This shows that the seventy sevens in Daniel 9 should probably be taken to mean a literal period of 490 years.
did I not send you a pm which shows this to be true 490 years follow what I sent you it goes into detail.
~TW~
Indeed you did, I fell asleep in the middle of part 2 the first time but managed to listen to parts 2-5 last night.
Easy to listen to and I would agree with him that the seventieth week is not separated from the other 69. He says the seventy weeks begin with Artaxerxes' decree to rebuild Jerusalem and end with the death of Stephen, 3 1/2 years after the death of Christ, at which point the gospel goes out to the Gentiles (Saul introduced). I agree with that. He claims the first seven weeks (49 years) brings us to a landmark event, the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Thanks.
Hi Spud,
First an apology for not responding earlier to your post 13 on the abomination that makes desolate. I find it difficult to allocate much time to this MB at the moment. Will try and give some thoughts in the next few days if this topic is still current. But for the moment some thoughts on Danie’ls 70 weeks, particularly the 70th week. I quote Daniel 9:26-27.
“And after the sixty-two weeks, God’s Messiah (the anointed one) shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
Let’s accept for the moment that the 70 weeks need to be understood as 490 continuous years. I think we would agree that the 69th week (verse 26) ended with the crucifixion in AD 30 (or AD 33 if you so insist). Stephen’s martyrdom would then be dated as AD 33 to AD 37. This raises some serious problems and, in my view, intractable questions concerning week 70. These would include:
Who is this prince who is to come?
When and how did he destroy the city and the sanctuary (which needs to have taken place before Stephen’s death?
What wars were there to the end? Bearing in mind that these was the time when the ‘Roman Peace’ was imposed (albeit a harsh one). Indeed, if my memory is correct, there was a period of some 200 years without a significant war in the Mediterranean Basin during the height of Rome’s power. Remember too that it was this Roman Peace and their excellent road system that allowed the early Christians to spread the good news without fear of being attacked by criminals or others.
Who did this prince make a covenant with for a seven year period (commencing some 3 ½ years before the crucifixion)? What was it about?
Why did he abrogate the covenant half-way through the period?
What evidence is there that there was an end to sacrifices and offerings during the 3 1/2 year period preceding Stephen’s death?
What decreed end was poured out on the desolator subsequent to Stephen’s death?
These questions all concern predicted events during this final 70th week and should have taken place and be identifiable if this is the correct interpretation. I find no evidence for them.
On the plus side I think we can agree that the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 was fulfilled to the 69th week at the crucifixion with remarkable accuracy. The debate concerns only week 70. Even allowing for the fantasy of a Maccabean Daniel, the crucifixion was still some 200 years later and was written with divine foresight. Similarly all the prophecies of Daniel, including the wars between the Ptolemy’s and the Seleucids were written (without hindsight) by a Babylonian era prophet, acknowledged by Jesus as a true prophet.
Enjoy what is left of your day, Dave
