When we were last together we read Daniel's prayer for God to turn away His fury from the city of Jerusalem, and let His face...shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate...Dan. 9:18. God sent the angel Gabriel to answer Daniel's prayer. Their conversation will be quoted from the Septuagint Bible because of its accuracy. This is the Greek translation of the Old Testament published in Alexandria, Egypt 285-247 B.C.
Two years before Daniel and his people were released from 70 years of captivity, he was in prayer, repenting to God, when he says...while I was yet speaking, and praying, and confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel, and bringing my pitiful case before the Lord my God concerning the holy mountain; yea, while I was yet speaking in prayer, behold the man Gabriel, whom I had seen at the beginning, came flying, and he touched me about the hour of the evening sacrifice...Dan. 9:20-21.
Gabriel said to Daniel...at the beginning of thy supplication the word came forth, and I am come to tell thee; for thou art a man much beloved: therefore consider the matter, understand the vision...Dan. 9:23. Daniel's vision covers over 500 years reaching fulfillment in 70 A.D. which historians have fully documented. Because Daniel 9:24-27 is gradually fulfilled over so many centuries we will study the details in increments - one portion at a time - beginning with Daniel 9:24.
Gabriel told Daniel...seventy weeks have been determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, for sin to be ended, and to seal up transgressions, and to blot out the iniquities, and to make atonement for iniquities, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy...Dan. 9:24. Some translations say seventy times seven weeks - 70 x 7 - but the meaning is the same.
The word determined in the original Hebrew language is hatak meaning: to decree, to cut off. A decree is a judgment. In the modern English dictionary the word determined means: already fixed; settled. So we can see that seventy weeks is a judgment upon Daniel's people, and upon the holy city of Jerusalem, with a set period of time to end sin. This period of judgment has been fixed by God. At the end of the time they will be "cut off."
Right from the beginning of the vision we can clearly see that the whole 70 weeks are determined upon the people of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem. The judgment in the vision was meant for no others. Scripture must be kept in context - including prophecy - to understand its meaning.
In scripture, the number seven is symbolic of completeness and perfection. It is a mysterious sacred measurement used generously by God throughout the Bible. Since seven is a symbolic number, what does weeks symbolize in the 70 x 7 weeks vision? We must study the celebration of the Jewish feasts to understand the meaning.
The Aramaic word shaboa defines the division of an ecclesiastical year. A shaboa celebration lasts seven weeks or 49 days. Ecclesiastical pertains to a religious celebration of God's direction. Since seven weeks describes one religious year, Daniel's vision of 70 x 7 weeks could be more clearly defined as 70 x a shaboa - one ecclesiastical year. Seventy ecclesiastical years are determined upon Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem.
The ecclesiastical year of 49 days - seven weeks - begins with the Passover in the month of Nisan (Jewish calendar), includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and ends the ecclesiastical year with the Feast of Pentecost. At the end of the shaboa celebration - seven weeks - it was time to celebrate the Day of Firstfruits (Pentecost) which was at the completion of the wheat harvest. This feast was celebrated on the 50th day - lasting one day.
This annual ecclesiastical celebration of seven weeks remembered the redemptive blood (Passover) that saved the Israelites from the plague of death during their days in Egypt. During this celebration the people confessed their sins and professed their belief in a coming Messiah who would end the animal blood sacrifices, by providing His own blood sacrifice once and for all - but He never arrived!
Did the people quit believing, when centuries passed, and the Messiah never arrived? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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