Join us as we delve into the remarkable details of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy with Bible teacher David Hawking. Gain insights into God’s orchestrated timeline that led to the Messiah’s coming and the establishment of an everlasting kingdom. From ending sin’s rebellion to the construction of the millennial temple, this episode highlights how ancient prophecies hold critical truths for our future. Discover the ultimate resolution of vision and prophecy, and what the sealed words mean for believers today.
00:00:00 Introduction to the Promise of God’s Kingdom
I love preaching this passage, by the way. This is exciting to me. We’re just warming up. It’s like kind of, you know, the preliminaries. But I love it. I love it all. What a blessed promise this is of what God’s going to do. He’s going to set up this kingdom that will be everlasting righteousness established on this globe by the Messiah himself.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, welcome to the Thursday broadcast of Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And today, we continue our journey into one of the most stunning prophetic passages in the entire Bible. Daniel chapter 9, verses 24 through 26, the 70 weeks. Now, what if I told you that the timing of the Messiah’s arrival wasn’t random? That long before Jesus walked the earth, God had already marked out the season. Daniel saw it, wrote it down, and in verse 26, he describes the unthinkable. Messiah shall be cut off. Cut off, but not for himself. You know, this prophecy doesn’t just point to the cross. It nails down the season. Get ready for a powerful eye-opening look at the faithfulness and precision of God’s plan. Day two of The 70 Weeks begins in mere moments. First, Matt, as we open up the mailbag today, you have a note there from Susan. And what does Susan have to say?
SPEAKER 03 :
I do. It says, the teaching is great. And the January newsletter article, Bond Pride, was exactly what my daughter needed for help in a workplace situation. Thank you in Christ. I love that because you realize from the newsletter to the messages, our whole goal is just to spread the gospel and encourage believers.
SPEAKER 04 :
The Bible, the whole Bible, nothing but the Bible. Amen. Because God’s word changes hearts and lives. Folks, if you have a note for us, if you would like to receive the newsletter and you’re not, we’ll tell you just a bit later how to get in touch with Hope for Today. Well, let’s open up Daniel chapter 9 now, verses 24 to 26. And here’s David with today’s lesson.
SPEAKER 02 :
How is Israel going to be dealt with by God in terms of their sin? One, he’s going to end the rebellion during the 70 weeks prophecy. He’s going to make an end of sins or judge those who continue to sin. And he’s going to make reconciliation for iniquity. So within that process, we have to have the Redeemer taking away the sins of his people Israel. And we said there were three causes behind the prophecy. The sovereignty of God, the sins of God’s people, also the setting up of God’s kingdom. So back to Daniel 9 again, and take a look at those three statements in verse 24. One is to bring in everlasting righteousness. We’re going to have 490 years, and then we’re going to do all this for the sins of God’s people, and we’re going to bring in everlasting righteousness. What a wonderful promise. I believe it’s talking about the millennial reign of the Messiah, which will begin immediately at the end of the 490 years. The end of the tribulation. And Jesus Christ will set up His kingdom, which Revelation 20 says will be for a thousand years on the earth. It will extend forever and ever, but it will have a special mediatorial promise fulfillment for the nation of Israel for 1,000 years. He will rule in Jerusalem. The Messiah will sit on the throne of his father David, and he’ll rule in everlasting righteousness. Two passages I bring to your attention. First, Jeremiah chapter 23. I love preaching this passage, by the way. This is exciting to me. We’re just warming up. It’s like kind of, you know, the preliminaries, right? But I love it. I love it all. What a blessed promise this is of what God’s going to do. He’s going to set up His kingdom. There will be everlasting righteousness established on this globe by the Messiah Himself. Jeremiah 23, 5. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a branch of what? righteousness. A king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. Now this is his name by which he will be called the Lord, our righteousness. Yes, the purpose of the 70 weeks, the 490 years, will conclude with the setting up of God’s kingdom and everlasting righteousness will be established. Turn back to Isaiah chapter 11. Here once again we learn that the Messiah is the one who’s going to bring in righteousness. Verse 1, He shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips. He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins and faithfulness the belt of his waist. The Messiah himself is described as being one who will judge with righteousness. It will be the belt of his loins. It’s what holds everything in, the righteousness of God, the Lord our righteousness. It will be set up. Turn back to Isaiah chapter 9. In Isaiah 9, verse 6, it says, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government, this rule of God on the earth, will be upon his shoulder. It will come through the Messiah ruling and reigning. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. and of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. God will rule with everlasting righteousness. There will be judgment and justice, and everything will be done exactly right. Nobody will have any complaints anymore, and we will certainly not have the ACLU. Back to Daniel chapter 9. He will bring in everlasting righteousness. Now, the next statement’s a little more difficult. It says, to seal up vision and prophecy. Just for the record for you word study buffs, the word seal up is the same word in the second phrase, make an end of sins. To make an end of vision and prophecy. is the point behind sealing up. What it’s talking about is the termination of direct revelation. No more will be added. The contents will be irreversible, and it’s going to happen within the 70 weeks. How interesting. Has the Bible ever indicated that the prophecies of God, which are predicted here to be sealed up and finished, does the Bible indicate that they are sealed up and finished? Turn, please, to Revelation chapter 22. which quotes voluminously from the book of Daniel. Revelation chapter 22, the last book of the New Testament. Verse 18. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. That sounds like he’s pretty well finished. But turn back to Hebrews chapter 1. Daniel says that in the 70-week period, God is going to make an end to seal up vision and prophecy. Going to end it. There’ll be no more direct revelation. It’ll stop. All the context and contents of that will be irreversible, and it’s going to happen within the 70 weeks. Let’s find out more about it. Hebrews 1, verse 1. God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days… The Greek grammar is very clear. It says, “…in the last of these days.” The word order of English causes us to focus improperly upon this passage. The word order in Greek is, “…he has in the last of these days.” These days is referring to the days spoken of in verse 1, the days in which God spoke to the fathers by the prophets. “…and in the last of these days in which God spoke, He has spoken to us by His Son.” whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, whose the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the throne of majesty on high. Now watch carefully, folks. According to this passage, God’s final message is the revelation in His Son, but it’s the Son after the Gospels. How do you know that? because of what He said about the Son. He has purged our sins already, and He has already sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So the revelation about His Son is post-death, post-resurrection. Now where in the Bible do you find post-death, post-resurrection revelation of Jesus Christ? Anyone? Anyone? It’s in the book of Revelation. The name of the book, Revelation 1-1, is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And in chapter 1, you see a picture of Christ that is totally different from anything you saw in the Gospels. So according to Hebrews 1, 1 and 2, or really through verse 3 to get the whole context, it The Bible teaches that the revelation, the direct revelation, God speaking to people and telling them to write it down and tell folks, it’s going to come to an end. This is what Daniel predicted. There’s going to be an end to it. And Hebrews identifies when. It’s going to be a final revelation by Jesus Christ, and God’s going to stop speaking. What is the book in the Bible? Again, the book of Revelation. And isn’t it interesting, in that book, which is a revelation of Jesus Christ, in the last chapter, it says you can’t add to it, and you can’t take it away. Now, if you understand what I’ve just said, that means that the prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled when that revelation book was given to us, which came about 95 AD. So within the 70-week prophecy is going to come an end of vision and prophecy, which means that no matter what anybody claims today who says they have direct revelation from God, God’s already said they don’t. And they may have eaten too much chili, but they did not get a direct revelation from God. And I know this is a major debate among Christians. I have taught this in those groups who believe in continuing revelation. All you need to do is read your Bible. That’s all you need to do. I don’t have any fear of that at all. You read those passages and you ask yourself again, did God make an end of vision and prophecy? And did he say that he is done talking when he gave his final revelation in Jesus Christ? And did he say in that final revelation that you can’t add to this or take away from it? The case is closed as far as I’m concerned. All you have to do is read the Bible. That means nobody is receiving direct revelation that within the 70-week prophecy, God completed it and said it’s over. I’ve said all I’m going to say, and everything is going to be fulfilled exactly the way I said it. Well, that is really something. That means we are trusting a complete and final revelation of God in written form we know as the Bible. And that means that all of the Mormons who believe that there was additional revelation given from God to Joseph Smith called the Book of Mormon are not only wrong, but are terribly deceived because the Book of Mormon completely changes much of the prophetic scene that’s in the Bible itself. And it’s very important to understand this. There is no additional revelation. Within the 70 weeks, there’ll be an end of it. It’ll be sealed up. It’ll be done. Back to Daniel chapter 9. Everybody still here? Amen. It says, concerning the setting up of God’s kingdom, they’ll be bringing in everlasting righteousness, which will necessitate the return and rule and reign of the Messiah. Secondly, they’ll seal up or make an end of vision and prophecy. Direct revelation will be terminated. No more to be added. The contents are irreversible. And number three, to anoint