“Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes…” Sentence had been decreed for the nation of Israel; the opportunity, no longer available, judgment followed in the year 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was completely destroyed according to the words of YAHSHUA. A nation created or formed by God Himself, a nation warned by their Messiah, a nation with laws and guidance established by God like no other nation created, failed to its destruction, because it missed the opportunity available to them, when God was showing His favor toward them, they failed to recognized the Lord’s favorable time upon them. Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] are (were) decreed upon your people (Israel) and upon your holy city [Jerusalem], to finish and put an end to transgression, to seal up and make full the measure of sin, to purge away and make expiation and reconciliation for sin, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet and to anoint the Holy of Holies; know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Anointed One, a Prince, shall be seven weeks [of years] and sixty-two weeks [of years]; it shall be built again with [city] square and moat, but in troublous times (Daniel 9:24-25). 490 years decreed for Israel was from the time of Nehemiah building the city to the time of YAHSHUA’S death. In that interim of time, God was giving opportunity for Israel to repent. At the end of that space of time, which ended at the 483rd year, Israel still had not considered the opportunity before them and rejected YAHSHUA as their Messiah. As a result, God’s kingdom was not established, and the remainder seven years were reserved for the coming great tribulation to complete the 490 years decreed for them. It will be at the time of tribulation when their hearts will finally turn to God with repentance and the acknowledgment of YAHSHUA as their Messiah. At that time, God will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; they shall look upon Me (YAHSHUA) Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn (Zach. 12:10). And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is teste. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them; I will say, It is My people; and they will say, The Lord is my God (Zech. 13:8-9). Only one-third of Israel will be given another chance to accept their Messiah after going through much suffering; but two-thirds of the nation will perish. Opportunity realized is the mother of success of all those who recognize it and take it.
There were ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom in the parable YAHSHUA told; five wise and five foolish ones. What made five wise and five foolish? They all had the opportunity to be ready to wait for the bridegroom. They all had the same amount of time to do so. However, only five heeded to the opportunity and were ready when the call came announcing the arrival of the bridegroom. The other five ones lacked something very important; oil to lighten the way to meet the bridegroom. Sadly, and tragically, they missed the most important element of their preparation to meet the bridegroom. Left in the dark, they missed their entrance to heaven. Opportunities of many kinds come to us daily, even when we are blind to it. There are however, no excuses that will justify the rejection of them. Our days are marked for success or failure, depending on acknowledgment and the accepting of the opportunities set before us. Opportunities of spiritual value are of greater importance for us to pay attention to, because of their eternal and final consequences: heaven or hell will be the ultimate destination for the spirit of men. After death, the Bible says there will be judgment; and opportunities will be gone. The Bible says, today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment in the day of testing in the wilderness…but instead, warn one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin… so, we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust and rely on God (Heb. 3:7,8,13,19).
Our God is merciful, He is patient, not willing that we perish eternally. That’s why He gives us many chances to repent; but that door of opportunity will be closed after a while, if we continue rejecting Him. The Bible mentions nothing concerning purgatory; this is a way for the Catholic church to make money and to annul the Word of God. The Bible warns us to be ready to meet our God (Amos 4:12). Once we die, judgment will follow. It is a fearful thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! (Heb. 10:31). Repent now my friend while you have air to breathe. Life in its fragility can disappear at any moment, at any age, for death has no respect of age. Now it is your opportunity in this space of time on earth. Tomorrow may not come smiling for you; today is all you have.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Light from the Word 