What you do with this information is of course your choice. For my students, you will have three weeks to complete your monographs and have them in to me so I can study them over and assign a grade.  I think you will agree with me that this has been a most fruitful summer session.

    I want to thank all of you who are not my students, who have come faithfully and supported this seminar or symposium. Without your presence and financial support it would have been impossible to bring in our guest speakers each week.  Perhaps, if you want, sometime in the future we can do this again.

An Overview of Prophecy:

         What I would like to do tonight is give you an overview of biblical prophecy and hopefully whet your appetite to search out these things for yourself, for we can only scratch the surface of this subject.

         Tonight being the next to the last meeting of this symposium I want to present to you what has for thousands of years been the ultimate physical test of the Word of God--Bible prophecy or prediction of coming events in history thousands of years before they happened.

         Fulfilled prophecy has ever been the acid test of Scriptural integrity, and the ultimate visible and obvious proof of the Scriptures divine origin.  Prophecy is an open witness to the world of the authenticity of God's Word.

Two Problems:

         But there are two problems that need to be addressed.  One is that because biblical prophecy is largely symbolic, there are almost as many interpretations as there are churches or preachers.  Most of these preachers hold up a hellish torch of false prophetic light which is leading millions to delusion and eternal death. The other problem is that today the enemy is working feverishly to counterfeit God's work.

         Ever since the beginning Satan has been hard at work to deceive and confuse mankind. Through human agents and demonic angels, garbed in heavenly light, he is making false predictions about the future, sucking millions into his web of fear and delusion. Individuals like Nostradamus, Edgar Casey, and Jean Dixon are examples,  the human counterparts of the apparitions of Mary, and the ETs who are making appearances around the world in heretofore unprecedented numbers. Many believe, and rightly so, that this is an omen that something big is about to happen.

         Man has ever been curious, starting with Eve, to know what the future holds.  While only God truly knows the future, Satan through divination, incantations, soothsayers, fortune tellers, false prophets, and supernatural manifestations, has for thousands of years satisfied man's curiosity to know the future by predicting events that may or may not come true.  Because some of the things the enemy foretells do come true, he keeps people ever entranced to know more.  And he is able to cause some things to happen as predicted, because he is able to manipulate circumstances and events, especially when a person comes on his ground and under his influence.

         Thus Satan leads people on from one deception to another, leading them as he wills. Millions are unknowingly enslaved, like puppets Satan is pulling the strings of their lives, controlling their actions, which will lead them eventually to certain destruction and eternal death. So closely can he counterfeit a true prophetic message, that it is impossible to know the source of a predicted event, even if it happens. If it doesn't happen, that makes it easier to know the source, for God never lies or makes a mistake.

         The enemy often comes as an angel of light in a dream or vision, to an unsuspecting person who may or may not be a Christian.  He will give them a date or time when some event will come to pass.  Because of the supernatural nature of the experience, the recipient thinks that it is always God who spoke to them or gave them their dream. If a person is told a specific time or date for an event to take place, this is a sure sign that the message was not from heaven, for God does not work in this way. Never to my knowledge in recent times do I recall anyone ever receiving a message from God which gave a specific time or date for something to happen. When this type of incident happens, you can be sure it is not of heavenly origin.

Satan's Reason:

         The enemy works in this way for good reason.  It is an earmark of his which positively identifies him. His reason is that it gets people to lose confidence in all dreams, visions and messages including those given to true prophets of God.  When God gives a time related message, it is always framed in general terms such as "soon," "eminent," "almost here," "shortly," etc.

         With this introduction, tonight I will share with you some of the things I have discovered over the past 50 plus years. The following is a brief outline of the study tonight.
Where We Are Heading Tonight:

         We are going to start tonight at the beginning with the first prophetic utterance found in the Bible, given to Adam and Eve by God.  We will then look briefly at a few other Old Testament prophecies and show how they were fulfilled.  We will look at the first prophecy about nations of the world taking history up to the 2nd coming of Christ and beyond.

         Then we will look at the longest time prophecy in the Bible which covers 2300 years, which extends up to the end of time, which is now.  We are at a time in history where there are only a very few major prophecies left to be fulfilled.

         Finally, we will look at specific prophecies about Jesus' coming, life and death.

