Retrobyter

Shalom, all. A day of the LORD is different than the Day of the LORD. A day of the LORD is the day when God has reached His breaking point and lowers the boom on those who have been ignoring His long-suffering and His offer of grace. This kind of day of the LORD is a day of judgment on a people for their sins. Many of the prophets in the Tanakh (OT) speak of such a day for the northern Kingdom of Isra'el - the "Ten Tribes" - when Sennacherib carted them off to Assyria, and a separate such day for the southern Kingdom of Y'hudah or Judah - The two (or three) tribes left - when Nebuchadnezzar took them captive to Babylon. The ULTIMATE Day of the LORD is different than these "last straw" days. THAT Day of the LORD will be a thousand-year Day! It will be a Day in which the LORD returns to Isra'el and establishes His Kingdom in the hands of His Anointed, Yeshua`, and reigns over Y'hudah, Isra'el, and the world THROUGH Him! Not until the END of that Day will He punish the unjust after the judgment and sentencing of the Great White Throne Judgment. Therefore, not all prophecies about the "day of the Lord" are indeed about the end of the age. One must carefully consider the context of any verses that mention a "day of the Lord." Furthermore, one must understand that the "day of the Lord" is NEVER about "Sunday!" The Day of the Lord 26/31 in Tanakh (OT) Yesha`yahu (4x) Isaiah 2:12 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: KJV Isaiah 13:6 6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. KJV Isaiah 13:9 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. KJV Isaiah 34:8 8 For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. KJV Yirmeyahu (2x) Jeremiah 46:10 10 For this is the day of the LORD God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the LORD God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. KJV Lamentations 2:22 22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed. KJV Yechezk’el (2x) Ezekiel 13:5 5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. KJV Ezekiel 30:3 3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. KJV Yo’el (5x) Joel 1:15 15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. KJV Joel 2:1 2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; KJV Joel 2:11 11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? KJV Joel 2:31 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. KJV Joel 3:14 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. KJV Amowts (3x) Amos 5:18 18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. KJV Amos 5:20 20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? KJV `Ovadyahu (1x) Obadiah 15 15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. KJV Tsefanyahu (7x) Zephaniah 1:7 7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the LORD God: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. KJV Zephaniah 1:8 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. KJV Zephaniah 1:14 14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. KJV Zephaniah 1:18 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. KJV Zephaniah 2:2 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. KJV Zephaniah 2:3 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. KJV Z’kharyahu (1x) Zechariah 14:1 14 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. KJV Malachiy (1x) Malachi 4:5 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: KJV 5/31 in Brit Chadashah (NT) Lukas (Luke) Acts 2:20 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: KJV Sha’uwl (Paul) 1 Corinthians 5:5 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. KJV 2 Corinthians 1:14 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. KJV 1 Thessalonians 5:2 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. KJV Shim`own Kefa (Simon Cephas [Peter]) 2 Peter 3:10 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. KJV

Shalom, Izzel. Wormwod is wormwood not satan You're absolutely right! "Wormwood" is just as the name suggests in the history books (1605-15) - the PLANT and the DRINK it inspired! "Wormwood" is the alternate name for "absinthe," a "strong, green liqueur made with wormwood and other herbs, having a bitter licorice flavor: now banned in most Western countries." (Is it still? I wouldn't know.) And, the term "wormwood" itself is defined as "any composite plant of the genus Artemisia, especially the bitter, aromatic plant, A. absinthium, of Eurasia, used as a vermifuge and a tonic, and as an ingredient in absinthe." The Greek term here is "apsinthos," which is from where the word "absinthe" comes! It's interesting how this "star" is described in Revelation: Revelation 8:10-11 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. KJV The phrase "burning as it were a lamp" is translated from the Greek phrase "kaiomenos hoos lampas" meaning "burning like a-torch." It was a "large star" that had a FLAME, probably sputtering like a torch! In other words, it had a chemical tail that burned! This is a meteorite with a chemical discharge that contaminates all the rivers, streams, and springs - all the fresh water sources! This is talking about just one of the many meteorites that the earth will experience at this time.

Shalom, Montana Marv. Sorry, but Daniel 9:26 does not say that "Christ died at the end of the 69th week." One must be careful with the wording of Scriptures, especially when one realizes that he is dealing with a different language and culture! It says that Christ died AFTER the 69th seek. That's a horse of a different color!

Shalom, GlidingWings. I like the Bible study that you've been doing. Now, you've made a lot of statements in simple sentences. That's GOOD! Now, ask yourself (or your girlfriend) which of these statements are supported by Scripture? ARE they supported by Scripture? or ARE they coming from theological conclusions? Theological conclusions are SECONDARY conclusions that should ALWAYS take second place to the PRIMARY conclusions that come directly from the Scriptures. And, don't forget fundamental assumptions; they, too, are conclusions that must be supported by Scripture. For instance, how do we know that there will be a "7-year tribulation?" Most make this assumption based on Daniel 9:24-27 because they think that there is a connection between the "70th Seven (Week)" and the "tribulation" and because they assume that half of the Seven matches with the "time, times and half a time," "42 months," and the "1260 days" of Revelation. HOWEVER, this assumption is MERELY an assumption and the neither the text of Daniel 9:24-27, the text of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, nor the text of Revelation actually SAYS that there IS such a connection! Understand? Without this fundamental assumption verified or rejected, one cannot proceed. Good work, though! I believe that you both are on the right track!

