Ray Edwards 7 Mountain Introduction: PowerPoint slide information: 1. Taking Back Tomorrow Introducing the Seven Mountains 2. The Seven Mountains The Leading Sectors Of Society Family Religion Education Economy Government Arts (Media/Celebration) 3. A Few Modest Proposals First Is The Full Gospel Of Grace & Truth Salvation vs. the Kingdom Left Behind Theology Is Wrong We re Not Waiting For The Antichrist The World Is Not Getting Worse Satan Is Not Taking Over We Need A Victorious Eschatology 4. The Full Gospel Of Grace And Truth More Than Good Fire Insurance 5. You: Destined To Reign For if by the one man s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 6. It Is Finished. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Hebrews 10:11 7. What Part of Finished Don t We Understand? But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:12 14 8. Hold Fast To Hope Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19 23
9. Who Convicts Us? And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:7 11 10. The Accuser John 8:2 11 Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Revelation 12:10 11. Eschatology Matters Futuristic View: Matthew 24 and Revelation fulfilled in the future. Partial Preterist or Victorious View : Matthew 24 and Revelation fulfillment partly in the past, partly in the future. 12. In Simple Terms Pessimistic View: evil increases until Satan takes over the economic and religious systems. Victorious View: the church will rise in unity and glory before the return of our Lord. 13. Worth Noting The Pessimistic View is relatively new and began to take root in 1909, with the publication of the Scofield reference Bible. Most leading preachers, teachers and reformers held the Victorious View. 14. Matthew 24: the Olivet discourse Now as He sat on the mount of olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? Matthew 24:3 15. Question #1 When Will These Things Be? Are these things the precedents to the Second Coming and the End of the World? Matthew 23 sets the stage. all these things will come upon this generation. DID THEY? 16. Judgment for Jerusalem A.D. 70 Jerusalem is destroyed. 20,000 Roman soldiers under Titus starved the city for four months. Then they slaughtered 1,000,000 Jews They burned the Temple They led 97,000 Jews into captivity 60 years later the Temple was destroyed stone by stone, and the land plowed over!
17. Other Prophecies Of Jesus About These Things False Christs - Matthew 24:4 5 Many so-called messiahs rose and fell after Jesus Wars and rumors of wars - Matthew 24:7 The Pax Romana was broken, Jews were slain, 4 Roman emperors were murdered in 18 months and Civil War broke out in Rome. Famines - Acts 11:28 30, etc. Earthquakes - when Jesus died, when He rose, other earthquakes in Jerusalem, in Pompeii and others all over the Roman Empire 18. Other Prophecies Of Jesus About These Things Birth Pangs (Matthew 24:9) Persecution (Matthew 24:9) Started with the Jewish religious leaders and Saul (Acts 8:1), and came to include the government (Acts 12:1), and intensified after the burning of Rome. The historian Tacitus records the horrible persecutions of Christians, including all manner of brutal torture. Apostasy and False Prophets (Matthew 24:10 13) First were the Judaizers, then came the Gnostics. John wrote about them (1 John 4:1) and so did Peter (2 Peter 2:1) Preaching the Gospel (Matthew 24:14, Romans 1:8, Romans 10:18, Romans 16: 25 26, Colossians 1:5 6, Colossians 1:23) The Coming Destruction (Matthew 24:15 20) Clearly the coming destruction of AD 70 19. The Abomination Of Desolation Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Matthew 24:15 16 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Mark 13:14 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. Luke 21:20 21 20. The Abomination Of Desolation After sixty-two weeks - Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood. And til the end of the war desolations are determined Daniel 9:26 21. Confirmation From The Parallel Gospels Question #1: When will these things happen? Question #2: What will be the sign of your coming? Question #3: What about the end of the age? Neither Mark nor Luke contain last two questions (they are ONLY asking about the destruction of the Temple.)
22. Question #2 What will be the sign of your coming? The disciples were in a Messiah Mindset They expected an earthly ruler soon When will you reveal yourself as King? When did that happen? Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. - Matthew 16:28 And he said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God present with power. - Mark 9:1 23. Jesus answers question #2 Immediately Matthew 24:29 Pretty clear timeframe The Sign of the Son of Man - Matthew 24:30 A sign - an indication that Jesus made it and He is on His throne in heaven. Signs of Judgment - Matthew 24:29 Jewish idiom for governing authorities with the sun moon and stars. 24. Sun, Moon, And Stars Joseph prophesies his being raised above those in authority: Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. Listen, he said, I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me. Genesis 37:9 Ezekiel prophesies his judgment and destruction for Egypt: When I put out your light. I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud. And the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you. And bring darkness upon your land says the Lord God. Ezekiel 32:7-8 25. Jesus answers question #2 The Son Of Man In Glory (Matthew 24:30) The sign (the destruction of Jerusalem) caused the tribes (of Israel) in all the land (the Promised Land) to mourn. This event (the Son of Man coming on clouds of the sky) was to happen in Heaven just as Daniel prophesied in Dan 7:13-14 The Angels Gathering The Elect (Matthew 24:31) The word gather means to synagogue. Christ s messengers gather his people (through the gospel), the old Temple is destroyed in favor of the new, which is the church. The church exploded in growth after Jerusalem fell. The Fig Tree: Watch For The Signs (Matthew 24:32 33) all the signs mentioned in the verses is what he was just speaking of. This Generation (Matthew 24:34) within the lifetime of the disciples living at that time.