Prophecy Like a Road Sign:

         Prophecy is like a sign post along the road of time, telling us what is yet to come and sometimes approximately how far it is to the expected event. The final destination along this prophetic road is the end of this world's current history, ending when Jesus returns to take those who love Him home to be with Him in heaven.
Only Seconds of Prophetic Seconds Left:

         The prophetic signs tell us that we are within prophetic seconds of seeing this happen.  Momentous events are about to happen as we approach end of this millennium.  Every thinking person can feel something very big is about to happen. As the weekly seven day cycle is earth's legacy from creation week, and as God gave man the seventh day as a day of rest; just so there seems to be a similar relationship as the earth reaches its six thousandth birthday and enters the seventh millennium.

         Revelation 20 describes this next millennium as a time of rest for the people of God, but a time of imprisonment for Satan and his evil hosts. According to John, the saints of God will be spending that time in heaven with Him, while Satan remains on this earth chained by circumstances to a dead planet which is his legacy--the result of his reign of terror.

         It appears that soon the few Bible prophecies left to be fulfilled will happen in quick succession.  I believe that many of you here will live see these events unfold before your eyes, for we are this earth's last generation.

        Some of the events foretold by the prophets Daniel and John the Revelator and Jesus are unfolding daily. But only those with spiritual discernment recognize these signs for what they are and what they mean.

         Only those who love God and keep His commandments will survive what is soon to come.  Everyone else (the wicked) by their life choices are doomed to destruction, if not by the wrath of God poured out in the seven last plagues, then by the brightness of Christ's coming which will incinerate them.

Hidden Agenda:

         Dear friends and neighbors, I confess that I have had a hidden agenda in arranging for this symposium.  My only purpose was to alert you to what is soon to come, so that you can, if you so choose, prepare to meet God and be on His side when the last great test comes, and this test will come as certain as day and night.  Each of you will decide whose side you will be on, either Christ's or Satan's. There will be no fence straddling. It will be one side or the other.

         This last great test will be based on keeping the commandments of God, and is just upon us, much closer than anyone realizes. It will come as an overwhelming surprise.  If you are interested in knowing more about this test, I would be more than happy to share this information with you after the meeting.

         Now that you know where this discussion is going let us get started.

The Genesis Prophecy:

         The first prophecy in Scripture is found in the book of Genesis. ; Adam and Eve has just been beguiled by Satan in the form of a serpent, and sinned by partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God asks them what they had done, for they were trying to hide from Him.

God's Contingency Plan:  

         It was right after Adam and Eve sinned that God told them about his contingency plan to rescue them from Satan.  He described how they and future generations of their children would have to contend with Satan and what would be the outcome.

         Addressing his remarks to Satan in serpents guise, God said: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel."  (Gen. 3:15)       In this very first prophecy, God told about the conflict that would take place between Satan and those who would follow and serve God from that time forward.

         In Bible prophecy, a woman stands for God's church on earth.  In this text He was in effect saying to Satan, "There will be conflict from this time forward between you and my people, and between those born with your evil spirit (his seed), and those born of God who have His Holy Spirit (her seed)." God said His seed would wound or bruise Satan's seed in the head (a potentially mortal blow), and his seed in turn would wound God's seed in the heel (a non mortal wound).  The reference to "his heel" refers to Jesus who would come to earth to redeem mankind.

         Thus in one short verse, God revealed His plan to save mankind and what would be the outcome.  Every prophecy thereafter either pointed forward to the cross and God's plan to save mankind, or to Jesus' second coming and events connected to the end of the world, and to the establishing of His kingdom and the restoration of all things as they were before the fall.

         The theme of all prophecy focuses on and around God's plan of salvation and the great controversy between Christ and Satan, all couched in symbolic language.  Thus it was that God set the standard about Biblical prophecy and His use of symbolism in the very first recorded prophecy.

         Shortly after this dialog between God and Satan, Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden and God introduced them to the sacrificial system whereby they were given a glimpse of how His son Jesus would someday be sacrificed and shed His blood to atone for the sins of all mankind.

Enoch--Preflood Prophet:

         Because of sin, God could no longer talk to Adam and Eve face to face.  Individuals were chosen through which God would relay information to the world.  These individuals were called prophets.  They were shown future events, and given instruction, admonition, and warnings.

