Sunday
March 7
1. THE SEVENTY WEEKS
a. With what event does the prophecy of the seventy weeks begin? Daniel 9:25.
b. Explain why the decrees of Cyrus and Darius did not fulfill all the conditions of this prophecy? Ezra 1:1–4; 6:1–12.
c. Why is the decree of Artaxerxes taken as the starting point in the fulfillment of this prophecy? Ezra 6:14; 7:11–26.
“In its completest form [the decree] was issued by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, 457 B.C.”—The Great Controversy, p. 326.
“The decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus for the restoring and building of Jerusalem, the third issued since the close of the seventy years’ captivity, is remarkable for its expressions regarding the God of heaven, for its recognition of the attainments of Ezra, and for the liberality of the grants made to the remnant people of God.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 610.
Monday
March 8
2. THE MESSIAH REVEALED
a. When did the Messiah reveal Himself—showing that the last of the seventy prophetic weeks had begun? John 1:29, 41; Matthew 3:16, 17; Acts 10:38.
“‘From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks’—namely, sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years. The decree of Artaxerxes went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C. From this date, 483 years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27. . . . At that time this prophecy was fulfilled. The word ‘Messiah’ signifies ‘the Anointed One.’ In the autumn of A.D. 27 Christ was baptized by John and received the anointing of the Spirit. The apostle Peter testifies that ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power’ (Acts 10:38). And the Saviour Himself declared: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor’ (Luke 4:18). After His baptism He went into Galilee, ‘preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled’ (Mark 1:14, 15).”—The Great Controversy, p. 327.
b. How did Jesus use this prophecy (Daniel 9:25) to announce His ministry? Mark 1:14, 15.
“Christ Himself had sent [the disciples] forth with the message: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel’ (Mark 1:15). That message was based on the prophecy of Daniel 9. The sixty-nine weeks were declared by the angel to extend to ‘the Messiah the Prince,’ and with high hopes and joyful anticipations the disciples looked forward to the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom at Jerusalem to rule over the whole earth.
“They preached the message which Christ had committed to them, though they themselves misapprehended its meaning. While their announcement was founded on Daniel 9:25, they did not see, in the next verse of the same chapter, that Messiah was to be cut off. From their very birth their hearts had been set upon the anticipated glory of an earthly empire, and this blinded their understanding alike to the specifications of the prophecy and to the words of Christ.”—Ibid., p. 345.
Tuesday
March 9
3. FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY
a. With what was Jesus concerned throughout His ministry, and what took place exactly at the appointed time? John 7:6–8; 19:16–18, 28–30.
“The time of the first advent and of some of the chief events clustering about the Saviour’s lifework was made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. ‘Seventy weeks,’ said the angel, ‘are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy’ (Daniel 9:24).”—Prophets and Kings, p. 698.
“Christ had come at the exact time and in the manner foretold by prophecy. The testimony of Scripture had been fulfilled in every detail of His ministry.”—The Great Controversy, p. 346.
b. Since the first portion (the 490 prophetic days) ended in A.D. 34 when should the rest of the 2300 days terminate?
“Thus the death of Christ—the very event which the disciples had looked upon as the final destruction of their hope —was that which made it forever sure. While it had brought them a cruel disappointment, it was the climax of proof that their belief had been correct. The event that had filled them with mourning and despair was that which opened the door of hope to every child of Adam, and in which centered the future life and eternal happiness of all God’s faithful ones in all the ages.”—Ibid., p. 348.
“Thus far every specification of the prophecies is strikingly fulfilled, and the beginning of the seventy weeks is fixed beyond question at 457 B.C., and their expiration in A.D. 34. From this data there is no difficulty in finding the termination of the 2300 days. The seventy weeks—490 days—having been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days remaining. After the end of 490 days, the 1810 days were still to be fulfilled. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 terminate in 1844. At the expiration of this great prophetic period, upon the testimony of the angel of God, ‘the sanctuary shall be cleansed.’ Thus the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary—which was almost universally believed to take place at the second advent—was definitely pointed out.”—Ibid., p. 328.
Wednesday
March 10
4. THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT: A PART OF THE GOSPEL
a. What is the purpose of the message about the 2300 days and the investigative judgment as part of the eternal gospel to be presented to the world? Revelation 14:6, 7.
“That men may be prepared to stand in the judgment, the message commands them to ‘fear God, and give glory to Him,’ ‘and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ The result of an acceptance of these messages is given in the word: ‘Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ In order to be prepared for the judgment, it is necessary that men should keep the law of God.”—The Great Controversy, p. 436.
b. Does Revelation 14:6, 7 imply that it is possible to identify the time for the beginning of the judgment? If the right time cannot be identified, then how could such a message be given?
“The [first angel’s] message itself sheds light as to the time when this movement [proclaiming Christ’s soon return] is to take place. It is declared to be a part of the ‘everlasting gospel;’ and it announces the opening of the judgment. The message of salvation has been preached in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel which could be proclaimed only in the last days, for only then would it be true that the hour of judgment had come. The prophecies present a succession of events leading down to the opening of the judgment.”—Ibid., pp. 355, 356.
c. How does even the last book of the Bible repeat the conditions of admittance into the kingdom? Revelation 21:27; 22:14, 15.
“If men would contemplate the love of Christ, displayed in the cross, their faith would be strengthened to appropriate the merits of His shed blood, and they would be cleansed and saved from sin. There are many who will be lost, because they depend on legal religion, or mere repentance for sin. But repentance for sin alone cannot work the salvation of any soul. Man cannot be saved by his own works. Without Christ it is impossible for him to render perfect obedience to the law of God; and heaven can never be gained by an imperfect obedience; for this would place all heaven in jeopardy, and make possible a second rebellion.”—The Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889.
Thursday
March 11
5. RIGHTFUL ENTRANCE
a. What is the only way one can have the right to enter the New Jerusalem? Ephesians 5:27; Isaiah 43:25.
b. What should we do in light of the seriousness of the times in which we live? Mark 13:33; Revelation 3:3; 22:11.
“The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. . . .
“When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. . . .
“The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. . . . Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments—it may be in that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence: ‘Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting’ (Daniel 5:27).”—The Great Controversy, pp. 490, 491.
Friday
March 12
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
a. Why does the year 457 B.C. mark the beginning of the seventy weeks?
b. How did Jesus show that the beginning of His ministry marked the beginning of the seventieth week?
c. How do the events of the seventieth week relate to the rest of the 2300 days?
d. What type of character do we need to form in order to have the right to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem?
e. As we are commissioned to warn the entire world, what message must form a part of the gospel in these last days?