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DANIEL CHAPTER 9

THE 70 WEEKS 

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A TIME TO BE BORN... A TIME TO DIE

ONE of the most wonderful evidences of the Bible’s Divine origin is the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9. This prophecy, written over 500 years before Christ, gave the exact year the Messiah would appear, the duration of His ministry, and the very year He would die.

 

The Jewish Talmud curses anyone who attempts to decipher the 70 weeks of Daniel chapter 9:24-27. 

 

“May the bones of the hands of the fingers decay and decompose, of him who turns the pages of the book of Daniel, to find the time of Daniel 9:24-27, and may his memory rot from off the face of the earth forever” (Talmudic Law, pg 978, Section 2, Line 28)

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Many in professed Christianity have unwittingly bought into the Jewish narrative by a false interpretation of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9. Professed Christianity has a misguided 'reverence' if you like, of Jews and Judaism. 

 

Judaism and Christianity are diametrically opposed to each other. Judaism rejected Christ as the promised messiah because He did not fit their scholarly narrative. Christ, however, is the centre, the chief cornerstone of the Christian faith. He is the Word of God, the Son of God hence is God, who was with God and was made flesh - John 1:1,14 

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  • Christ was a Jew

  • The first followers of Christ were Jews. 

  • The New Testament Gospels were written by Jews.

  • Jews witnessed His Crucifixion. 

  • Christ's Jewish followers took His body off the cross and buried it in a tomb. 

  • Jews witnessed the empty tomb on the resurrection morning. 

  • Jews interacted with him after the resurrection. 

  • Jews witnessed him ascend to heaven.

  • Saul, a devout Jew, persecuted Christ's followers - Galatians 1:13,14

  • Saul called by Christ on the road to Damascus became Paul of the New Testament

  • The final witness to the Jews of Christ's messiahship was given by Stephen in the Book of Acts chap 7

  • Individual Jews followed Christ.

  • They were first called Christians at Antioch 

  • But the nation of Israel closed its probation in the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 

  • They were "unworthy of everlasting life" and the Gospel then went to the gentiles - Acts 13:46

  • That is not to say that individuals Jews cannot be saved, but the nation has had its day in prophecy.

  • Literal Israel has transitioned to spiritual Israel, the true Christian church - John 8:31

SUMMARY OF THE 70 WEEKS TIME PROPHECY OF DANIEL 9

“The burden of Christʼs preaching was, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Thus the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies. The “time” which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. “Seventy weeks,” said the angel, “are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.” Dan. 9:24.

A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6. The seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety days, represent four hundred and ninety years. A starting point for this period is given: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,” sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty three years. Dan. 9:25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the autumn of B. C. 457. From this time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A. D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A. D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry. Then the message was proclaimed. “The time is fulfilled. Then, said the angel, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years].” For seven years after the Saviour entered on His ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; for three and a half years by Christ Himself; and afterward by the apostles. “In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” Dan. 9:27. In the spring of A. D. 31, Christ the true sacrifice was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was rent in twain, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease. The one week--seven years--ended in A. D. 34. Then by the stoning of Stephen the Jews finally sealed their rejection of the gospel; the disciples who were scattered abroad by persecution “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4); and shortly after, Saul the persecutor was converted, and became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.”
E.G. White, Desire of Ages, p233-234.

Here's an interesting thought on the "day for a year" rendition of the time prophecies.

Consider Jesus' conversation with the apostle Peter as recorded in Matthew 18:21,22 -  "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

What was the Jewish nation meant to accomplish in the 70 weeks prophecy? They were to "... to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel 9:24.

And here's Peter asking Jesus, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him, "seven times"? Jesus reminds Peter, no, not seven times but 70 X 7. In other words if Peter was spiritually discerning he would have recognised that Christ was referring to the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24 and the fact that Israel had sinned against him 70 x 7 = 490 times and he continued to forgive them, even for 490 years and the time was about to be fulfilled when He was to make an end of sin, transgression and iniquity - the lamb was about to be slain.  From this conversation between Christ and Peter, there is a strong case for the "DAY = YEAR" interpretation of the time prophecies.

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Daniel chapter 9 is so precise in pointing to Jesus Christ as the promised Jewish Messiah that Rabbis after the time of Christ pronounced a curse on anyone who attempted to calculate the dates of this chapter. - Talmud Sanhedrin 97b, Soncino ed., p. 659.  

 

The Talmud says: "May his bones and his memory rot who shall try to number the 70 weeks" - see Talmud, Sanhedrin, 97b, Sonicino Ed., p 659 

DANIEL CHAPTER 9

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  • We left Daniel chapter 8 with an unresolved / unexplained part of the THE VISION, the 2300 days.

  • This time prophecy has to do with the Judgment or the Cleansing of the Sanctuary - Daniel 8:14

  • The Judgment was first stated in Daniel 7:9-10, 13 & 14

  • We saw that the 2300 days was to extend to "the time of the end" - Daniel 8:17, 26

  • "It shall be for many days" - Daniel 8:26 even to "the time of the end"

  • The "time of the end" began in 1798 - see Daniel 11:35,40, webpage on the King of the North

  • The 2300 days prophecy was to extend or be fulfilled some time in the "time of the end" i.e. after 1798 

OVERVIEW

  1. The 70 “week” prophecy of Daniel 9 located the exact year Jesus was baptised becoming the Messiah,

  2. The duration of His ministry. 

  3. The year He died ending the sacrificial system.

  4. The year the Jews sealed their fate by their rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WEBPAGE INCOMPLETE - PLEASE REVISIT

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