If I told you that I believed the 2^nd coming of Christ was going to take place next year because I heard several of today’s leading prophecy teachers (whom I respect) are making the claim – what would you think? What would you think if I further told you, that I could not verify their claims from the Bible but I believed them because they were really decent, smart, and sincere?

If I ever were to make such claims, I hope you’d have the good sense to be skeptical and instead of taking my word for it, make sure you search the Scriptures to “see if these things be so”.

Now I certainly don’t have any special insight about the return of Yeshua next year and I don’t know of any prophecy teacher making such claims. Inexplicably thought, most of today’s smart and sincere expositors of Daniel 9 and the 70 Sevens prophecy, expect you take their word (without Biblical evidence) for the starting point of the Bible’s countdown to the first coming of Christ.

Don’t believe me? Let me show you what I’m talking about. Most of you know or have heard of Thomas Ice, David Reagan, and Joel Richardson. By most standards, these men are well-spoken, smart, and sincere believers and teachers of the Bible’s prophetic word. Each one of them though, when it comes to Daniel 9 and the prophecy of 70 Sevens, instead of laying a sound Biblical chronological foundation for the starting point of the prophecy of 70 Sevens, simply ask you to take their word for it. Here take a look:

 

Thomas Ice

“Artaxerxes’ Decree
It is clear to me that of all the options available, the only decree that specifically fits the statements of Daniel 9:25 is the one by Artaxerxes given in 444 B.C. as recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8. Why? Because decree one and two relate to rebuilding the Temple.”
(Thomas Ice – The Seventy Weeks of Daniel – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

 

David Reagan

• • “445 B.C. — Artaxerxes issued a decree to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8).

On the surface, the third decree, the one issued to Nehemiah, seems to be the most obvious candidate for the starting date of the prophecy, for it is the only one that specifically relates to the rebuilding of the city. For that reason, most commentators have selected it as the beginning of the 70 weeks of years. ”
(David Reagan, Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

 

Joel Richardson

“The only position that literally fulfills the requirements of the passage seems to be the decree from Artaxerxes as recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8,17-18 given on March 5, 444 B.C….

1. 1. Only one decree matches or fulfills the Scriptural criterion of a decree issued specifically to rebuild the city.”
      (Joel Richardson, Daniel’s 70 Weeks: An Introduction – – For the full context of this quote please see the following Link)

Here is the trouble with the statements above. What the above well meaning authors fail to tell you is that there are at least two “Artaxerxes” mentioned in the Bible and at least three Persians who bear this throne name. Further complicating the issue is that word “Artaxerxes” originated as a Median administrative title which was then later used by Persian kings as a throne name. So even though Greek sources identify three Persian kings with the throne name of “Artaxexes”, the word may well have been used as an administrated title by Meads and Persians before it became a throne name taken by Artaxerxes I (Longimanus).

I find it Inexplicable that Mr. Ice, Mr. Reagan, and Mr. Richardson assert that Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) was the Persian king who gave a decree to “restore and build Jerusalem” in 444-445 BC, yet they  make absolutely no effort to apprise their readers of the critical facts which let them to this conclusion. They simply make this foundational statement without a single Biblical chronological reference to back them up. Collectively, these men represent nearly a century of accumulated Biblical knowledge, yet none of their writings to date (that I’m aware of) provide a single piece of evidence to back up the most important foundational claims they are making regarding Artaxerxes’ decree and the date 444-445 BC.

Think about that for a moment. This date (444-445 BC) is the fixing point of their calculations for the countdown to the coming of the Messiah. All three authors admit the importance of the starting point of the 70 Sevens (Terminus a Quo) to a proper interpretation of the 70 Sevens. Further, each of the authors also acknowledges the profound importance the prophecy of 70 Sevens has to our understanding of Yeshua’s first coming and our understanding of His second coming as well. Yet, each fails to build his interpretation upon a solid Biblical foundation, rather they all, in respect to this critical subject, defer to the opinion of their peers.

Why is that? Why are most of today’s leading prophecy teachers like Mr. Ice, Mr. Reagan, and Mr. Richardson loath to give you a solid Biblical chronological foundation for their Terminus a Quo of Daniel 9 and the prophecy of 70 Sevens?

I won’t speculate as to their motivations but what I will say is that each day, each month, and each year that goes by, that they do not address this important subject, it undermines their credibility and ultimately the credibility of the Bible’s most important prophetic utterance. The only prophecy, it’s important to note, that provides a specific and datable timeline for the coming of the Messiah Yeshua.

