Daniel Case

In this context of the passage is where Daniel considers the prophecy in Jeremiah 25:10-14 and 29:10-14 regarding of the seventy years of captivity in Daniel 9:2. Daniel knows in the seventy year period there is a coming to an end issue since 539 B.C. and the Jewish people was in slavery since 605 B.C. This means that only four years are left. Daniel prays before the lord and pleading that forgiveness in at hand for all the sins in Israel. Then Daniel sees the angel Gabriel who tells him important information about Israel's upcoming future. The prophecy states that "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy" (Gleason Archer). As we know through biblical scholars that the seven weeks and sixty-two days will be terrible times. They must restore the land; rebuild Jerusalem, the streets, and the walls until Jesus comes back. Right after the sixty-two weeks period Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. Meaning, that the people of God will not get help from the most high. In result, the city will be destroyed and the sanctuary and a flood will appear until the end of the war. "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate" (Dan. 9:27, NKJV). People can only imagine that this prophecy is unbearable to deal with. Seeing the precision of the prophets from the days of old is a very interesting to say the least.

I often wondered is the seventy sevens and the meaning behind the number. First, some have argued that the text is not speaking of years, but weeks or months. However, the "Hebrew term shabuim in the context in Daniel 9:2; 10:3 and Jeremiah 25:10-14; 29:10-14, shows the nature of the captivity, and the translation in the Mishna each indicate that years are in view" (pg.70). Biblical chronologist Harold Hoehner cleverly closes, "the term shabuim in Daniel 9 most reasonably refers to a unit of seven years, make it anything else does not make good sense" (Hoehner, 1977, pg. 118). Following, the seventy years begins at 605 B.C., which was the time of the first deportation of the Jews to Babylon. Third, this section indicates that there was a 490 years cut out time for the Gentiles. Fruchtenbaum recaps this portion by saying, "This 490-year period had been 'determined' or 'decreed' for the accomplishment of the final restoration of Israel and the establishment of the Messiah's kingdom" (Fruchtenbaum, 1998, pg. 95).

The purpose of the seventy sevens is where it catches people's discernment. This section lists six specific things that Israel must do. Three of them are negative and three are positive (Archer, 1996, pg. 747). First, the text says, "to finish/bring transgression/the sin of rebellion to an end" (Gleason, 1982, pg. 289). This could refer to the end times instead of the end of sin. A corresponding passage in Isaiah 59:20 shows that the apostasy of Israel is the rejection of the Messiah (Fruchtenbaum, 95)

Additional, the text says "to make an end of sin" or "to finish/seal up sins."(Archer, 289) This concept has Messianic overtones elsewhere in the Old Testament in Isaiah 27:9; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 37:23; Jeremiah 31:31-34. Third, the text says to "make atonement for iniquity." Fourth, the prophecy says to "bring in everlasting righteousness." This most likely refers to "an age" since olam can have that meaning in Isaiah 1:26; 11:2-5; 32:17; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-18. Fifth, the text says to "seal up vision and prophecy." The phrase seal up exactly means to enclose prophecy. So it loks as though appears that the prophecy has been achieved. Sixth, the text says to anoint the most holy place or the holies of holies. This could mean to anoint the temple, even though other people can argue that it refers to Christ.

The start of the seventy sevens prophecy was in Daniel 9:25. This was the declaration to rebuild Jerusalem. The question is regarding to which decree Daniel is referring to. There are four possible decrees: the decree of Cyrus in 538-536 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 6:1-5; Isaiah 44:28; 45:13); the decree of Darius Hystaspes in 521 B.C. which restated Cyrus' decree (Ezra 6:6-12); the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26); or even the decree of Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. to Nehemiah 2:1-8 (Fruchtenbaum, 96). Some would say that the decree recorded in Nehemiah is unlikely to be the decree that Daniel is referring to. The reason why is because he states disappointment that the rebuilding had not already taken place (1:1-4). "This strongly suggests that there had already been a previous decree authorizing the rebuilding of those city walls" (Archer, 290). Archer records that the earliest the decree could have taken place would have been 457 B.C. Nevertheless, the scholars concerning the decree to which Daniel is referring are saying differently. This is not an easy task to handle. "It is not necessary for our purpose here to deal with the various arguments of either option, but one thing is certain: by the year 444 B.C., the countdown of the Seventy Sevens had begun (Fruchtenbaum, 96).

The first term of the sixty-nine prophesy was an experience like no other There are also a number of important considerations in this section. First, the seventy sevens are divided into seven sevens, sixty-two sevens, and one seven. During the first seven sevens Jerusalem would be "build again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress"(Fruchtenbaum, 97). The second set of sevens is sixty-two, which totals to 434 years. This would make a total of 483 years. "There is no implication of a gap of time between the first and second subdivision of the Seventy Sevens"(Fruchtenbaum, 97). Second, the sixty nine sevens are to be until Messiah the prince apper. This is a clear prediction of the time frame during which the Messiah is to come."As clearly as Daniel could have stated it, he taught that 483 years after the decree to