By George Gruen
In the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, we find God’s plan for our lives. In God’s will for us, we
may know true peace, love, forgiveness and joy. The greatest need in our lives is to have God’s
cleansing of our sins, so that we might experience the life that He has planned for us. With so
many problems, fear, anxiety and the lack of purpose in living for many people, especially
among young people, there is a void in lives that must be filled. Many people do not know where
to turn to find someone who really cares for them. God cares for you and for me. God loves you
and me.
In His great love for men, women, young people and children God has provided for us
His plan for life as given to us in His Holy Scriptures.
The experience of a right relationship to God and a life lived in the love of God is contingent
upon our trust or faith in the promises of God and the Messiah of Israel. As we trust God and His
Holy Scriptures, He will help us to see His great plan for us and this world. Faith makes effective
all of the promises in the Bible. But true faith must be based upon knowledge received from the
Holy Scriptures. Without an adequate understanding of the basic truths of the Bible, a person
will not have real trust and faith. Lack of knowledge breeds unbelief, because judgments are
made without the facts necessary to understand and accept the truths given to us in the Holy
Scriptures.
Many people have questions that are legitimate inquiries. Concerning faith and living for
God, people question how one can accept Jesus as Messiah and still be Jewish. They also have
doubts about Jesus because they do not know what the Holy Scriptures say about the Messiah of
Israel.
The Bible does tell us that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the One God would send to
earth to provide the atonement, or cleansing for sin, for us. There are many of our Jewish people
who do not as yet accept Jesus as their Messiah, for they have a very limited knowledge of who
Jesus is and what the Jewish Holy Scriptures say about when Messiah was to come to the earth
as foretold by the Jewish prophets of God.
One misconception concerning the Messiah is what Messiah would do when He would
come to earth. Orthodox Judaism looks forward to the day when the God of Israel will send the
Messiah to reign on earth and rule on King David’s throne in Jerusalem. In that day, Messiah
will bring peace to Israel and the world.
The Jewish Holy Scriptures do foretell this event, and it will happen in the future, and perhaps not too far off. Later in this article I will share with you this great coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem to set up God’s kingdom on earth and to bring peace to the world. Since all of the God-given prophecies in the Holy Scriptures that were to be fulfilled to date have come to pass, this prophecy of world peace will also be seen!
The problem that some of our Jewish people have in accepting Jesus as their Messiah is
that since the entire world has not had peace after Jesus came to earth about 2,000 years ago,
then He is not the Messiah. This reasoning appears to be valid, but it is not. All of the facts from
When Will the Messiah Come?
The Bible regarding what Messiah will do when He comes to earth have not been known. The
basic truth we need to understand from the Jewish Holy Scriptures is this: the Messiah comes to
the earth at two different times to accomplish the will of God for the inhabitants of this world.
The Bible foretells the first coming of the Messiah to earth and makes known to us that the first
coming will be to bring and accomplish God’s plan of cleansing from sin for men and women.
By this plan of God, our Jewish people and the world will be able to know forgiveness of sin and
experience peace with God as they put their trust in what the Messiah will do for them. This first
coming of the Messiah will bring personal peace to individuals.
Messiah, having accomplished the way for us to be forgiven of sin, will return to Heaven to
the right hand of God. At a later time, one yet to be seen, Messiah will return to the earth a
second time, defeat the enemies and nations that have gathered in war against the nation of
Israel, and set up God’s kingdom of world peace. We must understand these two comings of the
Messiah to earth. If a person only has knowledge of the anticipated second coming, then he will
miss the first coming and not understand that Messiah Jesus came the first time to provide the
atonement for us.
Now let us go to the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, to see the prophecies given by God
through Jewish men of God concerning the first coming of Messiah to earth.
In the Jewish Scriptures, we read in the prophet Micah’s recording of God’s Word, in
chapter 5 and verse 2: "But thou, Bethlehem, Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Out of the little town of Bethlehem, located in the area of Ephrata, in Judah, God would send His Messiah to earth. He later would be ruler in Israel. The first coming of Messiah to earth would be in Bethlehem.
The second coming of Messiah to earth would be directly from Heaven to the Mount of
Olives, outside of Jerusalem, to defeat the enemies of Israel as God prophesied for us through the Jewish man of God, Zechariah. We will read these verses of Holy Scripture later. There are two different time periods.
This person coming out of Bethlehem is "from everlasting." Only an
Eternal One, a member of the Godhead, can be "from everlasting." Men and women have but a
short time upon this earth, maybe even to a hundred years or over but never "from everlasting."
Another prophecy about the first coming of Messiah to earth is in the writings of the great
Jewish prophet, Isaiah, in chapter 7 and verse 14:
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Immanuel in Hebrew means "God with us." God will be with us here on earth in the person of
the Messiah.
In Isaiah, chapter 9 and verse 6 we read:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." These two verses from Isaiah speak of a miraculous birth of a son who is called by the names of the Eternal God.
