James & Tess Arendt
Since I doubt very much that there would be any six year olds reading this I will attempt to explain it so that a 12 year old, with a basic knowledge of the scriptures and a love for our savior would hopefully be able. Many of you have children, and grandchildren, within the teen and preteen age group, this will be written with them in mind. I believe they too should be given the opportunity to hear and decide for themselves. The Lord often referred to the faith that children possessed as an example for us to follow. Speaking of His own young followers the Lord said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." The Lord referenced His young disciples in the same generation as the children of the scribes and the Pharisees of his day, saying, "by whom do your children cast them out?" (Matt 12:27, 10:5-8) For an interesting perspective and some "food for thought" along these lines see: "Jesus’ Disciples: A teenage posse?" https://kbonikowsky.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/jesus-disciples-a-teenage-posse/ There are numerous scholars and expositors of the prophetic scriptures today who address the 70 weeks of Daniel. If my personal explanation falls short, not answering sufficiently the questions some of you have posed since reading "Part 1" I have compiled the writings of others more qualified than myself to better explain should the need arise. In future "segments" of this series I'll attempt to address other scriptures that are commonly "joined-together" in their interpretation with Daniel 9:27, a view that I personally no longer believe to be the correct position. That said, there's a lot I do not fully understand about prophecy, nor will I pretend that I do. While doing my research one scholar said, "don't trust anyone who is not willing to consider the possibility that they could be wrong." This I believe to be sound advice, especially when it comes to the many intricacies in our interpretation of prophecy. "It's when you get bogged down in too many of the details & too many specifics of Bible prophecy that you're bound to make some mistakes, because it's often a little too mysterious & you can't be too dogmatic." (For an excellent class on the subject see "Interpreting Bible Prophecy!", ML# 2210) If it should come to light, what I have put forth in this series concerning the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy, to be found in error, specifically regarding who confirmed the covenant of Daniel 9:27, I will acknowledge and confess before all, here and now in advance, that I was wrong. I doubt however, very much, that would ever come to be. It required much less faith holding to my former position. But the more I studied the scriptures and researched the subject I could no longer ignore the overwhelming amount of evidence in support of making this change personally, and so little evidence to continue holding to my former position. Over the past few months many of you have written and asked when "Part 2" would be available. I do sincerely apologize for the delay, it has been in my thoughts literally both day and night. It can sometimes be a difficult balancing act when other matters require more of our time and attention. But by God's grace future segments of this series will follow without fail more promptly. My intentions in "Part 1" of this series has been to hopefully present enough scriptural support, and research, to show that the covenant of Daniel 9:27 was confirmed by Jesus and His disciples (the "many" referred to in this passage), during the last-seven-years of the 70 weeks prophecy, which began in 26 AD when our Lord was Baptized by John. And, that there is no scriptural support whatsoever to suggest the covenant of Daniel 9:27 refers to a future Antichrist. Whichever view you choose to believe and accept will in no way affect your salvation. It may however lend itself to a "false sense of security" for those waiting to see if the Antichrist confirms a grandiose "seven-year peace covenant with Israel", a view that I believe is based on the mis-interpretation, primarily of one verse. The false "pre-trib rapture" doctrine also lends itself to the same. It makes for a great story among Christians, and sells a lot of books and movies. Sadly, for the majority of American Christians it has become a "bedtime story" of sheer entertainment on the New York Times best sellers list. But "the covenant" of Daniel 9:27 belongs to Christ. In it's entirety, from beginning to end, the 70 weeks prophecy foretold the coming of the Messiah in 26 AD, and His crucifixion in the middle of the 70th week in 30 AD. The house of Israel, the Jewish nation were literally on probation, till the end of the 70th week in 33 AD, when the prophecy expired and the consummation of the full 490 year time-frame had come to an end. At