5. “To seal up the vision.” – Events that transpired within these 490 years, would t “seal,” or establish the entire vision of the 2,300 day-years.
6. “To anoint the most holy.”- During this time Christ would be anointed of the Holy Spirit, identifying Him as the promised Messiah after being baptized by John the Baptist. This has to be the primary application of the prophecy. It is also true that in the type, when the time came to begin the service in the earthly sanctuary, the entire sanctuary was anointed (Exo. 40:9); and when Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary to perform the work of which the earthly service was a type, the heavenly sanctuary was anointed before He began His ministry in the first apartment. Note: The heavenly sanctuary is also spoken of as the “most holy” in order to distinguish it from the earthly.
Wonderful changes were wrought in the history of the early church during the 490 years. After the angel had enumerated the events to take place during that period, he told Daniel where to locate it in the history of the world, by announcing the date of the beginning of the period:
“Know therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem,
unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be 7 weeks and 3 score and 2 weeks:
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Dan. 9:24, 25.
The longer prophetic period of 2,300 days from which the 70 weeks, or 490 years, were cut off, began with the “going forth” of the great three-fold commandment (see Ezra 6:14 and margin) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, the last of three which went forth in 457 B.C. by the Persian king Artaxerxes. The first previous two were also issued by two Persian kings namely, Cyrus, and Darius Codomannus, respectively. This last decree did not go into effect until about the middle of the year (Ezra 7:9), which would make the exact date for the going forth of the decree 456 ½ B.C.
Gabriel divided the 70 weeks into 3 divisions, namely: (1) 7 weeks, (2) 62 weeks, and (3) 1 week. Dan. 9:25-27. The prophet Nehemiah gives an account of the rebuilding of the walls during “troublous times.”
The 7 weeks and 62 weeks, or 69 weeks in all, were to extend to Messiah the Prince. Sixty-nine (69) weeks equals 69 x 7 = 483 years. This taken from 456 ½ B.C. brings us to 26 ½ A.D. In the spring of A.D. 27, or 26 ½ A.D., Jesus at His baptism, was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and henceforth began His work as Christ the Messiah, meaning, “the Anointed One.” John 1:47; Luke 3:21, a 22; Acts 10:28, margin.
After the 7 weeks (49 years in which the “walls of Jerusalem will be rebuilt”)
three score and two weeks” (483 years), the Messiah was to be “cut off but nor for Himself.” He died to atone for the sins of the world. After stating that the Messiah would be cut off, Gabriel adds, “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” Dan. 9:27. Christ’s ministry after His baptism continued 3 ½ years, or half a prophetic week.
It was Christ (not the “antichrist” as theorized by the Rapturists) who was “cut off” off in the middle of the 70th week (seven literal years), but the whole 70 weeks had been “determined” upon the Jews. Christ directed His disciples to begin their work at Jerusalem, and it was not until the stoning of Stephen in A.D. 34, or 3 ½ years after the crucifixion, that the gospel went to the Gentiles. The covenant was confirmed by His disciples (Heb. 2: 2, 3), for they confined their labors to the Jews (“go first to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 10:6) until 34 A.D., the end of the period allotted to the Jews. Acts 8:1-4.
The 70 weeks, or 490 years, ended in A.D. 34. Four hundred ninety years taken from the entire period of 2300 years, leaves 1,800 years of the period remaining in A.D. 34 [2,300-490= 1,810]. This, added to A.D. 34 brings us to 1844 A.D. [34 + 1810= 1844].
“Unto two thousand and three hundred days (years); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8:14. The earthly sanctuary ceased to exist long before this date; but the time had come for the antitype of the cleansing of the sanctuary, the work performed at the Day of Atonement in the earthly sanctuary, to begin in the heavenly sanctuary. In 1844 the great Court from which there is no appeal convened in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.
This wonderful prophecy of 2300 years began with the restoration of God’s people to their earthly possessions, and the rebuilding of the holy city of Jerusalem; but again the Jews proved unfaithful to their trust, and the land of promise with the holy city passed from their control into the hands of the heathen.
