Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His nameImmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 NASB
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Keisha Castle-Hughes (left) stars as “Mary” and Oscar Isaac (right) stars as “Joseph” in New Line Cinema’s release of Catherine Hardwicke’s drama, The Nativity Story.
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Roman soldiers brought back a Menorah and other holy relics from the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
By David Cook
The Mäshiach had to come before 70 AD. Let me explain why. In the Tanakh we read prophecies about the suffering, death and resurrection of Yeshua our Lord; the promised Mäshiach. [1] In Daniel chapter 9 we read about important events that were predetermined in heaven for the benefit of the Jewish People;
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24 HSV
The angel Gabriel brought an important communique from heaven to Daniel, foretelling that sin would be atoned for in the future and that everlasting righteousness is available for those who have faith like Abraham. Gabriel prophesied that the Mäshiach would make an end of sin and finish transgression, and be put to death. Yeshua our Savior redeemed us from the debt of our sin with His own blood. The prophet Isaiah wrote extensively of the suffering and crucifixion of God’s Righteous Servant, Yeshua the promised Mäshiach in Isaiah chapter 53. Gabriel gives Daniel these significant points in Daniel chapter 9 verse 24;
To finish transgression.
To make an end of sin.
To atone for iniquity.
To bring in everlasting righteousness.
To seal up the vision.
To seal up prophecy.
To anoint the most Holy.
Then Gabriel explained that a decree would be made to restore and rebuild Jerusalem;
Therefore know and understand that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim until the Mäshiach Prince there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens’. The streets will be rebuilt, and the wall, despite treacherous times. Daniel 9:25 HSV
From the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Mashiach comes there will be a certain period of time. The period of time is given in weeks of years, similar to a decade only in seven year periods. There will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens’, for a total of sixty-nine ‘sevens’. Sixty-nine ‘sevens’ or sixty nine weeks of years is equal to 483 years. So after the decree is issued to restore and rebuild Jerusalem there will be 483 years and then the Mäshiach will come.
From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem on March 14, 445 BC by Artaxerxes Longimanus until Yeshua arrived and was presented in Jerusalem riding on a donkey as the Messianic King on April 6, 32 AD. This is celebrated by believers of Yeshua the Messiah on Palm Sunday. We discover that when we calculate 69 weeks of years (or 483 years and correct for leap years) it figures out to be 173,880 days to the day. [2]
How is this possible, to announce the coming of the Anointed One, the Lord’s Mäshiach, the King of Zion; almost five centuries before the historical event transpires in precise detail? The Tanakh is an amazing collection of books, our awesome God orchestrated it. YHVH our Elohim is omniscient, the future is as clear to Him as the present and the past; He knows the beginning from the end.
After sixty-two ‘sevens’ the Mäshiach will be put to death, and will have nothing. The people of the prince that will come, will destroy the city and the temple. The end will come with a flood. War and desolation are determined until the end. Daniel 9:26 HSV
So after the sixty-two ‘sevens’ and the before mentioned seven ‘seven’s (483 years) the Mäshiach will be put to death. Then the people of a future prince will come and destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. YHVH Elohim sent Gabriel to tell His people that an Anointed Prince, who is the promised Mäshiach must come, atone for sin and be put to death before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. The destruction of Jerusalem and the second temple occurred in 70 AD, during the siege of Jerusalem; when the Roman legions fought under Titus Vespasian and the Roman army leveled the city. The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the catastrophic and crucial event of the First Jewish-Roman War. [3] The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus and Tiberius Julius Alexander second-in-command, along with the enlisted soldier legionnaires in Judaea, conscripted provincial soldiers from Syria, other soldiers from Alexandria and in collaboration they besieged, destroyed and conquered the city of Jerusalem. [4]
Josephus wrote that “Vespasian sent his son Titus [who], came by land into Syria, where he gathered together Roman forces, with a considerable number of auxiliaries from the kings in that neighborhood.” [5] Josephus goes on to give us these details; “Malchus also, the king of Arabia, sent a thousand horseman, besides five thousand footmen, the greatest part of which were archers; so that the whole army, including the auxiliaries sent by the kings, as well as horsemen and footmen, when all were united together, amounted to sixty thousand.” [6]
