The Determined Time: A Christ-centered Exposition of Daniel's Seventy Weeks

The Seventy Weeks Prophecy, spanning 490 years, foretells the period of Israel's history, from the time when the Jews were granted permission by Cyrus, the king of Persia, to return to the land of promise, and rebuild their city and temple. This return and rebuilding was in preparation for the fulfillment of God's promises to the fathers, in the person of the Messiah Prince [Rom. 15:8].

Most of the prophecy's subject is taken up with the ministry of the Messiah Prince. As is noted inside, He is mentioned at least six times in the course of the prophecy. He would come to address the six objectives listed in the prophecy, concerning the people and the city. All six of these objectives are related to the Messiah's fulfillment of God's promises to their fathers [Rom. 15:8].

The purpose of these 490 years marked out of Israel's history, was to lead Israel from their antiquated Sinai Covenant, and into their promised New Covenant [Jer. 31:31-37]. It was to be their faith in the coming Messiah Prince, which would lead them out of the Old, and into the New.

Inside The Determined Time, you will find that,

• Only Cyrus, the king of Persia, could have given the word for the Judean captives to return and rebuild Jerusalem. In the record of the Scriptures, only Cyrus and Darius are credited with issuing decrees to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. The decree of Darius, is nothing more than an affirmation of Cyrus' original decree.
• The long accepted dates for Cyrus' decree are off by 80 years.
• The Seventy Weeks are divided into three consecutive time periods (7+62+1). There are no gaps of time between any of them.
• The Prophecy identifies who is the Messiah Prince. The identity of this Prince will not change at any point in the prophecy.
• It is this one and the same Messiah Prince,
  • who is cut off,
  • who is the cause for the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the midst of the Seventieth Week,
  • whose people destroys the city and temple,
  • who confirms a covenant for a period of one week of years. It is the act of confirming that lasts for seven years, not the covenant itself, i.e., it is not a seven year covenant or agreement made with Israel.
  • who due to the overspreading of abominations, will make the city and temple desolate.
• There is an obvious absence of the mention of an antichrist and a seven year tribulation period. Both of these are the result of Dispensational Eisegesis, i.e., reading into the text what is not there.