p7EAd

“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”.

Let see at first, to whom the prophecy is addressed? “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city”. So, this prophecy is about the Jewish nation (“thy people”) and Jerusalem (“thy holy city”).

After the Babylonian slavery Jews didn’t have the Ark of the covenant in the Holy Holiest, where in the ancient times God spoke to them. God didn’t speak with Jews anymore. Through the prophecy of 70 weeks He had appointed the time when He will speak with them again: “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to built Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (7 weeks) , and threescore and two weeks (62 weeks)”.

God said that He will communicate with them in 7 weeks after the commandment will be given, in 62 weeks after that and when 70 weeks will be finished.

As we discussed above, the commandment to restore Jerusalem was given by Nehemiah in 446BC. Nehemiah had described the wickedness of the people: people had constantly broken Sabbath law, didn’t pay tithe, mixed with strangers, even priests and Levites. Prophet Malachi who was in Nehemiah’s time (as was discussed above) said that God turned His face away from Jews: “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you» (Mal.1:10).

Thus, from 446BC God did not communicate with His people. From 446BC until the next communication – 7 weeks.

The 7 weeks is 49 days, or 49 years (Ezek.4:6; Num.14:34). Because prophecies are given according to the prophetical time (see p.2), which is 360 days per year, we always need to change the dates in prophecies from the prophetic time (360 days) to the solar time (365 days), which we use. 49x360÷365=48 years. From 446BC + 48 years = 398BC. In this year the last spiritual revival of the Jews took place. God spoke with His people through Ezra, and they again turned to God with a promise to keep His laws.

Thus, we see the first 7 weeks were all about Jerusalem, the Jews and their relationships with God.

We see also that there is no connection between the two dates: 446BC and 398BC. God was not with Jews anymore. Even the temple was restored between of these dates, and before the beginning of the work God spoke to Zechariah and Haggai, He was not with the nation anymore. It is like the restoration of the Jewish kingdom as the state of Israel: God was not with them anymore but He kept His promise given through Isaiah (66:8) and Daniel (4:7-13) to restore the country. The same was with the two last prophets. God told them to rebuild the temple, because it was prophesized that Jesus will enter the temple (Mal.3:1; Hag.2:7,9). He reminded them to keep His commandments and told about the coming of Jesus and about the Judgment Day. And He said that He left them: “Feed the flock of the slaughter.... For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them» (Zach.11:4,6).

Thus, we see that after 446BC until 398BC God was not with His people either.

About the time after 398BC prophet Micah 5:3 said: “Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel”.

From Revelation 12 we know that “she which travaileth” is Holy Church and the child is Jesus. When He will come “the remnant of his brethren” – rest of Christians from non-Jews will become “the children of Israel”. Thus through the prophet God told us that He left His people until “she which travaileth hath brought forth”, or Jesus will become the Messiah.

The 69 weeks (7+62) is 483 years or (483x360÷365)= 476 years according to solar calendar. 446BC-476 (+1 see p.6) = 31AD. In this year Jesus was baptized and became the Messiah. Bible said, that “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1) John the Baptist began to preach a baptism of repentance for remissions of sins (3:3). Tiberius became the Caesar (king) in 14AD and his 15^th year was 29AD. Thus, John the Baptist was preaching about the Messiah for two years before Jesus came to him to be baptized in 31AD.

So 69 weeks were given “unto the Messiah the Prince” or to the time, when Jesus will become the Messiah - Christ.

Even Jesus came to save all humankind, He was sent to the Jews (Mat.15:24) and He became a part of the history of Jewish nation. He revealed Himself as the Messiah at first only in Jerusalem. His first miracles were made, because He was asked to do them, not because He wanted people to know that He is Christ. When Mary asked Him about a miracle, to transform water in vine, He did it, but before that He told Мary: "mine hour is not yet come" (John 2:4) . After that He went down to Capernaum (John 2:12), where He had expelled a demon out of a possessed person in a synagogue, because the demon prevented Jesus from preaching in there (Luke 4:31-35). Then He cured Peter's mother-in-law. When people found out, what Jesus did in the synagogue, they asked Jesus to cure them. He cured them, and ordered to demons, who left those who were possessed, do not speak, that he is Christ (Luke 4:41). Only in Jerusalem He Himself openly declared, that He is the Son of God. He had expelled from a temple all traders and told: "make not my Father's house an house of merchandise" (John 2:16).

