In the early 16th century, the "Protestant Reformation" was sweeping all across Europe. The Reformers were teaching a prophetic interpretation called "Protestant Historicism" which identified the Roman Catholic Papacy as the Antichrist - this idea was universally believed and taught throughout the Protestant world from the 16th Century until around the turn of the 20th century in America.
What is Jesuit "Left Behind" Futurism?
The Greek "anti-Christos" literally means "take the place of Christ". Since the 6th century, the Papacy has blasphemously claimed to take the place of Christ as the arbiter of Salvation and Mediation and is why the Reformers were able to expose the Papacy as the prophesied Antichrist by sound Biblical exegesis. The resulting mass exodus of Catholics who joined up with the Reformation so devastated the Papacy that by the mid-16th century they desperately turned to the Jesuit Order for help. The "Counter-Reformation" was set in motion which aim was to destroy the Protestant Reformation and the Jesuits were commissioned to produce an alternative interpretation of prophecy which would exonerate the Papacy. Two Jesuit idea emerged:
1) Jesuit Preterism: Jesuit Luiz Alcazar claimed all Bible prophecy had been fulfilled in the 1st century and that the Antichrist had been Emperor Nero or some similar despot. This idea is generally unknown to most Christians.
2) Jesuit "Left Behind" Futurism: Jesuit Francisco Ribera claimed Antichrist will be an evil man arising at the end of time during the "last seven years of tribulation", sit in a temple in Jerusalem, broker an Arab/Jew peace treaty, yada yada yada...sound familiar? Jesuit Ribera stole Daniel's 70th week from the OT and sent it down to the end of time as the "last seven years of tribulation". J. N. Darby later added the "Left Behind" secret rapture idea to it and now it seems the entire Protestant world has been swept away with Jesuit ideas. The Papacy essentially told the world, "If you're looking for the Antichrist, look to the past, to the future, ANYWHERE but at us."
I. WHAT IS THE 70 WEEKS PROPHECY?
The 70 Weeks prophecy is a prophetic time period where a prophetic day = a literal year aka the "day/year principle" established by Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6, Luke 13:32, etc. The 70 Weeks (490 days) = 490 literal years.
2) WHAT YEAR DOES THE PROPHECY BEGIN?
Daniel says it begins "...from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem..." While there are three decrees pertaining to this restoration - that of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes - only one is comprehensive enough to satisfy the demands of the 70 Weeks prophecy. Cyrus and Darius merely focused on temple restoration, but the angel Gabriel's words were "...restore and build Jerusalem...the street shall be built, even the wall..." which goes far beyond just temple restoration. Only Artaxerxes' decree covers all this ground. Furthermore, his decree provides for the establishment of a Judiciary and a Constabulary to enforce judicial decrees, as well. According to Ezra 7, Artaxerxes' decree was "in the seventh year reign" which archaeology has proven irrefutably to be 457 B.C. 457 B.C. is our starting point.
3) ARE THE 70 WEEKS DIVIDED INTO EVENT PERIODS?
Yes, the first "7 weeks" pertain to the 49 years that would pass before the street and walls were completed...then follows the period of the "threescore and two weeks" or 62 weeks, which is 434 years that would pass and bring us "unto Messiah the Prince". This refers not to His birth or death, but to His baptism - "Messiah" means "Anointed One" and it's at this time Jesus was anointed in baptism to lay aside His carpenter belt and go forth as the Messiah preaching the kingdom of God is at hand. Daniel's prophecy is clear that the completion of the 69 Weeks would be marked by Jesus' baptism...followed by the events of the 70th week. Jesus' earthly ministry commenced at the start of the 70th week.
4) 457 B.C. MINUS 483 YEARS BRINGS US TO 27 A.D. - IS THIS THE YEAR OF JESUS' BAPTISM?
