From Zech 14 we have the nations defeated in the conflicts covered in Zech 12 to 14, as well as Daniel 11 and Joel returning there every year to celebrate the festival of Shelters. Zech 13, Joel 3 and related chapters in Rev 6, 11 and 16 suggest that these conflicts, will be succeeded by earthquakes, and other cosmic phenomenon, from which the rivers and streams of Zech 13, Joel 3 and Isaiah 41 will be derived.
According to Ezekiel 40-47 and Joel 3 one of these streams will flow from the temple to the Dead Sea and make the water fresh. Along the stream will be fruit trees whose leaves will be used for healing.
It can then be concluded that the temple will be rebuild during the reign of Christ and after the conflicts and will last for a thousand years, until the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Nations will then as we suggested go to the temple in Jerusalem once a year to celebrate the festival of shelters.
Noting the above situation from the twentieth century view may seem commonplace but the entity of Israel as a nation is a fairly new development that has taken over two millenniums to materialise.
Since the end of the reign of King Solomon, Israel has been experiencing problems, which have only began to be fully addressed in the last century. The importance of the New Jerusalem, which in Genesis we computed to be in the 61st century after Adam becomes apparent.
Firstly there was the division of the kingdom under the reign of Solomon’s son into a Northern Kingdom comprising of ten of the Non Ecclesiastical tribes of Israel and a southern kingdom of the tribe of Judah. Then followed the exile of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria during the reign of king Hoshea by the Assyrian emperor Shalmaneser.
The kingdom of Judah managed to carry on for another two centuries before being exiled to Babylonia by king Nebuchadnezzar. We have covered some aspects of that exile.
Since then the Israelites and the land of Israel have been the dominion or dependants of other powers. After the Babylonians came the Persians, after the Persians the Greeks. A century of autonomous rule was then established before the Romans arrived about two millenniums ago.
The Romans were succeeded by the Mohammedans and after that came the Turks, up to the beginning of the 20th century. Turkey was replaced by Britain after the first world war. This created an environment that allowed for the founding of the modern state of Israel several decades ago after the second war.
Zechariah 12 prophesies that the nation of Israel will mourn for the one they pierced. The one they pierced is Christ who lived during the time of the Romans.
Some in the Hebrew tradition do not acknowledge Christ, but since the Israelites did not kill Moses, David, Solomon or Hezekiah. Neither did they have a hand in the death of Josiah who died in Egyptian hands, and noting that all the major prophets managed to evade them with the possible exception of Zechariah son of Jehoida in 2 Chronicles 24, who was stoned. Then Israel will have to acknowledge a person who they disagreed with and killed, and the most logical person following historical record would be Christ.
A person such as the one Daniel 9 envisions 483 years after Darius the Mede as per our computation in Genesis or a person probably living in the pre locomotive times such as the one Zechariah 9 envisions riding a colt of a donkey into Jerusalem. The gospels also narrate this event.
John in Revelations 1v5-7 writes the following:
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first to be raised from death and who is also the ruler of the kings of the world. He loves us, and by his sacrificial death he has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. To Jesus Christ be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on the earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!
Zechariah was prophesying after the fall of Babylonia and the end of the seventy year exile instigated by king Nebuchandnezzar of Babylonia during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah.
He could visualise the death of Christ under the Romans for in fact it was a Roman soldier who pierced Christ after a request of the Jewish authorities to the Roman rulers. Furthermore he could visualise a Judean nation able to defend itself later against foreign intruders and genuinely mourning the actions of their ancestors.
The death of Christ occurred two millenniums ago. But a prophesy that envisioned a strong Israel nation mourning the death of Christ after fighting of intruders could only have been achieved historically in the last few decades during the 61st century.
The prophecies of Zechariah about the end voiced more than two and a half millenniums ago have only become conceivable during the last few decades of the twentieth century with the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jeremiah 3v14-18 and 23v7-8, that have the Israelites returning home from the north, and other regions where they were scattered. This brings us back to the sixty first century, which we computed in Genesis.
In the modern era Zechariah 12 may be viewed in some quarters as an Israelite Patriarch with a motivational or inspirational message for the later generations, but when he combines the might of Zechariah 12 with its specific remorse his prophetic credentials continue to be affirmed millenniums later.
Neither the nation of Israel nor its neighbours have been in a position to indulge themselves in wars against each other until barely a few decades ago in the last two millenniums.
