The Prophecy Update Newsletter - 4/2/25 - The 70 Weeks of Daniel

News & Information for the End Times

Apr 02, 2025

ISRAEL AT WAR!!! Day 544 - PRAY!!!

Pray For Israel — Psalm 122:6-8, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee."

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In Today’s Newsletter…

*The 70 Weeks of Daniel

*The Storm Before the Fire: Is the U.S. About To Bomb Iran?

*Prophecy Update Videos

*Recommended Reading & Links

*Compromising God’s Word: Much Of the Church Today Is Guilt Of ‘Playing the Harlot’

*Legends, Lore and Logic

*Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: The friendly unfriendly

*Daily Devotion: A Hero’s Welcome

*Prophecy Update News Headlines

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The 70 Weeks of Daniel

by Jack Kelley - https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/the-70-weeks-of-daniel/

Many believe that Daniel 9:24-27 is the most important passage of prophecy in all of Scripture. Almost every mistake I’ve run across in studying the various interpretations of End Times Prophecy can be traced back to a misunderstanding of this passage. Let’s begin the year with an updated and expanded study of this important prophecy.

Before plowing into it, we’ll back up a little and review the context. Daniel was an old man, probably in his eighties. He’d been in Babylon for nearly 70 years and knew from reading the recently completed scroll of Jeremiah’s writings (specifically the part we know as Jeremiah 25:8-11) that the 70-year captivity God had ordained for Israel was just about over. (Daniel 9:2)

The reason for the captivity had been Israel’s insistence upon worshiping the false gods of their pagan neighbors. Its duration of 70 years came from the fact that for 490 years they had failed to let their farmland lie fallow one year out of every seven as God had commanded in Leviticus 25:1-7. The Lord had been patient all that time but finally had sent them to Babylon to give the land the 70 years of rest that were due it. (2 Chron. 36:21)

The beginning of Daniel 9 documents Daniel’s prayer, reminding the Lord that the 70 year time of punishment was nearly over and asking for mercy on behalf of his people. Before he could finish his prayer, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and spoke the words that we know as Daniel 9:24-27. Let’s read the whole thing to get the overview and then take it apart verse by verse.

Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and your Holy City to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most Holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until The Anointed One the Ruler comes there will be seven weeks and sixty two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble. After the sixty two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue till the end and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the Temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Daniel 9:24-27).

No prophecy in all of Scripture is more critical to our understanding of the end times than these four verses. A few basic clarifications are in order first; then we’ll interpret the passage verse by verse. The Hebrew word translated weeks (or sevens) refers to a period of 7 years, like the English word decade refers to a period of 10 years. It literally means “a week of years.” So 70 weeks is 70 x 7 years or 490 years. This period is divided into three parts, 7 weeks or 49 years, 62 weeks or 434 years, and 1 week or 7 years. Let’s begin.

Sitting upon His heavenly throne, God decreed that six things would be accomplished for Daniel’s people (Israel) and Daniel’s Holy City (Jerusalem) during a specified period of 490 years. (I’ve inserted the word “place” after Holy at the end of the verse to clarify the fact that it refers to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.)

We should be aware that in Hebrew these things read a little differently. Literally, God had determined to:

1. restrict or restrain the transgression (also translated rebellion)

2. seal up their sins (as if putting them away in a sealed container)

3. make atonement (restitution) for their iniquity

4. bring them into a state of everlasting righteousness

5. seal up (same word as #2) vision and prophecy

6. anoint (consecrate) the most Holy place (sanctuary)

In plain language, God would put an end to their rebellion against Him, put away their sins, and pay the penalties they had accrued, bring the people into a state of perpetual righteousness, fulfill the remaining prophecies, and anoint the Temple. This was to be accomplished through their Messiah (Jesus) because no one else could do it. Had they accepted Him as their savior their rebellion against God would have ended. Their sins would have all been forgiven, and the full penalty paid for them. They would have entered into a state of eternal righteousness, all their prophecies would have been fulfilled, and the rebuilt temple would have been consecrated. It should be noted here that although it appears to have been accepted by Him, God never dwelt in the 2nd Temple, nor was the ark of the covenant and its mercy seat ever present therein.

Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until The Anointed One the Ruler comes there will be seven weeks and sixty two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble (Daniel 9:25).

