Hello there :) What an interesting question!
Sir Issacc Newton's interpretation of the "70 weeks" found in the book
of Daniel is, indeed, different from most modern interpretations. In
brief, Newton believed that the 70 weeks mentioned in the Bible
represent 490 years--which ended with the death of Jesus Christ. (His
interpreation brings the return of Christ in somewhere in 1990s; the
exact date is debated.)
Newton wrote: "Seventy weeks are cut out upon thy people and upon thy
holy city, to finish transgression, etc. Here, by putting a week for
seven years, are reckoned 490 years from the time the dispersed Jews
should be re-incorporated into a people and a holy city, until the
death and resurrection of Christ; whereby transgression should be
finished, and sins ended, iniquity be expiated, and everlasting
righteousness brought in and this Vision be accomplished and the
Prophet consummated, that Prophet whom the Jews expected; and whereby
the most Holy should be anointed, he who is therefore in the next
words called the Anointed, that is, the Messiah, or the Christ. For by
joining the accomplishment of the vision with the expiation of sins,
the 490 years are ended with the death of Christ." (from "Newton's
Prophecies of Daniel," as quoted by ProphecyCountdown.com,
http://www.prophecycountdown.com/articles/newton.html )
In their article "Daniel Unsealed," the same website quotes further
from Newton, and tries to expose the incorrectness of more traditional
interpretations:
http://www.prophecycountdown.com/ek/index.html
However, Newton was not the only one of his time period who felt that
the period began with the death of Jesus Christ, as endtimepilgrim.org
points out in this article on Daniel's' 70 weeks:
http://endtimepilgrim.org/70wks1.htm
ProphecyCountdown.com also acknowledges this fact:
http://www.prophecycountdown.com/newsletter/archives/pc6.1998.shtml
I can find no evidence whatsoever that Newton believed the 7 year
period referred to the antichrist's reign. It may also interest you to
know that like many men of his time, Newton seemed to feel the
antichrist was the Pope or the papacy (see the Newton quote in "Who Is
The Antichrist?:" http://www.bible-sabbath.com/standish/antichrist/aih02.htm
, and "The Antichrist:"
http://www.angelmessage.org/pilgrimspromise/antichrist_part_2.htm ,
and Voltaire's essay about Newton:
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english233/Voltaire-Newton.htm )
I haven't found any reliable literature that claims both
interpretations of Daniel can be adhered to. Most Bible scholars today
respect Newton's thoughts on the book of Daniel, but see it as flawed
and colored by his times. Most scholars believe he was accurate about
the rebuilding of Israel, but that the rest of his interpretation has
been proven false (since, according to his calculations they say, the
time for the second coming of Christ has come and gone).
Interestingly, Chuck Missler (a pretty smart guy himself) claims that
Newton's prophecy for the second coming would be "shortly after the
year 2000" ("Written in Blood" by Chuck Missler,
http://www.khouse.org/articles/personal/19990201-51.html#notes ), so
even Newton's own words can be debated. (Variations in the date are
presumably because of the way Hebrew years "overlap" with modern
years. For more on this, read "Sir Isaac Newton's 300-Year-Old
Interpretation Of Daniel For This Decade" at
http://www.ldolphin.org/angels299.html )
If you wish to read Newton's own words on Bible prophecy, you may wish
to check out "Observations Upon The Prophecies of Daniel and the
Apocalypse:"
http://www.mathbook.com/bio/n/Sir_Isaac_Newton/Observations_upon_the_Prophecies_of_Daniel_and_the_Apocalypse_of_St_John_0942487028.htm
I hope this helps!
kriswrite
Keywords Used:
Daniel "70 weeks" "Sir Isaac Newton"
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Daniel "70 weeks" Newton
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Newton Daniel antichrist
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"Sir Isaac Newton" antichrist
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Sir+Isaac+Newton%22+antichrist
"Sir Isaac Newton" Israel
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Request for Answer Clarification by
8675309-ga
on
27 Jun 2003 10:30 PDT
Good answer... even though you couldn't find any evidence of others
doing so, is it possible to interpret that 7 year period both ways?
