Articles
1 A future Feast of Trumpets will initiate the future 70th Week.
2. Sir Robert Anderson, -a tribute.
4 Biblical Time
5 Lunar Data --> Hebrew Calendar
5 The Tree Edicts and Timelines
6 445 B.C -The Edict of Nehemiah
7. NASA Moon Phase Tables
8 Lunar Cycles and 70 Weeks
9 A Future 70th Week
10 Chart of Future 70th Week
11 Metonic Cycles and Future 70th Week
12 32 A.D. was the Passion Year
PowerPoint
3 Biblical Time
4 Calculating the 69 Weeks
5 The Tree Edicts and Timelines
6 445 B.C -The Edict of Nehemiah
7. NASA Moon Phase Tables
8 70 Weeks and Jubilee Cycles
10A 360 Day Prophetic Years
10B 360 Day Years vs. Solar Years
Wise Men from the East
Of all the mysteries in scripture few have attracted the interest of Bible scholars more than the prophecy known as the 70 Weeks of Daniel. These prophecies were revered and studied even back in Daniel's own lifetime in the 6th century B.C. Daniel served in the imperial courts of first the Babylonian and then the Medo-Persian world empires.
We have all heard of the wise men from the east who came in search of the Christ child. It is highly likely that the Magi, a number of rulers and wise men from the east with access to information from the Persian courts knew of Daniel's prophecy.
From the portion of scripture we see below the wise men had all the information they needed. Their calculations would have been based on the 70 weeks prophecy given in Daniel 9:20-27. They knew the very month in which Messiah was to appear. The knew that the promised Messiah of Israel would make His appearance under the springtime equinoctial Nisan moon of a certain future year.
This would have been the year we know on our Gregorian calendar as 32 A.D. The wise men would have known that the Messiah of Israel would make His appearance in the spring season of that particular upcoming year. So backtracking about 30-35 years they had a rough idea as to when the Christ child would be born. They had done their homework. They had done the best that they could with the information they had. Then they took to wondering, and praying, and watching.
Would that Christians today could be as diligent in the Holy Scriptures as these wise men were! The seventy weeks prophecy is sitting there ready to provide us valuable information as we approach the thresholds of this age. But are we looking into these matters? Are we interested? Or do we just want to find "success" and "prosperity" in a material world and pursue my "best life now"?
As the time of the incarnation approached the wise men began to wonder. Was something of great significance happening or about to happen over in Israel. The birth of this promised King of the Jews was now due. They studied the scrolls of the Hebrew prophets looking for additional clues. They listened for information coming out of Israel. And they looked to the heavens for a sign.
God honored their faith and their diligence in the scriptures. He also honored their calculations in this pivotal prophecy which laid out the details regarding the first 69 weeks of the 70 weeks of Daniel. The God of Israel showed that His grace extended out as a 'Light to the nations'. He honored the longing of these wise men from outside Israel and fulfilled their desire to see in person the promised Messiah of Israel. So as the time of Christ's birth drew near the wise men were given that sign.
Way back in the time of the wilderness wanderings of the children of Israel, the prophet, (and shyster), Balaam had provided a valuable clue. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, (and not his own carnal nature), Balaam had prophesied concerning the coming of the Messiah of Israel. And in this prophecy he had spoken of a star.
17. I shall see him, but not now:
I shall behold him, but not nigh:
there shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite the corners of Moab,
and destroy all the children of Sheth.
So as the time of the incarnation approached the wise men were out there watching. And when the star of wonder appeared in the heavens they saw it. Following the star they were led to Jerusalem and then onward to where they found the Christ Child.
Here was a case in which study in the scriptures gave specific information. God then went on to give the faithful seekers a sign. The wise men responded with specific action. This in turn led on to a grand adventure, and to events of great, even Biblical, significance. And when they came into the land of Israel the wise men found the One whom they were seeking.
Daniel's Seventy Weeks Prophecy, holy, set-apart time God has "determined", or "cut out of time" for blood covenant dealings with His Holy People and His Holy City.
The implications of this study of the 70 Weeks of Daniel is enormous. It is by far the most important end time prophecy in all of scripture bar none. We may well be the generation that sees the the awesome dramas that will come at the consummation of the age. The 70 Weeks prophecy helps us to connect the dots to give us an accurate timeline for those critical events. Because when that blockbuster future covenant of Dan. 9:27 is signed everything will change overnight. When that epic day arrives and the flags we now live under come down God will be returning to His earthly arena in earnest. He will be resuming His determined dealings with both1. His Holy people, and2. His Holy City Jerusalem.
Let us begin by looking at our scripture passage from Daniel chapter 9.
Daniel 9
(20) And 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 for the holy mountain of my God; (21) Yea, while 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,
- 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 troubled 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.
