WHEN DOES CHRIST RETURN? PART FIVE
In the Revelation given to apostle John, we find the falling of an entity called Babylon associated with the coming of Jesus Christ. Therefore the identity of Babylon becomes a key factor in our identification of the timing of Christ's return. Who or what is the Babylon spoken of in the Revelation?
THE IDENTIFICATION OF BABYLON
Historically,
In the Revelation we see
Revelation 14:8: A second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is
Revelation 16:19: The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered
Revelation 17:4-7: The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
The beast with the seven heads and ten horns is the
Revelation 11:8: Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called
In Revelation 11:8, we see that the bodies of the two witnesses lie in the street of the city where Christ was crucified. While technically Christ appears to have been crucified outside the gates of the city (Hebrews 13:12), all other events associated with His passion occurred in the city of
Revelation 18:24: In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.
Matthew 23:37: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Luke 13:31-33: At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’ He replied, ‘Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day, for surely no prophet can die outside
The city is figuratively called
The woman is said to be the “mother of prostitutes” and “drunk with the blood of the saints and those who bore the testimony to Jesus.” In Matthew 23, we see Christ identifying those responsible for shedding the blood of the saints.
Matthew 23:29-38: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, `If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. Look, your house is left to you desolate.
The woman described in Revelation 17 is adorned with precious stones and pearls. She is then identified as being adulterous and a prostitute. In Ezekiel chapter 16, we find an allegory about
Jeremiah 2:19-20: Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. ‘Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, I will not serve you! Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute.’
Isaiah 1:21: See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her but now murderers!
Micah 1:7: All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.
In Mark 8:38, Christ refers to those He was speaking to as an adulterous generation. Christ is not speaking of sexual adultery. The whole focus of statements showing
Revelation 18:2-8: Fallen! Fallen is
The major focus of the Revelation is the destruction of
Despite such evidence as presented here for the Revelation being written prior to the destruction of A.D. 70, some current scholarship believes that the book of Revelation was written around A.D. 95 during the reign of Emperor Domitian over the
There is much more evidence that the Revelation was fulfilled in the first century. The reader is encouraged to read Who Is This Babylon by Don K. Preston, The Beast of Revelation, by Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry and The Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets, by Arthur M. Ogden
THE SEVENTY WEEKS PROPHECY OF DANIEL:
The seventy weeks prophecy found in Daniel 9 clearly relates to the Olivet Discourse and the Revelation given to John. Therefore, this prophecy is important to establishing the validity of a first century return of Jesus Christ and all related events. Some of this discussion may appear a little complex. It is necessary, however, to thoroughly examine the dynamics of this prophecy in order to show its relevance to first century fulfillment. So let’s begin.
During the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the Babylonian armies had invaded Judah, destroyed Solomon’s temple and had taken most of the people captive (2 Chronicles 36:15-21). Daniel was among the captives in
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Amel-Marduk, son of Nebuchadnezzar, reigned as king of Babylon a short time followed by Neriglisar, brother-in-law to Amel-Marduk and then Labashi-Marduk, son of Neriglisar.
Nabonidus, an apparent son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, became the final king of Babylon. Nabonidus had a son named Belshazzar whom Daniel identifies as King in
After the Persians conquered
The general focus of the book of Daniel is the establishment of the
The seventy weeks prophecy is recorded in the 9th chapter of Daniel.
Daniel 9:24-27 (KJV): 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. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Daniel speaks of a period of seventy weeks, which he divides into seven weeks, threescore and two weeks (sixty-two weeks) and one week. Biblical scholarship has shown that scriptural writers often designate a day for a year in prophetic writing. We see the scriptural designation of the day for a year principle in Numbers and Ezekiel.
Numbers 14:34: For forty years-one year for each of the forty days you explored the land-you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.
Ezekiel 4:6: After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of
In the 70 weeks prophecy, 70 weeks is equal to 490 days, which becomes 490 years according to the day for a year principle. Daniel 9:25 (KJV) says that, “from the going forth of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.” This would be a total of 69 weeks or 483 years. Scripture shows four decrees relative to the rebuilding of
Isaiah 44:28: who says of Cyrus, `He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of
Isaiah 45:13: I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty.
There are several decrees that were issued by three different kings relative to the rebuilding of the temple and the city of
2 Chronicles 36:22-23: In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.’
Ezra 1:1-3: In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.’
In 520 B.C. King Darius issued an order that the archives stored in the treasury at
It is apparent from a reading of all the pertinent scriptures that relate to the rebuilding of the temple and the city of
The prophecy is separated into three sections. The first period of seven weeks or forty-nine years appears to be the time span that it took to complete the rebuilding of the city of
All the above counting is based on using the solar calendar of 365 days in a year. Some authors, such as Robert Anderson, have argued for using lunar years of 360 days each in arriving at the time of the Messiah. It is felt by these authors that the 445 B.C. decree of Artaxerxes is more probable, as using lunar years in counting would bring us to the approximate time of the crucifixion in A.D. 31 or 33. The 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel, however, speaks in terms of the 69 weeks taking us to the appearance of the Messiah, not His crucifixion. The prophecy speaks of Messiah’s being cut off after the 69 weeks but doesn’t address itself to any specific time frame for the crucifixion after the 69th week.