Yes, Luke 3:21 records Jesus' baptism, and yet Luke 3:1 tells us what year that took place! There was only one year in history that Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, and Herod the Tetrarch reigned simultaneously. According to the Syro-Macedonian calendar -- which was the most commonly used calendar in that region and the one Luke would have used -- the year of that simultaneous reign was 27 A.D. Jesus was baptized at the exact time of the fulfillment of the 69 Weeks and is why He began His ministry by proclaiming, "The time is fulfilled..." which referred to the fulfillment of the 69 Weeks and the beginning of the 70th Week - the week that the Jesuit Ribera hacked out of the OT prophecy and sent down to the end of time as the mythological "last seven years of tribulation".
5) DID JESUS FULFILL ALL THE PREDICTED EVENTS OF THE 70TH WEEK?
Without a doubt, to the letter. The prophecy said Jesus would do the following:
What is Jesuit "Left Behind" Futurism?
The Greek "anti-Christos" literally means "take the place of Christ". Since the 6th century, the Papacy has blasphemously claimed to take the place of Christ as the arbiter of Salvation and Mediation and is why the Reformers were able to expose the Papacy as the prophesied Antichrist by sound Biblical exegesis. The resulting mass exodus of Catholics who joined up with the Reformation so devastated the Papacy that by the mid-16th century they desperately turned to the Jesuit Order for help. The "Counter-Reformation" was set in motion which aim was to destroy the Protestant Reformation and the Jesuits were commissioned to produce an alternative interpretation of prophecy which would exonerate the Papacy. Two Jesuit idea emerged:
1) Jesuit Preterism: Jesuit Luiz Alcazar claimed all Bible prophecy had been fulfilled in the 1st century and that the Antichrist had been Emperor Nero or some similar despot. This idea is generally unknown to most Christians.
2) Jesuit "Left Behind" Futurism: Jesuit Francisco Ribera claimed Antichrist will be an evil man arising at the end of time during the "last seven years of tribulation", sit in a temple in Jerusalem, broker an Arab/Jew peace treaty, yada yada yada...sound familiar? Jesuit Ribera stole Daniel's 70th week from the OT and sent it down to the end of time as the "last seven years of tribulation". J. N. Darby later added the "Left Behind" secret rapture idea to it and now it seems the entire Protestant world has been swept away with Jesuit ideas. The Papacy essentially told the world, "If you're looking for the Antichrist, look to the past, to the future, ANYWHERE but at us."
I. WHAT IS THE 70 WEEKS PROPHECY?
The 70 Weeks prophecy is a prophetic time period where a prophetic day = a literal year aka the "day/year principle" established by Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6, Luke 13:32, etc. The 70 Weeks (490 days) = 490 literal years.
2) WHAT YEAR DOES THE PROPHECY BEGIN?
Daniel says it begins "...from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem..." While there are three decrees pertaining to this restoration - that of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes - only one is comprehensive enough to satisfy the demands of the 70 Weeks prophecy. Cyrus and Darius merely focused on temple restoration, but the angel Gabriel's words were "...restore and build Jerusalem...the street shall be built, even the wall..." which goes far beyond just temple restoration. Only Artaxerxes' decree covers all this ground. Furthermore, his decree provides for the establishment of a Judiciary and a Constabulary to enforce judicial decrees, as well. According to Ezra 7, Artaxerxes' decree was "in the seventh year reign" which archaeology has proven irrefutably to be 457 B.C. 457 B.C. is our starting point.
3) ARE THE 70 WEEKS DIVIDED INTO EVENT PERIODS?
Yes, the first "7 weeks" pertain to the 49 years that would pass before the street and walls were completed...then follows the period of the "threescore and two weeks" or 62 weeks, which is 434 years that would pass and bring us "unto Messiah the Prince". This refers not to His birth or death, but to His baptism - "Messiah" means "Anointed One" and it's at this time Jesus was anointed in baptism to lay aside His carpenter belt and go forth as the Messiah preaching the kingdom of God is at hand. Daniel's prophecy is clear that the completion of the 69 Weeks would be marked by Jesus' baptism...followed by the events of the 70th week. Jesus' earthly ministry commenced at the start of the 70th week.
4) 457 B.C. MINUS 483 YEARS BRINGS US TO 27 A.D. - IS THIS THE YEAR OF JESUS' BAPTISM?
