What happened in the first year of King Darius the Mede? Those who hope to ever understand the meaning of Dan 9:24-27 will need to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of these things. God didn’t include them in order to titillate history buffs; rather everything that is written in the Scriptures was written as examples and warnings on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come (1Cor 10:11). Just remember what Jesus said! He was speaking of a time in the future – a time when His Kingdom would be established and everything that would occur at that time: Luke 21:22 "For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that is written." He spoke of the time prophesied by Jacob concerning Ephraim about the times of the Gentiles. All that is holding back the tide of Gentiles is the mighty power of Ephraim. But when God withdraws his protection (2Thess 2:7), nothing will stop this tide. And of course, the Gentiles will achieve their ambition of seizing God’s Holy City – not because they see any value in Jerusalem, but because Satan has a fixation about controlling the City of God, and the Gentiles are drunk on the wine of his deception! And the fulfillment of all these things? Jesus spoke of it: V24 "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

So where does all this leave us? Is the Truth now in doubt? Not at all! The Scriptures that Christ used are virtually intact (though there are some very obvious transcribed errors), and this is the core of all Scripture. Anything that doesn’t measure up to them is false. God never authorized anyone to build doctrine on a single word or even a single verse. His instructions are as follows: Isa 28:9 "Who is it He is trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message?" Who indeed! God tells us in V1 – it’s Ephraim! "To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?" (A reference to Jer 31:19, and with some explanation, also to Hos 11:1-3 and 12:12-14). "For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here, a little there." The NKJV makes this a little clearer: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." And in the NIV: V11 "Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues (Gentiles) God will speak to this people to whom He said "This is the [Rest] (the Sabbath Rest – Heb 4:1-7), let the weary rest; and this is the [real Rest] – but they would not listen." So what does ‘foreign lips and a strange tongue’ mean? Are the Gentiles now the keeper of God’s Word? Not at all, in fact, never! But since they didn’t want to listen to God – now they will listen to Gentiles! V13 "So then the Word of the LORD will become: Do and do, do and do, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; a little here, a little there – so that they will go and fall backwards, be injured and snared and CAPTURED."

Yes, God is speaking of CAPTIVITY! God is warning them that He is trying to teach them by explaining His message through the messenger, but they refuse to listen! So now they will serve Gentiles! And God’s Word continues: V14 "Therefore hear the Word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule [over] this people in Jerusalem." Ephraim bullies the people of Jerusalem into accepting terrorism on a daily basis; they react with fury when the same outrages are leveled at them but expect the Israelis to make peace with terrorists! Why didn’t Ephraim make peace with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden? But they fully expect the Israelis to make peace with murdering Palestinians. God hates this type of hypocritical falsehood!

No, they say, the Iraqis and the Afghans are not their enemies, but only the leaders. Funny they should say this! Because both these peoples hate their guts and have vowed to destroy them! As for the leaders – they have yet to fight them or even find them! So we begin to see what is troubling God in regard to Ephraim! But God adds more: V15 "You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with Death, and with the Grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding-place." Silly, foolish Ephraim! How they love to make agreements and covenants with God’s enemies!

Jesus said the City of Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled. Well, guess what! God says the same thing about the City of Washington – Ephraim’s city! And it’s in the same chapter of Isaiah: Isa 28:1 "Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to that fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley – TO THAT CITY, the pride of those laid low by wine!" The wine of Satan and his agents: Death and Grave! V2 "See, the LORD has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. That wreath (that CITY), the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, WILL BE TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT. That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before the harvest – as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it."

And just to follow on from V15: Isa 28:16 "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring-line and righteousness the plumb-line; hail will sweep away your [Ephraim’s] refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with Death will be annulled; your agreement with the Grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through. The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror." Of course, there is a good chance that most won’t understand it until it happens (Matt 24:38-39).

God plans to violently throw Ephraim to the ground and bring a scourge through the land. These Gentiles will trample on their City and their people, and God will then deal with the remnant that remain: V5 "In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of His people. He will be a Spirit of Justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." Paul spoke of only a remnant being spared (Rom 9:27). God will launch a rescue bid, and through His strength, the battle will be turned back at the gate.

So what did happen in the first year of Darius? This was the time when the Jewish people hoped that God would bring an end to transgression and sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Holy Place (Dan 9:24) following the seventy long years that Jeremiah spoke about. The answer that Daniel received was cryptic, and perhaps not what he hoped for, but it was the answer God gave to his request. And the answer came in the first year of Darius the Mede (V1).