This is because the Israelites have been on a prolonged life of absence and their traditional neighbours were under the domain of one Empire or the other. As the Israelites were returning, the neighbours finally also regained their independence.
Before the present times the mightiest Israelites were those under the direction of Joshua who first claimed the nation of Israel as their inheritance. David may have been powerful as far as the Philistines and Jordanians were concerned and some of the kings of Israel also had mixed fortunes with the Syrians.
However the kind of might Zechariah 12 appears to be describing was only first witnessed with the six, day war of the 1960’s and subsequent disturbances. The prolonged leave of absence for Israel was to some extent a learning experience that seems to have put their neighbours at a distinct disadvantage.
Who is the figure that Israel in these last days of unprecedented power and compassion, most likely to accept. The most likely figure would have to be Christ who founded the culture of compassion.
Christ is already accepted as a social part of the Israeli culture, Christmas and Easter are festivals the Israelites have heard about when tourists descend on their land, the government even uses Christ in its tourist promotions.
Christ is then a social part of Israel all that remains in this golden age of Israeli history is for him to be finally recognised as a spiritual part of the nation as Zechariah foresees. When that happens as the gospels particularly in this instant, the book of Romans, and Daniel can attest, it will be life for the dead.
So the Judeans returned home. As for the ten tribes banished during the time of king Hoshea of Israel and King Shalmaneser of Assyria, nothing was ever heard of them again. Even the fall of Assyria did not produce any detail of their return to Israel. We may conclude that they moved east, and since their faith was already weak when they left their homeland, subsequent distance worsened the situation and memory.
However since God’s promises are eternal, and Rev 7 and also Ezekiel 48 and Jeremiah 3 have all the tribes represented in Israel, then we can expect another Divine miracle such as the one that occurred in Egypt to bring them back home. The second book of the less frequent or available scriptures of Estradas talks of exactly such a situation.
With rudimentary investigation, 2 Estradas refers to a place called Arzenath where the Israelites settled. An area of a similar name known as Arzabad north of Persia in the former Soviet region of Turkmenistan does exist. It’s original descendants and cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand may have some Hebrew origin.
Further Greek conquests may have taken some of these people into Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Punjab, as the Greeks beginning with Alexander the great were active in these areas and recruited Arzabad tribes for their conquests. These may again return to Israel after the final war, or these may be part of the Khazars who converted to Judaism
From Zechariah 13 and also from the gospel of Christ in Luke and Matthew, some of which we quoted in Daniel. It is then clear that Christ will return, when the Israelites particularly the Judeans are in their homeland. This has only become conceivable in the twentieth century, since his resurrection, which was followed by the banishment of the Jews.
The Jews at the time of their banishment put up a gallant effort reminiscent to the one narrated in Zechariah. However the disqualifying factor to the prophecy was firstly, they were defeated. Secondly none of their neighbours were directly involved, and the other cosmic events were not experienced as narrated. Furthermore the sequence of events did not follow that of Daniel, which Christ referred to, neither did they accept Christ during their troubles of 69 A.D and much of the subsequent period since. They only fulfilled the prophecy issued against them in Luke 19.
The end of the world is generally heralded at the end of every century, millennium or any other auspicious event or cosmic occurrence. But at no other time has history and prophecy fitted so well as to make its actual happening a reality.
A historian of any other century or indeed half, century would be hard pressed to make a comparative account of the chronology we covered in Daniel 10 and 11. Follow this up with a strong or at least Divinely secure nation of Israel such as the one we have in Zechariah 12 to 14, and Isaiah 41 and Joel 3.
For good measure he may throw in four Empires like those found in Daniel 7, which have recently lost their dominions and refer to a situation that is similar to the European marriages of Daniel 2.
All these situations have only become conceivable in the second half of the twentieth century, which according to our computation in Genesis is the Sixty first century after Adam.
A century or half century ago may have produced a situation of the monarchial European marriages as narrated in Daniel 2, to an extent the four empires of Daniel 7, but the nation of Israel at the time was basically an idea.
The European Empires were still basically in control of their dominions and secure in them. It is only with the second half of the last century with the advent of decolonisation, which also brought about the modern nation of Israel into being that all the conditions that will be present at the end have been met.