Looking at the time frame from 458 B.C. to A.D. 27, it appears that the decree that Daniel had in mind was that made by Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. This does take us to A.D. 27 when Christ began His public ministry. The time frame from 458 B.C. to A.D. 27 does encompass the 69 weeks or 483 years. This decree is recorded in Ezra the seventh chapter and addresses temple worship. It is apparent from reading this decree and the entire book of Ezra that the temple had been rebuilt and was functioning as the house of God. It is also apparent from Ezra’s writings that a number of Israelites were living in and around
Therefore, in terms of counting solar years to arrive at the appearing of the Messiah, the first decree of Artaxerxes appears the more probable. In terms of better reflecting the words of Daniel in regard to the building of
Daniel 9:26-27: 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. 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 (KJV).
Note that Daniel’s prophecy does not say how long after the end of the 69 weeks the Messiah would be cut off. Neither does it address a time frame for the confirming of the covenant. The prophecy simply says, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.” If the 69 weeks (483 years) take us to the approximate time when Christ began his ministry, it is apparent that Christ was cut off three and one-half years after the end of the 69 weeks. We know from the Scriptural record that the ministry lasted three and one-half years and then Christ was crucified. If the lunar counting of the 69 weeks is correct, then the 483 years would take us to the crucifixion. This would mean that the ministry of Christ was accomplished during the 69th week and the crucifixion occurred right at the end of the 69th week. The identification of the 70th week (last seven years) and its associated events will now be our focus.
THREE VIEWS:
There are three basic explanations that have been given to the seventy weeks prophecy. Some believe that Christ was cut off in or at the end of the 69th week at which time this prophecy stopped. The prince that shall come is thought to be a wicked prince (“antichrist”) that is still to come in our future to make a covenant with
This view presupposes that the Kingdom has been postponed for 2,000 years and counting. This view teaches that Christ came to restore the Kingdom to
This view is very speculative. There is nothing in Scripture that speaks of a future wicked prince making a covenant with
A second view is that the 70th week represents a seven-year ministry of Christ that begins immediately after the 69th week. Therefore, there is no break between the 69th and 70th week. Christ begins His earthly ministry at the end of the 69th week, which is the beginning of the 70th week. After three and one-half years of the 70th week Christ is crucified which is when the sacrifice and oblation cease. The remaining three and one-half years of the 70th week is when the apostles take the gospel message, as Christ’s representatives, exclusively to
This second view appears plausible but has several flaws. The sacrifices and oblations did not cease at the crucifixion of Christ. They continued another forty years and were not caused to cease until midway through the Great War. While it could be argued that the death of Christ made the sacrificial system obsolete and therefore caused its end, the fact remains it didn’t cease to operate until the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. It should also be noted that the preaching of the New Covenant to
A third view sees the time of Christ’s ministry and crucifixion as not the important issue in this prophecy. As stated above, both the decree of 458 B.C. and the decree of 445 B.C. are probable, depending on one’s method of counting years. Whether Christ’s ministry or His crucifixion occurred at the conclusion of the 69th week is not important to this third view because this view does not see the 70th week beginning immediately after the end of the 69th week. This third view does not see the 70th week as the beginning of Christ’s ministry. This view does not see the start of the 70th week as a three and one-half year ministry of Christ to confirm the New Covenant with
The preaching of the gospel was initially targeted to the Jews. It is difficult to show from Scripture that this targeting covered a period of seven years. Depending on what method of counting is used, the end of the 69th week could signify the beginning of Christ’s ministry or His crucifixion. It is unclear from Scripture how long the gospel was exclusively directed to the Jews. While Paul, because of the Jew’s hostility toward the gospel, spent more of his efforts on preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, he didn’t stop preaching to the Jews. Peter and the other
Acts 18:1-6: After this, Paul left
Here we see Paul’s frustration with the lack of Jewish response to the gospel. In exasperation he makes the statement, “from now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Paul had already been preaching to the Gentiles as the previous chapters in Acts clearly show. Was Paul now saying he was going to take the gospel exclusively to the Gentiles? Was Paul going to stop preaching to the Jews? In this same chapter of Acts, we see Paul, several years after his remarks about going to the Gentiles, still preaching to the Jews as well.
Acts 18:18-21: Paul stayed on in
There is nothing in the scriptures to suggest that the New Covenant was confirmed with
The New Covenant was preached to
Notice at the beginning of the 70 weeks prophecy that the Messiah is called the prince. The prophecy then goes on to say that, “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.” Is Daniel suddenly speaking of a different prince? I submit that he is not. Scripture shows that the people of
I submit that the coming prince spoken of by Daniel is Christ, coming in judgment against
When Daniel speaks of the people of the prince that shall come, the people he is referring to are the people of
The 70 weeks prophecy says, “The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26). On the surface this would appear to relate to the Roman destruction of the city and the temple. The Romans did bring a final and complete destruction to the temple and the sanctuary. The Romans did complete the overspreading of abominations.
A reading of the historian Josephus, however, shows that the Jewish zealots had already done much to destroy the city and the temple. One participant in the Jewish revolt actually took possession of the temple and its adjoining parts and melted down the sacred implements used by the priests. He emptied the vessels of sacred wine and oil, which the priests used to pour on burnt offerings, thus leading to the eventual discontinuance of the daily sacrifice. The Idumeans (descendants of Esau) became involved in the rebellion and killed thousands of Jews. What followed was the development of many factions, all fighting each other in civil war. The high priest Ananus was killed and non-Levitical priests installed. Josephus felt this marked the beginning of the destruction of the city.