July 04, 2003 (25)IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEVEN. In the middle, the half of the week, or in the middle of the seven years. The last week of the seventy week prophecy is divided into two portions of equal length. Each of them being of three and one half years duration. The first half is the ministry of the Lord Jesus to Israel. The last half is what is known as the great tribulation period. The two thousand years between the two is what is called the overspreading of abominations according to Daniel 9:27
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE. There is much in the life of the Lord Jesus which shows Him to be the center, the central figure, the man in the middle, the one in the midst. In relationship to the Covenant it is Christ who is the mediator, the go-between, of the new covenant, which of course, is what the seventieth week is all about. It was in the midst of the week that He was to cause sacrifice and offering to cease. The displeasure of the Lord in animal sacrifice and offering is easily understood by the scripture in Heb. !0:8 Why would He allow something to continue, or to even think of allowing it to be revived or restored, when it displeased Him in such a great fashion? Jesus came to fulfill, to remove, to take away the first, the law of sacrifice, that He might establish the second. Heb. 10:9 Jesus is the ONLY mediator between God and man. He mediates the New Covenant. Heb. 12:24
THE MAN CRUCIFIED IN THE MIDDLE. The scriptures at times seem to go to great lengths to prove a point. Jesus was crucified as one whom we today would call a three strike loser. He was destined to be number with the transgressors. Isa. 53:12 Placing Him on the middle cross would identify Him as the greatest of transgressors. Capital punishment was imposed upon the innocent one because He was bearing the guilt and iniquity of all men, of all the ages. It was necessary that He die as the guiltiest of the guilty, to pay the price for the most wicked of mankind. He was the MIDDLE MAN, crucified between two thieves. Mark 15:27 CRUCIFIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. How striking and fitting that He should spend six hours on the cross. Six is the number of man and He was dying for all mankind. The very heart, the core of the day was used to produce salvation for us. He was placed on the cross at the third hour of the day which would be nine A.M according to our present day measurement of time. Mark 15:25 In the morning He spent three hours on the cross. At NOON, the MIDDLE of the day, darkness came on the country. From the sixth to the ninth hour, three hours of darkness. Mark 15:33 An equal division of time between light and darkness. Jesus spent the first half of the seventieth week bringing light. The last half of the seventieth week is the darkness of the antichrist, the tribulation period. He died the ninth hour of the day, or at three o’clock in the afternoon. Mark 15:33