The arrival of the Messiah on one specific day, according to the prophecies of Daniel 9, Psalms 118, and Zechariah 9, is one of the most extraordinary exhibitions of God’s power and sovereignty the world has ever seen.

The Day Messiah Rode Into Jerusalem, Predicted By Daniel

The Messiah will arrive “sixty-nine weeks” from the command to restore and build Jerusalem.

Old Testament Prediction:

Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

New Testament Fulfillment:

Matthew 21:8-9 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!“

The Prophecy Of 70 Weeks

In this section, we will examine the first 69 weeks of this prediction and evaluate its fulfillment from a historical vantage point.

In Daniel 9:25, the Lord is giving Israel the precise day that the Messiah will come to Jerusalem. First, a command will be given. Then “seven weeks” and “sixty two weeks…until the Messiah the Prince will come.”

In the first seven weeks (49 years), the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

In the second sixty-two weeks (434 years), the Messiah will arrive.

The trigger for the countdown of this prophecy is the command to restore and build Jerusalem. A detailed discussion on the seventy weeks is explored in Prophecy 307.

The purpose of this 309th prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, verse 25, is to understand the complete details of the angel Gabriel’s words to Daniel, in comparison with the actual events of history.

The section of Daniel’s prophecy is for a total of 69 times 7 years, or a total of 483 years. Encyclopedia Britannica records that Artaxerxes Longimanus issued the command to release the captives of Israel in Babylon, on March 14, 445 B.C.[1] So named “Longimanus” by the Greeks because his right hand was longer than his left.[2]

The Babylonian calendar was based upon a 360 days per year cycle. 360 days per year times 483 years, equals 173,880 days. Taking into account the calendar year change over from 1 B.C. To 1 A.D. because there is no “0” year. Adding 116 days for leap years.

• 483 X 360 days = 173,880
• 173,880 days plus 116 years for leap years, added to March 14, 445 B.C. We come to the date of April 6th, the year 32 A.D.

How We Know The Command Came In 445 B.C?

The reign of Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) is computed from 465 B.C., according to the history of the Persians.[3] Xerxes I, was murdered by Artabanus the commander of the royal bodyguard of the king. He was the most powerful of the officials in the court of the Persian king. With the help of Aspamitres, a eunuch, Artabanus assassinated Xerxes I, bringing Artaxerxes Longimanus to the throne in 465 B.C.[4]

According to Nehemiah 2:1, Artaxerxes wrote the command for the Jews to return to Jerusalem in the 20th year of his reign.

Nehemiah 2:1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

Computing 20 years from Artaxerxes ascension to the throne in 465 B.C., we come to 445 B.C.

Hebrew months were not calculated in the same way that our current calendar months are determined. The first day of a Hebrew calendar month begins immediately following a new moon (when no moon is visible).

The way in which the first day of the month was determined in Israel during their ancient history was by observation. When at least two witnesses noticed that a new moon had occurred, they would notify the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem. Upon verification of the beginning of the new moon, the leaders of Israel would declare the “rosh chodesh,” the first of the month. Messengers would then be dispatched over the land to notify the people that the new month had began.[5]

In the year 445 B.C., the new moon occurred on the 13th day of March at 7:09 a.m.[6] This would place the 1st day of April, the Hebrew month of Nissan, on March 14, 445 B.C. This was also the day that the Passover Lamb was offered.

Ezra and Nehemiah traveled together from Babylon, back to Jerusalem after Artaxerxes issued to command to return and rebuild the city. We know from Ezra’s account that they left Babylon on the first day of the first month, which is Nissan 1, or our calendar, the 14th of March, 445 B.C. Ezra says that he arrived back in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, Av by the Jewish calendar.

Ezra 7:9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

This verifies from the secular, historical, record and the Bible, that the date of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, from Artaxerxes, was in fact issued on March 14, 445, B.C.

According to Nehemiah 6:15, the walls of Jerusalem were completed after just 52 days on the 25th day of September. Counting backwards for 52 days, we come to the 3rd of Av. This confirms that Nehemiah would have arrived with Ezra on Av 1, according to Nehemiah 2:11.

Nehemiah 2:11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

From the historical records of the Persians, the Jews, and the Hebrew scriptures, we can accurately compute the date of Artaxerxes command to return to Jerusalem as March 14, 445 B.C.

The Jews who had been held captive in Babylon for 70 years, were allowed by Artaxerxes command, to return to Jerusalem and begin building the city. This is the object of the first seven weeks, or 49 years of Daniel’s prophecy, which was precisely fulfilled according to the Book of Nehemiah, Chapters 3-6.

The second set of 62 weeks of years (483), ended at Jesus arrival in Jerusalem on April 6, 32 A.D. On the Hebrew Calendar, this was the 10th day of Nissan, 32 A.D., the day that the Passover Lamb was inspected for flaws before He would be sacrificed four days later on the 14th day of the month, the precise day the Passover Lamb should be sacrificed. Jesus died on this exact day, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. See Prophecy 21.

Was There Any Event Of Particular Importance On April 6, 32 A.D.?

Luke 19:29-42 And it came to pass, when Jesus came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose him and bring him here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ “So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.

