The Mystery Man of Prophecy - SOPS2308

Are you ready to experience the amazing love of God and his plan for your life? Are you curious about the fast fulfilling Bible prophecies amidst the rapidly changing world? Secrets of prophecy is your gateway to unlocking these exciting realities. Join Pastor David on a journey of discovery that will not only transform your life, but will equip you with inner peace and an unshakable hope to face the future. Well, it's my pleasure to welcome you to Secrets of prophecy session number eight. We are looking at the mystery man of prophecy. And what are we going to discover in this exciting session? Number one, we're going to look at the Old Testament book and chapter that was cursed by the rabbis in ancient times. Number two, how long was the Old Testament jewish nation given to repent by God? Number three, which foreign king allowed the Jews to actually return home? Number four, what was predicted to happen to Jesus Christ prophetically in the prophecy of Daniel nine? And number five, what is the main point of this time? Prophecy. So here we are in secrets of prophecy, the mystery man of prophecy session number eight. Let's pray. Gracious heavenly Father, never should the Bible be opened without prayer. And we ask, as we open your holy word, the ancient biblical writings, that we will be blessed with wisdom, understanding and hope. We ask in Jesus name, amen. I want to welcome you again and just thank you for joining us for session eight in our secrets of Prophecy series. Tonight we're looking at the mystery man of Bible prophecy. If you would like to follow the study guide, it's downloadable under the description bar on the online platform you're using. And if not, it's not necessary to be able to join us for this exciting session. Let's get started. Every day in Jerusalem, people go down to the western wall. They're praying for the coming of the Messiah. Earnestly and with deep respect, they rock their bodies backwards and forwards, humbly pleading to their God. The people of Israel hope and pray that soon the messiah will come and return their treasured temple to its former glory. The political and spiritual hope of the jew is a messiah who will bring freedom to the people of Israel and peace to the whole world. But throughout the last 2000 years, there were many Messiah hopefuls, including Simon bar Kokba, 135 AD, Moses of Crete, 450 AD Serene, 720 AD, David el Rui, 1160 AD, Abraham Abu Lafiya, 1240 AD and Shabetai Zevai, 1626 ADHD and more recently, Rabbi Schneerson, a New York based rabbi who created much excitement until he died. We're asking the question, where is the messiah? And why has he taken so long? What has happened to all the promises for the Jews? And when will this mystery man of prophecy finally arrive? So, friends, if you look on the screen, we see there that Orthodox Judaism has 13 principles of faith. I want to share with you number twelve, because it impinges on this study that we are doing in session eight. The 12th principle of faith says, I believe with full faith in the coming of the Messiah. And even though he tarries with all that, I await his arrival with every day. So we're asking what may be the greatest of all the prophecies? We find that the ancient prophet Daniel predicted important events in the history of the Jews. This included the exact date for the coming of the biblical Messiah. In fact, in 539 BC, as Jerusalem lay in ruins, the prophet Daniel predicted that Jerusalem would be rebuilt. He predicted the specific year for the coming of the Messiah. He predicted that the messiah would have to die. He predicted the unique purpose of why the messiah would have to die. He revealed the specific date for the death of the Messiah and also a cutoff date for the jewish people to be chosen as God's special people and finally revealed to us that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. Again, you know, clearly this prophecy has major ramification for the jewish nation. Do the Jews even know about this prophecy? And what do they think about it? Should their search for a messiah be over or just beginning? In a bizarre twist, not only is this prophecy known to jewish scholars, but a rabbinical curse has been placed on any jew who reads it to discover the timing of the coming Messiah. To quote one jewish sage said, may the spirits of those who attempt to calculate the final time of Mashiach's coming expire. Remember, Mashiach is the hebrew word for messiah. So the quote says, may the spirits of those who attempt to calculate the final time of the Messiah's coming expire. It's quite a curse, isn't it? With that warning in mind, and that curse on reading Daniel chapter nine, because it would reveal the true messiah, Jesus Christ, let us investigate one of the most intriguing prophecies in the ancient biblical scriptures. Please read the full chapter of Daniel nine, if you can, and notice, especially verses 24 to 27. You can pause the programme and do that now if you wish. Let's go to question number one. What did Jesus say was the theme of the Old Testament scriptures? We are going to Luke 24 and verse 27, Jesus said, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures. The things concerning himself. I'm sorry. That is what Luke wrote about Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ used the scriptures to point out the fact that he was the promised Messiah who was prophesied about in the Old Testament. So both the Old and New Testament scriptures have Jesus Christ as the central theme. The New Testament writers highlight Jesus as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies more than 130 times. Some scholars have estimated that the Old Testament contains over 300 specific prophecies describing who the Messiah is and what he will do. At the very least, more than 50 major prophecies can be clearly identified and tested against a prospective messiah. What would be the chance of all 50 prophecies being fulfilled in one person? Or someone has already done the maths on that. Astronomer and mathematician Peter Stoner calculated that the chances of fulfilling just eight of these messianic prophecies is one in 100,000 trillion. The chances of fulfilling nearly 50 of them would be one in one, followed by 157 zeros. In the book science speaks 1963. By comparing the life of Jesus with the predictions from the Old Testament, it is clear that Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled all the messianic prophecies. This study guide demonstrates the evidence from just a few of these prophetic passages. Let me give you some extra material not in our study guide. One writer wrote, how could a sequence of human beings from their own knowledge alone and living hundreds of years apart, predict a sequence of events that would all come to pass in the life of one person hundreds of years in the future? It beggars belief. That's Brian Ball's book. Can we still believe the Bible? Page 137. That takes us to question two. How do we know Jesus actually was a historical character? Many people say he never existed. It. He's just a myth and a legend held by overly religious people. Is that true? Well, friends, beside the Bible, there are independent historical sources which verify the existence of Jesus Christ. At least 17 non christian sources. I want you to remember that non christian sources mention Jesus all within 150 years of his life. These include roman historians, greek writers, jewish religious leaders, and jewish historians. You know, friends, if we were trying to prove that Jesus was a historical figure, surely using non christian sources would be the very best way to do that. And what about jewish historian Flavius Josephus, born in 37 AD? What did he write? He said, now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. He was the Christ. Christ is another name for Messiah. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold. These and 10,000 other wonderful things concerning him and the tribe of christians, so named from him, not extinct at this day. End of quote. Friends, what about Tacitus, the roman historian? What did he say? Quoting him? Christus, the founder of the name, meaning Christ, the founder of the Christians, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius. That's Tacitus annals, 15 and 44 in the year ad 115. That's quite powerful, isn't it? A roman historian testifies to the veracity of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Now, here are six historical sources that we can refer to. We've just mentioned Josephus, the jewish historian. We've just mentioned Tacitus, the roman historian. There's Suetonius, another roman historian. There's Pliny, a roman governor. There's Lucian, a greek satirist. And there's Mara bar serapion, a greek philosopher. So there are six historical sources for the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are not christian sources, so they certainly are trustworthy. Well, that takes us to question three, halfway down, page five. In what city did the prophetic scriptures predict Jesus would be born? We go to Micah, chapter five and verse two. But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me, the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. Wow, that's powerful, isn't it? Did you know that 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah knew the birthplace of the messiah? And did you know there were actually two bethlehems in the days of Jesus? One in the north of Palestine. The other, Ephratah, was a small town in Judea, and that's its name, before its name was changed from fruitful Ephratah to Bethlehem House of bread. The prophecy is specific. The messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. New Testament writers recorded the history of this birthplace exactly as the Bible predicted. And please refer to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter two and verse one. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he did not originate from there. According to the prophet Micah, Jesus is from everlasting. In other words, prior to coming to earth, Jesus never had a beginning. That is the part of the mystery of God. Jesus was not just a prophet or a good man. He was in fact, the God man, the son of God, equal with God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Question four. So was there a specific time when Jesus would appear and die for his people? Does he fit the Old Testament specifications for the coming messiah? That is the purpose of this study. In session number eight. We go to Galatians four and verse four. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son. The fullness of time just actually means, very simply, that when the time was fulfilled, when it was filled full of meaning, but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son. It seems to me that God's interested in time. Is there a second scripture as we look at a specific time when Jesus would appear and die for his people? There is. Let's try Romans chapter five and verse six. For when we were still without strength. In due time, Christ died for the what? The ungodly. So Jesus came right on time. One of the key aspects of the messianic prophecies revolves around time. Jesus came to this earth in the fullness of time and he died in due time. Jesus himself knew the prophecies and on more than one occasion he avoided conflict with the Jews, because quoting John 730, Jesus hour had not yet come. So, friends, let's cheque out an amazing prophecy in Daniel chapter nine. This prophecy will give all the specifications for the coming Messiah, and then we will see if anyone fits those specifications. We will test Jesus Christ very rigidly according to those dates and specifications. Let's understand the context of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel chapter nine. We need to get some background history to the prophecy. You might remember that Jerusalem had been captured by Babylon. Babylon was the superpower of the day and Daniel was taken back to Babylon as a prisoner of war. While in captivity, Daniel received visions from God outlining global empires that would succeed the might of Babylon. Daniel saw such nations as Medo Persian, the Greeks, and then another empire, the Romans, actually ruling over the Jews. He literally became sick with anxiety. In Daniel chapter eight, verse 27, where was the messiah who would bring freedom from persecution and hatred? And why weren't the Jews actually ruling the world? Well, as Daniel realised the gravity of the situation, he prayed earnestly for his city and his people. He knew full well the Jews had rebelled against God on many, many occasions. Now he was concerned that they may have gone too far. God actually answered Daniel's prayer by sending down the angel Gabriel or Gabriel with a prophecy that we find documented in Daniel chapter nine. So in question five, let's ask, what was the identified time period allocated to the jewish people, let's go to Daniel 924. Daniel wrote, 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city. I'm going to pause there and just translate the meaning. 70 weeks. Word determined. The hebrew word is keathak, and kathak means to cut off, to amputate, to sever. 