The Clock is Ticking: A Warning on Prophetic Precision and Grace

• God's Sovereignty and Providence [00:20:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asserts that God knew the future state of the world and intentionally placed the congregation in this specific passage of Daniel to address current events.
• National and Personal Accountability [00:22:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor prays for political leaders to recognize their accountability to God and urges the congregation to ensure their own families are 'in order' to impact the nation from the bottom up.
• Eschatology (The 70 Weeks Prophecy) [00:27:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces Daniel 9:24-27 as the '70 weeks prophecy,' describing it as a precise divine countdown to the Messiah and the end of the age.
• Evangelism in Cultural Crisis [00:24:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor encourages viewing cultural obstacles as opportunities to share the gospel rather than just cursing the darkness.
• The 70 Weeks Prophecy [00:31:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies Daniel 9:24-27 as the 'Rosetta Stone' of biblical prophecy, arguing it is a literal 490-year period decreed for Israel, not a symbolic number.
• Divine Abundance in Prayer [00:30:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Daniel's prayer as an example, the pastor illustrates that God often answers prayers with outcomes 'exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask,' pointing to the Messiah rather than just the immediate end of captivity.
• Historical Fulfillment of Prophecy [00:41:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor calculates the 173,880 days from the decree of Artaxerxes (444 B.C.) to the Triumphal Entry (A.D. 33), asserting this precise mathematical fulfillment validates the prophecy.
• Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy [00:42:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor details the chronological fulfillment of the first 69 weeks (483 years) leading to Jesus' triumphal entry and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
• The Church Age (Gap of Grace) [00:47:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explains the current period as an indeterminate interlude between the 69th and 70th weeks, where Israel is temporarily set aside and the Church is formed.
• The Antichrist and Future Tribulation [00:46:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > Identifies the 'prince who is to come' as the Antichrist, originating from the Roman Empire, who will initiate the final seven-year tribulation by making a covenant with Israel.
• Eschatological Timeline [00:50:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > Outlines the sequence of future events: Rapture, Antichrist's rise, the seven-year treaty, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the Great Tribulation.
• Eschatology and the 70th Week [00:54:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the timeline of the final seven years, the great tribulation, the Antichrist's rule, and the return of Jesus to destroy the desolator.
• Sovereignty of God [00:57:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that all history and human leaders are under God's sovereign control, using the precision of prophecy and a military analogy to illustrate God's calculated plan.
• Readiness for the Rapture [01:00:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects current global events (Israel's return, globalism) to the prophetic timeline, urging the congregation to be ready for the imminent rapture.
• Personal Salvation [01:01:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes the necessity of knowing the Messiah personally, citing that He was 'cut off' for individuals to bear their sin and debt.

• Sermon Illustration [00:25:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the 'Doomsday Clock' created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, noting it was set to 100 seconds before midnight in 2020, to contrast man's secular countdown of the apocalypse with God's divine 'deliverance clock.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:21:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes former First Lady Barbara Bush: 'your success as a family, our success as a nation depends not on what happens inside the White House, but what happens inside your house,' using it to argue for personal and familial spiritual order as the foundation for national impact.
• Sermon Illustration [00:32:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the Rosetta Stone, which allowed the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics through its Greek translation, to describe Daniel 9 as the key to understanding all other biblical prophecy.
• Sermon Illustration [00:39:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the historical anecdote of King Artaxerxes Longimanus (Long Hand), who signed the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in 444 B.C., noting the humorous detail about his name meaning 'long hand' because his right hand was longer than his left.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the location 'Dominus Flevit' (Jesus Wept) on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem during His triumphal entry because the people did not recognize the time of His visitation, leading to the city's destruction in 70 AD.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a NASA countdown that stops due to mechanical issues or weather to explain how the prophetic 'clock' for Israel was suspended during the Church Age.
• Sermon Illustration [00:49:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > A story from Louis Talbot about a train stopping on a sidetrack to let an express train pass; this illustrates Israel being put on a 'sidetrack' while the 'gospel express' (the Church) moves on the main track.
• Sermon Illustration [00:55:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > A summary of Israel as God's timepiece: God carved off 490 years for Jerusalem, the clock started in 444 BC, the first 483 years were fulfilled to the day with Jesus' appearance, and the final week is yet to come. Israel is currently on the 'side track' during the church age, but the world is set for the final seven years to begin.
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > An illustration by Dale Ralph Davis about the USS Lake Erie shooting down a disabled satellite in 2008. The satellite had toxic fuel and a 30-second firing window. The missile scored a direct hit at 17,000 mph. The pastor uses this to illustrate that just as the military calculation was precise, God has calculated the timing for the destruction of the final tyrant.
• Sermon Illustration [01:02:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > A closing quote by Danny Akin: 'until then, we work and we wait. We serve and we hope. The plan is in place. The clock is ticking. The anointed ruler is on the way.'

• Pastoral Charge [01:01:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > To personally know and receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
• Pastoral Charge [01:02:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > To spiritually prepare for the imminent rapture of the church.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:00] Adult Connections, I've got to catch my breath from running out from the lobby there for a second.
[00:00:04] It is good to see everyone on this wonderful Sunday morning.
[00:00:06] If you are with us here in the Worship Center, we are thankful for your presence.
[00:00:10] If you're joining us online via the live stream, we are thankful that you're joining with us as well.
[00:00:15] It is a wonderful day to worship the Lord in spirit and truth this morning, and so thank you again just for your presence.
[00:00:21] If this is your first time, I feel like I'm in pretty good shape generally.
[00:00:29] I know, breathe. Thank you, Seth. All right, Derek. Thanks.
[00:00:31] If you're new to Faith Bible Church this morning, thank you so much for being here.
[00:00:35] We are thankful for your presence as well.
[00:00:37] We would love for you to stop by the Welcome Center in the foyer just after the service so we can get to know you a little bit and get some information about you.
[00:00:43] And so again, thank you for your presence, and we hope that you are blessed and encouraged by your time with us this morning.