We shouldn’t be surprised that the answer given was cryptic! Most of the Bible, in relation to prophecy is cryptic. If you think you can read the ‘pure word’ of the Bible, as some put it, and just understand it as it is written, then you would never understand much! For instance, you wouldn’t even understand the meaning of what Christ taught. He spoke in parables so that no-one, except His disciples, could understand. And even these had to have it explained to them afterwards. And Jesus gave his reasons: Matt 13:11 "The disciples came to Him and asked, "Why do you speak in parables?" He replied, "The KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS of the Kingdom of heaven [God] has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."

Too many people today think that Jesus told weak little stories to feeble-minded listeners. Instead He advised that He was revealing the KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD! For all these many centuries, people have been telling weak, little stories to enhance their doctrine, and to turn people into sniveling cowards. If you think that Jesus was weak, then you have never known Jesus! God hates weak, insipid people who lack any backbone. Such people seem to forget that one of the last acts concerning the Apostles was to advise them to buy swords (Luke 22:36-37). And after the unruly mob arrived to arrest Jesus – and after they all fell over backwards when He spoke to them – Peter stepped up and sliced off Malchus’ ear (V50). He ordered them to buy swords so that He would be seen to be ‘numbered with transgressors’. This was to fulfill what was spoken of Him in Isa 53:12 "Therefore I will give him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils [of war] with the strong (see Zech 14:3, 14), because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with transgressors." And who’s the strong here? It’s Judah! The Jewish people! They are going to be very strong and fight alongside the Mighty Christ. They’ll be given some good examples to follow by the Sons of Jerusalem when they go out to fight the horses and riders of the Gentiles (Zech 12:4-6) – the four horsemen of the Apocalypse! This is when the campaign will begin to clear the Holy Land from the River of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

Isa 4:2 "In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy; all who are recorded (a reference to Mal 3:16) among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion (a reference to Zech 14:2 - ‘raped’); He will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a Spirit of judgment and a Spirit of fire. Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy [should be: the Glory will be a canopy over all]."

While all these things may seem strange to some people, the reality is even stranger! God says this in the continuation of Isa 28:21-22 "The LORD will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim, He will rouse Himself in the Valley of Gibeon – to do His work, His strange work, and perform His task, His alien task. Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land."

The first thing that Joshua, Zerubbabel and their associates did, was to built the Altar of God (Ezra 3:2), and on the Feast of Trumpets (the 1^st Day of the 7^th month) (V6) they began to offer the morning and evening sacrifices (V4) and they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day (same verses). The foundation of the Temple had, at this point, not been laid (V6).

1^st year of Darius: (Dan 9:2). I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures according to the Word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. This Darius was a Mede by descent.

1^st year of Darius the Mede: Gabriel took his stand to support and protect Darius (Dan 11:1). It was Darius the Mede that Gabriel protected.

1^st year of Cyrus, king of Persia: 2Chron 36:20 "[Nebuchadnezzer had] carried into exile to Babylon the remnant who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its Sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the 70 years were completed in fulfillment of the Word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the Word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a Temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of His people among you – may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up." This was after it was pointed out to the king of Persia that the Scriptures had spoken of him about 200 years before or 140 years before the Temple was demolished in 586 BC. Cyrus read the reference in the Book of Isaiah. Josephus records the account in ‘The Antiquities of the Jews’, Bk 11, chapt. 1:1.

Isa 44:28 "[I am the LORD] who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the Temple, "Let its foundations be laid." Next verse in Isa 45:1 "This is what the LORD says to His ANOINTED, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him so that gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I call you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things." Cyrus was spoken of about 200 years before he came to power as the ruler of Persia. There may have been thousands of Cyruses in that time, but God was speaking of a certain Cyrus whom He foreknew. Cyrus was not an ordinary man, but a ruler of the heavenly realms. He did what God commanded him to do because God had given him dominion over all the nations of the earth. At the time, he didn’t actually rule over them, but none would challenge him in battle. Any nation he invaded, however, would have fallen before him – at God’s command provided he did as he was instructed. Though Cyrus ruled through a human king, he was really a prince of the heavenly realms – just like Michael and Gabriel.