He did many miracles in Jerusalem, so "many believed in his name" (John 2:23;3:1,2). When a woman from gentiles asked about help Jesus said: “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs” (Mark 7:27), thus He said that His blessings are intended to the Jews first. Even after His resurrection Jesus made it clear that Jerusalem is important for Him (Luke 24:47). So, 69 weeks are still about Jerusalem, Jews and their relationships with God.

Now let see, what events will signify the end of the 70 weeks. “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 bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy”.

The final point of the prophecy talks about the Second Coming of Christ, when all prophesies will come true: «to seal up the vision and prophecy» (“For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22 - about the Second coming), wicked people will be judged: «to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins» (there will be no sins only after Jesus’ coming), Jesus will be anoint on the government over the earth : “to anoint the most Holy ”, as Rev. 11:15,17 tells (“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ… thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned”) , and " everlasting righteousness " will begin in the Kingdom of heaven.

The angel said that the prophecy is about “what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come” (Dan.10:14). “The latter days” in prophecies are always referred to the time just before Jesus’ coming. The prophecy was given by angel Gabriel with the interval of time but it is the same prophecy (9:27, 11:31) and it continues until the end of 12 chapter, where it is said about the Second coming (12:1-2).

Thus, the 70 weeks prophecy is about Jewish nation, Jerusalem and Jesus’ second coming.

Most confusion part of the prophecy is the next: after 69 weeks, in the middle of the last week…” shall Messiah (the Prince-v.25) be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…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 abomination he shall make it desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator” (9:26,27 - Parallel Bible, Amplified Version).

This part of the prophecy is talking about the last week of the 70 weeks. As we will see further, the prophecy is built on the principle of parallelism, and it is talking about two different princes, who will act during of this last week. So we see: Messiah will be cut off (i.e. killed -AMP), after that another prince – “the desolator”- will make desolation, and his people will destroy Jerusalem and the sanctuary, i.e. they will start the desolation process. The sacrifice and the oblation will cease until the desolator will be eliminated.

Adventists teach, that all this part of the prophecy is about Jesus, who caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease by sacrificing Himself and thus had caused the desolation. And it was Jesus, who had confirmed the covenant for one week. The destruction of the city and the sanctuary (by Roman general Titus) already took place in 70AD, but 70 weeks had finished in 34AD. This is very erroneous.

It is true, that Jesus’ death had finished first half of the week: He was crucified after 3,5 years, i.e. after 0,5 of the week. However, solders of the Roman general Titus, who had destroyed city, were not “the people of the prince” – Jesus. And what “The full determined end” will be poured out on the desolator – Jesus? If He made the desolation He suppose to be the desolator. Understanding that this is an absurd, Adventist teach, that the desolator was Titus, thus contradicting themselves: now it’s turn out that Titus, not Jesus, caused the desolation. Nevertheless, no general Titus, no his father Vespasian, who was the emperor at that time had fulfilled this part of the prophecy about the desolator. They both were rather successful and esteemed by masses governors.

Besides that: the prophecy Dan.9:24-27 is about 70 weeks and it includes only the events of 70 weeks period. That means that the commandment to restore Jerusalem, the restoration of the city (9:24), Christ’s death on the cross, the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary (9:25), the desolation (9:27) have to be included in the 70 weeks period. And if, according to Adventist teachings, 70 weeks were finished in 34AD, 70AD could not be included in this time period. That's why the prophecy speaks not about destruction Jerusalem in 70AD, but about it's future destruction.

Another contradiction: there is no Bible support that Jesus had confirmed the covenant for one week. However Bible says about the covenant, which will be made by somebody else: “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them” (I Thes. 5:2-3). Thus, Bible says that just before the Second coming there will be a situation when most people will feel safely, there will be no wars. In order for them to be sure in peace and safety they will have to have a some agreement, a peace treaty. About the same peaceful situation just before the Second coming many prophets had prophesied: Amos 9:10; Isa.28:15; Jer.5:12; Jer.4:9-10; Jer.6:14; Jer.8:11,15.