[00:00:49] We are excited to worship our Lord through our singing this morning, but before we get to that, I just do have a couple of announcements to pass along.
[00:00:56] First off, coming up in a couple Sundays, on January the 24th, actually next Sunday, we are having our next New Member Connection workshop.
[00:01:03] And so if you're new to Faith Bible and maybe wanting some more information about us, kind of what we believe and how we function, we would love to see you at that event.
[00:01:10] It's going to be next Sunday night at 6 p.m. in the chapel at the other end of the building.
[00:01:14] So you can sign up online for that or just come find me in the Welcome Center, and we would love for you to join us for that.
[00:01:19] Or if you're looking to join the church in membership, you can come for that as well.
[00:01:23] Second, our friends at FaithWorks in the inner city are in need of donations of dry food goods for the neighbors they serve there in the Shidler area of Oklahoma City.
[00:01:34] So beginning next Sunday, not this Sunday, but next Sunday, there will be boxes spread throughout the church where you can donate dry goods to FaithWorks.
[00:01:45] And we found out about this a little bit late to put this in the bulletin, but the ABFs have a list of items that are needed.
[00:01:51] And so in your ABF this morning, you can find that list.
[00:01:54] We're also going to email out that list this week.
[00:01:56] And you can donate those things over the next few weeks And we would love to be a blessing to those folks down there as they're suffering through some effects of COVID.
[00:02:06] And so just, you know, anything you can donate would be much appreciated.
[00:02:10] Third, please be aware that tonight 2-7 begins.
[00:02:12] There's information about that in your bulletin this morning, as well as women's Bible studies that start up this week as well.
[00:02:18] So lastly, we are coming up on six months of having Joel Mott as our worship pastor.
[00:02:25] Can you believe that?
[00:02:26] Yes.
[00:02:28] That's golf applause right there.
[00:02:30] I mean, there is a seven-month probationary period for Joel, and that seven-month review is a tough one.
[00:02:40] But Joel's got an amazing announcement this morning about our Kingdom Kids.
[00:02:44] And so, Joel, come up here and tell us a little bit about what Kingdom Kids is doing.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:02:47] Yes, as all of our ministries restart here in January, another one that we're super excited about is our Kingdom Kids Worship Choir.
[00:02:54] And that is for children grades kindergarten through sixth grade.
[00:02:58] And anybody that is in your family or that you know, we would love to have come join that.
[00:03:02] It's a great place where our kids can learn about music and about singing, but also about worship, about hiding God's Word in their heart, and about using their gifts to glorify the Lord.
[00:03:12] It's such a great thing.
[00:03:13] They'll be singing in our worship services, as they do from time to time in this semester.
[00:03:18] And then they've also got a really exciting project to work on.
[00:03:22] They're going to do a musical in early May called Star Quest Mission 316.
[00:03:27] and it's going to be amazing.
[00:03:29] So your children are going to want to be a part of that.
[00:03:31] It starts next Sunday, the 24th, at 5 o'clock, and you can pre-register on our website.
[00:03:36] So we invite you to bring your kids and be a part of that.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:03:39] Awesome. Thank you, Jill. Wonderful job.
[00:03:41] The second one will be much better than that.
[00:03:44] What's that?

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:03:44] Maybe that will help the seven-month review.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:03:47] It's a tough one, Jay.
[00:03:48] Jay is tough on those reviews. I should know.
[00:03:51] Let me pray for us as we begin our service, begin our time of worshiping the Lord through song this morning.
[00:03:57] Father, we thank you so much for the opportunity to gather as your people, to worship your holy name.
[00:04:02] Father, we know that only you, God, are deserving of our honor and our praise and our worship.
[00:04:06] And so we lift our hearts to you this morning, God.
[00:04:08] We ask that you would just give us ears to hear you as you speak to us and eyes to see you as you work in our lives.
[00:04:15] And I pray that everything we do this morning, God, would be centered upon you and who you are and who you've made us in Jesus Christ.
[00:04:22] We are thankful, God, for the gift of salvation and the opportunity, again, we have to gather as your people to worship you this morning.
[00:04:29] May you be glorified and honored and lifted up this morning.
[00:04:32] And we pray all of this in Christ's name.
[00:04:34] Amen.

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:04:36] Well, let's stand together and lift our voices to the Lord.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:04:39] We're excited to introduce a new song to you today.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:08:15] I think it will be new to most of you all.
[00:08:17] And it comes from Psalm 72.
[00:08:19] And it does what we are learning to do in Daniel.
[00:08:22] look backwards at God's faithfulness and also directs us forward of Christ. And it says this in Psalm 72, may all Kings fall down before him. All nations serve him for he delivers the needy when he calls the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy. He saves
[00:08:45] the lives of the needy from oppression and violence. He redeems their life and precious is their blood in his sight blessed be the lord the god of israel who alone does wondrous things blessed be his glorious name forever may the whole earth be filled with his glory amen
[00:09:03] and amen this song is called hail to the lord's anointed and you all sing it along with us

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:09:08] we desire for nothing to be lifted up in our heart you would give us understanding today as

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:19:39] we open your would write it on our worshiping you today. Amen. Well, God bless you all. It's

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:20:02] great to be here with you this morning. We're so glad you're here with us on this beautiful Lord's Day that God has given to us. If you're visiting with us, we're especially glad you're here, and we're thankful for everybody here in present, and physically present, but also those
[00:20:16] who are watching online as well. We're very privileged to have you with us today.
