Daniel 9:26
"...the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing..."
Nothing?
Really?
Turns out it wasn't so much about what he accomplished as much as it was about what we do with what he did manage to accomplish.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. He came into the world, and the world rejected him. 483 years the people waited for him and they executed him like a criminal (fulfilling the prophecy). As far as they were concerned, the Messiah couldn't have come because he "accomplished nothing" (despite the fact that the prophets said this would be the case). Jesus couldn't have been the Messiah because Jerusalem was destroyed 70 years later by the Romans (despite the prophecies saying it would go exactly in that way). Jesus couldn't be the Messiah because he was supposed to be a great and powerful ruler (despite the prophecy that he'd be cut off, rejected, murdered).
The Messiah was to come to deal with human sin, to break the power of it. That was the clear motive in every prophecy. Hid clearly identifies the issue, sin. And he employs his Son to go into that situation where sin and death have reigned, and bring with him righteousness and life through grace, not with a warrior prince.
Why did sin need to be undone in this way?
Let's jump ahead and see the state of things.
Revelation 13:4
They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
They blaspheme against God, slandering his name. The apostate church is allowed to thrive, making everything it teaches desolate. In their pride they worshipped themselves and lead many astray. The beast is ALLOWED to wage war against God’s holy people and TO CONQUER THEM. Conquer how?
With sin, and persecution. Sin to trap the unholy and persecution to reap and sift them.
And it must go this way. As Jesus and the prophets said, there will be a rendering of the people of the whole earth. And in particular God's people will be forced to endure great challenges to their faith. They will be tested for their love of God.
"This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus." (Revelation 13:12)
Just as the New Testament prophecy warns, and despite all the prophecies of the Old Testament, many of the people will follow the apostate church.
And Jesus explains why it will be this way:
“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:10–14)
Despite the prophecy the gospel cannot completely overcome the problem of sin unless “the rebellion” (apostasy) comes first. Not an insurrection against a tyrannical government, but a significant falling away from the Christian faith. It's the trigger moment for the end times.
“the rebellion comes first”
(2 Thessalonians 2:3)
And so here we have it, the final prophecy. Will we see it for what it is when it's finally fulfilled, or will we be among the apostates despite the prophecy warning us about what we should expect? Will we notice the season of rebellion that leads to the rise of the Beast? Will we be involved in it, participating in it, caught up in the hype?
Caution:
Like the first century Jews who missed the coming Messiah, the Christian church needs to understand, the apostate caught up in sin is the point of all these prophecies. It's not so much about the advent of some influential individual (either for good or evil), but it's about the people and the state they are in. The state of their love for God leading up to the coming, and their response at the coming. All to often people get too wrapped up in the seemingly main characters of the story, but the truth is, you and me, we're the main characters. This coming, (good or evil), is about our souls, and the very long and drawn out process that ultimately leads to the end of the story.
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.” (1 John 2:18)
The Savior has already come and he's already defeated sin. He was missed by his own people, despite the prophecy warning them, but come he did just the same. He came and he showed us the resurrection that overcomes death and sin. And now it is our time to come to Him. Come and see. And come to the One who has come into the world. It's our time to see the prophecy and believe Him unto salvation in Him. Despite all that the prophecy says about persecution and apostasy, come and remain faithful to Him. That's the law and the prophets, and the fulfilling gospel truth.
We're not still waiting on the lord to come and fix the sin problem, that's been done. It's finished. He's waiting on us. Now the prophecy is waiting on us.
God Bless you all now and forever.