The beginning of the return of Israelites to the land of Israel from the nations in the 20th century is a prelude to the events of the time of the end of this present age reflected in the scope of Bible prophecy. [Isaiah 11; Jeremiah 30; Ezekiel 36,37,38, 39; Daniel 9,12; Micah 4,5; Joel:2,3; Zechariah 12,13,14]
Israel's absence or presence in the land of Israel has a direct correlation with stopping and restarting the prophetic clock.
Israel today is positioned for the start of the beginning of the 70th week decreed for the nation by the Lord which will then run its course for a period of 7 years and culminate in His visible presence on the earth. [Daniel 9,12].
The Lord has maintained the Abrahamic covenant with Israel and will carry out His promises to the nation including the establishment of His earthly kingdom for 1,000 years. He will rule the earth from Jerusalem [Micah 4]
Abraham lived in Ur a province of ancient Babylonia which was the center of the Sumerian civilization. He was a descendant of Noah's son Shem and he recognized that there was only one true God. Babylonia's post flood culture was one of paganism.
Abraham is the father of modern Israel and most of the Arab nations that exist today. The southern Babylonians [Sumerians] occupying the land of Shinar and the northern Babylonians [Assyrians] occupying the land of Magog are their ancestors. [Genesis 12:1-8]
The countries of modern day Iraq, northeastern Syria, eastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran include a large portion of both of these ancient areas. The inhabitants today are a mixture of Semitic, Hamitic, and Japhetic lineage [a majority are adherents of Islam today].
The Lord had already warned humanity about building their cities and the consequences of organizing to a level that would lead to self-determination and separation from His providence and direction. [Genesis 11:1-9]
This development had grown considerably by the time He called Abraham to leave the area and migrate to establish the land of Israel. [Genesis 10: 8-12]
His purpose was to separate a people for Himself who would be different from all of the rest of humanity [unbelieving nations of the Gentiles] by recognizing Him as the only true God and creator of the universe.
Israel would then be a witness to an unbelieving, unsaved world by their relationship to Him through their coming Messiah and King Jesus Christ.
Part of His purpose with Israel has been a success by producing the scriptures contained in the Bible through the nation's prophets, scribes, and apostles.
Israel is also the nation that the Lord came to for His mission on the cross and will be the nation that He will return to at the end of this present age.
Israel as a national people did not fulfill their part of the Lord's expectations and failed in their relationship with Him.
As a result He has subjected them to exist in the world without His providence and they have paid the price. Greater difficulties are scheduled at the end of this present age.
It is significant that the nation of Israel is existing as an independent political entity in the land of Israel today after many centuries of domination by the Gentiles and exile from their land.
The nation's continuous intransigence against the Lord's providence and direction has resulted in the loss of His personal guidance and revelation. Israel as a nation is still in this condition at the present time.
The Lord's long term preservation of Israel's national identity is specifically for His ultimate plans.....not Israel's self-generated nationalism.
The years following the reign of Israel's prominent kings David and his son Solomon included political division of the nation and subsequent invasion and assimilation of ten of the tribes of Israel by the Assyrians.
Successive dominance of a remnant part of the nation followed by the three Middle Eastern empires of neo-Babylon, Persia, and Grecia.
The neo-Babylonians conquered what was left of the remnant, took many captives, and relocated the population. It was under the rule of the next empire, Persia, that a remnant of Israel was allowed to return to the Land of Israel [445 B.C.].
This began the count down of the 70 weeks of years [490 literal years] decreed for the nation. 483 years have lapsed with one 7 year period yet to be experienced by Israel after their second return from the nations of the Gentiles to the land of Israel. [Daniel 9:24-27]
If the death and resurrection of Jesus occurred around 33 A.D. then the following calculation can be made. The time lapse would be 444 calendar years to the first century from 445 B.C. plus 33 additional years to equal 477 years.
The conversion factor for 360 day prophetic years can be calculated by dividing 365 by 360 which is 1.0138. Prophetic years are shorter so there are more of them included in the time frame of 477 calendar years.
There are 483.5826 [477 x 1.0138] prophetic years in the time frame. If one adjusts this result by leap year days, the final calculation is very close to 483 years [69 weeks of years].
Daniel's vision of the time frame allows for this amount of time to lapse after which the Messiah Prince would be cut off and have nothing.
The last segment of 7 years [1 week of years .... 1 heptad of 7 years]) is still yet future and requires Israel's return to the Land of Israel from the nations.
This final 7 years will include future prophetic events leading up to the visible return of Israel's Messiah who is Jesus Christ.
A remnant of Israel returned during the Persian Empire and were subjects of the next rulers of the Middle East. Attempts were made to regain independence from their Greek overlords, but with limited success.
Much difficulty was experienced as a result of the behavior of the Greek kings of the north who continuously imposed cultural and religious practices upon the remnant.
Similar conditions were experienced under Roman rule in the first century and the small Jewish remnant was eventually attacked, persecuted, killed, and scattered .... virtually removed from the land of Israel.
The end of the 69th week [483 years] decreed for Israel lapsed at the departure of Jesus from the earth [about 33 A.D.]. Subsequent Roman invasions are not included in the scope of Biblical prophecy as it relates to the time of the end.
Israel's current presence in the Land of Israel is a prelude to the beginning of the 70th week which will lead up to the coming of their Messiah a second time.
The nation will experience an unprecedented time of trouble ("Jacob's" trouble), but a believing remnant part will be rescued by the Lord at His second coming. [Jeremiah 30]
He will establish His literal Kingdom and rule over Israel and the world for 1,000 years. [Micah 4; Revelation 20]
Another satanically inspired human rebellion will occur at the end of His Kingdom which will result in the total destruction of the earth, its rebellious inhabitants, and the entire universe. [Revelation 20]
The Lord will then recondition the universe and the earth for eternity without imperfection. All evil will be eliminated including satan, the fallen angels, and all unsaved humans [Revelation 19; 20; 21].
