1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Things real quick, we will not make it very far this evening. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,400 That's okay, Lord Willem, we always have next Wednesday. 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:15,400 So the stuff that we're going over right now, I would never go over on a Sunday morning 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,360 because that's not the purpose of a Sunday morning, but Wednesday is a time when we can 5 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:25,440 grow and learn more and deepen our knowledge of Scripture and our understanding of redemptive 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:26,440 history. 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:33,440 If you'll remember, we're going through the different views of the end times because this 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:34,440 is the purpose. 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,520 We said that your view of the end times greatly influences how you read Revelation. 10 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,800 So if you have one view, you're going to read Revelation one way, but if you hold to a different 11 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,120 view, well then you're going to read Revelation a different way. 12 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,560 And so how you think about the end times, it actually really greatly influences how you 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,560 understand and read the book of Revelation. 14 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,840 And last week, we started talking about the rapture. 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,360 Y'all remember that from last week? 16 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:01,720 Of course, you remember everything I said. 17 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,440 So you know it, but we talked about the rapture and we started looking at dispensationalism 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:12,640 because we said it's a premillennial position and so we need to start with the premillennials 19 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,200 and then we'll make it down to the postmillennials. 20 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:16,640 You started at the beginning, right? 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:21,040 So dispensationalism and we were talking about their view of the rapture and you remember 22 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,920 they have the view of the rapture of what's commonly known as like a secret rapture or 23 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:26,920 an invisible rapture. 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:32,080 There's a lot of different nomenclature for it, but basically Jesus returns partway, 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,920 you remember, to the clouds and he calls up the church. 26 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:39,080 So any Christian on earth disappears, they meet Jesus in the clouds, he takes them back 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:44,640 to heaven and then starts the time of the seven year tribulation. 28 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,900 And so we said we just kind of want to go in order of events according to the view, right? 29 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:53,520 So if the rapture is the first event, what's the second event? 30 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,840 Yeah, someone said it, tribulation, right, yeah, absolutely. 31 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:03,920 So tonight we're going to be talking about the tribulation because this is something 32 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,760 we need to understand. 33 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:10,640 You can hold to whatever view you want of the end times, it does not matter to me, I 34 00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:13,640 just want to make sure you back it up with Scripture. 35 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:18,800 I respect every single person who has a view and they back it up biblically and with Scripture 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,160 and they are convinced by Scripture, I have the utmost respect for you. 37 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:28,000 The problem is we're living in a culture today where a lot of Christians just believe something 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,600 but they don't necessarily know why they believe it, right? 39 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,920 They might believe it because they heard it growing up or it's what they've always thought, 40 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:38,200 it's what they've always been told, it's what they were exposed to, but if you were to ask 41 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,240 them hey, you believe this, can you show me in Scripture, they might not be able to point 42 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:43,240 it out, right? 43 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,960 They might not even know where to go in order to defend or prove their own beliefs. 44 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,920 So we need to make sure that whatever we believe comes from the Bible and can be defended 45 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:53,160 by Scripture. 46 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,800 So we come to the idea of the tribulation. 47 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,200 How long, man, I already gave the answer away, how long does the tribulation last? 48 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,080 Seven years, you bunch of scholars, you got it. 49 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:04,320 Seven year tribulation. 50 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:11,560 So the question is where does the idea of a seven year tribulation come from? 51 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:17,200 Now I specifically did not have you open up to the book of Revelation, anybody know why? 52 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,400 Well, yes, because we're going to Daniel. 53 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,800 So you can be turning to Daniel chapter 9 if you want. 54 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:30,280 But it's because there is nothing in Revelation that specifically mentions a seven year tribulation 55 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:31,280 period. 56 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,680 The word tribulation is used a number of times, but there is no specific seven year tribulation 57 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,880 period mentioned in Revelation. 58 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:45,480 In fact, that phrase, the great tribulation, it only occurs three times in Scripture. 59 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,600 It occurs in Matthew 24, 21. 60 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:54,320 It occurs in Revelation chapter 2, verse 22, and then Revelation 7, 14. 61 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,400 But that's just the phrase, great tribulation. 