[00:20:20] We're continuing our study of the book of Daniel today. You know, with all that's happening in our world today. Sometimes people ask me, were you going to stay in the book of Daniel or kind of
[00:20:29] bring some special message, you know, related to what's taking place in our world? Well, I do that sometimes. I'll leave a study to address a topic that's relevant to what's happening in our world today. But to me, we couldn't be in a better passage today for all that's happening in our
[00:20:43] world than the passage that God has for us. And that shouldn't surprise us because God knew long ago where we'd be in the book of Daniel, and He knew what would be happening in the world. So
[00:20:52] I believe in His providence that God has us. I mean, just the passage He wants us to be in this morning in Daniel chapter 9. So if you'll take your Bible and turn there with me, we've titled
[00:21:02] this study of Daniel, The End Time and the Meantime. And certainly we're looking toward the end time and these days in which we live, but God wants us to be faithful to live for Him in the
[00:21:13] meantime as well as we await those coming days. I want to pray for us here this morning as we begin, but before I lead us in prayer, I just wanted to read a quote that came to mind this week that I
[00:21:24] read, I don't know, some years ago, and it's a quote by Barbara Bush, the first lady. She said this, this is a great thought, your success as a family, our success as a nation depends not on
[00:21:37] what happens inside the White House, but what happens inside your house. It's a good quote.
[00:21:42] Now, certainly what happens in the White House is important, but I think a lot of us need to think a lot about what's happening in our own houses as well as we think about those things,
[00:21:50] and really make sure that our own house is in order. We're walking with God. We're leading our families the way we should, and certainly that will affect, have a great impact upon our nation. It'll affect our nation from the bottom up rather than the top down. Well, let's look to
[00:22:04] the Lord in prayer together. Father, we turn our faces towards You this morning, and as we do that, Father, we find in You everything we need. You're all-sufficient. You're all-sustaining.
[00:22:17] You're all satisfying. Father, we thank You for who You are and for all that You've done for us.
[00:22:24] Father, I pray that You'll give us an eternal perspective today. Help us to see the things that are unseen, to find our joy and to find our hope in You. Father, I pray for all of us today.
[00:22:37] You'd humble our pride. You'd lift our heaviness, strengthen our weakness. You'd focus our passion upon You and upon the gospel. Father, we ask today that You'd protect our republic.
[00:22:51] that you'd have your hand of blessing upon this nation.
[00:22:53] Father, we know we don't deserve it.
[00:22:56] We pray that you'll bless us in your mercy.
[00:22:58] That's all we have, Father.
[00:22:59] All we have is to come and to plead of the mercy of God upon our country.
[00:23:03] And we do that today as your people.
[00:23:07] We pray for our new president and vice president.
[00:23:09] Pray for our new representatives and senators.
[00:23:12] Pray that they'll realize how much they need you, Father.
[00:23:15] That they'll realize how woefully they lack the wisdom that they need to make the decisions they make.
[00:23:21] I pray that you'd grip their hearts with a deep sense of their accountability to you that they one day will stand before you and they'll answer for the policies and the platforms that they've put forward and that they've championed and fathers we think today about
[00:23:38] our government and our country and the white house father again help us to think about our own house to make sure our own house is in order for those of us who are married that we love our spouses
[00:23:48] we're kind and gracious to them and we're loving and leading our families and our children and our grandchildren the way we should, that we're being the example we should be of a godly life in these
[00:23:59] times in which we live. Father, I thank You for each one of us. You placed us all here for such a time as this. We're not here by accident. We're here as part of Your plan and Your purpose.
[00:24:10] Father, help us to see the things in our culture today not as obstacles but opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a world that needs it so desperately.
[00:24:20] Father, help us not to spend all of our time cursing the darkness, shining the light of the gospel into this darkness to those who need the message of Jesus Christ.
[00:24:32] Father, we thank you for our church. We pray for our youth retreat, for our young people and leaders who are gone on this retreat over to Arkansas. Pray for safety and good health for them, spiritual transformation, Lord, in their lives. Father, help us to yield our lives to you.
[00:24:49] We've been bought with a price. I pray that we'll glorify you with our bodies.
[00:24:54] We pray that Jesus Christ will be more and more formed in us as we yield to Him.
[00:24:59] And now, Father, as we open Your Word together, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would teach us and minister to us and encourage us, Father, in these times in which we find ourselves.
[00:25:09] So we commit ourselves to You now, to the power of the Spirit.
[00:25:12] We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
[00:25:17] Well, many of you have heard of the Doomsday Clock.
[00:25:21] There's Doomsday Clock. It debuted back in 1947.
[00:25:25] It's put out by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
[00:25:29] They started it back then, and what it is, it's a clock, and they move the minute hand backward and forward, depending on what's kind of happening in the world.
[00:25:37] It's moving towards midnight to the end, the apocalypse, or a nuclear midnight.
[00:25:43] And the minute hand has been reset 24 times since 1947.
[00:25:48] And last year, it was set at 100 seconds before midnight, the closest it's ever been to midnight.
[00:25:54] and they always give all their reasons for setting it in that way. But 10 days from now, on January 27th, a bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will have a live announcement, and they're going to set the clock, the atomic clock, if you will, the doomsday clock for 2021.
[00:26:13] And to me, it's interesting, even secular scientists have this sense that our world is getting near closing time with all that they see happening out there. But you know, this doomsday clock is kind of man's best attempt to count down the apocalypse. But many people may
[00:26:30] not realize that God has his own clock. God has his own countdown clock. Now for this world and those who don't know the Lord, it will be a doomsday clock. But for those of us who know him,
[00:26:43] it's a deliverance clock. And so we see God's countdown bearing down really upon this world.
[00:26:51] And God has a clock that's counting down the time to the end of the age and to the coming of Jesus Christ. And we find God's countdown clock in Daniel 9, 24 to 27. This is often called the
[00:27:04] 70 weeks prophecy. Now, I want to read this for us, and then we'll get into the details of this great prophecy. Daniel 9, 24 to 27. Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people in your holy
[00:27:18] city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild
[00:27:34] Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It'll be built again with moat and plaza, even in times of distress. Then after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut
[00:27:47] off and have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood. Even to the end, there will be war. Desolations are
[00:27:57] determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering. And on the wing of abominations will
[00:28:08] come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction. One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. Well, may the Lord write His eternal word among our hearts this morning. Well, this is the great 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel, and
[00:28:24] you're going to have to put your thinking caps on this morning with me here and stay with me as we go through this great passage, but I guarantee you there's a great payoff in understanding this
[00:28:34] great countdown clock of the Lord. This is a great passage in the Bible. Here are just a few quotes from some famous people. Philip Newell said this is the greatest chapter in the book of Daniel,
[00:28:45] one of the greatest in the Bible. Sir Edward Denny called this section the backbone of prophecy.
