DANIEL'S Seventy Weeks, which are equal to 490 years, are scripturally divided into three periods: first, into a period of "Seven Weeks; "secondly, of " Sixty Two Weeks; "and thirdly, of "One Week." The commencement of the Seventy Weeks and of the Seven Weeks, is the same. Both periods began at "the going forth of a commandment causing to return and to build Jerusalem," eighty-three years after the end of the seventy years Babylonish captivity. This imperial decree of the Persian king was the official restoration of the Commonwealth of Israel, at present in abeyance "until the times of the restitution of all things which the Deity hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets," from the beginning of the Mosaic Economy, (Acts 3:21,) and until He shall send Jesus Christ to "raise up, or build again the Tabernacle of David," that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof: and to set it up as in the days of old.--(Acts 15:16 ; Amos 9:11).
The beginning and ending of the three minor periods of the Seventy Weeks may be correctly stated as follows
l.-The Seven Weeks, or forty-nine years, being the first portion of the Seventy, begin the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, in the month Nisan, B.C., 457.--(Neh. 2:1).
2.--The Sixty Two Weeks, or 434 years, begin B.C. 408, and end A.D. 26, when "John the immerser came preaching, in the wilderness of Judea," (Matt. 3:1) in "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of the Deity," (Mark 1:1) in the 15th year of the (sole) reign of Tiberius Caesar."--(Luke 3:1, 2).
3.--The One Week, or seven years, begins A D. 26, and ends with the cutting, off of Messiah the Prince, in whom was no fault (we-ain-lo). This is the week of the confirmation of the new Abrahamic covenant for many, ending in the month Nisan, A.D. 33.--(Rom.25:8;Mat.26:28; Heb 10:10).
N.B.--The last of the Seventy Weeks is sub-divided into halves. The first half of the week began A.D. 26, or 483 years after the be ginning of the Seventy; and was occupied by the preaching of the voice in the wilderness preparing the way of' "the Messenger of the Covenant."-- (Isaiah 40:3, Mal. 3:1). During this half, YAHWEH ELOHIM was inmmersed by "His Messenger" in the Jordan, and thereby manifested as King of Israel and Son of the Deity.--(John 1:31, 34, 49). The casting of John into prison, transferred the work of confirmation from the son of Zechariah to YAHWEH ELOHIM himself, who began to preach the Great Salvation, (Heb. 2:3) "with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of holy spirit; " and consummated the confirmation of the covenant, at the end of the last half of the week, by the bringing of his crucified body, in which sin had been condemned, (Rom. 8:3) from the dead, and justifying it by spirit on the third day.--(1 Tim. 3:16).
By this consummation the following things specified in Dan. 9:24 were accomplished:
1. Transgression of the Mosaic law was finished.
2. Israelites in thousands were caused to cease from sin-offerings.
3. A covering for iniquity was developed.
4. The righteousness for the ages, attested by the law and the prophets, was brought in.--(Rom. 3:21).
5. The vision and the prophet were sealed.--(John 6:27.)
6. The Holy One of the holies (the Most Holy of all the Saints) was anointed and perfected on the third day.--(Acts 2:36; Luke 13:32).
After all these things were finished, and the gospel of the kingdom had been preached by the apostles in all the Roman habitable for a testimony to all the nations thereof, "then the end came" of Israel's Commonwealth (Matt 24:14; Col. 1:23) "but of that day and hour no man knew: no, not the angels of heaven, neither the Son but the Father only." (Matt. 24:20; Mark 13: 32.)
(By Dr. John Thomas)
