http://prophecyandcurrentevents.com/thglory

"Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thes 5:6)

According to Matthew 26:59, the chief priests, as well as the entire Sanhedrin, were looking for false evidence against Jesus so they could have him legally put to death. Ultimately, they succeeded in doing both.

In ancient times, the Sanhedrin was a Jewish religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple's chambers in Jerusalem. According to the Mishna (a Jewish commentary) and confirmed by Josephus (a Jewish historian), the Sanhedrin consisted of seventy-one members, including their leader. The writers of the New Testament describe this group as being made up of the chief priests, pharisees (teachers of the law), scribes and the elders. Scholars and Jewish tradition recognize the Sanhedrin as the council of seventy elders founded by Moses in Numbers 11:16). The Sanhedrin had been in existence for several decades before Christ but ceased to exist around 425 A.D.

On January 20, 2005, a unique ceremony (probably only the second of its kind in the last 1,600 years) took place in Tiberias -- the launching of a new Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish legal tribunal in the land of Israel. This revived Sanhedrin is again made up of 71 rabbis with special rabbinical ordination. Relevant to Biblical prophecy, this is a significant milestone in terms of the return of the Messiah for several reasons:

We know that, according to the scriptures, a third Temple must be built in Jerusalem before Christ's return, which the anti-christ then desecrates. The following quote is from the Sanhedrin's spokesman, Rabbi Chaim Richman, during their February meeting: "It is appropriate that the Sanhedrin convened to discuss this lofty matter of the Temple's location this week.though seemingly esoteric, the preparations for building a Tabernacle and the Temple are at the center of who we are as a people."

Another reason to get excited about the re-estabishment of the Sanhedrin concerns Matthew 21:9 - 23:39. In this account, Jesus declares that He will not return until "you say, blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord." Who was He speaking to, and what does this phrase mean?

This same phrase is found in David's prophecy found in Psalm 118:26 and is part of the "declaration of the Messiah", identified in verse 27: "God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." Jesus, the Light of the World, was the Passover lamb bound to the cross -- the altar of His sacrifice. Psalm 118 is part of the Hallell that was to be sung on the night of the Passover and includes the statement: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalm 118:22,23)

When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt 21:9) They had recognized Him as the Messiah. However, this was not the case with the Sanhedrin.

Beginning in Matthew 23:1, Jesus goes into a lengthy rebuke. There is no question who He is addressing. He specifically identifies them in verse 2: ".the teachers of the law and the pharisees [who] sit in Moses' seat." He is rebuking the members of the Sanhedrin that have rejected His Messianic claim.

In verse 37, Jesus laments: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."

And finally, in verse 39, He declares: "For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Jesus will not return until the Sanhedrin, Israel's spiritual leadership that rejected His Messianic claim 2000 years ago, cries out: "BARUCH HABAH BESHEM ADONAI" ("Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord") and recognizes Him as the Messiah.

The Sanhedrin has been re-established after almost 1600 years. It is time to look up, to lift up our heads -- for our redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)

Maranatha!