We're going to be looking at Daniel's 70 weeks in Daniel chapter 9, verses 20 through 27. This is one of the most important passages of scripture. It is a time passage. There's only two time passages in the Bible. Because people did not have calendars, as we know. They didn't have a calendar on their kitchen wall. Calendars were only developed around the 12th, 13th century, whereby scholars went back and looked at events that happened in history past and they created calendars. What they did in biblical days is they calculated from generally the length of a country or especially the length of a king. A king lived 40 years. He reigned for 40 years or whatever. And then the next king, he reigned for 50 years. The next king, this is how they calculated time in their calendar. So we had to, our scholars I should say, certainly not me, but scholars had to spend a lot of time in trying to come up with what we now have or know as ancient calendars. But this is one of the calendars, and we have another one on the 70-week captivity. That is, the Jews were told, you're going to go into Babylon for 70 years. At the end of 70 years, you will come out of the Babylonian captivity. So I would call that a time prophecy. And this Daniel chapter 9 is a time prophecy. Now let's first look at the chart, and then we'll come back and analyze it as we go along. And I'm not good at math, so this is a math issue. And I had to go through Daniel 70 weeks several times personally with some good teachers, outstanding scholars. Before I finally started, OK, now I think I get Daniel 70 weeks and understand it. But start on the left. We're going to have a proclamation or a declaration of when this time prophecy begins. And if you go to the left, and we'll tell you why later, just kind of hold on to your chair. The prophecy begins March 5, 444 B.C. How in the world can they be so accurate to say March 5, 444 B.C.? It just happens to be that the Persian king, Artaxerxes I, we know more about him than many, many other kings of ancient history. And so his proclamation that starts this calendar, or his decree, his decree that starts this calendar is one of the most well-known decrees or statements made in ancient history. And so the scholars know almost to the T that this Daniel 70 weeks begins March 5th 444 BC by Arctic Xerxes. Now if you really really really really want to get into this and like I say I don't enjoy math but Dr. Harold Hohner wrote the outstanding book on the dates of the life of Christ and this dating of Daniel 70 weeks in a little book called The Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. It's a little bitty book, but it's probably one of the most valuable books ever written. Dr. Harold Horner, the subject of the title is The Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. He deals with Daniel 70 weeks. Now that book costs a fortune. Now look, it's so thin, if I hold up the light, I'd almost see through it. But Zondervan publishers know what they've got. And so this little thin book, they charge about 50 bucks to get it. Because there's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. The chronological aspects of the life of Christ. Dr. Hohner was in Dallas Seminary when I was there. He ended up with two doctor degrees, one from Oxford and, excuse me, from Cambridge. Cambridge and one from Dallas Seminary. And he just died last year. He was in good shape, healthy, 75, went jogging about this time last year, came home, went upstairs to take a shower and dropped dead. And Dr. Hohner was an outstanding guy. He was a friend of mine years ago, and he really will be missed. He did a great job. And his book on Ephesians took him 20 years. And that book on Ephesians that Dr. Hohner wrote, is this size. That's his book on Ephesians. Just the book of Ephesians. Six chapters. So he was a great scholar and a nice guy and what he's missed. But his book that deals with this chart is awesome. Probably you don't want to get it because it costs too much. But it's the definitive work on Daniel's seven to eight weeks. Alright, now go to the right. You'll find that the Daniel 70 week prophecy ends in the tribulation. Far, far right. The 70th week, which is actually a seven year period. The word heptad in Hebrew means sevens. which is seven years, ends at the far right in the tribulation. And the tribulation is divided in half. The first half week, three and a half years. Second week, another three and a half years. And that's mentioned in the book of Revelation about six or eight times. where this last section is proclaimed or prophesied and comes to pass the book of Revelation. Now, let me tell you what we mean by 70 weeks and then we're going to go to the passage of scripture and kind of back into this. This is actually, in fact, look at verse 24, Daniel 9, 24. Flip over to Daniel 9, 24. And when we say, 70 weeks, we're saying 70 sevens. 