Here is a clear prophecy of the timing of the First Coming. When this message was given to Daniel by the angel Gabriel, Jerusalem had lain in ruin for nearly 70 years, and the Jews were captive in Babylon. Counting forward for 62 + 7 periods of 7 years each (a total of 483 years) from a future decree giving the Jews permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, they should expect the Messiah.

To avoid confusion, it’s important to distinguish the decree that freed the Jews from their captivity from the one that gave them permission to rebuild Jerusalem.

When he conquered Babylon in 535BC Cyrus the Persian immediately freed the Jews. It had been prophesied 150 years earlier in Isaiah 44:24-45:6 and was fulfilled in Ezra 1:1-4. But according to Nehemiah 2:1-9 the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given in the first month of the 20th year of his reign by King Artaxerxes of Persia (March of 445 BC on our calendar, about 90 years later).

About 125 years ago Sir Robert Anderson unlocked the secret of Daniel’s 70 weeks when he teamed up with the London Royal Observatory to discover that prophetic years are 360 days in length and consist of 12 months of 30 days each. This is also the only way you can make the three measures of the Great Tribulation (1260 days, 42 months, or 3 1/2 years) come out the same. Therefore the 70 weeks of Daniel consist of 490 years of 360 days each. He published this discovery in a book called The Coming Prince, a commentary on Daniel’s 70th Week.

From their research, we also know that exactly 483 years after the decree of Artaxerxes the Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38)! It was the only day in His life that He permitted His followers to proclaim Him as Israel’s King, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy to the day! The Hebrew in Daniel 9:25 calls Him Messiah the Prince, denoting the fact that He was coming as the Anointed Son of the King and was not yet crowned King Himself.

In Luke 19:41-45, Jesus reminded the people of the specific nature of this prophecy. As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” He held them accountable for knowing Daniel 9:24-27.

A few days later He extended that accountability to those who would be alive in Israel during the End Times. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand– then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matt 24:15-16) They will also be required to understand Daniel 9.

After the sixty two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue till the end and desolations have been decreed (Daniel 9:26).

First came 7 sevens (49 years) and then 62 sevens (434 years) for a total of 69 sevens or 483 years. The Hebrew word for Anointed One is Mashiach (Messiah in English). At the end of this 2nd period, their Messiah would be cut off, which means to be executed or literally destroyed in the making of a covenant, having received none of the honor, glory, and blessing the Scriptures promised Him.

Make no mistake about it. Jesus had to die so these 6 promises could come true. No one else in Heaven or on Earth could accomplish this. We can only imagine how different things would have been if they had accepted Him as their Messiah and let Him die for their sins so He could bring them into everlasting righteousness with His resurrection. But of course God knew they wouldn’t, so He had to do things the hard way.

Do you realize what that means? It wasn’t killing the Messiah that put the Jews at odds with God. After all, He came to die for them. No. It’s that in killing Him, they refused to let His death pay for their sins so He could save them. This had the effect of making His death meaningless to them. That’s what severed the relationship.

Because of that, we now get the first hint that all would not go well. Following the crucifixion, the people of a ruler yet to come would destroy Jerusalem, and the Temple—the same Temple that God decreed would be consecrated. The Israelites would be scattered abroad, and peace would elude the world.

We all know that Jesus was crucified and 38 years later the Romans put the torch to the city and the Temple destroying both. Surviving Jews were forced to flee for their lives, and in the ensuing 2000 years, I don’t believe a single generation has escaped involvement in a war of some kind.

After the crucifixion something strange happened: The Heavenly clock stopped. 69 of the 70 weeks had passed and all that was prophesied to happen during those 483 years had come to pass, but there was still one week (7 years) left. There are hints in the Old Testament that the clock had stopped several times before in Israel’s history when for one reason or another they were either under subjugation or out of the land. And in the New Testament we’re also given hints that while God is dealing with the Church, time ceases to exist for Israel (Acts 15:13-18). But the clearest indication of the stopped clock is that the events foretold in Daniel 9:27 simply haven’t happened yet.

He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the Temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Daniel 9:27).

It’s vital to our understanding of the End Times that we realize two things here. First, the Age of Grace didn’t follow the Age of Law. It merely interrupted the Age of Law seven years short of its promised duration. These seven years have to be completed for God to accomplish the six things the angel listed in verse 24 for Israel.

