Holy Scriptures and Israel

Announcer: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levittan.

Gideon Levytam: Let's turn to Daniel chapter 10 and today we are going to read this chapter Daniel 10 and we are going to continue in the prophecy and we'll see how far we get to this point. Daniel 10 I'm going to read this chapter. In fact, I'm going to read Daniel chapter 10 verse 1 so I'm reading. Please follow me. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose name was called Belt Shazzar and the thing was true and the time appointed was long and he understood the thing and the understanding of the vision.

In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the 420th day of the first month as I was by the side of the great river which is Hiddekel or the Tigris river then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like the beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning and his eyes as the lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

And I Daniel alone saw the vision. For the men that were with me saw not the vision but a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision and there remained no strength in me for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words and when I heard the voice of his words then was I in a deep sleep on my face and my face towards the ground. And behold a hand touched me which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

And I'm going to stop with the reading at this moment. Now today we are going to start to speak about Daniel chapter 10. In fact, Daniel chapter 10 11 12 those three chapters I really link together and gives us really the final vision that we have given to Daniel at the time after the chapter 9 have ended. And really what we have here in chapter 10 11 and 12 those three chapters are connected together and really it is the final vision that Daniel received but the vision that he received now in chapter 10 11 and 12 are really take us all the way from the period of time that Daniel lived all the way up till the time of the second coming of the Messiah after the end of the tribulation and the second coming of the Messiah.

And so in those three chapters we we see one unit connected together but there are sections that we will need to divide it into various sections in order to get some further help on these particular chapters. But I just want to remind you in our last meeting together we have finished chapter 9 especially verses 24 to 27 which is the 70 weeks of Daniel. If you remember if you just bear with me for a moment the last verse of chapter 9 of the book of Daniel says this. He this is the Roman prince the Antichrist the Messiah Shaker the counterfeit Messiah the false Messiah.

He shall confirm a covenant confirm a covenant with the many. This is the many leaders of Israel not with all but with the many of Israel who would want to have the sacrificial system established and he will make a covenant with them for seven years and in the middle of the seven years in the middle of the week after three and a half years he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. He going to stop the sacrificial system that have been offered and what's happened for the overspreading of abomination he will make it desolate.

In other words, he will do what is known to us what is called the abomination which make us desolate and we have spoken about it before that there will be two stages of the abomination of desolation. Stage number one is he this is the counterfeit Messiah the Antichrist sitting at the temple claiming to be God. Second Thessalonian chapter 2. This is number one. The second stage it is that the false prophet Revelation chapter 13 is going to situate an image of the first beast of the Antichrist and he will ask everyone to worship among the people of Israel and the nations of the world to worship the Antichrist.

But now the question is the abomination of desolation how long time it will last. And so we learn from verse 27. Here is the word after it says and for the overspreading of abomination he will make it desolate and notice the next word saying even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator. Now the length of time that the Antichrist the counterfeit Messiah the Messiah Shaker will be allowed to sit in the temple or to have the image set in the temple will be only for three and a half years and no more.

In other words, the time that he going to be allowed to do that has been determined by God. And so it says here until the consummation and that had been determined. In other words, it will not happen any longer than what God will allow it to happen. Now it just this expression determined here that we have in verse 27. In other words, declared beforehand by God. God have determined that the whole tribulation or Jacob's trouble the tribulation that will be only seven years no less and no more. And therefore God will bring it to its end.

In other words, the persecution of the people of Israel of our people of my people the Jewish people will not last any longer in the tribulation period than those seven years. And specifically the great tribulation as we call it the second half of the tribulation are not going to be any longer than these particular three and a half years. It had been declared and determined by God. Now let me just quickly show you two verses. Turn back to Isaiah chapter 10 just for a second. Isaiah 10 verse 23 it's speaking about the remnant of Israel that will be saved.

For example, it says here in verse 20 and it shall come to pass in the that day that the remnant of Israel and such that I escape of the house of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord and the holy one of Israel in truth. Verse 21 the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God. That remnant speaking about the people of Israel the Jewish people it's mentioned many times remnant of Jacob remnant of Israel verse 22 for though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea yet a remnant of them shall return.

