Chapter 16
Other World Events in Bible Prophecy
Once we have made the proper historical identification of the nations of Israel in modern times, the fulfillment of Bible prophecy can be seen in an entirely new light. In fact, one could write many volumes explaining world events in this light, but we are limited to only a single chapter. Thus, I will attempt to give an overview and allow others to explore the specific details more thoroughly in other studies.
The Year 1492 in Prophetic History
You will recall from Chapter 4 how Noah cursed Canaan for the actions of his father (Ham) in Genesis 9. That curse was spoken in the year 1660 from Adam. Canaan was then given two periods of 414 years as a grace period. When these were completed, Joshua marched across the Jordan river and expelled the Canaanites in the year 2488 (1660 + 828 = 2488). In our modern way of reckoning, Joshua entered Canaan in the year 1407 B.C.
Anyway, if we extend Canaan's cursed time another 7 x 414 years, we come to the year 1492 A.D.
This is what is called a prophetic parallel. A parallel is a prophecy whose fulfillment is repeated on a larger scale and on a longer time cycle. In this case, we see that Canaan's grace period ended with the invasion of Israel. Actually, if the 12 spies had all given a good report, and if Israel had entered Canaan at that first opportunity, they would have brought judgment upon Canaan 38 years before the end of their grace period. In this, we see a notable example of the Sovereignty of God. It was the Will of God that Israel enter the land early, but it was not God's Plan. He planned from the beginning that Israel would refuse to enter, so that Canaan would have its full grace period.
There is much evidence that Israelites came to America in ancient times. The Las Lunas inscription in New Mexico is an ancient stone with the Ten Commandments inscribed upon it in the ancient Phoenician-Hebrew language. (For a picture and translation of this inscription, see Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets, by Biblical archeologist E. Raymond Capt, pp. 155-156, available from Artisan Sales, PO Box 1529, Muskogee, OK 74402, 800-722-7011.) This may be one reason why the prophetic parallel exists between Joshua's Jordan crossing and Columbus' Atlantic crossing. Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land in his day; Columbus did the same with the New World, the New Israel, the New Promised Land. In both cases, what was good news for the Israelites was bad news for the previous inhabitants. But overall, God rules in the affairs of men, and He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel (Deut. 32:8).
Unfortunately, the Israelites in ancient times, and more recently in America, have often behaved in flagrant violation of God's law. We do not seek to justify the sins of our forefathers, either in Joshua's day or in the days of early America. In God's dealings with the Canaanites of Gibeon, it was clear that God intended to bring the Canaanites into the position of serving God's House. We have already seen how this was an early prophetic type of the Order of Melchizedek. We saw how Noah's curse on Canaan was ultimately a blessing to them, for it "cursed" them to serve the Lord God of Shem (Melchizedek).
The same parallel appears to exist even today in America. The U.S. government made many treaties with the native Americans, but they kept very few of them. Even so, there are many native Americans today who serve the Lord God of Shem with all their hearts. At present, there is only a remnant of grace among the nations (including the nations of Israel throughout the world), but ultimately, God will be all in all. In the time of the Restoration of All Things and the manifestation of the Sons of God, all the troubles and injustices of life will be righted and rewarded, even as Paul has said in Romans 8:18,
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
At that time, the true heart of God will be made manifest to the world. It was never in His heart to solve the world's problems by bloodshed and destruction. The condition of fallen man has made this method necessary for now in order to make manifest the wicked heart of man without God. But the purpose of the glorification of the body through the Feast of Tabernacles is to empower a people who will be able to resolve these injustices by the true heart of God, which is a love for His creation. These true Sons will be sent out to restore all things and manifest His true character to the world.
Meanwhile, in spite of our imperfections, God's plan for history marches on, and the little big men on the stage of history play their roles blindly, thinking they are the masters of their own souls, but having only a dim sense of their true destinies.
The Prophetic Causes of World War II
World War II is said to have been sparked by Lord Halifax's visit to Hitler in 1937, which began the British policy of appeasement. In the same year, Prince Konoye was named Japanese Premier, and an aggressive Japanese war policy began. The Japanese seized Peking and other cities in China. Japanese planes also sank the U.S. gunboat "Panay" in Chinese waters.
The fall of 1937 was the beginning of the 119th Jubilee from Adam. The Jubilee year extended from the fall of 1937 to the fall of 1938. Of course, no one knew, and no one cared. To declare a Jubilee means to forgive and release those who are in bondage to men. Governments of men do not favor releasing men from subservience to the state or of cancelling debts owed to financial institutions. Thus, no Jubilee was declared, and the greatest upheaval in world history occurred in the next ten years, up to 1947/48.
The ten years following the 119th Jubilee (1937-47) run parallel to the ten years following the 120th Jubilee (1986-96). There is much we can learn from these years that is relevant to our time today. But first, let us go to the prophetic time cycles to see the importance of the 119th Jubilee from Adam (1937).
