The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 309

theory very doubHul. We say, therefore," Reventy hebdomads of yearB;" and for the following reasons: 1. The Law had made hebdomads of years frumili,,r. (Lev. xxv. 1--4, 8-10,) 2, The magnitude of the eventB required ywrs. Seventy weeks of d11ys would be only one year and four months-too short a. time for the restoration of the cHy, the advent of Messiah, and the overthrow of the city and na.tion. 3. To the consolation of Daniel. What comfort for him, pining for the restoration, if all were to bo in ruin again within a year or so I II. !Te PnEDI0TION, In the substance and form of this prediction of " the seventy sevens" are several specialities, 1. 'l'he length of the section is mystically given. "Seventy sevens" ie itself mystical. But when we BBk-From what moment reckoned, to what moment? a haze of uncertainty envelops the whole subject. The date of Daniel's prayer is about B.o. 638, Four hnndred a.nd ninety years on leads to B,0, 48. We believe the four hundred and ninety years are not to be reckoned from the moment of Daniel'e prayer; but why this haze and mystery? Beca.use: (1) Prophecy must not be too ezplicit. Explicit enough to lead to expectation of the event; but not so explicit as either to suggest its own fulfilment or contribute to its own defeat. Prophecy must not usurp the place of history. Man's mora.l relations must not be hopelessly entangled by premature and too sharply defined revela.tions. (2) Mercy was to be contrasted strongly with judgment. Of desolation seventy yea.re ; of comfort and further proba.tion, seventy times seven. (3) The perfection of the cycle was to be suggested. By the use of sacred numbers. "Seven" bas a place peculiar in Scripture, based possibly on facts yet undiscovered in the universe. It is suggestive of perfection. 'rhe following sevens form a. remarkable accumulation : The prismatic colours; the notes of the octave ; Shakespeare's "seven ages; " a. man's "seven senses," though the vulgar make them five, the scientific more; the week of creation; our week of days ; the week of years ; the seven sevens, and then the jubilee year; the branches of the candlestick; at Jericho, trumpets, priests, and da.ys of pera.mbulation; " purified seven times ; " "seven times a day do I pra.ise thee;" at the bringing up the ark from the house of Obed-edom, they offered " seven bullocks and seven rams;" in the New Testament, seven Churches, candlesticks, angels, stars, horns, eyes, lamps, spirits of God, trumpets, vials, and seals, 2. The length of the section is very exactly given, however, (1) Exact enough to excite a general expectation of the Messiah. That Daniel's prophecy did so is notorious. (2) But also with literal numerical exactness. From the arrival of Ezra to restore Jerusalem (B.o. 457) to A.D. 26,' the year of the Lord's baptism is 483. 483 is equivalent to seven sevens, and sixty-two sevens. Another half-week of years brings us to the Crucifixion ; and consider another three and a half years occupied by the confirmation of the covenant. 3. The section is regarded as one whole, Hence the singular verb with plural noun: "Seventy sevens is cut off." 4. And insulated. "Out off." A distinct portion of history, like the antediluvia.n age, the era of Egyptian bondage, the forty years of the desert, the seventy of the Ca.p- tivity. 5. In the prediction we can see God's fellowship with Daniel. In bis prayer, Daniel recognized God's sympathy with Jerusalem; in the answer, God recognizes Daniel's. Daniel had said, "Thy city Jerusalem . . . thy holy mountain . , . thy people . . . thy city and thy people, called by thy name." God now sa.ys, "Upon thy people, and upon thy holy city." 'l'hine as well as mine. III, ITS CLOSE, The majestic events which were to signalize it. 1. The termination of sin. By: (1) The conclusion of the great rebellion, "To close the defection"- the great falling away of the race from God; to close it, not actually, but potentially. The history of rebellion draws near the finish; and the history of restoration begins. (2) The limitation of sins. "To seal up sins," to incarcerate them, and to place on the door of the dungeon the king's seal. The breaking the power of sin ; the limi- tation of the number of sins; their entire oblivion,-are all ideas which may well be included here. (3) The covering of iniquity, "To cover iniquity." Note : In the Old Testament usage "cover" is used in one sense of God, in quite another of man, in relation to sin (see the use of ,~; in the Hebrew concordance). (a) God "covers" sin by forgiving it. (b) Man, by atoning for it. Now, in this prophecy nothing is said of who "oovera;" but history declares it to be Christ. But he is God-Ma.n ; and therefore O covers" in the double sense-atones and forgives. He acts as man a.nd a:i 1 Jesus was really born B.O, 4.  TTTI~ DOOK OF DANIEL. [en. 1x. 1-27.