Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ, and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. If you're going to understand prophecy, you cannot bypass Daniel chapter nine, because in Daniel chapter nine we have an outline of things to come. That is put down so beautifully that it encourages faith and gives understanding at the same time.
The passage is difficult as you look at it on the surface, so you have to take time and break it down bit by bit. You'll understand why I said it's difficult when you look at it on the surface, because we're going to begin reading now in verse 24. Daniel has been praying for understanding. I want to say, by way of introduction, that an understanding man prays, and a praying man gets understanding. And so Daniel has been praying, and God now is going to speak one great prophetic passage to the servant Daniel.
Now prophecy is history pre-written. Only God can give true prophecy. Listen to this passage. Beginning in verse twenty-four, here is what God said to Daniel: "Seventy 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 in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy." Actually, it does seem very convoluted, enigmatic. But as we look at it a little bit at a time, it's going to break open before us and be an incredible blessing as we think of this outline of things to come.
First point: the period designated. Look, if you will, in verse 24, seventy weeks are determined upon thy people.
Now, right away, if you're using the King James as I'm using, you may be thrown off track just a little bit. Because this does not mean seventy weeks, as we know a week. It literally means seventy groups of seven years. Actually, it means four hundred and ninety years.
Now, you need to understand that the Jews had weeks of years, just as they had weeks of days. When we say a week, we think of seven days. They may just as well have thought of seven years. For example, Leviticus chapter twenty-five and verse eight: "Thou shalt number seven." Sabbaths of years under these seven times seven years, and so don't assume that when it says seventy weeks, it is talking about seventy days. Actually, it is talking about four hundred and ninety years.
So we're talking about a period of time that spans four hundred and ninety years. That's the period designated. Number two, let's think a little bit about the people described. To whom does this prophecy apply? Look again in verse twenty-four.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.
Now, to whom was God speaking? To Daniel. Who was Daniel? He was a Hebrew. What was his city?
Jerusalem.
So this is a prophecy that deals primarily with the Jewish people. The Jews are the people of destiny. They're God's outline. They're God's yardstick. They're God's blueprint.
If you want to know what God is doing in the world, study the Jew. And this tells us that God has a plan for the Jew, and God is not finished with the Jew. The Jew is indestructible. Put down this verse, Jeremiah chapter thirty-one. Verses thirty-five through thirty-six.
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and the stars for light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar. The Lord of Host is His name. If those ordinances depart from before me, what ordinances? The sun, the moon, and the stars, saith the Lord. Then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
In order to destroy Israel, you'd have to reach up into the sky and pull down the stars, the moon, and the sun. God says, "I am going to watch over this nation." Now, right away, we're getting a blessing because we're finding out that God has not turned history loose upon itself, and that God is keeping His promise. And prophecy has a way of settling the soul and giving you a great, great assurance.
Now, here's the third thing: we've talked about the period and the people. Let's talk about the place destined. He's talking about a place also. Look again in verse 24: seventy weeks are determined upon thy people. And upon thy holy city.
Now, the holy city is what Jerusalem. There is no more important city upon the face of this earth than Jerusalem. Not Washington, not Moscow, not Paris, not Tokyo, but Jerusalem. And the Bible prophesies exactly as is happening today that Jerusalem will be the international hot spot in the last days. And anybody who can read a newspaper, anybody who knows the political situation, anybody who has a modicum of understanding knows that that is true.
The Bible has prophesied that for centuries. Put down Zechariah twelve verses two and three. God says, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. In that day, will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people." All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces. Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it, there is coming a time when Antichrist is going to bring the nations of the world against Jerusalem.
But Jerusalem is destined to be the capital city of the world during the reign of Christ. One of these days, folks, you'll take a Holy Land tour and you'll go to Jerusalem, and the King will be on the throne there in Jerusalem.
So, what did we talk about? A period, 490 years. What did we talk about? A people, God's chosen people. What did we talk about?
A place, the Holy. City.
Now, think about the purpose determined here. God delineates his purpose in this prophecy, beginning in verse twenty-four. And read with me: seventy 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 in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
Now, let's just take these. Purposes one at a time. Here's what God is going to do. Number one, He is going to finish the transgression, not a transgression, but the transgression. To whom is He speaking?
