The number 490 comes up in scripture in connection with Daniels End-Time timeline. What is the significance of that number to me as a believer in Jesus and how does it fit into Daniel chapter 9, the bedrock of Bible prophecy? That’s what we are going to take a look at in today’s blog.
[Tweet “Bible prophecy is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ.”]
Belgium is called “the cockpit of Europe” because it has been the site of more European battles than any other country—such as the battles of Oudernarde, Ramillies, Fontenoy, Fleurus, Jemmapes, Ligny, Waterloo, etc. The plain of Megiddo was also the scene of many decisive battles in Israel’s history. Here Gideon defeated Midian (Judg. 6:33). Here Saul died on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam. 31:1). Here Josiah was slain against Pharoah-Necho (2 Kg. 23:29, 30). Here also, battles have occurred between Egyptians and Assyrians, between Babylonians and Greeks, between Seleucids and Ptolemies, between Romans and Arabs, between Crusaders and Turks. Napoleon called this area “the world’s greatest natural battlefield” because of the ideal terrain for the world’s armies to maneuver. 1 It’s coming folks, the Battle of Armageddon. How to escape it. That’s what we are talking about on this week’s Light on Life.
[Tweet “The Battle of Armageddon ends with the Second Coming of Jesus.”]
Daniels seventy weeks is a framework for prophetic end-time events. Like so much of Bible prophecy, the term seventy weeks is in itself symbolic. Seventy weeks doesn’t mean four-hundred-ninety days but rather four-hundred-ninety-years. How do we really know that? In this blog post, we lay out scriptural proof to this end. Rest assured, the Bible speaks for itself. It proves itself out. You don’t need outside sources or a reliance on guesswork or men’s imaginations to grasp the intent of God’s Word.
[Tweet “The Lord never asks you to do something that you couldn’t do if you believe and trust Him.”]
At the close of World War II General Douglas MacArthur said: “We have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character… It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”1 We get over into talking about Armaggedon when we talk about the ‘bowl’ judgments in Revelation because it is the last bowl judgment of the Tribulation. So, “Who Makes It Out the Tribulation?” – All this and more on this week’s Light on Life.
[Tweet “Mercifully, the Lord is giving people a taste of what’s to come, if they don’t repent.”]
Daniel chapter nine lays the groundwork for the chronology of End-Time events. But, this understanding came to Daniel after a season of prayer for his own people. When God answered Daniels intercession, He did so in an exceeding abundant fashion. The God who is more than enough gave Daniel way more than he asked for. That’s how He is. He is more than enough or we can say a ‘way too much’ God. And, He will do the same for you. In today’s post, we begin to look at Daniels. Seventy Year Prophecy which is the bedrock for understanding the timeline for End-Times.
[Tweet “This is God’s nature. He always goes above and beyond our requests – Eph. 3:20.”]
There’s no better verse on the subject of priorities than Matthew 6:33, Seek first the kingdom of God. Here are some quotes which echo the thought that priorities will help us to live spiritually successful lives.
Lewis Sperry Chafer, referring to a friend who was devoting most of his time and energy in pursuit of an insignificant matter, said, “He reminds me of a bulldog chasing a train: what’s he going to do with it if he catches it?” 1 When Charles E. Hummell was going into the ministry, a businessman gave him an excellent piece of advice. “Be careful that the urgent doesn’t crowd out the important.” 2 Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: Put second things first and we lose both first and second things. 3
Let’s take a look today, in this week’s Light on Life, at what God says our priorities should be when it comes to the Kingdom of God.
