"ON EAGLES’ WINGS MINISTRIES"
“Will the saints rule as foretold by Daniel?” October 2013, Part 6
“Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined [set aside or cut off] upon thy people [not the whole world] and upon thy holy city [for future reflections, observe that the entire city is called holy, and it does not refer to the temple itself] 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.” Daniel 9: 24.
This rather lengthy verse of scripture is chosen to be the starting point of our study in this month’s newsletter, and I encourage all ministers, such as pastors, elders, deacons, youth leaders, church mothers, and Sunday school teachers to study this with open bibles and be thoughtful and deliberate in your study. I encourage especially our friends overseas who serve with hunger and zeal toward the pure word of God, in dedication to feeding the flock of Jesus Christ that he has placed in your trust. In doing so, you will not be the blind, leading the blind, and in fact, you will be updating yourself with “present truths.”
The verse featured above has been quoted a number of times before in previous chapters of this series; but there is a specific reason why I begin this chapter with that verse of scripture. I want you to look very closely at every word that is before you, and as we match them with certain forms of doctrines that have been marketed successfully over the years by many Christian authors, we will be able to conclude the absolute truth that both Gabriel and the prophet Daniel wanted us to receive and understand.
Ever since the introduction of the “Secret Rapture” theory emerged in about the year 1830, combined with the teachings that we call “Dispensationalism” the church continues to teach a huge bundle of events that will surely occur in the future; and as the years go by, that future keeps getting pushed back further and further. Here is what I used to say in some of my sermons. Some of us speak of things so old they have lost their meaning and effectiveness. Some speak of things so far in the future [what God is fixing to do] that they hope to be dead and gone, so they won’t have to prove anything. It is great to be sincere, but we can also be sincerely wrong, and the results will be the same. Let us examine the dis-connect as it pertains to Daniel’s seventy weeks, or 490 years.
As outlined in the verse, six things of vital importance were to occur within that time frame. We can say with full assurance that all six were done as outlined by the prophet. But over the years, a major rift has been inserted in the chronological order of events; and this has caused millions of Christians the world over to be hanging on to beliefs that are not founded and underscored in scripture.
Those who teach the concept of the dispensations, for the most part are correct when teaching Daniel’s prophecy, up to the sixty nine weeks, or 483 years: that is from the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem that was given by king Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Seven weeks or 49 years were given to the rebuilding of the temple, the city and its walls. Another 62 weeks were to bring us forward to the coming of Messiah. Thus, 62 plus 7 equals 69, and this coincides with the exact year that Jesus stepped into the Jordan River to be baptized. Luke said “he began to be thirty years old” meaning it was after his 29th birthday. Luke 3: 23.
According to Mark’s gospel, after John was cast into prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching that the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. The only time to be fulfilled that was of major consequence were the 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy. Now we have arrived at the major sticking point in our Christian theology. Across the broad spectrum of Christendom it is well accepted that Jesus came on the scene on time as scheduled, but the difference is the case of the 69 weeks.
Although a large segment of Christendom accepts the 69 weeks, they fail to connect them with the 70th week. This is where the disconnect happens, and here is the reason why. The popular teaching by those who teach dispensationalism, is that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an ass on what we now call Palm Sunday, he could have been crown king and all would have been fine. But he was rejected and crucified instead. We are told in sermons, DVDs, video tapes, books galore, and ongoing television sermons, that God in his anger at the Jews for rejecting Christ, stopped the time-clock for the Jews at the 69th week, brought in 2000 plus years of church history that none of the old testament prophets knew about.
However all four major prophets and a number of the minor prophets all wrote about the coming Messiah and the church that he would purchase with his own blood. The idea that none of the O.T. prophets knew about the church, and God invented it to serve as a “stop gap measure” is totally absurd and without any scriptural support. This action is called “The Great Parenthesis.” As that sort of doctrine goes, after the church has been Raptured out of the earth, God will once again turn on the time clock and this will mark the start of the 70th week, or the final seven years.
All of this may be fine and dandy, but no one has offered biblical proof for this scenario. Here is the irony! A year after I celebrated my 69th birthday, I became 70 years old. I did not stop counting at 69 and hope to live some 15, 25, or 30 years before I celebrate my 70th birthday. When traveling along the highway and you pass mile post 69, you don’t stop counting, drive another 100 miles, before seeing mile post 70. Here is my question! If God had to “invent” the church because the Jews rejected his offer of the kingdom to them, what will he invent if the next time he offers them the kingdom, they again reject it? The entire notion does not make any sense at all! Gabriel specifically told Daniel that 70 weeks or 490 years were set aside for the six tasks listed to be accomplished. He did not say 69, then 2013 years of church history, after which he would turn the time clock back on. What is amazing or maybe amusing, is that no one has presented me with the scriptures to support the theory outlined above. Let us notice how emphatic the angel Gabriel was in explaining his visit with Daniel.
“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. [Also called the ninth hour or 3 o’clock in the afternoon] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks—etc.—etc.” Daniel 9:21-23.