Israel. What is the transgression of Israel? They're forsaking, they're turning their back on their Messiah, the rejection of Israel's Messiah. But one day, thank God, that rejection will be over. That transgression will be in the past.
Number two. He's going to make an end of sins because there can be no end of sins without Messiah. There is no forgiveness of sin apart from the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And so there's coming a time when the Jews shall turn in faith to Jesus Christ and trust Him. Romans 11.
Verses 26 and 27, and so all Israel shall be saved.
Now that's the spiritual name for the Jews. As is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, because that's talking about Messiah, and shall turn away ungodliness from.
Now listen to this, Jacob. Jacob is the name always for fleshly Jews. There's no way you can spiritualize this. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Now Daniel also said he's coming to make reconciliation for iniquity. These who were enemies are now going to be reconciled. The great. Need for all of us to understand, both Jew and Gentile, is without Christ we are alienated from God. Romans 5:10.
For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
So Jesus is going in this prophecy to make reconciliation for iniquity, and thank God for that, and then to bring in everlasting righteousness.
Now.
Now there is no righteousness either without Messiah, without the Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel says there's coming a time when He's going to bring in this everlasting righteousness.
Now remember, He's talking about Israel. Put down Romans 10 verses 1 through 4. Paul says, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved." By the way, some people just believe everybody's going to be saved automatically. Who's going to be saved, and and that it's already cut and dried? Oh no.
Paul said, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ, Messiah, is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. And so He's going to bring in this everlasting righteousness.
And even the great prophet Jeremiah prophesied this." Jeremiah twenty-three verses five and six: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch. That's just a description of Jesus, a house and lineage of David, a righteous branch, and a king shall reign in prosper. That's King Jesus, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days, Judah. Shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name, whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness.
The Jews are going to say, Messiah now is our righteousness.
Now, the next of these purposes is to seal up the vision and the prophecy. That means that God has a plan, and in four hundred and ninety years He's going to finish that plan. He's going to put the last period upon the last paragraph, upon the last page, upon the last chapter, upon the last book of history. He is going to seal it up. He is going to finish it.
Nothing has gotten out of hand. Not a jot or a tittle will fail from the law till all has been fulfilled. People say God said it. I believe it. That settles it.
No, God said it. That settles it. I hope you believe it, friend. It is. There, it is.
There, he's going to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and then the last of all of these purposes is to anoint the most holy.
Now, there is a debate among theologians whether this means the holy place in the temple, the millennial temple that will be built, or whether that means the most holy one, the Lord Jesus Himself. I prefer the latter. I believe He will be anointed as Israel's King, and I think that's what this refers. Either way, it's going to be a blessing, and Jesus shall reign where the sun doth his successive journeys run. And so that is the purpose now delineated.
Now here is the program deployed. Beginning now in verses 25 through 27, you're going to see how this program works out. And so God is telling Daniel to know and understand. And now I am trying to share with you, so you can know and understand. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem under Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks.
The street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublous times.
Now four hundred and ninety years. Is going to take.
Well, you have to understand when the countdown begins and when it ends. And God tells us when this count will begin, when you can start counting off these 490 years. It begins with the command to restore and build Jerusalem. That's the commencement of the count.
Now, when was the command to restore and build Jerusalem?
Well, that command was given in the book of Nehemiah, chapter two and verse one, and here's what the Bible describes. And of course, Daniel was familiar with this. And it came to pass in the month of Nissan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king that wine was before him, and I took up the wine. That is, Nehemiah did, and gave it unto the king.
Now I had not been before times sad in his presence, and I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of my father's sepulchers, that I may build it. Nehemiah says, King Artaxerxes, please, don't be angry with me. If I look sad, it's only because I'm heartbroken for my city. The walls are in ruins. The city is in disgrace.
Please give me what it takes to go back and restore and rebuild. Jerusalem, and Artaxerxes told him to do that.
Now, when was that? What was the date? It was 445 B.C. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume Two, Page 660, tells us that also.
Now, it was done in the month of Nissan. That's what Nehemiah 2:1 tells us.