70 sevens, which is 490 years. So this is a 490 year prophecy. Now it was made under the lunar calendar. And a lunar calendar is 21 days. A sun calendar is longer. And so Dr. Hohner has calculated this into a sun calendar. where it was actually based on a lunar calendar. And don't get me into that because, like I say, math is not my thing. You need to get Dr. Hohner's book if you really want to challenge this whole issue. But in fact, Dr. Hohner told me the story that he had lunch after he got his doctorate from Cambridge with some of his professors, liberal professors at Cambridge. And over the lunch, when he got through, he convinced them of his scholarship on this Daniel 70 weeks. So we're dealing with a lunar calendar that has been transposed into a sun calendar. And so we're looking at 70 times 7, which comes out 490. years in a sun calendar. That's the way we're calculating this. Don't ask me anything else about this, but if you're really interested, you could look at that. This is where we're going. Keep this little chart in front of you. You'll see it as we march along. Alright, let's look at some verses and then look at the outline of verses that I have also given you. Let's start at Daniel chapter 9. Daniel is in Babylon. He's in captivity. He went with the first deportation. Poor Daniel was turned into a eunuch and became actually he became a governor in Babylon He became one of the governors Daniel is one of the most and he lived through about four dynasties Survived the kingship of about four different dynasties. He was greatly respected very godly and Never married and Daniel is one of the most Outstanding men of our Old Testament, but he's praying for his people Israel and for the city of Jerusalem let's start with verse 15 of chapter 9 and Now on Lord our God who has brought your people out of the land of Egypt and with a mighty hand and Have made a name for yourself As it is this day, we have sinned. We have been wicked. Notice he includes himself, we. There is a collective in terms of a nation. You and I have to admit, we as Americans have sinned. Even though personally, we may not be doing the sins that we see around us all the time. And yet there's a collectiveness about a people. We sin personally, and we can sin collectively. And Daniel includes himself, we have sinned. Verse 16, O Lord, in accordance with all your righteous acts, let now your anger and your wrath turn away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For because of our sins and iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all those around us remember the city of Jerusalem was a ruins the temple had been destroyed and Daniel's in captivity and Here he's praying for the city of Jerusalem and for his people verse 17 so now our God listen to the prayer of your servant and and to his supplications and for your sake oh lord let your face shine on your desolate sanctuary on the temple oh my god incline your ear and heart open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by your name For we are not presenting our supplications before you on account of any merits of our own. Look at that. It's not because of us, but on account of your great compassion. Oh, Lord, hear. Oh, Lord, forgive. Oh, Lord, listen and take action for thy own sake. Oh, my God. You can hear this man's emotion as he's praying for the Lord, to the Lord, for the Lord concerning Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Do not delay because your city and your people are called by your name. I made a documentary film about prophecy and don't have a copy of it anymore. It's long gone and disappeared, but we closed that documentary film with verse 19. Do not delay because your city and your people are called by your name. Now while I was speaking Daniel was speaking and praying and confessing my sin Daniel a sinner goodness gracious as you as you as you list of it. This is Daniel. It's concerned about Daniel Daniel a sinner come on in come on in good. See you now while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and Presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God While I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in division previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. Daniel kept up with when the offerings would be back in Jerusalem. About 600 miles as the crow would fly from Babylon to Jerusalem. He knew the time when there would have been prayer and offerings in the temple. About the time of the evening offering back there in Jerusalem. And he gave me instructions. This is, of course, the angel Gabriel, but he appears as a man to Daniel. He gave me instructions and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. Look at that. Insight with understanding. Daniel is going to receive an understanding of one of the greatest prophecies in the Bible. He will be given the details of this awesome, awesome prophecy. At the beginning of your supplications, the command was issued. This is Gabriel speaking. At the beginning of your supplications, Daniel, The commandment was issued, and I, Gabriel, come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed by the Lord. You are highly esteemed. So give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. All right, here it comes. Now let's go slow, then we'll come back and tear these verses apart line by line. 70 weeks, or 77s, The word week is the Hebrew word heptad. 