EXCERPTS FROM : THE KINGS OF THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH : PT 2
Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Org
Last Updated : July 23, 2006
Moshiach ben David, The Diaspora, Strong Delusion, Law And
Grace, Plastic Peace, Political Bribes, The Prince Of The
Covenant, The Holy Covenant, The Daily Sacrifice, Destruction
Of The Temple, The Seventy Weeks Prophecy, The Throne Of David
One other factor of the Endtime equation which I have
briefly discussed in other articles concerns the coming of
'Moshiach', or 'Moshiach ben David' as he is also known.
This term refers to the soon-coming 'messiah' greatly
anticipated by many Orthodox Jews. To go into great detail
regarding the history of the belief in 'Moshiach' and the
construction of the Third Temple of Solomon would require
quite a few pages. As such, while I am going to discuss
these topics in this article, I would also like to suggest
the following resources which will assist you in your
understanding of the Jewish perspective regarding their
long-awaited 'messiah' and the things he will do:
1. Maimonides's 13 Principles of Faith
2. The Talmud
3. The Sanhedrin
4. The Mishne Torah
5. Jewish prayers such as the Amidah and Sh'ma
6. The Laws Of Kings
In addition to the above list, you may also want to study
Nachmanides, Arizal, Baal Shem Tov, Vilna Gaon and Chofetz
Chaim. The word 'moshiach' literally means 'messiah.' From a
Christian perspective, we believe that the Messiah has
already come in the form of Jesus Christ, or Jesus 'the
Anointed One'. As some of you are aware, 'Christ' is not
really the last name of our Saviour. It is derived from the
Greek 'khristos', and is simply used as a descriptive word
to denote the fact that God's spiritual anointing was upon
Jesus bar Josef, the son of Joseph the carpenter and his
wife Mary. In Hebrew, the word used is approximately
'mashiah', while in Aramaic or Syriac, one of the languages
which Jesus spoke, it is similar to 'meshiha'. Concerning
the name 'Jesus', it is our westernized version of a Greek
word which is variably pronounced as 'hay-soos,' 'ee-ay-soo'
and 'yay-soos'. In Hebrew, the common forms are 'Yeshua',
meaning 'he is saved', and 'Yehoshua' which is equivalent to
our English 'Joshua', which means 'Jehovah is salvation'.
As is widely known, both the historical and the Biblical
records point to the fact that the majority of Jews have
never accepted Jesus Christ as their long-awaited Messiah.
In fact, at times they are quite outspoken, and sometimes
quite graphical, in their rejection of Him. A 1997 bill
introduced in the Knesset which restricts Christian
evangelical efforts in Israel is a clear confirmation of
this. While those of us who have embraced Christianity may
have a hard time understanding this strong rejection, a
closer look at the Jewish perspective and expectations might
help us to understand in part why ancient and modern Jews
continue to reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and
Messiah of humanity. In summing up the qualifications which
the Jewish 'Moshiach' must meet, Jewish orthodoxy states the
following:
1. He must be a direct descendant of the bloodline of King
David.
2. He must be extremely knowledgeable of the Torah. This
includes the Pentateuch, or the five books of the Law of
Moses, as well as the oral tradition which has been
handed down over the centuries. His spiritual leadership
should result in:
a. Renewed interest in and practice of the Torah.
b. Eventual spread of the knowledge and Law of God
throughout the world so that war, hunger and
other human ills will cease.
3. He must prove himself to be an astute political leader
and King of the Jewish nation who will do the following:
a. Encourage Jews from around the world to return to
their homeland of Israel, thus bringing an end to
the 'Diaspora'. (dispersion)
b. Fight and win the wars of Israel subduing her
enemies all around her, thus bringing in an era
of peace.
c. Rebuild the Temple of Solomon on the Temple Mount
in East Jerusalem and re-implement the daily
sacrifice.
As can be seen by the above, from the Jewish perspective,
while Jesus may have fulfilled the first requirement, as
well as part of the second, He 'failed' miserably in all of
the rest. In fact, the total destruction of the Second
Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Roman general Titus,
resulted in a further spreading abroad of the Jewish nation
which had already begun hundreds of years before beginning
with the Assyrian conquests, and then culminating in 587
B.C. with the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by the
forces of King Nebuchadnezzar. To this day there are tales
of the remnants of the 'Ten Lost Tribes' of Israel who have
never returned to Israel, despite the events of 1947-48.
When Jesus was born into the world during the First Century,
it was possibly their knowledge of the coming 'Moshiach'
which caused the Zealots to look to Him as the One they had
been waiting for. The same thing had happened during the
reign of the Maccabees about two hundred years before.
