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  DANIEL'S SEVENTY WEEKS
  by Keith Malcomson
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Summary: This sermon delves into the intricate prophecy of Daniel's 70
weeks, highlighting the accuracy of the timeline, the significance of
historical events like the destruction of Jerusalem, and the future
implications of the final seven years. It emphasizes the need for
prayer, understanding the urgency of the prophetic hour, and being
prepared for the fulfillment of biblical prophecies in our generation.

Topics: "Prophetic Timelines", "Preparedness for Fulfillment"
Scripture References: Daniel 9:24, Matthew 24:15, 2 Chronicles 36:23, Nehemiah 2:1, Matthew 24:21, Ezra 7:7, Revelation 13:14, Luke 21:20

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon delves into the intricate prophecy of Daniel's 70 weeks,
highlighting the accuracy of the timeline, the significance of
historical events like the destruction of Jerusalem, and the future
implications of the final seven years. It emphasizes the need for
prayer, understanding the urgency of the prophetic hour, and being
prepared for the fulfillment of biblical prophecies in our generation.

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CONTENT
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I'm here tonight, praise God. We're turning to Daniel chapter 9 in our
Bible study tonight. Very important study as we come to this next
message in the Heaven's Rule.

That is the series title and we've seen from week to week and I believe
it's so important for the hour that we are living in in our world that
we do understand, we believe, we see the teaching of scripture that the
heavens do rule. It is so important as a church of God that we realize
no matter what the political situation is, the social or the economic,
the heavens rule. In other words, the throne of God rules in the affairs
of men.

God is in control when everything seems in chaos. When we can't rely on
politics and leaders, we can look higher to heaven, to the Lord Jesus
Christ who is enthroned on high and who will reign until all his enemies
are made his footstool. Here tonight, we come to our next message in
Daniel chapter 9 and I've called this Daniel's 70 weeks.

Daniel's 70 weeks and we're going to pray here but I'm tonight going to
do something different. I'm going to join the reading of the text with
my prayer. In fact, what I'm going to do here and if you've read Daniel
9 before, you'll understand what I'm saying here.

I'm actually going to read Daniel's prayer going from verse 1 down to
verse 19. We're going to read, this is our text but his prayer and I'm
not going to spend a lot of time teaching or preaching on his prayer or
expounding it. I would love to but I would need another entire night
just on the prayer.

Please study the prayers of Daniel and we'll come back to this maybe
next Wednesday night in our Bible study but we're going to read this
text and I'm going to stop short of reading about the prophecy contained
here and the vision because we're going to teach on that. We're going to
spend most of our time on that but here tonight because we'll only spend
a short time on Daniel's prayer, we're going to read it and as I read
from Daniel 9, will you allow me to make Daniel's prayer my prayer
tonight and in fact our prayer tonight. Can we from our heart, even as
we read or listen, can we make this vital prayer of a man of God at a
critical crisis, at a very vital time in history, in world history, in
governments.

Can we make his prayer our prayer, very personal to you and I. In his
brokenness can we become broken, in his repentance and confession of sin
can we make this very personal as we come to Daniel's 70 weeks here
tonight. Read in Daniel chapter 9 beginning in verse 1 down to verse 19.
In the first year of Darius, the son of Azarias, of the seed of the
Medes which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans and verse 2.
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number
of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet
that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem and I
set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications with
fasting and sackcloth and ashes and I prayed unto the Lord my God and
made my confession and said let's make this prayer our prayer tonight.

Oh Lord the great and dreadful God keep in the covenant and mercy to
them that love him and to them that keep his commandments. We have
sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have
rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments
neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets which speak in
thy name to our kings and our princes and our fathers and to all the
people of the land. Oh Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto
us confusion of faces as it is this day to the men of Judah and to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem and unto all Israel that are near and that are
far off through all the countries whether thou hast driven them because
of their trespasses that they have trespassed against thee.

Oh Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our kings to our princes
and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord God
belong mercies and forgiveness though we have rebelled against him
neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his laws
which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea all Israel have
transgressed thy law even by departing that they might not obey thy
voice.

Therefore the curse is poured out upon us and the oath is written in the
law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him and
he has confirmed his words which he speak against us and against our
judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the
whole heaven hath not been done as had been done upon Jerusalem as it is
written in the law of Moses all this evil is come upon us yet made we
not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our
iniquities and understand thy truth. Therefore has the Lord watched upon
the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all
his works which he doeth for we obeyed not his voice and now O Lord our
God that has brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a
mighty hand and has gotten thee renowned as at this day we have sinned
we have done wickedly O Lord according to all thy righteousness I
beseech thee let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city
Jerusalem thy holy mountain because of our sins and for the iniquities
of our fathers Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all
that are about us now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant
and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary
that is desolate for the Lord's sake O my God incline thine ear and hear
open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the city which is called
by thy name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our
righteousness but for thy great mercies O Lord hear O Lord forgive O
Lord hearken and do to fear not for thine own sake O my God for thy city
and thy people are called by thy name Amen and may God make that our
prayer tonight as we come to this we may we experience something of the
spirit of this man of God who approached God in prayer and as a result
remarkable things were set in place praise God we're dealing here in our
next message in the heaven's rule and it's called Daniel's 70 weeks
Daniel's 70 weeks I told you we're going to deal with numbers here
tonight in this message and I've got three points the first two points
are going to be brief the third point we are going to expand four verses
of Daniel's third vision here a vital vision that the Lord gave him and