On April 6, 32 A.D., Jesus told His disciples to go over to Bethphage and find for Him, “the foal of a donkey”. They were to bring this young animal back to Jesus. A foal is an unbroken young horse or donkey that has never had a man sit upon his back. Under normal circumstance, this young foal would throw the first person who attempted to ride him. Amazingly, this young donkey submits to Jesus and allows Him to ride into Jerusalem on April 6, Palm Sunday. As Jesus makes His way into Jerusalem, He allows the assembled crowd to hail Him as “The Son of David”, a clear title for the Messiah.

Matthew 21:8-9 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

It is interesting that up to this point, Jesus had refused all requests by His disciples to announce to the world that He was the promised Messiah.

John 7:3-6 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him. Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

Jesus was waiting for this one specific day, when Daniel had predicted that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem.

There was no mistake in who the people were declaring Jesus to be. The crowd was shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David” and the Pharisees understood what they were saying. The people believed Jesus was the promised Messiah, and He was receiving their praise in acceptance of this fact that He had arrived in Jerusalem in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.

Luke 19:39-40 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Jesus said, “if you had know this your day…”

This was one unique day in all the history of the world when the Son of God would come to Jerusalem and be hailed as the Messiah. The book of Psalms contains specific text directed at this event:

Psalms 118:24-26 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

See Prophecy 149 for more details.

We often quote this verse from Psalms 118 whenever there is a particularly beautiful day. However, the specific day that Psalms 118 was written for, is a day chosen—out of eternity. The day that the Messiah would come and be recognized. Psalms 118 contains the language, “save now”, and “blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD”, because this is what those present when the Messiah arrived would proclaim with their shouts of praise. The people who had gathered to greet Jesus as the Messiah were well aware of Psalms 118, and this is why they were reciting this verse as Jesus made His entrance into the city.

On April 6th, 32 A.D. Jesus rides into Jerusalem and is proclaimed as the “Son of David”, the Messiah. This fulfilled Daniel prophecy of the coming Messiah from Chapter 9, verse 25.

The prophet Zechariah also spoke of this very special day when he wrote:

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

See also: Prophecies: 334, 335, 336, 337, 338

Zechariah wrote this prophecy, describing the Messiah as coming to Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, about 600 years before Jesus was born. Daniel’s prediction of the precise day that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem, was written almost 700 years before Jesus was born.

When a king made his entrance into a city and his purpose was to conquer that city, he always rode on a great stallion. When a king was coming in peace, he would ride on the back of a donkey. Jesus was arriving in Jerusalem in fulfillment of Daniel’s and Zechariah’s prophecies, to proclaim the time when all people can make peace with God, by experiencing the forgiveness of their sins.

The Holy Spirit told us the precise day when the Messiah would arrive the first time as our Savior and Lord. This is not the end of this story however. The Holy Spirit is also revealing that the Messiah will be killed during the time of His first visitation.

Daniel 9:26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…

We will cover the death of the Messiah in Prophecy 310, from Daniel 9:26.

In my opinion, Daniel chapter 9 is the greatest and most important prophecy of the entire Bible. For in these few verses of Daniel, we learn some very important foundational truths that are the basis for understanding many other prophecies of the Bible—specifically, the book of Revelation.

1. Bible Prophecy is the most important aspect of the scriptures. In the amazing precision that is demonstrated by the prediction and fulfillment of this prophecy from Daniel 9:24-27, we see that only God could accurately tell us ahead of time what would happen in the future. This is a firm validation that the author of all Biblical prophecy must be God, who lives outside of time and has revealed these future events to men.
2. We can trust the word of God. Everything that He has promised—He is able to deliver. Every prophecy which should be fulfilled so far, has been fulfilled perfectly.
3. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies that describe in vivid detail, the identity of the Messiah and specifically—what He will be like.
4. Only Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah—therefore only Jesus is qualified to be given the title of Messiah, the only Savior of the world.
5. All other prophecies of the Bible, center around this one prophecy given to Daniel in chapter 9, verse 25.

Important background information regarding Daniel’s prophecy of seventy weeks, and the command that was given to return to Israel:

One of the errors commonly made in the study of the prophecies of Daniel, is in understanding that there were three sieges that Nebuchadnezzar made against Jerusalem. A correct comprehension of each of these three sieges and what they mean to the seventy years of Israel’s captivity, will enable us to understand the prophecy of Daniel in greater detail.

According to Daniel chapter 9, verse 25, the period of time from the captivity of Israel, until the coming of the Messiah—is: “62 weeks” of years plus “7 weeks” of years. At the end of the present age, one final week (7 years) remains, that will be fulfilled by the arrival of the seven year Tribulation period. This is often referred to as the “seventieth week of Daniel”.

Many of the errors in understanding the 70 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy come from the fact that some interpreters have not distinguish between:

1. The “Servitude of Israel”.
2. The “Captivity of Israel”.
3. The “Desolations of Israel”.

Our current Julian calendar date of December 13th, corresponds to the Jewish calendar date of Tebeth, 10. From history, we known that the 10th of Tebeth in 589 B.C., began the “Desolations of Israel.[14]”

The Desolation’s of Israel ended on December 17, 520 B.C., Seven days later on the 24th day of the 9th month (December), in the 2nd year of Darius reign, he orders the rebuilding of the temple.[15] It is interesting that both secular history and the Bible tell us that this is the true date that the foundation of the second temple was laid. The first month on the Hebrew calendar is April, the ninth month would be December.

