Thy Kingdom Come – The Time Of The Tribulation – Part 2 – Daniels Prophecy
I. Introduction.
Before one can determine the chronology of this prophecy it is first necessary to understand Daniel’s use of the term weeks as it is here employed.
II. Commentary.
A. The Meaning Of Weeks.
1. The Hebrew word is shabua, which means literally a “seven,” and it would be
well to read the passage thus. Thus the twenty-fourth verse of Daniel’s ninth
chapter simply asserts that “seventy sevens are determined.” Also, consideration must be given to “what these sevens are,” and must be determined from the context and from other Scriptures. The evidence is quite clear and sufficient as follows:
The Jews had a “seven” of years as well as a “seven” of days. And this
Biblical “week” of years was just as familiar to the Jew as the “week” of days. It
was, in certain respects, even more important. Six years the Jew was free to till and sow his land, but the seventh year was to be a solemn “Sabbath of rest unto the land” (Lev. 25:3, 4). Upon a multiple of this important week of years “seven Sabbaths of years ”there was based the great jubilee year.
2. Now there are several reasons for believing that the “Seventy Sevens” of
Daniel’s prophecy refer to this well known “seven” of years. In the first place, the prophet Daniel had been thinking not only in terms of years rather than days, but also in a definite multiple of “sevens” (10 x 7) of years (Dan. 9:1, 2). Second, Daniel also knew that the very length of Babylonian captivity had been based on Jewish violation of the divine law of the Sabbatic year. Since according to II Chron. 36:21 the Jews had been removed from off the land in order that it might rest for seventy years, it should be evident that the Sabbatic year had been violated for 490 years, or exactly seventy “sevens” of years. How appropriate, therefore, that now at the end of the judgment for these violations the angel should be sent to reveal the start of a new era of God’s dealing with the Jew which would extend for the same number of years covered by his violations of the Sabbatic year, namely, a cycle of 490 years, or “Seventy Sevens” of years (Dan. 9:24).
3. Furthermore, the context of the prophecy demands that the “Seventy Sevens” be understood in terms of years. For if we make them “sevens” of days, the entire period would extend for merely 490 days, or a little over one year. Considering now that within this brief space of time the city is to be rebuilt, and once more destroyed (to say nothing of the tremendous events of verse 24), it becomes clear that such an interpretation is altogether improbable and untenable. Finally, the Hebrew word shabua is found only in one other passage of the book (10:2, 3), where the prophet states that he mourned and fasted “three full weeks.” Now, here it is perfectly obvious that the context demands “weeks” of days. And, significantly, the Hebrew here reads literally “three sevens of days.” Now, if in the ninth chapter, the writer intended us to understand that the “seventy sevens” are composed of days, why did he not use the same form of expression adopted in chapter ten? The quite obvious answer is that Daniel used the Hebrew shabua alone when referring to the well known “week” of years, but in chapter ten, when he speaks of the “three weeks” of fasting, he definitely specifies them as “weeks of days” in order to distinguish them from the “weeks” of years in chapter nine.
4. Interesting substantiating evidence is found in Genesis 29:27: “Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou serve with me yet seven other years.” Here, the “week” is specified to be a week of years or seven years.
5. It is also necessary, in this consideration, to observe that the year in prophetic Scriptures is a year composed of 360 days. There is conclusive evidence to show that the prophetic year of Scripture is composed of 360 days, or twelve months of 30 days.
a. The first argument is historical. According to the Genesis record, the Flood
began on the seventeenth day of the second month (7:11), and came to an end on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (8:4). Now, this is a period of exactly five months, and fortunately the length of the same period is given in terms of days. “a hundred and fifty days” (7:24; 8:3). Thus the earliest known month used in Biblical history was evidently thirty days in length, and twelve such months would give us a 360 day year.
b. The second argument is prophetical. Dan. 9:27 mentions a period of Jewish
persecution. Since this persecution begins in the “midst” of the Seventieth Week and continues to the “end” of the Week, the period is obviously three and one-half years. Dan. 7:24-25 speaks of the same Roman Prince and the same persecution fixing the duration as “a time and times and the dividing of time; ”in the Aramaic, three and a half times. Rev. 13:4-7 speaks of the same great political Ruler and his persecution of the Jewish “saints” lasting “forty and two months.” Rev. 12:13-14 refers to the same persecution, stating the duration in the exact terms of Dan. 7:25 as “a time and times and half a time”; and this period is further defined in Rev. 12:6 as “a thousand two hundred and three score days.” Thus we have the same period of time variously stated as 3½ years, 42 months, or 1260 days. Therefore, it is clear that the length of the year in the Seventy Weeks prophecy is fixed by Scripture itself as exactly 360 days.