it's called Daniel's 70 visions my first point tonight is 70 literal
years our message is called Daniel's 70 weeks but this first point that
I'm going to deal with is 70 literal years not 70 weeks but 70 years
notice how this chapter starts it actually begins with 70 years and it's
going to finish with 70 weeks you won't fully understand the 70 weeks if
we don't look at the 70 literal years at the beginning of this chapter
look with me in verse one here for a moment it says in the first year of
Darius the son of Azazirus of the seed of the Medes now notice here it's
in the first year of Darius the Medes you'll remember that he is the
king appointed over Babylon by Cyrus when the city is taken by the Medo-
Persian armies on the night of Belshazzar's feast this is the first year
of Darius in other words it's the year that follows after Belshazzar
being killed the end of the Babylonian empire and this new empire the
Medo-Persian empire ruled by King Cyrus the Great this is the first year
of Darius the Mede ruling over the city of Babylon and it was during
this 70 it was during this first year that this entire chapter takes
place notice what else he says about King Darius that he was made king
over the realm of the Chaldeans in other words he was made king someone
made him king there's someone higher than Darius who was higher than
Darius it was Cyrus the Great and notice as well he was made king over
the realm of the Chaldeans in other words it's a smaller realm than the
entire empire of the Medo-Persian empire Cyrus was over the empire but
here you have Darius is over the Chaldeans or those in around the city
of Babylon or the region of what we know as Iraq and we are told here
notice in what happens in this first year of Darius in the first year of
his reign I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years what
does that mean it actually means that Daniel was studying the books the
scriptures the word of God the Bible of his generation I believe he was
studying the book of Jeremiah maybe Isaiah and maybe other portions of
scripture but it actually says that he understood in other words you
know what the word understand actually means it means that all the parts
are put in place to have knowledge is to have the facts all gathered
together to have understanding means it fits together like a jigsaw so
he is staying here he had to be reading the Bible he had to be studying
it and as he was reading the word of God it says Daniel understood by
the books the number of the years in other words it dawned on him
everything fitted into place now notice here this is the first year
after the end of the Babylonian empire the Babylonian empire has just
come to an end 70 years of the Babylonian empire and it is in this first
year of Darius of the Medo-Persians it is at this time that suddenly
we're told that Daniel understands by the books do you know the Bible
and prophecies in the Bible give you understanding about the day you
live in and the hour you're you live in and I believe especially for us
we are going to have remarkable experiences in our day in our generation
where we suddenly begin to understand we're going to see the events
happening in our world in politics in the economy and suddenly as we
study Bible prophecy we're going to go now I understand just like Daniel
you see this was a momentous change in world history that he lived
through he saw and he actually understood by the books the number of the
years in other words he discerned from studying the word of God the hour
he lived in suddenly the years became momentous and he realized that the
hour he lived in was prophesied in the Bible it says in verse 2 where of
the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in other words he was reading the
book of Jeremiah he had understanding of the prophecies of Jeremiah all
those years previous that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolation
of Jerusalem this is my first point 70 literal years if we're going to
understand this chapter this is where we have to understand this is
where we have to start with these 70 literal years that's my point what
am I meaning literal 70 years I mean 70 years means 70 years you can't
spiritualize them you can't call them symbolic they are real 70 years
now Daniel said he understood in studying the book of Jeremiah he was
reading it he begins to understand the years the number of the years do
you know what he's reading in Jeremiah is a prophecy in Jeremiah 25 and
Jeremiah 29 about a period of judgment on the Jewish people of 70 years
there are two distinct prophecies given about a period of seven 70 years
and Daniel as he read he suddenly understands what he is reading and how
it fits into his day and generation do you know what had just happened
70 years of Babylonian rule had suddenly come to an end a remarkable
thing do you know that the kingdom of Babylon had been an empire for 70
years do you know in the book of Jeremiah in chapter 25 Jeremiah
prophesied that at the end of 70 years that the Lord was going to punish
the king of Babylon that God was going to judge Babylon yes Babylon was
going to be used by God to discipline Israel and to carry them into
captivity to chasten them to bring them under the rod God was going to
use Babylon but he also said at the end of 70 years I am going to bring
Babylon down I'm going to judge its king did it happen yes as Daniel
literally read the book of Jeremiah he begins to understand this is the
hour 70 years were accomplished on the kingdom of Babylon do you know
how old Daniel is here he is a man of about 83 years old he'd come to
Babylon at about the age of 16 now he'd lived for 67 years in Babylon
the news here he has just witnessed the fulfillment of a of 70 literal
years in which Babylon has been judged Babylon has been a kingdom 70
years now at the age of 67 years he goes 67 years ago I actually was
carried captive from Jerusalem I was one of the first captives carried
away it is now 67 years and in Jeremiah it talks about another period of
70 years that's going to be accomplished now as Daniel is reading he
says if God has judged Babylon then that means he is also going to
restore Israel he's going to restore the temple he's going to restore
the city he's going to send us back again all of this affected him
seeing the judgment on Babylon and God fulfilling Bible prophecy stirred
up his heart gave him understanding and it impacted him greatly to
realize very shortly God is going to begin fulfilling his plan to
restore Israel again very shortly he'll have been in Babylon the city of
Babylon for a period of 70 years he'd been there since the year 605 BC
do you also realize in this chapter it was almost 50 years since the
temple had been destroyed and in the book of Jeremiah it talks about God
restoring the temple again rebuilding the city restoring him almost 50
years so Daniel is at a momentous time he has begun to see Bible
prophecy fulfilled a literal fulfilling of 70 years upon the nation of
Babylon he's approaching his 70th anniversary in captivity he is also
looking it is almost 50 years since the temple was destroyed it's 50
years almost since any blood ran upon the altar since prayers were
offered in the holy of this is a momentous hour church I believe we're
living at such an hour I believe that's why God has given us these
messages on Daniel we are living at a momentous hour and you know what
we better begin to understand the hour that we live in by the books by
the prophets by the word of God we can begin to understand as we look at
our world as we look at world events it's not a normal hour it's not
business as normal we are reaching a remarkable hour of prophecy it is
utterly remarkable Daniel actually knew that 50 years before in the year
586 BC that the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians and God said he