Now, the month of Nissan is the first month of the Jewish year. And the first month of the Jewish year is always determined not by a calendar as such, but by the Paschal Moon.
So, if you are an astronomer and a study of Scripture, you can find out when this date was exactly. You don't have to guess about it. It was March the fourteenth, four four five B.C. March the fourteenth, four four five B.C. The command was given to restore and build Jerusalem, and that's when God's clock started ticking, according this marvelous prophecy in Daniel nine, and so that is the commencement of the count.
Now notice. Notice what he says here, if you will, in this verse. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks. That's forty-nine years. It took forty-nine years to restore and to build Jerusalem.
It happened just as God said it would. God gave the ability through Artaxerxes, and God used Nehemiah to do it. And in these forty-nine years, it was done. Exactly, and it was this first section.
Now is completed, but now that's the commencement of the count.
Now let's look at the continuation of the count in verse twenty-five, and he says unto Messiah the Prince, "Shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks." Now he's saying, "I am going to expand the prophecy just a little bit." You have forty-nine weeks. Add to that forty-nine, four hundred thirty-four weeks. And put all of these together, and you have 483 years from the time the command was given to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah would come, Messiah the Prince. Messiah came right on time. How do you figure this?
Sir Robert Anderson has done a wonderful study on this, and I am indebted to him for this wonderful study. But what a blessing it is to me. You need to understand that a year in Bible prophecy is 360 days. Our years is 365 days, but they would just add a few days to make up for the missing days. They had 360 days.
A half, three and a half years is 1,260 days in the Book of Revelation, which is one half of 360, and they put. Their years, just like we do, a circle with three hundred and sixty degrees in a circle.
Now, here's the point: from the command to restore and build Jerusalem to Messiah the Prince is going to be forty-nine years, and then four hundred and thirty-four years, which is going to make a total of four hundred eighty-three years. The point that you need to understand is this. That Daniel pinpointed the coming of Messiah down to the very day. Take three hundred and sixty days in a prophetic year, and remember that Jesus began his public ministry in A.D. twenty nine.
Well, how do you know that Jesus began his public ministry in A.D. twenty nine?
Well, the Bible tells us, Luke three verse one.
Now, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate, being the governor of Judea, and Herod, being the tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip, tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias, the tetrarch of Abilene. God says, just go to the history books and find out exactly when the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar was. Those dates are written, and the record is clear, so we know exactly when Jesus began his public ministry. The Bible makes it very clear, and then the Bible teaches us that three Passovers later, Jesus as Messiah.
Made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem after three years of public ministry.
Well, when did he make his triumphant entry into Jerusalem three years later?
Well, we don't have to guess at that because we know it was the week of the Passover, and we don't have to guess when Passover was because Passover is set by the Paschal Moon. We can just put those things together. And people who study these things and can tell us exactly when Jesus Christ got on that donkey and rode into Jerusalem through that eastern gate, the date was April the sixth, A.D. thirty-two.
Now, here's the interesting thing: if you put this together. You're going to find out that Jesus Christ, Messiah the Prince, came exactly, precisely on time. Because if you multiply this. Together, if you take these years and put them together, the 434 years plus the 49 years, you have 483 years. Multiply that by 360, you have 173,880 days from March the 14th, 445 BC.
Now don't don't skip out on me. That's exactly the day when Jesus was riding into Jerusalem. One hundred and seventy-three thousand eight hundred and eighty days from March the fourteenth, four four five B.C., Jesus was riding into Jerusalem. Remember when I preached about the tears of Jesus? Jesus on the Mount of Olives wept.
And I preach from Luke 19. Do you know why Jesus wept? Listen to it again. Luke 19, beginning in verse 41. And when he was come near, that is, when he was come near to the city, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day." The things which belong unto thy peace, but now they hid from thine eyes.
No wonder Jesus wept. The precise day was given by Daniel the prophet, and he said, "If you'd only known the things that belong to you on this your." And so there was the commencement of the count. We see where the commencement of the count began with the building of Jerusalem. There is the continuation of the count from the building of Jerusalem, rebuilding of Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince.
