The Seventy Weeks of Daniel - The second third - Part 1

Undermined Christian lady asked the regular accurate predictions by going through a circle psychics in the Bible's prophecies are astonishingly detailed and precise. So I am Turning Point of the Jeremiah examines an event that since the cloak of motion, Daniel's prophecy of the 70 weeks and under schools pinpoint accuracy. Continuing his message of the 70 weeks of Daniel is. Thank you for joining us today. We began part two of the 70 weeks of Daniel. Looking at the schedule, but God gave to Daniel through of the metaphors and imagery of his prophecy that is so accurate and so traceable that anybody who has an objective mind will say this is truly a miracle portion of God's word. Well, today we are going to finish up this week. In the book of Daniel because tomorrow were going to talk about the resurrection. When you take a day away from Daniel tomorrow to get ready for Easter. So open your Bibles once more to Daniel chapter 9 and once again 70 weeks famous Jewish historian Flavius Josephus of Jerusalem, whose long life began during the time of Jesus ministry one time sat down to write this about Daniel 924 to 27.

He said it is to give an account of what this man.

Daniel did which it is admirable to hear, for he was happy as to have strange revelations made him and those are still one of the greatest of the prophets, insomuch that while he was alive. He had the esteem and the applause of both the kings and the multitudes we found that to be true, and now he is said Josephus is dead and he retains a remembrance that will never fail for the several books that he wrote and left behind him are still read by us until this time, and from them we believe that Daniel conversed with God, for he did not only prophesy of future events, as did the other prophets. But he also determined the time of their accomplishment so wrote Josephus. What a thrilling thing for a secular historian, as it were to write concerning a prophet as he read his writings.

It became obvious to him that here was a man who talked with God and not only did he receive prophecies that he passed on to us through his writings but his prophecies also contain the time of their accomplishment when we understand as we will.

The nature of this great prophetic section of Scripture we will understand why Josephus was able to make such a statement. For here before us is a prophecy that actually determines the time of its accomplishment. I was we study the ninth chapter. We've been excited to learn that the prophecy did not occur in a vacuum context is very important and as we have looked into the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel we have seen first of all, the secret of Daniel's prophecy that he was a man of prayer and all of the various forms that took place in his brain are laid out before us in the first, 19, versus his confession is praises magnifying of God. It was in that setting that God spoke to him and gave him this dynamic prophecy. That's before us. We've looked at the setting of Daniel's prophecy as we begin the 20th verse, we notice that while Daniel was praying while he was confessing his sin and the sin of his people while he was speaking while he was in an attitude of prayer. The Bible says that the angel Gabriel was dispatched and touched him on the shoulder and said Daniel O beloved of God while you began to pray. The commandment went forth, and I was dispatched from heaven. Here I am, and I've come to tell you concerning the desires of your heart. And then we went from the secret of the prophecy of the setting of the prophecy and we spent a few moments on the sense of the prophecy doing this spiritual mathematics if you will.

Learning that the prophecy speaks of 70 weeks of years, not of days back as I was studying I was reminded that there is a beautiful symmetry in this prophecy that goes like this. There were 490 years before the captivity of the Israelites that are very significant because for those 490 years. The Jews violated their Sabbath year it was that 490 years or their 70 sabbaths that caused God to finally take the Jews in the captivity. So in the middle there is the 70 years of captivity in God is now saying to Daniel through the angel using Daniel.

Just as the 490 years of the past when you violated the Sabbath have consummated in this time of captivity is going to be another 490 years in the future and the Bible says that 490 years were cut out determine concerning the Jews.

So we move from the secret of Daniel's prophecy, to the setting of Daniel's prophecy.

We talked about the sense of Daniel's prophecy.

