Dazed posed some good questions and I will try to deal with them here.
First, what is the mystery?
<SUP>Ephesians 3:1</SUP> For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, <SUP>2</SUP> If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: <SUP>3</SUP> How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, <SUP>4</SUP> Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) <SUP>5</SUP> Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; <SUP>6</SUP> That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: <SUP>7</SUP> Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. <SUP>8</SUP> Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; <SUP>9</SUP> And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: <SUP>10</SUP> To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, <SUP>11</SUP> According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
The mystery is the church which is built during a period of time that I would term the church age.
When does the church age occur? It occurs between Jesus' death and the end of the 1260 days of tribulation. Revelation 10:7 - But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the <B>mystery</B> of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
A further word search on the word "mystery" in the New Testament will shed more light.
Now let's deal with Daniel's 70 weeks. Here are the verses from Daniel 9;
<SUP>24</SUP> Seventy weeks 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.
Verse 24 is an overview of what will occur during the 70 weeks. This vision concerns the Jewish people and the nation of Israel proper.
<SUP>25</SUP> Know therefore and understand, that 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: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Now we start with the timeline. When was the going forth of the commandment and who gave it? The command was given by King Cyrus about 453BC, located in Ezra chapter 6; <SUP>3</SUP> In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
How long did the temple take to build?
John2:<SUP>19</SUP> Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. <SUP>20</SUP> Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
It should be noted that Darius first made the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, but the Jews started building their houses first, so there was a slight delay in starting the temple. The start of the timeline in the verse says;
that 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:
So we see two timeframes here, seven weeks and 62 weeks. These being weeks of years for a total of 49 years and 434 years. The city and the temple were finished in the 49 year timeframe. There is then 434 years until Messiah the prince. Messiah the Prince was revealed to Israel at His baptism as it is written;
John1:<SUP>31</SUP> And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
The baptism occurred when Jesus was 30 as it is written;
<SUP>Luke 3:22</SUP> And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. <SUP>23</SUP> And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
At the baptism of Jesus, the 7 weeks, plus the 62 weeks were complete. There remains then one week to be completed. On to verse 26.
<SUP>26</SUP> And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Jesus ministry, from baptism to the cross, was 3.5 years long. After the 62 weeks, He is cut off(crucified). Jesus' complete mission is stated in Issiah 61;
<SUP>1</SUP> The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; <SUP>2</SUP> To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; <SUP>3</SUP> To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Jesus stated His own mission in Luke 4;
<SUP>16</SUP> And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. <SUP>17</SUP> And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, <SUP>18</SUP> The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, <SUP>19</SUP> To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. <SUP>20</SUP> And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
If you look closely, Jesus stopped reading halfway through the passage in Issiah, exactly where Jesus would be "cut off" on the cross. What He did not read would be fulfilled in the second half of the 70th week. What He did not read is below;
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; <SUP>3</SUP> To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
There remains then a 3.5 year period to be completed. The period of time between the two halves is the church age/mystery period that was hidden from the OT prophets, which I quoted at the beginning of this post, but am placing it here for your perusement;
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; <SUP>6</SUP> That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Continued in next post