Daniel's Prophecy of Seventy Weeks

DANIEL’S PROPHECY OF SEVENTY WEEKS

Daniel 9:24-27 KJV  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.

A specific interpretation of Daniel’s 70 weeks is an important linchpin for the pre-tribulation rapture crowd. They even consider it to be the most important prophecy in the Bible, particularly for their doctrine. The Scofield-deluded, dispensational, pre-tribulation interpreters generally devise a way to have the crucifixion of Jesus as the end of the 69^th week with the 70^th week transform into a future tribulation era that is usually correlated to the revelation. Since most commentators have a different concept of the correlation of the 70^th week to the revelation, there are various understandings and interpretations of John’s book.

For the record, it is my opinion, based on the work of Dr. Steven Jones, that Jesus was born in 2 BC and was crucified on April 3, 33 A.D. the 69^th week ended in April 26 AD with the Sabbath year beginning a few months later in September. The crucifixion of Jesus was also the preparation day for Passover where the sacrificial lambs were killed. This would also include Jesus who was the sacrificial lamb for everyone who has ever lived on planet Earth. The 70^th week of Daniel spans from April 26 to April 33 A.D. as a point of reference Sabbath years actually began in September for those years.

Putting the revelation argument aside for a moment let’s look at the interpretations of Daniel’s 70 weeks. I have read several interpretations but not all of them. Most of them have different and varied dates for the birth and crucifixion of Jesus. Likewise these commentators give several starting dates to begin the 70 weeks.

Gabriel told Daniel the start of the 70 weeks would be a decree or permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.  The original Cyrus decree was issued in 534 BC which was 566 years before 33 AD which would have been 76 years to early. Almost a century ago some Bible scholars formed a theory claiming that Cyrus actually lived in the 450’s BC rather than the 530’s. Their supposed proof postulated that some of the kings in the Persian king list were actually the same king going by different names or titles therefore moving history forward almost 80 years. However, a recent archaeological discovery with complete names of all the Persian kings has proven their theory to be false and that Cyrus actually lived during the 530’s BC and his first decree was issued in 534 BC.

However, there was a 2^nd decree issued 76 years later than the decree of Cyrus and this is the actual decree that begins the 70 weeks or 490 years. This was issued by Artaxerxes in 458 BC and this date is precisely 490 years prior to 33 A.D. which can be verified in the book of Ezra 7:11-13.

Ezra 7:6-7 KJV  This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.  (7)  And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

Ezra 7:11-13 KJV  Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.  (12)  Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.  (13)  I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

Two Kings Named Cyrus

Xerxes died in 465 BC in the first year of his successor Artaxerxes was the year 464 BC. Josephus tells us in his writings that Artaxerxes had another name. This name was Cyrus but the Greeks called him Artaxerxes. This dual name could be prophetic. The original Cyrus issued the first decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and build the second Temple. 76 years later Artaxerxes basically did the same thing. This may be the reason past historians consider them to be the same person.

Other Aspects

Since the pre-tribulation rapture group insists that the 70^th week is a future occurrence during which the events of the revelation are fulfilled, they also insist that their preconceived interpretations of the revelation are revealed in the 70 week prophecy. Daniel 9:26 which speaks about ”the people of the prince that shall come” is transform into the so-called antichrist or beast who is not a future event but is the papacy of the Roman church.

Daniel 9:27 speaks of the covenant being confirmed for one week. In the middle of the week He i.e. God will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to stop. This did not actually happen in the temple in Jerusalem but was a decree issued by God. This was the date that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and was named the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world.  At that point, from God’s perspective, sacrifices were no longer necessary because the New Covenant had been instituted.

Judah had failed to enact 70 rest years which is the reason God sent them into captivity for 70 consecutive years. This can be seen in 2 Chronicles 36:20-21.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 KJV  And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:  (21)  To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

This judgment was specified in Leviticus 26:34-35 where God said he would exile them from the land for the sin of not respecting the sabbatical years.  During the period of “threescore and two years” (62 years) as written in Daniel 9:26, Judah kept the majority of the rest years but never even one Jubilee was honored, which meant their debt to the law of God continued to add up. It has been said that God’s solution for this particular issue (and many others) was to send the Messiah to pay the debt by sacrificing his own blood at the end of the final week.  Jesus was sent as the mediator of the new covenant.  One of the missions of Jesus, as the Messiah, was to teach mankind how to enter into God’s Jubilee rest.  The coming Millennium will be the seventh “thousand year era” of creation and will be God’s Jubilee rest.

