The prophetic word of Scripture stands as a cornerstone of our faith, a divine testament to the omniscience and sovereignty of God over the sweep of human history. Among the most compelling and intricate of these prophetic utterances are the visions granted to the prophet Daniel. Positioned as a faithful servant of the Most High amidst the grandeur and paganism of Babylon, Daniel was entrusted with divine revelations that span millennia, forecasting the rise and fall of empires and detailing the ultimate triumph of God's eternal kingdom. His prophecies are not mere historical curiosities or speculative musings; they are divinely inspired pronouncements that provide a framework for understanding God's covenantal dealings with His people, Israel, and the grand unfolding of His redemptive purposes in Christ.

Central to Daniel's prophetic legacy is the remarkable sixty-nine-week prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, a chronological cornerstone that serves as a divine calendar marking the period between the decree to restore Jerusalem and the advent of the Messiah. This prophecy, revealed by the angel Gabriel, is a testament to the precision of God's timing and a powerful apologetic for the veracity of Scripture. It speaks of specific durations, culminating in the appearance of "Messiah the Prince," and delineates the purposes for this divinely ordained period, including the finishing of transgression, the making of an end of sins, the reconciliation of iniquity, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness.

However, the interpretation of this pivotal prophecy has, over centuries, become a battleground for competing eschatological systems. Many modern interpretations introduce an indeterminate "gap" between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth week, positing a future fulfillment for the final week and its associated judgments. This approach, while popular in certain circles, often requires a departure from the contiguous reading of the text and relies on interpretive frameworks that are not explicitly supported by Daniel's own narrative or the historical context.

This book is written with a profound conviction that the seventy weeks of Daniel chapter 9 are a historically fulfilled prophecy, a divinely established timeline that finds its complete and undeniable culmination within the first century AD. My objective is to meticulously dissect the prophecy, trace its historical starting point to the decree of Artaxerxes, calculate the precise duration of the sixty-nine weeks, and demonstrate how this period culminates directly at the public advent and ministry of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we will examine the seventieth week, arguing that its events, including the confirmation of the covenant and the cessation of sacrifices and oblations, are fulfilled in the Messiah's crucifixion and the subsequent period leading to the ultimate rejection of Christ by the nation of Israel, culminating in the stoning of Stephen and the impending judgment upon Jerusalem.

We will engage with the textual evidence, the historical records, and the established principles of biblical hermeneutics to present a case for a coherent and historically verifiable understanding of Daniel's prophecies. This exploration is intended for the devout Christian who holds the King James Bible in high regard and seeks a robust defense of biblical prophecy grounded in sound exegesis and historical fact. It is an invitation to rediscover the elegant simplicity and profound depth of God's prophetic word, revealing a divine plan executed with perfect timing, pointing inexorably to the Lord Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all that was foretold. In fact, to sum up everything correctly, everything written in the Old Testament, it is indeed just that, the Old Testament, and every word has been fulfilled in its entirety. Those that take the past and try to manipulate it into something current are indeed foolish and to say it mildly, heretics.