         The first person mentioned with this gift was Enoch.  But Noah was also a prophet giving the warning about the flood to come. They were the only preflood prophets mentioned in Genesis. God gave to Enoch a panoramic view of the whole history of the world, even up to the second coming of Christ and beyond.  He was shown how the controversy between Christ and Satan would progress and its final outcome. Only a smattering of his prophecies remain.

         Christ and the apostles, and the people of their time knew them well and quoted from Enoch often. Unfortunately today, there are false writings supposedly coming from Enoch and other Old Testament prophets that are inspired by Satan and written to deceive.  They are called the "Lost Books of the Bible," and the "Hidden Books."

         Some of those books were written by Gnostics whose beliefs were against the true word of God and are not to be trusted.  They had fanciful misinterpretations that were directly opposed to the Bible, such as life after death, reincarnation, hell and the nether world. In fact they were satanically inspired and not too much different in their beliefs from today's mystic religions including  the New Age Movement.

Postflood Prophecy:

         After God's prophecy about the struggle between His church and Satan, the next major prophecy found in Scripture was the promise given to Abraham when God told him that his seed would be as the sands of the sea.  Through Abraham's lineage would come the promised Messiah.

         Many hundreds of years would pass before this prophecy would be fulfilled.  One prophecy after another foretold what would take place, such as Essau serving Issac his younger brother, Joseph's brothers bowing down to him.

Prophecies About Cities and Nations:

         A great many of the prophecies in the Bible have to do with the history of the rise and fall of nations and great cities.  God foretold when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed by fire, when Tyre a great ancient coastal metropolis would be no more. He told how it would be scraped clean as rock, a place where fisherman would spread their nets to dry them. This happened to the letter when Alexander the Great scraped all the rocks of the buildings of Tyre into the sea to make a causeway in order to reach an offshore island.

Ancient Babylon:

        Ancient Babylon is another example.  God said that it would never be built again, and that it would only be inhabited by wild animals.  For thousands of years Arabs have refused to pitch their tents anywhere near the ruins of Babylon or stay overnight.  We could go on and on with prophecies like this. but time does not permit us to look at them all.  All stand as a witness to God who knows the past, present and future, and who is in control of all.

Major Time Prophecies:

         What I want to focus your attention on tonight are two major prophecies given in ancient times about coming world kingdoms that rose and fell, and some prophecies that are yet to come. These great prophecies, more than anything else, stand as an eternal witness to the authenticity of God's Word.

The Image of Daniel:

         The book of Daniel, the second chapter, tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and Daniel.  In the story the king had a dream which greatly troubled him, for he could not recall the dream, yet he felt it had great meaning. As soon as he awoke, he summoned his wise men to come and tell him what the dream was and interpret its meaning for him.

         This was a highly irregular request, one that no king had ever before asked his wise men to do. They tried to reason with him, but he became more agitated.  He told them that if they could not tell him what his dream was, they would all be put to death. In consternation they left, knowing that sure death awaited them, for there was no way they could tell the king what he dreamed.

         Now Daniel, because of his great wisdom (given to him by God) had been appointed as one of the kings wise men, but he had not been summoned with the others when the king called for them. When he heard about his fate, he immediately went to the king and told him that the God he served would tell him what his dream was and give him an interpretation.  He asked the king to give him a little time to pray which was granted.

         He retired to pray and God revealed the dream to him in a night vision and also the interpretation.  This account is found in the second chapter of Daniel, verse 26 and on.  We enter the story as Daniel is given an audience with the king.  The king is speaking.

         "The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, and the magicians, the soothsayers show unto the king.

         "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.  The dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these.

         "As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

         "But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

         "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image.  This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.  This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

         "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

         "This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.  Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.  And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

         "And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.  Thou art this head of gold.

         "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

         "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

         "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

         "And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

         "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

         "Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

         The Bible says that king Nebuchadnezzar was so taken by Daniel's testimony, that he "fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him." Daniel of course gave God all the credit, but the king made him a great man next to himself.

         Thus it was that God began to reveal to Daniel many things that were to come from his time in history to the end of the world.  The head of gold represented Babylon, the wealthiest nation the world had ever seen.  Babylon fell and was followed by the breast and arms of silver.  This was the kingdom of Greece, a great cultural nation, but it was never as great as Babylon just as silver is inferior to gold. Greece was followed by Medo-Persia represented by the belly and thighs of brass.  It was inferior to Greece as brass is inferior to silver.  The legs of iron represented ancient Rome known as the iron kingdom.  The feet partly of iron and clay had a dual application.  Anciently it represented the 10 ancient kingdoms of Europe that overran Rome, who ruled the then known world, dividing it into the 10 kingdoms of Europe we see today.

