5 February 2013 - Daniel 9: 25

Tuesday, February 5

From the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.—Dan. 9:25

When John the Baptizer came on the scene, his words and deeds led some to wonder if the Messiah had arrived. (Luke 3:15) It is possible that some correctly understood the Messianic prophecy involving “seventy weeks.” (Dan. 9:24) If so, they could have determined when the Messiah would appear. Various scholars agree that these are weeks of years. For instance, theRevised Standard Version says: “Seventy weeks of years are decreed.” Today, Jehovah’s servants are aware that the 69 weeks, or 483 years, of Daniel 9:25 began in 455 B.C.E. when Persian King Artaxerxes authorized Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. (Neh. 2:1-8) Those weeks ended 483 years later, in 29 C.E., when Jesus of Nazareth was baptized and anointed with holy spirit, thus becoming the Messiah. — Matt. 3:13-17 w11 8/15 1:3, 4