Seventy Sevens of Christmas

  Seventy Sevens of Christmas

Or the Story of the Bible

This string of thought began with a seemingly simple, innocuous question on a radio talk show. “Is there any reason why the Children of Israel were in captivity for 70 years?” 

And the answer is a simple “Yes.” And what is so salient about that? It actually opens up a window in Daniel 9 that portrays the panorama of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Let’s follow this link. Why 70 years? 

I. Background

The Children of Israel were supposed to give the land a rest every seven years. They had been in the Promised land for 490 years, but had not observed the Sabbath one time. So, the Lord said that He would take the Sabbaths for the land. Since they would not observe the Sabbath rest while they lived there, He sent them out of the land to Babylon.

Which is an interesting place because Abraham had originally lived in that general area, Ur of the Chaldees. God had instructed him to leave this “home” and go to “a land I will show you.” So Abram, as he was called then, moved in stages to his new land which we now recognize as Israel and Palestine on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. God promised him all of this land with the caveat that he would sometime own all the land that he walked on. 

The ironic thing is that Abraham only owned a small plot of land where he and his wife were buried. Later his son, Jacob, and his wife were buried there too. The key element in the story is that this land was promised to Abraham, and after a 400 year “visit” in a foreign land, Egypt, his now enormous family moved back home, to the promised land. 

Under the guidance of Joshua, they returned to the land and set up the original manifestation of the Promised Kingdom. While they were in the process of occupying the land, God gave them specific commands. One, was the one previously mentioned that they rest the land every seventh year. Second they were to completely expel the current residents to prevent the temptation to worship the false gods of the current residents, the Canaanites. 

Long story short, the people did not comply with either of these commands. Subsequently, they not only allowed their enemies to live in the land, causing much distress and  harm, but also adopted the worship of the false gods. The Book of Judges gives us the stories of 13 to 15 leaders (depending on how you count them) judges of the nation in their efforts to deliver the Israelites from the consequences of their disobedience. Then Kings were appointed to lead the Nation with similar, futile results. Ultimately, the unbelieving and disobedient nation was overthrown, by Babylon, and carried into the land from which  Abraham had departed hundreds of years ago. And that brings us to the 70/490 years consideration. They had ignored 70 of the seventh year rests, or seventy sevens.

But what is the big idea? What is so important about not worshiping false gods, and observing the Sabbath? That story begins in Genesis 1. God created a perfect earth and populated it with life, including a man and woman and gave them the privilege of living in it with Him and worshiping Him. They had one command, one condition: don’t eat from the poison tree. “If you do, you will die.” 

Enter Satan. He had already chosen not to follow God’s commands and had attempted a coup to take over God’s place in the universe. He tried to usurp the glory that belonged to God. Now, he approached Adam and Eve with the proposition that they could supplant God in the Garden. “You will be like God,” was the specific enticement. Some translations say that they would know good from evil. Actually, the intent was for them to decide and decree what was good and what was evil.

Then the final appeal was to cast doubt on God’s Word. “You will not surely die.” This was an out-and-out lie. Satan knew the consequences of disobedience. He may have deluded himself into thinking that he might possibly overcome God, but that is totally erroneous and illogical thinking. God proved that He is omnipotent by creating the universe. There is no power or force in existence that can match or counteract Him.

II. Solution

Adam and Eve believed the lie and disobeyed God. And they died, immediately in the spiritual sense, and ultimately, physically. The story could have legitimately ended there. But God! What a thought. “God, Who is rich in love and mercy,” chose to intervene. He sacrificed a lamb for Adam and Eve and offered that substitute to his fallen, and now, damned, creation. They accepted His proffered alternative by faith, and were given new spiritual life. This life can never be ended. One last thing must be included. The Lord promised a “Seed,” Who would crush Satan’s head and ultimately eliminate any force that would resist God. This Seed, is the One we know as Messiah, or Christ. Hang on, we are getting there.

Take a look at John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” Get that last phrase. Shall never perish but have everlasting life.” Ever lasting means never ending. And God’s promise included a new, eternal body. 

I just received a “new” heart valve. Some people have received other new body parts. But no one yet has received a whle new body. Jesus was that Son, the Seed, and He was the sacrificial substitute emblemized by the lamb in the Garden. His death, after living a perfect life, was accepted by God the Father as full, complete payment for the sins of the whole world. God raised Jesus, the Messiah, from death and gave Him a new body, one that will never wear out, get tired, sick, or injured.

When Adam and Eve believed God in the Garden, their faith opened the way for them to return, ultimately, to the fellowship and life with God that they had forfeited. We can experience that same benefit, by faith. But what about the 490?

Thanks for bringing that up. Remember our friends, the Israelites who were led into the Promised Land by Joshua? God gave them two commands or conditions. Drive out the false-god worshipers and give the land a rest every seven years. As noted before, they failed, no, refused to obey the Lord and even worshiped the false idols they were supposed to displace.

