The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

rebuilding of Jerusalem, but also the first appearance of the Messiah and His ministry, His crucifixion, the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, the reign of the Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Christ. Incidentally, these things were not arranged in chronological order, ´7KHVH ZHUH QRW LQ XQLQWHUUXSWHG VHTXHQFH µ 31 Objective of the Prophecy. Right from the beginning the prophecy sharpens its focus: ´6HYHQW\ ZHHNV DUH GHWHUPLQHG 32 for your people and for \RXU KRO\ FLW\µ (Daniel 9:24). These six divine imperial decrees concern the Jewish people and city. Seventy weeks (or 490 years) have EHHQ ´GHWHUPLQHGµ LQ RUGHU WR

‡ )LQLVK the transgression ‡ 0DNH an end of sins

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These expressions, as we will soon see, involve both Jews and Gentiles. Although the six actions involve the Jews and their city, Daniel will reveal a redemption intended for the whole world, which is the heart of his prophecy. I like this comment by Kevin J. Conner: 0HVVLDK·V PLQLVWU\ WKRXJK WR -XGDK DQG -HUXVDOHP ILUVW DFWXDOO\ RSHQV XS UHGHPSWLRQ IRU WKH whole world. For this reason, the fulfillment of the clauses involved both Jews and Gentiles in the IXOOHVW VHQVH« )RU D FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI WKH VL[ FODXVHV VKRZV WKDW judicially and provisionally , all were fulfilled at Calvary by Messiah in His first coming, but possessionally and experientially all find DEVROXWH IXOILOOPHQW DW 0HVVLDK·V VHFRQG FR ming. The clauses involve not only Judah and Jerusalem, though the prophecy centered there, but ultimately involves the whole world. Therefore, we may say, the clauses are fulfilled to be fulfilled! 33 Two historical events will occur during this time frame of 490 years, which will facilitate the fulfillment of the six statements: the crucifixion of Christ and His Second Coming. For this to be true, however, the 490 years cannot run continuously, since the Cross and the Second Coming are separated (as we know) by more than two thousand years. There must be a breach or break that will disengage the prophetic running time on Israel and Jerusalem. An opening or gap is to EH PDGH LQ *RG·V SURJUDP ² a window of opportunity, you might say, a time slot for the Gentiles to be brought into His purposes. Like a parentheses in a sentence, marvelously provided by God, a breach will be provided for the ingathering of the Gentiles.

The Division of the Weeks

The seventy weeks are divided into three parts:

31 The Living Bible, p. 686, footnote c. 32 ³'HFUHHG ´ 1,9 1/7 1$6 +&6% 5RWKHUKDP EULQJV RXW LQ KLV Emphasized Bible that the primary meaning behind ³GHWHUPLQHG´ LV ³WR GLYLGH ´ S :LOVRQ¶V 2OG 7HVWDPHQW :RUG 6WXGLHV S JLYHV WKH EDVLF PHDQLQJ DV ³WR FXW WR GHFLGH WR GHWHUPLQH ´ :KHQ D NLQJ GHFUHHV VRPHWKLQJ LW LV D ILQDO XQDOWHUDEOH GHFLVLRQ D GHWHUPLQDWLRQ DV ILQDO DV FXWWLQJ D VWH ak off a chunk of beef. 33 Kevin J. Conner, The Seventy Weeks Prophecy: An Exposition of Daniel 9 (Blackburn, Victoria, Australia: Acacia, 1981), p. 28.

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