77 Times

77 times

The Lost Verse, the Last Judgment, and the Power of Prophetic Precision

Today we are resuming our verse-by-verse breakdown of the 2300-day prophecy. But before we dive back into the text, I want to briefly interject with something that sparked deeper reflection. Recently, a friend sent me a video and asked, “Is this true?” She knew I loved to study the Word and considered me a trustworthy Bible student. In the video, a pastor said,

“Today we are going to unpack…Matthew 18 verses 10 through 14…(but) as we go through this text, you will not see verse 11…I teach out of the ESV because verse 11 was redacted from the scriptures because it was not part of the original manuscripts of the Bible.”

That caught my attention. As I researched his claim, I discovered that the ESV (English Standard Version) does indeed draw from Greek manuscripts that omit certain verses—one of which is Matthew 18:11.

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”

That’s no minor omission - it states Christ’s mission with unmistakable clarity and power. Yet out of 18 Bible versions I compared, 4 of them omit this crucial verse, including the ESV and the NIV. This single verse encapsulates the very heart of Christ’s mission. Its removal isn’t just a scholarly concern—it carries spiritual consequences. When you remove the purpose, you distort the plan —and when you distort the plan, you risk severing the prophetic thread that ties Scripture together.

And that led me to dig deeper. Just a few verses later, in the King James version:

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”(Matthew 18:21, 22, KJV)

Most interpret this as a call to unlimited forgiveness, but Jesus was also invoking a prophetic principle—specifically, the 490-year prophecy of Daniel 9, a probationary period for national Israel. However, in the ESV and several modern translations, this number is changed to “seventy-seven times”—a subtle but significant shift that obscures the direct prophetic connection.

Instead of pointing back to the 490-year timeframe that highlights God's long-suffering mercy and covenant dealings with Israel, this change reduces the verse to merely symbolic forgiveness.

Yet Jesus’ words were carefully chosen. His reference wasn’t arbitrary—it was rooted in prophetic history. And that’s why understanding the original phrasing matters so deeply. When translations alter key terms, they can unintentionally blur the connections between prophecy, grace, and the divine timeline.

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

(Revelation 22:18-20)

That’s why it’s vital to study with tools that preserve the prophetic structure of Scripture. The King James Bible, in harmony with a Strong’s Concordance, gives readers direct access to the original Hebrew and Greek meanings—ensuring that vital truths, like the “seventy times seven,” are not lost in translation.

“I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”(Matthew 18:22)

But the phrase “seven times” reaches even deeper: the curses and blessings of Leviticus 26. God warns four times that if Israel walked contrary to God,

“I will punish you seven times more for your sins.”(Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28)

Here, “seven times” is more than just numerical, nor just about punishment, but a measured, complete period of redemptive discipline—a shaking, sifting, and ultimately sealing process. God was not aiming to destroy His people, but to purify and prepare them for restoration.

The same principle was at work during the rebuilding of the literal temple in 457 B.C., which marked the beginning of the 490-year prophecy. Christ was preparing not just a physical temple, but a spiritual temple—His church—to be fully established by 34 A.D.

Jesus hinted at this dual meaning in John 2:19:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

While His listeners thought He meant the physical temple, He was speaking both literally and prophetically. Literally, He would rest in the tomb for three days. But prophetically, using the day-for-a-year principle (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6), those three days symbolized three years, days symbolizing the remaining three years of Christ’s ministry to the Jewish nation, culminating in 34 A.D. when the gospel commission shifted to the Gentiles.

On a personal level, this shows that the “seven times” was never punishment for punishment’s sake, but a refining fire. A period of testing, shaking, and restoration—first for Israel, and now for us.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”(Revelation 3:19)

When seen through the lens of history, prophecy, and personal sanctification, the “seven times” becomes a powerful framework for understanding God's justice, mercy, and His call to obedience. The number seven in Scripture consistently represents completion, perfection, and divine fulfillment. Thus, in Matthew 18:22, when Jesus said, “until seventy times seven,” He was alluding not just to unlimited forgiveness, but also to the cleansing and probationary work of God—both personally and corporately—in preparing a pure people for His kingdom. Individually, this speaks to the present reality of the investigative judgment, where each believer is being examined in the heavenly sanctuary. Our faith, motives, and lives are being brought into review—not to condemn, but to cleanse, refine, and seal us for the soon return of Christ.