Again in Isaiah chapter 53 we read of the reason for the first coming of Messiah to earth:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows…Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
When Will the Messiah Come?
Was upon him;…All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity (or sins) of us all...he was cut off out of the land of
the living [death]: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave
with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he (God) hath put him (the
Messiah Jesus) to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days (that’s resurrection from the grave), and the pleasure of the LORD
shall prosper in his hand.
He (God) shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge (or by trusting in Messiah’s atonement) shall my righteous servant (the Messiah
Jesus) justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (or sins)…he bare the sin of many (that is of
those who believe in him)…." Messiah came the first time, took on human form as Jesus, so that
He could die on the tree for our sins to pay the penalty due us for our sins. In Him we have the
atonement for our sins.
Messiah came the first time to bring personal peace by providing the atonement for our
sins. After providing this atonement with the shedding of His blood on the tree as our sin-bearer
in our place, He is raised from the grave and returns to Heaven. In Heaven, Messiah waits until a
future time when He will again return to the earth to the Mount of Olives by Jerusalem. At this
Second Coming to earth, He will defeat the enemies of Israel and bring in world peace.
This is yet to happen, but in the events we are seeing in the world in fulfilled prophecy from God’s Word, this Second Coming to earth might not be too far off. Before Messiah’s Second Coming to earth, Bible-believers look forward to Messiah Jesus coming the clouds of the sky to take the believers up from this earth in what is called the Rapture. This will happen just before a period of seven years of the Great Tribulation upon earth, part of which is the Time of Jacob’s Trouble and persecution once again of my Jewish people. But God will deliver them out of it.
Concerning the Second Coming of Messiah to earth, we read in the Word of God through
the Jewish prophet, Zechariah, in chapter 14 and verses 1 through 5 and verses 8,9 and 11:
"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I
will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses
rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue
of the peace shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against
those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
[The reference here would be to God’s freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage as well as the bondage put upon Jewish people by many nations as is recorded in Holy Scripture history] And his feet [Messiah’s feet!] shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east…And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one…And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited."
There is so much great truth to share with you from these verses. Simply stated: the nations
of the world will come against Israel and Jerusalem. When the war is almost lost for the Jews,
God Himself in the person of Messiah Jesus [remember we read from the Bible that God’s feet
will touch the Mount of Olives – God has feet in Messiah Jesus], Messiah will return from
Heaven with Bible-believers [here called saints] who have been in Heaven, and the enemies of
Israel will be completely defeated. God will then set up His kingdom of peace for the world.
These verses of Jewish Holy Scripture also say God’s name will be one. The word for "one" in
When Will the Messiah Come?
Hebrew is "echad." Echad means "unity" or more than one. This tells us that God is revealed to
us as the Lord God and Messiah. The Godhead is once again revealed to us in these verses of the
Bible.
In the Jewish Holy Scriptures writings of the Jewish man of God, Jeremiah, we read in
chapter 23 and verses 3 through 6
"And I will gather the remnant of my flock [that is the Jewish
people] out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds;
and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed
them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the
LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall
be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTOUSNESS."
And also verse 8: "The LORD liveth, which
brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all
countries…and they shall dwell in their own land." God began bringing our Jewish people back
to the land where they became a nation, Israel, in 1948. God continues to fulfill this prophesy
and bring Jews back to Israel from all over the world.. There is no true peace yet, but there will
be when Messiah returns to Jerusalem!
The God of Israel and Messiah will bring peace to Israel and the world when Israel will
dwell safely and they shall fear no more. There will be no more war! We know from these Holy
Scripture prophesies that Messiah will reign on King David’s throne from Jerusalem.. The One
who will reign is called LORD or the God of Israel and Messiah. This is the Second Coming of
the Messiah to bring the peace of God to the entire world.
As we look forward to future events, it is possible that we might die before they come to
pass. We must prepare for our eternal future. The first coming of the Messiah takes care of the
fear of death and what will happen after as we enter eternity. But we must trust Him as our sinbearer, for there is no sin in Heaven. Please read my study on "The Atonement Today." This will give you all of the Holy Scriptures you need to trust God and find His cleansing from sin and
have peace. We have a great future ahead of us as God’s people!
When Will the Messiah Come?
Old Testament Prophecy Concerning The Messiah
Você está aqui: Verdade >> Profecia Messiânica
Profecia Messiânica: O que é isso? Profecia messiânica é a coleção de mais de 100 profecias (uma estimativa conservadora) do Antigo Testamento sobre o futuro Messias do povo judeu. Estas previsões foram escritas por vários autores, em numerosos livros, ao longo de mais de 1.000 anos. Profecia messiânica é muito dramática hoje porque com a descoberta dos Manuscritos do Mar Morto e a confiabilidade da versão do Velho Testamento chamada de Septuaginto (os quais têm sido provados como já existindo antes do tempo que Jesus andou sobre a terra), você pode ter certeza de que essas profecias não foram "conspiradas" após o fato.