That he was not human is evidenced in Dan 10:12 "…Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the PRINCE of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the CHIEF PRINCES, came to help me, because I was detained there with the KING of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." A miserable human prince would not have detained Gabriel in the palace of Darius king of Persia! It was Cyrus – a ruler and prince of the heavenly realms – who did this after throwing a tantrum. But he quickly came to heel after Michael arrived on the scene! Michael is one of the chief princes of God, and is a devastating warrior of great notoriety, and Cyrus backed down. Cyrus was aware of what he faced if he didn’t! He may have found himself eating grass like an ox and growing feathers. It should be pointed out that Gabriel is no slouch as a warrior either. He apparently arrived unprepared for Cyrus’ tantrum, and with no backup, was forcefully detained until Michael arrived, who is the chief Prince of Israel. Gabriel pointed out that he, himself, would return to fight the prince of Persia as a prelude to the prince of Greece arriving as ruler: V20 "So he [Gabriel] said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No-one supports me against them, except Michael, your prince. And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him." – from one of Cyrus’ tirades! Darius the Mede, you will recall is the one who killed Belshazzar, King of Babylon and seized his throne. As it turned out, human kings followed each other in regal succession, but not before Darius had fulfilled God’s requirements through the anointed one, Cyrus. It was Darius the Mede, rather than Cyrus, that Gabriel protected.

God has something to say about the rulers of the heavenly realms and the kings of the earth below in Isa 24:21 "In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously."

1^st year of Cyrus king of Persia: Ezra 1:1 "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the Word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout the realm and put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

"The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a Temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of His people among you – may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the Temple of God in Jerusalem."

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites – everyone whose heart God had moved – prepared to go up and build the House of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbours assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings."

Did you ever wonder why all the so-called Minor Prophets spoke about Jerusalem and the Temple, and why so much prophecy revolves around events there? Well, the so-called Minor Prophets were delivering a message to a certain people who would be actively involved in the fulfillment of everything that has been written, and is therefore, addressed to them. And as every Bible student should know, Jerusalem is the City of God, and it’s from this City that the Kingdom of God will rule forever. It seems logical to most people to ignore the Minor Prophets, and all prophecy for that matter, because it doesn’t seem to apply to them. But to those who have been taught by God, they are very important! And not just the Minor Prophets but all the Prophets (the Nevi’im) are important to those who have been taught by God. And all those who have been taught by God are called the Sons of Jerusalem (John 6:45, Isa 54:13). Satan’s appointees, who love to have preeminence over others, can’t stand to learn that their ‘wisdom’ – which is the wisdom of this world – is futile and worthless. They hate the Sons of Jerusalem – and me in particular – because we have taught things they could never understand. They come nipping at our heels like mangy dogs demanding proof of our authority to teach such things. This was also true in Christ’s day: Luke 20:2 "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?" He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, ‘From heaven’, He will ask, "Why didn’t you believe him?" But if we say, ‘From men’, all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet." So they answered, "We don’t know where it was from." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." God’s enemies know where their own teachings come from though! It comes from their diminutive minds! They have no interest in serving God, but only themselves.

All this touches on another subject. Are the Nevi’im (all the Prophets) complete? Is anything missing? Well unless you understand all of what is already written, you would never know. The Truth is that God has withheld information vital to the times just ahead. And those who understand all the Nevi’im know what that gap in knowledge is. This is the one area that all the Brotherhood refrains (or should refrain) from speaking about. The Christ warned of casting pearls before swine: Matt 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." Does this Brotherhood really care whether dogs and pigs understand the sacred things of God? No, we don’t because we are of the same opinion as Jesus! The people whom Jesus refers to in this parable are the very ones who don’t accept God’s teachings. They don’t receive it with joy, but turn and tear it to pieces, and then attack the messenger.

So what is this missing knowledge? Well, it’s called the Book of Truth. Interestingly enough, after Jesus finished telling Pontius Pilate that His Kingdom was not for that time, but for the future, He concluded by saying: John 18:37 "Everyone who is on the side of Truth listens to me." "What is Truth?" Pilate asked." But he received no further reply. It may seem insignificant, but if it was, then why was it included? The fact is, that only those who listen to the Christ and believe what He said, are on the side of Truth. There are many people who haven’t been listening to Jesus, and consequently have no idea what Truth is. They don’t believe God regardless of the rank of evidence. No amount of evidence is ever enough for them. Well, the truth is that soon they will learn that when dealing with Satan’s brood, no amount of ransom is ever enough to spare their lives!

Ezekiel’s account is as follows: Eze 2:3 "He said, "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day." V6 "And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious House. You must speak my Words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious." They are indeed very rebellious! V8 "But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious House, open you mouth and eat what I give you." Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the House of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth." God confirms again and again that He is referring to the rebellious House of Israel. Eze 3:4 "He said to me, "Son of man, go now to the House of Israel – not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the House of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole House of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as hardened and unyielding as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious House." And just to include something very important, we find this in the next verse: V12 "Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rushing sound – May the Glory of the LORD be praised in His Dwelling-Place! – the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sounds of the wheels beside them, a loud rushing sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit." It seems to be very similar to when Elijah was lifted up in a fiery chariot, doesn’t it? This is the only other example given in the Bible of this type of thing happening, though it’s prophesied to happen again.

