Daniel 9:24 Christ Died in the Fullness of Time 10/16/2005 ßà
#1. Exactly 490 Years (Ezra 1:1-6, 7:6-23)
#2. What Did Christ Come to Do? (Acts 15:15-17, Eph 2:20-22, 1Pet 2:4-6)
#3. For a Complete Purchase (Heb 10:14-18)
Please open your Bibles to the Prophecy of Daniel, Dan 9:24 (2X). I wanted to continue in Rev 11, but I realized that very soon I would be stuck in some technical details. Beginning in Rev 11 we are confronted by the numbers “Forty and two months”, and “a thousand two hundred and threescore days”, and “three days and a half”, and “time and times and the dividing of time”. These expressions all originate from a difficult passage in Dan 9. And so, I was drawn to preach on Dan 9:24 as the first of two sermons that explore the meaning of Dan 9:24-27. This is the prophecy of The Seventy Sevens.
In your KJ Bible you read Seventy Weeks, but the word Week and the word Seven are the same word in the Hebrew text. We have here a prophecy of the first coming of Christ. We read in Dan 9:24,
Da 9:24 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.
Da 9:25 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 threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Da 9:26-27 And after threescore 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 abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
What is
the meaning of this passage? You can sense that it is a very important
prophecy, but it is shrouded in secrecy. It speaks about the timing of Messiah’s
coming, and about Messiah being cut off, which means the death of Messiah. But
the Lord Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. This passage speaks of “the
going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
#1. Exactly 490 Years (Ezra 1:1-6, 7:6-23)
And where do we find “the going forth of the commandment to restore
and to build
Ezr 1:1 ¶ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Ezr 1:2 Thus
saith Cyrus king of
Ezr 1:3-4 Who is
there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up
to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of
Israel, (he is the God,)which is in Jerusalem. And
whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place
help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside
the freewill offering for the house of God that is in
Ezr 1:5-6 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
Then two years later in 537 BC, about 50,000 Israelites returned
to the
Ezr 7:6-7 This
Ezra went up from
Ezr 7:8 And he
came to
Ezr 7:9 For
upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from
the fifth month came he to
Ezr 7:10 For
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it,
and to teach in
Ezr 7:11 ¶ Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
Ezr 7:12-14
Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of
the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the
people of
Ezr 7:15-16 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
Ezr 7:17-19 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:20-21 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
Ezr 7:22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
Ezr 7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
This occurred in the year 458
BC, which was 81 years after the first proclamation by Cyrus. All the
secular records agree that this was the date that king Artaxerxes made this
proclamation. When we add 490 years
to 458 BC what do we get? We arrive exactly at the year AD 33, because 458 + 33 – 1 = 490. We have to subtract one
because there is no year zero. For example, the span of time from the middle of
1 BC to the middle of 1 AD is not two years, but only one year, since there is
no year zero. And from this we know that the year Christ was crucified was the
year AD 33. Lately the Seventh Day Adventists have been proclaiming that
Christ was crucified in the year AD 30. They prefer AD 30 for the reason that
the Passover in AD 30 fell on Wednesday, and thus they proclaim that Christ was
crucified on Wednesday, because they want His resurrection to fall on Saturday.
Of course that will not harmonize with the Scriptures. But astronomers have
confirmed that there was a lunar eclipse visible from
· What Did Ezra Come to Do? (Ezra 9:9, Isa 60:14, 62:12, Rev 21:2)
Please drop down to Ezra 9:9 (2X). In his prayer of repentance, Ezra indicates what he came to do:
Ezr 9:9 For we
were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath
extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of
Ezra came “to set up the house of our God, and to
repair the desolations thereof”. But the temple was already built and
completed. The dedication of the completed temple was held 60 years earlier. Why
then did God put these words in the Bible, as if the temple was not yet
completed? Could it be that the building of bricks and mortar was standing, but
the hearts of the people were not altogether turned toward the Lord their God?