Shalom, Spock. Okay, so now we get down to some fundamentals essential to a proper understanding of this verse, Daniel 9:27. The NIV is a good translation for "looking at the forest," but it fails when "looking at the trees." It is NOT a word-for-word translation of the Scriptures. It's focus is translating the overall "understanding of God's Word in contemporary English." Here's what one can find at www.biblica.com: (Emphasis mine.) Their attempt in translation was to put the Bible in contemporary English while remaining true to the text. Their goal is "ease of understanding in every verse." The problem with this approach is that the details suffer in translation. The NIV is NOT a word-for-word translation like the KJV or the NASV. In those versions, one may find an other-than-contemporary-English way of saying something that is closer to the intended word-choice of the author. The Hebrew of the verse (transliterated into English characters) is this: Dani'el 9:24-27 24 Shaavu`iym shiv`iym nechtakh `al-`amkhaa v’`al-`iyr qaadshekha l’kalei’ hapesha` uwlhaateem chaTaa’owt uwlkhapeer `aavon uwlhaaviy’ tsedeq `olaamiym v’lachtom chaazown v’naaviy’ v’limshoach qodesh qaadaashiym: 25 V’teeda` v’taskeel min-motsaa’ daavaar l’haashiyv v’livnowt Y’ruwshaalaim `ad-Maashiyach naagiyd shaavu`iym shiv`aah v’shaavu`iym shishiym uwshnayim taashuwv v’nivnataah rchowv v’chaaruwts uwvtsowq haa`itiym: 26 V’’achareey hashaavu`iym shishiym uwshnayim yikaareet Maashiyach v’’eeyn low v’haa`iyr v’haqodesh yashchiyt `am naagiyd habaa’ v’qitsow vasheTef v’`ad qeets milchaamaah nech’retset shomeemowt: 27 V’higbiyr b’riyt laarabiym shaavuwa` ‘echaad vach’tsiy hashaavuwa` yashbiyt zevach uwminchah v’`al k’naf shiquwtsiym m’shomeem v’`ad-kaalaah v’nech’raatsaah titakh `al-shomeem: Hebrew transliterated from Masoretic Text as found in PC Study Bible 24 Shaavu`iym = 24 Sevens shiv`iym = seventy nechtakh = are-decided `al- = upon `amkhaa = your-(singular)-people v’`al- = and-upon `iyr = city qaadshekha = your-(singular)-holy l’kalei’ = to-finish hapesha` = the-transgression uwlhaateem = and-to-make-an-end chaTaa’owt = [of]-sins uwlkhapeer = and-to-make-reconciliation-for `aavon = iniquity uwlhaaviy’ = and-to-usher-in tsedeq = righteousness `olaamiym = of-ages v’lachtom = and-to-seal-up chaazown = vision v’naaviy’ = and-prophecy v’limshoach = and-to-anoint qodesh = holy qaadaashiym: = of-holies: 25 V’teeda` = 25 And-know v’taskeel = and-understand min-= from motsaa’ = going-forth daavaar = [of]-word l’haashiyv = to-restore v’livnowt = and-to-build Y’ruwshaalaim = Jerusalem `ad-= unto Maashiyach = Messiah; Anointed naagiyd = Prince shaavu`iym = sevens shiv`aah = seven v’shaavu`iym = and-sevens shishiym = sixty uwshnayim = and-two taashuwv = again v’nivnataah = and-shall-be-built rchowv = avenue v’chaaruwts = and-trench uwvtsowq = and-in-distress haa`itiym: = the-times: 26 V’’achareey = 26 And-after hashaavu`iym = the-sevens shishiym = sixty uwshnayim = and-two yikaareet = shall-be-cut-off Maashiyach = Messiah; Anointed v’’eeyn = and-for-himself low = not v’haa`iyr = and-the-city v’haqodesh = and-the-holy yashchiyt = shall-destroy `am = people naagiyd = [of]-prince habaa’ = the-comer v’qitsow = and-end-of-it basheTef = in-a-flood v’`ad = and-until qeets = end milchaamaah = [of]-a-war nech’retset = are-decided shomeemowt: = desolations: 27 V’higbiyr = 27 And-he-shall-strengthen b’riyt = a-covenant laarabiym = to-many shaavuwa` = seven ‘echaad = one vach’tsiy = and-in-middle hashaavuwa` = [of]-the-seven yashbiyt = he-shall-cause-to-end zevach = sacrifice uwminchah = and-offering v’`al = and-for k’naf = a-spreading-out-[like-a-wing] shiquwtsiym = [of]-abominations m’shomeem = he-shall-make-desolate v’`ad- = and-until kaalaah = completion v’nech’raatsaah = and-that-decision titakh = shall-be-poured `al- = upon shomeem: = desolate: 24 Sevens seventy are-decided upon your-(singular)-people and-upon city your-(singular)-holy… to-finish the-transgression and-to-make-an-end [of]-sins and-to-make-reconciliation-for iniquity and-to-usher-in righteousness of-ages and-to-seal-up vision and-prophecy and-to-anoint holy of-holies: 25 And-know and-understand from going-forth [of]-word to-restore and-to-build Jerusalem unto Messiah Prince sevens seven and-sevens sixty and-two again and-shall-be-built avenue and-trench and-in-distress the-times: 26 And-after the-sevens sixty and-two shall-be-cut-off Messiah and-for-himself not and-the-city and-the-holy shall-destroy people [of]-prince the-comer and-end-of-it in-a-flood and-until end [of]-a-war are-decided desolations: 27 And-he-shall-strengthen a-covenant to-many seven one and-in-middle [of]-the-seven he-shall-cause-to-end sacrifice and-offering and-for a-spreading-out-like-a-wing [of]-abominations he-shall-make-desolate and-until completion and-that-decision shall-be-poured up desolate: The two versions from which you have quoted have translators that are very good at what they do, but if they don't understand at what the author was driving, they're going to get it right only a percentage of the time. In the NIV, you have a maximum of 15 members who vote on whether a particular translation is good, and of those 15 (or less), "at least 70% of the committee members present at the time of the voting are required to agree before the text can be altered." If there were all 15 present at the time that Daniel 9 was voted upon, that means that 11 of them had to agree upon the meaning of the text. Fewer still if fewer than 15 possible were committee members at the time, and fewer still if not all of these were present for the voting! It's a very democratic way of deciding what to put into the NIV, but IS the majority always right? Shouldn't those who have a greater understanding of the Hebrew have a "weighted vote," that is, shouldn't one who is more familiar with Hebrew be given more say in the voting process? Furthermore, not everyone can be at the "top of his game" all the time! What if they were having an "off" day? One can find oneself not as sharp as he should be or impatient or distracted to the point where he is not paying close attention to detail. Some may just cave to the peer pressure, believing it's "not that big of a deal." Some may have a theological prejudice to state a particular passage a certain way. Some may have heard a novel interpretation for the first time, checked it out to be sure it could fit the details of the original text, and under an enamored infatuation with the novel concept, voted in favor of the novel interpretation! (Please note: I am not saying that something like this happened; I'm only pointing out that I could SEE how something like this COULD happen. I would hope that they had some checks and balances in place to discourage such things from happening.) These 15 members come from a wide variety of Protestant backgrounds, and they are all very intelligent scholars. HOWEVER, who among them are "Sabras" (naturally born Hebrews of Isra'el)? How many really understand Hebrew more than just as one of the Bible languages? Are they fluent in Hebrew? Can they converse in Hebrew to the extent that they can pick up on the nuances of the words in context? There's a REASON why the phrase was translated as "for the overspreading of abominations" in the KJV. The word "k'naf" in Hebrew is NOT just a "wing"; it's a "SPREAD-OUT wing," a "wing-in-flight!" It's not a "wing of the Temple" (neither the word for "Temple" ["heeykhaal"] nor the word for "house" ["beeyt"] is present in the text); it's the ACTIVITY of spreading out the wing! It's a Hebrew idiom for a "multiplication of (whatever)." Follow Yeshua` through the 23rd chapter of Matthew and listen to Him bawl out the Scribes and Pharisees! Matthew 23:13-15 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. KJV This IS "spreading out abominations like the feathers in a wing!" The leaven of the Pharisees had infected the general population of Isra'el, coercing them to reject their Messiah, and leading them to the point they would be ready to cry out, "Crucify him!" They were the cancer in the tribe of Y'hudah, and Yeshua` responded by pronouncing them "Desolate" in verse 38. But, hey, believe what you will. Yeshua` is coming again to set up His Kingdom, regardless! And, like the child who is "it" in a game of hide-and-seek, He'll be crying out, "Ready or not, here I come!"

Shalom, Spock. The six tasks in Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, (1) to finish the transgression, (2) to put an end to sin, (3) and to atone for iniquity, (4) to bring in everlasting righteousness, (5) to seal both vision and prophet, (6) and to anoint a most holy place. 1. to finish the transgression 2. to put an end to sin 3. and to atone for iniquity 4. to bring in everlasting righteousness 5. to seal both vision and prophet 6. and to anoint a most holy place Answer me three questions here.. 1. How many of these tasks have already been completed? 2. Is there scripture that confirms any of these tasks in the great tribulation? 3. Why is there such a huge gap after the 69 weeks, 20 centuries later? It starts to make sense that the 70 weeks is split into two gaps. 1. The first three have been accomplished by Yeshua` (Jesus) Himself. The second three won't be accomplished until the Messiah physically returns. 2. Yes. Hebrews 9-11, but the "great tribulation" started in the first century A.D. 3. The "huge gap" occurs after the 69.5th Seven. The first 69 Sevens were accomplished before Yeshua` presented Himself for Yochanan's baptism. The next half a Seven was fulfilled in the initial offer of the Kingdom (Yeshua`s "Ministry"). Then, Yeshua` threw the monkey wrench into the works by pronouncing them desolate until there comes a generation that will say the words "Baruwkh haba' b'shem YHWH," welcoming the Messiah of YHWH as they SHOULD have done in the first century! They're a very stubborn people and haven't fully welcomed Him, yet! (Although, they ARE beginning to come around! They even put teachings and warnings into place to help the Jewish children shun Yeshua`, even though most of them don't have a clue why it's "important," just that it is!) There are not "two gaps," only the one, and it has sufficiently delayed the end of the Seven. Hey Retrobyter, how are you my friend? Just want to say I reread Daniel 9 again and I still can't see what you see in that last week of Daniel. "Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finishd transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place." It still seems to me the entire 70th week was delayed, not just half of it as you proposed. I'm not saying you are wrong, but rather, I'm not convinced your interpretation is right. Matthew 24 to me supports a full week and not a gap as you propose. I still enjoy reading your thoughts so keep them coming. On a side note, I can see from this passage where pre-trib (rapture before 70th week) gets its fuel. The passage says the seventy weeks are for your people to deal with transgression which refers to Daniels people- Jews. I guess this is where people like Marv believe the 70th week is not meant for the Church, because it is meant for Jews to finish their punishment as decreed by God through Daniel back in 500 BC or thereabouts. I'm not a pre tribber but if they believe this is a time of Jacobs trouble only and not the church, this point can't be completely dismissed without discussion. Fine, thank you. And, you? I'll try to give you what I see in Daniel 9:24-27: Daniel 9:24-27 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. KJV First of all, we are told that indeed "Seventy ‘sevens’ are determined upon thy (Dani'el's) people and thy (Dani'el's) holy city." Those are for the Hebrews of his time, those who had been taken captive to Babylon. Second, information about the Messiah is given in verses 26 and 27, not the anti-Messiah or the Antichrist. The "prince that shall come" is NOT the Messiah but the Roman, Titus. Nevertheless, the "he" of verse 27 CANNOT refer to him, since "the prince" is the OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION that does NOT participate in the main thought of the sentence. The antecedent of the "he" MUST refer back to the "Messiah" in verse 26. Those are the English rules, but the Hebrew rules are no different. The "prince" in Hebrew, "naviyd," is the second noun in a noun construct. Therefore, it NEVER performs or receives the action of the sentence in which it is found. The next, singular, personal noun is "Messiah," the subject of the prior sentence. Third, one must accept that "after" can mean "ANY TIME after." Thus, when verse 26 says, "after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off," it doesn't necessarily mean that this is IMMEDIATELY after the 69th "seven." As is typical with Hebrew literature, often the conclusion is given first and THEN the supporting points of that conclusion will follow. So, verse 27 zooms in on the 26th verse from a slightly different perspective, particularly that of the Messiah: Thus, it is the MESSIAH who confirms or strengthens the covenant, namely the DAVIDIC COVENANT, with many for seven years, much as did His predecessor David. David reigned over the Jews - the descendants of the tribe of Y'hudah or Judah - for 7 years BEFORE he became the king of all Isra'el for 33 years! It was the MESSIAH who put an end to the sacrifice and the gift ("oblation")! See Hebrews 10-11! Hebrews 10:1-18 1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, O God.'" 8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. NIV And, it was the MESSIAH who pronounced them "DESOLATE" when they rejected Him and pushed Him to make the scalding reprimands of Matthew 23! Thus, He concluded the chapter with the following: Matthew 23:37-39 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Psalm 118:26) KJV Psalm 118:22-26 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. KJV In Hebrew, this is worded (transliterated into English characters), "Baruwkh haba' bshem YHWH," and it translates to "Welcome, Comer on the authority of YHWH." In other words, He was saying, "You shall not see me from now on, until you can say, 'Welcome, Comer with the authority of YHWH Himself,' referring to me!" Thus, THERE IS NO ROOM LEFT for an "Antichrist" to be seen in these verses of Daniel! Furthermore, it tells us that the first half of the seventieth "seven" was fulfilled in the ministry of Yeshua` when He LEGITIMATELY offered the Kingdom to Isra'el and it was rejected. IT WAS HE who postponed the latter half of the seventieth "seven," not to be completed until the Messiah returns, for the PURPOSE of the seventieth "seven," as well as the rest of the 70 "sevens," were to usher in everlasting righteousness (which hasn't happened, yet)! P.S. - Since people usually use these verses to suggest that the "Antichrist" will make a covenant with Isra'el for seven years and then break it in the middle of the seven years, that won't happen, either.

