NEW BEGINNINGS

NEW BEGINNINGS

The Triumphal Entry

Lk 19:28-44 **

Dan 9:24 - Message delivered by Gabriel.

Dr. David Jeremiah in his book Agents of Babylon lays out the prophesy pretty well.

70 7’s, or 70 weeks of years.

The word “weeks” literally means “sevens” & he’s speaking about years so it obvious they are referring to years.

70 x 7 = 490 years to fulfill the prophesy.

The prophesy is made of of 3 parts,

7 weeks,

62 weeks followed by a break

then 1 week or the 70th week.

Keep in mind biblical years are not 365 days. They are 12 months of 30 days or a 360 day year.

Gabriel so kindly gives us an exact day to start the countdown, the future day a order to restore & rebuild the temple & Jerusalem.

There are 4 such decrees cited in history.

Cyrus 538 bc - Rebuilding of the temple, but not the city.

Darius 517 bc - Rebuilding of the temple only.

Artaxerxes 458 bc - sometimes used as the start, but it failed to rebuild Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:1 - This is one of the best known dates of ancient history. The date of Artaxerxes ascension was in 465 bc, making his 20th year 445 bc, the month of Nisan is stated & in Jewish custom leaving off the day means it is the 1st.

Nissan 1, 445 bc converts to what we understand as March 14, 445 bc. This is the date of Daniel 9:25.

This is part 1 - the 7 weeks of years or 49 years. 445 bc - 49 years is 396bc, which is when the city was finished.

We must also know the end date which would be the day of the Messiah the Prince. In Hebrew this means “the anointed One, the Ruler”

Dr. Alva McClain did the hard math & here’s what it shows.

Starting on March 14, 445 bc & converting the 69 weeks of 7 years into days on our calendar for any math wiz out there the formula is 69 x 7 x 365 = 173,880 days.

Add 173,880 days to March 14, 445 bc & you land on April 6, 32 ad. The day history records the Triumphal entry of Jesus on the donkey.

The break between weeks 69 & 70 are the time when the Messiah shall be cut off in Dan 9:26, so we are now about 2,000 years into the pause.

The 70th week is known as Jacobs trouble or the tribulation - a specific 7 year period of time set off by a specific event.

The rise of the antichrist ie confirming / strengthening a 7 year peace deal with the nation of Israel, which he will break 3.5 years in.

Jesus gave us a new beginning.

Westbrook Park this is the end of our beginning. The last week of being in the parking lot. We have been humbled. All of our amenities were taken away. We will enter the building next week for the first time since Mar 29, 2020 or 79 weeks ago. Week 80 we go back inside. 8 is the number of new beginnings in biblical numerology. Now I said we have been humbled, but the question that remains to be seen is; are we humble? Are we truly now moving forward and continuing on the course we set, or will we return to our old ways - Pr 26:11.

This building is not ours, it’s God’s. Our future is not ours, it’s God’s. The service we begin next week isn’t for us, while we will have the opportunity to enjoy it, make no mistake, this service is for all those who are not here; it’s for the lost.

In the military or law enforcement there’s a thing called the priority of life. It sets the understanding of what risks they are willing to take during a given mission or operation.

Barricade - give priority of life.

Hostage - give priority of life.

Jesus had a priority of life.

Jn 10:14-18 - The priority of life

Jn 15:9-14 - The priority of life

Mt 28:18-20 - The great commission.

So when a few weeks pass & you or I begin to say I miss, or I want, stop; remind yourself, remind me, it’s not about us. The hardest part about that change is when we look around at everything that will need done & ask who’s going to do it.

Are we going to go back to the Westbrook way & ask who can we hire to do that? Or are we going to look around and realize that we are the remnant of a church, of a people. We have gone through fire & pestilence & we remain. God has seen fit to add to us and strengthen us with their abilities. Now, will we have the guts and true Christian spirit to answer like Isaiah in Isa 6:8 - Here I am, send me! Here I am, not how busy I am, but here I am, use me. I may be up here speaking but I’m not innocent & I was convicted while preparing this message, I will also have to set up. The jobs that need done will not be done by paid staff, they will be done by saved Christians. That is part of what true discipleship looks like. Doing what needs done within our abilities so others can come to Christ.

Our allegiance is not to a church, but to Christ. We must keep that straight, we must also recognize that we have been assigned to this place, to this AOR or area of responsibility; and so we must faithfully serve here.

Now when new people come in that’s not the end, it’s then that we go out. When we are healthy and we have our base secure then God will not allow us to camp in our castle. God will stir our souls and send us out. Out into a dangerous & scary world full of those who don’t know Jesus.