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The testimony of Daniel,
or
The time of the end.
#13.
The prophecy of the seventy weeks (9:---Part 4).
pp. 27 - 33
The prophecy of the seventy weeks of Dan. 9: is divided into three parts, each of
which is devoted to an explanation of events associated with one of the great time-periods
of the prophecy. This can be seen more easily if set out as follows:--
Dan. 9: 24-27.
A1 | 9: 24. SEVENTY SEVENS.
a | Finish transgression.
b | Make an end (chatham) of sin.
c | Make atonement for iniquity.
a | Bring in everlasting righteousness.
b | Seal up (chatham) vision and prophecy.
c | Anoint the Most Holy.
A2 | 9: 25, 26. SEVEN SEVENS and SIXTY-TWO SEVENS.
a | The City.--Restoration.
b | The Messiah.--Coming.
c | Seven sevens and sixty-two sevens.
c | After sixty two sevens.
b | The Messiah.--Cut off.
a | The City.--Destroyed.
A3 | 9: 26, 27. THE ONE SEVEN. THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN.
a | Desolation decreed (shamem). End of Desolator.
b | Covenant made.
c | One seven.--7 years.
c | Midst of seven.--3½ years.
b | Covenant broken.
a | Desolation decreed (shamem). End of Desolator.
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city."--The word
"determined" means "to cut off", and the passage indicates that God has set apart this
period of time in which He will accomplish His purposes for the people and the city. At
first there appears to be an undue repetition in the words of verse 24: "To finish the
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity." But
on examination the verse is found to be both true, like all Scripture, and prophetic.
"To finish" is a translation of kala, which means "to restrain", or "shut up", as in a
prison: "Zedekiah . . . . . had shut him up" (Jer. 32: 3). As a substantive it is translated
"prison", as in I Kings 22: 27, II Kings 17: 4 and eight other places. "The
transgression" that is to be "shut up", or "imprisoned", has already been spoken of in
Daniel. Pesha, "transgression", and pasha, "transgressor", occur in Daniel only in
8: 12, 13 and 23. To read these occurrences in their contexts is of itself sufficient