Shalom, Spock. The six tasks in Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, (1) to finish the transgression, (2) to put an end to sin, (3) and to atone for iniquity, (4) to bring in everlasting righteousness, (5) to seal both vision and prophet, (6) and to anoint a most holy place. 1. to finish the transgression 2. to put an end to sin 3. and to atone for iniquity 4. to bring in everlasting righteousness 5. to seal both vision and prophet 6. and to anoint a most holy place Answer me three questions here.. 1. How many of these tasks have already been completed? 2. Is there scripture that confirms any of these tasks in the great tribulation? 3. Why is there such a huge gap after the 69 weeks, 20 centuries later? It starts to make sense that the 70 weeks is split into two gaps. 1. The first three have been accomplished by Yeshua` (Jesus) Himself. The second three won't be accomplished until the Messiah physically returns. 2. Yes. Hebrews 9-11, but the "great tribulation" started in the first century A.D. 3. The "huge gap" occurs after the 69.5th Seven. The first 69 Sevens were accomplished before Yeshua` presented Himself for Yochanan's baptism. The next half a Seven was fulfilled in the initial offer of the Kingdom (Yeshua`s "Ministry"). Then, Yeshua` threw the monkey wrench into the works by pronouncing them desolate until there comes a generation that will say the words "Baruwkh haba' b'shem YHWH," welcoming the Messiah of YHWH as they SHOULD have done in the first century! They're a very stubborn people and haven't fully welcomed Him, yet! (Although, they ARE beginning to come around! They even put teachings and warnings into place to help the Jewish children shun Yeshua`, even though most of them don't have a clue why it's "important," just that it is!) There are not "two gaps," only the one, and it has sufficiently delayed the end of the Seven. Interesting interpretation here. I've never considered this aspect of delaying 3.5 years instead of the full week (7 yrs), but it may have some merit. I'm not buying it yet, but I will look into it. Thanks. That's as I would expect, and you're welcome.

Shalom, WillowWood. Yes, that makes sense. Thanks also for explaining what Megiddo is. Do you also believe that there is a 4th war which comes before Ezekiel 38? I mean the Psalm 83 war. I really appreciate the discussions I have with Montana Marv; so, please don't take this as a criticism of him, but "Armageddon" is an English transliteration of a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words "Har Megiddown." (Oy veh! So many languages!) These words mean "MOUNTAIN of Megiddow." It's talking about Tel Megiddo in Isra'el. You can Google it and see actual pictures of the place. The valley that is associated with that Tel is Gei-Yizr`e'l, or the valley of Jezreel, north of the Tel and southeast of Haifa, Isra'el. The Tel is an ancient "guard post" (although today, it's a prison) that guards the pass through the mountains FROM the valley on a southward trek. With the exception of the war after the Millennium, it might be better to see these as battles within a single war than as separate wars, btw.

Shalom, Parker1, and Merry Christmas! This is another source which I use as a proof of the conclusions of Mr. Kelley. Despites what some may think (not you in particular, or course) I think for myself and don't just follow Mr. Kelley like a blind sheep. I consider both side of the discussion, and then with the leading of the Holy Spirit decide on which side makes more sense to me. That is why I beleive that Daniel 11:36-45 remains to be fullfilled and is talking about a future Anti-Christ. It all boils down to a liberal or conservative viewpoint, IMO. Merry Christmas, by the way! That's fine, but I noticed that the interpretation that this was Herod the Great (and Caesar Augustus in the background) was not one of the "three major categories" in the first paragraph. Therefore, this gives you a fourth category to consider. Those three given are NOT all-inclusive, although they were portrayed to be. I'm not saying that the "Antichrist" (or actually, the Beast) cannot be found in Daniel. I believe that he IS seen in Daniel 7:7-8 and 16-25, just not in the rest of the book. Keep him out of chapters 9, 11 and 12. He doesn't belong there. The scope of those chapters do not include him, nor should I think anyone would WANT to give him "honorable mention!" Daniel 7's prophecy fits well with 2 Thessalonians 2. Again, have a very Merry Christmas!

Shalom, donaldjamesperrry. Not at all, brother. You’re assuming something that I don’t think you have the Scriptural support to assume. You are ASSUMING that this verse is talking about a future time in their lives because Yeshua` said that His twelve were going to be brought before governors and kings. Your assumption is that these events didn’t happen before His death and resurrection. YOU DON’T KNOW THAT! Did that happen to them during Yeshua`s offer of the Kingdom between chapters 10 and 12 or not? Don't make Yeshua` (Jesus) out to be a liar here. He was talking to the twelve; He started the instruction in Matthew 10:1; and, He ended the instruction in Matthew 10:42. Then, the twelve left in Matthew 11:1! You’re also forgetting to look at the contexts of ALL the Gospels. He also started the instruction in Luke 9:1 and ended His instruction in Luke 9:5; then the twelve left in Luke 9:6. THEY RETURNED IN LUKE 9:10! Not everything about their journey is recorded in these accounts: Luke 9:1-10 1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. 10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. KJV This is the SAME EVENT! How did Herod the tetrarch, a KING, hear about Yeshua`? Who were in His court if not governors? Don't assume that this is some future event! It happened to them AT THAT TIME! Why do you think Yochanan`s (John's) disciples visited Him in chapter 11? Why do you think Yeshua` denounced the towns of Korazin, Beit-Tsaidah, and K'far-Nachum in chapter 11? (These are REAL towns in Isra'el!) These were some of the towns that REJECTED Him and His Kingdom! --- When you said, "Both the words and the vision speak of His coming future," you should have said, "Both the words and the vision speak of His future coming," because then you would have been right! First, yes, the vision DID answer the question of them seeing Him in His Kingdom! To have the KING IS to have the Kingdom! That’s why Yeshua` said, “The Kingdom of God is within your grasp,” in Matthew 4:17, and to the PHARISEES, “The Kingdom of God is WITHIN (AMONG) you as a group,” in Luke 17:21! As long as the King was present among them, they had the chance of seeing the Kingdom of God! When they rejected Him, He rejected them in Matthew 23:1-36; then He mourned for them in Matthew 23:37, but He pronounced them “DESOLATE” in Matthew 23:38 with the promise in Matthew 23:39 that they would see Him again WHEN they could say, “Baruwkh haba’ bshem YHWH,” (translated as “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD” and quoted from Psalm 118:26) which is Hebrew for “Welcome, Comer on the authority of YHWH,” i.e., the Messiah, referring to Himself. When He left the earth, He took His offer of the Kingdom WITH HIM! Second, you need to understand the IMPORTANCE of what they saw! Other kings are crowned with crowns and splendor; Yeshua` is crowned with GLORY! That is, He will LITERALLY GLOW BRIGHTLY with His Father’s Glory! It doesn't matter WHAT He is wearing; who else can GLOW AND SHINE AS HE DOES AND SHALL?! Who else will have the honor and respect from such greats as Mosheh (Moses) and Eliyahu (Elijah)?! Hebrews 2:6-9 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. (Psalm 8:4-6) For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. KJV Nevertheless, we DO (or SHOULD) expect Him to come back BODILY! Acts 1:6-11 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven (the sky) as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven (the sky)? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven (the sky), shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (the sky). KJV He will return LITERALLY, TANGIBLY, BODILY, and as THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS! And, again, we are NOT to be anticipating "going to heaven"; we are to be anticipating the RESURRECTION and His SOON RETURN!

Shalom, Parker1. This is very well written, and I agree with everything ... up to Dani'el 11:36-45. Daniel 11:36-45 36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. KJV Dan 11:36-45 36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods. He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no respect for the gods his ancestors worshipped, or for the god women worship — he won’t show respect for any god, because he will consider himself greater than all of them. 38 But instead, he will honor the god of strongholds; with gold, silver, precious stones and other costly things he will honor a god unknown to his ancestors. 39 He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will confer honor on those he acknowledges, causing them to rule over many and distributing land as a reward. 40 “When the time for the end comes, the king of the south will push at him; while the king of the north will attack him like a whirlwind, with chariots, cavalry and a large navy. He will invade countries, overrun them and move on. 41 He will also enter the Land of Glory, and many [countries] will come to grief, but these will be saved from his power — Edom, Mo’av and the people of ‘Amon. 42 He will reach out his hand to seize other countries too. The land of Egypt will not escape — 43 he will control the treasures of gold and silver, as well as everything else in Egypt of value. Put and Ethiopia will be subject to him. 44 However, news from the east and north will frighten him, so that he moves out in great fury to ruin and completely do away with many. 45 Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end, with no one to help him. CJB I believe that these verses are better explained at http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Daniel11. Here's an excerpt: Therefore, it wasn't some future "Antichrist" who fulfills the rest of this chapter; it was Herod the Great, an arm of Caesar Augustus to control the Land of Isra'el. Chapter 12 IS about the first coming of Yeshua` (who followed Herod), but there is an implied gap because of Yeshua` leaving the holy city "desolate" until they can welcome Him back, as foretold in Matthew 23:37-39 and Psalm 118:22-26.

