4. “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..” (Dan. 9:24)
7. (Dan 8:15) And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and
sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a
man.
(Dan 8:16) And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said,
Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
(Dan 8:17) So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell
upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the
end shall be the vision.
8. (Dan 8:20) The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia.
(Dan 8:21) And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between
his eyes is the first king.
(Dan 8:22) Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall
stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
(Dan 8:23) And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to
the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
(Dan 8:24) And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall
destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and
the holy people…..
(Dan 8:27) And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did
the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
9. DANIEL CHAPTER 8 – THE VISION and INTERPRETATION
HE GOAT
LITTLE HORN
MEDO-PERSIA
GREECE
King of fierce countenance
? ? ?
(Dan 8:16) …Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
(Dan 8:27) And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did
the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
10. DANIEL CHAPTER 8
HE GOAT LITTLE HORN
MEDO-
PERSIA GREECE King of fierce
countenance
11.
12. (Dan 8:27) And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did
the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
(Dan 9:21) Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had
seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about
the time of the evening oblation.
(Dan 9:22) And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now
come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
(Dan 9:23) At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I
am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the
matter, and consider the vision.
(Dan 8:16) …Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
(Dan 9:1) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,
which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
(Dan 8:1) In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me…
13. “from the issuing of a decree” (NAS, NIV)
“from the issuing of the command” (NET)
“from the time the command is given” (NLT)
“from the time the word went out” (NRS)
14. H2852
חתך
châthak
khaw-thak'
A primitive root; properly to cut off, that is,
(figuratively) to decree: - determine.
(Dan 9:24) 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.
15. 2. Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand the vision
CHAPTER 8
3. The vision consists of 4 parts – Ram, He Goat, Little Horn, 2300 days
4. Gabriel explains 3 of the 4 parts – Ram, He Goat, and the Little Horn
5. The chapter ends with Daniel not understanding something
Conclusion: the only thing Daniel could not have understood is that which was not
explained: namely, the 2300 days which pertains to time
CHAPTER 9
1. Daniel receives the vision during the reign of Babylon
1. Gabriel comes back to Daniel during the reign of Medo-Persia
2. Gabriel comes to give Daniel skill and understanding
3. Gabriel gives the understanding by stating that 70 weeks are cut off…
Conclusion: 70 weeks pertain to time. 2300 days pertain to time. Therefore the 70
weeks are cut off of the 2300 days.
16. •Daniel 2: Has a dream or vision and an auditory explanation
•Daniel 7: Has a dream and an auditory explanation
•Daniel 8: Has a vision and an auditory explanation
•Daniel 9: Has only an auditory explanation
•Daniel 10-12: Have only auditory explanations but no new vision
•The fact that the last vision of Daniel is in chapter 8 (with the
exception of the personal theophany of Jesus in chapter 10) would
seem to indicate that the rest of the book is simply an auditory
explanation of this chapter. This means that there is no new material of
substance given after Daniel 8. Chapters 9-12 simply explain and
amplify the vision and audition already given in chapter 8. This would
seem to prove that Daniel 8-12 is a book within a book, that is to say,
the sealed book of Daniel 12:4.
17. The seventy weeks, cut off from the 2300 days, are decreed
upon the Jewish nation to fulfill certain requirements.
18. With a new and deeper earnestness, Miller continued the examination of the
prophecies, whole nights as well as days being devoted to the study of what
now appeared of such stupendous importance and all-absorbing interest. In
the eighth chapter of Daniel he could find no clue to the starting point of the
2300 days; the angel Gabriel, though commanded to make Daniel understand
the vision, gave him only a partial explanation. As the terrible persecution to
befall the church was unfolded to the prophet's vision, physical strength gave
way. He could endure no more, and the angel left him for a time. Daniel
"fainted, and was sick certain days." "And I was astonished at the vision," he
says, "but none understood it." {GC 325.1}
Yet God had bidden His messenger: "Make this man to understand the
vision." That commission must be fulfilled. In obedience to it, the angel, some
time afterward, returned to Daniel, saying: "I am now come forth to give thee
skill and understanding;" "therefore understand the matter, and consider the
vision." Daniel 8:27, 16; 9:22, 23, 25-27. There was one important point in the
vision of chapter 8 which had been left unexplained, namely, that relating to
time--the period of the 2300 days; therefore the angel, in resuming his
explanation, dwells chiefly upon the subject of time: {GC 325.2}
19. The angel had been sent to Daniel for
the express purpose of explaining to
him the point which he had failed to
understand in the vision of the eighth
chapter, the statement relative to time-
-"unto two thousand and three hundred
days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed." After bidding Daniel
"understand the matter, and consider
the vision," the very first words of the
angel are: "Seventy weeks are
determined upon thy people and upon
thy Holy City.”