[00:28:51] H. A. Ironside called it the greatest of all of the time prophecies. H. C. Leupold said they unroll a panorama of history that's without parallel even in the sacred scriptures. And Sir Isaac Newton said we could stake the truth of Christianity on this prophecy made five centuries
[00:29:08] before Christ. So this is an astounding, staggering prophecy that God has given to us here in these verses. Now, we left off last time in verses 20 to 23. Daniel's been praying in verses 1 to 19. And you remember the Lord comes and interrupts his prayer before he's even
[00:29:27] finished. And what he's doing is he's praying, asking God to restore the Jewish people back from the captivity to Babylon. He's been reading in the book of Jeremiah that the captivity will last 70 years. He's been in Babylon about 67 years, so he begins to plead with God and confess
[00:29:45] the sins of the people and ask God to do what He's promised to do and bring the people back to their land. And while he's praying, the angel Gabriel comes to him, and he comes to him at the
[00:29:57] time of the evening sacrifice. Now, that's interesting because the temple's been destroyed now for 50 years. But notice Daniel still operates on Jerusalem time. He still remembers it's three in the afternoon. It's the time of that evening sacrifice. And so the angel Gabriel comes and
[00:30:15] he's going to give Daniel an answer to his prayer. But think about this. Daniel is just praying about the near future. He's just praying about the end of the Babylonian captivity a year or two in the
[00:30:26] future from his time. But God and the answer that he gives Daniel goes far beyond Daniel's request to the distant future and points him all the way to the end, to the coming of the Messiah.
[00:30:40] Let me just say here, I love that because God gives Daniel an answer that goes far beyond what he even asked for. And God will do that for you and me as well. Ephesians 3, it says that God is
[00:30:52] able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or thank. So remember that in your prayer life. You may go ask God for something, and God may give you and go far beyond and exceed what
[00:31:06] you've asked Him. Now, when we get to this passage in Daniel 9, 24 to 27, it's called the 70 weeks prophecy, because most of your Bibles, probably in verse 24, say 70 weeks have been decreed for
[00:31:19] your people. Now, one author has called this passage 70 weeks and 20 problems, because there's a lot of different ins and outs to this passage of Scripture. It's notoriously difficult. But I want you to notice something here. God wants us to understand this prophecy. Look at verse 22.
[00:31:38] Oh, Daniel, I've come forth to give you insight with understanding. Verse 23, to give you the message and gain understanding of the vision. So I just want to say this at the outset. God wants
[00:31:51] us to understand this prophecy. You're not trying to hide it or make it mysterious to us. God wants us to know and understand what is written here. So this is a key to understanding, really, all
[00:32:03] other biblical prophecy. Some of you have heard of the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone was discovered in Egypt by some of Napoleon's engineers in 1799. And up to that point, no one had been able to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. What you had on the Rosetta
[00:32:20] Stone was the same inscription written in three languages. And two of those languages were Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphics. And obviously, they could read the Greek part of that. And by reading the Greek part of that, it helped them decipher and decode the Egyptian hieroglyphics part of
[00:32:37] that inscription. So that became the key to deciphering this Egyptian script. And I thought it's interesting this week as I was reading about this passage, several authors called this section the Rosetta Stone of Bible prophecy, because everything else in Scripture must fit in this
[00:32:55] great prophetic outline or this timepiece here in Daniel 9, 24 to 27. All other prophecy is validated by this prophetic passage. Now to get us through this, to unpack these four verses in this prophetic countdown, you can see in your outline I've got four simple points. I want to
[00:33:14] compute this countdown, commence the countdown, look at the continuing of the countdown and the completing of this countdown. So we begin with computing the countdown. Notice again it begins seventy weeks have been decreed for your people. Now, seventy weeks there, literally in Hebrew,
[00:33:31] it's seventy sevens, or seventy units of seven, or it's often seventy weeks, obviously because a week is a period of seven. Now, I'm not going to go into this in great detail, but there's three
[00:33:44] main views of what these seventy sevens refer to. Many people take this as symbolic. They'll say, if you look at 7 times 7 times 10, it's a round number. This is just a symbol of prophetic
[00:33:57] completion. But I don't think this is symbolic because, again, if you go back to the beginning of Daniel 9, Daniel is thinking about 70 literal years, right? The Babylonian captivity. So he's thinking in terms of literal years. So if he's thinking in terms of literal years, why would
[00:34:15] God come and give him some symbolic number. So I think it's a literal number here. Now some will say, well, these are 70 sets of seven days. So it'd be 490 days. The problem is you can't squeeze
[00:34:29] everything in these verses into 1.3 years, about one and a third years. So I think the best view is that the 70 sets of seven are 70 sets of seven years, or 490 years. And again, that's the best
[00:34:43] view, I believe, because if you go to the beginning of the chapter, when Daniel's praying, he's thinking in terms of years. He's thinking in terms of 70 years. So I think this is 70 sets
[00:34:56] of seven years, or 490 years. Now, why 490 years? Remember we looked last time at the reason the Jewish people went into captivity for 70 years. You remember that? They went into captivity for 70 years to let the land rest. Because remember, every seventh year was a sabbatical year when the
[00:35:17] people of God were not to plow their fields, they weren't to tend their vineyards, they were to give the land a rest. Well, they had stolen 70 of those sabbatical years from God, so God sent them into
[00:35:30] captivity for those 70 years. Well, if every seventh year was a sabbatical year and they owed God 70 of those, that means they must have violated the sabbatical years for 70 times 7, or 490 years, right? So they violated that for 490-year period. They owed God those 70 years.