Shalom, donaldjamesperry and 1peterlight. I think that all these things have happened now as a type that only applies to that first generation. Now we are expected to follow that same pattern. This is not Preterism it is Redirectionalism Frankly, these are instructions that Yeshua` gave to His disciples - His apostles - His "sent ones" - during the first century when Yeshua` was offering the Kingdom to Isra'el. They are NOT "universalisms" that apply to all generations! Look at the WHOLE context: Matthew 10:1-11:1 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach (herald), saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand (within your grasp). 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. KJV These were VERY SPECIFIC instructions given to these twelve, not to everyone! So THEIR job was to go through all the towns and villages of "the lost sheep of Isra'el" and herald the message that the King Apparent, Chosen (Anointed) by God, was coming to THEIR town! The inhabitants could either accept the message or reject it. To prove the Twelve were who they claimed to be, they were given power to heal the sick, just as the Messiah had power to do! Consider the following map of Florida: http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/states/florida/florida-map.html If Yeshua` (Jesus) were to have started in Miami on His way to Tallahassee, Florida, the specific locations He would have sent His apostles would have been Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, Vero Beach, Saint Augustine, Jacksonville, Macclenny, Lake City, Live Oak, Madison, and Monticello, in that order, and then ending up in Tallahassee, with other smaller towns in between all these. When He said, "Don't go on any foreign roads, and don't go into any of the towns of Shomron (Samaria)," He was saying, "Don't go on any roads into Georgia, and don't visit any towns of Alabama!" (Sorry to any inhabitants of Georgia or Alabama on the forum! No evil speaking of your homes intended.) They were limited as to whom they could visit! Verses 17 to 23 are events that actually happened to His disciples (which Yeshua` was foretelling at this point). So, when Yeshua` said, "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come," He was simply saying that they wouldn't finish their task of visiting all these towns before Yeshua` caught up to them! The warnings that He gave them in verses 24 to 42 were to forewarn them of what they were about to face and to ENCOURAGE them that He would protect them and reward them for their work. When Yeshua` was done commanding them what to do, they were off, and He began HIS trip, teaching and heralding in THEIR hometowns (while they were away). ---- You also left off the book and the chapter on verses 27 and 28, but they come from the following context: Matthew 16:27-17:13 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. KJV Remember this: Chapter and verse divisions were added later than the writing of the text, and they are NOT inspired by God. The transfiguration of the Lord in chapter 17 IS the fulfillment of His promise that some would see Him coming in His Kingdom. It was a VISION of what was to come, not the actual event itself! The message and the transfiguration are linked back-to-back in all three of the synoptic Gospels: Mark 9:1-13 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. 7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. 11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? 12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. 13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. KJV Luke 9:26-36 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. 28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. KJV So, can you see? The two events - the words Yeshua` said to them and the transfiguration - are linked together in all three accounts! And, the event of the transfiguration was a VISION in partial fulfillment of Joel 2:28: Joel 2:28 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: KJV So, rest assured. We are NOT yet in the 1,000 years because our Lord Yeshua` has NOT yet returned as promised.

Shabbat shalom, DRS81. It wasn't meant to be that way, and if we still understood our Hebrew roots, it wouldn't be that way. The Bible is a Hebrew book written to the Hebrews (both Jews and non-Jewish Isra'el) and needs to be interpreted that way. Even the New Testament was written by Hebrews to Hebrews about the Hebrew Yeshua whom they called "haMashiach" or "the Messiah," "the Christ" in Anglicized Greek. Today, we use the term "Jewish" to refer to anyone born into the family of Jacob (Israel), although technically, a Jew (Y'hudiy) is just one individual from the tribe of Judah (Y'hudah), one of the twelve sons of Jacob. However, if one is a Gentile (a non-Hebrew person), he has a natural disadvantage to understanding the Scriptures. If those born into God's family through the Spirit are not taught their heritage, they will come to wrong conclusions about God's Word, not realizing why the Bible says certain things that do not make sense to someone who doesn't understand the cultural context and heritage. Now, prophecy is a natural mystery because we don't know our future at all without it, and prophecy is a "condensed version" of what our future holds. Such information was given to us to help us trust God. Knowing that God knew what was going to happen in the future should help us to trust that He has everything in control. Knowing that God loves us - each of us individually as well as all of us as a group - helps us to trust that He has our best interest in mind and will do what is good and right for us (in HIS timing, of course). With this knowledge and faith, we can be little children again, resting in His arms, and anticipate "Christmas coming," so to speak! We can anticipate all the good things that the prophecies in God's Word say are coming for those who love God and who are His children. What He does NOT want us to do is to obsess about it all to the point where we drive ourselves to ulcers! We are not to have this information to generate a sense of dread and worry, and it is WRONG for a Christian or a believer to SCARE people about the future that God's Word says is SECURE for those who love Him! We may expect tribulation and persecution to strengthen us and help us to grow, but we need to understand that God's promise is... "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee!" (Hebrews 13:5b) Many people obsess about how their dead are buried. Some think that their loved ones need to be buried with their bodies intact or with all their internal organs; thus, their conviction is against being an organ donor. However, what we need to teach them is that God's work of "resurrection" is a CREATIVE ACT! He's not just bringing our dead bodies back to life! In many cases, He must first REBUILD our bodies to raise them back to life! People who have been dead for thousands of years, for instance, may not even have much of their skeletal remains left! Ours is a message of HOPE and that is the ARCHAIC meaning of "hope," by the way! "Hope" used to mean "ASSURANCE" or "CONFIDENCE," as in the "Blessed Hope." It's not just an "I hope so" belief; it's an "I KNOW so" belief! So, all that to say this: The study of prophecy and how the various prophecies dovetail together should be a FUN undertaking, not a hopeless chore, or an impossible drudgery. It's DOABLE, but it will require that you gain an understanding in some of the terminology (avoiding, if possible, the "labeling" of events, which can lead to prophecy/eschatology/theology taking precedence over God's Word). Take courage, and enjoy the ride!

Shabbat shalom, bopeep. Because "Heaven" is not what we are to anticipate! We are to anticipate the RESURRECTION of our bodies and the soon return of haMashiach ben Daviyd - the Messiah son of David! We are to anticipate His reign over this earth, both in the last 1,000 years of this age and in the age to come! Ever hear the phrase "the devil is in the detail?" It means that some overlooked facts hidden in the details can come back to bite you later on. If one doesn't focus on the smallest details of prophecy, one is bound to go astray in one's interpretation of prophecy. They may result in nothing; HOWEVER, it is also possible that they can mean life or death to the interpreter of prophecy! This is potentially a deal-breaker! As I've said elsewhere, it is IMPORTANT to understand that "heaven" simply means "the sky." Whatever is in view when one looks up is "the sky." During the daylight hours, that includes the blue sky that we see, the sun, and the clouds in that blue sky, i.e., the Earth's atmosphere as well as our day-star. During the night, "the sky" also includes what we can see of space, the moon, the stars, and the planets, including other moons, comets, and asteroids. Generally speaking, most of what we see is Earth's atmosphere and the forces that exist there which we call "weather." If anything, what one usually describes as "Heaven," namely the "New Jerusalem," will come HERE to THIS planet (once the planet has been re-created after the coming Fire). However, there's MUCH to look forward to when Yeshua` returns and sets up His earthly Kingdom! Many Christians think of the Millennium (Greek: chilia etee = "a-thousand years") as a "time of world-wide peace and prosperity," and it WILL be ... for God's people, both the Jews and the grafted-in Gentiles, but not necessarily for the REST of the world's population! For them, it will be a time when they live under the empire of the King of Kings and Master of Masters, who for them will be a UNYIELDING DICTATOR. Read Psalm 2:1-12 (in a good translation that you feel comfortable reading; I prefer the KJV because I grew up with it and understand it) and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. If you follow the context carefully in both, you will find that there will be significant conflict during the 1,000 years when Yeshua` reigns in this age! He will be subduing His enemies! One by one, He will be putting them under His feet until the only thing left to defeat will be death itself! Psalm 2 reads like an interrupted U.N. meeting! God interrupts their meeting LAUGHING AT THEM! He warns them to knuckle under His Messiah or face the consequences! God bless you in your studies!

Shalom, donfish06. It would be so neat to see a timeline of all dates in the Bible. Try checking out Blue Letter Bible's site: http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/parallel/timeline/.

Shalom, bopeep. And yet, the "remnant" that Paul mentioned in Romans 11:5 (Greek: leimma) is a portion of Isra'el. Most of what is called the "true Church" today consists of Gentiles. Whatever happened to the Great Commission?

Shalom, Montana Marv and DRS81. The six tasks in Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, (1) to finish the transgression, (2) to put an end to sin, (3) and to atone for iniquity, (4) to bring in everlasting righteousness, (5) to seal both vision and prophet, (6) and to anoint a most holy place. 1. to finish the transgression 2. to put an end to sin 3. and to atone for iniquity 4. to bring in everlasting righteousness 5. to seal both vision and prophet 6. and to anoint a most holy place Answer me three questions here.. 1. How many of these tasks have already been completed? 2. Is there scripture that confirms any of these tasks in the great tribulation? 3. Why is there such a huge gap after the 69 weeks, 20 centuries later? It starts to make sense that the 70 weeks is split into two gaps. 1. The first three have been accomplished by Yeshua` (Jesus) Himself. The second three won't be accomplished until the Messiah physically returns. 2. Yes. Hebrews 9-11, but the "great tribulation" started in the first century A.D. 3. The "huge gap" occurs after the 69.5th Seven. The first 69 Sevens were accomplished before Yeshua` presented Himself for Yochanan's baptism. The next half a Seven was fulfilled in the initial offer of the Kingdom (Yeshua`s "Ministry"). Then, Yeshua` threw the monkey wrench into the works by pronouncing them desolate until there comes a generation that will say the words "Baruwkh haba' b'shem YHWH," welcoming the Messiah of YHWH as they SHOULD have done in the first century! They're a very stubborn people and haven't fully welcomed Him, yet! (Although, they ARE beginning to come around! They even put teachings and warnings into place to help the Jewish children shun Yeshua`, even though most of them don't have a clue why it's "important," just that it is!) There are not "two gaps," only the one, and it has sufficiently delayed the end of the Seven.