And second, the Age of Grace was not the next step in the progression of God’s overall plan but was a deviation from it. Once the rapture comes, nothing like the Age of Grace will ever happen again. (Ephes. 2:6-7) Even when Israel accepts the New Covenant, as Jeremiah 31:31-34 promises, they won’t enjoy the same benefits the Church has enjoyed. The relationship the Church has with the Lord will never be repeated with any other group. Ever.

But before we try to understand the 70th week let’s review a rule of grammar that will help make our interpretation of verse 27 correct. The rule is this: Pronouns refer us back to the closest previous noun. “He,” being a personal pronoun, refers to the closest previous personal noun, in this case, “the ruler who will come.” So a ruler who will come from the territory of the old Roman Empire will confirm a 7-year covenant with Israel that permits them to build a Temple and re-instate their Old Covenant worship system. 3 1/2 years later he will violate the covenant by setting up an abomination that causes the Temple to become desolate, putting an end to their worship. This abomination brings the wrath of God down upon him, and he will be destroyed.

The most obvious way in which we know these things haven’t happened is that the Jewish Old Covenant worship system requires a Temple and there hasn’t been one since 70 AD when the Romans destroyed it.

Some say this prophecy was fulfilled during the Roman destruction, but most believe it’s yet future, partly because of the term Abomination that causes Desolation. It’s a specific insult to God that has happened only once previously. Antiochus Epiphanes, a powerful Syrian king, had attacked Jerusalem and entered the Temple area in 168BC. There he had sacrificed a pig on the Temple altar and erected a statue of the Greek god Zeus with his own face on it. He then required everyone to worship it on pain of death. This rendered the Temple unfit for worshiping God and so incensed the Jews that they revolted and defeated the Syrians. This is all recorded in Jewish history (1st Maccabees) where it’s called the Abomination of Desolation. The subsequent cleansing of the Temple is celebrated to this day in the Feast of Hanukkah.

Paul warned us that in the latter days a world leader will become so powerful that he will exalt himself above everything that is called god or is worshiped and will stand in the Temple proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). In Rev 13:14-15 we’re told that he’ll have a statue of himself erected and require everyone to worship it on pain of death. In Matt 24:15-21 Jesus said that the Abomination that causes Desolation spoken of by Daniel will kick off the Great Tribulation, a period 3 1/2 years long that coincides with the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. The similarities between this coming event and the one from history being so obvious, most scholars are persuaded that one points to the other since nothing in the intervening years fits so completely.

Soon And Very Soon

A new leader will soon emerge on the scene, a man with great personal charisma. Following a devastating war in the Middle East, he’ll present a plan to restore peace, by which he will quickly captivate and control the world. Since all true believers will have recently disappeared from Earth in the rapture of the Church, he’ll have no trouble persuading most remaining inhabitants that he is the promised Messiah, the Prince of Peace. He will astound and amaze them all with feats of diplomacy and conquest, even performing the supernatural.

When he claims to be God, all hell will break loose on Earth and 3 1/2 years of the most terrible times mankind has ever known will threaten their very existence. But before they’re all destroyed the real Prince of Peace will return and overthrow this impostor. He will set up His kingdom on earth, a kingdom that will never be destroyed or left to another.

Having given His life to finish transgression, put an end to sin, atone for wickedness and bring in everlasting righteousness, and having fulfilled all Biblical vision and prophecy, He will anoint the most Holy Place and receive all the honor, glory and blessing the Scriptures promise Him. Israel will finally have her Kingdom back and will live in peace with God in her midst forever. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

The Storm Before the Fire: Is the U.S. About To Bomb Iran?

By PNW Staff - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=8072

Picture this: sirens wailing across Israeli cities as ballistic missiles rain down. U.S. military bases from Iraq to Bahrain erupt in explosions as Iran's proxy militias launch a coordinated assault. Oil prices skyrocket overnight, crippling the global economy. American warships in the Persian Gulf scramble to defend themselves against a barrage of drones and fast-moving attack boats.

This isn't some hypothetical doomsday scenario--it's the very real chain reaction that could begin in the next few weeks. Right now, the United States is assembling an armada of bombers in the Indian Ocean, while Iran is loading its missile launchers and bracing for a fight. The world stands on the edge of a military conflict that could reshape the Middle East for a generation. The question is: will the U.S. strike, and if so, what will be the consequences?

