Daniel’s Prophecy of “70 Weeks”

Around six centuries before Christ, near the end of the Babylonian exile, the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple had been in ruins for decades. While confessing Israel’s sins to the Lord and pleading for mercy and forgiveness, Daniel sees a vision in which it is revealed, according to most English translations, “seventy weeks” are determined to accomplish some remarkable things. The prophecy is then broken down into “seven weeks,” followed by “sixty-two weeks,” and then a final “week” (Dan. 9:24-27).  

The Interpretive Challenge

Interpreters through the centuries have attempted to calculate a precise date for the fulfillment of this prophecy, reasoning that “seventy weeks” equals 490 days, with each day representing a year in prophetic history (cf. Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6). The prophecy, then, was to be fulfilled 490 years “from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25).¹ The question is, what “word” (ESV), “command” (NKJV), or “decree” (NASB) is in view, and how does one determine which year marks the beginning of the calculation? 

A Complicated History

About 605 BC “word” came to Jeremiah concerning the seventy years of Babylonian exile, followed by a promise of return and the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Jer. 25:1, 11; 29:10-14; 30:3, 18). This was the prophecy that later prompted Daniel’s prayer and the subsequent “word” revealed to him (Dan. 9:2, 23). 

Cyrus the Great (a.k.a. Cyrus II) issued a decree around 538 BC to allow the Israelites to return to their homeland to rebuild their holy city and temple (Isa. 44:28; 45:13; Ezra 1:1-3; 4:3; 5:13; 6:3). This was followed by over nine decades of migrations and further edicts, starting with the first wave led by Sheshbazzar to lay the temple’s foundation (Ezra 1:11; 5:13-16). Next was Zerubbabel’s massive cohort (Ezra 2:2), with King Darius, around 520 BC, mandating the continuance of the temple’s reconstruction, completed approximately five years later (Ezra 4:24; 6:6-15). Another significant effort was led by Ezra about 458 BC, primarily focusing on reforming the Jewish state (Ezra 7–10), while King Artaxerxes sent out an order for the temple’s beautification (Ezra 6:14; 7:20-21, 27). Nehemiah’s group followed about 445 BC to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, with another decree from King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1). 

Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his Seleucid forces pillaged Jerusalem and desecrated the temple around 167 BC,² fulfilling the prophecy of Dan. 8:9-13; 11:21-39 involving “the abomination of desolation,” which would be repeated by the Romans a couple of centuries later (see below). The Maccabean revolt resulted in the temple’s restoration and consecration in 164 BC, the commemoration of which was ordered by Judas Maccabeus and celebrated annually as the feast of Hanukkah or “dedication” (cf. John 10:22).³ The fight continued until Seleucid control was completely broken and Jewish sovereignty restored in 142 BC. 

The temple was desecrated yet again during the Roman conquest, when General Pompey entered the most holy place in 63 BC and General Crassus plundered the temple in 54 BC. Afterwards Herod the Great ordered a number of building projects in Jerusalem and surrounding environs and began a major reconstruction and expansion of the temple in 20 BC, continuing for another forty-six years into the ministry of Jesus (John 2:20). The Jews rebelled against the Romans in AD 66, sparking the Jewish War that resulted in Jerusalem and the Jewish temple being completely destroyed in AD 70.

So what decree was to initiate the count of Daniel’s “seventy weeks”? Was it the Lord’s, and if so, which one? Was it that of Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes, Judas Maccabeus, Herod the Great, or another? Beyond imprecise wording and subjectivity of dating, interpreters who try to literalize the numbers often disregard any period of time that does not fit their preconceived expectations, some even adding “gaps” to Daniel’s prophecy to account for “unreckoned time.” Moreover, calculations are often based on a solar-year calendar (the Julian and Gregorian calendars were adopted in the first century BC and the sixteenth century AD respectively), even though the Jews followed a shorter lunar-year calendar and the Babylonians a lunisolar calendar. Surely there is a better way to handle God’s prophetic word, not the least of which is avoiding the attempt to be more specific than the biblical record allows.

Prophetic Symbolism

The number “seven” is probably the most recognizable symbolic figure in scripture, signifying perfection or completeness.⁴ The number “seventy,” as ten times beyond what is required, intensifies the symbolism (Gen. 50:3; Num. 11:16-25; Judg. 1:7; Isa. 23:15, 17), and “seventy times seven” even more so (Gen. 4:24; Matt. 18:22). A period of “seventy years,” particularly if divinely decreed, would appear to have symbolic relevance. The seventy years of Babylonian exile were determined by God to complete the reformation of the otherwise defiant and rebellious Jewish nation (2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10; Dan. 9:2; Zech. 1:12; 7:5). 

