Revelation - Part 3

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND…FOREVER!

Rev, Pt 3:Lecture 9:

By Kay Arthur

Click following for literal chapter by chapter chart summary of:
Revelation 4-10
Revelation 11-16
Revelation 17-19
Revelation 20-22

Kay’s story about their trip to Israel and how one woman’s desire for a jewel led Kay to a Jerusalem Jew name Danny who had fought in the Yom Kippur war as a tank commander. Kay told Danny that ‘God has given you this land and no one is ever going to take it away again.’ Immediately Kay had Danny’s attention. When you are witnessing to the Jews about their Messiah, one of the ways to get their attention is to talk to them about the land of Israel because the land is so important to them. On the other hand the Arabs say the land is theirs and they will drive the Jews into the sea.

How do you witness to the Jews? If you know prophecy, including Revelation and the OT prophets, you have a good platform to share the gospel with the Jews. Danny is ‘on his way’ but he is not yet saved. The night after Kay explained the entire book of Daniel to Danny he was unable to sleep so Kay went through it again. And Danny’s query was ‘What are we going to do? Because you say that Jerusalem is going to be attacked again. What are we going to do?’ Kay replied ‘There are one of two things you can do…I’m about to hit you below the belt but you know that I love you….One, you can receive Jesus Christ as your Messiah right now. (Danny countered ‘That is below the belt.’). Or two, when you see a man walk into Jerusalem and declare himself to be god, then you get out of Jerusalem because all H is going to break lose!’

Last week we looked at Nebuchadnezzar’s statue: Head of Gold = Babylon; Chest of Silver = Medes & Persians; Abdomen of Bronze = Greece…All Gentile empires that had ruled over Israel. In Daniel 2 there were 4 Kingdoms represented, and no more. Fourth Kingdom of Iron & Clay = never named in book of Daniel but we know that it is ROME bc that is the empire that conquered Greece. At the time of 10 Toes a huge STONE crushes all the kingdoms and set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed.

CHRONOLOGY OF ROME
THE LEGS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S STATUE

63BC Pompeii the Roman General conquered Israel which was now subject to another Gentile empire.

4BC Jesus Christ born; Herod died (Herod started remodeling the Temple in 20BC)

AD29-33 Jesus Christ crucified. Pentecost occurred 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits. Jesus died at the same time that the Jews were celebrating the Passover. Jesus was resurrected the same day that were celebrating the Feast of First Fruits, which was a picture of the resurrection because it was a celebration of the FIRST early harvest that comes in. Fifty days later the Jews celebrated Pentecost.

AD70 Jerusalem destroyed by Roman General Titus. Some Jews fled to Masada but they were soon defeated (they actually committed mass suicide rather than submit to the Romans).

AD476 Roman Empire came to an end. Daniel gives a prophesy of 4 kingdoms/empires which would eventually be crushed by the Stone setting up the Kingdom of God which would last forever.

What is happening in this GAP OF TIME between Jerusalem’s destruction in AD70 and the TEN TOES of the kingdom that is yet to come. Put Daniel 2:44-45 by the Stone that comes in the days of the ten kings.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS UP TO and
INCLUDING THE 70TH WEEK OF DANIEL
NOTE: DATES ACROSS THE TOP ROW
CHAPTERS IN DANIEL ALONG THE LEFT COLUMN

626BC 538 331 146 32AD 70AD {TIME GAP} ???

Israel in Captivity Israel’s Restoration & living in the land until 70AD---------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Babylon Medo-Persia Greece Rome Christ Returns

Dan 2   Head           Chest                    Belly                                                                     Legs                                              {TIME GAP}    Stone Crushes
              of                  of                           of                                                                          of                                                                        All Kingdoms
            Gold            Silver                    Bronze                                                                  Iron                                                                        Da2:34-35, 45

Dan 7 Lion Bear Leopard DT Beast 10 Horns

Little Horn

Da 7:23-27

Dan 8 Ram Goat

One Horn

Alexander the Great

Dan 8:5-8

4 Horns Da 8:8

Rather Small Horn:

Da 8:9-14

Da 8:23-26

Antiochus Epiphanes

Reigns
175-164BC

Dan 9 444/445 7Wks + 62Wks (Dan 9:25-26) => => => => => Messiah 32/33AD Abomination

Decree by Sanctuary {TIME GAP} of Desolation

Artaxerxes Longimanus Destroyed 70AD Da 9:27 = Daniel's 70th Week

Dan 11 486-465 Alexander the Great 4 Generals Antiochus Epiphanes King does as he pleases

Da 11:2 Xerxes I Da 11:3 Da 11:4 Da 11:-35 Da 11:36-45

Maccabean Revolt in 166BC

Temple Rededicated
Dec 25, 165BC

TIMES OF THE GENTILES

Review of Daniel 9:24-27

(Click here for Kay's Lectures on Daniel 9: Lecture 14, Lecture 15, Lecture 16)
(Click for additional notes on Daniel 9:24-27:Part 1 and Part 2)

From Artaxerxes decree to Messiah the Prince was 483 years fulfills Da 9:25-26. Note that this lecture makes a number of allusions to the timeline which which are not transcribed as much of this material is review.