Understanding that the week of years has to do with actual years and that those years have how many days class CCCLX days that we talked about the subject of Daniel's prophecy, which is clearly given to us in the text for God through the angel says to Daniel 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, the subject of this prophecy is God's continuing plan for the Jews is not a Gentile prophecy, and it does not necessarily refer to us only insomuch as the fact that in this prophecy, the Messiah is prophesied, and we participate in that we talked about the secret setting, in the sense in the subject of Daniel's prophecy. Then we looked at the sequence we notice that there's an outline of the way the prophecies laid out in the Scripture verse 24 is the entire scope of the prophecy, verse 25 deals with the first 69 weeks.

Verse 26 is the parentheses between the 69th in the 70th week and then the last verse as to do with the last week to talk about verse 25. The first 69 weeks. Let's read it together.

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 threescore and two weeks in the street shall be built again on the wall, even in troublous times.

We talked about the secret and the setting in the sense sequence subject to talk about the start I hope I don't run out of essence before we run out of prophecy will start of the prophecy.

Now Daniel 925 states that the starting point of the 70 weeks is the issuance of a command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. Notice what it says it says that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah. In other words, the starting point of the prophecy is when a commandment goes forth to rebuild the city notice at the end of the verse that it says the city is going to be rebuilt, including the street and the wall just a moment talk about those two words the street in the wall because they're important. The word Street there literally means the broad places it speaks of the gigantic plasma within the inside of the wall of Jerusalem. The open court place. Daniel was told that there's going to be a commandment that is issued to rebuild the city, including the great open court within the inside of the wall. The center of city life. The inside square is going to be rebuilt and then notice the last word in that verse not only the street is to be rebuilt but the wall and that word wall in the Hebrew language is very interesting. It's a word which literally means trench it very well could mean the mold that goes outside of the wall to protect the city from its enemies. If I could translate it so it would just be easy for us to understand what the angel said to Daniel, is this. He said the beginning of the 490 years that are yet ahead Jerusalem and for Israel begins when a commandment is given to rebuild the city, including the inside of the city and the outside to rebuild the whole city, so the start of the 70 weeks of Daniel can be found if we go back into history and into the Scripture and find the command that was given to restore and rebuild the city. Now you say pastor, Jeremiah, is there anything like that in the Bible well. Unfortunately for us there is not only is there one. There are four, and they all came at a different time and we need to decide which one is which and were going to do a little Bible reading so if you brought your Bible, you need to turn to the book of Ezra, the book of Ezra.

The four possible decrees that are available to us to began the 70 weeks of Daniel are all included in the book of Ezra, with the exception of the last one. The first three. I want you to turn.

First of all to Ezra chapter 1 now hang with me because we have to keep our thinking If You Don't Concentrate If You Go off Together and Will Someplace You Can to Get Lost and I Can Be Responsible for You after That.

I Want You to Stay with Me and Think Clearly about What Were Talking about.

I Remember Were Saying That This Prophecy That Were Going to Examine Begins at a Specific Time in History That Time Is the Time When a Commandment Is Given to Go Forth and Build the City of Jerusalem, Including Its inside and It's outside Now One of the Decrees That Is Used by Some Prophetic Students to Begin the 70th Week Is the Decree That Is Given to Us in Ezra 1 Verses One through 4.Read This Passage and I'm Going to Emphasize a Phrase or to Underline That Your Thinking Is Not in Your Bible. Now the First Year of Cyrus King of Persia, so That the Word of the Lord by the Mouth of Jeremiah Might Be Fulfilled, the Lord Stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, That He Made a Proclamation throughout All His Kingdom.

He Also Put It in Writing, Say the Say of Cyrus King of Persia, the Lord God of Heaven Have Given Me All the Kingdoms of the Earth Have Charge Me to Build Him an House at Jerusalem Which Is in Judah Was to Stop Right There. The Last Phrase God Has Charged Me to Build an House Which Is in Jerusalem, and the Rest of This Then Is a Decree Allowing the People of the Jewish Community to Build What the House of God. What Is That Class That's the Temple Right.

