During the fifth dispensation, Daniel received the following message:
“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Daniel 9:21-23)
An angel (Gabriel) comes to give Daniel understanding about the end of the fifth dispensation.
“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.” (Daniel 9:24)
We saw that this is the overarching plan of 490 years. This entire plan won’t be completed until after the end of the Tribulation…the seventieth week.
“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. 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.” (Daniel 9:25-26)
This covers sixty-nine of the seventy weeks. We have seen the fifth dispensation ends, but is not completed. Our dispensation begins at Pentecost and ends with the Rapture of the Church…which begins the Tribulation. The Tribulation is the seventieth week…so, the fifth dispensation comes back for seven years in order to complete everything mentioned in verse 24. This is the explanation of the seventieth 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.” (Daniel 9:27)
The point of revisiting this passage is to see two things. First, that God warned Israel when their dispensation would end and when it would be completed. Second, God gave a trigger for the countdown to the Messiah and the end of their dispensation.
This prophecy has a time constraint, but the trigger was not up to God. God knew once the commandment was given to restore and build Jerusalem, He would have enough value through people that He would be able to set the timing until the Messiah…and since God is Right and Just, He shared His decision ahead of time.
It looks like we ought to understand the trigger event…
Next Section at Book Level: Zerubbabel
Chapter Summary
Part III Table of Contents
Part I Table of Contents