Shalom to all, particularly ProphecyKid. First, please, please, PLEASE, don't get caught up in the preterist, amillennial point of view! If you start down that road, you may never escape! First, it is NOT true that "Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world!" When most people read "world" they think this "earth." That's NOT RIGHT! The Greek word used in John 18:36 and translated "world" is "kosmos." That's talking about a "world-SYSTEM," not the "earth," which is the Greek word "gee" (spelled "gamma-eta" and pronounced "gay"): 36 Apekrithee Ieesous, “Hee basileia hee emee ouk estin ek tou kosmou toutou; ei ek tou kosmou toutou een hee basileia hee emee, hoi hupeeretai hoi emoi eegoonizonto an hina mee paradothoo tois Ioudaiois, nun de hee basileia hee emee ouk estin enteuthen.” 36 Apekrithee = 36 Answered Ieesous, = Yeshua`/Jesus, “Hee = “The basileia = kingdom hee = of-the emee = me ouk = not estin = is ek = out-of/from tou = the kosmou = world-system toutou; = this; ei = if ek = out-of/from tou = the kosmou = world-system toutou = this een = were hee = the basileia = kingdom hee = of-the emee, = me hoi = the hupeeretai = under-oarsmen/subordinates hoi = the emoi = of-me eegoonizonto = would-fight an = want-to hina = so-that mee = not paradothoo = I-should-be-surrendered tois = to-the Ioudaiois, = Jews, nun = now de = but hee = the basileia = kingdom hee = of-the emee = me ouk = not estin = is enteuthen.” = within/of-here.” 36 Answered Yeshua`/Jesus, “The kingdom of-the me not is out-of/from the world-system this; if out-of/from the world-system this were the kingdom of-the me, the under-oarsmen/subordinates the of-me would-fight want-to so-that not I-should-be-surrendered to-the Jews, now but the kingdom of-the me not is within/of-here.” 36 Yeshua` answered, “My Kingdom is not out of this world-system; if my Kingdom were out of this world system, my subordinates would want to fight so that I should not be surrendered to the Jews, but now my Kingdom is not of here.” Yeshua` is NOT saying His Kingdom is other-worldly or off-world! He is saying that His Kingdom will not be like other kingdoms of this world; that is, it will not be of the same political caliber and hierarchical structure as other kingdoms. Second, most Christians do NOT understand what Yeshua` was saying in John 14:1-4: John 14:1-4 14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. KJV Notice carefully that Yeshua` NEVER said that He would take them to His Father's house! Instead, He said that WHEN HE COMES AGAIN, He would receive us to Himself so that we could be where He is AT THAT TIME, and HE'LL BE BACK! Now, bear with me in this reasoning: We can deduce where His "Father's house" is. Abraham was, more or less, a Bedouin. That is, he wandered from place to place, following his flocks and herds, and he and his family lived in TENTS or "TABERNACLES": Hebrews 11:8-10 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. KJV That was His HOUSE! Now, look at Revelation 21:1-3: Revelation 21:1-3 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. KJV So, God's "tabernacle" or tent will be WITH MEN when the New Jerusalem comes down to the earth, AFTER the Millennium! Therefore, GOD'S tent or HOUSE will be WITH MEN for eternity! Right now, according to Yeshua`s (Jesus') words above, it is still "under construction." I don't know whether we go to "Heaven" immediately after death. Many believe we do; others are convinced we don't. I don't know, but IF we do, we're going to the New Jerusalem that is still under construction, and we'll be WITHOUT our resurrected bodies, unable to enjoy it like we will in the future. Here's a little more reasoning: Yeshua` said to the thief on the cross next to Him... Luke 23:43 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. KJV And, we read where "paradise" is (Greek word is "paradeisos") in Revelation: Revelation 2:7 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. KJV We also read: Revelation 22:1-2 1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it (the city New Jerusalem), and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. KJV So, the tree of life is said to be in "the midst of paradise" and the tree of life is also said to be in "the midst of the street of the New Jerusalem." So, that tells us that the New Jerusalem is related to "paradise" in some way. Either "paradise" is INSIDE the New Jerusalem; the New Jerusalem is INSIDE "paradise," OR the New Jerusalem IS "paradise!" The only other place that mentions "paradise" is 2 Corinthians 12:1-4: 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. KJV In verse 2, the Greek word translated "caught up" is "harpagenta." In verse 4, the Greek word translated "caught up" is "heerpagee." Both words are forms of the Greek word "harpazoo." NT:726 harpazoo (har-pad'-zo); from a derivative of NT:138; to sieze (in various applications): KJV - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) There are no other references to the direction of "up." The word "up" is not really there, except in translation. So, again, the word "paradise" is related through the use of "harpazoo" to the "third heaven." Whoever said it before him, Scofield says on page 1238 in his notes of the old Scofield Reference Bible (KJV), without a Bible reference I might add, that the first heaven is “of clouds,” the second heaven is “of stars,” and the third heaven is “God’s abode.” Thus, he used a SPATIAL reference to the "third heaven"; that is, the "third heaven" is away from us on earth SPATIALLY: of clouds, of stars, God's abode. I like Peter's "explanation" for the "third heaven" better: 2 Peter 3:3-13 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. KJV Thus, the first set of "heavens and earth" was before the Flood of Noach's day, the second set of "heavens and earth" is that set in which we currently live, and the third set of "heavens and earth" will exist after the Fire of the Lord's Day. Therefore, by this "explanation," the "third heavens" will be with the New Earth formed after the Millennium and after the Fire. It is to THIS "third heaven" that I believe Paul was referring in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. Therefore, this is a CHRONOLOGICAL view of the "third heaven": before the Flood, after the Flood and before the Fire, and after the Fire. So, Paul was in a way saying that this man (who may have been himself) was given a PROPHECY about the time of the "third heaven" when the New Jerusalem comes down to the earth. He wasn't taken "up"; he was taken "away in time," just as it has been for all the prophets! He was given a vision of the FUTURE! He was SEIZED to the "third heaven," and he was SEIZED into paradise! Another point to bring out is that "paradise" is only used these three times in the Scriptures, but its Hebrew counterpart, "pardeec" (pronounced "pad-DACE") is also found three times in the Tanakh (the OT): Nehemiah 2:8, Ecclesiastes 2:5, and Song of Solomon 4:13. OT:6508 pardeec (par-dace'); of foreign origin; a park: KJV - forest, orchard. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) Nehemiah 2:8 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. KJV Ecclesiastes 2:5 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: KJV Song 4:13-14 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, 14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: KJV It's a PARK OF TREES, an ORCHARD! Thus, the Garden of Eden was such a "pardeec" or "paradise!" So will be the New Jerusalem, or at least the parks within the New Jerusalem where the Tree of Life is planted "in the midst of the street" and "on either side of the river of the water of life!" We are NEVER told to anticipate "going to Heaven." We are told in Scripture to anticipate the RESURRECTION OF OUR BODIES! Whether we "go to Heaven" (or rather the New Jerusalem) when we die or we close our eyes in death and open them in the resurrection, it is the RESURRECTION we are to look forward to seeing! Third, we can safely anticipate also the reign of the Messiah of God on this earth BEFORE the Fire. Almost ALL of the OT prophecies attest to His reign, particularly Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah! It was and is a PROMISE TO THE NATION ISRA'EL! Furthermore, it was promised to the Fathers - the Ancestors - of the Jews! They, too, will be resurrected and share in the Messiah's Kingdom! David is said to reign WITH the Prince, and we are said to reign WITH CHRIST or THE MESSIAH! Ezekiel 34:1-24 1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. 17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. 18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; 22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. KJV Ezekiel 37:22-28 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. KJV Revelation 20:6 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. KJV That's not the end of the reign, however; it's just the LAST 1,000 years of the 2nd earth. The reign goes on... Luke 1:30-33 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. KJV Revelation 22:5 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. KJV So, there's nothing to fear about Yeshua` reigning for a thousand years (a Millennium) nor about us reigning with Him. To the contrary, it will be an AWESOME time in earth's history! Furthermore, the Millennium will not be a time of easy peace. While there will be peace within the Messiah's rulership, this time period will be characterized by some conflict, as seen in Psalm 2:1-12 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 shown in post #9 above.

