At Pentecost, another prophecy given to Daniel came into effect. On the day of Pentecost, Israel’s hourglass of 69 weeks of years ran out of sand and at this point God shifted his focus to the gentile nations who would be in the privileged position to become heirs together with Yeshuah through faith in the salvation that He provided on the cross. This was the result of Israel rejecting their Messiah and ignoring the prophecies and signs that God gave them. There remains a single week for Israel of the 70 weeks prophesied to Daniel that is soon to commence, during which God will once again shift his focus to Israel, by fulfilling the second set of Feast Days and this time God will make sure that Israel recognizes him:
Hos 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Very important to note is the fact that Jesus declared in the Gospel of Luke that Israel would be struck with partial blindness as a nation for failing to recognize their Messiah and that this would keep them from recognizing the things which belonged to their peace. Peace which they have never been able to obtain since this time.
It should be understood that the second set of Feasts has been reserved specifically to have Israel’s relationship with their true Messiah restored. At this instance, Israel’s Messiah will only come to Israel at the end of the remaining 7 years on the Feast of Tabernacles which is yet to be fulfilled, when virtually everybody else on this planet have been killed
God has already told us what will happen: Israel will accept an imposter: the Antichrist, also known as “The Seed of Satan” and the “Son of Perdition” who will come in his own name as Israel’s Messiah, beguiling them with signs and wonders that would support Israel’s faith in him. This will happen at the beginning of the 7-year period and is part of the strong delusion that God will send over the earth, once He has removed his Church. Initially, Israel and the whole world will be deceived by this man who will have supernatural powers and who will perform incredible wonders to convince those who are on earth, that he is the saviour of the world. The evil that will be pouring out of this person will become evident midway through the 7-year period, when two thirds of the nation of Israel will perish at the hand of their false Messiah. Only a third part of Israel will heed the warnings given by God to his people and they will flee into the wilderness when they see the signs spoken of in Matthew 24 and in Daniel and be protected by God from the Antichrist. Also note that Israel’s true Messiah (Yeshuah) will wait until Israel recognize their offence against him by accepting the “serpent seed” as their messiah and rejecting Yeshuah, their true Messiah. Only once those of Israel, who remain on earth has acknowledged their error will Yeshuah return to help them. This will not happen until after the midway point is reached according to God’s Word.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
From Israel’s current perspective, having failed to recognise the timing of the prophecies that were given to Daniel and ignoring the signs that occurred in the heavens at the time of Yeshuah’s first arrival, the Messiah’s first arrival is still pending but soon expected. Because of Israel’s partial blindness that came about as a result of rejecting their true Messiah, they will give this position to an imposter for a period of time, specifically since this person will initially favour Israel above all and allow them to rebuild their temple and allow them to reinstate the sacrificial system. The false messiah will convince Israel and the world that he is who he says he is, by displaying his supernatural abilities that would have the entire world and all religions submitting to his will. Israel will be proud of this “god-man”, who they will think has finally brought them peace and safety and who. There will of course be those who remain on earth during this time, who were not ready for the wedding in heaven when the Bridegroom came to fetch his Bride. There will also be an angel that will proclaim the gospel to all who live on earth and will realise that their “religions” or lack of belief in Jesus is the reason for them still being on earth and why so many people have been removed at the start of this period known as Jacob’s Trouble. These people will realise that God’s Word is the ultimate Truth and that the Antichrist is Satan’s seed and they will willingly lay down their lives by beheading to obtain salvation. This will be the final and only option to ensure that they too can enter into God’s rest and rule with Jesus on earth during his 1,000 year reign.
Once Israel completed the rebuilding of the temple, which will take about 3.5 years and this false messiah sets himself up to be worshiped in the Temple, it should be a loud siren signalling to those in Israel, with eyes to see and ears to hear, that their time to flee from Jerusalem has come. At that point, this person will turn his back on Israel and will in fact destroy two thirds of the people of Israel. Only a remnant will flee from him, remembering the warning given by Daniel and Yeshuah in Matthew 24 and finally recognise that Yeshuah is in fact their true Messiah. God will then protect them supernaturally in the wilderness as He once did during Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Hos 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
The passages above describe a situation worse than that of the Nazi holocaust during which one third of Israel was wiped out. This will all happen because Israel would allow themselves to be deceived by an imposter who would favour Israel for a period of time, until the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt. In today’s news we often see reports of Israel’s rabbis announcing the soon return of their Messiah. The most likely date for this to occur will be September 23, 2017 – the day after the “disappearance” of millions of people. The antichrist, who will be a hybrid being, will then set himself up to be worshiped by Israel and all nations as god. God’s Word gives a clear warning to Israel to flee from their land when they see this imposter setting himself up in the temple that is due to be rebuilt in Jerusalem and for the antichrist to be worshiped there. Those in Israel who will heed this warning should not hesitating to think about what they would need for their journey, but to flee into the wilderness immediately and commit themselves unto the supernatural protection that God will offer to those who obey God’s warning in Daniel and Matthew 24. It will be a truly dire time for Israel until the remnant arrives in the wilderness and receives supernatural protection from the Antichrist and care from God, just as He did during Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
Mat 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:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This warning is not only given in the New Testament, but ties back to the prophecy of Gabriel given to Daniel in:
Dan 9:27 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.
