Fashioning Jewish Identity in Medieval Western Christendom - Literature review Example

Examining the Prophesy of Daniel 9:24-27 _______________ A Research Paper Submitted to ________________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for [Course Number & Name Here] _______________ By Name July 24, 2011 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………............................................................... 1 Overview………………………………................................................................... 1 Time………………………………........................................................................... 3 Messianic Hope………………………………......................................................... 5 Past or Present………………………………........................................................... 7 Conclusion………………………………................................................................. 8 Examining the Prophesy of Daniel 9:24-27 Introduction Understanding scripture, especially the prophecies of the Old Testament, is often difficult and without a sense of logic. However, the prophesy that was given in the book of Daniel in regard to what has been the interpretation of the coming of Jesus and the fulfillment of the Messianic prophesy is interpreted as a specific proof of the divinity and purpose of the life of Jesus. In looking at verses, one can see a specific and almost detailed recount of how the life of Jesus would relate to the redemption cycle. In looking at Daniel 9:24-27, the most important and central event in the plan that God has for his children can be seen through the expectation of the event as defined within the prophesies of the book of Daniel. Overview According to Chazan, the prophecy that was set out in Daniel was the mission that was taken by Jesus of Nazareth. According to the way in which early Christians identified the prophesy, it fit precisely into the framework that is given within these words. Daniel had asked God information and for a quick redemption for his people. God had promised that the redemption would come over a period that was much longer than seventy years. Early Christians saw this as a perfect to the time period that framed the life of Jesus. The prediction of Daniel, the “abomination of desolation” is the predicting element that is repeated by Jesus which will bring forth true salvation.1 Jerome, who lived in the third and fourth century, wrote about the connection between the prophesies in Daniel to the gospels written by both Mark and Mathew. For Jerome, the passage in Daniel was a clearly a predictor for the coming of Jesus, one of the most central and important pieces of the Old Testament to the Christian movement.2 This prophesy, seemingly fulfilled by Jesus, was proof that he was the Messiah. In this fulfillment, is the proof of His divinity, the promise come into fruition that redemption would be given to the Jewish people. In defining the connection between Jesus and this vital prophesy, He is made manifest into the hope that Daniel had given to his people. Where faith is essential, proofs such as correlations between prophesy and known facts provides greater depth to the beliefs that are held about the nature of Jesus’ position in the Christian faith. According to Chazan, “Daniel 9:24 indicated, for Christian readers, the broad sweep of the redemptive process, involving expiation of sin, fulfillment of prophesy, and anointing of Jesus”.3 The early Christians needed to find ways to show how the life of Jesus was a definitive divinely mandated fulfillment, the nature of the entire belief system predicated on the idea that Jesus was the source of redemption. In these verses by Daniel, the prophetic and the historical line up, thus this creates a sense of proof for the Christian that Jesus is what he or she believes him to be. Although faith is the foundation of the belief, having Biblical and Historical proofs provides context on which to build faith. Of course, the problem comes in the nature of faith. The nature of faith is that it needs no proof other than the belief that what is defined as being relevant is in fact true. Christians do not believe in the redemption of Christ because of the passage in Daniel, rather, the belief is built upon the tenets of faith, but supported by readings within the Bible that create a spherical logic. As the reader creates a defined space in which to establish faith, the references to the passages through time, as they line up from different periods of writing, create a text from which to frame belief. Belief is defined by faith, but supported by those aspects of textual proof that can be referred to in order to create context. The passage of time, however, is relevant as well. The initial belief was that there would be only a short period of time between the resurrection and the return of Christ. However, after a significant period of time had already passed, there came a need to define the way in which hope had not come to fruition. It was from the third century that this passage came to be important in understanding the depth of time that had, in the minds of early Christians, already exceeded expectations. In waiting for Jesus, the faithful needed to understand why it was taking so long for the return.4 In looking at this passage from Daniel, the concept of time was explained. The concept of history as well is established. According to Shea, verse 21 is a direct reference to Tiberius and the way in which he comes into power.5 This sets into alignment a sense of truth. In fact, the human mind can find a reason to believe. Through the description of the rise of power by Tiberius, the truth of the Messianic prophecy is established. If Daniel reads true on one aspect, then the rest can fall into line as also true. Through looking at the passage in reference to the way in which the timing lines up, the truth of its import is also given credence. With the fulfillment of verse 20, the Messianic tenets are then also given context for the timing in which they occur. Time The first verse is defined by time. Seventy weeks is given as a time period in which redemption will be gained. Within this time frame, Daniel says that the people will have a chance, a moment of in time in which to understand and end sinful ways. During this time, they would “put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophesy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24 NIV). According to Hahn and Hahn, the set up for time is provided through the giving of hope in the earlier verse. In Daniel 7:9 the hope of the future is laid out for the reader, that the kingdom would be inherited.6 In Daniel 9:24, the time period is given a more specific position. Through defining the time, the hope is given a more solid foundation on which to develop a narrative prophesy. Early rabbinic interpretations of the book of Daniel suggested that it was a very dangerous book Literal interpretation was feared and the early rabbis saw fit to allow an allegorical sense of interpretation for the book, something that was not allowed with the rest of the Torah. Because of the precise time frames that are given in Daniel, the danger of self-fulfilling prophesy was a source of great fear. As an example, the war with Rome in 66 AD is defined within the prophesies of Daniel, but the Qumran War Scroll provides a reference to Daniel 9:3, inciting