According to Jewish belief, 'Eliyahu', or Elijah, was to
precede the coming of 'Moshiach'. Many recognized John the
Baptist as being that Prophet. In fact, Jesus Himself said
that John was indeed the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy
regarding Elijah:
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the
way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom
ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of
hosts." (Malachi 3:1)
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he
shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the
heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and
smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6)
"But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they
have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written
of him." (Mark 9:13)
When John was beheaded by Herod due to an act of sinful
pride, and when Jesus was later crucified by the Romans at
the instigation of the Sanhedrin, due to their lack of
understanding of the Scriptures, the Zealots mistakenly
understoond that John and Jesus were not the ones they had
been waiting for. To this day, Orthodox Jews have been
patiently awaiting the arrival of 'Moshiach' and his Prophet
Eliyahu. As you will see later in this article, they may get
exactly what they are expecting, but it won't be the one who
they think it is; for as the Lord tells us in His Word, if
we reject the Truth long enough, He will indeed send us
strong delusion:
"I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their
fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer;
when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before
mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
(Isaiah 66:4)
"...because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"
(2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11)
According to some Orthodox Jews, one of the signs which will
appear prior to or with the arrival of 'Moshiach' is what is
referred to as 'Teshuva'. In simple terms, 'Teshuva' means a
return to God, a return to the belief in and practice of the
Torah. Some Orthodox Jews believe that this is currently
happening in Israel as well as in other areas of the world
to varying degrees. They believe that this is the generation
of 'Teshuva' and that 'Moshiach' will soon arrive on the
world scene. By arriving on the scene, I do not mean he will
come blowing his own trumpet announcing himself as the
long-awaited Prophet of God. According to Jewish tradition,
'Moshiach' or 'Moshiach ben David', will arrive quietly
without any fanfare. It will be through his very actions of
fulfilling the above requirements that Jews, and eventually
the whole world, will come to recognize him for who he
really is; at least that is what the Orthodox Jews believe.
Exactly when are these events due to occur? According to the
Jewish perspective, it can happen at any time. The belief is
that there is always a potential 'Moshiach' living somewhere
in Israel. Whether or not he is the complete fulfillment of
the prophecies regarding the 'Messiah', rests upon how many
of the qualifications he meets. If he succeeds in bringing
peace to Israel and her surrounding Arab neighbors, if he
succeeds in rebuilding the Jewish Temple, if he succeeds in
re-implementing the daily sacrifice, and if he succeeds in
renewing study of and adherence to the Torah, then there
will be little doubt in the minds of Orthodox Jews that he
is indeed the one they have long been waiting for.
As stated previously, another indication we can draw from
the Old Testament Scriptures is that 'Moshiach' will appear
at a time when the 'Diaspora', or the Dispersion, has been
fulfilled, and Jews from around the world have begun
returning to the land of Israel. It will be a time when
'Jacob's (or Israel's) Trouble' has ended. Some Jews view
the creation of the state of Israel in May of 1948 as the
beginning of this period. I discuss this topic in much more
detail in the second part of 'The Seven Heads' series. There
is actually one verse in the book of Isaiah which some have
interpreted as being a prophecy regarding the creation of
the Jewish state in one day, exactly as occurred fifty years
ago:
"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall
a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she
brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66:8)
Regarding the modern-day return of thousands of Jews to the
land of Israel, here are a few Scriptures which are believed
by some to prophesy the Diaspora and the Jews' return:
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both
search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh
out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are
scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver
them out of all places where they have been scattered in the
cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the
people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring
them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of
Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the
country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the
high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall
they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they
feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and
I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will
seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was
driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and
will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the
fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment."
(Ezekiel 34:11-16)
In my view, a close reading of this chapter indicates that,
in addition to the Jews' return to Jerusalem following the
completion of the 'Seventy Years Of Captivity' in Babylon,
this prophecy may also be referring to the First Coming of
the Messiah, the son of David, during the First Century.
Despite Roman occupation, it was indeed a time of relative
rest for the land of Palestine. In the Book of the Prophet
Jeremiah, we also find the following verse which some have
attributed to the Diaspora and the return to Israel in our
modern times:
"For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring
again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the
LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I
gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it."
(Jeremiah 30:3)
While this could also be applied to our modern days, the
fact of the matter is that, just as I indicated in the
previous verses I shared, following the invasion by
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, and the fulfillment of the
'Seventy Years of Captivity', the Jews were indeed allowed
to return to Israel by Cyrus the Great, considered by many
to be the greatest king of the Medo-Persian Empire. This
topic is discussed in great detail in 'The Seven Heads'
series. A few verses later, we find these additional verses
which speak of the 'time of Jacob's Trouble' and the
eventual return to Israel. As with the previous verses,
while we can apply them to our current times, in my view,
they again seem to be referring to the exodus out of Babylon
in the days of Cyrus the Great. The reference to David may
be a look into the future, when Jesus had His Ministry in
Israel:
"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. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD
of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and
will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve
themselves of him: But they shall serve the LORD their God,
and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
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."
(Jeremiah 30:7-11)
As we have already seen, 'Moshiach' must be a direct
descendant of the bloodline of King David. It is because of
the fact that the above verses mention a future David that
they have erroneously been applied to 'Moshiach ben David'.
