It is seventy years since the United Nations re-established the nation of Israel in 1947, after the end of WWII. At the same time, the nation of Jordan was established for the Palestinian people. This month, oddly enough, that same group of the nations of the world will meet in Paris to officially condemn Israel as the nation that has prevented peace. The fact that this event comes at the end of seventy years is extremely significant. This time frame of seventy years has a special scriptural, spiritual, historical, and prophetic meaning. Therefore, this year should become a very special sign of which to be aware for the people of God.
שִׁבְעִים
The number 70 is shiveem in Hebrew. It means "sacred, a week, complete, to take an oath". The Hebrew letters of the word are shin, beth, ayin, yod, mem. One way to express the meaning of these letters might be, "Crush and devour the House that God sees and watches over, and it will bring the hand, the completed, finished work of His flood of chaos and blood."
Jeremiah prophesied a significant time frame of seventy years, during which God's people would be in captivity in Babylon. As that seventy year time was fulfilled, Jeremiah prophesied that God would not only deal with Babylon, but all nations who had set themselves against Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem:
"And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation...and will make it perpetual desolations...Take the wine cup of this fury at Mine hand, and cause the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink...Drink ye and be drunken, because of the sword which I will send among you...for I call a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth...evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth." Jer. 25:12-32
Many nations shall see God's judgment at the end of Jeremiah's seventy years, including the isles which are beyond the sea, the kings of the north, and all the kingdoms of the world. (v. 18-26).
You may notice the fact that the fullness of the desolations, found in the judgments of Jeremiah's prophecies against all the kingdoms of the world, has not yet occurred. Prophecies may be fulfilled at separate times, and in multiple fulfillments. As an example of this, Jesus cited only a portion of Isaiah's prophecy when He spoke in the synagogue (Isa. 61:1- part 2) as being fulfilled that day, and left the rest as unfulfilled at that time. This may also apply to Jeremiah's seventy year prophecy. However, we should also be aware that the prophet Daniel discovered an even greater depth of meaning to the seventy years of Jeremiah, which impacts the timing and completion of this prophecy.
While in captivity in Babylon, the prophet Daniel studied and meditated upon Jeremiah's seventy year prophecy. This caused him to intercede and repent for himself and captive Judah, because they had failed to heed Jeremiah's warning, and had chosen to believe instead the smooth word, the flattering false-prophecies. He confessed that God's people had sinned and committed iniquity, had done wickedly and rebelled against God, departing from His precepts and judgments, disregarding His prophets (Dan. 9:5-11). Daniel prayed for God's mercy and forgiveness (v.19), and asked God to shine His face upon His desolate sanctuary again (v. 17).
The angel Gabriel then appeared before Daniel and began to open Daniel's understanding of Jeremiah's seventy year prophecy. Not only did that prophetic word deal with seventy years, but it dealt with seventy weeks of years (Dan. 9:24). This is an extended time period that would cover not only the return from captivity, but the appearance of Messiah, His cutting off (death), the destruction of the sanctuary, the abomination that makes desolate (even, we believe, in a third temple, yet to be built), and a war of complete desolation (v. 25-27).
We have already seen much of this come to pass, and we will see the completion of it, because we are living in the consummation of the age.
Daniel further describes this time of trouble in chapter 12. As the turmoil and destructive events of the seventy weeks of years time period come to a head, it is also the time when God's people are to shine brightest:
"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Dan. 12:3
We are in that seventieth week of years of Daniel, and Jeremiah. We are fast approaching the end of this age of the Gentiles. Events across the world lead us to be aware of the signs of the times. We are even now seeing the nations unite against Israel seventy years after its re-founding. Let this be a warning trumpet to us all. Now, more than ever, we are to take the Gospel to all nations, to the Jews first, and then also to the Gentiles.
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