This is Connect with Skip Heidzig. Thanks for joining us today. At Connect with Skip, the heart of what you hear each day is to help you go deeper in your walk with Jesus through clear, practical Bible teaching and real-life encouragement. but you don't have to wait for a broadcast to connect. When you sign up for Pastor Skiff's weekly devotional email, you'll receive inspiring messages and free resources right in your inbox, all to help you weave God's word into daily life.
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Now, let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. I don't know what it was like for you in high school, but for me there were certain subjects that were easy and other ones that were more difficult for me to understand. PE I was pretty good at. Photography class, I enjoyed that. I understood the concepts.
Drama class. Kind of like that. I was in drama in high school. But there were some other courses that were tough to understand. I have good teachers.
Mr. Weislick was my chemistry and physics teacher, and the prize student was Shirley ID. She got it. I required a little more care to understand it. He would frequently ask questions like, Do you understand?
Do you have any questions? Then I had an algebra class with Mr. Edinberg. A really sweet guy, smart guy from the South. Laura Schaefer was the prize student in that class.
I was not. And Mr. Ettenberg would often say to me, Do you understand? Do you got any questions? Of course, my biggest question is, why am I here?
I made it through algebra. I made it through math classes, but. It took A little more energy for me to understand.
Now that's funny because later on, when I was tested for my aptitude and what I should choose a career in. Um the tester said Based upon this information, you should choose a math-related field. for your occupation. I said, not on your life. And I feel that in dealing with Daniel chapter 9, it's sort of a flashback for me of some of my math courses.
It's a technical timetable of the future that deals with the Messiah and the nation of Israel. And we're going to be looking beginning at verse 20 in Daniel chapter 9 today. One of the remarkable things is that For Daniel himself. It obviously wasn't an easy grasp. Because three times in the text, Daniel is told by the angel who gives them this.
You need to understand this. Do you understand? Pay attention. You need to understand.
So look in verse 22. Where he says, I have come forth to give you skill to understand. Verse 23, therefore consider the matter. and understand the vision. And then in verse 25, know therefore and understand.
I gotta let you know that when I finally understood this section of scripture. I was able to win more skeptics to Christ by it than just about any other place. It armed me with the equipment. To show how precise and exact God was in predicting. Coming events.
Now, let me just say that Daniel chapter 9, and in particular this section, is known by Bible scholars as the backbone of Bible prophecy. It's called that because everything else in Scripture prophetically attaches to this. And here is Daniel. He knows that. 70-year captivity is almost over, and he goes to his knees and begins to pray to God based upon that knowledge.
And then the Lord reveals to him something. that blew his mind in the future. You're praying about 70 years of captivity. Let me let you in on my plan. for the Jewish nation, including the Messiah.
In years ahead. By the way, The Messiah is mentioned in this text prophetically. Jesus is implied, inferred, predicted in this text. He's the center of everything. There was once a father who came home from work just bone-tired.
And he just dreamed of just reading the paper for an hour, chilling for an hour, kicked his shoes off, grabbed the newspaper, sat in his big easy chair, pulled it back, opened the newspaper. Big sigh. Just then, his five-year-old boy came bounding out of the bedroom and said, Daddy, let's play. Last thing he wanted to do was play.
So he had to figure out something, and he thought very quickly. In the newspaper was a full-page advertisement showing a picture of the earth. Saying something like, you know, the best whatever in the world, and it's a big picture of the earth. Dad gets his scissors. cuts the earth up in little s Puzzle pieces.
gives the handful of the newspaper Cut pieces to his son with tape, and he says, Go put this puzzle together, put all the earth back together. And when you're done with that game, then come back and we'll play. Dad thinks, What? I got 30 minutes, an hour? Five minutes.
His son comes back in the room. all taped together beautifully the earth. And dad goes, How did you do it so quickly? The boy says, Pretty easy. On the back is a picture of a man.
And when I put the man together, the whole world came together. When you get Jesus Christ right, the whole world comes together. And I would say, when you get Daniel chapter 9 right and you understand it, the rest of prophetic literature that deals with the whole world. also comes together. We have four verses in particular that are very detailed verses, a mathematical calculation that is going to require all of your mental energy this morning.
Now, you know, by the way, that about one-fourth of the Bible is prophecy. And what is prophecy? Simply this: it's history written in advance. God knows the end from the beginning. And God can write before it happens what is going to happen as if it were a past tense event.
And Daniel's filled with that. In fact, prophecy is what separates the men from the boys. You might have all sorts of belief systems, all sorts of world religions. with lots of debotes. But when you deal with this.
Book. You are dealing with prophecy that no other religious system has or can match. Let's take a swipe at this. Beginning in verse 20, where we left off in verse 19.
Now, while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel. And presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God. Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me and talked with me and said, Oh, Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out.
And I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision. Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city. To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity. To bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
No, therefore, And understand. That from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the prince. There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again. and the wall even in troublesome times.
And after 62 weeks, Messiah. shall be cut off. But not for himself. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, the end of it shall be with a flood. Until the end of the war, desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering, and on the wing of abominations. shall be one who makes desolate. even until the consummation which is determined is poured out. on the desolate.