Isaiah by talking about the same peaceful situation before the Second coming is saying about the covenant the Jew will make: “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us” (Isa.28:15).
“And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isa.28:18).

Bible says that the covenant (or agreement) will be broken just before the Second coming: “the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly (i.e. the peace treaty, or covenant, will be broken). The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man” (Isa.33:7,8).

There is no doubt, that prophets are talking about the covenant for 7 years (one week) not between people and Jesus, but between the antichrist and Jews.

Adventists teach "the abomination that maketh desolate" on the holy place already took place and it was caused by Jesus' death. However Jesus said: “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, ... then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains" (Mark13:14). If Jesus by His death would make the desolation, Daniel was talking about, Apostles would take the Jesus’ advise and hide in the mountains, what, of course, they never did, because Daniel was talking about another desolation, which is not related to Jesus’ death at all.

About the desolation predicted by Daniel, Matthew (24:15,16) and Luke (21:20,21) said almost the same : “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains”. Compare with: “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan.11:31). So Bible clear says the desolation prophesied by Daniel wouldn’t be caused by Jesus’ sacrifice but by the destruction of Jerusalem. Which destruction? 70AD? No, we already discussed that 70AD can not be included in 70 weeks period. Then which one?

Mathew talking about the end of days said that after “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place” (24:14,15) “shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Mat.24:21, Mark 13:19). This is the same tribulation Daniel is talking about : “And at that time shall Michael stand up, … and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”(Dan 12:1,2).

The days of that tribulation will be short (Mat.24:22) and “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven” (Mat.24:29,30, Mark 13:25,26, Luke 21:26,27).

So, disciples and Daniel clear told that the desolation will be right before the Second coming and resurrection of the dead.

This tribulation the book of Revelation is talking about. It will begin when the antichrist (beast from the earth) will kill those who will refuse to accept the mark of the beast. The tribulation will be short (Mat.24:22), only during the half of the week or 3,5 years, or 42 months of the power of the beast (Rev.13:5), or 1260 days of the persecution of the church (Rev.12:6,14).

Luke said: “when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies… Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20,24). Revelation clarifies that Jerusalem will be under enslavement of the Gentiles during for 42 months: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, ... for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Rev.11:2). (Holy city is not New Jerusalem, it is Jerusalem– Mat.4:5, 27:53).

Lets not forget that John wrote “Revelation” long after the 70AD destruction: in 95AD , that is why the 42months couldn't be began after 70AD, another way they would be finished in the time the Revelation was written. Thus, prophecies are talking about the future destruction of Jerusalem.

The prophesized last half of the week will be again only about Jerusalem and the relationship between God and the Jewish nation. This little time period of the government of the antichrist will be the time when God will hear the Jews again. God will send His two prophets (Rev.11) to the Jews: “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal.4:5). The prophets will preach during the last half of the week, or 3,5 last years, before the Second coming, as John Baptist preached before the first coming of Jesus. Jews will return to God and will ask Him for forgiveness: «I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face» (Hosea 5:15). That was prophesized by all prophets of the Old Testament.

Thus, the antichrist (the beast) will make the covenant, or peace treaty with Jewish nation for 7 years (one week), in the middle of this period (middle of the week, in 3,5 years) he will break it, and will occupy Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be under his government last 3,5 years just before the Second coming. At that time God will speak with Jews again through His two prophets, who will prophesy 1260 days (Rev.11:3).

The speculations about Stephan's death as a last point of the 70 weeks prophecy do not have any base under it. As we discussed above, the starting point of the 70 weeks prophecy was not 457 BC, but 446 BC, that's why 69 weeks from the decree to restore Jerusalem were finished in 31AD when Jesus was baptized. The date – 31AD - is in absolute harmony with Luke's words (3:1), that John the Baptist began his mission in 29AD, hence Jesus could be baptized in 29AD or later.

If 69 weeks had finished in 31 AD the 70 weeks would be finished 7 years later- in 38AD. And if Stephan died in 34AD his death could not finish the last half of the last week by any means. Besides, there are NO historical documents, which would confirm the year Stephan was killed.

