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The Greatest Time Prophecy in the Bible
If you have an interest in the Bible, be sure to take a look at the prophecy
included here. It has been called the "greatest time prophecy in the Bible."
What did Daniel predict in the Bible about the
coming of the Messiah?
In 538 B.C. Daniel wrote, "So you are to know and
discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore
and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there
will be seven weeks of years and sixty-two weeks of
years" (Daniel 9:25).
The time period between these two events would be 69
weeks of years. This was predicted 538 years before
Christ.
When was the "decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem" issued?
Artaxerxes, a Persian king, ascended to the throne in
464 B.C. Therefore, his twentieth year would be 444
B.C.
Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was
deeply concerned with the reports about the ruined condition
of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1-4) and thus petitioned the
king: "Send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers'
tombs, that I may rebuild it. So it pleased the king
to send me" (Nehemiah 2:5,6). The exact date of
this decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem is given:
"in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes
the king" (Nehemiah 2:1).
The Jewish calendar month was Nisan, and since no day
is given, it is reasonable to assume that the date would
be understood as the first, the Jewish New Year's Day.
Hence, in the Julian calendar, the corresponding date
would be March 5, 444 B.C.
This was the day on which the decree was issued to restore
and rebuild Jerusalem.
When did the "Messiah the Prince" appear?
Jesus had previously, on numerous occasions, forbidden
his followers to make him known as "the Messiah".
He would frequently do miracles and tell the disciples
not to tell anyone who had done the miracles because
his "hour has not yet come" (John 2:4, 7:6).
However, on March 30, 33 A.D., when he entered Jerusalem
on a donkey, he rebuked the Pharisees' protest and encouraged
the whole multitude of his disciples as they shouted,
"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the
Lord". And Jesus said, "If these become silent,
the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:38-40).
This was the day on which Jesus was publicly declared
the Messiah.
How are the dates calculated in Daniel?
Since Daniel states 69 weeks of seven years each, and
each year has 360 days, the equation is as follows:
69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880 days.
In nothing more than a simple mathematical demonstration,
the number of days in the period from March 5, 444 B.C.
(the twentieth year of Artaxerxes) to March 30, 33 A.D.
(the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey) will
be determined at this point. 444 B.C. to 33 A.D. is
476 years (1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is only one year). 476 x
365.2421879 (corrected for leap years) = 173,855 days.
March 5 to March 30 = 25 days. Total = 173,880 days.
Why does Daniel use "years" of 360 days
each?
There is conclusive evidence to show that the prophetic
year of the Bible is composed of 360 days, or twelve
months of 30 days.
Daniel 9:27 mentions a period of Jewish persecution
at the hands of the coming prince who will make a covenant
with that people. Since this persecution begins in the
"midst" of the seventieth week of years and
continues to the "end" of the week of years,
the period is obviously three and one-half years.
Revelation 13:4-7 speaks of the same great political
ruler and his persecution of the Jewish "saints"
lasting "forty two months". And this period
is further defined in Revelation 12:6 as "a thousand
two hundred and three score days", or 1,260 days.
If 1,260 days is divided by 42 months or 3-1/2 years,
the result is a 30-day month and a 360-day year.
Therefore, it is clear that the length of the year in
prophecy is fixed by the Bible itself as exactly 360
days.
Why does Daniel use the phrase "weeks of years"?
In Daniel's writings in Chapter 9 he used the Hebrew
word shabua, which means literally a "seven",
but is usually translated into English as "week
of years". To the English ear a week always means
a seven of days, but to the Jews shabua alone always
meant a seven of years. Thus Daniel was literally referring
to weeks of years here.
Daniel used the Hebrew word shabua alone when referring
to the well-known "week" of years, a customary
usage which every Jew would understand; but in Chapter
10, when he speaks of the "three weeks" of
fasting, he specifies them as "weeks of days"
in order to distinguish them from the "weeks"
of years in Chapter 9.
What is the significance of this prophecy?
The exact fulfillment of this prophecy is sufficient
to demonstrate the accuracy of Daniel and also by implication
the inspiration of the Bible and the truth of Christianity,
because only God can "declare the end from the
beginning" and forecast to the very day "things
that are not yet done" (Isaiah 46:10).
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and
said: "Where were you when I laid the foundations
of the earth? Who determined its measurements? Who stretched
the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened?
Who laid its cornerstone?" (Job 38:1-6)
And suddenly a great storm arose on the sea, so that
the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He
said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little
faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and
the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled,
saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and
the sea obey Him?" (Matthew 9:24-27)
Two beautiful songs are linked below.
To listen, just click on them.
Three excellent sites on the inspiration of the Bible, the truth of Christianity, and spiritual healing:
You can read the Bible at www.biblestudytools.net. Choose from
50 different translations and search for specific words or phrases. This is an excellent study tool.
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