(There is a special message at the end of this article for those who do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)

I have long believed and frequently said that while the Old Testament was written to the Jewish people, it is important to understand that the Lord had the entirety of the scriptures (including the New Testament) written, knowing that all His creation would still be reading it even up to the present time. Therefore, all the scriptures have application and give direction to every individual who would ever live.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).

I think this NLT translation of the same verse says it well also: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

God’s Word is timeless and, like Him, from Everlasting to Everlasting.

Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

This oft-quoted verse, on its face, has to do with salvation; however, it also carries with it the understanding that man was created with an intellect and that this intellect has a role to perform in all willing people; that is, to enable us to understand His word and the application of it in our lives and in our minds as well as our hearts. This process begins with Salvation in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

While intellect is not spiritual in itself, it can certainly play an important part in understanding spiritual matters. If it were not so, God would not have included this concept in a verse related to Salvation.

Additionally, it is this author’s opinion that evidence of scripture having multiple applications is becoming clearer as the time of the end nears. I am again reminded of Daniel 12:4;

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” [Emphasis added by me]

The below verse from the book of Hosea in the Old Testament was written prior to the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (then called Israel). This is the first half of the verse, and as with the entirety of God’s Word, it has application to God’s people today.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee” (Hosea 4:6a).

During the OT period 753-715, Hosea prophesied to the Northern Kingdom using the example of an unfaithful wife. It also clearly indicated the Lord’s continuing to express His love for them.

Willful ignorance and purposeful rejection of the wisdom and knowledge of God and His Word eventually brought about the Lord’s response to that rejection.

The northern kingdom of Israel was invaded and broken apart by the Assyrians in 722 during Hosea’s ministry. The people went into captivity. God had warned them repeatedly and was ignored. The consequences of willful rejection became a very harsh reality.

136 years later, after numerous warnings from God, the southern kingdom (Judah) would fall for the same reasons. Failure to respond to the Lord’s warnings always has catastrophic consequences.

America has been receiving strong warnings very loudly since 11 September 2001. Outside of a few weeks of increased church attendance, most (not all) people have “rejected and ignored” as well.

There is another danger that I believe must be recognized intellectually as well as Spiritually. In drifting from or ignoring the Word of God, there develops complacency. It slithers in like a snake.

Many Christians have discontinued gathering with other believers. There are myriads of reasons for this. Some of them are legitimate; most of them are not.

In Canada, the obstacles being thrown in front of believers by Satan’s little helpers can make it extremely hard to attend church. I know some of them and the obstacles they face. My heartfelt encouragement is to suggest gathering together in small home churches if possible. The value of being with brothers and sisters cannot be overstated. Home churches are one way to circumvent the opposition, and it is quite common in many places where persecution has been ops-normal for quite a while.

Even if, at first, no one wants to lead the worship, just reading the word of God to each other is like pure gold. I pray that some of you will give this a try. God will bless you for it, and remember: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Then, there are the not-so-legitimate reasons. These prevail in most places in the US where church attendance is very low. There are currently few real obstacles to gathering in churches and worshiping together as a body in this country.

Most obstacles here are believer-generated.

• Too busy
• It’s my only day off.
• I’m too tired by the time Sunday rolls around.
• The churches are full of hypocrites. If this is your reason, I would suggest that you should go anyway; there is always room for one more.
• I couldn’t find a good church (while this may be somewhat legitimate due to the high levels of apostasy), there are a couple of suggestions I would make.

1) You could try attending the “best” bad choice you can find and pray for awakening in the church while you are in the midst of them (not easy, but maybe the Lord wants you to try).

2) You could “attend” the streaming services of your local churches online and then choose one, then attend in person. It is far better, I think, to try than to “give up.”

• “But, I go to church! Really, do you think God has not noticed that you only attend on Easter and Christmas? All the rest of the year, you are MIA.

Let us briefly confirm what is meant by the term “God’s people” by “reasoning together” and how important this intimate relationship is viewed by the Lord.

• The Hebrews are/were referred to as God’s wife (Jeremiah 31:31-32), and this is the relationship He had the prophet portray in the book of Hosea also.
• The Church is called the Bride of Christ, and this is confirmed in the book of Revelation (Chapter 19:7-9).

Both the Hebrews and the Church are referred to as “people who are called by My Name.”

