Sixty-Nine Weeks of Daniel, Chapter 9: An Examination of the Proposed Dates

By Robert R. Armstrong

The Sixty-Nine Weeks of Daniel, Chapter 9 examines the positions of Sir Robert Anderson and Harold Hoehner, as well as dates suggested by Frederick Larson in his DVD titled The Star of Bethlehem, regarding the date of the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the date of Christs birth and crucifixion. In this edition, the very significant contributions of Drs. Colin Humphreys and W.G. Waddington regarding the pre-exilic calendar and the date of Christs crucifixion are referenced.

The sixty-nine week prophecy is one of the most amazing prophecies in Scripture, and the dates presented by Christian authors differ considerably. There are, however, dates that can be substantiated biblically, historically, and astronomically. These are presented, with the case for and against each.

The author received Christ as Savior and Lord while in medical school after hearing, during a Bible study, that Jesus was and is God, as presented in the first chapter of the book of John. Soon thereafter he read the seventy-week prophecy and has had an enduring interest in it since that time. After seeing Larsons DVD, which confirmed Hoehners date for Christs crucifixion and thus Christs triumphal entry, he started a more intensive examination of the proposed dates, resulting in the writing of The Sixty-Nine Weeks of Daniel, Chapter 9. It is hoped that the reader will gain an increased respect for and confidence in the accuracy and inspiration of Scripture, and that the Lord will receive the glory as a result. It is also hoped that seekers of truth will be encouraged to pursue their search in the pages of Scripture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449756208

Robert R. Armstrong

Robert Armstrong received Christ as his Lord and Savior while in medical school. He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine and practiced orthopedic surgery in Florida and California for thirty-four years. He and his wife, Jean, raised four daughters and are now retired and living in southwest Montana.

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THE SIXTY-NINE WEEKS of DANIEL, CHAPTER 9

An Examination of the Proposed Dates

Robert R. Armstrong M.D.

Third Edition---January, 2014

Revised and Expanded

Copyright © 2014 Robert R. Armstrong M.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-3836-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5620-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012901986

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/5/2015

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CONTENTS

PREFACE

Chapter 1–-BACKGROUND INFORMATION

DATES PROPOSED by VARIOUS AUTHORS

BRIEF SUMMARY of the CAREERS of ANDERSON, HOEHNER, and LARSON

THE JULIAN CALENDAR

Chapter 2–-THE SIXTY-NINE WEEKS

SIXTY-NINE WEEKS

THE BOOK of REVELATION DEFINITIONS for DAYS, MONTHS, and YEARS

THE REPORT ABOUT the CONDITION of JERUSALEM and the COMMAND to REBUILD

CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

Chapter 3–-THE ACCESSION-YEAR of ARTAXERXES and DATE of DECREE per ANDERSON

FASTI HELLENISI

Chapter 4–-ACCESSION YEAR of ARTAXERXES and DATE of DECREE ACCORDING to HOEHNER

ACCESSION YEAR of ARTAXERXES ACCORDING to HOEHNER

DATE of DECREE ACCORDING to HOEHNER

HORN and WOOD BELIEVED THAT ARTAXERXES CAME to the THRONE SHORTLY BEFORE the END of 465 B.C.

Chapter 5–-DATES and EVENTS SURROUNDING the ACCESSION YEAR and FIRST YEAR of REIGN of ARTAXERXES

HENRY FYNES CLINTON

A.T. OLMSTEAD

HORN and WOOD

DUBBERSTEIN and PARKER

ADDITIONAL CONSEQUENCES of a DECEMBER DATE for the DEATH of XERXES

THE ACCESSION-YEAR SYSTEM

WAS the DATE of the DEATH of XERXES JULY, AUGUST, or DECEMBER, and DOES IT MATTER?

