Was Jesus The Promised Messiah? Daniel 9

One of the most interesting and conclusive prophecies about Jesus Christ comes to us from the prophet, Daniel. A prisoner of the Babylonians first, and then the Persians, when they conquered Babylon, Daniel found himself in the service of several kings. During this time, he received a variety of visions from God including one on the future of his people, the Jews.
Daniel 9:24-27

From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler comes, there will be seven “sevens” and sixty two “sevens” (69 sevens) It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two sevens (or after the 69 weeks of years) the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven, but in the middle of that seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And one who causes desolation will place abominations on a wing of the temple until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Predictions;

1) The Jews will be granted permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Artaxerxes 444 BC).

2) 483 years after the decree, (69 x 7) the Christ will make Himself known to Israel (33 AD).

3) A Prediction that the Christ will be killed or “cut off.” (See Isaiah 53:8 which clearly defines the phrase, “cut off.”)

4) A prediction that the city of Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed (70 AD Prince Titus and the Roman legion).

5) A prediction of a postponed period of time, the last “seven” in which the Beast, or son of perdition, (Antichrist) will invade a future temple for 3 1/2 years (II Thess. 2:3-4 Rev. 13, Matt 24, Daniel 11:31, 12:11). This event is commonly called “the abomination of desolation.”

Definitions:

1) A week or “seven” in Hebrew thought refers to any period of seven, for instance, seven days, seven months or possibly seven years. The word Shebua was used earlier by Daniel in 10:2-3 where the phrase reads “three units of seven days.” Daniel evidently added the word days to let his readers know which type of seven he was referring to and we would assume that the word days might have been added in Chapter 9 if that is what Daniel meant. Most likely, he assumed that periods of seven years were understood by his readers. If this prophecy is worked out with weeks of days, weeks of months or even weeks of weeks, it is a false, unfulfilled prophecy. But, with weeks of years, it works out by an amazing coincidence, to the very day Jesus rode into Jerusalem! This fact, along with the acceptable possibility of the reference to years settles the question.

2) Years:

The years that Daniel referred to were Hebrew years, 12 months of 30 days each.

1)This was the length in Gen. 7:11, 8:3-4

2) John, in the New Testament, speaking of the last half of the last week counts up 1,260 days (Rev. 12:6). This calculation is also found in 11:2-3 along with the term 42 months. So the forty -two months equal 1,260 days which equals the half week in Dan. 9:27 and the “time, times and a half time” in Daniel 12:7 which we already established as being a cross reference of the abomination of desolation.

3) Some of the records of Egypt, India, Assyria, Babylon and Greece use this type of calendar (Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 edition, Calendar, (IV III V VI VIII)

3) Decree: The only decree which works out is one which is acceptable for it certainly gave the Jews permission to return to their land and rebuild their city. Permission had already been given to rebuild the sanctuary. The decree is spoken of in Nehemiah 2:1-8. The decree was on Nisan 1 or March 5, 444 BC.

To calculate this calendar, we would have to have to know the day and year of Christ’s death. Facts supporting such a date will be offered later but for now, for the sake of continuity, let me just show you how this calendar works with certain dates assumed:

1) We know that Christ rode into Jerusalem Monday March 30,33AD. Thursday evening, Jesus’ Passover is still the beginning of Friday. 5 days before Friday is Monday. (See John 12:1 “Six days before the Passover” and John 12:12 “the next day, the day of the entry into Jerusalem.)

2) Daniel says that from the decree to the coming of Christ, 69x 7 or 483 Hebrew years would pass. This means, 12 months of 30 days each or 360 days to a year. 483 times 360 comes to 173,880 days. So, Daniel is predicting 173,880 days from the decree of Artaxerxes to the coming of Christ.

3) Jewish years may be different, but days are days. To see if this works out we will count according to the Julian year and see if we come to the same amount of days.

4) From 444 BC to 33 AD is 476 years.

(Going March to March) (444 plus 33 is 477 but 1 BC to 1AD is one year, not two, so we subtract one year from 477.i.e. 444 years have past at 1 AD. The 33 count starts from 1 AD to 2AD. 1 Ad to 2 AD is one year so we count the first of the 33 years at 2AD for at 2AD the first of the 33 years has past. This count gives us 32 years. So, 444 plus 32 takes us to the end of 32 AD or beginning of 33 AD . At 33 AD March, 33 years has not passed, The 33rd year is beginning.

