LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
By G. H. Bell
LESSON XVII.—THE SEVENTY WEEKS.
1. How long, from the beginning of the 2300 days, were the Jews to remain the peculiar people of God? Dan. 9:24 2. What was to be accomplished during the seventy weeks? Same verse. 3. When was this first part of the 2300 days to commence? Verse 25. 4. How long was it to be, from the going forth of the commandment, to Messiah the Prince? Ibid. 5. Why are the sixty-nine weeks divided into two parts? 6. To what time in the Saviour’s life were the sixty-nine weeks to reach? 7. How do we arrive at this conclusion? 8. What scriptures throw light upon this point? 9. What was Christ to do during the seventieth week? Verse 27. 10. What was he to do in the midst of the week? 11. To what does this refer? 12. Why would the crucifixion of Christ cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease? 13. What is meant by the confirming of the covenant? 14. How could our Saviour confirm the covenant for one week since he was crucified in the midst of the week? 15. What event marked the termination of the seventy weeks? 16. By what special acts had the Jewish people filled up their measure of iniquity? 17. What is generally admitted in regard to the days of this prophecy? 18. Then how many years would the seventy weeks denote? 19. How is this conclusion made certain? 20. How many years were actually employed in restoring and building Jerusalem? 21. How many years was it from the completion of this work, to the baptism of our Saviour? 22. How long was the gospel preached exclusively to the Jews? 23. At what time in this week of years was the Saviour crucified? 24. At the end of the seventy weeks, what did the Lord direct the apostles to do? In Dan. 9:24, the angel tells the prophet what is to be accomplished during the first seventy weeks of the 2300 days. In the 25th verse he tells him when this long period of time is to commence,—at the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. He then tells him that from the going forth of this commandment, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks—sixty-nine weeks in all. The sixty-nine weeks are divided into two parts, because the first part, the seven weeks—literally forty-nine years—was to be employed in restoring and building Jerusalem. The word “Messiah” means anointed, and as the Saviour was anointed at his baptism, we conclude that the sixty-nine weeks were to reach to that time. John 1:41, margin. Read Acts 10:37, 38; Mark 1:10; Luke 4:18. In verse 27 we read that “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” This one week must be the seventieth week; for sixty-nine had passed at his baptism. In the midst of the week, he was to cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This refers to the crucifixion of our Lord; for, as all the sacrifices and oblations pointed forward to Christ, the great sacrifice, they would necessarily cease when he was offered. The confirming of the covenant means the preaching of the gospel of his kingdom. This he did by his own preaching for three and a half years (the first half of the week); and, after his death, by the preaching of his apostles, for the remaining three and a half years. Read Heb. 2:3. At the end of this time, which was at the termination of the seventy weeks, the Lord turned from the Jewish people, and commissioned Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews had filled up the measure of their iniquity; for not only had they crucified the Saviour, but the Jewish Sanhedrim had formally rejected him. They had just condemned Stephen and caused him to be put to death, although they could plainly see that the glory of God rested upon him. Thus it was that the first seventy weeks of the 2300 days were determined (cut off upon Daniel’s people). It is generally admitted that in this prophecy, as in others, a day stands for a year; so the 2300 days mean so many years, and the seventy weeks, 490 years. The fulfillment of the prophecy in regard to the events of the seventy weeks has made this conclusion certain. At the beginning of the period the commandment went forth; just 49 years were employed in restoring and building Jerusalem; just 434 years after this, the Saviour was baptized; then, for seven years (one week of years) the gospel of the kingdom was preached to the Jews; in the middle of this week of years the Lord was crucified; and at the end of the 490 years the apostles turned to the Gentiles and preached the gospel to them. The Jews were then no longer the peculiar people of God. G. H. BELL.