This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• The Triumphal Entry - (Read)
• Truth, Lies, and the Media - (Read)
• The Banned Book - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY - (Print)

This weekend we will celebrate Palm Sunday. This event, also known as "the Triumphal Entry," involves one of the most astonishing passages in the entire Bible. The book of Daniel, which was written centuries before the birth of Christ, predicts the exact day that Jesus would make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

The story behind Palm Sunday begins, not in Jerusalem in the time of Christ, but in Babylon several hundred years earlier. The prophet Daniel, who was among the Jews who were taken captive by the Babylonians, was reading in the Book of Jeremiah. He understood that the seventy years of servitude were almost over and he began to pray for his people. The Angel Gabriel interrupted Daniel's prayer and gave him a four-verse prophecy that is unquestionably the most remarkable passage in the entire Bible: Daniel 9:24-27.

The Meshiach Nagid

The first verse of the prophecy, Daniel 9:24 says: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy Place."

This verse is essentially an overview of the entire prophecy. The idiom of a "week" of years was common in Israel. The prophecy encompasses seventy weeks, that is, seventy times seven years, or 490 years. However verse 26 indicates that there is an interval between the 69th and 70th weeks.

A very specific prediction occurs in the next verse: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem 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 (Daniel 9:25)."

This includes a mathematical prophecy. The Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars used a 360-day year; 69 weeks of 360-day years totals 173,880 days. In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. The "Messiah the Prince" in the King James translation is actually the Meshiach Nagid, or "The Messiah the King."

The Countdown Begins

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 BC. (The emphasis in the verse on "the street" and "the wall" was to avoid confusion with other earlier mandates confined to rebuilding the Temple.)

But when did the Messiah present Himself as a King? During the ministry of Jesus Christ there were several occasions in which the people attempted to promote Him as king, but He carefully avoided it, saying "Mine hour is not yet come."

Then one day He meticulously arranges it. On this particular day he rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey, deliberately fulfilling a prophecy by Zechariah that the Messiah would present Himself as king in just that way: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9)."

Whenever we might easily miss the significance of what was going on, the Pharisees come to our rescue. They felt that the overzealous crowd was blaspheming, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah the King. However, Jesus responded by saying "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (Luke 19:40)."

This is the only occasion that Jesus presented Himself as King. It occurred on April 6, 32 AD. When we examine the period between March 14, 445 BC and April 6, 32 AD, and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days exactly, to the very day!

It is amazing to realize that Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem was predicted, to the very day, hundreds of years in advance. Keep this extraordinary miracle in mind on Palm Sunday as we celebrate the coming of the Meshiach Nagid, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

For a more complete study of this amazing passage of scripture, see our topical Bible study titled Daniel's 70 Weeks. We also have several other studies on the topic of Christ's death and resurrection: The Easter Story, The Agony of Love, and From Here to Eternity. For more information click on the links below.

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TRUTH, LIES, AND THE MEDIA - (Print)

With each passing year more and more Americans are turning to alternative news sources. Results of a recent survey show that nearly 70 percent of Americans think that traditional journalism is "out of touch." Furthermore, about half of Americans now use the internet as their primary source for news. By comparison, 29 percent of Americans say television is their primary source, 11 percent tune into the radio, and only 10 percent say newspapers.

This trend seems to reflect, among other things, a growing distrust of the mainstream media. The annual "State of Media" report by the Project for Excellence in Journalism states that: "…the public has come to view the news media as less professional, less accurate, less caring, less moral and more inclined to cover up rather than correct mistakes."

Moreover, the mainstream media has lost touch with conservative American values. According to the Media Research Center, surveys indicate that journalists have favored the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1964, including landslide losers George McGovern, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis. In the last presidential election, a poll conducted by the University of Connecticut found that journalists backed John Kerry over George W. Bush by a greater than two-to-one margin. Likewise, a 2004 poll by the Pew Research Center found that five times more journalists described themselves as "liberal" as said they were "conservative."

As Christians it is important that we stay informed on what is happening in the world around us, but it is also critical that we use discernment when watching the evening news or reading the morning paper. There is an infinite amount of information and resources available to us through the internet and alternative news media outlets, just remember that not everything presented as fact is indeed the truth.

So you're not content to just sit back, relax, and let the cable TV wash over you? You want to know the truth? If so, be warned, you may have to get your hands dirty. As we are faced with an ever-increasing barrage information it is important to keep in mind that the media has its own agenda and takes pride in its ability to shape public opinion rather than to inform it. So what can we do about it? How do we find the truth?