I encourage you to ask them why they haven’t provided the basic Biblical fact to back up their claims. I’ve personally asked two of these authors how they arrived at their conclusions regarding this critical 2^nd temple chronology of Ezra, Nehemiah, and their chronological relationship to the Biblical “Artaxerxes”. Neither could provide a single Biblical fact to back up their claims.

Do you want to know just how well your prophecy teacher understands the basic foundational chronology upon which they claim Artaxerxes Longimanus was the king who gave the commandment “to restore and build Jerusalem” of Daniel 9:25? Ask them to explain to you the following questions related to the 2^nd temple era of the Bible. If they can’t give you clear and reasonable answers then you know they really don’t have the depth of understanding necessary to make definitive claims about this important prophecy.  

Here are questions every prophecy teacher on Daniel 9 should have a grasp of in order to make any claim about the Terminus a Quo of Daniel 9:

• Who is the Artaxerxes of Ezra 4 and what does the chronology related to that king tell us about how the term is used in the Bible?
• What does the use of the Medio-Persian word Arta tell us about the use of Arta-xerxes in the Bible?
• Who was the Artaxerxes of Ezra 6 that gave a commandment to restore the rebuild the temple that was completed in the 6^th year of Darius?
• Explain the chronological transition from the temple completion in the 6^th year of Darius I to Ezra’s excursion to Jerusalem in the 7^th year of a Persian king known as “Artaxerxes”.
• How could Ezra still be alive in the 20^th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus when his father died in 19^th year of Nebuchadnezzar?
• How could the Priests and Levites who officiated in the days of Joshua and Zerubbabel be still alive in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus?
• Explain the 1^st and 2^nd generational relationship between the Priests and Levites of Nehemiah 10 and 12.
• Who is the Mordecai of Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, how is this man related to Esther and why is this important to understanding the chronology of the 2^nd temple era and the Persian king “Artaxerxes”?

The prophecy of 70 Sevens is the Bible’s definitive proof given to the Jewish people (and all mankind) to prove that Yeshua of Nazareth was the promised Redeemer of the Old Testament. I challenge you to carefully read Mr. Ice’s, Mr. Reagan’s, and Mr. Richardson’s papers on Daniel 9 and the 70 Sevens that I’ve linked in this article and see if you can find a single Biblical fact you can use to verify their claims that the Persian Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) in his 20^th year (444-445 BC) was the “Artaxerxes” who gave the dabar (word) to “restore” (return) and build Jerusalem” described in Daniel 9:25. If you cannot, then I encourage you to write and ask them to explain their position with real Biblical evidence not just the well-meaning opinions of their peers. I want to stress here that I believe all three of these men are sincere believers who have a passion for sharing the Bible’s prophetic words. That being said, their interpretation of this wonderful prophecy is an illustrative example of what happens when you don’t laid a solid Biblical foundation for your teachings and beliefs.

In Closing
I’ll leave you with a quote from each of these authors showing in their own words just how important this prophecy is to our Biblical world view. As you read their well-spoken words, ask yourself why, if this prophecy is as important as they say it is, didn’t take the time to establish it upon a rock-solid Biblical foundation as Yahweh, the living God of the Bible clearly intended? Also, ask yourself if they can’t provide you with verifiable Biblical facts related to their claims that Artaxerxes Longimanus gave the decree which began the Bible’s countdown to the Messiah, (no matter how well intentioned) what confidence can you place in their other conclusions about the prophecy, be it the 1st or 2^nd coming of Christ?

To My Peers
Mr. Ice, Mr. Reagan, and Mr. Richardson I sincerely hope you’ll take the criticisms expressed in this article in the spirit in which they are intended and use them to sharpen your exposition of this wonderful prophecy. Your unsupported assumptions regarding Artaxerxes Longimanus undermine the credibility of your claims about Yeshua and His fulfillment of the Bible’s most important prophecy. It is time for you and your peers to remedy this serious deficiency.

Thomas Ice

“One of the most important prophecy passages in the whole Bible is that of God’s prophecy given to Daniel in Daniel 9:24-27. This passage constitutes one of the most amazing prophecies in all the Bible. If worked out logically, this text is both seminal and determinative in the outworking of one’s understanding of Bible prophecy.”

Joel Richardson

“The prophecy of 70 weeks is one of the most critically important eschatological passages in the Bible, which the Church of the last days must properly interpret and understand.”