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman senator and historian. He wrote extensively on the history, of this period of the Roman empire. Tacitus includes the Roman attack on Jerusalem and gives details of the specific legions and the peoples that comprised the attacking army: “Titus Caesar . . . found in Judaea three legions, the 5th, the 10th, and the 15th . . . To these he added the 12th from Syria, and some men belonging to the 18th and 3rd, who he had withdrawn from Alexandria. This force was accompanied . . . by a strong contingent of Arabs, who hated the Jews with the usual hatred of neighbors.” [7]
The siege ended with the sacking of the city and the destruction of the Second Temple. The destruction of both the first and second temples is mourned each year at the Jewish fast Tisha B’Av. The Arch of Titus, celebrating the Roman sack of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome. The Arch of Titus, was built in 82 AD by his younger brother Emperor Domitian to commemorate Emperor Titus’ victories, including in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Photo by J. E. Howard, “The Arch of Titus”; built in 82 AD to commemorate Emperor Titus’ victories; including in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
The Jewish People Did Not Recognize the Visitation of the Mäshiach
Tragically, most of the Jewish people did not recognize the time of their visitation by Yeshua the Mäshiach, God’s promised Messianic King. As the Mäshiach King approached Jerusalem, He wept over the city and He gave the reason why the city of Jerusalem and the Second Temple were destroyed as predicted by the angel Gabriel in Daniel 9:26;
41When He approached Jerusalem,
He saw the city and wept over it,
42saying, “If you had known in this day,
even you, the things which make for peace!
But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
43″For the days will come upon you
when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you,
and surround you and hem you in on every side,
44and they will level you to the ground
and your children within you,
and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Luke 19:41-44 NASB
Both God’s envoy the angel Gabriel and Yeshua the Son of God, the promised Mäshiach prophesied the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. In the Bible we see both the severity of God’s judgment and the mercy and love of our Father who is in heaven. Yeshua the Mäshiach explained God’s plan for our redemption and salvation, and how to receive eternal life.
14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through Him.
18“He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:14-18 NASB
In the fullness of times, Mäshiach did come and was presented as King in Jerusalem. In the Gospel of John we read how God blesses all those who believe in and receive His Son, Yeshua the promised Mäshiach.
11He came to His own,
and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name,
13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:11-13 NASB
In the book of Daniel 9:26 we read how God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel in response to his fasting, repentance and contrite prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gabriel told Daniel that the Mäshiach will come and be put to death before the destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem. We know from history that the siege of Jerusalem by Emperor Titus happened in 70 AD; and this is when the temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed. So the Mäshiach had to come before 70 AD. Why then are so many Jewish people still looking for the coming of the Mäshiach?
Is it because they put more faith in the oral traditions of the Talmud taught to them by the rabbinic community; rather than the Word of YHVH Elohim in the Tankh?
[1] Suffering of the Mäshiach, Isaiah chapter 53, Psalm 22:1-24; death of the Mäshiach in Daniel 9:26, Isaiah 53:8-9, resurrection of the Mäshiach Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 53:10-12.
[2] Missler, Chuck, “Daniel’s 70 Weeks”, Koinonia House, 2004. (Also, the recording of “Expositional Commentary on Daniel”)
For many years and to this day the Jewish people have been looking for the arrival of the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah) who it was foretold that he would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord.
We read in the prophet Malachi;
4 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” 2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3 You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:1-6 NASB
While Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah was living on earth He explained that Eliyahu (Elijah) did come but that the people did not recognize him.
17 Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. Matthew 17:1-13 NASB
We read about the miraculous birth of Eliyahu (who is John the baptist) in the gospel of Luke chapter one. We learn that his parents Zacharias and Elizabeth were not able to have children (as was also true of Abraham and Sarah);
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Luke 1:5-7 NASB
Luke gives us the amazing account of John’s (Elihahu’s) miraculous birth. While Zacharias was performing his priestly service in the Temple he was visited by the angel Gabriel.
8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” Luke 1:8-20 NASB
After the birth of his son, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied this concerning his son John:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— 71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:68-79 NASB
John (Eliyahu) is the prophet of the Most High; who went before Messiah Yeshua our Lord to prepare His ways. Below is a link to a radio program about the miraculous birth of John and the virgin birth of Messiah Yeshua.
