Last week we covered death rather extensively. This week we are going to get back to the theme of our lessons which is what Jesus may have taught about Himself on the road to Emmaus. Specifically we will be looking at a prophesy of Daniel and where it us fulfilled during Jesus life. So let’s look at the foretelling first.

Daniel 9:1-2

OK let’s look at Jeremiah 25:1-11So God through Jeremiah tells them it is about to happen

now let’s look at 2 chronicles 36:15-21 That was the fulfillment of them going into captivity

not to Leviticus 26:34 This is where God lets Israel know years before where they are heading and it is fulfilled in 2 chronicles.

Now Jeremiah 29:10-13 I think that this is where Daniel was when the 70 years sinks into him. As you can see from earlier there are other places that he could have been but there is a promise to the faithful made by God in this portion of scripture too “read Jeremiah 29:12-14a ‘declares the lord’”

So what does Daniel do with this information? Let’s read on in Daniel 9:3-19

When was the last time you or I have prayed a pray asking forgiveness and admitting sin like that. Phew that is what you call taking God’s promises and running with them. God said you turn you seek and He will be revealed. How now does God respond?

Daniel 9:20-23

if you want to read of Daniel’s previous run in with Gabriel look in chapter 8:15-16 although we aren’t going there now. Gabriel is a messenger from God with the appearance of a man.

What is interesting is that for the rest of this chapter it isn’t a vision Daniel has or a dream of His interpreted but a message sent to Him from God given by Gabriel and recorded to be shared by Daniel. The message was from God, Carried by Gabriel, received by Daniel. I say this because it is important in understanding the message to know to whom it was being given so this next part must be interpreted from Daniels point of view. That is not from the 21st century christian point of view. In fact not from the christian point of view at all but the captive Jewish perspective.

Daniel 9:24

We need to look at a lot of word’s here. First is weeks. A long time ago I didn’t believe that there was any translation issues here. I was really naive. And unless you have an NIV you may not know what I am talking about. There are a couple of lesser known translations out there that do the same thing. What I am referring to is that the word translated as week in most word for word translation of the bible while accurate for that word needs it’s context to be understood completely. You see this is a word similar to sheol from last week where we need to read it in context to understand it’s meaning the translators of this word translated it without context. {shaw-boo’-ah} or shabua` being defined by me means 7 equal units. If you see shabua by itself with no context it would mean a week but if you add context to it you need to get it’s meaning from what is said around it. Like this if I said I will see you in 1 shabua when I will be teaching again you know it is a week. If I say my daughter River is shabua old you know it is seven years.

I will continue in shabua. (hold up seven fingers and bring one down per second when finished move on” We do not see a good context for it in this portion of scripture although Daniel was already thinking in terms of years we see in versus 1 and 2 under the Jewish mindset we stay in the same measurement unless something changes it but for argument what other way can we figure out how long shabua is? By it’s foretelling fulfillment.

We will get to the fulfillment in a minute first a couple other words to look at. Remember Daniel’s point of view who are his people?

What is being referred to as your holy city?

This is important because people have said that after the rejection of Christ God was done with the Jews and that the church has replaced them. This foretelling given to Daniel about his people and his holy city hasn’t been completely fulfilled so how can God be done with them? If you want to say that God told Daniel that not for Daniel but for the church then why did God deceive Daniel? God could easily have given Daniel the prophecy for him and through Paul given us the rest. God didn’t and we cannot steal this promise quite frankly I like our promise better. That though is a lesson for another day.

Our last verse in Daniel Daniel 9:25 I need to talk know about the length of a year. How long is a year? Is that what is meant in scripture when in foretelling a year is used? Gen. 7:11 says the flood started on 17th day of the second month the flood started. Gen. 8:4 says the flood ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. That is a period of 5 months. Both Genesis 7:24 and 8:3 show that the waters were on the earth 150 days. There are several instances in revelation referring the 3 and a half years as 1260 days making 360 day years.

It appears that the earlier Jewish calendar may have been simpler than the “lunar-solar” system that we know of them using in middle old testament years. “James Ussher found in his book “the annals of the world” that the ancient Jews and the Egyptians did not use a year based on the moon. Instead they had a year made up of 12 months, each 30 days long. At the end of the year they tacked on 5 days. Every 4 years they added 6 days.” We also have indication in Scripture that a simpler 360-day calendar is found within prophetic passages:

With all that being said our 69 weeks or 483 years has a well defined beginning. The decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. So what do we have and the end of our 483 years messiah the prince.

Mark 11:1-10

Without understanding prophecy this is one of he most strange events Jesus was ever a part of. Jesus avoided being proclaimed king. He taught great crowds but whenever they decided to make Him more than the humble teacher He left. Someone read John 6:15 for me.

But here we have something different He plans ahead to come into the city riding a donkey. It is a giant parade and the people declare hosannah. Seems so out of character for the suffering servant we see as our savior. It is Jesus doesn’t do this for accolades or to be made a king. He is putting a period on Daniel’s 69 weeks. But there is one more foretelling fulfilled here.

Zechariah 9:9 These our just 2 more fulfillment’s of God’s word done through Jesus. Questions?

Next week we look at the passover meal and possibly the Lord’s supper.