Haggai 2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (December), in the second year of Darius…

Haggai 2:18-19 “Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it:  Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”

When a Persian king made a law or decree, that law could not be broken even by the king himself—who made the law. The kings of Persia were considered “living gods,” their words could not be changed once they were spoken.

Despite this fact—when Cyrus King of Persia, made his decree to rebuild the temple in 536 B. at Jerusalem, that order was not carried out for another 17 years, when Darius became king in 520 B.C.

This was due primarily to a number of rules and formalities within the Persian government.

How is it possible that since the word of a living god/king—cannot be changed under any circumstance—his command was delayed by 17 years from the time he uttered the words?[16]

In Jeremiah chapter 25, the Lord speaks to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, pronouncing a judgement of “seventy years”. This judgment is called; “perpetual desolations”.

Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem…

Jeremiah 25:8 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not heard My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

This judgement of the “desolations” occurred on August 7, 589 B.C when Nebuchadnezzar; “…burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem”, 2 Kings 25:8-9. He left Jerusalem a “Desolation”, where it remained for 70 years, until December 17, 520 B.C.[17]

Although Cyrus ordered the temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt, in 536 B.C., this order was not carried out for another 17 years, until the 24th day of December, 520 B.C.[18] The Lord would not allow the foundation of the second temple to be laid until He had completed the 70 years of “The Desolation’s of Israel”, as He had spoken. The Word of God always supersedes the words of all kings and every word of men.

It is interesting that Cyrus order was to rebuild the temple, not the city. The actual order to rebuild the city and the walls would not come until 445 B.C. When Artaxerxes Longimanus gave the command to return and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This command by Artaxerxes was the trigger for the countdown of Daniel 9:25. After sixty-nine seven year periods, or 483 years, the Messiah would make His entrance at Jerusalem. This happened exactly as Daniels’ prophecy had predicted, on April 6, 32 A.D., when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was proclaimed the Messiah.

The seventy weeks of Daniel begin with the decree of Artaxerxes—given to Nehemiah in 445 B.C. to “restore and build Jerusalem”.

Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1 describe Cyrus as the Lord’s shepherd and his anointed.

Isaiah 44:24, 28 (Thus says the Lord) Who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’

Isaiah 45:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus…

What is amazing about this prophecy from Isaiah 44, is that the Lord spoke the name “Cyrus” one hundred and fifty years before he was born. This future pagan king would be the instrument that God would use to allow His people, who He had placed in captivity under Nebuchadnezzar for 70 years, to be sent back home to Jerusalem, according to Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

Even more amazing is the fact that before Cyrus was born, the Greek historian Herodotus records that Cyrus mother, “Mandane” suffered a sinister plot by her father, King Astyages. According to Herodotus, King Astyages had a dream that deeply troubled him. He saw his daughter Mandane with a river of water flowing from her that filled the kingdom and flooded all of Asia. When King Astyages asked for the interpretation of this dream, he was told that his daughter, the mother of Cyrus, would have a son who would take his kingdom from him.[19]

The King dispatched his servant Harpagus to kill the newborn son of his daughter. The servant could not find it in his heart to kill the child, so he gave the task to a local shepherd, who also could not bring himself to take his life. Cyrus was raised by this shepherd as his own son, and later became the king of Babylon, to whom God calls by name, one hundred and fifty years before he existed. [20]

When the Lord speaks a word of prophecy, He will not allow His word to fail. Not one of the prophecies of the Old Testament have ever failed, including the 365 that are the subject of this book.

Cyrus was born in Persia in 590 B.C. He conquered three great world-wide empires; the Medes, the Lydian’s, and the Babylonians. Cyrus founded the great Archaemenian dynasty and united all of the middle east into a single empire stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to India. He was the King over the largest empire the world had ever known during his life time. Cyrus died at the age of 60 in 530 B.C.

Perhaps it was due to his upbringing by a gentle shepherd—Cyrus had a heart for people that was far different from most other conquering kings. He allowed the nations that he subdued to continue in worship of their gods and allowed the vanquished to keep their long held customs and traditions.[21] Even the Greeks who later conquered Cyrus, considered him with great respect because of his high character and moral values.

In 1879, the British Museum in London, sponsored an expedition to the ruins of Babylon and discovered an ancient clay cylinder that contained the record of Cyrus conquest of Babylon in 539 B.C.

The “Cyrus Cylinder”, is an important archeological find in recent history that not only confirms and defines Cyrus life and kingdom, it also validates and corroborates one of the most important writers of the Old Testament prophecies—those of the book of Daniel. The Cyrus Cylinder was discovered by Hormonz Rassam in 1879 at an excavation at Babylon. This ancient pagan, extra-biblical record is strong confirmation of the Biblical narrative of Cyrus which describes the same events.[22] The Cyrus Cylinder speaks of the destruction of Babylon, the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, and their captivity at Babylon for the seventy years—the precise events which the Bible describes in great detail.

The date of the Cyrus Cylinder is 536-529 B.C. Today is can be seen at the British Museum in London, England.[23]

[24]
The following text contains some of the more relevant record from the Cyrus Cylinder that are applicable for the prophecies of Daniel which we are considering in this book.[25]

Cyrus, His Self Description

“I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, mighty king, king of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, son of Cambyses, great king, king of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, great king, king of Anshan, descendant of Teispes, great king, king of Anshan, progeny of an unending royal line, whose rule Bel and Nabu cherish, whose kingship they desire for their hearts’ pleasures.”[26]

Cyrus gave kindness and consideration to those he conquered.

