Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 40:11–12 (ESV)

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.

Introduction

Last time we considered the context of this prophecy.

The promise in Jeremiah, Daniel’s Prayer [Question - What makes a good prayer?;

What is importunity?] the appearance of Gabriel [Question - Who had a vision Mary or Joseph or both?]

The answer that Gabriel gave shows the total control that God has over all things [Question - Why God decided evil?

Why do false pages proclaim Jesus married Mary Magdalene?

Why isn’t all Daniel’s put in a book of Daniel?]

Coming to Gabriel’s message we come to one of the most glorious prophecies of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the work he was to do.

1. Seventy Weeks v24

2. God’s Decree v24

3. Six Results v24

4. Jerusalem Rebuilt v25

5.

After Sixty Two Weeks v26

6. Covenant v27

Slide

1. Seventy Weeks v24

Slide

Seventy weeks = Seventy periods of Seven.

I suggest to you, therefore, that a good way of understanding these numbers ‘seventy’ and ‘seven’ is this: in biblical symbolism seven is always a perfect number, as is the number ten.

So seven times ten, which is seventy, suggests the complete era, the complete period, divided again into perfect periods suggested by the figure seven.

And I do suggest to you that the more you take hold of the idea that you must not press these figures too far but regard them symbolically, the happier you will be in your reading of the Scriptures and the less liable to fall into error and bring the whole of prophecy into disrepute.

Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (n.d.).

The Church and the Last Things (electronic ed., Da 9:24).

Slide

2. God’s Decree v24

Daniel 9:24 (ESV)

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city,

Is decreed]—i.e., by judicial decision, hence the AV “determined” is a good rendering.

It is God who has decreed this period of time for the accomplishment of His redemptive purposes.

Young, E. J. (1980).

The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary (p.

197).

Wm.

B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

It is true that the primary reference is to Israel after the flesh, and the historical Jerusalem, but since this very vs. describes the Messianic work, it also refers to the true people of God, those who will benefit because of the things herein described.

Young, E. J. (1980).

The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary (p.

197).

Wm.

B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

As is often the case the prophecy has more than one fulfilment.

It is about the rebuilding of Jerusalem but it is much more so as it points to Jesus Christ and his redemptive work.

Dispensationalists and Pre-Millennianists teach that this verse refers to Christ’s coming known as the Rapture.

What it prophecies is the 1000 reign of Christ on earth.

[Question- When are we supposed to know and how are we supposed to know when Jesus comes back to earth and when he comes back, how do we react?

]

mat24 36 “36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Slide

3. Six Results v24

The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary (The Announcement of the Seventy Sevens (vs.

24))

The 70 sevens are decreed for the purpose of accomplishing six results, and these six results comprise two groups of three members each, thus:

Negative

To finish the transgression

To put an end to sin

To atone for iniquity

Positive

To bring in everlasting righteousness

To seal both vision and prophet

To anoint a most holy place

a.

To Finish the Transgression

Transgression is nothing less than rebellion

Slide

b.

To Put an End to Sin

Sin implies that the divinely appointed goal that has been set for us has been completely missed.

Slide

c.

To Atone for Iniquity

Iniquity connotes perversion and twisting of moral standards.

Slide

Psalm 51:1–2 (ESV)

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

d.

To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness

Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Slide

e.

To Seal Both Vision and Prophet

The two words, vision and prophet, therefore, serve to designate the prophetic revelation of the OT period.

This revelation was of a temporary, preparatory, typical nature.

It pointed forward to the coming of Him who was the great Prophet (Deut.

18:15).

When Christ came, there was no further need of prophetic revelation in the OT sense.

Young, E. J. (1980).

The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary (p.

200).

Wm.

B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

And because of the righteousness brought in by our Lord, He will ‘seal up the vision and prophecy’.

Christ is the fulfilment of the prophecies.

‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil’ (Matt.

5:17).

So the prophecy and the vision are sealed up, naturally, because our Lord is the One to whom they all point.

Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (n.d.).

The Church and the Last Things (electronic ed., Da 9:1).

Slide

f.

To anoint a Most Holy Place

Slide

Daniel 9:24 (NKJV) — 24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.