70 weeks were determined or cut off from the bigger 2300 day year prophecy of Daniel 814 that we'll study in a future time. So 70 weeks were cut off for the jewish people and for their holy city of Jerusalem. During that time, the following things would happen. This would be they would be given time to finish the transgression, to shape up or ship out as God's people. During this time, there would be made an end of sins. The sacrificial system would end because the messiah would come. There'd be no further need to sacrifice animals. Also, when the Messiah came, he would make reconciliation for sins. He'd give people away to be able to be forgiven for their sins. He would also bring in everlasting righteousness. He would seal up the vision and the prophecy by fulfilling it to the letter of the law. And then he would go up to heaven and anoint the most holy place. This prophecy deals specifically with the future of the Jews. We know this because Gabriel pinpoints to Daniel, your people, and your holy city. End of quote. Daniel 924. At the start of this prophecy, Daniel is given a time code. The jewish people would have 70 weeks, meaning 490 days. 70 weeks by seven days in a week to make an end of sins and bring in everlasting righteousness. This meant that God would give the Jews another opportunity to stop their false worship. It's incredible to think that they were actually sacrificing children to pagan and foreign gods. So this meant God would give the Jews another opportunity to stop their false worship and become a holy nation. Before we go on, let me just give you some extra material. At the time Daniel receives this prophecy, Jerusalem and the temple are in ruins, having been destroyed by the babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar II. So there were four things that we need to note about this prophecy. There would be a decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem, including the temple. Number two, there would be a time period given till the messiah would appear. The prophecy actually says these words. There'd be seven weeks and then 62 weeks, giving a time of 69 weeks. The 69 weeks were broken into two parts so that we would know that something took place in seven weeks. Point number three. During this time, the Messiah would be cut off, meaning he would die. Also, the sacrifices would come to an end and this would all happen in the middle or the last of the 70th week. Point number four. There would be the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple, and that would take place in ad 70. So, friends, have a look on the screen. Solomon's temple was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians, as we said. And then the rebuilding of the temple was authorised in 536 BC by the Persians. Now, the second Temple, often called Herod's Temple, is destroyed or was destroyed in ad 70 by the Romans. So the Messiah had to appear after the rebuilding of the first temple and before the destruction of the second Temple, which took place in ad 70. So we're looking for the messiah in that period between 536 BC. Remember, when going from a BC to an ad date, you are going backwards, so you're going backwards from 536 BC and then forwards over the date line to 70 AD. That leads us to our next point, which is fact number one of ten to summarise what we have just learned, and that is that the Jews were given. How long? How long were they given to repent? The prophecy said in Daniel 924 they would be given 70 weeks. And we know 70 weeks by seven would be 490 days. To repent. Let's dig down a little deeper in question number six. In prophetic symbolism, what does a day actually represent? Well, Ezekiel tells us in chapter four and verse six, where he says, by the Lord, I've laid on you a day for each year. There's our answer. In Bible prophecy only. Friends, in Bible prophecy only. I've laid on you a day for each year. So when it says in the new testament, a day with the Lord is like a thousand years, then that is not a prophecy. It's just saying that spending time with the Lord is timeless. Let me share with you the note. So, friends, in Bible prophecy, a day represents a literal year. Please have a look on the screen and note. A jewish year was twelve months. Of how many days? 30 days, which is 360 days. The Bible prophecy. In Bible prophecy, a day represents a literal year. This principle found in the book of Ezekiel, is also found throughout the Bible. And in numbers 1434, it's mentioned twice. This approach was followed by jewish scholars prior to Jesus Christ and is still followed today. Let me share with you some extra material not in the study, and that is that the 70 weeks is 70 weeks by seven days, 490 days. But notice the Moffat Bible translates it, 70 weeks of years are fixed for your people. And the good News Bible translates Daniel 924, 70 times 77 times 70 years. That's how the good news Bible translated seven times 70 years. Then the revised standard version says, 70 weeks of years are decreed. So, friends, it's very, very clear here. There's a period of 490 days, which is code word for 490 years. Extra probationary time is here allotted to the jewish nation. The note says the day for a year principle is also the only possible answer to the prophecy of Daniel nine. It would be impossible for all the events of Daniel nine to actually apply to a literal 490 days. Jerusalem was not even rebuilt by then. 490 days. As a result, the 490 day time period allocated to the Jews represents a literal 490 years. Clearly, our God is very patient, and that takes us to fact number two about the Messiah. 70 weeks, 490 days, actually in Bible prophecy, represents how long? It represents 490 literal years. Now, question seven is very, very important. We're asking what was the starting point for this time period for the jewish nation? We go to the next verse. We're in Daniel chapter nine, and verse 25, the angel Gabriel says to Daniel, know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, those are key words. Jerusalem has to be restored and rebuilt. It's in ruins until Messiah, the prince, means until he appears or turns up, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall, even in troublesome times. Now, that verse refers to the fact that it would take seven weeks of years, or 49 days, meaning 49 years, to rebuild the old jewish temple in the city of Jerusalem. Why did it take so long? Because it says here, the street shall be built again in the wall. Even in troublesome times. The Samaritans and other marauders who'd taken over the city while the Jews were carted off to Babylon as slaves. They were not too happy about being booted out when the Jews returned. And so it took 49 years for the Old Testament sanctuary there in Jerusalem to be rebuilt. The city and the wall will be rebuilt again. So that's why the 69 weeks are broken into seven weeks and 62 weeks. So the starting point of this prophecy was a command allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their city. Did you know this decree is found in Ezra, chapter seven, and was made by King Artaxerxes in the 7th year of his reignite? And that was very accurately dated at 457 BC. In fact, the starting date of 457 BC is verified in history through the writings of the greek historian Herodotus, through babylonian records and