“I did not allow any to terrorize the land of Sumer and Akkad. I kept in view the needs of Babylon and all its sanctuaries to promote their well-being. The citizens of Babylon. I lifted their unbecoming yoke. Their dilapidated dwellings I restored. I put an end to their misfortunes.”[27]

The fact that Cyrus was unique among the conquering kings who subdued nations, is important to the prophetic story of the Jews and Israel. When Cyrus captured a city, he would permit the residents to continue in worship of their gods. He allowed the indigenous people to carry on in their traditions and rituals, without interference from Cyrus or the Persian authorities, as long as they did so peacefully. This mindset by Cyrus may have been a contributing factor in him allowing the Jews who had been taken captive to Babylon, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.

“All the kings who sat in the throne rooms, throughout the four quarters, from the Upper to the Lower Sea, those who dwelt in all the kings of the West Country who dwelt in tents, brought me their heavy tribute and kissed my feet in Babylon. To the cities of Ashur and Susa, Agade, Eshnuna, the cities of Zamban, Meurnu, Der, as far as the region of the land of Gutium, the holy cities beyond the Tigris whose sanctuaries had been in ruins over a long period, the Gods whose abode is in the midst of them. I returned to the places and housed them in lasting abodes.”[28]

It was a practice of Cyrus to rebuild the temples and restore the articles used for worship by those nations that he conquered. Throughout his conquests, Cyrus allowed the people of many different nations to return to their own land and live in peace.

When Cyrus came to Babylon, unknown to him at the time, he already had the promise of the God of Israel that he would subdue and conquer Babylon. This was despite the fact that no other nation in past history, had been able to overcome the incredible fortress of Babylon’s walls and water barrier that surrounded the city. In Isaiah’s prophecy, Cyrus is not only told that he is the Lord’s shepherd (Isaiah 44:24), he is also informed precisely how he will overcome Babylon and enter the city. Cyrus will learn of this prophecy written by Isaiah, from Daniel, who is within the city of Babylon that he is about to capture. It is believed, that as a result of Daniel revealing these prophecies of Isaiah 45 to King Cyrus, that this resulted in the king doing exactly as the prophecy describes—to allow the Jews return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.

Isaiah 45:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

The following excerpts from the cylinder of Cyrus describe the ease at which Cyrus’ army entered the city of Babylon. This also substantiates Isaiah’s prophecy and the events in the Book of Daniel:

“His widespread troops-their number, like that of the water of a river, which could not be counted, strolled along, their weapons packed away. Without any battle, he made him enter his city Babylon, sparing Babylon any damage. He delivered into my hands Nabonidus, the king who did not worship him.”[29]

Cyrus was easily able to enter Babylon and overtake the city, without any battle whatsoever. The book of Daniel tells us that on the night that Cyrus made his way into Babylon, Belshazzar, the king of Babylon was having a great feast in the palace.

Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

Daniel 5:30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.

In Volume 1 of the “History of Herodotus”,[30] this Greek historian describes the invasion of Babylon by Cyrus.

“On the top, along the edges of the wall, they constructed buildings of a single chamber facing one to another, leaving between them room for a four-horse chariot to turn. In the circuit of the wall are a hundred gates, all of brass, with bronze lintels and side-posts. …The city is divided into two portions by the river, which runs through the midst of it. This river is the Euphrates, a broad, deep, swift stream, which rises in Armenia, and empties itself into the Erythraean Sea.”[31]

“At the rivers end of these cross streets are low gates in the fence that skirts the stream, which are, like the great gates in the outer wall, all of brass, and open towards the water. . .Cyrus on his way to Babylon came to the banks of the Gyndes, a stream which, rising in the Matienian mountains, runs through the country of the Dardanians, and empties itself into the river Tigris. The Tigris, after receiving the Gyndes, flows on by the city of Opis, and discharges its waters into the Erythraean sea.” [31.]

Babylon was a city that straddled the mighty Euphrates river. The walls of Babylon were 87 feet thick and 300 feet high. There were 250 guard towers around the perimeter of the city, stationed 24 hours a day with armed guards. The Euphrates river ran under the city and acted as a natural deterrent against attack.



The city of Babylon was considered impossible to defeat because of the awesome structure of the city. At the entrance to the city gate of Babylon, were large double hung iron gates that went down deep into Euphrates river.



Herodotus further describes how the Persians diverted the River Euphrates upstream, into a canal, so that the water level dropped “to the height of the middle of a man’s thigh,” which lowered the water level to the point that the soldiers could go underneath the iron bars by night.[32] Two days later, on October 12, 539 B.C, Cyrus general, Ugbaru’s and his troops were able to enter Babylon without a battle.

The following is from the account of Cyrus invasion of Babylon by Herodotus:

“When Cyrus reached this stream, which could only be passed in boats, one of the sacred white horses accompanying his march, full of spirit and high mettle, walked into the water, and tried to cross by himself; but the current seized him, swept him along with it, and drowned him in its depths. Cyrus, became enraged at the river, and threatened to break its strength so that in the future even women should cross it easily without wetting their knees.

