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WHY JESUS IS COMING SOON The Great Week of Time Part 3 Jesus Talks About Time
Did Jesus give any clues that might lead a careful expositor to know that six thousand years after creation time would end? Was any information given that could pinpoint when that end might occur? Most Bible students will answer these questions with well matured prejudice and firmly say “no.” Jesus was so concerned that we understand Biblical time, He appeared personally to Daniel twice (Daniel 8 and 12) to talk about time and once to John as an angel while God the Father spoke (Revelation 10). Intriguingly, in each of those settings, legal language was used to connect timing messages with the completion of the covenant. Time was extremely important to God. He left a trail of wonderful end-time insights, if we simply search diligently. Curious Concerned Disciples Jesus had just cleansed the temple for the second time, a typology of the final cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary when probation draws to a close. He and His disciples were making their way to the Mount of Olives when Jesus told them Jerusalem would be destroyed (literally as well as symbolically, representing God’s chosen people) and the temple would be totally dismantled (literally as well as symbolically, representing His church and His dwelling among them). Only three of His disciples accompanied Him to their final Olivet destination – Peter, James and John. They were deeply concerned by those comments and posed three questions to Jesus. He answered each of those questions individually. However, just before He did that, Jesus warned them to not be deceived about end-time issues (Matthew 24:4). They were to also be alert against false christs (24:5, 11, 23-24) who would present deceptive messages. How were they to avoid deception? By knowing the details of end-time prophecy. Security was in those details. Here is what the disciples asked: • When (timing) shall these things be? • What (evidence) shall be the sign of thy coming? • What (evidence) shall be the sign of the end of the world? Strongly related questions were asked of Jesus by Gabriel in Daniel 8:13. Jesus does answer the three questions but He came back to the timing issue twice. In addition, He made crystal clear that once things started to be fulfilled, they would be completed in one generation (Matthew 24:34). He also used a parable of a fig tree to illustrate that once the leaves come on, the tarrying time was over (cf. Habakkuk 2:2-3) and the appointed time for the harvest was near. “The people of God should carefully study the words of Christ concerning these last days. Why is it that the people of God do not read and understand the specifications concerning the dangers that will surely come? Why is it that they rush on blindfolded, receiving messages that are not true? With prophetic eye Christ looked down the stream of time to the very end of earth’s history, and marked out with prophetic pencil the very things that would take place in these last days. He lifted the danger-signal.”1 Jesus answered the first part of the “when” question by noting the end begins when world conflicts, famines, pestilences and earthquakes are coming together (the “beginning of sorrows” – 24:7-8). That is occurring now, but will not be part of this discussion. Then He secondly noted that persecution would follow (24:9-13). The end (telos) is contextually the conclusion of time when the end of the world comes. That occurs when the gospel goes to all the world (Matthew 24:14). We won’t know when that is, except retrospectively. It does occur, however, at the Loud Cry. When will that be? Part of the book of Daniel is related to the Loud Cry: “Blessed are the eyes which saw the things that were seen in 1843 and 1844. The message was given. And there should be no delay in repeating the message, for the signs of the times are fulfilling; the closing work must be done. A great work will be done in a short time. A message will soon be given by God’s appointment that will swell into a loud cry. Then Daniel will stand in his lot, to give his testimony.”2 What is this referring to? Daniel 12 and the chazown vision given in segments throughout Daniel 8–12. “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:13. Adding to this information: “In the Scriptures are presented truths that relate especially to our own time. To the period just prior to the appearing of the Son of man, the prophecies of Scripture point, and here their warnings and threatenings pre-eminently apply. The prophetic periods of Daniel, extending to the very eve of the great consummation, throw a flood of light upon events then to transpire. The book of Revelation is also replete with warning and instruction for the last generation.”3 The sign of Jesus’ coming is the cloud (Revelation 1:7, 14:14; Matthew 24:30; Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 50). When