End Time Insights

The first sixty-nine “weeks” lay the groundwork for the tumultuous events of the final or “seventieth week”  –  Daniel 9:25 .  Next, the angel described the first sixty-nine “ weeks ” of the  prophecy, but only briefly. As he declared at the start, “ seventy weeks are  divided  upon your people and upon your holy city .” After presenting the  redemption  that would be realized by the end of the prophecy, he described its three subdivisions of “ seven weeks ,” “ sixty-two weeks ,” and “ one week ,” presumably, consecutive periods of 49, 434, and 7 years.

In the second half of Chapter 8, Daniel receives the interpretation of his vision of the “ Ram and the Goat .” In Chapter 7, only the first “ Beast from the Sea ,” the lion-like creature, could be identified with certainty, namely, the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In contrast, in the interpretation in Chapter 8, two of the four kingdoms are identified by name, the “ Kingdom of the Medes and Persians ” and “ Greece .”

SYNOPSIS  –  After his expulsion from heaven, the “Dragon” began to wage war against the “seed of the Woman” – Those who hold the “testimony of Jesus”  -  Revelation 12:7-17 .  After the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John saw a “ great sign ” in heaven, a woman “ arrayed with the sun and the moon beneath her feet ” about to give birth. The vision concluded with an enraged “Dragon” standing on the seashore, poised to summon the ten-headed “ beast ” to ascend from the sea to execute his “ war ” against the “ seed of the woman .”

In Chapter 12, John sees a new “ sign ” in the heavens, the Woman “ clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet .” She is wearing a “ crown of twelve stars ,” and she is pregnant and about to give birth to one identified as a “ son .” He appears in fulfillment of the messianic promise in the Second Psalm, the King and Son of Yahweh who is destined to “ rule the nations .”

Next, John sees the scroll again, only now it is unsealed and open, signifying the time for his call to prophesy once more to peoples and kings  – Revelation 10:1-11.  The first six trumpet plagues  failed to cause the “ inhabitants of the earth ” to repent. Instead, they only hardened their hearts even more.  Something more is needed to complete “ the mystery of God .” The narrative now takes a new direction. Rather than another plague, John sees the scroll unsealed, then he is commissioned to prophesy to “ nations and kings .”