Previous Section: The South Shown Mercy
Despite the southern exile, from Hosea 1:7 we know they are to be shown mercy until their part is played in the reconciliation of His people by the preservation of the line of David, the tribe of Judah. Christ is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and his rule or scepter shall not depart according to Genesis 49:.
”“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.“
Genesis 49:8-12 ESV
Compare the verbiage of the ‘donkey’s colt to the choice vine’ in Genesis 49 to Zechariah 9, where we see the Messiah uniting Judah as the bow (instrument), and Ephraim the arrow (or that which is sent from the bow)
”Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.“
Zechariah 9:9-10, 12-13 ESV
We also see the verbiage of garments washed in wine (or blood of grapes) from Genesis 49 in Isaiah 63, as Christ is foretold as the savior to the House of Israel (the north):
”Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.“
Isaiah 63:1-9 ESV
And Isaiah 53, if there be any doubt that Yeshua is the Christ foretold from Genesis 49:
”He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.“
Isaiah 53:3-12 ESV
Clearly Christ is foreseen in the Law and Prophets of the OT. It is remarkable in fact, that Judaism still denies Him as Christ, given how clearly He is spoken of, and that after His death and for the next 2000 years to today, the sacrificial system ceased. If He is not the Messiah, where was the 2000 year religious stagnation prophesied in the OT? Christ is the Messiah, and we will see more evidence below:
Recall Hosea 1:7, where the north is scattered but the south is preserved by King Artaxerxes decree in 445BC (in other words, not by bow or by sword). Recall that this staggered judgement is manifested by God so that all Israel will be saved.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
Hosea 1:7 ESV
Indeed, after judgement is rendered to the southern house in the way of Babylonian conquest in 586BC, it is shown mercy and a remnant returns to rebuild the temple after a brief 70 year exile in 516BC. In 445BC, King Artaxerxes decrees the walls be rebuilt, which will become important below as we read Daniel.
Daniel is one prophet who is exiled to Babylon in 586BC, under King Nebuchadnezzar. He notes the shame of those who are near (southern tribes in exile) and those who are far (scattered, lost northern tribes). He then ponders the earlier prophecy of Jeremiah, which concerns 70 years that are to be established for Israel to atone for their sin:
1These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah 29:1,10-14 ESV
In exile, Daniel is pondering the 70 years, and God hears his supplication and sends an angel to guide him. The angel corrects Daniel, and tells him it was not 70 years, but rather 70 weeks which were determined for Israel to bring about an end to their transgression against God, and to seal up prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place:
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us [b]open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.
20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. 24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place
Daniel 9:1-3,7,13-14,17,20-24 ESV
70 years is important when considering that the temple was rebuilt after 70 years in exile from 586-516BC, but what Daniel was pondering was the restoration of God’s people, to bring an end to sins. So the angel gives Daniel a 2nd interpretation, and states that Jeremiah’s prophecy is also 70 prophetic weeks to bring an end to sin.
Now before considering more of Daniel’s vision, some background is warranted on prophetic time periods to put into context Daniel’s 70 weeks.
We will see that prophetic years are 360 solar day periods.
In other words, 1 prophetic year = 360 solar days.
To see the evidence for this, scripture defines a month as 30 days, since 5 prophetic months are described in Gen 7:11,7:24,8:4 as 150 days, and 150 days / 5 months gives us 30 days per month.
So 1 month = 30 days
Furthermore, in Rev 11:3, a ‘times, time, and half a time’ or 3.5 years, are described as comprising 1260 prophetic days whereby His two witnesses will prophesy to the world. This translates to 1260 days / 3.5 years = 360 days per year. This is confirmed in Rev 12:6, where the woman is protected from the wrath of the dragon for 1260 days, and this same period is described as a time, times and half a time in Rev 12:14. Accordingly, 1260 prophetic days / 3.5 years = 360 days per year.
This is also confirmed by months in Rev 13:5, where the beast is allowed to blaspheme God and trample the holy city for 42 months. 42 months equates to 1260 days, as well as a time, times, and half a time (3.5 years) if using 30 days per month as prescribed in Gen 7:11,24,8:4 and assuming a 12 month standard year.
So to recap, Biblically, there are 30 days per month and 12 months per prophetic year. This makes 360 days per prophetic year.
With months and years out of the way, lets discuss prophetic weeks and their respective days.
Continuing with Daniel’s vision, we see that 70 weeks have been decreed on Israel to make an end of their sinful transgressions. We know a week is a period of 7 days from creation, and we know that scripture can prescribe a day for a year.
So a week is 7 days, and a day is a year, thus, a prophetic week is also equivalent to 7 prophetic years.
We see this principle in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:5-6:
4 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.