62 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,840 It doesn't say a seven year tribulation will take place at this point. 63 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:05,240 So where, you bunch of scholars, where does the idea of a seven year tribulation come 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,560 from? 65 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,520 The book of Daniel. 66 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:10,840 That's right, good job guys. 67 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:11,840 The book of Daniel. 68 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,760 But this is where the idea of the seven year tribulation comes from. 69 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,840 So if you have your Bibles, you're going to want to be looking at this because this is 70 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:24,040 notoriously one of the easiest sections of Scripture to understand. 71 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,840 Everybody gets it first glance, okay? 72 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,480 If you know this section, you know that's not true. 73 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:36,960 But starting in verse 24, Daniel chapter 9, verse 24, this is what the Bible says. 74 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:45,560 70 weeks are decreed about your people in your holy city to finish the transgression, 75 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:51,920 to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to 76 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:57,600 seal both vision and profit into anoint a most holy place. 77 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:03,160 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the Word to restore and build 78 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:11,520 Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince there shall be seven weeks. 79 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:17,840 Then for 62 weeks, it shall be built again with squares and a moat, but in a troubled 80 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:19,120 time. 81 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:24,840 And after the 62 weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. 82 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:30,480 And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city in the sanctuary. 83 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:36,120 This end shall come with a flood and to the end there shall be war. 84 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:42,000 Desolations are decreed, and he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week. 85 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,520 And for half of the week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. 86 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:52,600 And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate until the decreed end 87 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,080 is poured out on the desolator. 88 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,000 Do we even need to explain it? 89 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,280 It's not dry, right? 90 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:03,560 There's a lot of stuff going on here, right? 91 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,160 So let's just try to break it down and remember it's important. 92 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:09,160 Context is king. 93 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:14,160 Whenever you're reading the Bible, remember that phrase, context is king. 94 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,520 Context matters, okay? 95 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:22,240 So the context of this vision occurs in a famous passage of scripture, Daniel chapter 96 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,840 nine, which is a notorious, a famous prayer of Daniel. 97 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:27,920 It's a prayer of repentance. 98 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:35,840 And he's praying this in light of Jeremiah's prophecy about the exile time lasting 70 years. 99 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:38,200 You remember that from the book of Jeremiah? 100 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:43,200 Well Daniel even starts in Daniel nine verses one and two, and he says that he's praying 101 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,440 this prayer in according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet. 102 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,000 So he heard the prophecy of Jeremiah. 103 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,680 He understood the exile would last 70 years and he offers his prayer. 104 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:57,960 And we don't have time to go through the prayer, but he's praying a prayer of repentance on 105 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,600 behalf of the people because they were the guilty ones. 106 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:07,160 They sinned against God and their exile was a right and just punishment from God for their 107 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:08,160 sins. 108 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:13,800 But at this point, the exile has lasted about 66 years. 109 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,960 And he just heard from Jeremiah that the exile is going to last 70 years. 110 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:24,440 And so he realizes that the exile time is nearly over and he begins to pray that God 111 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:31,200 would restore Jerusalem, that the temple would be rebuilt and that God's people would be 112 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,000 a restored people. 113 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,400 And so that's the context of this prayer. 114 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,440 So you have to understand that as fun as it is to dig into end time stuff and to look 115 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:44,160 at charts and whatnot and try to map it out, you have to understand that this vision about 116 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:50,680 the 70 weeks is a direct answer from God concerning the prayer of Daniel for the restoration of 117 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,000 Jerusalem, the temple and the people of God. 118 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,000 That's the context. 119 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,120 That is why we have this. 120 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,000 And I want you to notice you have it on your sheet there. 121 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:05,320 There are six purposes to the 70 weeks, right? 122 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:11,040 You see them there on handout number one that is not labeled handout number one, but you 123 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:12,320 see the six purposes. 