Yeah.
Now we need to understand what we just read generally. Specifically, Messianically? Futuristically, And most important, practically. First of all, there's just some general things you need to be aware of. First, this is an answer to prayer.
Daniel's been reading the Bible, Jeremiah in particular. He falls to his knees, begins to pray. He doesn't even finish the prayer, can't even get an amen at the end of it out. And it's already answered. By a messenger, an angel, Gabriel, he is called, in the form of a man.
He's shown up before. In this book, he will show up again in chapter 12. He's called the prince. or the chief prince of the people of Israel. He's like God's bouncer.
for the nation of Israel. The year is 538 BC. Daniel is about 86 years of age. In reading Jeremiah's prediction that Israel will be captive in Babylon 70 years, he realizes 70 years is almost up. He begins to pray, and God gives him further revelation for the future.
The second general thing to make a note of is that This is related in particular to the Jewish people. Not all peoples, but to the Jewish people. Notice it says in verse 24: 70 weeks are determined for your. People. Daniel was Jewish.
And for your holy city. He came from the city of Jerusalem.
So this is Dealing with The main player. when it comes to prophetic literature, and that is the Jewish people. This is also in contrast to all of the previous revelations, dreams, and visions in the book of Daniel that have to deal with Gentile world powers from Daniel's time to the end of the age. This is now dealing in particular with the Jewish nation. And to say the least, it is Like the most amazing.
Nation Effort. Go all the way back to Genesis 12 when God said to Abram, I'm going to bless you, and out of you will come a great nation. I will make you a great nation. And whoever blesses you, I will bless. Whoever curses you, I will curse.
But Abram, you're going to be the father of a great nation. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before today's message continues, there's a special offer for your family this Christmas. Hey, this is Nate Heitzig. And if you're like me, one of the best parts of the Christmas season is gathering your kids to share the story of Jesus in a way that makes it come alive.
That's why I wrote Christmas Under the Tree. a beautifully illustrated book and companion audio experience for families of all ages. My hope is that this story helps you and your kids connect the cradle to the cross and treasure the true meaning of Christmas for years to come. Christmas under the tree is yours when you give a gift of $25 or more to help more people discover God's Word through Connect with Skiff Heitzig. Request your copy at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888.
Now, let's get back to today's teaching. The world population right now is around 7 billion. People. 13 million of that seven billion Our juice. That's less than two-thirds of 1%.
But did you know That between 25% and 33%, depending on the category. About a third of all of the Nobel prizes ever given out have been collected by Jewish people. Amazing. That little nation in the Middle East called Israel, that tiny little piece of real estate. One three hundredth the size of China.
gets three times the headlines. Adolf Hitler managed to kill six million Jews. Mahmoud Ah, Madinejad, and Iran would like to wipe the rest out. But God has a special plan for this nation. The third general thing about this Is that we're dealing with a set time.
A timetable. Look at verse 24. Seventy Weeks. are determined for your people. You see the word determined?
It's important that you know what that means. It means divided or cut out. of something. Seventy weeks have been cut out. Of time.
It's as if God takes the sweep of history from the beginning to the end and cuts out a certain period to reveal to Daniel and those of us who would take the time to study it and read it. To show us what's going to happen during that specified period of time for his people. and including The Messiah Now why is this important? Because every now and then you're going to meet a person who calls himself a deist. Have you ever heard of that word or met somebody who goes, Well, I'm a deist.
I believe that there's a God. Don't know who it is, what it is, but I believe that this God is sort of passive, aloof, distant. He wound up the world like a big clock, and then he just sort of steps back and watches things happen. That's a deist. There are even some in that camp who believe that God is learning as He lets things happen.
So he's not in control of anything. He's certainly not managing personally the affairs of the world. He's just learning and watching things happen, going, oh, look at that. That's like really cool. We're dealing with a God who is very, very precise and keeps perfect time.
Now, what is the time?
Well, it says 70 weeks are determined.
Now, I know it says weeks in your Bible, but it doesn't say that in Hebrew. In Hebrew it says, Shabuim Shevim. Literally 70. Sevens. Or 70 sets of seven Something.
Could be days. Could be ears. In fact, I'm going to show you that I believe it's referring to 70. weeks of years. Because that's how many translations will even translate this, including Jewish translations.
So 77s are determined for your people. It says. Here in the West, we mark time by increments of 10.
So a 10-year period is a Decade. We talk about living through the 60s or the 70s or the 80s or the 90s. That seems so long ago. Decades. In Jewish thought, it wasn't decades as much as periods of seven, heptads.
In fact, if you know your Old Testament, you know that they. They kept a whole period of seven. in their days, in their years.
So there was a six-in-one pattern. For six days you work, on the seventh day you rest. That's Sabbath. But also with years. For six years you plow and you till the ground, but the seventh year you let the ground lay fallow and you just eat whatever comes naturally.
That was God's law. Six and one. Six and one. Keep in mind that Daniel, this guy, Has been reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Israel will be captive for seventy years. That 70-year captivity was based upon Israel's history of disobedience.