The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. And then notice verse 23. For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption even determined in the midst of all the land. God has declared beforehand that there will be only certain length of time whereby the tribulation will be allowed to continue and eventually as it says here the remnant of thy people shall return. The remnant of Israel will escape. The house of Jacob will escape and eventually will be saved. If you just turn also to Isaiah 28 for a minute one more verse. You remember the verse that we very well known Isaiah 28 and verse 16.

Therefore thus says the Lord God behold I lay in Zion. You know the song we sing I lay in Zion for a foundation stone a tried stone a precious cornerstone a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not be ashamed or shall not make haste. Now notice verse 22. Now therefore be ye not mockers lest your bands be made strong. For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth. In other words, there is a determination of God. There is a decree which have been set beforehand by God for a certain time in which the tribulation period will have to come to a conclusion to an end.

And Israel the remnant of Israel and this remnant we're not talking one two three four 10 or 100 or whatever. We are talking many of the nation of Israel but there will be the leftover the two-third after the Jacob's trouble is going to be ended. Then many of them will be redeemed and saved and protected by God. Now it says remember Daniel 9 verse 27 even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate and the desolate. In other words, finally the only length of time that God going to allow the Antichrist to do what he does only for a certain time.

And finally at the end he will put an end to it. Consumption it has to do with like the end. In other words, that will be the consummation and the ending of things that God is going to consume. God is going to judge but there will be also a consummation and ending of what have been allowed by God through the Antichrist in this world. Now let me show you a New Testament passage. Turn to Matthew 24 4 1 one more verse and look at this verse verse 21 and 22. For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no no ever shall be except those days should be shortened.

There should be no flesh be saved but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Now what does that mean? Those days shall be shortened except they'll be shortened. There should no flesh be saved when God is going to put an end. God determined only for a length of time to allow the Antichrist to do what he does and then he's going to cut it. He's going to make an end to it. And remember in light of our study of Daniel chapter 7 verse 24 to 27 that tells us that at the end of the 70th week of Daniel the last day the Messiah will come and finally there will be an end of the tribulation period.

Okay. So this is important to understand because now we are reading from chapter 10 verse 1 into really the end of chapter 12. We have one less one more vision that they've been given to Daniel. And so the whole really the whole three chapters has to do with the rule of God over the nation of Israel specifically during the 70th week. Really what we have here that God gave instruction through the angel to Daniel about the final week things that going to happen up till the end of the tribulation period. And so that's total three chapters gives us the whole scope.

But in chapter 10 verses 1 to the end including verse 1 of chapter 11 we receive the introduction to that vision. In fact, chapter 10 in its totality gives us an introduction to the following a chapters chapter 11 and 12 which really gives us the last vision. And so what we're going to do we're going to go step by step and we're going to just learn a little bit what God is saying to Daniel and what we learn from this man about the final vision. First of all in the first a few verses verses 1 2 3 notice what we read.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose name was called Belt Shazzar and the thing was true. But the time appointed was long. In fact, in Hebrew it's speaking about long mean a large army a large conflict. And then it says and he understood the thing and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were fulfilled. Now notice that is it interesting here that the time in which Daniel received this instruction was in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia verse 1.

Now if you will turn back you don't need to turn back right now into Ezra chapter 1 you will notice that it was in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia that the Lord told Cyrus to give the command that whosoever from among the people of Israel would have his heart desire to go back into the promise and to go back and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem let him go. In other words, by the time that we read in chapter 9 between chapter 9 and chapter 10 there is about two years gone by.

And so by that time already some of the Jewish people have already gone back to the promised land. And so some of the people of Israel have already returned back so the date is really about 536 BC. And you know what it is interesting that it says here in verse 1 that in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose name was called Belt Shazzar known as it gives his Hebrew name and it gives his Babylonian name. In other words, to show us this same Daniel that I'm speaking about is also was giving the name Belt Shazzar which is the Babylonian name that he had received.

And so it says here that revelation that he received it was number one. It was true. In other words, it will be fulfilled. It will is it is true because God gave it God promises God going to act upon it. And secondly it says the time appointed was long. In other words, it will be for a long period of time beginning from the time that he has been still in Babylon all the way to the end of the tribulation period. The Hebrew word for the time appointed was long the Hebrew is stand for army. God mean great.

