Daniel - Dedicated, Diligent, Devout An Overview Study of the Book of Daniel Friends and Fellowship (and Food) McLean Bible Church Fall 2016
Study Outline Session Study Description Primary Bible Chapters Part II: Worldly Kingdoms & the End of Ages Of Dreams, Visions, & Prophecies 6 Message of 70 Sevens Daniel 9:20-27 7 Message of 70 Sevens (Continued) Daniel 9:20-27 8 Dream of the Great Image Four Great Beasts and the Ancient of Days Daniel 2 Daniel 7 9 The Great Worldly Kingdom Daniel 8 10 From Persia to the End-of-Times Daniel 11 & 12 Revelation 20 11 From Persia to the End-of Times 12 Messengers of God and the End Times Daniel 10
Of Dreams, Visions, and Prophecies Session 7 Daniel 9: Message of 70 Sevens (continued)
God's Message Through Gabriel Daniel 9:24-27 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. 25 Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixtytwo 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.
Visualizing the 70 Sevens 70 Sevens (Dan. 9:24) 7 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) 62 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) 7 Dan. 9:27 33 1/2 3 1/2
Sign of the Sabbath Rest Six days of creation (Gen. 1), then God rested 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Gen. 2:2-3) 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exo. 20:8-11)
Sabbath year Sign of the Sabbath Rest 10 Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. (Exo. 23:10-11) Sabbath of Sabbath years (Seven times Seven Years) Lev. 25:8-12 Seven times seven sabbath years = 49 years Fiftieth year (49 + 1) = Jubilee. Restoration of possession (land) to original owner (family) (Lev. 25:23-28) Restoration of freedom for Jewish hired servants (not slaves) (Lev. 25:39-43)
Biblically Significant Numbers Daniel 9:24-7 sevens 7 sevens 49 years th Following year = 50 year = Jubilee Restoration of possession (homeland) Restoration of freedom (return to Jerusalem) 7 times 7 (Dan. 9:25) Jubilee 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar razes Temple and Jerusalem 536 BC Cyrus conquers Babylon Issues proclamation in his first year Jews to return to Jerusalem to build Temple to GOD.
Checking Context First Check 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 sixtytwo weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. The analysis measures the 50 years beginning with the Destruction of Jerusalem. The verse appears to measure from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, which came either from: God, Who set in motion the eventual proclamation from Cyrus. [Admittedly seems contrived.] King Cyrus of Persia, whom God moved to issue a proclamation. Conclusion: The numbers fit, but the context does not.
So What Is God Telling Us? First, focus on the events that occur during the 7 Sevens and the 62 Sevens START: Command to Restore & build Jerusalem Unto Messiah, the Prince 7 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) 62 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) Rebuilding of the Temple and of Jerusalem: The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times Two books in the Holy Scriptures record rebuilding. Ezra: Rebuilding the Temple Nehemiah: Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem Both record the opposition that the Jews faced in their rebuilding
So What Is God Telling Us? Second, focus on the events that occur after the 7 Sevens and the 62 Sevens START: Command to Restore & build Jerusalem unto [or to] the Messiah, the Prince Messiah cut off After the 62 sevens 7 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) 62 Sevens (Dan. 9:25) Rebuilding of the Temple and of Jerusalem: The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times City and Sanctuary are destroyed
So What Is God Telling Us? Archaeologically and historically we can confirm: 4 Roman legions under General Titus Flavius Vespasian attacked, captured, and razed Jerusalem in 70 AD. Roman legions and Jewish defenders accidentally burned down the Temple during fierce fighting. Eye witness account was recorded by Josephus. Arch of Titus (82 AD) in Rome commemorates the victory. This would seem to fulfill: And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. From the Gospels we know the following was fulfilled: Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself John 3:13-17 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Peter 2:20-24
Daniel 9:26b The Final Desolation The latter part of v26 is difficult to interpret. Depending on the translation, there are different interpretations.... The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. [Dan. 9:26] Flood shêţeph (shay'-tef) [Heb.] a deluge (fig. or lit.); flood, outrageous. Root: shâţaph (shaw-taf') [Heb.] (prim. root) to gush; by impl. To inundate, to cleanse; by anal. To gallop, to conquer. Back to history When the Roman legions finally breached the inner walls of Jerusalem, they killed everybody, not just Zealot fighters. Surviving Jews fled Jerusalem through secret tunnels under the city. The war ended 3 years later at Masada.
Daniel 9:27 The End Times (?) Most controversial part of God's message from Gabriel And after 62 sevens the Messiah shall be cut off... Some interpret as immediately after the 62 sevens Others interpret as occurring during the subsequent seventieth seven. For example, from Life Hope & Truth, Don Henson proposes 70 th seven starts with Jesus' ministry. In Matt. 5-7 Jesus confirms the Law, even expanding the understanding of God's intent or spirit of the Law. gâbar (gaw-bar') [Heb.] to be strong, to strengthen, to confirm Most importantly sin in one's heart still counts as sin before God's righteousness.
