Bible Study 25: Amazing Prophecy

Confirming Jesus as the Promised Messiah

Many honest seekers after truth want some evidence upon which to
base their faith. How do they know that God is real and that the
claims that Jesus made and the things He taught are true. Jesus
claimed that he was one with God, and to see him and know him
was to see and know God Himself (John 10:30; 14:7-9). Oxford
scholar and former atheist, C. S. Lewis, wrote: “A man who was
merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a
great moral teacher. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or
else a madman or something worse.” (Mere Christianity, 56) Surely
God, who gave us minds with the capacity to question and doubt to
protect us from being duped by scam artists, would provide us with
sufficient evidence to know whether Jesus’ claims were true or were
the ultimate scam.

This sets the stage for what may very well be the most amazing
prophecy in all the Bible. It’s predictions about the Messiah were
made 530 years before Jesus was born. While all basis for doubt will
never be completely removed in this life, this prophecy–Daniel 9:24-
27–provides sufficient evidence by which the claims of Jesus Christ
can be tested. The brilliant physicist, Sir Isaac Newton, called this
prophecy “the foundation stone of the Christian religion.”

A Major Purpose of Bible Prophecy

Prophecy helps confirm that God is real, knows the future, and is
the only true source of truth.
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am
God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And
from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall
stand, And I will do all My pleasure,' - Isaiah 46:9-10

Prophecy helps confirm that Jesus was the One He claimed to be–the
divine Son of God whose death atones for our sin and whose
resurrection offers us hope for the future.
And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass,
you may believe. - John 14:29

The Historical Background of the Amazing Prophecy of

Daniel 9:24-27

Because the children of Israel would not listen to God’s repeated

appeals to repent of their backsliding, it was prophesied that they
would be captives in Babylon for 70 years. God does not force
Himself on people, and if they reject Him and His efforts on their
behalf He will withdraw and allow them to bear the natural
consequences of their choice.

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the
fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first
year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet
spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
saying: "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah,
even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord
has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but
you have not listened. And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the
prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor
inclined your ear to hear. They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way
and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and
your fathers forever and ever. Do not go after other gods to serve them and
worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands;
and I will not harm you.' Yet you have not listened to Me," says the Lord,
"that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your
own hurt. "Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Because you have not
heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,'
says the Lord, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will
bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these
nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an
astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations....'Then it will come to
pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of
Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says
the Lord; 'and I will make it a perpetual desolation. - Jeremiah 25:1-9,12

Even after the prophecy of their captivity to Babylon was made,

they continued to reject God’s appeals for their conversion, and in
607 B.C. the Babylonians subjected Israel and began deporting them
to Babylon, just as Jeremiah had prophesied.

And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers,
rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people
and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord
arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought
against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the
sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man
or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all
the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the
house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these
he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall
of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious
possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to
Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of
the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of
Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay
desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. - 2 Chronicles 36:15-21

But God also promises not to give up on His people. He will

continue His work in their lives to turn their hearts back to Him.
And He promises to respond to sincere repentance.

Toward the end of the 70 years, Daniel (c. 539 B.C.) asked God to
deliver Judah from her captivity and allow them to return to their
homeland and rebuild their city and temple. God answered Daniel’s
prayer by giving him the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. It contained
predictions concerning both Jerusalem (the holy city) and the long-
awaited promised Messiah (the holy One).

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will
visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to
this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you
will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will
seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be
found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I
will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have
driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause
you to be carried away captive. - Jeremiah 29:10-14

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes,
who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans-- in the first year of his
reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by
the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish
seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem... "O Lord, according to all Your
righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your
city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the
iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all
those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant,
and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on
Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear;
open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your
name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our
righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord,
forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for
Your city and Your people are called by Your name." - Daniel 9:1-2,16-19

The Prophecy

In answer to Daniel’s prayer, the angel Gabriel (in the appearance of

a man) told Daniel that God would deliver His people from captivity
and grant them a probationary period of time to reaffirm their
loyalty as His covenant people. During that time also, the Messiah,
the “anointed one” would come. If the Jews did not do their part,
did not prepare for the coming of the Messiah and accept His work
on their behalf, their city would once again go into ruin.

Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the
vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the
time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and
said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the
beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to
tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and
understand the vision: "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and
for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To
make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal
up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. "Know therefore and
understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build
Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two
weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome
times. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the
war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many
for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice
and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out
on the desolate." - Daniel 9:21-27

*The probationary time allotted to the Jews in this prophecy was

seventy sevens (Hebrew). Following the interpretative principle
that in Bible prophecy a day stands for a year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers
14:34), the seventy sevens, or “seventy weeks” of this prophecy
has been understood by Bible expositors through the centuries as
490 years–Jerome (3rd cent.), Justyn Martyr (4th cent.), Augustine (5th
cent.), Luther and the other major Protestant reformers. The
Revised Standard Version of the Bible thus translates it as “seventy
weeks of years.”

The sixfold purpose of the probationary period is revealed. During

this 490-year probationary time God would act on behalf of the two
great hopes of Israel–the Holy One (the Messiah), and the Holy City
(Jerusalem).

"Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To
finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for
iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and
prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. - Daniel 9:24

Messiah (“Anointed One”) Jerusalem (Holy City)

Statements Statements

9P - Daniel 9:25 The Messiah would come. Jerusalem would be rebuilt.

10P - Daniel 9:26 The Messiah would be cut off. Jerusalem would be destroyed.

11P - Daniel 9:27 The Messiah would confirm a Jerusalem would be desolated
covenant with many by putting an (quoted by Jesus in Mt. 24:15
end to sacrifices. referring to the destruction of
Jerusalem).

When and How the Prophecy Began to be Fulfilled

The 490-year prophecy began with the command to restore and

rebuild Jerusalem.

"Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven
weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times. - Daniel 9:25

The command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem came in the 7th year
of Artaxerxes, King of Persia–457 B.C. This is a secure date in Bible
chronology. Roughly 7 prophetic weeks (49 years) later, the
rebuilding of Jerusalem was completed during troublesome times.

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son
of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, .....And Ezra came to
Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On
the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on
the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good
hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law
of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. This
is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe,
expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to
Israel: Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of
the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth. I issue a decree that all
those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who
volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. And whereas you are
being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah
and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;
and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his
counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in
Jerusalem; and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the
province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the
priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem--
now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with
their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of
the house of your God in Jerusalem. And whatever seems good to you and
your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to
the will of your God. Also the articles that are given to you for the service of
the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. And
whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may
have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king's treasury. And I, even I,
Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region
beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the
God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently, up to one
hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of
wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. Whatever is
commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of
the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the
king and his sons? Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose
tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers,
Nethinim, or servants of this house of God. And you, Ezra, according to your
God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people
who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your
God; and teach those who do not know them. Whoever will not observe the
law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily
on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or
imprisonment. - Ezra 7:1,8-26
 The Prophecy Reveals the Identifying Marks of the
Messiah
500 Years Before He Came

Sixty nine (7+62) prophetic weeks (483 years) after the command to
rebuild Jerusalem (457 B.C.), the Messiah would come.

"Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven
weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times. - Daniel 9:25

When 483 years are added to 457 B.C., it figures to 27 A.D. (the
same calendar dates in those two years are separated by 483
years). There is an event, and only one, recorded in the Bible which
occurred in 27 A.D. and corresponds to the 15th year of the reign of
Tiberius Caesar. That event is the baptism of Jesus. Two things
make the baptism of Jesus in 27 A.D. very significant: (1) It is the
only event in Jesus’ life to which the Bible specifically assigns a
date, and (2) It was at Jesus’ baptism that “God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit” in the form of a dove, thus
specifically proclaiming Jesus to be the long-awaited, promised
Messiah (which in Hebrew means “Anointed One”). The importance
of Jesus’ baptism was further emphasized in the Bible by the fact
that it is one of the very few events in Jesus’ life that is recorded in
all four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Mark and John
begin their stories of Jesus’ life not with the story of His birth, but
of His baptism. Hardly anything is reported in the Bible about Jesus
prior to His baptism. It was at His baptism, which had been
prophesied to the very year by the prophet Daniel over 500 years
before it occurred, that Jesus was officially proclaimed by God to be,
and began His public ministry as, the Messiah.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being
governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch
of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of
Abilene....When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also
was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.And the Holy
Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from
heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." -
Luke 3:1, 21-22

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with Him. - Acts 10:38

After Jesus was baptized, He began His ministry with the words,
“The time is fulfilled,” very possibly referring to the time
prophesied by Daniel that the Messiah would come in the year 27
A.D.