Many people around the world are looking for and longing for the coming of the Messiah and the era of peace He will bring upon the earth. We read in the Gospel of Matthew;
Yeshua came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
This prophecy was fulfilled about 38 years later, in 70 AD when Roman legions under Titus attacked and subsequently destroyed much of the city of Jerusalem and the Second Jewish Temple.
While Yeshua was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately, saying; “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:1-3 NASB
So as Yeshua (Jesus) was sitting on the Mount of Olives He gave His disciples these three categories of signs of His coming, and of the end of the age;
The beginning of Birth Pangs (Matthew 24:8)
Tribulation (Matthew 24:9)
Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21)
On January 23, 2007 the Fars News Agency reported that “Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem here on Tuesday assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives.” [1]
The Beginning of Birth Pangs
Misleading False Messiahs. (Matthew 24:4-5)
Hearing of Wars and Rumors of Wars. (Matthew 24:6-7)
Famines in various places. (Matthew 24:7)
Earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7)
False Messiahs: False messiahs are a dime a dozen and certainly are on the rise whether it is Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Rebbe among his followers. Rabbi Schneerson was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe (Hasidic leader) of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The Rebbe’s followers believe and claim him to be the Messiah. Or the Sun Myung Moon the founder and leader of the Unification Church established in Seoul, South Korea. False messiahs are on the increase. [2]
Wars and Rumors of War: The United Nations released an estimate in May 2013, that the Syrian War death toll had exceeded 80,000. By June 2013, this figure was updated to over 93,000. Various opposition activist groups estimate between 72,960 and 96,430 people have been killed, of which about half were civilians, but also including 58,500 armed combatants consisting of both the Syrian Army and rebel forces, up to 1,000 opposition protesters and 1,000 government officials. [3]
Famines in Various Places: The BBC News reported on July 20, 2011 that the UN declared a famine in Somalia in Bakool and Lower Shabelle region; “An estimated 10 million people have been affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighboring Kenya or Ethiopia.” [4]
Earthquake Frequency: The frequency of earthquakes are similar to the contractions of a pregnant woman as she approaches labor and the the delivery of her child. The closer the woman comes to giving birth to her child, then the more frequent (and intense) the contractions become. Similarly, the closer we come to Messiah’s “coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (and the rapture of God’s people) then the more frequent earthquakes become. Take a look at the chart below with data from the U.S. Geological Survey, that shows the increase of frequency of earthquakes over time.
U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes Data
Time Span
Earthquakes 7.0 or Higher
1 Earthquake Per Time
1 AD to 1000 AD
15 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 66 years
1000 to 1800 AD
114 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 7 years
1800 to 1900 AD
115 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 10 years
1900 to 1980 AD
774 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 37 days
1980 to 2000 AD
255 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 28 days
2000 to 2008 AD
127 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 26 days
2009 AD
17 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 21 days
2010 AD
24 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 15 days
2011 AD
20 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 18 days
2012 AD
16 earthquakes 7.0 or higher
1 every 23 days
U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes Data. [5]
When my grandmother was living in the late 1800′s earthquakes 7.0 (or higher) happened one in every ten years. In 2012 earthquakes 7.0 on the Richter magnitude scale (or higher) happed one in every thirteen days! Earthquakes are dramatically increasing in both frequency and magnitude.
Beginning of Birth Pangs: Yeshua said that false messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes are the “beginning of birth pangs”. He compared the turbulent times of wars, famines, earthquakes and false messiahs to the contractions and labor pains of a pregnant women, as she nears the day of delivery. [6] As the day draws near of the coming of our Deliverer we see false messiahs, wars (and rumors of wars), famines and earthquakes increasing in frequency. These four signs of the times, false messiahs, war, famine and earthquakes are like contractions that increase in both frequency and intensity as the day approaches of Yeshua’s coming for His people.
Yeshua the Messiah said; “but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will dobecause they have not known theFather or Me.”