which time our Lord had fulfilled every "jot and title" of the entire 70 weeks prophecy. The purpose of the 70 weeks prophecy was for the Messiah to usher in a new covenant, a better covenant with the house of Israel. (Jer 31:31, Heb 8:6) Throughout the Gospels our Savior repeatedly warned the leaders of the Jewish nation that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. As a Nation the house of Israel were given till the end of the 70 weeks prophecy to accept the new covenant our Savior came to establish. That time ended in 33 AD. Jesus and all the Old Testament prophets spoke of this probationary period saying "a remnant" would be saved. "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:" (Isaiah 1:9-10, Romans 9:27, Luke 13:28-29, Matt 8:12) I do not subscribe to "Replacement Theology" as commonly defined in Christian circles today. (This will be addressed more fully in a future segment of this series.) I do not buy into nor adhere to any of the theological labels advanced in modern day Christendom. Many I believe have misunderstood and confused by the wording of this scripture Daniel 9:27 where it says, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week". The scripture does not say, "And he shall confirm a seven year covenant with many." Nor does it say, "And he shall confirm a one week covenant with many." Read it. It says, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many (what covenant is confirmed here? the covenant that the promised Seed, the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One has arrived. This was the covenant, the oath, the promise, which God sware to our father Abraham. Read Galatians 3:16, 17, 19, Romans 15:8) Why then would it say, Christ confirms the covenant with many for one week? Because in 26 AD when our Lord was Baptized by John there was only seven-years left of the 490 year time-frame that began in 457 BC. And the consummation of the 70 weeks prophecy would come to completion in 33 AD, which was seven-years (one week) after Jesus began His ministry. The 70th week, the last seven-years was the allotted time granted almost exclusively to the house of Israel (the Jews) to accept their Messiah as a nation. This they failed to do which our Lord knew from the beginning as the prophets had all foretold. (Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22,) With the Lord saying, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matt 23:38, Matt 21:43) And, "Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Luke 13:35) Ye shall not see me, until when? (see Zechariah 12:10, 13:9) God willing, this too will be addressed more fully in a future segment of this series. After the Savior was crucified in 30 AD His disciples continued confirming the covenant, (which means to "uphold, authenticate, ratify, endorse, substantiate, prove, etc") prove what? prove that Jesus was the promised seed, the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, that was foretold to come in numerous Old Testament scriptures. In Hebrews Paul says, "Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (the Lord's disciples, "the many") God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost" (see Hebrews 2:3-4) Read Acts 1:8, 2:32, 3:15, 5:32, where the Lord's disciples continued to proclaim, "We are his witnesses", meaning they continued confirming the covenant that Jesus was the Christ the promised Seed foretold to come. There are numerous Old Testament scriptures that speak of events, details and characteristics of the promised Messiah that was foretold to come, but there's only one time-prophecy that gave the exact year of when Christ would begin to reveal himself to Israel. And that's the 70 weeks prophecy foretold in Daniel 9:24-27. The prophecy covers a 490 year time-frame, from beginning to end. There is no "gap of time" anywhere to be found in this prophecy, it's continuous. It says a period of 69 weeks (483 years) would pass "to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince." This time-frame started in 457 BC with "the going forth of the commandment." (see Ezra 7) In the year 26 AD, Jesus was Baptized by John in the river Jordan, at that time exactly 483 years had passed, thus concluding the end of the full 69 weeks of the prophecy. The last seven years of the 70 weeks prophecy had just begun in 26 AD. The four Gospels detail the events of the Lord's ministry during the first three and a half years of this final week in the 70 weeks prophecy. At the end of the Lord's three and a half year ministry "in the midst of the week" Christ "caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, by the sacrifice of himself, he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." (see Daniel 9:27, Hebrews 9:26, Heb 10:12, Heb 10:26) It is by no coincidence that the Lord's "three and a half year" earthly ministry