Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levitan.

Gideon Levytam: Once again, Daniel 9 I'm going to read verse 24 to the end. I'm reading verse 24. 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring an everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks. The street shall be built again in the wall even in troublous time.

And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a flood. And unto the end of the war, desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. And for the overspreading of abomination, he shall make it desolate even until the consummation and that determine shall be poured upon the desolator.

And I stop with the reading here. Lest lest meeting together where we have been together, we have dealt really already with verse 24 with the revelation that God had given Daniel through the angel concerning the future chastening of God God's chastening of his beloved nation, the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. You remember, just to remind you because I needed for myself to be freshly reminded of what we have been speaking about. You remember that God that Daniel have realized it by by the time we arrived to chapter nine that the 70 years that God had promised to take Israel and to discipline them for 70 years in Babylon are nearing the end.

Daniel was searching in books. He was fighting in a in a prophet Jeremiah that the time of the dealing of the of God chasing of Israel is is going to end now. And in chapter nine from the beginning all the way to to verse 19, he was praying to God. He was beseeching God. He was confessing his sins and the sins of the nation in view of the restoration of the people. The time is coming. God, now you can restore your people Israel back to the land. When through the the angel, God was giving to Daniel an answer.

God was telling him that yes, he's going to restore Israel, but God wanted to show Daniel the day's additional additional certain period of time whereby God is going now not only to restore Israel as he has done that at the end of the Babylonian captivity, but now he's giving to Daniel instruction how God was going to restore Israel not only to the time where they will go back to the land for a short time, but ultimately until the time of the end where Israel will finally be restored. So Daniel needed to learn this very important lesson that there is an additional 70 time seven years of God's chastening of his people, the nation of Israel.

So as Daniel have asked for this for confess his the sins the sins of the nation and then Gabriel coming and he begin to give him these instruction, the revelation that God was going to give to Daniel concerning future restoration of Israel, but it involved a time of discipline. So if you remember, we have began with verse 24 and we have covered verse 24. There it if we are to understand this, one of the most important prophecies in the Bible concerning the nation of Israel, we call it the 70 weeks of Daniel chapter nine. We must understand understand certain things that are laid before us here in this chapter.

Verse 24 we had three things that we have learned in verse 24. Number one that this prophecy deals totally with Israel and with the city of Jerusalem. Number two that this prophecy will take the time a certain time which will be really 70 * 7 which is 490 years long. We have covered that already. And number three that this 490 years long will be important, will be necessary in order to accomplish six things concerning the nation of Israel. And you remember those six things are found in verse 24 as well to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in an everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the holy of holies.

These these three things that I have just mentioned right now, all of them are found in verse 24 of Daniel chapter nine. Now just I want to highlight one more time in verse 24 notice it says 70 weeks are determined upon your people. 70 * 7 the word for week here is not a week of a daily week because in Hebrew Shavua or Shavuot has to do with weeks of days. But the word here is not Shavuot, but Shavuim. And Shavuim simply means sevens. It's just like you say dozens, a dozen eggs or something like in English you would say something that has a certain number that is is obvious, a dozen eggs or dozen anything anything that you have in mind.

And simply it means here 77s. 77s of what? We have already established in the book of Daniel especially chapter seven, chapter nine. We are dealing with years. So 77s simply mean 70 * 7 means 490 years. So 490 years will be necessary to deal and to restore Israel back to the Lord, to deal with the nation of Israel and to restore Israel. Now if you look at this chart here, something that is very interesting, a very important for us to understand in this chart. Don't look so much at the dotted line here. We are interested in the straight line here.

This straight line it stops here and it continues right here. And so as you look at this chart, we're going to look at this this evening. We are concerned specifically in this in this chapter of verses 24 to verse 27 with the straight line, not so much with the dotted line because the dotted line here deal with the church age. When we look at this chart, it takes us from the time of the dealing with the nation of Israel this this four this 70 * 7 490 years years from the beginning to the end. And yet there is a break in between which we know as today is called the church age.

