U. Last time we investigated several prophecies in the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth. They foretold many important events in his life. It looks to me like God would have told them when he was going to send his son so they would be ready for him and not just surprise him. Maybe they wouldn’t have killed him.
B. Actually, he did. They just didn’t seem to pick up on the clues. One prophecy we looked at last week was that someone was to come just before the Christ. Look again at Malachi 3:1.
U. "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
B. Now look at what John said in John chapter 1:23.
U. John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.'
That’s close to what Malachi wrote, not Isaiah.
B. Isaiah also said the messenger was coming before the glory of the Lord. Read Isaiah 40:3-5.
U. A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
That does sound like he would be coming soon after the messenger.
B. There’s another very interesting prophecy about when the Lord, or Christ, would come. Have you heard of Daniel?
U. Which one, Daniel Webster or Daniel Hawthorne?
B. The Daniel I’m referring to was the Hebrew who was taken captive when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took many to Babylon. He wrote one of the books in the Bible and he must have been pretty special since he and some of his friends were selected to be trained as advisors to the Babylonian King. The advisors were termed “wise men.”
U. We still use that title although sometimes it’s intended as a joke.
B. The king was very serious about their job. It had life and death consequences. One night the king had a dream which disturbed him so much that he couldn‘t go back to sleep. He couldn’t remember it, so he called his wise men together and told them to tell him what it meant.
U. How were they supposed to know if he couldn’t remember?
B. Seems unreasonable to me, but he became so angry that that threatened to kill them and their families unless they tell him.
U. That’s ridiculous. He would kill them for that! I wouldn’t want to work for him.
B. Apparently. Since his wise men couldn’t tell him anything about what he had dreamed, he sent soldiers to round them up. Daniel must still have been in training, because they hadn’t asked him earlier, but when he heard about the king’s demand, he spoke up. He sent word that God could tell King Nebuchadnezzar the dream. When they took him to the king, Daniel described the strange statue the king had seen in his sleep. A strange statue which had a head of gold, chest of silver, stomach and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet of mixed iron and clay. Also in the dream, a rock was hewn out, but not by human hands, and the rock struck the feet of the statue and broke the entire statue into dust. Then the rock grew until it filled the whole earth.
B. Actually, he did. They just didn’t seem to pick up on the clues. One prophecy we looked at last week was that someone was to come just before the Christ. Look again at Malachi 3:1.
U. "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
B. Now look at what John said in John chapter 1:23.
U. John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.'
That’s close to what Malachi wrote, not Isaiah.
B. Isaiah also said the messenger was coming before the glory of the Lord. Read Isaiah 40:3-5.
U. A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
That does sound like he would be coming soon after the messenger.
B. There’s another very interesting prophecy about when the Lord, or Christ, would come. Have you heard of Daniel?
U. Which one, Daniel Webster or Daniel Hawthorne?
B. The Daniel I’m referring to was the Hebrew who was taken captive when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took many to Babylon. He wrote one of the books in the Bible and he must have been pretty special since he and some of his friends were selected to be trained as advisors to the Babylonian King. The advisors were termed “wise men.”
U. We still use that title although sometimes it’s intended as a joke.
B. The king was very serious about their job. It had life and death consequences. One night the king had a dream which disturbed him so much that he couldn‘t go back to sleep. He couldn’t remember it, so he called his wise men together and told them to tell him what it meant.
U. How were they supposed to know if he couldn’t remember?
B. Seems unreasonable to me, but he became so angry that that threatened to kill them and their families unless they tell him.
U. That’s ridiculous. He would kill them for that! I wouldn’t want to work for him.
B. Apparently. Since his wise men couldn’t tell him anything about what he had dreamed, he sent soldiers to round them up. Daniel must still have been in training, because they hadn’t asked him earlier, but when he heard about the king’s demand, he spoke up. He sent word that God could tell King Nebuchadnezzar the dream. When they took him to the king, Daniel described the strange statue the king had seen in his sleep. A strange statue which had a head of gold, chest of silver, stomach and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet of mixed iron and clay. Also in the dream, a rock was hewn out, but not by human hands, and the rock struck the feet of the statue and broke the entire statue into dust. Then the rock grew until it filled the whole earth.