precisely coincides with His crucifixion "in the middle of the week". (Daniel 9:27) From that very moment, any continued sacrifical blood-offering for sins in the Jewish Temple would literally be an abomination to God. The scriptures say it like this, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29) The first 5 chapters in the book of Acts, along with Acts chapters 6 & 7 (which are devoted almost entirely to Stephen's testimony and martyrdom) all occurred during the last three and a half years of the 70th week, and ended with the full consummation of the 490 year time-frame in 33 AD. Israel's probationary period was now over, they had rejected their Messiah as a nation and crucified the Lord of glory. During those last seven years the gospel was almost exclusively preached to the Jews. Jesus said to His disciples, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt 10:5-6, Matt 15:24) Even though the Lord after His resurrection told the disciples to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" and not just to the house of Israel the Lord's disciples continued to preach the gospel almost exclusively to the Jews during the last three and a half years of the 70th week, which ended in 33 AD. In Acts chapters 10 & 11 the apostle Peter finally began to realize what was happening and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." (Acts 10:34-35) The Lord began to reveal unto Peter that the gospel was for all men, not just for the Jews, saying, "Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 10:28, 11:18) Shortly thereafter in Acts chapter 13 Paul and Barnabas come along and say, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:46) Paul however addresses the issue with even more clarity saying, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, ... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal 3:28-29) It was necessary for the word of God (the gospel) to have been preached to the Jews first throughout the entire 70th week of Daniel's prophecy (both before and after the crucifixion of our Lord) to fulfill the many Old Testament scriptures that foretold the house of Israel (the Jews) would refuse to accept their Messiah. "All this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." (Matt 26:56) Paul's conversion in 34 AD was after Israel's probationary period had ended and Paul said of himself, "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (1 Cor 15:8) Some say "due time" simply means the proper time or the expected time... To be born out of "due time" would be at a time which was NOT the proper time. Paul said he was brought to Christ, and made an apostle, when the time for such a work was apparently over. Out of date altogether, beyond the period, when it might have been thought that another apostle would, be called of God, there was he found as "one born out of due time." And Paul was called of God to spearhead the gospel to the Gentiles. (Acts 9:15-16) Since there is no specific event mentioned that marks the end of the 70th week in the prophecy, many scholars agree the best guesstimate of when the 70th week of Daniel ends in the Book of Acts is after Stephen's martyrdom and before Paul's conversion. These events place the terminus of the 70th week and the full consummation of the 490 year prophecy in 33 AD between Acts chapter 8 and 9. A brief word about the house of Israel's probationary period. All of the Old Testament prophets spoke of their continued rebellion against God and what would happen to them as a result. Isaiah said it like this, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword:" (Isaiah chapter 1) Having rejected the Messiah history itself bares witness to the validity of the scriptures. In 70 AD an estimated 1,000,000 Jews of Jerusalem were killed by the armies of Titus. Recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus .... Jews were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. Again in 135 AD an estimated 580,000 Jews were killed by the Roman armies under Hadrian after the Bar Kochba rebellion .... the remaining Jews were dispersed. Daniel 9:24 says, "Seventy weeks are determined (decreed) upon thy people and upon thy holy city", i.e. Seventy weeks (490 years) are determined (would conclude, resolve and decide) the fate of the Jewish nation and their holy city. The scripture says the house of Israel, the Jewish nation would be given a predetermined amount of time (i.e. a specific, fixed, stipulated amount of time) to accept their Messiah. The following scriptures in the prophecy (v 26b, v 27b) tell us their city and temple would be destroyed again, with war and desolations to follow. Even as their city was yet being rebuilt. It almost sounds as though the Jews didn't have a choice. But all the prophets and the Lord Jesus himself knew from the beginning the choice they would make.