Nowhere in his presentation to Daniel, did Gabriel even vaguely allude to the church being caught up to heaven, at which point God stopped the time clock for Israel, thus opening the way for the anti-christ to emerge, who in turn will grant 7 years of peace to Israel, and renege on his promise resulting in the start of the so-called “Great Tribulation.” Ladies and gentlemen, it is unethical and dishonest for us to formulate certain doctrines, then try to cut and carve the word of God to underscore and substantiate our doctrines. The entire seventy weeks [490] were to run consecutively without any break whatsoever.
As we have outlined in previous chapters, Jesus became Messiah to fulfill the 69 weeks when he was baptized in the Jordan. He ministered for 3 ½ years [half of the 7 year period] and was cut off in the middle of the week. So in that case, how did he manage to confirm the covenant for one week? [7 years] He did it personally for 3 ½ years, and worked with his disciples through the next 3 ½ year.
“The Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20b. In Matthew he said: “Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” So the 70th week [7 years] ran its course just as Gabriel said it would.
By now, it is clear to see that certain segments across the religious landscape had to invent a Rapture event at the close of the 69 weeks, so as to interject the “church period” which as all of us can see, is till running its course. Therefore based upon these ideas, God stopped counting time as it relates to the Jews back in about 33 A.D. and today, we are 2013 years along the way and we are still counting. Of course as many see their theory falling by the way side, they hurriedly announce the imminent return of Christ. My Friend! That entire structure of beliefs, as we said before, is not founded in scripture, but is merely a scrapbook version of pending events that looks like a patchwork quilt of many colors.
Now, it is time to go back to the subject at hand and observe the emergence of kings and kingdoms. There were times on television when certain ministers stood in front of blackboard with makers and pointers, illustrating how the Common Market is a forerunner for the antichrist and a “one world” government. Others teach a revived Roman Empire, because the beast that was wounded in Revelation was healed of his wound. I like to stay as close to the written word as much as possible, and endeavor to generate an interpretation that seems to be closest to the truth. Since no one has a monopoly on the word of God, I always leave ample room for my readers to exercise their own thoughts and ability to process truth from fiction. If we can’t see eye to eye, we can still maintain the unity of the Spirit, because the Spirit is not obligated to, or dependent upon what we believe. Like the pendulum of a clock, we swing from one side to the other in our quest for truth. But all the time, truth stands predominate in the center, to which we usually come.
In previous chapters in this series, we have settled the fact that there would be four kings or kingdoms climbing on to the world stage, beginning with Babylon. We also explained that each succeeding kingdom, allowed the conquered kingdom to preserve its way of life, only that the crown, as it were, was passed on to the conquering power. So in essence, the second power became twofold, and the third power became threefold. Rome being the fourth power became a fourfold power thus becoming mightier than all the rest. In this context, what affected one, affected all. Did the king or Daniel allude to a revived fourth kingdom after its ultimate demise? Here is what the king saw in his vision, and here is the account made by Daniel. “Then was iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: [Don’t try to bring any of them back] and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, [the kingdom of God] and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:35. Later on we will examine, how, or by what power the saints shall rule the earth.
We know for sure that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, and are not fashioned by the skill of man’s hands. We also know that greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world. By now we must be convinced of what God’s purpose and ultimate intention for his creation really is, as already laid out in his grand design and blueprint. We are told in Job that God speaks in the thunder and he sends lightening across the skies, and snow upon the ground. For me, that settles the issue! God does it and it is fine with me! I don’t want to know how he does it. Scientists, and meteorologists forecasting the weather, give us all the ingredients that come together to form snow, or to cause lightening, or thunder. The same applies to the saints ruling upon the earth as kings and priests of God. I do not need to know the formula, and all the components that will have to come together for this to happen. There is an old saying that I suppose was generated among ministers that goes like this: “God said it! I believe it! And that settles it!” I add my own views to it: “God said it, and that settles it! This means whether we believe it or not, if God said it, it is settled even in the heavens.
Listen to the statement Christ made, that announces what shall be, but offers no detail of how it shall be. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler [we are talking about the saints ruling as Daniel foretold] over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” Matthew 24:45-47. There is no need to study advanced math or the art in structuring government from the ground up. The lord shall make the faithful servant ruler over all his goods! That needs no clarification with me! The nuts and bolts and the pros and cons of the issue are not my concern. John wrote in the Revelation that we are made kings and priests of God, and that we shall reign on the earth. Jesus himself said that we shall be given power over the nations, to rule over them, and to break them to shivers as if with a rod of iron. Revelation 2: 26, 27; 5: 10.
We do not need to put any of this under a microscope, or consult with the Pope so as to understand what is on schedule to happen. “God said it! And that settles it! Whether we believe it, understand it or not. The inner workings and intricacies that are birthed in the very mind of God, are not my concern. In child-like fashion I believe it because God said it, and God is not man that he should lie; nor is he the son of man that he should repent: if he promised, surely he shall make it good.
NOTICE: All four books that I have published can now be bought on Amazon, Google, and in book stores. Just type in “Books by Royce Kennedy” and all four will pop up on your screen. They are: Arlington National Cemetery Became My Classroom. When Shall These Things Be? Members of Congress’ Version of Christianity and Life Can Be a Symphony. If not in a particular book store, you can place an order by giving my name and the title of the book you wish to purchase. Be blessed in all that you do!
Please be reminded to make your gifts payable
to Royce Kennedy and not to the ministry. Thank you!