5) Our year has 28 days in Feb, 30 days in Sept, April, June and Nov and 31 days in the other 7 months.

6) Remembering Leap Year and calculating according to the Solar Year, we multiply 476 by 365.24219879 days or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45.975 seconds.

7) This gives us 173,855 days according to the Julian Year.We wanted 173, 880 days according to the Julian Year.So, we are short by 25 days. But, keep in mind that we were starting from the Julian Year, March 5. Christ died in 33 AD but we are counting days from March 5, 444 BC. We know that the specific date of Christ’s entry was March 30th. By adding 25 days to March 5th we come to March 30th.

And so, according to the Hebrew Year, 173,880 days take place between the decree and the entry and according to the Julian Year 173,880 days take place between the decree and the entry.

Admittedly, all of this is based on a knowledge of the actual date of Jesus’ death. Evidence for such a date will now be offered: First, we’ll examine the day of the week. After that, the year.

Day of the week

1) Christian tradition obviously affirms the resurrection on Sunday.

2) Jesus predicted that he would die and be raised on the third day (Matt. 16:21).

3) Jesus was placed in a tomb on eve of day of preparation, one day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:4).

4) The Sabbath was Saturday, so the day of Preparation would have to be Friday

5) We are told that female followers of Christ returned home and rested on Sabbath (further evidence Luke 23:56).

6) Then, on the first day of the week, these same women went to the tomb which was empty (Matt. 28:1).

7) Also, the men talking to Jesus on the Emaus Road, said,” This is the third day since this occurred” (Luke 24).

There is one problem here that people try to point out: Jesus predicted that He would be in the grave for “three days and three nights”(Matt.12:40). When we read the passion narratives we see that He was crucified late Friday afternoon and that He rose from the dead, early on Sunday morning. It is impossible to get three days and three nights out of this, and I have seen many atheists refer to Jesus’ prophecy as a “blatant error which completely destroys the credibility of the Bible.”

The solution comes with an understanding of the way ancient Jews spoke. To a Jew any part of a day was viewed as a whole day.¹ Describing part of a day as “a day and a night” may seem foreign to us but that is because we live two thousand years later in a completely different culture. We must realize that if the Bible did not contradict itself to the original audience it was written for, it cannot contradict itself to us. This is only one example of the many apparent Bible contradictions that melt away in light of authentic historical interpretation.

So Christ died on Friday. Was Jesus crucified on Passover? If he was, then the date is settled. We know the Passover came on Nisan 14 that year. (Josephus Antiquities of Jews Chapter 4 Wars of Jews Chapter 8 also, 588 Wars of the Jews)

However, there is also some disagreement as to whether or not Jesus was actually crucified on the Passover. True, Mark 14:12 says the last supper was on “the first day of unleavened bread” when they sacrificed Passover lamb. But John 18:28 says the Jewish temple guard took Jesus to the Praetorium and did not enter it “in order that they might not be defiled but might eat the Passover.” This would suggest that Jesus was tried and crucified before the Jews celebrated their holy day. The paschal lamb idea goes along with this. It makes sense that Jesus would be crucified at the same time as the Passover lamb that He symbolized.

We are left with an apparent contradiction but not a proven contradiction. Actually, there is good evidence that the last supper is Passover and that Jesus was also crucified on Passover. Both can be true at the same time.

Evidence that the last supper was on Passover:

1) The synoptics clearly state this (Matt. 26:2, 17 Mark 14:1, 12, 14, 16, Luke 22: 1,7).

2) The meal took place according to the requirements of the law (Deut. 16:7) within the gates of Jerusalem even though the city was quite populated at the time.

3) The upper room was made available without any hassle and that was consistent with the Passover custom.

4) The last supper was eaten at in the evening, not a common time for Jews to dine (Matt. 26:30).

5) Jesus ate only with the 12 rather than the broader group of disciples. That too, fits well with the Passover custom.