77 heptads, 490 years by sun calendar, have been decreed for your people and your holy city. All right, stop right there. God has a decree that has to do with the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem. God has a decree that's 490 years. Now, look up here a second. Let me show you what's going to happen. This chronology is going to start 444 BC. It's going to run along until 483 years. 483 years. That leaves seven more years to finish. Now watch. It's going to run along and boing. It's going to stop. I always picture God putting his finger on the hands of a clock. The clock is ticking. He stops the hands. God stops the hands 483 years when this clock starts. And that week when God stops the clock is the week when Christ enters the city of Jerusalem to be crucified. And it's all been calculated out. And by the way, the Jewish rabbis know this. They know this, and years ago, I don't think so much today because I have some of the Jewish commentaries, but they would not let young rabbinical students calculate Daniel's 70 weeks. They would throw them out of the rabbinical schools because they realized where it was going to stop. It was going to stop at the coming of Christ when He entered what we call the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, in which He would be crucified during that week. So the clock is going to start. God turns the clock on. 444 B.C. He's going to click, click, click, click, click, click. God is going to put His finger in the hands of the clock and stop it the week Christ entered Jerusalem to be crucified. So watch, there are seven more years than to finish. Now watch, it stops with Christ entering Jerusalem to be crucified. And then guess what fills up this time is the church age. And then in the tribulation, God's going to start the clock again. In fact, the tribulation is seven years. It's the last seven years of this calculation. So we're going to have 483 years from 440 BC up to the time of Christ entering Jerusalem. Now watch, the clock stops. The church comes along, because the church is not Israel. And then God will start the clock again on the tribulation, which lasts seven years. And God is about to remove his finger. or the clock will start again. Now, two things have to happen before he moves his finger. Two things have to happen. The apostasy of the church. We're galloping into the apostasy of the church. Churches, seminaries are turning away from the truth like crazy. In fact, Paul says they will apostatize, that people will be religious and they will step away from. That's what the word apostasy means, step away from. They will step away from the truth, and they will step away from the faith. So that's one thing that must happen, and I believe we're already into that. We're going into the apostasy now, we're already into the apostasy. Number two, the rapture of the church. Why the rapture of the church? To get us, the believers today, out of the way, so this last seven years can take place. And the whole issue has to do not with the church. The whole issue has to do with the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. Now remember, the city of Jerusalem was a wreck and a ruin until fairly recently, if you will. The city of Jerusalem was occupied by the Arabs. The six-day war, within six-day war, the Jews drove the Arabs out of the city of Jerusalem. For the first time, the Jews, in 2,000 years, the Jews had control of the city of Jerusalem in 1967. Now think about that, 2,000 years. The city of Jerusalem was cut in half before that. The Jews had half the city and the Arabs had the other half the city until 1967, June of 67. And that's when the Arabs jumped on the Jews. And they conquered the city of Jerusalem completely. And they conquered the Temple Mount. In June of 67. We call that the Six Day War. It was actually the Six Hour War. It only lasted six hours. Because in six hours... The Israeli Air Force destroyed all the planes of the Arabs. Destroyed all the air forces of the Arabs. I went three years later, 1970, and there were still tanks turned over on the roads. There were trucks still left because the war had just ended three years before. There was a wall still left with barbed wire. that divided the city of Jerusalem. They hadn't removed that wall yet. And you could go on both sides of that wall, and the Jews had complete control of the city of Jerusalem in 78 and 70. That's when I visited for the first time the city of Jerusalem and Israel. All right, now let's read 24 through 27 slowly, then we're gonna come back and analyze it. 70 times seven, 490 years. have been decreed for your people and your holy city to do something, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity. By the way, there's six points here. There's six points. We'll go back and look at them carefully. To bring in eternal righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. So you, Daniel, are to know and discern that here comes from the issuing of a decree, the issuing of a decree to do what? To restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince. There will be 70 sevens and 62 sevens. Together, that totals 483 years. Why is it divided up? Well, very often when you had a large number to people in the ancient world, they divided it up, like they would say 10 times 6 and 4 times 9 or something. They would divide that, but it totals, what you're looking at is the total. The total is 483 years. It will be built again with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the 62 weeks, 62 sevens, and he just doesn't add, he just doesn't mention the other seven, because he's simply mentioning the last calculation, which was 62 weeks. Then after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off, or he will be killed, and he will have nothing. He will not be given what he's due. and the people of the prince the prince who is to come the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary who are the people of the prince the prince is the antichrist And the Antichrist comes out of Rome. So the Romans will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary. When did that happen? 70 A.D. 70 A.D. is when the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. And its end will come like a flood. It'll happen quickly. Even to the end there will be war, desolations are determined. And he, now your antecedent goes back to the prince of the people, the antichrist. He will make a firm covenant and with the many for one week, for seven years, for seven years. But in the middle of the seven, the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering And now the last part of 27, it's just a bunch of jumbles of sentences. Daniel's emotions are really pouring forth in the last part of verse 27. It's like he can't sit still as the angel actually gives this to Daniel, but it's just almost staccato-like. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate even unto the complete destruction One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate goodness gracious. What does that mean? We're gonna try to look at and try to analyze that All right. Now, let's go back and take a look at all this Go back get your get your sheet down and your head is swimming because this is not easy stuff and Let's go back to the sheet we've given you. And let's look at verse 24. In verse 24, notice the sheet, we have six points, six things that are listed. 70 times seven have been decreed 490 years for the Jewish people and for your holy city, Jerusalem. All right, look at the top of the sheet. to finish the transgression. It's number one. What in the world does he mean by to finish the transgression? I'm going to give you a lot of good quotes from Dr. Unger because he's done an excellent job on this. And he puts it this way, to finish the rebellion of the scattered Jews. To stop and finish the rebellion of the scattered Jews. Now notice that this will take place, or this is part of the things that will take place within that 483 years. In that 483 years, God will finish the Jews' rebellion of the scattered Jews. All right, that's one thing, to finish their transgressions, to complete their transgression. All right, number two, it says to make an end of sin, to make an end of sin. Hunger puts it this way, to take away sin, to bring sin to final judgment. The Jews are in unbelief right now. As I speak, the Jews are in unbelief except, and you've heard this over and over again in this building, in this room right here. God has begun to work with the Jewish people as never, ever, ever before in the last 2,000 years. And we sent Jeff over to Israel about a year or so ago. He saw it for himself. He saw his Jewish friends coming to Christ in buckets full. I went the first time in 1970. Now look, watch my hand. I could only count about five possibility of five or six Jews in the Holy Land who were believers in Christ. And I only knew one. And then he told me, well, I know five others. OK. And he was a Jew who came to the Lord. He was born and raised in Austria. His parents put him on one of the first trains to leave Austria to get out of the way of Hitler, who was taking over Austria. Never saw his parents again. He was put in a kibbutz, which is a kind of communal farm. The letters from his parents got less and less and finally they disappeared. His family was destroyed and killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He remembers as a little boy seeing Hitler in his convertible coming down the streets of Vienna, Austria. He remembers that and they put him on the trains, getting you out of here to go into Palestine. And he became a believer. And he told me, well, I think all through the land, from north to south, I can count another four or five believers in Christ. That was it. Now, there may have been a few more, but he would have known. His name was Richard Sturr. And Richard was a guide with the Jewish people and an official guide. And he would have known because he took people from north to south and took tour groups. And I had him come to Dallas many times. And poor Richard, I'm pretty sure he's gone now. But what a pathetic, what a pathetic