highlights several key theological and narrative points:

Divine Origin: The stone is formed "without hands," indicating it is not a human creation but a supernatural intervention by God. 

Target of Judgment: The strike specifically hits the feet, the weakest part of the statue composed of mixed iron and brittle clay, symbolizing the fragility and division of the final human kingdom. 

Total Destruction: The impact crushes the feet, causing the entire image of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay to collapse into chaff, signifying the complete and irreversible end of earthly dominion. 

Eternal Reign: Following the destruction, the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the earth, representing the permanent and universal nature of God’s kingdom. 

Interpretations generally view the stone as a prophecy of Jesus Christ and His Second Advent, where He will defeat the final Antichrist-led coalition and establish Christ's millennial reign, replacing all human political systems with divine authority. 

The 2 Prophets in Jerusalem , Revelation 11:3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

My Two Witnesses , Will Prophecy For 1260 Days Clothed In Sackcloth. Revelation 11:3 

The person and work of Christ is the central focus of all prophecy, and the book of Revelation is the full and final unveiling of Jesus Christ, and is the climax of God's purpose and plan for His creation. Following the Rapture of the Church, this book reveals the future, which begins with a series of judgements that punish the godless nations for their rejection of His only begotten Son and His redemptive plan.

As God's wrath is poured out through a sequence of judgements, there are certain supplementary sections that provide additional insight into the 70th week of Daniel and the final three and a half years of the Tribulation, known as the 'Time of Jacob's Trouble'. Revelation 10:1 to chapter 11:15 is one such interlude which introduces three messengers from God, one angelic and two human. This parenthesis occurs just as the last trumpet judgement is poised to be sounded.

The two human messengers are identified as: "MY two witnesses." The Lord never leaves Himself without witness to the truth, and amidst the terrible events of the Great Tribulation, we gain insight into their mission. We are told that God will grant authority to His two witnesses: "And they will prophesy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

Revelation does not identify these witnesses, although there are many speculations as to who they may be. Some consider them to be Moses and Elijah. They were the two men who spoke with Jesus on the mount of Olives. They probably 'witnessed' His Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, and they will return to earth as 'witnesses' to preach a message of judgement on all who will not repent and believe.

Sackcloth and ashes indicates mourning and misery, lamentation and grief. Their mission is to declare God's message of doom and destruction during the 1260 days of Antichrist's tyrannical reign on earth, following his desecration of the Holy Place in the rebuilt Tribulation Temple. 

The authority these two witnesses will receive from God comes from the Holy Spirit, and during the 1260 days, the two will be able to perform some specific miracles: "They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want."

It is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, and the truth that these two witnesses will be proclaiming, will be words of salvation to any that will hear and believe. But the rebellious hearts that withstand the testimony of these two witnesses and who rejoice when they are finally murdered by the Antichrist, will testify to their defiant disobedience to God's sovereign will.

The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, will empower God's two witnesses during the Great Tribulation. And this is the same Holy Spirit that indwells us: "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world." This is a truth that all who have called on the name of the Lord should know as fact, for His Word is truth. May we stand firm on the authority of God's Word, and as we read of these two men, may we be encouraged to witness faithfully to the truth during our sojourn on earth. May we never forget that our strength comes from the Lord alone, for it is not by might nor by power, that we overcome in this troubled age: "But by My Spirit," says the Lord.

My Prayer

In Lord Jesus Christ' name, Heavenly Father, thank You that You have told us the end from the beginning and that evil will one day be fully and finally put away. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for our sins, rescuing us from eternal damnation, and clothing us in His perfect righteousness. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Thank You that sin, Satan, death, and hell, will one day be fully and finally thrown into the eternal lake of fire and Christ will put all things under His feet. May I be a faithful witness in the position where You have placed me and continue to work the works of God, during my sojourn on earth. Thank You that the indwelling Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will empower Your two witnesses during the time of Jacob's Trouble. Thank You that Your same Holy Spirit currently indwells all believers, and that "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world." To the praise of Your glory, Father, AMEN.

MIDDLE OF WEEK , ARMAGEDDON 

Armageddon is a prophesied gathering place for armies in the final battle of the end times, as described in the Christian Bible's Book of Revelation.  The term appears only once, in Revelation 16:16 { Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.} , where it is identified as the location called in Hebrew "Har Məgīddō" (Mount Megiddo). 

Key Biblical Details:

Etymology: The word derives from the Hebrew Har Megiddo, meaning "Mount of Megiddo," referencing the ancient strategic fortress and plain in Israel known for historic battles. 

Event: It is the site where "the kings of the whole world" are gathered by demonic spirits "for the war of the great day of God Almighty."

Outcome: The gathering precedes the final defeat of these armies by Jesus Christ upon His return, marking the end of human rebellion against God. 

Interpretation: While some view it as a literal physical location near Megiddo, others interpret it symbolically as a global confrontation or the culmination of all end-time conflicts.

GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD OF 3 and 1/2 YEARS

The Great Tribulation is widely interpreted in Christian eschatology as the second half of a seven-year period of end-time distress, lasting exactly three and one-half years.  This duration is derived from prophetic timelines in the books of Daniel and Revelation, which describe the period using interchangeable terms: 42 months, 1,260 days, or "a time, times, and half a time." 

Biblical Basis and Timing

Scriptural References: Key passages include Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2–3, Revelation 12:6, 14, and Revelation 13:5. 

The Halfway Point: The Great Tribulation begins when the Antichrist (the Beast) breaks a covenant with Israel, stops temple sacrifices, and sets up the "abomination of desolation" in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. 

Distinction from the Full Tribulation: While the total tribulation period is often viewed as seven years (based on Daniel’s "seventy weeks"), the Great Tribulation specifically refers to the intensified phase of God’s wrath and persecution that occurs in the final 3.5 years. 

Key Events During the 3.5 Years

Intensified Persecution: This period is marked by severe oppression of believers and Jews, often referred to as the "time of Jacob’s trouble."

Antichrist’s Reign: The Beast exercises global authority for 42 months, demanding worship and enforcing the mark of the beast. 

Divine Judgments: The period includes the pouring out of the bowl judgments and culminates in the Battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Two Witnesses: According to some interpretations, the Two Witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days (3.5 years) before being killed by the Beast. 

Interpretive Views

Futurism: Most dispensationalist views hold that this is a future, literal 3.5-year period of unprecedented distress preceding the Millennium.

Alternative Views: Some scholars argue that the "tribulation" is not a distinct seven-year period but that the Great Tribulation represents the entire period of church suffering or a specific intense phase within history, though the 3.5-year prophetic calculation remains the dominant framework for end-times timing.