Before I begin to explain the truth about Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy the reader should understand why I have one great advantage over most readers of Bible prophecy. I have taken advantage of the information age by using a customized digital calendar, the Elijah Calendar, that shows both Luna & solar cycles going foward or backward in years, months, days and even hours at a time. This unique calendar system is based on the Julian day number system which is a method of tracking time and still used by modern day astronomers. I have used this calendar for over ten years doing research on various aspects of time related to Bible prophecy. Shortly before Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples ask him "will you at this time restrore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus answered: " it's not for you to know the times or seasons which the father has put in His own authority." If it wasn't for them to know the times and seasons then it certainly must have been for us who currently live in the information age. We have access to vast amounts of information and yet most Christians have already been deceived believing God uses a prophetic calendar of 360 days per year with each month being 30 days in length. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. God uses the exact average length of both the Solar and Lunar years to measure time (Genesis 1:14)! The reason for such a great deception is because the average Christian is not familiar with the Lord's principles of time regarding prophecy. Among one of the most basic and important principles is the fact that there are very specific years in history that God does not count in His calendar of redemption. Isaiah 55:8 (KJV) succinctly puts it this way "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD)".

Daniel’s seventy-weeks prophecy outlines the time parameters that began and ended Israel’s seven year covenant with their Messiah. The two decrees issued by King Artaxerxes act as benchmarks in time that form an outline for both the solar & lunar aspects seen in the respective decrees, the first given to Ezra in 457 BC and the second given to Nehemiah in 445 BC. The separate aspects of the two decrees outline exactly when Jesus Christ fulfilled his covenant as Israel’s promised Messiah. The Messiah’s 7 year covenant with Israel likewise had 2 very specific aspects of time. Jesus Christ human ministry lasted for exactly 1260 days until his resurrection in the middle of Passover week in 31 AD. Then the Holy Spirit ministry of Israel’s Messiah lasted for exactly a time, times & half a time or 1278.3476 solar days (365.24219 x 3.5). The Messiah’s two distinct aspects of time comprising His seven year covenant with Israel are found in chapter twelve in the book of  Revelation.