Da 9:27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

So from Daniel's prophecy we know that there has to be a rebuilding of the Jewish TEMPLE in Jerusalem

Da 7:19-26: Beast w/ 10 horns and a Little Horn (Da 7:8) who sets himself up and makes war with the saints (Jews) describes the LAST 3 ½ year period and from Mt 24:15-21 we know that this period is called ‘The (Great) Tribulation’.

(For additional notes by Kay Arthur click Daniel 7, Pt 1, Daniel 7, pt 2, daniel 7, pt 3, daniel 7, pt 4)

Da 7:26-27: "But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'

These passages parallel the Stone crushing the statue in Daniel 2 and setting up the Kingdom of God first manifest by Messiah's 1000 year reign on earth.

"time of distress"

Da 12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people (JEWS), will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (cf Mt 24:22,24,31) (click for kay's lecture on daniel 12)

Mt 24 Jesus explains what THE END will be like and what will be the SIGN OF HIS COMING to earth which occurs at the END of Daniel’s 70^th Week and brings Daniel’s 70^th Week to a close. Jesus in Mt 24 He is speaking primarily to the JEWS.

Mt 24:21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (When? See Mt 24:15 for the ‘abomination of desolation’ which is also described in 2 Thes 2:3-4 where he declares himself to be god in the Holy of Holies) 22 "And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.

Daniel 12 describes a TIME OF DISTRESS such as has never occurred but everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued. Kay's good Jewish friend in Jerusalem, Danny, will make it if he believes in the "Stone", Jesus Christ. Danny will believe in Jesus Christ if Danny is of the elect, if he has been chosen by God out of the nation of Israel. We have seen in Ro 11:26 that all Israel is going to be saved, but that is only ‘ALL’ who make it through the fire of the tribulation without turning away from God and without receiving the mark of the Beast, but instead standing and believing the testimony that they have heard as the eternal gospel is preached throughout the whole earth.

Mt 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect…29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days (THOSE DAYS THAT START when the Abomination of desolation stands in the Holy Place) THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Da 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

So when the Son of Man comes and the TIME OF DISTRESS is over, when the ELECT ARE SAVED, then people will be resurrected (and Daniel is talking about the Jews being resurrected…Daniel is a Jewish book!). Those who go to everlasting life are the ones who had their names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. (Click here for kay's lecture on daniel 12)

Da 12:6: And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be until the end of these wonders?"7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, …that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.

So it will take 3 ½ years and he will shatter the power of the JEWS and then all these events will be completed.

Da 12:11 "And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, (Dan 9:27) and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

what God is doing in Israel in the last 3 ½ Years

Zech 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate (means ‘My Equal’)," Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd (pictures the CRUCIFIXION) that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.8 "And it will come about in all the land (Israel)," Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. (here we see the prophet jump from the crucifixion to the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70^th Week)9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them (not the land but the people) as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

So the remnant, the elect, is the 1/3 of the nation of Israel that survives this refining fire.

Jeremiah 30:3 'For, behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah. (NB: in the time of the writing of this prophecy only the Southern kingdom was left. The northern Kingdom had gone into captivity in 722BC. Only Judah was left. Through Jeremiah God is saying that even though they put their fingers in their ears, Babylon would take them captive but God is pointing them to hope beyond that time)' The LORD says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.'

God’s promises regarding the land were forever even though they kicked out of the land in 586BC. After 70 years a remnant comes back, rebuilds the Temple, and remains there until they are kicked out again in 70AD by the 4^th Gentile power, Rome. In 1948 Israel became a nation & all Christendom looked up & said ‘He’s coming’ bc they knew these prophecies and knew that before Messiah could ever come Israel would have to be back in the land.

Jeremiah 30:4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah,5 "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace.6 'Ask now, and see, If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? 7 'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, (the last half of the 70^th Week of Daniel) but he will be saved from it.

Jeremiah 30: 'And it shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off their neck, and will tear off their bonds; and strangers shall no longer make them their slaves. 9 'But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Is God going to raise the dead? Yes, we just read about it in Dan 12:2, so David is going to be raised. Does Kay literally mean David? Well, what does the text say?

fitting it all together with the Revelation

Rev 1-3: These chapters start after Pentecost because that was the beginning of the church.

In 70AD Jerusalem was destroyed and in about 95AD John wrote Revelation divided into the things you saw, the things that are and the things that will be after these things. We believe that although these letters were to 7 literal churches, they were also typical of the entire ‘Church Age’, that time when God is bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles so that Jew and Gentile are made into one body. In Rev 1-3 the church is mentioned but not again until Rev 19 as ‘the BRIDE of Christ’ at the SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. Rev 19:6-14 Describes the Marriage of the Lamb and the Bride making herself ready.