         Today there are many who believe that there is a modern application, that the ten toes represent the European Republic which has just been formed. This is probably a correct interpretation, for it fits better with what we see taking place today.

         The Bible says that these ten kingdoms would not get along,  just as clay does not mix with iron.  To bring them together, they were described as trying to intermarry ("mingle themselves with the seed of men"), but they would be unable to accomplish this just as Iron and clay do not mix.

         It is a historical fact that for hundreds of years all the crown heads of Europe are interrelated through marriage in order to bring it into unity, but unity has never taken place.  The French revolution, World War I and II attest to that fact.  Previous to this the fierce 10 nomadic tribes of Europe, of which the countries of Europe are today comprised were always warring amongst themselves.

         Today, as they try to form a United States of Europe, they are having problems in agreeing about a universal currency (the Euro dollar).  Some of the countries are concerned about losing their national identity. We know without question that there will be no permanent union, for the prophecy given to Nebuchadnezzar 600 years before Christ says so.

         We are even told the outcome. Today as the nations of Europe tries to become one nation, God says: "In the days of these shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed."  That stone which smites the image, is the kingdom of God which will be set up at His second coming.  This world is living in the time of the ten toes, the very last of the kingdoms of this world.

         The Bible tells us what will happen after Christ comes. John in Revelation (the companion book of Daniel) tells us that when Jesus comes in the clouds of glory, the saints will be taken off this earth and taken to heaven for one thousand years.  After this Christ will then return to this earth raise the wicked dead of all ages, pass sentence them, and then destroy the world and the wicked in one global fire which will probably be nuclear in nature. This will be the real hell fire mentioned in the Bible.

         After the earth is purified by fire and all evidence of this sin cursed world and sinners, including Satan and all his evil angels are destroyed, God will then recreate this earth as it was in the beginning before sin. The Garden of Eden will be placed back where it was. Animals, flowers, plants, trees and every living creature will be recreated again.

         God will turn it over once again to Adam and Eve. All their human family from all ages will be returned to their heritage.  It will be the home of all the saints forever and ever. They will be immortal and never die. There will never be sickness, sadness or dying.

         This is the kingdom represented by the stone cut out without hands in the kings dream.  The last thing that Daniel said to the king about this dream was: "the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

         This incident launched Daniel into his role as one of God's major prophets.  The rest of the book of Daniel is an account of the visions given to him and events to come that expand upon the kings dream.  Each ties in with the image, enlarging upon what each of these nations would do and what would happen.  All ending with the end of the world, the coming of the King of kings, and the setting up of His kingdom.

         In the visions given to Daniel, these kingdoms were represented by beasts, such as a lion, bear, a leopard, and finally a dreadful and terrible beast with three horns. a leopard, a ram and he goat, and other animals.  All these were symbolic of various nations, and told what they would do. But this is beyond the scope of this lecture both in content and time.  If you are interested in considering the prophesies of Daniel and Revelation at a later time, let me know and I will see what we can arrange.

The Longest Time Prophecy:  

         There is one other prophecy given to Daniel that has great meaning for us today.  This prophecy is the longest time prophecy in the Bible. It is found in Daniel 8 verse 14 and spans the time from 457 BC to the end of the world. It is called the 2300 day prophecy, for a day in prophetic time means one year.

         This prophecy is coupled with another one given to Daniel in chapter 9 verse 24 on, known as the 70 week prophecy which is 490 years. Let us briefly consider these texts and then discuss what they mean.

         "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." (Dan. 8:14)

         "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.

         "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 over spreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Dan. 9:24-27)

         These texts describe a time period in which events  would take place related to the coming of Christ to earth the first time. Certain times can historically be established.  For example, we know when the 2300 year prophecy began.  Daniel 9: 25 says: "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem..." This command was given in 457 BC when king Artaxerxes told Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem which was in ruin because the Jews had all been taken captive and the city was in ruin.

         Using this date as the starting point, the angel in chapter 9 verse 25 told Daniel 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 in troublous times."

