Now this morning, we're going to be taking the message from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 23. Jeremiah, chapter 23. Kind of continuing here on where we left off on Christmas. As a matter of fact, Jeremiah 23 verses 5 and 6 was one of the readings that was done on our Friday evening Christmas thing. And I just started reading some of those on my own. Anyway, What I thought I'd do is I'm going to trace, again, our Messiah, and trace it from... I would like to look at the future of our Messiah, where he's going from there. Also pick up Israel. and the church. Needless to say, this will be an overview, but I want to just highlight some of the things in the historical setting as we are looking to the future. And I thought about doing something about New Year, but you know how resolutions go. Some are doing really good to make a New Year's resolution. Most people are good to get into February with it, but anyway. So I'm not even going to bother with that. And I just like to do that and just trace it. And Lord willing, it'll all make sense. So let me open up by reading verses 1 through 8 of Jeremiah chapter 23. Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture, declares Yahweh. Therefore, thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who are shepherding my people. You have scattered my flock and banished them and have not attended to them. Behold, I'm about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of the land where I have banished them and cause them to return to their pasture, and they will be faithful and multiply. I will also raise up shepherds over them, and they will shepherd them, and they will not be afraid any longer, nor terrified, nor will any be left unattended, declares Yahweh. Behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. And he will reign as king and prosper, and do justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is his name by which he will be called. Yahweh, our righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when they will no longer say, as Yahweh lives, who brought up out of the land of Israel, sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as Yahweh lives, who bought up and bought back the seed of the household of Israel from the north and from all the lands where I had banished them. Then they will live, live on with their own souls in their own soil." Excuse me. Let's open in prayer. Father God, as we look at these passages this morning and as we move through them, Lord, may we May we get understanding. We're going to be looking at some passages that I'm sure many folks haven't considered all that much, and perhaps they might be difficult. We are I am praying especially that Your Holy Spirit will guide us all into the truth and make application as needed to each and every one. Again, Lord, we thank You for the opportunity of being here. In Jesus' name, Amen. Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah. Remember at this time, Israel, which is the name by which the northern kingdom, that's the northern ten tribes, have long gone into captivity by the Assyrians. So they were up there out of the picture. Now, But as we read here, his message, Jeremiah's message, is also to the nations, right? If we back up, look at Jeremiah chapter one. Jeremiah chapter one, so we just pick up the context of Jeremiah. It'll help as we see the flow of Jeremiah. Jeremiah one, verses four through 10. Now behold, the word of the Lord came to me saying, Before I formed you in the uttermost parts, I knew you. And before you came out of the womb, I set you apart. I have given you as a prophet to the nations. Then I said, alas, Lord Yahweh, behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth. But Yahweh said to me, do not say I'm a youth, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. Then Yahweh sent forth his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms to uproot and to tear down to cause to perish, and to pull down, to build, and to plant." His message to, now, as we go through there, His message to Israel, and all who would listen, is a message to repent. As we move back, let's stop off at chapter 4 of Jeremiah, verses 14. Jeremiah 4, 14 to 16. Again, he is the prophet to Judah. Verse 14 says, wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan and makes wickedness heard from Mount Ephraim. Make mention of it to the nation, saying, Behold, make it heard over Jerusalem. Besiegers come from a far country, and give forth their voices against the cities of Judah." Wow. In verse 14 there where it says the voices declares from Dan and wickedness from Mount Ephraim. Now Dan and Mount Ephraim This is a warning to Judah. Remember, Dan and Mount Ephraim are in that part of the country which used to be occupied by Israel, the northern ten tribes, who themselves had been taken out into captivity by Assyria. And so he's saying, it's a way of him saying, Let Dan and Ephraim, let what happened to the Northern Ten Tribes be a warning to you, Judah. Don't make the same mistake." But, of course, they did not listen. Now, the destruction and captivity they endured will be your fate unless you repent. That's the message. Matter of fact, in 2 Kings 17, 6-8, it says this, In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away Israel into exile to Assyria and settled them in Hala and Habor on the river Gozen and in the city of the Medes. So they just took them out. Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God. who had bought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And they had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations from whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel and in the customs of the kings of Israel, which they had introduced." So in other words, the Lord brought them out of the land, took them into their own land, and what did they do? picked up and followed the pagan practices of those people, the Lord ran out of the nation, that the Lord came and used them to judge the nations. Of course, that's a whole big story. I know on Wednesday nights we're looking at judges, and this lesson is a lesson that the nation Hadn't learned from way back, going way back. And then again, warnings were given to both Israel and Judah over and over and over again, yet they didn't repent. And then now, we now find Judah in the exact same position as was Israel, facing annihilation and captivity. That's where Judah sits. In the writing of Jeremiah, they are right there. Jeremiah is like a final warning that they're not going to heed, and it's just going to happen. We'll move forward. Let's look at Jeremiah chapter 21. As we head back, Jeremiah 21, verses 1 to 10. I'm reading from what's called the Legacy Standard Bible. That's where your Bible might have THE LORD and the LORD in all capital letters. This edition translated Yahweh, which actually is the word in the Hebrew text. So just to let you know, that's why it's different. The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent him to Peshur, the son of Melchizedek, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maheshiah, saying, please inquire of Yahweh on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is warring against us. Perhaps Yahweh will deal with us according to all his wonderful acts so that the enemy will go up from us. Then Jeremiah said to them, thus you shall say to Zedekiah, thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, I'm about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands and with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall and I will gather them into the center of this city. I myself," this is God speaking, "'I myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They will die of a great pestilence.'" Then afterwards, declares Yahweh, I will give over Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his servants and the people, even those who remain in this city, from the pestilence, the sword and the famine. into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not show pity on them, nor spare, nor have compassion. You shall also say to the people, thus saith Yahweh, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Now this is going to come up a little bit later. And this is it. He who inhabits this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence. But he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live. and he will have his own life in spoil. For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, declares Yahweh. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. Then say to the household of the king of Judah, hear the word of Yahweh, O house ..." I've gone way too far. We'll just stop there. So anyway, the judgment is impending. It's too late. It's too late for the nation. The die has been cast, if you will. Judgment is on the way. Now we move forward to chapter 22. judgment pronounced on three of the four final kings that are going to reign in Judah. After that, nothing. There'll be no more kings until the one king who will come who is still in the future. So, chapter 22. Chapter 22. We can pick up verse 10, and I'm not gonna spend too long here, but I just wanna just get the context set. Chapter 22, verse 10 to 17, it says, do not weep for the dead or console him, but weep continually for the one who goes away, for he will never return or see the land of his birth. For thus says Yahweh in the reign of Shalem, the son of Josiah, King of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, he will never return here. But in the place where they took him away into exile, there he will die and not see this land again. Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor's services without pay and does not give him wages, who says, I will build myself a roomy house with spacious upper rooms and cut its own windows, paneling in the cedar and paneling in bright red." In other words, this guy He's evil, he's mean, and his judgment is the fact that they're not going to go through all his sin, but the judgment is that, okay, he's an evil man and basically his judgment is he's going into exile and he will never ever return again. He thought he had a nice sweet deal here as king using that power to enrich himself at the cost of the citizens. Nope, you're dead, you're toast. The next one, in fact this one, Shalem, another name for him is Jehoiahaz. It may pop up in your reading that that's the same one. The second king is Jehoiakim. Now we find him in verse 18. And I'm just going to look at their, I'm not going to read all about them, but I'll look at his judgment, verses 18 to 19. These are all evil men, very evil. Some of them, they practiced all pagan. They were totally turned their back on the one true God, and they were in total practice of paganism, verse 18 and 19 of chapter 22. Therefore, thus says Yahweh to Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah. If you're in the lineage, they call you the son. And why do they, why does Jeremiah keep mentioning Josiah? Because Josiah was the last godly king Judah had. And the four that followed him were awful, were awful. Okay. They will not lament for him. This is literally what he said, his judgment. They will not lament for him. Nobody's going to cry over this guy. Alas my brother, alas my sister. They will not lament for him, alas for my master or alas for his splendor. He will be burned with the donkey's burial, dragged off and thrown out of