On December 9, 1917, the city of Jerusalem surrendered to the British Third Army under General Sir Edmund Allenby (shown above entering Jerusalem). This event was far more than a minor regional victory in World War One. It marked the end of the "times of the gentiles" (Luke 21:24) and began fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah that God would "restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah" and "bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers..." (Jer. 30:3)
In Leviticus 26: 24 & 28, God vows to punish apostate Israel "7 times" for her unfaithfulness. Exactly how the descendants of Israel would be punished seems to have been determined even before then by King David. In 2 Sam. 24: 12-14 David is given 3 choices as to how he will be punished for sin. The one he feared the most was being given over to his enemies. The "7 times" of Leviticus saw fulfillment as both a NUMBER of enemies (7) and as an INTERVAL of time (7 units) that gentile powers would possess Palestine.
Beginning in 604 B.C. the first of 7 heathen empires began afflicting both the 10-tribed House of Israel and the House of Judah (Judah and Benjamin). The first of these was Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Then came Media-Persia, the Greeks, the Romans, the Saracens and finally the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. The first 4 of these conquering empires were also identified as 4 "beasts" by the prophet Daniel in an interpretation of a dream Nebuchadnezzar had. So where is the 7th ? Elsewhere in the Book of Daniel and in Revelation, the 4 beasts are mentioned again; only this time the 4th beast refers to the final beast that will "break down" and "crush" the entire earth. (Dan. 7:23, Rev. 13) It is in this area that the prophecy becomes bifurcated and difficult to understand.
In the 2nd century B.C. Israel was persecuted severely by the Syrians. The leader who did this was Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 8: 9-12). His evil surpassed even that of subsequent Roman conquerors like Titus. Antiochus profaned the temple by setting up a statue of Jupiter in the holy of holies, sacrificing (unclean) swine on the alter, and destroying all the sacred books that could be found. This all occurred neither during the reign of the 3rd or 4th empire - but between them. Syria became a regional power as a vassal under the divided Greek empire after Alexander's death. Yet, Daniel does not identify Syria as being the 4th "beast". So, the coming of Antiochus was literally in the "midst of the 7" - just as will be the coming of the beast of the end times (Dan. 9:27). Antiochus also did his evil for "half of a 7" period - from mid 168 BC to late 165 BC.
Daniel 7:23 makes it clear that the final beast will be a "kingdom" (the 7th). Yet, John the Revelator also notes that the beast will be a "man" (Rev. 13: 11 & 18) who will mirror the conduct of the first beast (Antiochus). All of this is confirmed in Revelation 17:8 where John says the beast "once was, is no more, and is yet to come."
As the times of the gentiles ended with the eviction of the Turks from Palestine in December of 1917, this became a period of exactly 2520 years - or 7 times 360 years. In scripture a year is called a "time" and 360 is noted as the length of a prophetic year. Also, in the book of Ezekiel, God declares "a day for a year". So, here is an exact fulfillment of the "7 times" punishment.
Some might argue that Israel's punishment actually began when the Egyptians ransacked the Temple in 630 BC - before Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion and, further, that the coming Day(s) of Wrath should also be included in the count. While this may be true, it is also true that the Holy Land was prematurely re-taken by Israel-in-diaspora during the Crusades (1099-1187 AD); an action that God did NOT allow to stand.
Clearly, events of 1917 were providential, as Jerusalem's emancipation came on the 24th day of the 9th (Hebrew/Jewish) month (Kislev). In Hagg. 2:18-19, God promises His blessings will come on the 24th day of the 9th month.
