Scripture Reading: Dan. 2:28; 9:24-27; Matt. 24:14-15, 32-33

Ⅰ　

We need a spirit of wisdom and revelation to see "what will happen in the last days" so that we can be prepared to be Christ's bridal army to turn the age for the glory of God and the kingdom of God—Dan. 2:28; 9:1-27; Gen. 1:26; 1 Cor. 2:9-10; Eph. 1:17; 5:25-27; 6:10-20; Rev. 19:7-9, 13-16.

Ⅱ　

The prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27 shows that the day of the Lord's coming is very near; the seventy weeks are divided into three parts, each week being seven years in length:

A　

First, seven weeks (49 years) were apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding.

B　

Second, sixty-two weeks (434 years) were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off (crucifixion) of the Messiah— Dan. 9:26.

C　

Third, the last week of seven years will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel (v. 27); in the middle of that week, he will break the covenant, terminate Israel's sacrifices and oblations to God, and persecute those who fear God (v. 27; Rev. 12:13-17); this will be the beginning of the great tribulation, which will last for three and a half years.

D　

There is a gap of unknown duration between the first sixty-nine weeks and the last week of the seventy weeks; this gap is the age of mystery, the age of grace, the age of the church—Eph. 3:3-11; 5:32; Col. 1:27:

１　

During this age Christ is secretly and mysteriously building up the church in the new creation to be His Body and His bride—Eph. 5:25-32; cf. Matt. 24:32-33; 2 Thes. 2:3-4.

２　

At the end of the last week of the seventy weeks, Christ with His overcomers, His bridal army, will come as the smiting stone to crush the totality of human government and become a great mountain, the kingdom of God, that fills the whole earth—Dan. 2:34-35; 2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:19-20.

Ⅲ　

In order to be the Lord's overcomers to bring in the next age, we need to give heed to the prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts—2 Pet. 1:19.

Ⅳ　

Every "today" that we have is truly the Lord's grace; therefore, as long as we have today, as long as we still have breath, we should love the Lord and His appearing, await the Lord's coming, and always take His coming as an encouragement—2 Tim. 4:1, 6-8; Luke 12:16-20.

Ⅴ　

When the Lord comes, He will come secretly as a thief to those who love Him and will steal them away as His treasures to bring them into His presence in the heavens; hence, we need to watch and make ourselves ready to be His bride—Dan. 10:19; Matt. 24:42-44; 25:13; Rev. 19:7; 22:20:

A　

We must have an absolute consecration unto God in Christ as the real Nazarite to be His anti-testimony, a testimony against anything that deviates from the testimony of Jesus—Num. 6:1-8; Dan. 1:8; Rev. 2:13.

B　

We must be reconstituted with the holy Word of God, reading the Bible all the days of our life—1 Tim. 4:6; Col. 3:16; Deut. 17:18-20:

１　

We need to muse on the word, enjoying God's word as His breath; the Hebrew word for muse implies to worship, to converse with oneself, and to speak aloud—Psa. 119:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

２　

To muse on the word is to taste and enjoy it through careful considering; prayer, speaking to oneself, and praising the Lord may also be included in musing on the word.

C　

We need to persevere in prayer to glorify God, thank God, worship God, and serve God; our prayer and our being should be totally for God's interests—Dan. 6:10; 9:17; 1 Kings 8:48; cf. Rom. 1:21, 25.

D　

We need to be self-sacrificing persons in oneness with Christ as the One who sacrifices Himself for others; we should be afraid of only one thing, that is, to offend God and lose His presence—Phil. 1:22-26; 2 Cor. 1:24; Psa. 27:4.

E　

To attain maturity is not an overnight matter; therefore, for His coming we must prepare ourselves, love Him, and grow in Him, that at His appearing we may be mature to be raptured and receive the reward—Luke 21:34-36; cf. Rev. 3:10; 12:5-6, 14.

F　

We must be watchful in life every day and all day in order to buy an extra portion of the oil and be faithful in service to feed the Lord's people at the proper time—Matt. 24:32—25:30:

１　

We must be watchful, on the alert, for our prayer life so that we may walk by the Spirit, sow unto the Spirit, and minister the Spirit—Eph. 6:17-18; Col. 4:2; Gal. 5:16, 25; Rom. 8:4; Gal. 6:8; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 1:9.

２　

We must not be those who are beating our fellow slaves, eating and drinking with the drunken, or burying the Lord's gift; instead, we must spread the truth of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole inhabited earth—Matt. 24:14-15, 45-51; 25:25; Dan. 11:32.

G　

We must keep the word of the Lord's endurance, standing against the wearing-out tactics of Satan—Rev. 3:10; Dan. 7:25:

１　

Under God's heavenly rule everything is working together for our good for the purpose of making Christ preeminent—4:26; Rom. 8:28-29.

２　

We must stay under the restriction, limitation, and authority of the Lord's ruling presence in order to know the Lord, to be saved from pride, and to receive the dispensing of grace—Rev. 22:1-2a; Jer. 9:23-25; 1 Pet. 5:5. . 2005 Living Stream Ministry