On Palm Sunday 30 AD, Jesus “wept” as he approached the city from the east over the
Mount of Olives.
This is reminiscent of Jeremiah’s weeping as he recorded the words he spoke for the Lord in
Jeremiah 8 and 9. In chapter 8 Jeremiah says, “there is not peace.” (Jer. 8:11) and chapter 9
he continues mourning with these words:
“Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jer.9:1)
Jeremiah’s prophecy and sorrow were fulfilled about 40 years later in 586 BC when Babylon
destroyed the people, the city and the temple in Jerusalem. Likewise, exactly 40 years after
Jesus’ sorrowful, weeping approach to Jerusalem in 30 AD the Romans would also destroy the people, the city and the temple in 70 AD.
Jesus makes two statements to the Jews on that day in 30 AD:
- “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace.”
- “You did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
“This day” when Jesus, the Messiah, appeared in history was the “time of God’s coming” to the Jews. It was “this day” that they could have received peace by recognizing and accepting the fact that Jesus was God “coming to” them. Daniel had prophesied the details of this “time of God’s coming” when he recorded the words of Gabriel in 539 BC:
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem…(This refers either the decree of Artaxerxes in 458 BC recorded in Ezra 7 or Artaxerses decree in 445 BC recorded in Nehemiah 2:1, 5)
…until the Anointed One…(“Messiah”, or “Christos” in Greek, which is “Christ” in English)
…the ruler… (the King, Jesus)
…comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ (69 ‘sevens’ equals 483 years, or roughly 25 AD when counting 483 years from the time of the decree recorded in Ezra 7 which was 458 BC)
It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. (During those 483 years Jerusalem will be rebuilt as a city with an intense defensive system because these 483 years will be a time of military trouble such as the conflicts with the Seleucids, Ptolemies, Hasmoneans, Edomites and Rome. A "trench" refers to a moat which would be built along with a wall to prevent access to a city or a fortress.)
After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’… (Roughly 25 AD)
…the Anointed One will be put to death… (“Killed violently” as on the cross)
…and will have nothing… (God, who will come as the Messiah and King of the Jews, will be rejected and will not receive the kingdom. He will receive nothing).
The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.’(Because the Jews reject God’s visitation as the Messiah between 25-30 AD, the Romans will destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD).”
- Daniel 9:25-26
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