Previous
postings
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2006/ear515.htm
PART I
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2006/ear516.htm
PART II
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2006/ear517.htm
PART III
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2006/ear518.htm
PART IV
TIMING
OF THE FULFILMENT
Figuring
out the timing for the fulfilment of this prophecy has been an issue, and
a “thorny” one at that, for many Bible Scholars down through the years.
People have looked at the various letters and written decrees, signed
by the Persian Kings Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, etc. as recorded in
Ezra, and Nehemiah, and other references in Isaiah, Daniel, Haggai and Zechariah
etc. The two most popular versions of the chronology of this prophecy
have been presented by Martin Anstey and Sir Robert Anderson. However,
no two people seem to agree on the timetable or the particular date on which
it commenced.
I
have already stated that I believe the 70 weeks prophecy is a very “general”
period of time, and the smallest period of time within it, is the last so
called – “missing week*” of 7 years.
This is not a very specific period of time if you are trying to calculate
days. Do you use the prophetic year of 360 days or do you use the oscillating
Hebrew year, or the Solar year of 364.25 days which accounts for leap years?
*Note: Some prophetic commentators believe
that Jesus’ death occurred at the end of the 69th Week of Daniel’s
Prophecy, and therefore the 70th week is missing and yet to
be fulfilled in a 7 year tribulation.
Since
I believe that Jesus completely fulfilled this prophecy at his 1st
Coming, and within “the generation” of those that witnessed it, I would
like to take a “different tack” and look at the various phrases which indicate
“events” – not dates - within the prophecy. We will look at three important
questions…
1.
When did Messiah appear?
Dan.
9:25 “…unto the Messiah the Prince…”
This
phrase seems to me, to be as good a starting place as any other. There
have been opinions expressed that the phrase “unto the Messiah
the Prince” in Daniel 9:25 might have meant his birth, his
Baptism, or his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday of his final
year when the Jews briefly proclaimed him as the King of the Jews, the Son
of David.
I
don’t believe it was any of those occasions!
I
would like to suggest that scripture tells us plainly where and when “the
Messiah the Prince” appeared on the scene.
I
believe Jesus fulfilled this part of the prophecy at the very beginning
of his Ministry by proclaiming himself to be the anointed
one, the Messiah. He did this in the Synagogue
at Nazareth when he stood up to read from the Messianic Servant passage
as it is found in Isaiah 61:1-2a.
“The
Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the
LORD….”
In
Luke 4:18 it is recorded that He read these words - “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…”
Jesus
ended this reading by saying in LUKE 4:21-
“THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.”
This
is the day that the prophetic phrase “…unto the Messiah the Prince”
in Daniel 9:25 was fulfilled.
- Jesus had experienced his Baptism at the hand of John The Baptist
who called him The Lamb of God.
- He had been empowered by the Holy Spirit, seen in the form of
a dove.
- He had the commendation of his Father’s voice from heaven.
- He had been tempted by the Devil for 40 days and overcome him
at all points through the Word.
- He came at the beginning of his “visitation” to the synagogue
at Nazareth to commence his ministry.
Note:
I think I have read somewhere that Jesus probably read this passage from
Isaiah 61 on the Day of Pentecost, but I have not been able to find my source,
nor can I confirm it is true. I also understand that the Jews have “set
passages” of scripture to read on each Sabbath – perhaps someone knows where
Isaiah 61 fits into that pattern. Since he announced the Acceptable
Year of the Lord, it is generally believed this announcement was made
during a Sabbatical Year. No doubt Miriam Howard could comment on this.
This
was the day of his inauguration, not at his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. If we
choose the Palm Sunday date, we are implying that his messianic ministry
was only vindicated by the Jews. He WAS/IS the MESSIAH, the “anointed
one of Israel” whether they accepted him or not!
