Daniel: Hub of Biblical Prophecy
Notes
Transcript
Introduction to the Study
Introduction to the Study
ESCHATOLOGY
Lesson 2
The Hub of Bible Prophecy: Dispensations and Daniel’s 70th Week
Eschatology begins with an understanding of dispensationalism. Without this critical understanding, you will not be able to put together a proper timeline of end time events.
Dispensationalism is the system of historical progression, as revealed in the Bible, consisting of a system of stages (or dispensations) in God’s self-revelation and plan of salvation.
The Bible can be broken down in to seven dispensations of time. These breakdowns are based on God revealing Himself to man and how He is interacting with man. God never changes, but how He has dealt with man has changed.
THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS
THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS
Innocence (Genesis1:1-3:21): From the creation to the fall of man. We don’t know how long this period lasted.
Conscience (Genesis 3:22-7:23) 1,656 years: From the fall of man to the flood. Man became aware of his nakedness and sinfulness.
Human Government (Genesis 8:20-11:9) 429 years: From the flood to Abraham. As the earth repopulates, cities and communities develop along with governments and societies.
Promise (Genesis 11:9-Exodus 19) 430 years: From Abraham to the giving of the Law. God called a man named Abram out of a city named Ur to follow after Him. He promises to make Abram the father of many nations and changes his name to Abraham.
Law (Exodus 20-Gospels) 1,524 years: From the giving of the Law until the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also known as the time of Israel. This is the time where God dealt with mankind through His chosen people, Israel, and through the law of Moses. This dispensation had a predetermined length of time.
Grace/Church Age (Acts 1- Current Day) 2,000 years: From the Resurrection until the Rapture. We are currently in the Church Age, commissioned to go into all the world and preach the Gospel of Salvation to every creature. Under this dispensation, God is dealing with mankind though His chosen people, the Church, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Millennial Kingdom/Reign of Christ 1,000 years: The 1,000 year reign of Christ. This Millennial Kingdom is Christ’s Kingdom.
DANIEL’S 70 WEEKS
DANIEL’S 70 WEEKS
Almost all Bible prophecy revolves around the Jewish people and Jerusalem
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
We are part of the Gentile age and have merely been inserted into the timeline of Bible prophecy, having obtained salvation through Jesus Christ, because the Jews rejected Him. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that God would speak to an Israelite about the end of time and show that Israelite how things will unfold. Such is the case with the prophet Daniel.
Most Bible prophecy scholars call Daniel’s 70 Weeks “the Hub of Bible Prophecy.” Understanding Daniel’s 70 weeks is important to understanding Bible chronology and to properly interpret many other scriptures. For this reason, we must study it very thoroughly.
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
o 70 weeks (Hebrew: shabuwa), or 70 periods of seven (can be days or years). Here it is 70 periods of 7 years, or 490 years total (360 days in a Jewish year).
o Determined upon the Jews and Jerusalem. Generally speaking, all prophecy revolves around the seed of Abraham (the Israelites) and the Promised Land.
o God revealed He would accomplish several things in this time frame: § Stop rebellion
§ Make an end to sins
§ Atone for sins
§ Bring in everlasting righteousness § Confirm the vision being revealed § Re-consecrate the Holy of Holies
Note: These things were shown to Daniel as he sought God about the end of Israel’s captivity and punishment. God not only said their punishment was over, but that He had a bright and glorious future for them—Jesus the Christ was coming!!
THE TIMELINE OF THE 490 YEARS
THE TIMELINE OF THE 490 YEARS
The next three verses give us a very specific breakdown of what would transpire over those 490 years.
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.
In this verse we are given two sets of time; both sets are subdivisions of the 70 weeks. The first is 7 weeks, or as previously stated, 7 sets of 7 or 49 years. The second period of time is 62 weeks or 434 years.
o From the time the command to rebuild Jerusalem was given until its completion was 49 years.
o This commandment concerns the restoration of the city and its wall. This commandment came to Nehemiah in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2).
o If we add 69 weeks or 476 (solar) years to the date of Artaxerxes’ edict to rebuild Jerusalem (445 B.C.), we will find that Daniel’s 69th week ends precisely on Palm Sunday, 32 A.D.
o From the time of the completion of Jerusalem until the crucifixion of the Messiah was prophesied to be 434 years. The same week He rode into Jerusalem as their prince and king, they crucified Him.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
This verse reaffirms the proper timeline: Jesus will be cut off (crucified) 62 periods of sevens (434 years) after Jerusalem was restored.
The second part of this verse predicts the coming Anti-Christ, called “the prince (ruler) that shall come.” This verse is also a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans. The Romans were Gentiles, heathen people of “the prince that shall come;” also foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:2 and Luke 21:6. The Anti-Christ will be covered more in future lessons as will the destruction of Jerusalem.
WE’RE MISSING A WEEK
WE’RE MISSING A WEEK
Daniel 9:25 speaks of two sets of time, 7 weeks and 62 weeks. Added together, we get only 69 weeks. This missing week is what is called Daniel’s 70th week. This 70th week has not been fulfilled yet. In fact, it has yet to happen. Daniel 9:27 discusses this last week:
And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
Jesus Christ called this last week the Tribulation
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
It has not yet occurred. When the Church was born, what is referred to by some as “Jewish Time” stopped and the Church was inserted into time. In essence, Daniel’s 70 weeks can be referred to as Jewish time. Currently, the Church is how God moves in the earth. Before the Church Age, God moved through the nation of Israel. Israel has been put on hold and the Church has been activated. At the Rapture, the Church will be taken out of the earth and the LORD will reactivate Jewish time and Daniel’s last week of time will play out.