The scroll was as sweet as honey in the mouth – it was sweet because it is the start of the great mission of the Sons of Jerusalem, but the contents of the scroll are of lament and mourning and WOE – real gut-churning horror – not for the Sons of Jerusalem, but for the rebellious House of Israel. The realization of this horror will still be bitter in the stomach of those who are far away and see it all going on. This is when Satan is hurled back to earth, and it’s reported in these words: Rev 12:12 "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But WOE to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short." The next four verses explain what happens when the devil becomes earthbound: V13-17 "When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with a torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring – those who obey God’s Commandments and hold to the Testimony of Jesus."

Satan now has a very good reason to hate ‘the woman’ but he can’t do a lot about it because, even now, God is protecting this ‘woman’. But once Satan has the courage to make his bid to attack God’s throne, and loses the war and is hurled to the earth – he will come after ‘her’. This woman is the House of David, which is prophesied to be raised up by the one Jesus called ‘Elijah’ (Luke 1:69). It is the House of David that gave birth to the man child Jesus – the Son of David.

It was the prophet John to whom the little scroll was delivered in the account in the Book of Revelation in Chapter 10. It too, was sweet as honey in John’s mouth, but after he had eaten it, his stomach turned sour. It was in this regard that seven thunders spoke but John was told to seal it up and not write it: Rev 10:4 "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." So this is an important message, but it was never written down by John, and is still sealed up! It awaits an important time in the future. It involves a battle plan for a great war among other things. The details of which will be revealed at the precise moment in time. Rev 10:9 "So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

God intended for the prophet John to see and hear these things, but not write them down. John wrote everything else down though! God doesn’t intend to reveal all the details of the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God to everyone, but only to those who are actively involved in establishing it. The instruction is to them, and will be delivered to them – the sons of Jerusalem – through God’s anointed prophet. This is the way it is! So to all those aspiring prophets out there who speak from their own imagination, they will soon find that their luck has run out. They may even find that their own parents will stab them or perhaps their friends will beat them up (Zech 13:3-6). Suddenly they will come to the realization that God means all that He has said! Very soon now, there will be a famine of the Word of God (Amos 8:11-12), and the false prophets will have a field day. So when they do, don’t forget to do your duty (Zech 13:6). It may well be your last opportunity to show displeasure for those who have lied in God’s Name!

God has a lot more to say in the Book of Amos: Amos 6:1 "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion [Jerusalem], and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria (the Northern Kingdom of Israel), you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come." V6 "You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the [desecration] of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. The Sovereign LORD has sworn by Himself – the LORD Almighty declares: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up THE CITY and everything in it." We had a situation a few years ago in Nablus, where Palestinians desecrated the very tomb of Joseph, and no-one raised an objection! Not Ephraim, or that City of Washington, not even the Churches! What self-serving hypocrites! But still they insist on giving the Palestinians God’s Land!

And just so that deceivers will not beguile you with their lies and tell you that all this has been fulfilled, Amos ends the prophecies with these Words: Amos 9:11-15 "In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant [from] Edom and ALL THE NATIONS THAT BEAR MY NAME," declares the LORD who will do all these things. "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the ploughman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the Land I have given them," says the LORD your God."

So God has made contingency plans for the rescue of the nations of Israel who bear His Name. In 70 AD, a similar situation developed in Jerusalem. Jesus’ prophecy concerning the Temple suddenly came true and the Temple was demolished, and many people concluded that all prophecy had been fulfilled. Later, exactly seventy years after Jesus began his ministry on earth, a scroll was delivered to Jesus by the Father (Rev 1:1), and the contents were passed on to John. Here was evidence at that time, that the Scriptures were not complete. What is more, it was delivered primarily for the Church of God so they could understand what the Nevi’im (all the Prophets) wrote about. It was written rather cryptically, and as such, was not understood. Though down through the ages, many thought they understood it. In fact, it couldn’t have been understood, because the time had not come for this understanding. Its teachings were similar to that taught by Noah, the preacher of righteousness, just before the flood came and swept them all away.

1^st year of Cyrus king of Persia: - 1^st day of the 7^th month (the Feast of Trumpets) they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD’S Temple had not been laid. Ezra 3:2 "Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and the evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed feasts of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD’S Temple had not been laid."