through the alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy in the canon of Ptolemy. Did you also know Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientists ever, documented this starting date as. Let me read it. The years of Artaxerxes reign are among the most easily established dates of history. Camnon of Ptolemy, the greek Olympiads, and the allusions in greek history to persian affairs all combine to place the 7th year of Artaxerxes at four. That's Isaac Newton's book, observations upon the prophecies of the Bible. Pages 154 to one, five, seven. Let me give you some extra information to summarise this amazing prophecy. So, the 70 weeks of years would be 490 days or 490 years. It would be broken up to seven weeks or 49 years, and would start with a decree to restore and to build Jerusalem. And then, 483 years later, what would happen? The messiah, the prince, would appear. But to understand and correctly date this prophecy, to get a correct end date, a correct eschatology, we must always have a correct protology, which is we must have a correct starting date. If you get a wrong protology, you will get a wrong eschatology. So my lecturer told me at university, we're asking the question, when did the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem actually take place? You might like to write this down. It's found in Ezra chapter seven and verse eleven. In fact, all of Ezra seven, but also in Ezra chapter six and verse 14. So. Right, in Ezra chapter seven and also Ezra six and verse 14. I'm going to just take a moment to share this extra material with you, so please note what we have on the screen. We actually are going to quote from Ezra chapter seven from the ancient biblical writings. Now, this is the copy of the letter that who. Yes, you're right. The king ArtAxERXes gave under Ezra, the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord and of his statutes to Israel. The king says, I am ArtaxeRxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace and so forth. Now, friends, we are trying to find the starting date for this amazing messianic prophecy. We must get the right date. We're looking for a decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. He says, I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. There is the decree for the Jews to go home. If you read toward the end of the chapter, he says that the Jews can be restored as a nation. They can rebuild the city, and he will even provide funds for them to rebuild the temple. So, friends, what about the starting date in Ezra? Seven. Seven, it says. And there went up some of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem in the 7th year of Artaxerxes the king. But when was that? In Ezra, chapter seven and verse eight, it says. And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month. Month, which was in the 7th year of the king. And so King Artaxerxes began to reign in the December of 465 BC. Remember, we have to go backwards when going from a BC to an ad date. So if we track back five months, we get ourselves into the middle of the year 465, and then we take from that seven years, and that takes us to the year 457, 458 BC. And so that leads us to fact number three about the messiah. Jerusalem would be restored as the capital of the jewish state and the city would be rebuilt. Hence the starting date of the prophecy is actually 457 BC. Question eight. What would happen at the end of the first 69 weeks? We are trying to discover who the messiah is, and here is our answers. Gabriel told Daniel the prophet in Daniel 925, that at the end of the first 69 weeks, the seven weeks and the 62 weeks, this would be until Messiah would appear as the prince. What does this actually mean? Daniel was told the messiah would come 69 weeks after the command to rebuild Jerusalem. If that command was made in 457 BC, then 69 weeks, meaning 483 literal years, that's 69 by seven, brings us to a date of 27 AD. As you can see on the screen on the chart. Please remember there's no year zero. According to this prophecy, the messiah would arrive in 27 AD. Now, I need to just explain to you about this year zero. So, notice on the screen there is a chart showing BC, the years five BC, four BC, three BC, two BC and one BC. And then ADHD dates 12345. Notice in the calculations, during roman time, there's no year zero. So when you go from a BC to an ad date, it's just negative one and then positive one. There's no year zero, so you're actually missing a year. So the rule is you must add one year when going from a BC to an ad date. If you take 457 and take away the 69 weeks, you come to AD 26, so you must add one year to compensate for no year zero. And that gives 27 AD. If you take the starting date of artaxerxes decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and take away the full prophecy, the full 70 weeks or 490 years you come to the year ad 33, but, of course, you must add one year because there's no year zero. And so it takes you to AD 34. Friends, the actual calendar was not calculated until, I think, after the fifth 6th century by Dionysius Exegeus. And it was done in roman times, but it was not actually accurate as to when Jesus was born. So just remember here that you must add one year when going from a BC to an ad date. It's very, very important. Friends, this is one of the most exciting aspects of this prophecy. Did you know Messiah means anointed one? And up until 27 AD, Jesus was a tradesman. He was working each day as a carpenter. And in 27 AD, his life completely changed. Jesus was baptised in the Jordan river and anointed by the holy spirit. See acts 1037 and 38. He left his job as a tradesman and began his public ministry as the messiah for the Jews. So the date of Jesus baptism, AD 27, is determined by a comparison of the biblical account and roman historical records. Luke three. One says the baptism took place in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. History places this year as AD 27. So I'm going to read to you Luke, chapter three, verse one. Now, in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when all the people were baptised, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptised. So why was Luke, the disciple of Jesus and the historian of all the disciples? Why was he so interested in documenting the year of Jesus baptism? Because he was proving that Jesus the Christ the Messiah, was actually the one who was promised in the Old Testament. How do we know the year was actually ad 27? Well, what was actually the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar's reign? When Jesus was baptised. And when did he begin to reign? History tells us that Augustus Caesar's son, Tiberius Caesar, was made a co regent. He was co ruling with full imperial or emperor powers in Ad twelve. Now, his father, Augustus Caesar, died in August 