Now we want to move to verse 25. And let's take it quickly a point at the time so we can get some help. Now in verse 25 we have two things to learn there in verse 25. The first thing that we learn in verse 25 that this prophecy will have a special starting point. How do we know when that prophecy will start? Remember from Daniel point of timing, Daniel was still looking to the future. That's why the angel telling him in verse 25 know therefore this is to Daniel and understand that from notice the word from.

If you will underline the word from, that is giving us the timing in which this prophecy is going to begin from the going forth of the commandment to restore to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince shall be seven weeks three score and two. This is 62 weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times. Now this is very interesting verse. This is verse 25. This prophecy will have a special starting point. What is the starting point? Notice it says here from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.

Now here we have a little bit of a problem. The commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem is the time of the starting point of the 490 years of God's chastening of his beloved nation, the nation of Israel. It's starting from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Now of course we know from history that there was more than one time a proclamation of the restoration of the people of Israel back to the land. And that's why some scholars, some believers differ on the beginning of the 490 years, but I would like to suggest this evening that most of the people whom I am aware of and I know and I have learned from and I'm reading their material do believe that this is from the commandment that Artaxerxes gave to Nehemiah in 445 444 BC.

That will be the starting point of the 490 years of God's chastening of the people of Israel. And so I like you to go back for a minute to the to the book of Nehemiah chapter two. Nehemiah chapter two. Why most people believe that it's coming the beginning the starting point is the the commandment of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to go to restore and to rebuild the city is because the earlier Cyrus who have of called them of called to go to the Jewish people to go back to the land to build if you will to go back to worship the Lord has to do more with the worship and the building of the temple.

While when it's come to Nehemiah, it has to do more with the city and the walls of the city. Notice this. I'm going to read Nehemiah chapter two and the first a few verses. And it came to pass, this is verse one of chapter two of Nehemiah. And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, this is a March or April in the 20th year of Artaxerxes the king. This is about 444 445 BC. We have here about March 444 445 BC that the the king that wine was before him. And I, this is Nehemiah speaking, took up the wine and I gave it unto the king.

Now I had not been before time sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow 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, notice that, when the city, the place of my father's sepulcher lies waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire. The king said unto me, for what does thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said unto the king, if it please the king and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight that thou would send me unto Judah unto the city of my father's sepulcher that I may build it. Notice it concerns here with not so much the building of the temple, but the building of the city. Verse six. And the king said unto me, the queen also sitting by him, for how long shall thy journey be? And when will thou return? So it pleased the king to send me and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, if it pleased the king, let um let us be given to me to the governors beyond the river that they may convey me over till I come into Judea.

And a letter unto Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertain to the house and for the wall of the city. And for the house that I shall enter into and the king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me. Let's stop here. You see Nehemiah apparently was a cup bearer. He was a he was the wine the one that will taste the wine before the king will taste the wine lest somebody will poison the king.

Well, as the king was wine was before him, we read in chapter two a king Artaxerxes. Then what's happened is that he looked at Nehemiah who was serving him and Nehemiah's face was kind of sad. And he looks at him and the king knowing this servant Nehemiah and he's saying to him, you know, at why is your countenance sad? Why are you sad? And you know Nehemiah loved his people, loved the nation, loved the city and the and and and loved the place where his forefathers have been all the history of the nation of Israel.

Nehemiah was so burdened and concerned with his people and with the city and the condition that the city is existing that his face was sad. You know, it is if we if we make it a spiritual application for us, when we look at the condition of the people of God and the and the and the spiritual state of God's people, we also have to have some kind of sadness in our hearts. That's the kind of condition that that Nehemiah had been at. And so the king asking him, Nehemiah, why are you so sad? And then Nehemiah tell him the truth.

He said to him, you know, he said to him, he said let the king live forever. Why shouldn't why shouldn't not my countenance be sad in verse three? Look at the condition. The city, the place of my father's sepulcher lies in waste. And the gates thereof are consumed with fire. Why shouldn't I be sad? Well, the king saw his concern and he asked him, what do you request? What is your request? You know, I think one of the shortest prayers in the Bible perhaps for us to kind of a quick a quick talk to God is really found right here in Nehemiah two and verse four.