6) A reclining position at the table was a tradition only for special occasions (Luke 22:14).

7) Jesus broke the bread while the meal was in progress and not the beginning, as He would have done with a routine meal (Mark 14:22).

8) Some of the disciples were under the impression Judas left to buy items for the feast. This would not have been necessary if the last supper was a day before the Passover, for in such a case, he would have had all of the following day to get this done, rather than taking off in the middle of the meeting (John 13:29).

9) Some of the Disciples thought that Judas had gone to give to the poor (John 13:29). This was another Passover custom.

10) The Last Supper concludes with singing of a hymn. This would be the second half of Passover Hallel (Matt 26:30).

11) Why did Jesus spend the night on Mount of Olives instead of returning to Bethany? Because Jews were not allowed to leave Jerusalem at Passover. (In those days, the city limits were expanded limits to include Mount of Olives.)

Make no mistake, Jesus’ Last Supper was the Passover. But again, this leaves us with a problem; the statement at the praetoriam which suggests the Priests had not yet celebrated their Passover.

A harmonization is found when we learn that Jews had different ways of counting a day: Sometimes a day was counted sunrise to sunrise and other times it was counted sunset to sunset.

Examples:

Feast of unleavened bread is evening to evening (Ex. 12:8) as was the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:32) The weekly Sabbath Neh 13:29 and single days uncleanness were counted the same(Lev. 14:46).

But a day could also mean sunrise to sunrise (Gen 1:14, 16, 18, 8:22 31:40, Num 14:14, I kings 8:54, Luke 18:7, Rev. 4:8).

Notice the wording in Matt. 28:1 “After the Sabbath, at dawn, on the first day of the week.” He is talking about women going to anoint his body.” Why would they have waited till dawn if the Sabbath over Saturday night?

And so, Jews have counted days both ways. What was the correct calculation in Jesus’ time? Well, Josephus tells us the Paschal lamb must be” eaten during the night with nothing left over for morning,” so he is obviously assuming a sunrise-to-sunrise day. Josephus was a Pharisee.

The Mishna also commands that the Passover must be eaten by midnight so those rabbis are also going morning to morning, for midnight would be in the middle of an evening to evening day and we could ask what the rush was.

It is the opinion of some scholars that Pharisees and Galileans used a different day than Judeans and Sadducees (Julian Marsennstern, Calendar of the Book of Jubilees). This possible and probable theory could be the harmonization we are looking for. We know that two types of days used and we know which ones the Pharisees used (Josephus, Mishna).

So Jesus, (Galilean) slaughtered His lamb on the afternoon of Thursday and later that evening He celebrated the Passover. Thursday morning had started the Passover and Friday morning would conclude it. But Judean Jews and Sadducees, who counted, sunset to sunset, slaughtered the lamb on Friday afternoon, Nisan 14, the same time that Jesus was crucified.

The Mishnah seems backs up this theory when it informs us that Galileans do not work on the Passover, yet Judeans worked until the middle of the day (Mishnah, Pesahim4:5).

Would the Sadducees have permitted two back to back days of slaughters? Well, they were known to submit to the Pharisees’ wishes occassionally and Passover, with crowds of Jews visiting from all over the world, would certainly be a time for keeping the peace.

We now have a date, (Nisan 14 or April 3^rd) for Jesus’ death. He rode into Jerusalem the previous Monday, March 30 and was crucified on the Judean Passover, or Sadducees’ Passover (sunset to sunset)

NOTE: Psalm Sunday is a tradition. Jesus evidently did not ride into Jerusalem on Sunday.

Date of Decree:

Artaxerxes’ rule: His Father, Xerxes died not long after after Dec. 17, 465 BC and Artaxerxes took the throne right away. Since the accession system was used, the first year of Artaxerxes’ reign in accordance with the Persian Nisan to Nisan calendar would be Nisan 464 to Nisan 463 and Tishri 464 to Tishra, 463 on the Jewish calendar.

The date of the decree is given in the Biblical narrative. Nehemiah 1:1 says that Nehemiah heard of Jerusalem’s barren conditions in the month of Chislev (November-December) in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year. Then later, during Artaxerxes twentieth year in the month of Nisan, (March, April) Nehemiah tells us he was given special permission to restore the city and resurrect the walls (2:1).