20. The word here translated "determined"
literally signifies "cut off." Seventy
weeks, representing 490 years, are
declared by the angel to be cut off, as
specially pertaining to the Jews. But
from what were they cut off? As the
2300 days was the only period of time
mentioned in chapter 8, it must be the
period from which the seventy weeks
were cut off; the seventy weeks must
therefore be a part of the 2300 days, and
the two periods must begin together.
{GC 326.2}
21. What do we do with this phrase?
“from the going forth of the
commandment to restore build
Jerusalem ” (Daniel 9 :25)
22. - To finish the transgression
- To make an end of sins
- To make reconciliation for iniquity
- To bring in everlasting righteousness
- To seal up the vision and prophecy
- To anoint the most Holy
70 weeks / 490 years
23. Before we can know
which degree is it is
to restore and build
Jerusalem , We must
fist know what
Jerusalem is ?
24. 2 Kings 24 describes the actual destruction of the city and
the temple.
2 Kings 24:11-13 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12
And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of
Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his
princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him
in the eighth year of his reign. 13 And he carried out thence
all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the
treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the
vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in
the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
25. 2 Kings 24 describes the actual destruction of the city
and the temple.
We are told in II Kings 24:14-15:
“And he [Nebuchadnezzar] carried away all
Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty
men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and
all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained,
save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. . . .”
26. Obviously,
Nebuchadnezzar did not
carry away the physical
city of Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem” here refers
to a socio/political entity
composed of king,
officers, military men and
craftsmen (in actual fact,
Daniel himself attributes
the loss of self-
governance and the
destruction of the city to
the apostasy of the kings,
princes, fathers and
judges [Daniel 9:6, 8, 12]).
27. Now, in order for Jerusalem to be reestablished
in her previous position after the captivity, two
things must happen: Her political/religious self-
determination must be restored and the
physical city must be built.
These two tasks, though related,
are not identical. The word “build”
refers to the reconstruction of the
physical city.
But what does the word
“restore” mean? The
word “restore” means
“to give back to” or “to
return to a condition
which existed before.”
28. And the king of the children of Ammon
answered unto the messengers of
Jephthah, Because Israel took away my
land, when they came up out of Egypt, from
Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan:
now therefore restore those lands again
peaceably.” Judges 11:13
29. Judges 17:1-3
And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was
Micah. 2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred
shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which
thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the
silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be
thou of the Lord, my son. 3 And when he had restored the
eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother
said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from
my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten
image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
30. In I Kings 12:21 we are told that Rehoboam
came to Jerusalem and laid plans to “fight
against the house of Israel, to bring the
kingdom again [literally, to restore the
kingdom] to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.”
In 2 Samuel 8:3 we are informed that David
went on a military campaign to “recover
[restore] his border at the river Euphrates.”
31. In 2 Kings 14:22 we have the same two words
which appear in Daniel 9:25. There we are told that
Azariah “built Elath and restored it to Judah.”
This text makes it clear that “build” and “restore,”
though related, are not identical. What the text
means is that the physical city of Elath was built
and then governance over it was given to Judah.
32. None of the examples presented above
have to do with the physical rebuilding
of a city. The central idea is to legally
restore land, to legally restore political
governance or to restore the legitimate
borders of the kingdom.
We therefore must conclude that
“restore” in Daniel 9:25 does not
have to do so much with the physical
rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem as
such, but rather with the legal
restoration of the land to its original
owner and a giving back of the right
to political self-governance
according to the laws of God.
The actual building of the city then
follows.
33. Ezra 1:1-3
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the
word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of
Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,2 Thus saith
Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given
me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me
to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.3
Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with
him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah,
and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the
God,) which is in Jerusalem.
34. The Lord has resources. His hand is on
the machinery. When the time came for
His temple to be rebuilt, He moved upon
Cyrus as His agent to discern the
prophecies concerning Himself, and to
grant the Jewish people their liberty. And
more, Cyrus furnished them the
necessary facilities for rebuilding the
temple of the Lord. This work began
under Cyrus, and his successor carried on
the work begun. {4BC 1175.6} [Isaiah
45:1 and 44:28, quoted.] {4BC 1175.7
35. The Samaritans tried to hinder this work.
By their false reports they aroused
suspicion in minds easily stirred up to
suspect; and because of this
discouragement, the Jews became
unbelieving and indifferent in regard to
the work that the Lord had signified He
would have done. They were opposed by
Smerdis the usurper. "Then ceased the
work of the house of God which is at
Jerusalem. So it ceased until the second
year of the reign of Darius king of Persia."
