Robert Rite (8/16/2015): Many do not know that the Old Testament provides several prophecies that clearly identify Jesus Christ as Messiah. One of the most important of these prophecies is found in the book of Daniel. Daniel was a Jewish prophet who as a young lad was taken captive to Babylon, after Israel was captured by the Babylonians. 
In reading the book of Jeremiah, Daniel understood that Israel would undergo 70 years in Babylonian captivity before they would be allowed to return to their land (Jeremiah 29:10).
Daniel prayed fervently, making intercession on behalf of his people for their past sins, admonishing the Lord to allow his people to return to their land. God heard his prayer, and sent the angel Gabriel to reveal to Daniel one of the most important prophecies of all ancient scriptures.
In Dan. 9:21-23 the angel Gabriel appeared before Daniel to explain that the prophecy in Jeremiah 29:10 was much grander than just about the restoration of the Jews back to Israel! Gabriel is about to give Daniel one of the most important prophecies for mankind. Lets read the prophecy:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;” Dan. 9:25-26a
The key to unlocking this prophecy is to understand that the 70 weeks referred to here are weeks of years whereby each day is a year. Given this secret, we take the 70 weeks and break it down in the following three steps:
Step 1) 70 weeks consists of 490 days (of years).
Step 2) the 490 days are 490 years.
Step 3) the prophecy is divided in two. The first part is 483 years (the first 69 weeks) and the last part is 7 years (the last week) which is the last seven years of this age; also referred to as the apocalypse.
In this report, we will focus on the first part of the prophecy – the 483 years.
Daniel 9:26 reveals that after the 483 years the Messiah is cutoff (killed). So another key is to know when the 483 years begin. Once we know that we can determine when the Messiah is killed, and just as important – who He is!
The bible record backed by history makes this easy as we continue with step 4:
Step 4) The seventy week prophecy begins with the command of King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1; Da. 9:25).
Step 5) A Hebrew year is 360 days, and all prophecies are based on the 360 day Hebrew calendar.
Step 6) 483 years (step 3 above) at 360 day years is 173,880 days.
Step 7) when we add 173,880 days to 445 B.C. we arrive at Palm Sunday – April 6th, 32 AD. This is the exact date that Jesus Christ appeared on Palm Sunday in Jerusalem riding on a donkey (John 12:14-15; Zech. 9:9)!
April 6th, 32 AD was the exact moment when Jesus was anointed as the most high; 4 days before He would be cutoff as Daniel 9:26 foretold. In that day a great multitude gathered as Jesus made His way into the holy city, Jerusalem. The multitude were waving palm branches and shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; the King of Israel!”
The crowd was confirming Jesus Christ as their Messiah; and unknowingly fulfilling the anointing of the most high as foretold in Daniel 9:24!
There is no real debate among conservative interpreters as to who is spoken of by the phrase “the Messiah will be cut off” (Dan. 9:26), as a revelation of the crucifixion of Christ, which occurred four days after Jesus triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus would be crucified after completion of the seven and 62nd week (the 63rd week). Interesting that from the day Jesus was announced as Messiah till the day of his Resurrection we have seven days; God confirms fulfillments in Sevens!
The last week of the seventy week prophecy is the seven year apocalypse at the very end of this age. So there is a huge gap of almost 2000 years. Why this huge gap in time? I believe it is to allow time for the gospel to reach all the nations and for the fullness of the saints to be reached (the full number of saved souls to be reached before the end of days). This could not have happened until the time that we live in today, whereby information and knowledge, including the gospels, is readily available through numerous venues such as television, radio, cable, smart phones, pads, tablets, satellite and of course the internet.
Now we wait for the last week; the last seven years of this age before the second coming of the Messiah. As revealed in Revelation 19:10 the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy. I trust that this report has helped unlock or clarify for you one of the most important biblical prophecies for our age.
If you found this information valuable you may want to grab a copy of Robert Rite’s book: “100 Proofs that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God”