This
is a pronouncement of enormous significance. “THIS DAY” indicates
a starting point for the Ministry of Messiah. However, Jesus did not
complete the Isaiah “messianic” scriptural passage on that day, which continues
–
“… and the day of vengeance of our God;
(1)
to comfort all that mourn in Zion,
(2)
to give unto them beauty for ashes,
(3)
the oil of joy for mourning,
(4)
the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness;
(5)
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD,
(6)
that he might be glorified.”
This
piece of Isaiah 61: 2b-3 outlines the “Days of Vengeance” which Jesus later
announced during his Passion week, as recorded in Luke 21:22-24. In effect,
he cut this Messianic scripture passage in half, presupposing the fact
that HE would himself be “CUT OFF” in his ministry.
I
believe this severing of the Messianic passage foresaw the dividing of Messiah’s
final week into two parts of roughly 3 ½ years. The first part was fulfilled
in the tasks he undertook and experienced during His 1st Advent,
and the second part had its first fulfilment “as a type” 40 years (i.e.,
a generation) after his death with the siege of Jerusalem and the events
at Masada, i.e. the end of the war. (Dan. 9:26) It is my belief that
this second part will have a similar end-times fulfilment during the 3 ½
year tribulation.
Jesus
proclaimed HIMSELF to be the Messiah, and the WORD he read from confirmed
it.
His
inauguration of course, followed his Baptism, and endorsement
by the HOLY SPIRIT in the form of a dove, and this was supported
by the VOICE OF THE FATHER from heaven. Luke 3:21b-22
“…it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven
was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, THOU ART MY BELOVED
SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”
This
was followed by 40 days of testing when he was led by the Spirit into the
Wilderness, presenting himself as the “scapegoat” (as some commentators
believe), fulfilling one of the requirements for the Day of Atonement.
(See Leviticus 16:7-10 and 20-21) The second “sacrificial lamb” fulfilment
occurred at his crucifixion, as did the Paschal Lamb requirement.
We
are told in Luke 4:14 that after his wilderness temptation - “… Jesus
returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee
and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”
It was after this, that he was “ordained
by the WORD” from Isaiah 61:1-2.
What
else do we need, to convince us that Jesus the Christ, the Annointed One
of Israel, presented himself on “THIS DAY” in the synagogue in Nazareth.
The full trinity of the Godhead and the Eternal Word of God confirmed
within this period of time (from his Baptism to the synagogue at Nazareth)
that HE WAS THE MESSIAH. The announcement certainly “stunned” the crowd which was present
because before the synagogue service was concluded, they tried to kill him.
Luke 4:28-30.
All
of this happened at the beginning of his Ministry which lasted approx. 3
½ years after which he was CUT OFF. i.e. sometime AFTER (7+)
62 weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself….”
For
those who believe that the date of Artaxerxes commandment to restore Jerusalem
(445 BC) was the commencement of the 69 weeks, and that the Triumphal entry
into Jerusalem was the end point, and therefore a FULL WEEK “missing week”
is yet to be experienced by Israel, I would point out that there is no certainty
as to the year of Jesus crucifixion, in spite of the fact that many people
have spent untold hours trying to sort it out, and some are positive they
have the right date. In the end, there is 2 – 3 years leeway (and for
some scholars 6 – 8) between the BEST time-tables that have been presented.
Some
would also argue that there was a great expectation in Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth, that the time of the Messiah had come.
This is true, but it was only the Magi from the East, who seemed to really
understand the “season” and even then they were too late for the birth!
If the people, living in the time of the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy
didn’t have their dates exactly worked out, can we hope to do it 2000 years
later?
As
far as the day that Messiah presented himself is concerned, I’ll take Jesus’
word for it – HE SAID
“THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.”
2.
When was the Commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem issued?
Dan.
9:25 “…from the GOING FORTH OF THE COMMANDMENT to restore and to build
Jerusalem…”
I
would like to make a suggestion that it wasn’t any “earthly” commandment
that precipitated the 70 Week period in which the Messiah’s Salvation would
be accomplished. Rather, it was a commandment made in the heavens with
subsequent “man-made” decrees on earth.
