END TIME

[Ranb2khz]

Most of the following read was taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible:

The Timeline & Daniel’s Prophecy

It is the opinion of this author, that the book of Daniel contains the prophetic vision of end-time events clearer than any other biblical instance, and it could be further stated that instances such as contained in the book of Revelation builds upon the foundation laid by Daniel’s Christ-induced vision. In addition to the Bible being the inerrant Word of God as interpreted through the Holy Spirit upon mankind, it is also history of the world – complete with specific timelines outlined with numbers of years recorded. Example (dates are approximate):

Old Testament Timeline:

Before Time – In the Beginning was the Word
Before 4000 BC – The Creation
4000 BC – Creation of Man
3000 BC – From Adam to Noah
2500 BC – The Great Flood
2081 BC – God’s Covenant with Abraham
1991 BC – Death of Abraham
1886 BC – Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man in Egypt
1875 BC – Due to a severe famine, the many Israelites move to Egypt for food
1700 BC – Israelites vastly increase in population while in Egypt
1525 BC – Birth and Adoption of Moses in Egypt
1486 BC – Moses flees to Midian after killing an Egyptian
1446 BC – God sends Moses back to Egypt to bring the Israelites out of bondage
1406 BC – Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land
1169 BC – Gideon and the Midianites
1075 BC – Samson and Delilah
1024 BC – David kills Goliath
1010 BC – David made King over Judah
1003 BC – David reigns over all Israel
990 BC – Solomon is born
970 BC – David’s last days – Solomon reigns as King
931 BC – Death of Solomon
851 BC – Prophet Elijah taken into Heaven
730 BC – Prophet Isaiah prophecies Jesus’ birth
722 BC – Israel conquered and led into Babylon captivity
604 BC – Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar dream
539 BC – Daniel survives the lion’s den
537 BC – Israelites return to Jerusalem
515 BC – 2nd Temple completed
444 BC – Walls of Jerusalem completed

New Testament Timeline:

6 BC – Birth of John the Baptist
5 BC – Birth of Jesus
6 AD – Birth of John (the Apostle)
26 AD – The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
27 AD – Sermon on the Mount
29 AD – Jesus feeds the 5000
29 AD – The Transfiguration
30 AD – The Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
30 AD – The Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
34 AD – Saul’s Conversion
54 AD – Death of Mary (Mother of Jesus)
60 AD – Paul Imprisoned
68 AD – Death of Paul (presumably martyred by Rome Emperor Nero)
95 AD – Apostle John’s Revelation on Patmos
98 AD – Death of Apostle John (the last of the 12 Apostles of Jesus)

Apostle John’s Revelation (last book of the Bible) at Patmos concludes the Biblical timeline, and the rest of history – to present day – is recorded in other historical records.

There are many things to consider from the timeline presented, but the one that I want to concentrate on is that from the approximate time that man was created until present day, roughly 6000 years has elapsed. Keep this in mind as we go back to the Book of Daniel as recorded in the Old Testament.

The divine visions that Daniel was given climaxed with the revelation of what would occur towards the “end of the age”. Although he was given a clear picture of things to come during the end time events – God instructed him to “shut up the words” – not to record them.
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible excerpts begin below:

Daniel 12:4 –

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words…”

Of the book, in which he had wrote the visions and prophecies delivered to him: this he is bid to "shut up", to keep it from the common and profane people, who would only burlesque it; and to keep it to himself, as a peculiar treasure committed to his care; and though it was not kept from the saints and people of God, from their reading it, yet he was not to interpret and explain it to them; it was to remain a secret until the time of its accomplishment was come, or, however, near at hand; so that this denotes the obscurity of the prophecy, and the great difficulty of understanding it; it being like a book that is shut and sealed, as follows (see Revelation 5:1-5)

“…and seal the book, even to the time of the end”

till the time comes appointed for the fulfilment of it, which shows that it reached to times at a great distance; that till these times were come, or near, it would be as a sealed book, and yet the accomplishment of it would be sure and certain, as what is sealed is:

“…many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased;”

That is, towards the end of the time appointed, many persons will be stirred up to inquire into these things delivered in this book, and will spare no pains or cost to get knowledge of them; will read and study the Scriptures, and meditate on them; compare one passage with another; spiritual things with spiritual, in order to obtain the mind of Christ; will peruse carefully the writings of such who have gone before them, who have attempted anything of this kind; and will go far and near to converse with persons that have any understanding of such things: and by such means, with the blessing of God upon them, the knowledge of this book of prophecy will be increased; and things will appear plainer the nearer the accomplishment of them is; and especially when accomplished, when prophecy and facts can be compared together: and not only this kind of knowledge, but knowledge of all spiritual things, of all evangelic truths and doctrines, will be abundantly enlarged at this time; and the earth will be filled and covered with it, as the sea with its waters; ](see Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14).
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I believe that this passage speaks of our present time. With the advent of the internet and microchips, knowledge is at an all-time high, and increasing at almost lightspeed. With the help of the Holy Spirit, and some God timing for getting our attention, the study of scriptures and prophecies are likewise at an all-time high, and increasing under current world events/conditions.
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In Daniel 12:9, the Lord further instructs Daniel…

(from Gills Exposition of the Bible):