would judge them for that do you realize that God had a remarkable plan
to fulfill in all of this 70 literal years are going to be fulfilled 70
literal years do you know Daniel took 70 literally now write that down
write it in the margin your Bible and write it upon your mind I've read
a lot of commentators Bible teachers and they'll try to say this 70
years it wasn't literal it was rough or it was vague or it was symbolic
the 70 meant perfection multiplied by 10 and they go on and they wax
eloquent in trying to figure all of this out and make it symbolic so
that God won't be embarrassed I want to tell you the number 70 Daniel
took it literally he said that he understood by books the number of
years this the number 70 was a literal number to be taken literally and
we need to understand that that is the first essential thing these 70
years were being fulfilled in Daniel's day when he looked at the Bible
it said 70 years and he believed it he believed it was literal my second
point here the necessity of prayer the necessity of prayer it says in
verse 3 and this is the result as he saw this the hour he lived in as he
began to understand Bible prophecy as he began to apply it and see that
he was in a momentous hour a vital hour of the fulfilling of Bible
prophecy do you know what he done next he went to prayer and this is my
second point not only a literal 70 years my second point the necessity
of prayer the necessity of prayer if all you do is get intrigued by
prophecy you want to argue about it talk about it you're fascinated
about it you want to hear about it but it never drives you to a
practical awakening of praying in a certain way the way we read here
tonight if it doesn't drive you to repentance in prayer to confess in
your sins to groaning over your neglect of the word of God then you do
not understand Bible prophecy you see the second point here the
necessity of prayer look at verse 3 and I set my face unto the Lord God
to seek by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes
look at the effect on Daniel as he begins to understand by numbers the
hour he lives in through Bible prophecy that he is at the beginning of a
significant event oh yes it's not 70 years yet since the temple was
destroyed only 50 years but he is in that time frame that period that
hour he may not see the full fulfillment of this but he is at the
beginning of it you know what he does he goes to prayer he sets himself
to seek the face of God he seeks God in prayer and supplication he adds
fasting onto it why is he praying because he is seeing the fulfillment
of Bible prophecy from verse 4 to verse 19 we see his prayer you see he
knew it was an hour for all of this to begin to happen in about three
years he's going all of this is going to begin to get restored over the
next couple of decades he begins to see the hour he lives in and he is
gripped in prayer do you realize it's absolutely necessary to pray for
the fulfillment of Bible prophecy you see you can hear about everything
that's going to happen in this hour oh God is going to pour out his
spirit on Israel other things are going to happen in our world but if
you don't pray into it you don't believe those prophecies you really
don't I'm talking about the necessity of prayer that prayer goes hand in
hand with Bible prophecy where God has prophesied God's people must
never say God's just going to do it it doesn't matter about me God
always raises up a vessel of prayer to see it accomplished in fact if
you went to Jeremiah 29 where it talks about the 70 years in relation to
Israel and to Jerusalem and God restoring his people listen to what else
it says in verse 12 then shall ye call upon me when in the time that you
realize it's time for the 70 years to come to end then shall ye call
upon me and you shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you
and ye shall seek me and find me ye shall search for me with all of your
heart and so Jeremiah prophesied that in this hour that fulfilling of
the 70 years that you the people of God are going to go to prayer you're
going to begin to seek me to do this thing even though it was prophesied
even though God sovereignly said it must happen and he cannot lie yet
there's got to be a praying people to bring it forth to bring it to pass
since do you honestly think that in these last days that God simply
prophesied in the Old Testament to Daniel all the way through to John
and Revelation and you think the church can be apathetic and sit back
and do nothing and that all these things just come to pass anyway no way
absolutely no way since there there is direct prophecy that will
sovereignly come to pass but God will stir up the people who are going
to begin to pray it says in verse 20 and whilst I was speaking in prayer
that's when right in the midst of this beautiful prayer whilst I was
speaking and praying and confessing my sins and in verse 21 whilst I was
speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at
the beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of
the evening oblation what a remarkable thing and in fact in verse 23 it
says and at the beginning of thy supplications Gabriel speaking on them
at the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth I am
come to show thee in other words as Daniel is praying Gabriel comes
forth and touches him and actually tells him as soon as you began to
pray I was commanded to come and to show you what I'm about to show you
isn't that a remarkable answer to prayer imagine you begin to pray and
before you reach the end of it an angel from heaven Gabriel is standing
there and he taps you on the shoulder and says I'm here to answer God
has sent me and commanded me to fly very swiftly since all it takes is a
length of a prayer from an angel to go from the throne room of God to
your very side in whatever situation you are I assure you these are
remarkable things where Bible prophecy gets caught up in prayer and it
meshes together and here the angel Gabriel he says I've come to give
thee skill and understanding do you know what hour this was at it was at
the time of the evening oblation what's the evening oblation that's what
happened from three o'clock to four o'clock every day in Jerusalem in
the temple the offering up of prayer that's what happened a lamb was
sacrificed on the altar there were sacrifices offered unto God there
hasn't been a temple or an altar for 50 years and yet here is Daniel at
the hour of the oblation from three to four what's he doing he's in
prayer he's daily in prayer he's remembering oh the temple might be gone
but the prayer time isn't gone I'm still offering up my sacrifices unto
God do you realize that a part of his prayer was for the restoration of
Israel the 70 years are almost complete what's he praying for Lord
forgive us Lord restore us Lord have mercy upon us an angel is sent to
answer his prayer do you realize that very year that Daniel was praying
and we read elsewhere in the Bible in Ezra chapter 1 and many other
scriptures we read concerning Zerubbabel a politician of royal blood and
Joshua the high priest took a band of 42,000 Jews on an 800 mile journey
back to Jerusalem what a remarkable thing that his prayer was caught up
in this it was that same year as Gabriel came to answer his prayer that
Cyrus the great had his heart stirred up and we are told in 2nd
Chronicles 36 that the Lord stirred up Cyrus's heart in the first year
of his reign to do what Jeremiah prophesied in sending the people back
to begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem do you see all of this comes
together God uses world events to work in his people to bring forth his
plans and his purposes this is a remarkable thing now listen carefully
before we go on to our third and our final point Zerubbabel and Joshua
