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Prophet Daniel Foretold Christ’s Ministry
The central theme of Christ’s preaching was, “The time is ful-
filled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the
gospel.”
Mark 1:15
. The gospel message that the Savior gave was
based on the prophecies. The “time” which He declared fulfilled
was the period made known to Daniel.
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“Seventy weeks,” the angel Gabriel said,
“are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up the vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.”
Daniel 9:24
A day in prophecy stands for a year. See
Ezekiel 4:6
. The seventy
weeks, or 490 days, represent 490 years.
The Bible gives a starting point for this period:
“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks,”
sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years.
Daniel 9:25
.
The command to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by
the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see
Ezra 6:14
;
7:1, 9
), went
into effect in the autumn of 457 b.c. From this time, 483 years extend
to the autumn of a.d. 27. According to the prophecy, this period
would reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In a.d. 27, at His
baptism, Jesus received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and began
His ministry soon afterward. Then the message went out, “The time
is fulfilled.”