we see that it is no longer a predictive sign, we will know the gospel has gone to all the world and the very end is upon us. Knowing this, we are left with only one of Jesus’ answers to resolve – the “when” timing question. When Jesus began His discourse to help us understand the end of time, He added something else very special,which most expositors jump right over. Here it is: Jesus Referred the Disciples to Daniel “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (vs 15). “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (vs 21). “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (vs 22). Then comes detailed warnings about false christs (vss 23-26). Now look what follows! “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of he Son of man be” (vs 27). This is the sequence Jesus gave: Abomination –– Tribulation –– Second Coming Where is the abomination mentioned in Daniel? Several places actually. It is what actively begins the 1290 days (Daniel The Hebrew word for “abomination” is shigguwts, which means a detestable thing directly related to an idolatrous practice. A false idolatrous standard is set up in place of what God has defined. This directly relates to another abomination (towebah) in Ezekiel 8 that describes worshiping Tammuz and the sun. Daniel’s abomination refers to the Sunday laws that come at the end of time (eth qets – when time is severed at judgment. “Eth qets” also reflects Old Testament imagery when people are getting ready for a wedding – contextually here, with Jesus. What signals the end of this abomination and tribulation? Jesus said when God’s people are delivered and there is a special resurrection, the “scattering” or persecution of God’s people will end (Daniel 12:7). Beginning to ending, that “appointed time” lasts 1335 days (Daniel What does this all have to do with the disciples, 6000 years and the ancient knowledge of the Great Week of Time? Plenty. Let’s look in on Daniel further. We’re going to make an amazing discovery! The Probation that Ends All Probations Daniel prayed a covenant restoration petition to God in Daniel 9. All the elements to redeem lost favor with Him were carefully addressed. Then Gabriel came to present the final restoration terms for Israel. This was their last chance. A question: “Were those terms, probations, timings and events just for Daniel’s people – or were they for spiritual Israel at the end of time also?” This document will not deal with the details required to answer this question (see the book “2300-Day Prophecy Revisited,” Fowler, 2003). To answer briefly, however – it was for both. Here is the reason: Daniel 8–12 is composed of three parts: two visions and commentary (Daniel, Gabriel and Jesus). One vision called in Hebrew the chazown was sealed until the time of the end. The second vision, called the mareh, was open to study and understanding. The latter is what we are addressing here. It included: • 2300-year atonement prophecy (Daniel • Confirmation of its truth (8:26a) • Gabriel’s probationary covenant terms ( • Vision of Jesus as priest–judge (10:1-9) Gabriel came to Daniel to give 70 weeks of years (based upon the Leviticus 25:1-4 model) of probation for Israel to repent, finish sinning, be sealed and fully restored to God. Within that period there were ten full jubilee cycles. Those cycles had everything to do with restoration. It was part of the covenant plan. In fact, the divisions of those 70 weeks were given to make very clear that the jubilee restoration and land rest, when everything was to be made new, was not to be lost sight of! Most Bible expositors recognize that the last week or seven years was unique. It is not tied to the “gap theory” nor to ancient Israel only. It is tied to the last seven years of the tenth jubilee cycle. There is much lost when prejudice, bias and simple contextual rules are thrown out by expositors. This is not a “jubileeist” issue nor one for the misguided “dispensationalist.” The 490 years recall the time the land didn’t rest, the years that no restorative jubilee was honored and right back to the beginning of the period when Israel first asked for a king – stepping outside of the theocratic plan God had devised. In the middle of that last week of this “make-up period” the Messiah was cut off (crucified) (9:26a, 27b) and all the sacrificial ordinances ceased. Gabriel had noted that the 490 years were for Daniel’s people and for the holy city or God’s corporate church (9:24a). Most Adventist expositors accept this period as 457 B.C.–34 A.D. This is summarized by this thought: “‘And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.’ The ‘week’ here brought to view is the last one of the seventy; it is the last seven years of the period allotted especially to the Jews. During this time, extending from A.D. 27 to A.D. 34, Christ, at first in person and afterward by His disciples, extended the gospel invitation especially to the Jews. As the apostles went forth with the good tidings of the kingdom, the Saviour’s direction was: ‘Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Matthew 10:5, 6.”4 But there is more, far more, that is tucked inside this Hebrew vision (for God’s people)! Since this document is a general presentation of the arguments for understanding the GWT, only a few concepts will be built upon. E. G. White adds details to the above thoughts: “A starting point for this period is given: ‘Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,’ sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. Dan. 9:25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra What ended in A.D. 34? The probation for the Jews, most will respond. Then what do the following quotations mean? Israel’s Probation: “When Christ should hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed would be ended.”6 “When Christ upon the cross cried out, ‘It is finished’ (John Seventy weeks are determined (cut out of the 2300 days) upon thy people and upon thy holy city (all referring to God’s people). Probation for Daniel’s people (“Thy people”) ended at the cross (A.D. 31)! Last Hope Gone: “What was Christ’s grief to see the Jews fixing their own destiny beyond redemption! He alone could comprehend the significance of their rejection, betrayal, and condemnation of the Son of God. His last hope for the Jewish nation was gone. Nothing could avert her doom. By the representatives of the nation God was denied as their Ruler. By worlds unfallen, by the whole heavenly universe, the blasphemous utterance was heard, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ The God of heaven heard their choice. He had given them opportunity to repent, and they would not. Forty years afterward Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Roman power ruled over the people. Then they had no deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. Henceforth the Jewish nation, as a nation, was as a branch severed from the vine – a dead, fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned – from land to land throughout the world, from century to century, dead – dead in trespasses and sins – without a Saviour (YI Feb. 1, 1900)!”8 “But Israel as a nation had divorced herself from God. The natural branches of the olive tree were broken off. Looking for the last time upon the interior of the temple, Jesus said with mournful pathos, ‘Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.’ Hitherto He had called the temple His Father’s house; but now, as the Son of God should pass out from those walls, God’s presence would be withdrawn forever from the temple built to His glory. Henceforth its ceremonies would be meaningless, its services a mockery.”9 What does that mean? The last 3-1/2 years of the last jubilee cycle, which should have brought forward a perfected people – Jerusalem, His bride – was cut short. It never occurred! How is it that so many still talk of the 70 weeks finishing at A.D. 34 if it never was completed? God gave a special dispensation for the individual Jews which extended to A.D. 34. This was not for the jubilee fulfillment but was only a period of time to concentrate on giving the gospel message to the Jews before the gospel went to the Gentiles. Look at this statement carefully: “Jesus was sitting in the midst of priests, rulers, lawyers, and Pharisees,– in the midst of men who had long been favored with the heavenly invitation, and who claimed to be guests for the feast of the Lord. But when the time came when they should have entered into the spiritual kingdom of heaven, when by believing on Christ they should have been partakers of his flesh and blood, when they should have received him whom their sacrificial offerings typified, they all with one consent began to make excuse. Mercy was extended to them, and their probation was lengthened, until three years and a half after the death of Christ, when the apostles declared: ‘It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.’ The Lord gave the commission to go out into the highways and the hedges of the cities and villages, to go to the poor, the halt, the lame, and the blind, to minister to those who felt that they had need of a physician. Jesus had declared, ‘I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ The wandering sheep must be hunted up. The Jews refused to accept the flesh and blood of the Son of God; they would not listen to his word, which he declared is spirit and life, and rejected the invitation to the gospel feast. Through their impenitence and stubbornness of heart in refusing the heavenly invitation, they themselves were rejected. The solemn words were spoken by lips that cannot lie, saying, ‘None of those men that were bidden [and who have refused my invitation] shall taste of my supper.’”10 E. G. White may not have known Hebrew, but the meaning of this prophecy was open to her understanding. Everything she has said so far is exactly what the Scriptures convey!
