As much as it hurts to admit one has made an error, it must be done in order to undo a wrong. I had said before on Doves that I believed the "He" in Daniel 9 was speaking of the Messiah, not A/C so that was my understanding all along. I do not recant of that and there are many who believe the same way. But one area that I let myself be talked into briefly was concerning the second 3 1/2 years. I have highlighted in Yellow the area that I typed up that is in error. I also typed in bold red what should have been said. I ask for your forgiveness as well as I have already asked Our Lord for His forgiveness. I want nothing to do with that teaching error in any way, shape or form. gerlinda The error I am referring to mentions the second half of the 70th week as ending with the death of Stephen. That is an misunderstanding on my part of what the video was saying. Of course, it could not have ended with the death of Stephen and the so called authority of this video insinuating that the gospel wasn't given to the gentiles until after that period. That is just not so, since only 10 days after the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross, it was Pentecost and we know that 3,000 souls were added unto the believers at that time. And these souls were people from other nations and different tongues who were there and heard the apostles speaking in different tongues as the Holy Spirit gave utterance. So, it is a most grivious error to say that the whole 70th week was completed at the time Stephen was stoned. Gerlinda
In the Midst of the Week Sacrifice
Matthew Henry, in his old book that I have in my possession, on page 1099, has this to say about Daniel 9:27 and I am going to paraphrase this in my words so that you will see that the One spoken of by Daniel, the Prophet whom shall be cut off in the midst of that final 7 year period pertaining to Daniel's people to make reconciliation for iniquity as by a sacrifice, to make peace and bring God and man together was accomplished when He died upon the cross.
Do you know that it was Jesus Christ that did just that? It was the Messiah who stopped the Jewish sacrifices at the temple by becoming the final SACRIFICE. He is the one that changed the Old Testament way that the people had come to accept and expect would be done for them by their High Priest.
When was that done? Read the account for yourself, either in Matthew Henry or Daniel 9:27. It was done in the midst of that week or otherwise known as seven years. The second half or 3 1/2 years was accomplished by the ministry of the apostles to Daniel's people, the Hebrews and ended by the death of Steven.Then Saul came upon the scene to be converted, changed his name to Paul and began his ministry to whom???? The Gentiles. Read Romans for a clear picture of Paul's time among the Romans. Isn't it so ironic how God the Father seems to use the hardest of hearts to come to the Truth? I believe it is that way because that person is so convicted of the truth, he becomes a Zealot, someone really used of God.
As Christians, we know that did happen so why is it that we refuse to accept that Jesus Christ and only HE could stop the sacrifice that the Father had originally set up for the people. In fact God gave the Hebrews 613 laws to follow, making it so hard for them to follow that they would have to look for the Messiah that was promised in order that this impossible chore could be stopped.
Here they had been expecting a Ruler that would (put Israel on the map) you could say and cause the other nations to pay them the respect they wanted but they failed to see it because Yeshua HaMashiach didn't wear a crown of jewels nor wear the robes of Royalty with their Ermine trimming. Instead what did He wear? He wore the crown of thorns and his single robe which the Roman soldiers gambled over, was torn in half to be split between them. They failed to see He came to save them from their sins. It was at that time Yeshua, Himself cried in a loud voice while on the cross, "It is Finished". Well, pray tell, what was finished???
Being the worldly people they were, their focus was on worldly things. So, to this day, the Jewish nation waits for their Messiah. But what is our excuse for not accepting His Work completely? We believe in Him, we say. Why do we continue to say the He in Daniel's prophecy is the Antichrist? I'll tell you why. Because we have been duped or should we say "hood-winked" by the very same religious priesthood that moved out of Babylon to Israel to the Roman Church to her daughters, the Protestant denominations that stopped believing the teaching of faithful men like Matthew Henry who understood that the 7 years spoken about by Daniel was not a future 7 years tribulation but (the first 3 1/2 years accomplished by Yeshua's death stopped the need for the Temple animal sacrifice forever. He finished that with His own offering, He, being the Perfect Lamb of God. There is only Great Tribulation of 42 months, which happens to be the same 42 months of the A/C) the very years fulfilled by Jesus Christ and His Disciples, the early church. The word "hood-winked" is a favorite among the Free-Masons as they work to their end.
Since that time there have been decades of tribulation with the ever increasing signs being shown to us just like Jesus Christ said there would be. Matthew 24 speaks of those signs. (but the final 42 months will be Great Tribulation like the world has never seen before nor will see after)
I will leave you with what Corrie tenBoom said regarding tribulation. She voiced the fact that if the Rapture happens before Tribulation, then why didn't it happen before those terrible years of the Concentration Camps when 6 million Jews and millions of others died. It was her word which spoke to my own heart regarding the timing of the Rapture.
Regarding Our Lord's sacrifice being the very thing that stopped the Levitical Temple sacrifices, I know you will want to give full credit to what He did and not short-change Him by insisting there is a 7 year Tribulation period. This should read 3 1/2 years or 45 months left, which happens to be the same amount of time allotted to the A/C. Please, forgive me for implying the whole 7 years was over.....it is NOT and I am so sorry to have been a part in this false teaching. The following video on this proof is so wonderfully explained below which I found at Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum. What a peace there is when your eyes become more open and the heart is softened to God's Word.
Gerlinda