19, AD 14. So some only take it from when his father died and they had 15 years to AD 14. They get the wrong date, they get AD 29. But the year is Ad twelve, when he was a co ruler with his father. And 15 years. Then take us to AD 27, when Jesus was baptised, in the autumn of that year. And so the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar is very clearly proved in prophecy as the correct date of AD 27. Let's go to fact number four about the Messiah, the Messiah. Jesus Christ came right on time and he came right on time in AD 27. Let me give you some extra material. Did you know, there are actually four degrees, four decrees relating to the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem are recorded in the Bible. Ezra and Nehemiah. Let's have a quick look at them. So we're looking for a decree from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. In 536, 537 BC, Cyrus, one of the Medes, remember the Medes and Persians, said the Jews could go home and rebuild the temple. And you can read about that in Ezra chapter one. A second decree was by Darius I Hystaspes, a reassuring of Cyrus decree to go back and rebuild the temple. And that's found in Ezra chapter six. In 457 BC. We've examined in Ezra seven the decree of Artaxerxes, the king, the persian king, to restore and to build Jerusalem. In 444 BC, the same king, Artaxerxes, reauthorizes his first decree. And you can read about that in Nehemiah two. So, friends, of all of those decrees, we're looking for the one to restore and to build Jerusalem. Under Cyrus time, some of the Jews went home. They didn't do much rebuilding. In Darius time, a few of the Jews went home, not much rebuilding took place. But when Artaxerxes said, in 457, you can go home, I'll send a guard, I will provide money. They went home, they restored and rebuilt the city. And it took seven weeks, 49 days or 49 years, and the city was rebuilt. So that is a little bit of background. It's very, very important to get the right date. So here you can see the different dates for going back to Jerusalem. 537, 524, 5744. You must get the right starting date to get the right ending date. So the dates in Ezra seven are 457 BC. Then Messiah appears in AD 27. Does that fit? Is Jesus the Messiah? Yes, it does. He was baptised and appeared as the Messiah. And a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. And that took place in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar's reign. And so that was the year AD 27. And then there would be one week left. The 69 weeks to the 70 weeks would be one week of prophetic years, or seven years will be left. And that time period would finish in ADHD 34. I just want to remind you that Jesus was about 30 years of age when he was baptised and became the messiah. So his birth was about negative four three BC. That's why I said that Dionysius Exegius didn't get the year zero right. Well, it wasn't even a year zero, but you know what I mean? That the year zero or one was not correctly applied to Jesus birthday. But remember, back in those times they didn't have computers. So we are sharing that the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, the year Jesus was baptised and appeared as the messiah and was anointed through the Holy Ghost and approved by heaven, is the year AD 27. Can I ask you why Jesus waited until he was 30 years old to start his ministry? Many people dont know the answer. Maybe you do. The answer would be that in the Old Testament, men had to be 30 years of age before they could become a priest. We know from the book of Hebrews that Jesus would go back to heaven and become our high priest. And therefore he fulfilled all the specifications and he waited until the age of 30 before he began his earthly ministry. It's fascinating, isn't it? Let's have a look at question nine. What was the first thing Jesus said following his baptism? We go to mark 114 15. And he said the time is fulfilled. What does that mean? He said the time is filled full of meaning. This is the right time. That's mark one, verse 15. He said the time is fulfilled. He's claiming to be the messiah. Jesus knew the prophecies of Daniel well. He even said whoever reads, let him understand. Matthew 20 415. Jesus understood his role in life and he knew that his baptism was the start of his public life and teaching as the messiah. And that takes us to fact number five about the Messiah. Jesus recognised the time he became the messiah and he knew that he was fulfilling it by coming on time. In AD 27, which was the end of the 69 weeks predicted in Daniel, chapter 924 to 27. Question ten. So what was predicted to happen to the Messiah during that last prophetic week? Gabriel tells Daniel, and after the 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off. That means to die. But he would not die for himself or his own sins. He would actually be cut off for the sins of the jewish nation. And then for the sins of the world, he would be cut off in the midst of a prophetic week. Well friends, in an amazing twist, we find the Messiah being cut off or killed. Instead of a king to deliver the jews from slavery, we find a king who suffers and dies. The prophecy tells us that this Messiah king did not die for himself. Jesus did not deserve to die. He never sinned. Jesus died for you. His perfect life was offered to save you from your sins and give you a hope for the future. Therefore Messiah fact number six is that the messiah would have to be killed. He would come down to die question eleven. What would the Messiah do in the middle of the last week of this prophecy? Daniel 927. But in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. Interesting. What does that actually mean? Well, the middle of this last week, being the last half of the last seven years, is three and a half years after the coming of the Messiah in AD 27. That would bring us to 31 AD, right on time, according to Bible prophecy. Did you know when Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was miraculously ripped from the top to the bottom? Not the bottom to the top by human hands, but from the top to the bottom by unseen hands. We believe an angel. That temple curtain, I know, in the Old Testament, was very, very thick. Some say even up to four inches thick. This symbolised an end to animal sacrifices, exactly as the Bible predicted. See Matthew 27 and verse 51. Friends, God's Shekinah glory had left the jewish temple because the time was running out of. In the temple service, the Passover lamb was sacrificed once a year on a specific day and at a specific time. It was the afternoon of the 14th day of the hebrew month, Nisand. As the priests were preparing to kill the Passover lamb, did you know that Jesus was dying on a lonely crosse? On that dark afternoon, prophecy was fulfilled, first corinthians five