Shabbat shalom, DRS81. Blessings Retrobyter. What a wonderful post, thank you brethren. I'd like to also add something that is of importance. After the great tribulation is finished and the second coming of Christ appears, this brightness of the Lord you speak of will be enough to flatten and kill those nonbelievers remaining. Take a look... Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth ; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/isaiah-11-4.html either by the words of his mouth, as before; see ( Hosea 6:5 ) so that they become dead men in their own apprehensions, have no hope of life and salvation by their own works, see themselves dead in law, and liable to eternal death and damnation; or this is to be understood of the destruction of the wicked at the last day, by a sentence of condemnation pronounced upon them by Christ; and particularly of antichrist, the wicked and lawless one, the man of sin and son of perdition, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ). Psalms 68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away ; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. [so] let the wicked perish at the presence of God; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/psalms-68-2.html the appearance of Christ, either in his awful dispensation against the Jews, or in the last judgment; when the wicked shall not be able to stand before his face, but shall call to the rocks and mountains to hide them from him; and when they shall be bid to depart from him, and shall be punished with everlasting destruction in soul and body, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. With that said, since we now know the nonbelievers will be dead on the ground at the second coming, I do have a question for Retrobyter. At the close of the 1,000 years (when Jesus comes the third time) the wicked will be raised. Satan, loosed from his bonds, will then have an earth full of people (all the nations of the world to deceive.) I HAVE A QUESTION. Who exactly are all these people Satan is deceiving. I thought the living wicked died at the second coming of Christ? http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4989/t/1000-years-of-peace.aspx - Blessings, DRS81. To answer your last question, one just needs to remember a simple truth in Scripture that will help one to avoid a dichotomous viewpoint of Scripture: "All" doesn't always mean "all of the universe." There are frequently qualifiers that greatly reduce the number that is implied in the word "all." For instance, if the Tanakh (the Old Testament) says "all the earth," frequently that is a translation of "kol erets" or even "kol ha'arets." The problem is in the range of the "erets" which means "ground," "field," "land," the "Land" (of Isra'el), the habitable "land" (the world), or all the "lands" everywhere which we call the "earth." Most often in the prophecies for Isra'el, the word "erets" refers to the Land of Isra'el," not to the whole earth. Such is the case in Zechariah 12: Zechariah 12:1-14 1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. 7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. 8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. KJV First, as one can also see in verse 9, that "all the nations" is QUALIFIED by the clause "that come against Jerusalem." Thus, it is NOT talking about "all the nations" PERIOD. It is only talking about "all of those nations who attacked Jerusalem!" Any nations that were NOT INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK ON JERUSALEM are safe from YHWH's destruction in this context. Second, in verse 12, we read: "And the land shall mourn, every family apart," and then again in verse 14, "All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." The word "land" here is the word "erets," spelled "alef-reish-tsadday," and with the vowel pointing, "alef-segol-reish-segol-tsadday," in Hebrew. That makes its usage different than in verse 1 where we read, "saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him." In Hebrew, this is... 1 ... N’um YHWH noTeh shaamayim vyoceed aarets vyotseer ruwach aadaam bqirbow: N’um = An oracle YHWH = of-the-LORD noTeh = who-spread/stretched-out shaamayim = (the)-skies vyoceed = and-established/founded aarets = (the)-earth vyotseer = and-formed ruwach = (the)-spirit/breath aadaam = of-Adam/man bqirbow: = within-him: Here, the word is spelled the same, "alef-reish-tsadday," but the vowel pointing is slightly different because it is a definite object. So, the word "erets" in verse 12 is more dependent on the context than it is in verse 1, and the context suggests that it is the Land of Isra'el because of the names and families associated with the word: David, Nathan, Levi, and the Shimei. (These names are listed in the genealogy of Luke 3, btw.) Furthermore, this is the passage that was quoted in Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7: Matthew 24:29-31 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. KJV Revelation 1:7 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. KJV Since the passage in Zechariah came FIRST, these verses also should be limited in scope! Therefore, it should not be thought to be "all the tribes of the earth" or "all kindreds of the earth," but rather they are "all the families of the LAND!" It's really quite amazing how some people, even when you show them from Scripture that this is referring to Isra'el, will ADAMANTLY adhere to the "all the tribes/kindreds of the EARTH," as though these passages refer to the WHOLE earth! As an aside, look at how little difference there is between the two phrases in Greek: 30 Kai tote faneesetai to seemeion tou Huiou tou Anthroopou en ouranoo, kai tote kopsontai pasai hai fulai tees gees kai opsontai ton Huion tou Anthroopou erchomenon epi toon nefeloon tou ouranou meta dunameoos kai doxees pollees. 7 Idou erchetai meta toon nefeloon, kai opsetai auton pas ofthalmos kai hoitines auton exekenteesan, kai kopsontai ep’ auton pasai hai fulai tees gees. Nai, ameen. Only in English do the two separate into "shall all the tribes of the earth mourn" and "all kindreds of the earth shall wail." Again, the Greek word "gee" (spelled "gamma-eta" and pronounced "gay") is like the Hebrew word "erets" (spelled "alef-reish-tsadday"). Thus, it ALSO can mean the "ground," a "field," a "land," THE "Land" (of Isra'el), all the habitable known "land," or all the "land" of the globe. So, likewise, we must look for contextual clues as to which definition should be given to this word. Because these are QUOTES from Zechariah 12, Zechariah 12 has precedence over these verses. They should mean PRECISELY what they meant in Zechariah 12. Therefore, the contexts of Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7 are controlled by the meaning of the word in Zechariah 12's context, and there it meant "the Land (of Isra'el)." Therefore, in both NT contexts the translation also should have been "all the families of the Land shall mourn." So, one must be VERY careful to look for qualifiers when considering a passage as a universal statement. Nine times out of ten, there will be some qualifier that makes "all" not "all," like "all the families of the Land (of Isra'el)" is CONSIDERABLY less people than "all kindred's of the earth (the planet)." Thus, the answer to your question is to look more carefully at the passage by which you concluded "we now know the nonbelievers will be dead on the ground at the second coming." Is this indeed a universal statement, or are there qualifiers that shrink the universal statement into a localized statement? Instead of "all the nonbelievers" globally, perhaps there are reasons for believing that they are all the nonbelievers OF A PARTICULAR GROUP! For instance, Isaiah 11:4 comes from a broader context, ultimately the entirety of the prophecy of Yesha`yahu (Isaiah). Here are three different English versions of this chapter: Isaiah 11:1-16 1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. KJV Isaiah 11:1-16 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord — 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. 13 Ephraim's jealousy will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. 15 The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt. NIV Isaiah 11:1-16 11:1 But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai, a shoot will grow from his roots. 2 The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai — 3 he will be inspired by fearing Adonai. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, 4 but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips. 5 Justice will be the belt around his waist, faithfulness the sash around his hips. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard lie down with the kid; calf, young lion and fattened lamb together, with a little child to lead them. 7 Cow and bear will feed together, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 An infant will play on a cobra’s hole, a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest. 9 They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain, for the earth will be as full of the knowledge of Adonai as water covering the sea. 10 On that day the root of Yishai, which stands as a banner for the peoples — the Goyim will seek him out, and the place where he rests will be glorious. 11 On that day Adonai will raise his hand again, a second time, to reclaim the remnant of his people who remain from Ashur, Egypt, Patros, Ethiopia, ‘Eilam, Shin‘ar, Hamat and the islands in the sea. 12 He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra’el, and gather the scattered of Y’hudah from the four corners of the earth. 13 Efrayim’s jealousy will cease — those who harass Y’hudah will be cut off, Efrayim will stop envying Y’hudah, and Y’hudah will stop provoking Efrayim. 14 They will swoop down on the flank of the P’lishtim to the west. Together they will pillage the people to the east — they will put out their hand over Edom and Mo’av, and the people of ‘Amon will obey them. 15 Adonai will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian Sea. He will shake his hand over the [Euphrates] River to bring a scorching wind, dividing it into seven streams and enabling people to cross dryshod. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people who are still left from Ashur, just as there was for Isra’el when he came out from the land of Egypt. CJB Each one becomes more specific and they progressively get closer to what the author and the Author were trying to convey in the passage. However, in NONE of these versions does it suggest that verse 4 is done all at once against all of the Messiah's enemies. Rather, they suggest a consistent judging by the King throughout His reign.

