How to Crack the 70-Week Prophecy Code in Daniel 9
Steve Sterling
Taking you through the rudiments of Bible prophecy and shows you how you can use the parallel prophecies of Daniel 2, 7, and 8 to unravel the time prophecy of chapter 9.

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book excerpt

The vision of Daniel 8 about the ram, the he goat, and the little horn forms the basis for the time prophecies found in chapter 9. If you try to unravel the time prophecies of Daniel 9 it would seem a little technical if you consider it as a separate theme. Since the prophecy of chapter 9 closely relates to the vision of the ram, the he goat, and the little horn in chapter 8, it would be next to impossible to arrive at a sound conclusion if you do not treat that time prophecy as having anything to do with that particular vision. Having acknowledged the connection between Daniel 8 and 9 in relation to the seventy weeks prophecy, we need to recognize the fact that the prophecy of chapter 8 is one of the parallel prophecies in the book of Daniel that deals with the succession of world kingdoms leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. The other prophecies in the line of parallels are found in chapters 2, 7, and 11. Therefore, in providing a solution to the seventy-week prophecy, you are not simply relating it to the vision of chapter 8 but you are also attempting to solve this prophecy within the parallel framework of the succession of world kingdoms from the Medes and Persians to the Second Coming. Using the parallel prophecies as a means of establishing consistency in your deductions is a very powerful principle in prophecy study that many Bible students are taking for granted. The Lord has a reason why He gives us the same prophecy in different places. He knows that as human beings we have the tendency to ignore important details and interpret a prediction according to our own biases. When we see the same prophecy in different chapters giving corresponding details, we have the assurance of a solid prophecy framework that can be used as a tool by which we solve other prophecies. The parallel prophecies are designed to solve difficult prophecies that fall within its ambit. The seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 is one of those prophecies. In this prophecy study we will not attempt to solve the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 simply by going into the vision of chapter 8. We will start off by examining all those prophecies in the book of Daniel that are parallel to this chapter to see what the consistent picture is. While I would not say that this seventy-week prophecy is easy to solve, when we are through with this exercise, you are going to see that it is not the mystery it appears to be. Our Lord never intended prophecy study to be as difficult and controversial as many of us are making it out to be. Therefore, let us treat the prophetic word as if we truly believe it to be a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path (Ps. 119:105). The central message of the book of Daniel is about how God will set up a kingdom in the earth and appoint His Son to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever. However, there is a process by which this objective is to be achieved. When the kingdom is given to Christ, He will need subjects to rule over. Because this kingdom will be a kingdom of righteousness and peace, only righteous people will be able to inherit it. Therefore, the priority would be to prepare a set of people who are willing to so live their lives in this present world that they might be accounted worthy to live in the world to come. On the other hand, you have the enemy (Satan) who is hell-bent on preventing as many as he can from obtaining the promised kingdom. Thus, he forms alliances with earthly powers to formulate policies that militate against the people of God. But the Lord has His time-table in place as to how He will get the good news of the kingdom out to a sinful world in desperate need of divine intervention. The subjects of Christ’s kingdom will be determined by a process of examination quite similar to what is described in the parable of the Marriage Feast found in Matthew 22: “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guest, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 22:8-13 When Christ returns He will be coming for a people who are prepared for His Marriage Supper and fully attired in the wedding garment of His righteousness (Rev. 19:7-9). The only way that we can partake of this great Supper is to become a part of the great atonement work to cleanse the people of God so that when the King comes in they may be judged worthy of citizenship of the coming kingdom.