From Rev 4 on we see a description of the Seals, Trumpets and Bowls. In Rev 11 after the 6^th Trumpet, the 2^nd Woe is passed (place this right before the last 3 ½ years--Rev 11:14). In the middle of the 7 years we know that the 2 witnesses have been active for the first 3 ½ years and are killed by the beast laying in Jerusalem for 3 ½ days until they are caught up into heaven marking the passing of the 2^nd Woe and the fact that the 3^rd Woe or the 7^th Trumpet is coming quickly. From the 7^th Trumpet on to the last bowl we have the last 3 ½ years (Rev 13-19:2).

Rev 12 describes the Woman Israel: When she cries out in pain to give birth the time would be 4BC (Rev 12:2). The dragon has 7 heads and 10 horns (picturing Rome). Then you come to the Beast with 7 heads and 10 horns and in the last 3 ½ years you see the Beast again, the Revived Roman Empire, a coalition of nations. The birth of Christ to the Ascension of Christ is summarized in Rev 12:1-5 (‘caught up to God’). In Rev 12:6 we jump to the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70^th Week, when Israel flees to the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God. So this means that at that time Israel had to be IN HER LAND because that is the only place they would build a Temple. Yet through all those years after 70AD, did anyone even dream that Israel would be in her own land? All the nations of the world came against Israel (even Britain) and the Arabs boasted they would drive Israel into the sea but they did not. Why? Because when they came back it was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Ezekiel 36.

Where do you put Rev 20? When the Stone crushes the Ten Toes (‘in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed’). From 1948 on you can tell any Jew that Israel is their land and they are going to stay there!

Ezekiel 36
this land is your land

Ezekiel 36:1 "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.2 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have become our possession,' 3 therefore, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "For good cause they have made you (He is speaking to the MOUNTAINS now, not to the people) desolate and crushed you from every side, that you should become a possession of the rest of the nations, and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people."'"

Ezekiel goes on to say to the mountains that they had been made desolate, becoming the possession of those nations but they would now get ready for the coming of the Jews. Yes the land was desolate and barren but trees will begin to grow and God says that He will get them ready for the coming back of His people.

Ezek 37:8 'But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. (In 70AD when the Jews were kicked out of their land, the heavens stopped the rain and it decreased until shortly prior to when they started coming back. Why? God was getting the mountains of Israel ready to bring His people back.) 10 And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt

Today in Israel the formerly barren mountains are bringing forth cities and Jews are coming from all over the world.

Ezekiel 36: "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. (When the Jews went into those other nations, they profaned the name of God, not because they lived wrong but simply because they were not in their land and that was a shame to God because God had promised them the land. But because they had disobeyed God had to kick them out of the land so they profaned His name. So God is saying in this section that He is not bringing them back bc they are so good but bc of His holy name, so that the peoples could see Who God really was.) 23 "And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

Ezekiel 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 "And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

That is also what He said to them in Zechariah when He takes them through the fire so that only 1/3 of them survive. But that 1/3 say ‘You are our God’ and He says ‘You are My people.’

Ezek 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.2 And He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, Thou knowest." 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'5 "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 'And I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'"…9 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'"…11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' 12 "Therefore prophesy, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves (THE NATIONS WHERE THEY ARE SCATTERED) and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel….Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'"15 The word of the LORD came again to me saying, 16 "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' 17 "Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.

When is all this going to happen? During this last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70^th Week. If you look at Israel today you will see that God is already bringing the Jews back to the land. Ezekiel 36 & 37 is already in part being fulfilled. But they still don’t know the Lord. How will He cleanse them? He will take them through the fire and purge them and refine them and then the ones that come through the fire will say ‘This is my God’ and He will say “This is My people’ and He will put His Spirit within them.

Ezek 37:22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms….24 "And My servant David will be king over them (just like Jeremiah teaches), and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them. 25 "And they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever.

You can tell every Jew you know that this will indeed happen because the Word of God is a sure word of prophecy and they will never be kicked out of the land again. But they need to understand that they are going through the fire to test, purge, purify, cleanse and to bring forth the ELECT so they will say ‘This is My God’ and ‘These are My people.’

Ezek 37:26 "And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.27 "My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.28 "And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"

And so Kay can say with full confidence to her good Jewish friend "Danny, this is your land and you will never be driven out. But Danny if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you are going to perish. So if you don’t do it now, when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place, run, Danny, run because there is going to come a time of distress such as has never been or never will be. Believe, Danny, believe. Hear, O Israel, the Word of the Lord, for not one Word of God is void of power. It will come to pass. As He has spoken so it will be. What He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them forever, will be theirs forever. This land is your land!"