While these verses are not referring to the King David of
old who lived some three thousand years ago, neither are
they referring to a King David of our present day, or of the
near future. These Scriptures, and those which will follow,
were all received starting at the beginning of the reign of
King Nebuchadnezzar and later, literally hundreds of years
after the original King David had died. Consider what the
Prophet Jeremiah wrote regarding his own ministry to Israel:
"The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of
Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king
of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of
Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the
people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon
king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and
twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and
I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye
have not hearkened." (Jeremiah 25:1-3)
Thus, we can be certain that these verses do not apply to
the King David of old. While these prophecies are referring
to a future shepherd, prince and king of Israel who would be
like the original King David, the mistake that Orthodox Jews
have made is that they have totally by-passed the One to
Whom these verses really are directed, and thus they blindly
continue to look for a fulfillment. The same error is
committed with the following verses as well:
"And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed
them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he
shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God,
and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have
spoken it." (Ezekiel 34:23-24)
"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will
take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither
they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring
them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in
the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be
king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations,
neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at
all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with
their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any
of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all
their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will
cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be
their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and
they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my
judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they
shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my
servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall
dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their
children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be
their prince for ever." (Ezekiel 37:21-25)
"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a
king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and
without an image, and without an ephod, and without
teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and
seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall
fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days."
(Hosea 3:4-5)
"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is
fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise
up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:"
(Amos 9:11)
You see, if we reject the simple Truth that all of these
Scriptures should be applied to Jesus Christ, a descendant
of David, then in our own confusion, it is very easy to come
to the false conclusion that they are speaking of someone
who will come in the Endtime, in the Latter Days, as the
true Jewish 'Messiah'. Even if we do not have an
understanding of Jewish teachings and doctrine, just by
taking an English Bible like the Authorized King James
Version, we can find these verses and convince ourselves
that they are speaking of a coming Shepherd, Prince and King
named David. From what I have read of Jewish beliefs, this
coming 'Moshiach' will be very similar to Moses of old. In
fact, they point to the following verse from the book of
Deuteronomy where Moses makes the following statement:
"The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the
midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye
shall hearken;" (Deuteronomy 18:15)
While the Jews claim that this is a reference to 'Moshiach
ben David', and while the Muslims claim it is a reference to
the coming of their prophet Mohammed, Jesus made clear that
Moses was prophesying our Saviour's own coming during the
First Century:
"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is
one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had
ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote
of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye
believe my words?" (John 5:45-47)
From all of the above, it should be clear now that there is
a solid scriptural basis for 'Moshiach ben David', IF you
are one who has rejected the Truth of the Scriptures; and IF
you are one who has rejected the True Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Personally, I firmly believe that Jesus Christ is the
Messiah, the Saviour of the world for all of humanity. Many
of my articles on Salvation and Eternal Life make this very
clear. There should be no doubt whatsoever as to what my
personal beliefs are on this matter. Matthew said it very
well when he quoted from the book of Isaiah:
"Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom
my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and
he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive,
nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the
streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax
shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto
victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."
(Matthew 12:18-21)
Matthew was quoting from Isaiah chapter forty-two. As a
Gentile, I have indeed placed my faith and trust in Jesus
Christ; however, the Jews did not and have not accepted
Jesus Christ as THEIR Saviour; and that is exactly where the
problem lies. As the Apostle John wrote:
"He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
(John 1:11)
The Jews are still waiting for their 'saviour'. Their Jewish
messiah, 'Moshiach ben David', has not arrived yet. That is
why they have set themselves up for some very strong
delusion, possibly in the very near future. Please don't
misunderstand me. I am not saying that there are two
messiahs, one for the Jews and one for the rest of the
Gentile world. There can only be one Messiah for everyone,
and that is the man Christ Jesus. The Bible makes this very
clear:
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2:5)
As I have explained in a number of my articles, the Lord
gives all of us ample opportunity to accept the Truth. He
will bend over backwards to try to help us to see the Light.
However, if we continue to resist the Truth, if we continue
to turn away from the Light, then He has no recourse but to
send us strong delusion that we might believe a lie and be
judged accordingly. That is what some people want, so that
is what He sends them. In several of my articles, I use the
example of King Ahab in the twenty-second chapter of the
first Book of the Kings. I encourage you to read it in its
entirety if you want a good lesson in human nature and
strong delusion, and why God allows it.
As I stated earlier, because Jesus did not meet all of the
qualifications to be the Jewish 'Moshiach', the Jewish
religious leadership, the Sanhedrin, rejected Him two
thousand years ago. In their eyes He was an imposter, a liar
and a deceiver; this in spite of the fact that He was of the
line of David, and extremely knowledgeable of the Torah,
exactly as they had expected. Even as a young boy of twelve
teaching in the synagogue, the Jewish elders marvelled at
Jesus' wisdom and familiarity with the Laws of Moses. But
when the Lord became older and began His ministry in
earnest, when He tried to open their darkened minds to the
true meanings of the Scriptures and how He had come to
fulfill them, He was met with stiff resistance and all kinds
of false accusations. That is why He tried to clarify things
when He said:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the
prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
(Matthew 5:17)
That is exactly what Jesus did. Not only did He fulfill the
ancient prophecies which had been written about Him, but He
also fulfilled, or brought an end to our dependence upon the
Mosaic Law by His final Blood Sacrifice on the Cross.