In fact the end will probably be a more intense version of events that have already taken place in the last century. That is the wars between Israel and its neighbours such as the six, day war and the Yom Kippur war. The wars of the end may then simply be wars of modern technology with the nations behaving as despicably as they always have with the only difference being their ability via technology to do themselves more harm than they have been able to in the past.
All the prophecies then have been leading to the twentieth century, which will enable them to happen and be realised in full at any later date. The only factor that will point to other forces above the human will be the cosmic phenomenon, which will follow, and the coming of Christ.
Basically it may be fairly accurate to state that the next war involving any of the major powers in opposition to each other as happened during the last war will be the war of the end, or a definite prelude leading to a rise of a less restricted Middle East. A noted twentieth century physicist using, purely science without going into spiritual and historical detail is said to have come to a similar conclusion.
If we were to take a historical look at the wars and attitudes of the major powers over the last three centuries starting with the Iberians. We may conclude that though the Spaniards and Portuguese may have been active in the colonial field in the 15 and 1600’s it is only with the 18th century that the Empires that we discussed in Daniel 7 began to fully materialise. And their influence over indigenous peoples of the world began to be more widespread.
This was basically the beginning of the modern wars which have since been fought with greater intensity than before. The next turning point in the field of war came with the French revolution and the Emperor Napoleon. European nations were for the first time called upon to do battle with a fellow European monarch who was neither their brother, cousin, sister or any other close relative.
Then came German unification, and cunning diplomacy in which wars were fought preferably at the minimum cost for the greatest strategic and territorial advantaged was replaced with brute force.
With the advent of the twentieth century came the new Russia, China, Japan and the United States. Things became more globalised and conflicts began to have the potential of being between parties that were not only unrelated, but also unfamiliar with each other.
Since the Duke of Marlborough’s day each century has produced about two or three serious conflicts within the range of three to four decades. In the 18th century there were the Anglo, French wars for the domination of Canada and India. The American War of Independence and the French intellectual wars.
The French wars were taken up by Napoleon in the 19th century and were followed by the Crimean war about four decades later. This, were then succeeded by the more decisive Austria, German war, and the Franco, German war about a decade later.
Four decades later in the twentieth century brought about the first world, war followed by the second two decades later. A war that will bring about the end may thus be expected six decades down the line.
One may argue that nations have learnt their lesson and people are now more civilised and sophisticated, but each new century has brought about new innovations without limiting the occurrences of wars between nations.
Since the last war about six decades ago the major nations have not actually taken up new values but have preferred because of the new technological dangers, to fight smaller nations or to fight each other via proxy in third world nations.
This can be said to be true of Korea, Indo China and some Latin American and African countries. The only way to avoid war is a by taking up a completely new attitude of genuine respect for others and mutual trust. This, the world has not yet mastered and war may in due course sooner or later become inevitable.
Whatever the case the nations have remained unchanged, their means have improved and sooner or later situations such as those in the fifties or sixties will arise without a steady hand being available and the consequences will be the beginning of the end.
Mankind will then realise that all the intelligence and sophistication that they may have imagined themselves to have was simply part of the Divine plan. They may then take Divine matters more seriously not only in words and superficial actions but also in thought. From the reference to the river Euphrates in Rev 9 and 16, especially in Rev 9 and the destruction emanating therewith, and Babylon in Rev 17 and 18, we may conclude that Babylonia or modern day Iraq, which is in the Euphrates delta, will play an active role in the events originating from the Middle East at the end.
Then will come the earthquakes and cosmic phenomenon in Rev 11 and 16, and the gospel and Old Testament prophets. The toll here is not given but since this will be the worst earthquakes of all and will level mountains and Islands and all the world’s cities, a toll similar to the toll of the preceding sixth trumpet of Rev 9 would be plausible.
The more visual of the greater majority of this world may wonder about what will happen to the powers they normally see or tend to hear about more frequently. Daniel 7 makes it clear that the former colonial powers are on borrowed time. Christianity has been very stabilising and if it is abandoned as Daniel 11 and 8 suggest and society goes back to the Greek era of theorising, then the second fall of the Romans or Western influence could be become an inevitable event. As happened with the first fall; Middle Eastern, Turkic groups will be the initial beneficiaries, before the Divine plan is fully fulfilled.The end of these battles will be followed by the cosmic phenomenon, which we have discussed that will bring about the reign of the saints.