A reading the KJV version of Daniel 9:26 appears to indicate the Messiah would arrive after 69 years, Jerusalem would then be destroyed seven years later with the Messiah being killed as well. An army of the prince would destroy the temple and the city and the Messiah would be left with nothing at all. It is possible Daniel could have understood the prophecy in this manner, but history paints a different picture in the above description did not happen.

Daniel 9:26 KJV 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

Daniel 9:26 Brenton Septuagint  And after the sixty-two weeks, the anointed one shall be destroyed, and there is no judgment in him: and he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the prince that is coming: they shall be cut off with a flood, and to the end of the war which is rapidly completed he shall appoint the city to desolations.

The Septuagint translation gives a slightly different version than the KJV. The “anointed one shall be destroyed” rather than “Messiah shall be cut off” ending with “there is no judgment in him” versus “but not for himself”.  In other words, the Septuagint understands this to mean that the coming Messiah would be mistreated and judged falsely, which we know to be true.

The Septuagint translation also makes Daniel 9:27 much clearer and understandable.  The KJV appears to make the Messiah responsible for the stopping of the sacrifice and the oblation along with the overspreading of abominations and making a desolation. The Septuagint simply says the sacrifice and drink offering will be taken away and the temple itself will be made desolate.  To be desolate needs to be deserted or absent of something. It can also mean to be astonished, appalled, astounded, or awestruck. Many people indeed were astonished at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

Daniel 9:27 KJV  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 9:27 Brenton Septuagint  And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation.

The “many” does not refer to a handful or even a large group of people but is to be contrasted with “the one person” or one individual. In Romans 5:16-18, Paul shows that one man’s sin (Adam) affected the many and one Man’s righteous act (Jesus) also affected the many. Therefore the many is everyone except the one.

The flood is not a literal flood but a metaphor as in Proverbs 27:4.  It is similar to saying Jerusalem was conquered by a flood of soldiers.

Proverbs 27:4 NLT  Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous.

Figs and the Church

FIGS AND THE CHURCH

Jeremiah 24:1-10 KJV  The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

  

(2)  One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.  (3)  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.  (4)  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

(5)  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.  (6)  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  (7)  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.  

(8)  And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:  (9)  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.  (10)  And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

Good Figs and Bad Figs

The above Jeremiah 24 prophecy is about the Jews of southern Judah consisting of two types of figs.  The good, God fearing figs and the evil, idolatrous figs would both be taken captive to Babylon and after 70 years some of both groups would be return back to their home country.  All Jews were allowed to return but many of the evil figs stayed in Babylon due to the lifestyle, where some wrote and developed the Babylonian Talmud (some think they created the book of Esther as well). 

After returning from Babylon the Jews were still under the control of the Persians, afterwards the Greeks, and finally under Roman rule. Between the Greeks and the Romans they had 100 years of relative freedom before the Romans moved in. This 100 years was the time of the Maccabees where the Edomites were conquered and became as one with the Jews. The modern nation of Israel now has to deal with prophetic fulfillment concerning the Jewish bad figs and the Edomites.  [NOTE: Isaac prophesied to Esau that the promise Jacob stole by trickery would be returned to him for a time.  This occurred when the land of Palestine was given to the Jews/Edomites/Khazarians by Great Britain at the end of WWI as requested by the Balfour Declaration.]

During the earth days of Jesus the good figs and the bad figs were easily discernible.  The good figs followed Jesus and the kingdom of God (some have suggested these early followers were Benjamites), the bad  figs were all those people opposed to the gospel of Jesus which included the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the lawyers.  The trunk of the fig tree was and always will be Jesus Christ. The first branches of the tree were the good figs. Later, the disciples and other Jewish believers were scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to the persecution of the bad figs and many non-Jews were added to the Church.

Other Types of Fruit

As other ethnic groups were added to the Christian church, other types of branches were necessarily grafted onto the fig tree. These other groups or branches could be called apples, pears, peaches, or some other fruit but they were always grafted onto the Jewish trunk of the fig tree i.e. which is Jesus and the original group of believers. This concept can be visualized in Revelation 22:2 where the “Tree of Life” which is Jesus contains twelve various types of fruit.

Revelation 22:2 KJV  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Replacement Theology

The classic concept of replacement theology as traditionally taught in the Roman church is basically wrong. The idea of a Gentile church replacing Israel is also wrong and not biblically accurate. The supposed opponents of replacement theology advocate Messianic Judaism, which is grafting new fruit branches onto a dead, dried up fig tree.