Through the act of fulfilling, or meeting, all of the
requirements of the Law, He has taken the place of the Law
for us. We all know that there is no way on Earth that any
of us could ever possibly fulfill, or keep, the entire
Mosaic Law, that is why Jesus had to come and do it for us.
Both the Apostles Paul and James wrote of the futility of
trying to keep the Mosaic Law:
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal,
sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I
would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I
do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is
good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with
me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For
the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would
not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a
law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I
see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which
is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve
the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
(Romans 7:14-25)
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
As the Apostle Paul also said, with the Lord's Death on the
Cross, we must now place our faith in Him for our Salvation,
and NOT in the keeping of the Mosaic Law, which we can't
keep anyway. We are now under the Law of Grace, and NOT
under the Law of Works:
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should
bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7:4)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no
more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6)
Contrary to Jewish expectations, although Jesus has indeed
freed us from the penalties of sin, IF we accept His
Sacrifice on the Cross, He did not free Israel from her
Roman oppressors. He did not even bring peace to Israel. In
fact, in His own words, Jesus warned that His teachings
would have the exact opposite effect of bringing unity to
the Jewish nation:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not
to send peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34)
That is exactly what our Lord's words were, a two-edged
Sword, bringing Life and Hope to those who received them,
and condemnation and judgment to those who rejected them. In
short, in the eyes of most of the Jewish elders who
misunderstood His message of Salvation, Jesus did everything
possible to show that He was actually a false prophet and a
son of the devil. In one instance they said of Him:
"...This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub
the prince of the devils." (Matthew 12:24b)
Of course, Jesus turned around and exposed the source of
their own wicked, sinful and rebellious nature a short time
later when He said:
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your
father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a
liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)
So then, it is clearly evident that God will send strong
delusion to those who reject the Truth. If He did it with
the Sanhedrin two thousand years ago, doesn't it seem likely
that the Lord will choose a delusion for the hardened Jews
who continue to reject their true Saviour and Messiah to
this very day? Is it not possible that He might actually
allow one to come who will meet all of their requirements so
that they can proclaim him as their 'Moshiach ben David'?
From the studies I have done, there is absolutely no doubt
in my mind that some Orthodox Jews earnestly await this man.
As I have stated in other articles, there is high
expectation that the Third Temple will be constructed soon,
thus making possible the re-implementation of the daily
sacrifice. Although now discredited, the 1997 birth of a
purported 'red heifer' was one of many 'signs' which they
looked to in order to support their erroneous beliefs. What
if it was suddenly announced that the Ark of the Covenant
had been recovered? A variety of rumors abound concerning
this very possibility. Such a 'discovery' would certainly
add to the strong delusion already present in the world.
As I explained in 'Who Is Who?: A Defintion Of Endtime
Terms', I currently believe that the Antichrist, (or False
Messiah), and the coming Jewish 'Moshiach ben David' may be
one and the same person. The Jews' total rejection of Jesus
Christ clearly supports this possibility. In case you
haven't yet read the aforementioned article, let me clarify
for you that I do not believe that the Beast of the Book of
Revelation and the Antichrist are the same person. While
the Beast will indeed be opposed to belief in Christ, thus
making him antichrist in nature, I do not look at him as
being the actual Antichrist. My current view is that the
Beast will be a political/military leader who, along with
other nations, will invade Israel, while the Antichrist
will be a powerful spiritual leader within the nation of
Israel. Here again, I am not referring to the False Prophet
of the Book of Revelation. In my view, the False Propeht is
a Muslim spiritual leader who will work with the Beast.
As stated in part one, I personally believe that the Beast
may originate in Syria. This of course would make him an
Arab, and most likely a Muslim. However, as stated in my
series 'The Seven Heads', I also believe that Iraq, Iran
and Turkey qualify as the possible home of the Beast as
well. Thus we have a Muslim Beast with a Muslim False
Prophet, (since they are a team who work together), who will
oppose the Jewish statesman and prophet known as 'Moshiach
ben David', that is, the Antichrist. Being as I have
already gone into considerable detail regarding the possible
identities of the Beast and the False Prophet in 'The Seven
Heads' series, the next questions are these: Exactly who
might this Jewish false messiah be? Furthermore, is there
any indication or mention of him in any of the Endtime
prophecies?
. . . . . . . . . .
"And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from
before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the
covenant." (Daniel 11:22)
Here we have what appears to be the new Syrian leader's
invasion of Israel. As I mentioned earlier, the word 'arm'
or 'arms' in the Bible often refers to a military force.