After 490 years of living in rebellion, or seventy of those seven year periods, God sent two prophets, Jeremiah and Isaiah, to warn them to repent or they would be taken to Babylon. They refused to repent and went to Babylon, via the Nebuchadnezzar transit company. (Just made that up.) But some did believe, and one, a guy named Daniel, stayed true to the Lord even while in Babylon. While there, he also studied the old documents left by Isaiah and Jeremiah. Imagine his surprise when he discovered that the 70 year exile was about to come to an end. “We’re going home!” Then I imagine that he mused “What is next?”

III. What Is Next

In the book of Daniel, chapter 9, he is visited by an angel with exciting news of the future. His people had allowed seventy sevens (Sabbaths) to expire without observing the command of the Lord. “Now your people will have seventy more sevens (490 years) and this time the Lord will accomplish what needs to be done on earth and in history. This is another way to say they got a second chance/.

Let’s take a look. Daniel 9:24-27

24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”

Looking back to Genesis 3, we are alerted to the fact that the Seed will have to show up sometime in that time span because it says He will be “cut off.”. This Seed is the Messiah. In short, this means that there will be a 490 year window for the Him to show up and act. His actions will finish the transgression. In other words, there will be no more rebellion and refusal to obey the Lord. Second, all prophecy, including the promises to Abraham would be fulfilled, completed. And third, everlasting righteousness will be brought into this fallen world. If there is no more transgression, then it would be possible for us to experience perfect obedience, and righteousness. Bring it on Daniel.

This passage has been correctly called the keystone or lynchpin of prophecy and history. The Jewish nation was seemingly wandering around and living with no clear goal or purpose in mind. Now they are introduced to God’s plan for them corporately and individually. God has always had a plan, and now we are given a glimpse into His strategy for His people, and for all believers, the world.

There was no “timeline” associated with the first 490 years, except for the termination point: off to Babylon. Now the angel explains three phases of the timeline, the clock. It began with a command or permission to return to their land and rebuild the city, the wall, and the Temple. The first seven of sevens, or 49 years following the return of the people to their land would involve the rebuilding of the walls of the city and the Temple. There are two sections to go.

And, speaking of the Temple, what is significant about that? The Temple is where the Israelites were supposed to worship God. They were specifically commanded not to engage in worship outside of God’s designated places. This was specifically targeted at idol worship. The other nations worshiped under every tree, on every high hill, and where ever they felt the urge. Worship of the Lord was specifically designated to magnify and glorify the God Who created the universe. The Lord knew how tempting and susceptible to perversion “uncontrolled worship” and even ecstatic exclamations would be. The heathen worshipers soon crossed any and all barriers to decorum and and decency. 

The worst aspect of false worship was, and is, that it is directed toward Satan. His plan is to divert good worship, God’s worship, to something, anything else. His ultimate goal now, as back in the beginning, is to steal it away from God.

The Temple was very crucial to true worship. It began with the Tabernacle in the wilderness as soon as they exited Egypt. The chain of worship places continued with building a Temple in Jerusalem, God’s designated place for worship. It continued with the reconstruction of the Temple when they returned from Babylon. 

The destruction of the Temple leading to the Babylonian Captivity was devastating to the nation. They rebuilt the Temple on their return. So the second destruction predicted in Daniel 9 also decimated the nation’s spiritual life and aspirations. The people rightly took pride in their glorious Temple during Jesus’ life but it almost bordered on idolatry. The prophecy of destruction of their Temple, again, devastated them.

IV. The Timeline Parts 1 and 2

The timeline began and after seven sevens, 49 years, the Temple was completed. This started the second phase of the prophecy, 62 sevens or 434 years which ended with the cutting off of the Messiah. This leaves one seven following the cut off. 

Back to the 62 sevens. The people now had a 434 year window in which the Messiah would come. And, considering that He would be a normal human man, we can further limit the window to the end of that 62 sevens. Christmas is coming.

Further analysis would lead us to realize that the time line before cutting off must include some time for the Messiah to grow to a man, further reducing the Christmas window to about to about 430 years. Confused yet? Me too. In perspective, that puts the “Christmas Window” at about 6 BC to 4 BC or so. Ring any bells? Pun intended. (There is a lot of discussion about that. You can sort that out on your own.)

A careful examination of Daniel’s message puts this point of emphasis into perspective. The timeline will come to a pause at 483 years, 69 sevens, before the second Temple will be destroyed. That happened in AD 70, clearly following the Messiah being cut off. We will define this “cutting off” later. It happened 483 years after they went back to the land, in exact accordance with the prophecy. And we can rejoice that this was not the end. God merely paused His plans for Israel and began to concentrate His focus on sending the Message of forgiveness, given in the Seed in Genesis 3 and John 3, to the entire world through a different avenue. 