"We have, in (Daniel) verses 24-27, one of the most remarkable prophecies of Christ, of his coming and his salvation. It shows that the Jews are guilty of most obstinate unbelief, in expecting another Messiah, so long after the time expressly fixed for his coming. The seventy weeks mean a day for a year, or 490 years. About the end of this period (in the middle of the 70th week) a sacrifice would be offered, making full atonement for sin, and bringing in everlasting righteousness for the complete justification of every believer. Then the Jews, in the crucifixion of Jesus, would commit that crime by which the measure of their guilt would be filled up, and troubles would come upon their nation. All blessings bestowed on sinful man come through Christ's atoning sacrifice, who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Here is our way of access to the throne of grace, and of our entrance to heaven. This seals the sum of prophecy, and confirms the covenant with many; and while we rejoice in the blessings of salvation, we should remember what they cost the Redeemer. How can those escape who neglect so great salvation!" (From Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary) Bible Timeline of "the last three and a half years" of the 70th week - and beyond. 30 AD The Ascension Acts 1
30 AD Matthias Chosen by Lot Acts 1:12
30 AD The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost Acts 2
30 AD Peter Heals and Preaches Acts 3
30 AD Peter and John Arrested and Released; Acts 4
30 AD Believers Share All Acts 4:32
30 AD Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5
30 AD Apostles Preach and Heal Acts 5:11
31 AD Stephen's Speech, Stoning and Death Acts 6, 7
31 AD Saul Persecutes the Church Acts 8
31 AD Philip in Samaria Acts 8:3
31 AD Simon the Sorcerer Acts 8:9
31 AD Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8:26
34 AD Saul's Conversion Acts 9
37 AD Peter Preaches to the Gentiles Acts 10, 11
In the Old Testament scriptures there are some eight covenants scholars have labeled between God and man. But the New Testament enumerates on only two of those covenants, which are the two primary covenants, called the Old covenant and the New covenant, the first covenant and the second covenant. The New covenant is the second covenant, and it's a Better covenant, which is an Everlasting covenant, and it replaced the first covenant.
The word covenant is translated from the Greek word diatheke. Jesus spoke of the New Covenant when He instituted His special remembrance supper and said "This cup is the New Testament (the new covenant) in my blood. (Luke 22:20) In Hebrews Paul calls it "the blood of the covenant". (Heb 10:29) The shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross was the sacrifice that sealed the New Covenant. "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." (Heb 9:16-17) With these scriptures we see that the Greek word can refer to a ‘testament’ as well as a ‘covenant’. Hence the two parts of The Bible could equally be called, The Old and New Covenant as well as the Old and New Testament.
Looking back from the days of the Early Church when the New Testament scriptures were first written in the first century AD, we are told in these scriptures that Christ confirmed a covenant. (a few of those New Testament scriptures are: Gal 3:17, Heb 2:3, Rom 15:8, Heb 10:29) It just so happens, and by no means a coincidence, in the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel we are also told of a covenant being confirmed, in the same prophecy that foretold not just the coming of the Messiah but the exact year when the Messiah would begin to reveal himself to Israel. And we have been "conditioned, literally brain-washed" into believing this covenant applies to someone other than Christ? It's scriptural non-sense to pass this on to someone else and say this covenant does not apply to our Savior. Didn't someone say, "if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it?" Over the past 100 years Christians have been deceived into believing the only time-prophecy in the Old Testament scriptures that foretold the exact year when Christ would begin to reveal himself in 26 AD, and confirm the covenant was literally hijacked by the enemy. Simply put using a "sports analogy" it's as though "the quarterback" (in this case the angel Gabriel) had thrown Christ a long "prophetic pass" on a football field from deep in the end-zone at the 457 BC yard-line. In sports jargon this long pass is called "a bomb". This prophetic pass was completed at the 26 AD yardline with Christ running with the ball over the next three and a half years of his ministry, and scoring the winning "touchdown" of the World Series in 30 AD. But what we are told to believe today is that this prophetic pass was somehow intercepted (figuratively speaking) by the Antichrist who is supposedly running with a stolen prophetic pass. And because of this many are expecting a big victory celebration to be had as fans on both sides of the stadium watch this imposter out-maneuver all other players on the field in a stunning performance, when something very spectacular happens at the "7 year" yard line. The victory celebration they say will be held in the city of Jerusalem, with the third Jewish temple built in honor of this new superhero. But think about this for a minute. If Christ has already confirmed the covenant of Daniel 9:27, upon which this doctrine has been built, such a scenario is pure fiction, cooked up in the vain imaginations of Christian/Jewish playwrights, who mind you have much to gain. (Col 2:8, 2 Cor 10:5)
