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The Time is Fulfilled
When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he announced in Mark 1:15, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!" It was the Jewish year corresponding to 26/27 AD, and 483 years had passed since the decree of Artaxerxes 1 in 458/457 BC. So the time was fulfilled for the arrival of Israel's anointed Messiah, as prophesied in Daniel 9:25, "From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times". The first 69 weeks (483 years) of Daniel's 70 week (490 year) prophecy was complete, and Jesus appeared publicly, bang on schedule.
Not everyone, of course, recognised that the time had come. There was some definite ambiguity as to which decree Daniel's prophecy was referring to.
In 1537 AD, the Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, issued a new decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and subsequently restored many parts of the city. This included restoration and paving of the temple mount (the plaza), and also of the fortified moat around the Tower of David near the Jaffa Gate. His decree is carved in Arabic and is set in stone on the temple mount, which is visible today for all to see. His decree is also carved in stone on the side of the moat. This latter carving was buried in 1898 during expansion of the city, but a photograph of it was taken first. The decree translates as, "The order to construct this tower for protection of the Islamic walls by his power and duration of his reign, and to dispose of the favouring idols by his force and strength, the one that did Allah especially elected to rule the necks of the kings in the world, the possessor in chain of the throne of Caliphate, Sultan son of Sultan, son of Sultan, son of Sultan, Suleyman."
Does this decree mark the beginning of a second fulfilment of Daniel's 70 week prophecy? Christian Widener, in his book "Witnessing the end", published in 2023, suggests that it does. And I see good reasons to agree with him.
Part of the 70 week prophecy (Daniel 9:27) describes the 'abomination of desolation', an event that had an historic fulfilment in 169-167 BC during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. But in Matthew 24:15, Jesus described this as a future end-time event, indicating that he saw it as a prophecy with a dual-fulfilment. If this part of the prophecy has a dual-fulfilment, it sets a precedent for the whole 70 week prophecy also having a dual-fulfilment.
In that case, if 1537 AD marks the beginning of this second fulfilment, Daniel's 70th week began in 2020 and ends in 2027.
Describing the 70th week, Daniel 9:27 says, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."
In September 2020, Israel signed the Abraham Accords with four Arab countries. Is this the "covenant with many"?
On October 7, 2023, approximately in the middle of 2020-2027, Hamas invaded Israel and committed the most horrifying atrocities. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members." Do the atrocities which Hamas committed, the rape, torture, mutilation, killing and beheading, constitute the abominations prophesied in Daniel 9:27?
If so, these signal the coming of the one who destroys, commonly referred to as the Antichrist (1 John 2:18), and as Gog who will invade Israel (Ezekiel 38) and as the Man of Lawlessness who will take his seat in the temple displaying himself as God (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In 2027, will we see the invasion of Israel by Turkey and their allies, leading to the fall of Jerusalem and the return of Jesus? We cannot be sure, but I believe there are good reasons to believe that we will.
If so, once again now is the time to say, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!"
If you haven't done so already, now is the time to put your faith in Jesus and to turn from all you know to be wrong. It is as simple as getting down on your knees and praying a simple prayer, something like this:
"Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross to save me. Please forgive me for everything I have ever done wrong. Come into my life now and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Make me yours, and help me to follow you faithfully, from now on and for ever, Amen".
And then find a local church if you can, and tell some other Christians what you have done. Buy a bible if you don't already have one, and start reading it. It is God's word to guide you, and is the main way through which God speaks to us and reveals his will to us. And get into the habit of talking to God, believing that he is with you, wherever you are, and that he hears you.
Not everyone, of course, recognised that the time had come. There was some definite ambiguity as to which decree Daniel's prophecy was referring to.
In 1537 AD, the Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, issued a new decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and subsequently restored many parts of the city. This included restoration and paving of the temple mount (the plaza), and also of the fortified moat around the Tower of David near the Jaffa Gate. His decree is carved in Arabic and is set in stone on the temple mount, which is visible today for all to see. His decree is also carved in stone on the side of the moat. This latter carving was buried in 1898 during expansion of the city, but a photograph of it was taken first. The decree translates as, "The order to construct this tower for protection of the Islamic walls by his power and duration of his reign, and to dispose of the favouring idols by his force and strength, the one that did Allah especially elected to rule the necks of the kings in the world, the possessor in chain of the throne of Caliphate, Sultan son of Sultan, son of Sultan, son of Sultan, Suleyman."
Does this decree mark the beginning of a second fulfilment of Daniel's 70 week prophecy? Christian Widener, in his book "Witnessing the end", published in 2023, suggests that it does. And I see good reasons to agree with him.
Part of the 70 week prophecy (Daniel 9:27) describes the 'abomination of desolation', an event that had an historic fulfilment in 169-167 BC during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. But in Matthew 24:15, Jesus described this as a future end-time event, indicating that he saw it as a prophecy with a dual-fulfilment. If this part of the prophecy has a dual-fulfilment, it sets a precedent for the whole 70 week prophecy also having a dual-fulfilment.
In that case, if 1537 AD marks the beginning of this second fulfilment, Daniel's 70th week began in 2020 and ends in 2027.
Describing the 70th week, Daniel 9:27 says, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."
In September 2020, Israel signed the Abraham Accords with four Arab countries. Is this the "covenant with many"?
On October 7, 2023, approximately in the middle of 2020-2027, Hamas invaded Israel and committed the most horrifying atrocities. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members." Do the atrocities which Hamas committed, the rape, torture, mutilation, killing and beheading, constitute the abominations prophesied in Daniel 9:27?
If so, these signal the coming of the one who destroys, commonly referred to as the Antichrist (1 John 2:18), and as Gog who will invade Israel (Ezekiel 38) and as the Man of Lawlessness who will take his seat in the temple displaying himself as God (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In 2027, will we see the invasion of Israel by Turkey and their allies, leading to the fall of Jerusalem and the return of Jesus? We cannot be sure, but I believe there are good reasons to believe that we will.
If so, once again now is the time to say, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!"
If you haven't done so already, now is the time to put your faith in Jesus and to turn from all you know to be wrong. It is as simple as getting down on your knees and praying a simple prayer, something like this:
"Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross to save me. Please forgive me for everything I have ever done wrong. Come into my life now and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Make me yours, and help me to follow you faithfully, from now on and for ever, Amen".
And then find a local church if you can, and tell some other Christians what you have done. Buy a bible if you don't already have one, and start reading it. It is God's word to guide you, and is the main way through which God speaks to us and reveals his will to us. And get into the habit of talking to God, believing that he is with you, wherever you are, and that he hears you.