(25) "So you are to know and discern 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, 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.
(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."
THE 70 WEEKS PROPHECY: 69 WEEKS (SEVENS) TO THE FIRST COMING OF MESSIAH FOLLOWED BY A LARGE GAP THEN A FINAL 70TH WEEK (OF SEVEN YEARS). THIS LEADS UP TO THE SECOND COMING OF MESSIAH. THESE TWO TIME SEGMENTS TERMINATE WITH THE TWO COMINGS OF MESSIAH.
The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel is not really all that complicated. The time line has two parts. The first segment is a period of 7 plus 62 weeks or 69 "weeks" (or in the Hebrew, "sevens"), of years. Since this is a prophecy from the throne of God the time is dispensed to us in terms of of a perfect solar system and the holy/biblical years are made up of precisely 360.0000000 days.
This is also where we get the 360 degrees in a circle with 12 segments each made up of 30 degrees. In holy time we also see that each 360 day year is made up of 12 months of 30 days. This is the holy, Biblical, prophetic year as issued from the throne of God in the mathematical perfection of time.
This is an exceedingly important issue for the correct interpretation of the 70-weeks prophecy. It was not until the coming of the evangelicals that this fact was re-discovered. The Hebrew saints of old as well as the wise men of Persia probably knew about these things. In many ways, especially in the realm of Bible prophecy the Church has not been fully reformed. It is certainly not reformed to Biblical standards. It seems that in many ways the Church is still emerging from the Dark Ages.
So the first segment of the 70 weeks are 69 weeks (or heptads). These are 69 "sevens" of biblical years. That 69 week timespan = 69 X 7 = 483 biblical years, and 483 x 360 = 173,880 days. This is the all important timespan. This work was formally presented for the first time by Scotland Yard inspector Sir Robert Anderson back in the late 19th century. As we shall discuss in article 3, the 173,880 days began with the Edict of Artaxerxes given to Nehemiah very early in the month of Nisan in 445 B.C. This was the edict that allowed the restoration of Jerusalem, its walls and its gates of politics and commerce to allow it to function as a self-sustaining city-state.
PALM SUNDAY IS A UNIQUE DAY MARKING THE POLITICAL EMERGENCE OF MESSIAH. IT WAS THE ONLY DAY IN WHICH JESUS PRESENTED HIMSELF IN A POLITICAL WAY AS "MESSIAH THE PRINCE". ONLY THIS DAY, PALM SUNDAY,OF 32 A.D. MEETS THE CRITERION FOR THE TERMINUS OF THE 69 WEEKS.
The 69 weeks ended on Palm Sunday, the day which saw the first coming of Christ as "Messiah the Prince" enter into His Holy city. Let us pause to take in the politics here because the scriptural record will show that Palm Sunday was the only day in which Jesus made any political statement or performed any political act whatsoever. Let us make no mistake here. On that particular day, (and only only on that day), Jesus presented Himself before His covenant people as their Messiah, but on this occasion He did not establish His Kingdom, the Millennial Kingdom of Messiah. That would come 2,000 odd years later.
Palm Sunday would showcase Messiah's coming in His priestly role. Remember Messiah will rule and minister in the Order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) Melchizedek was Priest of God Most High and King of Salem, (or King of Salem/Shalom). So Messiah rules and ministers in the two authorities we see in the Order of Melchizedek. He has a priestly role as our Sacrifice Lamb and also our High Priest. He also has a future political or kingdom role role related to Jerusalem. Then there is His international global rule as Judge of the nations and future King of Kings. This latter office is the direct cause of the rebellious raging of nations. This balking by sinful men against the Throne of David and the coming rule of Messiah is the quintessential basis for all Anti-Semitism.
So two millennia ago holy history was made and Palm Sunday saw the terminus of the 69 weeks. "Messiah the prince" came in His priestly role. He came unto His own as the Suffering Servant. The prophet Isaiah wrote about this. (Isa.53) So did the psalmist King David. (Ps.22) As the Suffering Servant He came into Jerusalem, riding a donkey. It was Palm Sunday, Nisan 10, April 9th of 32 A.D.. The Pharisees should have known about this date. They did not do their homework, it seems. But then again, perhaps they did do the math and then didn't want to face the conclusion from their own calculations. Perhaps Nicodemus did. What a spooky experience it must have been for the people who knew. The 69 weeks/173,880 days had just run their course, and there was their Messiah coming through the eastern Gate. He was riding on a donkey precisely as the prophets had declared. And He was right on time!
This superb accuracy is not new data. The work was first done by Scotland Yard Inspector Sir Robert Anderson. He wrote the book, "The Coming Prince" back in the late 19th Century, and he will be assisting us with a few valuable clues in the next article investigating of the 70 Weeks of Daniel.