U. That is a strange dream, wonder what the king had for dinner? I’m curious. What did the dream mean, if anything?
B. Good question. After Daniel described the dream, he then explained what the dream meant. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold, and the rest of the statue pictured kingdoms that were to follow his. The next kingdom would be the one of silver, then one of bronze, and it would be followed by the one as strong as iron with brittle toes. Then there is the rock that destroyed the statue. All of this is contained in the book of Daniel.
U. What’s the point of these kingdoms?
B. Remember, the question is, “Was there a prophecy about when Jesus would come?” Let’s compare the dream and its explanation to what secular history tells us.
U. When did the king have the dream?
B. This was about 600 BC. Notice that the Babylonian kingdom wasn’t going to last and that inferior kingdoms would follow.
U. How were they inferior?
B. I’m not sure what inferior means in this case, but through secular history, we learn that Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in about 536 BC. (Slide 9) Do you know the phrase “handwriting on the wall?”
U. Sure, we often use it to suggest the future outcome is obvious.
B. Did you know that it came from the Bible?
U. No, was it related to what we’re talking about.
B. After King Nebuchadnezzar died, Daniel continued to live in Babylon although the new king didn’t call him much. Then a strange event happened and he called Daniel to explain it to him.
Either unaware or confident in his defenses, the king and all his nobles were having a drunken feast while the army of the Medes and Persians were approaching. During the feast, the king saw a hand, just a hand, writing on the wall and it said MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.The king didn’t know what these words meant and the only person who could tell him was Daniel. This is what Daniel said,
U. This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Parsin: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
So this is the next kingdom?
B. Right. Let’s look at a map. Babylon had become the major power in that part of the world by 600 BC and remained the ruler until the city fell. Israel was just a tiny nation.
B. Good question. After Daniel described the dream, he then explained what the dream meant. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold, and the rest of the statue pictured kingdoms that were to follow his. The next kingdom would be the one of silver, then one of bronze, and it would be followed by the one as strong as iron with brittle toes. Then there is the rock that destroyed the statue. All of this is contained in the book of Daniel.
U. What’s the point of these kingdoms?
B. Remember, the question is, “Was there a prophecy about when Jesus would come?” Let’s compare the dream and its explanation to what secular history tells us.
U. When did the king have the dream?
B. This was about 600 BC. Notice that the Babylonian kingdom wasn’t going to last and that inferior kingdoms would follow.
U. How were they inferior?
B. I’m not sure what inferior means in this case, but through secular history, we learn that Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in about 536 BC. (Slide 9) Do you know the phrase “handwriting on the wall?”
U. Sure, we often use it to suggest the future outcome is obvious.
B. Did you know that it came from the Bible?
U. No, was it related to what we’re talking about.
B. After King Nebuchadnezzar died, Daniel continued to live in Babylon although the new king didn’t call him much. Then a strange event happened and he called Daniel to explain it to him.
Either unaware or confident in his defenses, the king and all his nobles were having a drunken feast while the army of the Medes and Persians were approaching. During the feast, the king saw a hand, just a hand, writing on the wall and it said MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.The king didn’t know what these words meant and the only person who could tell him was Daniel. This is what Daniel said,
U. This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Parsin: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
So this is the next kingdom?
B. Right. Let’s look at a map. Babylon had become the major power in that part of the world by 600 BC and remained the ruler until the city fell. Israel was just a tiny nation.
U. I don’t remember much about that from history, although I do remember that Babylon was in Iraq. There’s a lot of news about that area now. Was Babylon the same as Bagdad?
B. No, but there was an interesting prophecy about Bagdad. When Nebuchadnezzar was king, Babylon was one of the seven wonders of the world. (Slide 13) The king had built the wonderful Hanging Gardens there for his queen. But it was an evil city and had taken Israel captive because Israel had turned away from God to worship idols. Read what the prophet Jerimiah told the Hebrews before the Babylonians came to conquer Jerusalem.
U. Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
So how much warning did they receive?
B. This wasn’t the first, Isaiah had warned them even before Babylon became a great power. They were still just a city under Assyrian power when he said this in about 700 BC or a hundred years ahead of time.
U. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." (2Kings 20:12-18)
So that’s what happened to Daniel, he was a captive. Was he a eunuch?
B. Don’t know as it never says, but there is no mention of his wife or children, so he might have been. Jeremiah also said this in 25:12.
U. "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever.
But Bagdad isn’t desolate.
B. But Babylon is. Hussein planned to rebuild it and spent a lot of money doing so, but no one lives there today.
U. I didn’t know that. Interesting. But let’s get back to the statue. So, the Medes and Persians took over from the Babylonians.
B. They were in power for the next two hundred years until 336 BC.
B. No, but there was an interesting prophecy about Bagdad. When Nebuchadnezzar was king, Babylon was one of the seven wonders of the world. (Slide 13) The king had built the wonderful Hanging Gardens there for his queen. But it was an evil city and had taken Israel captive because Israel had turned away from God to worship idols. Read what the prophet Jerimiah told the Hebrews before the Babylonians came to conquer Jerusalem.
U. Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
So how much warning did they receive?
B. This wasn’t the first, Isaiah had warned them even before Babylon became a great power. They were still just a city under Assyrian power when he said this in about 700 BC or a hundred years ahead of time.
U. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." (2Kings 20:12-18)
So that’s what happened to Daniel, he was a captive. Was he a eunuch?
B. Don’t know as it never says, but there is no mention of his wife or children, so he might have been. Jeremiah also said this in 25:12.
U. "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever.
But Bagdad isn’t desolate.
B. But Babylon is. Hussein planned to rebuild it and spent a lot of money doing so, but no one lives there today.
U. I didn’t know that. Interesting. But let’s get back to the statue. So, the Medes and Persians took over from the Babylonians.
B. They were in power for the next two hundred years until 336 BC.
U. Does the Bible tell us?
B. No, the Old Testament writings stopped about 400 BC and this occurred after that. So, we have to rely on secular history.
In 336 BC, Alexander the Great from Greece began his conquest and conquered the land. By this time, the Persians had taken over from the Medes and it was known as the Persian Empire, but was still the same as what they both had. Alexander took only three years to establish this kingdom. Again, Israel was just a small part of his empire.
B. No, the Old Testament writings stopped about 400 BC and this occurred after that. So, we have to rely on secular history.
In 336 BC, Alexander the Great from Greece began his conquest and conquered the land. By this time, the Persians had taken over from the Medes and it was known as the Persian Empire, but was still the same as what they both had. Alexander took only three years to establish this kingdom. Again, Israel was just a small part of his empire.
U. There must have been other powerful countries. What about China, it existed then.
B. The Old Testament really dealt with Israel and China didn’t influence Israel. Perhaps that’s why they weren’t mentioned.
After the Greeks came the Romans who established an even larger empire. So the legs represent the Roman Empire. Notice that it says the feet were iron mixed with clay, indicating some strength but a weakness too. It didn’t change metals like it has before, so this was still the Roman Empire, but weakened. Rome was torn by civil wars throughout much of its early existence.
B. The Old Testament really dealt with Israel and China didn’t influence Israel. Perhaps that’s why they weren’t mentioned.
After the Greeks came the Romans who established an even larger empire. So the legs represent the Roman Empire. Notice that it says the feet were iron mixed with clay, indicating some strength but a weakness too. It didn’t change metals like it has before, so this was still the Roman Empire, but weakened. Rome was torn by civil wars throughout much of its early existence.
U. Wasn’t there a rock in the dream?
B . Good memory. The rock is really the most interesting part. It’s really what tells us when Jesus was to come. Read what Daniel told the king in 2:34.
U. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
So what kingdom does the rock represent?
B. Here, read what Daniel 2:44 says will happen in that time.
U. And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break into pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
B. So the explanation of the dream looks like this.
B . Good memory. The rock is really the most interesting part. It’s really what tells us when Jesus was to come. Read what Daniel told the king in 2:34.
U. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
So what kingdom does the rock represent?
B. Here, read what Daniel 2:44 says will happen in that time.
U. And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. The kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break into pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
B. So the explanation of the dream looks like this.
U. I don’t remember any major kingdoms after the Roman Empire collapsed. What kingdom is he talking about? And its supposed to last forever. No kingdom has ever done that.
B. There is one kingdom, the one Jesus said he would build.
U. Wait a minute. You said a couple of weeks ago that Jesus didn’t have an earthly kingdom.
B. That’s true, but he said he would build something. One time he asked his disciples who they thought he was and this was the answer he got as recorded in Matthew 16:16.
U. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
He would build his church on a rock. Was that rock Peter? What does it mean by the gates of Hades won’t overcome it?
B. He built it on the confession that Peter made “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” instead of on the man Peter. Peter was an outstanding man, but still a man. Hades is the abode of the dead. He is saying His church will outlast death and those in the church will begin a new life when this one is over. They’ll have that eternal life we talked about last week.
U. When did Christ build his church? Is it the kingdom?
B. Acts 2 tells us about the beginning of the church. It began on a Sunday seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection and during the time of the Roman Empire. On that day, the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles and they began to speak a message to everyone present. Peter’s message is recorded. He told them how they had crucified the Son of God. Read verses 22-24.
U. "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
B Then he reminded them that David had foretold of his being resurrected. Then he concluded with this.
U. "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
How did they react to that message?
B. They were upset and convinced that what Peter said was true. In fact, read what they asked and what he replied.
U. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
That’s all they had to do to get forgiveness for killing the Son of God?
B. That’s all. Notice that the promise is also for those far away. This is the same thing the Apostles told everyone to do when they believed in Jesus as the Son of God. Just repent and be baptized.
U. That seems so simple. Did anyone do that?
B. 3000 men did that day. Acts tells us about the spread of the church and we see that more people were added to the church every day. It then spread from Jerusalem to the rest of the world. Just like the prophecy in Daniel said, it now fills the world. Christians are present in most if not all nations of this earth, and the church has been in existence for about 2000 years and isn’t showing any signs of going away.
U. You’re talking about Christianity, but it’s not an earthly kingdom.
B. Not earthly, but it is the spiritual kingdom. It fits so nicely. The church began during the days of the Roman Empire, after civil war had broken out. It didn’t conquer armies by its army. It conquered them by the citizens believing Jesus was the Son of God. Secular history agrees with the Bible’s forecast as to when it began, and remember we said earlier that many historians have estimated that by the end of the first century there were a million people who believed in Jesus. The message spread throughout the world. Read what Paul said about the spread of the gospel in Colossians 1:3-6.
U. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
He said it was already all over the world. Is that really true? How could the apostles travel all over the world?
B. The Apostles left Jerusalem and went into the world preaching, just like Jesus told them to do. They taught, then others who heard taught, and still others who heard taught, etc. That process has continued to this day.
Consider what happens when believers teach unbelievers. Starting with the 12 apostles and consider they teach only 12 the first month and then those twelve teach 12, then those 36 teach 36, the gospel could teach over 6 million in just 20 months. You could stretch it to 20 years instead of months, it will reach the world rather quickly. In fact, it spread so rapidly over the next 30 years that Paul could make that statement about the known world. They probably hadn’t traveled to the Americas, but they could have covered Europe, Africa and Asia. But the Bible doesn’t record all they did, so we must depend on secular history for some of that information.
U. So, the statue gave the Hebrews an approximate date for Jesus to come. But it wasn’t very precise. How long was it between the civil wars and Jesus’ birth?
B. The last and possibly the most famous civil war was between Octavian and Marc Anthony which ended in 40 BC. At least that’s the date that history records, although since there have been several calendar changes since then, the dates are subject to be off by several years. (Slide 29) Some place Jesus’ birth at anywhere from 8 BC to 1 AD and his death between 25 and 33 AD.
