All three books - Matthew, Daniel and Jeremiah - speak to the Jews in the time of the end in the time of Jacob's trouble -with prophecy yet to be fulfilled after the Rapture of the Church
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:32-34 (KJV)
Today I would like to show you how some long-standing Bible prophecies can be fulfilled twice. It is for understanding things like this that Paul's command in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) to "study" like a workman and "rightly divide" the Scriptures was custom made.
Most Bible prophecy is "one and done", meaning that when it is fulfilled it is completed. For example, the prophecies of Jesus on the cross in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 were fulfilled when Jesus went to the cross, never to be repeated. An example of that I show you here:
- JESUS ON THE CROSS PROPHESIED: "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Psalm 22:7,8(KJV)
- JESUS ON THE CROSS FULFILLED: "And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save." Mark 15:29-31 (KJV)
And so it is with most Bible prophecy, it has a one-time fulfillment, but as you will see there are exceptions to that rule. In Matthew 24, a chapter almost exclusively devoted to the Jews and Israel in
the time of Jacob's trouble, Jesus make a prophecy that when Israel was regathered it will signal the start of the last days or end times.
- ISRAEL TO BE REGATHERED IN THE END TIMES: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:32-34 (KJV)
- PROPHECY FULFILLED THE FIRST TIME: On May 14, 1948 file photo, an official shows the signed document which proclaims the establishment of the new Jewish state of Israel declared by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv, Israel
Now I know many of you are scratching your heads right now, and I totally get it. Why did I say that the the miraculous regathering of Israel according to prophecy was only the "first time"? Well, that's because the Jews and Israel are going to be driven out one more time, and going to be regathered one more time. Don't believe me? Good! Here's proof, and the first one is right in the same place as the one for being regathered is:
- PROPHECY OF ISRAEL BEING SCATTERED FOR THE SECOND TIME: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matthew 24:15,16,20-22 (KJV)
- PROPHECY OF ISRAEL BECOMING DESOLATE FOR THE LAST TIME: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." Luke 21:20-22 (KJV)
Now, let's put a bow on it and tie it all together. When Jesus made the original prophecy back in Matthew 24, Israel was firmly in their own land albeit under Roman occupation. But the Temple was fully functioning and Jewish life and customs were operating on all 8 cylinders. But the only way for Jesus' prophecy of Israel being regathered to come true was for Israel to be
driven out, which happened in 70 AD. So in 1948, exactly 1,878 years later, Israel was miraculously regathered by God after being nearly wiped out in Hitler's Holocaust. Suddenly the 'fig tree' was blooming after not existing for almost 2,000 years, prophecy fulfilled, right? Yes, but it's going to happen again as the verses above clearly show you. Just like the Luke 21 prophecy of Jerusalem compassed about with armies, which was fulfilled in 70 AD, will be fulfilled a
second timeat the Battle of Armageddon. This dual fulfillment of prophecy misunderstood is where
heresies like Preterism come from. They cannot see that it will be accomplished not once but twice.
Lastly, let's take a look at another prophecy that might very well have a dual fulfillment as well
Jesus in Matthew 24 never calls this time The Great Tribulation, as a noun, He says there will be 'great tribulation' as an adjective. The Bible calls this time the 'time of Jacob's trouble' and it comes from the 30th chapter of the book of Jeremiah as we see here:
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV)
Now the Preterist will read that same verse and
only see something that was completely fulfilled when Israel went into Babylonian captivity around 600BC, and as such can have no
future application. But this is not the case, it will happen for the second time under Antichrist. Preterists shout "
impossible!" but if they would just keep reading a little further down they would see, in context of verse 7, the following verses which were never fulfilled:
"Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." Jeremiah 30:10,11,24 (KJV)
And there it is. God has never yet made a "full end" of all nations where the Jews were scattered - like Europe and America - but He will at the Battle of Armageddon
at the Second Coming. So yes, Jeremiah's prophecy can absolutely be applied to Israel in Babylonian captivity but it will also be applied a second time in the time of Jacob's trouble. Guaranteed So let's look at something really, really interesting, also from Jeremiah and also yet to be fulfilled.
"For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."Jeremiah 29:10 (KJV)
When Daniel read Jeremiah's prophecy of the 70 years, he knew instantly how long the Jews would be in Babylon for and why there were there. This was Daniel's 'lightbulb moment'.
"In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel 9:2 (KJV)
But, but, but...listen to what Jeremiah is saying. He is saying that the LORD was going to 'visit Israel' after '70 years'. In exactly 26 days from this writing, regathered Israel will be officially 70 years back in the land. In Matthew 24, Jesus says if you want to know something about the time of Jacob's trouble, go see Daniel. When you get to Daniel, he is learning something from Jeremiah. All three books - Matthew, Daniel and Jeremiah - speak to the Jews in the time of the end in the time of Jacob's trouble -with prophecy yet to be fulfilled after
the Rapture of the Church. Here is the complete chain of events:
- JESUS IS ASKED ABOUT THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE: "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matthew 24:3 (KJV)
- JESUS POINTS THE READER TO DANIEL: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" Matthew 24:15 (KJV)
- DANIEL GETS PROPHECY OF THE 70 YEARS AND ANTICHRIST FROM GABRIEL: "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." Daniel 9:27 (KJV)
- DANIEL READS JEREMIAH AND GETS HUGE TIME CLUE: "In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel 9:2 (KJV)
- JEREMIAH TELLS US ABOUT THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE: "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV)
- JEREMIAH SAYS THE LORD WILL VISIT ISRAEL AFTER 70 YEARS :"For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."Jeremiah 29:10 (KJV)
When the Lord showed me all these things from His word, a question began to form in my mind. If Israel was going to be scattered again, and if Israel was going to be regathered again, could it also be possible that the LORD will visit again after 70 years is up next month? Because after considering, studying and praying over those verses and others that's what began to form in my brain. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But with all the wacky, crazy and unforeseen things that are now happening like
Trump moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem on the exact day that Israel is 70, it is looking like it's not only possible but probable.
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