Do we agree that God is always at work, and that when we stop to see where He is working, He cordially invites us to join Him?  He has a plan for both Gentiles and Jews, so let’s fast forward to Daniel 9 to find out more about His plan for the Jews and the unique way He makes it known.

Perhaps the most stunning 4 verses of prophecy are found in Daniel 9:24-27, but I encourage you to read the entire chapter in order to get the full context. After 70 years in Babylonian captivity, Daniel prayed for his people and their return to the land, and God laid out the plan.

This can be a complicated passage and this study will not dive deeply into detail. If you want the full study, check out Week 2 of the Blessed Hope Bible Study I wrote a few years ago. Here, I will try to fill in the gaps for you.

First, in modern-day conversation, we don’t typically talk about “70 weeks of years.” A “week of years” is simply 7 years, and 70 of those total 490.  The Hebrew calendar is a lunar one, so each is only 360 (not 365) days long.  Remember that in the calculation.

Secondly, those 70 weeks of years make up God’s plan for Israel.

Study tips:

• Focusing only on Daniel 9:24-27:
  • According to verse 24, how many total weeks of years are determined for the Jewish people?
  • Verse 25 speaks of two sets of weeks (7 weeks and 62 weeks). Together how many total weeks is that?  (It’s not a trick question! The answer is 69!)
  • The 7 weeks happened first, then the 62.  According to verse 26, who was “cut off” after the 7^th + 62^nd weeks of years?
  • Verse 27 references the final week of years.  Any clue what that 7-year period will be?  (Hint: on our diagram in lesson 1, what lasts 7 years?)
• Indeed, the Messiah is cut off after the 69^th week of years (7 + 62), then the 70^th week of years commences sometime in the future.  There is a gap there that we will come back to.
• Now…back to the 69^th week of years.  When did it start and end? The start date is found in verse 25.  Do you see it?  (“From the command [decree] to rebuild Jerusalem.”) Remember, at the time of Daniel’s prophecy, the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. Someone must command them to go and rebuild Jerusalem. Here are 4 decrees given to the Jewish people. Which one allows the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem?
  • Ezra 1:1-4
• • Ezra 6:6-12
• • Ezra 7:11-26
  • Nehemiah 2:1-8

All except one of those decrees references rebuilding the Temple, but only one references rebuilding Jerusalem.  To fit Daniel’s prophecy, it must be King Artaxerxes’ decree in Nehemiah 2:1-8!

So, now we do the math!  A bit of digging reveals that Artaxerxes’ reign began in 465BC and verse 1 indicates that the decree was given in the month Nisan, in the 20^th year of King Artaxerxes’ reign…445BC.  On our Gregorian calendar, that is March 14, 445BC. That is the day God’s plan of the end for the Jewish people began. 

69 weeks of years equals 483 (69 x 7) years and, based on the Hebrew calendar, those years are 360 days long.  483 years x 360 days per year = 173,880 days.  So, for the prophecy to be accurate, the Messiah must be “cut off” 173,880 days after March 14, 445BC. 

Friends, that takes us precisely to April 6, 32AD when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and was “cut off” as the plot to crucify Him was birthed.  Of course, that fits precisely in our diagram at the crucifixion of Jesus.   God’s plans are not random!

But what about that 70^th week? Glad you asked!  It seems God hit the pause button in His plan for the Jews.  Why? Because it opened up the Church Age. Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, then ascended back to heaven 50 days later during Pentecost.  (Keep that feast in mind for later!) Pentecost was the birth of the church, and the opportunity for Gentiles to be “grafted into the olive tree,” the spiritual privilege of the Jewish people.

For that, God put aside His plan for the Jews, but He has not abandoned them. He will return to it.

Devotional moments:

• The 70^th week of years is a 7-year period.  Based on our diagram, what follows the Church Age?
• What lies in between the Church Age and the tribulation?
• God will resume His plan for the Jews once the church is raptured. That 7-year period is the tribulation and it will be horrific.  Following the tribulation, all Israel will be saved, but meanwhile, they must endure the worst persecution imaginable as God unleashes His wrath on the world.
• Friends, Jews may come to Jesus just as Gentiles do…by believing in their hearts and confessing with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and Messiah!  Yet, for most, their eyes are blinded and their hearts are deceived.
• Do you understand what it means for us to find God at work in Israel and join Him there?  We won’t outwardly preach (they won’t hear it), but our lives reflect the One who indwells us!  Preach the Gospel always…and if necessary, use words.

Prayer point: Ask the Lord to prepare our hearts to reflect His love and character, and for Him to prepare their hearts to see and understand the love of Yeshua!  That is our mission!

If you are studying along but not going with us to Israel, will you commit to be a prayer warrior while we’re there?  That makes you a part of the process and your reward will exceed our own! Stay tuned, friends! We’ll tackle the feasts of Israel in the next two days and we will have a well-rounded understanding of God’s plan for both Jews and Gentiles!  See you tomorrow!