Profecia Messiânica: Realizada por Jesus Cristo Profecia messiânica foi cumprida pelo Messias, Jesus Cristo. Embora muitos judeus não tenham aceitado Jesus como o Messias, muitos O aceitaram, e eles se tornaram o grupo judaico que mais tarde passaria a ser conhecido como os Cristãos. O Cristianismo, baseado em grande parte no cumprimento da profecia histórica, espalhou-se rapidamente por todo o Império Romano do século 1. Examine por você mesmo as profecias e calcule a probabilidade de um só homem poder cumprir apenas algumas das profecias mais específicas, e você ficará surpreso. “A seguir, Jesus lhes disse: São estas as palavras que eu vos falei, estando ainda convosco: importava se cumprisse tudo o que de mim está escrito na Lei de Moisés, nos Profetas e nos Salmos.” (Lucas 24:44) Os versículos do Antigo Testamento são a profecia; os versículos do Novo Testamento proclamam a realização. Avalie-os você mesmo!
- Nascido de uma virgem (Isaías 7:14, Mateus 1:21-23)
- Um descendente de Abraão (Gênesis 12:1-3; 22:18, Mateus 1:1, Gálatas 3:16)
- Da tribo de Judá (Gênesis 49:10, Lucas 3:23, 33; Hebreus 7:14)
- Da casa de Davi (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Mateus 1:1)
- Nascido em Belém (Miqueias 5:2, Mateus 2:1, Lucas 2:4-7)
- Levado para o Egito (Oseias 11:1, Mateus 2:14-15)
- A matança dos recém-nascidos por parte de Herodes (Jeremias 31:15, Mateus 2:16-18)
- Ungido pelo Espírito Santo (Isaías 11:2, Mateus 3:16-17)
- Anunciado pelo mensageiro do Senhor (João Batista) (Isaías 40:3-5, Malaquias 3:1, Mateus 3:1-3)
- Executaria milagres (Isaías 35:5-6, Mateus 9:35)
- Pregaria as boas novas (Isaías 61:1, Lucas 4:14-21)
- Teria um ministério na Galileia (Isaías 9:1, Mateus 4:12-16
- Purificaria o Templo (Malaquias 3:1, Mateus 21:12-13)
- Apresentaria-se como Rei 173.880 dias depois do decreto de reconstruir Jerusalém (Daniel 9:25, Mateus 21:4-11)
- Entraria em Jerusalém como um rei montado em um jumento (Zacarias 9:9, Mateus 21:4-9)
- Seria rejeitado pelos judeus (Salmo 118:22, I Pedro 2:7)
- Teria uma morte humilhante(Salmo 22, Isaías 53) que envolveria:
- rejeição (Isaías 53:3, João 1:10-11; 7:5,48)
- traição por um amigo (Salmo 41:9, Lucas 22:3-4, João 13:18)
- ser vendido por 30 moedas de prata (Zacarias 11:12, Mateus 26:14-15)
- silêncio diante de Seus acusadores (Isaías 53:7, Mateus 27:12-14)
- sendo ridicularizado (Salmo 22: 7-8, Mateus 27:31)
- espancado (Isaías 52:14, Mateus 27:26)
- cuspido (Isaías 50:6, Mateus 27:30)
- perfuração de Suas mãos e pés (Salmo 22:16, Mateus 27:31)
- sendo crucificado com os ladrões (Isaías 53:12, Mateus 27:38)
- orando pelos seus perseguidores (Isaías 53:12, Lucas 23:34)
- perfuração do Seu lado (Zacarias 12:10, João 19:34)
- foi dado vinagre para beber (Salmo 69:21, Mateus 27:34, Lucas 23:36)
- Seus ossos não seriam quebrados (Salmos 34:20, João 19:32-36)
- enterrado no túmulo de um homem rico (Isaías 53:9, Mateus 27:57-60)
- tirariam a sorte por Suas vestes (Salmos 22:18, João 19:23-24)
- Subiria ao Céu (Salmo 68:18, Atos 1:9)
- Sentar-se-ia à direita de Deus (Salmo 110:1, Hebreus 1:3)
Leia Profecia Messiânica Página 2 Agora!
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The Second Coming - What is it?
The Second Coming is when Jesus Christ will return to earth in fulfillment of His promises and to fulfill the prophecies made about Him. Jesus Himself promised, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). Revelation 19:11-12 proclaims this about the Second Coming, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself."
Those who witnessed Christ's ascension into heaven after his death and resurrection heard the angels declare in Acts 1:11, "Men of Galilee…why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." The Second Coming is the literal return of Jesus Christ to earth as King in power and glory to rule for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).
The Old Testament prophets did not seem to fully understand this distinction between the two comings of Jesus (His birth and His Second Coming) as seen in Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; and Zachariah 14:4. Those who argue that Jesus was not the Messiah because He did not fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, fail to take into account the Second Coming of Christ, in which He will fulfill all the prophecies about the Messiah. Christ's first coming was to stand in our place and receive the penalty exacted for sin. His Second Coming will defeat sin for all eternity.