The GWT Key! That restoration cycle is incomplete. Remember, Gabriel said the 70 weeks were for Daniel’s people AND the holy city. The “city” has not yet become holy. That is what the very first part of the mareh vision was all about – Daniel Daniel heard Jesus making this statement: After 2300 atonement evenings and mornings God’s holy people will be adjudicated (legally judged holy). That declaration was made five years before Daniel 9 was given. Daniel was told way back then his people would fail! It was a prophetic declaration that the world would go on another 2300 years before restoration would be made! Since the world in Daniel’s time was almost 3500 years old, Daniel could know it would last approximately 6000 years. Lest bias or prejudice spring up, a very profound comment comes in Daniel 10:1. He states that now he fully understood the mareh vision. His people would fail. Even Moses was given the insight that his people would fail! “Moses beheld the disciples of Jesus as they went forth to carry His gospel to the world. He saw that though the people of Israel ‘according to the flesh’ had failed of the high destiny to which God had called them, in their unbelief had failed to become the light of the world, though they had despised God’s mercy and forfeited their blessings as His chosen people–yet God had not cast off the seed of Abraham; the glorious purposes which He had undertaken to accomplish through Israel were to be fulfilled. All who through Christ should become the children of faith were to be counted as Abraham’s seed; they were inheritors of the covenant promises; like Abraham, they were called to guard and to make known to the world the law of God and the gospel of His Son. Moses saw the light of the gospel shining out through the disciples of Jesus.”11 Did the disciples understand that time would go on for another 2000 years. There is no evidence that they did with one exception. After 70 A.D. and the literal fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the eternal curse (despora), the unveiling was given to John. The book of Revelation was filled with 3-1/2-year prophecies, the finishing of a covenant people, and the event-driven story of Satan’s last desperate struggle to prevent the completion of the covenant. He often gave notice that “he saw,” “heard” or “was a witness to” these things. Evidence suggests that John joined that select group of those who saw and understood when God would have a sealed covenant body of witnesses for His final legal court scene to vindicate His character. Does that mean there is another 3-1/2 years yet of this 70-week prophecy to be completed? That is not the subject of this document. But – a restoration jubilee cycle has been waiting to be completed. From the book of Daniel we can prove a clear allusion to the GWT, 6000-year issue. With that, we should approach the book of Revelation with awe and of solemn import because Daniel 8–12 is its preface, all pointing to the very end of time in a six-millennial context. And – as we have previously seen, the millennium when Satan is bound is the “seventh” or land rest. “That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today. He has ‘let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen,’ even to His covenant-keeping people, who faithfully ‘render Him the fruits in their seasons.’ Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made His interests their own. These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to His ancient people.”12 “Then it is that the redeemed from among men will receive their promised inheritance. Thus God’s purpose for Israel will meet with literal fulfillment. That which God purposes, man is powerless to disannul. Even amid the working of evil, God’s purposes have been moving steadily forward to their accomplishment. It was thus with the house of Israel throughout the history of the divided monarchy; it is thus with spiritual Israel today.”13 “The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years, Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. ‘The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever’ (Dan. 7:18).”14 “Satan’s work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe, and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now God’s creatures are forever delivered from his presence and temptations. ‘The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they [the righteous] break forth into singing.’ [Isa. 14:7.] And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe. ‘The voice of a great multitude,’ ‘as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,’ is heard, saying, ‘Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’”15 When Jesus, in that remarkable discourse, referred the disciples to Daniel, He invited them to study other timing signs that were in the record related to the very end of time. The world would go on for 6000 years. Jesus, through Daniel, affirms once again, the Great Week of Time.
References 1The Youth’s Instructor, 11/18/1897 (emphasis added). 2Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 20 (1906) (emphasis added. 3Review and Herald, 9/25/1883 (emphasis added. 4The Great Controversy, p. 327. 5Desire of Ages, p. 233. 6The Great Controversy, p. 21. 7Desire of Ages, p. 709. 8Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1149. 9Desire of Ages, p. 620. 10Review and Herald, 03/10/1896. 11Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 476. 12Prophets and Kings, pp. 713-714. 13Ibid., p. 720. 14God’s Amazing Grace, p. 370 (emphasis added). 15The Great Controversy, p. 673 (emphasis added).
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