Numbers 14:34 ESV
And again, the same principle for a day for a year in Ezekiel 4:5-6. Here Ezekiel bears the punishments for times of transgression for the north and south, equating to 390 years for the north, and 40 years for the south (determined by God). This equates to a total of 430 years (which also coincides with the time interval from Abraham to Moses where the Torah was ratified from repeated transgressions – this is cited by Paul in Galatians 3:17). As an aside, this 430 year period seems to divide into 390 + 40 in order to emphasize the importance of the 40 years that Israel wandered in the desert. The 40 years of wandering will also become important in recognizing Christ as a prophet like Moses.
5 For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year.
Ezekiel 4:5-6 ESV
So, once again, there is a day for a prophetic year.
Now to prophetic weeks, which would correspond to 7 years. In Genesis 29:27, we see a 7 year period described as a week for Jacob to marry Rachel:
27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.
Genesis 29:27 ESV
So from these verses (Gen 29:27, Num 14:34, and Ezekiel 4:5-6), it seems safe to assume that a week of days can represent a 7 year period, and therefore a 70 week period would represent 70 x 7 year periods, or 7 x 70 = 490 prophetic years.
Furthermore, from Gen 7:11, 7:24, 8:4, Rev 11:3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5, we saw that a prophetic year represents a 360 day period.
All told then, Daniel’s 70 weeks represents 490 prophetic 360 day periods, or 490×360 = 176,400 days to bring to an end Israel’s sin. In other words, 176,400 prophetic days to bring forgiveness to Israel’s sin and anoint the Messiah.
With that preliminary understanding, lets now continue with Daniel’s instruction from God’s messenger angel:
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing,…
Daniel 9:24-26 ESV
Examining verse 25, I think it is more accurately translated in the KJV:
25 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, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Daniel 9:25 KJV
So 7 weeks, threescore (or 60) weeks, and 2 weeks comes out to 7+60+2 = 69 of Daniels 70 total weeks. In other words, from the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem until Messiah the prince shall be 69 weeks.
So to see how this unfolds in prophetic years (from our previous discussion above): These 69 weeks equate to 69 weeks x 7yrs/week = 483 prophetic years.
So when do these 483 prophetic years begin?
Again, according to Dan 9:25, we must determine when the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given, specifically the streets and walls in troubled times. This decree would then begin the countdown to Messiah the Prince to bring to an end the transgression of sins (via forgiveness of sin).
During the exile of the House of Judah to Babylon, Babylon is conquered by Medo-Persia in 540BC. 2 years later, in 538BC, King Cyrus of Medo-Persia grants a decree to the southern Israelites (having been exiled just 48 years prior in 586BC), to go and rebuild the Jerusalem/Temple. This decree is largely unfulfilled until it was later found and ratified by King Darius near 520-515BC, roughly 66-71yrs later. But at this time, the temple is the only real structure completed. We know at least until this time, the walls had not been built. In Zechariah, (written likely around 520-518BC) we read:
4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Zechariah 2:4-5 ESV
So the specific decree to rebuild the walls and streets seems to have come after 518BC. Though ratified, the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is largely unfulfilled through King Darius. King Darius is then succeeded by King Xerxes, who is then succeeded by King Artaxerxes in 465BCE after King Xerxes was killed. We see that it is under King Artaxerxes reign that we finally see the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls fulfilled (from Dan 9:25).
We read of this fulfillment under King Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2:1-8:
1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, 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 of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah 2:1,5,8 ESV
The 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign in the month of Nissan would correspond to 445BCE, in the April passover timeframe.
So passover 445BC starts the 483 prophetic year countdown to Messiah the Prince. We know that this 483 year period will culminate in the identification of Messiah the Prince, and that he will be cutoff at its conclusion. We know that we need the full 70 weeks in order for Israel to bring about an end to their transgression against God (forgive sin), to seal up prophecy (bring in Messiah ultimate rule), and to anoint the most holy place (God’s temple, the body).
Recall again the verse:
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing,…
Daniel 9:24-26 ESV
From the verse, we know the countdown to Messiah occurs in troubled times for Israel, and that Messiah will then be cut off after 69 weeks of years.
“Troubled Times” – From Daniel 9:25, these years occur in troubled times for Jerusalem, such that they will not have a form of sovereignty. They are to be under the rule of other kingdoms, which to this point in Daniel, includes Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. Following Medo-Persia’s reign, during these next 483 troubled years, Israel remains under the rule of foreign Kingdoms. We see that after Daniel’s time, Greece conquers Medo-Persia, and Rome conquers Greece.
“Cut Off” – We also see in the first part of Daniel 9:26 that after this 483 prophetic year period, the Messiah will be cut off. If we recall the verse, “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing…” (Daniel 9:26 ESV). The word, after, is אַחַר ʼachar, akh-ar’; from H309; properly, the hind part. In other words, at the hind part of the 483 years, or during that final 483rd year, the Messiah is cut off.
We also know the countdown begins with the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem with a plaza and moat, or in other translations (such as the NKJV), the street and walls. From the above discussion, we saw that this decree for Jerusalem occurred at Passover, 445BCE. So, from this date forward, we begin our countdown within troubled times until Messiah the prince is both identified and subsequently cutoff. So how many solar years are represented by these 483 prophetic years?