man. He was so pathetic. He was a nervous wreck. His wife couldn't stand him. She divorced him because he became a believer. His son did become a believer. And Richard just had all kinds of emotional problems. He was very hard to deal with. He had so many emotional problems. And our heart bled for him. No one liked him. When we would hire him to take tour groups, people ended up just despising him. I felt so sorry for him because he was so emotionally torn up. But he was a believer and the Lord blessed him because he came to Christ. Anyway, go back to this point. God will make an end to their sin, to take away their sin, to bring sin to final judgment is the way Younger puts it. To remove sin from God's sight. the nation's conversion at the second advent. Unger puts Isaiah 53 down and says, the Jews will be converted to Christ. They'll come to the Lord. Isaiah 53 is a great passage about the substitutionary death of the Messiah for his people. Isaiah 53. Alright, so God's going to do two things in 483 years. He's going to make an end to sin. He's going to finish the transgression, finish the rebellion of the Jews. He's going to make an end to their sin. Number three, to make an atonement for iniquity. To make atonement for iniquity. And here's the way Unger puts it, to make a reconciliation. between the Jews and their God, to make a reconciliation, to reconcile the Jews back to their God. In deep repentance, believing in Him, Unger writes, to have their iniquity purged away, he writes. Notice that what God is going to do, all this is very similar language. I mean, it's the same description almost over and over again with different language, I should say. Different ways of stating it, but it's repetitive over and over again. I'm going to take away their sin. I'm going to finish their rebellion. I'm going to make a reconciliation. I'm going to have their iniquity purged away for the Jews. Look at number four. To bring in eternal righteousness. This would be Christ's righteousness. His righteousness will cover forever all sin. It'll take the Messiah to do this. It'll take the Lord Jesus to do this. Now the cross isn't mentioned in verse 24, but that's where this is going. That's what's being laid out here. And then point number five, to seal up the vision and prophecy, if you will, given by Gabriel, the angel. To seal it up. That is, notice my explanation that actually this is from under, to confirm and to ratify the prophecy to finish it. It'll be 483 years for God to confirm, to ratify the prophecy and the vision, and to finish it. To finish the issue of the prophecy of the salvation found in the Messiah. Look at that again. To finish the issue of the prophecy of the salvation found in the Messiah. Point number six in verse 24. To anoint the most holy place. To consecrate, here's what Unger writes, to consecrate the holy of holies in the millennial temple. Do you realize there's going to be a temple rebuilt in the millennium in the kingdom? There will be a new temple built. Now people say, wait a minute, I thought that with Christ he finished the sacrifice and there would be no more temple sacrifices. Well, write this down. The sacrifices, or the new temple, the new temple is described in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. Ezekiel 40-48, the new temple is described. And people who are amillennial, remember they don't believe in a kingdom. People who are amillennial, most pastors in Clifton are amillennial, they don't believe in a kingdom. they would say, well, Ezekiel 40 through 40, that's not a literal new temple. As you read it, it is a literal new temple. It is. Otherwise, language We miss language because it's very literal, it's very actual. There will be a new temple. Now the question, I thought Christ finished the sacrifice. So why would there be new sacrifices in a millennial kingdom temple? Why? As a memorial, a remembrance. Why do we take communion as a remembrance? Communion is Passover abbreviated. When we have communion, we're doing Passover. Abbreviated. So, and there will be a new temple built during the kingdom. There will be sacrifice. Are those sacrifices, do they take away sin? No, they do not take away sin. Only Christ's sacrifice takes away sin. But those sacrifices are then what? A memorial. A reminder of the Jews, to the Jews, of the sacrifice that Christ made. And so there's going to be a memorial temple built in the kingdom period, just as there is a memorial Passover that we take. We do a memorial Passover. We abbreviate Passover when we have communion. That's what communion is, it's Passover. And so, look at the last part of verse 25 again. To anoint the most holy place, and Unger says that is in the kingdom, to anoint the rebuilt temple in the kingdom. By the way, on one of my trips to Israel, and I mean 23 trips to Israel, one of those trips, We went into the east gate where the Messiah will enter, where he will enter in the city of Jerusalem. And saw the area where they will probably and possibly rebuild a temple. Well, we were run out by Arab guards with their pistols on their hips. A friend of mine, Bobby