U. That was the war where Cleopatra allied with Marc Anthony and famously committed suicide by snake bite when they lost. So the Roman Empire had had several kings and had been fragmented before Jesus. That’s closer than I thought. Are there any other prophecies about when Jesus would come?
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B. There is one kingdom, the one Jesus said he would build.
U. Wait a minute. You said a couple of weeks ago that Jesus didn’t have an earthly kingdom.
B. That’s true, but he said he would build something. One time he asked his disciples who they thought he was and this was the answer he got as recorded in Matthew 16:16.
U. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
He would build his church on a rock. Was that rock Peter? What does it mean by the gates of Hades won’t overcome it?
B. He built it on the confession that Peter made “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” instead of on the man Peter. Peter was an outstanding man, but still a man. Hades is the abode of the dead. He is saying His church will outlast death and those in the church will begin a new life when this one is over. They’ll have that eternal life we talked about last week.
U. When did Christ build his church? Is it the kingdom?
B. Acts 2 tells us about the beginning of the church. It began on a Sunday seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection and during the time of the Roman Empire. On that day, the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles and they began to speak a message to everyone present. Peter’s message is recorded. He told them how they had crucified the Son of God. Read verses 22-24.
U. "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
B Then he reminded them that David had foretold of his being resurrected. Then he concluded with this.
U. "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
How did they react to that message?
B. They were upset and convinced that what Peter said was true. In fact, read what they asked and what he replied.
U. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
That’s all they had to do to get forgiveness for killing the Son of God?
B. That’s all. Notice that the promise is also for those far away. This is the same thing the Apostles told everyone to do when they believed in Jesus as the Son of God. Just repent and be baptized.
U. That seems so simple. Did anyone do that?
B. 3000 men did that day. Acts tells us about the spread of the church and we see that more people were added to the church every day. It then spread from Jerusalem to the rest of the world. Just like the prophecy in Daniel said, it now fills the world. Christians are present in most if not all nations of this earth, and the church has been in existence for about 2000 years and isn’t showing any signs of going away.
U. You’re talking about Christianity, but it’s not an earthly kingdom.
B. Not earthly, but it is the spiritual kingdom. It fits so nicely. The church began during the days of the Roman Empire, after civil war had broken out. It didn’t conquer armies by its army. It conquered them by the citizens believing Jesus was the Son of God. Secular history agrees with the Bible’s forecast as to when it began, and remember we said earlier that many historians have estimated that by the end of the first century there were a million people who believed in Jesus. The message spread throughout the world. Read what Paul said about the spread of the gospel in Colossians 1:3-6.
U. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
He said it was already all over the world. Is that really true? How could the apostles travel all over the world?
B. The Apostles left Jerusalem and went into the world preaching, just like Jesus told them to do. They taught, then others who heard taught, and still others who heard taught, etc. That process has continued to this day.
Consider what happens when believers teach unbelievers. Starting with the 12 apostles and consider they teach only 12 the first month and then those twelve teach 12, then those 36 teach 36, the gospel could teach over 6 million in just 20 months. You could stretch it to 20 years instead of months, it will reach the world rather quickly. In fact, it spread so rapidly over the next 30 years that Paul could make that statement about the known world. They probably hadn’t traveled to the Americas, but they could have covered Europe, Africa and Asia. But the Bible doesn’t record all they did, so we must depend on secular history for some of that information.
U. So, the statue gave the Hebrews an approximate date for Jesus to come. But it wasn’t very precise. How long was it between the civil wars and Jesus’ birth?
B. The last and possibly the most famous civil war was between Octavian and Marc Anthony which ended in 40 BC. At least that’s the date that history records, although since there have been several calendar changes since then, the dates are subject to be off by several years. (Slide 29) Some place Jesus’ birth at anywhere from 8 BC to 1 AD and his death between 25 and 33 AD.
U. That was the war where Cleopatra allied with Marc Anthony and famously committed suicide by snake bite when they lost. So the Roman Empire had had several kings and had been fragmented before Jesus. That’s closer than I thought. Are there any other prophecies about when Jesus would come?
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