Chapter 12 in the book of Revelation presents a symbolic word picture of Israel’s redemption that was promised through their Messiah. The birth of the male child obviously represents the birth and infancy of the Messiah, Jesus. It was King Herod who tried to kill Jesus when he slaughtered all infants under two years of age in Bethlehem and the surrounding districts. In verse five we read: She bore a male son who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her son (child) was caught up to God and His throne.The Greek dictionary word for son is # 5207 and it is often translated in this verse as child but the better translation is the word 'son'. It was the womans' grown son, who at about 30 years of age was caught up to God and His throne when Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River. It was the Holy Spirit who impregnated Mary the mother of Jesus and also continually cared for the safety of this peculiar 'son'. "Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there for 1,260 days". This specific period of time lasting 1,260 days was indeed the exact length of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus ministry started on the day of His baptism in the Jordan River by John the baptist. Jesus baptism was four days before the Feast of Trumpets in 27 AD. It was on the Feast of Trumpets when Jesus attended the wedding at Cana in Galilee and He worked His first miracle changing the water into wine. Jesus ministry ended after 1260 days when He arose from death on Nisan 16, in 31 AD (the Feast of First-fruits). In Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy God uses the sun and moon to fulfill the Messiah's seven year covenant via three calendar systems. Namely, God begins the solar calculation on the Feast of Trumpets in 457 BC after Ezra returned to Jerusalem. Ezra departed Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. Ezra's decree, the lengthiest, had provisions for restoring up to 100 talents of silver (the amount used for the foundation of Moses wilderness tabernacle). After settling in Jerusalem, Ezra and the returned remnant would not have been able to celebrate any of the LORDS' designated Feasts days until the first day of the seventh month, the Feast of Trumpets (now called Rosh Hashana). The Feast of Trumpets in 457 BC marks the restoration point mentioned in Daniel's 70-weeks prophecy. Verse 25 states: Daniel 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, (483 solar years), the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times." Although King Artaxerxes sent two decrees,the first with Ezra and the second with Nehemiah, in the eyes of God they are one decree that went forth to accomplish His purpose of restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. Ezra went first to restore and Nehemiah went second to rebuild Jerusalem. Although the Bible does not give the the exact day when Nehemiah departed Babylon and then returned to Jerusalem we get a general idea from the text in chapter two in the book of Nehemiah. In chapter two, when wine was given to the king, the resulting decree given by King Artaxerxes was given to Nehemiah in the month of Nisan. It seems reasonable that Nehemiah must have spent at least a couple weeks preparing to depart for the long journey to Jerusalem. I believe Nehemiah departed Babylon on the 24th day of the first month (Nisan 24). This 24th day of Nisan marked exactly 91 Hebrew calendar years after Daniel had his vision of the man in linen (Daniel chapter 10). Nehemiah was given an armed escort with letters detailing provisions that were to be granted by governors of the region. We also know from the text in the book of Nehemiah, after they arrived in Jerusalem and began building it took them 52 days to complete the wall. It was finished on the 25th day of Elul (the 6th month). This means Nehemiah had almost 3 months travel time on horseback to cover the 900 mile journey. This averages out to about 10 miles per day and was surely a reasonable amount of time to make that journey. After the wall was completed on Elul 25 all the people of Judah and Jerusalem gathered together on the first day of the seventh month as one man in the open square near the water gate. Ezra the scribe read the book of the Law of Moses before all the people. The people understood the words read to them and all wept but the leaders told them do not weep for 'this day is holy to the Lord'. Twelve years earlier the decree marking the solar aspects of Daniel's 70 weeks went forth with Ezra and in this present year (445 BC) Nehemiah arrived with the decree marking the Luna aspect of Daniel's 70-weeks prophecy. The Luna and solar years are independent of each other but together they form the third calendar system, the Jewish calendar. The summation of the three calendars looks like this: Exactly 483 solar years from the restoration point of Ezra's first decree starting at the Feast of Trumpets in 457 BC the Messiah of Israel appeared to the Jewish nation on Elul 27, Monday, September 13, in 27 AD exactly four days before the Feast of Trumpets. Measuring 490 Jewish calendar years from that same solar restoration point, Daniel's seventy weeks prophecy was fulfilled on the Feast of Trumpet in 34 AD. Measuring exactly 483 Luna calendar years from the rebuilding point starting on Nisan 24, the 24th day of the first month when Nehemiah departed Babylon for Jerusalem, 483 Luna calendar years expired on Kislev 24 (Nov. 11th in 24 AD). However, when one takes into account the 2300 days of defilement concerning Jerusalem and mentioned in Daniel chapte 8 it must be understood that God does not count these 2300 days in His Lunar calculation. Those 2300 days transpired between 170-164 BC during the reign of Antiochus IV. These days are uncounted because Jerusalem and its' temple was defiled for 2300 days and God does not count then in His calendar of redemption. By adding another 2300 days to the Nov. 24th endpoint it brings the calculation to February 28 in 31 AD, the final day of the Feast on Unleavened Bread (Nisan 21, Friday, February 28 in 31 AD). In the middle of the Feast of Unleavened in 31 AD Jesus appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion which happend on Nisan 14, Friday, February 21st in 31 AD. Jesus first appeared to them on Nisan 16, Sunday, the day of His resurrection and also later that same day at evening when the 17th day was to begin at sunset. He showed himself to the disciples in the locked room where they had gathered together on the third day after his crucifixion. Showing himself alive as the risen Lord, Jesus put an end to sacrifice and offering not only in the middle of the week of Unleavened Bread but it was also in the middle of the final seven years. The final seven Hebrew years was a period of 2540 days (86 months) lasting from the Feast of Trumpet in 27 AD until the Feast of Trumpets in 34 AD. Jesus was seen after His resurrection beginning on Sunday, Nisan 16, and he appeared to numerous believers over a 40 day period after the crucifixion. Nisan 16 happened to be day number 1256 from the Jewish calendar perspective. Therefore Jesus was seen from day 1256 - day 1295. The exact midpoint of the 2540 Hebrew calendar days comprising the final seven years was day number 1270. That very day fell within the 40 days Jesus was seen alive by those who believe. Not only did Jesus show himself alive in the middle of the seven year covenant week but it also happened to be in the middle of the seven thousand years of history. Jesus appeared on day four of mankinds seven thousand years of history covered in the Bible.

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