The bottom line is that you've got to be willing to do your homework. There is no such thing as a truly unbiased source of information. Therefore it is important to pay attention to details, check facts, and rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. In Acts 17:11 we are encouraged to receive the word with all readiness of mind, and search the scriptures daily, to find out whether these things are so. If you are at all familiar with our ministry, you probably recognize this verse. In addition to encouraging and facilitating the study of God's Word, we have consistently urged Christians to do their homework. Our prayer for you is that, like the Bereans, you too would be diligent in seeking the truth.

Where do you find truth? If you search diligently you will eventually discover that the "truth" of the world is very different from what the Bible says is true. If your beliefs are built on the wisdom of this world, you will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-29). When the rains came, and the winds blew, and the floodwaters rose, his house crumbled and fell, because it was not built on a solid foundation. However if your beliefs are built on the teachings of Jesus Christ, you will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. Not matter what difficulties you encounter in this life, you will have the strong foundation and tools necessary to weather the storm. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Paul begins his list of spiritual armor in the book of Ephesians with "being girded with truth." The real truth: the Word of God.

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THE BANNED BOOK - (Print)

There is a book of the Bible that some have attempted to ban from public libraries because it was deemed unsuitable for children: the Book of Judges. It contains some graphic material that is so explicit as to shock many of its readers. And yet it contains some of the most colorful - yet enigmatic - characters in the entire Bible. Frankly, there are few stories anywhere that can compete for color and intrigue.

You'll wince as you read how Ehud goes to visit the king in his summer palace and slides his dagger between the king's fifth and sixth ribs so that the flesh closes around it and the knife cannot be withdrawn. You'll cringe when Jael drives the tent stake through the skull of Sisera and pins him to the ground. You'll bite your fingernails alongside Gideon as God introduces deep military cutbacks, reducing Israel's army from 32,000 to 300 - then sends this vastly outnumbered miniature army into battle! Your heart will sink with mine when Jephthah's daughter comes out to meet him on his return from battle, and he remembers his hasty vow to sacrifice the first person he meets to God - and then fulfills that dreadful vow. You'll glory with Samson as he wreaks havoc among the Philistines, but wonder at his folly in allowing the Philistine temptress to worm from him the secret of his strength. You will also undoubtedly turn with revulsion from the story of the Benjamite perversion that marks perhaps the blackest chapter in Israel's history.

Fans of historical romance, military history, soap operas, conspiracy theories, spy novels, swashbuckling adventure, or political intrigue will find it all here in the Book of Judges! But from a broader and deeper perspective, Judges is essentially the story of a deteriorating nation - and it serves as a sober warning against deterioration in our own nation, and in our own personal lives.

During this period in history Israel had no King, everyone did what was right in their own eyes, there was a neglect and disparagement of the Word of God, and Israel was in bondage to their various enemies. The people of Israel would fall into sin and idol worship; this would result in oppression by, and bondage to, their enemies. They would ultimately plea to God for help; He would raise up a deliverer; and, soon after their deliverance, they would again fall back into false worship, and cycle would repeat itself.

The world today is living in a period similar to the Book of Judges. People are "doing what is right in their own eyes." Value relativism has replaced the rule of God's law in our land. The Word of God is neglected - even in many of our churches. His Word is the subject of denigration and ridicule by pseudo-scholars and critics. And as a result, we too are in bondage rather than enjoying the liberty available in Christ.

The Book of Judges, spanning the time between the conquest of the Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy, is a colorful, instructive, and prophetically relevant book to study carefully. Click on the link below for a more detailed study of the book of Judges.

Related Links:

Israel Says Hezbollah Has 30,000 Rockets - March 11, 2008
Israel has said Hezbollah is rearming and has an arsenal that includes 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon in violation of a UN arms embargo. Before the 2006 war, Israel estimates that Hezbollah had 13,000 rockets deployed. During the war, Hezbollah bombarded Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets. AP

Two Suicide Bombers Kill 24 in Pakistan - March 11, 2008
Two powerful explosions, just minutes apart and both of them suicide attacks, rocked the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Tuesday, killing 24 people. A further 170 people, including several children, were wounded in the two attacks. IHT

China's Oil Reserve Build-up Adds to Global Demand - March 11, 2008
China's plans to build its strategic petroleum reserves to at least 100 million barrels by 2010 could add more pressure to crude prices which have already been at record highs. The world's second-largest oil consumer already has built two underground storage reserves in east China and will put into use two more storage bases soon. Market Watch

Gun Rights to be Argued in Supreme Court - March 11, 2008
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments March 18 in a case challenging the District of Columbia's 30-year-old ban on handguns. Attorneys for the District plan to argue that the Constitution protects only the gun rights of militias and that the Second Amendment does not prevent states from enacting firearms regulations. ONN

CDC Says 25 Percent of Teen Girls Have STD - March 11, 2008
A newly released study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that at least one in four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease. ONN

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Psalms 49:15 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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