Why This War May Be Inevitable

For years, Iran has played a dangerous game, inching closer to nuclear capability while taunting the West with open threats. The Islamic Republic has not been shy about its intentions--time and again, its leaders have called for the complete destruction of Israel. A nuclear-armed Iran is not just an abstract geopolitical threat; it would be an existential crisis for both Israel and the broader stability of the Middle East.

The U.S. has spent decades trying to contain Iran's ambitions through diplomacy and sanctions, but Tehran has consistently found ways to evade restrictions. Now, the Trump administration appears to be done waiting. A two-month deadline for Iran to strike a nuclear deal only has a little time left, and intelligence reports indicate that Iranian ballistic missiles are now "loaded onto launchers in all underground missile cities and ready for launch."

In response, the U.S. has sent B-2 stealth bombers--specifically designed to destroy deeply buried nuclear facilities--to the remote Diego Garcia military base. This is no routine deployment; it's a statement of intent. The world has seen this kind of military buildup before, and it usually ends in one way: war.

What a U.S. Bombing Campaign Would Look Like

If the order comes down from Washington, a U.S. bombing operation against Iran will be fast, precise, and devastating. The initial wave would focus on taking out Iran's air defenses, clearing the way for subsequent strikes. Then, B-2 stealth bombers, escorted by fighter jets, would unleash their deadly payloads on Iran's nuclear facilities, particularly the underground enrichment centers in Fordow and Natanz.

These sites are fortified deep within mountains, but the U.S. possesses massive ordnance penetrators--30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs designed specifically for this type of mission.

Simultaneously, Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf would target military installations, missile launch sites, and command centers. Cyber warfare could play a crucial role as well, disabling Iran's ability to communicate and coordinate its defenses. The goal would be simple: cripple Iran's nuclear program and military infrastructure before it can respond.

But Iran will respond. And that's when things get ugly.

Iran's Retaliatory Options: A Nightmare Scenario

Iran has spent years preparing for this moment, building a network of retaliatory capabilities that could wreak havoc far beyond its borders. If the U.S. bombs Iran, here's how Tehran could strike back:

Missile Attacks on Israel and U.S. Bases

Iran has thousands of short- and medium-range missiles capable of reaching deep into Israel and hitting U.S. bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and even the United Arab Emirates. A missile barrage could overwhelm Israeli air defenses, causing mass casualties and forcing Israel into the conflict.

Strangling Global Trade by Closing the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz

Iran controls key maritime chokepoints. It could mine the Strait of Hormuz--through which 20% of the world's oil passes--triggering a global economic crisis. It could also use its Houthi allies in Yemen to attack ships in the Red Sea, cutting off one of the world's most important trade routes.

Unleashing Proxy Militias

Iran doesn't need to fight the U.S. directly. Instead, it can turn its vast network of militias across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen into attack dogs. These groups--such as Hezbollah and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces--could launch waves of rocket attacks, suicide bombings, and ambushes on U.S. troops and allied forces across the region.

Cyber Warfare Against the U.S.

Iran has been rapidly expanding its cyber capabilities and has previously launched attacks on American infrastructure. If war breaks out, expect Iranian hackers to target U.S. power grids, banking systems, and government networks, causing chaos on American soil.

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil

The least likely but most frightening scenario would be an Iranian-backed terrorist attack in the United States. Iran has a long history of orchestrating attacks through Hezbollah and other groups, and with the stakes this high, nothing can be ruled out.

The Global Fallout: A War No One Can Afford

The consequences of a U.S.-Iran war would not be confined to the Middle East. Oil prices would skyrocket, sending shockwaves through the global economy. Refugee crises would worsen as civilians flee conflict zones. European allies--while wary of another Middle Eastern conflict--would likely support diplomatic efforts while reinforcing regional security measures. And most concerning of all, if Iran feels its very survival is at stake, it might accelerate its nuclear program in secret, making the next war even deadlier.

The Clock is Ticking

The world is sleepwalking toward a war that could reshape the next decade. Whether through diplomatic failure, miscalculation, or deliberate action, a U.S. strike on Iran seems more likely than ever. Iran has made it clear that any attack will be met with severe retaliation, and the U.S. has positioned its forces to deliver a crushing first strike. We are now at the tipping point.