the most holy. Literally, in the text, it’s to anoint a holy of holies. Now, this is quite interesting. First, who wrote this book? Daniel. When did he write it? Well, at the time of the Babylonian captivity. And he was a prophet of God through the entire reign of Babylon into Medo-Persia. Well, wait a minute. This prophecy necessitates not only the building of the temple, but an anointing of the Holy of Holies in that temple. Kind of interesting. What’s really interesting is in verse 26, he predicts it’s going to be destroyed. All within the 70 weeks period of time. Well, if it’s going to be destroyed, and the purpose of the 70 weeks going to the whole period is to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy, then obviously it’s going to be rebuilt again. Is everybody following this? We’ve got to have 70 weeks of all of prophetic history, and at the end of which, we’re going to set up the kingdom of God on earth. We’re going to have everlasting righteousness. We’re not going to have any more direct revelation either. We’re going to have an end of sins, and we’re going to have full reconciliation of Israel. We’re going to have it all take place, which the Bible teaches will take place at the end of the tribulation when God sets up His kingdom. Well, what in the world are we doing here anointing the most holy? That means there’s going to be a temple in the millennial reign of Christ. A temple. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 40. The last nine chapters of Ezekiel talk about the millennial temple. You know, if you’re Jewish and you would ask the minister of religious affairs in Israel about the temples, he would talk about three of them. He would say there was the first temple under Solomon destroyed by Babylon in 586 B.C. There’s the second temple by Herod the Great, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. And there will be the third temple, which will be built by the Messiah. They will tell you that point blank, flat out. There’s going to be a temple built. Why? Because the last nine chapters of Ezekiel predict it, and it describes it in great detail. But look at chapter 43, please, verse 12. Chapter 43, verse 12. It says, It’s exactly the same statement in Daniel 9. He’s going to anoint the most holy. Behold, this is the law of the what? What does it say? Temple. There’s going to be a temple. By the way, there’s going to be sacrifices also. You say, wait a minute. Jesus died on the cross. Why do we need sacrifices? Well, let me put it to you another way. Why do we celebrate the bread and the cup? Jesus already died, so what are we doing? Reenacting the atonement? You do know that some people, religious groups, basically our Roman Catholic friends, really teach in the Mass that they are reenacting the sacrifice of Christ. It becomes the actual body and blood of the Lord. We believe it’s a memorial. It’s a symbol. We believe that we are proclaiming the Lord’s death till he comes. We believe Jesus said, do this in what? Remembrance of me. Well, why couldn’t you have sacrifices in the millennium that were also intended for the same purpose? Will there be feasts and sacrifices in the millennium? Turn to the book of Zechariah, chapter 14. Chapter 14 says, Verse 16. Now, chapter 14 describes the return of Christ in the final battle of Armageddon. Just check out quickly with your eyes, verse 1 to 2 and on and so forth. He’s going to set up His kingdom on earth. Now look at verse 16. And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the what? The Feast of Tabernacles. You say, well, I don’t think I should. I’m a Christian. Well, it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there’ll be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain. They shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In that day holiness to the Lord shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots of the Lord’s house, there’s a temple, shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.” Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite who are rebellious, sinful, idolatrous, immoral people destroyed by God. There’ll be no one like that in the house of the Lord of hosts. Are we going to have a temple in the millennium? And are there going to be sacrifices? That’s what the Bible says. You say, well, how do you explain that? Well, not very well. But it’s going to happen, and that’s what the Bible says. There’s so much about the millennial reign of Christ that we never study. Most of it is found in the Old Testament. But there is going to be a temple, and it will require the Messiah to build it. Its dimensions are humongous. If you study the last nine chapters of Ezekiel, you’ll see that. It’s going to be elevated. The topographical structure of the land of Israel will be changed, and it’s going to be the key feature of all. It’s going to have a river flowing out of it. It’ll go down and heal the Dead Sea, and there’ll be fishing in the Dead Sea. There will no longer be a Dead Sea. Everything’s going to be changed. There will be a brand new temple and we will worship the Lord and all nations of the world will come to worship him. Man, even so come Lord Jesus.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. Amen. Well, that’s David Hawking, and you’re listening to Hope for Today. David will be back in just a moment or so to close out our study time. Some additional teaching is just ahead. Now, coming up in just a couple of weeks, we have a study through the book of Revelation that’s coming to the broadcast. So to help you get yourselves ready for that, we’ve put together a number of resources. And, well, you might just want to grab them in advance.
