Digging up the Future
Introduction
Adam was created around the year 3899 B.C. and lived until the year 2742 B.C. (930 yrs.). His prophecy recalls a time before he was sent from the garden, which places the time of its pronouncement early on in his life:
Genesis 3:14-15 – And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Take a look at Genesis 5:1 – This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Genesis 3:14-15 - And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Revelation 12:1-5 – And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born (see Matthew 2:8). And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
FUTURE
6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
14 – And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Part One
II Thessalonians 2:1 – Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him
1. To what is this verse referring? The catching away.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:11-14.
2. Would you consider this a good thing? Yes.
I Thessalonians 5:1-9 – But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
3. The ‘day of the Lord,’ here, is a reference to what? Destruction and wrath.
Amos 5:18-20 (1st use).
4. Is this a good thing? No.
II Thessalonians 2:2 – That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
6. Is this a good thing? No.
The term ‘day of Christ’ generally refers to the time of the catching away and our gathering together unto Him (I Corinthians 1:4-9; Philippians 1:3-6; 2:14-16). But Paul speaks here of ‘that day’ being the time of the revelation of the man of sin. Why did Paul not use the term ‘day of the Lord’ in this instance? In light of I Corinthians 15:52, Paul may be referring to a moment-in-time where the catching away of the Church and the revelation of the man of sin occur simultaneously. Therefore, to replace the term ‘day of Christ’ with ‘day of the Lord’ does a grave disservice to those who would understand this to be a pivotal moment (the twinkling of an eye) between the end of ‘the day of Christ,’ and the start of ‘the day of the Lord.’ Even so, there are many instances in which theologians have done just that – replaced ‘day of Christ’ with ‘day of the Lord.’ Here are a few examples:
2:2 εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μήτε θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μητὲ δι᾽ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι᾽ ἡμῶν ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ χριστοῦ
2:3 μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας
II Thessalonians 2:3-5 – Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
7. Some believers wondered whether they had missed the catching away and were experiencing the day of the Lord. Paul informed them that they could not be in the day of the Lord because two major events of ‘that day’ had not yet occurred. What were they? The falling away, and the revelation of the man of sin. These things had to happen “first,” that is, before it would be considered “that day.”
Let’s take them in reverse order to help make a point. Paul pointed out that the man of sin (Antichrist) would sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2:4), demonstrating what would transpire after the rapture has taken place. Likewise, the falling away (apostasy), in this context, is something that would occur after the rapture, especially considering 2:11-12. We must make a distinction from the things described in I Timothy 4:1-2; II Timothy 3:1-9, 13; 4:3-4, which occur before the rapture and apply to us today.
Since neither of these things (the apostasy, or the revelation of the man of sin) had happened, the brethren finally understood that they could not possibly have missed the rapture and be living in the day of the Lord.
II Thessalonians 2:6-8 – And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence holds back (restrains) the power of lawlessness and of Antichrist’s revealing. At a future time when God’s people are removed at the rapture, the unique role the Holy-Spirit has played during the Church Age (the Restrainer) will have ended, allowing for the appearance of the Antichrist and increased lawlessness in the world. This puts in motion the fulfillment of the final week (7 years) of Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks, which, when it has run its full course, will total 490 years.
Part Two
Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 9:24 describes a time, at the end of a seventy-week (490 years) period, when Daniel’s people (Israel, as a nation) would be free from sin and righteous in God’s eyes. Up to the present time, Israel would not be considered sinless or righteous in God’s eyes. Therefore, their condition, as described in Daniel 9:24, should be considered something that has yet to occur.
History has shown us that Daniel’s vision was partially fulfilled (69 weeks or 483 years). Since then, more than 2000 years have passed, and we are still awaiting fulfillment of the 70th and final week (7 years). Some of the apostles were also waiting for the fulfillment to begin:
In Matthew 24:3, the disciples (apostles) spoke to Jesus privately, saying, “…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (#165. aion; an age)?”
Matthew 24:15-16 – When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.