The supporters of idea, that the death of Stephan finished the 70 weeks, assert, that after his death gentiles heard a gospel for the first time. However many gentiles heard the good news from Jesus Himself (John 4:40-42, Mat.4:13-16), before Paul begin his ministry in pagan cities, and Stephan wasn’t the first killed saint who preached Jesus. John the Baptist was preaching about Jesus also.

And most important, is the 70 weeks prophecy about gentiles? The final point of the prophecy speaks about the Second coming. With Stephan's death all prophecies didn't come true yet, and Jesus wasn't anoint on the kingdom yet. Hence the prophecy without any doubt is speaking about the Second coming of Christ.

So, the prophecy about the 70 weeks looks as follows:

As we saw before there was no any connection between the dates 446BC and 398BC, and 398BC and 31AD, so it will be no connection between the dates 35AD and the beginning of the last 3,5 years before Jesus’ coming either.

Thus, exept the man’s theory that the last half of the week can not be separated from the rest of the weeks, there is no Historical, nor Biblical support that the 70 weeks were finished in 34AD. Daniel said that 69 weeks started from the time the commandment was given, the starting point of the last week was not given.

The prophecies tell that Jews will return to God in the last days, i.e. in the last half of the week, in the last 3,5 years before Jesus’ coming, when God will send to the Jews two prophets: «the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice... Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, …and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days» (Hosea 3:4-5).

Look at this verse: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a 1290 days” (Dan.12:11). What do you think these days mean? These days were not fulfilled yet (we will discuss this time period later).

All prophecies of Old Testament can be divided in three parts:
1)      prophecies about the life of Jews until 358BC (Dan.9:25);
2)      prophecies about Jesus until 35AD (Isa.53:9);
3)      prophecies about 3.5 last years; Jesus’ second coming; the life during the Millennium; the Judgment; new earth (all prophets).

The schematic prophecy from the time of Babylon to the Second coming was given only to Daniel.

When Jesus was born?

Some people ask , if Jesus was baptized in 31AD, and Luke 3:23 said “Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age”, so when was He born and How old He actually was when He began to preach?

Luke (ch.2) said that Joseph and Mary came from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census (which would take only a day or two in there). Because there were no rooms in a inn they stopped in a some stable. And there, as it was prophesied 700 years earlier (Mic.5:2), Mary gave birth to Jesus. At the night of the birth (Luke 2:8) shepherds visited the baby. They told about their experience to many people (2:17,18). In a couple days all Bethlehem probably knew about it.

As a woman who just gave birth to a son Mary was considered unclean for 7 days (Lev.12:2; 15:19-23) and had to seat on one place and do not touch other people. On the eights day Jesus was circumcised. Because the Law required a woman to bring a sacrifice for her and her son to the temple in Jerusalem in 41 (8+33) days after the birth and every first born male had to be sanctified in the temple also (Luke 2:23; Ex.13:13;34:20), they decided to stay in Bethlehem (a couple hours of walking distance to the south from Jerusalem) and go to the temple of Jerusalem on their way home to Nazareth (a long distance north from Jerusalem. From Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 150 km (90 mil) or about 4 days walking).

While they still were in Bethlehem the wise men from the East saw the star, which appeared at Jesus’ birth and came to Jerusalem to visit the baby (Mat.2:2). Perhaps they were wise men from Babylon, where a couple hundred years ago Daniel was appointed as “chief administrator over all the wise men in Babylon”(Dan.2:48). In Babylon the book of Daniel certainly was preserved there, and Daniel’s book told about the Messiah (9:24-27). The wise men asked king Herod where the King of Jews was born. Herod called the priests and they told that Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem. The wise men went to Bethlehem where they saw Mary with the child. After the visit they received the revelation in their dreams that they have to go home without going back to Herod.
The same night (Mat.2:13) Joseph took Angel’s advice and went with Mary and baby to Egypt. There they were until Herod’s death.

When Herod saw the wise men hadn’t returned he became very upset. He hoped that wise men will tell him where the child was so he could kill his throne competitor. Now he decided to kill all babies from 2 years and under according to the exact time of the star apparition which he had leaned from the wise men (Mat.2:16).