and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel." - Mark 1:15

Another fascinating fact that links Jesus to the Daniel 9:24-27

And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and
said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."...yes, while I was
speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the
beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the
evening offering. - Daniel 8:16; 9:21

Prophecy is the mention of the angel Gabriel as the heavenly

messenger who brought this prophecy and explained it to Daniel.
Only two angels are mentioned by name in the Bible. One is
Michael; the other, Gabriel. Gabriel shows up by name in only two
places: Daniel 8:16 and 9:21 (in direct connection with the 9:24-27
prophecy and the larger prophecy of which this is a part), and Luke
1:19, 26 (in connection with the story of Jesus birth)! Gabriel’s
appearance in only these who instances appears to be a divine
signal that the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy is to be understood as a
prophecy especially about Jesus, the promised Messiah.

And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the
presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad
tidings... Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city
of Galilee named Nazareth, - Luke 1:19,26

The Prophecy Foretold the Role of the Messiah and the Fate of
Jerusalem

Sometime after the 69 prophetic weeks (after 27 A.D.) “the Messiah

shall be cut off, but not for Himself.” And “in the middle of the
[last] week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” The last
prophetic week of the 490-year prophecy was 27-34 A.D. The
“middle” of that period would be 31 A.D. Bible scholars are united
in their conclusion that the public ministry of Jesus from his baptism
to his crucifixion was 3 ½ years (based on the number of Passovers
he is recorded to have attended during his ministry). This would
place his crucifixion in 31 A.D., the exact year Daniel’s prophecy
said the Messiah would (1) “be cut off, but not for himself”, (2)
“confirm a covenant with many” and (3) “bring an end to sacrifice
and offering.” Note the following three fulfillments:

"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war
desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for
one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice
and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out
on the desolate." - Daniel 9:26-27
(1) Jesus death was not for Himself, but for us.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

At the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he

announced that forever after the communion cup would represent
“My blood of the new covenant” that he was making with the
human race, thus “confirming a covenant with many” just as Daniel
predicted (Matthew 26:26-28).

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it
to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup,
and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For
this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins. - Matthew 26:26-28

At the very moment Jesus died, the holy veil in the temple was
completely torn apart by a divine hand, thus bringing the entire Old
Testament system of animal sacrifices to an end, for it had now met
it’s fulfillment in the death of Jesus “to bear the sins of many”.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then,
behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the
earth quaked, and the rocks were split, - Matthew 27:50-51

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but
now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this
the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those
who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for
salvation. -Hebrews 9:26-28

After Jesus rose from the dead, He sent His disciples back to tell

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."... Then the word of God
spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the
faith. - Acts 1:8; 6:7

Those who had crucified Him that He still loved them and would
save them if they would repent and be baptized. When the people
realized that Jesus still loved them in spite of what they had done,
many of them, including some of the priests themselves, were
overwhelmed, accepted Him and became His disciples.

Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy
times seven. – Matthew 18:22

The 490-year probationary period came to an end when the Jews

stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr. God then raised up Paul
to take the gospel to the Gentiles. From that time on, God raised up
out of the Gentiles a church that would be His missionary people to
take His message of salvation to the world. Unfortunately,
Jerusalem and the temple were subsequently destroyed by the
Romans (70 A.D.). God would not force Himself and His protection
on the Jewish people, and when they continually refused His offers
of salvation through Jesus, He eventually withdrew and allowed
them to suffer the natural consequences of their choice.

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed
at him with their teeth...Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a
great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they
were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the
apostles....Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples
of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the
synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way,
whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he
journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him
from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?"
Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you
to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord,
what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into
the city, and you will be told what you must do." And the men who
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no
one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he
was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a
certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a
vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." So the Lord said to him,
"Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas
for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he
has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so
that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard
from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in
Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who
call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel
of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. -
Acts 7:54;-8:1; 9:1-15

He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to
the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on
this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But
he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around
it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it
down.' " - Luke 13:6-9

The RSVP of This Prophecy

But God has not turned his back on the Jews or anyone else who
may have turned their back on Him. Eternal life through Jesus
Christ is offered to “whosoever” puts their faith in Him and follows
Him. He invites us to share this great truth with the world.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- John 3:16

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; having your
conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak
against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they
observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. - 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter
2:12