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by Dr. Arnold G.
Fruchtenbaum
Few doctrines can be considered more fundamental than the nature, character and works of Messiah; and few teachers are able to convey such truths with the thoroughness, detail, accuracy, clarity, organization and fluidity that so characterizes Dr. Fruchtenbaum. So fasten your seatbelts, and let's continue! - editor * Study 6: Ariel Ministries' Messianic Bible Study # 067: THE SEVENTY
SEVENS OF DANIEL
One of the more famous prophecies within the Book of Daniel is found in chapter 9, verses 24-27. It is here that God spells out the timetable dealing with events that will both precede the Messiah's First Coming and follow it. Daniel 9:1-23 provides
the introduction to the Seventy Sevens prophecy found in
verses 24-27. The background is given in verses 1-2, where
Daniel states that he had been studying the Book of Jeremiah
as well as some other prophets such as Isaiah. He knew from
the study of these prophets that the Babylonian Captivity
was to be seventy years. He also knew that the seventy years
were nearly up. That much of the prophecy he clearly
understood. What he misunderstood about the prophecies of
Jeremiah, Isaiah, and perhaps others was that he thought the
Messianic or Millennial Kingdom would be set up following
the seventy years of captivity. He also knew from these
prophets that the prerequisite for the setting up of the
Kingdom would be Israel's confession of her sins. Assuming
that the Babylonian Captivity would be immediately followed
by the Kingdom, Daniel prayed a prayer of confession for
Israel's sins in verses 3-19. I. THE DECREE OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS - DANIEL 9:24a
One of the
greatest tragedies in biblical interpretation is that the
Hebrew word used here, shavuim, has been translated as
weeks. That interpretation would require the use of the
Hebrew word shavuot. The word
shavuim simply means “seven”
and could refer to seven of anything. The context must be
studied to determine the content. Just as the English word
“dozen” simply means twelve of anything such as a dozen
apples or a dozen eggs. In this context, obviously, it must
be a seven of years, because Daniel has been dealing with
years. He has been counting up the seventy years of the
Babylonian Captivity, assuming that, after seventy years,
the Kingdom was going to be set up. Clearly, Daniel has been
thinking in terms of years. In the Hebrew text, there is a
play upon words. Daniel is told that it is not “seventy
years” but that “seventy sevens of years” must pass before
the introduction of the Kingdom. In this passage, then, it
means seventy sevens of years for a total of 490 years. The
angel is telling Daniel that a 490 year period is decreed
upon the Jewish people. II. THE PURPOSE OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS - DANIEL 9:24b
The purpose of this 490 year period that God has decreed upon the Jewish people is for the accomplishment of six things. The first three things are negative, undesirable elements that are going to be removed during the program of the Seventy Sevens. The second three things are positive, desirable elements, which are to be effected during the program of the Seventy Sevens. Indeed, the three positive elements are responses to the three negative elements. For example, the first negative element is responded to by the first positive element; purposes one and four go together. The second negative element is responded to by the second positive element; purposes two and five go together. Finally, the third negative element is responded to by the third positive element; purposes three and six go together, as well. A. To Finish the Transgression The first purpose is:
to
finish transgression. The word to finish is a Hebrew word
that means “to restrain firmly,” “to restrain completely,”
“to bring to completion.” The word transgression is a very
strong word for “sin.” It is a word that literally means “to
rebel.” In the Hebrew text, it has a definite article “the.”
It is not merely to finish transgression, but to finish the
transgression, to finish the rebellion. It refers to one
specific act of rebellion, one specific act of
transgression, to bring it to a finish, to bring it to
completion. The one specific transgression in this context
is the rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua (Jesus). The
finishing of this one transgression is seen in Isaiah 53:1-9
and Zechariah 12:10-13:1 The second purpose is:
to make an end of sins. The Hebrew word translated
to make
an end means “to seal up” or “to shut up in a prison house,”
“to be securely kept,” “to be locked up,” “to be prevented C. To Make Reconciliation for Iniquity The third purpose of the Seventy Sevens is: to make reconciliation for iniquity. The Hebrew word for reconciliation is a word that means, “to make an atonement.” This is the means by which the first and second purposes will be accomplished. The means by which Israel's national sin of rejecting the Messiah will be removed and the means by which her daily sins will be removed is by atonement. The word iniquity refers to the sin nature. The program of the Seventy Sevens is a cleansing of Israel that will include the removal of all three things: first, the national sin of rejecting His Messiahship; secondly, sinning daily; and thirdly, dealing with the sin nature itself. D. To Bring in an Age of Righteousness The fourth purpose of
the Seventy Sevens is: to bring in everlasting righteousness
or more literally, “to bring in an age of righteousness.”
