Daniel's 490 Year Prophecy

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

There is a prophecy from Daniel regarding the seven times seventy years of time God has set for freeing the people from sin and evil. (See Daniel 9:24)

But there are so many interpretations of this on the Web. It widely accepted as being a 490 year prophecy regarding the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. And people have used it to try and determine the exact date of the Crucifixion, but they’ve come up with different dates. Go figure.

Does anybody know any good interpretations that I can learn from? Thanks in advance…

P.S. I like to scrutinize things, so I would like to find interpretations with details.

 

[yinekka]

G’day Charlie, Kefik,

Try to find “A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture” edited by Dom Bernard Orchard OSB. My copy was first published in 1953 I can’t vouch for later editions as being orthodox. You may find a copy in a seminary library or the library of a religious order.As Dom Bernard was a Benedictine you could try them.

On page 636 -my copy - there is a commentary on The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks which goes on for pages in tiny print. The commentary is too thorough for me to summarize for you.

Good luck.

 

[Teflon93]

There is a prophecy from Daniel regarding the seven times seventy years of time God has set for freeing the people from sin and evil. (See Daniel 9:24)

But there are so many interpretations of this on the Web. It widely accepted as being a 490 year prophecy regarding the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. And people have used it to try and determine the exact date of the Crucifixion, but they’ve come up with different dates. Go figure.

Does anybody know any good interpretations that I can learn from? Thanks in advance…

P.S. I like to scrutinize things, so I would like to find interpretations with details.

Daniel B. Currie’s “Rapture” has the best and most thorough treatment I’m aware of.

His thesis is that Daniel was pointing toward the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., which represented Christ’s promised judgment of the Sanhedrin.

 

[steveandersen]

Doesn’t it just mean a big number?
We’re talking pre-Arabic numeral times here. When that was written there was no decimal system & no zero so I’m not sure if it is supposed to be an arithmetic problem.

(just like we shouldn’t forgive our enemies only 70 times 7 times)

Also isn’t 7 typically used as a sign of perfection?
So the prediction is that it will take a long time just the right amount of time.

 

[Teflon93]

Doesn’t it just mean a big number?
We’re talking pre-Arabic numeral times here. When that was written there was no decimal system & no zero so I’m not sure if it is supposed to be an arithmetic problem.

(just like we shouldn’t forgive our enemies only 70 times 7 times)

Also isn’t 7 typically used as a sign of perfection?
So the prediction is that it will take a long time just the right amount of time.

Currie points out that 7 means “perfect” in Jewish tradition, so the 7 times 70 is not a mathematical formula but synonymous with “a perfect 70 years”. “Perfect” in this case should not be taken to mean “Precise”, either, however.

The fall of the Temple in A.D. 70 also corresponds nicely with Christ’s prophecy that he would return before all of the apostles had passed away.

 

[ryanoneil]

Daniel B. Currie’s “Rapture” has the best and most thorough treatment I’m aware of.

His thesis is that Daniel was pointing toward the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., which represented Christ’s promised judgment of the Sanhedrin.

I agree “Rapture” is a great book for understanding Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation. It also debunks the idea of a secret rapture of believers.

 

[FrancesDS]

The Israelites had been sent into exile for 70 years as punishment.
Daniel was praying for the end to this exile as the 70th year approached.
Gabriel then appeared to him.
Gabriel’s response was that they would not be freed for “70 weeks of years”.
In Leviticus, the punishment for a sin could be exile and then it says that if one does not repent after this, the punishment can be increased 7 fold.
Gabriel’s phrase indicates that the Israelites had not repented and therefore their punishment of being in exile for 70 years was not coming to an end and it would be be increased 7 fold.
(70 weeks of years = 70 x 7 = 490 years)