Jesus Christ is God. He said so Himself: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30), as well as numerous other places. Thus, we know also that we, “Christians,” are also called by God’s Name.

This is stated clearly in the Old Testament book of Amos (Ch9-v11-12);

“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My Name,’ Says the Lord who does this thing” (Amos 9:11-12).

And it is reiterated in the New Testament book of Acts (Ch15-v15-18):

“And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My Name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’ Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:15-18).

*VERY IMPORTANT!! I DO NOT ascribe to replacement theology. The Church DOES NOT REPLACE the Jews and the promises God made specifically to THEM!

So please consider this: If God could *go back on His Word to the Jews (Jeremiah 31:31-37), could He not just as easily go back on His Word to the Church? *IMPOSSIBLE! It will never happen.

ALSO IMPORTANT: God will, at His appointed time, make the two (Jew and Gentile) one by the power of God through the Cross. God has His long-range plans all made. Infinitely long-range.

“For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:14-18). [Emphasis added by me]

Now to the crux of this article: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

The Word of God clearly informs people that God is from everlasting to everlasting, that He does not change.

At this stage of history, does anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ really believe that He will view willful ignorance, complacency, or rejection of His Word any differently than He ever has?

Please ask yourself: Has His nature changed?

Please ask yourself: Has His Word changed?

Which part of the parable of the ten virgins applies to you? (read Matthew 25: 9-13)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Matthew 25:10 “And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” —They are sensible of their past folly; they have taken good advice: they are in the act of getting what alone they lacked: a very little more, and they also are ready. But the Bridegroom comes; the ready are admitted; “the door is shut,” and they are undone. How graphic and appalling this picture of one almost saved—but lost!

The above commentary may be accessed by going to this link: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/25-10.htm

Within this page are several other commentaries. All seem to agree with the above.

Are you ready? Or are you not?

I beseech you, brothers and sisters, to examine yourselves and evaluate yourselves.

When I was 16, I went to an Episcopalian church and was “confirmed,” and I thought that was “good enough.” I did not repent, however. I did not grasp that part of God’s requirement. I was not saved! A terrifying thought! I thank God that in His great mercy, He allowed me to live long enough to know the Truth, to repent and believe. I urge you to evaluate yourself as well. It is eternally critical!

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Please consider this. When the door is closed to the Age of Grace, by the Rapture, will you go Home? If so, how will you fare in the Bema Seat judgment? How will your works, after being saved, look?

“If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

In examining yourself as a born-again Christian, could you perhaps have fallen asleep (spiritually) and need to wake up? If so, you need to wake up now!

Perhaps you are saved but feel empty and fearful: not currently undergoing Sanctification because your indifference has been impeding the work of the Spirit in doing so.

I believe the time of the Age of Grace is winding down rapidly. I bring up these questions because the Spirit prompts me to; and now is the time to ask them of yourself.

• Are the commentators right about the consequences when the door is shut?
• Is there a chance that your repentance was not really genuine?
• Is there any sign of fruit in your life?

If you are a spiritually born-again believer and find that you are not bearing any fruit because you have indeed fallen asleep, it is not too late to evaluate. As long as you have breath in your body, you can still repent and renew!

If you find that you are not really spiritually born again into the saving Grace of Jesus Christ, please read what is written below and come to the foot of the Cross. You will not be rejected!

For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore have no hope or peace in your life:

You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior.

It requires that you come before God on His terms.

And, what are His terms according to His Word?

• Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
• Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
• That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
• Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross.
• To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.

God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.

• No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
• No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
• Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.

If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.

John 5:24: “Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life.

There are no answers, and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics, or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.

The answers are in the Word of God. The Bible. If you ask God with all your heart, He will hear you.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Pro Salvator Vigilans

To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com

Daniel’s Prophecy Validates Our Hope in Jesus’ Imminent Appearing 

The Bible tells us there will be a third Jewish Temple and that Israel will build it prior to the midpoint of the Tribulation, for it’s at that time the antichrist will defile it.

This prophecy originates with the prophet Daniel, who wrote about the “seventy weeks,” or literally in the Hebrew “seventy sevens,” that God had decreed for the people of Israel.

