Messianic Perspectives

Liz Ayello: God is not going to allow evil to corrupt his creation forever. What is God's final solution to evil? We'll find out today, right here, on Messianic Perspectives.

Shalom, and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinct first-century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Ayello. Today, Pastor Al Rongie answers the question, what is God's final solution to evil? with a study from Daniel 9. I'll be back at the close of the program to tell you about our special offer. And now, with today's installment, here is Al Rongie.

Al Rongie: Thank you for letting me come back into your homes to share with you that wonderful message of our Lord Jesus Christ. I've been speaking on God's final solution to evil. Our prophetic scripture is found in Daniel 9:24-27, and I want to read it to you again in order for you to have it seep into your mind and understand its prophetic meaning.

It's Daniel 9:24-27: "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks," that is, weeks of years.

"The street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be killed, shall be cut off but not for himself. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood," that is, a war, "and to the end of the war, desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week.

"But in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." Remember that I told you that in Daniel 9:24-27, there are five distinct periods of time recorded there.

First, the end of the 70 weeks after which God ends the transgression and establishes everlasting righteousness. He began at the end of the process. The second series is seven weeks of 49 years in which the city was rebuilt, even in troublesome times under Nehemiah. Sixty-two weeks of 434 weeks later, after the seven weeks of years, which totals to 483 years, the Messiah came and was cut off, was killed, but not for himself.

The fourth period of time was that after the death and, of course, the resurrection of the Messiah, there would be the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Second Temple by Titus the Roman prince, who became emperor later. The prophetic clock is stopped for an unknown period, which is a determined amount of years of desolation for the nation of Israel. We don't know the exact time that is determined.

During that time, the church was established and is being built up until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. The fifth period of time was the prophetic clock that starts ticking again. It is the last seven years in which the Antichrist makes his appearance. In fact, he becomes a ruler over the world. He makes a covenant with Israel, but in the middle of that seven weeks, he breaks the covenant, and he orders all sacrifices to cease because he enters into the temple and demands worship.

We've already discussed the end of the 70 weeks of years when all the righteousness of God will be established forever. And the first seven weeks of years, when the Second Temple and the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah during troublesome times. Now we want to look at the exact timing of the Messiah's first coming, which was predicted 483 years from the edict to rebuild the city.

We don't know the time of his second coming, but we do of his first coming. Did you know that the Jews at the beginning of the first century knew this prophecy and was expecting the coming of the Messiah during their lifetime? The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."

The Messiah came and his Hebrew name is Yeshua, which means salvation, and we know him as Jesus of Nazareth. The Jewish scripture also predicted that there would be a negative reaction by the leaders of the religious Jewish nation. In Psalm 118:21 and 24 we are told, "I will give you thanks for you answered me; you have become my salvation," that is, my Yeshua in Hebrew, my Jesus.

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone. The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." So Jesus became the foundation of the spiritual life of Israel. Who are the builders that rejected the true foundational stone of salvation?

They were the religious leaders who rejected Jesus and then began building their religion on the wrong foundation—the foundation of man-made tradition. I don't wish to be offensive to my fellow Jews. I want to be respectful, but I want to be clear on how Messianic Judaism and Rabbinic Judaism differs. Let me name a few of the builders.

There was Rabbi Ben Zakkai in 70 AD after the temple was destroyed. He was the first religious teacher to say that sacrifices, blood sacrifices, are not necessary. All a Jew has to do is do good deeds and that will be his atonement. Rabbi Akiva, who came along in the year 135 AD, he was the one who proclaimed the false Messiah Bar Kokhba as the Messiah.

And then after Bar Kokhba was successful against Rome for just two and a half years, Rabbi Akiva excommunicated Messianic Jews from the synagogue because they would not support that insurrection against Rome. And then Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi in 195 AD had the oral law of the traditions of the rabbis written in a book that became the foundation of the Talmud.

They were some of the main builders who rejected the Messiahship of the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, as was predicted in the Jewish prophecies. Let me share with you what Rabbinic Judaism believes about the Messiah. Now, there are differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Reform Judaism doesn't even believe that God gave the law to Moses, that is, for the most part.

And they do not think of a personal Messiah, but sort of a Messianic age. So I want to address Orthodox Jewish belief. I am quoting the statement from an Orthodox source. It's one of the 13 fundamental Jewish principles: "I believe in the coming of the Messiah, each and every day. Even if he tarries, I will wait for him.

"Whoever does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the Jewish prophets but also of the Torah and of Moses, our teacher." So the Orthodox Jews still wait for the coming of the Messiah. In fact, Rabbinic Judaism was developed in the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Now, why do the rabbis reject Jesus?

They say that it was because he did not bring in the Messianic age of universal peace and justice. Maimonides says that once he builds the temple and gathers Jews back to Israel, then we know for sure that he is Messiah. He doesn't have to say anything; we will accept the role, but we will give it to him. He won't take it to himself at his coming.

So at least he says, well, once we see that this Messiah defeats our enemies, builds the temple, gathers the Jews, and establishes a kingdom of justice, we'll know he's a Messiah. Well, I want to tell you the day will come when Messiah Jesus will return and do just that. And Israel will be grieved to realize that for nearly two millenniums, they have rejected the Messiah.

Why would God allow the temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed so that there could be no sin sacrifice made for 2,000 years, leaving Israel without a means of atonement and without the Levitical priesthood to intercede for them according to the Jewish scriptures? I will tell you why. Because the Lamb of God, Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for sin, was already the Messiah, the sacrifice as the Lamb of God.

What Rabbinic Judaism refuses to believe is that the Messiah is the sin sacrifice for the world, even though Isaiah clearly predicted that this would be the purpose of Messiah's first coming. In Isaiah 53:10, "And yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he has put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin."

Isaiah 53:11 tells us, "By his knowledge, my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." In Isaiah 53:12, "And he bore the sin of many and made intercessions for the transgressors." So Jesus is the only one that could have fulfilled this prophecy. Now, when I speak about what Judaism believes, I want you to know that I have great love for my Jewish brothers and sisters according to the flesh.

And I don't mean to be disrespectful in any way, but I want to point out to them that the prophecy of the Messiah according to Daniel 9 was that he would come at a certain specific date and that he would be killed but not for himself, but for us. And I trust that you will consider what I've said and open your heart to God for the faith to believe the truth about Jesus, because your eternal destiny depends on it. God bless you as you consider all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Liz Ayello: Thank you, Pastor Rongie. And thank you, listening friend for tuning in today. It's always good to have you with us as we look into God's word together. We've been listening to Pastor Al Rongie teach on God's final solution to evil. If you would like to have your own copy of this series, or perhaps you'd like to share it with a friend, you will be glad to know that it's available on two convenient compact discs.

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And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Ayello. Join us next time, won't you, as Pastor Al Rongie continues our series of studies on God's final solution to evil, right here, on Messianic Perspectives.

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