John MacArthur - Daniel 9 (interpreting Bible prophecy literally)
Let's go to Daniel 9 and let's look at the 70 weeks of Daniel. Of course a very important prophecy, Daniel 9:24. Now put on your thinking caps. Verse 24 says this, and here incidentally friends two marvelous things. We could just spend weeks on this prophecy alone, but two things I want you to note. This prophecy is a classic prophecy and one that everybody ought to understand because it defends the literal interpretation of prophecy. It's a great support for a literal view. You know there always people who want to explain all the prophecies away sort of mephorically or figuratively, but this is very literal. Secondly it's important because it's the chronology of the history of Israel. Verse 24, "Seventy weeks," now that's clear, "are determined upon thy people," who would that be? Israel and that's Daniel's people, "upon thy holy city." What would that be? Jerusalem. "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness," what would that be? That would be the kingdom, wouldn't it? Sure. Now watch, "to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy," who would that be? Crowning the Messiah. Now watch, he says seventy weeks of history are determined upon Israel until everything ends and the kingdom comes with Messiah reigning. That's what the verse says. It's got to be a final thing because everything is a final. Finish the transgression, make and end of sins, seal up the vision and prophecy, bring in everlasting righteousness, anoint the most holy. Boy that's final stuff isn't it? The end, the finish, the seal, seal it up, close it off, that's the way it is. All right now.
Seventy weeks are determined in the history of Israel until the kingdom begins. That's an important prophecy, folks. That's very important. You say well spread it out a little bit so I can get it. All right, I will. Listen. The seventy weeks are weeks of years. The term weeks literally means just a regular week, but is used from time to time in the Hebrew to refer to periods of seven, and here it obviously it refers to periods of seven years. Now watch. Seventy times seven years, rather than seven days would be one week, it's a week of years. So, seventy times seven is 490 years are determined upon Israel's history. You say you mean it says there it's going to be 490 years of Israel's history? If we could find out when it began we'd know when the kingdom was going to come. Exactly. That kind of gets exciting.
Now biblical years are years of 360 days, not 365 but 360. We know this by comparing three different passages in the book of Genesis. And as we compare them and the annotations that are given we find out that the Old Testament calendar counting was based on a 360-day year. And you're saying to yourself well tell us when it began so we know when it ends. All right. Verse 25 tells you. "No therefore," I don't want you to be ignorant, "and understand it begins from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem." That's when it began. You say do we know when that was? Absolutely, that date is set in history. The date? March 14, 445 B.C. Artaxerxes gave the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. That date is a known date. And I'll tell you something fascinating. You start on March 14, 445 B.C. now let's look at verse 25 and it says, "From the going forth of that commandment unto the Messiah, the prince, this is the Messiah as he's presented as prince and king, "shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks, which adds up to how many? 69. Now watch. So you've still got an extra seven years hanging on, right? All right. From the decree of Artaxerxes to Messiah, the Prince, will be what amounts to 483 years. You subtract 7 from 490 because there's one week left out, 69 weeks.
You want to hear something thrilling? Sir Robert Anderson took the number of days involved started on March 14th445 B.C. and added exactly the amount of days and came to the date April 6, 32 A.D. And according to Sir Robert Anderson, who had done almost all of the historical work in this, that is the very day Jesus rode into Jerusalem and announced Himself as king. You say what's the significance of that. The significance of it number one is God is right on the dime. Number two it supports the fact that prophecy is to be taken literally. You see what I'm saying. That is a literal prophecy. When people come to the Bible and want to mush up all the prophecy into figures they are violating a principle that Daniel will adhere to, a literal interpretation. Now that's obvious. Right on the day He rode into the city Messiah, the Prince. On that very day, you want to hear something exciting? On that very day that Jesus rode into that city I believe that He knew He was fulfilling that. You say, boy God had to do some kind of arranging to bring that one off. That's no problem for God. Details, details
Seventy weeks are determined in the history of Israel until the kingdom begins. That's an important prophecy, folks. That's very important. You say well spread it out a little bit so I can get it. All right, I will. Listen. The seventy weeks are weeks of years. The term weeks literally means just a regular week, but is used from time to time in the Hebrew to refer to periods of seven, and here it obviously it refers to periods of seven years. Now watch. Seventy times seven years, rather than seven days would be one week, it's a week of years. So, seventy times seven is 490 years are determined upon Israel's history. You say you mean it says there it's going to be 490 years of Israel's history? If we could find out when it began we'd know when the kingdom was going to come. Exactly. That kind of gets exciting.
Now biblical years are years of 360 days, not 365 but 360. We know this by comparing three different passages in the book of Genesis. And as we compare them and the annotations that are given we find out that the Old Testament calendar counting was based on a 360-day year. And you're saying to yourself well tell us when it began so we know when it ends. All right. Verse 25 tells you. "No therefore," I don't want you to be ignorant, "and understand it begins from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem." That's when it began. You say do we know when that was? Absolutely, that date is set in history. The date? March 14, 445 B.C. Artaxerxes gave the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. That date is a known date. And I'll tell you something fascinating. You start on March 14, 445 B.C. now let's look at verse 25 and it says, "From the going forth of that commandment unto the Messiah, the prince, this is the Messiah as he's presented as prince and king, "shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks, which adds up to how many? 69. Now watch. So you've still got an extra seven years hanging on, right? All right. From the decree of Artaxerxes to Messiah, the Prince, will be what amounts to 483 years. You subtract 7 from 490 because there's one week left out, 69 weeks.
You want to hear something thrilling? Sir Robert Anderson took the number of days involved started on March 14th445 B.C. and added exactly the amount of days and came to the date April 6, 32 A.D. And according to Sir Robert Anderson, who had done almost all of the historical work in this, that is the very day Jesus rode into Jerusalem and announced Himself as king. You say what's the significance of that. The significance of it number one is God is right on the dime. Number two it supports the fact that prophecy is to be taken literally. You see what I'm saying. That is a literal prophecy. When people come to the Bible and want to mush up all the prophecy into figures they are violating a principle that Daniel will adhere to, a literal interpretation. Now that's obvious. Right on the day He rode into the city Messiah, the Prince. On that very day, you want to hear something exciting? On that very day that Jesus rode into that city I believe that He knew He was fulfilling that. You say, boy God had to do some kind of arranging to bring that one off. That's no problem for God. Details, details
همه توضیحات ...