This is interesting. Found in Sir Robert Anderson's book The Coming Prince, is the calculation of the prophecy found in Daniel 9:25 where it says that the going out of the commandment to restore Jerusalem "to the coming of an anointed one [Messiah]" would be 69 weeks of years (cf. Gen. 29:27; Lev. 25:8). I thought we had always known the calculation of this very specific prophecy, but apparently it baffled to us for many years. Here's why: The predicted time of 483 years (69×7) did not match up with the time of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918) who realized that the problem was in the different ways Jews and Gentiles mark time. We number our years using a solar calendar in which each year has 365¼ days, but the Jews used a 360-day lunar calendar, with each year consisting of 12 months of 30 days each.
Evidence of this is found in Genesis 7:11, where we read that the flood began "in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month," yet exactly "150 days" later (Gen 7:24) "in the seventh month, of the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest" (Gen 8:3-4). The only way an exact period of five equal months can end 150 days later on the same day of the month is if each of those months has 30 days.
Further evidence is seen when we remember that the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week is sometimes said to last "forty-two months" (Rev 11:2), and sometimes it is said to last "for 1,260 days" (Rev 11:3). The only way 42 equal months can work out to 1,260 days is if each of those months has 30 days.
The God of the Bible alone is God!
Further evidence is seen when we remember that the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week is sometimes said to last "forty-two months" (Rev 11:2), and sometimes it is said to last "for 1,260 days" (Rev 11:3). The only way 42 equal months can work out to 1,260 days is if each of those months has 30 days.
Once Sir Robert recalculated the prophecy using lunar years, he found that the 69 weeks "to the coming of an anointed one" worked out to the very day! the Lord Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem and made an official presentation of Himself to Israel. No wonder the Lord wept later that day and said, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!" (Lk 19:42, cf. Zech 9:9).
We celebrated this day last Sunday on what we now refer to as "Palm Sunday" (Lk 19:28-42; Jn 12:12-15). Today we are celebrating "Good Friday" — the anniversary of the day our Lord was crucified. On Sunday we celebrate His resurrection from the grave. He is alive!
The point of this whole post? When you are asked why people should trust the God of the Bible, why not give the reason God Himself gives — fulfilled prophecy! (Isa 42:8-9; 44:7-8, cf. Jn 13:19). To those who proclaim that all the religions and/or gods of this world are the same, God says, "Set forth your case…bring your proofs…let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen…tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods" (Isa 41:21-24).
The point of this whole post? When you are asked why people should trust the God of the Bible, why not give the reason God Himself gives — fulfilled prophecy! (Isa 42:8-9; 44:7-8, cf. Jn 13:19). To those who proclaim that all the religions and/or gods of this world are the same, God says, "Set forth your case…bring your proofs…let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen…tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods" (Isa 41:21-24).
No comments:
Post a Comment