According to Mosaic law, every seventh day of the week was set aside as a hallowed day of rest for the Jews (Lev. 23:3), and every seventh year a sabbath rest for the land (Lev. 25:1-7). “And you shall count for yourself seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and the time of seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years” (Lev. 25:8). The year that followed the “seven times seven years” or forty-ninth year was Jubilee,⁵ a yearlong celebration of liberty, reunion, rest, justice, and redemption (vv. 9-17, 24-28). The seventy years of Babylonian exile thus fulfilled the word of the Lord “until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths. All the sabbaths she lay desolate she kept sabbath to fulfill seventy years” (2 Chron. 36:20-21).

Daniel’s vision of the “seventy sevens” (not strictly “weeks” but a complete unit of sevens)⁶ is broken down into “seven sevens” (= 49) plus “sixty-two sevens” for a total of 483 sevens (Dan. 9:24-25), leaving one more “seven” to complete the prophecy. It is during this final climactic period that the most extraordinary things occur. The symbolism precludes a literal interpretation of a specific chronological duration. It is according to God’s timing rather than a disclosure of the exact timespan. If the “seven times seven [49] years” of Lev. 25:8 led to Israel’s sacred Jubilee, it follows that the “seventy sevens” of Dan. 9:24 lead to a Jubilee ten times greater.

The Time of Fulfillment

In the book of Daniel there are five parallel visions recorded in chaps. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10–12. In chap. 2 the four-part image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represents four successive kingdoms immeasurably eclipsed by the kingdom of God (vv. 28-45). History reveals these earthly empires as the Babylonian (v. 38), ca. 606-538 BC; Medo-Persian (v. 39a), ca. 538-331 BC; Grecian (v. 39b), ca. 331-168 BC; and Roman (vv. 40-43), ca. 168 BC–AD 476. In the days of this fourth ruling power (v. 44a), “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never forever be destroyed” (cf. 7:14, 18, 27).⁷

In chap. 7 the vision of four beasts depicts the same four temporal kingdoms, surpassed by the everlasting kingdom of the Ancient of Days. In chap. 8 the vision of a ram and a goat narrows the focus to the kingdoms succeeding the current Babylonian empire and preceding the fourth. In chap. 9 the prophecy of “seventy sevens” should therefore be understood in light of all that has been revealed thus far, while chaps. 10–12 again focus on what immediately follows Babylonian rule.

Daniel 9:24

The metaphorical “seventy sevens” of chap. 9 are not divergent from the other visions but symbolize the prophecy’s complete fulfillment with respect to Daniel’s “people” and “holy city” (vv. 24-27). The following elements are clearly messianic.

To “restrain the transgression, to seal up sin, to atone for iniquity …” (v. 24b). This was accomplished in that Jesus Christ “now, once [for all time], has been manifested in the consummation of the ages for abolition of sin through the sacrifice of himself …” (Heb. 9:26-28; cf. 2:17; 10:12).   

To “bring in everlasting righteousness …” (v. 24c). This was also accomplished, “just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness unto everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21; cf. 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21). 

To “seal up vision and prophet …” (v. 24d). The Hebrew נָבִיא [nabi] means “prophet” but functions here as a metonymy for prophetic revelation, as does “vision” (Dan. 1:17; cf. Num. 12:6; Isa. 1:1). OT predictive prophecy points to Jesus as the Christ and his atoning death (Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 3:18); he is the ultimate prophet (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:20-24; 7:37). 

To “anoint a most holy [one]” (v. 24e). While this could allude to a person, place, or thing (cf. Heb. 8:2; 9:8, 12; 10:19), the verbal מָשַׁח [mashach] (“anoint”) corresponds to the noun מָשִׁיחַ [mashiach] in vv. 25 and 26 with reference to an anointed one (messiah), again finding fulfillment in the 1st-century advent of Jesus the Christ (Isa. 61:1-3; Luke 4:14-21).