V. Cut Off Messiah

So a Seed, the Messiah, will be cut off after the 69th seven or 483 years. That implies that He would have to come into the world sometime before that. Working backward, an officer, like priest or Levite would begin his ministry at the age of 30 years. So subtract 30 from 483, and we get a prospective birth date of the Messiah about 453 years after the timeline began, as we said earlier. So there are roughly 453 or so years during which the Messiah could be born, a Christmas. (Sorry for any confusion. Maybe this should be entitled, 453 years of Christmas.) 

Now what is this “cutting off?” Back to the promise to Abraham. He was told, and later prophets confirmed, that a son of Abraham would rule, not only the Middle East, but the entire world. This “son” was the Messiah. Specific prophecies gave the place of His birth, Bethlehem, his parentage, a virgin, and His ultimate role in ruling everything. An astute student would have been able to estimate when the Messiah would come and indeed some people had. In Luke 2, we find Simeon and Anna who were looking for the Messiah.

Stepping back a week or so, we find some shepherds who were told of this coming and went to worship him. But, as far as we know, very few, if any noticed His appearance. Except for some dudes in Babylon. (The East) Why would “pagans” about 500 miles as the crow flies, and 900 miles as the camel walks, be interested in what happens in this little territory on the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea? 

I think Daniel, when he was given the prophecy, set up a little group of “wise men” to begin looking for the Messiah. Not a bad plan even today. This group of Bible scholars had probably noticed Numbers 24:17, which said a star would arise out of Judah. The Babylonian society was enamored with the heavens and stars in particular. When a new star appeared, they would notice it, and they did. They “saddled up” and headed west. Matthew 2 recounts their visit and the important thing to notice is that they recognized Him as God, and worshiped Him as such. Their long journey and longer wait was over. Messiah had come.

The Baby grew and became a leader, presenting Himself as God and as their Messiah. It culminated on Palm Sunday or the day of the Triumphal entry. But what happened next is totally confusing, except that it is not. It is right in line with how mankind has behaved since the Garden. 

Jesus came on a donkey, as the prophets had foretold, and the people seemingly accepted Him, proclaiming Him as the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord. But before the week was out, they shouted, “Away with Him. We will not have this Man to rule over us.” And most important in our story, “We have no King but Caesar.” Then they approved of His murder on a Roman cross. Messiah had been cut off. End of story...or not. The Resurrection comes next, but the decision of the nation was final. Cutting off the Messiah stopped the time clock at 483 years.

But Daniel’s prophecy was not done. The clock had stopped, but there are still seven years the last seven, to go for God to complete this seemingly impossible plan. But God! Instead of working through Israel, now the focus on spreading the message of forgiveness and salvation to the whole world transferred to the Gentiles. A group of believers, known as the Church, had witnessed a miracle. A dead Man came out of the grave and met with them, finally rising up into heaven. His last command was, “Go into all the world and tell this good news to everyone!” Everyone could have a Substitute, like Adam and Eve, Who died for their disobedience and would give them eternal life. (John 3)

And the message went out. But what about our final seven? Daniel had carefully bracketed that with some details to help us understand. After Messiah’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Temple and even the City of Jerusalem was totally destroyed. End of story? Not yet. Check out Daniel 9: “the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing.” Sounds like the end, doesn’t it? “... and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”  That was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Who or what is this “prince who is to come?” Remember the Jews had rejected their Messiah? Now a fake, a counterfeit, an alternative messiah comes into view. Other Scriptures define and describe him as the anti-Christ, man of sin, even Satan incarnate. And jumping ahead to Revelation, this false christ will rise to power over the entire world. How will we know him?

VI. Last Seven

Verse 27 of Daniel 9:

And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.

 There is a lot to grasp there.

First, he executes a seven year treaty with “the many.” That is the Jewish nation. There has never been a seven year treaty or “covenant of peace” made with any ruler and God’s people. So this has not happened. It is not something that we anticipate like the first coming that we saw in Matthew and Luke. The wise men saddled up and ran toward the star, the evidence of His coming. This appearance will cause people to run from the man. But to no avail, because, according to Revelation, he will rule the entire world.

It will begin somewhat auspiciously with world-wide peace. But, in keeping with the deceptiveness we have seen from Genesis on, Satan’s man will be telling a lie, a big lie. After three and one half years, or 42 months, he will turn on the nation of Israel that he has promised to defend, and begin to persecute them. Again, Revelation gives us the sordid, gruesome details of at least one half of the world population being massacred by him. And that is only the beginning. 