[00:35:48] Now God says, let me tell you about another 490 years in the future. So He picks up on this same time period and says, this is the time when God's going to deal with the nation of Israel in
[00:36:00] Jerusalem. Now notice it says 70 weeks have been decreed for your people in your holy city. That word decreed there means cut off or severed. Now think about this. In all of time, God has carved
[00:36:13] off or severed off 490 years from the rest of history. And He's done that to accomplish His purposes for Israel and for Jerusalem. Because notice, this period of 490 years has to do with your people, Daniel's people, the people of Israel, and Israel. It's about the nation of Israel.
[00:37:19] And that's why I believe. It's about the nation of Israel. And that's why I believe today there are 40% of the Jews in the world back in the land of Israel today. God is bringing them back there
[00:37:30] to fulfill these prophecies with them. But the first three of these purposes are kind of more negative and deal with sin. The last three are positive and deal with fulfillment. He says, look, in this 490-year period, we're going to finish the transgression. The rebellion of Israel
[00:37:47] will be finished. We're going to make an end of sin. An end of sin is going to be made. We're going to make atonement for iniquity. We're going to bring in everlasting righteousness. Well, that
[00:38:00] sure hasn't happened yet, I guarantee you that. We haven't brought in everlasting righteousness. We haven't even brought in temporary righteousness. And he says, to seal up vision and prophecy. This means that all the predictions for Israel will be completed in the course of this period of 490
[00:38:15] years. And then he says to anoint the most holy place. That refers to a future temple that's going to be built in Israel, that's going to become a sacred temple there where the Jewish people will
[00:38:26] worship. So these six goals here bring about the realization of all the hopes and dreams of the human race. And they're all accomplished ultimately in Jesus Christ when He comes back to rule and reign. And these six purposes will only be fulfilled when Jesus comes back to establish
[00:38:44] His kingdom on earth. And that means that this 70 weeks, this 490-year period, has to take us all the way to the end. Now, all we have to do really at this point now, the main thing, is find the
[00:38:57] starting point of this countdown. When did God's countdown clock begin to tick? Well, notice in verse 25, he says, you're to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. That's it right there. That's the beginning point. This verse tells us
[00:39:15] the 490 years begin when there's a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. And you say, well, when was that decree issued? Well, there were four ancient decrees that related to the return of the Jewish people to their land. And all of those have been proposed as the starting point
[00:39:33] for the commencement of this countdown. But there's only one of them that fits the language of verse 25, to go back and to restore and rebuild the city. And that was the decree in Nehemiah
[00:39:45] chapter 2, when Nehemiah was given permission to go back and rebuild the city and rebuild the walls.
[00:39:52] It was a decree signed by a man named Artaxerxes Longimanus. I like that. It means Artaxerxes' his long hand. Evidently, his right hand was longer than his left hand. They called him long hand. But he signs this decree. And we know from history that decree was signed on March the 5th,
[00:40:12] 444 B.C. So that's the beginning point for this countdown by God to the end, March the 5th, 444 B.C. That's the starting point. Now, from commencing this countdown, we move now to what I call continuing the countdown. And you'll notice this 490-year period is broken down into three
[00:40:33] parts. Seven weeks of years, that'd be 49 years. 62 weeks of years, that'd be 434 years. And then finally, one week over in verse 27. Just broken down into these three parts. Now, let's begin
[00:40:47] with the first two here in what I call the interval. Notice he says in verse 25, the end of He says, from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince,
[00:40:59] there'll be seven weeks and 62 weeks.
[00:41:01] Now, the reason he divides it into these two parts is during that seven weeks or 49 years, he said that's when the city will be built again with moat and plaza in time of distress.
[00:41:14] So about 49 years that the city's rebuilt, but then you go on for another 62 weeks of years after that.
[00:41:22] Now, again, I'm not very good at math. It's certainly not my forte, but 69 times 7 is 483 years. And you take 483 years times 360 days. That was the calendar, the prophetic calendar used in Israel and lots of other nations in that day. And you get 173,880 days.
[00:41:45] Now, here's where this, you know, here's where this blows the mind. If you begin March the 5th, 444 B.C., and you add 173,880 days, you come to March the 30th of A.D. 33. And you know what
[00:42:00] happened that day? The triumphal entry of Jesus, what we celebrate on Palm Sunday, as Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, presented there as Messiah the Prince. So He says, no one discerned from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem,
[00:42:15] march 5th 444 bc until messiah the prince there'll be seven weeks and 62 weeks 69 weeks of years 173 880 days now what happened that day again palm sunday go over to uh to luke 19 in your bible
[00:42:35] to luke 19 those of you uh who've been to israel with us i hope you can picture in your minds others a place there called dominus flevit it's called jesus wept there on the side of the mount
[00:42:48] of olives and when jesus made his way down into the city for his triumphal entry but in in matthew chapter 9 and 19 and verse 41 says and when he approached he saw the city and wept over it
[00:43:02] and he said this if you had known in this day even you the things which make for peace but now they've been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank
[00:43:17] against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They'll level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another. He's talking about 70
[00:43:29] AD, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. It's 37 years in the future. And then notice what he says, the end of verse 44, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. It was all
[00:43:44] written down there in the Old Testament. Notice he says, in this day, if you knew, you didn't recognize the time of your visitation. To the very day, 173,880 days, Jesus rides into Jerusalem as Messiah the Prince. And they didn't recognize him, and so he weeps over the city, and he says,
[00:44:03] Jerusalem's going to be destroyed. And again, that happened in 70 AD. So this prophecy's fulfilled to the very day. It's the greatest prophecy in the Bible. It's the most precise prophecy in Scripture. Now that's the first 69 weeks of years. So again, this is a great chart. We start on the
[00:44:26] left over here, March 5th, 444 BC. Those first 69 weeks of years, you come to March 30th, AD 33, the triumphal entry of Jesus, He's presented there to them as Messiah the Prince.