[Tweet “It is impossible to have loyal devotion to God and money “]
In Pentecostal Evangel pastor Dale Alan Robbins writes of an occasion early in his ministry when he and his wife were barely making ends meet: When I arrived home, my wife Jerri saw the worry on my face. I had $3 in my wallet and there was one can of soup in the cupboard. After our meager supper, I quietly leafed through my Bible in the dim light. Tears streamed from my eyes. I wondered whether we were really called by God. I felt like giving up. Then I thought, What alternative do I have? Who else but God do I have to turn to? I read the verse: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).… Encouraged, yet still burdened, Jerri and I knelt at opposite ends of the little trailer to seek God. Into the night we prayed until sleep finally overtook us. I was awakened by a pounding at the door. From the window, I could see the brilliant orange sunrise behind the city skyline. A fresh, white blanket of snow now covered the ground. Again, the knocking came. “Who is it?” I asked. A mystery voice replied, “I’ve got something for you.” Cautiously, I opened the door. There stood a short man with a grin on his face and two brown grocery bags in his arms. He quickly shoved the bags in the doorway, then turned, and walked away. Jerri joined me. Stunned, we began to look through the bags. There were bread, meat, canned goods, and several cans of my favorite soup. They were the same items and brands we normally purchased. There was also a can of shaving cream. Who knew I had just used my last ounce of shaving cream? On the bottom of one sack was an envelope with cash. (Later I discovered it was the precise amount needed to fill our gas tank to get us to our next destination.) On that wintry Saturday morning in Syracuse, my wife and I wept in our trailer and thanked God for hearing and answering our prayer. No one on the planet knew about our need; only our Lord God Almighty. And he dispatched a little grinning man to minister to us.1 In today’s post, we talk about God’s provision and how to walk in it.
[Tweet “Where’s God’s supply for your every need? It is in a place called ‘there’.”]
A few years ago, when inflation was overwhelming the average worker, Arthur Garcia, 43, who supported a wife and five children on a $19,000 wage as a worker in U.S. Steel’s South Chicago mill said: “You really want to revolt, but what can you do? I keep waiting for a miracle—for some guy who isn’t born yet—and when he comes, we’ll follow him like he was John the Baptist” (From “Inflation: Who Is Hurt Worst?” Time, January 15, 1979).231 This may be just one of many scenarios which allow the Antichrist to rise to power. The table is being set. Jesus is coming again, that’s a Bible fact. In this week’s podcast, we pick-up where we left off last week, where we began to look at some of the carnage that arises out of the Great Tribulation.
[Tweet “Trust the Word here, this Tribulation period is no cake-walk. You don’t want any part of it.”]
Some months back, we did a blog post entitled ‘One Necessary Component You Need to Grow in God.’ In that post, based on the Epistle of Second Peter, we looked at some of the elements that make for a strong spiritual walk in God. In today’s blog we pick up, where we left off and talk about how ‘increase’ is a part of God and how it should be a part of your everyday life.
[Tweet “God’s name is El-Shaddai, not El-Cheapo. He is the God who is more than enough.”]
What do these dates have in common (1248, 1306, 1689, 1792, 1836, 1844, 1914, 1936, 1960, 1974, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 2011)? They all represent the times at which people predicted that the Second Coming of Christ would occur. No one, not even Jesus knows the exact time of Christ’s coming (Matthew 24:36). What we do know is this: Christ’s coming will be unexpected and dramatic. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).1. In this podcast, we continue our series on End-Times by looking further at Jesus answer to the question, ‘What shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world.”
[Tweet “Trust the Word here, this Tribulation period is no cake-walk. You don’t want any part of it.”]
The will of God for your life is that you live all of your days well and whole. Sickness is not from God, that’s a Bible fact. But, there’s more than one side to living in health and wholeness. There are at least two sides. There is the natural side and there is the spiritual side. It’s not really a matter of choosing between the two. Both realms, natural and spiritual are designed to work together. One minister said these words, “The natural plus the supernatural together make an explosive force for God.” That saying is true. In today’s blog, we take a look at why you need both working in your life in order to partake of health and wholeness.
[Tweet “You cannot violate laws of nature and get God’s power to work in your body.”]
National Geographic did a survey about the End of the World back in 2012. With tsunamis, earthquakes, and financial concerns dominating headline news, National Geographic asked what Americans’ thought about a potential “Doomsday scenario. More than 62 percent of Americans thought the world would experience a major catastrophe in the next 20 years. And nearly three out of every four people (71%) envision a major disaster in their lifetime as an act of God, not man. When the question was asked, ”Which of the following, if any, do you think might happen in the United States in the next 25 years? these were the responses: earthquakes (64%), hurricanes (63%) and terrorism (55%) are the most feared, followed by financial collapse (51%), significant blackout (37%), a pandemic (29%) and nuclear fallout (14%). It’s clear from these stats that the ‘End of the World’ is on people’s minds. In today’s podcast, we continue our series on ‘What the Bible says about the End of the World.’
[Tweet “Jesus is coming again, that’s a great God thing. And His arrival will be like lightning.”]