Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Revelation 11:3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Revelation 11:3 "And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed in sackcloth." [Deut 18:18; Mal 4:5; Mark 9:4] |
Subject: "Two witnesses." When? Who? |
Bible Note: Hi, Tim 1) Any breaks in the 70-week period would mean that its no longer a 70-week period. Its true the "Anointed One" is cut off SOMETIME "after the sixty-two 'sevens.'" As I mentioned before, this was 3.5 years after. This corresponds with "the middle of the week." (Daniel 9:27) 2) The purpose of the 70 weeks is mentioned in verse 24. There seems to be confusion about the identity of certain individuals in verses 26 and 27. I think I said that the "he" of verse 27 was God. But actually its the "Anointed One." Sorry for the confusion. Why can we say the "he" is Jesus? Well notice verse 26. "The PEOPLE of a ruler [General Titus] who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary." Why? Because their house was abandoned for rejecting and 'cutting off' the Messiah as mentioned. Who is "he" in verse 27? Is it "the ruler who will come," General Titus? Or, is it "the Anointed One, the ruler," Jesus? Let's reason on the matter. a) A 70-week period having no breaks would point to Jesus. (See Luke 1:67-75; Acts 3:25, 26; Galatians 3:8, 9, 14, 16, 26-29) The Messiah's coming would in fact confirm the Abrahamic covenant with "the many," the Jews. b) Remember the purpose of the 70 weeks as mentioned in verse 24: "To finish transgression." "To put an end to sin." "To atone for wickedness." "To bring in everlasting righteousness." "To seal up vision and prophecy." "To anoint the most holy." How were these things accomplished? By the destruction of the temple, the city, the interrupting of the offering of literal sacrifices by unbelieving Jews, by a covenant made with unbelieving Israel for 7 years by a pagan Roman General? Impossible! These things could only be accomplished by Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus is the one who confirmed God's covenant with Abraham with the Jews for 7 years, 29-36 AD. He is the "seed" of Abraham, and it wasn't until Acts 10:37-48 that Gentiles began to benefit from Abraham's seed! (Galatians 3:16, 26-29) c) Its true General Titus' army destroyed the temple thereby preventing the unbelieving Jews from offering sacrifices there. Jesus said the "abomination [the Roman armies, Luke 21:20] that causes desolation" would come before the destruction of the temple. (Matthew 24:15-21) This "standing in the holy place" was in 66 AD, so was not "set up" in the "middle" of anything. The 'desolations that have been decreed' and "the end that is decreed" rule out any rebuilding of a physical temple on earth and such has been the case. Do the events of Daniel 9:26, 27 HAVE TO BE in sequence? 4) Daniel doesn't say the Abrahamic covenant is "fulfilled." Rather it is "confirmed." It isn't fulfilled until the end of the 1,000 years. (Revelation 20-22) 5) To philosophical arguments in some Bible dictionaries. The Bible doesn't follow calendars invented by men, such as the Gregorian or Julian calendars which didn't exist until after the Bible was completed. Obviously, then, the Bible wouldn't give BC or AD dates for anything. It states clearly the times: "the twentieth year" of Artaxerxes twice; "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar"; the "seventy years" of desolation three times, etc. Astronomical dates are very accurate. Many of these historians are very quick to dismiss the Bible when it doesn't agree with their interpretation of matters. Which is better? To put our faith in human guesses and speculations or in the infallible word of God? Stokeyhk. |