Q&A: Daniel's Time Schedule

Received 2/13/15

Question:

I have been going through your books "Appointed" and "The Assyrian". I am so thankful for them. I really appreciate the consistency of the 4 installments in contrast to the 5. It helped me greatly when I studied out the time schedule. I always equated the 34 years of the gospel account and Rome with the 4th Beast instead of the 3rd. I have a lingering question that I cannot settle; that is, when Gabriel explains the breakdown of the 70 weeks (490 years) he gives the first two installments of time: seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks. I understand the 7 weeks (49 years) being that under the Medo-Persian Empire and King Cyrus decree for Israel to go back into the land and rebuild Jerusalem starting this time and I also understand the "threescore and two weeks" (62 weeks = 434years) to be with the 3rd Beast (Grecia & Grecia's 4 Head and Wings representing Grecia's Kingdom Divided (aka Rome); however, I don't understand why he says, "unto the Messiah the Prince"? It seems with this and :26 that "after threescore and two weeks Messiah shall be cut off" that they are speaking of roughly the same time. Or in other words, 483 years will transpire "unto the Messiah the Prince" and that "after" the 434 years "Messiah shall be cut off"? If 483 years should be "unto the Messiah the Prince" how would it be that it was talking about either His birth (after 400 years) or His ministry (430 years {Luke 3:23})? Or does "unto" simply indicate something else beside His arrival (birth) or His ministry? I see 434 taking place "unto the Messiah the Prince", but according to the 400 years (time of silence) and Him arriving around the 400th year not fitting, or His ministry starting at 430th year not fitting to the description of "unto"? Could you share your understanding? Could "the Messiah the Prince" be indicating the "antiChrist (Messiah)", the same "prince" referenced in :26, and the 3rd King of the North of Daniel 11? And the designation of "Messiah" alone, no "the Prince", refer to Jesus Christ and Him being "cut off", implying He must come before being "cut off"??? There is probably more I am not factoring in and was wondering if you could shed light on this? If you came across this when you had gone through it? Your conclusion?

Do you understand where I am coming from?

Also, how does Mark 1:15 play into this? What "time is fulfilled"? Any insight would be helpful?

Answer:

I do not believe "Messiah the Prince" is a reference to the Antichrist. It is in contrast to the other "prince" that shall come which does refer to the Antichrist and has been detailed in the previous visions of Daniel (the third king of the North, etc.). Simply put, there is a specific reason it says Messiah "the Prince". It is not a reference simply to the birth or life of the Messiah. It is a reference to a certain time in his ministry when he is formally presented to the nation in connection with the so-called "triumphal entry". Up until that time, he is simply preaching certain things as being "at hand", "shewing" the glad tidings of the kingdom and proving his legitimacy to rightfully claim the throne when the time comes. Before then, there are those who try to make him king but he consistently declares his "time" for that has "not yet come". Daniel's time schedule specifically concerns the city and temple. Other necessary prophetic things are accomplished during this time (silence, forerunner of the Messiah, life and ministry of the Messiah, etc.) but they do not change anything concerning the determined prophetic status of the city and temple. The clock ceases to tick in connection with this event involving the formal presentation of Christ as Messiah the Prince following the proofs of his ministry (Matt. 23:37-39; Luke 19:44). This event ends the third installment. It is "after" this time that Messiah fulfills the spring feasts and is "cut off". As a result of their rejection of "Messiah the Prince", the city and temple are then officially "left" for the coming "desolation" of Daniel's visions to occur within the remaining 70th week at the hands of the other prince. While there is a period of time to come before the 70th week in connection with the "iron" phase of the 4th installment and the "beginning of sorrows" (see Appointed & The Assyrian), the clock for the city and temple only begins to click again with a particular covenantal event involving the other prince formally beginning the seventieth week and the "iron/clay" phase of the 4th installment. It is "after" the seventieth week is over that Messiah will fulfill the fall feasts and establish the kingdom on earth (again, see Appointed & The Assyrian for the time schedule of the events of the Lord's day). As I detail in Appointed, The Assyrian and Behold, the 34 years are incredibly significant as they herald the arrival of the climactic stage in Israel's program, but they do not constitute a separate 4th installment in the visions of Daniel. Rather, they are part of the 3rd installment of 434 years. As indicated at the beginning of Mark, the "time is fulfilled" for him to begin a certain ministry (this is in relationship both to John's ministry and the events that must transpire in Daniel). Given where they are in Daniel's time schedule, and what must be prophetically involved in him being offered as "the Prince" and subsequently "cut off", certain calculations can be made concerning Messiah's life, calculations which are confirmed and made indisputable by the previous angelic birth announcements and actual ministries of John and Christ. The time for preaching certain things involving "the Prince" were now "at hand" (Mark 1:15; Luke 16:16), particularly in connection with the forerunner having been cast into prison. Hope this helps. Seated in heavenly places with Him, - DWB