led the 42,000 back to Jerusalem everything is destroyed the buildings
the walls this entire city the temple everything is destroyed and they
begin to rebuild the temple they finally lay the foundation of the
temple and they begin to weep and rejoice here is the fulfilling of
Bible prophecy there's only one problem it's actually 20 years too early
22 years early you say how can that be possible it's 20 years before the
end of the 70 years were they working before time no listen a second
they laid the foundation their enemies rose up they become discouraged
legal legislation come in against them they become overwhelmed they felt
hopeless and you realize for 16 years they stopped the work of God 16
years they grew so discouraged nothing else happened do you see how all
this fits together that even the discouragement of God's people it
couldn't be justified but God brought that in and weaved it in so that
finally 16 years later that God stirred up Zechariah and Haggai to begin
prophesying to them and their hearts are stirred again and they finished
the temple how long was it 70 years since the temple had been destroyed
70 long years and the temple was in the place and again blood sacrifice
was made don't tell me that there isn't literal numbers here don't tell
me that we can't take Bible prophecy literally we absolutely can and
Gabriel came to give Daniel skill understanding to show him and he
commanded him therefore understand and to consider all the things that I
say unto you my third my final point now I'm only getting warmed up here
so just settle in for the night here as we begin to look at this
prophecy in a closer way my third point here 70 prophetic weeks we've
seen 70 literal years we've seen the necessity of prayer and connection
with prophecy but here's third of all in Daniel chapter 9 and this is my
entire message and this is my third point 70 prophetic weeks you see
there's the third vision of Daniel and Gabriel brings it to him chapter
7 has the first vision of Daniel do you remember what it was it was the
four beasts coming up out of the sea chapter 8 has the second vision do
you remember what that was that was the ram and the goat the Medo-
Persian empire and the Grecian empire now here in chapter 9 we have
Daniel's third vision and we're gonna look at this four short verses but
remarkable I would dare say this is one of the most remarkable
prophecies in the entire Bible utterly remarkable now I hope you have
your thinking caps on here I try to stir you inspire you now I want you
to be intellectually engaged I'm gonna make you make sure you've got a
pen and paper make sure that you try to concentrate or you can go back
over this afterwards but I'm going to explain to you a prophecy that
deals with numbers numbers of years that affected the generation of the
early church but it will also affect our generation the last generation
a utterly remarkable vision given to this old man this old prophet in
Babylon a man of prayer a man in tune with God a man of the Bible who
studied Bible prophecy away with your foolish dreams and I understand
prophecy by the written scriptures now let me take you to the 70
prophetic weeks of Daniel look at verse 24 with me here tonight as we
look at this this is remarkable verse 24 it says 70 weeks and this is
Gabriel speaking to Daniel he's already dealt with the 70 weeks or sorry
the 70 years we've already looked at that now we're going to look at
another vision he begins 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and
upon thy holy city notice very carefully here 70 weeks what does that
number mean I believe it's a literal number the word weeks there means
sevens another word 77 Gabriel is speaking to him it's in the context of
the fulfilling of 70 years in connection with Jerusalem and God's people
Israel 70 literal years now Gabriel comes amidst all the prayer of this
and he begins to speak another vision another prophecy about 70 weeks
that are going to take place or 70 sevens now these weeks are not made
up of days neither are they neither can you multiply them in some
strange way because if you took them as literal days they would be a
year and a half but they are years they are prophetic weeks and they
actually turn out to be 490 years if you multiply 70 by seven in other
words it's 77 that's what the angel's saying here he says 77 are a
period of 490 years now look at it just like there's been a period of 70
years now there's a period of 490 years and certain things are going to
happen it's a prophecy 70 years are determined upon thy people now look
at this very carefully 77s are determined upon thy people the Jewish
people and upon thy city which means the city of Jerusalem this isn't
for Babylon it's not for New York it's not for Dublin or London it's not
for Berlin it's actually to do with the city of Jerusalem these 490
years are connected to the city of Jerusalem in Judah and they are also
connected to the literal people of Israel to Daniel's people not the
church of our generation but specifically to the physical racial group
connected to Daniel the prophet it's his people and it's his city and
these 490 years are determined in connection with that city notice what
the word determined here means listen very carefully this word
determined means to a lot to cut off or to decree it means to sever into
different portions in other words these 490 years they are cut out from
time from the rest of time from the time of the Gentiles these 400 years
are cut out and in fact they are severed into different portions this is
setting a time frame that is going to be divided up or split into
sections and we're going to see tonight these 490 years were split into
three different sections and then the third last section was split in
half which means 490 years get split in four there is clear teaching
here that this is literal years not spiritual not symbolic not natural
days not natural weeks these are 490 years literal years that have a
connection to the city of Jerusalem now the actual word determined here
is used of a tailor you know what a tailor is in a shop who actually
makes a coat he'll take different bits of material cut it in line then
put it together and then give you a complete coat but that complete coat
is made up of certain determined bits of material and the right person
putting them together has a complete coat that's what determined means
that Daniel is being told this 490 years is severed up into different
parts four distinct parts actually comes together as a complete plan our
purpose of God what a remarkable thing here and he also goes on in this
verse to say that there are six things connected in these 490 years six
things are going to come to completion in other words six things are the
goal or it's going to take this 490 years to complete these six
different promises of God to accomplish in human history he emphasizes
these six promises that are based upon Jesus' death on the cross they're
also partially experienced by God's people now the church but they will
have a final manifestation at the return or completion at the return of
Jesus Christ this is God's plan to restore Israel and it includes these
six blessings remember these six blessings aren't attached to the church
or to some Gentile city it's the city of Jerusalem and it's to Daniel's
people listen what they are very briefly to finish the transgression to
make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity to bring in
everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to
anoint the most holy all of this is connected and I don't have time to
stop here but these are all connected to the 490 years now let's begin
to look at these different sections of this prophecy it is the most
remarkable prophecy we're dealing with tonight verse 25 now therefore
sorry no therefore and understand Gabriel wants Daniel to know and to