Could it be that God was referring to a spiritual temple here in the
prayer of Ezra? And that is absolutely true. God was referring to the body of
believers as a spiritual temple that was in a state of desolation. Upon his
arrival in the
Isa 60:14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
“The city of the LORD, The
this verse in a literal, historical sense, for that would make no sense. But these are the appellations that God bestows on us already in the OT time. Please drop down to Isa 62:12 (2X). In this chapter also God gave a description of the body of believers on the Last Day. Watch these words of Isa 62:12,
Isa 62:12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
“A city not forsaken”. That is the name God gave us already in the
OT. And perhaps you remember what
God says of this city in Rev 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband”. Could it be that God, in Dan 9:24-27, was not speaking
of the literal rebuilding of
#2. What Did Christ Come to Do? (Acts 15:15-17, Eph 2:20-22, 1Pet 2:4-6)
Please turn to the NT to the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 15:15 (2X). We have here the words of God spoken through the mouth of James, the half brother of the Lord Jesus, spoken during the Jerusalem Council, which convened to set the guidelines for living the Christian life for the Gentiles who were converted to Christianity. And although James was misguided by his own misunderstanding of the meaning of salvation, God put these words in the Bible to give US some spiritual truths. We read in:
Ac 15:15-17 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
That fact that “God visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people
for His Name” is symbolized by “rebuilding the dwelling place of David
which is fallen down, and rebuilding the ruins thereof”. This is what
Christ came to do when He paid also for the sins of the elect out of the
Gentiles, and thereby guaranteed that those persons would be drawn to Him in
their lifetime. The dwelling place of David was called
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
This is what Christ came to do, to be the chief cornerstone of the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. In other words, Christ is the chief
element in the entire Bible. He is the cornerstone of the foundation on which
the actual
1Pe 2:4-5 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
But in order to transform us into worthy stones for the building that He designed, Christ first had:
· To Finish the Transgression (Rom 6:14, Rom 5:12, Matt 1:21, John 1:13, Rom 5:15)
Please turn in your Bibles to the Epistle to the Romans, Rom 5:12 (2X). In the words of Dan 9:24, Christ came to finish The Transgression, singular. What is that? It is the sin of Adam of eating from the fruit of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”. This root sin is the original sin that cleaves to every human being when they are born into this world. This root sin is the cause of all of us being born as enemies of God, and being inclined to sin at every possible opportunity. And before Christ attends to our other sins, He first has to eradicate this root cause of our enslavement to sin. Therefore, when Christ has taken away from us this root cause, “sin shall not have dominion over us any longer” (Rom 6:14). God speaks of this root sin in Rom 5:12, where He says,
Ro 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Again we see that in this verse sin is in the singular. Because
of Adam’s sin death passed upon all men, for Adam, as our representative in the
flesh, acted on behalf of all who were in his loins. And the death that God has
in view is not physical death, but the second death in the
Ro 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. In other words, Christ finished Adam’s transgression for all His elect.
· To Make an End of Sins (1John 3:5-6, 1:8)
In the words of Dan 9:24, He came to make an end of sins; this He also came to do. Please turn to the 1st Epistle of John toward the end of your Bibles, 1John 3:5 (2X). Our God is absolutely righteous, and therefore God will not leave any sin unpunished. Every sin must be fully paid. But if we, mortal men, would have to pay for our sins we would have to spend an eternity in Hell for every sin that we ever have committed. Therefore God sent Christ into the world to pay the payment that we would have to make. Not that He would actually bear the sins, but that He would bear the guilt of our sins, and make the payment on our behalf. And what He would have to pay is the equivalent of an eternity in Hell, or else, if He would get away with paying anything less than that, God would not be righteous.
1John 3:5-6 And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.
This verse has been misinterpreted severely, so that many people believe that after the moment of their salvation they no longer commit any sin. But this is altogether in conflict with Rom 7, and with other passages from the Bible where truly saved people still commit sin. Moreover, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”, from 1John 1:8. What then is the solution to 1John 3:6? The solution is that Christ has paid for our past sins, as well as our future sins. Think of it, at the time that Christ paid for our sins al our sins were still future sins. And thus, if we truly have been saved by Christ, every sin we would commit would immediately be removed. That is why 1John 3:6 says “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not”.
