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God�s prophecies prove His existence. The laws of probability will show the implausibility that any man could have made such predictions and actually see them come to pass. In addition, the collaborated, secular, historical accounts will bear witness to the Bible�s veracity.
Seventy Weeks of Daniel and the Mystery of the Messiah
Topic#: 00449 from WWW.GODSAIDMANSAID.COM

The answers to all of your questions have been recorded in one book.  This book is mysterious and hidden to the outsiders.  Its marvels can only be revealed to those who have the secret key.  This book is filled with the working programa of the Creator Himself.  It contains the history of our roots, explicit life-enhancing instructions, secrets of the hidden mysteries of life, plus formulas and recipes for health, wealth, purpose, fulfillment, and even eternal life itself.  This magnificent book allows its adherents to see light in the darkness and to communicate—lips to ear—to the God of all.

This book, of course, is the Holy Bible.  The secret key one must possess is not scholarship, wealth, beauty, brawn, or power, but it is contrary to all of these.  Those who attempt to enter with these keys are soundly barred.  I Corinthians 1:23-28:

23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

The secret key is given by Christ to all those who approach in simple, childlike faith.  Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-4:

3  …Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 10:13-15:

13  And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Entrance to the mysterious book of life requires the key of childlike faith.  Are you ready to cast off the scholarship, the wealth, the beauty, the brawn, the power, and enter the magnificent Kingdom of God?  Are you ready for the answers to all your questions?  Are you ready for real purpose and promise?  Do you yearn to have the weight of your sin and shame expunged from your record?  GodSaidManSaid has good news!  Today is your day.  Click onto “Further With Jesus” for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God.  NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Daniel 9:24-27:

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.

MAN SAID: The so-called prophecies of God are vague and convoluted and offer no credibility to the existence of God.

Now THE RECORD.  GodSaidManSaid employs four categories that prove the absolute inerrancy of the Word of God found in the majority-text.  One of those categories is prophecy.  

Prophecy and the laws of probability establish the supernatural authenticity of the majority text Holy Bible.  GOD SAID, prove that you are gods by telling the future.  See Isaiah 41:21-23.

God’s prophecies will prove His existence.  The laws of probability will show the implausibility that any man could have made such predictions and actually see them come to pass.  In addition, the collaborated, secular, historical accounts will bear witness to the Bible’s veracity.

In the introduction to this website, we mentioned the false theory of evolution and how proponents for it use flawed dating techniques such as Carbon-14 to add much needed credibility to their cause.  I also noted that Carbon-14 measurements have been found to be in error numerous times.  But for argument's sake, let's say that out of 10,000 measurements only one was wrong.  Many folks find their calculations of the ages of "pre-historic" items trustworthy because of such odds.  People accept their dating premise even though Carbon-14ers lack the very essence of proof, which is to have witnesses and testimonies documented in the form of collaborated, reliable, historic record.

The Bible prophecies cited in the Prophecy category of GodSaidManSaid will not only have the support of unfathomable odds that they were made by God, but we will supply the foundation of all proof: witnesses—collaborated, reliable, historic witnesses.

This feature will address the prophecy from the book of Daniel and its 70 weeks.

Imagine a mere man trying to predict the exact year the Messiah, who in Himself defies all naturalistic odds, would arrive on earth, as well as the events surrounding His arrival with startling precision.  What better sign could the unbelievers ask for?  The truth is out there for those who approach God with childlike faith and an honest heart.  Before we begin, we would just like to state that there are various theories regarding when the 70th week actually falls, but it is not our intention to discuss them in this article.  The point of this article is to display the handiwork of God in His prophecies and how the arrival of the Messiah had been so accurately predicted. 

Those familiar with Israel’s history know that during the time of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem and taken captives to Babylon.  Daniel was among those captured and consequently spent the rest of his life in Babylon.  (For more information, see “Nebuchadnezzar” and “Jeremiah – God’s Prophet Vindicated” on GodSaidManSaid.)  It was during this time in Babylon that God gave Daniel the prophecy of 70 weeks.  The famous prophecy of Daniel begins with the 70 weeks that would be determined upon the children of Israel, and the 69 weeks until the time of the Messiah.  Daniel 9:24-25:

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.

The starting point for dating this prophecy begins in verse 25 with, “… from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem...”  Remember that during the time Daniel was making this prophecy, Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed.  It was not until about 150 years later that the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and it was done “…even in troublous times.”  The command to restore Jerusalem took place during the reign of King Artaxerxes and is recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8:

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime 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. Then I was very sore afraid,

And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

According to the prophecy of Daniel, the amount of time between the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the arrival of the Messiah would be 69 weeks.  Understanding the prophetic time scale is crucial in unraveling the mystery of the 70 weeks.  The same pattern can also be found in the prophecy of Ezekiel.  Ezekiel 4:5-6:

For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

The timescale is “each day for a year.”  The 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel is split up into sections.  The arrival of the Messiah is predicted after seven weeks and three score and two weeks (7+60+2=69 weeks).  The first seven weeks were a period of 49 days, or 49 years using the prophetic time scale.  The first 49 years were apparently the time spent rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple.  The next section of the prophecy going into verse 26 states that, “And after threescore and two (62) weeks shall Messiah be cut off.”  The famed church historian James Ussher dates the 20th year of Artaxerxes (the time the commandment went forth to restore Jerusalem) at 454 BC.  Although Archbishop Ussher’s date of 454 BC was thought wrong for many years, recent excavations have unearthed Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions showing that Artaxerxes was made viceroy with his father Xerxes in the 12th year of his reign, thus proving Ussher’s date of 454 BC to be correct. 