Likewise, the word 'flood' can symbolize a lot of people. In
fact, we are told that Babylon the Great Whore sits upon
many waters, or people:
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where
the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations,
and tongues." (Revelation 17:15)
Thus it appears that this 'flood' from Syria spills over
into Israel and crushes it. In other words, the Israeli
resistance is simply 'washed away' by the overwhelming
forces of the Syrian army. What is also important regarding
this verse is that it is here that we first encounter the
mention of the 'prince of the covenant'. In the previous
interpretation, this 'prince of the covenant' was believed
to refer to Jason who was eliminated as a result of the
Hellenist High Priest Menelaus' conspiracy with Antiochus IV
against the devout Jews. This is said to have occurred
around the time of the Maccabean revolt. However, in our
present attempt to link these events to unfulfilled
prophecy, we need to replace Jason with a modern-day
counterpart who is also the architect of a covenant, or
peace agreement.
In the previous verses I shared concerning a coming
spiritual leader known as David, it is interesting to note
that he is also referred to as a prince. If we view verse
twenty-two from the perspective of an Orthodox Jew who is
still waiting for his messiah, we can arrive at some
interesting conclusions. For example, could this 'prince of
the covenant' be the long-awaited 'Moshiach ben David'? In
other words, might 'Moshiach' be one of the originators or
primary architects of the covenant discussed here in the
Book of Daniel? To help you understand what this covenant or
peace accord is partially about, allow me to share the
following verses with you from another chapter in the Book
of Daniel:
"Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host,
and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place
of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him
against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and
it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and
prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another
saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long
shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the
transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and
the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto
two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed." (Daniel 8:11-14)
Here we have what appears to be a picture of the Beast
magnifying himself against, (that is, opposing and
overcoming), the prince of the host, just as we saw in the
previous verse. Notice again the use of the word 'prince'.
The word 'host' refers to a military force. It is derived
from the Hebrew word 'tsaba', pronounced tsaw-baw', which
means 'that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host'. As
I have already stated, the Orthodox Jews expect 'Moshiach'
to be a military leader, a wise politician and a spiritual
leader as well. As a result of his victory over 'Moshiach',
we are also told that the Syrian leader will take away the
'daily sacrifice'. Exactly what is this 'daily sacrifice'?
It refers to one of the sacrifices which was performed by
Aaron the High Priest near the door of the Tabernacle
according to the Laws of Moses. In the Books of Exodus and
Numbers, this sacrifice is referred to as 'a continual burnt
offering' because it was performed 'day by day', that is, on
a daily basis throughout the year, in addition to the other
sacrifices which were performed throughout the year:
"Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two
lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb
thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou
shalt offer at even: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of
flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil;
and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do
thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and
according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour,
an offering made by fire unto the LORD. This shall be a
continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD:
where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee."
(Exodus 29:38-42)
"And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by
fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the
first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt
offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and
the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; And a tenth part of
an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the
fourth part of an hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt
offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet
savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD."
(Numbers 28:3-6)
A burnt offering is one in which the animal is completely
consumed in the fire. In other words, unlike the Passover
Lamb for example, it is not eaten. This is the same kind of
an offering which the Lord required of Abraham in the Book
of Genesis. Abraham's sacrifice is considered to be a
foreshadow of God's own Sacrifice when He gave His own Son
to die on the Cross for the sins of the world:
"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom
thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer
him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:2)
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?" (Romans 8:32)
You will notice from the previous verses in Exodus and
Numbers that the 'continual burnt offering' was performed
twice a day, once in the morning, and once in the evening.
This is the very same sacrifice, or evening oblation, Daniel
is referring to in the following verse:
"Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel,
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused
to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening
oblation." (Daniel 9:21)
Our English word 'oblation' is derived from the Hebrew word
'minchah', pronounced min-khaw', which means gift, tribute,
offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, or meat offering.