the gates of Jerusalem. That's his end. That's his end. We go to the third one. The third one gets really interesting. The third one, Coniah, and we pick him up in verse 24. Coniah, now he's got a couple of names. Coniah, he is also called Jehoiakim, okay, and sometimes Jeconiah. Three different names. His judgment, verses 24 to 30. And I will give you over, excuse me, and I will declare, as I live, declares Yahweh, even though Conaniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were a signet ring on his right hand, yet I will pull it off you. In other words, you will not be king. And I will give you over into the land, into the hand of those who are seeking your life, indeed, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. I will hurl you and your mother, who bore you, into another land. There you will not There, where you were not born, but there you will die. But as for the land to which their soul desires to return, they will not return to it. Is this man, Conaniah, a despised shattered jar, or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his seed been hurled out and cast into the land not known? O land, land, land, hear the word of Yahweh. Thus saith Yahweh, write this man down childless. a man who will not succeed in his days, for no man of his seed will succeed, sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah." Now, the fourth king, and I think for the sake of time I'm not going to turn there, but the fourth king that was installed was was Zedekiah. We've already heard about him. Now Zedekiah was installed by Nebuchadnezzar to replace Conaniah. All right. When what happened, the story is that when the raids came, Conaniah was one of those who actually, what he did is he actually took the warning, he walked out he and his mother and took a whole bunch of folks with him he walked out and turned himself over to Nebuchadnezzar and therefore he lived and he went he lived in exile but he lived so there he is he lived and then Zedekiah was put in that position by Nebuchadnezzar as basically Nebuchadnezzar's puppet king but Zedekiah did a very foolish thing, and you can read about it in 2 Kings 24. What he did, he was installed, and then Zedekiah later rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was captured, brutally treated, and then taken to Babylon. Now, just to tell you what kind of folks lived in those days. Quite honestly, you read this, you might be shocked, but these kinds of people live in our day as well. In 2 Kings 25, six and seven, it says this. This is speaking of Zedekiah. Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And he passed sentence on him. And now here's the sentence. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. and then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with bronze fetters, and brought him to Babylon." I mean, that was his punishment. I mean, these people were rough. They slaughtered his sons right in front of him, then they blinded him. That's the last thing he ever saw, was his sons being killed in front of him. And when those people killed people, they weren't delicate about it. I mean, this awful. Okay, back to Jeremiah. In verse 30, and this is about, again, Coniah. And real quickly, in verse 30 it says, the bottom line for his punishment was, write this man down childless, a man who will not succeed in his days, for no man of his seed will succeed sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah." Now Zedekiah was just shoved in there as a puppet king. He was related to Jeconiah, Coniah, but as far as those that came from father, son, father, son, actually Coniah was the last one that got the king that, that filled the throne that way. And so it would be natural that if there was a legitimate inheritor of the throne, it would come through Coniah, aka Jehoiakim. a.k.a. Jeconiah, alright? Now, in Jeremiah 22, 30, that we just read, the Lord pronounced that curse. Now, note that Jeconiah, if we weren't going to turn over here, look in the New Testament, you have in Matthew and in Luke, you have genealogies of the Messiah. Now Jeconiah is listed in the line of Joseph, the husband of Mary, whose lineage comes from David through Solomon. Now in Mary's lineage, which is in Luke, hers comes from David through another son, Nathan, in which Jeconiah is not there. He's not found in there. He's not in that lineage. And just as a little side note here, this is another accomplishment of the virgin birth. We did a lot of accomplishments of the virgin birth last week, and this is another one. The fact that the virgin birth, it was a virgin birth, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not Joseph. not Joseph. So Joseph was a foster father. But then the bloodline is still there through Mary in which Jeconiah does not appear. So there you have it where that curse was bypassed and the curse for Jeconiah remains true. Nobody from his heritage is going to set the throne. Period. And as a matter of fact, you look through the history from that point on, there will never ever be any other king in Israel from the line of David except one, and we find him mentioned in Jeremiah 23. In Jeremiah 23, look at verses 1 and 2 again. Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture, declares Yahweh. Therefore, thus saith Yahweh, the God of Israel, Concerning the shepherds who are shepherding my people, you have scattered my flock and banished them, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I'm about to attend to you, for the evil of your deeds, declares Yahweh. Woe to my shepherds. Now that woe occurs 50 times in the prophets. 50 times. 