26. Question #3 What about the end of the age? There is a transition taking place in verse 35 Jesus begins speaking of that day That day, the day and the hour, the Great Day, the last day, and the day refers to the Final Judgment Day (Matt 7:22, Luke 10:12, John 6:39, John 12:48, Rom 2:16, 1 Cor 1:8; 3:13; 5:5, 2 Thes 1:10) 27. Jesus answers question #3 No One Knows When (Matthew 24:36) it will be a surprise, Jesus doesn t know, the Angels don t know, only the Father knows. As The Days Of Noah (Matthew 24:17 19) Worldly life will take up people s attention and suddenly Jesus will arrive. As Two Men In A Field, A Thief In The Night (Matthew 24:40 44) Another example of being caught by surprise. As A Master Returning (Matthew 24:45 51) A warning to be prepared. 10 Virgins Waiting (Matthew 25:1 13) Be ready for his return at any hour. As Servants With Talents (Matthew 25:14 30) A warning to be productive in the Master s service and indication of great delay. The Great Judgment (Matthew 25:31 45) The separation of those who perish from those who inherit eternal life. 28. Pop quiz: which view is most like Jesus? The Futuristic View The world is getting worse and worse and soon the devil will take over the economic and religious systems and the antichrist will come into power. The Victorious View The world is getting better and better, the kingdom of God is here and will continue to expand until it takes over the whole world. 29. PROOF 200 Years Ago There were 5 million immigrants in the United States, many of them slaves The age of sexual consent in most places in the US was 10 One out of five pregnancies was aborted Alcoholism rates were higher than they are today as were prostitution rates Native Americans were displaced and murdered and their land stolen Chinese people were forced into labor camps to build railroads Murder was commonplace 30. PROOF 2,000 Years Ago The Roman Empire brutally dominated the world 40% of the population were slaves Homosexuality was commonplace Roman people worshiped many gods Human sacrifices, public murder for sport, all kinds of sexuality immorality was the rule and not the exception One historian said few people in these days have an adequate conception of the misery and degradation which was in the common lot of all mankind, the monstrous wickedness of the times, the continual wars, the cruelties of political despotism, and of everywhere prevailing slavery.
31. TODAY The gospel is being preached all around the globe Lifespans and quality of life are much better than 2,000 or even 200 years ago More than 200,000 people have become Christians every day Christians represent the largest block of people on earth, over 2 billion people Knowledge and wisdom are increasing exponentially It s harder for people to hide, thanks to the Internet There are more Bibles in more languages than ever before in the history of man The church is moving to influence society through the 7 Mountains 32. Daniel 2 You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 33. Futurist Daniel 2 (Modified visual aid) Jesus, the Rock returns and establishes His Kingdom on Earth 4 Earthly Kingdoms BC 0 AD 2,000 7 years of Tribulation Kingdom on Earth for 1,000 Years 34. Victorious Daniel 2 (Modified visual aid) Jesus, the Rock, came and established His Kingdom on Earth 4 Earthly Kingdoms BC 0 AD 2,000 God s Kingdom Growing In The Earth 35. We All Agree On Verse 24 24 Seventy weeks are determined For your people and your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
36. Daniel s 70 Weeks 25 Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be build up again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 37. Daniel s 70 Weeks 26 And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the Prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood. And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 38. Daniel s 70 Weeks 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate. 39. Agreed: Daniels 70 Weeks The Holy City Jerusalem Experiences 70 Weeks Of Favor 70 Weeks equals 490 Years. Prophetic language of the time show that weeks equal weeks of years. 70 7 = 490. (See Gen 29:27; Lev 25:8; Num 14:34; Ez 4:4 6) Three Periods 7 weeks (49 years); 62 weeks (434 years); 1 week (7 years) This Generation (Matthew 24:34) Within the lifetime of the disciples living at that time. 40. The First 69 Weeks The First 483 Years Predicted period from the time of the order to rebuild the Temple and the coming of Messiah. FULFILLED: In 457 BC Artaxerxes made the decree (Ezr 7:12 26). Add 480 years and we come to 27 A.D. FULFILLED: Christ is born in 4 BC making him 30 in 27 AD. It was in 27 AD Jesus was baptized, and God spoke from heaven, and Messiah was here. FULFILLED: Jesus was cut off just as predicted in verse 26. FULFILLED: The people of the Prince (the Romans) would destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple), desolations and the end coming as a flood (see similar language in Matthew 24 and Luke 21) As it all came to pass in AD 70.
41. Futurist View Of Daniel s 70 th Week (Modified visual aid) Decree To Free The Jews Jesus Resurrected In 27 Ad The Antichrist Will Put an End To The Sacrifices In The Middle of the 7 Years 7 Years Time 457 BC 0 2,000 60 Weeks = 483 Years Daniel s 70 th Week 42. Is There A Gap Between 69 And 70? The he is Jesus Himself. Jesus (not the anti-christ ) put a stop to the system of sacrifice and offerings at the end of his 3½ year ministry (half a week ). The Jews had the full seven years of favor! They had Messiah with them for 3.5 years and for the next 3.5 years the Word was preached to them. At the end of the 70 th week Stephen gave a clear presentation of the gospel to the Jews (among them the High Priest Acts 7:1). They rejected Jesus and stoned Stephen. Then came the Gentiles! Saul was commissioned as Apostle to the Gentiles. Peter was shown that the Lord had declared the Gentiles were no longer unclean. 43. Victorious View Of Daniel 9 (Modified visual aid) Jesus Puts Gospel Released To The Gentiles An End To the Sacrifices In The Middle Of the 7 Years Time 457 BC 0 2,000 60 Weeks = 483 Yrs Daniel s 70 th Week 44. Revelation In One Slide (Sort Of) (Modified visual aid) Book of Revelation 7-11 12-14 15-19 21-22 Judgment of the Jews Judgment of the Roman Empire Judgment of the Whole World Time New Heaven New Earth 0 70 500 2,000 45. Our Mission: Victory! All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18 20