The coming kingdom age will be an age of divine righteousness and in the new heaven and new earth, there will be eternal righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13).
This week in our morning revival we are getting into more prophecies in the book of Daniel – the vision of the seventy weeks and the age of the mystery.
Daniel prayed desperately to God requesting of Him to recover the Holy Land and send His people back to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and God answered him by giving him a vision of the seventy weeks (see Dan. 9:2, 15-19, 24).
This vision of the seventy weeks in Dan. 9:24-27 is the most precious portion in the whole book of Daniel, since the seventy weeks properly interpreted are the key to understanding all the prophecies in the Bible.
There are several schools of teaching concerning the seventy weeks, but we praise the Lord for the proper interpretation brought in by the ministry of the age, which is not “its own interpretation” according to “someone’s opinion”, but it is based on and standing on the shoulders of many spiritual believers who wrote about it throughout the centuries.
May the Lord open our eyes to see the prophecy and have the prophetic word made more firm, guiding us in this dark age, and preparing us for His return! We love the prophecies because they speak about Christ and they bring in Christ!
Why Prophecies are Important
We need to honor the prophecies in the Bible – there are over 1900 prophecies in the Scriptures, occupying a substantial section of the Bible.
But as we see throughout history and in our own experience, we need to have a proper view of approaching and interpreting the prophecies in the Bible, otherwise we will be lost or divisive, or we will get into some “very interesting things” to say the least.
Why do we need to pay attention to the prophecies in the Bible? Here are at least three things related to the nature of the prophecy:
- Prophecy is important to us because Christ is revealed through prophecies. If there were no Christ, we wouldn’t be so interested in prophecies. The reason we are concerned about the prophecies and about the end times is because we are very concerned about Someone who will be there in the end times, the Christ whom we love! If Christ is not in the picture, prophecy doesn’t interest us. Our interest as genuine Christians shouldn’t be the prediction of the future but in the hastening of the Lord’s coming and in loving His appearing! In Luke 24 the Lord told the disciples that everything that Moses and the prophets spoke was about Himself, the Christ. We are interested in the end-time prophecies because they have very much to do with Christ.
- Prophecy reveals God’s move on earth. The Bible is a book of history (which speaks of God’s move in the past) and prophecy (which speaks of God’s move in the future). God’s future move matches and is as sure as God’s past move. We have the word made more firm because of the prophecy. The world situation is not random or accidental, but it is directed by the prophecies. God’s move is revealed to us through prophecy.
- The principle of understanding prophecy is that we need to be – as much as possible – interpreting everything literally and not allegorically. We honor the Bible and we believe everything said in the Bible, and we don’t want to allegorize everything but rather take it literally – whatever God said it will happen!
Daniel Supplicated for God’s People
In the first year of Darius the Mede (2 years from the time Cyrus would decree the release of the captivity) Daniel was praying three times per day with windows open toward Jerusalem (see Dan. 6, with the story of the lion’s den).
While he was praying, it was revealed to him the number of the years of the completion of the desolation of Jerusalem according to Jeremiah. Daniel really cared for God’s interest on earth and he set his face toward the Lord God and he prayed with supplications, fasting, and sackcloth and ashes.
He confessed his own sins and the sins of the kings, the chief men, the fathers of Israel, and the sins of all the people of Israel (Dan. 9:3-15). He supplicated for the holy city of Jerusalem, the holy mountain of God, and the holy people of God – he supplicated for God’s interests on earth, asking God to forgive them based on His great compassion (Dan. 9:16-20).
At the time of the evening oblation the angel Gabriel came to him and gave him an insight with understanding concerning the seventy weeks and the destiny of God’s people.
This prophecy is the most precious portion in Daniel, since it was not just an answer to Daniel’s request but exceeded what Daniel asked for.
The Proper Interpretation of the Prophecies
We need to know that our understanding in the Lord’s recovery concerning the prophecy, the end times, and the seventy weeks is not something “we came up with ourselves”, or something that brother Nee and Lee invented.
This interpretation is something that the Lord has recovered over the centuries – it’s not our own imagination or our own unique original creation but an advancement by standing on the shoulders of those who went before us.
Many seeking believers went before us and they did their best to interpret the prophecies, and we have the privilege to have a proper view of the prophecies according to God’s economy today.
The Purpose of the Seventy Weeks
The Chart of the seventy weeks and the coming of Christ, with the rapture of the saints.
The purpose of the seventy weeks is to close the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make propitiation for iniquity, to bring in the righteousness of the ages, to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies (Dan. 9:24).
God wants to close the transgression which is going on today under human government – all the sins, the iniquities, the falsehood, and the transgressions that are prevailing today in human society will be finished when Christ returns!
When Christ comes to crush human government, the transgression will be closed, sins will be ended, and iniquity will be propitiated. Then, the righteousness of the ages will be brought in! There will be an eternal righteousness on the earth – the coming age of the kingdom will be an age of divine righteousness, and eternal righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and the new earth (2 Pet. 3:13).
To seal the vision and the prophet means that everything will be fulfilled, and there will no longer be the need for prophets – all will be priests and kings in the kingdom age!
To anoint the Holy of Holies means that when the apportioned time comes, the service of God will be recovered and the Holy of Holies will be properly anointed! How wonderful!
Lord Jesus, make us those who are serious with You concerning the prophecies and the end of the age. May we grow in life daily and become wiser and more sober, so that we may be those who wait for Your return in a very real way. Lord, open our eyes and our mind to understand the prophecies, how they speak of You! May our living hear on earth count toward Your return. Guide us by the word of the prophecy being made more firm in this dark age, so that we may actually and experientially wait for and hasten Your return!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from brother Andrew Yu’s speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (msg. 14), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 4 (entitled, The Vision of the Seventy Weeks and the Age of Mystery).
- Further reading: Life-study of Jeremiah, msg. 22.
- Hymns on this topic:
# My King will soon come back again, / The sky be filled with Him; / The universe to be redeemed / Will see His light therein.
# The local churches are preparing for the Lord’s return— / We know the time is near for our Bridegroom so dear.
# What joy, what delight, when we finally meet Him! / The One whom we love—O what rapture to greet Him! - Pictures credit: the first via, Inspiration Unlimited Facebook page, HWMR Daniel and Zechariah Quotes album, and the second here.
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Daniel 9:24-27 tells us of the seventy weeks. The seventy weeks are divided into three parts, with each week being seven years, not seven days, in length….First, seven weeks of forty-nine years were apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding (v. 25)….Second, sixty-two weeks of four hundred thirty-four years were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah (vv. 25-26)….Finally, in verse 27 we have the one week of seven years. This week will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel. (Life-study of Daniel, pp. 86-88)
Daniel was truly one who loved God and cared for His interest on earth. In the captivity, daily he knelt praying toward Jerusalem. He rather preserve his prayer-life than his own life. He was also a person who read God’s word and joined to God’s desire through the Scripture (9:2). Hence, His prayer was able to touch God’s heart. Daniel prayed for the return of the people to the Holy land, rebuilding of the temple, but God answered his prayer beyond what he asked. Daniel 9:24-27 speaks on the 70 weeks of 3 parts, God apportioned to His people. The first 7 weeks of 49 years were to restore and rebuilding Jerusalem (9:25). The second part of 62 weeks (434 years) were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding to the cutting off of the Messiah (9:25-26). And finally the 1 week of 7 years when Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel.
Just like we are near the ten toes of the great human image, we are close to the last part of the 70 weeks. Let us be sober and get ready for the Lord’s coming by praying and joining to God’s desire daily.