Daniel 9:25

This particular prophetic revelation has a starting point, “from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem” (v. 25a), as well as a climax, “until a messiah [anointed] ruler” (v. 25b).⁸ The period of implementation is then divided into “seven sevens” and “sixty-two sevens” (v. 25c). The “seven sevens” are focused on the rebuilding of Jerusalem (v. 25), followed by the “sixty-two sevens” that merely serve as an intervening period until the final “seven” (v. 26a). The restoration and reconstruction of the city was “even in troubling times” (v. 25d), descriptive of the persistent opposition against the building projects of the 6th–5th centuries BC (Ezra 4:1-24; Neh. 4:1–5:7; 6:1-14).⁹

Daniel 9:26

After the intervening period of “sixty-two sevens” (v. 26a),¹⁰ which included the events foretold in chaps. 8, 10–12 of Daniel, it is time for the seventieth and final “seven” during which “messiah will be cut off, and not for him” (v. 26b). An allusion to death, even a violent death, is evident here (Isa. 53:8; cf. Ex. 31:14; 35:2), as well as its sacrificial nature, whether “not for himself” (ISV, N/KJV) or he is to “have nothing” (ASV, CSB, ESV, NASB, N/RSV).¹¹ In his vicarious death for the sake of atonement, Jesus the Christ was despised, rejected, forsaken, and essentially left with nothing (Isa. 53:3-6; Phil. 2:7-8; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 1 Pet. 1:10-12).

“And the people of the ruler who is to come will destroy the city and sacred [place] and its end with a flood; until the end of the war are determined desolations” (v. 26c). Seeing that the exploits of Antiochus IV Epiphanes would have been accomplished during the “sixty-two sevens” (v. 25; cf. 8:9-13; 11:21-39), the “ruler” (Heb. נָגִיד [nagid], “leader” or “prince”) is a most apparent allusion to the Roman emperor Vespasian or his son General Titus, thus “the people” are the Romans. This occurs within the final “seven” of Daniel’s vision, after the messiah is cut off, viz. during the Jewish War of AD 66-70. The determined “desolations” are further expounded upon in the next verse. 

Daniel 9:27

“And he will confirm a covenant with many for one seven” (v. 27a). During the prophecy’s final period “a covenant” is to be confirmed with the “many” who are receptive to it. When Jesus died on the cross, the old Jewish covenant was superseded by a new and better covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15-17), the contents of which gradually unfolded over the following decades (cf. 1 Cor. 13:9, 12; Heb. 8:13).

But “in half [the middle of] the seven, he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (v. 27b). Before the prophecy has reached its full consummation, the old covenant system of “sacrifice and offering” will have come to an end. From God’s perspective, this was accomplished when Jesus became the once-for-all-time sacrifice at his crucifixion (Heb. 7:27; 9:11-14, 25-28; 10:9-10). Nevertheless, in the years that followed, the temple ritual and sacrificial system continued to be practiced in Jerusalem until its irretrievable end by the summer of, interestingly, AD 70.

“And on the wing of abominations will be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate” (v. 27d; cf. 12:11). This essentially repeats what Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Seleucids would have done a couple of centuries earlier (8:9-13; 11:21-39), albeit this time much worse (cp. Lev. 26:21). Jesus himself interpreted the “abominations” of “the desolation” of Daniel’s prophecy as the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and its temple (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20). This occurred, as divinely decreed, about four decades afterwards (Josephus, Ant. 20.5.1; 20.8.10; Wars 2.13.4-6; cf. Matt. 23:37-39; 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 19:27, 43-46; 20:13-18; 21:5-6).¹²

Conclusion

The surest meaning of any prophecy is found in its fulfillment. Maybe we should avoid trying to be more specific than the biblical record allows and be content with a more general timeframe. Just as the Lord promised, the prophetic word of Daniel 9:24-27 was fulfilled, in every detail, around six centuries after it was revealed. The sin that separates us from God has been conquered and an everlasting covenant established. “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and mercy with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments” (Dan. 9:4b).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² Josephus, War 1.1.1-2; 2 Macc. 5:11-14.

     ³ Josephus, Ant. 12.7.7; 1 Macc. 4:36-59; 2 Macc. 1:18-36; 10:1-8.

     ⁴ In chap. 4 of Daniel, the prideful Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity and kingship until “seven times” passed over him (vv. 16, 23, 25, 32), i.e., a sufficient or complete rather than exact period of time, as long as it took for him to humbly acknowledge the sovereignty of God (vv. 17, 25, 32, 34-37).

     ⁵ The Hebrew יוֹבֵל [yobel], lit. a “ram’s horn,” is often transliterated “jubilee” because the sacred year was marked by the תְּרוּעָה [teruah], a [joyous] “blast” of the שׁוֹפָר [shophar], “trumpet” or “horn” (Lev. 25:9).