The fact that this sacrifice was performed every single day
of the year served as a constant reminder to the Jews of
their sinful nature before God. As King David once lamented:
"For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever
before me." (Psalms 51:3)
As I have explained in other articles such 'Jesus Christ:
Son Of God, High Priest Of Melchizedek', once Jesus had made
the Ultimate Sacrifice by giving His own Life and Body on
the Cross, there was no longer a need for any blood
sacrifices or burnt offerings of any kind. The Apostle Paul
made this point quite eloquently in his letter to the
Hebrews when he said:
"By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
And they truly were many priests, because they were not
suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man,
because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them. For such an high priest became us,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as
those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when
he offered up himself." (Hebrews 7:22-27)
With the passing of the Old Testament, and the coming of the
New Covenant, Temple worship and daily sacrifices were no
longer required or even necessary. The blood of the
unblemished lamb had been replaced once and for all by the
Blood of the Lamb of God. However, because the Jews rejected
Christ's message, they wanted to continue in the old mold,
following their laws, oral traditions and outdated practices
which had become dry and meaningless, just like many
spiritless churches today. As I have explained before, this
is why the Lord allowed the partitioning veil in the Temple
to be torn in half; and why some forty years after Christ's
Crucifixion, He allowed Titus to come in and level the
Second Temple. The Lord was clearly trying to send the Jews
a strong message that they now had to trust utterly in the
Blood of His Son for the remission of their sins:
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent;" (Matthew 27:51)
Thus, through the verses I have been sharing, we can see
that there may indeed be a repeat of history. Unless I am
mistaken, the coming Middle East peace accord will involve,
among other things, a stipulation which may make possible
the contruction of the Third Temple on Mount Moriah, (which
the Muslims refer to as 'The Nobel Sanctuary'), and the
re-implementation of the 'daily sacrifice', that is, the
'continual burnt offering'. In fact, if you study the Books
of Ezra and Nehemiah, you will see that it is possible that
the 'daily sacrifice' will be re-implemented even before the
Third Temple is actually constructed. In the Book of Ezra we
are told that the Jews rejoiced and offered the 'daily
sacrifice' even BEFORE the foundation of the new Temple had
been laid:
"Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren
the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his
brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to
offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law
of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his
bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those
countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the
LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. They kept
also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered
the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the
custom, as the duty of every day required; And afterward
offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons,
and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated,
and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering
unto the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month began
they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the
foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid."
(Ezra 3:2-6)
Considering all of the evidence I have come across, and
given the current hostile attitudes in the Middle East, it
is my view that the phrase 'the place of his sanctuary was
cast down' in the prophecies of Daniel may be a reference to
the Third Temple being destroyed by the invading forces of
the Beast, just as it has been totally destroyed on two
previous occasions. In the original Hebrew, the phrase 'the
place of his sanctuary' is derived from two Hebrew words.
The word 'place' is from 'makown', pronounced maw-kone',
which means a fixed or established place, a foundation. The
phrase 'of his sanctuary' is from the Hebrew 'miqdash',
pronounced mik-dawsh', which refers to a sacred place,
sanctuary, or holy place. In the Jewish religion, this would
be either the Temple or the Tabernacle. The phrase 'cast
down' is from the Hebrew 'shalak', pronounced shaw-lak,
which means to throw, cast, hurl, or fling.
You will notice that the word 'his' is not actually
represented by a Hebrew word. In other words, it was used at
the translator's discretion. Therefore, considering the
meanings of these two Hebrew words, I am going to suggest
that perhaps what is really being said here is that the
foundation of the Temple is going to be cast down or
destroyed. This may be much more grave than we realize. To
destroy the Temple is one thing, but to destroy its
foundation is something a little different. What is the
foundation upon which the Temple will sit? Aside from the
actual quarried blocks used in its construction, it is also
the ground upon which those blocks rest; in other words,
Mount Moriah itself. If this coming war involves nuclear
arms as some fear it might, it is possible that the entire
Temple Mount is going to be destroyed, totally obliterated,
thus eliminating the whole issue once and for all! This
would perfectly fit the meaning of the Hebrew word 'shalak'.
If a bomb drops, things will definitely be flying! This is
another reason why I suggest that the destruction of the
Temple may not occur until the very end of the
three-and-a-half-year war.
As I write this, I can easily envision the Israeli Defense
Force troops, led by 'Moshiach ben David', the Jewish
'Messiah' and military leader, surrounding the Temple Mount
in a vain attempt to protect it from the overwhelming Muslim
forces which will surround Jerusalem sometime in the near
future. My current belief is that once the peace accord is
signed and formalized, the 'daily sacrifice' will begin
shortly thereafter. This will be followed later by a
newly-constructed Temple in which the False Messiah, that
is, 'Moshiach ben David', will sit, claiming and proving to
many that he is 'God' in the flesh. This is all covered in
other articles such as 'Who Is Hindering The Antichrist?'.
However, as we already know, halfway through the seven
years, something is going to go wrong. The Muslims are going
to become upset; and this will result in the 'Jihad', the
Muslim holy war to take back 'al-Quds', (their name for
Jerusalem), from the Jews. Despite their best attempts, as
Daniel tells us, the 'prince of the covenant' will be broken
at this time. The Jews are going to come to the realization
that their 'Moshiach' is only a man. I am reminded of the
following verses from the Gospel of Luke:
"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. But woe unto them that are with child, and to
them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great
distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they
shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away
captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden
down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled." (Luke 21:20-24)
As the above verses state, Jerusalem is going to be trodden
down of the Gentiles. Exactly how long is this 'times of the
Gentiles'? According to the Book of Revelation, it is
exactly three and a half years, or forty-two months, the
same time period we have already been discussing. This is
the same length of time the Beast will rule:
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and
measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the
holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
(Revelation 11:2)
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue
forty and two months." (Revelation 13:5)
Thus we see that this war is going to last some three and a
half years. Another reason why I believe that the complete
destruction of the Temple won't occur until near the end of
the war is because there must be a time for the Abomination
of Desolation to stand in the holy place as per Jesus' own
words:
"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)
If the Temple were to be destroyed in the middle of the
seven-year period, then there would be no way to allow the
Abomination of Desolation to 'stand in the holy place'. Of
course, the term 'holy place' doesn't just refer to the
interior of the Temple, but also to the hallowed grounds
outside as well. Consider, for example, what the Lord said
to Moses when He spoke to him from the burning bush:
"And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from
off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy
ground." (Exodus 3:5)
Later, when they were camped at Mount Sinai and the Lord
descended upon the Mount, He instructed Moses to set a
border around the Mount. The purpose of this barrier was to
protect the people from accidentally sinning against the
Lord by entering into His holy domain:
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and
sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their
clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third
day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people
upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people
round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not
up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever
toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall
not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot
through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when
the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount."