What does Daniel’s prophecy have to do with Jesus’ imminent appearing? If the last period of Daniel’s “seventy weeks” is now nearing its start, this verifies that we live in the last days of human history. The scoffers of our day, however, tell us that Daniel’s words are no longer relevant for today and that Israel’s rebirth as a nation was just a fluke of history.

Does this prophecy remain unfulfilled? Yes! Absolutely! As we follow it through Scripture, we not only gain greater clarity regarding it but also understand why the “seventieth seven” must refer to a still future time.

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9:24-27

Verses 25-26 provide the starting and endpoint events for the first sixty-nine grouping of seven years, which ended with the cutting off of “an anointed one,” the Messiah. Daniel tells us what will happen after the sixty-nine periods of seven years:

In verse 26, Daniel also prophesies about what will happen after the sixty-nine periods of seven years:

“And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.”

The Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the second temple in AD 70 fulfilled the words of this verse concerning Jerusalem and the second temple exactly as Daniel predicted.

Verse 27 reveals what will mark the start of this last period of seven years, a covenant with the antichrist, and what will happen at its midpoint, the desecration of the Jewish temple:

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

As we turn to the New Testament, we see more references to this “desolator” that Daniel said would someday defile the Temple.

Jesus Regarded the Fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy as a Sign of His Return

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus referred to desecration of the temple, the event Daniel said would happen at the midpoint of the prophet’s seventieth week:

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand).”

Jesus told His disciples that Daniel’s prophecy regarding the seventieth seven would find its fulfillment in the future, as a sign of the end of the age and of His Second Coming (Matthew 24:3). He regarded it as literal with a still future fulfillment.

The Lord added an important detail to this prophecy, saying that Israel would see Daniel’s “desolator” (Daniel 9:27) standing in the “holy place” of the temple.

Paul Identifies the “Desolator” as the Future “Man of Lawlessness”

This prophetic thread regarding Daniel’s seventieth week does not end with Jesus’ prophecy. In 2 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul identifies the one who will desecrate the temple as the “man of lawlessness,” or the one we refer to today as the “antichrist.”

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

In the above verses, the apostle also tells us how the antichrist will defile the temple. He will enter the temple and there proclaim himself to be God, the God of Israel.

The apostle adds another essential detail in regard to our identification of this “man of lawlessness.” The Lord Jesus Himself will kill him at His Second Coming. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul says:

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

At His return to earth, Jesus will destroy the one that will desecrate the Jewish temple.

The Apostle John Witnessed the Future Destruction of the Man of Lawlessness

In Revelation 13:6, John tells us that the coming beast, the antichrist, will open “its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling.” This is the guy of Daniel’s prophecy (9:27 and also 11:36) as well as the one Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:15.

In Revelation 19:19-20, John writes as an eyewitness to the future destruction of this beast that will desecrate the Jewish temple:

“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”

Just as Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Jesus Himself destroys the “desolator” of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15 at His Second Coming. He throws him into the lake of fire.

The Witness of Irenaeus (AD 130-202)

Irenaeus, an early church leader, bishop in Lyons, France, and prominent theologian, wrote Against Heresies in AD 180 to combat the spread of Gnosticism in the early church. He was born in Smyrna and received his training in the faith by Polycarp, whom the apostle John himself discipled.

In Against Heresies, book 5, chapter 30, section 4, Irenaeus wrote these words:

“But when the antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple in Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous times of the kingdom ….” ^[[i]]

This quote reveals significant details about his beliefs:

1. Even though Titus had destroyed the second temple 110 years earlier, Irenaeus believed there would be another temple in Jerusalem that the antichrist would desecrate.
2. He said that the antichrist would “sit in the temple in Jerusalem,” just as Paul said he would do in 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
3. This early church leader believed that the antichrist would defile the temple at the midpoint of Daniel’s seventieth seven and exert his power for the last three and a half years of it.
4. Irenaeus stated that Jesus Himself would destroy the antichrist at His Second Coming, just as Paul prophesied and John witnessed in Revelation 19:20.
5. Irenaeus believed in a literal fulfillment of Revelation 19:19-20:3, which is significant since he grew up in Smyrna, one of the first churches to receive the book of Revelation.

Even though his words are not Scripture, they reveal an important understanding regarding the desecration of the Jerusalem temple during the second century AD church. Irenaeus, along with many others in the early church, saw Daniel’s seventieth week of years as awaiting a still future fulfillment.

It’s Prophecy!

