mcclainseventyweeks - 1 - introduction

8/14/2019 Mcclainseventyweeks - 1 - Introduction

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mcclainseventyweeks-1-introduction 1/7

Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1940



CONTNT!

Par" #

The First Sixty-nine Weeks andThe Coming of the Messianic Prince

Par" ##

The Parenthesis of Time Between theSixty-ninth and Seventieth Weeks

Par" ###

The Seventieth Week andThe Coming of the Roman Prince



Ao!t the Time of the "nd# a ody of men wi$$ e raised!% who wi$$ t!rn their attention to the Pro%hecies# andinsist !%on their $itera$ inter%retation# in the midst ofm!ch c$amor and o%%osition&

!#R #!$$C N%TON



#NTRO&'CT#ON

The ver( brie) bu" )a*ous prophe+( o) "he !even"( %ees, re+orded in &an-9:.4/., has ala(s been a )o+us o) in"eres" "o in"erpre"ers o) "he %ord,regardless o) "heir "heologi+al bias- 2u" "oda( *ore "han ever, in "he )a+eo) signi)i+an" "enden+ies bo"h in "he orld and "he pro)essing +hur+h, "hepassage is a""ra+"ing )resh a""en"ion, espe+iall( )ro* "hose ho s"ill believein "he reali"( o) 3predi+"ive prophe+(-3 Probabl( no single prophe"i+u""eran+e is *ore +ru+ial in "he )ields o) 2ibli+al #n"erpre"a"ion, $pologe"i+s,and s+ha"olog(-

#n "he )irs" pla+e, "he prophe+( o) "he !even"( %ees has an immenseevidentia$ va$!e as a witness to the tr!th of Scri%t!re& Tha" par" o) "heprophe+( rela"ing "o "he )irs" si"(/nine ees has alread( been a++ura"el()ul)illed 5as # epe+" "o sho6, and in "his re*arable )ul)il*en" e have anunanserable argu*en" )or "he divine inspira"ion o) "he 2ible- #" is, in )a+",no"hing less "han a *a"he*a"i+al de*ons"ra"ion- 7or onl( an o*nis+ien"God +ould have )ore"old over )ive hundred (ears in advan+e "he ver( da( onhi+h "he 8essiah ould ride in"o erusale* and presen" Hi*sel) as "he3Prin+e3 o) #srael- e" "his is pre+isel( ha" has been done in "he prophe+(o) "he !even"( %ees-

$gain, "his grea" prophe+( is the im%regna$e rock !%on which a$$nat!ra$istic theories of %ro%hecy are shattered& These "heories den( "hepossibili"( o) an( 3predi+"ive ele*en"3 in prophe+(- $nd sin+e "he 2oo o)&aniel did )ore+as" *an( ell a""es"ed his"ori+ even"s, "he +ri"i+s have

sough" "o save "heir "heories b( den(ing "o &aniel "he au"horship o) "heboo and *oving i"s da"e don "o a poin" subse;uen" "o "he even"sdes+ribed, "hus *aing "he unnon au"hor a *ere his"orian hopre"ended "o be a prophe"- #n "his ra"her eas( and su**ar( )ashion, "he(hoped "o ge" rid o) "he "roubleso*e spe+"er o) 3predi+"ive prophe+(-3 2u"no +ri"i+ has ever dared "o sugges" a da"e )or "he 2oo o) &aniel as la"e as"he bir"h o) our <ord- e" &aniel=s prophe+( o) "he !even"( %ees predi+"s"o "he ver( da( Chris"=s appearan+e as "he 3Prin+e3 o) #srael- There)ore,hen "he +ri"i+s have done "heir ors", no *a""er here "he( pla+e "he da"eo) "he boo, "he grea"es" "i*e/prophe+( o) "he 2ible is le)" un"ou+hed- $nd

on "his prophe+(, "he hole +ase o) "he +ri"i+s goes "o pie+es- 7or i) even so*u+h as one predi+"ive prophe+( is es"ablished, "here re*ains no valid apriori reason )or den(ing "he o"hers-

