Israel Becomes a Nation – Fig Tree Grows

In 1948 Israel became a nation after 2500 years of exile. 70 years from 1948 is 2018.

The Daniel 70 weeks prophecy is the basis for much of what we understand about End Time prophecy. It has been so accurate in its timeline and events, that it was originally questioned as being an original work. The Book of Daniel is divided into two sections on the basis of its content: the ‘court tales’ of chapters 1-6, and the ‘apocalyptic visions’ of chapters 7-12. The nature of the prophecies in Daniel 8, 9 and Daniel 11 are so incredibly precise and specific that even the hardened skeptic has to admit that it is clear evidence of supernatural inspiration. Daniel 9 foretold the coming of Jesus to the exact time of his entry to Jerusalem along with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. It follows with naming of the people where the antichrist will come from later.

Daniel was reading the Book of Jeremiah and realized that the captivity of the Jews (the 70 years) had past and he prayed to God to give an answer:

 Jeremiah 29: 10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 

Daniel prayed to God asking if the Years of Captivity were finished. God sent an Angel and provided the 70 week prophecy as an answer:

Daniel 9: 24 “Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] ^[e]have been decreed for your people and for your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make atonement (reconciliation) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness (right-standing with God), to seal up vision and prophecy andprophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ So you are to know and understand that from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Messiah (the Anointed One), the Prince, there will be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it will be built again, with [a city] plaza and moat, even in times of trouble. ²⁶ Then after the sixty-two weeks [of years] the Anointed One will be cut off [and denied His Messianic kingdom] and have nothing [and no one to defend Him], and the people of the [other] prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he will enter into a binding and irrevocable covenant with the many for one week (seven years), but in the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and grain offering [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and on the wing of abominations will comeone who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who causes the horror.”

Let’s look at the calculation which is described above. The cryptic description from angel Gabriel tell us of 7 weeks of years and 62 weeks of year until the Messiah Prince along with his crucifixion.

7 + 62 Weeks = 69 Weeks 

In the short and sweet version of the calculation:

Start Time:

During the 20th year of his reign (455 B.C.E.), Artaxerxes Longimanus granted permission to Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and gates of the city. (Ne 2:1-8)

Nehemiah 13:6 refers to “the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes,” that is, 445 B.C.E., when Nehemiah returned for a time to the court of this king which aligns with our calculation timeline as prophesied by the angel to Daniel:

69 weeks foretell the time until the coming of Jesus as the Prince and King on Earth and when he is cut off… “the Anointed One will be cut off”

Both John 19:13-17 and Luke 23:44-54 reveal that Jesus died on a day before the Sabbath which started at 6:00 pm on Friday. That is, Jesus died on a Passover Eve and entered Jerusalem on the previous Palm Sunday.

476+ Gregorian Years

When the 483 biblical years or 173,880 days are converted from the biblical calendar into the Gregorian calendar with leap years and such:

Artaxerxes Decree                   To                Palm Sunday – Jesus in Jerusalem

March 14, 445  B.C                   To               April 6, 32 A.D.  = (69 x 7 years) x (360 days/year) or 173,880 days

In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days.

This exact foretelling of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem along with Jesus referencing the Book of Daniel has made the remaining prophecies stand out:

Mathew 24: 15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

The Remaining Week of the 70

We covered the 69 weeks of years in the prophecy. However, one week of years remains. When Jesus was crucified, the countdown stopped. The temple and the city were destroyed by the Romans:

Mathew 24: 2And 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.”

Now getting back to why the last 70 years until May 14, 2018 is important…

 1 Week of Years – remains

The main reason the Daniel prophecy is so important, is it tells us where the antichrist comes from: The people of the prince who destroyed the temple were the Romans in 70 AD. When you see a peace treaty that confirms the Abraham covenant that Jerusalem and Israel were given to the Jewish people by God, the last 7 years countdown is triggered. The first half of the 7 years is antichrist building power (chicken in every pot) (re-distributes the wealth) and the last 3 ½ years is the Great Tribulation.

For more detail on the antichrist see:

http://howlongolord.com/will-you-deny-him/

 Last Generation That See The Fig Tree Nation Bloom Again

This generation shall not pass away

As Jesus had dried up (withered) the fig tree (Israel) because of its unfruitfulness (Matt. 21:19) even so, due to the grace of God, we have seen it blossom again in these latter days since May 14^th 1948.

Mathew 21: 18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

The fig tree (Israel) withered and died and stopped being in the land. In 70 AD the Romans destroyed the temple and Israel was no longer a sovereign nation. Israel’s leaves were withered when the Romans destroyed the temple and Jerusalem.

The LORD said to me ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ And I said, ‘Figs, the good figs, very good, and the bad, very bad (Jer 24.3)

Hosea 9:10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;
            I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.

Later we see the fig tree revived May 14, 1948:

Mathew 24:  32“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.  36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

The metaphor of Israel as a “fig tree” and other nations as trees can be found in the Old Testament. “my fig tree” (Joel 1:7, 12) (Deut. 8:8; Hosea 9:10) (Judg. 9:15; Psa. 29:5)(Jer.24:3)

My Generation:

Psalm 90:  10As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

Conclusion

The interpretation of Daniels 70 Weeks, along with the Fig Tree Nation, are the basis of the idea that we are in that prophesied period of time. The conclusion would be that we are close to starting that last 7 year period in Daniel’s prophecy. This should remind everyone of the possibility that we are near the time of the return of Christ. Remember the verse in Mathew 24:

 36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

However, you should not ignore the signs given that point to the season of the End Times.