Friday, September 16, 2011

Question 49 - Replacing Christ with Antichrist in Bible Prophecy 

Dear Reader, we always urge those reading our Blogsites to pray for God to send His Holy Spirit to be with them as they go through the Sites. It is especially important here because of the nature of the subject. Tampering with a Prophecy about Jesus is a very serious matter, and attempting to replace Jesus with Antichrist is multiple times more serious, so we want the Holy Spirit to help us discover the real truth. Thank you SO much! 
     If the Reader is a Pre-Trib Pastor, you know that pretty much the entire Pre-Trib position stands or falls based on the following Prophecy: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, 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. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the MESSIAH, the PRINCE, shall be seven weeks threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end of it shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And He [Messiah the Prince  or Antichrist] shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week He [Messiah the Prince or Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate" (Dan.9:25-27). Daniel's prophecy is about the Coming of Jesus as the Messiah. Daniel prophesied the exact year Jesus would be Baptized. As to the, "Anointing the Most Holy," portion of the Prophecy, Pre-Trib disagrees that this part of the Prophecy pointed to Christ's baptism, but rather interprets it as pointing to His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem just before His crucifixion. Daniel also prophesied that there'd be a 70th Week at the end of the Prophecy. It is here that Pre-Trib makes a major adjustment, saying that, instead of Jesus fulfilling this 70th Week, the 70th week has been removed and placed down at the end of this Age. They say it is Antichrist who, "Confirms a Covenant with many for one week."  Pre-Trib also says it is Antichrist who will, "Cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to Cease." In a moment we will show conclusively that Jesus fulfilled it completely.
     Pre-Trib bases its 7-Year Tribulation and Antichrist's activities on the view that the 70th week has been removed and placed at end times. But, let's now look and see how Jesus fits perfectly the, "Confirm a Covenant" and "Cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to Cease" parts of the Prophecy.

Jesus "Confirms a Covenant With Many" 
Not only did Jesus, "Confirm a Covenant with Many," He did so in the "Midst of a Week." Did Jesus, "Confirm a Covenant with Many?" Let's look at His Last Supper: "And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is the blood of the New Covenant (New Testament - KJV), which is shed for MANY for the remission of sins" (Matt.26:27-28)! The words of Jesus are almost exactly the words in Daniel's Prophecy. Christ's Ministry was 3 1/2 years in length, so we know that His Last Supper was half of a 7-Year time period. In a moment we will see the significance of this.

"Sacrifice and Oblation to Cease"
During His ministry, did Jesus, "Cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease?" He did Absolutely! At the exact time Jesus died, the, "Veil of the Temple was rent in twain (torn in two) from the top to the bottom!" Was this renting of the Veil God's way of letting the Jews know that the "Sacrifice and Oblation" was done;  finished for all eternity because the REAL Lamb of God had just died?

"In the Midst of the Week"
Is there more evidence that the above two events fulfilled Daniel's Prophecy about the 70th week? There is absolutely!  All Bible Scholars agree that Christ's Ministry was 3 1/2 years in length, thus, His Last Supper and His death on the cross happened 3 1/2 years after His Baptizing. Now if a major event happened 3 1/2 years after His Last Supper and His Death, Daniel's 70th Week will be completely fulfilled.

Stoning of Stephen
So, did something very significant  happen 7 years after Jesus was baptized, and 3 1/2 years after He was crucified? And could that significant event signal the end of the 70th Week in the Prophecy?  Stephen the Deacon was stoned to death. Steven's death was significant enough to qualify, but immediately after his death, something else big happened. "Therefore (because of Stephen's death) they that were scattered abroad went EVERYWHERE preaching the Word" (Acts 8:4)! The Scofield footnote under this verse says the following: "Here began witness concerning Christ to all Nations." To see direct words from Jesus commanding the Disciples to start with the Jews, and then on to the Gentiles, see Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8. The stoning of Steven marks another significant event. Saul held the coats of those stoning Stephen, and soon thereafter, Saul was struck down on the road to Damascus and became the Apostle to the Gentiles. So, from Christ's Baptism till Stephen's death was 7 Years. And in the "Midst" of this 7 Years, Jesus "Confirmed a Covenant with many" and "Caused the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease."

 Is it possible there is better match? Is it possible that Jesus did not fulfill the Prophecy and Antichrist will be the one? 

Pre-Trib's Interpretation  
Pre-Trib says Antichrist, after the Church is Raptured to Heaven, will make a 7-Year Covenant with Israel, commission them to rebuild their Temple and begin sacrificing animals, then 3 1/2 years later, break that Covenant and force Israel to stop sacrificing animals.

