Daniel 9:24-27 the Student of Research Paper

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This is celebrated after seven consecutive sabbatical years. In short, the author holds that, when unspecified or highly symbolic periods of time are at issue in the Bible, these are mostly to be interpreted as years, especially if the context appears to indicate the validity of such a view.

The author RJM Gurney

also appears to favor this view over the alternative Christological one, where the final week occurs during the end of Christ's life. Gurney's main problem with the this interpretation is indeed not so much that it is literal as that it requires an interpretation of the years in question as comprising 360 days each. Only such years would among to the 32 AD requirement for the Christological view that interprets the final week as occurring during Christ's life on earth. And this is then the view upon which Gurney and other critics base their views.

The author furthermore draws attention to the problematic interpretation of the seventy weeks as not being immediately obvious. This is indeed substantiated by the fact that there appears to be about as many specific interpretations as there are critics. Although this initially appears to lean towards the non-Christological view, Gurney does advocate a literal interpretation of the prophecy. This bring the author to the conclusion that the interpretation of the final week as not having occurred yet is the most likely.

Gurney uses various parts of New Testament Scripture to substantiate his views. Firstly, several passages in Matthew (24:15-21), Mark (13:14-19) and Luke (21:20-24) indicate that Christ himself links the prophesy with the destruction of Jerusalem during 70 AD. This itself specifically indicates the prophecy's relevance to a future time that involves Christ's coming.

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The Cultural Element

The cultural element has been briefly mentioned above in the interpretation of the time period represented by the 70 weeks. Eike Speliopoulos also indicates the importance of culture and its possible influence upon interpreting the prophecy. The address of Gabriel's words to a Jewish audience would for example invite a different interpretation than a focus upon a wider audience of Jews and Gentiles, or even to the Church. The time of writing the book Daniel is also important, as this would mean the difference between a historical and prophetic view in terms of the prophecy and its interpretation.

These considerations have only recently come to light, as Speliopoulos points out. This further complicates an already problematic interpretation. These difficulties appear to indicate that some information has simply been clouded by the sands of time. However, as Gurney correctly states, this is no reason to stop searching for answers. Indeed, this search brings further meaning to the depths and secrets of the Bible, a text that has not nearly given the human race all it has to give.

Conclusion

Perhaps the words by Ronald W. Pierce

are most appropriate as a conclusion: "…it is clear that a reevaluation of the traditional approaches to the prophecy in Dan 9:24-27 is needed." New information regarding not only the context and time of writing, but also the basic language and punctuation must be taken into account of the most likely clues are to be revealed regarding the prophesy. Whatever the truth may be, the search for it will no doubt prove not only arduous, but also a worthy and most satisfying one......

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