“And he said, go thy way, Daniel – for the words are closed up, and sealed till the time of the end;”

that is, till the time comes, or draws near, that they shall be accomplished; till then they would not be clearly understood, but remain in a great measure dark and obscure, though sure and certain: it is suggested they would not always remain so; time is the best interpreter of prophecy, and, the nearer the time of the accomplishment of it is, the clearer it appears, things leading the way to it being gradually fulfilled; but clearest of all when it is accomplished; then it is no more shut and sealed, but open and manifest;
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The Lord explains that during the end of the days – we will understand and see more clearly the visions that Daniel was instructed not to record.
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Let’s continue with John Gill’s understanding…

Daniel 12:10 –

“Many shall be purged, and made white, and tried”

Though Christ does not give, in plain, clear, and explicit terms, an answer to the above question, when, and how, and what would be the end of the church's troubles and afflictions; yet he here points out the use of them, which for the present should be chiefly attended to; and, when duly considered, would be a means of causing the saints to endure them with more patience and cheerfulness: many should be hereby made more pure and holy, and more free from their spots, their chaff, and their dross; their corruptions, and the power of them, weakened; their graces tried, and become more bright and shining; and they themselves a greater ornament to the religion they profess: hereby they should be "purified", or cleansed from the chaff of their sins; or be separated, as the chaff is by the fan, from hypocrites and ungodly men, who would not be able to endure persecution for the sake of the Gospel: and "be made white"; as cloth is by the fuller; freed both from their own spots in their garments, being led to the blood of Christ to wash their garments, and make them white therein; which afflictions may be the means of guiding them to, under the direction of the blessed Spirit; and from such persons who were spots in their feasts of love: and "be tried", as gold and silver in the furnace, and so be rid of their own dross, and of the wicked of the earth, who are like unto it;

“But the wicked shall do wickedly;”

Go on in a course of sin, and be never the better for the afflictive dispensations of Providence; these either mean formal professors, that turn apostates from the faith, and become openly wicked livers; or the profane world in common; and particularly furious persecutors of the saints: such as each of these there will be till the end of things come; (see Revelation 22:11)

“…and none of the wicked shall understand;”

Neither the doctrines of the Gospel spiritually and experimentally; nor the providences of God, and what he is doing in the world; and particularly not the prophecy of this book, and especially what has been just delivered:

“…but the wise shall understand;”

More or less of each of these things, such as are wise unto salvation; that search the Scriptures, seek to God by prayer, and are much in meditation, and make use of every help for the understanding of divine things, and even of these prophecies; and especially towards the close of time, as the accomplishment of them draws near.
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In the last part of that verse, the Lord is making it abundantly clear that those “that have ears to hear” (the Saints, or, God’s elect) will be given the understanding of the times and seasons.

Daniel 12:11 implies the abomination of desolation by the antichrist, but the take-away from this verse is the assigned days (years).
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Continuing with John Gill’s understanding…

Daniel 12:11 –

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate; there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days;”

From the beginning of the reign of antichrist to the end of it are one thousand two hundred and sixty days or years, or forty two months, which is the same, according to (Revelation 13:5), here thirty days or years are added, which begin where the other end, and is the time allotted for the conversion of the Jews, and other things, making way for the kingdom of Christ; and which the reign of antichrist was an hinderance of, but should now immediately take place.

Daniel 12:12 –

“Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the one thousand three hundred five and thirty days.”

Which is an addition of forty five days or years more, beginning at the end of one thousand two hundred and ninety, and make up this sum; during which time the vials will be poured out upon all the antichristian states, and the Turkish empire be destroyed, and all the enemies of Christ and his church removed, and clear way made for the setting up of his kingdom in the world in a more visible and glorious manner; and therefore happy is the man that will be found waiting for these times, and live to enjoy them. There are various ways taken in the computation and application of these one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days by Jews and Christians.

Lipman: the Jew makes them to be the same with "time", and "times", and "half a time", (Daniel 12:7), "time" he supposes, designs the space of four hundred and eighty years, from the Israelites going out of Egypt to the building of the first temple; times the space of four hundred and ten years which is as long as that temple stood; and "half a time" half of these two spaces, that is, four hundred and forty five years; all which make up one thousand three hundred and thirty five; but strange it is that time should signify a larger space than "times". Much more ingenious is the computation of Jacchiades on the text, who makes the account to describe the space of time from the days of Daniel to the end of the world. He supposes there were three thousand three hundred and ninety one years, from the beginning of the world to Daniel; he then takes and joins the one thousand two hundred and ninety days in the preceding verse, which he understands of years with the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days or years in this, which make together two thousand six hundred and twenty five; and, added to the above, the whole is six thousand and sixteen years; which agrees with the opinion of Elias, in the Talmud, that the world shall stand six thousand years.
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The Bible explains God time as:

“For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night.” ~ Psalm 90:4

“Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” ~ 2 Peter 3:8

I believe that, as Christ followers, we should take the scriptures literally. In the book of Genesis, it explains that God created all things in 6 days, and then rested. If the interpretations of many a scholar are correct – could it be that God has given mankind 6 days/thousand years, then to rest? Remember the millennial reign of Christ on earth is for a thousand years. That would certainly conclude things with a 7-day God’s timeline.

We need to be using the time wisely – now more than ever.