Now there is the secession of the count. The count is stopped. God puts a hold in the count. Look now in verse twenty-six. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.
That is after this period of time, after Messiah has come in three score and two weeks plus the seven weeks of the building rebuilding of the city, Messiah is going to be cut off. That is, you're going to crucify Messiah. Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. That's very interesting. What does it mean?
Messiah shall be cut off. It speaks of the crucifixion of Jesus, Daniel. Prophesied the crucifixion of the Son of God, as did Isaiah, Isaiah fifty-three verse eight. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living.
That's what his crucifixion was. His life was cut off, and actually it means to be cut short. He died as a young man. He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken, and that's what. Isaiah said he he was stricken for the sins of the Jewish people.
Daniel says Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. That is not because of any sin that he had done. He did not die for his own sin. He had no sin. He died for us.
And then Daniel saw not only would Messiah come exactly on time, not only would Messiah be rejected and crucified, but Daniel also saw that the city would be destroyed. And it would be destroyed by a Roman. I want you to see what he goes on to say here in this passage of scripture. 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, not the prince that shall come, who is the Antichrist, but the people.
Of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood. That is, you will be inundated with trouble and difficulty. And unto the end of the war, desolations are determined. What's he talking about here? Daniel, looking down through the corridor of time, saw Messiah coming exactly, precisely on time.
Daniel, looking down through the corridor of time by divine inspiration, saw Messiah rejected that Passover week and nailed to a. Cross, he saw him being cut off from the land of the living, and then Daniel saw Jerusalem being destroyed. Jesus also wept over Jerusalem, and Jesus said, "Not one stone will be left upon another." And Luke 21 in verse six, for these things which ye behold, the days will come in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. If you go some time to Israel, you'll be able to see. The ruins of that temple.
Not one stone is left on that Temple Mount that was there in the time of Christ. But you can look down into the valley and see these massive stones that have been tumbled down, thrown down, down off that Temple Mount exactly, precisely as the Bible said that it would happen.
Now, at this point. God puts a hold in the countdown. God stops the clock from running because God is dealing with Israel, and when Israel rejected and turned her back on Messiah, the Prince, then the clock stopped ticking for Israel, and there is an undetermined period of time that will be marked by wars and desolations, and that's the time we're living in. You'll find that in the last part of verse 26, and this now is what. We call the times of the Gentiles.
Key verse, Romans 11 verse 25. Paul said, "But I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceit. That blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. There is a number of folks that are going to be saved that the Bible calls the fullness of the Gentiles. We don't know when that's going to be, but what is going to determine the time that Jesus is going to come and take the church out?
It is when His bride is complete." It is when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and somewhere, perhaps tonight, that last soul will be saved.
Now, we have talked about the the commencement of the count. We've talked about the continuation of the count. We're talking now about the cessation of the count. It has stopped for a while. When will the clock start ticking again?
With for Israel, with the rapture of the church, you're going to have the completion of the count.
Now, notice in verse twenty-seven, and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.
Well, who is this he that will confirm the covenant with many for one week? And remember, one week is seven years. Who is this?
Well, verse twenty-six tells us that the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Who destroyed the city and the sanctuary? The Romans. When did they do it? In seventy A.D.
And then he says, "There's a prince that's going to come." Now he's not talking about Messiah the Prince. There are two princes that are mentioned here. In verse 25, Messiah the Prince is mentioned. In verse 26, there is a Roman Prince that is coming. The Romans destroyed the temple and destroyed Jerusalem.
And this Prince that is going to come, Daniel says, is going to make a covenant with Israel. He's going to come out of Europe. There's going to be a re-federation of the old Roman Empire, which, by the way, has taken place. Out of that Roman Empire is going to come a prince, a leader. He is called the man of sin.
He's called the beast. He's called the wicked one. He's called the antichrist, and he's going to come. But he is going to make a covenant with Israel. He will make a peace treaty with Israel for seven years.
Israel, by this time, will be very beleaguered. They'll be looking for a Messiah. You see, they did not accept the true Prince, the Prince of Peace. They will accept the false Prince. Jesus said, "I've come in my Father's name, and you won't receive me.