Let us reiterate: In verse 25 of Daniel 9, we find two events and two different groups of weeks.  The first event is the command to restore Jerusalem, and from that point the prophetic weeks given to perform the task are seven (7 x 7) or 49 years.  The second event is the coming and ministry of the Messiah which is prophesied to take place 62 weeks later (62 x 7) or 434 years.  So, let’s apply the math:

454 BC is the command to restore Jerusalem.

- 49 years to rebuild, yielding a date of…

405 BC

- 434 years: the 62 weeks until Messiah is cut off, yielding a date of…      

30 AD (Note: one-year math discrepancy is due to adjusting for the Jewish calendar.)

Our current calendar system is anchored around the life of Jesus Christ, although the date originally attached to His birth was off a few years.  We are able to pinpoint the date which Jesus began His ministry with the help of John 2:20 which says that the temple was 46 years in building at that time.  Since we have historical records that the temple began being rebuilt in 17 BC under Herod, we can say with confidence that Jesus Christ began His ministry in the close time around 30 AD.  As also prophesied, He was “…cut off, but not for himself…” in order to “…make reconciliation for iniquity…” for mankind. The prophesy continues with, “…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.”

Some 40 years after the death of Jesus Christ, Titus came with his armies and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.  When the surrounding countries saw all that Titus had done, they thought to crown him but he replied saying that he was unworthy of the honor for it was not he who was the author of this work, but that he had given his hands to God, who had shown His anger against the Jews. 

When believers begin to study the prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament, they often begin to wonder how unbelieving Jews respond to all the amazing prophecies.

Although many modern Jews deny that the 70 weeks prophecy pinpoints the arrival of the Messiah, the ancient Jews told a different story.  The following is from Mark Eastman, M.D., and Chuck Missler’s book, The Creator Beyond Time and Space

However, it is well established that the ancient Jews believed that this prophecy pinpointed the time of the Messiah’s coming.  In fact, many in the Qumran community (the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls) believed that they were living in the very generation to which this prophecy pointed! (Biblical Archaeology Review, Nov/Dec 1992, p58)

In the Baylonian Talmud, compiled between AD 200-500, ancient rabbis commented on the time of the Messiah’s coming and Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy.

Regarding the times referred to in Daniel’s prophecy, Rabbi Judah, the main compiler of the talmud, said:

“These times were over long ago”

Babylonia Talmud Sanhedrin 98b and 97a

In the 12th century AD, Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides), one of the most respected rabbis in history, and a man who rejected the messianic claims of Jesus of Nazareth, said regarding Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy:

“Daniel has elucidated to us the knowledge of the end times.  However, since they are secret, the wise (rabbis) have barred the calculation of the days of Messiah’s coming so that the untutored populace will not be led astray when they see that the End Times have already come but there is no sign of the Messiah” (emphasis added).  Igeret Teiman, Chapter 3, p24.

Finally, Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi said regarding the time of Messiah’s coming:

“I have examined and searched all the Holy Scriptures and have not found the time for the coming of Messiah clearly fixed, except in the words of Gabriel to the prophet Daniel, which are written in the 9th chapter of the prophecy of Daniel”

The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical Writers, 1971.  [End of quote]

Dr. Michael Brown is a Jew who came to accept Jesus as his Savior when the truth was delivered to him.  Dr. Brown now heads a ministry that specializes in answering Jewish objections to Jesus Christ.  The following is his response to all unbelieving Jews in reference to the 70 weeks prophecy given in the book of Daniel:  

“Since Daniel 9:24-27 speaks of events that must be fulfilled before the destruction of the Second Temple (which took place in 70 AD), the question that must be asked is this: If Jesus did not fulfill Daniel 9:24, who did?  Who was it that ushered in everlasting righteousness and made atonement for iniquity before 70 AD if not Jesus the Messiah?  In reality, if he did not fulfill Daniel 9:24, then no one fulfilled it and the prophecies of Daniel cannot be trusted.”  [End of quote]

Prophecy proves the supernatural authorship of the scriptures.  The odds of this prophecy coming to pass are one in a number we are unable to articulate.  But for argument’s sake, let’s assume the chances of a man making these predictions and having them come to pass are one in five billion.  If man’s chances are one in five billion, then it follows that it was 4,999,999,999 chances out of 5,000,000,000 that it was God.  Not only do we have insurmountable probability that it was God, we have collaborated, reliable history.

Put your trust in God’s Word.  It is the only sure foundation. 

God SAID, Daniel 9:24-27:

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.

MAN SAID: The so-called prophecies of God are vague and convoluted and offer no credibility to the existence of God.

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

References:

King James Bible

Annals of the World, James Ussher

http://realmessiah.askdrbrown.org/Messianic_Objections.html

 

 

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