understand to have knowledge and to actually be able to put the bits
together to understand the jigsaw of prophecy to put everything in its
right place listen carefully he's now going to explain the 490 years in
its different parts that make up the complete 490 years listen what he
says from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild
Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks or a period of 49
years and three score and two weeks so already we see here in verse 25
he has split 490 years into two he's given two periods of time not 490
years anymore he actually takes out the first two bits seven weeks which
is 49 years 62 weeks which is a period of 434 years and there's only one
week left so we see here in this verse he gives you the time frame of
two separated out periods of time out now listen I want to warn you here
tonight that I got an F when I done mass that's the lowest mark you can
get all our teachers said you can't fail subjects in GCSE you nobody
fails that's a lie I got an F and everything apart from mark and I don't
boast in that but I'm just telling you I am not a mathematician but you
know what in written maths I always got an F I always came last but in
mental arithmetic when I was sitting in the class and my teacher done
the entire class mental arithmetic do you know I got top marks in mental
arithmetic you see I knew the answer but I didn't know how to get there
she she thought I cheated in the in the test she she looked at my marks
afterwards said Malcolmson stay behind and when I stayed behind she made
me reset the mental arithmetic she would just call it out and I would
write down and she was shocked again I got top marks at mental
arithmetic but you know what I never knew I could never work out how to
get there but it didn't change the fact that I got the right scores and
I got the right marks but sadly my teacher never apologized to me she
just looked at me in disbelief going how in all the world did this guy
ever do it he gets an F in written maths trying to work it out but he
gets the right destination now I'm telling you that for a reason you may
not understand how all this works but you've got to understand the
beginning and you've got to understand where it ends in other words I
hope your mental arithmetic is good and you understand this but if you
don't understand all of the years and all of the ins and outs that's
fine just understand the basics here and while my maths teacher wouldn't
have congratulated me I will congratulate you so let's go to this I'm
just preparing you setting you up for this so you listen to me tonight
from the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah
these two periods of time 49 weeks and sorry 49 years and then 434 years
will take you to Messiah now notice what it's saying here it's giving
you two periods of time when you add them together then you say as soon
as the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem as soon as that command is
actually given to rebuild the entire city of Jerusalem you can actually
count down until when the Messiah comes or the Christ or the anointed
one you can count the years 483 years Daniel was getting a prophecy and
said Daniel listen to me when the command is given count 483 years and
Messiah will be alive until the days of the ministry of Messiah isn't
this remarkable this is extraordinary that Daniel was given a prophecy
that was going to go right down until the days of the Lord Jesus Christ
and his public ministry what an accurate this is literal prophecy we're
dealing with it's not symbolic it is not fake it is very accurate and
we're to take it literally now let's break it down again to these two
parts the first part is 49 years 49 years and notice what it says in
verse 25 it says the street shall be built again and the wall in
troublesome times so from the given of the commandment until the
rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of Jerusalem is
going to be 49 years from the given command and it's going to be in
troublesome times are times of great pressure great distress trouble of
great anxiety from the enemy just because you get trouble in your life
and the enemy is fighting you and all hell fights this church do not
think that we're not in the center of God's plan and purpose you might
feel like all hell is coming against you in your life and you go where
is God's plan in fact that could be the very hour of the fulfilling of
God's plan God could be fulfilling his plan in your life personally and
you don't recognize it you're so aware of the battle you're caught up in
the battle do you know when this was fulfilled in the days of Nehemiah
do you realize when Nehemiah was sent back to Jerusalem this is a
prophecy that from the given of the command to the complete finishing of
Jerusalem is 49 years who received the command it was Nehemiah and he is
going to see the rebuilding of the walls and the street of Jerusalem you
know at times they had to have a sword in one hand and a trial in the
other hand that's 49 years up to Nehemiah's day then there's another
period of 434 years look at me with me in verse 26 and after underline
that word after very important and after three score and two weeks or
after 434 years and notice it says after so we have a time frame Daniel
is given exact information the given of a command the rebuilding of the
walls now after the 62 weeks are the 434 years shall Messiah be cut off
and not for himself do you see how accurate this prophecy is it's an
extraordinary prophecy first of all seven sevens are a period of 49
years the command is given to rebuild the wall to be finished in a
period of 49 years by the completion of 49 years it's finished Jerusalem
its walls and its streets but where does this begin when did it begin do
you know in the bible from Daniel chapter 9 after Daniel chapter 9 and
the prayer given there there were four decrees given by three different
Medo-Persian kings concerning the city of Jerusalem or the temple in
Jerusalem four different decrees and we read about them in the book of
Ezra and the book of Nehemiah and the history of the restoring of
Jerusalem four different decrees how do we know which one of the decrees
it is the first decree was in the first year of Cyrus we read about it
in second chronicles 36 and it was a decree to rebuild the temple that's
the first one the second one is in the second year of Darius and we read
about it in Ezra chapter 6 that was to complete the temple the third
decree was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes and it is in Ezra chapter 7
that was to beautify the temple now listen is it one of these three
decrees that that Gabriel was speaking about that you begin counting
from no it couldn't be do you know why because it was all about the
temple the building of the temple the completion of the temple the
beautifying of the temple and even after those three decrees were
fulfilled still the walls were down still the buildings were down it
still wasn't fulfilled it the three previous ones were only concerning
the temple I'm telling you how to know God's time and the beginning of
time and but there is a fourth decree here and I believe it's when the
time begins it was in and you'll find it in Nehemiah chapter 2 it brings
us right down to Nehemiah who was Nehemiah he was a cupbearer in Shushan
or Susa the capital of the Medo-Persian empire he is working for the
king and look at it here is the 20th year of Artaxerxes in Nehemiah
chapter 2 and here's Nehemiah going about his business you know for
three months he has been praying and weeping hearing about Jerusalem he
had heard that the gates are still burnt out the walls are still down
there still isn't a full fulfillment of prophecy and you know what there
he is he's only a humble cupbearer he's not a prince he's not a prophet