John 16:2-3 NASB
Christians will be Killed: On May 28, 2013 FOX NEWS broadcast a report on the beheading of a British soldier on the street in London and the rise of Islamic killings of Christians and other non-Muslims (so called “infidels”). Author Raymond Ibrahim said; “In Indonesia, three Christian girls on their way to school were beheaded; in Syria last Christmas, U.S. supported rebels beheaded a Christian man and fed his body to the dogs. In Africa—Somalia, Tanzania, Mali—Christians are regularly decapitated.” [7]
Mr. Ibrahim spoke of the all-out jihad in Nigeria, Lebanon and in Sudan. In Sudan there has been a genocide, it is estimated that over 1.5 million Christians have been killed by the Janjaweed, (the Arab Muslim militia), and even suspected Islamists in northern Sudan since 1984. [8]
The Beginning of Tribulation
Christians will be killed i.e. Martyrs dying for their faith. (Matthew 24:9)
Christians Hated by All Nations because of Jesus (Yeshua) Name. (Matthew 24:9)
Many People will fall away from the Christian faith. (Matthew 24:10)
Many People will Betray and Hate each other. (Matthew 24:10)
Many False Prophets will Arise and Mislead Many People. (Matthew 24:11)
Lawlessness Increases and Most People’s love will Grow Cold. (Matthew 24:12)
The Person who Endures to the End will be Saved. (Matthew 24:13)
The Gospel of the Kingdom will be Preached in the Whole World as a Testimony to All the Nations. Then the End will Come. (Matthew 24:14)
Great Tribulation
Abomination of Desolation, the anti-Christ standing in the Holy Place of the Temple. (Matthew 24:15 also see Daniel 9:27 and 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4)
Yeshua gives Instructions for those living in the Providence of Judea in Israel during the time when the Abomination of Desolation occurs. (Matthew 24:16-22)
Then there will be a Great Tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. (Matthew 24:21)
For the sake of the elect (Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua as Lord) those days will be cut short, otherwise no person would still be living. (Matthew 24:22)
False Messiahs and False Prophets will Arise and show great Signs and Wonders to Mislead People, if possible even the Elect, that is Jewish and Gentile Believers in Yeshua who are alive at that time. (The elect are chosen believers in Yeshua the promised Messiah. See Matthew 24:24 and Romans 8:28-33 and 1 Peter 2:9)
The Coming of Christ Jesus will be like lighting that flashes from the east to the west. (Matthew 24:27)
Immediately AFTER the Tribulation of those Days; the Sun will be Darkened, the Moon will Not give its Light, the Stars will Fall from the Sky, and the Powers of the Heavens will be Shaken. (Matthew 24:29)
Messiah Coming On the Clouds of the Sky & Gathering the Elect
The Sign of the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will appear in the Sky. (Matthew 24:30)
All the Tribes of the Earth will Mourn when they see Yeshua (Jesus) Coming on the Clouds with Power and Great Glory. (Matthew 24:30 and Zechariah 12:10-14)
Yeshua (Jesus) will send His Angels with a Great Trumpet and they will Gather Together His Elect (that is Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua the promised Messiah, see Romans 8:33 and 1 Peter 2:9) from One End of the Sky to the Other. (Matthew 24:31 and 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-2 and I Corinthians 15:50-52)
This event that Yeshua referred to as the Son of Man coming on the clouds and sending His angels to gather together His elect; is commonly referred to as the rapture of the saints. It is important to notice that Jesus taught that His coming on the clouds and the rapture of the elect happens after the birth pangs and tribulation and after what Jesus referred to as great tribulation.
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:29-31 NASB
Then Yeshua gave more details about His coming on the clouds of the sky and the rapture of His elect in Matthew 24:39-41;
“…so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.” Matthew 24:39-41 NASB
The Son of Man (a name of Yeshua the Messiah) will come;
1. Two men will be in the filed one man will be taken up (raptured) and one will be left behind.
2. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken up (raptured) and one will be left behind.
The Apostle Paul also taught on this important subject when he wrote to the saints who were in the Thessalonian church;
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NASB
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church that two things would take place before the rapture of the elect (i.e. rapture of believers in Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of the living God);
1. The Apostasy (the falling away of many Christians from their faith. Yeshua spoke of this in Matthew 24:10 and Paul in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3)
2. The anti-Christ, who is the man of lawlessness and son of destruction; will be revealed and take his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (Referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 as the abomination of desolation and by Paul in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4 and in the Book of Daniel 9:27 and 12:11.)