SPEAKER 03 :
Matt? The book of Revelation is prophecy, and the majority of its teachings remain unfulfilled. It has a long history of different interpretations. And while intriguing to read, the book remains a mystery to most believers.
SPEAKER 04 :
Many have concluded that a normal person without scholastic credentials or a thorough knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, they’re going to find it impossible to understand.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And many pastors and churches avoid it like entirely. I mean, deeming it too controversial and not really essential.
SPEAKER 04 :
Matt, our mutual friend, Don Perkins, he tells a story that when he was growing up in church, the pastor told him that they weren’t going to study the book of Revelation because if you did… It would drive you insane. Can you believe that? Well, David’s book, Revelation, Understanding the Future, addresses each of those issues in a way that’s easy to read and navigate.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, he leads the readers through an outstanding study of each passage, providing the text, key cross-references, definitions of terms, explanations, historical context, bringing this marvelous book to life.
SPEAKER 04 :
Folks, readers tell us that Revelation, understanding the future, brings clarity and application from Revelation that they’ve never seen before.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it helps them realize the blessing that God promises us when we study this crucial wrap-up to the New Testament. And prophecies that wrap up the end time. Amen? Amen. Well, get this Revelation study tool, Revelation, Understanding the Future, for just $20 this month. That’s a 20% discount.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is going to be an excellent companion to our upcoming Revelation radio series as well. Order at davidhawking.org.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s davidhawking.org. Or call us in Canada at 1-888-75BIBLE. In the U.S., call us at 1-800-75BIBLE. And Bible by the Numbers is 24253. And your resource purchase or your donation will help Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 04 :
And make you a co-laborer in the ministry with us. Amen. And of course, we’re still in our study in the book of Daniel, and you can get an audio study pack of the complete series, each and every message in the Daniel series on MP3 as a package for just $30. It’s David’s complete chapter-by-chapter teaching through this incredibly prophetic book filled with insight on world empires, end-time events, and God’s unfolding plan. And we have the complete series again on MP3 for just $30 or on audio CD for $50. To order, call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, or go online, visit davidhawking.org. And of course, if you’d like to request prayer, share a testimony, tell us how God is working in your life as you study the word with us, or maybe send in a gift of support. Our financial need is particularly great right now, and it would be very encouraging to hear from you. Your prayer requests help us stand with you in faith. Your testimonies, well, they encourage and inspire other listeners who need to be reminded that God is still moving. And your gifts, your gifts help keep this ministry going strong, reaching hearts around the world with God’s Word. To connect with us, call 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S., That’s 800-75-24253 or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada or visit us anywhere in the world at davidhawking.org. And of course, you can also write to us at Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011. RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S, 8P1. Well, as promised, here’s David to bring our time in God’s Word to a close.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for listening to Hope for Today. We’re in the 70-week prophecy. We need to take some time with it, I know, because you get really confused. Well, after looking at the command that begins this prophecy to restore and build Jerusalem, in verse 25, you got the coming of the Messiah, the Prince. And that’s a fascinating study. I hope that you’re appreciating it all. And in verse 26, it then mentions the cutting off of the Messiah. And so, in verse 26, you have the completion of God’s judgment upon the city and the sanctuary. There’s a certain relationship here with the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary, which happened by Rome in 70 AD. So, he said, “…the people of the Prince who is to come.” Well, making a treaty with the people of Israel, it says he’ll confirm a covenant with the many, meaning the majority, for one week, which appears to be a seven-year period of time. So the many would refer to an unbelieving majority. Well, I hope you can be with us for our next study.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thank you, David. And friend, if you missed anything over the last week or so, remember that we keep our most recent broadcast available at davidhawking.org. And while you’re there, be sure to check out all the great study tools available to you. And be sure to invite someone to listen to this broadcast. The gospel, just too good to keep to ourselves. Amen. Well, tomorrow on the broadcast, it’s our final look at the 70 weeks, one of the most remarkable prophecies in the entire Bible. If you’ve been tracking with us through this study, you know that this isn’t just about dates and events. It’s about the faithfulness of God, the Messiah who came, and the future He still holds in His hands. Amen. We’ll tie it all together with a closing that brings clarity, hope, and a fresh sense of urgency. That’s next time on Hope for Today.