This year is 444 BC. When a specific day of the year was not mentioned, people assumed that the first day was implied. So this is the 231st year on Persian calendar, 20th on the Jewish calendar and 444 BC on the Julian calendar. Nisan 1 is March 5 on our calendar.

So much for the date of the decree and the date of Christ’s death. What was the year of Christ’s death? Well, we know Caiaphus was High Priest AD 18 to Ad 37.

As for Pilate? Josephus gives an abundance of information on the Roman Governor. His predecessor Valerius Gratus was governor eleven years, within Tiberius’ reign (AD 14-37). 14 plus 11 is 25. If Gratus’ rule started later than 14 AD, Pilate would rule after 25 and even if we start at 14 we still get 25 so Pilate could not have reigned before AD 25.

According to Josephus, Pilate ruled for ten years. Therefore, Pilate’s reign would have been the ten-year period from Ad 26-36 And Christ’s death must have fallen between these dates

Jesus died on Friday Nisan 14 when the Jews were slaying their Paschal lambs 3:00 to 5:00 or the ninth to the eleventh hour (Josephus, BJ 6:9 3 and 423).

In which years did Nisan 14 fall on Friday?

The Jewish month is a lunar month. It has no less than 29 and no more than 30 days. Sometimes they would count 29 but they were ideally composed of 30.

The first day of the month commenced with the new moon. The New moon is not visible but one or two days after the new moon, a faintly glowing moon sickle can be spotted. When two trustworthy witnesses swore by oath in front of the priests that they had witnessed the new moon, the day would be designated the first of the new month. When there was uncertainty, the establishment of the new month could be postponed but not for more than one day.

I’m no astronomer, but thank goodness, others are. Because of new information from a variety of calendars, along with progress in astronomical knowledge, we can tell within minutes, the new moon of the Jewish calendar at the time of Christ. Astronomers can actually know the days of the week on which Nisan 14 fell in Christ’s time with great probability:

The candidates are: Ad 27, Ad 30, AD 33 or AD 36 Astronomically AD 17 is considered the least likely

How do these possible years relate to the ministry of Christ?

Luke 3:1-2 says John’s ministry began in Tiberius” fifteenth year, Ad 28-29. Jesus’ ministry followed so it doesn’t take a genius to see that the AD 27 date is not only doubtful to the astronomer, but completely impossible to the Biblicist.

What about 36? This would have given Jesus a ministry of more than three years.

Evidence for a 3-year ministry of Christ

3 Passovers are mentioned in John, (2:13, 6:4, and 11:55) forcing us to accept at least a two-year mission, but the synoptics provide even another year between Passovers of 2:13, and 6:4.

What about AD 30? The New Testament passion narratives paint Pontus Pilate as a man of conscience and weak backbone who wanted to please the Jews, but the ancient historian, Josephus, portrays him as a brutal dictator who massacred Jews and cared nothing for their cause.

Actually, the New Testament does not deny Pilate’s brutality. In fact, Luke actually corroborates Josephus:

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.” (Luke 13:1)

Even the passion narratives show us a man who condemned Jesus to death, despite the fact that he found no guilt in the man. That is hardly a glowing testimonial. Remember also that Pilate had Jesus tortured before he was executed.

Still, how do we account for Pilate’s fear in the gospels? He seems to be putting Jesus to death to please the Jews. Doesn’t that contradict his previous behavior?

This obvious change of attitude is easily explained when we supply an important missing piece of the puzzle. Before Pilate’s encounter with Jesus, he had another encounter, a not so pleasant encounter, with Emperor Tiberius. And this ruler of Rome actually brought Pilate’s anti-Jewish policies to a screeching halt!