We have been tackling Biblical prophecies and trying to relate them to historical and current situations. In short, putting it in a simple composite form, and in chronological order, from what we have been studying in Daniel 2, 7, 8 and 11, together with Revelations and occasional quotes from the other prophets, generally the following can be deduced:
Firstly there appears to be the fall of the eagle in Daniel 7, what Daniel 8 describes as the most powerful of the Greeks, symbolising the Europeans, particularly the Anglo-Saxons who are the major force. The Americans appear to fall in Daniel 8, as related to Daniel 7, after some Middle East entanglement involving two ethnicities or countries, a situation similar to their entanglement in the first years of the 21st century, while the original British appear to take up a new form, outlook or government.
Western power, taking the succeeding powers in Daniel 8 as symbolising the third beast of Daniel 7, which we covered, then falls primarily to the continentals. A fact that can be confirmed by the beast from the sea in Rev 13 being primarily, symbolically, leopard, with what appears to be minimal support from lion and bear elements. During this time, with the aid of some of these same people another power rises – the crowned horns, in what we concluded later in Revelations to be Babylon or the Euphrates region. This power is led by what in modern terms cannot trully be referred to as a secular leader, more by a narcissistic individual as described in Daniel 11. This power then attacks the church in Europe with the aid of local collaborators, and the most likely target as we have already stated appears to be the Roman church.
This appears to tally with Matthew 24 where Christ states that there will be conflicts between countries and kingdoms, followed by rejection of the church, the spread of evil and the waning of love.
Another farther advance on Europe is repelled by ships in another region. The Babylonian leader together with local friends turns back against the church with more activities. It is at this time that what Daniel 11 and the Gospels describe as the Awful Horror is established, perhaps related to the image of the beast in Rev 13. He appears to retain his area of initial conquest, but returns home.
Later on the Europeans who are not subjected by him launch an attack, which he counters, leading to what appears to be the conquest of virtually all the Mediterranean region including Israel. However from Zechariah 12-14, and Isaiah 41, it appears his invasion of Israel is not a total invasion.
Then comes news from the north and the east, which he does not like, which sees him moving to the area between Mt Zion and the sea in Daniel 11, and the destruction of his capital in Rev 17-18. Rev 11 informs us that this will be for 1260 days, and during this time, two prophets will rise up in Israel. This is followed by another invasion of Israel by what appears to incorporate some Turkic groups opposed to him described as the beast from the abyss, those who destroy his capital in Rev 17 in collaboration with local Mid East elements.
That leads to the end of this leader. The cosmic phenomenon described by Christ in relation to Daniel, and mentioned in Revelations, Isaiah and Zechariah occur heralding the reign of the saints. The reign of the saints then lasts for a millenium before Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the final judgement in Rev 20. This is our understanding, the future is there to prove whether our understanding was correct or not.
SHORT INDEX
DANIEL 7 INDEX
The lion or the first beast of Daniel 7 refers to Britain, the Eagle principally the USA, and probably other Anglo settlements.
The bear or the second beast of Daniel 7 – Russia, the ribs - Eastern Europeans
The leopard, or the third beast of Daniel 7 - Principal France and the Netherlands, major continental empires such as Spain’s and Portugal’s The Birds: Quebec, Latin America, South Africa etc. French, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish settlements.
The fierce, or fourth, beast, of Daniel 7 - The Ottoman Empire, and the ten horns, the Middle, East nations.
DANIEL 8:
Ram: Euphrates delta entities(ref Daniel 5)
Goat: Western entities; principally the Anglos, and the lesser continental nations.
Revelations 12: Woman 12 Stars, Moon, Sun, Child: Israel’s 12 tribes, descendants of Leah, Jacob. Child: Christ. (As per Genesis 37)
Revelations 13: First beast: Horns: Babylonian or Iraqi led Mid East temporary and short-lived Empire. Heads: Western Europe Elements, supporters or benefactors.
Second beast: Babylonian based sect. Probably connected to the Awful Horror of Daniel 11 and the Gospel.
Dragon: At the earthly plane, world powers, European and Mediterranean derived state entities of Roman origin and their successors.(ref Acts 10)
Rev 17: The beast from the abyss: Turkic/Middle Eastern connected entity . Great city or Babylon: Babylon/Baghdad
Rev 18: Babylon: As above
REV 19: The Rider: Christ and the Christian faith.
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