God revealed to Daniel that Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years of captivity, which would accomplish the desolation of Jerusalem, had a secondary interpretation involving a much longer period of time.

[1]  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; [2] 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.

Then, from 9:24 through 9:27, Daniel unveils the events of a lengthy time period that would affect Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem for 490 years (7 X 70 years).  He understands each year of Jeremiah’s prophecy to be equal to seven years, and identifies each period of seven years as one week.

Daniel 9:24

[24] Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Daniel indicates that during the period of 490 years the following would occur:

Condemning transgression against God would be finished.

Condemning sins against God would be ended.

Reconciliation to God for iniquity would be completed.

>Everlasting righteousness would be brought in.

Daniel’s vision of 9:22-24, and its prophecies, would be completed as the 490 years ended.

The most Holy One’s anointing would end the period of 490 years.

John 19:30 + Isaiah 53:12

[30]  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. [12] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

CONDEMNING SINS AGAINST GOD WOULD BE ENDED.

I Peter 2:24 + Isaiah 53:10

[24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. [10] Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

II Corinthians 5:19 + Isaiah 53:11

[19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. [4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. [5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, [7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. [8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. [3] Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. [4] Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. [5] Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

[1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. [2] And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. [3] And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. [4] But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. [8] And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? [9] And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. [10] Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. [15] And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. [18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. [17] And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

Ezekiel 39:7,8

[7] So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. [8] Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken. [28] Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. [29] Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 43:1-7

[6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Please forgive me for constantly referring back to previous prophecy updates, but I do this to assure you that, in spite of the every increasing conflict, the Middle East is actually heading toward a false peace.  In Prophecy Update Number 1, our first of 2001, I stated:

“Eventually there will be some form of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.  It may be a ‘forced peace,’ but the end result will be an enclosed Palestinian State within the borders of the nation of Israel.  This will create an impossible situation for Israel.  There is no worse military position than to have an enemy within while being attacked from without.  I believe that, by the time the year 2003 rolls around, there will have been numerous meetings behind closed doors between the leaders of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.  I believe these meetings will eventually result in a consolidated plan to lure Israel into a false sense of security.”

Since this was issued, more than a year ago, an ever increasing number of these meetings have been occurring between these nations, particularly between Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Iraq.  These four are growing closer together in commerce, finance, military purpose, forgetting old grievances and recent wars, and in the common objective of driving Israel out of the land from Dan to Beersheva, which is the Biblical definition of Israel.

As the terrorist attacks and the Israeli responses have increased during the last seventeen months, it has caused many to believe that there can ever be peace in the Middle East.  However, the very fact that the conflict is increasing is the reason I believe a false peace will soon come to the area.  The Bible indicates that a false peace MUST come before the Tribulation Period begins, a period which will culminate in the final battle of Armageddon.

[10] Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: [11] And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, [14] Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

Something must give in the present increase of fighting.  Either a “forced peace” will be implemented involuntarily upon the Palestinians, or the countries employing the terrorists will call them off so that Israel can be lulled into a false sense of security.  In this case there would be a negotiated false peace.  The more intense the present fighting becomes, the quicker the false peace will arrive.  Neither the Palestinians nor the Islamic countries want to see a forced peace.  Nor do they want to see the Israelis push the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.  They have no desire to have them in their home countries.  And, in the event of an all out Jihad, they want to have the Palestinians as Israel’s enemy within, cooperating with Islam as they attack from without.

During the past two months especially, the political and military contacts between Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon have increased significantly at all levels.  I believe these meetings are the prelude to the planning of a future all out Jihad, which I believe will occur before 2008.  WATCH the terrorist groups!  When they cease their activities, then a negotiated peace will occur.

The present threat of U.S. attacks against the Islamic nations sponsoring terrorist groups, the possibility of a forced peace upon the Palestinians or their being driven back into Islamic countries, and the international seeking out of the terrorist groups Islam sponsors, is leading the Islamic nations to realize they must do something to eliminate these problems.  The answer is to temporarily call off all their terrorist cells until Israel can be led into a false peace mind set.  The Israelis, on the other hand, are weary and sick of the whole mess, and are likely to give back most of the Gaza and West Bank if the Islamic nations will recognize her right to the pre-1967 borders as her own.  I do not believe Israel will completely surrender her control over the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, but I do believe she will have some sort of joint control with the Palestinians, and will allow the Palestinians to have the area east and southeast of the Temple Mount and the Old City of David to plant her capitol building.

There are four factions that determine when the prophesied false peace will come to the Middle East, but God is the one who will put into their minds the thoughts that will bring it to pass.  The four factions are:

Israel

The Palestinians

The terrorist groups

The Islamic countries that support them financially, and with their weapons of war.

Israel must come to the point of frustration with the status quo that she will give back most of Gaza and the West Bank.

The Palestinian leaders are like pawns in the hands of their Islamic nation counterparts.  They will agree to what Syria, Iraq, and Iran dictate.

The terrorist groups must accept the proposal of a temporary ceasing of activities until Israel can be set up for a surprise Jihad, which is what their sponsoring nations will assure is in the making.