         In prophecy, time is reckoned as a day for a year.  (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6).  The 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14 points out twenty three centuries of history from Artaxerxes' commandment down to 1844 AD.  This is how it is reckoned:  It took seven weeks to rebuild or restore Jerusalem, which in prophetic time is 49 years. This is a verifiable historical fact, for the work was completed in 408 BC (457-408).

         Verse 25 then mentions that from 408 BC to Messiah (Jesus) it would be 62 weeks (threescore and two).  This in prophetic time was 434 years.  This date was 27 AD when Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit.

         Verse 26 says that after the 62 weeks "shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself."  Verse 27 tells us that Jesus would "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..."

           What Daniel was shown here was that Jesus would come and die to confirm His covenant with all those who would accept the gift of His life. The plan of salvation for the Jews would continue for a 7 year period (one week), but that in the midst of that week He would cause the offerings and sacrifices in the temple to cease.     He the Lamb of God would replace the animal sacrifices that were offered to atone for man's sins.  This system which was initiated by God right after Adam and Eve sinned was replaced by Jesus, the Lamb of God.  TYPE met ANTITYPE.

         This one week time period represented 7 years starting at Jesus' anointing in 27AD.  This went to 34 AD at which time probation for the Jews as a nation closed when they stoned Stephen for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.  Just as the prophecy said, Jesus died in the midst of that 7 year period (31 AD) after 3 1/2 years of public ministry.

         When Jesus died, the Bible tells us that the huge curtain in the temple which hung between the holy and most holy place was torn from top to bottom as Ron Wyatt discussed with us several weeks ago.  That meant that the earthly sacrificial system of offering animals came to an end and had no more meaning. The sprinkling of animal blood before the veil (curtain), and upon the mercy seat of the ark was at an end, for Jesus' blood from that time on would atone for the confessed sins of mankind. God's covenant with mankind first given to Adam and Eve was complete. The sacrifices and offerings were at an end.

         When the Jews rejected Jesus, their relationship as God's chosen people came to an end, and their doom as a nation was assured.  Never more would Israel again be God's chosen race. Individually, however, any Jew could come to God and be saved as many did, but as a nation never again. This should tell all who think that God is going to restore them and set up His kingdom in Jerusalem something.

         Those today who think this, are just like the apostles who mistakenly thought that Jesus had come to set up His kingdom here on earth. He did, but not like they thought.  He came to set up His kingdom in the heart like Jesus told His disciples in Luke 17.  Every time the Greek word "kingdom" is used in the New Testament, it means a heart relationship, not a worldly empire.

         Knowing the dates of the 2300 year prophecy, it was easy to determine when this period would end. Counting 1810 years from 34 AD adds up to 1844 AD.  To see what happened at this time we must go back to Daniel 8:14 to see how this works out and what happened. "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."  Daniel was shown that after 2300 days (years) the sanctuary would be cleansed. What does that mean?

The Tabernacle Services:

         When the children of Israel left Egypt and were led into the wilderness, God gave Moses plans for the building of a tabernacle for them to worship Him.  At that time He gave Moses the Ten Commandments in stone as well as the ordinances and codes for governing the two million plus people. Their whole system of worship centered around the offering of sacrifices for sins committed, the same system instituted by God and given to Adam and Eve after they had sinned.

Jesus the Focal Point:

         As mentioned before, this all pointed to Jesus the Lamb of God who was to come and shed His blood to save mankind from the penalty of death that hung over everyone's head because of sin.  In other words, the earthly tabernacle services were A TYPE which pointed forward to what would take place in heaven after Jesus was crucified.

         When Jesus came back to life and went back to heaven, Scripture says he became our High Priest.  He replaced the earthly services and continued them in heaven.  in the heavenly sanctuary. His work consisted of offering up the sins of the world before the Father, claiming His blood which was shed at Calvary to cover for those sins.  Whenever a person prays asking for forgiveness, their prayer ascends to heaven and is received by Jesus who then claims His blood to cover or atone for that person's sin. That sin is forgiven as if it had never taken place.

         In the earthly services these sins collected over a years time, as blood was sprinkled on the veil which separated the holy from the most holy place.  In the earthly service, this was done before the altar of incense where the smoke rising from that altar represented the prayers offered by the person, as the priest, petitioned God to forgive their sin.