[00:44:37] All of that was literally fulfilled, but that still leaves one final seven-year period before the completion of this 490 years, right? We have 483 of these years finished on March the 30th of AD 33. So one week of years is still out there. But before that seven-year period begins, there's
[00:44:58] an interlude, there's an indeterminate period of time that we find in verse 26. Notice what he says in verse 26. Then after the 62 weeks, and that, of course, is the 62 plus the 7, so it's 69 weeks,
[00:45:13] or 483 years. After that, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the Prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. So this time period ends, this 69
[00:45:28] weeks right here. And after it ends, He tells us two things that are going to happen after it ends.
[00:45:34] Messiah is going to be cut off. That happened just four days later. I mean, after the triumphal entry on April the 3rd, Jesus is crucified. But then He also tells us something that's going to
[00:45:44] happen 37 years in the future, the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. It happened August 6th of A.D. 70. So what He's saying here is, look, this 483-year period is going to end.
[00:45:56] and what's going to happen is messiah is going to be cut off and he's going to have nothing and jerusalem's going to be destroyed so there's two specific events that happen in the gap between
[00:46:07] the end of the 69th and the beginning of that final week the death of the messiah and the destruction of jerusalem when it says their messiah will be cut off it's a word that means
[00:46:17] to be killed violently the messiah is going to be cut off by death and then jerusalem was destroyed just as this predicts 37 years later in AD 70. Now notice in verse 26, it says,
[00:46:32] and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city. The prince who is to come, I think here's another reference to the Antichrist. It's referred to in Daniel 7. We have a picture of
[00:46:44] him in Daniel 8. He's this coming prince. And one of the things that tells us is, in fact, this is the only verse in the Bible that gives us the ethnic background or the origin of the
[00:46:54] coming Antichrist. Notice it's the people of the prince who is to come who will destroy the city of Jerusalem. Well, who destroyed Jerusalem? The Romans. So this final Antichrist is going to come out of the old Roman Empire. So the Antichrist won't be an American. Now, a lot of people have
[00:47:11] tried to make about every American president, you know, the Antichrist, you know, Kennedy's the Antichrist, you know, Ronald Wilson Reagan, each of his names had six letters, so he was the Antichrist. And it's kind of whoever you don't like, basically, that you make the Antichrist.
[00:47:25] But he's not going to be an American. He's going to come from a revived, reunited Roman empire.
[00:47:32] But you and I today are living in this interlude or this gap between the end of the 69th week of years and that final week out there. And it's been going on now for an indeterminate period of time.
[00:47:45] And it's this time period we call the church age, or I like to call it the gap of grace.
[00:47:52] But in the Old Testament, or in the New Testament, in Ephesians 3, it tells us that in the Old Testament, the church, this current age was a mystery.
[00:48:01] It was something that was not revealed.
[00:48:04] And so that's why Daniel doesn't spell it out here in detail, because Daniel didn't know about this current age.
[00:48:10] He didn't see it.
[00:48:11] It was a mystery to him.
[00:48:13] But during this current church age, the New Testament tells us that Israel has been partially blinded.
[00:48:19] and they've been temporarily set aside by God. So when Israel rejected Jesus as its Messiah, when He said, you didn't recognize this day, the day of visitation, Jesus turned to the Gentiles and temporarily put aside His plans and program for the nation of Israel. And so today He's
[00:48:38] building His church, and He's forming His body. And it's kind of like the clock has stopped, the countdown has been suspended. It's like if you've ever watched one of the launches there at NASA, sometimes they're getting to that countdown and they're, you know, they're, you know, T minus,
[00:48:56] you know, whatever, an hour or whatever it is, and all of a sudden the countdown has stopped because of weather conditions or because of some mechanical difficulties. And that's exactly what happened when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as Messiah the Prince, the clock stopped. And after that
[00:49:11] period of time, he was cut off. Jerusalem was destroyed. And now we have this entire church age intervening. There's a helpful illustration I got from Louis Talbot years ago. He said one time he was on a train, and all of a sudden the train came to a stop. And he asked the conductor
[00:49:28] what was going on, and he said, we're on a sidetrack. The express is coming through, and we had to get off so it could come through. And he used to say that that's what happened to the
[00:49:38] people of Israel. They were on the main line. They were on the main track, but they rejected their Messiah. So God put them on a side track as a nation. And today, I like this, Lewis Talbot
[00:49:51] said, the gospel express, which we know as the church, is going through on the main track.
[00:49:57] And we're living now on that express, you and I are. We're living in this parenthesis of time before Israel gets back on the main track.
[00:50:06] But someday the rapture is going to take place.
[00:50:09] This church age will end.
[00:50:11] And the seven-year tribulation period will begin.
[00:50:14] And God will put Israel back on the main track again.
[00:50:17] And the momentum, I think, towards that final seven years is building.
[00:50:22] So I believe the rapture can happen at any moment.
[00:50:26] And at some point after the rapture, the Antichrist is going to rise.
[00:50:30] He's going to broker a peace treaty with Israel.
[00:50:32] and God's countdown is going to resume again. So verse 27 tells us what will take place as this countdown reaches zero and takes us to the end. Now notice it begins, and He will make a firm
[00:50:47] covenant with the many for one week. It's that one week that's still out there. Now the He here is not Jesus. The nearest reference is back to the coming prince, the Antichrist. And He's going to
[00:50:59] make a firm covenant with the many. The many there means the many in Israel for one week.
[00:51:04] Now, when it says a firm covenant there, the word firm can mean to make strong or strengthen.
[00:51:12] So it could mean there's a covenant that's already in existence. He just comes along and strengthens it or makes it stronger. Or it can mean a firm covenant that's a compelled, forced covenant. But either way, the seven years is this final week or unit of seven
[00:51:28] that we often call the tribulation period. It's the final era of history before the coming of Jesus Christ. And the event that triggers the last seven-year period is the signing of some kind of treaty or covenant between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel. So I want you to remember
[00:51:44] this. The rapture doesn't start the tribulation period. The rapture can happen at any moment.