As we saw in earlier chapters, Samaria, the capital of the northern House of Israel, fell to the Assyrian army in 721 B.C. King Hoshea of Israel was captured and was presumably killed. From that point in time to the year 1937 A.D. includes precisely 434 rest years and Jubilees.
Jerusalem, the capital of the southern House of Judah, fell to the Babylonian army in 604 B.C., and king Jehoiachin was captured and deported to Babylon in 597 B.C. From that point in time to the year 1937 A.D. includes precisely 414 rest years and Jubilees.
Thus, the year 1937-38 is a pivotal year in the history of both Israel and Judah, particularly when we know how God has been working for thousands of years to repair the breach between them. Neither of these cycles are measured in standard years, but in the rest years and Jubilees which they did not keep. This is a different way of measuring time. But the fact that these reach a culmination point at the 119th Jubilee from Adam tells us some very important details about world history from God's perspective.
The number 119 is a number that is discussed by only a few authors who deal with the subject of Biblical numerology. They show how the number deals with the call to Resurrection, but it also "falls short" of 120, which is the number of the outpouring of the Spirit. The number 119 is manifested in the year 1937, in that it is a call to Resurrection, but it is still "early." In fact, it is one Jubilee early. Thus, while it seems to fall short of the goal, nonetheless, it is an early pattern for the fullness of events at the 120th Jubilee.
In other words, because Israel and Judah had each come to the end of their respective time cycles (Israel on Judged Time; Judah on Cursed Time), the year 1937 was the time when they had opportunity to avoid the judgments that were impending in those days. They fell short, of course, but their mistake was for our learning today.
First, in identifying the characters in this particular parable of history, we find that the two sides in the conflict (World War II) represent Israel and Judah. The Allied Powers, including Britain, Canada, and the U.S., played the part of the House of Israel (Joseph). The Axis powers (primarily represented by Germany) played the part of Judah. Since Judah was the tribe that was supposed to provide all the kings for the House of Israel, we find that all the monarchies of Europe are actually from Germany. Thus, it was only fitting that Germany play Judah's role.
Since Germany was playing the role of Judah in 1937, and the time cycle of Judah was based on 414 rest years and Jubilees, it was the culmination of a Cursed Time cycle. Therefore, they lost the war. Since the Allied powers were playing the role of Joseph-Israel in 1937, and their time cycle was based on 434 rest years and Jubilees, it was the culmination of a Judged Time cycle for them. They too came into judgment for not declaring a Jubilee-but they won the war. The outcome was decided by God, not by men. From God's perspective, it was a legal issue, and the time cycles had already settled the outcome of the war before the first shot was fired.
The Ten Years After the Jubilees
The ten-year cycle after 1937-38 can be broken down into 7 + 3 years. The first seven years defined the parameters of World War II. The last three years (1945-48) saw four major developments in the history of the world:
(1) The formation of the United Nations, a man-based world government.
(2) The formation of the Israeli state, a counterfeit "Israel" not based upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
(3) The formation of the World Council of Churches, a world church based upon man's false concepts of God.
(4) The Latter Rain movement, a temporary Spiritual Outpouring. It saw a time of great miracles and signs, with the revelation of the Feast of Tabernacles and the fullness of the Spirit. This movement was imperfect and temporary, but it spawned the rise of the great televangelists of our time.
These major developments in world history came as they did because the Jubilee was not declared in the fall of 1937. And so, even though the leaders of the Latter Rain movement saw many wonderful signs and miracles, and even though they received the revelation to go beyond Pentecost to the Feast of Tabernacles, and although they desired to enter into that experience, they were denied that honor, for the Jubilee had not been declared in the fall of 1937. It was too soon in the overall history of God's Plan. It was not yet time for the 120th Jubilee.
But if these things are to be taken as pattern events, then we might expect to see parallel events in the ten years following the declaration of the 120th Jubilee. Of course, the major difference, I believe, is that God raised up a Remnant of Overcomers to declare the Jubilee in 1996-which is ten years late, but by the Hezekiah Factor, is when God legally turned the clock back to 1986. Part of the evidence for this is that we did not experience World War III in the seven years either from 1986-1993 or from 1996-2003. Instead, the Soviet Union collapsed from 1987-1992. If God did not intend to declare the Jubilee in 1996 (i.e., 1986), then we probably would have had a war comparable to World War II. We will say more of this in the next chapter.
It appears that God is working on two ten-year cycles to bring the Overcomers into Perfection by means of the Outpouring of the Spirit at the Feast of Tabernacles. At the end of the first ten-year cycle, the Overcomer representatives declared the Jubilee on September 23, 1996. Because the clock was turned back ten steps at that time, it was, in the eyes of God, the year 1986--that is, the 120th Jubilee from Adam.
