9:24-27

9:24

9:25

9:26

9:27

Full Prophecy

First 69 sevens

Events between the 69th seven and the 70th seven

Describes the
70th seven

 

9:24

The Jewish people had just suffered 70 years and were returning to rebuild Jerusalem. Was this the ultimate fulfillment of the prophets? Moses spoke of God restoring the people after dispersion. Was this that event? Was the end of the 70 years of captivity the ultimate end? Isaiah spoke of a great restoration. Was this it? Jeremiah spoke of a “new covenant.” Was this it? Was the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s 70 weeks the ultimate? The angles answer is no. There are still 490 years left for the people of Israel.

 

“weeks” or “sevens” is the word that refers to a period of 7. In this case 7 years.

“decreed” - this word means that this period of time has been determined which

ndicates they are part of God’s total plan and will happen just as he has

declared.

This declared period of 490 years is for:

1)     Your people (Israel)

2)     Your holy city (Jerusalem)

Remember, chapters 2, 7 and 8 referred to the Gentiles. Remember Daniel 2:4 the writing switches from Hebrew to Aramaic. It is now being written in Hebrew again.

 

There is no way, no room, no hermeneutics that can connect these verses to the church. There is no way Daniel is thinking these words mean anything other than the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

 

This declared period of 490 years will accomplish these six things:

1)     Finish transgression – finish means to bring to an end. Israel’s apostasy and transgression against  God will come to an end during this period.

2)     Put an end to sin – may mean to take away sin, bring sin to final judgment or seal up sin. The sealing up sin would be similar to locking it in prison. Sin is removed and caused to be ineffective.

3)     Atone for wickedness –  or, to make reconciliation for iniquity. This is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:19

4)     Bring in everlasting righteousness – occurred on the cross or at the second coming of Christ. Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Isaiah 11:2-5 speak of this character of the Messiah’s kingdom

5)     Seal up vision and prophecy – “seal up” means no more is to be added. Concerning what has been prophesied will be fulfilled. The sealing may refer the purpose a king would seal a document with his ring or seal. A king would seal a document to prove it was authentic, true and really from him. Sealing would then declare what was in the document was the kings will or order. How could God “seal” the visions and prophecies already given? He would prove they were his by having them ultimately and completely fulfilled.

6)     Anoint the most holy – some claim this was

a.       the Temple of Zerubbabel that the Jews were getting ready to return to Jerusalem to build.

b.      the rededication of the Temple by Judas Macabeus in 165 BC after Antiochus Epiphanies desecrated it.

c.      Some say it is Jesus at his first coming and was anointed with the Holy  Spirit at his baptism by John.

d.      Jesus anointing the Most Holy Place in Heaven (Heb. 9:11-14, 23-24)

e.      The future Temple of Ezekiel from Ezekiel 40-48

f.        Some even try to connect this to the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21:1-27.

g.      The literal understanding of this in the context of the first five would be the seating of Jesus in the Temple at his Second Coming.

Three views of the 490 years:

  1. From the first captivity in 605 BC-490=115 BC. Or, from the destruction of the Temple in 586 BC-490=96 BC. The Abomination and the evil prince is Antiochus Epiphanies who desecrated the Temple in 167 BC and died in 164 BC. These numbers miss the mark by 52 years or 68 years. Not very impressive.
  2. Considers 7, 70 and multiples of these (10, 490) to indicate perfection or completion.  The 490 years, or the 70 7’s are merely symbolic and represent periods of time. Indeed scripture does use these numbers as numbers of fulfillment: 7 days of creation, 70 years of captivity, weekly Sabbath. The time periods that are assigned to the 490 years would be:
    1. The 7 sevens = 538 BC (Cyrus) until 445 BC (time of  Ezra, Nehemiah 458-433 BC)
    2. The 62 sevens = 445 BC (about the time of the close of the OT) until 26 AD (the time of Christ baptism)
    3. The 70th seven = 26 AD until sometime after Christ’s death but before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.
  3. Considers the 490 years to be literal 490 years. The end of the 490 years is the time of Christ such as:
    1. his birth,
    2. his baptism,
    3. his entrance on Palm Sunday,
    4. his death,
    5. his resurrection
    6. his ascension.

The beginning of the 490 years could be:

a.      538 BC when Cyrus allowed the Jews to return found in 2 Chron. 36:23 and Ezra 1:2-4. But, this was not a command to restore the city. Also, 538 BC-490 years=48 BC. And what happened in 48 BC? Julius Caesar gave Jews control of Jaffa for their support against Pompey. Caesar then visits Cleopatra and reinstates her as Queen of Egypt.

b.      458 BC when Artaxerxes makes a decree in Ezra 7:12-26 that focuses on the Temple but makes allowance for Jerusalem to have magistrates and judges (7:25) which assumes there is a settlement in a city with laws, citizens, government, etc. 458 BC-490 years=32 AD (or, 33 AD since there is no year “0 AD” or “0 BC.”). What happened in 33 AD? Some scholars have set this as the date of Christ’s death and resurrection. These are four of the six events discussed in Daniel 4:24.

c.      458 BC same as above from Ezra 7:12-26, but instead of the full 490 years the text seems to focus on the first 69 sevens or 483 of the 490 years: 458 BC-483 years=25 or actually 26 AD. What happened in 26 AD? Modern history books date John the Baptist ministry to 26 AD and place Jesus baptism to this very year.

d.      445 BC when in Nehemiah 2:5-8 Artaxerxes gave letters to Nehemiah authorizing him to rebuild the wall and to build a home in Jerusalem: 445 BC-490 years=45 or 46 AD. What happened in 46 AD? Herod Agrippa II was king and Paul began his first missionary journey and Judea was at peace. Or, 445 BC-483 years=38 or 39 AD. What happen? Jewish persecution of Christians has ceased, Peter is traveling in Judea and Acts 10 and 11 occur. No real fulfillment of prophecy. Unless we consider the Jewish prophetic year which is based on the 30 day lunar month and we do some math as described in Daniel 12:7, 11 and Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6; 13:5; . In this case 483 years of 360 days would equal 173,880 days. This is equal to 476.38 years of 365 days. So 445 BC-476 years=31 or 32 AD. Jesus said in Luke 19:41-44

 

 

9:27

Jesus mentions this in Matthew 24:15 which indicates that Antiochus Epiphanes did not completely fulfill this in 167 BC mention in Daniel 11:31

 

            167 BC = Antiochus Epiphanes

             70 AD = Titus

            Future = Anti-Christ in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 13:14