[00:51:50] When the rapture takes place sometime after that, the Antichrist will rise. He'll make this agreement with Israel, and that will begin the countdown again. And so what will happen is all of a sudden, the clock, the countdown will start again. Now, evidently, under the terms of this
[00:52:08] agreement, the Jews will be able to rebuild their temple and resume worship in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, because notice it says, in the middle of the week, in other words, in the middle of that
[00:52:17] last seven years, He'll put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate. Well, if he's going to put a stop to sacrifice and grain
[00:52:29] offering, that means there has to be a temple in Israel, because that's the only place they offer sacrifices. So a temple is going to have to be rebuilt, and they'll resume their worship there.
[00:52:39] So evidently, this treaty the Antichrist makes with Israel will involve some kind of security guarantee for the Jewish people to rebuild the temple and resume their worship. Now, you talk about a thorny problem. That 35 acres up there on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is a
[00:52:56] major flashpoint in the world. I've been up there many times. Some of you have been up there with us, and it's probably the most interesting place in the world, that 35 acres, to visit because of all that's gone on there in the past and what will happen there in the future.
[00:53:13] We don't know how it's going to happen, but think about this. A hundred years ago, people would say, how are the Jewish people ever going to get back in their land again? I mean, it's impossible.
[00:53:20] 1948 5 of the jews in the world came to the land of israel the modern state of israel was reborn it's called the miracle on the mediterranean god could bring that to pass he's going to get a
[00:53:33] temple somehow there on that temple mount again it may be some kind of forced agreement or something that's compelled by this ruler the antichrist but you know it's interesting current events point toward this treaty you all have been hearing probably about the abraham accords right
[00:53:48] You know, Egypt has a peace agreement with Israel from 1979.
[00:53:52] Jordan entered into one in 1994.
[00:53:56] But just here in the last year, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and last week, Sudan signed these normalization agreements with Israel.
[00:54:05] Now, none of those are the fulfillment of this, but you can see a momentum towards some kind of peace with Israel.
[00:54:14] And the Bible tells us here the Jewish people are going to enjoy peace and prosperity for three and a half years, the first half of that seven years.
[00:54:22] But then in one of the great double crosses of all time, the Antichrist will break the treaty, he'll seize the temple, he's going to put an image of himself there in the temple, just like Antiochus Epiphanes did.
[00:54:34] And he's going to desecrate and desolate the temple.
[00:54:37] and then the final three and a half years of time is known as the great tribulation that's when the antichrist is going to rule and reign over the earth and that time is spoken of clearly in the
[00:54:49] book of revelation again right here it's it's the last half of this seven year period three and a half years you go read the book of revelation it talks about 1260 days 42 months it's all that
[00:55:01] same period of a final three and a half years so antichrist is ultimately then going to be destroyed by the return of Jesus. Notice the end of the passage. There will come one who makes
[00:55:12] desolate until a complete destruction, one that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. So this desolator, the Antichrist, he's going to be desolated by another. And of course, it's speaking here of the coming of Jesus Christ when He comes in power and glory,
[00:55:28] the usher in His kingdom, and to finish that 70th week, that final week of years.
[00:55:34] Now what a prophecy this is. That's precision. So let me just kind of summarize it here and put it all together and then just mention a few points of application for us. Here's the way one person
[00:55:45] put it. I like this. This is a great summary. Israel is God's timepiece, God's clock. God has carved off 490 years of time for them in the city of Jerusalem to fulfill His purposes. The clock
[00:55:58] began counting down in 444 BC. The first 483 years were fulfilled to the day. Jesus appeared right on schedule. The final week of years will also be literally fulfilled. Almost six million Jews are back in the land today after almost 2,000 years of dispersion. They desperately need peace.
[00:56:18] Everything is ready for the Antichrist to come, the treaty to be signed, and the final years of God's clock to begin ticking. We live today in the gap, the parenthesis, the mystery, the church age,
[00:56:29] when Israel's on the side track and God is forming the body of Christ. At any moment, the rapture will end the church age and Israel will be back on the main track. The treaty will
[00:56:41] be signed. The final seven years of the age will begin ticking. That's where we are in God's program right now. We're right over here. That's where we are, waiting for the church age to end
[00:56:52] by the rapture, and then this coming prince will come and make this covenant with Israel, and the countdown will begin, and those final seven years will run their course.
[00:57:03] Now, there's a lot of things we could draw for this, but let me just mention a couple as we close here this morning. The first one is that God's Word is trustworthy and accurate. I mean,
[00:57:11] there is stunning precision here in this passage. Never doubt the truth of God's Word. This passage is really God's fingerprints. It's God's signature upon the Bible that what He says is true. A prophecy fulfilled to the day, 173,880 days. It's stunning. Another point that you and I need to get
[00:57:32] from this, and this relates to what we see happening today, all history and all human leaders are under God's sovereign control. Presidents, senators, dictators, wherever they are. I like the way Dale Ralph Davis puts it. This is a great little illustration he gives.
[00:57:50] he says the Aegis class cruiser Lake Erie was operating in heavy seas west of Hawaii on the night of February the 20th 2008 was charged with shooting down a disabled satellite tumbling towards earth earth's atmosphere the satellite carried a toxic fuel that could pose health risks
[00:58:08] should it hit a populated area the deadline for action was March the 1st on that date the bus size satellite would bounce against the outer reaches of the atmosphere and begin a more erratic orbit. Actually, the firing window was only 30 seconds long. At 10.30 p.m. Eastern time,
[00:58:24] the USS Lake Erie fired an SM-3 missile 150 miles into space and scored a direct hit on the satellite that was moving at 17,000 miles an hour. And then he says this, one tends to be impressed.
[00:58:39] I'm impressed. But he says, the timing was precise, the shot accurate, the destruction complete.
[00:58:47] All had to be carefully calculated ahead of time.
[00:58:50] And I love this.
[00:58:51] He says, the calculations have been made.
[00:58:53] The time has been set for the last tyrant who would assault God's kingdom and crush God's people to be terminated.
[00:59:00] Somehow that injects a ground floor assurance into the souls of God's servants and makes it possible for them to walk on with a certain godly fearlessness.
