08 Mar '05 21:38>1 edit
From the New International Version:
Daniel 9
21. while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
22. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.
23. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:
24. "Seventy `sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
25. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,' and sixty-two `sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
26. After the sixty-two `sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
27. He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' In the middle of the `seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "
Much of the Bible concerns prophecy and much of that prophecy is what is called messianic prophecy, prophecies (starting in Genesis) which predict the coming of the Messiah. The single most important messianic prophecy is probably Daniel 5:24 through Daniel 5:27, commonly known as the "70 Weeks of Daniel". The prophecy occurs near the end of the Babylonian Captivity of Israel, the period of time that began with the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar around the year 586 B.C.
There has been some debate as to what these passages mean, but almost every Christian agrees that it is a prediction for the advent of the Messiah (until the Anointed One, the ruler,). It takes some unraveling to understand this prophecy, but a little study of the text will reveal the meaning of the passages. First we start with the decree since it is the starting point of the prophecy (From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem).
THE DECREES
Four decrees were issued concerning the repopulating and rebuilding of Jerusalem:
1. 538 B.C. - Cyrus II Cyrus II issued a decree allowing Jews in Babylonian Captivity to return to Israel. In October 539 B.C., Cyrus the Great conquered the city of Babylon and brought the rule of Belshazzar and the Chaldean Empire of Babylonia to an end. In a legendary episode, it was been stated that Cyrus was successful in capturing the city by diverting the waters of the Tigris river. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, some 42,360 people left Babylon to return to Judah. Now not all Jews in Babylon did leave, some were too old and many Jews probably felt that they were too well established in Babylonia to return.
The Decree of Cyrus has never been found, but archaeological remains of a similar decree, the famous Cyrus Cylinder, has been found. This decree was issued to the Babylonians and indicates that is likely that the decree referred to in the Bible did indeed exist. The text of the Decree of Cyrus is reputedly given in Ezra 1:2 and it matches closely the type of wording of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder. Therefore it seems likely that Ezra 1:2 did match quite closely the actual Decree of Cyrus to the Hebrews.
quote:
Ezra 1
1. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:
2. "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "`The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
3. Anyone of his people among you--may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
4. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"
For more information, reference:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/greek-babylon.html
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring03/dmm75/page6.html
2. 518 B.C. - Darius
The work on the Second Temple was started around 534 B.C. soon after Zerubbabel arrived in Jerusalem. The work on the Temple ground to a halt because of interference and opposition from the "enemies of Judah and Benjamin". In 722 B.C. the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) was conquered by Sargon II of Assyria. During the reigns of the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680-669 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (668-ca. 630 B.C.), the Assyrian government encouraged its residents to move to Israel and to settle there. These immigrant people worshipped pagan idols but also started worshipping Yahweh whom they regarded as the god of the land in which they now lived. They intermarried with the Jews who had remained in the land and eventually their descendants became the Samaritans. The exiles who returned from Babylon and their descendants despised them and apparently the feeling was mutual. These people managed to stop construction on the Temple until the second year of the reign of Darius when it was restarted by Zerubbabel and Jeshua at the prompting of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. When question about this by Tattenai (governor of the region), an appeal was made to Darius referencing the initial decree of Cyrus. Darius subsequently issued a decree reaffirming the command to permit reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of Darius (515 B.C.). The opposition of "the people of the land" (to become the sect of the Samaritan sect) continued and was an on-going problem throughout the entire rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem.
quote:
Ezra 6
6. Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there.
7. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8. Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.
9. Whatever is needed--young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem--must be given them daily without fail,
10. so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
11. Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble.
12. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
3. 458 B.C. - Artaxerxes
In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I, Ezra lead another contingent of Jewish returnees to Jerusalem (4000 to 5000) . Artaxerxes decree granted Ezra and any Jews who wished permission to go to Jerusalem. The decree authorized payment of money apparently for the "beautification" of the Temple (as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem). It seems that the Jews began construction of the walls of Jerusalem and the "people of the land" decided to put a stop to it. In a letter to Artaxerxes (around 464 B.C.), they lodged a complaint (Ezra Chapter 4:7 - 4:17); Artaxerxes issued a stop order (Ezra Chapter 4:18 - 4:23). Also it is possible that any work done on reconstructing the walls was destroyed (Nehemiah Chapter 1:3, The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire). Although in the book of Ezra, this incident is reported out of chronological order (it occurred after completion of the Second Temple as reported in Ezra Chapters 5 and 6), it is in topical order, the reporting of continued opposition to the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem by the descendents of the Assyrians (i. e., the Samaritans). Also it does seem that Ezra did go beyond the license granted him by Artaxerxes which did not specifically mention construction of a city wall unless one wants to apply a very liberal interpretation to Ezra Chapter 7:18 (You and your brother Jews may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God.).
quote:
Ezra 7
11. This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:
12. Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.
14. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
15. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and
Daniel 9
21. while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
22. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.
23. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:
24. "Seventy `sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
25. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,' and sixty-two `sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
26. After the sixty-two `sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
27. He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' In the middle of the `seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "
Much of the Bible concerns prophecy and much of that prophecy is what is called messianic prophecy, prophecies (starting in Genesis) which predict the coming of the Messiah. The single most important messianic prophecy is probably Daniel 5:24 through Daniel 5:27, commonly known as the "70 Weeks of Daniel". The prophecy occurs near the end of the Babylonian Captivity of Israel, the period of time that began with the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar around the year 586 B.C.
There has been some debate as to what these passages mean, but almost every Christian agrees that it is a prediction for the advent of the Messiah (until the Anointed One, the ruler,). It takes some unraveling to understand this prophecy, but a little study of the text will reveal the meaning of the passages. First we start with the decree since it is the starting point of the prophecy (From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem).
THE DECREES
Four decrees were issued concerning the repopulating and rebuilding of Jerusalem:
1. 538 B.C. - Cyrus II Cyrus II issued a decree allowing Jews in Babylonian Captivity to return to Israel. In October 539 B.C., Cyrus the Great conquered the city of Babylon and brought the rule of Belshazzar and the Chaldean Empire of Babylonia to an end. In a legendary episode, it was been stated that Cyrus was successful in capturing the city by diverting the waters of the Tigris river. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, some 42,360 people left Babylon to return to Judah. Now not all Jews in Babylon did leave, some were too old and many Jews probably felt that they were too well established in Babylonia to return.
The Decree of Cyrus has never been found, but archaeological remains of a similar decree, the famous Cyrus Cylinder, has been found. This decree was issued to the Babylonians and indicates that is likely that the decree referred to in the Bible did indeed exist. The text of the Decree of Cyrus is reputedly given in Ezra 1:2 and it matches closely the type of wording of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder. Therefore it seems likely that Ezra 1:2 did match quite closely the actual Decree of Cyrus to the Hebrews.
quote:
Ezra 1
1. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:
2. "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "`The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
3. Anyone of his people among you--may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
4. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"
For more information, reference:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/greek-babylon.html
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring03/dmm75/page6.html
2. 518 B.C. - Darius
The work on the Second Temple was started around 534 B.C. soon after Zerubbabel arrived in Jerusalem. The work on the Temple ground to a halt because of interference and opposition from the "enemies of Judah and Benjamin". In 722 B.C. the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) was conquered by Sargon II of Assyria. During the reigns of the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680-669 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (668-ca. 630 B.C.), the Assyrian government encouraged its residents to move to Israel and to settle there. These immigrant people worshipped pagan idols but also started worshipping Yahweh whom they regarded as the god of the land in which they now lived. They intermarried with the Jews who had remained in the land and eventually their descendants became the Samaritans. The exiles who returned from Babylon and their descendants despised them and apparently the feeling was mutual. These people managed to stop construction on the Temple until the second year of the reign of Darius when it was restarted by Zerubbabel and Jeshua at the prompting of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. When question about this by Tattenai (governor of the region), an appeal was made to Darius referencing the initial decree of Cyrus. Darius subsequently issued a decree reaffirming the command to permit reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of Darius (515 B.C.). The opposition of "the people of the land" (to become the sect of the Samaritan sect) continued and was an on-going problem throughout the entire rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem.
quote:
Ezra 6
6. Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there.
7. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8. Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.
9. Whatever is needed--young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem--must be given them daily without fail,
10. so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
11. Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble.
12. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
3. 458 B.C. - Artaxerxes
In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I, Ezra lead another contingent of Jewish returnees to Jerusalem (4000 to 5000) . Artaxerxes decree granted Ezra and any Jews who wished permission to go to Jerusalem. The decree authorized payment of money apparently for the "beautification" of the Temple (as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem). It seems that the Jews began construction of the walls of Jerusalem and the "people of the land" decided to put a stop to it. In a letter to Artaxerxes (around 464 B.C.), they lodged a complaint (Ezra Chapter 4:7 - 4:17); Artaxerxes issued a stop order (Ezra Chapter 4:18 - 4:23). Also it is possible that any work done on reconstructing the walls was destroyed (Nehemiah Chapter 1:3, The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire). Although in the book of Ezra, this incident is reported out of chronological order (it occurred after completion of the Second Temple as reported in Ezra Chapters 5 and 6), it is in topical order, the reporting of continued opposition to the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem by the descendents of the Assyrians (i. e., the Samaritans). Also it does seem that Ezra did go beyond the license granted him by Artaxerxes which did not specifically mention construction of a city wall unless one wants to apply a very liberal interpretation to Ezra Chapter 7:18 (You and your brother Jews may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God.).
quote:
Ezra 7
11. This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:
12. Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.
14. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
15. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and