When you realize this, you suddenly come to grips with a carefully crafted deception the enemy has sown into the hearts and minds of believers. A deception that has hijacked the evangelical Christian community of this modern era, in league with their Israelite comrades, both with dreams of building the grandeur of a Third Jewish Temple, so the Jews can once again offer the blood of animals for their sins. That in itself, if it were to resume, would literally summon the wrath of God upon them. Which is exactly what the very last part of Daniel 9:27 says, "and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Jesus told them, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." And Paul had this to say, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb 10:29) The script that's been written to sell this "revised" version of Daniel's 70 weeks to the masses has many contributing authors. A key component of the script was originally built on a "faulty calculation" a little over 100 years ago with "the going forth of the commandment" to rebuild Jerusalem in 444 BC instead of 457 BC. But no matter how you try to manipulate and crunch the numbers to make it work, the 444 BC date just doesn't fit the 490 year time-frame. Even if you were to accept the myth of a "2,000 year gap of time" between the 69th and the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy. So, in a "nut-shell" what one author did was cook up a formula saying the 490 years in the 70 weeks prophecy are all 360 day prophetic years. He then calculates the total number of days between March 14, 444 BC and April 6, 32 AD, (the exact day he claims Christ was crucified) and comes up with 173,880 days. He then divides this total number of days (173,880) by 360 and comes up with the number 483, which he says are the 483 years, that fulfills the 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy to the very day, from 444 BC to 32 AD. (When in actuality is only 476 years.) The 70th week he then catapults 2,000 years into the future like drop-kicking the ball across 20 football fields, truly an amazing feat not many seem to question, as long as it promotes the advancement toward building The Third Jewish Temple. There are quite a number of problems with this whole interpretation. I could go into the many misleading details of this theory if I wanted to but I'll spare the reader and myself the trouble. If you, the reader have found it difficult to believe and accept what I have put forth in the "first two parts" of this series, I want you to know that I am not trying to forcefully convince and/or change your positions on any of this, I'm merely presenting the things I have found to friends as I would in offering to treat them to a delicious meal, a meal I have personally found to be very satisfying. But I would take no offence if anyone, many, or most, just didn't feel it was to their liken, to their taste. A man (or a woman) convinced against their will is of the same opinion still, as the saying goes. You can read the book I'm referring to above for yourself, if you're interested. It's called, "The Coming Prince" by Sir Robert Anderson. Regarding the above theory I'll just briefly say a few things. The author builds his theory on two specific dates, not just the year of these events but the exact days and months of these events beginning with March 14, 444 BC when he says the "going forth of the commandment" started, and April 6, 32 AD when he says Christ was crucified. What is truly amazing about these two very precise dates the author proposed in 1894, today in the year 2015 with all the advancements in technology Biblical scholars and secular historians alike are still not able to "pinpoint" such dates in ancient Biblical times with any such conclusive accuracy. Today scholars still debate the year of Christ' birth and crucifixion. At best they still make guesstimates, although some do strongly propose their dates to be the only viable possibility. But simply put, to place your faith in a historic date to support your interpretation of the scriptures is literally putting "the cart before the horse". The scriptures themselves supply all the evidence necessary to prove which historic dates agree with the scriptures, not the other way around. The "evidence" I have put forth in this series is derived from the scriptures themselves. The primary dates in question as presented in the above authors "theory" are four, 1) the going forth of the commandment, 2) the end of the 69th week, 3) the beginning of the 70th week, and 4) the middle of the 70th week. After you have read both "Part 1" and "Part 2" of this series with an open mind and heart I believe the majority of you will agree that I have put forth enough evidence to prove the 69th week ended and the 70th week began when the Lord was Baptized by John. And after the Lord's "three and a half year" ministry, His crucifixion took place in the middle of the 70th week. Backtracking through the scriptures this places the going forth of the commandment in Ezra 7. Whatever dates you choose to affix to these specific events is secondary and not where we should put our faith. Generally speaking, we do know from the scriptures, "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age" when he was Baptized by John (Luke 3:23) The most common date associated with the birth of Christ is 4 BC which places his Baptism in 26 AD. The most accepted length of the Lord's earthly ministry among scholars is believed to be three and a half years which ended in 30 AD. A majority of scholars believe, for various reasons, that Jesus was crucified in the spring of either 30 AD or 33 AD, with the majority opting for the former, in 30 AD. At the end of the day we can't put our faith in any so-called "proven" historical dates to support our position. It must be in the scriptures themselves. For those of you interested, the following websites delve into and address some of the many complexities with regard to the tracking of a yearly calendar, the seasons, months and days in ancient Biblical times. For the record I do not buy into nor subscribe to the "theology" put forth in either of these websites, these are being presented for information only to the curious reader. Among many other things with regard to the tracking of time, three of the calendars exampled in these writings are The Solar calendar, The Lunar calendar, and what is known as, The Prophetic calendar. There are 365.24 days in a solar year, and 354.37 days in a lunar year, together they average 359.8 days (360) which is said to be the prophetic year. Some Bible scholars believe both the Solar and Lunar year had 360 days each before the Antediluvian flood in Noah's day. "Throughout history, man has sought to make sense of the motions of the sun and the moon in their perceived orbits, (though of course we realize now that the earth rotates around the sun). Man has long sought to create a calendar that would perfectly keep in tune with the sun and/or the moon. Why, for instance, are there 365.2422 days in a solar year (called a mean/average tropical year), and why are there 29.53059 days in a lunar cycle? If God created them both, surely there must be a rhyme and reason for their exact orbits."