In the coming days, watch for sudden diplomatic moves, military repositioning, or, worst of all, a spark that ignites the fire. If history has taught us anything, it's that wars are often not started by grand strategic decisions, but by a single misstep in a moment of high tension. That moment may be just around the corner.

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Compromising God’s Word: Much Of the Church Today Is Guilt Of ‘Playing the Harlot’

By Ken Ham - https://harbingersdaily.com/compromising-gods-word-much-of-the-church-today-is-guilt-of-playing-the-harlot/

The Bible uses strong language to describe any form of compromise with worldly thinking. And it doesn’t just apply to the ancient Israelites.

Hosea 4:12 says, “My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their [wooden] staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God.”

Hosea used strong language against his fellow Israelites, calling them harlots because they had violated their vows to remain faithful to the one true God. Is it possible that Christians today, and particularly Christian leaders—in their zeal to make Christianity more enticing—are actually “playing the harlot,” too? Here is what I mean.

Born-again Christians who love the Lord, preach the gospel, and insist on the inerrancy of Scriptures are saddened when they read how the Israelites compromised God’s Word as they embraced more and more pagan beliefs (including idolatry) from the nations around them. God calls such compromise “harlotry.” Over and over again, Scripture gives clear instructions concerning the worship of the one true God, and it condemns compromise with pagan beliefs as harlotry (Jeremiah 3:6).

Universal Fallen Nature

Because of our sin nature, God knows how we humans are more likely to be influenced by that which is wrong than that which is right. God describes our heart this way: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Despite all the miracles many Israelites saw God do for them, many compromised their worship of God with idolatry and pagan rituals. As we read about this in the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Amos, we shake our heads and say, “How could they do this? How could they play such harlotry, as God describes it?”

But I’m also reminded of the verse, “And there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). You see, ever since Adam sinned, man’s sin-cursed nature hasn’t changed. Certainly, those who are born again, as the Bible defines this, know that their sins are forgiven and they will spend eternity with the Lord. Nonetheless, such Christians still have to deal with their sin nature daily while in these sin-cursed bodies. Even the great apostle Paul had this battle: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:18–19).

All Christians have feet of clay. All, no matter how dedicated to the Lord and His Word, are susceptible to being drawn into error because of our sin nature. Indeed, we are all guilty of “harlotry” (idolatry) to one degree or another every time we choose sin and love the world rather than loving God and following His rule (1 John 2:15; see also Colossians 3:15).

Commands to Avoid Compromise

Because of man’s fallen nature, God frequently gave instructions to the Israelites such as this: “You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves” (Exodus 20:23).

In fact, because man is so likely to compromise God’s Word, God gave further instructions: “And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.”

Why is that? In Genesis 3 we read that the serpent said to Eve: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Humans want to be their own gods—our nature is that we want to replace the true God with our own god. So God told the Israelites not to use any tool on the stone for an altar. In other words, He did not want them to be tempted to make a god when they carved in stone.

But sadly, the Israelites gave in to this temptation and did adopt the false gods of the pagan nations into their own system of worship. They compromised God’s Word. “My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God” (Hosea 4:12).

And then we find how God responded:

He has withdrawn Himself from them (Hosea 5:6).

“I will send a famine on the land . . . of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11).

“I will despise your feast days. . . . Offerings, I will not accept them. . . . I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments” (Amos 5:21–23).

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge . . . . I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Yes, their children rebelled against the Lord—the parents lost their children to the pagan world. As for all their offerings, praise, and worship, God did not hear them or accept them.

Compromise Today

I submit that there “is nothing new under the sun.” The same situation, albeit portrayed in a different way and using different terminology, is happening today. I suggest much of the church today is really no different when we consider this sin of harlotry.

When I debated Bill Nye in February 2014, he was not just defending molecules-to-man evolution and millions of years; he was also defending naturalism. Naturalism is the belief that the whole universe, including the earth and all life, is explained by natural processes. This is Bill Nye’s religion—the religion of the secularists.