124 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:20,040 This is the whole reason for the 70 weeks to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, 125 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:26,800 to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal vision and profit, 126 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,440 to anoint a most holy place. 127 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:36,680 And so if we're trying to think about the 70 periods of seven, the 70 weeks, it'd probably 128 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:41,360 be a good question to ask, when did they start? 129 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:42,840 Wouldn't that be good to know? 130 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:43,840 When did they start? 131 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,160 If there's going to be 70 weeks and all this stuff is happening, well, when did they start? 132 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,880 Well, this is what the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 36-23. 133 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,320 I don't think I wrote that down so you can make a note of that. 134 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,320 2 Chronicles 36-23. 135 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:05,840 Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms 136 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:13,440 of the earth and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 137 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:21,680 Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him, let him go 138 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:22,680 up. 139 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:24,400 And so notice what is happening here. 140 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:32,040 Cyrus is issuing this decree that the people are free to return to the land and begin to 141 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,440 rebuild the temple and the city and make their own place again. 142 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:51,200 That's the decree that's going out here and that happened in 538 BC. 143 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:57,400 So 538 BC is when Cyrus issued his decree. 144 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:02,200 And so you have to understand that because this is the decree that frees the people to 145 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:07,360 return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple, it marks the end of the 70 years 146 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:14,720 of exile as well as the beginning of Daniel's 70 weeks. 147 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,320 So it would seem. 148 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,760 But dispensationalists, most of them, you could have, again, there are variants with 149 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:22,760 every single position. 150 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:27,520 In general, most dispensationalists would say, well, that's not actually the decree that 151 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,000 marks the 70 weeks. 152 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:37,240 Instead, they would say that the 70 weeks begin with the 20th year of art exertcies 153 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:47,760 in the year, I'll put it here, 444 to basically, forget the year, doing it backwards, 445 154 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,960 to 444 BC. 155 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:56,520 That was when art exertcies was in his 20th year and he issued a decree to go back and 156 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,920 actually begin to rebuild the city, not just the temple. 157 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:06,280 And so if you do a little math here, and I've given you a little math there on your sheet 158 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,480 because I know personally everybody loves math. 159 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,520 So here's what happens. 160 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,480 Dispensationalists will say, OK, we have 70 periods of seven or 70 weeks. 161 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:18,960 You following me here? 162 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,320 And they say, well, we need to make sense of that. 163 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,440 And so basically it equals a year. 164 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:31,040 So if you have 70 times seven and they're all years, that equals, anybody can do math, 165 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,080 490 years. 166 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:40,720 And so here's the cool math of this is if you basically go from art exertcies, hard to say, 167 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:52,640 if you go from his decree and you go 490 years that way, you end up at AD 32, specifically 168 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,480 in the spring. 169 00:11:54,480 --> 00:12:00,320 What might have happened in the spring of AD 32? 170 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,240 But right the like a week before, just back it up a week. 171 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,740 What happened a week? 172 00:12:06,740 --> 00:12:07,740 That's right. 173 00:12:07,740 --> 00:12:08,740 Died for our sentence. 174 00:12:08,740 --> 00:12:12,440 He entered into Jerusalem, the triumphal entry. 175 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:18,000 So the cool thing about this position and the math that they're able to do here is if 176 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,560 you go 490 years from art exertcies and you go all the way forward, you end up in the 177 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:30,240 spring of AD 32, which could have been when Jesus entered Jerusalem during Holy Week before 178 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,520 he would die on the cross for our sins. 179 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:40,240 And so basically if you just look at our nifty little chart here, you have the decree to 180 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:47,440 rebuild. 181 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:52,960 And then you have the 69 week period that has to take place because remember it said 182 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:57,960 there was going to be seven years that passed and then 62 more years and then that equals 183 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,160 69. 184 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:07,720 Then you have the coming of the Messiah. 185 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:16,360 Then you have the death of the Messiah. 186 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:27,720 You have the destruction of Jerusalem. 187 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,000 Then this isn't on your chart so you'll have to add it. 188 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,080 You have the rapture. 189 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:36,200 So remember the church goes up, Christ comes down, they meet here in the middle and then 190 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,640 they are transported back for the duration of this. 191 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,920 But then you have the beginning of the seven year tribulation period. 