he's not a preacher all he is is a cupbearer for Artaxerxes and this is
the 20th year of Artaxerxes do you see how prophecy breaks in here is a
simple humble man praying and as he brings the cup to the king he
doesn't realize God is about to start the clock God is about to begin
the countdown to Messiah isn't this extraordinary a prophecy is going to
start on this day in a normal nine to five job and here's a normal
worker he's not in spiritual ministry God through his prayers through
what's happening here is going to start the clock on the 49 years he
doesn't realize he's just about to go into the building business he
doesn't realize what God is just about to begin here but you know what
the you know the story Artaxerxes says what's wrong what's wrong with
you I can tell and he begins to pour out sorry he says a little prayer
he says oh God help me and then he begins to tell him Artaxerxes makes a
decree and it says in Nehemiah chapter two and one and it came to pass
in the month Nisan which is Passover when they slay the lamb that's very
important because of where this ends because of Messiah being cut off
Messiah is going to be cut off at Nisan in Passover says in Nehemiah two
and one in the 20th year of Artaxerxes the king he makes a decree and he
sends Nehemiah back do you know what that led to 49 years of rebuilding
work and do you realize that over these next years those gates are going
to get put in place those walls are going to get put in place homes are
going to get restored everything is going to be back in its place the
ministry is going to be back in there what a remarkable thing since I
believe you the church of the 21st century here in 2021 you and I are
caught up in prophetic fulfillment in a way that you can't imagine I
believe we're at the center stage of the final fulfillment of bible
prophecy we're on the edge of one of the greatest eras of the
fulfillment of prophecy and most of the church don't realize it we need
Daniels again we need Nehemiah's again we need men we need churches we
need spiritual movements that are going to begin to pray and God is you
know it doesn't matter if you're a humble man in a workplace it doesn't
matter if you're an old lady in a house it doesn't matter if you're a
mother with children begin to pray begin to understand the hour that you
and I live in you see the 70 weeks begin with a historic dateable event
in a workplace as Nehemiah is talking to this great king Artaxerxes it
is dateable we have an actual date from history for it we can give you
the exact hour it happened it's a literal person you can't spiritualize
this that is utterly impossible do you know the archaeologists have
revealed to us the year of Artaxerxes ascension to the throne as the
year 465 bc it is a rock solid date in history do you know also some
have worked out the hour the day when Artaxerxes gave his decree the
14th of march in the year 445 bc that's how some bible teachers have so
defined it it was nisan it was the time of the fulfilling of prophecy
i'm telling you something extraordinary but you know what those gates
those walls are going to get rebuilt in an hour of great trouble
nehemiah is going to go into seven and into seven chapters of severe
opposition from the enemy now let's look at the second we looked at the
first 49 years now let's move to the next six next period 62 weeks from
the rebuilding of jerusalem until messiah is going to be 62 weeks or a
period of 434 years do you know the jews of the first century had this
in their bible they had daniel they had daniel chapter 9 many of them
studied it they they could have counted down the years from artaxerxes
the countdown to the hour of the messiah to when he would be cut off do
you know what they could read in their bible that the messiah they were
looking for who was going to come to rule over all nations that this
messiah there was a time count there was a period of time to when
messiah was going to be cut off the word cut off means to kill or to
murder it's not talking about something normal it's talking about
messiah being cut off that word is also used for cutting a covenant or
the beginning of a covenant or the making of covenant here they read in
their own bible the exact number of years literal years maybe many of
them spiritualized it maybe many of them made them symbolic years and
they missed the messiah who realized these years with a countdown to not
only messiah coming and it says there in this prophecy after three score
and two weeks shall messiah be cut off but not for himself messiah is
going to be killed but not for himself and you know that it was for you
and i what a remarkable thing that this led all the way to nissan and to
the death of the lord jesus christ and the fulfillment of bible prophecy
since i've got much that i'd love to see here tonight but we need to cut
to the chase many years ago there was a book written about 140 years ago
by an irish man who was born in dublin city his name was robert anderson
robert anderson and he actually heard the gospel in dublin at a meeting
and got born again mightily met the lord jesus christ his sins were
forgiven he believed that jesus died for him and he repented of his sins
well he went to trinity college and become a very educated man a
remarkable man but he was spiritual never think to be spiritual you you
aren't intelligent you can have a heart on fire as well as a mind on
fire and god wants us to have these together but sir robert anderson
become a great man of the scriptures and a bible prophecy do you know as
he worked through college and then went out into work he become the
assistant commissioner of crime for the london metropolitan police force
or for scotland yard in fact he was the highest ranking officer to look
after um jack the ripper all those murders of women in london he was the
top officer overseeing that entire investigation he was in that position
from 1888 through until 1901 well here let me tell you about a book that
he wrote he he wrote one book called daniel in the critics den showing
that the book of daniel was accurate literal true history but he wrote a
second book called the coming prince or the 70 weeks of daniel he also
wrote about 17 17 books in total and in fact his books were read by
william gladstone that was the prime minister of great britain for 12
years they were read by kaiser wilhelm the second of germany who led the
first world war and also by queen victoria of great britain all these
individuals read these prophetic books of an irish man born in dublin
you ought to know your history great things have come out of this island
that's affected the entire world well he wrote a book in 1881 140 years
ago about this very prophecy that i'm dealing with a remarkable prophecy
and queen victoria given a word um an award for it he died in 1918
through the spanish flu listen for a second this is what he actually
said about this prophecy it began in the 14th of march in the year 445
bc and it was confirmed by archaeology concerning king artuxerxes and in
a period of 483 years he calculated this by not using a 31 day month but
a 30 day month a 360 day year and he come to 173 880 days and he come to
a final date of the 6th of april 32 in ad what a remarkable thing he
went and worked all of that out to the very day where did that bring him
to the very date that jesus rose uh rode into jerusalem on the back of a
donkey and four days later he was going to be crucified since there's
other people other men that have worked out different dates remember
like my mass teacher you may not know how you got there but from the
giving of that decree through to jesus being crucified this period takes
you right into the ministry of christ whether it was the year 30 ad or
whether it was 33 ad this period of time takes you right there before
