Front Matter

The

Biblical Interpretation

of

Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

by

the NJK Project

 Forewords

[Prospectively] by

Joyce Meyer

Zdravko Stefanovic

H.G.M. Williamson

Edwin M. Yamauchi

Daniel B. Wallace

E. Jerry Vardaman

Lee Strobel

“Thy Word

Is

Truth”

Ministries

                                       

                                                            

where:

Jesus is the “Thy”-John 10:30

Jesus is the “Word”-John 1:1

Jesus “Is” -John 8:24b

Jesus is the “Truth” -John 14:6

                                                  "From the mōşā^⊃ of a dābār"

                                                                                    -Dan 9:25

Table of Content

List of Chronology Time Lines ......................................................................................

List of Tables ...................................................................................................................

List of Illustrations .........................................................................................................

List of Maps ...................................................................................................................

Forewords ........................................................................................................................

    Joyce Meyer [General] ................................................................................................                           
    Bruce K. Waltke and M. P .O’Connor [Hebrew Syntax]..................................................

    H.G.M. Williamson [Ezra-Nehemiah]...............................................................................

    Edwin M. Yamauchi [Persian Empire] ...............................................................................

    E. Jerry Vardaman [NT Chronology] ................................................................................

    Daniel B. Wallace [Greek Syntax].........................................................................................

    Lee Strobel [Christian Apologetics].......................................................................................

Introduction .....................................................................................................................

Notes ..................................................................................................................

                                                           

Book Preface

     System of Notes ..........................................................................................................

     Method of Interpretation .............................................................................................

     Key Note!.....................................................................................................................

Notes ..................................................................................................................

     Transliteration Key ......................................................................................................

List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................

      Title Abbreviations ...............................................................................................

      General Abbreviations ...........................................................................................

Translation of Foreign Titles .......................................................................................

Historical Prologue ............................................................................................................

Notes ..................................................................................................................

Chapter 1

The Prayer of a Prophet ....................................................................................................

    The Identity of “Darius the Mede”.................................................................................

    The Return of the Exiles ...............................................................................................

    The Prayer .....................................................................................................................

         Confession of Sin (Dan 9:4b-11a) ...............................................................................

         Effects of Sin (Dan 9:11b-14) ......................................................................................

         Intercession for Sinners (Dan 9:15-19) ........................................................................

Notes ..................................................................................................................

Chapter 2

Text 24 ........................................................................................................................

Seventy Weeks  .........................................................................................................

     The Expression šābu^<îm šib^<îm.............................................................................

    The Significance of the Double-Gender Occurrences of šābua^⊂ ...........................

     The Equivalence of "Seventy Weeks" ................................................................

     One prophetic day symbolically represents one year...........................................

     The Unity of the Seventy Weeks ........................................................................

     The Six-Fold Purpose of the Seventy Weeks .....................................................

            To Put a Restraint on the Transgression/Rebellion ..................................................

            To Seal the Sin ..............................................................................................

            To Make Atonement For Iniquity...........................................................

            To Cause the Everlasting Righteousness to be Brought In ...............................

            And To Seal Vision and Prophet .............................................................

            And to Anoint a Most Holy Place ...........................................................

    The Syntactical Feature in the Six Infinitive Requirements ....................................................

    The Meaning in the Verb Stem Used ................................................................

    The Thematic Separation ..........................................................................

Notes ................................................................................................................

Chapter 3

Text 25 ...................................................................................................................

The "Starting Point"of the Seventy Weeks ..........................................................

    The Expression "mōşā^⊃" ..................................................................................

    The Expression "dābār"in Dan 9:25 .................................................................

    The Expression "l^ehašib" ..........................................................................................

    The Expression "w^elibnôt" ........................................................................................

    The Meaning of "l^ehašib w^elibnôt" in Dan 9:25 ................................................

             The Meaning of  “to restore” ...............................................................................

                    “To restore” in reference to 'land' ............................................................

                    “To restore” in reference to 'cities' ...........................................................

                    “To restore” in reference to 'kingdom' .....................................................

               The Syntactical Features in the Expression "l^ehašib w^elibnôt" ....................................