[00:59:11] You and I can live a life of godly fearlessness.
[00:59:13] It's all calculated ahead of time.
[00:59:15] God has already calculated how He's going to take down the final tyrant of history.
[00:59:21] And you and I can know that all those who are tyrants today, all those who are flaunting God's Word, God will deal with them. They're under His control.
[00:59:30] Here's another thing Ralph Davis says. He says, A final ruler exalts himself, imposes his authority, forbids true worship, instigates idolatrous worship, and runs into the meat grinder of God's decree.
[00:59:45] predetermined on target certain look all of those who go against god in his ways they're going to run into the meat grinder of god's decree it's predetermined it's on target it's certain you and i can rest and know that god is in control of what's happening in this world he's control
[01:00:05] of our government our leaders the third thing i would just say is look our world is ripe for the rapture the jewish people are back in their land against all odds 40 of them live there today
[01:00:17] in the world. It started in 1948. Peace for Israel is front and center with these Abraham Accords.
[01:00:24] Globalism is paving the way for Antichrist rise. I'm not going to get into that this morning. We'll talk about that later in chapter 11, but all the greater government control and how crises are being used in our world today as a pretext for power, all this track and trace technology,
[01:00:40] all that's a setup for the kind of globalism that's going to lead to the rule and reign of the Antichrist. The world stage is set for this final week of years, and it's fascinating to me
[01:00:51] what I've been preaching for 30 years in Bible prophecy is coming together and converging at an astounding rate and accelerating. To me, it's exciting, and it should be an encouragement to us.
[01:01:03] Look, you and I are part of God's plan. You and I were born for such a time as this. If God wanted us to be here 100 years ago, we'd have been born then. God has us here, and He has us now
[01:01:14] here in this place for a purpose.
[01:01:17] Again, as I said in my prayer, let's not spend our time cursing the darkness, but let's shine the light and be faithful in our generation and seize the opportunities that God has given to us here in this time.
[01:01:28] We are here, you and I, in this time, in this place, by God's appointment.
[01:01:33] God wants us to be faithful in our generation.
[01:01:37] Then one final thing, we'll close here.
[01:01:39] You must know the Messiah personally.
[01:01:42] This Messiah, the prince who's spoken of here, You have to know Him personally. He's coming back someday to rule and reign. He's coming back for those who've come to Him. And it says here that the Messiah was cut off, and He had nothing. And
[01:01:57] He was cut off for you, and He was cut off for me. He took our sin and bore our debt, and He had nothing so that you and I can have everything through Him. But you have to know Him personally.
[01:02:10] I love John 1.13 or 1.12.
[01:02:13] It says, As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
[01:02:20] But you have to know Him personally.
[01:02:21] You have to receive Him.
[01:02:22] If you've never done that, that's what you need to do this morning.
[01:02:25] You need to meet this Messiah personally.
[01:02:28] The one who was cut off for you.
[01:02:30] The one who will give you everything if you trust in Him.
[01:02:33] Look, the next event on God's prophetic calendar is the rapture.
[01:02:37] And it can happen at any moment, so make sure you're ready.
[01:02:41] Our only job today is to be ready when that moment arrives.
[01:02:44] That's what God is calling us to do.
[01:02:47] I close with this.
[01:02:48] It's a quote by Danny Akin.
[01:02:50] He's talking about the coming of Jesus.
[01:02:52] He says, until then, we work and we wait.
[01:02:55] We serve and we hope.
[01:02:57] The plan is in place.
[01:02:59] The clock is ticking.
[01:03:01] The anointed ruler is on the way.
[01:03:04] Amen.
[01:03:05] May he come soon.
[01:03:06] May his name be praised forever.
[01:03:09] Let's pray together.
[01:03:12] Oh, Father, we come before you this morning and we're really overwhelmed and astounded at the precision and the detail in this prophecy.
[01:03:20] We see, oh God, that you're the sovereign over time, that you have a plan and you have a purpose, that it's right on schedule.
[01:03:30] Everything in this plan that's been fulfilled already was fulfilled exactly and precisely.
[01:03:35] We can know that this final week of years that's still out there will be fulfilled in the same way.
[01:03:42] Father, I thank you for each one of us here that we can be a part of your plan, that we can be a part of your purpose. Father, give us confidence in this time in which we live that you control all things. You control leaders and governments
[01:03:55] and countries. You control our lives. You control our families. We can trust in you. We can live lives of godly fearlessness because we know there's a God in heaven who rules all things, who is the sovereign over time. Father, I pray for each one of us here that we would
[01:04:15] shine the light and not spend so much of our time cursing the darkness. We'd be looking for the opportunities you have for us every day and not just focusing on the obstacles. We'd yield our
[01:04:26] lives up to you to take us and use us in our time as we await the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask these things in his dear name. Amen.

[01:05:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:05:09] Well, I pray that through our time in God's Word this morning,

[01:08:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:08:02] this incredible prophecy that we've looked at, that we will leave here trusting God more today.
[01:08:08] We'll trust in Him. We'll believe in Him.
[01:08:10] We'll go out of here with a godly fearlessness in this culture in which we live, looking for opportunities to be used by God and to shine light into the darkness.
[01:08:20] If you're visiting with us today, thank you for being here with us.
[01:08:22] We appreciate your presence.
[01:08:24] If you go out these doors, a little ways down on the right, there's a welcome center.
[01:08:27] Some folks here that love to greet you and give you some more information about our church.
[01:08:31] I'll be down front after the service.
[01:08:33] Our elders and pastors who are present today will be down front as well, and we'd love the opportunity to get acquainted with you or maybe pray with you if you have a need.
[01:08:42] Let's bow our heads now for the benediction as we leave here with the Lord's blessing upon us.
[01:08:46] These are the final words of the book of Revelation.
[01:08:49] He who testifies to these things says, yes, I'm coming quickly.
[01:08:54] Amen.
[01:08:55] Come, Lord Jesus.
[01:08:56] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.
[01:08:59] All God's people said, Amen.