Among his other unpopular practices, Pilate had erected some Roman shields at his Jerusalem palace and these shields bore pagan writing, offensive to the Jews. Four prominent Jewish princes represented their people by writing a letter to the emperor, after pleading in vain to the stubborn governor of Judea to have them removed. Tiberius responded sharply with a letter of his own and demanded that Pilate remove those shields at once! (Philo, Embassy To Caligula)

Decide now for yourself if Pilate’s political back and forth persona makes more sense. He has been rebuked by the Emperor for his treatment of the Jews. Out of the blue, Jesus is thrown his way and as governor, it is his decision alone to convict or acquit. Out of fear, he now wants to please the Jews. But which Jews? The leaders and representatives of the Jewish court who want Jesus dead but cannot legally execute him themselves, or the many followers of this very popular Jesus person? At first, Pilate seemed to be catering to the people at large but that changed when the Sanhedrin heads played their final wild card:

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” John 19:12

Could Pilate, after finding himself on the bad side of Caesar, ignore these words about opposing Caesar?

What caused Emperor Tiberius to be so lenient with the Jews? Quick history crash course: A wicked man named, Sejanus ruled at time of Pilate. He had obtained one of the highest positions available, prefect of the Praetorian Guard. When Tiberius (Emperor) retired to the island of Capri, Sejanus was left in control of Rome for all intents and purposes. Sejanus was an enthusiastic anti-Semite, with ambitions to wipe out the Jewish race. Pilate seemed to be carrying out these anti-Jewish policies. At the very least, we know that the stuff Pilate did to the Jews wasn’t forbidden by Sejanus. While Sejanus was in control, any Jewish petition for leniency sent to Tiberius would be destroyed by Sejanus long before it had a chance to get to the island of Capri

Sejanus had poisoned Tiberius’ son Drusus, but had Tiberius eating out of his hand, believing him to be loyal as a son.

Tiberius determined that Germanicus, a nephew, was next in line as emperor if anything happened to his son Drusas but by an amazing coincidence, at the time Drusas was poisoned, Germanicus was also found dead. One of his sons could now take the throne if only they could live but with Sejanus around, that was no easy task. He eliminated two of the three sons. One son remained, Gaius

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Tiberius finally began to smell a rat. He appointed Naevius Sertorius Marco as Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, and sent him to Rome with orders to get rid of Sejanus. Marco deceived Sejanus by telling him Tiberius was going to grant him the Tribucanicia Protestas “supreme authority over Roman civil affairs.” Marco timed it all perfectly. A flattered and excited Sejanus, rushed into the senate floor, a senate that had been made wise as to what was going on.

A letter from Tiberius was read in the Senate just as Sejanus entered. In this letter, Sejanus was renounced and condemned. On October 18, Ad 31 Sejanus was executed (Josephus and others)

After this, Tiberius, (obviously concluding that Sejanus had colored his thinking about the Jews) began to lighten up on the Jews.

All of this is to say that Jesus’ trial must have taken place after the death of Sejanus. Otherwise we cannot explain the change in Pilate’s behavior. We can now throw out the AD 30 date.

Conclusion:

Christ rode into Jerusalem, according to the Julian calendar on March 30, 33AD

King Artexerxes decreed that the Jews could rebuild the city of Jerusalem on March 5, 444BC.

When the days are counted, we see that Daniel was not only an accurate prophet, he predicted TO THE DAY Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem as the promised Messiah.

Important disclaimers:

1) I am a big believer in giving credit where credit is due. There are many theories and calculations regarding the Daniel 9 calendar. The one that made the most sense to me and the one I used, was that of H.W. Hoener, from his book, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. I am one hundred percent indebted to him and his research for this article.

2) Although my view of Daniel and the postponed kingdom (mentioned only briefly in this article) agrees with the views of Dispensationalisim, the high majority of Dispensationalism is a theology I disagree with, especially where it makes statements about certain gifts ceasing after the completion of the Bible. In general, I find most theological systems to have flaws. Many have their good points and their bad.

3) My view of prophecy, where Israel is concerned, has nothing to do with my political or social view of Israel today. I do not believe Israel should be defended right or wrong because of Bible prophecy. At the same time, I am saddened when those with Covenant/Replacement theology positions coincidently take the side of the Palestinians. One can believe Israel has nothing to do with Bible prophecy or everything to do with Bible prophecy. Neither view should effect our understanding of 20^th century history. Please, whatever your view, study the historical revision and the unfair treatment Israel has received from today’s media. I invite you to read my 12 part series: The Truth about Israel and Palestine.