   The Expression "tāšûb w^enibn^etāh" ....................................................................

   The Expression "r^ehôb" in Dan 9:25 .....................................................................

   The Expression "hārûş" in Dan 9:25 ....................................................................

   Finding the “dābār” 'to restore and so build' Jerusalem. ................................

Notes ...................................................................................................................

Chapter 4

The Transposition in Ezra-Nehemiah ......................................................................   

    Ezra-Nehemiah ........................................................................................................

       Sources for Ezra-Nehemiah .................................................................................

            (C) The Nehemiah Memoirs ..............................................................................

            (D) Other Materials in Nehemiah .......................................................................

            (A) The Temple Restoration (Ezra 1-6) .............................................................

            (B) The Ezra Memoirs .......................................................................................

    The Transposition .................................................................................................

    The Re-transposition of Neh 7:73b-9:5a into the EM .........................................

            Outline of Ezra ............................................................................................

                 The Restoration Period (538-515 B.C.) ........................................................

                 The Ezra Commission and His Activities (457-456 B.C.) ....................................

                 Opposition to Rebuilding Work (454 B.C.) ..................................................

            Outline of Nehemiah .........................................................................................

                 Nehemiah’s Rebuilding Activities (444-432 B.C.) ............................................

                 The Dedication of the Walls (444 B.C.) ............................................................

                 The Reforms of Nehemiah (432 B.C.- 4?? B.C.) .................................................

    The Building of Jerusalem ..................................................................................

Notes .................................................................................................................

Chapter 5

The Coming of "māšîah nāgîd" .................................................................................

      The athnach punctuation in Dan 9:25 ...................................................................................

      The Identity of “māšîah nāgîd” in Dan 9:25 ......................................................

            The Anointing of “Messiah, the King” .............................................................................

      The Date of Christ’s Baptism .............................................................................

          When Was The "Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Caesar"? ......................................

       The Date of Christ’s First Passover Visit (John 2:20) .........................................

       The Time of the Year of Christ’s Baptism ........................................................

       “About 30 Years of Age” ..................................................................................

Notes ..................................................................................................................

Chapter 6

Text 26 ....................................................................................................................

The "Cutting off" of māšîah .................................................................................

          The Expression "māšîah" in Dan 9:26 ............................................................

          The Expression "yikkārēt" ...................................................................................

          The Expression "w^e⊃ên lô" ......................................................................................

       The Predicted Destruction of the Temple and the City ..........................................

           The Expression "yaš^ehît" ......................................................................................

           The Expression "qişô"..............................................................................................

The Historical Destruction of the Temple and the City .......................................................

            Predetermined Desolations” ....................................................................................

       A Related (Simple) Cause of the Destruction ........................................................

Notes ...................................................................................................................

Chapter 7

Text 27 ......................................................................................................................

The Seventieth Week ..............................................................................................

         Who is "He"? ...........................................................................................................

         “The "higbîr" of a "b^erît"” ..............................................................................................

      The Chronology of the 70^th Week ................................................................

           The Expression "h^aşî" .......................................................................................

           The Expression "yaš^ebît" (zebah ûminhah) ..........................................................

     The Year of the Crucifixion ..............................................................................

     The Results of Rejecting the Messiah .....................................................................

            The Expression "k^enap" .......................................................................................

            The Expression "m^ešōmēm" .................................................................................

           "The Abomination of the Desolation" ...................................................................

    The End of the Seventy Weeks .................................................................................

           The Date of Stephen’s Martyrdom .....................................................................

    The Relationship Between Verse 26 and Verse 27 ...................................................

    God’s New Israel .......................................................................................................

Notes ........................................................................................................................

Chapter 8

     Re-Examining the Six Requirement of the Seventy Weeks ......................................

            “Putting a Restraint on the Transgression/Rebellion” .....................................................

            “Sealing the Sin” ......................................................................................................

            “Making Atonement For Iniquity” ...................................................................

            “Causing the Everlasting Righteousness to be Brought In” ......................................

            “Also Sealing Vision and Prophet” ....................................................................

                        ‘Sealing a Vision’................................................................................

                        ‘Sealing a Prophet’...................................................................................