The followers of Jesus were the original fig tree producing good fruits and following the king of Judah whereby they retained the privilege to be called by the tribal name of Judah and are therefore true Jews.  No nation is all good or all bad. In the case of Judah, God intended a divine separation into two distinct fig trees because God intended to treat them differently.  The dominion mandate, awarded to Jesus, was to go to those who produced good fruit and conversely, those who produced bad fruit were to be disinherited.  Jesus was born of a genuine Judah mother as can be seen in the genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3.  Not only did Jesus produce good fruit but he was the tree itself. To him were attached various branches which also produced good fruit. 

The above concept can be validated by a parable found John 15:1-6. The fig tree motif has been replaced by a vine and its branches but the concept remains the same.  As in the trunk of the fig tree, Jesus compares Himself to a vine with branches that bear fruit. If the branch does not bear fruit, it is taken away from the vine where it dries up and then is burned in the fire. It should be noted the fire is the righteous judgment of God and not an actual hell fire.

John 15:1-6 KJV  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that bears not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  (4)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (5)  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Only by being a branch of the vine or the fig tree can one produce the fruit of the kingdom. Those not producing fruit will be cut off where they will dry up as did the fig tree cursed by Jesus that became withered and dry as the disciples watched.

Matthew 21:19-20 KJV  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.  (20)  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

The original Jewish fig tree Church is now the modern day Church with various branches producing different types of fruit. The Jewish Church was not completely replaced with a Gentile Church. The bad fig branches were simply cut off and the good fig branches of Judah carried the banner of the Judah Church by following Jesus the King of Judah. The promises given to Abraham were never transferred from one group of people to another. The Abrahamic promises merely continued through the unbroken line of the good fig tree of Judah.

Matthew 7:17-20 NET  In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  (18)  A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit.  (19)  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  (20)  So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

Replacement theology may teach that the fig tree was rooted out and replaced by some other type of fruit tree but this concept is completely in error. There were originally two fig trees as prophesied by Jeremiah, one good and one evil. The evil fig tree was rooted out dried up and thrown to the fire. The good fig tree continued to carry on the kingdom of God upon the earth. There was no replacement because the good fig tree was always present.

Only the Trunk is Jewish

Some make the claim that the Church is strictly a Jewish church and that non-Jewish Christian believers are to reunite with Jews who are still cut off from Christ. The bad fig tree of Jewish nonbelievers and others is not God’s chosen people or nation.  Again, the Church has a Jewish trunk but many different branches producing different types of fruit. The gospel of Jesus and the kingdom of God is available to every person on the face of the earth including Jewish people who are currently residing on the bad fig tree.

The bad fig tree will never produce good fruit due to the nature of the curse of Jesus. The only solution for the branches of the bad fig tree is to be cut off from that tree and be grafted onto the good fig tree which is the only tree that gives true life.

A Jew who refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah is not a partaker of the dominion mandate that was given to Judah nor is he a member of the tribe of Judah in the sight of God. After the ascension of Jesus there were many Jews considered to be the natural branches of the fig tree. However, they were cut off from the kingdom of God fig tree whose trunk was Jesus Christ until they repented and put their trust and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

The Church with Jesus as the trunk of the tree was and is the inheritor of the dominion mandate given to Judah and empowered by Jesus of the tribe of Judah. Rather than becoming a Gentile Church it was a Judah Church through Jesus as King of Judah and will always be a Judah Church due to its foundation or trunk.  As the new believers spread throughout the Roman Empire the numerous converts sometimes referred to as Gentiles were grafted as branches into the Judah fig tree. The fig tree based church soon had many different types of fruit from many nations and ethnicities. It soon became noticeable that the various fruits greatly outnumbered the original figs, however it was still a Judah Church because the trunk of the tree was and is the King of Judah named Jesus.

God did not plant a new tree and call it by some other name such as the Gentile Church but took the fig tree of Jesus Christ and grafted many other branches of various types of fruit. Those who reject Jesus are part of the corrupt fig tree which lost its legal status as the tribe of Judah when they rejected the Messiah and usurped His throne. Even Jewish Christians do not have the authority to rule over others because figs are no better than apples or other fruit.

Romans 2:28-29 NET  For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh,  (29)  but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person's praise is not from people but from God.

Immigration & Abortion

IMMIGRATION AND ABORTION

This post will generally be a personal one due to its opinionated content.

Two Groups

There appear to be two opposing groups in the United States today, those opposing the influx of immigrants and those welcoming illegal aliens and immigrants. The group opposing immigrants also appear to be the group that are antiabortion. The group welcoming a flood of immigrants appear to be a group that are pro-abortion. The relationship of these two groups and their characteristics appear to be a mystery.

