SO YOU ARE TO KNOW AND DISCERN
(Da 9:23; Matthew 13:23; 24:15; Mark 13:14; Acts 8:30)
Know and discern - Gabriel begins with an exhortation to Daniel
("you") and is an extension of the earlier exhortation to "give
heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision." (Da 9:23, cf Da
9:22)
Ice asks...
Why Gabriel’s exhortation to Daniel? (Ed:
That is why use two words that are similar both alluding to intelligent
thought) "The history of the interpretation of these verses is
confirmation of the fact that this prophecy is difficult and requires
spiritual discernment." (Ref)
Comment: Compare John's
declaration "Here is the mind which has wisdom" in the difficult to
understand prophetic description in Rev 17:9ff-note.
Know (03045) (perceive, understand,
ponder, be prudent) (yada') by
observing, reflecting upon and becoming "intimately" acquainted with the
important truth and timing of events to follow. Yada was the Hebrew
word used to express the experiencing of intimate relations between a man
and woman and thus speaks of an intimate, even experiential knowledge. The Greek
Septuagint (LXX)
translates know with
ginosko meaning to "know by
experience" which also refers to an intimate knowledge that goes beyond the
accumulation of facts.
Discern (07919) (have insight or comprehension, be prudent or
circumspect, give attention to or ponder) (sakal) is somewhat
synonymous with "know" but expresses the idea of knowing the reason for
something by looking at it or giving attention to it.
Daniel and his friends had been endowed
by God with sakal in Da 1:4 ("showing intelligence") and Da 1:17
("intelligence").
Sakal
implies the process of thinking through a complex arrangement of thoughts
(for which Daniel 9:24-27 certainly qualifies!)
resulting in a wise dealing and use of good practical common sense with the
end result that one is successful.
In English the to understand
describes the capacity to apprehend general relations of particulars.
Webster's 1828 dictionary says that understanding is "The faculty of the
human mind by which it apprehends the real state of things presented to
it, or by which it receives or comprehends the ideas which others express
and intend to communicate. The understanding is called also the
intellectual faculty. It is the faculty by means of which we obtain a
great part of our knowledge."
The TWOT says that sakal...
also involves one in what he
considers, or pays attention to.
Discern is translated with the Greek verb
suniemi
which entails the assembling of individual facts into an organized whole, as
collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. The mind grasps
concepts and sees the proper relationship between them.
Commenting on Daniel 9:24-27 Matthew
Henry writes that
We have here the answer that was
immediately sent to Daniel's prayer, and it is a very memorable one, as it
contains the most illustrious prediction of Christ and gospel-grace that is
extant in all the Old Testament. If John Baptist was the morning-star, this
was the day-break to the Sun of righteousness, the Day-spring from on high.
Reginald Showers of the Friends of
Israel Gospel Ministry writes that Daniel 9:24-27 is
"one of the most significant prophecies in
all the Old Testament Scriptures" and is also "one of the strongest biblical
evidences to the effect that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah." (The
Most High God: Commentary on the book of Daniel)
As Walvoord says...
The history of the interpretation of
these verses (Da 9:24-27) is confirmation of the fact that this prophecy is
difficult and requires spiritual discernment.
One needs to be aware that there are
several approaches to the interpretation of Daniel's prophecy,
especially the three "stage" that are outlined beginning in Daniel 9:25 -
(1) literal interpretation with a gap between the 69th and 70th seven year
period (the approach taken by this website), (2) symbolic interpretation
(which several variations) and (3) literal interpretation of the seventy
weeks as 490 consecutive years (see
discussion of this interpretation).
For a comparison of the approaches to
interpretation of Daniel 9:24-27 see Dr Randall Price's discussion
Interpretation of the Seventy Weeks
(including the Jewish or
rabbinical interpretation).
THAT FROM THE ISSUING OF A DECREE TO
RESTORE AND REBUILD JERUSALEM: (Click
additional notes)
(Ezra 4:24; 6:1-15; 7:1,8,11-26;
Nehemiah 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8; 3:1) (2Samuel 15:25; Psalms 71:10)
Jerusalem will be rebuilt with
streets and strong defenses (CSB)
Streets will be built in
Jerusalem, and a trench will be dug around the city for protection
(CEV)
the street shall be built, and the wall (Brenton's English of
Greek Septuagint)
from the going forth of the word
From the issuing of a decree to
restore and rebuild Jerusalem - This is the key to the interpretation of
this entire passage and obviously the critical determinant is when does the
"countdown" begin in history (the so-called "terminus a quo")
The decree (dabar = literally "word",
cf use in 2Chr 30:5 = "decree", Est 1:19 = "edict")
although made in heaven, would be made manifest on earth which would have
been wonderful news to Daniel. The important question is which "decree" marks the commencement of the 490 years? There are 4
possible "candidate" decrees (listed below):
WHICH
DECREE
MARKS BEGINNING
OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS?
Below are the 4 most frequently
mentioned possible candidates for the inception of the Seventy Sevens
or 490 years.
As an aside, the prophecy of Jeremiah
concerning the seventy weeks (Da 9:2) although not considered by most
commentators as a candidate for the terminus a quo is held by a few
Gentile writers (eg, Edward Young) and also by Jewish apologists, this
latter group clearly seeking to remove the possibility of any
Christological interpretation in Da 9:24-27. John Walvoord
writes that "Young himself admits, however, that this explanation simply
does not satisfy the passage as the word of the Lord did not go forth in
586BC when Jerusalem was destroyed. As Young states, “However, it
is perfectly clear that in 586BC, no word went forth to restore and to
build Jerusalem.” (nor was there any "word" or decree in 605BC the
beginning of the times of the Gentiles - Lk 21:24).