The second coming should also not be confused with the event referred to as the Rapture. The Rapture refers to a time when Jesus Christ will come to remove all believers from the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The church holds many positions on the rapture, but the Second Coming is undisputed. The Second Coming is the event when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to defeat evil and establish His reign of justice and peace. The Second Coming - Why is it important?
Foremost of all, belief in the Second Coming of Christ is important because it is clearly what the Bible teaches. To doubt the reality of the Second Coming is to doubt the reliability and validity of God's Word. Second, the Second Coming is important because Jesus Himself promised it. If Jesus was wrong about the Second Coming, how can we trust anything else He taught? The Second Coming of Christ is our hope and confidence that God is in control of all things and is faithful to His Word and His promises. Titus 2:13, "…while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
The Second Coming is also important because it will come at the time when the world is most in need of a righteous King. Revelation chapters 6-18 describe the end times prior to the Second Coming of Christ. The world will be devastated, millions of people will perish, and the most evil person in all history will be ruler of the entire world. The Second Coming of Christ puts all this to an end. Revelation 19:15-16 says, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." The Second Coming - When is it?
Perhaps no event in the history of the world has been more anticipated than the Second Coming. Every generation of believers, including believers in the New Testament, has strongly believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 tells us, "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come." Some are mistakenly frightened that they have missed the Second Coming. Others doubt that it will ever occur, "They will say, 'Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4). So, we must avoid both extremes: (1) believing that the Second Coming has already occurred, and (2) believing that the Second Coming will never occur.
Many Bible teachers have made guesses as to when the Rapture and Second Coming will occur. They have all been incorrect. The Bible declares, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). The Bible describes several events which must occur before the Second Coming (Matthew 24:4-29; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation chapters 6-18). So, we are to anticipate the Second Coming, but have a biblical understanding of it. We are not to set dates and times, but live our lives as if it could happen any day, any moment. Matthew 25:19-21, "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them…His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"
Are you ready for the Second Coming of Christ?
"What is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?"
Question: "What is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?" Answer: The second coming of Jesus Christ is the hope of believers that God is in control of all things, and is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not yet fulfilled. The second coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side. The Old Testament prophets did not make clearly this distinction between the two comings. This can be seen in Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7 and Zechariah 14:4. As a result of the prophecies seeming to speak of two individuals, many Jewish scholars believed there would be both a suffering Messiah and a conquering Messiah. What they failed to understand is that there is only one Messiah and He would fulfill both roles. Jesus fulfilled the role of the suffering servant (Isaiah chapter 53) in His first coming. Jesus will fulfill the role of Israel’s deliverer and King in His second coming. Zechariah 12:10 and Revelation 1:7, describing the second coming, look back to Jesus being pierced. Israel, and the whole world, will mourn for not having accepted the Messiah the first time He came. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the angels declared to the apostles, “‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:11). Zechariah 14:4 identifies the location of the second coming as the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24:30 declares, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Titus 2:13 describes the second coming as a “glorious appearing.” The second coming is spoken of in greatest detail in Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Recommended Resource: The Second Coming: Signs of Christ's Return and the End of the Age by John MacArthur. This page is also available in: Indonesia, Chinese, Hebrew, Română, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Español, Thai, Nederlands, Português, Polski, Deutsch, Italiano, Tagalog, Français, Srpski, Hrvatski, Greek, Japanese, Bulgarian, Slovenčina, Cesky, Melayu, Sinhala, Trad-Chinese, Urdu, Malayalam, Việt, Farsi, Afrikaans, Türkçe
Related Topics: What is the Parousia? What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming? What is the Rapture of the church? What are the signs of the end times? Who is the antichrist?