This is the real meaning of the Hebrew word for
everlasting.
This age of righteousness is called the Messianic Kingdom or
the Millennium. This is the same point made by Isaiah 1:26;
11:2-5; 32:17; Jeremiah 23:5-6; and 33:15-18. E. To Cause a Cessation of Prophecy The fifth purpose of the
Seventy Sevens is: to seal up the vision and prophecy. The
Hebrew word for seal up means “to seal up” or “to shut up,”
“to cause a cessation,” “to bring completely to
fulfillment.” The word vision refers to oral prophecy such
as the prophecies of Elijah and Elisha. The word prophecy
refers to prophecy found in written form in the writing
prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and in the
twelve Minor Prophets. The fifth purpose of the Seventy
Sevens is to cause a cessation of both oral and written
prophecy, because the program of the Seventy Sevens will
contain the final fulfillment of all prophecies. The
function of all prophecies will cease at the Second Coming
of the Messiah. F. To Anoint the Most Holy Place The sixth and final purpose of the Seventy Sevens reads: to anoint the most holy. From the Hebrew, it should actually read “to anoint a most holy place.” It is not a most holy person, but a most holy place that is to be anointed. The most holy place is the Temple, not the First Temple of Solomon nor the Second Temple of Zerubbabel, and certainly not the Third Temple of the Tribulation. Rather, it is the Fourth Temple, the Temple of the Messianic Kingdom, built by the Lord Himself. It will be anointed as part of the program of Seventy Sevens. III. THE PROGRAM OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS - DANIEL 9:25-27 A. The Starting Point of the Seventy Sevens - Daniel 9:25a Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. As already stated in verse 24, the program of the Seventy Sevens not only concerns the Jewish people, but also the Jewish city of Jerusalem. Now Daniel is told that the Seventy Sevens will begin with a decree, one that involves the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The question is, “Which decree is this verse speaking about?” There are four possibilities usually given.
a. The Decree of Cyrus Although all of them in some way or another did contribute
to the building of Jerusalem, only two are valid options:
the first decree and the fourth decree. The first decree is
the decree of Cyrus; the fourth decree is the decree of
Artaxerxes to Nehemiah. B. The First Sixty-Nine Sevens - Daniel 9:25b unto the anointed one,
the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two
weeks: The program of the Seventy Sevens is then subdivided into three units: seven sevens, sixty two sevens, and one seven. The first sixty nine sevens is a combination of the first two subdivisions: the seven sevens and the sixty two sevens. 1. The Seven Sevens or Forty-Nine Years The first subdivision is seven weeks or seven sevens, which is a total of forty nine years. This refers to the forty-nine year period that it took to rebuild Jerusalem. In regard to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, it speaks of the city as being built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times. The first subdivision of the Seventy Sevens, then, is the seven sevens or forty-nine years during which time Jerusalem was rebuilt. Only after forty-nine years was the rebuilding process brought to completion. 2. The Sixty-Two Sevens or Four Hundred Thirty-Four Years The second subdivision
of the Seventy Sevens is threescore and two weeks or
sixty-two sevens, comprising a total of 434 years. Insofar
as this passage is concerned, there was no break between the
first and the second subdivisions of the Seventy Sevens. The
sixty-two sevens immediately followed the seven sevens, or
the 434 years immediately followed the forty-nine years.
