If truly you are a Christian as you claim, the word of God will be motivating you, instigating you to do the right things. In fact, you can never live right, until you begin to think right, and you cannot think right unless the word of God is in you.
Text: Jeremiah 25:11, 15-18, 26-28, Daniel 9:1-2, 24, Luke 21:24, Isaiah 1:2, Isaiah 5:1
Daniel 9:2
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books (shows that he studied the bible) the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem (this shows that he made calculations, as he knew that they were near the end of the 70yrs). The two key points here are pointers to the fact that Daniel was a serious Christian. God has from the scriptures given us signs to look out for even in our age, but do we do justice to this? Our signs are found in Matthew 24;1-6, 1st Timothy 1:3
God gave Daniel the overall time from the beginning to the millennium.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (the Jews) and upon thy holy city(Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment (the beginning of the fulfillment) to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks(69weeks): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
NB: The first 69weeks (7+62) have nothing to do with the gentiles. God is currently dealing with the gentiles, and he started dealing with them from the beginning of the 1st church age, and he will switch back to the Jews at the end of the last gentile church age.
Revelation 2:1 – 1st church age (In Ephesus)
The last gentile church age is called Laodicea, each of the gentile church age had its messengers. And that is why it is difficult for denominational church pastors to have revival, as they do not have the revelation of the word of God.
Let the word of God so richly dwell in you, only then can you have revival. Then can the man know his position and act accordingly, likewise every other member of the family.
The time of the gentiles is longer than the time allotted for the Jews. One day of the 70weeks makes 1yr, such that 1 week makes 7 years.
This means that God has dwelt with them for 69weeks, which is equivalent to (69 x 7)yrs = 483weeks. Meaning that God has dealt with the Jews for 483yrs. They are now left with 1 week, which is equivalent to 7 yrs. The Gentiles on the other hand have been under the dealership of God for so many years, with a church age spanning close to a thousand years??
2nd Peter 1:5 Add to your faith 7 others things, which make up the divine nature of GOD. So if you claim to be born of God, you carry the divine nature. If you show forth things contrary to that divine nature, you are not of him. 2nd Peter 1:9. With the gift of Holy Ghost in you, if you lack God’s character, you are blind.
Why did they go into captivity?
Isaiah 1:2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Isaiah 5:1, Matthew 23:34-39, Luke 21:24
The above scriptures show the works of the children of Israel, that subsequently brought about their punishment, which came in form of captivity and some other consequences. In the same vein, when we disobey the word of God, there will be consequences.
NB: We shouldn’t just attend fellowship, without paying attention, or giving God our full attention, because that is the reason we come before him.
Jeremiah 35:15I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me. (They were in attendance, hearing the word, but they never paid attention)
God used the acts of the children of Israel as a yardstick, stating that if the children of Jonadab coyld obey their father, in not drinking wine, following the instructions of their father, how much more should his children obey him, which they didn’t do. That was a family that had revival. And God blessed them for it, saying that in His generation, God will call someone to be a minister.
Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah 38:2, Mark 6:22
God can put anyone into captivity because of disobedience, just as he did to the children of Israel. It could be financial captivity even.
Acts 7:56, Acts 14:17, 1st Corinthians 10:1-5, 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.