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Pergunta: "O que é a Segunda Vinda de Jesus Cristo?" Resposta: A Segunda vinda de Jesus Cristo é a esperança dos crentes que Deus está em controle sobre todas as coisas, e é fiel às promessas e profecias em Sua Palavra. Em Sua primeira vinda, Jesus Cristo veio à terra como um bebê em uma mangedoura em Belém, exatamente como fora profetizado. Jesus cumpriu muitas das profecias do Messias durante Seu nascimento, vida, ministério, morte e ressurreição. Entretanto, há algumas profecias a respeito do Messias que Jesus ainda não cumpriu. A Segunda Vinda de Cristo será o retorno de Cristo para cumprir estas profecias restantes. Em Sua primeira vinda, Jesus foi o servo que sofreu. Em Sua Segunda Vinda, Jesus será o Rei conquistador. Em Sua primeira vinda, Jesus aqui chegou na mais humilde das circunstâncias. Em Sua segunda Vinda, Jesus chegará com os exércitos do céu a Seu lado. Os Profetas do Velho Testamento não fizeram distinção entre as duas vindas. Podemos ver isto em Escrituras como Isaías 7:14; 9:6-7 e Zacarias 14:4. Como resultado das profecias aparentemente falarem em dois indivíduos, muitos estudiosos judeus acreditaram que haveria tanto um Messias sofredor quanto um Messias conquistador. O que falharam em compreender é que o mesmo Messias cumpriria os dois papéis. Jesus cumpriu o papel do servo sofredor (Isaías capítulo 53) em Sua primeira vinda. Jesus cumprirá o papel do libertador de Israel e Rei em Sua Segunda Vinda. Zacarias 12:10 e Apocalipse 1:7, descrevendo a Segunda Vinda, recordam Jesus sendo transpassado. Israel e o mundo inteiro se lamentarão por não terem aceitado o Messias em Sua primeira vinda. Após a ascensão de Jesus aos Céus, os anjos declararam aos apóstolos: “Homens galileus, por que estais olhando para o céu? Esse Jesus, que dentre vós foi recebido em cima no céu, há de vir assim como para o céu o vistes ir” (Atos 1:11). Zacarias 14:4 identifica a localização da Segunda Vinda como o Monte das Oliveiras. Mateus 24:30 declara: “Então aparecerá no céu o sinal do Filho do homem; e todas as tribos da terra se lamentarão, e verão o Filho do homem, vindo sobre as nuvens do céu, com poder e grande glória.” Tito 2:13 descreve a Segunda Vinda como “o aparecimento da glória”. A Segunda Vinda é descrita em seus mínimos detalhes em Apocalipse 19:11-16: “E vi o céu aberto, e eis um cavalo branco; e o que estava assentado sobre ele chama-se Fiel e Verdadeiro; e julga e peleja com justiça. E os seus olhos eram como chama de fogo; e sobre a sua cabeça havia muitos diademas; e tinha um nome escrito, que ninguém sabia senão ele mesmo. E estava vestido de uma veste salpicada de sangue; e o nome pelo qual se chama é a Palavra de Deus. E seguiam-no os exércitos no céu em cavalos brancos, e vestidos de linho fino, branco e puro. E da sua boca saía uma aguda espada, para ferir com ela as nações; e ele as regerá com vara de ferro; e ele mesmo é o que pisa o lagar do vinho do furor e da ira do Deus Todo-Poderoso. E no manto e na sua coxa tem escrito este nome: REI DOS REIS, E SENHOR DOS SENHORES.”
Messiah is coming!
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The Messianic Time Table According to Daniel the Prophet
by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum January 1, 1987 More than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures, the writings of the prophet Daniel confront us with evidence of the time of Messiah's coming—evidence that many people would rather not see. But it is there and cannot be ignored. That Daniel was indeed a prophet is well substantiated. He accurately prophesied the rise of the Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires even at a time when the Babylonian Empire, which preceded them all, was at its height. He accurately predicted the fortunes, conflicts, wars and conspiracies of the two kingdoms of Syria and Egypt between the fracturing of the Greek Empire and the conquest by Rome. He prophesied the role of the Maccabees during this period. It is Daniel's detailed accuracy in his prophecies that has caused many critics to try to give a late date to the book of Daniel, although no evidence has been discovered that would negate the book's composition at the time that it claims to have been written. At the very latest, the book was completed around 530 B.C.E. The purpose of this article is to discuss in some detail verses 24-27 of Daniel nine. However, it will be wise to survey the entire chapter in order to see what engendered the prophecy of when Messiah would come. The Background—Daniel 9:1-2 The date for Daniel's prophesy is "the first year of Darius," which means that it occurred in the year 539 B. C. E., about 66 or 67 years after the Jews initially went into exile to Babylonia. It was on this occasion, Daniel stated, that he was studying the Scriptures; and from these Scriptures he came to understand that the number of years for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem was almost over, since the duration was to be 70 years. Daniel mentioned that he was studying "books," and we can see for one that he had been studying the writings of Jeremiah; the lives of Jeremiah and Daniel did overlap to some extent. On two occasions (Jeremiah 25:10-14, 29:10-14) Jeremiah predicted that the captivity and desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years. What other books Daniel may have been studying we cannot know with certainty. But there are some strong possibilities that he also studied the book of Isaiah, since Isaiah actually named Cyrus as the one who would permit the Jews to return (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). Furthermore, there are other writings in Moses and the Prophets that spelled out some specific conditions for the establishment of the messianic kingdom, and Daniel may have looked at some of these as well (Leviticus 26:40-43, 1 Kings 8:46-53, Jeremiah 3:12-18, Hosea 5:15-6:3). These passages emphasize that Israel as a nation must repent and confess sin prior to the establishment of any kingdom of the Messiah. Reckoning the 70 years from the year 605 (when the Jews went into exile) would bring the end of the 70 years to 536 B.C.E. Daniel realized that the captivity had only about three years to go. But Daniel not only expected the captivity to end after 