(1) 538BC -
Decree of Cyrus
Now
in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of
the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus
king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation (a decree) throughout all his kingdom,
and also [put it] in writing, saying, 2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia,
'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth,
and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem,
which is in Judah. 3 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his
God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and
rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem."
(Ezra 1:1, 2, 3, cf 2Chr 36:22, 23, Ezra 5:13, 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Comment: Cyrus' decree was for rebuilding of the
house of the Lord, not the city, Jerusalem, so the date of this decree is not
the
beginning of the countdown of the 490 years.
John MacArthur adds this
comment:
Some scholars think that (Ezra 1:1,2,
3) must be the decree mentioned in Daniel's prophecy because God said of
Cyrus through Isaiah, "He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my
pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, Thou
shalt be built; and to the temple,
Thy foundation shall be laid" (Isa 44:28). But 483 years subtracted from
536 BC (Ed: or 538BC listed by other scholars) takes us to 53 BC,
many years before the birth of Christ and still more from the inception of
His ministry--a discrepancy of over eighty years.
Over the span of hundreds of years eighty years or so may seem close, but
our God isn't close--He's exact! Some have proposed a revision of the
Ptolemaic calendar (commonly used before the time of Copernicus) to
account for the discrepancy, but that seems an inadequate solution because
we can't prove a discrepancy. Also, the actual decree of Cyrus provided
only for building the Temple in Jerusalem--not for rebuilding
Jerusalem's walls (a necessary part of restoring the city). Thus
Cyrus's decree is an unlikely candidate for the command of Daniel 9:25. (Israel's
Future-Part 2)
Walvoord adds that...
beginning it with the decree of Cyrus
in 538BC does not permit any reasonably literal interpretation of this
prophecy. The 483 years which would then begin in 538BC, anticipated in
the sixty-nine times seven years, would end in the middle of the first
century BC when there was no significant event whatever to mark its close.
(2) 519/520BC - Decree of Darius I (Darius Hystaspes)
Darius "issued a decree: ‘Concerning the
house of God at Jerusalem" (Ezra 6:3 cf Ezra 6:6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12). This decree was a
confirmation of decree #1 and again does not refer specifically
to the city of Jerusalem.
(3) 457/458BC - Decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus
Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to
Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of
the Lord and His statutes to Israel: "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra
the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect
peace. And now I have issued a decree that any of the people
of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing
to go to Jerusalem, may go with you." (Ezra 7:11, 12, 13)
Ezra's response to the decree of
Artaxerxes was...
Blessed be the Lord, the God of our
fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart,
to
adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem (Ezra 7:27)
Comment: This decree says nothing of
the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem.
John MacArthur adds...
The first decree of Artaxerxes in 458
BC (Ezra 7:11-26) is considered a possibility. However, 483 years from
458BC takes us to AD 26. But the only event of significance in the life of
Christ remotely close to AD 26 is His baptism. However that wasn't His
presentation to the nation as the Messiah (nor as "Prince" or "King"), but
to the Father for approval. It was a transaction between the Son and the
Father, and there's no indication that the people understood what happened
at Jesus' baptism (Mt 3:13,
14, 15, 16, 17). Also, the first decree of Artaxerxes did not provide for
the rebuilding of Jerusalem. (Israel's
Future-Part 2)
(4) 444BC - Artaxerxes
Artaxerxes (some sources such as Sir
Robert Anderson list 445BC
because of differences in the way the beginning of the king's reign is dated)
issued a decree to rebuild the city (not the house or temple
as in the other decrees), with plaza and moat (see below for discussion of
Nehemiah 2).
In conclusion, of the four
"candidate" decrees, the one which most closely fulfills the specific
requirements of Daniel 9:25 is that found in Nehemiah chapter 2 which records that
it came about
in the
month Nisan (March-April), in the 20th year of King
Artaxerxes. (444/445BC). 3 (Nehemiah) said to the king, "Let
the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the
city, the place of my fathers' tombs,
lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire (which
would make the city defenseless)?" 4 Then the king said to me, "What would
you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king,
"If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you,
send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that
I may rebuild it." ... 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the
king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates
of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city,
and for the house to which I will go." And the king granted them to me
because the good hand of my God was on me (Nehemiah, cf "good hand of
Jehovah" on Ezra = Ezra 7:9,10-note). (Neh 2:1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Then I (Nehemiah) said to them ("the
Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the
work" Neh 2:16), "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is
desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall
(Hebrew
= chomah,
Lxx =
teichos) of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach
(Neh 1:3). And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to
me, and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they
said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work.
(Neh 2:17, 18).
Dr Harold Hoehner explains
that...
The date of this decree (#4) is given
in the biblical record. Nehemiah 1:1 states that Nehemiah heard of
Jerusalem’s desolate conditions in the month of Chislev
(November/December) in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year (See
Jewish Calendar - scroll down for months). Then later in
Artaxerxes’ twentieth year in the month of Nisan (March/April) Nehemiah
reports that he was granted permission to restore the city and build its
walls (Neh 2:1). To have Nisan later than Chislev (in the same year) may
seem strange until one realizes that Nehemiah was using a Tishri-to-Tishri
(September/October) dating method rather than the Persian Nisanto-Nisan
method. Nehemiah was following what was used by the kings of Judah earlier
in their history. This method used by Nehemiah is confirmed by Jews in
Elephantine who also used this method during the same time period as
Nehemiah. Next, one needs to establish the beginning of Artaxerxes’ rule.
