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23 "At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell you; for you are greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision. The above prophecy has been the subject of much discussion and interpretation. The major points have centered on the term 'weeks' and on the actual starting point of the prophecy which commences with 'the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem'. The Hebrew used in Daniyel / Daniel for 'weeks' is 'shavoo'im' - literally 'sevens', from the Hebrew 'sheva' (seven). That Daniel is referring to years rather than weeks is seen when compared with the usage of 'shavoo'im' in Daniyel / Daniel 10:2-3: 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. The 'three whole weeks' in the original Hebrew is 'shlosha shavoo'im yamim' (literally: three weeks [of] days); this usage specifies a literal twenty one day period. However, verses 24, 25 and 26 of chapter 9 use the word 'shavoo'im' without the qualifying 'yamim': If Daniel had wanted his readers to understand the passage in chapter 9 as also being literal 'weeks', then he would obviously have used the same form as he did in chapter 10. Daniel was already thinking in terms of years when he started his prayer and petitions (Daniyel / Daniel 9:1-3 ff.) concerning the seventy years of exile (Yirmeyahu / Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10) - which was for the 490 years of neglect regarding the keeping of the sabbatical year (VaYikra / Leviticus 25:1-7; 26:34-35,43; 2 Divre Hayamim / 2 Chronicles 36:21). After three weeks of prayer and fasting, Gabriel came to give him revelation regarding the return to the Land, but not as in fulfillment of the seventy years as Daniel had expected, but as in the fulfillment of all things (v. 24); and it wasn't going to take seventy years to fulfill but seventy 'sevens' of years to bring it to pass. Gabriel then explains the prophecy and divides up the 490 years (70x7=490) into sub-periods according to events to happen. Daniel is told that there would be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks (7x7+62x7=483 years) until 'the Anointed One, the prince' would come and that during that period Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Then after the sixty-two weeks period, the Anointed One (Messiah) would be cut off, and shall have nothing (v. 25-26). He is also told that the people of the prince to come (not the same prince as in v. 24) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary - historically, this occurred in A.D. 70 when the Roman legions under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The commencement of Daniel's seventy weeks has several starting points, depending upon one's pet theory. Pet theories are obviously suspect as they imply preconceived ideas - something which is incompatible with the Word of God; therefore only that which is consistent with the Scriptures will be considered. Since the prophecy in question dictates that the starting point has to do with the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, then there is only one, the one which Artaxerxes gave to Nehemiah - Nechemyah / Nehemiah 2:1-8. All the others, the decree of Cyrus - 2 Divre Hayamim / 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 6:3-5, the decree of Darius - Ezra 5:3-17 and the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra - Ezra 7:11-26, have to do with the rebuilding of the Temple and not specifically about Jerusalem, therefore they are to be rejected. Most historians agree on the date of 444 B.C. for the issuing of the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah: If this is correct, or even close, then the 483 years of Daniel arrives at or around, depending on how one calculates things, the crucifixion of Yeshua - thus showing that Daniel's prophecy does indeed foretell the time of the Messiah's appearing. Personally, I am of the opinion that this prophecy could only be accurately computed by the people of the time because it was given to them, and also because of complications (click back button to return here) arising from the way that the ancient Jewish calendar was calculated; only people living during that time period would be able to know the exact lapsed time. For a more detailed discussion on the subject see: Chronological Aspects Of The Life Of Christ. p.115-139. Harold W. Hoehner: Zondervan Publishing House. |
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