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" (Genesis 1:14) "The early Hebrew calendar as given in the Bible was admirably adapted to the needs of an ancient people who had no clocks, no printed calendars, and, as far as we know, no astronomy. It was based on simple principles—the day beginning with sunset, the week counted by sevens continuously, the month beginning with the crescent moon, the year regulated by the harvest season."
"Of course such a calendar must be adjusted to keep the year in step with the seasons, but so also must our solar calendar, used in most of the world today. The difference is that our year is only about a fourth of a day less than the true year of the seasons, determined by the sun, whereas the common lunar year of 12 "moon" months is 10 or 11 days shorter than the true solar year. We adjust our solar-calendar year by letting the error run for 4 years, until a whole day is accumulated, which we add as the 29th of February. In the lunar calendar the larger error of 10 or 11 days is allowed to run until a month is accumulated; by adding a 13th month every 2 or 3 years (7 times in 19 years) this difference is compensated for. The prophetic calendar is likewise said to add a 30-day leap month (a 13th month) every 6th year, with every 7th cycle being adding on the fourth year, thus concluding a 40-year cycle."
The Hebrew Calendar in Old Testament Times http://www.biblechronologytimeline.com/biblechronologytimeline3.html
Bible Prophecy Year of 360 Days http://www.360calendar.com/bible-prophecy-360-days-calendar-not-edited.htm I have read many very persuasive pages written by scholars and other expositors of the scriptures on the subject of the 70 weeks of Daniel, each with their own take and varying personal interpretations and opinions. At the end of the day after hearing so much of what others have had to say about the subject, I was led to search the scriptures themselves, prayerfully and incessantly with an open mind and heart and a desire to only want to know the truth, no longer trying to prove my own theories and personal interpretations, which I have done for almost 40 years. The Lord answers the hungry heart but the full he sends empty away. For me personally I have had to empty myself of all my preconceived views about this whole subject, if I wanted to be able to receive anything new the Lord wanted to show me. Not new as in a new revelation or personal interpretation. I simply wanted to know what the Lord taught His disciples and what His disciples taught others and what was passed down through history by the Early Church over the century's, to the various church fathers and the patriarchs of the faith. This I believe we are able to ascertain and garner from the scriptures themselves when we approach the subject empty of ourselves with a hungry heart and without bias. If our search for the truth required more the Lord would not have used the example of a childlike faith to follow. The following is the summation of my research, specifically addressing the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. In a simple point by point fashion I'll go over each of these four scriptures, what it says and what it means, to me. My explanations will be concise and to the point, in few words. For those who need a longer explanation on each point, more details will follow, keep reading. (For those of you who are new to this series and missed "Part 1" I have attached it for you at the end of this file) For easy reference, these four verses of scripture, from the KJV, are as follows: (For the portions of these scriptures highlighted in red see the explanation below)
DAN.9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
DAN.9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
DAN.9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
DAN.9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
In verse 24 the prophecy outlines a seventy weeks "time-frame" concerning Daniel's people and the city of Jerusalem. The entire time-frame is a period of 490 years from beginning to end. The time-frame is continuous, there is no gap of time between the 69th and the 70th week. One week is equal to seven years. Seventy weeks are equal to 490 years. (For one example that a week refers to a seven year period, see Genesis 29:20-28)
Then in verse 24 the prophecy says these six things would happen before the end of this 490 year time-frame. All were fulfilled during Christ' earthly ministry. His last words on the cross were, "It is finished".