His father Xerxes died shortly after December 17, 465BC and
Artaxerxes immediately succeeded him. Since the accession-year system was
used the first year of Artaxerxes’ reign according to the Persian
Nisan-to-Nisan reckoning would be Nisan 464 to Nisan 463 and according to
the Jewish Tishri-to-Tishri reckoning would be Tishri 464 to Tishri
463....In conclusion the report to Nehemiah (Neh 1:1) occurred in Chislev
(November/December) of 445 B.C. and the decree of Artaxerxes (Neh 2:1)
occurred in Nisan (March/April) of 444 B.C. Therefore, Nisan 444 B.C.
marks the terminus a quo of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24-27. (Chronological
Aspects of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks -
$)
IMPORTANCE OF
PLAZA AND MOAT
Plaza (07339)
(rehob) refers to an "open place" which came to mean a public square,
city-hub, central part of city where people met and civic activity
occurred. Rehob was first used in Genesis 19:2 when the angels told Lot "we
shall spend the night in the square". In summary,
rehob, describes the broad spaces,
generally just inside the city gates where one see the center of city life.
The Greek
Septuagint (LXX)
translates rehob with
plateia (10x in NT, 9 translated as "street", eg, Mt 6:5, 12:19, Lk
13:26, 14:21, etc) and describes a wide or broad street or way.
Moat
(02742) (charuts/harus
= a passive participle of charats/harats = to cut)
is used only here in the OT and conveys the basic sense of "to cut or
sharpen". In Hebrew charuts/harus means to cut in or dig, and in context
refers to a
defensive trench, ditch, i.e., a moat
as a defense feature of a rampart (Swanson, J.. Dictionary of Biblical
Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew -Old Testament,1997).
The idea is that a trench or ditch is
dug or "cut out" around a city for the purpose of fortification.
This same word in Aramaic refers to a trench, in Akkadian to a city moat,
and in the Qumran it referred to a “moat of the rampart or
bulwark”.
The Greek
Septuagint (LXX)
translates
charuts/harus with the Greek word teichos which describes a
wall, especially a wall of a city or town which was used to provide strong
fortification. Teichos is also used in the rabbinic literature to mean a wall,
frequently one designed for defense.
Hoehner notes that...
Commentators are divided on how to
apply the two words (rehob and harus) to Daniel 9:25, but it
is best to take the first word plaza as referring to the interior
of the city and the second word trench as referring to a moat going
around the outside of the city. Part of Jerusalem’s natural defenses
consisted of a great cutting in the rock along the northern wall, which is
still visible, for the purpose of building a defense wall. Montgomery
states that these “two items present a graphic picture of the complete
restoration.”
Some argue that the word for moat
is not the same Hebrew word used for wall in Nehemiah 2:8, but they
miss the point that both have a similar function and they also disregard
the use of the same Greek word teichos in both passages as
described in the following comment.
Nehemiah 2:8 "the wall (Hebrew
= chomah,
Lxx =
teichos) of the city" (cf Neh 2:17)
Daniel 9:25 "plaza and moat
(Hebrew = harus;
Lxx
= teichos)"
Comment: The
Septuagint
(Specifically
the translation by Theodotion - see note)
translates wall
in Nehemiah 2:8 with the Greek noun teichos (used 31x in 28v in
Nehemiah) the same Greek word used in Daniel 9:25 to translate "moat".
Teichos virtually always means a wall especially the wall around a
city or town (e.g., cf Acts 9:25; 2Co 11:33; He 11:30), and this supports
the premise that the "moat" or trench described by Gabriel was meant to
function as a defensive barrier. In Ancient times a "city" without
such a defensive protection was not a functional
"city" and could be much more easily attacked and defeated.
In summary, the evidence is convincing that the starting date for the countdown of the 490 years is
found in Nehemiah 2.
Prior to Artaxerxes' decree in
444/445BC, the Temple rebuilding had begun but the city itself was still
unprotected. Nehemiah was charged by the king to restore the raised city
to its former defensible state, which is the decree that is compatible with the prophetic
description in Daniel 9:25.
In regard to the date of Artaxerxes'
decree Dr. Harold Hoehner goes through a discussion (too detailed for these
notes) and concludes that "Nisan 444 BC (March 5,
444BC) marks the terminus a quo (point of origin) of the seventy
weeks of Daniel 9:24-27" rather than the
445BC date found in many texts. (For detailed discussion see
Harold W. Hoehner Chronological Aspects
of the Life of Christ - Pt 6 - Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and New Testament
Chronology - Bibliotheca Sacra 132:525 Jan 1975 -
$).
It is interesting that this decree in
Nehemiah was also the one favored even as early as the second to third
century AD by Africanus, one of the so called "early church fathers".
Dr Charles Ray writes that a
444/445 BC inception point for the seventy sevens is confirmed by
the following considerations...
(1) The most severe “times of
distress” took place during Nehemiah’s day.
(2) No decrees were later issued
by Persian monarchs concerning the rebuilding of the Israelite city.
(3) It is not probable the
parties involved in the first three decrees would assume rebuilding
Jerusalem was part of the deal.
(4) This interpretation comes
closest to the literal method since it alone specifies the restoration of
Jerusalem as delineated in Da 9:25.
(5) All three stages are readily
harmonized with known historical incidents.
(6) The 4th decree best explains
Luke 19:42. As He enters Jerusalem for the last week of His earthly
ministry, Jesus says, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things
which make for peace!”
(7) Therefore, a final factor
favoring this position is that the math works out to the day. The Messiah
is “cut off” after the 483 lunar years, which is 173,880 days. From March
5, 444 B.C. to March 30, A.D. 33 on the Gregorian/Julian calendar is
likewise 173,880 days. (A
Study of Daniel 9:24-27-Part II)
Dr Harold Hoehner sums up his
arguments that favor the decree in Neh 2:1-8 in 444/445BC as the starting
point for the seventy sevens...