2^nd Year of King Darius – 1^st day of the 6^th month: (Haggai 1:1) God says it’s time to cut timber and build His House.

Ezra 3:8 "In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the House of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of the brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the House of the LORD." Notice the reference here concerning their arrival at the House of God to begin building the House of the LORD. The House of God is actually the Rock – the Most Holy Place. The man-made House of the LORD is merely an extension of the Rock. God has appointed His servants the Levites to supervise and build the House for the Rock.

This Rock represents Jesus Christ. Furthermore, this is where He will dwell forever: Eze 43:7 "He said, "Son of man, this is the place of my Throne, and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The House of Israel will never again defile my Holy Name…"

2^nd year of King Darius – 24^th day of the 6^th month: They began work on the LORD’S House.

2^nd year of King Darius – 21^st day of the 7^th month: (Haggai 2:1) (The 21^st of the 7^th Month is the last day of the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles). Who of you is left who saw this House in its former glory?

2^nd year of King Darius – In the 8^th month: (Zech 1:1) "Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty." (see Mal 3:6).

2^nd year of King Darius – 24^th day of the 9^th month: (Haggai 2:10, 18) "From this day on I will bless you"

2^nd year of King Darius – 24^th day of the 11^th month, the month of Shebat: (Zech 1:7) "During the night I had a vision – and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses." In V12 "Then the angel of the LORD said, "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these past 70 years?"

3^rd year of Cyrus (Darius): (Dan 10:1) a revelation was given to Daniel. In this verse, Daniel refers to Darius as Cyrus because he is the PRINCE of Persia, and he detains Gabriel for three weeks until Michael comes to the rescue (V13). There is also a reference to the KING of Persia in the same verse – a reference to Darius, king of Persia. That it was Darius the Mede who took over the Babylonian kingdom after Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians was slain is evidenced in Dan 5:30-31. It’s apparent that he took the regal title of King Cyrus and was astonished to learn that he was spoken of in the Book of Isaiah. That this same Darius the Mede was the first ruler of the Medo-Persian empire is found in Dan 9:1. The revelation that Daniel received confirmed that ‘It’s message was true and it concerned a great war.’ The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. Daniel mourned and fasted for three weeks, then on the:

3^rd year of Cyrus (Darius) – 24^th day of the first month: (Dan 10:1). Daniel alone saw a vision of a man dressed in linen who had come to explain the meaning of the former vision. Gabriel told Daniel that soon he would return to fight the PRINCE of Persia, and when I go, the PRINCE of Greece will come. But he wanted Daniel to know what will happen first, that is, what is written in the Book of Truth. The Book of Truth is what God has written in the scroll that Gabriel was asked to explain (V20). It’s here that Gabriel explains that in the 1st year of Darius the Mede that he took his stand to protect him (Dan 11:1).

4^th year of King Darius – 4^th day of the 9^th month (the month of Kislev: (Zech 7:1). V4 "When you fasted and mourned in the 5^th and 7^th months for the past 70 years, was it really for me you fasted?"

6^th year of King Darius: Ezra 6:12 "…I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence." Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the Temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The Temple was completed on the 3^rd day of the month Adar, in the 6^th year of the reign of King Darius." V19 "On the 14^th day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover." V22 "For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the KING OF ASSYRIA, so that he assisted them in the work on the House of God, the God of Israel." Darius was a Mede, and was called the KING OF ASSYRIA, because the Medes are the Assyrians! The Medes were aligned with the Persians and formed the Medo-Persian Empire. Even today they are aligned with them as Shiites, while the vast majority of Moslems are Sunni. The Medes are now known as the Kurds, and occupy parts of northern and southern Iraq and parts of Turkey with a few others scattered around the region.

It’s certainly true that successive kings ruled in Persia, but Cyrus was the real ruler. The Book of Truth speaks of these, and Gabriel confirms it in Dan 11:2. Almost every history book you pick up will tell you that Cyrus was the first Persian king, because this is the way the Persians wanted to remember it. The Bible however, says this: Dan 5:30 "That very night Belshazzar (the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar), king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62." I recall one history book claiming that Darius the Mede came 62 years after Cyrus came to power. Whoever wrote it obviously doesn’t believe the Bible.

7^th year of Artaxerxes - Ezra 7:1 "After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest – this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and Temple servants, also came to Jerusalem in the 7^th year of Artaxerxes. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the 5^th month of the 7^th year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the 1^st day of the 1^st month, and he arrived on the 1^st day of the 5^th month, for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and Laws in Israel."