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth that at the last trumpet the dead in Christ would rise from the dead and be given immortal bodies and then those who are alive and remain would be changed from mortals to immortals.
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:5-52 NASB
Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica that our Lord Yeshua will descend from heaven “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel” and the sounding of the trumpet, the resurrection of the saints and rapture of both those who had died in Christ as well as those who are alive and remain on earth.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NASB
Yeshua gave His disciples the promise that He would be “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30 ESV
God gave His people the Tanakh, made up of the Torah, known as “the Law”; the five foundation books written by Moses, and the Neviim and Treisar, known as “the Prophets”; the prophetic writings of the major and minor Hebrew prophets, Ketuvim, “the Writings”; the Psalms of David, the Wisdom of Solomon, the sufferings of Job and the Megilot which includes these five books; Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. The Tanakh, known as the “Old Testament” in the Christian Bible; is a most unique and amazing collection of literature. The triune Almighty God — Elohim (a Hebrew plural noun for Almighty God) who is revealed in the Torah, is a unique unified one. Elohim has been actively involved in the Biblical story line throughout history, from the beginning until now; as well as working in and through each writer. The Creator of the heavens and earth, the King of the universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has given His people light, truth, revelation, and insight to understand His prophetic plan for humanity. The central character of God’s plan of redemption is the promised Messiah foretold by the prophets.
First and foremost we learn from the scriptures written by Moses in the Torah, to love the LORD your God with all your, heart, soul and strength;
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today
are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.
9 Write them on the doorframes
of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
Our second priority is to love people, loving your neighbor as yourself. If we love our neighbor we won’t covet what belongs to our neighbor, his house, his car, his fine threads or his wife. These two priorities, loving God with our all and loving all of our neighbors sums up the writings of the Torah and the Hebrew prophets.
8Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;
for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,
YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,
YOU SHALL NOT COVET,”
and if there is any other commandment,
it is summed up in this saying,
“YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
10Love does no wrong to a neighbor;
therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10 NASB
If only we could do this each day, to love the Lord our God and to love every person in every instance. But let’s be honest, not every day nor in every way; have we loved God with our all and loved all of our neighbors as ourselves at all times, at least I know I haven’t. The prophet Isaiah tells us that I’m not alone.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
Isaiah 53:6 NASB
Who is this righteous suffering Servant spoken of by Isaiah? Who is this sacrificial Lamb who the Lord causes all of our iniquity to fall on? All of us need a redemption. We need a Redeemer, a Deliver, all of us need a Savior. We need someone to redeem us, to deliver us, to save us from our all of our iniquities. When there is no repentance, when there is no faith in God and His provision for our sin, then judgment comes. Our sins have consequences, when God’s people refuse to listen, repent of sin and heed His Word, then the consequences are severe.
We read in 2 Chronicles chapter 36;
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers,
sent word to them through his messengers again and again,
because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.
16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words
and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD
was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.
17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,
who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary,
and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged.
God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.
18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God,
both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD’s temple
and the treasures of the king and his officials.
19 They set fire to God’s temple
and broke down the wall of Jerusalem;
they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant,
who escaped from the sword,
and they became servants to him and his sons
until the kingdom of Persia came to power.
2 Chronicles 36:15-20 NIV
God’s own people mocked His messengers, despised His word and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against His people and there was no remedy. Why do we do this? Why such contempt of the Almighty, who is both our Father who is in heaven and a righteous Judge executing justice? Since Adam in the garden after the fall of man, the sin problem has spread from one generation to the next, without remedy until God’s plan of atonement by His righteous suffering Servant was revealed as foretold by Isaiah. How would God solve the “sin” dilemma, the problem that all people of all time have sinned, (except one) and bring redemption for those He chose and those He loves? God’s people despaired when they arrived in Babylon, it seemed no hope was to be found, and they were in captivity for many years. The first temple and much of Jerusalem including the wall were burned and destroyed. Many men and women, young and old were killed with the sword by the Babylonian army, but a remnant of Israel survived and were carried off to Babylon in exile for seventy years.