40 of them involve stern warnings or threats of God's judgment, like in this one. The final phrase though, the final phrase where it says in verse 2, behold I'm about to attend to you. for the evil deeds, declares the Lord." These shepherds, what does that refer to? That refers not just to the leadership of the kings, but that refers to the priests, the rabbis, the prophets. There was a lot of false prophets back there too. They were just the total breakdown in leadership with the exception of Jeremiah and precious few others. It was a total breakdown. You know, a very similar situation existed in our Lord's ministry as well when He came here. You had a situation where you had a bunch of bad shepherds, a bunch of lousy shepherds. Those that were responsible for the spiritual welfare of the people were just They were just not there. They were corrupt as well. And as a result, the people, as it's already been stated, were unattended, using that term. They were unattended as well. And therefore, they were just kind of going astray. As a matter of fact, Right at the very end, in Passion Week, remember Jesus, He just kind of lamented over the city, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. You know, how often I've gathered like a hen gatherers chick, but you just wouldn't come, you wouldn't come. It's because all these, that false teachings over the years, they were just gone. They were out. Matter of fact, one great example of that is in Matthew 11, verse 20 and 24, Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent. Okay? Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You'll descend to Hades. For if the miracles had occurred in Sodom, which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day." In other words, it wouldn't have been wiped out. Nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. Again, their lack of faith. was in part, I mean individually we're all responsible, but in part due to the corrupt leadership of that day. And I read passages like that, I am somewhat, I can't do anything about it, I'm somewhat fearful even to the ultimate end of our nation. What, can you think of perhaps any place in this country who has not heard the name of Jesus at all? If there is a place that has heard the truth and rejected the truth, I can't think of one in my lifetime more than this country. Sad, sad tale. But back to the leadership. In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to these leaders, but woe, there's that word, woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people, for you don't enter it yourself, nor do you allow those to go into it. And then, again, further down in Matthew 23, and I'll tell you, Matthew 23 was, again, that's right in Passion Week, and you can see, and that enraged them, and I'll tell you, you can see why they really wanted to kill him. Matthew 23, 29 and 33 says, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites, for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous and say, if we had been living in the days of our fathers, like, say, in the days of Jeremiah, We would have not have been partners with them shedding the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of guilt of your fathers, you serpents, you brood of vipers. How will you escape the sentence of hell? That is some pretty strong stuff. But that's what our Lord, matter of fact, you know, throughout all of scripture, there is nobody that God, Christ, speaks harsher of and to than false teachers, false prophets, those who would lead people away from the truth. So, and I'll tell you, the same problem exists today in what is referred to as Christianity. I'll just, one thought and then move on. Hebrews 10.31, there's a warning. There are warnings all through Hebrews. 10.31 says this. It speaks for itself. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It's a terrifying thing. Back to Jeremiah 23 verses 3 and 4. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the land where I have banished them and cause them to return to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will also raise up shepherds over them, and they will shepherd them, and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be left unattended," declares Yahweh. Now, Verse 3 says, God himself will one day gather that remnant of his flock. Who is that remnant in the context of Jeremiah? Jews. Israel. It's going to happen. As a matter of fact, Romans 9.27 says this, and he's quoting from Isaiah. Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved. You know, God's people, those that truly believe, throughout history, have always been the remnant. They've always been that slim minority. Never been the majority. Well, what did Jesus say at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount? He talked about the narrow way and the broad way, you know? Many people walk along the broad way, but narrow is the way that leads to salvation, right? And few there be that find it. It's always been the way. That's the way today. That's why, I don't know if you've ever done it, you ever go door-to-door evangelism? It's harder nowadays, you know, I mean you got to get past Cujo to get to the front door, you know, but it So but used to be when you just go knocking on doors To get people to even listen to you, it would be, gosh, it'd be 1 out of 100 to even listen. And then the percentage stays 1. 