When Darius came to the throne, he set
aside the work and prohibition of the
usurper. (MS 116, 1897). {4BC 1175.8}
36. The decree of Cyrus for
rebuilding the house of God,
(took place in) 536 B.C. {Daniel
and the Revelation – U. Smith,
p. 208}
37. Ezra 4:24 , Ezra 6:7-8
Ezra 4:24Then ceased the work of the house of God which
is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the
reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 6:7-8
Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor
of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of
God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall
do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this
house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute
beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these
men, that they be not hindered.
38. Darius searched for this decree
(Cyrus’), and found it; whereupon he
directed those who had made the
inquiry to allow the rebuilding of the
temple to proceed. "Let the work of
this house of God alone," he
commanded; "let the governor of the
Jews and the elders of the Jews build
this house of God in his
place…“Moreover,” Darius
continued, "I make a decree…”
{Prophets and Kings, p. 579}
King Darius
39. King Darius
The decree of Darius for the
prosecution of that work which
had been hindered, (took place
in) 519 B.C.
{Daniel and the Revelation – U.
Smith, p. 208}
40. King Artaxerxes
“I make a decree that …
“Whatsoever is commanded
by the God of heaven, let it
be diligently done for the
house of the God of heaven:
For why should there be wrath
against the realm of the king
and his sons?
(Ezra 7:13, 23, 25)
41. King Artaxerxes
“And thou, Ezra, after the
wisdom of thy God,
that is in thine hand, set
magistrates and judges, which
may judge all the people that
are beyond the river, all such
as know the laws of thy God;
and teach ye them that know
them not.”
(Ezra 7:13, 23, 25)
42. King Artaxerxes
The decree of Artaxerxes went
into effect in the autumn of 457
B.C. {Great Controversy (1911),
p. 327}
43. King Artaxerxes
The year of Artaxerxes’ reign are among
the most easily established dates of
history. The Canon of Ptolemy, with its
list of kings and astronomical
observations, the Greek Olympiads, and
allusions in Greek history to Persian
affairs all combine to place the seventh
year of Artaxerxes at 457 B.C. beyond
successful controversion. See Sir Isaac
Newton, Observations Upon the
Prophecies of Daniel, pp. 154-157 –
(Editor’s footnote) {Daniel and the
Revelation – U. Smith, p. 208}
44. King Artaxerxes
The decree of Artaxerxes went
into effect in the autumn of 457
B.C. {Great Controversy (1911),
p. 327}
45.
46.
47.
48. FIRST YEAR OF CYRUS , 536 BC
Proclamation to build the TEMPLE
,50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem.
(Ezra 1:1-3, Isiah 44:28
Second year of Darius, 520 BC,
Reaffirmation of Cyrus’ decree to
rebuild the Temple. (Ezra 4:24, 6:7-8)
Seventh year of Artaxersex, 457 BC ,
Decreed authoring Ezra to RESTORE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN JERUSALEM
(Ezra 7:8,12-26)
Twentieth year of Artaxeres ,
445BC , Commission to Finish
building the city.
49. “And he [Nebuchadnezzar] carried away all
Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty
men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and
all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained,
save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. . . .”
In the Restoration of Jerusalem all these must be
restored
51. Sir Isaac Newton
" The Years of Artaxerxes'
reign are among the most
easily established dates of
history. The Canons of
Ptolemy, with its list of kings
and astronomical
observations, the Greek
Olympiads, and allusions in
Greek history to Persian affairs
all combine to place the
seventh year of Artaxerxes at
457BC beyond successful
controversion ".
- Observation Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, pg. 154-157.
55. WHAT IS THE CANON OF PTOLEMY:
“The GREAT AUTHORITY ON THE
CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT KINGS . . .
From the records of ancient times
Ptolemy compiled a chronological list of
the kings of the great universal
empires.”
- “The Hand of God in History”, p. 42, William A. Spicer.
56. “Ptolemy . . . began with the era of
Nabonassar . . . Feb. 26, B. C. 747 . . .
That day was the Egyptian Thoth, or
New Year. It begins the year one of
Ptolemy’s Canon . . . always counting
full years from New-year to New-year . . .