7inall(, i"h re)eren+e "o i"s i*por"an+e, # a* +onvin+ed "ha" in "hepredi+"ions o) "he !even"( %ees, e have the indis%ensa$e chrono$ogica$key to a$$ 'ew Testament %ro%hecy& Our <ord=s grea" prophe"i+al dis+oursere+orded in 8a""he and 8ar )ies "he "i*e o) #srael=s )inal and grea"es"



"rouble de)ini"el( i"hin "he da(s o) "he !even"ie"h %ee o) &aniel=sprophe+( 5&an- 9:.> 8a""- .4:1?/..> 8ar 1@:14/.06- $nd "he grea"er par"o) "he 2oo o) Revela"ion is si*pl( an epansion o) &aniel=s prophe+( i"hin"he +hronologi+al )ra*eor as ou"lined b( "he sa*e !even"ie"h %ee,hi+h is divided in"o "o e;ual periods, ea+h e"ending )or 1.A0 da(s, or4. *on"hs, or @ 1B. (ears 5Rev- 11:./@> 1.:A, 14> 1@:?6- There)ore, apar"

)ro* an unders"anding o) "he de"ails o) "he !even"( %ees o) &aniel, alla""e*p"s "o in"erpre" Ne Tes"a*en" prophe+( *us" )ail in large *easure-

This poin" ill be dis+ussed )ull( in Par"s ## and ###-

The prophe+( o) "he !even"( %ees as given "o &aniel under+ir+u*s"an+es hi+h ere *os" re*arable- &aniel and his people hadbeen +arried aa( +ap"ive in"o "he land o) 2ab(lon- The ar*ies o)Nebu+hadnear had u""erl( desola"ed "he +i"( o) erusale* 5## Chron-@A:1/.16- $++ording "o an earlier prophe+( u""ered b( ere*iah, "hese3desola"ions3 ere "o las" )or a period o) seven"( (ears 5er- .?:116- The

nin"h +hap"er o) &aniel opens i"h a re)eren+e "o "his ver( prophe+( 59:1/.6- The prophe" &aniel, no a *an gron old in "he servi+e and +our"s o) "he2ab(lonian ings, unders"ands )ro* his s"ud( o) "he 32oos3 "ha" "he periodo) divine Dudg*en" *us" be nearing i"s +lose> and he pra(s "o "he God o)#srael )or ligh" as "o "he )u"ure o) his 3+i"(3 and his 3people3 59:@/196- #" is a*arvelous pra(er, bu" un)inished> )or hile "he pe"i"ioner 3as speaing inpra(er3 an angeli+ *essenger +a*e i"h "he anser o) God 5.1/.@6- $ndsin+e "he divine repl( +on"ains a predi+"ion o) "he 7irs" $dven" o) Chris", i" isholl( appropria"e "ha" "he *essenger should have been Gabriel, "he sa*eangel ho several hundred (ears la"er ould announ+e His bir"h o) "he

Eirgin 8ar( 5<ue 1:.A6- Thus i" as "he angel, no" &aniel, ho )irs" u""ered"he grea" prophe+( o) "he !even"( %ees- The passage appears as )ollosin "he Co**on Eersion, i"h "he e+ep"ion o) a )e +hanges sele+"ed )ro*"he $*eri+an !"andard Revised Eersion and indi+a"ed b( bra+e"s:

.4- !even"( ees are de"er*ined upon "h( people and upon "h( hol(+i"(, "o )inish "he "ransgression, and "o *ae an end o) sins, and "o*ae re+on+ilia"ion )or ini;ui"(, and "o bring in everlas"ingrigh"eousness, and "o seal up "he vision and prophe+(, and "o anoin""he *os" Hol(-