     ⁶ Rather than “weeks” (as in most English translations), the Heb. שֶׁבַע [shibah] essentially means “seven,” thus “seven sevens” (cf. EHV, LSV, MSG, NIV). When an actual time period is intended, a qualifier like “evening-mornings” (8:14) or “days” (10:2, 3) makes it clear.

     ⁷ God’s everlasting kingdom (Luke 1:33; Heb. 12:28; 2 Pet. 1:11) gains victory by conquering people’s hearts (Rom. 8:37-39; 1 Cor. 15:24, 57; 1 John 5:4; cf. Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 5:5; 12:11; 15:2; 17:14; 21:7). See K. L. Moore, “The Kingdom of God (Part 1),” Moore Perspective (11 Jan. 2014), <Link>, and accompanying links.

     ⁸ Cyrus is called God’s “anointed” (Isa. 45:1) because he was divinely chosen to fulfill God’s purpose, but as a pagan monarch he was surely not “most holy,” and he lived long before the period to which the “seventy sevens” of Daniel’s vision point. The noun מָשִׁיחַ [mashiach] in Dan. 9:25-26 refers to one anointed, and נָגִיד [nagid] is a leader, ruler, or prince. Cf. Isa. 55:3-4; John 4:25-26.

     ⁹ The completed building projects (v. 25d) were to include רְחֹב [rechob], which could refer to an open space or plaza, and חָרוּץ [charuwts], a trench or moat, or inclusive of public places and streets, variously translated “squares and moat” (ESV, RSV), “streets and moat” (NASB, NRSV), “streets and a trench” (NIV), “a plaza and a moat” (CSB), "street ... and the wall" (N/KJV).

     ¹⁰ The number “sixty-two” does not appear to have any symbolic connotation, although its usage within a patently emblematic text would preclude literalization. When Darius the Mede received his kingdom, he was about sixty-two years old (Dan. 5:31). No symbolism is suggested here but his advanced age is probably recorded to indicate a comparatively brief reign.

     ¹¹ The prepositional ל֑וֹ [lu] (“him,” “to him,” “for him”) is difficult to interpret here and is variously rendered “not for himself” (ISV, N/KJV), “have nothing” (ASV, CSB, ESV, NASB, N/RSV, et al.), “left with nothing” (CEV), “appearing to have accomplished nothing” (NLT), “he will be gone” (ERV), “followers will desert him” (NIRV), “no one will support him” (CEB).

     ¹² See K. L. Moore, “Matthew 24: the End of the World or Jerusalem’s Fall?” Moore Perspective (8 Feb. 2014), <Link>; also “Preterism (Part 3),” Moore Perspective (17 June 2020), <Link>.

Related Posts: Michael the Archangel (Daniel 10), Foundation of Evangelism

Addendum: David Larson observes, “those seeking to show fulfillment that is too exact, however well-intended, may be trying to prove more than is warranted by the nature of fulfilled prophecy” (“Approximate Fulfillment as the Key to Reconsidering the Decree of Cyrus as the Beginning Point of Daniel's 70 Weeks,” JETS 65.3 [2022]: 505). 

Related articles: Kyle Butt, The Prophecy of Daniel 8

Image credit: https://tutorasap.es/calendar-clipart-clipart-cliparts-for-you-clipart-calendar-1000_1000-2/

The Foundation of Evangelism

   Around six centuries before Christ, four Hebrew slaves – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – did not shy away from declaring the truth of God before the polytheistic despot Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:7; 2:20, 28, 37, 44, 45; 3:17). The Babylonian king acknowledged Jehovah as the God of Daniel and his fellow captives (2:47; 3:26, 28, 29), but did the king himself ever embrace their monotheistic faith? His last recorded words are as follows: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (4:37, NKJV). Even though Nebuchadnezzar regarded the God of the Hebrews as “the Most High God” (3:26; 4:2, 17, 34, 37), this may have been nothing more than recognizing Jehovah as the Chief among the gods (cf. 2:47) without necessarily abandoning the Babylonian pantheon (cf. 3:12, 14).¹ Whether or not the monarch ever fully accepted the truth about his Creator, the point is, he was given ample opportunity to believe and obey, thanks to four Hebrew slaves unashamed of their God whom they boldly proclaimed.

EVANGELISM: THE ACTS OF WHOM?

   The English word “evangelism” is derived from the Greek noun euaggelion (“good news”) and the corresponding verb euaggelizō (“proclaim good news”). The Lord’s disciples were commissioned to announce the good news (“preach the gospel”) to the entire world (Mark 13:10; 16:15), and the book of Acts records the first thirty-two years of the great commission being carried out. Traditionally this history of missions document has been labeled “Acts of the Apostles,” so what were the “acts” of these apostles? 

