Tuesday: The 70 Weeks and the 2,300 Days
The word “determined” found in Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks are determined”, literally means, “Seventy weeks are cut off”. Although the word translated as “determined” is not used anywhere else in the Bible, it is found in Jewish literature, and it means “cutting off” from something longer. Since Daniel 8 presents the 2,300-years prophecy, whose starting point is not given in Daniel chapter 8, it logically follows that when the next chapter (Daniel chapter 9) talks about 490 years as “determined” or “cut off”, they can be “cut off” only from the 2,300 prophetic years mentioned in the previous chapter. After all, what else could this period be “cut off” from but another, and longer, time prophecy?
Read Daniel 8:1-27. What was the one part of the vision given that was not explained (see especially Dan. 8:14, Daniel 8:26-27)?
There are many reasons why the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 and the 2,300 evenings and mornings prophecy of Daniel 8:14 belong together: 1. both are time prophecies; 2. the specific terminology of “vision” and “understanding” links them (see Dan. 8:26-27 and Daniel 9:23); 3. both interpretations of the prophecies were given by Gabriel (see Dan. 8:16 and Daniel 9:21); 4. the only part of the vision not explained in Daniel chapter 8 was the vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings (sometimes translated as “days”) in Daniel 8:14; 5. Daniel chapter 8 contains the vision and then a partial interpretation of it, while Daniel chapter 9 has an interpretation only, in this case the interpretation of the only part of Daniel chapter 8 not interpreted — which was the 2,300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14, the one part of the vision that Daniel had not understood (see Dan. 8:27).
The information given to us in Ezra fills in the missing pieces of the prophecy’s predictions in the book of Daniel, namely, when to begin historically to count the prophetic time regarding crucial aspects of Christ’s ministry and work on our behalf.
Image © Pacific Press
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2300 day prophecy in the time of Daniel
Captured, persecuted in a foreign land, Daniel receives the vision the sanctuary will be cleansed after 2300 days.
He knew from the prophecies of Jeremiah it was 70 years the restoration of Jerusalem will take place.
Daniel faints at the thought the restoration would not be made until 2300 years.
He fasts, prays and pleads God for restoration of Israel.
Angel Gabriel is sent to give interpretation to Daniel.
Human mind cannot comprehend time prophecy of God.
Therefore, Daniel is told to seal the book.
Only after 1844 the true interpretation of the book of Daniel is given to the people.
The restoration of the sanctuary message and the immutability of the law of God was revealed unto the people.
In spite of who we are God is working according to his prophetic clock to restore this earth back to Eden.
Interesting, how Ezra helps us understand Daniel's vision. It shows we need to read the whole Bible to get the full message. If a passage is puzzling put it in your sub conscious and carry on studying and at the right time the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place. Another lesson we learn is that studying the OT helps us understand the NT. The LORD in Isaiah calls Cyrus His Messiah or anointed one, an antitype of Jesus. Daniel and Ezra help us understand that the LORD has short term plans and long term plans for His people!
Thanks for your point. But I believe that Cyrus was a type. Jesus is the antitype.
Oops, thanks for the correction.
On the schema it is written in year 27BC, baptism of Jesus (Daniel 9:25). Could this be a mistake? How could Jesus be baptised before He was even born? Did you want to write "AD", since the next sequence is AD31 the Crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was born within the 69 prophetic weeks. I have another question why are the 69 weeks divided into "7" and "62" weeks? Thanks in advance for your response.
It is a mistake and I think it must be in the original lesson. I have not got a paper copy of the lesson to check - I have not used the paper one for over twenty years.
Thank you Maurice for the first pat of the question .
Does anyone know why are the 69 weeks divided part of "7" and "62" weeks?
Daniel 9:25 ...7 weeks .....3 score and two weeks= 62 weeks ....
Hi, I know it's very late but i want to address this question, peradventure someone come across this thread
The first 7 weeks in the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 pertains to the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25); from the completion of the rebuilding, 62 weeks to the Messiah, the baptism if Jesus. The remaining 1 week out of the 70 weeks covers the ministry of Jesus on earth and ultimately end of Israel being God's chosen nation. I hope this helps. God bless everyone.
The 2300 days is quite a remarkable figure that accurately explains out the messianic ministry on matters of salvation and apocalyptic prophecies. Students of prophecy and Bible scholars have worked about this figure guided by Holy Spirit and in unison the common denominator of their research about it is 'Jesus has won'. I would wish to know the following phenomena about this figure :
1. Does this figure only apply in Adventism?
2.How applicable is the figure to the other faiths? If yes/no,how do they relate or show their response to it?
