The Arrival of the King!
God gave two similar prophecies which indicated the dates for the two appearances of Christ: His first appearance in 29 CE, to preach the good news of the kingdom, and to die as our ransom sacrifice; and his second appearance as our reigning King. [Jesus was King to his faithful followers starting from his first appearance of course; but he did not then exert his rule over all the earth. - (John 1:49 ; 1 John 5:19 ; Mark 1:9-11 ; John 14:30)]
When Jesus appeared the first time, being baptized by John in 29 CE, the Jews were in expectation of his arrival. (Luke 3:15 ; John 4:25-26) How did they know to expect Jesus? Because of Bible Prophecy! (Matthew 21:4-5) There were many prophecies about the coming Messiah, and about 600 years before the birth of Jesus, there was one given through Daniel that let God's people know when the Christ was to arrive. By their rebellion against Jehovah, the Jewish nation made themselves unclean and God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed and the remnant taken captive by the Babylonians. (Jeremiah 25:11-12 ; Daniel 9:2 - Jeremiah and Daniel were contemporary prophets.) Even though Jehovah removed his protection, He allowed even his unfaithful nation know they would return to their homeland after seventy years. Along with the hope of Jerusalem being rebuilt, He gave them new insight regarding the appearance of their promised Messiah. Through his prophet Daniel, Jehovah gave them the "seventy weeks" prophecy: (Daniel 9:24-27) . . ."There are seventy weeks that have been determined upon your people and upon your holy city, in order to terminate the transgression, and to finish off sin, and to make atonement for error, and to bring in righteousness for times indefinite, and to imprint a seal upon vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 And you should know and have the insight [that] from the going forth of [the] word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah [the] Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks. She [Jerusalem] will return and be actually rebuilt, with a public square and moat, but in the straits of the times. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off, with nothing for himself. And the city and the holy place the people of a leader that is coming will bring to their ruin. And the end of it will be by the flood. And until [the] end there will be war; what is decided upon is desolations. 27 And he must keep [the] covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease. And upon the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, the very thing decided upon will go pouring out also upon the one lying desolate."
In this prophecy [of seventy weeks of years], God reaffirmed Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and He gave them information to discern when they should look for Messiah's arrival.
It is not a simple prophecy to understand. In order to do so, the Jewish Bible students looked to their history and applied the scripture indicating a year for a day to atone for transgression: (Numbers 14:34) . . ."By the number of the days that you spied out the land, forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year, you will answer for your errors forty years". . . Thus, substituting a year for a day would make the seventy weeks, first multiplied by seven days so as to equal to 490 days, and then substituting a year for a day to represent 490 years. Bible scholars and historians tell us the Babylonian king identified the start of those 490 years as he issued the word to have Jerusalem restored and rebuilt in 455 BCE. (Nehemiah 2:1-6) [The work of rebuilding Jerusalem was mostly completed by 406 BCE, 49 years (or one week of years) after the decree to have it rebuilt.] From the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem then, until the appearance of Messiah, there would be seven weeks, plus sixty two weeks, or 483 years. (7 weeks, plus 62 weeks, times 7 days per week equals 483 days; and then a year for a day.) Counting forward 483 years from their start date of 455 BCE, brought them to 29 CE for the appearance of Messiah. Based on that Bible knowledge then, the Jews were expecting Jesus in 29 CE, just as Jehovah had prophesied. (Luke 3:15 ; Acts 1:6-7)
It is logical to next wonder: Is there a second prophecy given to indicate when the second appearance of the Christ would be? Yes, there is!!! That prophecy is referred to as the Seven Times prophecy. It is another prophecy given Daniel, wherein a huge tree was providing protection for and feeding all the earth. The tree of Daniel's interpretation (revealing Nebuchadnezzar's dream) was then cut down. The tree first represented the seven year loss of his kingdom by the then ruling human king of the earth. [Babylon was the ruling secular world power of the time, and Nebuchadnezzar was it's king.] The downed tree also represents the seven times loss of God's kingdom ruling over the earth. After the passing of the "seven times," first meaning of seven literal years, the human king would be returned to his throne. The prophecy also indicates when God's kingdom would once again rule the earth, by means of the second coming of Christ: (Daniel 4:23-25) . . ."Chop the tree down, and ruin it. However, leave its rootstock itself in the earth, but with a banding of iron and of copper, among the grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens let it become wet, and with the beasts of the field let its portion be until seven times themselves pass over it, 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and the decree of the Most High is that which must befall my lord the king. 25 And you they will be driving away from men, and with the beasts of the field your dwelling will come to be, and the vegetation is what they will give even to you to eat just like bulls; and with the dew of the heavens you yourself will be getting wet, and seven times themselves will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind, and that to the one whom he wants to he gives it." This prophecy had a literal fulfillment upon Nebuchadnezzar, the human king of the earth. Nebuchadnezzar went mad, and left the throne for seven years. He was then restored to his kingship. The second meaning for the prophecy was not realized until it's time: Between the years 1870 and 1880 CE. Bible scholars around the earth started to realize the "seven times" was significant beyond just the king of ancient Babylon, and that this prophecy had a second application to the second coming of Jesus as the one being given the kingdom by his Father. (Acts 2:32-36 ; Mark 14:61-62 ; Hebrews 10:12-13) Because of their wickedness, God's kingdom over the earth was removed, until he came who had the legal right to reestablish it. (Ezekiel 21:25-27)
