Lesson
6
Lesson
6
The Signal that
Starts “Time”
Daniel 9:25
Introduction
Many scholars refer back to the previous verse
where it says “at the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth”
as being when the 70 weeks began. That “decree” occurred when Daniel was
praying.
• It was 538 B.C. – as
near as we can tell.
•
That means Messiah the Prince would have been
anointed around 55 B.C.
•
That is not consistent with the knowledge of His
anointing around 27–30 A.D., which most commentators accept.
•
The verse says that the command begins
with a decree to “restore and build
“Know therefore and understand, [that]
from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
What is to be restored or built?
A timeless God has given His church a
time period to come into full compliance with heaven – 490 years to be exact.
• Verse 24 outlined the
steps to a spiritual restoration.
• Mercy would end when
the 490 years were completed – the decreed probation would be over.
This verse says that probationary time begins
at a decree – “commandment” – to restore and build
•
•
Is this the physical restoration of
The temple, sanctuary and
• Why would a divine
restoration decree focus on a physical “asset” when spiritual restoration is the
theme of the whole prophecy – including Daniel’s prayer?
Looking Closer at the Hebrew Words
“Commandment to restore” (Daniel 9:25a) –
“restore” – schuwb
• Literally – return
back to the original state
• Most important use in
this context: “restoration of a covenant community” – How?
• Through repentance,
turning from evil, and turning toward God
“Commandment to ... build” (Daniel 9:25a) –
“build” – bana
• Usually means to
construct a physical structure
• In Old Testament
times this is repeatedly used as a metaphor to build up God’s kingdom,
using His subjects.
Are we dealing with a command to build and
restore the city of
• We can tell by
studying the context.
• The setting has been,
is and will be the deliverance and restoration of a holy people!
• Before the exile God
said, “Again I will build you and you shall be built, O virgin
• Ruth was credited in
having helped build the house of
Studying the civil decrees gives us the clues we
need.
Civil Decrees to Help
“from the going forth
[utterance] of the commandment” Daniel
Lots of disagreement exists among Bible scholars
as to which decree this means. Let’s analyze what they are.
Long before Daniel’s time (600 B.C.) God told
Isaiah details of
• Isaiah 44:24 – Cyrus,
a worshiper of the pagan god, Marduk, would help God’s people. “Come out of
• After Cyrus conquered
“To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of
Jeremiah [605 B.C.], until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as
she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. Now in
the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD [spoken] by
the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the
kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath
charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who [is
there] among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him
go up.” II Chronicles 36:21-23 (cf. Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10).
• Cyrus acknowledged
the “Lord God of heaven.”
• Cyrus did
order the temple be rebuilt in
• It was started but
wouldn’t be finished until 515 B.C. (approximately).
• Isaiah 44:28; 45:1,
13 and Ezra 1:1-4; 6:14-15 describe this process.
Could this be the commandment that Gabriel
was referring to?
• The first thing the
50,000 Jewish returnees did was to build an altar and worship God where the
altar of sacrifices had been.
• Satan sought to
thwart the temple plans via the Samaritans.
• This was so severe
that Jesus had to come and direct the course of the battle (Daniel
Another decree by Darius I was issued in 515
B.C. (Ezra 6:1, 6-12). In Darius’ sixth year the temple was completed and the
Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts were celebrated shortly thereafter.
• Haggai 2:9 and 7
predicted that that temple would be where the Messiah would appear – when the
“desire of all nations” would come.
•
Did the building of the temple fulfill Gabriel’s
“decree” prophecy?
•
God not only inspired Daniel but Zechariah (2:1-5) that all of “
•
538 and 515 B.C. did not fulfill the prophecy! Their
focus was only on the temple.
Then comes Xerxes (Ahasuerus) of Esther’s fame,
then Artaxerxes I.
• Let’s first look at
who were the Medo-Persian kings in succession?
• Darius (Median kings
of
Cyrus (539–530 B.C.)
Cambyses II (529–522 B.C.)
False Smerdis (522 B.C.) (Artaxerxes – Ezra 4:7)
Darius I (522–486 B.C. ) (Made Shushan Medo-Persian capital; issued 515
B.C. decree)
Xerxes (485–468) (Ahasuerus of Esther’s time)
Artaxerxes I (464–425 B.C.) (Artaxerxes Longimanus)
• Artaxerxes Longimanus
succeeded Ahasuerus.
• Ezra asked Artaxerxes
I permission for another entourage of Jews to return to
• This was ordered in
457 B.C.
Artaxerxes I’s decree was different
than the previous two!
• Ezra is given special
administrative powers.
• A system of
government [theocracy] is ordered to be established “according to the law of thy
God” (Ezra
• The “God of heaven”
was to be acknowledged as supreme (vs 23).
Was this the decree Gabriel was referring to?
Stay tuned.
A fourth decree was declared. This was again by
Artaxerxes I in 444 B.C. Nehemiah received word that the Judean Jews were in
great affliction. The city gates had been burned, and the walls were not
finished.
• The city “lieth in
waste” – in desolation (Nehemiah
• Under this new decree
and Nehemiah’s leadership, the city wall was rebuilt (Nehemiah
• Leaders were set up
to help organize the people.
• Most important, a
great revival took place.
• Levites were once
again established as leaders.
Was this the decree Gabriel was referring to?
How were the Jews to know which decree was the beginning of the mareh
time periods?
• 444 B.C. fulfilled
most perfectly the “restoring and building” of the physical city!
This is where the context and theme of heaven’s
message is vital to study so carefully. Literalism demands 444 B.C. The
spiritual message, the restoration theme, which is the golden thread in Daniel
8–12, means 457 B.C. must be accepted. Artaxerxes I’s decree was to restore
the centrality of God to
• The 70-week prophecy
addressed spiritual restoration.
• The theocracy had to
be developed.
Only one decree encompassed that spiritual
restoration and acknowledged God – Artaxerxes I’s decree in 457 B.C.
• That decree led to a
beautiful revival.
• Heathen wives were
set aside.
•
• The decree, ordered
by a heathen king, that
• The study of the Holy
Scriptures was once again instituted.
“This was the beginning of a wonderful
reformation. With infinite patience and tact, and with a careful consideration
for the rights and welfare of every individual concerned, Ezra and his
associates strove to lead the penitent of
“Wherever Ezra labored, there sprang up a
revival in the study of the Holy Scriptures. Teachers were appointed to instruct
the people; the law of the Lord was exalted and made honorable. The books of the
prophets were searched, and the passages foretelling the coming of the Messiah
brought hope and comfort to many a sad and weary heart.” – Prophets and
Kings, pp. 622-623.