Daniel 9 describes it this way: “but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate.” The Temple worship of the Jewish nation will have been restored, but he will abruptly terminate it. And worse, this same “prince” will demand that the suspended worship of the Lord be transferred to him. This is the ultimate “abomination of desolation.” Remember, all false worship is directed to Satan. So worshiping the anti-Christ is worship of Satan. And it will take place in God’s Temple.  Finally, Lucifer’s aspirations of universal worship will seemingly come to pass.

This final seven year period of God’s plan will seem to have ended in disaster. But wait. We jumped part of the story. Remember the believers, the church that Jesus left to share His message of hope and forgiveness? They, and that includes you and me if you believe in Jesus, have been following instructions. Millions and even billions across the globe have believed in Jesus, the Messiah, and are carrying His message across the world. God’s plan for all the world to hear of His love and mercy is progressing. And now it really gets good.

Before this anti-guy comes to power, God’s messengers are going to be taken out of the world, in the same manner as Jesus ascended. This is called the Rapture. We will be with Him forever. But what about those left behind? God’s plan is perfect and universal, and will be complete.

Paul tells us of the removal or “snatching away” of believers in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. But are we going to leave the rest of the world to the devices of this false messiah? Absolutely not. Again Revelation tells us of a group of 144,000 Jewish believers (neat, huh? Full circle, back to the Jews.) They will carry this message to the unbelieving world. And literally millions and even billions, (again) will accept that and believe on Jesus.

But when will all of this happen? And, this, I believe is the coup de gras, to Satan. This final world ruler, who will be an absolute potentate, will not be able to come on the scene of the earth until the Holy Spirit gives him permission! Satan’s ultimate goal of “universal worship” has to say, “Mother may I?” (Or something like that.)

2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that this “man of sin,” the anti-Christ, the penultimate ruler of the world cannot be revealed until “He Who restrains is taken out of the way.” The anti-Christ cannot begin his seven year “term” until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world. And, the Holy Spirit lives in you and me, and all believers. When He “goes” guess who goes along? The Holy Spirit in us is like a hand in a glove. Where ever the hand goes, the glove goes. Since He has promised never to “take us off,” we will never be left alone. (Another Hallelujah is in order.)

So Satan’s grand plan and that of the anti-Christ must wait until God gives them permission, after the Rapture. After seven years of terrorism, this rebellious duo, along with all those who have rejected the True Messiah will gather near Jerusalem and attempt to destroy Israel, ultimately and completely nullifying God’s promise to Abraham. 

They will switch their focus to an attempt to overthrow Jesus, the Rider on the White Horse of Revelation 19 as He descends to defend Jerusalem. They will completely, and totally fail, with the false messiah being consigned to the Lake of Fire forever. That is the “complete destruction one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel) And as for Satan, he will be thrown into the bottomless pit for 1000 years. His role has one more scene to play.

Jesus’ total and complete victory will rid the earth of rebellion and disobedience,  the transgression, and usher in a time of His rule over the entire world, with David as His co-ruler. The end of Daniel’s 490 years results in the world-wide reign of Jesus. What a Christmas present.

VII. Epilog

This reign of Christ will last for 1000 years, the Millennium. Do you see any connections? First Abraham and his family will possess and rule the entire world. (Fulfilled prophecy) His son, David, and his descendent, Jesus, will rule a world with almost no rebellion or rejection. Close to ending the transgression. One step to go.

At the end of the 1000 years, Satan be released to deceive the inhabitants of the world one last time. And, true to form, some will follow him. Most, I believe, will not. This rebellious faction will be destroyed and Satan will also be thrown into the lake of fire for ever, with the  false messiah. There will be no more rejection, no more disobedience, nor rebellion (transgression), the prophecy of Israel’s future has been literally fulfilled, and there will be no more sin. It will be a perfectly righteous place. Daniel’s prophecy will be completely satisfied.

Revelation 21-22 wraps up the whole story with God and man living in perfect1 harmony and worship forever. This was God’s intention when, in Genesis 1, “God created the heavens and the earth.” And that summarizes the Story of the Bible from Gen to Rev. The point of the whole message is how God created mankind and now has redeemed us. We will live with Him forever, in heaven.

Adam and Eve were offered a substitute in the Garden, we are offered that same Substitute, Who will pay our sin debt and provide forgiveness and eternal life with God. His impending birth led people to anticipate His coming back in the first century. Simeon and Anna and the wise men, and a few others had  waited 453 years or so, for “Christmas,” to greet the coming Messiah. 

But we have a greater “coming” to anticipate. Jesus said, “If I go,” and He did, “He would come again.” It has been more than seventy sevens, and even about 2000 years, but He will come. I believe it is soon. We can anticipate His impending second coming, a “second Christmas,” if you please, just as fervently as the first. And we know just as surely as He came before, He will come again. Are you ready, as Anna and Simeon, the shepherds, and the wise men were? And this is a greater Christmas. Get ready.