We also know that this was God’s intention from various passages in both the Old and New Testament. God is not yet finished with Israel, but have allowed the Gentiles to be made fellow heirs of the Kingdom of God until the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Paul, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write most of the Books in the New Testament, also declared that Israel’s blindness will be removed at a certain point in the Book of Romans:
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Jesus also referred to this period in Luke 21:
Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The passages above, in conjunction with Luke 19:42, shows that a pause was introduced in Israel’s relationship with their Messiah. This break is also clearly evident from the prophecy given to Daniel by Gabriel in chapter 9:24-25 where the total time determined for the nation of Israel is given as 70 weeks (of years) or 490 years. Today, one week of 7 years remains.
If we consider the “Times of the Gentiles” we should probably just pause here to understand when this started and, more importantly, when this will be fulfilled. It is clear from Paul’s letters and also from Jesus’ words that the Times of the Gentiles started at the point where the Jews rejected their Messiah. This happened that so that God could use the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy as described by Paul in the passage below:
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Now we need to know, when will this period end and what would signal the end of the Times of the Gentiles? We know that Revelation speaks of Gentiles and that Jerusalem will be “tread under foot” by the Gentiles for 42 months or 3.5 years, as can be seen below:
Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
We also know that God’s Word says that those of Israel who will heed his warning to flee from Jerusalem, when they see the Antichrist setting himself up to be worshiped in the temple of God, will not die, but will be protected by God in the wilderness. We also have another group of people called “the saints” that are overcome by the Antichrist in Revelation 13:7:
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
These people are obviously also gentiles given that they include people from every nation and will be killed during the Great Tribulation for not bowing to the Antichrist and his beast system. So if we put this all together, we know that Israel’s blindness will only be removed once the “fullness of the Gentiles” be come in. This will only happen during the Great Tribulation, or the second half of Jacob’s Trouble when the Antichrist’s will no longer be deceiving people, but will actively kill all those who do not accept his mark.
Israel will only recognise their offense against their Messiah, once the last Gentile dies for not accepting the mark of the beast. We further know, based the 69 weeks that have happened between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and Israel’s Messiah’s first presentation of himself to Israel, that the final period of missing time is 1 week of seven years. This is described in the Old Testament as Jacob’s Trouble and will be a time specifically set aside for Israel to go under God’s rod and to be brought back into a relationship with their true Messiah. It is also a time during which God’s wrath will be poured out against Israel for not recognizing him during his first visitation, which clearly fulfilled prophecy and was marked by celestial markers. A description of events which will form part of Jacob’s Trouble is seen in the following 4 passages among others:
Jer 30:4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. 5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? 7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Eze 20:36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 22:18 Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. 21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
We further find evidence of the grape harvest in Revelation 14 where the last of the Gentiles will be harvested from earth:
Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
At this point the Times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled. After this, only the Antichrist and those that follow him will be left on earth. Those belonging to Israel who heeded God’s warning to flee Jerusalem when the Antichrist sets himself up to be worshiped in the Temple in Jerusalem, will also be left on earth, but will be supernaturally protected by God during the time that God pours out the 7 vials of wrath against the Antichrist and his followers. This will be the time during which Israel’s blindness will finally be removed and this happens at the 7th Trumpet.
Just as Yeshuah’s first presentation to Israel as the Suffering Servant was associated with the Spring Feasts and their fulfilment, so will the Time of Jacob’s Trouble be associated with the Fall Feasts and Yeshuah’s second coming as the King of Kings to rule over the earth for 1,000 years. This is also the time during which Israel will enter into an agreement with “death” for a period of 7 years at the onset of this remaining week of years.
Isa 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
This is a period of time for which we have more information described in prophecy and signs than any other period in God’s Word. This fact alone should lead us to realise that if the majority of prophecies in God’s Word point to the 7-year period just ahead of us, that He, through his mercy toward those that love him, has also revealed to us the starting point of this week. This is achieved by keeping in mind the patterns that God used during the first set of Spring Feasts combined with celestial markers that signalled the start of the first set.
I believe that our God has placed a great emphasis on the use of patterns and He uses the application of patterns in the past to show us what He will do in the future. These are not only given to show us repeatability in God’s actions, but it conveys essential characteristics to us of God’s personality and his qualities as our Heavenly Father. As with the very first prophecy in God’s Word that points to the sign of Revelation 12, we can find many other situations throughout God’s Word where patterns and models are used to understand God’s views of a situation and how He will act in a specific situation. There are many of these examples that can be shown. One example that I would like to use to elaborate on this is that of God’s attitude towards those that are righteous in his eyes, which I believe is very relevant to the upcoming fulfilment of prophecy and appointed time. This is especially important when it comes to the relationship between God and those that He loves.