First, there is a direct
reference to the restoration of the city (Neh 2:3, 5) and of the city
gates and walls (Neh 2:3, 8).
Second, Artaxerxes wrote a
letter to Asaph to give materials to be used specifically for the walls
(Neh 2:8).
Third, the book of Nehemiah and
Ezra 4:7-23 indicate that certainly the restoration of the walls was done
in the most distressing circumstances, as predicted by Daniel (Da 9:25).
Fourth, no later decrees were
given by the Persian kings pertaining to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. (Ref)
UNTIL MESSIAH THE PRINCE (John
1:41; 4:25) (Da 8:11,25; Isaiah 9:6; 55:4; Micah 5:2; Acts 3:15; 5:31;
Revelation 1:5; 19:16)
Other Translations:
Messiah the Leader (Young's Literal),
the Anointed One, a Prince (Amplified),
Christ the Prince (English of Greek Septuagint),
the Anointed One, the ruler (NIV),
an anointed prince (NRSV),
an Anointed Prince (NJB),
God's chosen
leader (TEV),
the appointed leader (NCV),
one who is anointed and a leader (NAB),
a prince, on whom the holy oil has been put (BBE)
WHEN IS THE
"UNTIL"?
Until - This is an important
word which marks a change of time, as it signifies up to the time that, up
to the point in time or the event mentioned, up to a stipulated time, in
this case the appearance of Messiah the Prince.
Although the opinions are nearly
unanimous among evangelical conservative scholars that this phrase is a clear prophetic reference to the
first
coming of the Messiah, it must be kept in mind (especially if discussing
this passage with someone who may not believe in the literal interpretation
of Scripture) that there are some who will see the prophecy as fulfilled in
the lives of other
individuals (click
here to see why some Bible versions also do not support the
Messianic interpretation).
As will be discussed later several well known Bible commentators
such as Edward Young, H C Leupold and C F Keil conclude that the
seventy weeks were consecutive, thus postulating that the seventieth week
immediately followed the sixty-ninth week. This interpretation however is
not compatible with the Biblical and historical evidence as discussed
here.
Until (05704)
signifies that following 69 seven's or 483 years Messiah the Prince will
come and then be cut off.
HOW MANY DAYS
IN A BIBLICAL YEAR?
From Genesis - In the Flood
account in Genesis we observe that comparison of Ge 7:11 to Ge 8:4 indicates
that the flood lasted 5 months. Genesis 7:24 and Genesis 8:3 specify that
this same time period lasted 150 days. Thus by simple calculation, one can
determine that there were 30days per month.
From Daniel and Revelation -
Comparing Daniel and Revelation we note the following specific time phrases
which enumerations
-
One half week (3.5 years) = Da 9:27
Time, times, half a time = Da 7:25, Rev
12:14
1260 days = Rev 12:6
Rev 12:6 and Rev 12:14 = Describe the
same event - persecution of the "woman", Israel
42 months = Rev 13:5 - Antichrist given
power parallels "time, times, half a time" Da 7:25
Now when we carefully compare the events
associate with each time phrase, we see that one month
equates with 30 days and therefore one year is 360
days. In conclusion, in Genesis, Daniel and Revelation, the Scripture
utilizes a 360 day year.
Now, assuming there are 483 literal years
(69 sevens) specified in Daniel 9:25,
the next question would be how many days are in each year, 360 days (lunar)
or 365 days (solar)? If we take the beginning of the
"countdown" of the 69 weeks as 444BC and subtract that from 483
years without any adjustments, we would have a time of about 38AD, which is
clearly too late for the Messiah's appearance. However, the Biblical
evidence supports the
use of a 360 day year as explained above and when this is factored into the
calculation we can reduce the number of years so that the terminating point
is between 32-33BC. This is a very rough calculation, just to make the point
that if one begins "counting down" at 444BC, the time is very compatible
with the Messiah's appearance in Jerusalem in the last week of His life. See
discussion below for more detailed calculations
WITH WHAT EVENT DOES THE
SIXTY-NINE SEVENS TERMINATE?
First, in general terms, all
literalists conclude that the 483 years terminates with the appearance of
Christ, the Messiah.
Augustus Seiss (who wrote an
excellent generally literal commentary on the Revelation in the mid-1800's - The
Apocalypse: Lectures on the Book of Revelation) observed that in regard to the
interpretation of the phrase until Messiah the Prince...
As Christians, with the New Testament in
our hands, we can have no difficulty in determining who is to be understood
by this Messiah Prince. It is here for the first time in the Bible that we
find the word Messiah put thus absolutely (Ed: This is true of NAS
and KJV but see Ps 2:2YLT for first use in that version). It was applied to
Cyrus in Isaiah to designate him as a chosen instrument of God for the
deliverance of His people from their long captivity (see Is 44:28, 45:1, 2,
3, 4), but only in so far as
he was a type of that greater Deliverer promised from the beginning and
looked for by believers of every age. At the time Jesus appeared in our
world the Israelitish people everywhere were speaking of that coming
Deliverer as Messias or Messiah, meaning He Who should come as the anointed
and sent of God to accomplish eternal redemption in Israel. (See Jn 4:25,
41, Mt 2:4, Lk 2:26, 3:15, Jn 1:20, 3:28, 7:26, 10:24). And to the promised
and expected Redeemer the reference here must needs be. (Voices
from Babylon or, The records of Daniel)
Second, in regard to the specific
event in the life of Messiah, as indicated in the chart below (click
countdown) there are two major
views as to one which favors the termination as coinciding with the baptism
of Christ, while the majority of
modern, conservative, evangelical commentators favor the termination as
coinciding with the triumphal entry of Messiah into Jerusalem. (Click
here for discussion by John MacArthur)
Next, let's address the possibility that
the sixty-nine sevens terminate with the baptism of Christ. The
strongest argument against this premise is that at Christ's baptism He was
not presented to Israel as their Prince or King. Matthew
records...