“According to Ptolemy, THE YEAR IN
WHICH ARTAXERXES BEGAN TO REIGN
WAS THE TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY FOURTH
YEAR OF THE CANON. This year 284,
according to our calendar, began Dec.
17th, 465 B. C.
- “Chronology”, Vol. I, p. 268
57. YEARS OF
CANON
283
DEC. 17
284
DEC. 17
285
B.C.
465
464
463
IN CANON
Artaxerxes Longimanus began to reign in the 284th year of the Canon of Ptolemy
Figure 1.
GREGORIAN
CALENDER
(Modern Time)
58. ARTAXERXES BEGAN HIS REIGN AT
THE END OF THE SUMMER, OR IN
THE AUTUMN OF B.C. 464. THIS IS
BECAUSE THE JEWISH MONTHS
CHISLEU, AB, AND NISAN ARE
WITHIN A SINGLE YEAR OF
ARTAXERXES REIGN:
59. 1. NISAN (April-May) (Nehemiah 2:1)
2. IYAR May – June)
3. SIVAN (June –July)
4. TAMMUZ (July – August)
5. AB (August – September) (Ezra 7:7-9)
6. ELUL (September – October)
7. TISRI (October – November)
8. HESVAN (November – December)
9. CHISLEU (December – January) (Nehemiah 1:1)
10. TEBET (January – February)
11. SEBAT (February – March)
12. ADAR (March – April)
JEWISH MONTHS (IN RED) THAT RESIDE WITHIN
ONE YEAR OF ARTAXERXES REIGN:
* Biblical reckoning, as followed by the Karaite Jews.
THE BEGINNING OF ARTAXERXES REIGN
60. YEARS OF
CANON
283
DEC. 17
284
DEC. 17
285
B.C.
465
464
463
IN CANON
ACTUAL TIME
(AUTUMN)
When Artaxerxes Longimanus actually began to reign - Autumn B.C. 464
Figure 2.
62. “. . . Ptolemy compiled also A RECORD OF
ANCIENT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS,
called the “Almagest” (an Arabic word
meaning “great composition”). This ‘contains
most of what is known of the astronomical
observations and theories of the ancients.”
WHAT IS THE ALMAGEST?
-“The Hand of God in History”, p. 43, William A. Spicer.
63. “When it is recorded that in such a such a
year of a certain king, at such a place, an
eclipse of the sun or moon occurred, the
modern astronomer and mathematician can
verify the chronological record. And again
and again, the dates have proved accurate.”
-“The Hand of God in History”, p. 43, William A. Spicer.
64. “ . . . the commencement of the
reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus . .
. B.C. 464-3, IS DEMONSTRATED
BY THE AGREEMENT OF ABOVE
TWENTY ECLIPSES, which have
been REPEATEDLY CALCULATED,
and have invariably been found to
FALL IN THE TIMES SPECIFIED . . .”
- “The Sanctuary and the 2,300 days”, p. 21, J. N. Andrews
66. WHAT IS AN OLYMPIAD?
“An interval of four years between
celebrations of the Olympic games, by
which the ancient Greeks reckoned dates.”
- “The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language”,
Third Edition.
67. WHAT IS AN OLYMPIAD?
“The Olympic games consisted of various
athletic sports, a record of which was kept
at Elis . . . These records are pronounced
accurate by ancient historians . . .”
- “Sacred Chronology”, page 23, Bliss.
68. 20tTH YEAR OF ARTAXERES 1
. IT BEGAN . . .
SOON AFTER THE SUMMER
SOLSTICE
BEGIN
B.C. 464
- “The Hand of God in History”, pp. 58, William A. Spicer.
69. 465*– 464 (Elul 29) Artaxerxes I’s accession year
(6½ months)
464 – 463 1 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
463 – 462 2 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
462 – 461 3 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
461 – 460 4 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
460 – 459 5 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
459 – 458 6 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
458 – 457 7 Tishri 1 – Elul 29
Nissan 1 – spring, 457 B.C. – Ezra left Babylon
with the decree in his hand
Av 1, 457 – Ezra arrived in Jerusalem
*(December 17 – Xerxes murdered)
Tishri 1 through Elul 29 = Solar/Civil Year Calendar
Gregorian, Regnal Years for Artaxerxes I
70. The Seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus - Autumn B.C. 457
Figure 3.
B.C. 465
464
463
462
461
460
459
458
457
456
AUTUMN
1st Year
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th etc.
THE 7TH YEAR OF
KING ARTAXERXES
LONGIMANUS’S
REIGN – B.C. 457