   The noun euaggelion occurs only twice in Acts (15:7; 20:24), while the verb euaggelizō is employed fifteen times (5:42; 8:4, 12, 25, 35, 40; 10:36; 11:20; 13:32; 14:7, 15, 21; 15:35; 16:10; 17:18).² What did these evangelistic acts entail? Here is a good summary statement from the apostles themselves: “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (6:4). Note that “the ministry of the word,” while absolutely essential, is not the sum total of the necessary acts. Do not overlook the fact that our evangelism textbook is also replete with allusions to prayer (1:14, 24; 2:42; 3:1; 4:24, 31; 6:4, 6; 8:15, 22, 24; 9:11, 40; 10:2, 4, 9, 30, 31, 46; 11:5, 18; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 14:23; 16:13, 16, 25; 20:36; 21:5; 22:17; 27:29, 35; 28:8, 15). Apparently our first-century brethren understood the evangelistic enterprise as God’s work, persistently inviting him to participate in it and soliciting his help.

   While the apostles initiated the diffusion of the gospel, the book we call “Acts of the Apostles” does not recount all the acts of all the apostles, and a number of the documented acts were not performed by any of the apostles (e.g. Acts 6:8–8:40; 11:19-24). Seeing that the Holy Spirit is mentioned an impressive fifty-seven times, it has been suggested that maybe “Acts of the Holy Spirit” is a more fitting title. However, Jesus Christ is referenced seventy-six times, and when people were genuinely guided by the Spirit, they didn’t talk about the Spirit as much as they talked about Jesus Christ! And what did Jesus Christ talk about? Throughout the recorded history of his ministry, he spent most of his time talking about God the Father. The book of Acts takes up where he left off, mentioning God over 150 times! Perhaps a more accurate description of this book is “the Acts of God.” 

THE MESSAGE OF EVANGELISM

   Sometimes we can be a little too quick to rattle off the steps of the gospel plan of salvation: hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. But let’s be careful not to oversimplify something as important and eternally consequential as what the Lord requires of those estranged from him. It is not, nor has it ever been, a one-size-fits-all approach. What exactly is to be heard and believed before further steps of obedience can be taken? It is a mistake to presume that if one learns what people were taught in any given conversion story in the book of Acts, then he/she necessarily knows enough to fully obey the gospel. The fallacy of this reasoning is twofold. 

   First, the Acts narrative is not an intricately detailed report of all that was said and done in each recorded event. In fact, thirty-two years of history have been compacted into only twenty-eight chapters. Note, for example, that the Pentecost-day sermon, which led to the conversions of about 3,000 souls, is boiled down to merely twenty-six verses (which can be read or quoted in less than two-and-a-half minutes!). These verses do not contain the sum total of the inspired message, as Luke informs his readers that there were “many other words” left unrecorded (Acts 2:40).

   Second, not every convert was at the same place in his/her spiritual journey when the gospel message was first encountered. As the Jews in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost and the pagan jailer in Philippi respectively asked what they needed to do (Acts 2:37; 16:30), they were given different answers because they were at different places on their way to God. In the end they all learned and obeyed the same set of divine instructions, but the starting point was different in each case.

   By limiting our focus to the individual conversion accounts, we might wonder why baptism is mentioned in chapter 2 but not in chapter 3, or why repentance is emphasized in chapter 3 but not in chapter 8. But if we can appreciate that Luke, with the limited space of a single papyrus scroll, has given selective highlights rather than comprehensive details, we will want to view his record as a whole and consider the collectivity of information in order to get the full picture.

THE FOUNDATON OF EVANGELISM

     

   In every conversion story in the book of Acts, the starting point is God. As the gospel was communicated in Acts 2–9, the respective audiences were comprised of devout Jews and proselytes who already had a strong monotheistic faith. When the gospel was introduced to the first Gentile converts, they were already God-fearers (Acts 10-11). On all of these occasions, the foundation had been laid long before the Lord’s disciples arrived on the scene. As outreach efforts were then focused on pagan Gentiles, the customary recounting of Jewish history or quoting the Hebrew Bible or assuming an established faith in God was not implemented. These evangelistic endeavors instead sought to lay the fundamental foundation of “the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them” (see Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31; cf. 24:14-16; 27:22-25, 35). 

