Leslie M. John
The prophesy in Daniel 9:27 says "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 promise peace for seven years but he will
break in the mid-point after three and half years, and then will the great
tribulation for three and half years will be upon the earth, globally, and not
confined to local places. This Antichrist will cause, "both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name". (Revelation 13:16-17)
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and
power was given unto him to continue forty and two months”. (Revelation 13:5)
“forty two moths” are three and half years. After three and half years he breaks
covenant and then the ‘great tribulation’ starts such as was never before in the
world. There is a mouth given to him that with the power given to him by Satan
he speaks great things and blasphemies.
John bearing witness of the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ said in John 1st
Chapter, that Jesus, who was the true Light, came into this world, and He was in
the world, the world was made by Him but the world did not know him nor did His
own people received Him. In Him was life but His own received Him not, and did
not recognize that He was the true Messiah.
All these years the Jews waited for Messiah and are still waiting for a Messiah,
who, they think would save them. How often God wanted to gather them as 'hen
doth gather her brood under her wings' (Luke 13:34); but they killed prophets
and stoned them that were sent to them.
They received not their Messiah, and refused to come under the protective wings
of the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, who promised them
shelter. He will accept them and grant them if they believe on Jesus and accept
Him as their Savior. The children of Israel, who are still expecting a Messiah,
are resting their false hopes on the one, who they think would come as their
Messiah. Their hopes will bring them to realize that they are waiting for
Antichrist. The time of Antichrist, under whom the children of Israel will
suffer ‘great tribulation’, will be such as was never before in the world. That
period surpasses the events of AD 70, when many Jews were crucified upside down
on the walls of Jerusalem, and mothers ate their children of starvation (the
events of AD 70 are recorded in the history recorded by Josephus). The children
of Israel will then realize that they have rested their hopes on a false Christ,
and after suffering under him, will call upon the true God for mercy. The God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, who made covenant with them,
will then receive them under His wings and give them shelter. They will realize
that Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
The Lord Jesus Christ will come down and stand upon the Mount of Olives as
prophesied in Zechariah 14:4. The rapture of the Church takes place before the
‘great tribulation’. The fullness of the Gentiles would have come by then as
written in Romans 11:25. This was the mystery, which was hidden in the Old
Testament. The grace period which is given in favor of Gentiles to have
salvation over Israel would have completed by that time (2 Corinthians 6:2). The
Church is the bride of Lord Jesus Christ, who protects His bride from the great
tribulation. The privileges given to the Church are greater than the Jews who
would be saved during great tribulation. It is time that Jews realize this fact
and accept Jesus as their Messiah before the Antichrist appears. May they not
wait for Antichrist but accept the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ as their
Messiah.