Bounds, and I, we snuck into that temple area, and here came the Arab guards. Get out of here, we're gonna arrest you. And we went running to get out of there. Someone was telling me, it might have been Jeff, They went to that same area, and now there's no more Arab guards there. You go right into the area where the temple will probably be rebuilt, and the Arab guards are leaving people alone. They're not bothering them anymore. All right, let's review this. Let's review verse 24. Look at the sheet. Look at the sheet. Number one, all this is in verse 24. To finish the transgression, to finish the rebellion of the scattered Jews. Number two, to make an end to sin, to take away sin. are to bring sin to final judgment, to remove sin from God's sight, the nation's conversion at the second advent. Number three, make an atonement for iniquity, to make a reconciliation in deep repentance, believing in Him, this is when the Jews will be believing in Him, to have their iniquity purged away. Fourth point, to bring in eternal righteousness, and that'll be Christ's righteousness, will cover forever all sin. Number five, to seal up the vision and prophecy, to confirm, to ratify the vision and prophecy, to finish it, to finish the issue of the prophecy of the salvation found in the Messiah. Number six, to anoint the most holy place, that is to consecrate the holy of holies in the millennial temple. All right, now let's go to 25. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, The prince, until the Messiah, the prince, there will be seven sevens and 62 sevens. That totals 483 years. It will be built again with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. And we'll explain that here in just a moment. Now look at the middle of your sheet. Verse 25, the decree will be given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. That decree starts this, well, this decree starts the process, starts the clock, if you will. The decree starts the clock. Now look at my sheet, the middle of the sheet. The decree is given by Artaxerxes, his decree that was given in March 5th, 444 BC. until the Messiah comes as a sacrifice, that the 433 years will go all the way down to the week of the triumphal entry, March 30th, AD 33. So if you look at your sheet, you can see when this takes place. Now take your Bible and go to Nehemiah chapter 2. Nehemiah chapter 2. And here in chapter 2, verses 1 through 8, we have this decree. Nehemiah chapter 2. Verse 1, it came about in the month Nisan, and look at your sheet, Nisan would be March in our calendar. It came about in the month Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king, and now I had not been sad in his presence. Nehemiah is the wine keeper for the king. Takes the wine up to the king. Verse two, so the king said to me, why is your face sad? In fact, the Hebrew word is bad. Why is your face bad, literally? Why do you have a bad face? Though you're not sick. Nehemiah, what's wrong with you? This is nothing but sadness of heart. Then I was very much afraid, because you're not supposed to do anything different from the king. The king could snap a finger and have you killed. I said to the king, let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my father's tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire? is the city of Jerusalem. And here Nehemiah is thinking about the city of Jerusalem. By the way, notice the last of verse three, its gates have been eaten by fire. That's what the Hebrew says, eaten by fire. Then the king said to me, what would you request? As the winekeeper, this man, Nehemiah, was very close to the king. And so the king says, I favor you, so what can I do? Can I help you? What is your request of me? So I prayed to the God of heaven. Notice that, Nehemiah stops, he goes, ooh, I need to pray real quick before I get on with this. And I said to the king, if it pleased the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my father's tombs, that I may rebuild it. Now, how did Nehemiah get that, and it's hard to say that, from God? He prayed. God, what should I say? And he just let it all out. He flat just let it all out. And the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, how long will your journey be and when will you return? And I noticed instantly, instantly the heart is touched of the king to let him go, to go back and to rebuild the city. So it pleased the king to send me and I gave him a definite time. And I said to the king, if it pleased the king, let letters be given me. for the governors of the provinces beyond the river, beyond the river Euphrates, the rivers of the river Euphrates, and there were governors in Judah. Now look up here a second. There were Babylonian governors who were over the city of Jerusalem, which was a ruin and a wreck, okay? The temple was destroyed. But there were Persian governors. So he said, give me letters for the governors there in Jerusalem, beyond the Euphrates River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah. And a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he might give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress, which