Shabbat shalom, DRS81. Blessings everyone, ooooh yeahh we're starting to bring revelation upon us. I like to discuss the phrase "the day of the Lord" more closely, and why they refer to this phrase to BOTH the rapture and the second coming. So what I have learned is that rapture isn't judgment from God, rather it is release from judgment. The rapture and second coming I see are different events, but are they on the same day. Well let's see.......... so what I'm learning here from scripture in red is that rapture is not based on judgment for believers, and the second coming IS based on judgment for nonbelievers. My question is, what does "the day of the Lord mean". Why do they say DAY and not minutes/week/month/year of the Lord? Let's look deeper and see if the rapture is literally on the SAME DAY as the second coming. Before you read now, keep in mind that the rapture and the second coming happens suddenly yes, but the judgment upon nonbelievers is a slow process..... 1 Thess 5:2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. that the day of the Lord; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/1-thessalonians-5-2.html of the Lord Jesus, when he will show himself to be King of kings, and Lord of lords, and the Judge of the whole earth; and which is sometimes styled the day of the Son of man, and the day of God, for Christ will appear then most gloriously, both in his divine and human nature; the day of redemption, that is, of the body from the grave, and from corruption and mortality; and the last day in which will be the resurrection of the dead, and the day of judgment, in which Christ will come to judge the quick and dead: Wow, are you guys reading this? 1 Thess 5:2 is speaking about rapture AND the second coming. The day of redemption and the day of judgment are ON THE SAME DAY. The beginning of judgment is on the same day, but how long this judgment lasts we don't know. More research is to be done. 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/2-peter-3-10.html That is, the Lord will come in that day, which he has fixed, according to his promise, than which nothing is more certain; and he will come as a thief in the night: he will come "in the night", which may be literally understood; for as his first coming was in the night; see ( Luke 2:8 Luke 2:10 Luke 2:11 ) ; so perhaps his second coming may be in the night season; or figuratively, when it will be a time of great darkness; when there will be little faith in the earth, and both the wise and foolish virgins will be slumbering and sleeping; when it will be a season of great security, as it was in the days of Noah, and at the time of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the phrase, "in the night": and the Alexandrian copy uses the emphatic article, "in the night": and he will come, "as a thief", in the dark, in discernibly; it will not be known what hour he will come; he will come suddenly, at an unawares, when he is not expected, to the great surprise of men, and especially of the scoffers; when the following awful things will be done: Wow, are you guys reading this? 2 Peter 3:10 is speaking about how that the same day of rapture, scoffers and persecution and awful things will take place. Revelation 3:3 So remember what you have received and heard ; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. I will come on thee as a thief; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-3-3.html in the night, and at unawares, unthought of, and unexpected; which must be understood of coming to her in a way of rebuke and chastisement, by bringing some affliction, or suffering some sore distress to fall upon her: the phrase, "on thee", is left out in the Alexandrian copy and in the Ethiopic version: and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee: which, though applicable to the spiritual coming of Christ in the next church state, and to his second coming in his kingdom and glory, which will be both sudden and unexpected, yet these will be to the joy and comfort of the church; whereas what is here spoken is by way of threatening, and must relate to some severe dispensation on her; and which we might now justly expect, were we not in the unwatchful, unthoughtful, and ignorant situation here described. Wow, are you guys reading this? Rev 3:3 is speaking about how the rapture and the second coming is not only on the same day, but on that day there will be affliction/suffering/joy/comfort. Affliction and suffering will be for those nonbelievers, and joy and comfort will be for those believers of the church that is raptured. So what I've learned is that the rapture comes first among scoffers, THEN the second coming ON THAT SAME DAY! How long judgment lasts for nonbelievers I don't know. After the judgment of nonbelievers THAT ARE ALIVE is finished, (which I don't believe is long/they die by the light of God coming down)......THEN AFTER THEY DIE FROM GOD'S LIGHT COMING DOWN, I believe the 1,000 year reign with Christ in heaven begins. I am learning much through commentary. Thank you for reading, DRS81. P.S....the purpose of the 1,000 year reign..http://www.gotquestions.org/thousand-year-reign-Christ.html In order.. 1. The great tribulation 2. 1,000 year reign with christ 3. The devil is destroyed after the 1,000 years. 4. Great White Throne Judgment 5. Then finally the new heaven and new earth appears where we live with Christ forever and ever. Rev 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. lived not again until the thousand years were finished; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-20-5.html so that there will be such an exact term of years between the resurrection of the saints and the resurrection of the wicked; nor will there be any wicked living upon earth, or in bodies, during that time; for the wicked dead will not be raised with the saints at Christ's coming, and the wicked living will be destroyed in the conflagration of the world, and neither of them shall live again until the end of these years. This clause is left out in the Syriac version. 1,000 Year Reign - Rev 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed ; after these things he must be released for a short time. and after that he must be loosed a little season; http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/revelation-20-3.html a small space of time, in comparison of the thousand years; how long it will be exactly, cannot be said; and this "must" be, not because he cannot be held any longer, or through any weakness in Christ; but because of the decree of God, who has so appointed it, for the glorifying of himself, in the salvation of his people, and in the final destruction of the devil, and the Gog and Magog army. First, one needs to understand how Hebrew literature is typically constructed, and although Revelation is written in Greek, it was written in a Hebrew construction because its author was Yochanan (John) the Beloved, who was a Hebrew. Hebrew construction will often begin with a summary of what is to follow and then it will go back and fill in the details. The whole document will follow such a pattern: With every new subject matter this pattern would be followed. Thus, the flow of the literature doesn't always follow the flow of the chronological history. A good case in point is Genesis chapter 1. It starts with the summary, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Mosheh (Moses) then retraces the steps to create the "heavens" (Hebrew: hashamayim) on Day 2 and the "earth" (Hebrew: ha'arets) on Day 3 before detailing the creation of their inhabitants. Sometimes, details for later events are included under a particular point and may sound like it goes with that point when it actually comes after the point. These are idiosyncrasies of the Hebrew language which is, after all, an Oriental language. The thoughts and the culture are Eastern (or more appropriately, MIDDLE Eastern), and may sometimes confuse us who think with Occidental thought patterns and cultures. Translators can only do so much with the language to put it into our thought patterns, and sometimes, we can still be misled by such thoughts and cultural idiosyncrasies. Such is the case in Revelation 20:4-5. The phrase at the end of verse 5 reflects back on verse 4, not on the first part of verse 5. It simply included an element that we would say belong to a later point in the outline, specifically the first part of verse 5, because to them it wouldn't have been confusing at all, even though it throws us off a bit. Their pattern simply telegraphs what is to be given as later details. The time at the beginning of the Millennium, i.e., the first resurrection is in green; the portion that falls after the Millennium, i.e., the second resurrection and its associated second death, will be in red: Revelation 20:4-15 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; (here's where the first part of verse 5 goes) and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. KJV The key is in the placement with regard to the Millennium (Greek: "chilia etee" = "a thousand years"); "before" or "during" as opposed to "after." Now, let's look at 2 Peter 3:1-13: 2 Peter 3:1-13 1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. KJV In this passage that Kefa (Peter) wrote, he tells us about three sets of "heavens and earth," and the Greek word "ouranoi" (the plural of "ouranos") simply means the "skies," just as the Hebrew word "shaamayim" does. The Greek word "gee" (spelled "gamma-eta," and pronounced "gay") means the physical "ground," just as the Hebrew word "erets" does. The first set of "heavens and earth" is in verse 5, and it was destroyed in verse 6 by Noach's Flood. The second set of "heavens and earth" is the one in which we are currently living. It is destined to be destroyed by the Fire in verses 10-12, and its destruction is telegraphed in verse 7. The third set of "heavens and earth," the "new heavens and a new earth," in verse 13, is after the Messiah's Fire. So, earth's history generally looks like this: 1st heavens and 1st earth Flood 2nd heavens and 2nd earth Fire 3rd heavens and 3rd earth (This is the "3rd heaven" to which Paul was referring in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4.) It was NOT the uniformitarianism ("all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation") that was condemned in verses 3-5, which was a major component of the philosophy that engendered the hypothesis of evolution, that many have called a "theory" and some have unofficially graduated to a "law." Rather, we had a SUDDEN Creation, and an ALMOST-AS-SUDDEN catastrophic Flood that formed all that we see today. Within the 2nd heavens and 2nd earth - the 2nd earth and its 2nd skies - we find that the last 1000 years of that time will be a Day of the Lord. You are right to conclude, "The day of redemption and the day of judgment are ON THE SAME DAY." However, that Day is a THOUSAND YEARS LONG! How is this possible? It is LITERALLY possible when you consider all the descriptions of our Lord Yeshua` haMashiach Elohiym (Jesus the Christ of God): Malachi 4:2 says: Malachi 4:1-6 1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. KJV Again, this is a THOUSAND-YEAR day because "the Sun (Hebrew: "shemesh") of righteousness" will never set! Here's some more passages to consider: Isaiah 24:21-23 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 23 Then the moon shall be confounded (mixed up), and the sun ashamed (outdone), when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously (brightly). KJV Matthew 16:27-17:2 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory (brightness) of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. KJV Mark 8:38-9:3 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory (brightness) of his Father with the holy angels. 9 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. KJV Luke 9:26-32 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory (brightness), and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. 28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory (brightness), and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory (brightness), and the two men that stood with him. KJV Revelation 1:13-16 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. KJV Did anyone think that these words were simply "flowery, figurative speech?!" NO WAY! He shall LITERALLY GLOW! When Mosheh (Moses) spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God, his face glowed so that he had to put a veil over his face to speak to the children of Isra'el. Not only is Yeshua` in His GLORIFIED (BRIGHTENED) body, but He has spent the last 2,000 YEARS with His Father! How brightly do you think HE could glow?! Here's a couple more passages just for fun: Habbakuk 3:3-13 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory (brightness) covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns (rays) coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding (curbing) of his power. 5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. (i.e., driven with the wind) 8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation (yeshu`ah)? 9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. (He used rivers to erode the ground!) 10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing (boiling) of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. (A strobe effect like stop-action photography!) 12 Thou didst march through the Land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. (HE'S RESCUING HIS PEOPLE!) 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation (yeshu`ah) of thy people, even for salvation (Yeshu`ah) with thine Anointed (Messiah); thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit (breath) of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (rescued). KJV So, Yeshua` begins His Day with the rescue of His people, the children - ALL the children - of Isra'el, both Hebrews (both houses) and those who are grafted in, His Day will continue to be a Day of Judgment, for the King, who is also to be King of Kings - a King for kings - a World Emperor, will be a Judge, like His ancestors Daveed (David) and Shlomoh (Solomon) before Him! Then, because He is long-suffering or patient and not willing that any should perish, He will end the Day as the Day of Judgment and Perdition of ungodly men!