The Tanakh is a collection of scriptures inspired by God, when we read it or hear it read your faith may commence and increase. God gave His people an amazing prophecy in the book of Daniyel chapter 9 about the arrival of an anointed Prince who would atone for our iniquities, His advent is paramount for Israel;
“You are to know and understand
that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
until one anointed, the Prince,
there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
it will be built again, with plaza and moat,
even in times of distress.”
Daniel 9:25 HSV
What important message was Gabriel sent to earth to communicate? Gabriel was sent to Daniel to let God’s people know when the Messiah the Prince would appear in history. Gabriel informed Daniel that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince is presented, would be a specific period of time, “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks”.
When was the decree issued to restore and rebuild Jerusalem?
We read in the book of Nehemiah chapter 2,
1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,
when wine was brought for him,
I took the wine and gave it to the king.
I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me,
“Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill?
This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king,
“May the king live forever!
Why should my face not look sad
when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins,
and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king,
“If it pleases the king and if your servant
has found favor in his sight,
let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried
so that I can rebuild it.”
Nehemiah 2:1-4 NIV
We read in this scripture that Nehemiah asks permission of the ruler of the Persian Empire, King Artaxerxes; if he may go and rebuild Jerusalem in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of the reign King Artaxerxes. As we read further into the chapter we find out that permission was granted, with protection for safe passage to return to his homeland and building materials were provided as requested by Nehemiah. So the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 B.C. [1] Other mandates were issued by Cyrus King of the Persian Empire, we read of one in the book of Ezra chapter 1 verses 1 through 4. Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the Jewish Temple, but since Gabriel stipulates in Daniel chapter 9 verse 25, “with plaza and moat” to restore and rebuild the city of Jerusalem (not the temple), therefore we can conclude that the decree issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus is the starting point to calculate the 69 weeks.
Israel’s hope and future is intimately intertwined with the advent of the anointed Prince, the promised Messiah. From the beginning God knew He would redeem His people, so that our sin would not separate us from knowing the true and living YHVH, the self existent God; who is the first cause of all. Out of God’s great love for His people it was His purpose to send His righteous Servant to atone for all our iniquity. The Hebrew prophets foretold that God’s promised Messiah, the anointed Prince would die a sacrificial death as a scapegoat for all sin.
Moses gives us a foreshadowing of this concept through the father of faith, our father Abraham. As you know, Abraham and Sarah were unable to have children but God gave him a promise that he would have a son, whose birth was a miracle. Our father Abraham, a loving father was tested, he was asked to sacrifice his beloved son on the altar, although God stopped him. [2] This is known in Hebrew as the Akedah. Because Abraham obeyed Elohim’s voice, God gave Abraham the promise that one of his “Seed” or offspring would bless all the nations of the earth.
“In your seed
all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice.”
Genesis 22:18 NIV
Who is the promised Seed who will bless all the nations of the earth? This is a promise by God about the Messiah who would come to earth, in the fullness of times. God gave us the Akedah, the account of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice in the Torah, in order to see what He Himself would be required to do for His people in the future. The Lord our God would provide a sacrifice for sin, His own beloved Son of promise, whose birth was a miracle, is the innocent Lamb who atoned for all our sin. God did provide for Himself the perfect Lamb, this was His plan for redemption for His people, to deliver us from our sin.
While Israel was in exile in Babylon, in response to Daniels contrite confession of his sin and the sins of his people God sent Gabriel with a special communiqué from the Almighty about the advent of an anointed Prince who would atone for the iniquity of us all – the promised Messiah.
24“Seventy weeks have been decreed
for your people and your holy city,
to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin,
to make atonement for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy
and to anoint the most holy place.
Daniel 9:24 NASB
Some say we should look for the anointed Prince after 7 weeks (or 49 years), although when we look 49 years after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem there is not an anointed Prince in Jerusalem who came to atone for sin. But when we look in history 69 weeks after the decree we discover who the anointed Prince is. So let’s go figure. When we think of a “week” we think of 7 days, but in Daniel 9:25 a “week” refers to seven years instead of seven days. A “week” of years is similar to a decade. A decade is ten years; but a “week” of years is seven years. So we have 7 ‘sevens’ and 62 ‘sevens’. If you add 7 weeks plus 62 weeks there is 69 weeks of years.