Several
interesting statements are recorded in scripture regarding the commandments
coming from the Throne of God. The one that is most appropriate is the
one in the verse preceding the 70 Weeks prophecy. Dan 9:23 Gabriel
is speaking “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment
came forth, and I am come to shew thee…”
Another is found in Ezra 6:14 regarding the rebuilding of the Temple
“And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment
of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of…. Cyrus, and Darius, and
Artaxerxes king of Persia.”
In
Nehemiah 1:4 there was a “train of events” prior to the King’s permission
for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem which is mentioned in Chapter 2.
Nehemiah received visitors from Judah who brought news about the state of the walls of Jerusalem, and the
gates which had been burned with fire. On receipt of this news Nehemiah
sat down and wept and mourned, fasted and prayed for days. It was his
sad face that initiated the response from King Artaxerxes, which eventually
took Nehemiah to Jerusalem on the Kings instruction. It is not hard to
believe that the Sovereign God set this train of events in motion, with
a commandment from the Throne Room. . It would therefore have
taken some time for the men from Judah to come, and then for Nehemiah (Artaxerxes cup-bearer) to present
his case to the King, and for the King to issue his edict.
I
guess what I am trying to present to you, is the fact that God is Sovereign,
and the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem must have first emanated
from the Throne Room of God. Whose “commandment” therefore is Gabriel
referring to? Did it come from God or the King?
The
question I ask is this - If the dating of the “decrees” was so obvious from
the scriptures, why is it that the Jewish Rabbis didn’t understand the prophecy
from the book of Daniel in the time of Christ, and missed the time of their
visitation? (Luke 19:44)
We
do know from history the general time frame in which the streets and walls
of Jerusalem were rebuilt, and the first 7 weeks of years (49) seems to
more or less fit the time frame. No one to my knowledge has worked out
the very day in which this was fulfilled!
There
is another reason for believing that these “weeks of years” are very general
terms, and not to be understood within a frame work of “earthly” calendars…..
3.
What does the word “Commandment” mean?
This
word is listed in Strong’s Concordance as No. 1697 “dabar” - it
literally means – “what is said, word, (or any unit of speech such as a
clause, or the whole of communication)…” This gives a definite emphasis
on “speech” rather than anything written down on paper, such as a letter,
or document.
I
guess a better translation of Dan 9:25 would be “…from the going forth
of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince…”.
I
don’t believe it is within our power to know when “the word” was
uttered from the Throne of God, but since it was Gabriel that gave this
prophecy to Daniel, I would be inclined to believe that the REAL date of
this commandment is only known in heaven. That there were earthly ramifications
from this “going forth of the word” from the Throne of God is proved by
God’s sovereign work in the hearts and minds of the Kings of Persia who
showed grace and generosity towards the return of the Exiles to Jerusalem,
first to rebuild the Temple, in the time of Ezra, and then to repair the
walls and gates, in the troubled times of Nehemiah.
This
could be the reason why the valiant chronological attempts by Martin Anstey
and Sir Robert Anderson to resolve the date issues in this prophecy, do
not agree!
SUMMARY
- The Purpose of the Prophecy.
This
prophecy was given to Daniel to resolve his prayers about the sins of
the Jewish people, and the problem of the Holy City’s desolation following “the captivity” by Nebuchadnezzar. The solution to both
of these problems revolved around the ministry of Messiah, and the need
for a Temple to be in existence when he came. Gabriel gave him those answers
in the 70 Weeks prophecy i.e. the temple would be in existence, Messiah
would come, He would be “cut off” and then the city and the sanctuary would
be destroyed.
I
have attempted to show that the prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus by means
other than “dates” which may or may not be correct.
As
far as my purposes are concerned, I am more interested in seeing what was
fulfilled, and what, if anything is yet to be fulfilled, because it has
a great bearing on what we can expect to see happen in the near future.
The
final PART VI of this series will deal with THE COVENANT in Dan. 9:27