seven. That Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. This historical time is verified by jewish books such as the Talmud. Notice this statement referring to Jesus, Yeshu, in the Hebrew, being hanged on a tree, meaning crucified, on the eve of Passover. The quote says, the afternoon they hanged Yeshu of Nazareth, but they found naught in his defence and hanged him on the eve of the Passover. That's from the babylonian Sanhedrin 43 a. So, friends, by decoding the temple service of the Passover, along with the amazing time prophecy of Daniel nine, we can see that Jesus Christ died in the very year, month, week and day predicted hundreds of years before it ever took place. This time prophecy demonstrates that the Bible can be trusted and Jesus Christ is the true messiah of Bible prophecy. That is why it was cursed. So let me share with you messiah fact number seven. The Bible shares that the messiah is actually Jesus Christ, who would die in ad 31, right on time, according to the prophecy. Let me just take a moment to share with you some extra information. Did you know our God is a God of time, in time and from time. What do I mean? Well, let me ask you, was Jesus baptised for you on time? The messiah was to turn up in AD 27 and did he? Jesus began his ministry for you on time. He began at the age of 30 in the year AD 27. Yes. That means he was born in negative three four bc, or just three four BC. Jesus died and was cut off for you. And he was cut off for you actually on time. He died in the middle of a prophetic week, not on a Wednesday. We know he died on Good Friday, but he died in the midst of a prophetic week of seven years, and he died right on time in AD 31. And then later, after returning to heaven, jesus became your high priest on time in AD 31. We're going to talk more about that in session number nine. The point I want you to take home from all this, if you've been a little bit bemused and challenged by all the dates, is that Jesus came on time. He died on time, and he will return again for his people at the second coming of Jesus Christ on time. Our God is a God on time. He's not late. So I now have a question. Are you prepared to accept this Jesus Christ of Nazareth, son of man and son of God fully as your lord and saviour? And will you do it in time in order to be saved? You need to make that decision before he comes back. And you can make that decision now by just saying in your heart, yes, Lord Jesus, I want to follow you and become a disciple. And I believe that you are the true messiah. Question twelve to whom did Jesus tell his disciples to first preach? We go to Matthew ten, five and six. Jesus said, do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of where? The house of Israel. It is a direct pointer to work for the jewish nation after being anointed as the messiah in AD 27, jesus knew the jewish nation only had seven years left to repent of and accept him as the messiah and saviour from sin. Jesus instructed his disciples to focus on preaching to the jewish people. He longed for the jewish nation to accept him and present him as the messiah to the whole world. Even after his death, Jesus told his disciples to begin their ministry at Jerusalem. He had not given up on the people of Jerusalem. There was still time if they would accept Jesus, the resurrected messiah. So remember that Jesus was working for their salvation once he died, then that work was taken up by his disciples and apostles. Question 13. What warning did Jesus Christ give to the people of Israel? We go to Matthew 21 43. Jesus said his own words. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you. He's referring to the jewish nation and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Friends, this is tragic, isn't it? The time was running out for the jewish nation. They'd killed all the Old Testament prophets and they were plotting right then to kill Jesus Christ. Did you know that Jesus loved the people of Jerusalem? Jesus himself was a jew, and he wept over the city. He pleaded with the religious leaders to believe in him and have a hard experience with God. He performed miracles, taught spiritual truths, healed the sick. Jesus did everything to help the jewish people become a holy nation. You know, jesus knew the prophecy of Daniel nine. He passionately warned them about refusing the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus declared that the great promises of a glorious future will be taken away from the Jews and given to another people. So, friends, I want you to just have a look at the chart. Let's just go through it one more time. 70 weeks or 490 years were cut off the 2300 year prophecy of Daniel 814 for the jewish nation alone to shape up or ship out. The prophecy began in BC 457. As you can see there on the chart in the bottom left hand corner. It commenced with the commandment, or the command by King Artaxerxes, to restore and to build Jerusalem. You can find that in Ezra seven verses, twelve to 26. And also Ezra 614 goes through the three decrees. Seven weeks, 49 days, or 49 years later, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple would be completed. And that is 408 BC. Then 62 weeks later, or 434 years later, Messiah would appear in AD 27. And that is when Jesus was anointed as Messiah. At his baptism three and a half years later, from the autumn of AD 27, when he was baptised. Three and a half years later, in the AD 31, Jesus would be killed and would be cut off, not for his own sins, for he never sinned, but he would die for the sins of the world. And he'd die in the midst of this prophetic week of seven years, not on a Wednesday, but in AD 31. He worked for the jewish nation for three and a half years. They killed the Old Testament prophets, then they opposed his work, and then they plotted to kill him. And they killed him and had the roman government do the job. Three and a half years later, Stephen was stoned and the Christians were scattered out of Jerusalem by this terrible persecution. And Saul was behind that, who later became Paul. And that is when AD 34, the jewish probation, ended. Let's find out a little bit more about what really happened at what really happened to finish the end of this prophecy. That takes us to question 14, when did the gospel really begin to go to the Gentiles and move away from the jewish nation? Going to acts, chapter eight, verses two and four, it says, and devout men carried Stephen to his burial. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. What does this refer to? Please take time to read acts, chapter eight, verses one to eight. The story is, friends, that when Stephen was killed by the jewish religious leaders, he actually became the first christian martyr. This occurred in 34 AD, exactly 490 years after the start of the 70 week prophecy. This was the end for the jewish nation. When God saw what the jewish leaders did to the leadership of his emerging church by stoning the evangelist Stephen. And Saul was behind that. God must have said in his heart, enough is enough. Go now and preach the gospel to the gentiles. So God knew they'd killed his Old Testament prophets. They had killed his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all in Jesus parable of the unjust tenants in the vineyard. They killed the servants. And the owner said, I'll send my son, they'll respect him, but they killed the son. Jesus was telling the jewish leaders he knew they were plotting to kill him. So, friends, then Stephen was preaching that the jewish leaders had rejected Jesus Christ, the messiah, the son of God. And enraged that he was promoting a false messiah that they'd rejected, they stoned him to death. Because the jewish nation hardened themselves against the long suffering love of their God, the prophecy was over. And so it was finished for them as a nation. But the good news is it was not finished for them as individuals. Why? Because Romans 1013, written by the apostle Paul. Who was that? Saul, who authorised the stoning of Stephen. He said, for whosoever. Who does that mean? That means anyone. For whosoever or anyone who shall call upon, upon the name of the Lord, that person can be saved. Once saved, always saved, so long as you stay saved. Now, it's interesting. After the prophecy ends in ad 34, we have in AD 35 the conversion of Saul, who then becomes the apostle Paul. And God tells him to move away from ministering to Jews and killing and beating up christians. In acts 22 21, and the Lord Jesus says to Paul or Saul, depart from me. Sorry? Depart, for I will send you far from here. And you are now going to work for the who? You're going to work for the Gentiles. Who are the Gentiles? The Gentiles is just a name for people who are not Jews. That leads us to Messiah. Fact number eight. The Jews probation as God's only chosen people ended in AD 34. But we need to ask the question, what happened after ad 34? The jewish nation have made a very serious charge. They've said when Jesus was up the front with Pilate and Barabbas, and they were choosing who to release and who to crucify, they said, Jesus of Nazareth's blood be on us and our people. And they took that charge upon themselves to be responsible for the death and the blood of the son of God. So what was going to happen later? Question 15. What would happen to Jerusalem after the death of the Messiah? Daniel 926. It was not good news. And after the 62 weeks, Daniel tells the prophet, sorry, Gabriel, the angel tells the prophet, Daniel. And after the 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself and the people of the prince who is to come, that's the roman general, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. So the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary would be destroyed, not by Messiah, the prince, but by the prince who was to come. Let's find out who that prince was. Here we are told that sometime after the death of Jesus, the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed. This occurred in ad 70, when the roman army marched on Jerusalem and burned it to the ground. This was done by general Titus under the emperor Vespasian's orders, who was his father. The city and its temple were destroyed to such an extent that any remaining Jews were now scattered to all parts of the then known world. Let's go back to where we started. We found out that Solomon's temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 605 and 586 BC. The rebuilding of it was authorised by Artaxerxes in 536 BC. The second temple was destroyed in ad 70 by the Romans. We were trying to find out when the Messiah would come. And according to Daniel nine, the Messiah had to appear before the destruction of the second Temple in ad 70. And there is the prophecy. The Messiah appeared between ad 27 and a half and ad 31, when he died for the sins of the world. And that leads us to the Messiah. Fact number nine. To identify who the true Messiah is, the city and temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed again in ad 70. Question 16. According to the scriptures, who are God's chosen people today? Now that God has moved away from the jewish nation as a nation, to the Gentiles. Galatians 329. It says, and if you are Christ, meaning you belong to Jesus Christ, follower, disciple, then you are Abraham's seed and you are heirs according to the promise, you become the inheritors of all the promises made to Abraham, that they would be the promised nation and race. Friends, the Bible says if you belong to Jesus Christ, then you have access to all the promises once made to Abraham and his people. The Jews have not been abandoned or even cursed as individuals. Every jew who accepts Jesus Christ as the messiah and Lord also has total access to the promises of God. But now we find it is the church of Jesus Christ who are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and his own special people. See one, Peter, chapter two and verse nine. Let's have a look at Messiah. Fact number ten the faithful and obedient ones in the christian church are now called spiritual Israel. Let us now take a moment to summarise the ten points about the Messiah revealed. Fact number one was the Jews were given 70 weeks or 490 day years to repent. That 70 weeks, 490 days, represents in Bible prophecy, 490 literal years. Fact number three was that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the starting date for the prophecy was Artaxerxes decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. In 457 BC, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came right on time at his baptism in ad 27, which was the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Fact number five, Jesus recognised the time he became the messiah as very important because he said, the time is fulfilled. Fact number six the messiah would be cut off, he'd be killed. And so, fact number seven, the Messiah was Jesus Christ, who would die in ad 31. Fact number eight, the jewish probationary time as God's only chosen people ended in ad 34. They had killed his son in ad 31, the son of God. And in ad 34, they killed Stephen the evangelist. And God said, I'm sorry, the time is up, the time is fulfilled. You were given 490 years to shape up or ship out, and that time is now over. Fact number nine, the city and temple of Jerusalem were destroyed again in ad 70 by the Romans. And fact number ten, the faithful christian church are now spiritual Israel and the inheritors of all the promises of Abraham. So, coming back to our chart, we have the decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes, king of the Persia. Seven weeks later, or the 49 years, takes us to BC, 408, where the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple