Daniel 9
25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. <o:p></o:p>

These verses are talking about the 7 weeks and 62 weeks of years which add up to 69 weeks. At the end of the 69th week the Messiah will be cut off. This happened at the cross of <st1:place w:st="on">Calvary</st1:place>. So all that is left is that final week of 7 years. This final week of years will occur after the rapture of the Church and when the antichrist comes to power and confirms a covenant with the nation of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p>

Daniel said there was appointed 70 weeks of years for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> to bring in all righteousness and setup Messiah. When Jesus entered <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> in His triumphal entry it marked the end of the 69 weeks. At this time Messiah was 'cut off'. We are now living in the time frame between the 69th and the beginning of the 70th week. After the rapture of the church the restrainer ( Holy Spirit) will be removed allowing the antichrist to rise to power. So right now we are waiting for the 70th week which is yet to be to be fulfilled. Also the 70th week is not for the church but is for the nation of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> just like the previous 69 weeks were for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. To put the church in the 70th week is a form of Scripture twisting. <o:p></o:p>

The 70th week begins when the antichrist confirms a covenant with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> for 7 years. In the middle of the week (3 1/2 years) he will break his covenant and commit the abomination of desolation. At that point he will stop the sacrifice in the rebuilt temple in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> and there he will claim to be God and demand worship. At this time the mark of the beast will be issued. People will worship him and accept the mark, or die. <o:p></o:p>

Daniel 9
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. <o:p></o:p>

Now between the 69th and the 70th week there is a time gap...commonly referred to as the Church age. Here it is in list form: <o:p></o:p>

* <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> goes through the first 69 weeks of years. (483 years)
* At the end of the 69 weeks of years Messiah is cut off... and He dies for the sins of lost mankind.
* After Jesus was crucified He rose from the dead. He later went back to heaven.
* At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the saved and the Church was born.
* From Pentecost to today (pre-rapture) we have been in a time period referred to as the Church age. The Church is composed of saved Jews and Gentiles.
* The Church in the world is a restraining influence keeping the antichrist from rising to power. The Holy Spirit restrains in and through His Church
* After the rapture of the Church the restrainer will be removed and the antichrist will then be able to rise to power.
* After the rapture the Holy Spirit will still be in the world. The Church will be absent but the Holy Spirit will be present. How can an omni-present being be removed from anywhere???? The restraining influence of the Holy Spirit working in and through the Church will be removed at the rapture. The Holy Spirit will still be present but the Church will be absent.
* The anti-Christ will confirm a 7 year covenant with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
* This will start the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. Then there will be just 7 short years to go before the Lord Jesus returns.
* A Prophetic year is 360 days. <o:p></o:p>

Points to consider:
- The prophetic 70 weeks stopped at the rejection and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Messiah.
- That occurred after 69 weeks or 483 years.
- God has been using the Church (invisible body of Christ) during that time period.
- Once the antichrist confirms the covenant, the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy begins <o:p></o:p>

THE KNOWN DAY OF THE RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS <o:p></o:p>

Once the seven year covenant is confirmed by the antichrist the exact day of the return of the Lord Jesus can be known. Also, once the abomination of desolation occurs after 3 1/2 years, the exact day of the return of the Lord can also be known so the scriptures that say that we can’t know the time of Christ’s return can’t be talking about the Second Coming. Instead, it has to be referring to the Rapture. <o:p></o:p>

The rapture is the unknown day of the return of Jesus. At the rapture the Lord Jesus removed His Church from the earth. No one was able to know the day of the rapture until after it happened. Many unstable souls who delight in twisting Scripture made many claims to know the exact day of the rapture. However, all such people were shown to be fools as their predicted day passed with nothing happening. <o:p></o:p>

For you Christians after the rapture, the exact day of the return of Jesus can be known. After certain prophetic events the exact day of Jesus' return can be marked on a calendar. Here are some Scriptures that talk about the known day of the return of the Lord Jesus. <o:p></o:p>

Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for ONE WEEK: and in the MIDST OF THE WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. <o:p></o:p>

ONE WEEK = 7 YEARS <o:p></o:p>

MIDST OF WEEK = 7 years divided by 2 = 3 1/2 years <o:p></o:p>

Daniel 12:7
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a TIME, TIMES, AND A HALF; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished. <o:p></o:p>

TIMES, TIMES, AND A HALF = 3 1/2 YEARS and then all these things shall be finished. <o:p></o:p>

Revelation 12
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days. <o:p></o:p>

AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS <o:p></o:p>

Revelation 12
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. <o:p></o:p>

AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS <o:p></o:p>

Revelation 13
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. <o:p></o:p>

AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS <o:p></o:p>

NOTE: *** a prophetic week is 360 days *** <o:p></o:p>

The KNOWN day: Once the 70th week of Daniel, or the time of Jacobs trouble begins we can easily tell the exact day when Jesus will return. Once the antichrist and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> sign the covenant we know that in exactly 7 years Christ will return. In the midst of the week (3 1/2 years) the antichrist commits the abomination of desolation. From that point in time we know there is: 3 1/2 years left, or 42 months left, or 1260 days left. At this point the coming of Christ is KNOWN. Once these prophetic events occur the return of the Lord Jesus may be marked on your calendar! From there simply count the days and endure!