Israel's absence or presence in the land of Israel has a direct correlation with stopping and restarting the prophetic clock.
Israel today is positioned for the start of the beginning of the 70th week decreed for the nation by the Lord which will then run its course for a period of 7 years and culminate in His visible presence on the earth. [Daniel 9,12].
The Lord has maintained the Abrahamic covenant with Israel and will carry out His promises to the nation including the establishment of His earthly kingdom for 1,000 years. He will rule the earth from Jerusalem [Micah 4]
Abraham lived in Ur a province of ancient Babylonia which was the center of the Sumerian civilization. He was a descendant of Noah's son Shem and he recognized that there was only one true God. Babylonia's post flood culture was one of paganism.
Abraham is the father of modern Israel and most of the Arab nations that exist today. The southern Babylonians [Sumerians] occupying the land of Shinar and the northern Babylonians [Assyrians] occupying the land of Magog are their ancestors. [Genesis 12:1-8]
The countries of modern day Iraq, northeastern Syria, eastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran include a large portion of both of these ancient areas. The inhabitants today are a mixture of Semitic, Hamitic, and Japhetic lineage [a majority are adherents of Islam today].
The Lord had already warned humanity about building their cities and the consequences of organizing to a level that would lead to self-determination and separation from His providence and direction. [Genesis 11:1-9]
This development had grown considerably by the time He called Abraham to leave the area and migrate to establish the land of Israel. [Genesis 10: 8-12]
His purpose was to separate a people for Himself who would be different from all of the rest of humanity [unbelieving nations of the Gentiles] by recognizing Him as the only true God and creator of the universe.
Israel would then be a witness to an unbelieving, unsaved world by their relationship to Him through their coming Messiah and King Jesus Christ.
Part of His purpose with Israel has been a success by producing the scriptures contained in the Bible through the nation's prophets, scribes, and apostles.
Israel is also the nation that the Lord came to for His mission on the cross and will be the nation that He will return to at the end of this present age.
Israel as a national people did not fulfill their part of the Lord's expectations and failed in their relationship with Him.
As a result He has subjected them to exist in the world without His providence and they have paid the price. Greater difficulties are scheduled at the end of this present age.
It is significant that the nation of Israel is existing as an independent political entity in the land of Israel today after many centuries of domination by the Gentiles and exile from their land.
The nation's continuous intransigence against the Lord's providence and direction has resulted in the loss of His personal guidance and revelation. Israel as a nation is still in this condition at the present time.
The Lord's long term preservation of Israel's national identity is specifically for His ultimate plans.....not Israel's self-generated nationalism.
The years following the reign of Israel's prominent kings David and his son Solomon included political division of the nation and subsequent invasion and assimilation of ten of the tribes of Israel by the Assyrians.
Successive dominance of a remnant part of the nation followed by the three Middle Eastern empires of neo-Babylon, Persia, and Grecia.
The neo-Babylonians conquered what was left of the remnant, took many captives, and relocated the population. It was under the rule of the next empire, Persia, that a remnant of Israel was allowed to return to the Land of Israel [445 B.C.].
This began the count down of the 70 weeks of years [490 literal years] decreed for the nation. 483 years have lapsed with one 7 year period yet to be experienced by Israel after their second return from the nations of the Gentiles to the land of Israel. [Daniel 9:24-27]
If the death and resurrection of Jesus occurred around 33 A.D. then the following calculation can be made. The time lapse would be 444 calendar years to the first century from 445 B.C. plus 33 additional years to equal 477 years.
The conversion factor for 360 day prophetic years can be calculated by dividing 365 by 360 which is 1.0138. Prophetic years are shorter so there are more of them included in the time frame of 477 calendar years.
There are 483.5826 [477 x 1.0138] prophetic years in the time frame. If one adjusts this result by leap year days, the final calculation is very close to 483 years [69 weeks of years].
Daniel's vision of the time frame allows for this amount of time to lapse after which the Messiah Prince would be cut off and have nothing.
The last segment of 7 years [1 week of years .... 1 heptad of 7 years]) is still yet future and requires Israel's return to the Land of Israel from the nations.
This final 7 years will include future prophetic events leading up to the visible return of Israel's Messiah who is Jesus Christ.
A remnant of Israel returned during the Persian Empire and were subjects of the next rulers of the Middle East. Attempts were made to regain independence from their Greek overlords, but with limited success.
Much difficulty was experienced as a result of the behavior of the Greek kings of the north who continuously imposed cultural and religious practices upon the remnant.
Similar conditions were experienced under Roman rule in the first century and the small Jewish remnant was eventually attacked, persecuted, killed, and scattered .... virtually removed from the land of Israel.
The end of the 69th week [483 years] decreed for Israel lapsed at the departure of Jesus from the earth [about 33 A.D.]. Subsequent Roman invasions are not included in the scope of Biblical prophecy as it relates to the time of the end.
Israel's current presence in the Land of Israel is a prelude to the beginning of the 70th week which will lead up to the coming of their Messiah a second time.
The nation will experience an unprecedented time of trouble ("Jacob's" trouble), but a believing remnant part will be rescued by the Lord at His second coming. [Jeremiah 30]
He will establish His literal Kingdom and rule over Israel and the world for 1,000 years. [Micah 4; Revelation 20]
Another satanically inspired human rebellion will occur at the end of His Kingdom which will result in the total destruction of the earth, its rebellious inhabitants, and the entire universe. [Revelation 20]
The Lord will then recondition the universe and the earth for eternity without imperfection. All evil will be eliminated including satan, the fallen angels, and all unsaved humans [Revelation 19; 20; 21].