The belief in millions of years to explain geology and molecules-to-man evolution is the secularists’ attempt to justify their religion of naturalism. It is really human beings attempting to be god and worshipping matter and time (millions of years). In fact, Neil deGrasse Tyson stated in episode 8 of the recent Cosmos television series: “Our ancestors worshipped the sun. They were far from foolish. It makes good sense to revere the sun and stars because we are their children. The silicon in the rocks, the oxygen in the air, the carbon in our DNA, the iron in our skyscrapers, the silver in our jewelry—were all made in stars, billions of years ago. Our planet, our society, and we ourselves are stardust.”

Sadly, many Christians, including many Christian leaders (pastors, seminary and Bible college professors, Christian college professors, and so on), have adopted evolutionary geology, biology, astronomy, and anthropology, along with belief in millions of years, and they have mixed such beliefs with God’s Word. Because such beliefs are founded on an antibiblical, anti-God worldview, I do humbly submit that such is harlotry no different than that of the Israelites.

Now I also state, as I have many times before, that salvation is conditional upon faith in Christ as the Scriptures teach, and not upon one’s view on the age of the earth or evolutionary ideas. Certainly many born-again Christians have adopted evolutionary beliefs, which doesn’t mean they can’t be saved. But it does not alter the fact they have played harlotry with man’s religion that opposes God’s Word.

I also submit that what happened to the Israelites is happening today. There is a famine of the hearing the Word of the Lord in our Western world, as many church leaders water down the teaching of the Word and adopt the world’s views in regard to marriage, abortion, and so on.

We are losing most of the coming generations from the church—over 60% of those in their twenties right now who were once connected to the church are not connected any longer. Yes, churches all across our Western world have emotion-touching music and well-run programs—but I submit that in many instances God is not hearing them because they have not taken an uncompromising stand on the Bible’s authority.

So I challenge those who do compromise God’s Word in Genesis by adding man’s ideas to contemplate these things. And I end with this challenge that God gave to the Israelites: “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’’” (Zechariah 1:3).

Legends, Lore and Logic

By Jack Kinsella - https://www.raptureready.com/2025/04/01/legends-lore-and-logic-by-jack-kinsella/

I received an email from a reader asking for some information about the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible’s account of Noah’s Ark.

“I have some coworkers that argue that the Epic of Gilgamesh shows evidence that the Genesis account of the Flood of Noah was taken from this document. I need some “ammunition” to refute this,” he wrote.

First, a little historical background. Gilgamesh was a historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the River Euphrates in modern Iraq.

Many stories and myths were written about Gilgamesh, some of which were written down on clay tablets that still survive. The oldest existing fragments date to about 2000 BC — roughly the time of Abraham.

The most complete surviving version of the Epic of Gilgamesh dates from the middle of the 6th century BC and was found in the ruins of the library of Ashram, king of Assyria, at Nineveh.

The Gilgamesh Epic itself dates to about 2700 BC, say the experts, relying on the text of the surviving fragments.

In it, Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim was granted immortality by the gods after he and his wife became the only human survivors of a worldwide flood, and Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the story.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is widely considered to be the oldest human composition ever found. By comparison, the first five Books of the Bible were penned by Moses around the 13th century BC, at least seven hundred years after the Epic of Gilgamesh had been in circulation.

Because the Gilgamesh story is older, the automatic assumption is that it was the inspiration for the Hebrew account of Noah’s Ark.

It sounds convincing, but only if one approaches it with a built-in bias. If one is looking for an alternative explanation for the Bible’s account, then Gilgamesh fits the bill.

On the other hand, if one is looking for the most logical explanation, then the entire argument collapses under its own weight.

There is a principle of logic attributed to the medieval philosopher William of Occam, commonly referred to as ‘Occam’s Razor,’ also known as the ‘principle of parsimony.’ It underlies all scientific modeling and theory building.

Occam’s Razor is a method by which to choose from a set of otherwise equivalent models of a given phenomenon the simplest explanation. In any given model, Occam’s razor helps us to “shave off” those concepts, variables, or constructs that are not really needed to explain the phenomenon.

By doing that, developing the model will become much easier, and there is less chance of introducing inconsistencies, ambiguities, and redundancies. In its shortest form, Occam’s Razor states that one should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed.

To beat a dead horse to death, let me simplify it even more: the simplest explanation is logically the most likely to be correct.

Assessment

This isn’t an effort to ‘prove’ the Genesis account is true. I believe that it is true because it is the only logical explanation that fits the known facts.

