Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Prophetic Timing of Jerusalem's Destruction

Creator God has consistently given Isreal the exact timing of their judgment, and has given prophets forewarning of that exact timing. Bible teachers have been lax in their duty in this regard, and so many believers will be unprepared for the return of King Jesus to judge the world.

Destruction of Jerusalem (summer, 9th of Av, 586 BC and 70 AD)
According to Eusibius, Nebuchadnezzar II reigned 607-562 BC (20 months viceroy, 43 years sole king). In Jehoiakim's third year (607-606 BC), Nebuchadnezzar II, as viceroy, took thousands of people back to Babylon with him, including the brightest young men, like Daniel. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon along with Ezekiel and others in 599 BC. In the fifth year of Jehoiakim's captivity (594 BC), the LORD told Ezekiel to build a model of a siege of Jerusalem and to lay before it in chains on his left side for 390 days for the iniquity of Israel, and then on right his side for 40 days for the iniquity of Judah; with each day representing a year of siege (Ez. 4:1-17). Ezekiel (35:5) later explained the end of their time of iniquity would be the time of their calamity when Edom (Seir) shed the blood of Israelites, which is verified by Obadiah 1:12-14 and Psalm 137:7 to be the time of Jerusalem's destruction when Edomites cheered and killed refugees who were escaping in 586 BC.
The 390 days equalled the 390 years of Israel's idolatry from the golden calves which Jeroboam established in the beginning of his reign in summer 975 BC (which was his first Tishri regnal year of 976-975 BC) until the destruction of Jerusalem in summer of 586 BC. Now 976 - 586 = 390 years. This included Jeremiah's seventy year prophecy (Jer. 25:11 and 29:10) which began with the first transportation into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 606 BC and ended in 536 BC when the first exiles returned to Jerusalem with Ezra under the decree of Cyrus. (Ezra 1:1-3:1 The decree was in the first year of Cyrus as emperor, and they left in the 7th month.) The remaining 40 years, a generation, of judgment upon Judah was the 40 year period from 30-70 AD of which Jesus declared their guilt and prophesied their punishment. (Matthew 21:31-38; Luke 11:47-51; 21:20-32) The destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD completed the punishment for their sins according to Daniel's 70 week prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). The destructions of both the first and second temples occurred on the 9th of Av (II Kings 25:8-10 plus two days to round up captives and loot the Temple); God getting the point of the exact timing of His prophecies across.

Peter and Paul were martyred in 67 AD, but they saw the growing persecution, and were aware of Christ's “generation” prophecy soon to be fulfilled. By this time many priests had come to faith in Messiah (Acts 6:7). So the “house of God” could rightly be referring to the Temple (Mat. 23:38) and the body of believers (I Peter 2:5).

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Why let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as to a faithful Creator.” (I Peter 4:16-19)

time is kairos
judgment is krinos

The final 3.5 years of Daniel's 70th week and “Jacob's trouble” occurred from 66-70 AD, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and over one million Jews. Similarly we will soon culminate the 3.5 years of Revelation and God's judgment of the world which will center on their hatred for Jews and Jerusalem. When Jesus was in the process of fulfilling Daniel's 70th week, Jews had a hard time accepting a man from Nazareth, and He chided them for not knowing the day of their visitation (Luke 19:45); and King Jesus will return on an exactly prophesied day and year again.

“. . . they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (I Peter 2:12)

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. . . . But of the times and the seasons [kairos], brothers, you have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail on a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (I Thess. 4:16 - 5:4)


From Paul's teaching, the 'day' of Christ's visitation is Feast of Trumpets, just like it was in 3 BC when Messiah was born. From Daniel 12:10-12, the year is 2012 based upon the pivotal year of 1967 when the Jews retook Jerusalem. Please prepare yourselves for LORD Yeshua's return and His judgment upon the world as He fights from Jerusalem.