The day was Sunday, Nisan 10, four days before the Jewish Passover. On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples passed through Jericho. Luke 19:1-28 records the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus, a wealthy Jewish tax collector, and how Jesus invited himself to abide at his house for a while. The Jews who witnessed this said, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7).
“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear” (Luke 19:8-10).
Jesus spoke unto the multitudes in parables (especially concerning the kingdom of God). “And without a parable spoke he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:34-35).
The prophet Jesus refers to is Asaph, the seer, who spoke these prophetic words regarding the Messiah to come. “I will speak to you in parables and explain mysteries from days of old. The things which we have heard and known, and which our fathers told us” (CJB translation – Psalm 78:2-3). This is just one of hundreds of prophecies Jesus fulfilled in his life (and death).
Jesus had been preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God since the start of his ministry. Luke mentions the kingdom of God 33 times. Matthew mostly calls it the kingdom of heaven. He mentions the kingdom of heaven 33 times. The parable, as recorded in Luke 19:12-27, is actually a prophecy about the two comings (advents) of Jesus to establish his kingdom. “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:12-13).
We know the story of how some of the servants had used the money to trade and gain more money, while one servant hid his pound and did nothing with it. The master even asked this fearful servant why he at least didn’t put the money in the bank so it could draw interest. Those who made a profit for the master received a reward, while the unprofitable servant would lose everything. A lack of faith in the second coming stems from a lack of faith in the first coming.
“For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me” (Luke 19:26-27). This will be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus Christ to the Earth before His millennial kingdom begins.
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
The rest of Luke 19 describes the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by Jesus and his followers. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. This day would be forever remembered as Palm Sunday. The people hailed and praised Him, saying, “Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:37-38). According to tradition, Psalm 118 was reserved for the entry of the Messiah-King into Jerusalem, and by singing it, the people were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. See Jesus’ Last Supper Song :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready.
This was the only time Jesus allowed his followers to openly proclaim him as the Messiah. The Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Jesus said unto them, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).
“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:41-44).
Instead of accepting Jesus as their Messiah, the religious rulers of Jerusalem sought to kill him. It was the 10th day of Nisan, the day when God commanded the Jews to select the Passover lamb. Then, for three days, they were to carefully inspect it to ensure it had no spot or blemish that would prevent it from being used in the Passover celebration on the 14th (Exodus 12:3, 6). Over the next three days, Jesus would be subjected to the most intense scrutiny of His ministry as the Jewish leadership tried to find some proof against him so they could kill him.
Even though Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead (after four days in the tomb), healed multitudes of people from sickness, disease, and infirmities, cast out demons, and performed many other miracles (for 3-3.5 years), the Jewish rulers still did not believe Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. In Luke 19:40-44, Jesus said they did not know the day (or the time) of their visitation from their Messiah. Were they even looking for Him at this time? You would think that these learned men of the Tanakh were aware of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) regarding the terminus a quo (the starting point) and the terminus ad quem (the endpoint) of the coming of their Messiah, explicitly mentioned in Daniel 9:25.
DANIEL’S SEVENTY WEEKS PROPHECY
Let’s examine the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 one more time. Daniel received this vision/prophecy from the angel Gabriel in the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans (Persians) according to Daniel 9:1. Darius was made King of the Persian Empire after conquering the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC.
“In the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2). The desolations of Jerusalem began in 605 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, pillaged Judah, and the first group of Jews were deported to Babylon. Daniel was keenly aware of when the desolations began as he was among those taken into exile at this time. So, according to this timeframe, there were only about six years left of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy years.
After reading Jeremiah’s prophecy, Daniel began praying to the LORD and confessing the sins of the children of Israel. “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land…. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him” (Daniel 9:5-6, 11).
Daniel proclaimed that God was righteous and did precisely what He spoke of when He told Moses and the Jews about the curses (of Deuteronomy 28) that would be brought upon them for disobeying His word. Daniel then prayed for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple:
“O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name” (Daniel 9:16-18).
About this time in the prayer, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and gave him the prophecy that is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27 regarding the future of the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem. Before we analyze the last four verses of Daniel 9, let’s examine the historical and biblical events that followed Daniel’s prayer.