Daniel 9:27 The End Times (?) For example, in Life Hope & Truth, Don Henson proposes Jesus' ministry lasted about 3 1/2 years (i.e. until the middle of the seven) Jesus was crucified, fulfilling the Law and ending the necessity for sacrifice Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. [Matt. 5:17] Heb. 7:26-27 Finally Don Henson claims that the rest of the prophecy, last half of the 70 th seven has yet to be completed.
Daniel 9:27 The End Times (?) Another example from Koinonia House, Chuck Missler proposes The sacrifice of the Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem occur between the end of the 62 sevens and the final sevens. Final (70 th Seven) has yet to occur. Revelation chapters 6-19 detail the 70 th seven. Final example from the web site: Daniel s 70 Weeks Author (anonymous) proposes the final seven is fulfilled. First half, Jesus from baptism to crucifixion Second half from Jesus resurrection to the stoning of Stephen
Some Observations The Meaning of the 7 Sevens, 62 Sevens, and 1 Seven Study was not exhaustive No real agreement on the meaning of the periods No real agreement as to when to start the count Most interpretations did not account for the separation of the 7 Sevens and the 62 Sevens, i.e. they added the numbers and came up with 69 Sevens This Session kept the grouping of sevens separate under the belief that if God separated something, then He had a good reason. I just don't know what it is yet. Many biblical scholars have defined what is called a prophetic year of 360 days. Then they try to compute the 70 sevens
Some Observations Computing using either the 69 sevens or the 70 sevens Use Ezra to compute either from Cyrus 1 st year (538 BC) or Artaxerxes (command the rebuilding of the city). Computed from 457 BC (based on Ezra 7) 457 BC + 490 years = 33 AD 33 AD is believed to be the year Jesus was crucified. Applying the principle of Biblical context Ezra 7 is not Artaxerxes (I) Longimanus (465 BC-424 BC) Instead it was Artaxerxes (II) Mnemon (404 BC-359 BC) Why? - Ezra 4 records the in times of affliction of Dan. 10:25 From the laying of the Temple foundation to Artaxerxes Longimanus, the other inhabitants caused all manner of problems.
Don't Force Fit the Bible, Let the Holy Spirit Do the Teaching & Interpreting
Some Observations Applying the principle of Biblical context Ezra 4:7-16 several gentile leaders wrote an accusatory letter against the Jews and sent it to King Artaxerxes Ezra 4:17-22 King Artaxerxes sent a response putting a stop to all construction in Jerusalem. Ezra 4:23-24 Ezra records that all work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of King Darius (II) (between 424 BC-423 BC) The Artaxerxes of Ezra 7 and of Nehemiah is Artaxerxes Mnemon. Key Assumption: The order that Ezra, the scribe, references the Persian Kings matches the order that the Persian Kings historically reigned. Be wary of interpretations that use numbers to calculate Christ's return or the end-times. Jesus will return; we have no idea when; so be ready!
Conclusion The message from God, borne by Gabriel, to Daniel Gospel message to the Jews Messianic prophecy Parts have been fulfilled Documented historically and/or archaeologically Documented in the New Testament Parts are controversial No agreement as to the interpretation Ties to Book of Revelation Can't really compute the end times.
References 1. Siege of Jerusalem, Wikipedia 2. Masada, Wikipedia 3. Titus, Wikipedia 4. Titus Roman Emperor, Encyclopædia Britannica 5. The Prophet Daniel: The Seventy Weeks, Wayne Blank, Daily Bible Studies, http://www.keyway.ca/htm2012/20121017.htm 6. 70 Weeks of Daniel: What Does the Prophecy Mean?, Don Henson, Life Hope & Truth (http://www.lifehopeandtruth.com) 7. The Precision of Prophecy: Daniel s 70 Weeks, Chuck Missler, Koinonia House, http://www.khouse.org/articles/2004/552/ 8. Daniel 70 Weeks Prophecy: The Real Truth on a Very Abused Prophecy, http://www.daniels70weeks.com, 2009
References 9. Daniel s 70 Weeks of Years Dr. David R. Reagan, Lamb & Lion Ministries, http://christinprophecy.org/articles/daniels-70- weeks-of-years/ 10. A Jewish Calculation about the 70 weeks of Daniel, Guid ôn Bèn Israël, http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/m.sion/jewc70da.htm 11. Jewish Calendar, Tracey R. Rich, Judaism 101 http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm 12. The Hebrew Calendar: A Marvel of Ancient Astronomy and Math, Elon Gilad, Haaretz, http://www.haaretz.com/