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Clarification of Answer by
kriswrite-ga
on
27 Jun 2003 11:23 PDT
Glad you liked my answer :) I always hope to exceed folk's
expectations.
The passage the "7 year" interpretation comes from says:
"25 Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to
restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler,
comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will
be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26
After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and
will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy
the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will
continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will
confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the
'seven' [10] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a
wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes
desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. [11] "
(Daniel 9, NIV)
Verse 27 is the verse in question. It comes immediately after talk of
"the ruler" (presumably what we would refer to as the antichrist),
which would seem to indicate that it's meant to be applied to him.
Those who interpret it to be discussing Christ, do so at least in part
because the verse discusses a covenant. Therefore, I think that an
intelligent person could interpret the passage either way. (Not both
ways, however.)
Another interpretation strays from BOTH these views:
"Historically, Protestant scholars have not applied Daniel 9:27 to a
future period of tribulation at all! Neither have they applied the
"he" to the Antichrist! Rather, they applied it to Jesus Christ.
Notice what the world-famous Bible commentary written by Matthew Henry
says about Daniel 9:27: "By offering himself a sacrifice once and for
all he [Jesus] shall put an end to all the Levitical sacrifices."
Another famous Bible commentary, written by Adam Clarke, says that
during the "term of seven years," Jesus would "confirm or ratify the
new covenant with mankind." Finally, another well-respected old
commentary declares: "He shall confirm the covenant—Christ. The
confirmation of the covenant is assigned to Him." ("The 70th Week of
Daniel Delusion" by Steve Wohlberg:
http://www.endtimeinsights.com/70thweek.html )
If you're asking my opinion, I plead the fifth. I strongly abide by
the words of Jesus Christ: "No one knows about that day or hour, not
even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mat.
24:36, NIV) In other words, I believe any attempt to set a time and a
date on God's plans is futile. The best we can do is be prepared.
In addition, I thought you might like listening to these free MP3s
about Daniel's' "70 weeks:"
http://www.khouse.org/6640/prophetic/BP006.html
I hope this answers your question,
Kriswrite
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Request for Answer Clarification by
8675309-ga
on
27 Jun 2003 15:18 PDT
There definitely must be a translation issue.
The NIV as you have quoted, shows:
"In the middle of the 'seven' [10] he will put an end to sacrifice and
offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination
that causes
desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
The NASB version shows:
"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in
the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering; and on the wing of (1) abominations will come one who makes
desolate, even until a (2) complete destruction, one that is decreed,
is poured out on the one who makes desolate."
The NKJV is similar. According to the NIV, there's no question that
it CANNOT be Christ, as it says he is "setting up abominations."
There is no way Christ could be setting up abominations. But the NASB
shows two people in the same scripture. That's pretty remarkable, and
disconcerting to say the least, that these translations are THAT
different, so as to render a COMPLETELY different means of looking at
the same scripture. No wonder Newton learned Hebrew. :)
|
Clarification of Answer by
kriswrite-ga
on
27 Jun 2003 15:32 PDT
Interesting! And I almost used New American Standard instead of NIV!
NIV again:
"He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle
of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a
wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes
desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
NAS:
"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in
the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering; and on the wing of abominations {will come} one who makes
desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is
poured out on the one who makes desolate."
NKJ:
"Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the
middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even
until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the
desolate."
Darby:
"And he shall confirm a covenant with the many [for] one week; and in
the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and because of the protection of abominations [there shall be]
a desolator, even until that the consumption and what is determined
shall be poured out upon the desolate. "
Webster's:
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make [it]
desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the desolate."
Latin Literal:
"And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week, and [in]
the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and
by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the
consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate
one.'"
I used BibleGateway.com for the NIV and Crosswalk.com for all other
translations. I suppose that one could argue that The Annointed One
and "the ruler" are one and the same...But if nothing else, this is a
good example of why all Bible students should own at least a few
different translations!
kriswrite
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