21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 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. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (Daniel 9:21-27).
All prophecy is amazing but this one in Daniel may be the most amazing. And while as I said yesterday the purpose of prophecy is not to generally set dates, this particular prophecy is very specific in terms of timing. The coming of the Messiah is predicted nearly 500 years before Christ was to walk on the earth. In prophetic terms 490 years (In Hebrew prophecy a week is 7 years) is set for God’s people. Messiah is to come and be ‘cut off’ 69 weeks or 483 years after the order is given to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This timing is consistent with the timing of the coming of Christ and predicts His death on our behalf as well as the subsequent fall of Jerusalem(Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.). There is one week (7 years) that remains apparently unfulfilled (although some would argue that this last week was fulfilled during Christ’s earthly ministry). Regardless, the prophetic timetable concerning the consummation of all things continues to move toward ultimate fulfillment.
All prophecy is amazing but this one in Daniel may be the most amazing. And while as I said yesterday the purpose of prophecy is not to generally set dates, this particular prophecy is very specific in terms of timing. The coming of the Messiah is predicted nearly 500 years before Christ was to walk on the earth. In prophetic terms 490 years (In Hebrew prophecy a week is 7 years) is set for God’s people. Messiah is to come and be ‘cut off’ 69 weeks or 483 years after the order is given to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This timing is consistent with the timing of the coming of Christ and predicts His death on our behalf as well as the subsequent fall of Jerusalem(Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.). There is one week (7 years) that remains apparently unfulfilled (although some would argue that this last week was fulfilled during Christ’s earthly ministry). Regardless, the prophetic timetable concerning the consummation of all things continues to move toward ultimate fulfillment.
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