20^th year of Artaxerxes – Jerusalem was in ruins once again. The walls had been broken down, and the gates burned with fire (Neh 1:3) and the people who escaped the exile were still in the province and in great trouble and disgrace. Nehemiah arrived to get things moving again.

In the 32^nd year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon Nehemiah had returned to the king (Neh 13:6). Now there’s a twist. Artaxerxes is the king of Babylon, even though of Persia. The kings reigned in Babylon, and were still reigning there when Alexander the Great came on the scene. The reason is that Babylon is Satan’s preferred city. This is where he desires to reign once more.

On returning from Babylon, Nehemiah discovered that Tobiah – the worst troublemaker imaginable, was occupying a room in the courts of the House of God. Nehemiah immediately pelted his gear out the door, and restored the room to its proper purpose (Neh 13:7-9). Tobiah was an Ammonite (Neh 2:19 – though he claimed to be of the priesthood – Neh 7:61-62), and mixed with Arabs (Neh 4:7), and a certain prophetess called Noadiah (Neh 6:14) who had managed to convince some of the prophets to support himself, Tobiah, and Sanballat against the prophet Nehemiah. Nehemiah was too smart to fall for their plots (Neh 6:10-14). This is the same Tobiah that had set himself up in the outer Court of the Temple Mount in grand style, even after he had tried to stop the Work and even plotted to kill Nehemiah. All this after he had claimed to be of the Levite priesthood! It shows how dangerous some of these wanna-be’s can be. Tobiah was a power-broker who wanted power over everything. At no time did he have any intention of serving God in a Godly manner. In a complete reversal of Tobiah’s ambition, it was discovered in the Scriptures the following indictment against him as an Ammonite: Neh 13:1 "On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) When the people heard this Law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent." This would be good advice even today, to clear the Holy Land for a fresh start. Of course, even those of foreign descent enjoy full citizenship under the Law of Moses – provided they live according to the Laws given to all Israel. These would obviously not be included in the expulsion. It made a lot of sense to the people to get rid of all dissenters.

Speaking of the endtime, Daniel wrote of a similar situation that would arise. What he wrote was spoken to him directly from the Book of Truth: Dan 11:31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the Temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the Covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." Clearly, we have a situation similar to the one that Nehemiah experienced. There will be trouble on all sides with insincere people joining the defenders of the City, and trying to make peace deals with the invaders. These are the type of people who always compromise God’s Truth and violate His Covenant. Cunning and crafty, everything they do is for their own advantage. But the end is not yet.

Students of the Bible will be aware that anciently, in the many wars fought by the House of Israel against God’s enemies, the battle did not always go their way. At one stage, the battle advanced or regressed according to when Moses upheld his arms (Ex 17:10-13). As you can imagine, an army in retreat usually gets slaughtered.

All the prophecies of Daniel can be summarized in the following: Dan 8:13 "Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled – the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" He said to me, "It will take 2300 evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be re-consecrated." And in V26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings that have been given to you are true, BUT SEAL UP THE VISION, for it CONCERNS THE DISTANT FUTURE." Then a man in linen appeared and proclaimed the final outcome: Dan 12:5 "Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the River and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the waters of the River, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the River, lifted his right hand towards heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." Daniel had formerly understood the visions he had received, and realized what they meant in his time, but then he realized there was much more to it: V8 "I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days. As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest (in the grave), and then at the end of the days you will rise (speaking of the resurrection) to receive your allotted inheritance." (‘My reward is with me’ Isa 40:10, Rev 22:12).

To understand the time setting, we need to go back to Dan 12:1-4 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then (this is what Jesus spoke of in Matt 24:21). But at that time your people – everyone whose name is written in the Book (of life) will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise (or who impart Wisdom – margin) will shine like the brightness of the heavens (the sun), and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the TIME OF THE END. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." The TIME OF THE END means the end of an era or age. Up to this time – this end or era – the meaning of the words of the scroll have been CLOSED UP AND SEALED.

It was left to the One who has been raised from the dead, after going as a Lamb to the slaughter, to break the seals, open the scroll, and reveal the contents. There are a total of seven seals (Rev 6:1). The seals are successively opened one after the other. This scroll contains the content of what Daniel sealed. What this scroll contains is all that Daniel wrote, and it reveals what he didn’t understand. This understanding was for the time of the end!