The coming of Christ and His death on Calvary, like a great seal, fixes definitely the entire prophecy, and insures the inheritance of the earth to the faithful; and the judgment which opened at the end of that wonderful period of prophetic time of 2300 days—will give to all the faithful “a court title” to the eternal inheritance and the city of God, the New Jerusalem.
Events definitely located by the 2,300 years:
Baptism of Christ, Dan. 9:25; John 1: 41, margin; Luke 3:21
Death of Christ, Dan. 9: 26, 27.
Anointing of Christ by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, and of the heavenly sanctuary to which He would ascend at His resurrection, Dan. 9:24
Gospel going to the Gentiles, Dan. 9:27, Heb. 2:3; Acts 8:4.
Opening of the investigative judgment, Dan. 8:14; Rev. 14:7.
May the Holy Spirit guide and teach you as you study the present, sealing truths of the last days in preparation for the searching judgment, the final events of yet-unfulfilled prophecies, and Christ’s soon return!
The Gospel According to the 70-Week Prophecy of Daniel 9
From The Desire of Ages, “The Kingdom of God Is At Hand” chapter, p. 233-235::
“The burden of Christ’s preaching was, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.’ Mark 1: 15. Thus the gospel message, as given by the Savior Himself, was based on the prophecies.
“The ‘time’ which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. “Seventy weeks,” said the angel, are determined [Heb. halak, “cut off] upon thy people [Daniel’s people—the Jews] and upon thy holy city [literal Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity [through the perfect atoning sacrifice of Christ], and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.” Dan. 9: 24.
“A day in prophecy stands for a year. Num. 14: 34; Eze. 4: 6. The seventy weeks, four hundred ninety days, represent four hundred ninety years. A starting point for this period is given: ‘Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah and the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,” –sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. Dan. 9: 25.
“The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6: 14; 7:1, margin), went into effect the autumn of A.D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah [meaning] the Anointed One. In A. D. 27, Jesus as His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry. [See Matt. Chapters 3, 4]. Then the message was proclaimed, ‘The time is fulfilled.” (See Mark 1: 15).
“Then, said the angel, ‘He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years]. “For seven years after the Savior entered on His ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; for three and a half years by Christ Himself; and afterward by the apostles. [Total of 7 years]
“In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” Dan. 9: 27. In the spring of A.D. 31, Christ the true sacrifice was offered on Calvary. Then the veil in the temple [of Jerusalem] was rent in twain [Matt. 27: 51, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease.
“The one week—seven years—ended in A. D. 34. Then by the stoning of Stephen [whose name means “wreath or crown,” one of the seven deacons, Acts 6: 1-8; 7: 2-60] the Jews finally sealed their rejection of the gospel; the disciples who were scattered abroad by persecution “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8: 4); and shortly after, Saul the persecutor was converted, and became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. [See Acts 9: 1-19].
“The time of Christ’s coming, His anointing of the Holy Spirit, His death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out [in the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9]. It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand these prophecies, and to recognize their fulfillment in the mission of Jesus.
“Christ urged upon His disciples the importance of prophetic study. Referring to the prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, He said, ‘Whoso readeth, let him understand.’ Matt. 24: 15. After His resurrection He explained to the disciples in ‘all the prophets’ ‘the things concerning Himself.’ Luke 24: 27. The Savior had spoken through all the prophets. ‘The Spirit of Christ which was in them’ ‘testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.’ 1 Pet. 1; 11.
“It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank to the Son of God [replacing Lucifer fallen as Satan], who came with the divine message to Daniel. It was Gabriel, ‘His angel,’ whom Christ sent to open the future to the beloved John; and a blessing is pronounced on those who read and hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein.’ Rev. 1: 3.
“As the message of Christ’s first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory. And the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end [year 1798, end of 2300-day prophecy of Dan. 8:15, and onward]. At that time, ‘many shall run to and fro: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.’ Dan. 12: 4, 10. The Savior Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, ‘When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh [near] at hand.’ ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand [in judgment] before the Son of man.’ Luke 21: 31, 34, 36.
“We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings point us to our Lord’s coming in glory is near at hand. The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God [as do futuristic Christians today], and they knew not their time of visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His apostles,—the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,–they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs the men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the token of the swift-coming kingdom [of glory] of God. [1 Thess. 5: 4-6 quoted].”