70 years, he also expected a final termination of any possibility of future desolations for Jerusalem. He had acted as if the messianic kingdom were about to occur: since the Word of God was to be established on the basis of prayer, he prayed; and realizing that the prerequisite was the confession of national sin, he confessed the sins of Israel. Daniel's Prayer—Daniel 9:3-19 Daniel's detailed prayer can be divided into two portions. The first (verses 3-14) is the confession of sin. Daniel acknowledged both sin and guilt, which had been incurred in two ways—first by disobedience to the Law of Moses, and secondly by disobedience to the prophets who came after Moses. Daniel neither denied the sin of his nation nor his own sin, and by the use of the pronoun "we," Daniel fully identified with all Jewish people in their sins. He did not see sin as merely a bad habit, but as something ingrained in the people that had brought on divine judgment. This disobedience to both the Law and the Prophets caused Israel "confusion of face," an idiom meaning a sense of shame. It also resulted in the need for forgiveness. Here Daniel confessed that to God belong forgiveness and mercy, and that forgiveness was needed. Daniel concluded the first part of his prayer by describing the punishment for sin and guilt. That punishment, captivity in Babylon, confirmed the words of the prophets who had predicted it and confirmed the Law of Moses, which taught that divine judgment would come as a result of disobedience. The second part of the prayer (verses 15-19) is a plea for mercy. Daniel made his plea on the basis of righteousness—not Israel's, but God's righteousness. He also pleaded for mercy on the basis of God's grace, for Israel did not merit mercy; but the grace of God was (and is) able to extend it anyway. Furthermore, the righteousness of God required him to fulfill his promises, and therefore he should do so at the end of the 70-year period. The conclusion of Daniel's prayer is very dramatic: "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God; because thy city and thy people are called by thy name." The Arrival of Gabriel—Daniel 9:20-23 Then, while Daniel was presenting his supplications, he was interrupted. He apparently had intended to say more, when Gabriel arrived. The interruption came by the touch of the angel's hand, "about the time of the evening oblation." This refers to the daily, regular evening sacrifice that was offered while the temple stood. Although it had not been practiced for seven decades, Daniel showed his longing for the return from captivity and for the rebuilding of the temple by remembering the sacrifice. Gabriel told Daniel that the purpose of his visit was (1) to correct Daniel's misunderstanding concerning when the messianic kingdom would be set up and (2) to present God's revelation, which contained a timetable for Messiah's coming. The Decree of the 70 Sevens—Daniel 9:24a Gabriel's prophecy to Daniel began with the words, "Seventy sevens are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city…" Many English versions have translated the phrase to read "seventy weeks." But this translation is not totally accurate and has caused some confusion about the meaning of the passage. Most Jews know the Hebrew for "weeks" because of the observance of the Feast of Weeks, and that Hebrew word is shavuot. However, the word that appears in the Hebrew text is shavuim, which means "sevens." The word refers to a "seven" of anything, and the context determines the content of the seven. Here it is obvious Daniel had been thinking in terms of years—specifically the 70 years of captivity. Daniel had assumed that the captivity would end after 70 years and that the kingdom would be established after 70 years. But here Gabriel was using a play upon words in the Hebrew text, pointing out that insofar as Messiah's kingdom was concerned, it was not "70 years," but "70 sevens of years," a total of 490 years (70 times seven). This period of 490 years had been "decreed" over the Jewish people and over the holy city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated "decreed" literally means "to cut off" or "to determine." In chapters 2, 7 and 8, God revealed to Daniel the course of future world history in which gentiles would have a dominant role over the Jewish people. This lengthy period, which began with the Babylonian Empire to continue until the establishment of Messiah's kingdom, is for that reason often referred to as the "Times of the Gentiles." Now the prophet was told that a total of 490 years was to be "cut out" of the Times of the Gentiles, and a 490-year period had been "determined" or "decreed" for the accomplishment of the final restoration of Israel and the establishment of Messiah's kingdom. The focus of the program of the 70 sevens was "thy people and…thy holy city." The "people" were Daniel's people, the Jewish people, and the city was Daniel's city, Jerusalem. Though he had spent the vast majority of his life in the city of Babylon, Jerusalem was still Daniel's city. For Jews, whether they are in the land or outside the land, their city is always Jerusalem and not any other. The Purpose of the 70 Sevens—Daniel 9:24b Daniel was next told by Gabriel that the 70 sevens are to accomplish six purposes. The first is to finish transgression. The Hebrew word translated "to finish" means "to restrain firmly," "to restrain completely" or "to bring to completion." The Hebrew word translated "transgression" is a very strong word for sin and more literally means "to rebel." The Hebrew text has this word with the definite article, so literally it means "the transgression," or "the rebellion." The point is that some specific act of rebellion is finally going to be completely restrained and brought to an end. This act of rebellion or transgression is to come under complete control so that it will no longer flourish. Israel's apostasy is now to be firmly restrained, in keeping with a similar prediction in Isaiah 59:20. The second purpose of the 70 sevens is to make an end of sins. The Hebrew word translated "to make an end" literally means "to seal up" or "to shut up in prison." It means to be securely kept, locked up, not allowed to roam at random. The Hebrew word translated as "sins" literally means "to miss the mark." It