Combining seven sevens and sixty-two sevens gives a total of
sixty-nine sevens; or combining forty-nine years with 434
years gives a total of 483 years. A total of 483 years will
transpire from the time that the decree is issued until the
coming of the Messiah, the prince. Hence, the first 483
years of the 490-year period comes to an end with the First
Coming of the Messiah. C. The Events Between the Sixty-Ninth and the Seventieth Sevens - Daniel 9:26 And after the threescore
and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall
have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy After stating exactly how many years would transpire before the First Coming in verse 25, Daniel is now told of events coming between the sixty ninth seven and the seventieth seven. 1. The Messiah Would Be Killed - Daniel 9:26a And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing. While there was no gap of time between the first and second
subdivisions of the Seventy Sevens, there is a gap of time
between the second and third subdivisions. Notice how verse
26a begins: And after the threescore and two [62]
weeks,
after the second subdivision, certain things must occur
before the third subdivision begins in verse 27. When he
says, “after the sixty-two sevens,” he means after the
conclusion of the second subdivision of the Seventy Sevens
and before the beginning of the third subdivision. This
phrase clearly shows that a gap of time exists between the
second and third subdivisions, that is, between the
sixty-ninth seven and the seventieth seven. In this gap of
time, three events are to occur. 2. The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple - Daniel 9:26b the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood. In the Hebrew text, the word people has a definite article; it is the people, a specific people, who are the subject of the action. In other words, it is not the prince that shall come who will destroy the city and the Temple, but rather, the people of the prince that shall come. The point of verse 26b is that the nationality of the people and the prince that shall come are one and the same. The prince that shall come in this context is the Antichrist of whom Daniel has already spoken in chapters 7 and 8. By saying the prince, Daniel uses the article of previous reference, because he has spoken of him in the previous chapters. The prince that shall come, which is still future, is of the same nationality as the people who will destroy the city and the Temple. After the Messiah is cut off, the city and the Temple will be destroyed. This occurred in A.D.
70, forty years after the death of the Messiah. It is known
from history who the people are. The people who destroyed
the city and the Temple in A.D. 70 were the Gentiles of 3. Continuing War - Daniel 9:26c even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined. For the remainder of the interval before the start of the seventieth seven, the Land will be characterized by war. This has certainly been true throughout the history of the Middle East. As a result of the wars, desolations are determined, a reference to the state of the Land as determined or decreed by God. D. The Seventieth Seven, The Great Tribulation - Daniel 9:27
The seventieth seven, last seven, is the same as the seven
years of the Great Tribulation. These seven years are
subdivided in this verse into two equal halves of 3 years
each. Elsewhere in Daniel and in Revelation, they are given
different descriptive terms. Each half is referred to in
three different ways: sometimes as “1,260 days” (Rev. 12:6);
sometimes as “forty two months” (Rev. 11:2-3; 13:5); and
sometimes as a time, times and half a time (Dan. 7:25). In
all three cases, they are equal to two 3 1/2 year periods
comprising this seven year period. 1. The Firm Covenant - Daniel 9:27a And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week. The starting point of the seventieth seven is when
he makes
a firm covenant. The pronoun he in verse 27 goes back to its
nearest antecedent: the prince that shall come in verse 26.
The he who makes a covenant in verse 27 and the prince that
shall come are one and the same person, better known in
evangelical circles as the Antichrist.
The prince that shall
come, or the Antichrist, will make a
firm covenant. He will
make it firm; he will make it strong. The Hebrew word does
not mean “to renew an existing covenant” or “to make an
original one containing strong guarantees. Exactly what it
will guarantee will be made clear in the next section. 2. The Cessation of the Sacrificial System - Daniel 9:27b in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. In the middle of the seventieth seven: he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. After the first 3 1/2 years, the covenant will be broken; when it is broken, there will be a forced cessation of the sacrificial system. This same point is made in Revelation 11:1-2. 3. Idol Worship - Daniel 9:27c upon the wing of abominations shall come one that makes desolate. The word wing refers to the pinnacle of the Temple, and it is a Hebrew word that means “an overspreading influence.” This overspreading influence will be upon the pinnacle of the Temple. This specifically refers to the worship of the Antichrist, when he declares himself to be the one true god (II Thes. 2:3-4). The word abominations in Hebrew refers to “an image” or “idol,” meaning that an image or idol of the Antichrist will be set up in the Temple Compound on the pinnacle of the Temple itself. In other words, upon the overspreading influence of idol worship shall come one that makes desolate. The one that makes desolate is the Antichrist, who will cause desolations to fall upon the Jewish people. This is also spoken of in Daniel 12:11 and Matthew 24:15. The image itself is spoken in Revelation 13:14-15. 4. The Completion of the Tribulation - Daniel 9:27d even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate. The phrase
even unto the full end is a Hebrew word that
means “to finish” or “to complete.” To the end, to the
finish, to the completion of the seventieth seven these
desolations are determined. The word
determined means “to be
decreed beforehand,” because the events spelled out in
Daniel 9:27 were already prophesied and decreed long before
the Tribulation. This is seen in Isaiah 10:23 and 28:22. All scriptures are in the American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. * RECOMMENDED READING
mbs 011: The Suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53 *
Many of Dr.
Fruchtenbaum's studies are available for free online
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