The Tanach says that the righteous inherit the earth. So, why would your NT have the righteous being taken up into the air supposedly to meet with Jesus? What's up there?
Well ... they don't stay "in the air".
They return to the earth ... with Jesus ... and are a part of His kingdom here on earth.
I'm sure that you have gone to the airport to meet incoming loved ones before, haven't you ?
You (and you loved ones) didn't stay at the airport ... did you ?
Who is the Prince of Peace?
The Christ (i.e. the Messiah).Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Looks like christians took it out of context. It mentions David and his kingdom.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
You do know that the throne of David has been passed down to his descendents, don't you ? To Solomon, ... then Rehoboam ... etc.
God said that David's throne would last forever. Obviously, that doesn't mean that David would sit on the throne forever.1 Kings 2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.
Isaiah 9:5 For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom;
6 That the government may be increased, and of peace there be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it through justice and through righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of YHWH of hosts doth perform this.
If you are going to use those verses as being messianic then I guess David was The Messiah, huh?
The Messiah will, ultimately, sit upon the throne of David (in Jerusalem).
Recall that David did much for Israel and in God's service years before he ever sat upon the throne.
Joshua 5 today. We have waited so long for this birthday:') Did I tell you about his dream of everyone going to Heaven?
I also didn't go to the wrong airport because of misunderstanding which airport they said to go to!
I think you have injected things into those verses that just are not there.
Preliminary information.
weeks from the Hebrew
7620 shabuwa` shaw-boo'-ah or shabua` shaw-boo'-ah
1) seven, period of seven (days or years), heptad, week
a) period of seven days, a week
1) Feast of Weeks
b) heptad, seven (of years
Messiah from the Hebrew
4899 mashiyach maw-shee'-akh from the root of 4886;
anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint);
specifically, the Messiah:--anointed, Messiah.
1) anointed, anointed one
a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince
b) of the king of Israel
c) of the high priest of Israel
d) of Cyrus
e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings
The first thing we need is a starting point. Of the three verses given, the one that gives us the best starting point is the one pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary/Temple. We KNOW that this occured in 70 AD. A quick look at Daniel 9:26 tells us that AFTER the threescore and two weeks certain events happen. So, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple occur in the 70th week. Notice there is a semi colon after the words 'seven weeks', this indicates a PAUSE, end of one event. AND for threescore and two weeks (new event), it shall be built again, 'in troublous times'. There are two different anointed persons in these verses. It is "7" followed by "62" plus "1" week totaling 490 years.
70 weeks = 490 years. So, we have a time frame. Using 70 AD we need to subtract 490 years to get the other 'date' to the time frame. 420 BC + 490 years, brings us to 70 AD. The time frame is 420 BC - 70 AD.
This is where things get confusing.
Daniel 9:25 (JPS)
9:25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks;
7 weeks = 49 years
Darius II ruled from (424 BC–405 B.C.) So, the time frame begins during his reign. The starting point is 420 BC. Taking 420 BC - 49 = 371 BC.
I've used green for 371 BC to draw attention to it. It shows up later!
Look at 9:25 - from the time the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was issued (never occured in Yehoshua's era), until ONE ANNOINTED (many people and prophets are anointed ones, it says 'ONE' anointed not 'THE' anointed one) a ruler. (Yehoshua was never a ruler), it will be seven weeks.
Cyrus was anointed. Priests were anointed, like Aaron and his sons after him (Exodus 29:29), Samuel anointing Saul (1 Samuel 10), David was anointed (2 Samuel 2:4)... etc.
Daniel 9
25b and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times.
Threescore and two weeks is 62 weeks. That's 434 days. This is almost as long as the entire 70 weeks. Why did it take so long to rebuild? In fact, with a starting time frame of 420 BC, this would mean that the rebuilding went on, into the Common Era.
Herod rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple. In 20/19 BC, the project that would give Herod historical immortality began - the refurbishing of the Temple and the expansion of the Temple Mount. It was completed in 63 AD. Taking 63 AD and subtracting 434 years brings us to 371 BC. Artaxerxes II was king of Persia from 405 BC until his death in 359 BC. The starting point for the rebuilding of Jerusalem 371 BC, falls within the reign of Artaxerxes II. Nehemiah had rebuilt the walls, but he was building a fortification wall that surrounded a Jerusalem that was not much more than a village. This is why it needed to be 'rebuilt' yet again by Herod, so that Jerusalem and the Temple could handle the large mass of people. So, while it had been built earlier, it hadn't been returned to it's orginal splendor or size until it was finished in 63 AD.
Daniel 9 (JPS)
26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Daniel 9 (JPS)
26a And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more;
Notice that the verse starts out with 'and after'. The use of the word 'the' prior to 'threescore and two weeks, also shows that this time period is separate from the 7 weeks when the king, priest or civil ruler arrives. It says "and after threescore and two weeks" or sixty-two weeks and NOT sixty-nine weeks which tells us that Daniel had already envisioned at this time that the first week or seven years had aleady elapsed, therefore in the continual counting then we have only sixty-two weeks and the final week or 7 years remaining. The sixty-two weeks and seven weeks are not to be put together as one consecutive period of time but rather two different periods of time.
Hananiah, the High Priest, the father of Elazar ben Hananiah, was hunted down by the Sicarii and murdered, in 66 AD. Eleazar Ben Hananiah, the High Priest, was the very first to raise the banner of revolt against Rome when he discontinued the Temple sacrifice in honor of Caesar.
Notice when reading the verse that the time of the second anointed person being cut off and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple are timed very close to one another, however, there is a semi colon separating the two events which leads me to think that they didn't happen at the exact same time, but that there was a small gap (less than a week/7years) between the two events.
Hananiah, the High Priest, the father of Elazar ben Hananiah, was hunted down by the Sicarii and murdered, in 66 AD.
Daniel 9
26 b and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The 'prince' that shall come, is probably Titus, since at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, Vespasian (Titus' father) is emperor.
This would coincide with
Luke 21
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Daniel 9:27 (JPS)
9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and upon the wing of detestable things shall be that which causeth appalment; and that until the extermination wholly determined be poured out upon that which causeth appalment.'
Luke 21
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. This caused the Diaspora, scattering Jews all over the world.
Titus destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, in August AD 70. (although the siege of Masada continued until AD 73) Vespasian possessed insight and the sense of how to maintain peace, too. Though the destruction of Jerusalem and the retaliation against the Jews were carried out with unnecessary severity, and restrictions were placed on some of their practices, Jews were excused from Caesar-worship.
According to Josephus' War (book II, chapter 17, section 2)
Eleazar, the son of Ananias the high priest, a very bold youth, who was at that time governor of the temple, persuaded those that officiated in the Divine service to receive no gift or sacrifice for any foreigner. And this was the true beginning of our war with the Romans; for they rejected the sacrifice of Caesar on this account; and when many of the high priests and principal men besought them not to omit the sacrifice, which it was customary for them to offer for their princes, they would not be prevailed upon.