Accordingly he put off for a time his attack on Babylon, and, dividing his army into two parts, he marked out by ropes one hundred and eighty trenches on each side of the Gyndes, leading off from it in all directions, and making his army dig, some on one side of the river, some on the other, he accomplished his threat by the aid of a great a number of hands, but not without losing the whole summer season. Having defeated the river Gyndes by dispersing it through three hundred and sixty channels, Cyrus, with Spring approaching, marched forward against Babylon. The Babylonians, encamped without their walls, awaited his coming.

A battle was fought at a short distance from the city, in which the Babylonians were defeated by the Persian king, whereupon they withdrew within their defenses. Here they shut themselves and made fun of his siege, having laid in a store of provisions for many years in preparation against this attack; for when they saw Cyrus conquering nation after nation, they were convinced that he would never stop, and that their turn would come at last. Now Cyrus did not know how to proceed, for as time went on he made no progress in conquering the city.

In his distress either someone made a suggestion to him, or he himself came up with a plan, which he proceeded to follow. He placed a portion of his army at the point where the river enters the city, and another body at the back of the place where it comes out, with orders to march into the town by the bed of the stream, as soon as the water became shallow enough: he and his army then withdrew, and went to the place where Nitocris dug the basin for the river, where he did exactly what he had done in the past: he turned the Euphrates by a canal into the basin, which was then a marsh, on which the river sank to such a low level that the natural bed of the stream became crossable.

Hereupon the Persians who had been left at Babylon by the riverside, entered the stream, which had now sunk so as to reach about midway up to a man’s thigh, and entered into the city.

Had the Babylonians been aware of what Cyrus was up to, or had they noticed their danger, they would have never allowed the Persians to enter the city, but would have destroyed them; for they would have closed all the street-gates which opened to the river, and mounting upon the walls along both sides of the stream, would have caught the enemy, as it were, in a trap. But, as it was, the Persians came upon them by surprise and took the city.

Owing to the great size of the place, the inhabitants of the central part of Babylon, long after the outer portions of the town were taken, knew nothing of what had taken place, for they were engaged in a festival of dancing and reveling. Such, then, were the circumstances of the first taking of Babylon.”[33]

(The end of Herodotus description)

Upon diverting the Euphrates river from going through Babylon, Cyrus was able to place soldiers under the entrance—into Babylon. The soldiers went in and opened the gates, bringing Cyrus and His invasion force into Babylon It was nearly three days before the people of Babylon even realized that their city had been taken. Cyrus took Babylon, considered impossible to defeat, without a fight.

Imagine Cyrus’ amazement and sober contemplation as he enters Babylon and meets Daniel, now an old man. Daniel opens the Hebrew scriptures and shows Cyrus the prophecy of Isaiah 45. This great king realized that almost 150 years before his birth he had been named and ordained by the God of the Israelites to become a mighty conquering king and perform a task for the one true God, whom he neither knew nor worshiped.

Isaiah 45:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 2 “I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other…

Cyrus Words Are Confirmed By Ezra In 2 Chronicles:

October 12, 539 B.C., Babylon fell to King Cyrus of the Persians. He defeated Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar, who were the last rulers of Babylon. The book of 2 Chronicles, recorded by Ezra, contains the declaration of this great Persian king in his own words. This is corroborated in the “Cyrus Cylinder” housed in the British Museum, London England.[34]

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!

God had created Cyrus with such a heart that he had great respect and compassion for the people that he conquered. Growing up in very humble beginnings, raised by a poor shepherd, the Lord no doubt formed the heart of Cyrus as a young boy. He prepared Cyrus to be His servant, so that in later years when he read the prophecies written by Isaiah, the heart of Cyrus would be moved to respond in doing precisely what the Lord had predicted. Cyrus words and actions are confirmed twice here in the writings of Ezra; 2 Chronicles 36 and the book of Ezra that bears his name.

Cyrus Words Confirmed by Ezra:

Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. :4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

Cyrus Issues The Command

Daniel chapter 9, verse 25 speaks of a “command” being given to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem”. This decrees by Cyrus in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, and Ezra 1:1-4, both speak of Cyrus instructions in building “a house for God”, the temple at Jerusalem. Cyrus does not speak of “restoring or rebuilding Jerusalem”. This prophecy comes from the mouth of Daniel, and is directed at a future king, Artaxerxes, who will make this very command in 445 B.C.

Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

For this reason, both commands of Cyrus seem to apply to the first “seven weeks”, or 49 years, which we know from history, is the specific amount of time that it actually took to return and rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. The second period—sixty-two weeks of years, or 434 years, plus the 49 years to rebuild the temple, a total of 483 years—is the object of Daniels complete meaning and fulfillment for his prophecy in chapter 9:25; sixty-nine weeks of years.

According to Haggai 2:18-19, on December 17, 520 B.C., the foundation to the temple was laid. The original command came by Cyrus 17 years before in 536 B.C. Although the words of a Persian king were considered the words of a living god and could not be ignored or changed once he spoke them, it took 17 years before the foundation of the temple was actually laid in Jerusalem. This is because God had determined that the Temple could not begin until the 70 years of the “Desolations of Israel” were concluded (see the chart above). The “Desolations” began in 589 B.C, and 70 years later, ended on December 17, 520 B.C. (See the charts above for a graphic illustration of this point)

Haggai 2:18 “Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (December*), from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’ ”

*April is the first month in the Hebrew calendar, the ninth month is December.