If another shall come in his own name, him ye shall receive." Now, this Prince that will come will make a peace treaty with Israel. In this final seven years, after the church has been taken out, God's clock will start to tick again for Israel, and you will see seven more years.
Now, in the middle of this peace treaty, this beast, this Antichrist, this prince that shall come, will double cross Israel. He will break his covenant. Look, if you will, in verse 27, and he, the prince that shall come. That's the false prince.
Now shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. That's seven years. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. That tells me that the temple is going to be rebuilt, and they're going to be making sacrifices in that temple, and it will be rebuilt. And this prince that will come.
He's going to say, "Look, that's all right. We'll make a covenant. We'll work this thing out. That temple can be rebuilt. And once it's rebuilt, in the midst of this seven-year period, he is going to come into that temple.
He's going to say, 'Enough of this foolishness. Enough of this terrible fiasco of your so-called religion. Get all of that out of here. You want to worship God? I'm God.
Look at me. Worship.'" Me and the Bible says that he is going to come to the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And at that time, the Jews are going to recognize that they've been double crossed, and they're going to refuse this false prince. And he's going to unleash his satanic fury on God's ancient people. And you and Daniel nine, just Daniel twelve, and look in verse one.
Of this chapter, and at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people. For there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time, thy people, again the Jews, shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Now Jesus also told about this. Jesus was a student of the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter twenty four verse fifteen, when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. The holy place is the temple. Whoso readeth, let him understand.
I hope you're understanding. Jesus said, then there's going to be great tribulation. And he says in Matthew 24:21, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days should be shortened. If God did not step in, it would be truly a holocaust like the world has ever known.
But thank God that He will step in. How will He step in?
Well, He came for the church and took the church out. And when He did, the clock started ticking again. It will take seven. More years until 490 years are complete, and then when it looks like it's the darkest day ever for Israel and for Jerusalem, then Heaven's King will come, the Lord Jesus. This time, not coming for His Church, but this time coming with His Church in power and great glory, and the Roman Prince.
Will meet Messiah the Prince, and seven seven seven will take care of six six six. That's what's going to happen, right there. And so, what do we do?
Well, we praise the Lord. I don't know what all of this does for you, but when I study this, it helps me when I read the newspaper to see it through the lens of God's Word. It helps me when I see how God so meticulously, so wonderfully. Pinpointed the exact precise time that Messiah would come. How Daniel, so long before Jesus ever came to this earth, how Daniel prophesied the crucifixion of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem.
Is not the Bible a wonderful book? And it tells me that God is in control, and it gives me hope for the Jewish nation that I love. And I I love the Jewish people. I have a special affinity in my heart. For the Jewish people, sometimes when you preach a message like this, some people think that you're anti-Semitic.
This is one of the most pro-Israel messages that I could possibly preach because God has a great and a glorious future for His people, and God has not forgotten His people.
Now, when is Jesus going to come? We're living in that period of time that is time out for the Jews, so far as prophecy is concerned. That doesn't mean the Jews can't be saved. Blindness, in part, has happened to Israel. Until the fullness of the Gentiles, become in.
When is Jesus coming? When the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Maybe you will be the last soul saved tonight before the rapture.
Well, I hope that you will look at this passage of Scripture and that you will savor it and delve into it. And whenever anybody ever preaches on prophecy, they always need to do it with humility. Because I don't believe there is a pastor or a preacher or a Bible student ever who has gotten it all just right. But when Jesus comes, we'll say, "Now, Lord, I understand." So it's always better, friend, to be on the welcome committee than on the program committee, and to be ready when Jesus comes. The Bible says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." So would you right now just pray and say, "Lord Jesus, please come into my heart." Come in now.
Forgive my sin. Cleanse me. Take control of my life. Begin now to make me the person you want me to be. Thank you for paying for my sin with your blood on the cross.
I believe you were raised from the dead, and now I just trust you and you only to save me.
Now, Lord Jesus, give me the courage to make it public. You died for me. Let me live for you, and I know you will if I just trust you, and I do trust you. In your name, I pray, Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website lwf.org.
For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org, or call one eight hundred two seven four five six eight three. Thank you.