192 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:51,040 And that they say is going to account for the last week of the 70 weeks. 193 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,120 This would be week 70 here. 194 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,720 So if you want to just put a 70, this is week 70. 195 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,440 And this is going to be the anti-Christ. 196 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,200 And then this is Jesus coming again. 197 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:14,560 So this is essentially the dispensationalist view of the 70 weeks. 198 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,120 So it begins with art exerties. 199 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,080 You have the 69 weeks that pass. 200 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,640 You have the coming of the Messiah specifically entering into Jerusalem. 201 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,240 You have Jesus dying on the cross. 202 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:32,320 You have the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the rapture, anti-Christ, Jesus coming 203 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,440 back. 204 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:35,480 This is an important part here. 205 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:41,120 This ongoing gap time slash church age, one of the ways that they try to account for everything 206 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:46,560 because there are 70 weeks to account for is that they'd say well 69 weeks have passed 207 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:47,680 here. 208 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,720 And this is the beginning of the 70th week. 209 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:58,680 So they propose that there is a gap time here in between the 69th week and the 70th week 210 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,960 that compromises the entire church age. 211 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,960 So 69 weeks pass. 212 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,120 There's a gap time. 213 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:07,720 That's the entire church age. 214 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,440 And then you had the beginning of the 70th week. 215 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:20,160 And I believe that is a fair representation of the dispensationalist view of the 70 weeks. 216 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,520 And so during that time, you just think about a few things that happen. 217 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:29,000 We remember the six purposes we just talked about of the 70 weeks. 218 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,680 Most of them would say that almost all of those purposes are going to be fulfilled at 219 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,680 a future time, maybe even during the millennium itself. 220 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:41,840 They would say that the destruction of the city that we read about in verses 26 through 221 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:48,360 27, it refers to the Roman destruction that happened to Jerusalem in 8070. 222 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:55,320 They would say that an antichrist is to come at a later time, at some point in the future, 223 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,520 you know, during the tribulation time. 224 00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,840 And then this is how they reconcile these verses. 225 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:04,960 They'll say that the antichrist is to come and he's going to arise out of anybody know 226 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:12,280 what city or territory, kingdom he's going to rise out of. 227 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,360 Babylon or Rome, there are two different views on that. 228 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,680 So it could be Babylon, could be Rome, but a newly revived Babylon or Rome. 229 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,120 The antichrist rises to power. 230 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,440 There's like a one world order type situation going on. 231 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,600 It says that he would make a covenant with the Jews. 232 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,680 During this time period, the Jews would rebuild the temple. 233 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:32,880 They would anoint the temple. 234 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:37,240 They would reinstate the sacrificial system and sacrificial offerings. 235 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:41,280 But then halfway through that seven year period, what happens? 236 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,960 Well, he doesn't die at this point, but he breaks the covenant. 237 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,520 He breaks the covenant with Israel and the Jewish people. 238 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:53,560 And then he persecutes the Jews fiercely until Jesus returns at the end of the seven year 239 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,840 tribulation period where he then binds Satan. 240 00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,200 Pretty cut and dry, right? 241 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,200 Yeah. 242 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:01,200 So you just break it down. 243 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,160 He makes sense of it, right? 244 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:07,720 So I want you to notice everything that we just talked about. 245 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,080 Is all of this based on Scripture? 246 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:15,880 Yes, it is a view and I want to be fair. 247 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:22,880 They try to read Scripture and make the best sense of it and propose this as a solution 248 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:23,880 to what they read. 249 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:24,880 So let's be fair. 250 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,560 Again, still man other people's position. 251 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,040 It is a biblical position. 252 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,520 However, I do think that we could offer some critiques. 253 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,840 So first of all, I would say, do you remember one of the key components of dispensational 254 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:37,840 lessons? 255 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:43,680 One of the key characteristics is to interpret everything, remember, literally, right? 256 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:49,280 So you interpret everything as literally as possible at all times. 