It should seem odd that a group welcoming immigrants would believe that fetuses are nonhuman and have no right to exist if the mother does not want them. Their argument is that the fetus would be a hindrance to the pregnant woman and the future of her lifestyle.  Therefore she should have the right to abort the unborn child if it would create undue stress and unnecessary complexity in her future lifestyle.

The pro-life group also appears to be the same group who believe that immigrants should stay at their own home and not be allowed in this country. They also believe that fetuses are in fact human beings and should be allowed to live without the use of abortion regardless of the wishes and needs of the mother.

The thinking of the abortion group that immigrants should be welcomed with open arms and that fetuses should be killed if so desired is a perplexing concept. Why would a group welcome Mexicans and Muslims and not consider an unborn baby as a person with the right to life. There must be a spiritual issue somewhere.  The major problem concerning unborn babies is definitely a spiritual problem. Both Israel and Judah were cursed by God for offering babies to be sacrificed to various false gods.  The majority of the women seeking an abortion are not married, do not plan to be married, could be feminists, and apparently believe that sex is a personal recreational pleasure and that pregnancy is an unfortunate side effect.  Little do they understand that God created men and women to be a united family and have children.

Snowflakes

Many of the young people on both the East and West Coasts attend college by borrowing money. The majority of their chosen majors are void of job offers when they graduate. Most of them are forced to live at home with no job and with no intention of getting a job since the only opportunities include cooking hamburgers. The youth merely become another group of people seeking a government handout. Life should be relatively okay for them until the parents die or become sick or disabled. In the meantime they are living off of their parent’s money, engaging in recreational sex, with the hope that the government pays for their abortion when necessary. Many of them were attuned to Bernie Sander’s communist rhetoric during the past election. Like many on government welfare they desire that people with money should share it, forcefully or otherwise, with those who refuse to work.

Muslim Invasion

During the first century, until the advent of the Rothschild’s, most of Europe, the Roman Church, and the Eastern Church were invaded by several groups including the Mongols and two invasions by the Muslims. Each invasion as identified in the Revelation was to punish the church for its idolatry, pagan practices, and unlawful, un-biblical concepts. Each time the Revelation states that the people did not repent i.e. the majority of the Church. Is it possible the current Muslim invasion who are identified as immigrants could be for the same purpose? There is no repentance among the un-biblical and unlawful abortionists. Rather than having a fear of the Muslim immigrants they welcome them with open arms with the claim these are innocent people needing a safe home but unborn babies are not considered innocent people.

Whether or not the pro-life people have a spiritual problem with their views is unsure at the moment. It may be they are more concerned with a correct family type lifestyle without the crime and issues of jobless people on welfare and free medical services`. This group of abortionists and immigrant “welcomers” is predominantly of the Democratic Party. They continue to maintain that Hillary Clinton was cheated out of the presidency.  The governmental group of Democratic politicians is largely responsible for the many wars and battles in the Middle East that have created the emigrant problem. A halt to the Middle East wars with funds spent to rebuild their infrastructure would lessen or mitigate the problem of the immigration struggle.

Another group responsible for the emigrant wave is the corporations and the tech industry. American schools have been so purposely dumbed down over the years that college graduates are no longer capable of technological work. Therefore, they must import technicians from India, China, and elsewhere to perform the tech work if it is not farmed out to another country. The same criteria would apply to many Corporation jobs.

Destruction of Mystery Babylon

As noted in previous posts, it is my belief that God is currently decimating the mystery Babylon system. There are still a few prophecies that need to be fulfilled prior to the start of the millennium, such as the highly probable destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus and his overcoming saints will rule from the New Jerusalem rather than the current city. The process of deconstructing mystery Babylon and changing the attitudes of many people worldwide will take a certain amount of time. Contrary to popular belief the world will not be changed with supernatural magic although possible.  However, the necessary changes will occur through what appears to be normal human actions which are directed by God to instill the kingdom of God.  These actions may include some that are quite drastic but always remember that God is in total control.

Thoughts on Trump

It is unsure if Donald Trump is part of this plan, although it has been said by some that Donald Trump has been anointed by God similar to the anointing of Cyrus to replace the original Babylonian kingdom. So far he seems to be impervious to the schemes and intrigues to defeat him, with the exception of the judge who recently halted his executive order immigration ban. Only time will tell if this is truly a defeat or if it will lead to something even more spectacular.

Trump appears to be increasing American jobs and industry.  He also seems to be cutting costs and saving government money.  A recent article claimed that “pizza-gate” is real and is currently being investigated by the FBI and soon many prominent government people will be arrested.  The article claimed that the holdup is having Sessions appointed as Attorney General for the arrests to be made.