The Seventy Weeks by Daniel 9: 24-27 Predicting the Messianic Time - Research Paper Example

? The Seventy Weeks by Daniel 9: 24- 27 predicting the Messianic time. Table of Contents Introduction 3 The beginning of the Christian 3 Coming of Messiah 5 Counting of Weeks and Messiah 7 Why Daniel’s Prophecy is Disregarded 8 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 The Seventy Weeks by Daniel 9: 24- 27 predicting the Messianic time Introduction Angel Gabriel in about 538 BC gives the Prophecy of seventy weeks in this text. The establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah would be in 69 weeks after the commanding of the restoration and building of Jerusalem. The word Shebua or week in the Hebrew language meant weeks , but all scholars come to an agreement that it meant four hundred and eighty three years, which is sixty-nine multiplied by seven. The Commencing of counting according to the text is in the year 458 BC, which is the seventh year of the King Artaxerxes of Persia. The king, during this year, issues an order that Ezra begins his journey to Jerusalem on the first day of the first month. According to current calendars, it would be 8th of April1. The beginning of the Christian The Christian era began soon after 457 years and nine months of this time. At around the time of 26 AD, John the Baptist starts his assigned ministry and he baptizes Jesus who later the same year began his ministry too. The prophecy dictates that the Messiah or the anointed one’s killing would be on the seventieth week or after three and a half years. During this time, the city and the temple of Jerusalem would face destruction. Daniel was a captive of Babylon since 606 BC before he came an understanding that the captivity would last 70 years while reading Jeremiah’s prophecies. As Daniel was praying for the restoration and redeeming of his people, the Angel of the Lord came to him and made it clear the exact time of the long- awaited Messianic Kingdom. The following is a detailed verse-to-verse, word-to-word explanation of the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah2. Verse 24 states that, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the most holy.” The verse specifically reveals that time of accomplishment of the prophecy is 70 weeks. The number seventy is very symbolic in this text and not just a number. First, seventy is a multiple of ten and according to Genesis 31:7 signifies completeness. Secondly, seven is a number that signifies divine perfection as stated in Genesis 2:3. The punishment of sin being the suffering for 70 years and response to Peters question on Forgiveness that we should forgive until 70 times is a major theme in this verse. It is clear that transgression and sin will be common until the emergence of the Messianic Kingdom. According to the Hebrews, the word week meant years or weeks of days (Shabuim Yomim). Therefore, seventy weeks meant 70 times 7 or 490 years until fulfilment. Only Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prediction of a holy ruler in a perfect kingdom. His own people or those of the Anointed One (Acts 10:38) and the Holy one are his children, and the fruit of his travail on the cross. Through free justification by Grace and anointment under the new covenant, they become just as righteous as he is (I John 3:5-7). The spotless Lamb slain before the world began (Revelation 13:8), who from the beginning to the end of this world, all sin-ended, reconciliation and atonement achieved, Abraham rejoiced on seeing (John 8:56). According to Hebrews 3:1 the holy brethren or otherwise referred to as saints in Romans 1:7 comprise the true temple of God (I Corinthians 3:16, 17) that is also the body of Christ according to Ephesians 1:22 and 233. Coming of Messiah In verse 25, “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: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” The Angel Gabriel points out the beginning of counting of weeks to the Messiah. The beginning of the counting should be right after the commandment of the restoration and building of Jerusalem4. The division of the seventy weeks into phases then follows. The first phase of rebuilding of the wall and the street should take seven weeks while the remaining 62 weeks should be the time that the Messiah appears. Many scholars and professionals from that time find difficulty accurately defining the terminus a quo or the beginning point when it came to counting. Varied responses over time are observable from the renowned historian Humphrey to that of the Archbishop Ussher and many others. However, many current scholars agree that the terminus a quo is the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. It is wise to start from the known to the unknown. The point at which the 69 weeks ends could be the starting point and then maze out the beginning. In Luke 16:16 it is vivid that 26 AD marks the end of the 69 weeks. This period is true because Jesus's birth was after the death of Herod and by 30 AD, he was thirty-three and half years where he died. Correctly estimating this time, one can conclude that 26 AD marks the end of the 69 weeks. The events of the Roman calendar and the Mosaic calendar could also be useful in determining this time. Having determined the terminus ad quem, the terminus a quo is now easily retrievable with the figure 69 weeks of years. This means subtracting four hundred and eighty three years from the known 26 AD. To avoid confusion in transition from AD to BC, the Nabonassar era is applicable. From all these calculations, the year terminus a quo is 458 BC. The Jews through the strict following of the counting of years, and on sensing the close relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, find ways of deterring the truth, and coining the truth to make the prophecy apply more to the false Messiah Simon Bar Kokhba rather than Jesus of Nazareth. Modern Jews, pressured by reality, false fully obscure the truth and rather acknowledge Ezra and Nehemiah but not the real Messiah who was Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Jews for this reason criticize the book of Daniel as a collection of legends and false prophecies whose compilation was during a period of Propaganda. The propaganda was that of the time of the wars of Maccabees against Antiochus Epiphanes. Despite their constant criticism, none of them; Jews and Christian expositors can put the 70 weeks in a chronological framework that is viable5. As stated in verse 