And after being baptized, Jesus went up
immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a
voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am
well-pleased." (Mt. 3:16, 17, cf Lk 3:21, 22, Mk 1:9, 10, 11)
John MacArthur comments that
Christ's baptism was not
His presentation to the nation as the
Messiah, but to the Father for approval. It was a transaction between
the Son and the Father, and there's no indication that the people at large
understood what happened at Jesus' baptism. (Israel's
Future--Part 2) (Bolding added)
Taking the degree of Artaxerxes in
Nehemiah 2 as the starting point Sir Robert Anderson (See his
calculations in The Coming Prince
- 1894) and Dr. Harold Hoehner (Chronological
Aspects of...Daniel’s Seventy Weeks - 1975 - fee required to
view entire article but gives one year's access to over 27 fully searchable,
conservative theological journals) have independently calculated that
following the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Neh 2:1-8) until Messiah the
Prince, terminates with Christ's presentation as the "King of Israel" on the
day traditionally referred to as His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
marking the beginning of "Passion Week".
MESSIAH:
ANOINTED ONE
Messiah (04899)
(Mashiyach/Mashiach/Masiyah from the verb mashach which
conveys the basic meaning of to
smear something on and the anointing serving as act of
consecration) is a noun which can function as an adjective. (While you are
studying about the timing of the first coming of the Messiah, listen to the
timeless masterpiece
Handel's Messiah - 1 Intro,
2 All flesh shall see the glory of the Lord;
3 of 6-Unto Us,
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs;
5 My Redeemer liveth;
6- Worthy is the Lamb that was slain)
An "anointed one" would have
sacred oil poured on their head, which set them apart as an individual with
a special authority and/or function. And so we see that patriarchs,
priests (Lev 4:3, 5, 16, 6:22).
Mashiach - 38x in 38v in the NAS -
Lev 4:3, 5, 16; 6:22; 1Sa 2:10, 35; 12:3, 5; 16:6; 24:6, 10; 26:9, 11, 16,
23; 2 Sam 1:14, 16, 21; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1; 1 Chr 16:22; 2 Chr 6:42; Ps 2:2;
18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 105:15; 132:10, 17; Isa 45:1; Lam 4:20;
Dan 9:25f; Hab 3:13. NAS translates it = Anointed(1), anointed(34),
anointed ones(2), Messiah(2).
W E Vine writes that...
as is true of the verb, mashiach
implies an anointing for a special office or function. Thus, David refused
to harm Saul because Saul was “the Lord’s anointed” (1Sa 24:6). The Psalms
often express the messianic ideals attached to the Davidic line by using the
phrase “the Lord’s anointed” (Ps 2:2; 18:50; 89:38, 51). Interestingly
enough, the only person named “messiah” (Editorial note: In the
KJV, eg, see Ps 2:2YLT) in the Old Testament was Cyrus, the pagan
king of Persia, who was commissioned by God to restore Judah to her homeland
after the Exile (Isa 45:1). The anointing in this instance was more
figurative than literal, since Cyrus was not aware that he was being set
apart for such a divine purpose (Ed note: I do not agree - read
Cyrus' own words in Ezra 1:1,2,3!). The New Testament title of
Christ is derived from the Greek Christos which is exactly
equivalent to the Hebrew mashiach, for it is also rooted in the idea
of “to smear with oil.” So the term Christ emphasizes the special anointing
of Jesus of Nazareth for His role as God’s chosen one.
FIRST USE OF MASHIACH
REFERRING TO A KING
Hannah's prayer records the first
use of mashiach in the Bible in reference to a king as an
anointed one...
Those who contend with the Lord will be
shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will
judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.” (1Samuel 2:10).
The KJV Bible commentary notes that:
(Mashiach - Anointed) is probably used in a general or ideal sense in
this passage, but it should be kept in mind that the idea of the “anointed”
one is a major theological motif of the period. The predictive element in
Hannah’s song is most apparent in this word, and it is obvious from Luke’s
quotation of this verse (Lk 1:69) that he regards the song as predictive
prophecy finding its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, God’s King in the
line of David, God’s Servant who finally accomplishes salvation for His
people. It would seem impossible to overstress the predictive and messianic
motif introduced here by the use of this word, since Luke plays upon so many
of the parallels in the birth narratives of Samuel and Jesus (Lk 1:46, 47,
48; 1:53; 1:69; 2:52) and since the very word “Christ” is the Greek
or New Testament equivalent to this Hebrew word which is transliterated into
English as “Messiah.”
Albert Barnes: This is a most
remarkable passage, containing a clear and distinct prophecy of the Kingdom
and glory of the Christ of God. (Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament)
David Guzik: At this time, Israel
did not have a king, and seems to have not even wanted one. So when Hannah
speaks of His king, she is looking ahead to the Messiah, who will finally
set all wrongs right. He is His anointed.
Adam Clarke: His empire shall be
extended over all mankind by the preaching of the everlasting Gospel, for to
this the afterpart of the verse seems to apply: He shall give strength unto
his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ, or, as the Targum says,
וירבי מלכות משיציה viribbey malcuth Meshicheyh, "he shall multiply the
kingdom of the Messiah." Here the horn means spiritual as well as secular
dominion.
