Daniel's prophecies...

[Momo-P]

Quick question for those very knowledgeable about this sort of thing.

In Daniel 9:24-27, we all know Daniel is speaking about Jesus, correct? Well...just wanting to make sure, but...the sabbaths Daniel is speaking of, don't most Christians believe he's referencing "sabbathical years" instead? I don't think that's actually what they're called, but I do believe there was a sabbath event of seven years in the Old Testament. Where they didn't plant anything on the seventh year and junk? ^^;

Either way, I've been told that, back in Daniel's day, it was common place for people to use the word "days" as slang for years (depending on what city they were in). Anybody else know more about this? I just think it'd be a bit more interesting to hear about. Not to mention, isn't it true nobody actually KNOWS when the persian emperor gave the decree to rebuild Jerusalem? I read that the date is uncertain, so technically it sounds like you could believe Daniel's words as literal sabbaths, sabbathical years, or whatever. ^^;

For once I'm not asking a real worry question, so I hope it's ok. Especially since I love learning how accurate the prophecies about Jesus were, it's fun to see how much God revealed to us without humanity really paying attention. Unfortunately I just don't like to look this stuff up on google. Too many weird sites that try and tell me I'm evil for liking this or that or try to get me to stop believeing. I'd rather just ask you guys since I know you follow the Bible accurately and have a level head. ._.

[Dante]

Yeah... and I want to know who Melchis'edec is! I find him Hebrews 5 and I've never heard anyone else make a big deal over him nor do I remember alot being said about him in the Old Testament (In fact I don't remember anything at all). So where in the world does he come from in Hebrews 7? Why is it that he has no father or mother, nor a beginning or ending of days (or is this all priests in general)? Even still Hebrews seems to make a really big deal over him... so... who is he?! O_O

[Galant]

Weeks - scholars agree that the term weeks in ancient Hebrew refers simply to a set of seven. So seven and then sixty-two weeks = 69 sets of seven. Seven what? Again, scholars agree that it is, rather simply, years.

69 sets of 7 years.

Now, there are a few possible start dates that could be considered the beginning, and then a few possible end events. Some suggest completion happens at Christ's birth, at His baptism, at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem or at His death. There is one scholar, Sir Robert Anderson, who spells out the details and math and shows an exact count of 483 years, in days, from the proclamation to rebuild to Jesus' entry - to the day.

Of course there are some disputes as to what should be the start and end, but it is a remarkable study.

Anyway, that's what 'weeks' means, and then you just have to figure out to which events they refer. Amazing stuff.
Here's a reference link: https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-sevens.html


Melchizedek - Genesis 14:18-20 and Psalm 110:4 Not a lot is said about him in the OT but the writer of Hebrews explains a little about him.

He is a 'type' of Christ in the OT and some today consider him an OT appearance of Christ, although this isn't explicit in the text. He is the King of Salem but fulfills a priestly role in receiving tithe from Abraham. (Note Salem, although a location, also means 'Peace' - King of Peace? - That's just an inference) And seeing as the Aaronic priesthood that we are most familiar with was still 'inside' Abraham - the line would come from him - it can be said that the Aaronic priesthood paid tithes to, or was inferior to Melchizedek's priesthood.

Much of the beginning of Hebrews is basically teaching us that Christ's priesthood is superior to that of the line of Aaron because it is without beginning and end, and the one comes from the other. A lot of the beginning of Hebrews is the writer showing, at length, to a Jewish/Hebrew audience that Christ is supreme - even above angels, Moses, the Aaronic priesthood etc.

It is a somewhat mysterious subject but ultimately not that complex.

[Technomancer]

Yeah... and I want to know who Melchis'edec is! I find him Hebrews 5 and I've never heard anyone else make a big deal over him nor do I remember alot being said about him in the Old Testament (In fact I don't remember anything at all). So where in the world does he come from in Hebrews 7? Why is it that he has no father or mother, nor a beginning or ending of days (or is this all priests in general)? Even still Hebrews seems to make a really big deal over him... so... who is he?! O_O

Melchizedek features briefly in Genesis and is described as being both a king and priest of one of the kingdoms of Canaan. When he greets Abraham for the first time, he gives him bread and wine and a blessing. For this reason, he is taken to be symbolic of Christ.