Jerusalems End-time Restoration

Prof. Johan Malan, Middelburg, South Africa (August 2007)

There is a possibility that the time that was needed to restore Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity
may also prophetically be applied to the time needed to restore Jerusalem after the international
Diaspora of Israel. Daniel uses year-weeks for his prophecy on Israels future after the Babylonian
captivity. Every week is composed of seven years of 360 days each. The 70
th
year-week of Daniel is
divided into two halves of 42 months each, representing periods of 1260 days each (Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6;
13:5). That means that every month is 30 days long. Prophetic years cut across seasonal and lunar
years and offer a fixed temporal framework for prophecies which are associated with it, regardless of
which calendar is followed.
Daniel says about the restoration of Jerusalem: 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 built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times
(Dan. 9:25). During the first seven year-weeks (49 prophetic years) the city was rebuilt. After that, it
was further expanded and inhabited during troublesome times until Messiah was crucified. The initial
restoration and rebuilding of the severely damaged city and temple lasted for seven year-weeks.
If the end-time restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple also occur within seven year-
weeks there will be an interesting correlation between the two periods of restoration. In this regard it
should be remembered that during Israels independence in May 1948 they did not control the Old City
of Jerusalem that is biblical Jerusalem on Mount Zion, also known as the City of David. This part of
the city was then still under the control of Jordan. During the Six Day War, from 5 to 10 June 1967,
Israel recaptured the Old City and adjacent parts of the West Bank and incorporated them to modern
Israel.
After June 10, 1967, Jerusalem entered a phase of rapid expansion under Jewish control, leading to a
big increase in population. In August 1980 a former prime minister, Menachem Begin, declared the city
as the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel, and moved his office from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
However, after the 1967 war the Temple Mount in the city was handed over to the control of a Muslim
committee since two of their famous mosques (Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock) have been built
here. A third mosque was subsequently built on this site.
During the coming tribulation period (Daniels 70
th
year-week) the Jewish temple will be built here and
sacrifices reinstituted (Dan. 9:27). In the middle of this week the false messiah (the Antichrist) will
declare himself to be God in the rebuilt temple (2 Thess. 2:4) and persecute all Jews who refuse to
accept and worship him as God. At the end of the year-week the Antichrist will besiege Jerusalem and
the entire land of Israel. He will know that the true King of the Jews, Jesus the Messiah, will return to
destroy His enemies, save the remnant in Israel and restore the throne of David in Jerusalem (Zech.
14:2,4-5,12-13; Rev. 19:19; Acts. 15:16-17; Isa. 2:1-3).
Only then, when the true Messiah is back in Israel, will Jerusalems restoration be fully accomplished.
Thereafter, it will be considerably expanded and adorned with great glory. We must pray for the
dawning of this wonderful time: You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him
no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isa. 62:6-7; cf. Isa. 60:11-
14).
We are at present in an advanced stage of the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem. This nation and
their capital city are under continuous attacks by their enemies. The biggest attacks will occur during
the second half of Daniels 70
th
year-week, which will be the great tribulation under the leadership of
the false messiah. During the first half of the year-week Israel will wrongly accept Him as their
promised Messiah (John 5:43). He will also grant them the right to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
The entire city of Jerusalem has been under Jewish control since 1967. The big question is: when will
that dramatic and dark year-week of the false messiahs rule begin? When the countdown of that year-
week has begun even the Antichrist will, according to biblical prophecies, know that the true King will
come at the end of that week.
The possible scenario that the end-time restoration of Jerusalem until the coming of the Messiah might
last seven year-weeks, places Israel and the true church of Christ on the threshold of dramatic and far-
reaching changes. The church dispensation will be terminated by the rapture, after which God will start
reviving Israel spiritually as a nation. We should now, more than ever before, ensure that we watch
and pray to be worthy to escape the coming tribulation period and to stand before the Son of man
(Luke 21:36). Israel will also have to search their hearts. If they continue to reject the true Messiah
they leave God no choice but to surrender them to the false messiahs reign of terror (John 5:43). A
remnant in Israel will be saved after millions of Jews have died during the great tribulation (Jer. 30:7;
Zech. 12:10; 13:8-9; Matt. 24:15-22; Rom. 11:26).
Seven year-weeks since June 10, 1967, when Jerusalem was recaptured, will have elapsed on 26
September 2015. Israel has reinstituted their biblical chronology of year-weeks, of which the seventh
year in every cycle is a sabbatical year (Lev. 25:3-4). But they follow lunar years which are shorter
than prophetic years as well as seasonal years. In order to keep track with seasonal years they often
have leap years with a 13
th
month. Their next year-week will begin with the Rosh Hashanah in
September 2008 and extend until the Jewish New Year of September 2015. By then, seven prophetic
year-weeks since the restoration of Jerusalem in June 1967 will expire.
The year-week from September 2008 to September 2015 is also very important from the viewpoint of
the last generation (Luke 21:32). A last generation of 70 years (Ps. 90:10) started with the birth of
modern Israel in May 1948, and will end in May 2018. The last full year-week which can be
accommodated in this generation is the one from September 2008 to September 2015. From this point
of view time is quickly running out for us.
It will soon be evident whether the Antichrists seven-year covenant with Israel and the nations (Dan.
9:27) will indeed coincide with Israels present year-week cycle. What we should clearly realise now is
that true believers can at any moment hear the cry: Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet
Him! (Matt. 25:6). It will then be too late for the foolish virgins (carnal and nominal believers) to
prepare for His coming. Because of their own neglect they will face the dark night of the tribulation
under the Antichrists reign of terror. During that time they can still be saved and sanctified but amid
great persecution. The Lord wants us to be spiritually worthy to escape the coming tribulation and
judgements (Luke 21:36).