3.Is this figure just like any other number in mathematics?
4.What effect has a number on your spiritual being? Has it any weight on your spiritual compass?
5.Does God respect figures/numbers? If so, What is in a number that He has to give it much weight that makes a subject of globo-religional discussion?
A voice of concern please, let's reason up here.
Thank you for this week's lesson, so interesting, happy Sabbath
We are richly blessed by this lesson
Simeon’s list of questions should be a required preface to every study on Daniel 8:14 and 9:24-27!
And Yes, there is a myriad of affirmative answers for the questions of relevance, spirituality, God’s use of numbers, and the connectivity (beyond Adventist) of John 3:16 with Daniel 8 and 9.
My Sabbath School forum asked these questions of us, in a survey format, and I wish to post them here to see how many people can respond to them for our research.
1. Did you know that the published calendars of 1844 show the DOA (Day of Atonement) as on Sept. 23rd instead of our SDA tradition of October 22nd?
2. Did you know that the Karite Jews kept, in tandem with the Rabbinic Jews, Sept. 23, 1844, as the DOA, instead of October 22nd?
3. Can you positively defend the October 22nd 1844 date, as the termination of the 2,300 days, based on what you've learnt from This Week's (Tuesday's) SS Lesson?
4. Did you learn anything new about the 2,300-day prophecy in this week's lesson, that you had not known before?
5. How long have you been a Seventh-day Adventist?
Is the timeline correct? It says BC27 shouldn’t it be 27AD?
Yes you are correct. I wonder how long Pacific Press has has that one in stock!
This lesson has come to us at the appropriate time when the realms of sin are moving with speed before Adventism. And the pioneers put their explanations because of the amount of light shown at their time, but cutting basic thread is faithfulness to our God. Time is running out very fast and it is time we decided to stuck to Jehova God.The 70 weeks has 4 entries :- 1 Building of Jerusalem, 2 Persecution and the confirmation of the Messiah,3 Christ crucified,and 4 Stoning of Steven.
Please I need the full teachings/the Notes on the the Daniels 70 weeks and 2300days/years prophecy.
Am Senior Master Guide
Quansah Anthony from diamondfield conference
The lesson study series for the 3rd Quarter 2006 may answer your request. These lessons are archived and may be found here:
https://ssnet.org/study-guides/lesson-archives/2000-2009/#a2006
I'm going to revise (teach) this on coming Sabbath May 6, 2023 at New Life SDA Church, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra. You're invited and you will fully understand. Notes will not help because it contains a lot texts for explanation. Come and by God's grace everyone will understand this Daniel's 70 weeks and 2300days/years prophecy for you to make your own notes.
Thank you.
Hello,
As I read, the decree to rebuild the temple is not in Ezra 7:1-24 but rather starts in chapter 3 through chapter 6. Chapter 7 is when Artaxerxes tells Ezra that he can go back to Jerusalem to worship. Please, clarify. Thank you.
Hi, Tomas. The pertinent prophecy is Daniel 9:25 which speaks, not about the decree to rebuild the temple, but "the command to restore and build Jerusalem." This is found in Ezra 7:12-26.
In Ezra 7:13-24, we see the king commanding that everything needed for the worship of Jehovah, in His temple -- including the return of "the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God" -- is to be supplied. And thus the function of the temple is now to be fully restored.
In Ezra 7:25-26, we have the command to "set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people..." And so the Jews are restored to self-rule. Jerusalem is to be, once again, the capital city of a civil state.
Prior to this decree, it seems that only the rebuilding of the temple was commanded. But now Jerusalem itself is to be restored and built up as the centre of the worship of Jehovah, and as a capital.
I hope this helps.
Hi. I am Juline from Kenya. I would like to request an evidence from the Bible or the spirit of prophecy that shows that the 490 days prophecy and the 2300 days prophecy originate from the same point, and also why was it is necessary for the heavenly sanctuary to be cleansed. Thank you.
Hi, Juline. I believe you will find all of that in Chapter 28 of The Great Controversy, "Facing Life's Record," by Ellen G. White.
Have a blessed day!
Chibwabwa Elberstain Mubika from copperbelt Zambia conference. Thank you so much for bringing out powerful insights