.?- Fno "here)ore and unders"and, "ha" )ro* "he going )or"h o) "he+o**and*en" "o res"ore and "o build erusale* un"o "he 8essiah "hePrin+e shall be seven ees, and "hrees+ore and "o ees: "he s"ree"shall be buil" again, and "he all, even in "roublous "i*es-

.A- $nd a)"er "he "hrees+ore and "o ees shall 8essiah be +u" o)),and shall have no"hing: and "he people o) "he prin+e "ha" shall +o*e



shall des"ro( "he +i"( and "he san+"uar(> and "he end "hereo) shall bei"h a )lood, and even un"o "he end shall be ar> desola"ions arede"er*ined-

.- $nd he shall *ae a )ir* +ovenan" i"h *an( )or one ee: andin "he *ids" o) "he ee he shall +ause "he sa+ri)i+e and "he obla"ion

"o +ease> and upon "he ing o) abo*ina"ions shall +o*e one "ha"*ae"h desola"e> and even un"o "he )ull end, and "ha" de"er*ined,shall ra"h be poured ou" upon "he desola"e-

%i"h "he prophe+( no be)ore us, e shall begin "he s"ud( i"h a +are)ulanal(sis o) i"s *ain )ea"ures- 2e+ause o) "heir i*por"an+e, and as an aid "o"he in"erpre"a"ion o) "he passage, "he reader should no"e +are)ull( and eepin *ind "he )olloing poin"s:

1- The en"ire prophe+( has "o do i"h &aniel=s 3people3 and &aniel=s 3+i"(,3

"ha" is, "he na"ion o) (srae$ and "he +i"( o) )er!sa$em 5.46-

.- To di))eren" prin+es are *en"ioned, ho should no" be +on)used: "he)irs" is na*ed Messiah the Prince 5.?6> and "he se+ond is des+ribed as thePrince that sha$$ come 5.A6-

@- The en"ire "i*e/period involved is ea+"l( spe+i)ied as Seventy Weeks 5.46> and "hese !even"( %ees are )ur"her divided in"o "hree lesser periods:)irs", a period o) seven weeks> a)"er "ha" a period o) threescore and twoweeks> and )inall(, a period o) one week 5.?, .6-

4- The beginning o) "he hole period o) "he !even"( %ees is de)ini"el()ied a" *the going forth of the commandment to restore and to !i$d

)er!sa$em* 5.?6-

?- The end o) "he seven weeks and threescore and two weeks 5A9 ees6ill be *ared b( "he a%%earance of Messiah as the *Prince* of (srae$ 5.?6-

A- $" a la"er "i*e, 3a)"er "he "hrees+ore and "o ees3 hi+h )ollo "he)irs" seven ees 5"ha" is, a)"er A9 ees6, Messiah the Prince wi$$ e *c!t

off#* and )er!sa$em wi$$ again e destroyed b( "he people o) ano"her3prin+e3 ho is (e" "o +o*e 5.A6-

- $)"er "hese "o i*por"an" even"s, e +o*e "o "he las", or !even"ie"h%ee, "he beginning o) hi+h ill be +learl( *ared b( "he es"ablish*en" o)a firm covenant or "rea"( be"een "he Co*ing Prin+e and "he eish na"ion)or a period o) 3one ee3 5.6-



I- #n "he 3*ids"3 o) "his !even"ie"h %ee, eviden"l( breaing his "rea"(, "he+o*ing prin+e ill suddenl( ca!se the )ewish sacrifice to cease andpre+ipi"a"e upon "his people a "i*e o) ra"h and desola"ion las"ing "o "he3)ull end3 o) "he %ee 5.6-

9- %i"h "he )ull +o*ple"ion o) "he hole period o) "he !even"( %ees, "here

ill be ushered in a time of great and !n%ara$$e$ed $essings for the nationof (srae$ 5.46-

mcclainseventyweeks - 1 - introduction

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