Warren Wiersbe: In many
respects, King David fulfilled this prophecy; but the ultimate fulfillment
is in Jesus the Christ (“Anointed One”) who will one day sit on David’s
throne and rule over His glorious kingdom (Luke 1:32, 33, 69-75). (Wiersbe,
W. W. Be Successful)
Here is the use of mashiach which
has led some to misinterpret Da 9:25 as a reference to the Persian King
Cyrus and not Yeshua (Jesus)...
Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His
anointed (mashiach), whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue
nations before him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open doors before
him so that gates will not be shut: (Isa 45:1, cf Is 44:28, 45:1,2, 3, 4, 5,
6)
Comment: Cyrus is postulated as
the "anointed one" especially by those who date the "decree" with Jeremiah's
prophecy (even though it said nothing about rebuilding the plaza and moat of
the city).
It should not be
surprising that some Jewish sources in an attempt to "expunge" (efface
completely) any Messianic connotations in Daniel 9:25 by cross referencing
Isaiah 45:1 (cf 2Chr 34:22, 23). They insist that the messiah or
anointed one in Daniel 9:25 is reference to the Persian King Cyrus,
who conquered Babylon and eventually gave the Jews permission to return
their promised land.
Here is a quote from Jewish Rabbi
Shlomo Ben-Yohanah (Brooklyn, New York) in a letter he wrote to me, in an
attempt to refute the clear Messianic interpretation of Daniel 9:25...
He (Daniel) also knows that Cyrus of
Persia will be the vehicle through which the Temple will be rebuilt (2Chr
34:22,23)...(Now paraphrasing verse 26) "And know and calculate, from the
emanation of the word (of G-d as spoken by Jeremiah, over which you have
been praying) regarding the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem until an
anointed prince (whom you await, namely, Cyrus of Persia) will be 7
sabbatical periods (or 49 years. This is the answer to your question [Ed:
Referring to yours truly], sometime after the 49th year but before the 56th,
the vehicle of redemption will be revealed). (PERIOD. Nothing more is said
of Cyrus here. It is interesting to note the reference to Cyrus as G-d's
anointed in Isa. 45:1 as well.) (Source: Personal communication to me
from Rabbi Shlomo Ben-Yohanah received 9./5/1989)
Mounce writes that mashiach...
usually refers to pouring or smearing
sacred oil on a person in a ceremony of dedication, possibly symbolizing
divine empowering to accomplish the task or office; the Anointed One, the
Messiah, God’s ultimate chosen one, identified in the NT as Jesus (Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan)
In Psalm 2 mashiach clearly
refers to the
Messiah, Jesus the Christ...
Psalm 2:2 The kings of the earth take
their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and
against His Anointed (Hebrew = Mashiach > "Messiah"; Lxx =
Christos
= one who has been anointed, Young's Literal renders it "Messiah" Ps 2:2YLT).
John is the only NT writer to use the
word
Messiah...
He found first his own brother Simon, and
said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ).
(John 1:41)
The woman said to Him, "I know that
Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will
declare all things to us."
(John 4:25)
THE PRINCE
REFERS TO
THE KING
Prince (05057) (nagiyd)
while not the usual Hebrew word for king (melek), is
notable in that the first use in Scripture of nagiyd is a reference to
Saul, God
informing His prophet Samuel that
I will send you a man from the land of
Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince (nagiyd) over
My people Israel; and he shall deliver My people from the hand of the
Philistines... (1Sa 9:16)
There are numerous other OT examples
where nagiyd is used as a synonym
for the one who would rule over Israel as king (David in 1Sa 13:14, 25:30 =
"ruler"; Solomon 1Ki 1:35 = "ruler"), so although some argue that the specific Hebrew word
for "king" (malak) is not used in this prophecy, nagiyd
clearly conveys the same idea as king. It
follows that it is reasonable to interpret Daniel 9:25 as a reference to
Messiah as King of Israel.
Nagiyd - 45x in 45v - 1Sa 9:16;
10:1; 13:14; 25:30; 2 Sam 5:2; 6:21; 7:8; 1Ki 1:35; 14:7; 16:2; 2Ki
20:5; 1Chr 5:2; 9:11, 20, 26; 11:2; 12:27; 13:1; 17:7; 26:24; 27:4, 16;
28:4; 29:22; 2Chr 6:5; 11:11, 22; 19:11; 28:7; 31:12, 13; 32:21; 35:8; Neh
11:11; Job 29:10; 31:37; Ps 76:12; Pr 8:6; 28:16; Isa 55:4; Jer 20:1; Ezek
28:2; Da 9:25, Da 9:26; Da 11:22
NAS = chief(2), chief officer(3),
commander(1), leader(14), noble things(1), nobles(1), officer(3),
officers(1), officials(1), Prince(1), prince(5), princes(1), ruler(11).
The Greek translates prince with
the Greek hegeomai which speaks of one who leads out and is
the same word in Matthew used quoting Micah's prophecy that
"out of you (Bethlehem) shall come forth a Ruler (hegeomai),
Who will shepherd My people Israel" (Mt 2:6),
which is clearly a reference to the Messiah Who came to lead and rule Israel.
In Isaiah we see references to God
as King...
I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator
of Israel, your King. (Isa 43:15)
Thus says the LORD, the King of
Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the
last, And there is no God besides Me. (Isa 44:6)
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
OF MESSIAH
As
Pfeiffer says there is no doubt that this time refers to
"Some official presentation, such as his
baptism and
the formal beginning of his ministry, or His triumphal entry. (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: Old Testament Chicago: Moody
Press)
Augustus Seiss offers a more
incisive analysis which addresses which "official presentation" of the Messiah would
be most compatible with His appearance as Prince ("King"), first asking...