   By examining all the conversion accounts in the book of Acts and harmonizing the teachings, the overall message is clear. It begins with the same basic message that Daniel and his friends proclaimed in Babylon: the one true and living God, the creator and sustainer of all things, who has worked through history to bring about his redemptive plan. God’s ultimate purpose has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and divinely attested by miracles, wonders, and signs. He is the Christ, the Son of God, who died by crucifixion, rose from the dead after burial, and is now exalted to the Father’s right hand where he reigns with all authority over God’s spiritual kingdom, the church.

   To Jesus Christ complete loyalty is to be given: calling on his name (reliance) by trusting in him (faith), acknowledging him as Lord (confession), turning away from sinful living (repentance), and being immersed in water (baptism) to have past sins forgiven by his blood. This enables salvation within God’s kingdom – the church, the community of the saved – where righteousness is practiced and eternal life promised in view of the coming judgment. Discipleship also involves continuing in the faith and proclaiming God’s saving message to the rest of the world.

APPLICATION TODAY

   Most 21st-century North Americans still believe in God, with varying degrees of certainty. However, the number of unbelievers continues to rise, especially among Millennials.³ The second largest religious group in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe is “no religion,” soon to become the majority in several countries.⁴ Whether atheistic, agnostic, or apathetic, we are increasingly faced with opportunities to share our faith with those who do not already have a foundational belief in God. Where do we begin? 

   Paul began with the origin of life (Acts 14:15; 17:24-25). Within the natural world as we know it, something does not come from nothing. The cosmos had a beginning, seeing that it is running out of usable energy and moving toward disorder. Everything that comes to be (an effect) must have an adequate cause outside itself and superior to itself. Lifeless matter does not generate life, unconscious matter does not produce consciousness, nonintelligent matter does not yield intelligence, and amoral matter does not create morality. Moreover, the consistent, complex, functional design (characteristic of our universe) does not happen by accident; where there is design, according to all that is known about how the world operates, there must be a designer. The evidence points beyond the natural world – to the supernatural (outside of and superior to nature). The Source of the universe has to be outside of time, space, matter, and finite energy, and therefore beyond the reach of scientific investigation. 

   Seeing that humans are intelligent, purposeful beings, it is reasonable to suspect that the Ultimate Cause of this universe has intelligence and purpose. Since no human is omniscient, there are things we cannot know unless we are told. Faith is not only the step taken toward accepting there is a God, which is the logical step, but also the step taken toward actively seeking to know God. Perhaps the greatest obstacles humans face in finding him are honesty about our limitations, humility, and the willingness and determination to seek him on his terms rather than our own.

CONCLUSION

   “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God” (Psalm 14:2). Apparently the Grand Designer of the universe is seeking those who seek him. For anyone who sincerely desires to know him, he will provide a way, and this more often than not involves a connection with the people of God. May we be diligent, not only in seeking him ourselves, but in proclaiming his message to a world that is lost and dying without him. May we stand with Daniel, courageously announcing the foundational truth, “But there is a God in heaven …. the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 2:28; 4:32).

-- Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ When Nebuchadnezzar said “the appearance” [wə-rê-wêh] of the fourth person in the furnace “is like” [dā-mêh] “a son” [lə-ḇar-] “of gods” [’ĕ-lā-hîn] (Dan. 3:25), it is highly unlikely that the pagan king had any concept of “the Son of God” (N/KJV) in the NT sense. The pre-incarnate Christ would not be manifested as the Son of God for another six centuries. Nebuchadnezzar was simply trying to explain what he saw as “a divine being” (ISV), perhaps an “angel” (3:28). Elsewhere in the book of Daniel the same terminology is used with reference to pagan “gods” (2:11, 47; 5:11b; cf. most translations of 4:8, 9, 18; 5:11a, 14).

     ² Comparable expressions are also used, like kataggélō (“declare,” “preach”) in Acts 4:2b; 13:5, 38; 15:36; 16:17; 17:3, 13; 26:23, and didáskō (“teach”) in 4:2a, 18; 5:21, 25, 28, 42; 11:26; 15:35; 18:11, 25; 20:20; 28:31.

     ³ Michael Lipka, “Americas faith in God may be eroding,” Pew Research Center (4 Nov. 2015), <Link>. Around 70% of those 65 and older profess absolute certainty in God’s existence, while only 51% of adults under 30 do.

     ⁴ Gabe Bullard, “The World’s Newest Major Religion: No Religion,” National Geographic (22 April 2016), <Link>.

*Prepared for the 2017 FHU Lectureship.

Related Posts: What Must I Do To Be Saved?, And with many other words, Daniel's Prophecy of 70 Weeks

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