The fact that Herod ordered to kill babies from 2 years of age lead many to the conclusion that at that time Jesus was about 2 years old. However there are three contradictions in this teaching.

First: if Herod would know the exact day of the star apparition why he would need that 2 years gap.

Second: if the wise men saw the star and understood what it means why they would wait for 2 years to visit the baby? The distance from Babylon to Jerusalem is only about 2 weeks or a little more.

Third: Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem for a couple days, for the census, not to live there. They obviously didn’t have relatives there. To go across all the town of Bethlehem wouldn’t take much time, however they were looking for a inn. Thus, they didn’t plan to stay in Bethlehem for two years or more.

As we see the two years period doesn’t go with the facts. There the only two possible answers can be.
1. Herod tried hard to find out the exact time from the wise men, but he couldn’t, and thus decided to kill more babies just to be sure.
2. Being the cruel and severe ruler who assassinated many of his relatives including his sons and wives out of the fear for his life and throne, Herod knew the exact date but decided to expend the period just to be sure. In this case the verse (Mat.2:16): “ …and slew all the children … from two years and under according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men” should be read as follows: “ …and slew all the children … from two years and under till the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men”. Thus, if he knew the exact time he just decided to kill also children who were born 2 years before the time the wise men told him about, in case if the wise men were mistaken or for some other reasons.

Therefore the Herod's decree to kill all male babies from two years and under doesn't mean that Jesus at that time was about 2 years old.

Then Luke (2:22) said: “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord” and after that (2:39) “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth”. That means that when “the days of her purification .. were accomplished” which is 41 days after the birth, they went to Jerusalem temple and then they returned to Nazareth (north). Therefore the visitation of the temple couldn’t happened before the wise men came to Bethlehem (south), because after the visit of the wise men the holy family went to Egypt (south).

Thus, the family was staying in Egypt for a very short time. Mathew said (2:22,23): “But when he (Joseph) heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth”. Mathew doesn’t contradict Luke, he said that Joseph was afraid to go home because he needed to go through Judea, but God comforted him, and he went home through Judea and went to the temple. Though Joseph probably had decided not to go to visit his relatives in Judea, what they probably planned to do after the census.

Thus we see that Herod died right after the massacre of the innocents. That was a greatest sin. He gave himself completely to Satan. Satan received all power over that person and killed him. In fact Satan screwed up lives of everyone who tried to kill Jesus. Shortly after their attempts to do that they died or dramatically had changed their lives.
Judas Iscariot killed himself right after his treachery.
Pontius Pilate had lost his position of the governor of Judea in a couple months after the crucifixion, in 36AD, and shortly after that committed suicide.

In 37AD Caligula became Roman Emperor, he was friend with Herod Agrippa, a nephew of Herod Antipas who also took part in Jesus’ trial . That circumstance made life of Antipas (who had married Herodias - the wife of his half brother Philip and daughter of his brother Aristobulus. He was accused by John the Baptist for that) as a living hell. In 39AD Herod Agrippa took away Herod Antipas’ territories and exiled him to Gaul, where Antipas died 1 year later.
The Jewish Sanhedrin which was responsible for Jesus’ trial was suffering also. In 39 AD Caligula declared himself a deity and demanded to put a statue of his likeness in the temple in Jerusalem. Jews did not want to defile their Temple with a non-Jewish deity. Caligula was furious and threatened the Jews with punishment. He caused serious disturbances among the Jews, and he nearly caused a rebellion in Palestine, and if it wasn’t his sudden death in 41AD, the temple and the city would be destroyed much earlier, by Caligula.

Thus, according to history Herod died in 4BC, and therefore according to the Bible Jesus was born in the same time, in 4BC. In the time of His baptism He was 33 years old. Luke 3:23 said: “Jesus Himself, when He began (His ministry), was about thirty years of age”. In word by word translation it is translated “as if thirty years”, that means that Luke thought that Jesus was around 28-32 years old. Nobody knew how old Jesus was. As the person Who NEVER sinned even in His mind, Jesus was looking much younger of His age (Ps.92:12-14). Hence Luke just suggested Jesus’ age and he thought that Jesus was on a couple of years younger.