            “Also Anointing a Most Holy Place” ...............................................................                       
 A More Specific Application of the First 4 Requirements ..............................................

Notes .........................................................................................................................

Epilogue ...........................................................................................................................

     “Who Do Men Say I am?”..............................................................................................

     Christ Into All the World ...........................................................................................

     God Has Saved the Best For Last ..............................................................................

Notes .........................................................................................................................

Textual Summary .........................................................................................................

References for Explanations ...........................................................................................

Appendices

A - The Year of Ezra’s Journey to Jerusalem ..................................................................

Notes .........................................................................................................................

B - The Ezra’s Reform In Its Original Sequence ................................................................

[457 B.C.]

            Introduction to the Ezra Story [Ezra 7:1-10] .........................................................
            The Edict of Artaxerxes [Ezra 7:11] ......................................................................

            First Decree by Artaxerxes [Ezra 7:12-20] .............................................................

            Second Decree by Artaxerxes [Ezra 7:21-24] ...........................................................

            A Command By Artaxerxes to Ezra [Ezra 7:25, 26] ................................................

            Ezra’s Prayer of Thanks [Ezra 7:27, 28] .............................................................

            Ezra’s List of Returnees [Ezra 8:1-14] ............................................................    

[ca. Mar 27, 457 B.C.]

            Stop at River That Flows to Ahava [Ezra 8:15-23] ...............................................

            Inventory of Goods [Ezra 8:24-30] .............................................................

            Journey Resumes [Ezra 8:31] ................................................................................

[July 24, 457 B.C.]

            Arrival In Jerusalem [Ezra 8:32-34] .....................................................................

            Offering of Sacrifices [Ezra 8:35] ........................................................................

            Delivery of King’s Commissions [Ezra 8:36] .........................................................

[Sep 21, 457 B.C.]

            Public Reading of the Law [1^st  Day] [Neh 8:1-13] .................................................

[Sep 22, 457 B.C.]

            Public Reading of the Law [2^nd  Day] [Neh 8:13-18] ..............................................

[Dec 5, 457 B.C.]

            Report of Covenant Violation [Ezra 9:1-5] .............................................................

            Ezra’s Prayer of Intercession [Ezra 9:6-15] .............................................................

[Dec 8, 457 B.C.]

Initial Proposal for Renewing The Covenant [Ezra 10:1-12] ................................

            Another Proposal for Renewing The Covenant [Ezra 10:13-16a] .......................

[Dec 18-Apr 15, 456 B.C.]

            A Four-Month Investigation Period [Ezra 10:16b-17] .........................................

            List of Offenders [Ezra 10:18-44] .........................................................................

Passover [April 28-May 4, 456 B.C.].............................................................

[May 7, 456 B.C.]

            A Second Public Reading of the Law [Neh 9:1-5a] ..................................................

[???, 454 B.C.]

            Letter From Rehum to Artaxerxes [Ezra 4:7-16] ..............................................

            Artaxerxes’s Reply [Ezra 4:17-20] .............................................................

            Work-Stoppage Decree [Ezra 4:21-23] .............................................................

C - Abbreviations for Cited GNT Manuscripts ...................................................................

D - Uses of hēgemonias in Classical Greek & Josephus ......................................................

E - Seventy Weeks Works List ............................................................................................

I.   Chronological Interpretations Terminating in Messianic Times (Historicism) .....

            II.  Chronological Interpretations Terminating in Maccabean Times (Historical-Criticism)

            III. Chronological Interpretations Using Multiple Integers of Seven ...........................

            IV  Chronological Interpretations Terminating in the Future (Futurism) .....................

            V.  Chronological Interpretations Using Intercalary & Parallel Computations ............

            VI. Symbolic Interpretations Terminating in Messianic Times & Beyond ...................

Maps ...............................................................................................................................

       Map#1- The Realm of the Persian Empire & more ..................................................

       Map#2- The Travels of Christ in His Early Ministry ...............................................

       Map#3- Key Sites in Early New Testament Times ..................................................

       Map#4- Paul’s Second Missionary Journey ............................................................