The translation of the Septuagint reads: "and to conclude the vision". As the rest of the verse shows, the purpose of the seventy weeks prophecy is to determine the time of Christ's arrival. Thus, 'to imprint a seal upon' means to make those visions/prophecies come to their fulfillment. 'To conclude' them, similarly shows that they are to be fulfilled in the Messiah's arrival.
"After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:28-30)
1) to finish the transgression: --- "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression." (Romans 4:15) "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" (Col 2:14) "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." (Isaiah 53:8)
2) to make an end of sins: --- "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" (Hebrews 1:3) "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Tim 2:5-6)
3) to make reconciliation for iniquity: --- "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:18-19) "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Col 1:20)
4) to bring in everlasting righteousness: --- "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matt 3:15) "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant," (Hebrews 13:20) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" (Romans 3:20-22)
5) to seal up the vision and prophecy: --- "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." (John 17:4) "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30)
The translation of the Septuagint reads: "and to conclude the vision". As the rest of the verse shows, the purpose of the seventy weeks prophecy is to determine the time of Christ's arrival. Thus, 'to imprint a seal upon' means to make those visions/prophecies come to their fulfillment. 'To conclude' them, similarly shows that they are to be fulfilled in the Messiah's arrival.
6) to anoint the most Holy: --- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:18-21) "That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10:37-38) "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Hebrews 1:9)
In verse 25 it says this 490 year time-frame would begin from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince. (Jesus) This commandment was given in 457 BC. (see Ezra 7:11-23) The first seven weeks (49 years) is the time-span it took Daniel's people to restore and to build the city of Jerusalem which ended in 408 BC. The next "threescore and two weeks" (62 weeks x 7 = 434 years) foretold the time-span of when the Messiah would be begin to reveal himself to Daniel's people. This was in 26 AD when our Lord was Baptized by John in the river Jordan. This was exactly 483 years after the going forth of the commandment in 457 BC, and the beginning of the last-seven-years of the 70 weeks prophecy.
In verse 26 it tells of a series of events that would all happen "after threescore and two weeks" not at threescore and two weeks but after. Our Lord was crucified in 30 AD, which was three and a half years after threescore and two weeks. The people of the prince were the Roman legions under the command of general Titus who destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD which also was forty years after the crucifixion of Messiah. Then it says the end thereof shall be with a flood and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. This refers to the Jewish revolts against Roman occupation. After the siege of Jerusalem under general Titus in 70 AD the Jews mounted another insurrection against the Romans in 135 AD, which was sixty five years after the 70 AD. These events all happened after threescore and two weeks. many years after. The last siege of Jerusalem in 135 AD is known as the Diaspora of the Jews until the 20th century.
In verse 27 the scripture reverts back to the Messiah who is focal point of the entire 70 weeks prophecy. In 26 AD after Jesus was Baptized by John he began to reveal himself to his disciples (the many) that He was the Messiah, the promised seed foretold to come, confirming the covenant God sware to our father Abraham, and to thy seed, which is Christ. Thus the 70th week had just begun in 26 AD. And in the midst of the week, "three and a half years" after our Lord's ministry began, he offered himself a sacrifice on the cross, ending forever the sacrificial blood offering for sins. >From that very moment the scriptures declare it was an abomination to continue offering the blood of animals for the sins of the Jewish nation which ultimately brought God's wrath down upon them. The ultimate sacrifice for sins was made, the veil of the temple was rent in twain "in the middle of the 70th week, Christ caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease.
