Past and Future Events

O. T. #2009  "Past and Future Events"

August 24, 2021

Daniel 9-Part 5

LET IT GLOW

I pray for wisdom as I write today's lesson, for I am not a Bible scholar. And my little mind cannot understand all of this. I have many commentaries on my desk, seeking meaning of verses 25-27. They get into depth about the 490 years. People have wondered when the rapture is coming, when the Tribulation is going to happen, and when the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ is going to take place. Folks, those things are known only to God. Many speculate. It will all happen according to God's perfect timetable.

Swindoll draws two truths from this chapter:

1. God deals in specifics. The Lord answered Daniel with particulars, not generalities.
2. God keeps His promises. Events have occurred just as God said they would in the predicted 70 weeks. This should give us confidence that the Lord will keep all the promises He has given in His written Word.

 

LET IT GROW

With that said, we can look into history and a timeline of major events that were some predicted and did occur, others happened:

• 620-540 BC: Daniel lived most of his years in Babylon; 
• 586 BC: Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylonians;
• 559-530 BC: Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and Medes;
• 537 BC: King Cyrus sent Zerubbabel to rebuild Jerusalem and Temple, accompanied by 46,697 Jews (Ezra 1-6);
• 14 years adversaries stopped the Temple construction;
• 478 BC: Queen Esther saved the Jews from extermination;
• 458 BC: King Artaxerxes sent Priest Ezra accompanied by 3,508 Jews , second group, to teach the law and renew Temple worship(Ezra 7-10);
• 445 BC: Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, accompanied by unknown number of Jews (Nehemiah 1-13);
• Nehemiah served as governor for 12 years in Jerusalem;
• 430-433 BC: Nehemiah made a second return to Jerusalem;
• Other world conquerors came along, as well as various philosophies, such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle 
• Alexander the Great ruled from Greece; pagan Greek god worship established;
• God was silent for 400 years between the Old and New Testament;
• John the Baptist comes on the scene,  preparing the way for the then the Messiah;
• Jesus Christ was born, died on the cross, and arose from the dead, appeared to about 547 people after His resurrection.
• 70 AD: The Roman Empire rules;
• The Church Age in which believers in Jesus as Savior continues to present.
• False religions arise-Buddhism, Islamism, Catholicism
• 1517: Protestant Reformation began.
• 1607: Jamestown, Virginia established.
• 1611: King James Bible published.
• 1776: America declared independence from England
• 1914-1918: World War I
• 1939-1945: World War II in which 6 million Jews and millions of Christians were killed by Nazi Germany.
• 1948: Nation of Israel proclaimed.
• 1989: Berlin Wall fell.
• 1990-91: Persian Gulf War
• 2001: Terrorists attack U.S. world Trade Center and Pentagon with thousands dying.
• 2003: War in Iraq launched by US and Britain
• 2020: World-wide Pandemic from COVID 19 virus, vaccines developed

We do not know when the Antichrist will appear on the scene and rule the world for 7 years, establishing himself as god. but we can take comfort in the church and believers being raptured out before this happens.

Then Jesus Christ will return to earth to rule as King of kings and LORD of lords for a thousand years.

 

LET IT GO

Help us to put our faith in You, Jesus, not militaries, money, governments.

Teach us to live by faith and know You are Sovereign God in charge of our future.