Other Popular Switching of Antichrist and Christ
Dear Reader, we want to be kind and never do we want to attack anyone, but we also must be honest. If Pre-Trib has removed Jesus from a Prophecy and substituted Antichrist, you will agree that they should never do this. You will also agree that to do such a thing is VERY serious! Would it be safe to call this Blasphemy? Before we continue, let's look at another popular doctrine that is definitely Blasphemy:

Antichrist "Thinks to change the Times and the Laws"
As we've shown throughout these Blogsites, Daniel prophesied that Antichrist, "shall think to change the Times and the Laws" (Dan.7:25)! We've also repeated time and again Jesus saying, "Whosoever, therefore,  shall break one of these Least Commandments shall be called Least in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt.5:19)! So, it is undeniably clear that Jesus condemns changing His Law, and, it is also undeniably clear that Antichrist thinks he can do it. Does Christianity accept this clear Bible fact? Afraid not!!! This Author has listened to literally thousands of sermons from hundreds of Ministers, most of which are Pre-Trib, and NEVER has a Minister that believes in Sabbath abolition EVER mention that Antichrist will, "Change God's Times and God's Laws;" NEVER; not once!!! However, in those thousands of sermons, this Author has heard Ministers repeat over and over that Jesus, "Changed His Commandments," in particular His Sabbath Commandment, and the Ministers tell us Jesus wants us to honor His change. So, in reality our Popular Preachers are telling us that it was Jesus who fulfilled Daniel's "Changed Times and Laws" Prophecy. Dear Reader, is there something horribly, blasphemously wrong with what we are being told? Our Ministers tell us that Jesus changed His only Commandment dealing with "Time,"  is Orthodox Christian Doctrine!

Again we want to be kind, but is there a more grievous error than tampering with Bible Prophecies? In the case above, could the salvation of Souls be in danger? And also in Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy, is he not showing how Jesus made a New Covenant with us a Prophecy that we should never tamper with?

Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy is sacred. Christ's New Covenant with His Church, His Plan of Salvation, His Death, His Resurrection, and the spreading of His Gospel of Salvation to the whole world is all contained in the 70th Week of the Prophecy.

Let's Look Closer
Not only is it a bad thing to remove Jesus from Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy and attempt to replace Him with Antichrist, the math is completely wrong and doesn't fit at all! The starting place for the 70 Week Prophecy is as follows: "Know, therefore, and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks" (Dan.9:25).  In today's words,the time frame of, "seven weeks and threescore and two weeks," is stated as 69 weeks. There were actually a total of four events that could be called, "Commands to Rebuild." The first three listed below were true commands, but the last one listed, 445 BC, the one that Pre-Trib uses, was only permission for Nehemiah to go check on the process. But the problem for Pre-Trib gets worse. Let's look, and notice that only one Command works out to be 69 weeks between the time of the command and Christ's Anointing, which happened at the beginning of His Ministry. Artaxerxes issued a Command in 457 BC, and exactly 69 prophetic weeks later, Jesus was baptized. Following are the 4 possible starting dates:
Cyrus - 538 BC = 81 Weeks
Darius - 520 BC = 78 Weeks
Artaxerxes - 457 BC = 69 Weeks
Artaxerxes - 445 BC= 67 Weeks
Daniel prophesied that Messiah the Prince would be anointed at the end of 69 weeks, thus 69 is the key number. Obviously only one command date fits, and that would be 457. If we start at 457 BC and count down 483 days, or prophetic years, we come to 27 AD, the year Jesus was baptized. When Christ was baptized, something happened that qualified as His "Anointing."  "The heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting on him" (Matt.3:16). Christ's baptism completed the 69 weeks, leaving one prophetic week, the 70th week, in Daniel's Prophecy. Pre-Trib says that Christ's Anointing occurred when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey at the end of his ministry. In a moment we will show why this event cannot possibly work mathematically. The 70th Week starts at Christ's baptism. Daniel said that, "in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease" (Dan.9:27). The Jews were forced to cease their Temple Sacrificial Service because of the earthquake and the tearing of the Temple Curtain at the moment Jesus died. Of course the Jews did not cease because they rejected Jesus, however, all Christians agree that sacrificing should have ceased the very moment Jesus died. Also Jesus, "Confirmed His New Covenant," in the middle of that 70th Week. Then, when Stephen was stoned 31/2 years later, this ended the 70th week. 

Pre-Trib's Version of 445 BC
If we use Pre-Trib's starting date of 445 BC, and add 69 weeks (483 days or years) we come to the year 39 AD. This matches nothing, but, Pre-Trib uses a method that brings their date to 33 AD, the year they believe Jesus was crucified. Pre-Trib says this is the year Jesus rode the Donkey into Jerusalem, and that this was when Jesus was "Anointed." However, in order to make this date work out, Pre-Trib had to do some calendar re-calibrating. The Jewish calendar showed 360 days. But, there are 3651/4 days in a year, not 360 days. It is true that many Bible Prophecies are complicated by the Jewish reckoning of a 360 day year. But, even though the Jewish calendar showed 360 days, because of some adjustments made by the Jews, each year still contained an average of 365 1/4 days. If you do an Internet Search using Google, Bing, or Yahoo, you'll find two methods listed showing how the Jews dealt with this 5 1/4 extra days per year. We are not sure as to which is correct, but we will continue to do research. Some websites show that every few years, when the seasons began to not match the Jewish months, the Jews would add a 30-day month to that year. Other websites say that the Jewish Priests would add days to certain months depending on the fullness of the moon lining up with the month. We will not find fault with Pre-Trib's attempt to convert 365 1/4 days to 360 days, but when we look at this, as well as all of the other problems created by trying to fit things together in order to transfer the 70th week to the last days, we cannot help but detect a serious altering of Daniel's Prophecy. If Pre-Trib advocates are incorrect, not only have they attempted to remove Jesus from the Prophecy and replace Him with Antichrist, they have diminished the Prophecy's accurate descriptions of Christ's ministry. Daniel's Prophecy accurately describes Christ's baptism, His Last Supper, His instituting His New Covenant, His dying on the Cross, His causing the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and finally an event that drastically changed the focus of Christ's Gospel. With the stoning of Stephen, Christ's followers immediately scattered. Also the stoning of Stephen was the beginning of Saul becoming the Apostle Paul, the key person in spreading Christ's Gospel to the entire world. We suggest that anyone with an open mind that truly compares Pre-Trib's version of the 70 Week Prophecy with the version that leaves Jesus in the Prophecy as fulfilling it, will chose wisely. It helps if the persons comparing the versions are not totally determined to attach themselves to Pre-Trib's version of Daniel's 70th Week being cut away and added at the end of time. We suggest our Reader seriously pray about this.

