Book
Preface
A
quick scan through this book will reveal that a detailed and fully-documented
exposition of the Seventy Week prophecy has been done here, but despite this
"scholarly" approach, this exposition has been done in a rather
simplistic way, so that, borrowing the words of the prophet Habbakuk, anyone
who reads it may fully understand the interpretation and “run with it” (Hab.
2:2). So while this work will be devoured by Bible scholars, it could
also be "fully-digested" by Bible novices. For as Preacher
Charles H. Spurgeon once commented: Christ instructed His ministers to “Feed my
Sheep . . . Feed my Lambs [John 21:15-17]”and not put the
food so high that we end up ‘Feeding the giraffes!’B1
A
brief survey of the features of this book and the method of interpretation used
in it, is here given.
System of Endnotes
Several
endnotes have been given at the end of each chapter, and in order to make them
less intimidating, the type of information provided in each endnote has been
indicated by the use of the following letter abbreviations that appear with
each endnote reference number:
B-
Bibliographic Reference of a Direct Quotation.
R- Comparable Reference for a Statement or
Thought.
S- Supporting Scripture References
F- Reference for a Further Subject Study
E- The Explanation of a Term
U- URL [Uniform Resource
Locator]: Reference for an Online (Re)source
A- An anecdote [only one occurrence!]
Method of
Interpretation
The
primary step that will be taken in this book to interpret the Seventy Week
prophecy will be to look at the key Hebrew expressions that occur in the
statement in question, and then find the way that these expressions are most
accurately rendered in an English translation. The basic rule in translation
which says that the common meaning of a word should be utilized unless the
immediate or Biblical context (and not doctrinal suppositions) provides
a clear indicator or sign that a different meaning is intended, will be
followed in this book. The analysis of each key statement here will take into
consideration the important features provided by the SyntaxE3
of the Hebrew language. After these two linguistic aspects of the text will
have been established, we will then be ready to look into World History, and
find the exact historical fulfilment of these predictions since World History
is actually a divinely-guided outworking of what God said that He would “cause
to be fulfilled” later on.N4
In
order to facilitate the understanding of the Hebraic syntactical analyses, the
meaning of some of the different components of Hebrew Syntax that in of Dan
9:24-27 are briefly explained here. A general explanation is given here but
later on a more specific application of them will be discussed as they are each
affected by their immediate context. The following explanations are based on
the monumental work of Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. O’Connor entitled: An
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax [abbreviated in this book as IBHS].
This work is an extensive survey/analysis of various books, journals and
treaties on different components of Biblical Hebrew Syntax which then presents
the most accurate meaning of these various syntactical categories.
A fientive
verb is one that describes an activity. It is sometimes called a dynamic
verb.
A stative
verb is one that describes a state.
A transitive verb
is one which makes an incomplete affirmation and requires a direct, or
indirect, object(s) to complete its meaning. A singly transitive verb takes one
object (cf. 'Saul struck David'), while a doubly transitive verb takes two
objects (cf. 'David gave Saul his armor').
An intransitive
verb is one which makes an complete affirmation by itself and customarily
does not require an object (direct or indirect) to complete the meaning. These
are mostly pure stative verbs but also many fientive verbs
(cf. 'I ran').
The Qal
Stem is the most basic verbal stem in the Hebraic verbal stem system. It
does not indicate any notion of causation in its meaning unlike the Hiphîl or
the Piel stem (see below). This non-causative notion means that
when an action is referred to it is not “caused,” or “made” to happen. So the Qal
stem therefore indicates an action that is already in effect or that occurs
naturally.
The
key Qal stems that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27 are: vs. 24-
lehatēm, lahtōm (‘to seal’), limšōh (‘to anoint’); vs. 25- libnôt
(‘to build’), tāšûb (‘to restore’); vs. 26- šōmēmôt (‘desolations’); vs. 27- titake
(‘to pour’), šōmēm (‘desolate’).
The
primary meaning of the Hiphîl Stem is to designate an action with an
element of causation in it. It is therefore called a causative Hiphîl.
This causative label refers to a cause that produces an event,B11
so in describing this ‘causing of an event,’ the Hiphîl places an
emphasis on the action and not on the state that may have resulted from this
action. The Hiphîl also represents the subject as causing an object to
participate indirectly in the notion expressed by the verbal root. The object
is depicted as an actor in the event. The effect of the Hiphîl verbal
notion is usually understood to be indirect and mediated. The Hiphîl
also tends to refer to occasional or one-time situations, especially with
participles.
The key Hiphîl
stems that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27 are: vs. 24- lehabî⊃ (‘to bring in’); vs. 25- lehašib
(‘to restore’); vs. 26- yašehît (‘to
destroy’); vs. 27- higbîr (‘to strengthen’); yasebit (‘to cease’).
The Piel stem
is used to express the notion of the effecting, causing or bringing about of a
state corresponding to the basic meaning of the root verb in question. With Qal
intransitive verbs (often statives) its meaning is labeled as a “factitive,”R13
and with Qal transitive verbs (usually fientives), it is labeled as “resultative.”R14 The factitive Piel designates the
bringing about of the state depicted by an adjective without regard to the
process; while the resultative Piel designates the bringing about of the
outcome of an action indicated by the base root verb. In the Piel the
object of the action is said to be “passively” transposed into a new state or
condition because it makes no contribution to the notion expressed by the verb
and also “accidentally” because the new state it is being changed into is one
that is not “essential” to it (i.e., it is a foreign and uncharacteristic new
state). It thus indicates that the subject made the object do something.
Unlike the Hiphîl, the effect of the Piel verbal notion is
usually understood to be direct and immediate and it tends to be
habitual, especially with participles.