a curiosity as to whether the war fulfilled prophesy or whether it was created by the prophesy.7 The specifics of the time within the prophesy provides fuel in which to instigate the event as much as they idea that the events would happen and the prophesy merely reports them. Time becomes the center of the prophesy, the need to have specifics named creating a sense that it will happen because it is predicted as much as perhaps it does happen because it was predicted. The time frame in which the redemptive sequence occurs is given specific framework, seventy weeks. Within seventy weeks the nature of the Jewish belief system would change. The nature of the way in which the relationship with God was framed would be profoundly shifted. Through giving time frames, the prophesy allows for the fulfillment of those belief systems to have context and historic value. However although the story is written for all other aspects, the details of how the fulfillment of redemption would take place is not specifically framed. Messianic Hope What follows Daniel 9:24 is a prophesy of even greater hope, that in the ending of sin would follow is disasters. The tumultuous events are described in some detail, however the events of 9:24 are not given a narrative. This is a confusing redress on how the rest of the prophesy has been established. The story of how is left to the future, while all other aspects of the prophesy are fairly specific. Therefore, the sense of the mystery is continued in the nature of the Messianic hope that is not given in detail or through an understanding of how this will be achieved. It is within this hope that the entire Christian faith and development of religion is provided credence. While Christ did not, himself, declare that he was the Messiah, this prophesy allowed for the development of the understanding of the nature of Jesus. Sir Isaac Newton proclaimed that this prophesy was the ‘cornerstone’ of the Christian faith. However, the concept of this connection was not made immediately. During the second century Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian, respected fathers of the modern Church, applied the prophesy to the life, death, and resurrection myths and facts which gave the beliefs in Christ a framework.8 In this framework was delivered the hope that the redemption of sin had indeed occurred and that the relationship that humans could enjoy with God was deeper and more personal, without the intercession of the rabbi. The time of sacrifice was done and the path redemption was in repentance and simply through asking for forgiveness. According to Sherrerd, “every aspect of the prophesy of Daniel 9:24 has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, the final fulfillment being in the year AD70”.9 According to scripture, “And for this reason He (Christ) is the mediator of the New Covenant, for the redemption of the transgressions under the First Covenant” (Hebrews 9:15 NIV). This gives a framework for the position of Jesus in the redemption process, his existence fulfilling this less than forthcoming section of the prophesy. In being the embodiment of this prophetic line, the nature of the ministry of Jesus becomes in context with the prophesy, the tenets of peace and forgiveness and the time frame of his ministerial life all lining up with the prophesy of Daniel. As the statement “to seal up his vision and prophesy” is examined it is first necessary to examine the Hebrew translation for the word ‘seal’ (Daniel 9:24 NIV). Seal is translated as a word for ‘to finish’, or the Hebrew word ‘chthm‘.10 Therefore, the nature of the Messiah is to finish what was set forth in the vision and the prophesy. In looking at the book of John, “…But for the food that endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give to you: Because God the Father has set his Seal upon Him” (John 6:27 NIV). God has determined that the end of the time of the Old Testament was in the person of Jesus, God set his finish upon his Son. In interpreting this end, this evolvement of the relationship with God to a specific position redemption through belief and faith, the structures of worship are changed from the focus on giving sacrifice to God, to God having given sacrifice to His children in the ultimate and final sacrifice of His Son. Past or Present Where the specific interpretation of Daniel 9:24 is clear within the faith of Christians, the interpretations of Daniel 9:25-27 is not as clearly understood. According to Stefanovic, “the key to interpretation of this whole passage is the phrase “from the issuing of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem”.11 In looking at Daniel 9: 26, it seems clear that this refers to the crucifixion of Jesus. However, the verse before is less clear. The interpretation given by Stefanovic is that the time frame is set from the decree in 445BCE to begin rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. The importance, however, should be in that the “cutting off of the Messiah (was) one of the important events in the prophetic unfolding of God’s plan for Israel and the world”.12 The last verse is interpreted through two theories: the continuous fulfillment theory or the gap theory. The continuous fulfillment theory suggests that that the seventieth week occurred in succession after the sixty-ninth week. The gap theory suggests that the seventieth week has not yet occurred. The gap theorists believe that a long period of destruction and war will occur between the sixty-ninth week and the eventuality of the seventieth week. This period of time is a prophetic ending, a situation in which the fulfillment of the Messianic prophesy occurs, thus to say that it has come is to suggest that all Christians in the modern day have missed the entire cycle that the prophesy describes in regard to redemption. Conclusion Belief in the way in which redemption was established and in the power of the sacrifice and the resurrection is considered the pathway to salvation by Christians. Through the prophesy of Daniel 9:24-27, the belief is manifested into historically relevant events in order to create foundational support for the historical value of the events of redemption. The importance and literal interpretation of Daniel 9:24 in contrast to the subjective interpretations of Daniel 9:25-27 does create some problems in logic. However, the truth in Daniel 9:24 supports the faith that provides salvation. Bibliography Chazan, Robert. Fashioning Jewish Identity in Medieval Western Christendom. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Couch, Mal. Dictionary of Premillennial Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996. Hahn, Scott and David Scott eds. Liturgy and Empire: Faith in Exile and Political Theology. Steubenville, Ohio: St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, 2009. Shea, William H. Daniel: A Readers Guide. Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Association, 2005. Sherrerd, Chris S. Unto the Mountain Pass: A Theology of the End Time Purposes of God. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2003. Stefanovic, Zdravko. Daniel: Wisdom to the Wise : Commentary on the Book of Daniel. Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Association, 2007. Thompson, Alden L. Whos Afraid of the Old Testament God? Gonzalez, Fla: Pacesetters Bible School, 2003. Read More