It’s hard to imagine how so much nonsense could have been written concerning these seals. But considering how Christianity has been insisting on reading only the pure ‘gospel’, meaning: ‘Lose the prophecy! We don’t want to know anything about it!), it’s not surprising that they see no value in the Scriptures that Christ used. This is written in the Scripture that Christ used: Isa 30:8 "Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’S instruction. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right!" Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern." This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill (totally exposed)." It would require a thick book to explain all that is spoken of here. But you owe it to yourself to read the whole chapter of Ezekiel 13, which gives much more detail.

In speaking of the tablet and scroll, we find that Ezekiel was given a scroll. But first we should mention the prophet Habakkuk, who was instructed to write on a tablet so that it would last a long time, rather than a scroll that turns to dust after a few years: Hab 2:2 "Then the LORD replied, "Write down the REVELATION and make it plain on tablets." Even though the Babylonians were at the very gate at that time, Habakkuk was told to write this REVELATION down on a long-lasting tablet! V3 "For the REVELATION awaits THE APPOINTED TIME; IT SPEAKS OF THE END and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it, it will certainly come and will not delay." Those who hate prophecy and insist on only reading the pure ‘gospel’ – according to their definition – will not believe this speaks of the time of the end! And it seems that some of them think it’s speaking of another universe beyond the stars somewhere, where ‘all the good people go when they die’. There are some bizarre theories circulating at the moment!

In the Book of Daniel we learn that it is written in the Book of Truth that three more kings would appear in Persia and then a fourth, who would be far richer than the others Dan 11:2 "Now then, I tell you the Truth: three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will appear (Alexander the Great), who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out towards the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others." This is precisely what happened to Alexander the Great, and he died at the age of 32.

If all this were merely history, then it would be interesting, but hardly important. Since a prophet (Daniel) recorded it, there is far more to it than surface interest. Since some 360 years after Alexander Jesus spoke of these things as future events, it’s reasonable to suggest that it involves prophecy which remains yet to be fulfilled at the very end time. The Christ referred to the prophecies of Daniel as being of great relevance at a dangerous and future time (Matt 24:15). He was speaking of the end of the age (V3).

The United States of America feel they’ve done enough fighting to secure their land. As a fledgling nation they were forced to endure great hardship, national and civil wars, in order to earn their right to occupy the New Land. They love their land and are not about to give it up – not even for God! How different they are to the men of God! Here’s how the men of God viewed things: Heb 11:13 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

The solution to religious division was to provide laws of religious freedom, and penalties for violations of these rights. Whereas Europe had mastered the art of dictating religious behaviour (generally Catholicism or Protestantism) and enforcing it, the United States of America was determined to give the right of freedom to worship as one saw fit. It was a good solution to an age-old problem, but it also opened the door to all sorts of excesses. The purpose of granting religious freedom and the right to worship was to end the centuries-old rift between Catholics and Protestants. As a Christian nation it was decided that living under Christian principles would hold the fledgling nation in good stead, and invoke the blessings of God. It was never intended that the heathen practices of the Indians, Incas, Aztecs and all the ruthless people of South America should have any rights to practice their religion. These were all locked into the category of ‘heathens’ and killing them was not considered a crime. Driving the heathen from the land was thought desirable, especially when the 13 colonies considered themselves to be the lost Tribes of Israel, and used 13 stars to identify themselves in accordance with the dream of Joseph (Gen 37:9-11).

Those who don’t want to live as God has instructed face a very bleak future. There’s going to be a reconciliation of all the House of Israel, and they will live in God’s Land again as they did originally. There’s going to be a change of heart, and they will no longer desire to live like pagan nations. But no amount of verbal persuasion will bring this about. It’s going to take an upheaval unlike anything that has occurred on earth at any time. One thing the whole House of Israel will learn soon is that they must not build the devil’s work for him. Christ came to destroy the devil’s work (1John 3:8), but silly Ephraim seems determined to build it, rather than to destroy it. And whenever they do, they are hated for it! Satan’s brood doesn’t appreciate kindness – and they view it only as weakness. God has given Ephraim mighty power to beat the tar out of Satan’s brood to the ends of the earth; He says nothing about rebuilding them. Changing a leader doesn’t change a nation from being Satan’s brood. It requires a complete change of heart and mind. Because Ephraim is determined to do things counter to God’s intentions and instructions, God is fast losing patience with them. Whenever Ephraim decides that ‘political correctness’ overrides God’s instructions, they find themselves in trouble, and it’s become the ruling agenda. They seem determined to bring peace to Satan’s brood when there is no sign of peace. The arch-rebel Satan can’t believe his luck that Ephraim is willing ‘to rebuild his fallen tents’. God is not interested in them building Satan’s fallen tents; He is only interested in them rebuilding David’s fallen tents in the Holy Land (Amos 9:11).