1 out of 100 that listen would even react positively. But that's just the way it is. That's the way it is. That's always been that way. So just this little thing, when you witness to somebody, Especially if it's like you go on a cold witness, you know, no prep, you just talk. Don't be surprised if they reject the gospel. Actually, they're not really rejecting you, they're rejecting the gospel. Just expect it. And you know what? I know I've said this before, but, and you can be very happy that you at least shared with them, even if you're rejected. Because believe it or not, by you sharing your faith, even though you might be rejected, you have given glory to God. You have. May not seem like it, but you have. But you have. Because few there be that find it, and you're just proving God's word correct once again. Verse 4 says, I will raise up shepherds, and they will shepherd. Now, some commentators see these promised shepherds as folks like Ezra and Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, even the Maccabees, who when Israel comes back out of captivity, they train them. And these are some good people, really good people. This interpretation, however, doesn't work for the simple reason that eventually the people again, once again, are left unattended. And as in the time of our Lord's first coming where he found the nation in just dead spiritually. Now, the fulfillment of this, of the new shepherds, the replacement shepherds, we'll call them, that time is still out there. Okay? As a matter of fact, this time has already been spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in this book. Back in Jeremiah chapter three, I said Isaiah, but Jeremiah has already spoken of this. Jeremiah chapter three. Verse 15, we'll pick it up, verse 15. For a voice declares from Dan and makes wickedness heard from Mount... I'm in chapter 4. I look familiar, too familiar. Okay, 315. Then I will give you, again, when the time comes, then I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will shepherd you on knowledge and understanding. It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and fruitful in the land, declares Yahweh, that I will no longer say, They will no longer say the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh and it will not come upon the heart, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. And at that time, they will call Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh. And all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of Yahweh will not, nor will they walk anymore after their stubbornness of their evil heart. In those days, The house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I give their fathers as an inheritance." That's a huge statement. Now, in those days, like in verse 16 and 18, clearly refers to messianic times. It's one of those messianic terms, like in the last days. It's one of those messianic terms. Verse 16. That's an amazing one. Think, have a Jewish mindset about how they think of the Ark of the Covenant. Big deal, right? Very big deal, that Ark of the Covenant. Look at verse 16. In those days when you are multiplied and fruitful in the land, you're in the land, declares Yahweh. They, that's the inhabitants, will no longer say the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh. and it will not come up in their heart. I mean, they're not going to long for it, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will they build another one. I said, wow, that's a pretty bold statement for a prophet to make because that was very near and dear to their hearts. I mean, just look back. But why do they say that? Well, look at verse 17. At that time, they will call Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh. What was the Ark of the Covenant? That represented the presence of God. That's why the Ark is, that's so last season. We don't, we don't, that's, we've moved on from there. Why? Because we got the real deal. We got Messiah himself, the Lord, on the throne. When that time comes, it's on the throne. That's why you won't need any of the representations anymore, okay? Again, that's a huge one, but like so much in the Old Testament, I have shadows of things to come. The ark, big as it was, is gonna take a back seat. I mean, it has to take a back seat. You've got Christ himself sitting on the throne of David. And look at verse 18. In those days, the house of Judah will walk in with the house of Israel. They're going to be united. They will come together from the land of the north and from the land that I give their fathers and parents. They're going to all come. And there's so many passages on this. We're not going to look at them today. But there's a number of passages that say this exact same thing. The nation will be unified. Back to Jeremiah 23. Now, verse 5 and 6. Behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. And that's the one that's going to be sitting, that's the Yahweh on the throne, okay, that we're talking about back in chapter 3. That's Him, that's our Lord, that's Christ. And He will reign as King and prosper and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved. And Israel will dwell securely. Judah, southern tribe. Israel, northern kingdom. See? All coming together, saved, secure. And you know, both saved and secure hadn't happened yet. I mean, we're talking like forever when this happens. And this is his name by which he will be called Yahweh, or the Lord, our righteousness." I mean, these prophecies of our Savior coming, reigning, are just, again, they're just... Scripture after Scripture, I mean, book after book, prophet after prophet, I mean, the accounts of Him are so consistent with each other. So consistent. He will be on the throne. Remember Isaiah 9-7, another one of our passages that we read through the Christmas season? Isaiah 9, 7, speaking of this Messiah, remember that one? Unto us a son is given, a child is born, a son is given. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David over his kingdom to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. So when Messiah comes and sits on that throne, and He is referred to as the Lord our righteousness, that's that one. We go back then. That's that one born of a virgin. That's that one, you know, a son is given to us. All right? That's the son. I'll tell you, it's amazing. This is a fulfillment of what is known as the Davidic covenant, given way back to David. I'll read it to you. It's in 2 Samuel 7, verses ... I'll get the long version, 8 through 17. Thus you shall say to my servant David, thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture and from the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you and I will make you a great name like the names of the great men who are on the earth. I will also appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them that they may live in their own place. and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and I will give you rest from all your enemies." The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. And when the days are complete, you will lie down with your fathers, and I will raise up your descendants after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom," referring to Solomon. He will build a house for my name, and I will establish a throne for his kingdom forever, again, passing this on through Solomon. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with a rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul." And we know Solomon made a lot of mistakes, but he was allowed to continue. So, for your house, verse 16, your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever. Your throne shall be established forever in accordance with all these words and these visions, so Nathan spoke to David." Again, the Davidic covenant is forever. When this happens, when Israel gets their land, Messiah sits on that throne, it's forever. Jeremiah 33, 14 to 15 says, of David to spring forth, and he shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell in safety. And this is the name by which he shall be called the Lord our righteousness." Again, on and on. And then 23.6, it says, you know, in his days Judah will be saved securely. Once again, they're secure, they're united. And I want to point out one thing while we're right here. And there's a lot I'm going to probably do at a time left to leave on the table, but One thing to note, and it's a big, I say a big theological error today, is what they call replacement theology. The church has not replaced Israel. It's very plain. Just read the book. They have not replaced Israel. They're not going anywhere. Matter of fact, they're where they are and they're coming back in God's timing, but they're coming back. Okay? Now, Romans 11, 25 to 27 says, I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, so that you don't be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved just as it is written." Now, who is all of Israel? They're speaking of all national Israel. I don't know if you remember that passage back in 9 where it says, the Lord will save a remnant. Well, that remnant is the all of Israel that will eventually be saved. That remnant will constitute the totality of Israel as a nation, which will include all the Old Testament saints, etc., etc., which is a great big study in and of itself. Okay, now. And further on where it says in verse 26, and so all Israel will be saved just as it is written. And this is coming from Isaiah 59. To deliver, the deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. And you can see that in what is in Jeremiah 31, 31, which I had to pass, but you read that in Jeremiah 31, 31 and following, where it's called the New Covenant, where God calls them back, replaces their heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Now, Jesus is that branch. He's the one who's the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. Again, remember the words of Gabriel? to Mary and Luke, where he says, He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him his throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. It's going to happen. It's going to happen. And then verse 7 and 8 in Jeremiah 23, Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when they will no longer say, As Yahweh lives, who brought up sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as Yahweh lives, who brought up and brought back the seed of the household of Israel from the north and from the lands where he had banished them, they will live on their own soil. So they won't, when they get to this kingdom, they won't be looking back on that Exodus, they'll be looking upon, wow, we are now in the New Kingdom. This is now the fulfillment. This is the real deal. This is where it was all pointing. That's what this is saying in verse 7 and 8, that when this happens, there's no looking back. There's no looking back. This is what the nation has been wanting and waiting for for all these centuries now. Now, a big question, when will these come to pass? Well, the answer is, and I don't have a date, I mean, nothing you can mark on your calendar, but I think, again, Scripture's very clear. Following what is commonly called the tribulation period. And I'm looking at my notes and looking at the clock. And my wife. Okay, yeah, this could get interesting. Hey, it's the last one of the year, right? Very quickly, let's turn to Daniel chapter 9. Yes, oh boy, she says. I brought my peanut gallery along with me. This is one we'll have to go through real quick. And if you have any, many of you have heard this before, this passage. This could be very interesting, something maybe we could discuss over coffee at the meet and greet time. We can do that. 924 to 27 says, 70 weeks have been determined for your people. Remember, this is the angel Gabriel, by the way, speaking to Daniel the prophet. Seventy weeks have been determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy, to anoint the holy of holies. You are to know and have insight that from the going out of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be restored and rebuilt with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the 62 weeks, Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, and its end will come with a flood. Even to the end there will be a war. Desolations are decreed." Then verse 27 goes on, and he, that's a small h, will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will make a sacrifice of grain and offering, and on the wing of abominations he will come, one who makes desolate. Even until complete destruction, one that is decreed is poured out on those who make desolate." Piece of cake, right? perfectly understandable. Well, first thing, 70 weeks literally means 70 sevens. A week, heptad is the word, is a unit of measure that refers to seven things, okay? It would be compared to say like our term dozen, refers to what? Twelve things, like a dozen eggs, a dozen donuts, right? Twelve. So a heptad is a unit of measure referring to seven, so weeks. And these are weeks of years. Now, seventy-sevens, so seventy- of weeks, of years. Now, the 70 weeks are spoken of in three parts. Seven weeks in verse 25, which would equal 49 years. And then you have the 62 weeks, which would be 434 years, total 483. And then the one week in verse 27, which is seven years. So a total of 490 years, 70 weeks, 77. 70 times 7 is 490, right? Sure it is. You can do that one without a calculator. I know the homeschoolers can, right? Now, the purpose of these 70 weeks, the purpose of these 70 weeks is verse 24. And this is important. And if we get this much, we're doing very well. 70 weeks have been turned on your people and for your holy city to what? One, finish the transgression. What does that mean? We'll keep reading. To make an end of sin. To make atonement for iniquity. To bring in everlasting righteousness. To seal up vision and prophecy. And to anoint the holy of holies. Now, where are we moving with this? Again, 70 weeks. All 70 weeks are determined on Your people. Whose people? Whose Daniel's people? Jews. Israel. All 70. Not just the first 69, but all 70. And we already see now at the end of the 62-week period, which follows the first 70-week period, at the end of that period, what happens after, not even at the end of, but after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off. Messiah will be executed as a criminal. He's just gonna be executed, plain and simple, that's it. And that's what happened. If you, I can't go through all of it, but if you calculate the years, if you go from the decrees that were issued to, there was four possibilities, by the way, and the decrees that sent the captives back to their land, where Ezra and Nehemiah started rebuilding the city and the walls and so forth and so on, You know, Zerubbabel and the boys were all there and they all got it. That would represent that first group of seven weeks. And then the 62 weeks that followed would carry you all the way up into that time right around, right at Messiah's ministry. Okay? And then what happened when those weeks were completed? Messiah was cut off. So we can see Messiah being cut off. We know that happened, right? That's when He came. He died on the cross, cut off, executed like a criminal. So we know the first 69 are history. Wherever you want to put them in history, they're history. But in verse 27, there's still one week left. One thing we've got to go through though, back in 26, it ends where it says, the end will be with a war. Okay. The prince of those who will be to come. Well, who's the prince that came at that end of the 62 week period? Well, that was Rome. Rome had a hand in, matter of fact, they were the legal, they were the ones that actually legally put Christ to death. Yes, they did it at the behest of the Jewish leadership, but they had a hand in it. They did it. And what it calls about the desolations, the desolations that are decreed, what started with Rome? What happened in 70 AD? Remember? Rome, desecrated, just literally tore down the temple, the king's palaces, everything, just leveled the place, leveled it. And that was, it says, desolations, plural, are decreeing. The destruction and the killing of Jews at the hands of Rome in 70 AD was just the beginning, was just the beginning. Desolations against the Jewish people, I'm telling you, have been going on ever since. I mean, some of the big ones. How about the Holocaust back in the 30s? You know, Nazi Germany. And you can go back even before that. There was a lot of Jews slaughtered during the Crusades. And one of the most recent, how about October of last year? Okay? I mean, that's just going to happen. That's going to happen. And then verse 27, and here we find that final seven-year period where he will make a firm covenant with many for one week. Now who's he? Well, that's the prince of the power that will come. However, you notice there's a big gap of time here, seeing that that one week hasn't happened yet. That one week, that seven-year period, guess what that is? Guess what another name for that 70th week is? It's a seven-year period called the, starts with a T, Tribulation Period. Okay? It totally fits with what Scripture teaches. It's there. And I'll tell you, and one thing again, too, I know that people are concerned about where in time do you place the rapture. Based upon what we read here in Daniel, There's only one spot that really makes sense. It has to happen prior to this 70th week. The church had no part in the first 69. What makes people think it's going to have a big thing in the 70th? Because all 70 weeks are determined upon your people, Daniel. Israel. Your people. So it makes sense that the church is pulled out before, and what happens? God turns His attention back to Israel and calls them back. Calls them back. That's why when you read in the book of Revelation, you read things like 144,000 Jews, 12 from each tribe. 