The previous lesson noted the special message contained in Revelation 14:6, 7—a message to prepare a people for Christ's soon return. Before He returns, Jesus will have a group who proclaim the everlasting gospel to the entire world.
The message to prepare a people for Christ's coming takes on a distinct significance in the light of the judgment. Revelation 14:7 reads: "The hour of His judgment has come."In other words, it has arrived! We are living in the day of judgment.
In this study we will focus on the place where the judgment is held, the time of the judgment, and the nature of the judgment.
The prophecies of Daniel help to unlock the mysteries of Revelation. In Daniel we discover the details of the judgment.
1. Where does the judgment take place? Daniel 7:9, 10.
MY BIBLE SAYS: "I watched till thrones were put in place. And the Ancient of Days was seated; . . . His throne was a fiery flame, . . .thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated and the books were opened."
2. Where does the judgment take place? Daniel 8:14
MY BIBLE SAYS "And he said to me, 'For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall he cleansed.' "
3. What was the cleansing of the sanctuary'? What did it mean to each Israelite'? Leviticus 16:29. 30 23:27-29
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . . In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls. . . . for on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." "...the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. . . . to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted of soul on that day shall be cut off from his people."
Each day during the earthly sanctuary service, men and women confessed their sins. Day by day sin was transferred from the sinner to the substitute and through the blood of the sacrificial victim to the sanctuary. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, a final disposition of sin was made. All Israel gathered around the sanctuary. It was a day of judgment! At the end of the day the sins of the repentant Israelite were either confessed, forgiven and renounced or—unconfessed, unforgiven and cherished. In the heavenly Judgment the sin question is to be similarly settled. All Israel gathered around the sanctuary. It was a day of judgment! At the end of the day the sins of the repentant Israelite were either confessed, forgiven and renounced or—unconfessed, unforgiven and cherished. In the heavenly Judgment the sin question is to be similarly settled.
MY' BIBLE SAYS: "And I, Daniel, fainted and, was sick for days; . . . I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it."
7. Does Gabriel return to continue the explanation of the vision which was interrupted by Daniel's fainting? Daniel 9:21-23.
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . . While I was speaking in prayer, . . . Gabriel, . . . reached me . . . and he informed me, . . . '0 Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. . . . Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:'"
4. Since the cleansing of the sanctuary of Daniel 8:14 is equivalent to the judgment of Daniel 7:9, 10, which takes place in heaven, at what point in human history does the heavenly judgment occur? When does the vision take place? Daniel 8:16, 17, 19.
MY BIBLE SAYS: "And I heard a . . . voice . . .who called, and said, 'Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.' So he came near where I stood, and . . . said to me, `Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.' . . . And he said, `Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time. . ."
5. Who was Daniel's guide to explain the vision? Daniel 8:16.
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . . Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."
6. Does he accomplish His mission in chapter 8? Why not'? Daniel 8:27.
MY' BIBLE SAYS: "And I, Daniel, fainted and, was sick for days; . . . I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it."
7. Does Gabriel return to continue the explanation of the vision which was interrupted by Daniel's fainting? Daniel 9:21-23.
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . . While I was speaking in prayer, . . . Gabriel, . . . reached me . . . and he informed me, . . . 'O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. . . . Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:"
8. Gabriel begins his explanation by stating that 70 weeks (490 days) are determined (cut off from the 2300 days) especially for the Jews. Daniel 9:22-24.
In Bible prophecy what does one prophetic day equal? Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6.
MY BIBLE SAYS: "According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, ..." ". . . You shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year."
In Daniel 9:25 we find the Master Key to the entire prophecy. The angel gives us the beginning date for both the 490 years, which apply to the Jews, and the 2300 years. This brings us down to the Day of Judgment: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem. . . ." Here, then, with the command to restore Jerusalem, the prophecy begins. From Ezra 7, we may chronologically discover that Artaxerxes passed that decree in 457 B.C. From the decree to restore and build Jerusalem to Messiah the Prince was to be 69 weeks, or 483 prophetic days (7 x 69 = 483), which is 483 years. Since the decree went forth in the autumn, 483 years after 457 B.C. takes us to the autumn of 27 A.D.
It can be established beyond doubt. The fall of 27 A.D. is the time of the Messiah's anointing (Christ's baptism).
9. What happened when Jesus was baptized? Luke 3:21,22; Acts 10:38
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . The heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.' " . . God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, . ."
The prophecy does not end here. With uncanny accuracy it predicts the exact date of Christ's death. Verse 27 states, "Then He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering."
The 483-year prophecy, which ended with the anointing of the Messiah, brings us to the autumn of 27 A.D. But the prophecy includes one more prophetic week, or 7 years, for a total of 70 prophetic weeks. In the midst of this last prophetic week (31/2 prophetic days) the effective sacrifices of the Jewish sanctuary ceased and the Messiah was cut off.
10. What event occurred in the Jewish temple when Christ was crucified? Matthew 27:51.
MY BIBLE SAYS: ". . . the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom . . ."
Since Jesus, the Lamb of God, died, the renting of the veil symbolized the end of the sacrificial system.
On the Passover of 31 A.D., Jesus Christ, our Passover, was crucified for us. Thus the sacrificial system ceased from God's viewpoint. In 34 A.D. as the prophecy predicted, the Jews finally sealed their doom as a nation by stoning Stephen. And the gospel was preached to the Gentiles.
The 490-year prophecy predicts with Accuracy the baptism of Christ in the fall of 27 A.D. His death in the spring of 31 A.D., and the final rejection of the gospel in 34 A.D. But the 490 year period is a smaller section of the 2300 days. Subtracting 490 from 2300, we have 1810 (years) left.
Adding 1810 years to our last date, 34 A.D., brings us to 1844. Just as surely as Christ was baptized in 27 A.D. and crucified in 31 A.D, the judgment began in 1844 A.D. For approximately 150 years we have been living in the time of the judgment.The judgment is now going on in heaven. How will you fare when your name comes up? When your life is carefully investigated, how will you stand?
If any of us had to stand alone we would have absolutely no hope. But, praise the Lord, Jesus will stand for us in the judgment.
MY DECISION: "Dear Lord, I surrender my weak, sinful self to You take me and make me fully Yours. I choose to accept Jesus into my life right now! I choose to surrender anything that stands between us. Forgive my sins, and grant me Your power.