“F. Several critical issues are at stake in the proper interpretation of this passage.

1. 1. 1. 1. At stake is the recognition of the present-tense, ongoing election and calling of the Jewish people.
         2. At stake is the nature of this final future period of tribulation as necessary to accomplish all of the following specifically on behalf of Israel:
   2. 1. 1. 1. “To finish the transgression”
            2. “To make an end of sin”
            3. “To make atonement for iniquity”
            4. “To bring in everlasting righteousness”
            5. “To seal up vision and prophecy”
            6. “To anoint the most holy place”

         3. At stake is the Church’s recognition of the defining timing markers given to us by the Holy Spirit in Daniel and by Jesus personally.4.At stake is a proper understanding of the very nature of the Kingdom of God.”

David Reagan

“One of the most remarkable and important prophecies in the Bible is found in Daniel 9:24-27. It is the cornerstone of Messianic prophecy because it establishes the timing of both the First and Second Advents of the Messiah.”

Next Time – A WORD to rebuild Jerusalem
Yahweh willing next time I look at the assertions made by Mr. Reagan, Mr. Ice, and Mr. Richardson about the “commandment” of Daniel 9:25. This commandment they claim referred to “building Jerusalem” which they arbitrarily limit to the reconstruction of the city walls and other infrastructure. Each of these authors claims that only the decree of “Artaxerxes” in 444-445 BC qualifies as a command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and by their definition rebuilding the temple was not part of rebuilding Jerusalem. Is this an accurate point of view that can be supported from the Biblical record? I think you’ll be surprised at what the Biblical record reveals.

 And what about the divine “word” Yahweh the living God of the Bible gave to the Jewish people to “return” and build? A word witnessed by Zechariah, Haggai, and Ezra? Why is this central event of the 2^nd Temple era not even mentioned by Mr. Ice, Mr. Reagan, or Mr. Richardson, even though the “word” (dabar) of Yahweh is mentioned three other times in Daniel 9?

As we explore these important subject I think you’ll be surprised at how much the context of the 2^nd temple era illuminates the starting point of Daniel 9 and the “word” to restore and build Jerusalem.

Maranatha!

Further Food for Thought:
 Why would a prophetic passage so exquisitely designed by Yahweh be given such an uncertain starting point as proposed by the authors above? Here are just a few amazing facts about Daniel 9 that shows why it is the crowning prophetic passage of the Bible and why its Terminus a Quo deserves a better foundation than well meaning assumptions:

Daniel 9:23-27 consists of:

• 100 Hebrew words designed in a manner to showcase  the “7 sevens” (49) as the numerical center of the passage. In other words, Daniel 9:23-27 is 49+2+49 words. The two words sheba shebuw’ah in the numerical center of this passage themselves are an expression of 49.
• 100 Hebrew words consisting of 418 Hebrew letters designed to showcase the 10 letters that spell 7 sevens. These 10 letters are proceeded by 204 letters and 204 letters follow them. (204+10+204) In other words the 49 words that proceed the “7 sevens” in the numerical center of this passage, themselves consists of exactly 204 letters. The last 49 words of the passage also consist of 204 letters.
• The word Seven in the numerical center of Daniel 9:23-27 is proceed by 49 words.
• That same word Seven in verse 25 is the 13^th word of verse 25 and it also is proceeded by the 49 letters of verse 25.
• The Hebrew word “seven” in verse 25 is the 13 word of that verse. This word in Hebrew has the numerical value of 377. (13×29)
• The Biblical calendar used by the Jewish people for thousands of years is lunar/solar. This lunar solar calendar typically has 12 lunar month but once very three years it is reconciled by the intercalary 13^th month (13 x 29.53). If one were to calculate the 70 Sevens (490) units of time using this 13^th month as a basis, those 70 Sevens would be a equal to a period of 515.05 years. From for “word” (dabar) to restore and build Jerusalem given by Yahweh, the living God of the Bible in the 2^nd year of Darius as witnessed by Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra there it are precisely 515 years to the winter of 5 BC. By many conservative scholars calculations, 9 months later in the fall of 4 BC Yeshua of Nazareth was born. If the birth of Christ took place in the fall of 4 BC then his conception – that point when Yahweh’s Salvation – Yeshua – became flesh – would have taken place in the winter of  5 BC.
  

For a more detailed explanation of the incredible design of Daniel 9 please see my related article: The Numerical Structure of Daniel 9 and the Prophecy of 70 Sevens