Mini Study: Ready to Give a Defense Bible Study: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9
B ible prophecy has been a mystery to many theolo- gians. The book of Daniel records a number of endtime prophecies describing events in the end times — al- most all of which are sorely misunderstood by modern christendom. The Apostle Peter was inspired to record “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God’s true Church has understood Daniel’s prophecies and their true meaning for decades. This study examines the “seventy weeks” prophecy of Daniel 9, an amazing revelation that pinpoints precisely when the Messiah was to appear and exactly what He was to accomplish. The prophetic foundation for the 490-year timeline The timeline is built upon a specific duration determined by God for the Jewish people and the holy city. How do we determine the length of the “seventy weeks”? The prophet was told that “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city” (Daniel 9:24). What principle allows us to turn these days into years? Numbers 14:34;Ezekiel 4:6 In Bible prophecy, a day is understood as a literal year of fulfillment. Numbers 14:34 states, “each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities”. Ezekiel 4:6 con- firms this, saying, “I have appointed thee each day for a year”. What is the total number of years involved?What was the divine purpose of this period? Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks (70 x 7) equals 490 prophetic days, representing 490 literal years. Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate fulfillment of making reconciliation between God and man. By His shed blood those called —in the past, present and future— are reconciled to God by the acceptance of Jesus Christ’s blood having paid the pen-
alty for sin. Through receipt of the Holy Spirit, upon re- pentance and baptism, God’s people allow Him to live in them producing righteous fruits and godly character in hope of a future resurrection to eternal life. The prophecy officially begins To know when the Messiah would appear, we must identify the starting point of the countdown. What historical decree marks the start of 490 years? Daniel 9:25;Ezra 7:7 How do we date this decree? When did Ezra arrive to begin the work? Daniel 9:25;Ezra 7:8-9 Historical and astronomical records show Artaxerxes came to the throne in December 465 B.C.. According to Jewish “fall-to-fall” reckoning, his seventh year was 457 B.C. An abundance of documents, business re- cords, and astronomical tablets from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah help determine this timeline. These re- cords reveal that Xerxes died in December 465 B.C., a date confirmed by documents from the last month of his reign and the first month of his successor, Artax - erxes. This chronological information is corroborated by historical works such as Langer’s Encyclopedia of World History and The Chronology of Ezra 7 by Sieg- fried Horn and Lynn H. Wood.
Tomb of Artaxerxes I in Naqsh-e Rustam
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