257 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,920 The problem is a couple of things. 258 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:58,240 Like for one, where it says in the beginning, verse 24 there, 70 weeks are decreed about 259 00:17:58,240 --> 00:17:59,960 your people in your holy city. 260 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:03,640 Well, the problem is, as you can see, I wrote it out in Hebrew for you so you don't even 261 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:04,640 need me to fill it in. 262 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,000 But it doesn't actually say weeks. 263 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:14,280 It says 77s, which is really difficult when you're reading Hebrew and you're like, alright, 264 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,040 77s are ordained for you. 265 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,200 And you're like, well, what does that mean? 266 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:26,840 You have to initially begin asking the question, well, what does this 7 represent? 267 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:33,160 Hours, days, weeks, months, years, could be any of them because it literally just says 268 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,440 77s are ordained for you. 269 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:37,440 So that's one thing. 270 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,680 So, initially, right at the start, if you're a dispensationalist and you want to interpret 271 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,840 everything literally, you can't because it never says year. 272 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:51,360 You have to be the one to propose that a 7 represents a year to get to the 490 years 273 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:54,640 that goes along with their view here. 274 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,280 So that's one thing. 275 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:02,840 But then another thing about this, and if we're thinking literally here, it's hard to imagine, 276 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:11,640 so just track with me, it's hard to imagine that this would be 69 or basically 483, 490, 277 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:17,000 depending on how you do the math and where you start it, it's hard to imagine these being 278 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:22,280 490 literal years, although the math looked really good, though, didn't it? 279 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,920 I mean, if you started in a certain place, you ended in a certain place, that looks good. 280 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:26,920 That's appealing, is it not? 281 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,120 We can all agree on that. 282 00:19:29,120 --> 00:19:36,480 But if this is 490 literal years, what happens here? 283 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:43,240 Why do we go from being literal here to symbolic here back to literal here? 284 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:44,840 We have to come up with that, don't we? 285 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:48,080 We have to be the ones to impose that on that system. 286 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,920 And so you start off with, again, 490 literal years, but then you go to an indefinite period 287 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:54,920 of time. 288 00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:00,480 Currently we're at 2,000 plus years right now in this period, and so not literal years 289 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:01,480 anymore. 290 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:08,080 Then for this final week, we go back to seven literal years, one week equals seven years. 291 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,600 So if you're trying to interpret this literally, that doesn't really mesh, does it? 292 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,800 You have to choose what's literal and what's not within the same system, and so a week 293 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,600 represents something in verse this, but not verse this. 294 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:20,600 You see what I mean? 295 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:21,600 Makes sense? 296 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:26,280 It's going back and forth between literalism and being symbolic. 297 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:34,200 So the other thing here is that the dates are not as precise as we want them to be. 298 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:40,080 For instance, if you start with the coming of Jesus about 80-30 or 80-32, somewhere around 299 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:45,280 there when he's going into public ministry or entering into Jerusalem, and you work backwards, 300 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:50,440 you come to a date of about 453 BC. 301 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,080 Write that down because we have a lot of room. 302 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,240 453 BC is where you would end up if you're working back. 303 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,520 You're working backwards from 80-30 or 32. 304 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,440 And that's very close in time to the ministry of Ezra and Nehemiah. 305 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,800 And you remember that Ezra was primarily rebuilt in the temple, Nehemiah primarily rebuilt 306 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,720 in the city, and that ministry going on of rebuilding. 307 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:17,520 But notice here that we see Gabriel saying that the Restoration is going to begin with 308 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,400 the end of the 70 weeks. 309 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:25,240 And assuming that these weeks are literal, you come in close proximity to art exercies, 310 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,880 but not exactly. 311 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:33,320 And you discover that throughout the prophecy of Daniel and Ezra and Nehemiah, the original 312 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:40,680 decree to leave and go back to rebuild the city and rebuild the temple and restore the 313 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:45,960 nation of Israel, it was not art exercies who was first, it was Cyrus. 314 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,840 And you see that on your sheet, that Cyrus was actually, he gave the original decree 315 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,040 to go back in 538 BC. 316 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,520 Now, there is an objection here because a dispensationalist might say, well, the decree 317 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:06,160 of Cyrus specifically pertained to rebuilding the temple, but not necessarily the city. 318 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,920 Okay, fair objection. 