As we follow the thread of Daniel’s prophecy through the New Testament and into church history, it becomes readily apparent that it remains unfulfilled. No other explanation fits.

1. The Allegorical Approach

In order for the allegorical interpretation to be true, one must:

1. believe that when the disciples asked Jesus for signs of His return, He responded with allegory that did not provide them with any indication whatsoever of what to watch for in regard to the end of the age or His coming.
2. assert that Paul responded to the Thessalonians’ panic regarding the start of the Day of the Lord with allegory that would not have alleviated their fears nor given them any clear guidance regarding whether or not this day had begun.

One must do irreparable harm to the words of Scripture to hold to the view that Jesus’ and Paul’s words regarding the defilement of the temple were allegorical.

2. The Historical Fulfillment

The historical interpretation regarding Daniel’s prophecy of the desecration of the temple is also impossible. As we followed the thread of his words through the New Testament, we saw that it had not yet happened in AD 95 when John wrote the book of Revelation. And no Jewish temple has been built since that time.

Scripture tells us that the Lord Himself will kill the defiler of the temple at His Second Coming. There is clearly no time in history when this has happened.

The historical interpretation, as well as the allegorical approach, requires that one twist the words of Scripture to fit a predetermined, man-made hypothesis. When one interprets the words of Jesus, Paul, and John in the way that they intended, it becomes abundantly clear that the seventieth seven of Daniel has not yet happened. It awaits a future fulfillment.

3. The Future Prophetic Interpretation

The only interpretation of Daniel’s seventieth week that preserves the integrity of Scripture is the one that places the antichrist’s defilement of the temple at the midpoint of a still future seven-year tribulation.

4. The Death knell of Amillennialism

Because the prophecy regarding the desecration of the temple remains in place for a future time, it signifies that the entire seventieth week of Daniel 9:27 awaits a future fulfillment. And if that is the case, it means that the Old Testament prophecies regarding the restoration of a kingdom for Israel are prophetic and not allegory.

In other words, if allegory or history cannot explain Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:15, and Revelation 19-20, this verifies the Premillennial position on those passages. There must be a literal Tribulation, as Revelation 6-18 describes, and a return of Jesus to a repentant Israel.

The unfulfilled nature of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:15 is the death knell of amillennialism. Only the Premillennial viewpoint that sees the current nation of Israel as the initial fulfillment of God’s prophecies regarding the nation is valid. It alone explains the passion throughout Israel to rebuild the temple, which they will do before the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation.

So, What?

The unfulfilled nature of this Daniel’s prophecy in 9:27 signifies that we live in the last days of human history.

It confirms that the miraculous rebirth and supernatural protection of Israel since 1948 were not flukes of history, as the scoffers tell us. The intense planning in Israel today to build the third temple is not just an insane coincidence of time and space; it surely points to the nearness of the seventieth week of Daniel 9:27 and thus to the start of this seven-year period of time.

For us as New Testament saints, the unfulfilled nature of the last week of Daniel’s validates our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing. We do not live at a time similar to past chaotic and violent times in history; we live in the moments leading up to the seven-year Tribulation and thus to the Rapture that happens before it. Daniel’s prophecy tells us that we are not mistaken concerning the convergence of signs in our day.

During the two-thousand-year gap between periods sixty-nine and seventy of Daniel’s prophecy, the Lord has focused His attention upon the church. However, that must, of necessity, change with the start of the last period of seven years, which pertains solely to Israel.

This means that the church must be out of here, raptured, before God once again turns His attention to Israel and completes the purposes that He announced in Daniel 9:24 for His people.

Just as it was through Israel that the Messiah arrived in Bethlehem long ago, so it is through the nation of Israel that Jesus’ reign of righteousness will begin as He takes His seat on the throne of David. The events of the seven-year tribulation will prepare Israel for that moment as God brings them to salvation.

The Rapture must happen before Daniel’s “seventieth seven” because that’s when the Lord will deal with Israel and bring them to repentance just before He appears in His glory (Zechariah 12:10-13:1).

My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. It goes into greater detail as to why God will restore a kingdom for Israel after the Tribulation and why Jesus will take His church out of the world before the start of the Tribulation.

Jonathan C. Brentner

Website: Our Journey Home

^[[i]] Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 10 vols., Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979), p. 560.