8. When should those who be in Judaea flee to the mountains? When they see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
In Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, Jesus referred to Daniel 9:27 when answering the question put to Him privately by Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3-4); they wanted to know when Christ Jesus would reign as King in His kingdom. Jesus was talking to them about the sign of His coming, and the end of the age.
Daniel 9:27 – And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
“The Antichrist will have made a seven-year covenant with Israel and the world will enjoy three and a half years of “peace and safety.” Then, unexpectedly, he will break the covenant and defile the temple, plunging the nations into the most terrible time of trouble they have ever experienced (See Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21).” (Pastor Cornelius R. Stam, The Day of the Lord — What Is It?).
9. Who is the ‘he’ of verse 27? The Antichrist – The prince that shall come [Daniel 9:26] – The desolator – [Daniel 9:27] – Prince of this world [John 12:31] – Prince of the power of the air [Ephesians 2:2] – That wicked one [I John 3:11-12] – that Wicked [II Thessalonians 2:8-11].
10. He confirms the covenant with many for how long? One week (7 years).
11. Who are ‘the many’? The nation of Israel (Matthew 20:28).
Read Daniel 7:25; 12:6-7; Revelation 13:5-8
In the introduction to this study, we read Revelation 12:1-5. Let’s continue reading now from where we left off:
Revelation 12:6-14 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
The conclusion for Israel – Jeremiah 30:7 – Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 – Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
The conclusion for believers – I Thessalonians 5:9-11 – For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Romans 4:20-25 – He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
As a believer, you do not need to wait until after the time of trouble; you are already righteous in God’s eyes!
Adam was created around the year 3899 B.C. and lived until the year 2742 B.C. (930 yrs.). His prophecy recalls a time before he was sent from the garden, which places the time of its pronouncement early on in his life:
Genesis 3:14-15 – And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Take a look at Genesis 5:1 – This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
- book = Strong’s #5612, cepher; from 5608; writing. #5608, caphar; to score, to inscribe.
Genesis 3:14-15 - And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Revelation 12:1-5 – And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born (see Matthew 2:8). And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
FUTURE
6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
14 – And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Part One
II Thessalonians 2:1 – Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him
1. To what is this verse referring? The catching away.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:11-14.
2. Would you consider this a good thing? Yes.
I Thessalonians 5:1-9 – But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
3. The ‘day of the Lord,’ here, is a reference to what? Destruction and wrath.
Amos 5:18-20 (1st use).
4. Is this a good thing? No.
II Thessalonians 2:2 – That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
- at hand = #1764, enistemi; To place on hand, i.e., be instant: - come, be at hand, present. See Romans 8:38-39; Galatians 1:3-5.
6. Is this a good thing? No.
The term ‘day of Christ’ generally refers to the time of the catching away and our gathering together unto Him (I Corinthians 1:4-9; Philippians 1:3-6; 2:14-16). But Paul speaks here of ‘that day’ being the time of the revelation of the man of sin. Why did Paul not use the term ‘day of the Lord’ in this instance? In light of I Corinthians 15:52, Paul may be referring to a moment-in-time where the catching away of the Church and the revelation of the man of sin occur simultaneously. Therefore, to replace the term ‘day of Christ’ with ‘day of the Lord’ does a grave disservice to those who would understand this to be a pivotal moment (the twinkling of an eye) between the end of ‘the day of Christ,’ and the start of ‘the day of the Lord.’ Even so, there are many instances in which theologians have done just that – replaced ‘day of Christ’ with ‘day of the Lord.’ Here are a few examples:
- “Christ = the Lord, as the texts. The day of Christ is the day of v. 1. Cp. Phil. 1:10; 2:16. The day of the Lord is the day of O. T. prophecy. See Isa. 2:12.” (E. W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, 1974, p. 1796).
- “day of Christ = The oldest MSS. read, ‘day of the Lord.’” (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1961, p. 1343).
- New International Version – not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
- New King James Version – not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of [a]Christ had come.
