Gtcotr/ws082626
Because of the common errors in calculating exact dates and
years into what many now refer to as BC and AD, the following years are
representative of what many generally hold. Communities often date themselves
and their memorable occurrences based on a reference point that took place
within their culture. God has a calendar and a clock. We see through a glass
darkly and can at best only know partly. But we are not left without insight
and instructions from God.
·
Daniel 1:1 In the
third year of the reign of Jehoiachin, King of Judah
·
Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of King
Belshazzar
·
Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a
message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message
was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the
message, and had understanding of the vision.
960BC – King Solomon completed
the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem after 7 years of construction.
605BC – Captive Israelites
deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. Daniel and the three famous Hebrew young
men were in this group.
597BC – Nebuchadnezzar brought
King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), along with members of the royal family, and other
leading elders and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel was in this group.
594BC – Jeremiah wrote a letter
to the elders and priests, the prophets and all the people who had been carried
away captive to Babylon.
586BC – The City of Jerusalem
and the Temple were destroyed and the remainder of the Jews were taken captive
to Babylon.
538BC – Some Jews returned to
Jerusalem with Zerubabbel.
516BC – The Temple, called the
Second Temple, was completed under Zerubabbel. Joshua (Jeshua) the High Priest,
worked alongside Zerubabbel to rebuild and restore the Temple. The prophets
Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to finish the work.
It was 70 years from the
destruction of the Temple in 586BC to its rebuilding in 516BC, fulfilling the
prophecy of Jeremiah.
20/19BC – Herod the Great
renovated and expanded the Temple into the Temple we know from Jesus’ day.
70AD – The Romans destroyed that
Temple and the City of Jerusalem.
According to common dispensational/premillennial Christian
eschatology, the Third Temple is generally expected to be built on the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem either just before or during the first part of the
seven-year Tribulation, although the Bible does not give a specific date.
Worship in the Temple will include sacrifices which will be
stopped by the Antichrist 3 ½ years into the 7-year tribulation and will commit
the abomination of desolation in accordance with 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – The
“man of sin” sitting in the Temple of God showing himself that he is god.
We cannot know the dates but, God gives reference points all
along the way. We see prophecy being fulfilled every day. We often feel held
captive in this world and under the thumb of ungodly kings. Yet we have a
promise from God. What should we do between now and the fulfillment of the
promises of God?
Jeremiah 29 NKJV
1 ¶ Now these are the words of the letter
that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders
who were carried away captive — to the priests, the prophets, and all
the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to
Babylon.
2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the
queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen,
and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)
3 The letter was sent by the hand of
Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king
of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried
away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant
gardens and eat their fruit.
6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and
take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may
bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not
diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
Take Aways for Tonight:
·
God knows the end
from the beginning.
·
The prophecies of
the Bible are true, but it may take a long time to happen.
·
Between the promise
and the provision, blossom where you’re planted.
·
Seek the peace of
the city for in its peace, you will have peace.