Let's Go on to Ezra Chapter 6 Verses Six through 12, Where Darius Really Confirms the Commandment That's Already Been Given Notice Verse Six Ezra Chapter 6 Verses Six through 12 Now Therefore Tap My Governor beyond the River Don't Try That One in Your Companions Who Are beyond the River, Being Far from There. Let the Work of This. What House of God Alone.

Let the Governor of the Jews and the Elders of the Jews Build This House of God in Its Place Right What Is That Commitment Had to Do with the Rebuilding of What the Temple Okay Was Going to the Third Would Chapter 7 Versus 11 through 26. This Is the First Decree of Artaxerxes. Now This Is the Copy of the Letter That King Artaxerxes Gave Him Ezra the Priest Describe Even Describe the Words the Commandments of the Lord of the Statue of Israel Artaxerxes King of Kings on Ezra the Priest, Ascribable All the God of Heaven. Perfect and so Forth.

I Make a Decree That All They of the People of Israel All His Priests and Levites in My Realm Reminded of Their Own Free Will to Go up to Jerusalem, Go with the Board As Much As Thou Art Sent by the King and by His Seven Counselors to Inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem. According to the Law by God Which Is in My Hand Carry Silver and Gold, Which the King and His Counselors Have Freely Offered unto the God of Israel, Whose Habitation Is in Jerusalem and All the Silver and Gold FIND All Problems about One for the Free Will Offering the People of the Priests Offer Willingly for What for the House of Their God Which Is in Jerusalem.

Now Go Back in Your Bibles to Daniel 9 Disorder Pl. where you are and let's ask ourselves a question Daniel chapter 9 verse 25 know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build what Jerusalem unto Messiah.

There are many who have dated the beginning of the 70 weeks of Daniel.

From these three decrees, but there's something very, very, very wrong with that. What those first decrees give permission to do the rebuild the temple and Daniel very clearly says that the 70 weeks begins from the moment in time when a king gives permission for the city to be rebuilt, including the inside Plaza and the outside walls so those can't possibly be the decrees. In fact we just throw this in for your own information. The first decree here was made in 536 BC. And if you add to that the 483 years, which are the years of the 69 weeks of Daniel. You come out at 54 BC or some 80 years away from Christ, you say what's close.

Unfortunately, God is interested in being more than close.

So not only is it wrong because it decrees the wrong thing, but it doesn't fit the prophetic record either the third, the career Artaxerxes decree. The second one was really a confirmation of the first, but Artaxerxes decree was made in 458 BC. If you have 483 years that you come out of 25 A.D. the closest thing you can find that even in most chronologies is the baptism of Jesus that was it.

When Jesus was presented as Messiah the Prince, so not only are these first three decrees not right because they don't decree the right thing, but they don't fit the structure of the prophetic word either. So were down to the last one. And with that in mind, turn the Nehemiah chapter 2 just stay with me now and I'll show you how this all fits together in just a moment. Nehemiah chapter 2 and I want you to read in your Bibles. As I read from line beginning at the first verse of chapter 2 notice. Specifically, verse one and it came to pass in the month of nice on in the 20th year of Artaxerxes the king, thank you Lord for giving us that kind of information is that's going to be important to us. It came to pass in the month.

Nice on in the 20th year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it unto the king. Now, I have not been sad in his presence. Wherefore, the king said unto me, why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick.

This is nothing else but sorrow of heart that I was very much afraid and said into the king let the king live forever. Why should not my comments be sad when the city, the city, the place of my father's sepulcher lies waste and its gates are consumed with fire. The king said unto me for what does not make a request. So I prayed to the God of heaven and I said under the king if it please the king, and if my servant a found favor in thy sight, that thou would've send me unto Judah under the city of my father's that I may build what the city became said under me and this is what I love the king's anatomy.