REASONS for the CHANGING DATES for the DEATH of XERXES

AVAILABILITY of REFERENCES

Chapter 6–-DATE of TIBERIUS CAESAR’S REIGN, a PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE, and a BLOOD MOON

DATE of TIBERIUS CAESAR’S REIGN

THE 1⁵TH YEAR of TIBERIUS CAESAR’S RULE and the DATE JESUS BEGAN HIS MINISTRY

THE LUNAR ECLIPSE and a BLOOD MOON

Chapter 7–-DATE of CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

HOW ANDERSON CALCULATED 173,880 DAYS BETWEEN the COMMAND and the FULFILLMENT

HOW ANDERSON STATES HE ARRIVED at HIS DATE for CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

DATE of CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY per HOEHNER

Chapter 8–-DATE of CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION

DATE of CRUCIFIXION of CHRIST per HOEHNER

DATE of CRUCIFIXION per ANDERSON

Chapter 9–-DATE of CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION per COLIN HUMPHREYS and W.G. WADDINGTON

SCRIPTURES DEALING WITH the LAST SUPPER

JOHN 13:1

COLIN HUMPHREYS and W.G. WADDINGTON

PASSOVER CALENDAR USED by the GALILEANS

THE MYSTERY of the LAST SUPPER

WANING CRESCENT MOON—CONJUNCTION—NEW CRESCENT

BLOOD MOON

PRE-EXILIC CALENDAR

GALILEAN CALENDAR VERSUS PRE-EXILIC CALENDAR

EVENTS from the LAST SUPPER to the CRUCIFIXION per HUMPHREYS

THE DATE JESUS CAME to BETHANY

LIST of EVENTS from the LAST SUPPER to the CRUCIFIXION per HUMPHREYS

Chapter 10–-THE JEWISH and BABYLONIAN CALENDARS

THE JEWISH CALENDAR

THE BABYLONIAN CALENDAR

IS JONA LENDERING’S TABLE CONSISTENT with GRAPHS E-I?

Chapter 11–-DO ANDERSON’S and HOEHNER’S DATES CONFORM to the 173,880 DAYS in 69 WEEKS?

DO ANDERSON’S and HOEHNER’S DATES CONFORM

to the REQUIRED 173,880 DAYS in 69 WEEKS?

ANDERSON’S and HOEHNER’S DATES—SUMMARY

ANY PROBLEMS with DATES PROPOSED by HOEHNER?

Chapter 12–-FREDERICK LARSON’S EVIDENCE

LARSON’S EVIDENCE REGARDING the DATE of CHRIST’S BIRTH

FINDINGS in the SKY AROUND the TIME of CHRIST’S BIRTH per LARSON

COULD the CONJUNCTION of JUPITER and VENUS on JUNE 17, B.C. 2 HAVE BEEN the DATE of CHRIST’S BIRTH?

TIME LINE of ABOVE EVENTS

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS?

LARSON’S COMMENTS REGARDING REVELATION 12:1-17

LARSON’S VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

ACTS 2:17-21

COMMENTARY on ACTS 2:16-22 (MacArthur and LaHaye)

BLOOD MOON

APPEARANCE of the SKY ACCORDING to LARSON and STARRY NIGHT SOFTWARE on VARIOUS DATES

GOD TAKES CREDIT for the CONSTELLATIONS

THE MAGI

SIGNS in the SKY

STARRY NIGHT

Chapter 13–-SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS

SUMMARY of DATES

SOME CONCLUSIONS

AMAZING GRACE

PREFACE

The sixty-nine weeks prophecy of the 9thchapter of Daniel is one of the most remarkable prophecies in Scripture. It is an invitation to closely examine this prophecy to see if the date predicted for the coming of the Messiah is true and accurate. Combined with the final seventieth week, it provides an outline for future Biblical events. We will be concentrating on the first sixty-nine weeks of this prophecy, with special attention to the date of the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the fulfillment of the prophecy: the date of Christ’s triumphal entry. Since the 2nd chapter of Acts and the 12th chapter of Revelation have been brought into the discussion, we will summarize the views of men far more qualified than I to present the pretribulationist view. Much has been written about this subject, and there is new information available since Sir Robert Anderson’s well known book on the subject, The Coming Prince. The following quotes are taken from the ninth chapter of Daniel. The New King James Version is quoted in this book unless otherwise noted.

Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city–. (Daniel 9:24).

We know therefore that this prophecy does not deal with Gentiles. It deals with the Jews. The sixty-nine weeks ends at the time of Christ’s triumphal entry, and the final seventieth week is still future and deals with the seven year Tribulation period.

Daniel 9:25-27 states the following:

"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. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself, and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering."

In verse 25, the street can mean the square or plaza and the wall can mean the moat. Both are so translated in the NASV. Troublesome times refers to the opposition that Nehemiah faced during the rebuilding, as described