“But of the times and the seasons…” (1Thessalonians 5:1).
If you would know the “TIMES and SEASONS”
… then you must, as a minimum, know:
– something of the major Old Testament and New Testament Bible characters;
– something of the identity of the Gentiles;
– something of the identity of Jews;
– something of the identity of the Body of Christ;
“Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32).
– something of the synoptic Gospels…;
…the person and work of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11); and
– something of “rightly dividing” (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Cor. 2:1-16).
BUT THE KEY IS …
(1) Daniel’s “SEVENTY WEEKS” – for understanding God’s plan for the Jews and the Gentiles (Dan. 9:24-27).
AND…
(2) “THE MYSTERY” – for understanding God’s plan for the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:1-11).
THE SEVENTY WEEKS VISION
Daniel 9:24-27
In this vision, the angel Gabriel revealed to Daniel that the nation of Israel would be restored to its homeland after their period of captivity. This would be followed many years later by the coming of the Messiah, and then finally the final judgment and the end of time. This …
- sets the date for the first coming of Jesus Christ, and it
- sets the length of Antichrist’s reign.
VERSE 24:
“Seventy weeks”:
seventy weeks of years—seventy times seven or 490 years.
This is divided into three periods:
“seven weeks” = 49 years
“three score and two weeks” = 434 years
“one week” = 7 years
This is a total of 490 years = 360-day Jewish Years
“thy people” = the Jews
“thy holy city” = Jerusalem
Important! The “Seventy Weeks” have nothing to do with the Gentiles and the Body of Christ!
“to finish the transgression”
“to make an end of sins”
“ to make reconciliation for iniquity” = “for the transgression of My people was He stricken” (Isa. 53:8).
“to bring in everlasting righteousness”
“to seal up the vision and prophecy”
“to anoint the most Holy” = the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ (Dan. 2:44-45; 1 Cor. 15:24).
VERSE 25:
“From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:1-6) – March 14, 445 BC.
“Unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks” = 483 years – April 2 AD 30 (See, “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson.)
“The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times” = Referring to the first 49 years / “seven weeks” (Dan. 9:25 ff).
VERSE 26:
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” = The Crucifixion. “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken” (Isa. 53:8).
“not for himself” = (Heb. 9:14; Jn. 19:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21).
“the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” = the Romans in 70 AD.
“the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined” = Armageddon (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 8:12; 9:15-21; 16:16-21; 17:14; 19:11,19; Mt. 24:21).
VERSE 27:
“And he” = Antichrist (Dan. 11:36).
“shall confirm the covenant” = a covenant with death … “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under false hood have we hid ourselves” (Isa. 28:15, 18; 57:8-9).
“or one week” = seventieth week the final seven years – the Tribulation period – the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7).
“in the midst of the week” = 3 1/2 years (Mt. 24:15).
“cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate” = (Dan. 8:13; 12:11; 2 Thess. 2:4).
“even until the consummation” = The end of the “seventieth week” / the Tribulation period.
“that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” = The Jew is without any hope and will now “call” and “look” to the Messiah to deliver (Zech. 12:10).