Let us now summarise, so we do not miss it: The prophet Daniel searched in the scriptures of the prophet Jeremiah as the Babylonian captivity was coming to an end. About two years later they received the permission for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The city and the walls were erected about 100 years later. According to the words of the angel Gabriel, this was the beginning of the “seventy weeks of years”. We know the week of seven days, but God in prophecy utilises the terminology of “weeks of years”.

Altogether we are dealing with seventy such “weeks of years”. The purpose is sixfold, as the following text will suffice to show:

“At the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore, understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression,

2. and to make an end of sins,

3. and to make reconciliation for iniquity,

4. and to bring in everlasting righteousness,

5. and to seal up the vision and prophecy,

6. and to anoint the most Holy. ”

The following explanation was brought to the special attention of the man of God:

“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.

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 of it 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.” (Dan. 9: 23-27).

Those who know both the prophetic scripture and history have shown their course in time from the commission to rebuild Jerusalem until Christ, the Messiah. They have convincingly set forth the different times and events according to what the angel Gabriel had spoken to the prophet Daniel. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that this text has only three measurements of time: 7, 62 and 1 “week of years”. These are precisely the 490 years to be accomplished in the course of history. They deal exclusively with Israel. The time span of the day of grace and salvation for the nations lies between the 69th and the 70th week.

According to the prophetic scripture the commandment was given by the Persian king Artaxerxes in the year 445 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem, not the temple, because it was already finished at that time and inaugurated. Then God’s man Nehemiah presented the cause of Israel and Jerusalem in prayer before God. He reminded the Lord of the words spoken to the prophet Moses: “Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant, Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name.” (Neh. 1: 8-9).

It might seem strange to us that this Nehemiah was serving the king at the table. It can happen that God will have His people in the highest places in the government when the time to fulfil His Word has come. Nehemiah had wept for days and fasted with supplication before the God of heaven. The king saw him and promptly asked, “Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” (Neh. 2: 2). Then Nehemiah told the king what his petition was. In his prayer he mentioned not only the cause of God’s people in general, but he also reminded God of the promise He gave to Moses. With that he touched the heart of God, Who is bound to His promises. God begins to act when the time is fulfilled and His people remind Him of His promises.

Ezra, the priest, and Nehemiah, the governor, worked together for about 50 years after the dedication of the second temple. Ezra gave an account, looking into the past and showing forth what had happened in connection with the return after the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple. He put the service into the right order according to the rules given in the law of Moses (Neh. 8: 13-18). He also made an end with all those who had mixed with other peoples (Neh. 13: 23-31). In the book of Nehemiah we find described in what manner and under which circumstances those had to work who rebuilt the city and the wall.

Concerning the placing in time, we have to watch that we do not mix these two building programs into one. First the temple was rebuilt, thereafter the city and the walls. In the books of Nehemiah and Daniel we find no mention of the building of the temple, but rather are informed about the rebuilding of Jerusalem with the walls and streets. This commission was given, as already mentioned earlier, in the year 445 B.C. by Artaxerxes. Since then until the death of the Messiah should be 7 weeks of years = 49 years, and 62 weeks of years = 434 years, which make altogether 483 years. Taking into consideration that in Bible prophecy a year is counted with 360 days, we arrive precisely in the year of the crucifixion of our Lord. Therefore, the 7 + 62 = 69 weeks of years, which equal 483 years, were already fulfilled.

Let us now summarise, so we do not miss it: The prophet Daniel searched in the scriptures of the prophet Jeremiah as the Babylonian captivity was coming to an end. About two years later they received the permission for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The city and the walls were erected about 100 years later. According to the words of the angel Gabriel, this was the beginning of the “seventy weeks of years”. We know the week of seven days, but God in prophecy utilises the terminology of “weeks of years”.

Altogether we are dealing with seventy such “weeks of years”. The purpose is sixfold, as the following text will suffice to show:

“At the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore, understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression,

2. and to make an end of sins,

3. and to make reconciliation for iniquity,

4. and to bring in everlasting righteousness,

5. and to seal up the vision and prophecy,

6. and to anoint the most Holy. ”

The following explanation was brought to the special attention of the man of God:

“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.

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 of it 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.” (Dan. 9: 23-27).

Those who know both the prophetic scripture and history have shown their course in time from the commission to rebuild Jerusalem until Christ, the Messiah. They have convincingly set forth the different times and events according to what the angel Gabriel had spoken to the prophet Daniel. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that this text has only three measurements of time: 7, 62 and 1 “week of years”. These are precisely the 490 years to be accomplished in the course of history. They deal exclusively with Israel. The time span of the day of grace and salvation for the nations lies between the 69th and the 70th week.

According to the prophetic scripture the commandment was given by the Persian king Artaxerxes in the year 445 B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem, not the temple, because it was already finished at that time and inaugurated. Then God’s man Nehemiah presented the cause of Israel and Jerusalem in prayer before God. He reminded the Lord of the words spoken to the prophet Moses: “Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant, Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name.” (Neh. 1: 8-9).

It might seem strange to us that this Nehemiah was serving the king at the table. It can happen that God will have His people in the highest places in the government when the time to fulfil His Word has come. Nehemiah had wept for days and fasted with supplication before the God of heaven. The king saw him and promptly asked, “Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” (Neh. 2: 2). Then Nehemiah told the king what his petition was. In his prayer he mentioned not only the cause of God’s people in general, but he also reminded God of the promise He gave to Moses. With that he touched the heart of God, Who is bound to His promises. God begins to act when the time is fulfilled and His people remind Him of His promises.

Ezra, the priest, and Nehemiah, the governor, worked together for about 50 years after the dedication of the second temple. Ezra gave an account, looking into the past and showing forth what had happened in connection with the return after the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple. He put the service into the right order according to the rules given in the law of Moses (Neh. 8: 13-18). He also made an end with all those who had mixed with other peoples (Neh. 13: 23-31). In the book of Nehemiah we find described in what manner and under which circumstances those had to work who rebuilt the city and the wall.

Concerning the placing in time, we have to watch that we do not mix these two building programs into one. First the temple was rebuilt, thereafter the city and the walls. In the books of Nehemiah and Daniel we find no mention of the building of the temple, but rather are informed about the rebuilding of Jerusalem with the walls and streets. This commission was given, as already mentioned earlier, in the year 445 B.C. by Artaxerxes. Since then until the death of the Messiah should be 7 weeks of years = 49 years, and 62 weeks of years = 434 years, which make altogether 483 years. Taking into consideration that in Bible prophecy a year is counted with 360 days, we arrive precisely in the year of the crucifixion of our Lord. Therefore, the 7 + 62 = 69 weeks of years, which equal 483 years, were already fulfilled.