During the first 1800 years of church history there was no scholar that believed Daniel's 70-week vision was not completely fulfilled with the war of 70 A.D. But something drastically changed in the 20th century when false teaching was embraced as "new" truth regarding end-time matters. The first two blogs of this series I briefly referenced the origin of the "new" truth.
The foundation for the modern viewpoint on eschatology is based on one idea - the 70th week of Daniel's vision has not been fulfilled as yet. If this foundation is proven false, everything they have built on this false foundation crumbles to the ground. While Daniel's 70-week vision prophesies several events that found fulfillment over several centuries, the 70th week was completely fulfilled by the war of 70 A.D. We will look into what historians wrote about this event.
Who is Daniel the Prophet? Daniel was born into a Judean family of nobility during the reign of King Josiah in 542 B.C. When he was a youth the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took many captives to his kingdom in Babylon 526 B.C.
Why did God allow Jerusalem to be invaded by a pagan king? The religious leaders of Israel had led the people to disobey God's law of the Sabbath Rest. This first invasion was a warning to them to repent and surrender their allegiance only to Him and His perfect law - do not follow the persuasion of corrupt leaders. God is patient and enduring with sinful men, but sends his prophets to warn of His judgment if they don't return their allegiance to Him.
God sent Jeremiah with a very clear warning...Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands, and I will not harm you...yet you have not listened to Me, says the Lord, that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt...therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, because you have not heard My words...behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against it inhabitants and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations...Jer. 25:6-9.
Note how God calls the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar "My servant" whom He will use to punish His disobedient kids. When God's kids revert to paganism and immorality, they get the rulers they deserve, nonetheless, God still provides - through judgment and punishment - a way back to Him because His love for mankind is so profound, finite human beings cannot understand it.
Because Israel didn't listen to the warning of Jeremiah, by 509 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar returned to Israel to finish the job he started when he took Daniel captive. This time he destroyed the revered temple of Solomon. Thousands were taken captive and forcefully removed to Babylon. By this time Daniel had served in the kings' palace many years and had learned the language of the Chaldeans.
He had been made a eunuch, as were all male slaves in the king's palace.
During his years in the court of several successive pagan kings, Daniel would have the opportunity to demonstrate the power of his God to them. One night King Nebuchadnezzar experienced a disturbing dream that left him distressed, but could not remember its content, yet his magicians and sorcerers were unable to reveal his dream. Just as the king was about to kill them, it was revealed to him that his Hebrew captive Daniel could interpret dreams.
Daniel made it clear that he cannot interpret dreams, but the God he serves is able to reveal both the dream and its content...Dan. 2:19. When the dream and its interpretation were revealed to the king, he rejoiced and elevated Daniel to chief of all wise men. God always has a plan for His true-hearts even in the midst of judgment and punishment of a nation.
In the beginning of Israel's captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah wrote an urgent letter to the elders, the priests, and the prophets...Jer. 29:1-32. Since Daniel was so young when he was taken captive, and immediately became a servant in the kings' court, he was not made privy to this letter until he was old. But obviously it was God's appointed time. What was in the letter?
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed...for they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord...for thus says the Lord: after seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place...Jer. 29:8-10.
Why was it urgent that Jeremiah's letter reach the captives in Babylon? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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