were finished 62 weeks later, which means 62 by seven days in a week, or 434 days or years, takes us to ad 27, when Jesus was anointed as the messiah at his baptism. Three and a half years later, Jesus was crucified on a roman cross and the messiah was certainly cut off in the midst of the prophetic week of seven years when Jesus died on that cross. And then three and a half years later, the evangelist Stephen. Have a look. In acts chapter eight, was stoned to death by the jewish leaders, including Saul the Pharisee. And that then was the close or the end of the jewish probation of the 70 weeks or the 490 years were determined or cut off for the jewish people. No wonder Sir Isaac Newton, in observations on the prophecies of Daniel and the apocalypse of St. John on page 198 said, surely this prophecy of Daniel nine is the cornerstone of the christian religion because, friends, end of quote. It actually proves who is the real Messiah. Doctor Paul Barnett wrote in the truth about Jesus, page 161 to 163. The evidence is there, exclamation mark. You cannot simply turn your back on it. Friends, I hope tonight that you've been convinced by the Holy Spirit and God's powerful word that Jesus Christ fits all of those specifications, that he came on time, he died on time, and that he is offering to be your saviour and messiah. Tonight, there's three points that we need to remember. Number one, that Jesus Christ is the theme of the entire Bible. Number two, Jesus Christ is the messiah for the Jews and therefore the saviour of all mankind. Number three, if you've accepted Jesus Christ, you belong to God's true people who are spiritual Israel. I want to share with you now very quickly, four relational questions that are based on this study session. Eight. Number one, how has the information in this presentation helped build your faith and trust in God and the Bible? I'm sure that you have many, many answers. Maybe one of the answers is that I believe that it has showed us God's love and faithfulness. Psalm 57 ten says, for great is your love. It reaches to the heavens and your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Friends, God loves you. He wants you to know that he provided his son Jesus Christ to be the messiah, to die for the sins of the world. And that Jesus came on time, baptised on time and died on time, shows us that he actually fits all the specifications for being the true Messiah, whether everyone accepts him or nothing. Question two. The baptism of Jesus was its anointing as the Messiah. Why do you think Jesus has also asked us to be baptised in John three five? Mark 1616? These are the words of Jesus. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 1616. Question three. What would you say to a jewish person who has not accepted Jesus as their messiah? I would tell them to start studying the cursed chapter of Daniel, chapter nine, the chapter that the rabbis cursed and study out the 70th week prophecy to see that Jesus Christ was the messiah. Do they think he fits the specifications? And do they think he is possibly the one who died for them? Relational question number four. What can you do in your reading of the Bible to ensure you appreciate the theme of Jesus Christ being in every passage? Well, I remember the words of Jesus in John 539. He said, search the scriptures, and they the scriptures are they which testify of me. That text reminds me that whatever I'm reading in the Bible, I need to ask, ask myself, how does this build up my faith in Jesus Christ? The sacrifice of Jesus in our response question was that he died for you and me. Would you like to accept his sacrifice today and commit your life to him as your messiah, saviour and friend? I hope, friends, that you can say the answer is yes. Let's now go to our five discovery points. Number one, what Old Testament book and chapter was rabbinically cursed? I think you actually know the answer to that, don't you? It's Daniel. Chapter nine was cursed and banned by the rabbis. Number two, how long was the Old Testament jewish nation given by God to shape up or ship out or to repent? They were given 70 weeks, 490 days or 490 years, and it went from 457 BC to AD 34. Number three, which foreign king allowed the Jews to return home? Well, there were three, but the main one was King Artaxerxes of Persia, who sent them home with money to rebuild the sanctuary and to rebuild the city. And that decree was given in 457 BC. And a majority of Jews went home from Babylon, went back and did the rebuilding and resettle. By the way, some never did. They were too comfortable in Babylon. And there is a lesson for us. Let's not become too comfortable in Babylon. Question number four. What was predicted to happen to Jesus Christ prophetically, he would be cut off and he would die in the midst of a prophetic week between ad 27 and ad 34. He would die in the air. AD 31. Finally, if all of these dates are too much for you, what is the main point of this time? Prophecy? The answer is to realise jesus came on time, he was baptised on time, he died on time, and therefore we can be very, very confident that he will come again on time in the second coming. That's great news, isn't it? In our secrets of prophecy, wall of biblical truth. In this session, we learned that Jesus Christ fulfilled the messianic prophecy. He's the mystery man of Bible prophecy. And we learn that he was born on time, is baptised on time and he died on time. Let us pray. Gracious heavenly father, we're excited to be able to review the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel nine and realise very clearly that Jesus Christ was sent on time as the messiah from God. I pray that those who've heard this message can see the beauty of it, can see how powerful it is. A prophecy spanning hundreds of years and thousands of years tells us exactly how much you care about us. That Jesus Christ came on time and fit all the Old Testament specifications. Bless everyone who will hear and read the words of this prophecy. Bless them with wisdom and understanding. May many people make Jesus Christ as their lord and saviour. I ask in Jesus precious name. Amen. Friends, I want to thank you so much for joining us for session eight of secrets of prophecy, the mystery man of Bible prophecy and look forward to joining you for our next session. So I'll say right now, goodbye and God bless you as you continue to study his word. And don't forget, don't leave it too long before you accept Jesus Christ of Nazareth, king of Kingsley kings and Lord of Lords, to the glory of the Father, as your saviour from sin. May God bless you. Bye for now. Secrets of Prophecy with Pastor David Price has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia radio. For more resource in this series you can visit the YouTube page trueblue SDA all one word that's trueblue SDA.