Cyrus II of Persia conquered Babylon in October of 539 BC. The following year, Cyrus made a decree that the Jews could return to Judah and rebuild their temple, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah, who named Cyrus as one who would carry out God’s purpose for Israel, and of Jeremiah, who prophesied a return to the Promised Land after seventy years. In 537 BC, Sheshbazzar led tens of thousands of Jews back to the homeland, and the following year, they began work on the second temple. However, the Temple wasn’t completed until 516 BC.
Now, back to Daniel’s prophecy in Chapter 9. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). 70 ‘weeks’ is a specific timeline for this prophecy. ‘Weeks’ is the English translation of the Hebrew word ‘שָׁבוּעַ,’ and its transliteration is ‘šāḇûaʿ or ‘shabua.’ This word is derived from the root שֶׁבַע (sheva), meaning ‘seven.’ The word “shabua” primarily refers to a period of seven days, commonly known as a week. It can also denote a period of seven years (with emphasis on the seventh year), especially in prophetic contexts.
‘Shabua’ is first mentioned in Genesis 29:27-28, where Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years to acquire Rachael as his wife. The Jewish people were familiar with this word to designate a period of seven years when it was apparent the meaning was not referring to seven days. It’s also clear that the “seventy weeks” or “seventy sevens” refers to either Jewish Shemitah cycles or weeks (70 x 7 = 490 years) or Shemitah years (70 Shemitah years within 483 years).
This prophecy was intended for the Jewish people and Jerusalem (including the temple), precisely what Daniel prayed for. Also, the words of Gabriel (from the LORD) regarding transgression, sins, and iniquity were all things Daniel was praying for forgiveness from. The accomplishment of these six objectives for the Jews and Jerusalem can only be realized when the Messiah comes to initiate His physical Kingdom. Only the Messiah can bring in “everlasting righteousness” and “make an end of sin.” The fulfillment of vision and prophecy will continue until the Messiah comes again.
The term Messiah (Hebrew Mashiach) means “anointed one.” In Greek, the word for “anointed one” is Christ. It was customary for the Jews to consecrate their priests and kings by pouring a special oil over them (Aaron, Ex. 30:30; Saul, 1 Sam. 10:2; David, 1 Sam. 16:13). The oil was symbolic of being set apart by and endowed with the power of God for exceptional service.
During the latter years of the Kings of Judah and Israel, the Jewish people were promised that God would raise up a redeemer from the seed of David who would bring physical deliverance from their Gentile enemies and reestablish the kingdom rule of David. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord…. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:1-2, 10).
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Some of the names given for the Jewish Messiah indicate that he will be more than a mortal man. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The same can be said of Micah 5:2 and Psalm 2:7-9 regarding the Messiah being more than a mortal man.
In the time of the second temple, messianic hope was very strong. The Jewish people looked for a political and military Messiah (a warrior king) who would deliver them from Roman occupation and oppression. It was during this time that Jesus lived, but He did not fit the description of the promised Messiah. See A Man of War: The Lord is His Name. For the Jews, the Messiah was to be from the lineage of David and would rule as king of Israel. He would bring everlasting peace to Israel.
Messiah, the Prince, and the timeline of his coming are mentioned in Daniel 9:25. Interestingly, He is called the Prince of princes in Daniel 8:25. Revelation 1:5 calls Jesus Christ the prince of the kings of the earth. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times” (Daniel 9:25).
The terminus a quo (the starting point) of Daniel 9:25 is when the decree (or word) to restore and build Jerusalem was given. The terminus ad quem (the endpoint) of Daniel 9:25 was when Messiah the Prince would come to Jerusalem. The timeline from start to finish is recorded as 69 weeks or sevens (7 + 62 = 69). According to the Sabbatical cycles or weeks, this should amount to 483 years. If the Jews were counting Sabbath (or Shemitah) years, that would amount to 69 Shemitah years or 476 years.
