The Messiah comes at the right time
by Jurek Schulz, Amzi.
The coming and the birth of Jesus have been announced many times by the prophets. But only the prophet Daniel predicted about 2600 years ago the date of the coming of the Messiah.
Looking at the Messiah, we note: “The main event that the prophets announced is not the judgment of the world, not the restoration of Israel, not even the victory of the church. It is the coming of the Son of God “(René Pache).
God came to earth in the person of Jesus. Therein lies the encouraging fulfillment of numerous predictions. Even his birth is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, which is revisited in Matthew 1:23: “The Virgin will receive and bear a son” (Jewish New Testament, D. Stern). How this should happen is described in detail by the doctor and the evangelist Luke (Luke 1: 26-38).
Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem (Beth Lechem, House of Bread, Mt. 2: 2, Luke 2:15), as the prophet Micaiah had announced centuries before (Deuteronomy 5: 1). Another son of this small town in the tribal area of Judah was the former King David (1 Sam., 16: 4ff.). The prophets promised him an eternal kingdom (2 Sam., 7: 12-16, Ps., 132: 11, Jer., 23: 5). In the person of Jesus, this was fulfilled by being risen (Acts 1, 3, 11, 1 Cor 15) and reigning forever as King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15). But the prophet Daniel is the only one who has another detail ready: the time to fulfill this event.
Who was Daniel?
Daniel means “My judge is God”. The name given to Daniel in Ezekiel (Ed. 14,14.20; 28,3) was added in the Masoretic text to an additional consonant (Danijel) that was originally absent. With Keil & Delitzsch we can assume, however, that this name actually means the prophet of the eponymous book. In Ezekiel, he is mentioned as one of the righteous of God with Noah and Job in one breath (14,14.16.20).
Daniel came from the tribe of Judah and became king at the age of 15 in the third year of the reign of King Jojakim in 605 BCE. After being deported to Babylon (Dan.1.1-4). He came from a distinguished family, d. H. most likely from the royal line. In the foreign land, he made a decision remarkable for his youth: he remained faithful to the ordinances of God revealed through Moses, and refused to consume the King’s food and drink forbidden to him as a Jew (Dan. 8th).
An unusual career
Through his great zeal for learning and God’s grace, he soon became acquainted with all the knowledge of Babylonia and later became one of the most powerful civil servants at the court of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. He also experienced the Persian conquest of Babylon and the accession of the Persian Cyrus in 539 BC. Chr.
Striking is Daniel’s exact adherence to Jewish traditions. Some of these rules are still practiced today in Judaism, such as the three times daily prayer (Dan 6:11), the prayer of confession of sin (Dan. 9), and the clear adherence to the hope of the resurrection of the dead (Dan. ). The Jewish prophet Daniel must have left striking traces in exile, because Rabbi Petachjia from Regensburg, who visited Babel in the 12th century, mentions in his travelogue a Daniel worship still perceptible to the Persian people at that time. He also mentions Daniel’s relics, which are sacred to the Persians, and a house named after him (see Hanna Liss, Tanach – Textbook of the Jewish Bible, p.
Daniel’s year of death is not known to us, but we have starting points to identify it through events mentioned: Daniel was under the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar 605 BC. Deported (2 Kings 24-25, Dan 1,1-4). He experienced the Babylonian king Belsazar 539 BC. (Dan 5: 29-30) and the Persian King Cyrus (Reg. 559-530 BC, 538/9 conquest of the Babylonian Empire). 536 BC The first wave of the Jews’ return to their homeland took place in the 3rd century BC. Daniel did not go with him (Ezr. Under Darius, a median ruler, Daniel becomes one of the three statesmen in the country to be responsible for the affairs of the state (Dan.6.1-4). Since Daniel describes in his book a history period of about 70 years, we can assume that he was at least 80 years, if not even over 85 years old.
Striking bilingualism
The book of Daniel is written in chapters 1.1-2.4 and from chapter 8.1 in Hebrew, but in chapter 2.4-7.28 in Aramaic. There are also Daniel apocrypha in Greek, but later appeared and bear only his name. Therefore, they were not included in the canon.