In other word army or conflict or military there will be constant conflicts constant frictions constant and countless times of conflicts that Israel the people of God are going to go through. And so it says here that it was in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia. And then Daniel received that special vision. The thing was true. The time appointed was long. He understood the thing and he had understanding of the vision. And so we find out that in the vision he was told that certain persecutions and problems will happen to his own people to the people of Israel throughout the generation up till the end of the age.

And so we find out in verse 2 and verse 3 look what we find Daniel doing. Daniel after he received the thing it says in verse 2 and 3 in those days I Daniel was mourning for three full weeks. And I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh and wine or no wine in my mouth and I did not anoint myself at all until the whole three weeks were fulfilled. Now the question immediately coming when Daniel received that vision that special revelation in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia why is it that Daniel is now in verse 2 and 3 we find him mourning and weeping for three weeks.

Well remember what I said. In verse 1 it's already told him that whatever you receive Daniel from me the thing is true and the thing is appointed there will be long time of conflict for your people Daniel. Daniel immediately fell when he saw the kind of conflict that our people the people of Israel will go through. Immediately he fell into what we call it a state of mourning and confession before the Lord. Secondly I want to mention here in these verses because it's already two years passed by between the call of Cyrus for the people of Israel to be going back to the land.

And the time that he received this vision two years have passed by I'm sure that Daniel have heard by now the condition that existed in Judea and in Jerusalem with the Hebrew the Jewish people have gone back to the land. In fact, do you know if you turn to Ezra chapter 2 just go back to Ezra. Do you know after the 70 years that the people of Israel have been in Babylon after 70 years of sufferings in the land of Babylon do you know how many people have returned back to the land. Notice what it said in chapter 2 of Ezra verses 64 it says this.

The whole congregation together was 42,303 score. In other words, 42,360 of the congregation who returned to Israel. If you just go down in verse 65 if you add this it says beside their servants and their maids of whom there were 7,337 and there were among them 200 singing men and singing women. If you will add these up together in 60 verse 66 and 67 it said their horses were 700 and and 13 six their mules 245 their camels 445 their asses six 8,700 and so on and 20. But if you will add the people that have gone up back to the land of Jerusalem 42,360 plus 7,337 plus 200 make 49,897 Jewish people returned back to the land.

Now when you think about Daniel looking at the amount of people who returned back to the land in comparison to the massive amount of Jewish people that went down to Babylon and the new generation who were born there are not too many people at all who returned back to the land. Very few percentage wise. And if we will make a spiritual application to the church in this present day in the professing church the professing church from the beginning up till now when you think about the amount the percentage from among true believers who really desire to come back to the center of gathering namely the Lord Jesus the Messiah is very small percentage in comparison to the totality of the amount of professing Christians in the world today.

And so that's perhaps one of the reasons that caused Daniel to be disheartened and very very sad. And that's why we read of him in Daniel 10 verses two and three that he was in mourning. But secondly I want since you are already still in Ezra the second reason that we would like to suggest or to tell you about that Daniel perhaps was mourning about found in Ezra chapter 4. If you go now turn to Ezra chapter 4 and notice the second reason we can say Ezra chapter 4 in verses 1 to 5. Ezra 4 verses 1 to 5.

And when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built the temple unto the Lord God of Israel then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the fathers and they said unto them let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of a Sar Khadon a Sar Khadon king of Ashur which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto them ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.

Then the people of the land weaken listen to this. They weaken the hands of the people of Judah and they trouble them in building and they hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia even until the reign of the the king of Persia. And you know if you just read as you continue in verse notice down in verse 20 24 then seized the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it seized unto the second year of the reign of the Khadon king of Persia.

And if you just imagine if you just think with me for a minute for a moment here is Daniel sitting still in Babylon. He's seeing that not too many Jewish people gone back to the land to rebuild the temple and so on. And as he's sitting there he's hearing the reports concerning the condition that existed in the land of Judah. And what does he hear as we read in Ezra chapter 4 verses 1 to 5 and verse 24 that the people of the land this is by the way the Samaritans. That's how the Samaritans came about.

These are the people that was brought they were brought by this king.

Announcer: You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levittan. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.