The Future
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,
to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 9:24
Read Daniel 9:20-27
The Lord God gave Daniel insight into the future. The angel Gabriel was
sent by God to instruct him (verse 22). His message is difficult for us to
understand. It makes us think of Revelation, the final book of the Bible.
Daniel was given a message about seventy weeks. The number seven is a
sacred one in the Scriptures. The number seventy is a rounded off number
in which the Lord would continue to perform His work. We should not think
of this in terms of actual weeks, but as periods of time in which God would
fulfill His purposes.
The first period of seven weeks would take place during Daniel’s lifetime,
and included the time from Israel’s captivity to their actual return to Jerusalem.
Then there would be a long period of sixty-two weeks during which
the temple and the city would be rebuilt. During the last week, the Messiah
would be overthrown. This of course refers to Christ’s coming and His subsequent
death, for He was the Messiah sent by God.
Christ’s coming would also mean the end of the temple service, including
the thank offerings as well as the sin offerings. This would take place in
the middle of the so-called final week. The last part of the final week has
Christ’s finished work as its symbol; we also live in this time period. The
Lord Jesus’ sacrifice is presented to us this very day. The message: Be reconciled
to God, may continue to resound until the day of Christ’s return.
Have you understood this final time period in this light? Our present time,
right up to Christ’s glorious return, is the time of grace. Therefore, the time
to seek the Lord is now!
Thought: The Bible should not be used as a guide to interpret events taking
place in the world for the purpose of fixing the date of Christ’s return.
Psalter 432: 1,2 (based on Psalm 99)
God Jehovah reigns, His are all domains,
Tremble at His Word, Peoples who have heard
Of the power of Him Who ‘mid cherubim
His great throne has taken, Let the earth be shaken.
God who rules in state Is in Zion great,
He excels in worth All that dwell on earth.
Honor and acclaim His exalted Name,
All ye high and lowly, He alone is holy.