· To Make Reconciliation for Iniquity (2Cor 5:18, Rom 8:28)
In the words of Dan 9:24, Christ came to make reconciliation for iniquity; this He also came to do. Please turn to the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, 2Cor 5:18 (2X). Reconciliation refers to bringing peace between two warring parties. With whom were we at war? With Satan? No, we were at perfect peace with Satan, but we were at war with God. We were enemies of God. When Christ made reconciliation for iniquity, Christ took our iniquities away, so that our peace with God was now possible. The moment we were “Born Again” our peace with God became a reality, for Christ determined that it be so.
2Cor 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
All things are owned and operated by God, and thus “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”, from Rom 8:28. And thus, the payment that Christ made on the cross was sufficient to reconcile us to God, so that we have peace with God. Moreover, “Christ has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. We should never forget that we too were reconciled to God through the words of the Gospel that someone uttered to us, and then God the Holy Spirit made those words stick in our hearts. We too are called to do this for others. If we do not have this desire to witness to others, we show by our actions that we do not care if they are going to Hell, and such an attitude means that we are not saved.
· To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness (Jer 23:5-6)
In the words of Dan 9:24, Christ came to bring in everlasting righteousness; this He also came to do. Please turn to the prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer 23:5 (2X). In this passage God gave Jeremiah a prophecy of better times to come. The Babylonian armies were devastating the land, and cities were overrun by a people whose tongues they did not understand. But God spoke of better times to come. In fact, we understand that God spoke of the NT time. And then we read in Jer 23:5-6,
Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Jer 23:6
In his days
Who is God referring to? The Lord Jesus Christ is in view. He is called
“A Righteous Branch”, and He is called “A King who shall reign and prosper”,
and He is called “Jehovah our righteousness”. And thus Christ is Jehovah, and
Christ is “Our Righteousness”. If our righteousness is in Christ, then
we conclude that this verse speaks of the process of SUBSTITUTION. His
righteousness becomes our righteousness. Since Christ is Jehovah, His
righteousness is from eternity past to eternity future. Then, if His
righteousness becomes our righteousness, we are eternally secure of keeping our
righteousness. “
· To Seal up the Vision and Prophecy (Luke 24:25-27)
In the words of Dan 9:24, Christ came to seal up the vision and prophecy; this He also came to do. Please turn to the Gospel according to Luke, Luke 24:25 (2X). In this chapter of the Gospel according to Luke the Lord Jesus after His resurrection appeared to two disciples who were going to Emmaus. But because of their unbelief Jesus reprimanded them for being such slow learners.
Lu 24:25-26 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Lu 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
In other words, it was at the cross that God put His seal on the prophecies. It was at the cross that God put His seal of approval on the whole program of salvation and upon Christ as the Savior. It was the official declaration, sealed in blood, that all God’s salvation program for His elect was absolutely certain, and that all those whom Christ has passed by will not be drawn by the Father and will have to pay for their own sins in Hell. All this was finalized, and signed and sealed in blood at the cross.
· To Anoint the Most Holy (Luke 4:18-21)
In the words of Dan 9:24, Christ came to be anointed as the Most Holy; this
He also came to do. Let us continue here in the Gospel according to Luke. Please
turn to Luke 4:18 (2X). In this passage the Lord Jesus, in the beginning of
His ministry, came to
Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Lu 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Lu 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Lu 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
The Spirit of the Lord has anointed Him. When did this come to
pass? It came to pass when John the Baptist, a descendent of Aaron, baptized
Him in the
#3. For a Complete Purchase (Heb 10:14-18)
The complete purchase of all His elect is described in Heb 10:14-18. Let me read this to you.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
If we then know that we have been purchased so completely and so perfectly, how can we not rejoice for so great salvation? We shall rejoice, and we shall proclaim to the world that the prophecy in Dan 9:24 is a perfect demonstration that the Bible is accurate and altogether trustworthy.
AMEN. Let us turn to the Lord in prayer.