This prophecy used the term "seven times" instead of seven years. Comparing other scriptures, we learn a "time" can mean a year of 360 days (for prophetic use). At Revelation 12:6, we are told of a woman who was fed for a thousand two hundred and sixty days. Then at Revelation 12:14, we are told she is fed a time and times and half a time. Many Bible scholars of the late 1800's interpreted that "time and times and half a time" to be three and one half times. If three and one half times equals one thousand two hundred and sixty days, then this prophecy's seven times equals twice that, or two thousand five hundred and twenty days. Then applying a year for a day (Numbers 14:34) as in the seventy weeks prophecy, we get 2,520 years. The line of kings including faithful David represented God's kingship over the earth. Starting from when that kingdom was destroyed in 607 BCE, and counting forward 2,520 years, we arrive at 1914 CE when the one who has the legal right (*1)(Ezekiel 21:26-27) was to arrive. Christ, as both a descendant of King David and the son of God, (Luke 1:32-33) proved to be the one who has the legal right. Thus, in the late 1800's, many Bible students asserted 1914 as the year for the arrival of Christ to establish his kingdom. When World War I broke out in that year, many persons throughout the earth placed faith in that Bible understanding of Daniel's prophecy. (*2)
When Jesus first arrived in 29 CE, his appearance was not as the Jewish religious leaders expected (they were looking for a powerful ruling king). Because he was meek and humble, and did not kill their enemies, most abandoned their faith in him. The Jews dismissed what they had learned from the Bible's "70 weeks" prophecy, and went back to looking for Messiah to arrive. They are still waiting! Those who understood Bible prophecy to indicate 1914 as Christ's second appearance also expected a warrior king. When Christ did not immediately destroy God's enemies at his being seated as King in the heavens in 1914, [the Bible indicates Jesus soon will destroy God's enemies] (Revelation 6:2 ; Psalms 92:7 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10) most abandoned their faith in Jesus's second arrival. It was similar to what the Jews had done at Jesus first appearance. Those Christians who lost faith in Jehovah's prophecy of the "7 times," went back to looking for his second appearance. They are still waiting [just as the Jews are still waiting for Christ's first coming]. The sensible question then becomes: Did Jesus actually arrive in 1914 CE, as the Bible prophecy indicated he would? Remember as you consider, Jesus said his second appearance would be like lightening that occurs off in the east and shines clear to the west. It's not like a bright and bold lightening strike you can see, but one off in the distance that you don't hear and only lights up the sky. A strike you might miss altogether if your eyes were closed. (Matthew 24:27) Please see: The signs of his presence. Admittedly, believing in this prophecy requires a maturity of Bible understanding, and an application of faith in what Jesus taught. Many will consider your faith in Christ as ignorant or even stupid; or at best as silly, naive, or idealistic. Just please give serious consideration to what Jesus taught in light of what is happening around us in the earth; and what you are likely to see happen in the near future. Faith then begs the question: What is it we all [all mankind] need to know and be warned about for our day? If Jesus's coming is to be "hidden" from the eyes of unbelievers, (Luke 17:20-21 ; Luke 21:27 ; Matthew 24:43-44) we who strive to be faithful need to have our eyes open. We need to be on the watch for the signs Jesus gave us, so we recognize his presence through "eyes of faith": Faith like that of Abraham. (Hebrews 11:27) We need to recognize the existence of the kingdom for ourselves, and then help others to do so.
Right on prophetic schedule, Jesus was seated King in heaven in 1914, as he started the process of taking up rulership over all the earth. (Psalm 110 ; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 ; Matthew 25:31-33) His becoming king in heaven, in the midst of his enemies, is not visible to the human eye. His company of young men and women throughout the earth make the truth of his presence known. (Psalms 110:1-4) It is a perfect solution: In this way Jesus is able to help the meek, without the wicked even realizing what is happening. The meek and humble are being preserved alive; while those determined to remain workers of lawlessness can choose to view it all as foolishness. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
This all appears as the time of deliverance for those who love our Heavenly Father through faith in his Son! (Matthew 26:63-64 ; John 1:49) Do you have such faith - faith for preserving yourself alive? (John 11:26 ; Hebrews 10:37-39 ; Matthew 17:20 ; John 16:23-24) Learn what your Bible teaches, and ask Jehovah for help through Christ! We can ask even for faith! (Mark 9:24)
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*1 (Ezekiel 21:26-27) . . ."Remove the turban, and lift off the crown. This will not be the same. Put on high even what is low, and bring low even the high one. 27 A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I shall make it. As for this also, it will certainly become no [one's] until he comes who has the legal right, and I must give [it] to him.". . .
*2 We are not of course asserting Jesus or his Father were the cause of World War I in 1914. It's simply that God knew how world conditions would degrade without his directions being followed by mankind, and because the world was under the influence of satan. (1 John 5:19) Jesus said terrible world conditions would exist just before and/or during his second appearance [appearing this second time as King of God's kingdom - (Matthew 25:31-33)]: World War I was just a part of those terrible conditions, all together making up the sign Jesus gave. World conditions continue to get worse. We must exercise faith in Christ Jesus for salvation. (Romans 10:9)