Next, let us look at the timing of this sign:
When we consider the Feasts of the Lord, where are we currently in history when it comes to their fulfilment and how do the sign of Revelation 12 tie this all together? Can we find a passage from God’s Word that would indicate when God intended to start fulfilling the appointed times set forth in Leviticus and at what time these events would start? In addition to this, if some of these events are already past, can we find historic evidence that would indicate that they were accompanied by heavenly signs as stated in Genesis?
From the Old Testament of the Bible – or the Tanakh – if one looks at this from Israel’s perspective, the first prophecy that was given, specifically pointing out the timing of the first arrival of Israel’s Messiah is found in Daniel chapter 9. Gabriel introduced this prophecy about Israel’s times by stating the following:
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
This one sentence is jam-packed with references to the prophecy given by God in Eden and the vision yet to be given to John at the point when Gabriel spoke to Daniel: Here Gabriel confirms to Daniel that man’s transgression against God as a result of his disobedience in Eden will be finished and that an end will be made to sin. He also mentions the sealing of the “vision” (given to John in Revelation 12) and “the prophecy” (given by God in Eden Genesis 3:15-16) and the “birth of everlasting Righteousness”- the timing of which is represented by the birth of Jupiter representing Righteousness born from the virgin as a once-off occurrence. This is so incredible that God has revealed this information to his children so that they could know when to expect him and when Satan will be given complete rule over the people that are left behind on earth before it is all ended by Israel’s Messiah himself.
When we look at the next verse Gabriel addresses the timing of the presentation of Israel’s Messiah to Israel and in this prophecy, God’s people were given a very precise period of time in history during which to expect their Messiah in Daniel 9:25:
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
This verse provides specific information on how to know the timing of the arrival of Israel’s Messiah. From the time that the decree was passed to rebuild Jerusalem, until the revelation of the Messiah, would be exactly 69 time periods, called weeks. This is one week short of the 70 weeks that are mentioned in verse 24. Looking back, we now know that these were 69 weeks of years or 483 years in total. From Israel’s perspective it was common to refer to time periods as weeks. These would then include weeks of years, weeks of months or weeks of days etc. In hindsight, we also know that the countdown of these 69 weeks, which Gabriel prophesied to Daniel, started when Antaxerxes’ made the decree to restore Jerusalem. This prophecy made it possible for Israel to know precisely when to expect their Messiah. From Biblical and secular accounts we know that Antaxerxes’ decree to restore Jerusalem was passed on March 14th, 445 BC. If we then added 483 years to this date, keeping in mind that calendars were reorganised from a 360-day calendar in ancient times to a 365-day calendar in 701 BC by Numa Pompilius, we arrive at the period around the time of Jesus’ crucifixion which occurred on March 23rd, 34 AD, the eve of which was also marked by a lunar eclipse.
When it comes to the purpose of Israel’s Messiah’s visitation, Gabriel also provides information on this so that those who read and heard the prophecy could know whether they were waiting for the Suffering Servant or the King of Kings. From the passage below it is evident that the purpose of this timed appearance of Israel’s Messiah, described by Gabriel, is that of the Suffering Servant – suffering on behalf of others:
Dan 9:26 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.
I have always wondered how to interpret the threescore and two weeks that is mentioned above as it did not seem to fit any of the time periods between the declaration to restore Jerusalem and Yeshuah’s presentation to Israel as their Messiah. Even this, God revealed to me as I was writing this document and how wonderful his grace and mercy is toward us who are his children! The 62 weeks indicates the age of Israel’s Messiah when He would be cut-off. This is 62 weeks of lunar months and is calculated as follows:
62 x 7 x 27.3 = 11848 days = 33 years
The passage above does not provide the description of the King of Kings who rules with a rod of iron. The fact that the Messiah is described as being “cut off – but not for himself” also points to self-sacrifice on behalf of others – definitely in line with the Suffering Messiah imagery that is portrayed in Isaiah 53.
The Bible also records a celestial signal that would herald the coming of Israel’s Messiah in Numbers 24:17-19
Num 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
In addition to indicators of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem that was prophesied and marked by prophesied celestial events and understood by the gentiles as we will see in a moment, did God through his prophets, provide any information in the Old Testament to Israel to assist them in identifying their Messiah when the time arrived for him to be publically known as Messiah by Israel and how they could identify him?
In Zechariah 9:9 a clear description is given in another prophecy of how the Messiah would be presented to Israel when the time had come, so that they could know exactly how to identify him.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Did anything significant happen as predicted by Gabriel to Daniel? Interestingly enough, the prophecy given by the angel Gabriel matches the timing of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the back of a foal of a donkey, presenting himself and being hailed as King of the Jews by a multitude of people that were following him at the time. The following passage from Luke 19 in the New Testament, recorded what happened:
Luk 19:35 - 44 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
When Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover we also read from Biblical accounts and secular history, recorded by Thallus, Phlegon, and Africanus that there was a very unusual 3-hour darkness over the earth, where the stars became visible during day-time and that great earthquakes occurred around the world. Phlegon a Greek historian wrote as follows:
In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 34) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.
This eclipse could not have occurred as a result of the moon obscuring the sun. The fact that this sign occurred on Passover which falls on the 14th day of the first month of Israel’s lunar calendar, means that the moon was full and on the wrong side of the earth - unable to cause a solar eclipse. In fact, as previously mentioned, there was a lunar eclipse on the eve of Passover which completely rules out the possibility of a solar eclipse by the moon in the same 24-hour period. We also know that the maximum time of a full solar eclipse caused by the moon can last no longer than about 7 minutes. The only reasonable explanation for this 3-hour long eclipse would then be a rogue planet of a vast size passing between the sun and earth. This would also explain the many earthquakes that occurred around the world at this time. The fact that nobody saw the celestial object but only the effect that it had on the sun’s light that did not reach the earth for a period of 3 hours would match the reports from NASA and the article in the Washington Post where it is stated that the object does not give off light and can only be observed in the infrared spectrum. NASA also stated that the object has a massive magnetic/gravitational effect, based on the fact that the orbits of Neptune and Uranus were shown to be perturbed. This same object was most likely responsible for the 3-hour eclipse and the earthquakes that were recorded during Jesus’ crucifixion. Today it is headed for one final and most destructive encounter with the earth in the very near future according to God’s Word.
Although Gabriel’s prophecy to Daniel was given with regards to Israel – the People of God – Israel, were unable to perceive the times that they were living in, even with the very unusual celestial events announcing the start of fulfilment of the Lord’s Feasts. Jesus or Yeshuah as He is known in Hebrew also pointed this out to the Pharisees before his crucifixion when they ironically desired “a sign from heaven” from him, to prove that He was the Messiah. One would think that a very unique 3-hour eclipse in conjunction with the prophecies in Daniel and Zechariah about the timing and introduction of Israel’s Messiah would have been noticed by those who studied and knew the scriptures, but apparently not so.
Mat 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?