RoparnaThe 70-Week Prophecy – The Messiah’s Ministry Predicted
Purpose: To prove that Jesus Christ is truly the long awaited Messiah.
Focus: The prophecies are the foundation of the gospel of Jesus. Rejecting the prophecies could jeopardize our salvation.
Introduction
How do we know that Jesus was the Messiah? Today we will look at an amazing prophecy that will prove that Jesus of Nazareth is actually the Messiah, and that the Bible can be fully trusted. You will love it!
The prophecy is found in Daniel 9. Background: Jerusalem destroyed because of Israel’s sins…
Dan 9:20-24
Daniel prays for forgiveness. He gets an answer. How many weeks are determined for Israel to finish their transgressions and make an end to sin?
But the time period is symbolic. We need to let the Bible explain itself as to what a day represents…
Num 14:34
A day = a year (Ezek 4:6). 490 years. “All teachers are in harmony that these are year-weeks and not day-weeks, that means, a week encompasses seven years and not seven days.” (Luther, Schriften 6:906). God is merciful!
Jesus alludes to this prophecy when He teaches Peter about forgiveness…
Matt 18:21-22
How many times should Peter forgive his brother? 70×7. “Be just as merciful to your brother as I have been to the people of Israel”. Israel got a second chance.
To know when Israel’s time of probation ends we need to know when they start.
Dan 9:25a
When did the 70 weeks (490 years) start?
The entire command is written in Ezra 7:11-26. In the previous verses we can read when it was given…
Ezra 7:7-8
When was it issued? 7th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus = Fall 457 BC
The prophecy adds more details of the Messiah…
Dan 9:25
Who is Messiah the Prince? How many years would transpire from 457 BC until the Messiah would come? What date do we get to? 27 AD (No year 0).
This is when the Messiah would come! Does it fit with Jesus?
Acts 10:38
When was Jesus Anointed to be the Messiah? With what was He anointed?
When did this happen?
Luke 3:21-23, 1-2
Tiberius 15th year of reign was exactly 27 AD! Amazing!
Was Jesus aware that this prophecy was fulfilled?
Mark 1:14-15
What did Jesus preach after His baptism? What time? The 483 year prophecy!
But the prophecy makes even more amazing predictions…
Dan 9:26a, 27a
What would happen sometime after Jesus’ baptism? What would the Messiah bring to an end at the middle of the last week? Spring 31 AD.
That’s exactly they year when Christ died!
Matt 27:50-51
What happened when Jesus died? What did it mean? (Heb 7:26-27, 10:1-10) He made an end to sacrifices by His own sacrifice. Exactly on time!
What happened at the end of the 70 weeks?
Acts 7:51-60
Stephen was stoned. The Jewish nation rejected their last chance. The faithful remnant (the Christian Church) took over the election as God’s chosen people and His Commission (Matt 21:43, 1 Pet 2:9-10). The Gentiles were grafted in.
The prophecy tells of the consequences of the Jew’s rejection of the Messiah…
Dan 9:26b, 27b
What would happen to the temple?
Jesus knew it would happen, and wept over the city…
Luke 19:41-44
Why was Jerusalem and the temple supposed to be destroyed? Because they didn’t know the time! What time? The time when Christ was to visit them – the 70-week prophecy. It was not that they were ignorant. IE: Rabbinical curse.
APPEAL
The Jews missed the Messiah’s advent because they refused to study the prophecies. Can we make the same mistake as them? Is it your desire to continue to study the prophecies and learn more about Jesus?