(Exodus 19:10-13)
So again, while the interior of the Temple will be holy,
particularly the Holy of Holies behind the veil, the entire
Temple grounds will also be holy. Regarding the Abomination
of Desolation which will pollute and stand in the holy
place, I discuss its possible meaning and significance in
more detail in 'The Seven Heads' series. If it is as large
as I believe it may be, then there is a good reason why it
could have to stand, not inside the time temple itself, but
somewhere outside on the Temple grounds; or at least
somewhere on Mount Moriah; for the entire mount is holy to
the Lord, just as Mount Sinai was. Having established these
ideas, here are some additional verses which further define
this mysterious covenant which 'Moshiach' will help draw up:
"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of
the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and
two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall,
even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks
shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the
people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a
flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined. 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 9:25-27)
The above verses deal with what has become known as the
Seventy Weeks Prophecy Of Daniel. Due to the complexity of
this issue, rather than go into great detail here, I am
going to refer you to my companion article of the same name,
'The Seventy Weeks Prophecy Of Daniel'. For now, let me
simply state that it is believed by many Christians that
this prophecy predicted the restoration of Jerusalem and the
Second Jewish Temple, the coming of the Messiah in the First
Century, His subsequent Death on the Cross, (that is, being
'cut off'), and the destruction of Jerusalem. As in previous
verses in Daniel, the use of the word 'flood' is probably
referring to an army. This is supported by the descriptive
phrase 'and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined'. This part of the prophecy is believed by some
to be a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the
Jewish Temple in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus and his
legions, who ultimately became the next emperor of Rome. It
is said that for three and a half years, (half of Daniel's
final week?), Titus and his forces massacred close to one
million Jews. Before His death, Jesus prophesied this very
event:
"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his
disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the
temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these
things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here
one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
(Matthew 24:1-2)
While the above events did occur exactly as specified by the
prophecy, there is a strong possibility that what happened
in 70 A.D. might just be a foreshadow of worse things yet to
come in Israel in our current day. In other words, as I
explained earlier, these verses might find their final
fulfillment in a prince who is yet to come who will again
invade Jerusalem and destroy the third and final Jewish
Temple. If Orthodox Jews have their way, this Third Temple
may be built in the near future. Following this line of
thought, the Endtime prince mentioned above may very well be
the Beast, the final eighth king of the Book of Revelation,
who may originate in Syria.
While the first sixty-nine weeks, (that is, 'seven weeks,
and threescore and two weeks', or four hundred and eighty
three years), are believed to have been fulfilled with
Jesus' Death on the Cross. the final seventieth week, also
known as the Last Seven Years, may not begin until 'the
prince that shall come', (that is, the Beast), signs or
agrees to the peace accord we have already been discussing.
As we have now seen, he will turn against the covenant in
the midst of the last week, or three and a half years later,
when he invades Israel from the north. As shown from
previous verses, when he turns against the covenant, the
'daily sacrifice', or 'continual burnt offering', will be
halted, and the prince of the host, (who I am speculating
may be 'Moshiach'), will be defeated. I believe that this
three and a half year period is included in the two thousand
and three hundred days mentioned in previous verses.
. . . . . . . . . .
If we again consider the qualifications set forth by
Maimonides concerning the coming 'Moshiach ben David', this
'the prince of the covenant' who is broken or defeated by
the Beast, certainly seems to fit the description.
Everything would be fulfilled in him. If he is the
originator of the above mentioned covenant, 'Moshiach' will
have overcome the enemies of Israel, if not in a military
sense, then at least in a political and diplomatic sense.
Israel will be at peace with her neighbors, at least for a
period of three and a half years. The Temple will be
rebuilt, and the 'daily sacrifice' re-instituted. This will
undoubtedly encourage more Jews to return to Israel to
worship. In short, 'Teshuva', the 'return to God,' will have
been fulfilled. Even for those Jews who do not physically
return to Israel, many will probably become more devout Jews
who will once again study the Torah in earnest.