26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but, not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city , and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” In this text, one can easily see that after the Messiah begins his ministry he shall be ‘cut off’. However, the exact time of death is not specific until the next verse. What is clear is that it will happen after 62 weeks. The Angel continues to say that his death will not just be for himself but the redemption of the entire human race from sin, hell, devil, and death. The implication of these strong words meant that his own people would be the ones who would reject and kill him themselves. Peter to the Jews in the book of Acts 5:30 and 31 confirms the prophecy’s fulfilment through his words. Gabriel reveals that the Messiah would retain his own people, despite the Jewish unbelief, and he would rule them as their prince, and reveals the destruction of Jerusalem by a torrent of destruction and war. The destruction happened in 70 AD just as the prediction and secular literature states. Both Isaiah and John confirm the fact that the Messiah would have new people. The Jews made Jesus weep due to their unbelief that they even pressured Pilate to order the crucifixion of Jesus. The Jews brought upon themselves spiritual condemnation through their own words against the Messiah. However, God shows mercy upon them as he pours Grace and supplication on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and says that they will one-day cry to their father in heaven for help, the same one they have pierced6. Counting of Weeks and Messiah Verse 27 and the last verse clearly state, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” In this text, there is an introduction of the final week of the 70 weeks and Christ’s death with which an end to temple worship ends becomes precise7. The death is set to the middle of the seventieth week. Therefore, his ministry will only last three and half years after which he is ‘cut off’. The ultimate words of Gabriel mean that the sacrifice of Christ makes the house of worship or the temple desolate. This is because the use of earthly sanctuaries will cease because the shadows and types of the Old Testament prophecies through his death receive fulfilment. The earthly house of worship also referred to as the temple is in permanent destruction. The state of unbelief of people eliminates Christ from their hearts despite their thoughts of worshiping God. This unbelief brings abominations in place of the living Saviour, which ultimately brings forth desolation as a punishment to the spiritually desolate. The physical and earthly temple and city were symbolic of the true restoration of the Israelites and all people in a heavenly city and a spiritual temple under Christ’s Kingdom. This is the only law that restores peace and conscience to the transgressors since, under the law, sin does not exist in the eyes of God due to the cleansing by the Lamb of God. Jerusalem as a representation of a heavenly city received recognition only in the Moses's Law8. The Law of Moses was sinful in nature , and for this reason it faces destruction. The current city of Jerusalem is temporal and sinful unlike the heavenly Jerusalem that adheres to the divine law and is sinless, universal and eternal. Why Daniel’s Prophecy is Disregarded Many individuals find reasons to disregard the prophecy of Daniel just as the Jewish community does. Some individuals find flaws in the prophecy rendering it inapplicable and hence rendering Jesus of Nazareth as an imposter. Some of them say that the prophecy was not at all about Jesus Christ but the building and destruction of a city9. They also claim that there is a stretch of 2000-year gap, in the 69th and 70th periods that is not within the prophecy. The stretch is allegedly strengthening a weak theory. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD did not fulfil the prophecy, since 490 years is not enough time to reach 70 AD according to other non-believers. Other critics also identify prior destruction during the time of Jesus when Pharisees mentioned the temple and said it was 46 years old. Other scholars claim that there is no exhaustive discussion with details of what happened after the end of the seven-time period rendering the prophecy a weak theory. All these negative critics just want to find irrelevant reasons of rejecting Christ. The above-mentioned controversies are in deep details in the previous texts and the prophecy nicely fits the 490 years. The purpose of prophecy is to demonstrate to the Israelites on the things they must do. The prophecy clearly lays out six things with three being negative and the other three being positive. The first one is ending transgression of rebellion. The second thing that Israel must do is to make an end of sin or seal up sins. Thirdly, they must make atonement for iniquity. Fourthly, they must bring in everlasting righteousness. The next is to seal up vision and prophecy and lastly but not least is anointing the most holy place also referred to as the holies of holies. This could refer to anointing the temple or maybe refers to Christ. Conclusion In conclusion, Daniel’s great prophecy comprehends the entire story of Israel to the second coming of Jesus from the time of time of Nehemiah. The first phase shows the rebuilding of the city and streets while the second phase signifies the emergence of the Messiah concluding the end of the period. Between the sixty-ninth, seven and seventieth, seven the cutting off the Messiah and destruction of Jerusalem takes place bring forth the entire present age. The end of that age brings with it another era showing the making of the covenant then the period of great tribulation follow. Therefore, the fulfilment of the prophecy is successful just as foretold by Daniel and simply signifies the coming of the Messiah. Bibliography Ford, Desmond. In the Heart of Daniel: An Exposition of Daniel 9:24-27. New York: iUniverse, 2007. LaHaye, Tim F., and Edward E. Hindson. The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary. Eugene, Or: Harvest House Publishers, 2006. Hollander, Harm W., and Marinus de Jonge. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: A Commentary. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1985. Culver, Robert. Daniel and the Latter Days. Chicago: Moody Press, 1977. Haynes, Joseph. “Interpretting the Vision: An Exegetical Study of Daniel 9: 24,” Historicism, April 07, 2004:26 Read More