So I prayed to the God of heaven and I said to the king. Nehemiah didn't have much time. He probably said, Lord, help me. And immediately he went and he said what he wants from the king. And he was talking to the king and he's saying to the king, you know, if it please the king and and if thy servant found favor in thy sight that you would send me unto Judea unto the city of my father's sepulcher that I may build it. And Artaxerxes gave him a command to go to build the city and the walls.

Notice how many times by the way in this particular chapter chapter two the word city and the word gates and the word wall is mentioned. Let me just highlight this for you. In verse three it's mentioned city in the middle and gates at the end. In verse five he mentioned that thou would send me to Judah unto the city of my father my my father's sepulcher that I may build it. In verse eight it's mentioned uh give me timber to make beams for the gates and the of the palace which appertain to the house and for the wall of the city.

If you go down to verse 13 which I did not read, it said at the end that he viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and the gates thereof which were consumed with fire. Notice down if you go to verse 17 and you notice it says, then said I unto them, you see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste and the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem that we be no more a reproach. And so that is the purpose that Nehemiah have gone to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

So the starting point that we have in Daniel chapter nine and verse 25 was from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. That is the starting point. So if you in your mind can have this, now I know some others believe that it is the time where Cyrus gave the command to uh in the book of Ezra in chapter one with Zerubbabel have gone up to Jerusalem about 539 BC. Some believe that this is the date, but most Bible scholars also do believe that it was 445 444 BC from the commandment to restore and to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

So if we learn this from this verse, the first part of verse 25, the starting point will be 444 445 BC, the commandment of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah about the the month of March. 445 444 BC is the starting point. The next thing that we learn in verse 25 if you go back now to Daniel chapter nine is that not only that this prophecy will have a special starting point, but also this prophecy will give us the time of the Messiah's appearing to the nation of Israel. Notice how interesting. Verse 25 now verse 25 B it says, know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto.

Here's the the unto what? Unto the Messiah, the Prince. The Messiah, the Prince. Now how much time is going to be? Notice it says here, it shall be seven weeks. We know that seven weeks means seven * seven it's 49. And then it says and 62 weeks. 62 * seven is 400 and if you put it together 434 49 + 434 is 483 years. So what we really get here is that and let me let me show you is right right here. I think it's easier to look at the at the at the at the chart here.

Notice we said 445 BC is the starting point. Then we have 49 years. You remember that's what it says here in verse 40 and verse 25. There will be uh unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks. Here's the seven weeks. And then 62 weeks which is 434. So if you add 49 + 434 here we have the end. This will be 69. 7 + 62 make it 69 weeks. 69 weeks equal 483 years together. In other words, from 445 BC unto the coming of the Messiah, there will be 483 total. Now if you figure out 483 years from 445 we are coming to approximately some get to about 32 AD.

31 32 AD. Now don't ask me how people calculated. Remember one thing that in the olden biblical calculation of the days of the month and the year it's not like we have it today. It is a 30 day month which is 360 a day year. And so if we figure all these together from the 445 to the appearing of the Messiah, the Prince, when he would appear to the nation of Israel, 483 years will pass away. Now uh just some points to to mention. There was a man by the name of Sir Robert Anders Anderson.

I I have just read a little bit about him and heard about him. He was apparently from the Scotland Yard. He was apparently a a a detective in the late 1800s early 1900s. And apparently he have calculated and that's what a lot of believers are are taking it uh at uh in in in in in acknowledging the fact that the calculation from 445 BC all the way to about 32 AD, it is exactly a 69 * seven. 69 weeks 483 years biblical years. Figuring out how you transfer from BC to AD, how you calculated, how you calculated, you shifted from from BC to AD and then also calculating the days.

It is approximately coming to about March sometime March in 32 uh AD. Now let me just give you some verses that are very very important to look at.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitan. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom. Shalom.