B. The Beginning Of The Sixty-Nine Weeks.
1. Daniel was told that this 490 year period would begin “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:24). In the Scriptures are contained several decrees that have to do with the restoration of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. There was the decree of Cyrus in 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1-3; the decree of Darius in Ezra 6:3-8; and the decree of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7:7. However, in all these, permission was granted for the rebuilding of the temple and nothing was said about the rebuilding of the city. In Ezra 4:1-4, the rebuilding of the temple was stopped because the Jews were rebuilding the city without authorization. In none of these decrees was the condition of Daniel 9:25 met. When we turn to the decree of Artaxerxes, made in his twentieth year, recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8, for the first time is permission granted to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This then becomes the beginning of the prophetic time appointed by God in this prophecy.
2. It, then, becomes necessary to establish the date of the decree of Artaxerxes.
a. The date of Artaxerxes’s reign can be definitely ascertained; not from
elaborate disquisitions by biblical commentators and prophetic writers, but by the united voice of secular historians and chronologers.
b. The Persian edict which restored the autonomy of Judah was issued in the
Jewish month of Nisan. It may in fact have been dated from the 1st of Nisan. The seventy weeks are therefore to be computed from the 1st of Nisan B.C. 445.
c. Now the great characteristic of the Jewish sacred year has not changed ever since the memorable night when the equinoctial moon beamed down upon the huts of Israel in Egypt, bloodstained by the Paschal sacrifice; and there is neither doubt nor difficulty in fixing within narrow limits the Julian date of the 1st of Nisan in any year whatever.
d. In B.C. 445 the new moon, by which the Passover was regulated, was on the 13th of March at 7h. 9m. A.M. And accordingly the 1st Nisan may be assigned to the 14th March.
III. Refresh. Looking Back.
Thy Kingdom Come – Chapter 1. If you are printing this page, you will need to click onto the following link and print it also.
IV. About This Series Of Articles.
This study is one of Bible Exposition, which extends from the first verse of Genesis through the last verse of Revelation. The key focus of the study relates to Matthew 6:10, where Jesus tells the Jews to pray for the Kingdom to Come; there was never such a prayer that was addressed to Gentiles. The kingdom did not come during the time that Jesus was on this earth, and has not come since He ascended to Heaven. The Kingdom does not enter people; people will enter the Kingdom, and will be physically here on earth, which will be a prophecy that fulfills 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16-17. The Kingdom is unconditional, and applies only to Israel; Gentiles, however, will benefit from God’s unconditional gift of the Davidic Kingdom to Israel (Genesis 12:1-3).
V. Article References.
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Th. D. (1871-1952). J. Vernon McGee, Th. D. (1904-1988). Merrill F. Unger, Ph. D. (1909-1980). Charles L. Feinberg, Ph. D. (1909-1995). John F. Walvoord, Th. D. (1910-2002). J. Dwight Pentecost, Th. D. (1915-2014). Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D. (1925-2016). Robert L. Thomas, Th. D. (1928-2017). Stanley D. Toussaint, Th. D. (1928-2017). Robert P. Lightner, Th. D. (1931-2018). Harold W. Hoehner, Ph. D. (1935-2009). Thomas S. McCall, Th. D. (1936-2021). Edward E. Hindson, Ph. D. (1944-2022).
A. One of the most difficult and most important factors of writing an article is related to sources of information. A writer must ensure that such sources have a high degree of knowledge on the subjects that are being written, and also must have a high degree of respect from other writers. A second factor that must be considered relates to how to lawfully use material of other writers. In this web site, copyright statutes are not violated. Also, “public domain,” is to be considered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain
B. In this article I have chosen, as references, theologians whom have proven themselves to be highly respected by others in the Biblical doctrine of eschatology (the study of what Scripture teaches about the end times), and other doctrines of scripture. All of the references for this article have a connection with Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) as graduate or instructor. By being an independent seminary, the faculty and staff of DTS are not beholden to any denomination who might “lord over them ” and withhold funds from the Seminary, should DTS not tow a particular denominational line of biased instruction. Consider the credentials of J. Dwight Pentecost, Th. D., who taught at DTS for 58 years, close to his 100th birthday, and died, shortly thereafter. John F. Walvoord, Th. D., taught at DTS for 50 years, during which time he was President of DTS for 34 years, dying at age 92. Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D., taught elsewhere for 40 years, and 20 years at DTS, dying shy of his 91st birthday. Many other examples of teaching longevity can be found in the bios of DTS instructors. In addition to the sources of information of DTS, the following non-denominational Biblical seminaries have sources of information that are considered, and that are consistent with the values and curriculum of DTS: Chafer Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, and Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary.
C. For education and other supporting data for each source of information in this article, please refer to my Page, “About My References.” The following links show information about Dallas Theological Seminary; I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Seminary. It is important to understand that DTS is not a denominational seminary, and is totally independent of such.
D. About Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS).
1. General Info. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Theological_Seminary
2. Doctrinal Statement. https://www.dts.edu/about/doctrinal-statement/
3. President.
a. Mark Yarbrough. Th. M., Ph. D.
b. Professor of Bible Exposition. Author. Church Pastor/Elder.
Eternity 