'Appreciating God's Love'
A) God's Beloved Prophet
Dan 9:23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:"
Daniel was the only prophet whom God proclaimed as the 'greatly beloved of God'. God gave him special empowering that he could understand dreams and visions.
Dan 1:17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Accurate and in Details
Dan 2:46-47 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."
Daniel's interpretations of dreams and visions were always precise and accurate that even King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that God revealed the secrets to Daniel.
Faithlessness of Israel
Earlier prophecies in the book of Daniel were fulfilled in such great accuracy during the Grecian Empire that sceptics and professed believers alike, subscribed to the theory that the book of Daniel was a history record written after the events.
After the Grecian rule, the Jewish Priesthood reduced the book of Daniel from prophetic to historic, therefore nullifying all its future prophecies.
Wikipedia – The Book of Daniel is a biblical apocalypse, combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology (the study of last things) which is both cosmic in scope and political in its focus. ... In the Hebrew Bible it is found in the Ketuvim (writings or history), while in Christian Bibles it is grouped with the Major Prophets.
Note - The Jewish leadership subscribed to the theory that the book of Daniel was a historical record written after the events.
B) Prophecy of Messiah's Kingdom
Dan 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
When the Israelites were still in captivity, God comforted them by telling Daniel that it would take Him 70x7 years to establish the Kingdom of the Messiah in the holy city of Jerusalem. Then they will be with Him, having accepted Him as their Messiah with their sins cleansed and forgiven.
Prophecy of Messiah's Death
Dan 9:25-25a "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;"
God told the Israelites that from the order to rebuild the temple of God to the completion of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem would be 7x7 years.
From the completion of rebuilding Jerusalem to the death of the Messiah would be 62x7 years, who died not for Himself but for the sake of all men.
Note Our Lord Jesus was crucified 62x7 years after the completion of the walls of Jerusalem and also 69x7 years after the command of King Cyrus to rebuild the temple of God.
All Israel would have been saved had the Jewish leaders and Priesthood believed Daniel's prophecy of the death of our Lord Jesus.
C) Mat 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
When the disciples asked our Lord Jesus for the end time signs, our Lord made it clearly and precisely in Mat 24. However, He told them to read the book of Daniel for a better understanding of end time prophecies especially those concerning the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place.
Mat 24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),"
Truth Revealed in Last Days
Dan 12:9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Because the end time truth was sealed, Christians are being taught the various types of unscriptural and contradicting theories on Rapture.
Brethren, I believe that if we are now living in the last days then using Matthew 24 (or Mark 13) as the foundation of end time prophecies in chronological order, and together with the books of Daniel and Revelation, we will have a better understanding of end time signs and prophecies.