Having accomplished all of these things, we may then see the
fulfillment of another prophecy spoken by the Apostle Paul
in the second chapter of his second Epistle to the church at
Thessalonica. 'Moshiach ben David' may be declared the
long-awaited 'Messiah' and king of Israel. He will then be
granted the privilege of sitting in the newly constructed
Temple on Mount Moriah where he will convince many that he
is indeed 'God' in the flesh:
"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
(2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Of course, as Christians, we know that this will all be one
great big lie. We need to keep in mind that while this
covenant will fall apart after three and a half short years,
most people will be ignorant of this fact. Only those who
truly understand God's Word will be aware of what is really
going to happen. Once the peace accord is signed, it will
appear as if everything is grand, and the rest of the world
will be relieved that the Israeli/Palestinian issue has
finally been resolved. A plastic peace will reign, the
'daily sacrifice' will be resumed after almost two thousand
years, and the Third Temple will be built. However, let me
again remind you of what the prophet Jeremiah and the
Apostle Paul had to say about this:
"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people
slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."
(Jeremiah 6:14)
"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Just when the Jews think that 'Moshiach ben David' has saved
them from extermination by the Beast and his fellow
conspirators, just when they believe that he has restored
Israel to her former glory, the peace accord will be
breached, 'Moshiach' and his forces will be defeated in
battle, the Temple will be profaned, and all hell will break
loose as the Great Tribulation begins:
"And they that understand among the people shall instruct
many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by
captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall
fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many
shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of
understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to
make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is
yet for a time appointed." (Daniel 11:33-35)
. . . . . . . . . .
Before closing this article, I feel it is important to
reiterate the fact that all of the Scriptures which the
Orthodox Jews use to support their belief in their coming
messiah known as 'Moshiach ben David', are totally
misinterpreted. This is a part of the strong delusion which
the Apostle Paul spoke about. All of the verses I shared at
the beginning of this article are really referring to Jesus
Christ. This is exactly how the Early Disciples understood
them, and it is how we should likewise understand them
today. The First Centry Disciples knew that Jesus was the
prophesied son of David. In the four Gospels alone, Jesus is
referred to as the 'son of David' fourteen times. Jesus is
the Prince and King who will reign forever as described in
the verses from Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight and elsewhere.
For those of you familar with Handel's 'Messiah,' the
following verses from the Book of Isaiah will be easily
recognized as pertaining to Jesus Christ Himself:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform
this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)
It is Jesus alone who will sit upon the throne of David as
the Prince of Peace and King of Righteousness, and NOT
'Moshiach ben David' the false Jewish messiah. Some two
thousand five hundred years ago, the Lord declared through
the Prophet Jeremiah:
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth
from the LORD." (Jeremiah 17:5)
In the days and years ahead, the Orthodox Jews will be doing
this very thing. They will be trusting in a man to deliver
them; setting up a man to be their messiah; trusting in the
arm of the flesh; trusting in plastic peace accords and
broken promises; just as they have done in ages gone by, and
even as they do now in putting their faith in their peace
arrangements with Egypt and Jordan. However, when Satan, via
the forces of the Beast, blows on him, the false messiah
will fall flat on his face in defeat' and then they will
realize the error of their ways. Only then will the Jews cry
out to God for mercy and finally say, 'Blessed is He Who
cometh in the name of the Lord!'
In the book of Acts, the Apostle Peter likewise acknowledged
that it was Jesus who was to sit on the throne of David, just
as David himself had prophesied:
"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the
patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him,
that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he
would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this
before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul
was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David
is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The
LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I
make thy foes thy footstool." (Acts 2:29-35)
In Acts chapter thirteen, the Apostle Paul, when preaching
at Antioch, also confirmed that it was Jesus whom God has
raised up to sit on the throne of David to be the King
Eternal and Saviour of the world:
"And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David
to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said,
I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own
heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed
hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a
Saviour, Jesus:" (Acts 13:22-23)
In Acts chapter fifteen, James likewise confirmed that the
words spoken by the prophet Amos, (quoted previously in this
article), applied to Jesus alone:
"And after they had held their peace, James answered,
saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath
declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to
take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree
the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I
will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins
thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might
seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name
is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."
(Acts 15:13-17)
In the final book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, we
find the Lord via His angelic messenger telling the Apostle
John to write to the church which was at Philadelphia, one
of seven churches which was located in Asia Minor. In that
particular letter he is told to write:
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These
things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath
the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth;" (Revelation 3:7)
It is because Jesus sat on the throne of David and had not
only the key of David, but also the keys of hell and death,
that He was able to say to Peter while He was still in the
flesh:
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)
Here are two final verses which show that Jesus is the
everlasting Prince of Peace, the King of Righteousness and
the root of David as prophesied by all of the verses I
quoted previously in this article:
"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the
Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed
to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."
(Revelation 5:5)
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of
David, and the bright and morning star." (Revelation 22:16)
The message is clear: There can be only one heir to the
throne of David, and that is the man Christ Jesus and not
'Moshiach ben David' the Jewish messiah or anyone else who
seeks to usurp this title.