• The “Servitude” began in 605 B.C., and ended in 536 B.C., after 70 years. This was the date that Cyrus gave the command to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem.
• The “Captivity” began in 598 B.C., and ended in 536 B.C., after 70 years, seven years after the Servitude began.
• The “Desolations” began in 589 B.C., and ended in 520 B.C. According to the word of the Lord, seventy years were determined for Israel. Therefore, when Cyrus made his command to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C, there were still 17 more years remaining to complete the 70 years God required. The word of God is more powerful than the words of even the greatest king of the world…

The prophecy Of 360 Years

In the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord tells the Jews that because they have continually disobeyed Him, He is going to judge Israel 390 days, and Judah, 40 days.

Ezekiel 4:5-6 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

In the last line of the above verses from Ezekiel, the prophet defines how long each day will last: one year.

• 390 Days for Israel.
• 40 Days for Judah.
• A total Judgment of 430 years

If we take these 430 years in which the Lord says He will judge Israel and Judah, and subtract the 70 years that He has already placed them into captivity at Babylon, we are left with 360 years.

This number 360 years, has puzzled Bible scholars for years because it doesn’t fit with any other numbers in the prophecies of the Bible. What is interesting about 360 is that all Bible prophecy is always centered around 360 days, making one year, the number of years that Babylon used in their calendars.

The question is: where do the 360 years fit into the entire plan of Bible Prophecy?

There is an interesting statement that the Lord makes in Leviticus chapter 26, where He warns Israel that if they continually disobey Him, he will “Punish them seven times more for their sins…”

Leviticus 26:15-18 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. 18 “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

We know from history that after the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Jews did not obey the Lord. The entire nation did not continue to walk with the Lord in obedience and sincere worship. Therefore, the Lord fulfilled his promise to add “seven times” more judgement to their former judgment.

After the 70 years of captivity that the Lord declared for Israel—this leaves 360 years remaining for their total judgment to be complete.

• 390 years Israel.
• 40 years for Judah.
• A total Judgment of 430 years
• Minus the 70 years for time already served in Babylon.
• Leaves 360 years.

If we take the remaining 360 years of Judgement declared by God in Ezekiel 4:5-6 and multiply this number by the “seven times” the Lord stated in Leviticus 26:15-18, we get:

• 360 years X 7 = 2,520 years.
• 2,520 years till Israel’s punishment ends and they are restored to the land, times: 360 days per year by the Babylonian calendar, equals 907,200 days.
• (2,520 days X 360 day year = 907,200 days)

At the time these prophecies were written, a 360 day per year calendar was being used all over the world. This is often the case in computing prophetic events in the Bible. The prophecy of Daniel uses a 360 day year calendar.

To convert 2,520 days to our current 365.25 year calendar, we simply take 907,200 days and divide this number by 365.25, which gives us 2,483.8 years.

According to history, the “captivity” and the “servitude’ of Israel both ended in the spring of 536 B.C. (2,483 years and 4 months)

Calculating from 536.4 B.C., we can discover the exact day that Israel’s punishment from God will end and the date He will allow Israel to become a nation again.

• -536.4 B.C.
• +2,483.8 years by our 365.25 day calendar
• +1 year added because there is no “0” from −1 B.C to +1 A.D., we come to the date:
• 1948.4

According to the prophecy of Ezekiel, Israel should be restored to their land about the first quarter of the year 1948.

We know from history that Israel became a nation once again on May 14, 1948. Prophecy fulfilled!

If we use 517 B.C, for the date when the temple was completed, then add 2,520 years* (2,483.8 years at 365.25 days per year), the time period required from Ezekiel 4 and Leviticus 26, we come to June 7, 1967, the day Jerusalem became the capital of Israel again for the first time in 2,000 years.

*2,520 years are based on 360 days per year.

• -517.2 B.C. The the temple in Jerusalem was complete.
• +2,483.8 years by a 365.25 day per year calendar.
• +1 year added because there is no “0” from −1 B.C to +1 A.D.
• We come to the date; June 7, 1967.

1967.6 The Day Jerusalem Became The Capital Of Israel



The Lord allowed Jerusalem to become the capital of Israel once again, 2,520 years after the second Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem. The Lord allowed Cyrus to make the command to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C., to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah of 70 years for Israel’s “Desolation”. It was not for 17 more years that the foundation of the Temple was laid in 520 B.C., and the Temple completed 3 years later, in 517 B.C.

The Specific Details For The Reconstruction Of The Temple, Completed In Just Three Years:

After the return of the Jews to Israel from Babylonian captivity, preparations were immediately made to rebuild the desolated Temple. According to Ezra 2:64, there were 42,360 men ready to complete the construction, after their four month long journey from the Euphrates river, back to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty...

The first item on the agenda for this enthusiastic returning mass, was to rebuild their place of worship for the God of Israel.

Zerubbabel, the newly appointed Governor contributed 1,000 golden Darics and other gifts. Many others followed Zerubbabel’s example and gave generously to the temple treasury. The second temple was rebuilt on the exact location of the former temple, in just three years.

Sidebar: It is interesting that when the seven year peace plan is signed by Israel and the surrounding Arab nations at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation, the antichrist will allow Israel to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem on the original site. This entire construction project will take just 3 years. We know this because at 3 1/2 years, the antichrist will go into the newly built temple and command the world that they should worship him as their God. This will begin the 21 judgements that are described in the Book of Revelation, chapters 6-18.