Now, I'm going to turn to it. If you're quick on your feet, you can turn to it as well. But I'm already there, so why bother? 2 Chronicles chapter 36, you can mark and look at it later. It's the end of that book.
It's describing Israel going into captivity. This is what it says. And those, verse 20, 2 Chronicles 36, those who escaped from the sword, he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia. To fulfil. The word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah Until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths.
As long as she lay desolate, she kept the Sabbath to fulfill seventy years.
Now, God gives to us the reason why 70 years captivity. Because They had disobeyed in keeping The seventh year Where you plow and then the seventh year you let the land rest. God says, you owe me 70 years. Which implies that for 490 years, Israel in their history had been disobedient and had not kept this seventh-year land thing.
So Here's Daniel. He's reading Jeremiah and he says the 70-year captivity based upon 490 years of disobedience is almost up. He hits the ground. He starts praying. Then he gets further revelation in answer to his prayer from the angel Gabriel.
Saying, I want to tell you about another period of time coming up, even more significant than the 70-year captivity based upon 490 years of disobedience. 70 weeks, 70 sevens are determined upon your people. And I believe it refers to 70 sets. of seven years or 70 weeks of years. Uh Jewish commentary say that?
The Mishnah says that. The New Revised Standard Version says 70 weeks of years. The New Century Version says God has ordained 490 years.
So we're dealing with a specific time period of 490 years. And now I want you to see that we should understand it specifically, not just generally. Specifically, and you'll see what I mean: that it has to be years and not days. Because notice what has to be fulfilled. Look at verse 24.
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity. To bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. It's a very complex but highly accurate verse of scripture. There are six things that will be fulfilled during this cut out period of time that we're dealing with. 70 weeks, 70 sevens.
490 years. There are six things. Three of those things I believe have been fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus. The second three will be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus. The first three are negative, they deal with sin, the next three are positive, they deal with the kingdom.
The first three? To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, that's plural, one's singular, one's plural, to make reconciliation for iniquity, the word reconciliation is the word. Kafar in Hebrew means to cover or atone for. When Jesus came the first time, That's what it was all about. He came to fix the sin problem.
There is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved, said Peter, except the name of Jesus. He came to deal with sin, to manage sin, to give God the ultimate reason to judge people if they reject him, and that is their sin. but to deal with it all on the cross to make atonement for it. Listen. Jesus Christ did not come to this earth to just be a good example for people.
Or to say nice little things, and we could say, Oh, I admire Jesus. He said so many wonderful things, and he was a great example. No, he came to deal with sin. If our greatest need would have been information, Or technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need would have been for money, God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need would be for pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer, but our greatest need was for forgiveness. And so he sent us a Saviour. That's why Jesus came, and these three things I believe have been fulfilled at the first coming. But notice the next three, they haven't been fulfilled. They're not done.
To bring in everlasting righteousness, last time I checked, that's not going on. It will be Revelation 19. Jesus comes from heaven to the earth the second time. and he enforces righteousness on the earth. He rules with a rod of iron.
Then, to seal up vision and prophecy to complete all of the predictions made in the Old and New Testament. A lot we're still waiting to have fulfilled. and to anoint the most holy. In Hebrew, kodesh kadashim, or the holy of holies, literally. and it almost always refers to the temple.
And I believe it's a reference to Ezekiel chapters 40 through 46, which speaks of a future millennial temple that is coming. But it's safe to say that specifically we're dealing with a time period of 490 years in which these six things must be completed. But we need to understand this now messianically. Because look at verse 25. No, therefore.
And understand that's the commandment. That from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the prince. There shall be seven weeks. And 62 weeks, that's 69 weeks. The street shall be built again.
And the wall. Even in troublesome times. Folks, this is to me the pinnacle of the book of Daniel, this verse. This to me is the greatest prophecy in all of Scripture. It tells me and you that there will be 69 periods of seven.
At the end of which Messiah will show up. and will die. Messiah will be cut off, it says. but not for himself. In other words, Daniel, Daniel, there's going to come a commandment.
that says you can go back and restore and rebuild Jerusalem. And from that command until the Messiah, there will be 69 weeks, or 69 sevens, or 483 years.
So did you notice there's three periods of this? Three periods. Period number one, seven sevens. That's 49 years. During that time, The city of Jerusalem, including the streets, the walls, will be built up in the temple.
Time period number two. 62 sevenths. or 434 years. At that time Messiah will come. Messiah will die.
The city of Jerusalem will be attacked, leveled, destroyed. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heidzig. Before you go, don't miss your chance to request Christmas Under the Tree, the beautifully illustrated book and audio experience by Nate Heitzig that helps your family see the Christmas story with fresh wonder and excitement. It's yours for your gift of $25 or more to help reach more people with biblical teaching through Connect with Skip. Call 800-922-1888 or go to connectwithskiff.com slash offer.
And don't forget to sign up for the free weekly devotional for encouragement from Pastor Skiff right in your inbox. Thanks for spending time with us today and we'll see you next time on Connect with Skiff Heitzig. Make a connection now. Stop food. Of the crossing.
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