         Obviously over a year's time, the veil became contaminated with the dried blood, which necessitated cleaning it. This cleansing of the sanctuary was done once a year at a time called "the day of atonement."  This occurred, in our time, around October. The blood of a lamb which represented the sins of the people which had been collected on the veil, was taken in to the most holy place and sprinkled on the mercy seat of the Ark.                   The sins were then transferred symbolically to the head of a scapegoat and the goat banished into the wilderness, symbolizing that the sins had been taken out of the sanctuary. This was in type, what Jesus would do when He came--cast away the sins of people who were truly repentant.  This had nothing to do with willful sin, deliberately committed.

         On the day of atonement, the priest would prepare himself through a rigorous regime of cleansing and confessing any sins he might have committed.  To go into the most holy place before the Ark of the Covenant with any unconfessed sins would be equivalent to committing suicide or instant death.  But also, if any in the camp had any unconfessed sins, that would have also meant instant death for the high priest. This was a most solemn occasion for the whole camp involving total soul searching.

         In case the unthinkable ever happened, the high priest wore a garment that had sewn around the bottom bells. If they no longer heard the bells ringing, they knew that the priest had been struck dead.  To retrieve his body, a rope was attached around his ankle, for no one but the high priest could ever enter the Most Holy Place where God's presence dwelt in the form of a brilliant light called the Shekinah which glowed on the mercy seat of the ark.  The high priest only went in there once a year on the Day of Atonement.

         This once a year cleansing of the sanctuary was symbolic of the work Jesus would someday do some time after He returned to heaven after having atoned for our sins on Calvary. So now the connection between Jesus death on Calvary with Daniel's 2300 day prophecy can be seen.

Jesus Our High Priest:

         As in the earthly service, when Jesus went back to heaven and entered the Holy Place where He took the sins before the heavenly veil.  Each prayer that ascended up to Him like smoke before the altar of incense, He would atone for. He symbolically sprinkled His blood before the curtain that separates the Holy from the Most Holy compartment.

         According to what God showed Daniel, this work continued for 2300 years until the year 1844 at which time Jesus completed the first phase of his priestly ministry in the Holy Place, and went into the Most Holy Place. There standing before the Heavenly Ark, He began His work of atonement for the sins of all those who ever claimed to follow Him.

         What this means is that Jesus has been interceding for us before the Father personally since the year 1844, claiming His blood to cleanse and cover for our sins as we ask for forgiveness. But this is just part of His work.  He has also been going over the record book of each person's life, weighing their good deeds against their bad ones.  Each person is being judged according to how they lived.  This is in effect begin the day of judgment as each person's name came up before the judgment bar of God.

         This is very much like our courts of law today.  The person has committed some wrong. He is apprehended, tried, and sentence passed on him.  The judge either pardons or convicts him.  In heaven the work of judging each case has been going on ever since Jesus entered the Most Holy Place.  Looking over the record books (Symbolic) of each person's life, He is or has determined what their sentence will be--either eternal life or eternal death, based on the history of their life and the choices they made.

        Beginning from the time of Adam and Eve and extending to the present time, the name of each person who ever professed to love God and keep his commandments has been brought up for examination, to see whether their character is such that they can be a part of the family of God.  This is called the judgment of the righteous dead.
Jesus' Work About Finished:
         Inspiration has also told us that the time would come when the judgment of the dead would be complete and would then begin with the living.  Exactly when this happened we do not know, but have good reason to believe, by what is going on in the world today, that this judgment of the living be about finished, at which time Jesus will step out of the Most Holy Place and utter these ominous words: "IT IS DONE!" "HE THAT IS UNJUST, LET HIM BE UNJUST STILL; AND HE WHICH IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE FILTHY STILL, AND HE THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM BE RIGHTEOUS STILL; AND HE THAT IS HOLY, BE HOLY STILL."  (Rev. 22:11)

Probation About Closed:

         When Jesus makes this announcement, probation for the world will have closed.  Like the door of Noah's ark, which was closed by God, there will be no chance for any to be saved any more.  At that time each person will have made their choice from which there will be no reprieve.  If you have any questions, see me after the meeting and I will explain.
Jesus and Prophecy:

        It also confirms the many other prophecies pointing to the end of the world.