319 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:13,440 But keep in mind that the Israelites hardly made any distinction between the temple and 320 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:14,440 the city. 321 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:19,600 The temple was the center of city life, and the city was what brought people, or the temple 322 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,120 is what brought people to the city. 323 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:25,360 The city fueled the temple, the temple fueled the city, the two were inseparable. 324 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:30,000 And if you want another idea of this, just to prove it, look how Daniel starts his prayer 325 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,080 in chapter 9 verse 2. 326 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:38,440 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books of numbers of years 327 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:43,800 that according to the word of the Lord of Jeremiah, the prophet must pass before what? 328 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:49,080 Before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. 329 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:54,320 So in Daniel's mind, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he saw that with the end 330 00:22:54,320 --> 00:23:00,360 of the 70 years of exile came also the end of the desolations to Jerusalem, meaning it 331 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:03,360 would begin to be rebuilt at that time. 332 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:09,120 So there is no hard and fast distinction between rebuilding the city and rebuilding the temple, 333 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:13,280 the two go together in the Israelite mind. 334 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:19,240 So if you think about this idea that we're proposing here with the dispensationalist 335 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:24,440 view, the dispensationalist, remember, would say that during the seven year tribulation 336 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:30,080 time, after the Antichrist makes a covenant with the Jewish people, that they're going 337 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:35,840 to rebuild the temple and re-institute sacrificial offerings, right? 338 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:41,200 But do you also remember that the dispensationalist said that the seven year tribulation time 339 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,160 was for the purpose of bringing the Jewish people to Christ, that they might understand 340 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,160 the gospel and receive Jesus as their Messiah? 341 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:52,560 Well, why would we think there's going to be a future temple when the Bible clearly 342 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,320 says that in heaven there is no temple? 343 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:56,680 God is the temple. 344 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,440 Why would we reinstate offerings and sacrifices when the Bible clearly states in the book 345 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:07,440 of Hebrews that Jesus offered himself once for all times, and there is therefore now 346 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,160 no more sacrifice or offering for sin? 347 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,880 If they go and reinstate all this, that's pushing them further away from Christ, not 348 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,880 drawing them to Christ. 349 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,360 And so it's hard to imagine that there's going to be another temple and more sacrifices 350 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:26,920 and offerings when Christ has already died once for all time. 351 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,440 And then you remember they said that there's going to be an anointing of the temple, right? 352 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,600 That they're going to rebuild the temple, they're going to anoint it. 353 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,920 Well the problem is there's no place in all of Scripture where the temple is ever anointed. 354 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:40,520 You didn't anoint the temple. 355 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,160 You never had the power to imagine you would begin at that time. 356 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:49,160 And then this idea that the Antichrist is making a covenant with the people of Israel. 357 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,640 Does anybody see a problem with that? 358 00:24:51,640 --> 00:25:00,240 Anything you can think of biblically or to give you a hint linguistically? 359 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,000 Who has their Bibles open to Daniel 9 still? 360 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,240 Okay, not you. 361 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,240 Who's using a KJV? 362 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:09,840 Anybody have a KJV on them? 363 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:10,840 Daniel 9? 364 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:11,840 Yeah. 365 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,840 All right, yeah, yeah. 366 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:20,000 All right, when you get there, go to I think, yeah, verse 27 and just read the first part 367 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,000 of verse 27. 368 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:26,960 Have you chosen a covenant covenant that's made for one reason? 369 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:28,360 Yes, very good. 370 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,880 All right, did you notice the difference there? 371 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:36,920 This person who is to come is going not to make a covenant. 372 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:41,480 The word here, if it's in your Bible, it's also in my Bible that says make a strong covenant. 373 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:46,280 Not exactly a good translation there because this word does not mean it is literally never 374 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,760 used to make a new covenant. 375 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:54,840 It is only used to reaffirm or confirm a preexisting covenant. 376 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,680 Well, that calls us a lot of issues, right? 377 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:03,520 Because if it is the Antichrist who is doing this and he is confirming a covenant, which 378 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,760 the Bible is saying he does here, it would mean that the Antichrist would have to have 379 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:13,400 a preexisting covenant with the Jewish people in order to confirm said covenant at that 380 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:14,640 time. 381 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,960 Do we see anything in Scripture that says that the Jewish people have a covenant with 382 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:19,800 the Antichrist? 