The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the following story: In the time before the Flood, there was a city, Shuruppak, on the banks of the Euphrates. There, the counsel of the gods held a secret meeting; they all resolved to destroy the world in a great flood.

Gilgamesh may, however, be the explanation for the saying ‘the walls have ears.’

All the gods were under oath not to reveal this secret to any living thing, but Ea (one of the gods that created humanity) came to Utnapishtim’s house and told the secret to the walls of Utnapishtim’s house, thus not technically violating his oath to the rest of the gods.

He advised the walls of Utnapishtim’s house to build a great boat, its length as great as its breadth, to cover the boat, and to bring all living things into the boat.

Utnapishtim, eavesdropping on the conversation, gets straight to work and finishes the great boat by the new year. Utnapishtim then loads the boat with gold, silver, and all the living things of the earth, and launches the boat.

Ea orders him into the boat and commands him to close the door behind him. The black clouds arrive, with the thunder god Adad rumbling within them; the earth splits like an earthenware pot, and all the light turns to darkness.

The Flood lasts for seven days and seven nights, and finally light returns to the earth. Utnapishtim’s boat comes to rest on the top of Mount Nimush.

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Genesis account converge on several points, but one thing immediately leaps out. Gilgamesh’ account is a logical description from the perspective of man. It is an effort to put an ancient memory into an understandable historical context.

The Genesis account is a logical description of the same event from the perspective of God. The Genesis account fills in details missing from Gilgamesh that could be known only to God.

The Gilgamesh account is an effort to make sense of a global catastrophe — the Genesis account puts it into logical context, connecting the dots from Adam to the Rapture.

The Flood is a necessary part of the Bible’s outline of human history — remove it and the Scriptures lose all context. God’s promise to Noah is fulfilled at the Cross. The power of sin is destroyed rather than the destruction of sinners.

Jesus refers to the ‘days of Noah’ to describe the last days; Peter uses the salvation of Noah as an example of the Rapture (2nd Peter 3:3-7)

The Genesis account provides answers. The Gilgamesh account only poses new questions.

Legends of a worldwide flood can be found in the folklore of such diverse places as the Middle East, India, China, Australia, southern Asia, the islands of the Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.

Was the Chinese legend of a global flood inspired by the Epic of Gilgamesh? Did the Australian Aborigines and the Native Americans read the Epic of Gilgamesh? The Pacific Islanders?

If the Flood is a myth, why does every civilization or culture share the same common, distant memory of a global catastrophe that NEVER happened? There must be a logical explanation. A Sumerian cuneiform tablet unknown until relatively recently doesn’t make the cut.

Occam’s Razor says that the only logical conclusion is that there must really have been a worldwide flood that a handful of survivors escaped by boarding a giant ark filled with animals that came to rest on a mountaintop after the waters receded. No other explanation fits the facts.

There are many differing accounts, but all are rooted in the same historical occurrence. If there were no Biblical account, it is likely that the Flood would be an accepted part of the human historical record, like dinosaurs or cavemen.

It is precisely BECAUSE the Bible says the Flood was a Divine judgment against sin that the Genesis account is so vigorously opposed by its critics.

Remove the references to an all-powerful God demanding personal accountability from His creation, and a global flood is no more fantastic than concluding a giant asteroid hit the earth 85 million years ago and killed all the dinosaurs.

‘Stuff happens’ is a more comfortable conclusion to live with than personal accountability to an all-knowing and Perfect God. That is also perfectly logical, as Paul notes in Romans 1:28:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…”

The Genesis story fits a logical timeline, has a logical place in history, and answers the questions Gilgamesh does not (like, who told the Australian Aborigines there was a worldwide flood if it is really a myth?)

Occam’s Razor says the simplest explanation is also the most logical.

“…for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: The friendly unfriendly

Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

A recent trip to England for our son’s wedding revealed a lot about international relations. From the time we landed, going through Heathrow airport and into the Uber to our hotel, we were bombarded with London’s version of National Public Radio and London talk shows. They were weighted heavily toward what’s going on politically in the United States. Trump trying to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia; Trump levying tariffs against trading partners; Even the electronic billboards along the highway were showing pictures of Trump in the news. Trump’s Middle East policy; Trump’s economic policies; Trump this and Trump that. It seemed like the Brits were obsessed with Trump. And it wasn’t in a good way.