Prophetic Years —> Solar Years:. From our previous discussion, we know that a prophetic year is a 360 day period, so we must convert this to solar years. When we do so, we see that 483 prophetic years equate to 476 solar years, such that 360 x 483 / 365.25 = 476 solar years. If our start point is Nissan (April) 445BC, then our end point is 476 solar years – 445BC = 31AD. But since the first day of 31AD would coincide with the completion of the 69th week, and potentially begin the next time period, the Messiah would have to have been cutoff prior to this point (Nissan, 31AD). Since the Jewish new year is in Nissan, this period would correspond to the tail end of 30AD to be within the tail end of the 69th week (in other words, within the 483rd year). So passover 31AD would represent the first passover of the new era, after Christ was crucified and resurrected within the previous year. In other words, Christ would have to have been crucified just prior to Nissan 31AD, within the tail end of 30AD. We see that Christ is crucified in the hind part of the 483 prophetic years, just prior to Passover:
We read in each of the gospels:
“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate”
Matthew 27:61-62 ESV
“And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
Mark 15:42-43 ESV
“Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.”
Luke 23:53-54 ESV
“Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,”
John 19:14-16 ESV
So Jesus is crucified and dies on Friday (preparation day before passover). He is laid to rest in the tomb before passover begins in order to align with no work being done on the sabbath (Saturday). He then rises on the 3rd day, Sunday. So He is cutoff in the hind part of 30AD. The 30AD timeframe (the hind part of the 483 prophetic years of Daniel) has a number of interesting confirmations. Not all can be described here, but we see historical confirmations of this date through Rabbinical teachers and various oddities recorded from the Temple period after 30AD. In addition, from 30AD-70AD, we have another symbolic 40 year period of wandering (lost Israel) in accordance with Ezekiel 4:5-6. Within this wandering period we have a Jewish rejection of Christ as savior and a rejection of His message that the temple was now spiritual. Subsequently, the Jewish Temple is completely destroyed in 70AD (or 40 years after Christ).
Interesting historical confirmations of a 40 year ‘spiritual wandering’ for the Jews from 30AD-70AD are described as follows:
1. The casting of lots for the atoning goat at Yom Kippur always came up black, in the left hand,
2. The temple doors of the temple always swung open at night
3. The Menorah always blew out at night
4. Scarlet thread over the door, which turned white if the atoning sacrifice was acceptable to God, always stayed red
References:
A. Jacob Neusner, the Yerushalami, p156-157,
B. Talmud Soncino version, Yoma 39b,
C. The significance of the year 30CE Ernest Martin Research Update, Apr 94’ p4,
D. Zech 2:1, Yoma 6:3 33b
E. Bavli Rosh Hashanah p31b.
Much scholarship has been devoted to the date/time of Christ’s crucifixion, and in the end, we cannot know things to 100% certainty. But scripture does seem to align with the 30AD period for Christ’s death. The events at the temple from 30-70AD add some credence to this date. If accepting Christ as fulfillment of Daniels 7 and 62 weeks (69 weeks), we are still left with 1 week, or a single 7 year period in which to bring Daniels 70 weeks to a close. Messiah was identified and cut off at 69 weeks, but there will be an end to Israel’s sin by the 70th week.
If we continue on with Daniel 9, we read that this 70th week may not directly follow after the 69th. We read that a people of a particular ruler will come and destroy the city and the temple, and that it will occur quickly. Furthermore, following this destruction of the temple/city, various wars, desolations (or falling aways), are determined until the end of sin (or the final 70th week). We continue on where we left of in verse 26:
…And the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
Daniel 9:26 ESV
Aftermath: After the crucifixion of Christ in 30AD and a subsequent 40 year wandering period, Rome destroys Jerusalem with a flood of troops in 70AD. The House of Judah is left desolate without a sovereign identify for almost 1900 years afterward. It is also important to note that the prince to come is NOT messiah the prince. These are separate people. The prince to come destroys the city and sanctuary, bringing destruction with a flood, wars, and desolations. Messiah the prince is anointed and cutoff in order bring about an atonement for sins.
After Messiah the prince is cutoff, and the people of the prince to come destroy the city, the prince to come (anti-christ figure) forms a bond with his people which allows them to commit certain abominations. This occurs for 3.5yrs, and after 3.5 years of doing so, any last remaining resistance to his rule will cease, as well as the desire for forgiveness of sin. This sacrificial cessation occurs for the remaining 3.5 years until the end, where this ruler and his followers are completely destroyed (by Messiah the Prince):
27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
Daniel 9-27 NASB1995
At the conclusion of Daniel’s 70th week, Israel is cleansed of all evil-doers and is made pure in the eyes of God. They have atoned for their sins and have finished the transgression. The staggered judgements have ceased, and an everlasting righteousness is brought in. Prophecy is sealed up, and the most holy place is anointed.
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