There Shall Be Seven Weeks: God Is With Us
Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…
The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile.
As the Israelites read the law, confessed their sins, and worshipped God, the priests made a proclamation.
Nehemiah 9:5b “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”
The focus of the announcement was a history of who God is and what God has done. It was a time for review and reminder. God is with us.
- God is the Creator (Nehemiah 9:6).
- God called Abram and established a covenant with Abraham (Nehemiah 9:7-8).
- God saw and heard the misery and poverty of His people in Egypt (Nehemiah 9:9).
- God performed miracles against Pharaoh and Egypt (Nehemiah 9:10).
- God divided the Red Sea (Nehemiah 9:11).
- God led by smoke and fire (Nehemiah 9:12).
- God delivered the law on Mount Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13-14).
- God provided manna and water (Nehemiah 9:15).
- God was forgiving, gracious, and compassionate when Israel disobeyed (Nehemiah 9:16-17).
- God stuck with and continued provision for Israel even when they made idols (Nehemiah 9:18-20).
- God provided and clothes were preserved for forty years in the desert (Nehemiah 9:21).
- God gave Israel the Promised Land and the people multiplied (Nehemiah 9:22-24).
- God delivered prosperity to His people (Nehemiah 9:25).
- God gave Israel to oppressors because of their disobedience (Nehemiah 9:26-30).
- God does not forsake Israel and remains gracious and compassionate (Nehemiah 9:31-32).
- God is just (Nehemiah 9:33).
At this point in the proclamation, Israel admits their iniquities and sins. They know they are guilty many times over. Israel realizes they are deserving of punishment.
- Every level of society from top to bottom was disobedient to the law (Nehemiah 9:34).
- Israel did not serve God or repent (Nehemiah 9:35).
- Israel acknowledges slavery to God and the land due to sin (Nehemiah 9:36-37).
The good news, Israel is not stuck in its past because of sin. God has an answer for sin. Gabriel told Daniel a Messiah is coming.
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince…
From our view point today in the 21st century, history tells us Israel rejected their Messiah at His first coming. Despite the rejection, Jesus died on the cross for their sins as well as the remainder of humanity.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Colossians 2:14 By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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But there is more good news for those who believe in Jesus. He is coming again.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
For those who think this is nonsense and do not believe. Your choice has consequences regardless of what you think.
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
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