Shabbat shalom, everyone! First, I need to point out that the Millennium is not the "1000-year reign of Christ"; it is the FIRST 1000 years of the reign of the Messiah! We should be seeing more of this in the weeks to come as Christmas approaches, but remember what Gavri'el (Gabriel) said to Miryam (Mary)? Luke 1:30-33 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. KJV Second, nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that everyone is dead! Quite to the contrary, there will be many nations on the earth at that time. Consider the words of Revelation 22:1-2: Revelation 22:1-2 1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. KJV And, this is during the time of the New Earth and its New Sky ("Heaven")! That happens AFTER the Millennium! Why would the nations (Greek: ethnoi = Hebrew: goyim) need healing if they were already in their glorified bodies (as some teach)? Montana Marv is correct about Z'kharyahu's prophecy which we call "Zechariah." Z'kharyahu does talk about the beginning of the Millennium, particularly in chapters 12-14. However, we can glean more from the prophecy of Yesha`yahu (Isaiah), chapters 60-66, and the prophecy of Yechezk'el (Ezekiel), chapters 40-48. Furthermore, we can get much about the character of the Millennium from the Messianic psalm, Psalm 2:1-12, and in the New Testament at 1 Corinthians 15:20-28: To give a better picture of what is going on, I'm going to include quotation marks: "" '' and <>. Because there are times when quotations are embedded within quotations, I need three sets because of quotations being nested twice. I'm also going to play with the punctuation marks and caps for emphasis, and then, I'm going to include some color: Blue will be for the words of the kings. Red will be for the words of the Messiah Yeshua` (the Christ Jesus), who is the "Lord" (Adonai), purple will be the words of God the Father, who is the "LORD" (YHWH), and there will be two shades of purple for within David's quotation of the LORD, he quotes the Messiah quoting the LORD! (Green is how I usually offset God's Word from my own.) Psalm 2:1-12 1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us!" 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion! 7 I will declare the decree: 'the LORD hath said unto me, <Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt BREAK them with a rod of iron; thou shalt DASH them in pieces like a potter's vessel!>' 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with FEAR, and rejoice with TREMBLING. 12 KISS the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little! Blessed are all they that put their trust in HIM!" KJV Now, look at Paul's writing; remember, his emphasis in this chapter is the RESURRECTION, not the timing of events. However, the timing can be discerned when one understands how Hebrew literature usually works: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: (1) Christ the firstfruits; afterward (2) they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then (3) cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. KJV When you compare and harmonize this passage with John's book of Revelation 20:1-15 and 21:1-2, it begins to make sense: Revelation 20:1-21:2 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This (verse 4) is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. KJV So, since death is the LAST thing to be subdued and conquered, the ENTIRE MILLENNIUM, the ENTIRE ONE-THOUSAND-YEAR PERIOD, will be a time of subduction of the Messiah's enemies! There will be peace, but it will be a FORCED peace, except within His own realm where Gentiles will not be allowed, except for healing! The Millennium will also be a time of much conflict, although His adversaries will not be able to win against Him, and nation by nation, indeed, person by person, Yeshua` will win the world! The smoldering wick He will not put out until it has run its course! The broken reed He will not snap off; it will either fall off on its own from decay, or it will be healed! We've just completed Chanukah, and as the candles burn down to the end of their wax, it's fun to watch them finally go out. But, when the flame can no longer be supported, the wick will still smolder and a thin line of smoke will go up for quite a while after the flame. Some people will snuff the wick's smoke between their fingers and hasten the end of the candle, but Yeshua` will let that thin line of smoke go just as long as it can, for He is not willing that ANY should perish, ... and there SHALL be those who will perish, even after the Millennium. And, it is AFTER the Millennium when He must judge the world at the Great White Throne.

Shalom, everyone. It would seem to me that Iran and all others like her should remember (or learn the first time) the prophecy: Isaiah 54:1-17 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. KJV Although this is a prophecy about the future Millennium, there is a trickle-down effect. If no weapon formed against Isra'el shall prosper in the FUTURE, it only stands to reason that they must survive to the future! Therefore, no weapon formed against them today is going to "wipe them off the face of the earth!" If a country like Iran should try, it would only be hurting itself! IT WILL BACKFIRE! There's a better than even chance that they will BLOW THEMSELVES UP with their nuclear weapons!

Shalom, everyone. Guys, especially you, Daniel, just stick to the Scriptures. You don't have to do the funky chicken dance with the numbers; just pay attention to the Scriptures! Revelation (not "Revelations," by the way) 13:11-18 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. KJV A "score" in English is twenty; so, "threescore" is 3 x 20 or sixty. This is not 6 x 6 x 6, nor is it 6 ^ 6 ^ 6, nor is it THIS convoluted mess described in the OP! It is simply 6 x 100 + 6 x 10 + 6 = 666. In modern Greek New Testaments, it is written "hexakosioi hexeekonta hex," in Greek letters, of course, which means "six-hundreds six-tens six"; however, in some Greek manuscripts, it is simply written as the three-symbol combination of "chi-xi-vau." The Greeks wrote their numbers similar to how the Hebrews did, and they originally had 27 letters in their alphabet: alpha = 1 beta = 2 gamma = 3 delta = 4 epsilon = 5 vau = 6 (also called a stigma, the ending sigma) zeta = 7 eta = 8 theta = 9 iota = 10 kappa = 20 lambda = 30 mu = 40 nu = 50 xi = 60 omicron = 70 pi = 80 koppa = 90 rho = 100 sigma = 200 tau = 300 upsilon = 400 phi = 500 chi = 600 psi = 700 omega = 800 sampi = 900 "Vau" was changed to the "stigma" and its usage was changed to represent sigma at the end of a word. "Koppa" and "sampi" were eventually dropped entirely. You can read more about it at http://www.math.wichita.edu/history/topics/num-sys.html#greek. ANYONE who requires a person to obtain a number on their person in order to participate in commerce will fill the bill, and THAT'S what we should be looking for, not a particular person! We can figure out "the number of his name" later!

Shalom, Dave Watchman. Well, you COULD be right, but you could just as easily be wrong. The prophecy suggests that both eclipses happen at the same time. There are 44 to 64 solar eclipses every century. There are about four times that many lunar eclipses, and lunar eclipses and solar eclipses NEVER happen at the same time. What better way to show that GOD is making it happen than to introduce an astronomic catastrophe when they happen TOGETHER? And, it's really quite easy for our generation to blaspheme God. "To blaspheme" means "to belittle." Think of how easy it would be for the scientists, astronomers, and meteorologists to blame this on natural events instead of giving God the credit? All the nonsense of "Mother Nature" instead of giving God the credit - the glory - is ridiculous, and the sterile astrophysics take the wonder out of the event and turn it into a series of mathematical equations and formulas. It seems to me that an even more phenomenal event is the ONE time in human history when Thanksgiving will happen on the same day as the first day of Chanukkah that happens next week on Thursday, November 28th! (Chanukkah actually begins on the sundown of Wednesday, November 27th.) According to Michael Rood, it won't happen again for another 47,000 years (that may actually be 4,700 years, but either way), much could happen before then (like say the 2nd Coming, the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the landing of the New Jerusalem on the New Earth with its New Heaven)! Long ago, when the celebration of Chanukkah would have fallen on such an early date was before Thanksgiving was even introduced!

Shalom, Miz KJV Only. That's absolutely correct, but let's take it a step farther. The Hebrew equivalent of "Christ" (which comes from the Greek "Christos") is "Mashiach" that has been transliterated/Anglicized to "Messiah" (through the Greek). "Mashiach," too, is a title, and it, too, means "Anointed One." The word "mashach" from which the word "Mashiach" comes means "anointed; rubbed; painted." It was the word that was used for "anointing" or "rubbing" someone or "painting" someone with oil in the Torah (the Law of Moses). In fact, Exodus 30:22-33 describes the special, holy, anointing oil that was used in the Tabernacle and the Temple. However, it is important to understand that Yeshua` (Jesus) is NOT the only One who was "anointed." First, Aharown (Aaron) and his sons were so anointed by Mosheh (Moses) on God's direction. (Exodus 28:41; 30:30; Leviticus 7:35-36; 8:12; Numbers 3:1-3) Second, all the priests from Mount Sinai on were so anointed. (Exodus 40:13-15; Leviticus 7:36) Third, Sha'uwl (Saul) was anointed to be king. (1 Samuel 9:27-10:1) Fourth, Daveed (David) was anointed to be king. (1 Samuel 16:13) Indeed, Daveed, when he took over the kingdom from Sha'uwl, he was anointed twice more as he actually became king, first of Y'hudah (Judah) and then over all Isra'el. (2 Samuel 2:3-4; 5:3) Fifth, Shlomoh (Solomon) was anointed to be king. (1 Kings 1:38-39) Sixth, each of the kings in David's line were so anointed as they took over the kingdom. (e.g., 2 Kings 9:12; 11:12) Seventh, prophets were so anointed as well, such as Elishah. (1 Kings 19:16) And, when one considers that one of the jobs of a king of Isra'el was to be its supreme court judge, judges, too, were anointed. (1 Kings 3:6-9, 16-28; 10:1-9) Finally, about forty years before the end of the Temple, Yeshua` was anointed - not with oil by any man but with the Ruach haQodesh (the Holy Spirit) by God Himself. So, it is important to understand that there were other messiahs - other christs: Aharown, Sha'uwl, Daveed, Shlomoh, and Elishah, to name a few, were ALL messiahs! They were ALL God's anointed ones! They were ALL God's christs! What makes Yeshua` different is not that He was the Messiah but that He was the FINAL, ETERNAL Messiah prophesied to come! And, not to put too fine a point on it, it's not that He was the Son of God that singled Him out, either! There were also other sons of God! (I won't get into that tonight, but I will address it, if someone would like proof.)