Skip to main content

Prophecy #3

             “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. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. (Daniel 9:25-26)

            The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)

            The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. (Genesis 49:4)

 

            I haven’t done the math, but I’ve read that the count of years from when the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the estimated date of Jesus’ “triumphal entry” fits perfectly with the 62 sevens. Here’s what David Jeremiah says about it: Decoding Daniel’s Seventy-Weeks Prophecy - David Jeremiah Blog

            One of the immediate complaints I’ve heard about this prophecy is that (as David Jeremiah noted) there were four decrees. Which was the decree to which the prophecy referred? The earliest was in 538 BC but included only the temple. It wasn’t until 445 BC that Nehemiah was authorized to rebuild Jerusalem. But here’s the thing. We have records of four decrees over ninety-three years. In addition to having to be the son of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, and David, and being born in Bethlehem, he had to be born, live, and die within a 93-year period that happened to end around the time that Jesus was crucified.

            Today’s second passage says that the Messiah will be a priest…forever…according to the order of Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews addresses this in the seventh chapter of that book. I’ll just hit the basics. He will be a priest. Priests act as intermediaries between God and man. His priesthood won’t be like that of the Levitical priests, meaning the Messiah could not be from the tribe of Levi. He was to be from the line of Judah, but somehow, His intercession would be superior to that of the Levitical priests. Otherwise, why mention it? One of the ways His priesthood would differ is that it would be forever. The Levites were only permitted to serve from 25 to 50 years of age.

            So, for those who claim that Jesus is just another of many “gods who died and rose again,” how many others died at the right time? How many even have some historical record telling when they died? How many others served as an intermediary between God and man? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more