The book of Daniel in the Old Testament was written around 535 B.C. and this date has in recent times been confirmed by the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Daniel is one of the most prolific men in the Old Testament. Anyone who has attended Sunday School knows the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. I have included a newer version of that story. Hope you enjoy it.
I would like to tell you another story about Daniel that most people have never heard of. It is the most amazing prophecy that foretells hundreds of years in the future exactly when the Messiah would come. How is it possible for anyone to accurate predict what is going to happen hundreds of years later. Could it be that there actually is a God?
If you have time to read this, you will be absolutely amazed at how accurate Daniel was in prophesising about the coming Messiah. Look at Daniel 9;25 "Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuilt Jerusalem until the anointed one, the ruler, comes, there will be seven "sevens", and sixty two "sevens".
Now you might look at this with a confused expression, but it is actually very easy to understand.
Daniel 9:25 states that in seven sevens and sixty two sevens or 69 sevens from the time the word goes out to rebuilt Jerusalem the anointed one will come. And of course all theologians will tell you that the anointed one is indeed the Messiah.
To start God's time clock we have to look at another part of the Bible in Nehemiah 2:1 where it says "In the month of Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes" This was when Nehemiah asked the king for permission to rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and it was granted to him by King Artaxerxes to do so.
We know for sure that Artaxerxes began his reign in 465 B.C., so his 20th year of reign would be 445 B.C. The first day of Nissan is March 14th according to our calendar. Thus the 69 weeks began on March 14th 445 B.C. And we need to remember that weeks in this passage and many other similar passages mean years. Just any Jew and he or she will tell you I am correct on this. Maybe not the Messiah part but for sure weeks is the correct interpretation.
The Jewish year consisted of 360 days. Simply calculation of this time element is this:
Week of years x 7 (days of the week) = 173,880 days. From March 14th, 445 B.C. when history tells us the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given, add 173,880 days and you come up with April 6, 32 A.D.
According to Sir Robert Anderson in his chronology, it was on that day that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem in His triumphal entry on a donkey as the prophet Zechariah also foretold hundreds of years ago. This day we know as Palm Sunday when hundreds of people shouted hosannas and waved palm branches to celebrate His coming.
Previous to this day Jesus had told His disciples to tell no one that He was the Messiah, but not on this day. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that donkey some people were saying, "You should rebuke your disciples because the people are calling you the Messiah." And what did Jesus say in response to this, "I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40 There was no keeping quiet about the Messiah that day! This was the day Jesus announced his triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the Messiah, just as the prophet Daniel had prophesied.
This is one of the most amazing prophecies in the entire Bible and most Christians don't even know about it. Now you know.