383 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,820 And if they do, we don't read about it, we don't know about it, and it's nowhere revealed 384 00:26:22,820 --> 00:26:25,520 in Scripture that it's ever going to happen other than right here. 385 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,320 And this just says it's going to be a covenant that's confirmed, not a covenant that's made. 386 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:36,720 So again, these are all just little critiques to say there might be another way. 387 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:41,680 There might be a better understanding of this passage. 388 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:46,920 And that's what we're going to get into next week because we don't have time this week. 389 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:53,520 But I will just leave you with this idea because I think we can get here. 390 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:58,800 The question is, is there a better way to understand the 77s? 391 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,560 We have 77s, whatever that means. 392 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,760 Is there a better way to understand it? 393 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:08,840 And I think a better way, possibly, again, I'm not saying it's the only way, I'm not 394 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:14,680 even saying it's necessarily the right way, but it could be, is to think about this theologically 395 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,440 rather than chronologically. 396 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:22,280 We like chronological stuff because we can map it out and put it on there, but perhaps 397 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,640 this is speaking to us theologically. 398 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:30,800 So my question is, if the Lord is revealing this to Daniel and to us as his people today, 399 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,120 why did he choose to reveal it as 77s? 400 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:36,760 That's a key question, right? 401 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,280 Why can't he just be clear? 402 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:40,920 Maybe he was. 403 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,480 Maybe the reason we don't understand this today is because we're not as ingrained in 404 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,920 Old Testament thought as we should be. 405 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,520 Maybe we're the problems, not God. 406 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,720 I think this passage would be a lot clearer if we had a better understanding of the Old 407 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:59,440 Testament because is there anything that you can think of that comes to mind that is theologically 408 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:04,800 significant about periods of seven in the Bible? 409 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:09,160 Creation, that's one. 410 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,400 But that's just one. 411 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:16,720 What would be periods of ongoing repeated cycles of seven that was very significant for the 412 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:23,240 Jewish people? 413 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,040 Mr. McKinney knows that I see him gritting on it. 414 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,040 What is it? 415 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:35,160 Yes, that's it. 416 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,320 Theologian of the night, Mr. McKinney. 417 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:38,880 The jubilee here. 418 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,320 If you don't remember what this is, let me just read you very quickly. 419 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,320 You can mark this down, Leviticus 25, 8-12. 420 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,880 Notice that book of the Bible that everybody loves to skip. 421 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:50,960 Leviticus 25-8-12. 422 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:56,400 The Bible says, and I want you to just initially hear how similar this sounds to what we read 423 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,600 in Daniel 9. 424 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:03,480 You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of seven 425 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:08,480 weeks of years shall give you 49 years. 426 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,720 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the 10th day of the seventh month on the day of 427 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:13,720 atonement. 428 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,120 You shall sound the trumpet throughout your land. 429 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:17,120 And here's what you'll do. 430 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:21,920 You shall concentrate the 15th year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all of its 431 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,160 inhabitants. 432 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,840 It shall be a jubilee for you. 433 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:31,600 When each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan, 434 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,600 that 15th year shall be a jubilee for you. 435 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:40,640 In it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from 436 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,520 the undressed vines, for it is a jubilee. 437 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,320 It shall be holy to you. 438 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,840 You may eat the produce of the field. 439 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:53,440 So in other words, the jubilee year meant the return of all property to its original 440 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:54,440 owner. 441 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,280 It meant the release of Jewish slaves. 442 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:02,440 It meant the cancellation of debts and the rest of the land. 443 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:09,360 And the jubilee became the symbol in Israel of the Lord's ultimate redemption and release 444 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:15,160 and restoration that God himself would bring about for his people. 445 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,320 And so you should immediately see the connection here, right? 446 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:21,560 Did you notice the similarity in language between the sevens in years and even the 49 447 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:23,360 that could be put a zero on the end? 448 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,360 You get 490 and you get these cycles of seven. 