One program focused on how Trump had struck fear among the LGBTQ-rest of the alphabet-people. The news anchor interviewed an open homosexual about the fears he felt because of Trump’s two-gender policy. Irrationally, the guest “expert” explained how he felt Trump’s actions threatened the well-being, even the lives, of those in the queer community. Of course, he had no clear examples of any queer person being attacked or killed because of Trump, but the fear-mongering was very clear. The world no longer holds any safe place for the queer community because of Trump. The anchor concluded that while he was straight, he definitely believed the world was a much more dangerous place for queers because of Trump.

At a pre-wedding dinner near Buckingham Palace, we were having a smashing good time. I was standing up overlooking the table of about 17 guests when the Maître D’ struck up a conversation with me. I pointed out the groom and bride, told him this was a group that was going to a final destination for a wedding. Finding that we were Americans, he proceeded to lecture me about how Trump was the worst US president in history and there will never be one to be worse than him. He was particularly agitated about Trump negotiating peace with Russia. I told him he had a lot of nerve insulting my president and my country, especially after we were spending about a thousand dollars at his establishment. I told him it was not good for his business, nor good hospitality. My wife intervened before it escalated into something worse.

Later, on a train from Wales to London, a cheerful couple sat across from us. They were implying that Trump was messing up the British economy with his economic policies. The husband was upset that his Tesla stock had taken a nosedive because of Musk and Trump working together. All in all, most were very friendly, but the atmosphere was very friendly unfriendly. The spirit was of a socialist nation that had created its own problems, but preferred to blame Trump, although with a smile. I’m reminded of Jesus asking in Matthew 7:2, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” Everybody wants to blame Trump without even considering the overreach, graft and corruption he’s trying to fix, which is their own, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.

Daily Devotion: A Hero’s Welcome

by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. —Matthew 21:8

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-heros-welcome/ - Listen

Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the Passover celebration on a donkey, as a king would. And that’s how the crowd treated Him when He arrived—as a king. Jesus accepted their praise and worship, something He rarely did during His earthly ministry.

Matthew 12 tells the story of Jesus healing many sick people. “But he warned them not to reveal who he was” (verse 16 NLT). And in Matthew 16, after Jesus commended Peter for declaring Him to be “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (verse 16 NLT), we find this statement: “Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah” (verse 20 NLT).

Jesus issued no such warnings before He entered Jerusalem. He wanted everyone to know that He was the Messiah, the King they had been waiting for.

He understood that the people’s excitement was misguided. The crowds weren’t praising Him because He came to save the world from God’s punishment for sin. They cheered because they believed He was going to free them from Roman control (and taxes).

The people who lined the streets with palm branches and welcomed Jesus with open arms didn’t know that His actual mission was infinitely and eternally more important and more valuable than the military skirmish they envisioned. So days later, when their narrow-minded expectations were still unmet, their cheers turned to cries for His death. Their “Hosanna!” turned to “Crucify Him!” The people who hailed Him as a hero denounced Him as a fraud.

It’s interesting to note that the Romans, the ones who had the most to lose if Jesus had turned out to be the Messiah the Jewish people expected, apparently didn’t see His triumphant entry as a threat. Nowhere in the Gospels is there a reaction to Jesus’ arrival by Roman officials or soldiers.

The Roman military was stationed in Jerusalem to prevent rebellion. But they didn’t see Jesus or the crowds who gathered to greet Him as dangerous rebels. As far as Rome was concerned, the event was just a bunch of unarmed peasants waving broken tree branches to greet a local rabbi who was sitting on some old clothes as he rode a donkey.

Hardly the type of movement that could disrupt an empire. Or so they thought.

The Jewish religious leaders, on the other hand, saw an enormous threat. They received loud and clear the message Jesus communicated with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem: The Messiah had come.

The religious leaders had tried to rid themselves of Jesus since the earliest days of His ministry. But because His work had not been completed, they were helpless to do anything. With Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, they faced another problem: His popularity with the crowd. As long as He had the people’s support, the leaders could do nothing to Him. So they bided their time and worked to undermine Him in the eyes of the people.

And because their plans aligned with God’s plan, they succeeded. The Hero of Palm Sunday would be Public Enemy #1 by Good Friday.

Jesus knew what was coming. Yet He willingly faced rejection—and much worse—to fulfill God’s plan of salvation.

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