To what point in the life of Christ,
then, does the angel refer?
Some say to His birth; but Jesus was not then
presented to the Jewish nation as their Prince or King, though called "king
of the Jews" by the Magi (Mt 2:2).
Some say the reference is to His baptism
or His anointing by the Holy Ghost immediately after His baptism (Mt
3:13,14, 15, 16, 17, 21:11), or both;
but not a word was then said to the people about His being King,
but only of His being the Son (Mt 3:17) and Prophet of God (Mt 10:41, 13:57,
14:5), to Whom they should give
audience.
And for more than three years of His ministry, in all His
authoritative teaching and miraculous healing, He did not once make the
slightest pretensions to being a king. On the contrary, when
the people would willingly have crowned Him, and insisted on making Him
their king, He peremptorily refused to take any such place, honor or title.
But the time came when He did make profession and claim to be the rightful
King of the Jews, and so presented Himself to the Jewish nation at one of
the greatest of their national festivals at Jerusalem. It occurred but a few
days prior to His Passion, and was one of the principal and most direct
causes of His condemnation and crucifixion.
For the first time in His career
we behold Him mounted as a king (Jn 12:12, 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18, 19, Mt 21:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Lk 19:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40) with multitudes doing honor
to Him and hailing Him with hosannas ("Save us now") as the Prince of the
house of David (Mt 21:15, 16). In the midst of the loud-sounding proclamations of Him as
the King, He triumphantly rode into Jerusalem, entered the
Temple, cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, overthrew the
tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves, and took
to Himself all the authority and majesty of the rightful King and Lord of
the chosen people, their Temple and their state (Mt 21:12, 13, Mk 11:15, 16,
17, 18, Lk 19:45, 46).
And when the officials came
to Him, insinuating treasonableness in these pretensions, particularly in
the outcries which hailed Him as the blessed King, the Davidic
Prince, He promptly answered, If these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out. (Lk 19:40)
He had to be presented
to the nation as its rightful and anointed King; and this is
when and how it was done. We make mistake on this point. Ancient prophecy
foretold that the Messiah King should come to Jerusalem sitting upon an ass,
even a colt the foal of an ass; and inspiration under the New Testament
narrates this very scene, and says,
"This was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of
Zion, Behold, Thy King cometh unto thee." (Mt 21:4)
It was here
specially, emphatically and for the first time that Jesus presented Himself
to the Jewish people as their Messiah Prince; and only to this
point in His earthly history can the words of the angel literally and fully
apply, for not till then did He come as the Ruler, the King.
We thus find
the exact terminating-point of the angel's four hundred and
eighty-three years. (Voices
from Babylon or, The Records of Daniel - Online)
As discussed more detail below (see
notes) Sir Robert Anderson
(1881) and Dr Harold Hoehner
(1976) independently calculated that following the decree to rebuild Jerusalem
(Neh 2:1-8) until Messiah the Prince there would be an interval of 177,880 days which
by their detailed calculations coincided with
the very day Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey in
perfect fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel and Zechariah, the latter
prophesying
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is
coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on
a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 And I will cut off
the (battle) chariot from Ephraim (Israel), and the horse from Jerusalem and
the bow of war will be cut off. And He (Who? "Your King", Israel's Messiah)
will speak peace to the nations (Gentiles) and His dominion will be from sea
to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. (Zech 9:9, 10)
Comment: Note that while Zech 9:9
has been literally fulfilled at Christ's first coming, Zech 9:10 has will
not be fulfilled until His
Second Coming. Thus, once again we see an
indisputable, unequivocal "time gap" in juxtaposed passages, emphasizing that
the premise of a time gap between the 69th and 70th Weeks of Daniel is not without precedent in
the Scripture.
Lehman Strauss adds that: When the
Incarnation had been announced, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He that is born king of the Jews? For we
have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:1,
2). They were wise men indeed, for they were followers of the truth of God.
When the Old Testament prophets wrote of Messiah's offices, they included
that of King. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of
Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: He is just, and having
salvation: lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of a
donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). David wrote of Christ and His kingdom when he
recorded the words of God, "Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill
of Zion" (Psalm 2:6). Our Lord is not only Prophet, and Priest, but also
Potentate. (Why
God Became Man)
Read these Old Testament prophecies
of the coming King and compare them with the New Testament
fulfillment: (2Sa 7:8, 16 and Mt. 1:6, 16, 17) (Micah 5:2 and Mt.
2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (Isa 7:14 and Lk 1:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33) (Zec
9:9 and John 12:12, 13, 14, 15) (Isa 9:6, 7 and Rev. 19:11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16)
We Will Glorify the King of
kings
by Twila Paris
-
Play
We will glorify the King of Kings
We will glorify the Lamb
We will glorify the Lord of Lords
Who is the great I Am
Lord Jehovah reigns in majesty
We will bow before His throne
We will worship Him in righteousness
We will worship Him alone
He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth
He is Lord of all who live
He is Lord of all the universe
All praise to Him we give
We see the fulfillment of Zechariah in
Jesus' triumphal entry described in all the gospels but most fully by
Luke...
Luke 19:28 And after He had said these
things, He was going on ahead, ascending to Jerusalem. 29 And it came about
that when He approached
Bethphage and
Bethany, near the mount that is called
Olivet (Mount of Olives), He sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village
opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no
one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here.
(Matthew adds) Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might
be fulfilled, saying, 5 SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS
COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF
A BEAST OF BURDEN.' (Mt 21:4, 5)
Comment: Remember in the NAS, NT
passages in all caps signify direct quotations from the OT (See
OT Passages in NT).