69 weeks of years is 69 times 7 years which equals 483 years.
The U.S.A. currently uses the Gregorian calendar that is a 365-day year, based upon the Anno Domini system that counts years from the traditional incarnation of Yeshua the Messiah. Ancient calendars by the Hebrews, Egyptians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Chinese, Mayans and other civilizations were based on a 360-day year. These ancient calendars usually were based on twelve 30-day months. [3] We see this reflected in Bible prophecies in both the Tanakh (Old Testament) and New Testament with a 30-day month and a 360-day year, referred to by some Biblical scholars and theologians as a “Prophetic Calendar” [4]
So 69 times 7 years equals 483 years,
and 483 years times 360-days equals 173,880 days.
Gabriel gave insight to Daniel that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed Prince there will be seven seven-year periods plus sixty-two seven-year periods of time; which equals 483 years. Then when we multiply 483 years times 360-days this equals 173,880 days. This anointed One, the Mäshiach, who is the anointed “Prince of Peace”, the “Prince of princes”, the King of kings; came to redeem God’s people and atone for our sins; “the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” [5]
The English word “prince” used here in Hebrew is “nagid” – a leader, ruler, prince, commander-in-chief, or king. [6] Isaiah tells us that Mäshiach is “Mighty God”, “Prince of Peace”. [7] He is also the “Commander of the host” of heaven, the “Prince of princes”, [8] He is the anointed “King of kings” and Lord of lords. [9]
When did the anointed One, the Mäshiach, the anointed King come to Jerusalem? Yeshua the Mäshiach rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey and was presented as King on April 6, 32 A.D. [10]
The Hebrew prophet Zachariah prophesied under the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord;
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zachariah 9:9 NIV
We read in chapter 19 of Luke’s account about an important event of the ministry of Yeshua the Mäshiach;
35They brought it to Jesus,
and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it.
36As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road.
37As soon as He was approaching,
near the descent of the Mount of Olives,
the whole crowd of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice
for all the miracles which they had seen,
38shouting: ”BLESSED IS THE KING
WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him,
“Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
40But Jesus answered,
“I tell you, if these become silent,
the stones will cry out!”
Luke 19:35-40 NASB
From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem on March 14, 445 B.C. by Artaxerxes Longimanus until Yeshua arrived and was presented in Jerusalem as the Messianic King on April 6, 32 A.D.; we discover that when we calculate 69 weeks of years (or 483 years and correct for leap years) it figures out to be 173,880 days to the day. [11]
How is this possible, to announce the coming of the Anointed One, the Lord’s Mäshiach, the King of Zion; five centuries before the historical event transpires in precise detail? The Tanakh is an amazing collection of books, our awesome God orchestrated it. YHVH our Elohim is omniscient, the future is as clear to Him as the present and the past; He knows the beginning from the end. YHVH our Elohim is the A & Z, the beginning and the end, the Creator and the Judge. Our Father in heaven wanted His people to know exactly when His Son, the Prince of princes and King of kings; would arrive on earth and step forward as the Messiah. God is faithful, He keeps His promises, He is not like men, nor is He like the sons of men who do not fulfill their word. [12]
In Daniel 9:24 God’s angelic messenger Gabriel communicated that it had been our heavenly Father’s plan to redeem us by paying the debt of sin, in order to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. The penalty for sin was paid for. Messiah’s sacrificial death on the cross was not for his own transgressions, but His suffering and excruciating execution on the cross were for our sin; His life was given as an atonement for our transgressions. His human body was “cut off”, he was crucified. Yeshua is the perfect sacrificial Lamb who is without sin, the day of His death on the cross was God’s provision for all sin for all time; it was the day of atonement. He is the one who came to save His people from all of our sins.
The city of Jerusalem and the glorious second temple were destroyed as foretold by Gabriel to Daniel in chapter 9 verse 26;
After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off,
but not for Himself.
The people of the prince that will come;
will destroy the city and the temple,
the end will come with a flood
and desolations are determined until the end of the war.
