The Decree to Rebuild and the Triumphal Entry

Sir Robert Anderson is wrong because the command to restor Jerusalem was Nisan 1, 444 B.C. (Neh. 2). Jesus died on the cross April 1, 33 AD (Gregorian) which was Nisan 14, Friday, Passover.

Sir Robert Anderson in 1894, wrote the classic book, The Coming Prince on the 70 weeks of Daniel. Daniel as a result of knowing the Jews could soon finally return to their homeland from Babylon, trembled in pray, then was interrupted by the angel Gabriel to receive a message.

The command to restore Jerusalem occurred with the Decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 BC.

The time of the triumphant entry into Jerusalem of, the Messiah the King, was April 6, 32 AD.

The time between was:

69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880

445 BC - 32 AD = 173,740

March 14 to April 6 = 24

Leap years = 116

173,740 + 24 + 116 = 173,880

This prophecy of Dan. 9.24-27 took place more than 300 years before because it was in the Septuagint (LXX), the entire Old Testament in Greek. There were four related prophecies, but the other three regard the temple, not the city.

9.24 The Scope
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
9.25 The 69 Weeks
Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
9.26 (Interval)
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
9.27 The 70th Week
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Jesus deliberately fulfills Zech. 9.9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass." The precise timing of Daniel's prophecy is one of the most astounding of the deity of Christ. The angel Gabriel's margin for error was zero. Several times Jesus said His hour was not yet come until that specific day He chose to enter Jerusalem.

It took 38 years for Jesus' prediction in Matt. 24.2 to come to pass the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 AD when under Titus, the Romans for 9 months laid siege to the city and killed over a million Jews.

Who is are the people of the prince? The Romans. Who is the prince? The Antichrist. Does he reside in Europe or in Islam? Most expect him to come from the Roman Empire of Europe, but what they don't realize is that the eastern leg of the Roman Empire in Byzantium outlasted the western leg by a 1000 years. Constantine moved the capital of the world from Rome to Constantinople. The Antichrist will likely come from Syria.

The 70th week is the most talked about time in any time of the Bible. It has the most verses written about it.

The Antichrist will be Nimrod II, since Nimrod from this region was the first world ruler. He makes Babylon his capital. He has to come on the public scene before he is powerful enough to make a covenant for one week of years. He breaks the covenant mid-week by the abomination of desolation. In the OT and NT each half is noted having three properties: 1) three and a half years, 2) 42 months, and 3) 1260 days. So it is well criss-crossed referenced. You can't just allegorize it or make it symbolic. Jesus even calls it "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24.21) after the "abomination of desolation" (v.15), and he references Dan. 12 in so doing.

The Holocaust in World War II took 1 out of 3 Jews. In Jacob's trouble, 2 out 3 Jews will be taken as prophesied in Zech 13.8,9, "And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God." This is the time Israel has never seen, nor will ever see again.

The second coming of the Lord (His parousia) commences in at the start of the Tribulation and is achieved with His appearance in Person when He steps down on the mount of olives (Zech. 14.4, Acts 1.11, Rev. 1.7) whom all eyes shall see.

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Dan. 12.1). "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matt. 24.21-22).

The people of Israel will be driven to the wall.

"Alas! for that day [is] great, so that none [is] like it: it [is] even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it" (Jer. 30.7).

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under [her] wings, The Purpose of all History
and ye would not! The Tragedy of all History
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
For I say unto you, The Triumph of all History
Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. 23.37-39).

Is this to happen forever against Israel? NO! For Paul said,
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom. 11.25). God will once again deal with Israel.

The purpose of Jacob's trouble is to drive them to the way to get them to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. "I will go [and] return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early" (Hos. 5.15). Where is Jesus' place? In heaven. It's going to take the Tribulation to get Israel to finally give up and given in as corporate nation.