The queen also sitting by him I have a feeling she made run the show sort of inserted their you know, the king said underneath the queen also sitting by him. For how long shall I journey. When will thou return. So it please the king to send me and I sent him a time. Moreover I said it again if it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, but they may let me pass through till I come to Judah and the letter of the Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which is near to the house and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall enter into the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me now which of the 4° fills the prophecy that we've read obviously the decree of Artaxerxes given to us in Nehemiah chapter 2 now Dr. Abba McLean has written a very beautiful book on the 70 weeks of Daniel pointed out this way. Listen carefully what he says these decrees. He said the first three without any exception have to do with the rebuilding of the temple, not the city.

In every case the decree concerns the house of the Lord. But there is no authorization for the rebuilding of the city and it is an interesting fact.

Listen to this that the rebuilding of the temple was stopped because of accusations from Jewish enemies that the Jews were attempting without any authority also to rebuild the city so when you go back and you put these three decrees together, all of which have to do with the rebuilding of the temple. It's interesting to note that on one occasion and you can read about this in Ezra for they literally stop the building of the temple because they were accused of also building the walls of the city and everybody knew that no decree had been given to rebuild the walls of the city.

So obviously the decree had gone forth, so when we come down to the end of this, we believe the decree in the MI is the correct one. There's a direct reference to the restoration of the city. We see that in verses three and five Artaxerxes writes a letter to Asaph getting permission so that they can bring beams together to build the wall of the city and the book of Nehemiah. If you read that indicates that the last part of this prophecy of Daniel 925 is fulfilled. For the Scripture says this is going to be done in troublous times you have read Nehemiah recently. Go back and read the book and you'll discover that they literally built the walls of that city and much of the building was done with the trowel in one hand and a sword in the other because they were so persecuted and getting that job done. They had the post guards and they were inundated with attacks from without me try to infiltrate the ranks and destroy the project so the rebuilding of the walls of the city as decreed by Artaxerxes in Nehemiah chapter 2 is the starting place of Daniel's 70 weeks now. When did that happen. Glad you asked because I found that out Artaxerxes can be documented. Artaxerxes began to rain. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and for 65 BC go back to the book of Nehemiah. I told you that I have to work hard so stay with me. Nehemiah chapter 2 and let's notice what it says in Nehemiah 21 and it came to pass in the month of my stand and what year of Artaxerxes the 20th year.

This is a very firmly established fact that Artaxerxes began to rain and for 65 BC. It's now the 20th year of his reign. So you add 20 years. The 465 BC, and remember in the BC years you don't go forward to go backwards so you're down to what 445 BC got honestly tell you that the chronology that is here.

According to Sir Robert Anderson is not agreed with by everyone, and I wanted to say a word about that later.

Give deference to my friend Harold homeowner who has a different idea about where this is all going to end up but just stay with me for a few moments with you. The decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild the city which begins the 70 weeks of Daniel took place in 445 BC in the Scripture tells us what month what month was it month of my sin. I month of nice.

And now, if you take 445 BC the first day of my sin and you add 483 years to that, by the way, the first day of my sin is March 14.

According to our calendars. We don't have a nice sandbar months are not contiguous with theirs, so March 14 is the first day of my sin and you add that you come out to a date that were going to talk about in just a few moments, but I want to remind you, now they were talking about the start of the 70 weeks of Daniel and were configuring data from the day when Artaxerxes made his commanding or five BC will be lost. You don't have to. We have all kinds of notes and it's really very very fascinating. I don't take you down this road very often once in a while we need to do something like this to just challenge your own minds and and ask God to help us grab hold of this truth and learn it well enough to talk about with somebody else.

As I mentioned to you tomorrow going to talk about the resurrection of tomorrow's Friday and it's the last broadcast. We have before we celebrate Easter on the weekend so will dedicate tomorrow's teaching to the resurrection of Jesus Christ the account from the book of Luke and I hope you'll join us. Then see you next time right hereunder for more information on the go to Jeremiah's series.

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