Note also that Matthew excluded several phrases in Zechariah's prophecy -
"Rejoice greatly...Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!...He is just
and endowed with salvation." It would not be true rejoicing, triumph, nor
salvation for most of Israel, for most rejected His rule (Jn 1:11, 12, 13).
Note also that the donkey was used
by kings who were bringing peace, while the horse was used when the
kings rode into battle.
Lk 19:35 And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the
colt, and put Jesus on it. 36 And as He was going, they were spreading their
garments in the road. 37 And as He was now approaching, near the descent of
the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise
God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, 38
saying, "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD (Ps 118:26);
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees in
the multitude said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 And He
answered and said, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry
out!"
Lk 19:41 And when He approached, He saw the
city and wept over it (Note: Instead of rejoicing because He knew
they would reject Him), 42 saying, "If you had known in this day,
even you, the things which make for peace!
Comment:
The definite article "the"
is present in the Greek before
"day" which clearly singles this out as not just "any" day, but
the specific day - "The day" which the Jews could have and should have known
from their study and knowledge of the Old Testament -
[1] Zechariah 9:9 prophesied of this very
day, the day the city of Jerusalem hailed Jesus as "the King".
[2] Da 9:25 begins "know and discern" and
allows one to calculate "the day"
But now
(contrast)
they have been hidden from your eyes.
Comment:
Woe! Oh, what a horrible conjunction..."but now" -
May it never be said of you dear Jewish or Gentile reader "but now"
as might occur if you have been blessed with a clear presentation of the
Gospel of the King and refused or rejected it...lest the truth be hidden
from your eyes! In humility receive the Word of the Gospel of the King
implanted which is able to save your soul! (Jas 1:21) Believe in the the
King, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Confess
with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead (Ro 10:9) and God's promise is that you will be saved
eternally! Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 19:43 For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up
a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side (cf Lk
21:20, 21 - Eusebius reports that before the destruction of Jerusalem by the
Roman general Titus in 70AD, Jewish Christians, apparently following this
warning, left the city and took refuge at Pella, a little town east of the
Jordan near the Sea of Galilee) and
will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not
leave in you one stone upon another (Note: Describes the destruction
of Jerusalem by the Roman General Titus in 70AD.
And why was Jerusalem to be destroyed?),
because you did not recognize the time (kairos
= opportunity - Israel's "opportunity" as a nation to receive their Messiah
as King had now passed!)
of your visitation. (the "visitation" of the Messiah in His
first advent - they could have calculated His arrival date from Daniel's
prophecy but instead they obscured the truth and even refused to read or
discuss Daniel 9:24-27 giving evidence of their rebellious hearts!)."
John records a parallel account...
On the next day the great multitude who
had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began
to cry out, "Hosanna! (Means "Save us now") BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE
NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." 14 And Jesus, finding a
young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 "FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION;
BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT." (John 12:12-15)
Dear believer in the King of kings,
consider pausing for a moment to praise Him by singing along with this great
chorus...Crown
Him With Many Crowns
Two observations are significant regarding the
Jewish crowd's quotation from
Ps 118:26:
(1). The
original Psalm (in Hebrew and the Greek) does not have the word king (Hebrew
= melek, Greek = basileus) which is used only in Luke's
account (but not in Mt 21:9 or Mk 11:9). Mark however does follow the
quotation from Ps 118:26 with the "kingly"
declaration...
Blessed is the coming kingdom (basileia
related to basileus = king) of our father David; Hosanna in the
highest! (Mk 11:10)
(2)
Jesus even when he was admonished to rebuke the crowd for calling Him King,
refused to do so, declaring in fact that
if these become silent, the
stones will cry out! (Luke 19:40)
What would they cry out? That the King of the Jews had
arrived, just as had been precisely prophesied by Daniel 9:24-25, 173,880 days earlier! Only
on this day did our Lord offer Himself publicly and officially as Israel's
Messiah and this was the day Anderson and Hoehner calculated had been
prophesied by in Daniel 9! It is also noteworthy that all four gospels
record the inscription above Jesus' head on the cross as the King of
the Jews.
Anderson (see
The Coming Prince) adds that
No student
of the Gospel narrative can fail to see that the Lord's last visit to
Jerusalem was not only in fact, but in the purpose of it, the crisis of His
ministry, the goal towards which it had been directed. After the first
tokens had been given that the nation would reject His Messianic claims, He
had shunned all public recognition of them. But now the twofold testimony of
His words and His works had been fully rendered, and His entry into the Holy
City was to proclaim His Messiahship and to receive His doom. Again and
again His apostles even had been charged that they should not make Him
known. But now He accepted the acclamations of "the whole multitude of the
disciples," and silenced the remonstrance of the Pharisees with the
indignant rebuke, "I tell you if these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:39, 40)
C H Spurgeon writes that...
The Lord God appointed
a set time for the coming of His Son into the
world; nothing was left to chance. Infinite wisdom dictated the hour at
which the Messiah should be born, and the moment at which He should be cut
off. His advent and His work are the highest point of the purpose of God,
the hinge of history, the center of providence, the crowning of the edifice
of grace, and therefore peculiar care watched over every detail. Once in the
end of the world hath the Son of God appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself, and this is the event before which all other events
must bow. The studious mind will be delighted to search out the reasons why
the Messiah came not before, and why He did not tarry till yet later ages.
Prophecies declared the date; but long before infallible wisdom had settled
it for profoundest reasons. It was well that the Redeemer came: it was well
that He came in what Scripture calls the fullness of time, even in these
last days.