DAN.9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
DAN.9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The above portions of (v. 26 and v. 27) in red are an addendum to the fulfillment of the focus of the prophecy, which is stated in verse 24. The destructive acts are anticipated, however, in the divine act of sealing up or reserving the sin of Israel for punishment. Israel’s climactic sin — her completing of her transgression (v. 24) with the cutting off of Messiah (v. 26a) — results in God’s act of reserving Israel’s sin until later. Israel’s judgment will not be postponed forever; it will come after the expiration of the Seventy Weeks. This explains the “very indefinite” phrase “till the end of the war”: the “end” will not occur during the Seventy Weeks. That prophesied end occurred in AD 70, exactly as Christ had made abundantly clear in Luke 19:43-44. (Kenneth L. Gentry, Chancellor of Christ College)
In the year 26 AD when John began to Baptize in the river Jordan there was great expectation throughout all the land. "Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon; and eager to know whether or not John was he." (Luke 3:15 TLB) "And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;" (Luke 3:15 KJV) this was the question of the hour and it was being discussed everywhere. Before the Lord's baptism John wasn't the only one expecting the arrival of the Messiah, the Pharisees also knew the scriptures foretold the time in which the Messiah would make His appearance, and they sent Jews out to ask John if he was the Messiah. There was great expectation in the land. Even the disciples of our Lord whom the scriptures proclaimed to be "unlearned and ignorant men" were also expecting the Messiah. Two of them returned and said, "we have found the Messiah", they were clearly looking for Him.
But what exactly was so exceptional about this particular time in history, and why was it so different from preceding generations? To help set the stage the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel had been noised abroad for generations to "restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince", the common people everywhere knew the time had come for the Messiah to be revealed. The scribes and the Pharisees sent messengers out to question John asking if he were the Messiah. A lone Samaritan woman at a chance encounter with Christ says that her people were expecting the Messiah. The Lord's disciples were actively searching for the Messiah. (John 1:41, 45) John the Baptist knew the Messiah would soon reveal himself, for the word of God came unto John in the wilderness. (Luke3:2)
Malachi in the year 430 BC foretold that a messenger would come to prepare the way of the Lord, even the messenger of the covenant. This was the question of the hour, was John that messenger? "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." (Mal 3:1) There went out to John Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan.
The Lord himself knew the time was fulfilled when John appeared on the scene. Jesus knew the scriptures, quoted from them often, and well versed in the prophecies of Daniel. After all, He was the word become flesh, the Lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world. Shortly after being Baptized by John, the Lord Jesus proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled", (Mark 1:15) You might ask, what time was the Lord referring to? There's only one time-prophecy in the scriptures that foretold the exact year the Messiah would begin to reveal himself to Israel and that's the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel. This was 26 AD, the end of the first 69 weeks of Daniel, 483 years after the going forth of the commandment, the last seven year, the 70th week of Daniel, had just begun. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son," (Galatians 4:2-4) Even the Devil knew the time was fulfilled and immediately after making his appearance to John tried to thwart the Lord's mission in the wilderness. (Matt 4:1-11) "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee:" (Luke 4:13-14)
Some have said Daniel 9:27 is like the linchpin, the "Rosetta Stone" of prophecy, fitting together the many different pieces of the endtime picture and the future to come. But if we are to change our interpretation of Daniel 9:27 we must also re-examine other scriptures we've collectively pieced together in their interpretation with this one verse. By far Daniel 9:27 has become the "chief-corner-stone" among prophecy students today in these modern times. Without it the endtime picture that's been painted just over the past century, (if you'll pardon the expression) doesn't have a leg to stand on, or at the very least, is without a firm foundation. And this is not an easy pill for some to swallow. A dear missionary friend I know once wrote me saying, he would probably be more willing to accept major changes to his theology if he hadn't spent so much of his time over the years writing and publishing his many prophecy classes and endtime web site. I believe I am able to sympathsize with him in this, I too have had to start all over again in this respect. And that took some doing on my part.
My name is James Arendt. I was raised in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, served in the USAF from 1970 to 1974, and became a full-time missionary for Christ living 40 years in Japan, 3.5 years in Russia, and a few months in other countries such as Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China where I also served the King of Kings, Jesus, as an Ambassador for His Kingdom. My full bio.
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