More Problems with the 445 BC Date.
Finally, the 457 BC date was truly a, "Command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem," and the 445 BC date was only a time when Nehemiah was given permission to go to Jerusalem to check on the progress and to take steps to improve and speed up the work. So, if Pre-Trib is incorrect about the 70th week being cut away and transferred to the end times, what effect does this have on Pre-Trib's version of the Great Tribulation? For a look at what the Bible says about the Tribulation, see, The Great Tribulation.

Compare the Two Versions
Dear Reader, if we could put together a group of one hundred people, and make sure these people had never studied Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy, and none of the people had any previous knowledge of Pre-Trib or any other Religious group, and ask these people to examined both views, it is likely that all of them would say that leaving Jesus in the Prophecy and having the Prophecy end with the Stoning of Stephen makes perfect sense, but cutting away the 70th Week and attempting to place Antichrist in the Prophecy makes no sense whatsoever! Dear Reader, let's let the Holy Spirit be our Guide as we study and teach Bible Prophecy.

Thank you SO much, Dear Reader, for you time and interest!! Again we ask that God's Spirit be our only Guide. Please pray about what we have covered here.
Your Brother in Christ
Walter C. Martin Jr.

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Check Our Other Blogsites:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Post-Tribulation Second Coming of Jesus
Will We Eat Pigs During the Millennium?

Planet Earth WILL be Destroyed After the 1000 Years!
New Jerusalem - How BIG is It?
Great White Throne Judgment Seat - When and Where
Christ's Kingdom - Millennial or EVERLASTING?

 Hell Fire
Is God Torturing People Now
Did Jesus Suffer ALL of Your Hell?
The Rich Man and Lazarus?
Death
The Dead - Dead or Alive - What is Death?
Did Jesus Die YOUR Death for You?
Will Satan Ever Die - Bible Says "YES!"
Testing Our Doctrine About Death
The Dead Stand Before Great White Throne Judgment Seat

 The Gnostics Attack the Sabbath
Were Gnostics Really Christian?
Were Gnostics Satan's Implants into the Church?
Is Gnosticism Alive and Well in Today's Churches
Church is Israel - Israel is Church
Is the Church Israel and Israel the Church?
Is the Bride of Jesus the 144 Thousand?
Did Jesus Offer the Jews a Millennial Kingdom in His Ministry?
Will New Jerusalem Sit in Israel? How Big is It?
Christ's REAL EVERLASTING Kingdom is for ALL Believers!

The Sabbath
Is it a Sin to Observe the Sabbath?
Is There a Connection Between the Rapture and the Sabbath?
Will the Sabbath Be Observed By God's People During the Tribulation?
Who REALLY Changed the Sabbath in Early Christianity?
Un-Answered and Un-Answerable Sabbath Questions For Popular Preachers
How to Test Your Doctrine Concerning the Sabbath

Heaven
Marriage in Heaven - Millennial Kingdom?
Strange Animal/Demons the Millennium?
Why Jesus Hasn't Come to Take Us To Heaven?
Teachers of Anomia (Law Annulling)
Good Ministers Teaching Against God's 10 Commandments?
Teaching of Anomia - The Reason Jesus Hasn't Come Yet?
Pre-Trib Rapture and Sabbath
Pre-Trib Rapture and the Sabbath?

Walter C. Martin Jr.
Everlasting Gospel Ministries

These are just a few of the questions we examine in our Websites.
Thank you, Dear Reader,  for checking them. Please feel free to give us your comments and feedback if you look at our Sites.  If you send us your questions or comments, we will try to answer and add your question to these Websites. We will Not give your name or E-Mail address to ANY ONE or ANY Church Group or Denomination! Nor will we send you ANY annoying E-Mails!! It is NOT our purpose to get you to withdraw from your present Church, but to invite you to present things you learn here to your Pastor and Friends.
Let's pray that God will continue sending His Holy Spirit to guide as we prepare for Jesus to come. Thank You!
Your Brother in Christ!
Walter C. Martin Jr



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