By carefully studying this 309th Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah, found in Daniel chapter 9, verse 25, we gain tremendous knowledge and insight into all of the other important prophecies of the Bible.

Nehemiah’s Role In The Return Of The Jews From Babylon, To Israel:

Many Christians and students of Bible prophecy are familiar with Daniel’s wonderful prayer of intercession in the first part of chapter 9. What a large majority may not know, is that there is another important servant of the Lord that was also deeply involved in the captivity of the Jews when king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Israel and carried Daniel and many others back to Babylon for seventy years. That Servant was Nehemiah.

The Prayer Of Nehemiah:

Nehemiah 1:1-11 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, (December) in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.

Try to imagine how you would feel if you, your family, and all of your friends were suddenly and violently taken from their homes by a massive invading army. As you were being transported from your city, looking back you see your house, and every building in your city—burning.

In a brief moment of time, life as you had know it, was over. You are being delivered to the land of your captors—to a place unfamiliar and frightening. In a moment, all of your freedoms are gone—you have become a prisoner of war.

In the Book of Jeremiah, the Lord told the Nation of Israel that because they had forgotten Him and refused to obey His word, they would be taken captive by Babylon and be in captivity for 70 years.

Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

The land shall be “a desolation” and the people will be held in captivity for seventy years. The question is why seventy years? Why would the Lord allow His people to be overrun and captured by their enemies? When God brought His people into the land that He promised them, He established certain laws to be observed that would benefit their nation and make the land fruitful in which they were living upon. A specific requirement for Israel, set forth by the Lord, was that for every seven years that they would plant and harvest, for one year the ground should lie fallow. They could plant and harvest for six years, but on the seventh, the land would enjoy a Sabbath rest. Today it is widely known that this practice of resting the land at intervals of every six years, allows the soil to replenish the nutrients lost in repeated years of planting and harvesting.

Israel was greatly prospering in their new land and they saw no reason to rest themselves or the land. They continues to plant and harvest without resting the land for 490 years. The Lord’s commands are not suggestions for us to determine whether or not we will obey. He is Lord and Creator of all things, and He knows what is best for all of us to be able to enjoy long and happy lives. Nothing that the Lord has ever commanded us to do, is harmful or less than perfect for us.

From time to time, as I have grown older now, I have observed younger people making some of the same mistakes that I made when I was a younger man. How I wish that I had sought out wisdom from the Lord when I was starting out in life. I would have been extremely successful, and would have missed many of the pitfalls that I have fallen into because I was not listening to Him. When I see a younger person making these mistakes, I want to speak up and tell them that what they are doing is going to turn out bad for them later on. Of course, it is not my business to do so. I have imagined how the Lord must feel when He observes the people that He loves so deeply, making so many errors in their life that will only bring them heartache and misery.

In the case of Israel, they were His very own special treasure. He delivered them out of the bondage of Egypt and brought them through the desert for forty years, even though they often complained against Him and failed to trust His instructions. As they are now in the land, He expect His people to do what He has told them.

Leviticus 25:1-4 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard

For 490 years, Israel refused to allow the land to rest one year in seven. As a result, they built up a land rest debt of 70 years. The people did not consider that what God had spoken, He meant. When God commanded that the land should rest, it must be followed. Because Israel refused the command of God, this was one of the reasons that He allowed their captivity in Babylon to last for 70 years. While the people were held captive in a distant country, the land back in Israel would rest for the 70 years that God had required.

We should never consider that anything the Lord has spoken, He is not completely serious about, and intends on doing.

In the companion book of Nehemiah, Daniel has been reading the prophecies of Jeremiah, who vividly describes why Israel would be taken in captivity by Babylon, and what the duration of their captivity will be. As Daniel reads the words of Jeremiah, he realizes that the 70 years of captivity are nearly complete.

Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

In response to this new knowledge that the time appointed by God for their captivity is drawing to a close, Daniel begins to pray for his nation and his people.

Daniel 9:3 Then I Daniel set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes…

Nehemiah, is also in captivity in Babylon. His brother Hanani had just returned from Judah and has brought word to Nehemiah of the desolation of Jerusalem. This news prompts Nehemiah to the prayer that is recorded for us in the first chapter of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 1:3-4 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven…

The people who were left in Jerusalem were in great distress and affliction because the entire city lay in ruins.

Nehemiah has a sincere heart for his people and for Jerusalem. He begins to ask the Lord to help him and all the captives in Babylon, to get back to Jerusalem. It is Nehemiah’s sincere desire that the city he loves so dearly, might once again be restored. The Lord did hear the prayer of Nehemiah. Just 3 months after he begins his petition to the Lord for Jerusalem, something amazing happens…

Nehemiah Continues With His Request To Artaxerxes:

Nehemiah 2:7-8 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

This decree that Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah in having permission to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild it, was the same decree that is in the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, that is the subject of this 309th prophecy of Daniel 9:25.

Jesus Fulfilled The Entirety Of Daniel 9:25, In The Text Of Matthew 21:1-9

Matthew 21:1-9 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

All of this came about because of the prayers of two men—for the city that they both loved.

This is an extensive answer to the question of this 309th Prophecy. The reason; this single prophetic word, establishes so many other important prophecies that are found in the Bible. The events that are described in Daniel 9:25 are matters for the historical record that are beyond dispute and are settled by the massive chronicle of antiquity left to us by secular and biblical authors.