Yes, Luke 3:21 records Jesus' baptism, and yet Luke 3:1 tells us what year that took place! There was only one year in history that Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, and Herod the Tetrarch reigned simultaneously. According to the Syro-Macedonian calendar -- which was the most commonly used calendar in that region and the one Luke would have used -- the year of that simultaneous reign was 27 A.D. Jesus was baptized at the exact time of the fulfillment of the 69 Weeks and is why He began His ministry by proclaiming, "The time is fulfilled..." which referred to the fulfillment of the 69 Weeks and the beginning of the 70th Week - the week that the Jesuit Ribera hacked out of the OT prophecy and sent down to the end of time as the mythological "last seven years of tribulation".
5) DID JESUS FULFILL ALL THE PREDICTED EVENTS OF THE 70TH WEEK?
Without a doubt, to the letter. The prophecy said Jesus would do the following:
- "finish the transgression" -- the word "transgression" here is the strongest word in the OT for sin and literally means "revolt" or "rebellion". The use of the definite article "the" shows this phrase is not referring to the general rebellion of mankind, but to a specific rebellion. To whom and what does this prophecy pertain? To "thy people and thy holy city." The "transgression" to which this refers is that of the "revolt" and "rebellion" of the Jews; those which God had held in highest esteem and expectation. Messiah would end their transgression either by their acceptance of Him or by bringing and end to their modified theocracy through casting them to the four winds of heaven, which He eventually did.
- "make and end of sins" -- Daniel didn't say Jesus would make an end of "sinning" but of sins - by bearing them on the Cross, He "put away sin" by the sacrifice of Himself, according to Hebrews 9:26-28.
- "make reconciliation for iniquity" -- "To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself..." 2 Corinthians 5:19
- "bring in everlasting righteousness" -- By His faithfulness unto death, He is alive evermore as the "Lord of our Righteousness" and, notwithstanding the sinful world around us, we are ever righteous through faith in Him.
- "to seal up the vision and prophecy" -- Christ would "seal up" communicating by vision and prophecy with the rebellious Israelites forever for their disobedience and rejection of Him, because "where there is no vision the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18). After the last prophet sent to Israel, Stephen, was rejected and martyred, the Spirit of Prophecy ceased among Israel and commenced with the church.
- "to anoint the Most Holy" -- This refers to Christ's commencement of His High Priestly ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary. The inauguration of the OT sanctuary saw the anointing of the High Priest, as well as the Holy Place and the Most Holy place. This was the case of the Heavenly Sanctuary, after which the earthly was modeled.
- "...and AFTER threescore and two weeks Messiah shall be cut off..." -- Jesus' was cut off AFTER the 7 and 62 weeks, which means AFTER the 69 Weeks, which means DURING the 70th! Historic events have already taken place during the 70th Week, which means that week is nailed down solid in past history, and no Jesuit or any other can hack it off and send it down to the end of time!
- "...the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy..." -- this refers to either the soldiers of prince Titus which destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. -- OR -- refers to the Jews of Prince Jesus who, through rebellion had caused God's hand of protection to be withdrawn from them, destroyed their own beloved city. No where is the Antichrist seen here.
- "he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week..." -- Isaiah says Jesus was given "for a covenant"; Malachi says Jesus is the "Messenger of the Covenant"; Paul told the Romans Jesus came to "confirm the promises" which includes the promise of the New Covenant"; Jesus said His blood was of the New Covenant shed for "many" and Daniel says Messiah would "confirm the Covenant with "many"; and Hebrews 2:3 explains how Jesus confirmed the New Covenant for the 7 years, though He ascended not long after His crucifixion: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and then was confirmed to us by them that heard Him." -- meaning Jesus confirmed the New Covenant of salvation first by His own words for 3 1/2 years and then through the words of the disciples for the remaining 3 1/2 years!
- "...and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifices and oblation to cease." -- When the Lamb of God was crucified in the middle of the 70th week, God tore the temple veil from top to bottom, signifying that sacrificial system had ceased to be of any significance to Him forever.
May God bless the sincere seeker of truth and help many out of Jesuit error for His glory alone, Amen.- 4
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