At last, we come to the ‘70 Weeks’ time-line: worth taking step by little step.
Why? This is the back-bone of Jewish prophecy giving us the all-important both advents of Messiah - in just 3 verses!
Only here do we find ‘Mashiyach’ named (Messiah) – the star of this production. (antichrist is NOT named here so let’s not pencil him in!)
Are we wiser than God’s prophet Daniel?... greatly beloved in heaven, and prime minister of the greatest empire in its day: Medio-Persia.
From Nebuchadnezzar’s
image dream, Daniel has known for 70 years that his people, the Jews, would be
subjugated to 4 world empires beginning with Babylon (ch2). During the 3rd
year of Belshazzar’s reign Daniel learned that the subsequent empires would be
Medio-Persia, as of now, then Greece yet in the future. (He still does not know
who that fearsome 4th empire will be – Rome!)
Daniel knows
the temple has been destroyed by Babylonians, that it must be rebuilt soon,
only to be defiled during the coming Greek Empire (ch8) In other words, these
world empires are those that impact on God’s holy mountain, especially on the
perpetual daily sacrifice at the temple.
Now, watch
as the focus shifts from the temple to the coming Messiah...in Daniel 9:25-26a
The time-line begins with Persian king Artaxerxes Longimanus giving cup-bearer Nehemiah written authority to rebuild Jerusalem. (Neh 2) By this time the Jews will have returned to Judaea 100 years earlier, 91 years after the temple replacement has been already built. Rebuilding of the city will take 7x7=49 years and then a further 62x7=434 years will elapse before suddenly.... Messiah appears on the scene!
Can you see any reference to Christ’s birth? or His baptism? or His ministry? No, but that's what so many love to pencil in.
What is this time-line giving us here? Messiah’s first public advent
No throne, no jewelled crown, no earthly kingdom, no honour...not even His own clothes.
NOTHING.
NEXT UP:
MESSIAH was rejected as King, but was He at least a prophet?
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