A Most Important Point:

         But the most important aspect of this prophecy is that IT CENTERS AROUND JESUS CHRIST our Lord. His coming to the world to save mankind is so integrally interwoven into the earth's history that there is no way a person can truthfully deny His existence. The Atheist and Agnostic, the Evolutionist, scientist, skeptic, the computer programmer, the business and professional man, the housewife, the working man and woman, the corporate world, all, by using the Gregorian calendar to count years, by default give obeisance to Jesus.  All assent to His death on the cross as being the most important event in the history of the world, for it is the basis for our reckoning years. Before Christ (BC) and After Christ (AD) admits that all time revolves around our Creator and His act to save mankind from eternal death.

Also the Weekly Cycle:

         But this is not all.  God's (Jesus') creation of this world is the only reason that the seven-day weekly cycle exists.  God created the world in seven days, resting on the seventh-day Sabbath.  There is no other basis to account for a seven day cycle, not astronomically, not astrologically, not physically, not any other way.
 
Many Have Not Realized:

         My friends, there is yet another fact about Jesus that most people do not realize. Many of the Old Testament prophecies have to do with Jesus coming, the reason why he would come, and the way he would die.

          Jesus was the focal point of all prophecy. The prophets Zechariah, Isaiah, and David contain prophecies announcing the coming of Jesus, and details about His crucifixion.

         The New Testament gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all quote from these books when describing events connected with Calvary.  Not only did Daniel in vision foretell in time when Jesus would come, but Isaiah foretold about events connected with Jesus' coming, trial and death in detail, hundreds of years before they happened.

          Zechariah 11:12,13 described Judas and the 30 pieces of silver given to him to betray Jesus, and subtly described what he would do with them, and his burial place (a potters field).  "...So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them.  And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."

         Chapter 69 of  Psalms is a prophecy about Jesus and the shame he would endure.  Verse 19 says, "Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: mine adversaries are all before thee."

         In verse 21, Jesus Himself, through David spoke about being given gall and vinegar as if it were happening hundreds of years before it actually happened. "They gave me also gall for my meat: and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink."

         Chapter 22 of Psalms talks about Jesus' trials and suffering at Calvary.  The first verse repeats the very words used by Jesus while on the cross. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

         The rest of the chapter describes Jesus' agony of heart in the first person, that is as if He were speaking, and how his enemies assailed Him.  "They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws: and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: THEY PIERCED MY HANDS AND MY FEET.  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.  THEY PART MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND CAST LOTS UPON MY VESTURE."  (verses 13-18)

       Finally, the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53 describes Jesus' coming, his life, his beauty, how he would be "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."  He describes how "We hid as it were our faces from him; how he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

         "But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

         "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,

         "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: HE IS BROUGHT AS A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A SHEEP BEFORE HER SHEARERS IS DUMB, SO HE OPENETH NOT HIS MOUTH.

         "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS HE STRICKEN.

         "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death: because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."  (verses 3-9)

         Soon my friends, very soon, we are going to see this Jesus, our Savior coming back to this earth, not as Christ our Savior, but as the King of kings to receive us unto Himself.  Many of us will live to see the time Jesus spoke of, when he quoted from Daniel 12:1. "...and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:"

        Look around you at what is happening in the world, in nature, in nations, in the religious world, in the signs and lying wonders happening all around us.  Can any thinking person deny that the judgments of God are already falling?  Our only safety and protection from what is coming is to be a child of the King. That same verse in Daniel tells what God is going to do for those that love Him. "and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."  Only in following Jesus can we be protected and safe from what is about to happen. Only by abiding under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91).

         From what I have shared with you tonight, you can see why I have, over the years, been so intrigued by Bible prophecy, and why I believe it is the ultimate proof about God and His Word. Because of the constraints of time, I have only touched on the barest minimum of the hundreds of prophecies found in God's Word, all of which declare God's Word as the truth.

         Some prophecies are yet to be understood or fulfilled.  Only as these events unfold will we understand perfectly what was meant. Most time prophecy is only understood when or after it takes place. It is impossible for any man to understand God and His Word without the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned." "It is the Spirit that quickeneth."

         Next week will be our last meeting of this series.  We will hear eyewitness testimonies from people who have had miracles take place in their lives, both spiritual and physical. This is only witness that is an intimate and PERSONAL witness to God's existence. Of all the witnesses we have examined, this promises to be the most gripping and touching, as you hear testimony about God's protecting and guiding hand in the lives of people, and His power to save.  No doubt some of you have also had some experience like this.  I assure you that your heart will be warmed as you listen to personal first hand experiences. Some of them border on the incredible. Until then, Good night! I wish you God's speed.!