The date the Messiah would return was set in stone, scribbled on a sacred scroll penned by the Prophet Daniel. Sent to man by God through the angel Gabriel; the day of salvation was clearly foretold to the exact day. The Scribes, Priests and Pharisees had memorized the words, calculated the date but were still blinded, unable to see the miracle God was performing.
The date the Messiah would return was set in stone, scribbled on a sacred scroll penned by the Prophet Daniel. Sent to man by God through the angel Gabriel; the day of salvation was clearly foretold to the exact day. The Scribes, Priests and Pharisees had memorized the words, calculated the date but were still blinded, unable to see the miracle God was performing.
From the very beginning of creation God only wanted to walk with man, to create in Adam the ability to choose to love Him but man turned away from his creator and followed a self-centered destructive path filled with lust, greed and power.
In time God raised up a remnant, a family clan, from Noah’s son Shem. It was His plan and hope that He could reveal Himself to the entire world through the good works of this one family line. As time passed and the family grew into a nation, they too turned away from God following a destructive path of self indulgence while worshipping gods made by their own hands.
Once again out of His great love and mercy, God sent the prophets to warn His people to return to fellowship with Him but instead the nation killed the prophets and walked further down the road of bondage. Instead of being a great light to the world they became a perverted darkness, sinking lower and lower into the pit of depravity.
Finally, after seventy years of captivity, God heard the cries of His people and freed them from their servitude in Babylon. It was during this period that God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel. He explained what would transpire in the future and how He would bring peace back to the world.
God’s prophets had foreseen these two great appearances of the Messiah but from their perspective it looked like a single mountain peak on a distance horizon. They couldn’t see the valley that lay between the Messiah’s first and second appearances.
We are now living at a time on the furthest edge of that valley. The return of the King is imminent and when He does return He will set into motion the seventieth week that the angel Gabriel delivered to the prophet Daniel over twenty-five hundred years ago.
Who is this King of Glory? In the Greek His name is Jesus, in Hebrew Jeshua (Joshua) and He is the Alpha and the Omega or the beginning and the end. God promised that He would be the One to pay all back all debts and accomplish the work of salvation through His crucifixion in Jerusalem.
After dying, Jesus returned from death and promised new, eternal life to all who would only believe and put their faith in Him. Then He went away to prepare a place for His bride “the church” promising one day to return for us.
It is this event that we are expectantly waiting for and warned will take place in the twinkling of an eye right before the seventieth week or the seven year period know as the day of “Jacob’s trouble.”
God doesn’t want our religion. He made it clear that we have no part in salvation and that it is in Him and Him alone that we are saved from evil. Even the earth is in bondage and groans while it awaits its freedom and restoration. The seventieth week is about to begin and will usher in the second appearance of Jesus Christ who will at that time set up His kingdom here on earth.
The earth is about to enter its sabbatical rest of one thousand years which is referred to as the Millennial Kingdom. At that time, Jesus will rule and reign this kingdom with an iron scepter and there will be peace on the earth.
God doesn’t want man’s religion, filled with endless rules and regulations; all He wants from us is a relationship where we chose to walk closely with Him in love. The law can only bring us to the edge of the Promised Land it cannot lead you in. The only way into the Promised Land is by following Joshua (Jeshua in Hebrew, Jesus in Greek).
When Martha and Mary’s brother died Jesus told them that he would live again. He went on to explain that He was the resurrection and the life and that anyone who believed in Him would never die. He also explained to the apostles that He was the only Way, the Truth and the Life and that anyone desiring to tabernacle with God could only approach through Him.
This present world is running on greed; money has become the god of our world system. When Jesus returns to set up His kingdom it will be love that prevails and motivates us to good works.