the cutting off of messiah even if your mass was odd it takes you right
to this unique hour let's go a bit further on this verse 26 and it says
and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the sanctuary
now what's this speaking about after the end of this period of years of
the 483 years three things are going to happen number one messiah is
going to get cut off in other words here listen to me there's seven more
years left or one week we've already looked at 483 years but there's
seven years left but you know this prophecy shows there's a break in
between it after the 483 years messiah will be cut off afterwards it
also goes on and says there's going to be another two events before the
final seven years listen carefully before we close on this you know i
hope i haven't lost you tonight many years ago i think it's heading
towards 30 years ago there was a great bible teacher from singapore
called paul tan he came to our church in scotland i was on the back row
of the church i loved his preaching often as he preached and taught the
word of god but that night he taught on daniel's 70 weeks he taught from
this chapter and as i listened him by the end of it i was taking my note
i went i don't have a clue what he's talking about and you know that
night i laughed to myself smugly and i said lord i'll never teach on
this chapter you and this church know that i've taught on this many
times i preached on it referred to it god helped me god took vengeance
on me by giving me such a burden to understand it i just hope you
weren't like me on that night but i want to warn you tonight if you're
here near the end of this message and you're going what is this guy
speaking about i want to warn you be very careful you could become a
preacher a teacher of this very prophecy one that you don't understand
one that goes over your head one that you can't comprehend god could
actually give you a love for it and make you to understand it since he
did with me he did with me bear with this but it says in verse 26
there's a second thing messiah gets cut off but there's a second thing
here verse 26 and the people of the prince that shall come and destroy
the city and the sanctuary it shows us that between this um between the
483 years being fulfilled and the final seven years there's going to be
certain things happen messiah gets cut off but also the city of
jerusalem and the temple gets destroyed again this happened 40 years
after the death of christ in the year 70 a.d in other words now between
the end of the previous time we're no longer looking at the fulfilling
of the last seven years there is a gap in between it and the people of
the prince shall come and destroy the city and the sanctuary messiah
gets cut off jerusalem is going to get destroyed and still we're waiting
for the final seven years since the seven years are not joined onto the
483 years this actual prophecy shows there is a gap there's a time lapse
and not only is there two events there's a third one i'm going to show
you here but notice with the destruction of jerusalem they talk about
the people of the prince and the next verse it talks about a prince
that's going to come and initiate the last seven years but here it talks
about the people who destroy jerusalem the people who destroy the temple
in a.d 70 that a prince is going to come out of that same people who's
going to initiate the last seven years of history now notice carefully
as we come down to the close here the prince in verse 27 in the very
next verse is connected to the last week of daniel a period of seven
years and yet here's the people who are caught up in destroying
jerusalem it's talking about his people if you find out who the people
were who destroyed jerusalem you'll know what nationality you'll know
what affiliation that the antichrist is going to have in the last days
he is called a prince and he's going to initiate the last seven years of
time in bible prophecy if you find out who the people are you will know
something about the culture of this man you see the people who cut off
christ and destroyed the temple who were they we knew it was the roman
empire it was the fourth beast of daniel and of the book of revelation
it was the roman empire that had jesus christ crucified and also
destroyed the temple and the city of jerusalem beginning in ad 70 and it
carried through for some 40 years that they come back and destroyed and
and scattered the people it was in ad 70 that titus the great general of
the roman armies led an army against jerusalem and destroyed it he
killed about a million people scattered many others and he wanted to put
down he renamed the city but listen to me some modern scholars have
pointed out that some of the main regiments of titus that destroyed the
city of jerusalem were not romans or italians they were syrians and
arabs just note that down some of the main regiments that went in and
burnt down titus was a roman the generals and captains were romans by
nationality by citizenship but many of the soldiers were actually
syrians and arabians do you know what syria is remember what syria was
antiochus that we dealt with there last week do you remember antiochus
who ruled a portion of the grecian empire he was a syrian leader the old
empire of syria and antioch was his capital well it was from this very
region that the main regiments that burnt down the city in jerusalem
that burnt down that raided the temple titus was their general a roman
this is the roman empire but they're syrian soldiers and i'm going to
deal more with this next week when we come to it so there's three things
messiah gets cut off jerusalem is destroyed but there's a third thing
here in verse 26 and the end thereof shall be with a flood and unto the
end of the war desolations are determined three things happen between
these two determined points of bible prophecy between the end of the 483
years and the beginning of the seven years these three things happen
messiah is cut off the jerusalem is destroyed by a certain kind of
people and then it goes further and saying that there'll be a flood
until the end wars and desolations you know what i believe this is
talking about that ad 70 was only the beginning of war wars and of
desolation of the city of jerusalem do you realize since ad 70 that the
city of jerusalem has been besieged 23 times attacked 52 times captured
and recaptured 44 times and destroyed at least twice do you realize that
all through these years that jerusalem has been marked by wars by
violence by desolation straight down to this hour that we are living in
and i believe we'll yet see ezekiel's war very very shortly do you know
what i believe this third part carries us all the way through until the
final fulfillment of the last seven years let me bring you down to the
last seven years here are the last week one week or a period of seven
years we find it in verse 27 and daniel 9 27 and we're going to finish
here some of yous are glad i know it but daniel 9 27 the final week or
the final seven years since everything has been perfect accurate
according to literal numerology a time scale was set in place even the
things that have happened in between have been accurate now we come to
the last week look at verse 27 and he that is the prince mentioned in
the previous verse a prince who's going to rise up out of the people who
destroyed jerusalem could he be a syrian or ace and a syrian or a middle
eastern arab we'll look at that maybe next week and he this prince shall
confirm the covenant with many for one week this is the final week do
you realize this conferment of the covenant is connected to one week or
a seven year period it is a literal period of years it begins with an
event and it ends with an event it is actually marked out it's initiated