       Map#5- Jerusalem and Its Three Walls in 70 A.D. & more ....................................

Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................

Topical Bibliography ...........................................................................................................

I. Ancient Texts, Inscriptions & Papyri ......................................................................

                        Old Testament Times .......................................................................................

                        New Testament Times ......................................................................................

II. Apocryphal Studies .................................................................................................

III. Bible Introductions & Commentaries ..................................................................

                        Old Testament ...................................................................................................

New Testament ..................................................................................................

IV. Bible Prophecy ........................................................................................................

V. Biblical Atlases, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias ........................................................

VI. Biblical Chronology, Calenders & Dates ..............................................................

                        Old Testament ...................................................................................................

                        Gospels ...............................................................................................................

                        Pauline ................................................................................................................

VII. Biblical History ......................................................................................................

         Old Testament ................................................................................................... 

                     New Testament ......................................................................................

            VIII. Biblical Topics .....................................................................................................

                        Old Testament ...................................................................................................

New Testament ..................................................................................................

IX. Book of Daniel/Seventy Week Prophecy ...............................................................

X. Church Fathers ........................................................................................................

XI. Concordance & Lexical Entries ............................................................................

                        Old Testament ...................................................................................................

New Testament ..................................................................................................

XII. Ezra-Nehemiah .......................................................................................................

XIII. Grammar, Syntax & Text ....................................................................................

                        Biblical Hebrew ..................................................................................................

                        New Testament Greek .......................................................................................

XIV. Israel & the Church .............................................................................................

XV. Jesus Studies ...........................................................................................................

XVI. Miscellaneous .........................................................................................................

XVII. Numismatics (Coins) ...........................................................................................

XVIII. Persian Empire ...................................................................................................

XIX. Roman Rulers, Emperors & the Empire .............................................................

XX. Roman Studies .........................................................................................................

XXI. World Religions ......................................................................................................

Subject Index ..................................................................................................................

LIST OF CHARTS

1.  The Seventy Weeks and its Divisions ................................................

2.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [457 B.C.] ..................................................

3.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [408 B.C.] ..................................................

4.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [27 A.D.] ....................................................

5.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [7 Years] ....................................................

6.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [31 A.D.] ....................................................

7.  Chronology of the 70 Weeks [34 A.D.] ....................................................

8.  Summary of the Chronology of the 70 Weeks ....................................

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1.  Cyrus’ Family Tree ..............................................................................

2.  Events Leading to the Return of the Exiles .........................................

3.  The Splitting Up of māšîah nāgîd .......................................................

4.  Day and Date of the Last Supper .........................................................

5.  Outline of Paul’s Ministry in Corinth A..............................................

6.  Outline of Paul’s Ministry in Corinth B..............................................

7.  The Seventh Year of King Artaxerxes ................................................

8.  The Double Date in Kraeling Papyri #6 ..........................................................

LIST OF TABLES

1.  Occurrences & Meaning of šābûa^⊂ in the Old Testament ....................

2.  Occurrences & Meaning of šābûa^⊂ in Dan 9:24-27 ..............................

3.  A Calender of Events for the Ezra Memoirs ........................................

4.  The Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Caesar ................................................

5.  The Duration of the Temple Rebuilding .............................................

6.  The Forty-Sixth Year of the Temple ................................................... 

7.  Itinerary of Christ’s Early (Judean) Ministry .....................................

8.  The Duration of Christ’s Public Ministry ...........................................

9.  An Outline of the Jewish War with the Romans .................................

10.  Timetable of Paul’s Second Missionary Travels ................................

11.  The 3 years and 14 years of Gal. 1:18 & 2:1 .......................................

12.  Chronology of Paul’s Ministry [First 17 Years] .................................

13. Spring-to-Spring Calender ...................................................................

14. Fall-to-Fall Calender ...........................................................................

LIST OF MAPS

1.  The Realm of the Persian Empire & more ...........................................

2.  The Travels of Christ’s Early Ministry ................................................

3.  Key Sites in Early NT Times ..............................................................

4.  Paul’s Second Missionary Journey ......................................................

5.  Jerusalem’s Three Walls in 70 A.D. & more ......................................