Did the religious Jewish scholars of Jesus’ day know when the starting point of Daniel 9:25 began? Did they think it began in 458 BC when Ezra came to Jerusalem, or did they think it came when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in 445/444 BC (or some other time)? Did they think the endpoint of Daniel 9:25 would occur in 26/27 AD or 32/33 AD, or even later (say 39/40 AD)? Regardless, you can understand how the date of the Messiah’s appearance would not necessarily be a sure thing by reckoning strictly from Daniel’s prophecy and the Jewish (or Julian) calendar. By the time of Jesus’ ministry, the Jews probably realized the terminus ad quem of Daniel 9:25 was getting close. I don’t think they had it down to the day or even the year, however.
If the Jews in Jesus’ day couldn’t pinpoint the exact time of the appearance of their Messiah by Daniel’s prophecy, then how did Jesus expect them to know the time of his visitation (as mentioned in Luke 19:41-44) when he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? Besides all of Jesus’ miraculous works and deeds, I believe the Jews should have known by his fulfillment of prophetic scriptures. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the king of the Jews but was rejected as such. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
In the ancient Middle Eastern world, leaders rode horses if they rode to war but donkeys if they came in peace. 1 Kings 1:33 mentions Solomon riding a donkey (David’s donkey) on the day he was recognized as the new king of Israel. Approximately (almost to the year) 1,000 years later, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the Jews’ Messiah Prince but was rejected as such. However, when Jesus returns to the earth to make war on his enemies, he will be riding on a white horse, according to Revelation 10:11.
JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ELIJAH
During John the Baptist’s ministry, the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was. John knew what they were asking and told them straight up, “I am not the Christ.” They then asked him if he was Elijah the prophet. “And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No” (John 1:21).
The priests were referring to the last prophecy in the Old Testament, when Malachi reported God’s message, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). Evidently, the Pharisees saw John as a prophet sent from God. “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias” (John 1:22-23).
John is quoting Isaiah 40:1-3, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John was telling the Pharisees that he was preparing the way of the Messiah, who is also God.
“Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:10-11).
The Pharisees then asked John, “Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose” (John 1:25-27).
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:29-31).
“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” John 1:32-34). Matthew 3:13-17 also records the baptism of Jesus by John. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-17). Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-22 also record the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus was never anointed with oil (as a king, priest, or prophet) by a prophet or man of God. However, God Himself anointed Jesus at his baptism. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ, and its transliteration, māšîaḥ, is translated as ‘anointed’ (as in an anointed person) 37 times and two times as ‘Messiah’ in the KJV. The two translations of ‘Messiah’ occur in Daniel 9:25 and 9:26. In the New Testament, the word ‘Messias, is the Greek form of Messiah. It is only found twice (both in conjunction with Christ), in John 1:41 and John 4:25. In the New Testament, ‘Christ’ is used instead of ‘Messiah’ for the “anointed one.” It is mentioned some 559 times. According to Matthew 1:16, Jesus is called Christ. “Jesus Christ” is mentioned 196 times in the New Testament.
Even though John the Baptist denied being Elijah the prophet, he told the Pharisees he fulfilled Isaiah 40:3. He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord. This should have alerted the Pharisees and the Jews to be on the lookout for the Messiah.
Of course, Jesus said that John could have been the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6 if the Jews would have accepted Jesus as the Messiah. After the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples asked Jesus about this prophecy. “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:11-13).
This statement by Jesus, that John could have been Elijah, proves that the many dual reference prophecies (first and second advent events mentioned together as if they occurred concurrently) in the Old Testament could have been fulfilled during Jesus’ first coming if the Jews would have accepted him as their Messiah King. See The Resumption of Daniel’s 70th Week :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. Malachi 4:6 says that Elijah would turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. I believe John partially did this by reconciling Judaism with Christianity by introducing Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
PROPHET OR CHRIST?
During the Feast of Tabernacles, in the fall before the Passover when Jesus was crucified, Jesus was teaching in the Temple on the last day of the Feast when he stood and cried, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
“(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet” (John 7:39). The Prophet mentioned here is from Deuteronomy 18:15, when Moses told the children of Israel, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.”
“Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him” (John 7:40-43). Evidently, these Jews knew the scripture regarding where the Messiah would come from, as per Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
These Jews didn’t know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Since he was usually called Jesus of Nazareth and of Galilee, for there he had lived and been educated, they knew no better than that he probably came out of Galilee, which was contrary to the prophecy of Micah 5:2. Little did the Jews know Jesus was both the Prophet that Moses referred to and the Christ they had been waiting for.
