8.2- Discussion of Daniel 9, verses 25 and 26
>>>Verse 25:
Basically, at the time from 536-457 B.C., the Israelites were a group of people
with no real government, city, or well defined country. It wasn't until
Artaxerxes came to the throne in 464 B.C., that we actually see them starting
to rebuild the city. The time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem
occurred in approximately 457 BC. See Nehemiah 2 verse 1-8, where we read: “One day
four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him.
He had never seen me look sad before, so he asked, “Why are you looking so
sad…………...“What is it that you want?” …… and then I said to the emperor,
“…….. let me go to the land of Judah, to
the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.” The
emperor, with the empress sitting at his side, approved my request…………….. I
asked also for a letter to the keeper of the royal forests, instructing him to
supply me with timber for the gates of the fort that guards the Temple, for the
city walls, and for the house I was to live in. The emperor gave me all I asked
for, because God was with me”. The rebuilding of the city took 49 years.
The restoration is finished in approximately 408 BC, 49 years later. (-457 +
49= - 408).
62 “yearweeks” later
(=434 years in reality,-> 62 times 7= 434), Jesus Christ arrives as Messiah
in the year 27 AD, approximately.
During all of the
years that Jerusalem existed, until the arrival of the Messiah, the Jews have
been suffering under the Persians, the Greek, the Seleucids, The Ptolemy’s, the
Maccabees, the Romans, such that this has been “a time of troubles” as is mentioned at the end of this verse.
>>> Verse 26:
The 69 “yearweeks” bring us at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. This is the time mentioned in this verse
saying that : God's chosen leader, (the Messiah), will be killed unjustly”, and
there is nothing that can be said against Him.
See John 15 verse 25:
“This, however, was bound to happen so
that what is written in their Law may come true: They hated me for no reason
at all.” And also Isaiah 53 verse 5: “But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the
evil we did”
The destruction of
Jerusalem took place in 70 AC., however not without God’s permission, See
Romans 8 verse 20: For creation was condemned to lose its
purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there
was the hope……” This is the hope for the New Jerusalem.
