11 Responses

1. Joel,

   This is a great set of notes. As to the literalness of the 490 years, I also think it’s important to remember that there had been an earlier period of 490 years of disobedience. The people’s failure to let the land have its Sabbaths every 7 years over a 490-year period is what resulted in the 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Gabriel comes to Daniel announcing that God is graciously giving the people another 490-year period in which to accomplish those things, yet this time not in their own strength and obedience but through that of Messiah. All of that of course militates in favor of the literalness of the new set of 490 years.

   This is a possible explanation of the use of the number 490 (70 x 7) in Jesus’ own teaching on forgiveness. Any Jewish person who heard His teaching and who was reasonably well-educated in the Word would have been taken back in his mind to the one place in the OT where the 490 years was prominent. The meaning of the number in the NT is therefore that we forgive and give grace as God has first demonstrated by granting 490 more years to Israel and helping them to accomplish their sacred mission after they failed in the first attempt.

2. I was hoping you would upload this. Thank you!

   Also – I ordered Antichrist/Mideast Beast bundle from your store a few days ago, and I just want to check that the order went through properly. Can you let me know that you received it?

   Thanks Joel,

   Shawn

3. Righto Nick. Thanks as always.

4. A wonderful resource Joel. Great comments by Reggie.

   Lev 26 references 4 490 year periods of 70 x 7. Obviously 490 years is an important time period for God. How do you interpret this passage from Leviticus? I look at the 1960 year period (490 x 4)as possibly the punishment period for Israel for their rejection of Messiah. 70 AD plus 1960 years places the end of the punishment and rejection of Messiah at 2029-30. If correct this would be a second scriptural witness to this date, Hosea 6:2 being the other.

   Placing this conjecture about dates aside, what are your thoughts about connections between Daniel 9 and Leviticus 26 if any?

5. Joel,

   Your notes have answered my previous question to you re your timeline understanding of the End Time events.

   Nick, when Jesus said that a brother should forgive his brother 490 times, what he was saying that as his brother had received forgiveness for his sins yearly, that after 490 years, Christ’s brothers through, the descendants of Jacob, would no long be able to receive forgiveness yearly for their sins in the manner that they were accustomed to. Jesus was telling the nation of Israel that Daniel 9:24 was in vogue as he spoke, “to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity.” It was for this reason that the Temple was later destroyed and it is my view that it will not be rebuilt because the Israelite nation will not have the necessary means to complete the task. Jesus told us this in a parable in Luke. He also said that Israel will see Him afar off and that they will seek His terms for peace when he is actually defending Israel against those who are on their way to Jerusalem to decimate them as a nation. Jesus in this parable also gave no indication that he was going to be around when they accept his terms of peace.

   Also IMHO, Daniel 2, gives no indication that an “Earthly King” will be required when the Messianic Kingdom is established at the end of the statue prophecy.

   Shalom

   Tom Ross.

6. Tom,

   about Jesus’ comments about forgiveness and 490 years, yes this seems reasonable. I have always considered this gospel account to be an indication that temple sacrifices will begin again in the last 7 years of the 490, re-enforcing the other passages that say the Antichrist will stop the sacrifices.

   Joel,

   In regard to sacrifices beginning again, is a temple necessary or could a Tent of Meeting be set up and sacrifices begin without a reconstructed temple? If this is possible, the reinstitution of sacrifices could take the Church by surprise and without warning launch the final 7 years.

   By the way, in all this academic discussion we are missing some of Reggie’s most insightful comments about the role of the Church coming to the aid of the Jewish community to protect them. The Church is asleep and without oil for our lamps. From what I see we (the Church) are not prepared for what lies ahead. Let us all pray for wisdom for the evil day is fast approaching.

   Jim

7. Jim,

   Bingo. All of my (mildly) academic discussion is entirely because of the applicational, practical issues related to this text. And I think Reggie captured that perfectly. The reason I am so committed to this issue is because of the application of standing with Jacob in the time of her coming trouble. It is an issue that will confront all of us in the days to come when the Lord Himself tests the earth through their reaction to the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

   I believe that there will be an actual Temple. Why? Because the Bible repeatedly uses literal language of a temple and not merely a tent etc.

   Blessings!

8. William,

   Have you read Tim Warner’s rather recent treatment of treatment of Daniel’s 70 weeks?

   http://www.answersinrevelation.org/chronology/70weeks.pdf

   Thanks. Regarding the dialogue between Joel and William, I did not perceive William’s tone to be condescending, but I also recognize Joel’s point about the guts of the issue. Even if they don’t see eye to eye on the specific implications of the true commencement of the the 70th week, I think the dialogue can lend itself to good brotherly sharpening.

9. For Tom Ross –

   I see the point you are trying to make, but Jesus’ teaching on 490 times is, in my opinion, something meant to summon us to personally forgive the way God forgives: many times over, freely, and even helping the person to do better. That’s how He forgave Israel in the matter of the 490 years of disobedience.

   Note also that Israel would not ever have 490 more years of sacrifices before the sacrifice of Christ. There will not be another 7 years of sacrifices, since they will not run the entire 70th Week, and many also consider them not to begin until some time after the start of that Week.

10. Joel,

    As always, a valuable and in-depth study. Thanks for posting these notes. If you are interested, I have an article on my blog regarding the timing and fulfillment of the first 69 weeks. It is based on my own years of study and research. I have not read the Harold W. Hoehner article but it sounds like my conclusions are similar to his. My article makes doing the math to prove the timeline of the first 69 weeks understandable, even for those (like myself) who are rather math-challenged!

    http://theissacharmandate.com/?p=239

    Blessings,

    Greg

11. Joel, What happens in the first 7 weeks? Is that the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem?
    Why are these first 7 weeks selected from the other 62?