The saints are always God’s people – these are the ones who have God’s Holy Spirit. Ephraim and Judah are not – yet! If God withdraws His favour, then they are no longer His people. God records a parable about this very thing in Hos 1:2-11. It speaks of the Day of Jezreel and is the day when Judah and Ephraim are once again united as one nation with one leader. This is the recovery spoken of in prophecy, and it will be a great day. For the first time, God will pour out His Spirit on all the House of Israel (Eze 36:26) and Judah and Ephraim will be united as one nation (Eze 37:15-27).

But time is fast running out for Ephraim to get their act together and to start recognizing who the enemy is. Up until now their silly platitudes have only inflamed the situation and given Islam an expectation that their avowed and stated goal of the destruction of the Western World has legitimacy. If the Israelis were to make the same claim against Islam then it would alienate the whole world. But the day is fast approaching when statements like this from Islam will be taken at face value, and will be responded to with overwhelming force. They’ll be held accountable for every word and every syllable. And the ‘force majeure’ will be the people of God, and the Jewish people will join them (Zech 12:5-6).

The Jewish people have already suffered for too long, in fact they have paid double for their sins (Isa 40:1-2), but they alone have remained faithful to the City of God. God is only concerned for those who grieve and lament for the detestable things that are done in it (Eze 9:4).

But Ephraim is oblivious to all that is happening. They are unprepared for the disasters that await them. The Churches of God have deluded themselves, and they too, are unprepared for their destiny. Before they inherit the Kingdom of God they have some service to perform. And even at this present time they still don’t understand who God’s enemies are! They have no prophets, but they do have plenty of false prophets who continue to beguile them with lies. And while they continue to prophesy from their own imaginations, they are very coy about claiming to be prophets! When their prophecies fail (with monotonous regularity) they can always claim that their prophecies were not given under oath, and were merely opinions. God has some good news for them: they aren’t prophets! The bad news is they have been lying in God’s Name! And this carries a severe penalty: Hos 6:1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us that we may live in His presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come like winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. What can I do for you, Ephraim? What can I do for you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you to pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you. For I desire mercy, not sacrifice (see Matt 12:7), and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. God is certainly not talking about two literal days here because you could sleep for two days and hardly notice them. No, He’s speaking of a much more serious timescale than this. And it’s certainly directed to Ephraim and Judah – not the Church of God – but – the Church of God is linked to the destiny of Ephraim and Judah! Though they have never acknowledged this!

There have been enough goons trying to work out the meaning of Dan 9:24-27 in the total absence of any Wisdom of God or any idea of what they are talking about. They usually multiply apples and lemons and give the answer in fruitcake. God in His mercy has given us fair warning of such people, together with some good advice in Matt 7:1-23, and they need to take note!

It’s hard to imagine why people who are so deficient in basic knowledge should be so fanatical about wanting to understand the message of Dan 9:24-27 when it clearly has to do with those appointed to build God’s Temple according to the specifications detailed in Eze 40 to 48. What we speak in this Brotherhood is of no value if you don’t believe God. What purpose would be served to know things that will never be of benefit to you?

It seems not to have been noticed by all the aspiring ‘prophets’ who interpret God’s Word from their own imaginations, that all the so-called ‘minor prophets’ were speaking of the Holy Land in relation to all these things. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, Joshua, Haggai, Zerubbabel, Zechariah and the rest of the servants of God of that era, were all speaking of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and events that would occur in this region. The greatest Prophet of all – Jesus Christ – also spoke of endtime prophecy in terms of the Holy Land. In Matt 24, He began to speak about the Temple that was in Jerusalem, and then launched into details of various calamities, and illuminated what Daniel had said. And in the fulfillment of what Daniel had said, He issued a warning for all who are in Judea to flee at an appointed time.

Well, we know where God’s House is, and Jesus went on to speak of the Master’s Household: V45-47 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the Master has put in charge of the servants in His Household to give them food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose Master finds him doing so when He returns. I tell you the Truth, He will put him in charge of all His possessions." Then Jesus introduces a ‘what if’ scenario: V48 "But suppose that servant is wicked and says, ‘My Master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards. The Master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect Him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." That servant would have to be a real fool! In fact, this parable is not speaking of one servant but of the Sons of Jerusalem who are put in charge of God’s Household. God is warning that even after years of fighting to secure the Holy Land, they should not let up and decide to build their own houses and begin living sumptuously.