“Others said, this is the Christ…The true Messiah, which they concluded, not only from the miracles, John 7:31, but from his speaking of rivers of living water flowing from him that believes in him; for the same prophecy that speaks of miracles to be performed in the times of the Messiah, speaks also of waters breaking out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert, of the parched ground becoming a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water, Isaiah 35:5.” {1} John 7 Gill’s Exposition.
Instead of investigating the concerns of the Jewish people regarding who Jesus really was, the Pharisees and ruling religious leaders did not due their due diligence and do a background check on Jesus’ birth and genealogy. If they had, they would have found out he was born in Bethlehem during the time of the Roman census regarding taxation (Luke 2:1-5) for the subjects of the Roman Empire. If they had checked the records, they would have also discovered that both Mary and Joseph were descendants of the house of David.
Four days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem with his disciples, he was crucified on Passover (Nisan 14). Daniel prophesied this in Daniel 9:26a, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.” Scripture shows that Jesus rose from the grave three days later on the Feast of Firstfruits (Nisan 17). Matthew 27:52-53 gives this amazing incident which occurred at this time, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” I wonder what the Sanhedrin thought of this miracle.
Jesus was seen by many people after his resurrection. “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” In 1 Corinthians 15:6, Paul says Jesus was once seen by more than 500 fellow believers.
“Forty is the Biblical number for testing, and the Lord was on Earth for forty days before being taken up into Heaven. I believe He was giving Israel that “time of testing” to allow them the opportunity to recognize the unmistakable sign He gave them as proof that He is their Messiah. In Matt. 12:38-40, He told them that as the prophet Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man would spend three days and three nights in the belly of the Earth. He was speaking of His resurrection, something no one had ever done. Of course, He knew they wouldn’t accept them, but He was giving them every possible chance to do so. When they hadn’t done so after 40 days, as He knew would be the case, the Lord left to wait in Heaven for them to call on Him (Hosea 5:15). {2} www.gracethrufaith.com
I believe these 40 days would have (or should have) been a time of reflective thought and searching the scriptures by the Pharisees and Sanhedrin regarding Jesus and his ministry, many miracles, and even his death. There were many prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the “Messiah being cut off” (Daniel 9:26). Most of these prophecies are from the Books of Psalm, Isaiah, and Zechariah. Here is a list of 28 prophecies regarding the Messiah’s suffering that the Jews should have been aware of but weren’t, or they just didn’t care. They only wanted to keep their power and prestige. Microsoft Word – 28prophecies.doc
It’s possible the Jews should have known the date of their Messiah’s visitation through the mathematical reckoning of the 69 weeks (sevens) of Daniel 9:25 & 26. However, I find it highly unlikely. I believe the primary way they should have known when He was to appear is by all the prophecies in the Tanakh concerning Him.
THE SECOND COMING
The second coming of Christ is as sure as the first one was. “Christ’s second coming is a major doctrine throughout the Bible. It is the most dominant theme in the New Testament, next to the subject of faith. Christ’s return, put simply, is the personal, physical, visible return of the Lord to the earth in resplendent glory. There are some astounding statistics regarding the frequent mention of Christ’s Second Coming in Scripture. One-fifth of the Bible is prophecy; one-third of those prophecies relate in some way to Christ’s Second Coming.
There are at least 333 prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Testament. Only 109 were fulfilled in His first advent, leaving 224—twice as many—to be fulfilled at His second advent. Of the 46 Old Testament prophets, less than ten speak of events in Christ’s First Coming, while 36 speak of events connected with His Second Coming. There are 7,959 verses in the New Testament, of which 330 refer directly to the Second Coming. The Lord refers to His return 25 times. Throughout the New Testament, there are more than 50 exhortations for people to be ready for Christ’s return (John MacArthur, Jr., The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, p. 1).” {3} Christ’s Second Coming – Israel My Glory
THE END OF THE 70TH WEEK
At the end of Daniel’s 70th week, the children of Israel will finally become what God intended them to be: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). The six objectives of Daniel 9:24 will finally have been met when Jesus Christ establishes His millennial kingdom. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel9:24).
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:3-4).
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Randy Nettles
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