Daniel 9:26 HSV
YHVH Elohim sent Gabriel to tell His people that an Anointed Prince, who is the promised Messiah must come, atone for sin and be killed before the destruction of Jerusalem and the second temple which occurred in 70 A.D., when the Roman legions fought under Titus Vespasian and the Roman army leveled the city. Tragically, most of the Jewish people did not recognize the time of their visitation by Yeshua the Mäshiach, God’s promised Messianic King.
“because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
As the anointed King approached Jerusalem, He wept over the city and He gave the reason why the second temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed as predicted by Gabriel in Daniel 9:26;
41When He approached Jerusalem,
He saw the city and wept over it,
42saying, “If you had known in this day,
even you, the things which make for peace!
But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
43″For the days will come upon you
when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you,
and surround you and hem you in on every side,
44and they will level you to the ground
and your children within you,
and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Luke 19:41-44 NASB
Both God’s messenger the angel Gabriel and Yeshua the Son God, the promised Messiah prophesied the destruction of the second temple and Jerusalem. In the Bible we see both the severity of God’s judgment and the mercy and love of our Father who is in heaven. Messiah Yeshua explained God’s plan for our redemption and salvation, and how to receive eternal life.
14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through Him.
18“He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:14-18 NASB
In the fullness of times, Messiah did come and was presented as King in Jerusalem. In the Gospel of John we read how God blesses all those who believe in and receive His Son, Yeshua the promised Messiah;
11He came to His own,
and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name,
13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:11-13 NASB
The seventieth week is a seven-year period of time that soon will be upon us, known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble”. This seven-year period of time is revealed to us prophetically by the Lord our God in much detail by the prophets. [13] At the end of God’s prophetic 70th week, there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. [14] Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of the living God will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect people from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. [15] Then God’s righteous wrath will be poured out on the earth [16] and then Messiah will return as promised and fight the wars of God [17], set up His messianic millennial reign of peace; [18] where He will rule the nations in the strength of His might with a rod of iron from Jerusalem. [19] Blessed are those who long for His appearing!
Source Notes:
[1] Anderson, Robert, The Coming Prince, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1894. The classic work on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel.
[2] Genesis 22:1-19
[3] Missler, Chuck, “Hidden Treasures in the Biblical Text”, Koinonia House, 2001, Page 43.
[6] New American Standard, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible; Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Holman, Nashville, TN.
[7] Isaiah 9:6
[8] Daniel 8:11 & 25.
[9] Revelation 19:16
[10] Luke 3:1, Tiberias appointed in A.D. 14; 15th year, A.D. 29; the 4th Passover occurred in A.D. 32. Also, read the thought provoking book by author: McDowell, Josh, “The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, Thomas Nelson, 1999, page 199.
[11] Missler, Chuck, “Daniel’s 70 Weeks”, Koinonia House, 2004. (Also, the recording of “Expositional Commentary on Daniel”)
[12] Numbers 23:19
[13] Jeremiah 30:1-24, Matthew 24:15-35, Revelation chapters 6 to chapter 19.
The genealogy of Jesus Christ can be traced to King David’s royal line and on back to Abraham whom God made a covenant with and then clear on back to the first man the Heavenly Father created, Adam. So Jesus the Messiah is the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of man—the first man Adam; and the Son of God.[1][2]
Abraham was the father of Isaac; and to Isaac was born Jacob and so on. So that all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from King David until the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon were fourteen generations and from the exile of the Jewish remnant to Babylon to the birth of Messiah were fourteen generations.[3] So from Abraham to the birth of the promised Messiah were forty-two generations in all.[4]
[1] Matthew 1:1 – 16 HVS, [2] Luke 3:23 – 38 HVS, [3] Matthew 1:17 HSV, [4] Matthew 1:1 – 17 HSV
Immanuel: a Hebrew word that means, “God is with us”.
by David M. Cook
Long ago God gave us a sign. A sign that gives us an understanding who the Messiah is. Around seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus this prophecy was given, “a virgin will become pregnant, and give birth to a Son”. This is indeed an amazingly unique sign given to us by the Lord Himself! One of the names of Messiah is ‘Immanuel’, a Hebrew word that means, “God is with us”. Immanuel had a most unique birth…a virgin birth!
Advent of Messiah 