12,000 from each tribe, or 10,000 from each tribe. Because they're calling them back. They're calling them back. They're calling them back. Now, what do I skip? After the tribulation period then, let's look at what just ended up in Revelation 19. Just in case you're not confused enough, let's go to Revelation 19. Actually, this might help straighten a few things out. Revelation, again, contrary to some opinion, Revelation does flow in historical order. most of its future history, but it's in order. And it goes and flows in the perfect order with things like Zechariah. It's in order. Now, Revelation 19 Now the events of the tribulation period are covered, and that's not everything, but they're covered in Revelation from chapter 6 through chapter 19. If you want to know what happens in that period, it's right there. Right there. By the way, all the conversation about the church ends, I think, by the time you get to chapter 4. The church isn't even thought of anymore, not even mentioned. Now, Revelation 19 verse 11 to 16, you have their second coming. And I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse. And he who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and righteous he judges and wages war. His ire is a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, having a name written in him which no one knows except himself, and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. You know, John 1, right? In the beginning was the Word. Well, here it is, the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed with fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. And from his mouth comes a sharp sword that may strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winepress of his wrath and the rage of God the Almighty. And he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. And I think we all know who that is. If we move through, I'm not going to read it, but in chapter 20 verses one through six, you have Satan imprisoned and he's prisoned for 1000 years. And I believe it's in that 1000 year period where the nation is brought back All the covenants are restored, the Abrahamic covenant, the land covenant, the Davidic covenant about Christ and the King, all those covenants restored. And the new covenant, especially the new covenant where 100% of Israel in that thousand year period will be God's people. 100% will be saved. Every one of them, Jeremiah 31, 31 and following. Well, I thought the scripture says that, wait a minute, but the Bible says that kingdom lasts forever and ever. How come you put a thousand year period? I didn't put a thousand year limit on it. That thousand years is the first installment of that kingdom that lasts forever. That's all, that's all that is. That's the first installment. It goes on forever. It just starts there. It starts there. Matter of fact, you go on through there in Revelation 20, verse seven to 10, you've got Satan released, thrown in the lake of fire. You've got the great white throne judgment. After that, the end of chapter 20, and then something else happens. You've got, in chapter 21 through 22.6, you've got the new heaven and new earth, and all of God's people throughout all the ages will be there. Matter of fact, I'm gonna end with this, Revelation 21, verses 10 through 14, where it says, And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God." Here you've got a... John is given a look as to what this event is going to look like. Okay, where are they? Yeah. Verse 11 goes on to say, having the glory of God, her brilliance was like the precious stones of crystal clear jasper, and it had a great and high wall, and it had 12 gates, and those gates, 12 angels, and the names have been written in those gates, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel. Verse 13, there were three gates on the east, and three gates on the north, and three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Okay, that's 12. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. So we have Israel and the church all there, one big happy family, okay? And there we are, for eternity. And you have to read the rest of Rome, that's quite a description of what that city is going to look like. But like I say, you know, again, you go back to the fall, you know, man fell, and in pronouncing judgment, God also started pronouncing redemption. Remember the seed of the woman? That's going to one day crush the serpent's head. Well, we see the very end of it here where Satan's going to wind up in the lake of fire forever and ever and ever. And those of us who believe will eventually wind up in the new heaven and the new earth really basking in his glory that's going to shine all over the place. And that is the future of our Messiah, Israel, and the church. It's going to be one big, beautiful eternity with God. Let's close in prayer. Our Father and our God, we thank you, Lord, for this time you've given us. And Lord, too, we thank You for what You have in store for us in the future. And again, Lord, we know that like so many out there, we are deserving of nothing. But yet, by Your grace, You reach down and Pulled us into your literally pulled us into your kingdom and again Lord. We just thank you so much for the grace that you've abounded Torah toward us and may we as your Servants as your slaves may we work for you and may we again show our appreciation? By doing your bidding in Jesus name amen