449 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,360 Do you see the similarities here that are going on? 450 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,440 And I want you to notice this. 451 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:34,600 The Bible is saying here, what is seven times 70, right? 452 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,000 It's 490, we know that. 453 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,120 But it's seven tenfold, right? 454 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:39,960 It's ten sevens. 455 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,600 Tenfold is a number of like perfection. 456 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:43,600 It's the ultimate. 457 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:44,600 It's the grandest. 458 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:45,600 It's the best. 459 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,320 And so the Bible is saying here, you're going to have a tenfold jubilee. 460 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,200 There's going to be 70 periods of seven. 461 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,080 It's the ultimate tenfold jubilee. 462 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:59,760 It is something that the people had anticipated and waited for and expected. 463 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,200 And the Bible is saying God is going to bring that to pass. 464 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,240 And that's what this passage is saying to us. 465 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:11,880 This 70 periods of seven is referring to an ultimate jubilee that is coming. 466 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:16,440 And if you want another clue that this is what God has in mind and that it is the ultimate 467 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:23,120 ends of this 70 periods of seven, let me just remind you of what Jesus read in Luke 468 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,560 chapter four, verses 16 through 21. 469 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,400 One of the most famous passages in the Bible, it's great. 470 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:29,400 All right. 471 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,240 So this is what the Bible says, Luke chapter four. 472 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:36,000 It says that he came to Nazareth being Jesus where he had been brought up and as was his 473 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,760 custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. 474 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,400 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him and he unrolled the scroll and he found 475 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:46,400 the place. 476 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:47,400 So he knew where he was going. 477 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:48,920 He knew what he was looking for. 478 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:50,440 He knew the passage, right? 479 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:56,640 He goes there and this is the passage that Jesus chose to read at this occasion. 480 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:04,840 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to 481 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:05,840 the port. 482 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:08,480 Do you remember the jubilee passage about proclaiming liberty and good news? 483 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,000 Keep that in mind. 484 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:16,760 He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set 485 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:22,680 out liberty those who were oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, which is another 486 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:26,360 way of saying the year of jubilee. 487 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,160 That is what Jesus came to do. 488 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:32,120 He rolled up the scroll, he gave it back to the attendant and sat down in the eyes of 489 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:38,800 all the synagogue were fixed on him and then he said, today this scripture has been fulfilled 490 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,840 in your hearing. 491 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:48,200 And so what the Bible is saying here is that God's ultimate jubilee has come in Christ. 492 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:53,400 He is the one who will bring about ultimate redemption and release and restoration. 493 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,720 And so I think when we think about these 70 periods of seven, we need to be thinking about 494 00:32:58,720 --> 00:32:59,720 the jubilee. 495 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:04,560 We need to be thinking theologically and understand that these are God's purposes that he's going 496 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,800 to accomplish in and through Christ. 497 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:12,920 And I think when we begin to think theologically rather than chronologically, this passage 498 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:14,200 makes a lot more sense. 499 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,400 So next week what we'll do is we'll do this number right here. 500 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:22,240 We'll flip the board over and we have a much simpler chart that I think will help us make 501 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:27,840 sense of this passage and we will understand it in light of what Christ has done, which 502 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:32,120 really frees us up from thinking so much about dates and timings and all this kind of stuff 503 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:38,240 and lets us just focus on Jesus and what he has done and rest in the good news that the 504 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:43,720 jubilee has come in Christ, that the captives have been set free, that those who were in 505 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:49,680 bondage and enslaved to sin have been set free by Christ, that he has done it and accomplished 506 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:56,760 it and we'll talk about how that 70 weeks or those 77s play out in redeptive history. 507 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,520 So again, just a short summary, that is the dispensational view. 508 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:08,160 We did a quick critique and next week we will look at what I think might be a slightly better, 509 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:13,800 another, I won't say better, that's unfair, another alternative to how to understand the 510 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:18,320 70 weeks as being a fulfillment in Christ through the jubilee. 511 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,920 So Michael Stevenson, how about closing us in prayer?