- Revised Standard Version – not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
- The source material of the King James Version, the Textus Receptus, reads, “the day of Christ:”
2:2 εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μήτε θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μητὲ δι᾽ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι᾽ ἡμῶν ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ χριστοῦ
2:3 μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας
II Thessalonians 2:3-5 – Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
7. Some believers wondered whether they had missed the catching away and were experiencing the day of the Lord. Paul informed them that they could not be in the day of the Lord because two major events of ‘that day’ had not yet occurred. What were they? The falling away, and the revelation of the man of sin. These things had to happen “first,” that is, before it would be considered “that day.”
Let’s take them in reverse order to help make a point. Paul pointed out that the man of sin (Antichrist) would sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2:4), demonstrating what would transpire after the rapture has taken place. Likewise, the falling away (apostasy), in this context, is something that would occur after the rapture, especially considering 2:11-12. We must make a distinction from the things described in I Timothy 4:1-2; II Timothy 3:1-9, 13; 4:3-4, which occur before the rapture and apply to us today.
Since neither of these things (the apostasy, or the revelation of the man of sin) had happened, the brethren finally understood that they could not possibly have missed the rapture and be living in the day of the Lord.
II Thessalonians 2:6-8 – And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
- witholdeth = #2722, katecho; to hold down (fast), possess, retain, seize on, stay, take, withhold.
- letteth = #2722, katecho
- let = #2722, katecho
The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence holds back (restrains) the power of lawlessness and of Antichrist’s revealing. At a future time when God’s people are removed at the rapture, the unique role the Holy-Spirit has played during the Church Age (the Restrainer) will have ended, allowing for the appearance of the Antichrist and increased lawlessness in the world. This puts in motion the fulfillment of the final week (7 years) of Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks, which, when it has run its full course, will total 490 years.
Part Two
Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 9:24 describes a time, at the end of a seventy-week (490 years) period, when Daniel’s people (Israel, as a nation) would be free from sin and righteous in God’s eyes. Up to the present time, Israel would not be considered sinless or righteous in God’s eyes. Therefore, their condition, as described in Daniel 9:24, should be considered something that has yet to occur.
History has shown us that Daniel’s vision was partially fulfilled (69 weeks or 483 years). Since then, more than 2000 years have passed, and we are still awaiting fulfillment of the 70th and final week (7 years). Some of the apostles were also waiting for the fulfillment to begin:
In Matthew 24:3, the disciples (apostles) spoke to Jesus privately, saying, “…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (#165. aion; an age)?”
Matthew 24:15-16 – When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.
8. When should those who be in Judaea flee to the mountains? When they see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
In Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, Jesus referred to Daniel 9:27 when answering the question put to Him privately by Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3-4); they wanted to know when Christ Jesus would reign as King in His kingdom. Jesus was talking to them about the sign of His coming, and the end of the age.
Daniel 9:27 – And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
“The Antichrist will have made a seven-year covenant with Israel and the world will enjoy three and a half years of “peace and safety.” Then, unexpectedly, he will break the covenant and defile the temple, plunging the nations into the most terrible time of trouble they have ever experienced (See Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21).” (Pastor Cornelius R. Stam, The Day of the Lord — What Is It?).
9. Who is the ‘he’ of verse 27? The Antichrist – The prince that shall come [Daniel 9:26] – The desolator – [Daniel 9:27] – Prince of this world [John 12:31] – Prince of the power of the air [Ephesians 2:2] – That wicked one [I John 3:11-12] – that Wicked [II Thessalonians 2:8-11].
10. He confirms the covenant with many for how long? One week (7 years).
11. Who are ‘the many’? The nation of Israel (Matthew 20:28).
Read Daniel 7:25; 12:6-7; Revelation 13:5-8
In the introduction to this study, we read Revelation 12:1-5. Let’s continue reading now from where we left off:
Revelation 12:6-14 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
The conclusion for Israel – Jeremiah 30:7 – Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 – Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
The conclusion for believers – I Thessalonians 5:9-11 – For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Romans 4:20-25 – He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
As a believer, you do not need to wait until after the time of trouble; you are already righteous in God’s eyes!