What God spoke, and what actually happened are one and the same. The events of history during the Babylonian and Persian empires, under Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, are not only recorded in the history of the Jews, they are recorded in Persian and Babylonian antiquity.

The Lord has made a firm and sure record for the arrival of His Son, the Messiah. The evidence is substantial. The decision to receive what He has said and believe Him—is yours. In the end, it is not the lack of evidence that fails to convince every skeptic and non believer—it is a heart that simply will not believe, no mater what is presented. I pray that all who examine this evidence, will find that it is sufficient to bring a reasonable person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Messiah and the one that God promised in all 365 of these Prophecies. This is the record of His life, death, and resurrection. These are the many proofs that document that He is the one to whom all the prophets wrote.

NOTES:
[1] Encyclopedia Britannica, 1990 Edition.
[2] Plutarch, Artaxerxes, l. 1. c. 1. 11:129 – cited by Ussher, Annals, para. 1179
[3] R. Schmitt. of Iran “Art”axerxes. Encyclopædia Iranica. 15 December 1986. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
[4] 1.Iran-e-Bastan/Pirnia Book, 1 page 873, 2. Dandamayev 3. History of Persian Empire-Olmstead pages 289-90
[5] From Judaism 101, http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
[6] From a letter sent to Sir Robert Anderson: To the Royal Obseervatory, Greewich, June 26th, I877. “SIR, – I have had the moon’s place calculated from Largeteau’s Tables in Additions to the Connaisance des Tems 1846, by one of my assistants, and have no doubt of its correctness. The place being calculated for – 444, March 12d. 20h., French reckoning, or March 12d. 8h. P. M., it appears that the said time was short of New Moon by about 8h. 47m., and therefore the New Moon occurred at 4h. 47m. A. M., March 13th, Paris time.” I am, etc (the 13th day of March at 7:09 a.m)., ” (Signed,) G. B. AIRY.” Anderson, Sir Robert (2010-05-27). The Coming Prince (Kindle Locations 1737-1748). . Kindle Edition.
[7] Chart by Rob Robinson. The Servitude Begins: Dakes Commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 52:1-10. The Captivity Begins: Kenneth Strand, “Thiele’s Biblical Chronology As a Corrective for Extrabiblical Dates,” Andrews University Seminary Studies 34 (1996) 310, 317. The city was taken and the rebellion was crushed: Dakes Commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 52:4.
[8] Chart by Rob Robinson. The Desolations Begin: Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the Book of 2 Kings 25, The end of Zedkiah’s reign, killed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem destroyed on the 9th of Av: J.P. Hyatt, in: JBL, 75 (1956), 277–82
[9] Chart by Rob Robinson
[10] Chart by Rob Robinson
[11] Chart by Rob Robinson
[12] Chart by Rob Robinson. The Desolations End: George Pytlik, Author of Daniel, God’s Messenger to our times.
[13] Chart by Rob Robinson
[14] The Desolations Begin: Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the Book of 2 Kings 25, The end of Zedkiah’s reign, killed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem destroyed on the 9th of Av: J.P. Hyatt, in: JBL, 75 (1956), 277–82
[15] The Desolations End: George Pytlik, Author of Daniel, God’s Messenger to our times.
[16] Chuck Missler, Ezekiel’s 430 Days,
[17] The Desolations Begin: Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the Book of 2 Kings 25, The end of Zedkiah’s reign, killed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem destroyed on the 9th of Av: J.P. Hyatt, in: JBL, 75 (1956), 277–82
[18] The Desolations End: George Pytlik, Author of Daniel, God’s Messenger to our times. http://www.pytlik.com/observe/daniel/timeline.html
[19] How, W. W., & Wells, J. (1991)
[20] How, W. W., & Wells, J. (1991)
[21] See the quotation from Cyrus that was inscribed on the Cyrus Cylinder.
[22] Kuhrt, Amélie (1983). “The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid imperial policy”. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (Sheffield: University of Sheffield. Dept. of Biblical Studies) 25. ISSN 1476-6728
[23] British Museum, London, http://www.iranchamber.com/history/cyrus/cyrus_charter.php
[24] Used by Permission from the Wikimedia Commons, Front of the Cyrus Cylinder Date: 26 May 2012 Author: Prioryman Lice
[25]http://www.britishmuseum.org/
[26] Cyrus Cylinder: http://www.britishmuseum.org/
[27] Ibid.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Ibid.
[30] The History of Herodotus, a Gutenberg Project ebook, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay, Volume 1, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay. text was prepared from an edition dated 1890, published by   MacMillan and Co., London and New York.
[31] Ibid.
[32] The History of Herodotus, a Gutenberg Project ebook, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay, Volume 1, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay. text was prepared from an edition dated 1890, published by   MacMillan and Co., London and New York. Herodotus 1.191
[33] Ibid, Herodotus
[34] “Cyrus Cylinder,” ANET, p. 315).

Categories: Fulfilling Daniel's Chapter 9, How Salvation Occurs, Jesus born to die, Jesus is the Messiah, Palm Sunday, Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus, The First Arrival of the Messiah, The Prophecy of Daniel 9, Why Jesus Is God And Others Are Not

Tags: Daniel 9, Jesus is the Messiah, The Prophecies of Daniel 9, Two arrivals of Messiah