by a man called the prince who's going to be connected to those people
who destroyed jerusalem in ad 70 and he shall confirm a covenant that
word confirm doesn't mean to make a covenant it means to establish it or
to strengthen it or to make it very very strong that's what it actually
means he's going to establish a covenant maybe it was there before but
he will establish it for a period of seven years since this is going to
mark the beginning of the last seven years of bible prophecy of the
fulfillment of this 490 years and it says that he is going to confirm
the covenant with many with many in israel remember this is concerning
jerusalem and the people of daniel the jews this last seven years is
connected to the city of jerusalem this prince who's coming from a
certain people is going to be part of the revived roman empire that's
his political system but he's also going to rise up in a certain nation
in a certain area of the world not america not europe not australia he
is going to rise up in the middle east and he's going to be a part of
the political revived roman empire how exact is this listen to what he
does he confirms a covenant with israel for seven years and in the midst
of the week in other words at three and a half years he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease notice what happens he stops the
sacrifices being made in the temple and the oblation to cease this would
show me that this seven-year covenant made between the antichrist and
israel is going to have tied into that seven-year covenant or agreement
tied into it is going to allow them to have blood sacrifice i believe
that this will be connected to the rebuilding of the temple the third
temple that's just about to happen in jerusalem i believe they're going
to start their blood sacrifice and it's going to be allowed by this
prince of a middle eastern nation who's going to be part of the last
world global government he's going to start this covenant but halfway
through he's going to stop the blood sacrifices remember what we said
last week antiochus who went into israel jerusalem the temple and put up
the statue with his face on it and began to offer the the blood of a pig
and he brought an abomination in there this prince this is the real one
antiochus was only a shadow this is the real one he's going to cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease and for the over spreading of
abomination he shall make it desolate even until the consummation and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate notice here in this
last seven years in the middle of the year he puts an abomination in the
temple we're going to see more of this in daniel chapter 10 and in
daniel chapter 11 but it's speaking about what happened in daniel
chapter 8 with antiochus where he put that image in the temple do you
realize this last seven years there's going to be a rebuilt temple the
jews are going to restart their blood sacrifice halfway through the
middle of the week three and a half years in antichrist is going to go
in there he's going to stop the blood sacrifice and he's going to put up
an abomination of desolation this is what jesus refers to in matthew
chapter 24 he gives the mark and the sign of the coming of the lord
jesus and of the end of the world he says in matthew 24 when ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by daniel
the prophet stand in the holy place then you're gonna know what are you
gonna know verse 16 then let them that be in judea flee to the mountains
why what is it that the abomination that this prince this little horn
this antichrist is going to place in the temple in jerusalem an image of
himself he's going to stop the blood sacrifice he's going to break the
covenant with israel and he's going to raise up an abomination an image
right in there that's going to be connected to every individual in the
world that takes the mark of the beast on their forehead or the right
hand what is this image of the beast what does it indicate jesus goes on
and he actually says in verse 16 then let them flee to judea into the
mountains for then shall be great tribulation the abomination of
desolation initiated by a man of peace a great politician is going to
initiate the great tribulation that will last for three and a half years
since i've given you a remarkable prophecy split down into four i know
it can be hard to follow but i want you to be gripped by the awe what
what we have said tonight 70 literal days daniel was there praying for
it now since i got i believe we're approaching we're approaching the
beginning of the final seven years i don't know how close we are like
daniel i don't know whether it's three years away or 20 years away but
you know what i do know this is a generation everything is converging on
this hour they're getting ready to rebuild the third temple in jerusalem
all the technology is there for a mark a chip to be put they want to do
it by 2025 to have what your mobile is in your body by 2025 on the high
street all a bible prophecy is coming to pass and we are the church of
this last hour as we close here can i ask you will you be a daniel will
you be a nehemiah in this last hour we are the last generation the
church that god has chosen for this hour will bible prophecy stir you up
and everyone that's heard me teach on daniel whether in this church or
in other countries that are listening into us are you going to be moved
to pray is this going to impact your prayer life are you just a lazy
listener are you someone intrigued by prophecy but it never comes to
point of prayer of fasting of supplication of putting on sackcloth and
ashes that means repentance and brokenness and affecting your lifestyle
are you affected tonight or is it merely tickling your ears please close
with me as we close in prayer here tonight father i pray for us as a
church limerick city church here lord god we are living in an hour like
daniel we are living in an hour like nehemiah all of the rest of bible
prophecy remarkable prophecies are being set in place right across our
world our world has changed and will never be the same again we are
living in a prophetic hour we are living in a global hour of radical
change of religion politics economy education of social life of health
our world will never be the same again and yet your church is asleep my
god give us daniels again give us nehemiah's again give us a people who
see the urgency of the hour oh god send gabriel again send your angels
again grant us understanding that we are going to be impacted by these
prophecies not merely to be entertained but to suddenly understand like
daniel the hour that we live in that this is an hour spoken of in the
bible and it's an hour that we're called to pray amen lord god help us
lord god help us and may god give you understanding of the word of god a
bible prophecy may you come to understand by studying the word of god
that this isn't just another hour the day for enjoying bible prophecy
preaching and talking about it without living it out is over since the
church of our generation i'm hearing it from every direction people used
to believe this and preach it and teach it those same churches are in
utter confusion in this hour they're actually in denial denying that
this is this is serious where we've come to they're all telling
themselves life will get back to normal i'm telling you we're in the
last days i don't know whether it's three years or 20 years we have i
don't know neither do you but i assure you this is it there's no more
dress rehearsal this is it we're embarking on it either you'll miss it
or you're going to be a vital part of it god bless you tonight

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/zFA0RBg8bE4.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/daniels-seventy-weeks/
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