Pod Prep 5-4-18
One of the Proofs of the Bible Daniel's Seventy Week Prophecy
DANIEL AND THE REPENTANCE OF THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM
God gave Judah seventy years to end the rebellion and to repent. God would then restore the Kingdom from captivity. Daniel decided that he would fast and be the one to verbally express this heartfelt repentance for the nation. Daniel's prayer appears to have triggered the seventy years of captivity to come to and end and Judah's restoration. However Daniel got even more of an answer than he asked for in prayer. Daniel received a key to the comings of the Messiah.
Dan 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans- 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (NKJV)
Dan 9:7 "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day-to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. (NKJV)
Daniel knew that God can control world events precisely. He further knew that his heartfelt prayer would be heard and acted upon by the God of the Universe according to the prophesy given to Jeremiah. We need to be more like Daniel. We must put more of our hearts and souls into our prayers for the nation and the church.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' (NKJV)
Daniel knew that the God of Israel has the power to direct world events with precision. These words written in 538 B.C. Prove the spiritual authenticity of the Bible. Daniel has a number of prophetic predictions and some in numerous details and all were fulfilled except the end time ones. They will also in course of time be fulfilled.
THE MEANING OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS PROPHESY
The prophesy is concerning the people of Israel and holy city Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. A detailed determination of the prophesy will follow and what is to be accomplished during the 490 years.
Dan 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. (NKJV)
1. “To finish the transgression” This is dual first part comes with exiles returning home.
2. “To make an end of sins” Fulfilled in first and second coming of Christ (duality).
3. “To make reconciliation for inequity” Thru the death & resurrection of Jesus.
4. “To bring in everlasting righteousness” This is done by return the of Christ.
5. “To seal up the vision” This means that all will be fulfilled & paradise on earth.
6. “To anoint the most Holy” The anointing of Holy of Hollies in the Temple.
THE ACCURATE TIMING OF DANIEL'S PREDICTIONS
Most of the items of the seventy week prophesy are regarding the Messiah's return. It is a dual prophesy. The anointed one Jesus came first to die for mankind's reconciliation. He died to pay for our sins and start the church which is the first harvest. The prophesy also forgives Judah's betrayal of God and their restoration to the Holy lands.
Dan 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (NKJV)
Daniel realized by reading Jeremiah 29:10 that the captivity of Judah would last 70 years, Daniel took it upon himself to pray for God's mercy to lift the captivity. See II Chron 7:14.
70 X 7= 490. The principle of a day equals a years can be seen in Eze 4:6. But the last week was cutoff in the middle. So we have 69 X 7 = 483 years.
The decree to return from captivity was given in 457 B.C. If we subtract 457 from 483 we get 26 A.D. We then add one year for the year zero being missing and get the year 27 A.D. This is the year Jesus started his ministry. Then add in the 3 and half years for last week and we get his crucifixion 31 A.D. This prophecy involves both the first and second coming of the Messiah. The last three and half years of Jesus ministry probably will take place at Christ second coming to bring the entire world into obedience. See Zach 14:16-18 and Rev 19 & 20.
Daniels unbelievable precision in prophetic revelations was one reason the generation of Christ day was looking for the Messiah. He had predicted the time to the cleansing of the Temple, for instance, accurately four centuries in advance. Herod had babies murdered in fear of this prophecy. If the Messiah started in his ministry at age 30, the age of priestly responsibility, then Jesus would be born around 3 or 4 B.C. God who has the power to control events and can make predictions of his come true. This is amazing precision.
THE BOOK OF DANIEL IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROOFS OF THE BIBLE BEING INSPIRED BY THE ALL POWERFUL GOD
THE END OF THE AGE AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
When this devil deceived age ends Christ will return and bring light to a darkened society and planet. All nations will be blessed by the light of Jesus.
Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. (NKJV)
Daniel predicted when the Messiah would come the first time. That he would be put to death before the destruction of the Temple. Daniel saw that the sacrifices would be stopped and the Temple destroyed by Romans. Prophesy is often dual. The events of the seventieth week were fulfilled in both Christ's first and second coming.
Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), (NKJV)
Christ and the Jewish nation would be cut off in the middle of the week. The beast was the little horn of Daniel 7 and clearly is identified with the Roman Empire. The Romans destroyed the second Temple and will take over the third Temple and desecrate it. The Israel in the middle east will make a covenant of safety with the beast in the last week of the seventy weeks prophesy. A long time break exist between week 69 and week 70. But in the midst of this 7 year period of the last week in the future, Judah will be stabbed in the back, suddenly by the leader of the Holy Roman Empire to come.
American military power must then be minor or Judah would use an American ally for her safety.
Mt 24:16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
The sudden back stabbing attack will come so fast people will have no time to even pack an overnight bag. He will break his deal with Israel by taking over Jerusalem suddenly, and desecrating the Temple with a pagan idol. Maybe even a statute of himself and proclaiming himself God to the world from the holiest site in the world.
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he, sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (NKJV)
When we witness this event from our places of safety we will know that the end is very near. Christ was cutoff in the midst (middle) of the week on a Wednesday. Jesus also will return to throw the beast into the lake of fire where he will quickly die. Christ will spend the last three and a half years of this last week finishing his ministry to save the entire world.
