AN IMPRESSIONIST STUDY OF THE KEY BOOKS OF DANIEL

As we are watching current events unfold in these days I felt it would be a good opportunity to post a short 5 part study on the Book of Daniel. This study will focus on the prophetic dreams and visions Daniel had in chapters 9, 2, 7, 8, 11 and 12. They truly apply to the time we are living in now.

 

STUDY # 1 - AN END TIME IMPRESSIONIST OUTLINE OF DANIEL CHAPTER 9

Chapter 9 - Daniel’s Vision of the Seventy Weeks      

A.  Daniel’s understanding of Jeremiah’s return prophecy 9.1-2

B.  Daniel intercedes, confesses, prays, fasts, and repents for his and Judah and all Israel’s sin 9.3-19

C.  The angel Gabriel Intervenes and Reveals to Daniel 9.20-23

D.  The Revelation of the 70 Weeks Explained to Daniel 9.24-27

I was even yet speaking in prayer, and that man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. And he caused me to understand and spoke with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to cause thee to understand the interpretation.

At the beginning of thy supplications, the word went forth, and I have come to teach it unto thee; for thou art a man greatly beloved: therefore understand the word, and understand the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined {Heb. Cut} upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the prevarication and to conclude the sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and seal the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the holy of holies. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to cause the people to return and to build Jerusalem unto the Anointed {Heb. Messiah} Prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks, while the street shall be built again and the wall, even in troublous times. Daniel 9.21-25

And after the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be killed and shall have nothing: (and the ruling people that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; whose end shall be as a flood, until at the end of the war it shall be cut off with desolation). In one week (they are now seventy) he shall confirm the covenant by many: and at the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and because of the many abominations, desolation shall come, even until complete destruction shall be poured out upon the abominable people. Daniel 9.26-27

The final verse in Daniel 9 gives information about what occurs during the final 7 years of the 70^th week when the man of sin, the Antichrist, will establish his New World Order. This will be discussed in greater deal in later chapters.

The going forth of the word, generally agreed upon by those who have studied Daniel, begins with King Artaxerxes edit in Nehemiah 2.1: And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, the king, as wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it unto the king. And as I had not been sad before in his presence, the king said unto me, “Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick?” This is nothing else but brokenness of heart. Then I was very sore afraid and said unto the king, Let the king live forever; why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the house of my fathers’ sepulchers, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?

This occurred in the first month of the Hebrew Biblical year of Nissan, 455 BC, the month of the Feast of Passover. Nehemiah was fearful because he was asking the king to rebuild the city walls and streets. This would constitute a political act that would allow Jerusalem to become a sovereign city which would be able to defend itself against invasion or possibly declare independence from Persia at a future time. Nehemiah was risking his life asking this of the king. The king might be highly offended by this…the king granted Nehemiah his request!

This is a prophecy concerning the first coming of Yeshua the Messiah into Jerusalem at the beginning of the week in which he would be crucified. Nehemiah came before the king with his request at the beginning of the same month in which Yeshua would be crucified 483 years later—7 times 69 = 483 years. The leading rabbis’ of Yeshua’s time must have known this prophetic scripture—but refused to acknowledge it.

The second part of Gabriel’s revelation to Daniel describes the final week of the 70 week prophecy which will occur at the end of this age—the second coming of Yeshua!

The gap between the weeks, most agree, is described in Hosea 6.1-3:  Come, and let us return unto the LORD; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he shall give us life: in the third day he will resurrect us, and we shall live in his sight. And we shall know and follow on in knowing the LORD; his going forth is prepared as the dawn; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

A thousand years is as a day in the Lord’s sight (Ps 90.4 and 2 Peter 3.8). Two days are the intervening two thousand years. The third day would then be the day of Yeshua’s second coming.

The exact time of his coming during the third day is unknown. If we divide a 1000 years by 24 (hours) we find an hour is 41.666 years! Divide 41.666 by 60 (minutes) and we get 0.694 years for each minute. Take 0.694 x 365 days (in a year) = 253 days or about 8.3 months per minute!

No man knows the time of day other than that He will raise us up on the third day! It could be any 41.666 year hour of that 8.3 month minute! In other words it could be anytime during the 3^rd day—1^st hour or 24^th hour. The third day is not complete until 24 hours have expired!

The final verse in Daniel 9 reveals information about what occurs during the final 7 years of the 70^th week when the man of sin, the Antichrist, will cause all temple sacrifices to cease and an abomination towards Elohim (God). This will be further discussed in chapters 7, 8, 11, and 12 visions of Daniel.

Summary – The brief impression you can share with others.

A. The seventy week prophecy predicts the exact time of the Messiah entering Jerusalem as the humble king who will be crucified for our sins. This would be 483 years from the time of Artaxerxes’ edict in 455 BC.

 

B. The two thousand year gap between the weeks is written in Hosea 6.1-3

 

C. The second part of the prophecy in verse 27 describes the 7 year period of the tribulation and Antichrist reign of the man of sin. In midweek he will cause sacrifices at the third temple to cease and cause an abomination towards Elohim. To be discussed in detail in later chapters.

 

D. The second coming as Conquering King will occur sometime on the third day—any hour or minute during the third day—which no man knows (see the above hour and minute breakout).

 

E. The rabbi leaders of the time refused to believe Yeshua was the long awaited Messiah. To this day they refuse to acknowledge the 70 week prophecy and the timing of 483 years from Artaxerxes’ edict to Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem. They are, however, looking for a Messiah to come during Jacob’s Trouble.