As of this writing (2000 A.D.), we await the end of the next ten-year cycle in 2006 A.D. When we project events into the future, of course, there is always the need to update this book as those dates pass, because we see only dimly into the future. Yet we should say a few words about the year 2006 in order to give you some direction to watch. First, as we have said earlier, the years 2001-2006 are 2,520 years after the ministry of the prophet Haggai, leading to the dedication of the Second Temple. His ministry began in the second year of King Darius (520 B.C.), according to Haggai 1:1. The foundational work of building the Second Temple had ceased until that year (Ezra 4:24), but it was finally finished toward the end of the sixth year of Darius (Ezra 6:15). This was precisely March 15, 515 B.C., as we stated on page 84.
It appears that the prophesied Temple of God will be completed in 2006, for this is 2,520 years after the Second Temple was completed. It also appears that the new priesthood that will minister in that "Temple" was born in 1986 that the 120th Jubilee. If we are correct in this, then that corporate priest (of the Melchisedec Order) will be twenty years old in 2006. One might think that this priest cannot minister until the age of 30, according to the law of Moses (Num. 4:3). But according to the last words of King David, the age was lowered to twenty. This is found in 1 Chronicles 23:27,
27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above.
In Jesus' first appearance He began His ministry at the age of thirty (Luke 3:23), according to the Mosaic pattern. However, it appears that in His second appearance, the pattern is on the Davidic model of twenty. This fits with the 2,520-year pattern of the Temple's completion.
Another pattern is that of the Apostle Paul and his connection to the building of the wall around Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah. As we have already shown, Artaxerxes' decree, which began Daniel's 70-week prophecy, was issued in 458 B.C. This was Artaxerxes' seventh year (Ezra 7:7). Thirteen years later the same king sent Nehemiah to repair the wall and the gates around Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:1 and 5:14 says that he was sent to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes--that is, 445 B.C. The wall was completed in 52 days in the sixth month of that same year (Nehemiah 6:15).
From 458 B.C. to 33 A.D. is 490 years. But if we consider 445 B.C. to be a secondary beginning point for Daniel's 70-week prophecy, the 490 years ends in 46 A.D. This is the year that the Apostle Paul was first commissioned to the ministry by the laying on of hands. The story is told in Acts 11:27-30. The prophet, Agabus, prophesied of a drought and famine that was shortly to come, and so Saul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem with contributions to help them purchase food. According to secular history, this famine took place in 47 A.D. (See Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, XX, ii, 5.) Hence, Agabus' prophecy must have been given shortly before the summer of 47 A.D., certainly no later than the fall of 46 A.D.
Paul tells us in Galatians 2:1 that he went to Jerusalem "after fourteen years" from his conversion. This was their way of saying that his trip took place in the fourteenth year from his conversion in late 33 A.D. In other words, Saul and Barnabas were commissioned probably in the latter part of 46 A.D. Saul's name was then changed to Paul (Acts 13:9), and he and Barnabas were sent out on their first missionary journey.
The point of this is to show that Paul was sent out precisely 490 years after Nehemiah completed building the wall of Jerusalem. Another 4 x 490 years later brings us to 2006 A.D. We believe that this is a major watch date. The new Temple will be completed in 2006; the new Priesthood will be old enough to minister fully at the age of twenty; and the Overcomers (who are represented by the Apostle Paul) may be sent out to do the work of the Tabernacles Age that will bring all things under the feet of Jesus Christ.
If the ten-year pattern of 1937/8 to 1947/8 repeats in some way from 1996/7 to 2006/7, then we might see the following events by 2007 A.D.
(1)God may establish His True World Government with His appointed Overcomers ("priests") to oversee His Kingdom, based upon true biblical laws. It would probably take a few years of ministry before the hearts of the people are turned sufficiently to affect the governments of nations.
(2) God may repair the breach between true Israel and Judah, which is necessary for the reunification between the King and His Kingdom, the Messianic Line with the Birthright. This would begin to reunify nations under the headship of Jesus Christ and/or His Overcomers who represent Him. Unlike what occurred in 1948, it would result in the birth of the true Israel nations on an earthly level, led by Overcomers.
(3)The manifestation of the Sons of God will establish His true Church.
(4) We may witness the true Latter Rain and the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles that will usher in the Tabernacles Age. This would not be a temporary revival like what we saw from 1948-52 and all the other revivals during the Pentecostal Age. In this age, the Overcomers would be given the Fullness of the Spirit, which would enable them to preach the Word to all men, to begin an effective ministry to bring all things under His feet.
The contrast between these two ten-year cycles (1937-47 and 1996-2006) tells us volumes. It shows us how world events are altered by the Jubilee. No Jubilee was declared in the fall of 1937, and so we ended up with seven years of war, followed by an evil world government, a counterfeit Israel Kingdom, a false World Church, and a temporary outpouring of the Spirit. In the fall of 2006, we hope to see the beginnings of the true versions of each of these, as God brings all things under His dominion and ends the great rebellion.