refers to sins of daily life, rather than to one specific sin. Even these sins are to be put to an end and taken away. This, too, is quite in keeping with predictions by the prophets that proclaim that in the messianic kingdom, sinning would cease from Israel (Isaiah 27:9, Ezekiel 36:25-27, 37:23, Jeremiah 31:31-34). The third purpose is to make reconciliation for iniquity. The Hebrew word translated "to make reconciliation" is "kaphar," which has the same root meaning as the word "kippur," as in Yom Kippur. The word "kaphar" literally means "to make atonement." The third purpose, then, is to make atonement in some way for iniquity. In fact, it is by means of this atonement that the first two purposes will also be accomplished, that of finishing the transgression and making an end of sins. The word translated "iniquity" refers to inward sin. This has sometimes been referred to as the sin nature, or perhaps a more common term among Jewish people would be yetzer hara," the evil inclination." The fourth purpose of the 70 sevens is to bring in everlasting righteousness. More literally this could be translated "to bring in an age of righteousness," since the Hebrew "olam" is better translated as "age" rather than as "everlasting." This age of righteousness is to be the messianic kingdom spoken of in the Prophets (Isaiah 1:26, 11:2-5, 32:17; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 33:15-18). It is this very age that Daniel had been expecting to see established after the 70 years of captivity, but now he is told that will only be after the 490-year period. The fifth purpose is to seal up vision and prophecy. Here Daniel used a word which means "to shut up." So "to seal up" means to cause a cessation or to completely fulfill. Thus, vision and prophecy are to be completely fulfilled." Vision" is a reference to oral prophecy, while "prophecy" refers to written prophecy. Both oral and written prophecy will cease with the final fulfillment of all revelations. The final purpose of the 70 sevens is to anoint the most holy. A better translation here would be "to anoint a most holy place." This is a reference to the Jewish temple which is to be rebuilt when Messiah comes. It refers to the same temple that Daniel's contemporary, Ezekiel, described in great detail (Ezekiel 40-48). The Start of the 70 Sevens—Daniel 9:25a Daniel was clearly told when the 70 sevens would begin their countdown. Gabriel said, "Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.…" The 70 sevens would begin with a decree involving the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. Not everything in Persian chronology is as clear as we would like to have it, and there are still some gaps in our knowledge of history. But from what biblical and historical records we do have, there are four possible answers to the question of which decree the passage refers to. One is the decree of Cyrus, issued somewhere between 538-536 B.C.E., which concerned the rebuilding of the Temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4,6:1-5) and of the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28,45:13). Another option is the decree of Darius Hystaspes (Ezra 6:6-12), issued in the year 521 B.C.E.; it was a reaffirmation of the decree of Cyrus. A third possibility is the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra (Ezra 7:11-26) issued in 458 B.C.E., which contained permission to proceed with the temple service. The last option is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-8), issued in the year 444 B.C.E. This decree specifically concerned the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. Of these four possibilities, only the first and fourth are valid in fulfilling the wording Gabriel gave to Daniel. It goes beyond the purpose of this article to deal with the various arguments of either option, but one thing is certain: by the year 444 B.C.E., the countdown of the 70 sevens had begun. The First 69 Sevens—Daniel 9:25b The 70 sevens are divided into three separate units—seven sevens, 62 sevens and one seven. During the first time period (49 years) Jerusalem would be "built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times." The second block of time (62 sevens, a total of 434 years) immediately followed the first for a total of 69 sevens, or 483 years. It is at this point that we are told what the ending point is of the 69 sevens: "unto Messiah the Prince." As clearly as Daniel could have stated it, he taught that 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem had been issued, Messiah would be here on earth. The obvious conclusion is this: If Messiah was not on earth 483 years after a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem, then Daniel was a false prophet and his book has no business being in the Hebrew Scriptures. But if Daniel was correct and his prophecy was fulfilled, then who was the Messiah of whom he spoke? The Events Between the 69th Seven and the 70th Seven—Daniel 9:26 Whereas the second subdivision of the 70 sevens was to immediately follow the first, the third subdivision was not immediately to follow the second. Daniel pointed out (in verse 26) that three things would occur after this second subdivision and before the third one. Stepping back in time and looking ahead from Daniel's perspective in verse 26, we see first that "the Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing." The Hebrew word translated "cut off" is the common word used in the Mosaic Law and simply means "to be killed." The implication of the term is that the Messiah would not only be killed, but he would die a penal death by execution. The Hebrew expression translated "and shall have nothing" has two meanings. It may mean "nothingness," emphasizing Messiah's state at death. It can also be translated "but not for himself," and the meaning would then be that he died for others rather than for himself, a substitutionary death. The latter meaning would be much more consistent with what the Prophets had to say about the reason for Messiah's death (e.g. Isaiah 53:1-12). The first three purposes of the 70 sevens—to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity—have to be accomplished by an atonement. The Law of Moses decreed that atonement is made by blood (Leviticus 17:11). It appears that Messiah's death "not for himself" but for others would be the means by which Israel's transgression, sins and iniquity would be atoned for. The point of this phrase is that between the end of the second subdivision (the 69th seven) and before the start of the 70th seven, Messiah would be killed and would die a penal, substitutionary death. Secondly, during this interim period it would also happen that "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood.…" The city and the temple that were to be rebuilt because of the decree by which the 70 sevens began would now be destroyed. So sometime after the Messiah was cut off, Jerusalem and the temple would suffer another destruction. Our knowledge of history during this period is extremely clear: the people responsible for this deed were the Romans, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in year 70 C. E. Based upon this verse, it is also clear that the Messiah should have both come and died prior to the year 70 C.E. If such an event did not take place, then Daniel was a false prophet. If such an event did occur, then the question must be answered, who was that Messiah who was killed before 70 C.E.? The third thing to take note of would be, "and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined." For the remainder of the interval between the 69th seven and the 70th seven, the land would be characterized by war, and its resulting condition would be desolation. All this would set the stage for the final, or 70th, seven. The 70th Seven—Daniel 9:27 From where we stand in time today, the last seven years of Daniel's prophecy are still prophetic, still future, but it is with their conclusion that all six purposes of verse 24 will reach their fulfillment. The verse's main points are as follows: First, the 70th seven will begin only with the signing of a seven-year covenant or treaty between Israel and a major gentile political leader. Secondly, in the middle of that period, that is, after 3 1/2 years, this gentile leader will break his treaty with Israel and cause a cessation of the sacrificial system. The implication here is that by this time a temple in Jerusalem will have been rebuilt again and the sacrificial system of Moses re-instituted, but then will be forcefully ceased. Thirdly, the result of the breaking of this covenant is that the temple will now be abominated. The " abomination" refers to an image or an idol. As it was in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, so it will be again in the future when a gentile ruler will abominate the temple by means of idolatry. Fourthly, the abomination is to be followed by wrath and desolation, persecution and warfare, for the remaining half of the 70th seven (the final 3 1/2 years). This is similar to the trials and tribulations the rabbis spoke of as preparation for the establishment of the messianic kingdom. These terrible days were referred to as "the footsteps of the Messiah." But once those days have run their course, the last three things predicted in verse 24 will occur: After this period the age of righteousness will be brought in, in which the most holy place will be anointed and every vision and prophecy be fulfilled. At this point the messianic kingdom for which the prophet Daniel yearned will be set up. Obviously, the messianic kingdom requires the Messiah to rule as king. This means the Messiah will come after the 70th seven. Yet earlier Daniel stated that the Messiah would come and be killed after the 69th seven. This would appear to be a contradiction unless Daniel was speaking of two comings of the Messiah. The first time was to be after the 69th seven, when he would die a penal, substitutionary death for the sins of Israel and accomplish the first three purposes listed in verse 24. The second time was to be after the 70th seven (still future), when he will establish the messianic kingdom and accomplish the last three things of verse 24. There is also an important implication here that should not be missed. The Messiah would be killed after his first coming. Yet he would be alive at his second coming. The implication is that the Messiah would be resurrected from the dead after he was killed. Conclusions This dramatic prophecy features certain things in very clear and unmistakable terms. First, the Messiah was to be on earth 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Secondly, after his appearance on earth he was to be killed, not for his own sins, but rather for those of others; and the death he would die was to be the death of the penalty of the law. Thirdly, the death of the Messiah had to come sometime before Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed again, which occurred in the year 70 C. E. Fourthly, some time after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and following a long period of warfare, the 70th seven will commence, and once that has run its course, Messiah's kingdom and age of righteousness will be established. For that to occur, the implication is that the Messiah who was killed would return again. But who is this Messiah? One man fulfills all that is required in this passage. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the Jewish world and proclaimed his messiahship 483 years after the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem was issued. In the year 30 C. E., Jesus was executed by crucifixion. Daniel indicated that he would be cut off, not for himself, but rather for others. Isaiah 53 also prophesied the death of the Messiah, pointing out that he would die a substitutionary death on behalf of his people Israel. The teaching of the New Covenant is that Jesus died a penal death by taking upon himself the penalty of the Law as a substitute for his people. In keepinng with Daniel 9:24, he died for the purpose of making an atonement for sins. Three days after his death, he was resurrected. Finally, the New Covenant proclaims the fact that he will someday return to set up his kingdom and the age of righteousness. If Daniel was right, then Messiah came and died prior to the year 70 C.E. If Daniel was right, then there are no other options for who the Messiah is, but Jesus of Nazareth. If Daniel was right, this Jesus is destined to return and to set up the messianic kingdom. | Written By
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