The key Piel
stems that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27 are: vs. 24 - lekallē⊃ (‘to put a restraint’)
lekpēr (‘to make atonement’); and the derived Polel
stem expression mešōmēm (‘desolate’) in vs.
27.
Simply
said, the Niphal stem denotes a situation in which the subject is not
the performer of the action but rather the undergoer of it as it “participates”
in the action by being in a state of being acted upon, or suffering the effects
of it. Within this general meaning of the Niphal, there are some more
specific notions that can be arrived, but these depend on the verb’s meaning
and also on what is implied in the context that this Niphal is found in.
These notions are labeled as either: (1) middle; (2) passive; (3) adjectival; or
(4) double-status. They further have other related syntactical sub-categories.
These notions and their sub-categories will be more fully discussed if, or as
they appear in the text of Dan 9:24-27.
The key Niphal stems
that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27 are: vs. 25- nibnetāh
(‘to build’); vs. 26- yikkārēt (‘to cut off’).
A perfect
tense in Hebrew serves to view a situation as a “whole.” If the verb is fientive,
the situation refers to an event. The perfect tense also has some other
varying syntactical features that add to the meaning of a verb in a phrase, but
these will be explained if, or as they occur in the text.
The key verbs in the perfect
tense that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27 are: vs. 25- nibnetāh
(‘to build’); vs. 27- higbîr (‘to strengthen’).
An imperfect
tense is one that views the internal situation that make up a “whole” situation.
It is used to describe a real situation that arises as a consequence of some
other situation. With fientive verbs, the imperfect tense
emphasizes and describes a process rather than an event. Like the perfect
tense, the imperfect tense also contains some additional features and
these also will be discussed later if, or as they appear in the text.
The
key verbs in the imperfect tense that will be examined in Dan 9:24-27
are: vs. 25- tāšûb (‘to
restore’); vs. 26- yikkārēt (‘to cut off’); yašehît (‘to
destroy’); vs. 27- yasebit (‘to cease’).
The Participle
in Biblical Hebrew could be said to have a general, underlying meaning of a
durative condition or a continued/repeated action (without progress) but there
are more specific function that are also revealed by this key
grammatical/syntactical component depending on its use in a sentence. These
will also be discussed if, or as the appear in the text.
The
key participle expressions that will be considered in Dan 9:24-27
are: vs. 26- habbā⊃ (‘one coming’); neereşe- (‘ones determined’);
šōmēmôt (‘desolations’) vs. 27-mešōmēm (‘desolate’); neerāşāh- (‘ones determined’);
šōmēm (‘one desolate’).
KEY
NOTE!
My
prayer is that, the reader will be able to thoroughly grasp the accurate
interpretation of the amazing Seventy Week prophecy and be able to share it
with others in depth and therefore with concrete and thus (honestly)
irrefutable, convicting evidence!
Transliteration
Key for the Hebrew Text
Consonants
a aleph = ⊃
B beth = b
b veth = (v)
G gimel = g
g gimel =
D daleth = d
d daleth =
h hē = h
w waw = w
z zayin = z
j heth = (ch)
f teth = ţ
y yodh = y
K kaph = k
k khaph = (kh)
l lamedh = l
m mem = m
n nun = n
s samekh = s
[ ayin = ⊂
P pē = p
p phē = (ph)
x tsadhe = ş
(ts)
q qoph = q
r resh = r
c sin = ś
v shin = š
(sh)
T tau = t
t thau = (th)
Note: Depending on some necessary grammatical condition a dot placed
within a non-guttural* consonant serves at times to indicate that the consonant
is to be doubled.
*Non-guttural consonant“are consonants that are not pronounced in the
throat,” these are all consonants except
a, h, j, [, and sometimes r.
Vowel
Pointings
m] shewa (silent)= [not
transliterated]*
m] shewa (vocal) = e
pathah = a
hateph pathah
= a o
m; qamets =
m’ hateph qamets = ã
yme sere yodh = ê
me sere = ē
m, seghol = e
hateph seghol
= ė
y hiriq
yodh = î
mi hiriq = i
m; qamets qatan = o
holem = ō
/m holem = ô
qibbus = u
Wm shureq = û
* For the rules dictating when a shewa is silent and thus not
transliterated see e.g., C. L. Seow, A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew, 9,
10).
Notes
to Preface
1. This quote
of Spurgeon is mentioned in: John R.W. Stott, Between Two Worlds- The Art of
Preaching in the Twentieth Century (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans,
1982), 147.
2. Since this
book is also intended to be an evangelistic tool, some brief discussions have
been made in the endnotes in regards to the clarifications of some key related
dilemmas, especially, the ones present in the Gospels.
4. See Isa
46:9b-11 which (accurately) says: [9b] “Remember the first things from long
ago; for I am God and there does not exist any other gods. That is, there is
none like me. [10] One causing the future to be
declared, based on a beginning. That is: that which has not yet been committed,
based on past (times). One (confidently and boastfully) saying,
my plan will (naturally) arise (in
hostility), then every one of my desire I will (naturally) do. [11]
(I am) one summoning out of the east-a bird of prey; out of a distant country-
a man of my purpose. Indeed I made it to be uttered; also will I (then) cause it to be brought about. I have
(naturally-i.e., wilfully) fashioned (i.e., planned), how much more will I
(naturally- i.e., wilfully) do it.” (Cf. Dan 2:21).
5. Waltke and
O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lakes, IN:
Eisenbrauns, 1990), 348, 349 [20.2k].
9. Based
on Ibid., 362-377 [Chapter 22]. The last
explanation is an additional supplied notion which is also indicated by Qal stem
expression.
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