Bob's Lesson Notes: The Seventy Weeks of Daniel – Part one (Daniel 9:24-27)

Post date: Jun 24, 2019 12:30:26 PM

1. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel – Part one (Daniel 9:24-27)

Introduction

What we call the Seventy Weeks of Daniel plays a significant role in the existence of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Also, the last part of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel plays a significant role in end time prophecies. It gives the big picture. I have a chart on the 70 Weeks of Daniel to give you. The 70 weeks of Daniel is found in Daniel 9.

In chapter 9 we find Daniel to be and old man in his middle eighties. He had been in Babylonia about 67 years. He had been under the authority of three kings – Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the Mead whose name was also Cyrus. Daniel had learned that Jeremiah had prophesied that Judah was to be captive in Babylonia for 70 years. Only three years remained. After learning this, Daniel was convicted that a time of prayer was needed. Verses 4-19 contain this profound prayer where he confessed his’s sins and the sins of Judah. It is a prayer every believer should read and ruminate upon.

During the prayer, the angel Gabriel appeared to him to tell him that a decree had been issued from God and that he had come to give wisdom, understanding, and insight concerning this decree. In verse 24 Gabriel begins to explain the decree to Daniel and this is where will begin our study today.

Daniel receives the decree about the 70 weeks

9:24 – Gabriel first informed Daniel that God's program would be consummated in 70 "sevens." The word weeks is not found in the Text and literally it says 70 sevens.

Seventy "sevens," then, would be 490 years. Also, the New Testament confirms that it’s years when it talks about the seven years of tribulation which is last part of the 70 Years of Daniel.

Thus 490 years would be required to complete 70 sabbatical years with one occurring every seventh year. Just as there are 7 days in one week of days there are 7 years in one week of years. This is the reason most translations place the word week or weeks in the Text. Also keep in mind that these years were lunar years not solar years because Israel’s calendar is based on the moon not the sun. A lunar year is 360 days not 365 days. Some have used the solar year as their bases of dealing with eschatology. When they did that, their calculations became inaccurate. Much was caused by them not knowing the traditions and customs of Israel.

In any case, please notice carefully that the 490 years was a time that was decreed or ordained for Daniel’s people Jews and the Holy City is Jerusalem. This prophecy, then, only concerns the history of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, not church history or world history. This decree has absolutely nothing to do with the church during the 490 prophesied years. The church and Israel are two distinct entities in God’s plan for the ages along with a third distinct entity which is the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 10:32). But as we have talked about before, many spiritualize end time prophecies. Steven R. Miller wrote this in his commentary on Daniel, p. 155. “The seventy 7’s are a prophecy of church history (both the Old Testament and the New Testament church) from Cyrus’ decree in 538 BC until the return of Christ at the end of the age. This is interesting because Paul in his epistles said at least five times that the church was a mystery. He defined a mystery as something that was not revealed in the Old Testament.

Ok, let’s get back to the decree that would be given to Daniel. The Lord’s decree had six purposes that would be given to Daniel concerning the Jewish people and Jerusalem. At the end of the 490 years the six purposes will have been completed or accomplished. As we shall see, the first three have to do with sin, and the second three with the Messianic Kingdom.

1. to finish the transgression - At the end of the 490 years God will finish the

transgression of Israel. The verb "to finish" means "to bring something to an end." Israel's sin of disobedience will be brought to an end at the Messiahs (second) coming when those who make it through the Tribulation will trust Him as her Messiah and Savior (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:26-27). In any case rebellion against the Lord will end. Then Israel will be restored and blessed.

In Old Testament days the highpoint in Israel's High Holy Days was the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (Lev. 16). On that day the nation congregated the Lord, admitted her sin, and the High Priest of Israel offered blood sacrifices to cover that sin. The blood applied to the mercy seat ("the atonement cover," (Lev. 16:14) over the ark of the covenant enabled the Lord to dwell among His sinful people. Though that sacrifice covered Israel's sin for 12 months, it did not permanently remove that sin. It was necessary that a sacrifice be offered by God that would permanently remove all the accumulated sins. This sacrifice was offered by Jesus the Messiah who by His death made full payment for all sin. (Heb. 10:1-4); Hebrews 9:15; Romans 3:24-25) The word forbearance means “abstaining from the enforcement of a right.” So, the Messiahs cleansing work on the cross has made possible His future "finishing" of Israel's transgression.

2. to make an end of sin - The verb translated “to make an end” has the

idea of sealing up. Here the thought is sealing up sin with a view that it will no longer be active or increase. It will end Israel’s failure to obey God.

3. to make atonement for iniquity - The verb "to atone"either means

"to cover or wipe clean i.e. to remove." The meaning depends on the context. On the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and many other places the meaning is to cover.” However, in other contexts the word translated atonement means wipe clean i.e. to remove” In this context it relates to God's final removal of Israel’s iniquity because of the Messiah’s sacrificial death on the cross and the word atone should be defined as “to wipe clean or remove.” This is confirmed by the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX) where the word is translated “to wipe out.” Israel’s iniquity will be removed when she trusts in Jesus the Messiah at second coming as we read in Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:25-26. Israel's final Day of Atonement will not be one of covering of sin as in the past but the final removal of sin.

4. to bring in everlasting righteousness - The second three accomplishments for the 490 years deal with of the Messianic Kingdom. Being satisfied by the death of the Messiah, God will bring in everlasting righteousness. The form of the verb "bring in" here means "to cause to come in." This is a prophecy that God will establish an age characterized by righteousness. There will be a new age in which righteousness will prevail under the rulership of the Messiah.

5. to seal up vision and prophecy – Here we find the same word that was translated above “to make an end.” All that God promised through the prophets concerning Israel and her covenants will be fully realized in the Messianic Kingdom. Until they are fulfilled, prophecies are "unsealed. Now they will be sealed and fulfilled. Again, the basis of the convents being fully realized is the sacrificial death of the Messiah.

6. to anoint the most holy - Please notice that the word “place” is in italics. This means that this word is not in the Text. The translators interpreted the anointing or dedication of most holy to refer to a place i.e. the millennial Temple in Jerusalem found in Ezekiel 41-46. This may very well be the case. However, it could refer to

the anointing at the enthronement of the Most Holy Messiah, Jesus, as He takes His rightful place on the Davidic throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

These six purposes, then, anticipate the establishment of Israel's Messianic Kingdom under the authority of her promised King. The six summarize God's whole program to bring the nation Israel the blessings He promised through His covenants - The Abrahamic Covenant which promised Israel land forever, descendants forever, and spiritual blessing forever (Genesis 15:18-21). God expanded the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant in three covenants. The Land Covenant expanded the land aspect of the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28), the Davidic Covenant expanded the descendants aspect of the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:16) and the New Covenant expanded the spiritual aspects of the of the Abrahamic Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

When we get to the portion of our study of eschatology that deals with the Messianic Kingdom, we will discuss how the Church of Jessi the Messiah is related to the covenants.