His book is only included in the Christian section of the book of prophets. In the Jewish arrangement it is arranged under the writings or history books. The focus for Judaism is on the edifying poetry, less on the prophetic character. Nevertheless, we will see that he makes decisive messianic statements.
In search of the latter, the book of Daniel contains a lot of interesting facts. We find the first clue in the episode in which the three Jews Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were thrown into the furnace for refusing to worship idols. But they remained unharmed: for there was still someone with them who looked like the Son of God (Dan 3:25). A little later, in chapter 7: 13-15, Daniel prophesies the return of the Messiah. In chapter 12.2 Daniel writes about the resurrection, the Last Judgment and the eternal life of the redeemed. But the climax and crown of Daniel’s messianic prophecies is the prediction of the appearance of the Messiah and his year of death.
Amazing prophecy
Daniel 9: 24-26 states, “For seventy weeks (in Hebrews, ‘7 years old, also called year weeks), God has ordered another punishment of Jerusalem and His people. Then it will finally cease to sin, its guilt will be purified, and eternal righteousness will begin. Judgment and prophecy will be fulfilled and the Blessed Sacrament anointed. So now know and pay heed: from the time the Word came, Jerusalem will be rebuilt until an anointed, a prince comes, it will be 7 Schwu’im, and 62 swu’im long it will be rebuilt, and after the 62 Schwu’im an anointed one will be exterminated. And the people of a prince will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary. “
Shavuot in Hebrew means “weeks,” d. H. Units of seven days each. Schwu’im are units of seven years each. 70 Schwu’im are thus 490 years, after which God forgave his debt to the people of Israel.
From the time the word came from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed Messiah, it is 7 plus 62 Schwu’im, that is, 49 plus 434 years. Now we only lack the starting point of this time of 483 years. I see this from the following considerations around the year 457 BC. In Jeremiah 29: 10ff., God promises that the Babylonian captivity will end after 70 years, and that he, God, will then accept his people again. Ezra came to Jerusalem in the seventh year of the reign of the Persian King Artaxerxes (Ezr 7: 7), which is considered to be the fulfillment of this promise. Artaxerxes ruled from 465-425 BC So that we can assume the year 457 or 458 as the starting point of the calculation
Other Messianic prophecies of Daniel:
2,34-35 The messianic kingdom comes inconspicuously and fills the earth.
2,44-45 The messianic kingdom reigns for ever.
7,13-14 The Messiah (Son of Man) comes with the clouds and will reign forever. The peoples will serve him.
7,18 The saints will receive the kingdom with the Messiah. You will be with him forever.
7,22 The saints will judge the kingdom and take possession of it.
7,27 All the powers under heaven will serve the Messiah.
9: 25-26 The death of the Messiah and the destruction of the temple are announced.
10.5. The holiness and glory of the Messiah bears the look of a man.
12: 1-3 The Messiah will exercise his judgment on earth through the angel Michael.
Believers will be resurrected to eternal life.
The believers who brought God closer to others will enjoy special glory.
The perfect Christmas
Daniel makes it clear that the return of the glorified Jesus is the central event for this earth. The Tenach (AT) contains numerous prophecies for the Second Coming of the Messiah (Ps 98,9, Dan 7,13-14, cf 14.3-5). In the New Testament this is precisely the focus of all predictions. Jesus spoke of it himself (Mt. 24: 29-31, 26:64, John 14: 1-3, 16:22, Rev. 3:11, 16:15, 22: 7, 20, 20). The angels of God announced His coming again (Acts 1: 9-11). For the apostles, it was the central content of the sermon, as in Paul (1 Cor., 1: 7-9, 11:26, Phil. 3:20, Col. 3: 4, 2: 13), by Peter (1 Cor. 1 Peter 1: 7, 2 Peter 3:10), Judas (Judges 14-15) and John (Rev.
Let’s strengthen our hope in the Advent and Christmas through the prophet Daniel! Because Advent literally means “time of arrival”. And the arrival of the accomplished Messiah is the next upcoming event. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3: 9 that the fulfillment of the promise is not delayed, but that God has patience with us, so that all have a chance to repent. Let us celebrate this time more intensely, from the point of view that we expect the earth-born Messiah to return to earth.
Picture and text: Amzi