is by the temple for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will go. And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me. That's awesome. God was with me. And the heart of the king was touched. And he said, go. I'm going to let you go. Now this is awesome. Because first of all, he was favored to be the winekeeper. And he was trusted. And here the king says, let him go. I think it's interesting that the king said, how long will you be gone? Because he would miss him. Nehemiah is favored by Artaxerxes. And so we put the date for this at March, on March the 5th, 444 B.C. This is one of the most well-known passages of Scripture and dating, if you will, known in the Old Testament. This is it. and known in history. Historians know of the time frame of King Artaxerxes. Alright, so this starts the clock. This is when the decree is given. So go back to chapter 9 of Daniel and verse 25 again. So you will know, this is Gabriel speaking to Daniel. I'm looking at chapter 9 verse 25. so that you will know and discern that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be 7 sevens and 62 sevens are 483 years. So the clock has started with this decree of Artaxerxes. Now, look at the last part of verse 25. It's actually out of order, as the way it's written in Hebrew, the last part of verse 25. Notice my note about the middle of this sheet. With Plaza and Mot, even in times of distress, This actually goes along with the part of the verse that speaks of the restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. Now you have to skip down to the last part of verse 25. And that is the city will be rebuilt again with plaza and moat. And this will happen even in times of distress. Because, now watch, while the city was being rebuilt, Boy, the Babylonians who were there, the governors who were there, they hated the Jews. They didn't want this project to go through. And so not only will the city be rebuilt, but the moat and the plaza will also be rebuilt. And it'll be a time of distress. The Jews will be under terrible persecution as they're rebuilding. Because the Babylonians don't like it. They don't want the Jews to rebuild as they were doing. All right, come to verse 26. Then after 62 sevens, actually after the whole time frame, the Messiah will be cut off. And Unger says he will be killed. He will be killed. And he will have nothing. That is, he will receive nothing as do a king. Nothing will be left to him. That happened to Christ. Nothing was left for him. Now, look carefully at the middle of verse 26. This is very important. Stay awake here now. The people of the Prince. Who is to come? The Prince is the Antichrist. Where does he come from? From the Roman people. So the people, the Romans. The Romans. The Romans will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary. That happens in 70 AD. Something like 40 years after the time of Christ. Okay, 70 A.D. The city of Jerusalem is destroyed and the temple is destroyed as well. Its end will come with a flood. That is, it will be like a torrent. And that's exactly what happened. General Titus came from Rome and he circled the city of Jerusalem. He besieged it for one year and then he broke through the walls And he tore down the walls, tore up the city of Jerusalem, tore the temple down, and the description at the end of verse 26 is right on. Even at the end there will be war, desolations, and are determined. Look at my note on verse 26. Even until the end, the Jews will be under terrible persecution until they are restored. Do you realize from 70 AD, the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the temple, that the Jews almost continually, for 2,000 years, for 2,000 years, have been under persecution. The largest number of books in my library at home have to do with persecution of the Jews. The terrible, terrible, awesome mistreatment of the Jewish people. Most of my books deal with that subject. And when did the Spanish drive the Jews out of Spain? Just as Columbus discovered America in 1492. Columbus sailed the ocean blue, okay? That's when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand drove the Jews out of Spain that same year. That same year. They couldn't take their property. They couldn't take most of their money. Only what they could put on their back. And they were driven out of Spain and they went from city to city, country to country. It was only about 300 years ago or 250 years ago that the Jews were not under persecution by the English. In fact, in the 12th century, King James said, I will drive all the Jews out of England. All the Jews out of England. And then slowly they allowed them to start coming back again. All right. Are there any questions? We'll take a break, and then we're going to finish it up. We're getting close. Any questions to this point? Anything? Your head ought to be swimming. This ain't easy stuff. This is not devotional, okay? Okay? Yeah, right. It's kind of city center, if you will. Yeah. Anything else? All right, let's take a 10 minute break and we'll come back and finish it up. Let's take a break.