On the basis of the prophecy recorded in Daniel 9, our Lord pointed to the impending national ruin (see Matt. But the destruction of the city and the Temple were still future events when the Saviour gave His important discourse on Olivet two days prior to His passion (see Matt. The Messianic aspects of this prophecy met their respective fulfillments in the life, ministry, and atoning death of Jesus Christ. It implied a rejection of the Messiah, who would "be cut off, but not for himself." Tragic retribution would follow in the destruction of both Jerusalem and its Temple (verse 26). This could and should have been Israel's finest hour when the Saviour of the world would "make an end of sins," would "make reconciliation for iniquity," and would "bring in everlasting righteousness" (verse 24).īut there was a shadow-a dark side to the prophetic picture. Near the close of this time the long-awaited Messiah would appear. On the principle that in apocalyptic prophecy a symbolic "day" equals a literal year, this period translates into 490 years (70 weeks of seven days each equals 490 days, or 490 actual years). A period of "seventy weeks" was to be allotted to Israel subsequent to their release from Babylonian captivity. In this portion, several important predictions were made. Jesus, our Lord, saw a similar unrolling of the prophetic scroll in Daniel 9:24-27, part of a much longer prophecy given to Daniel by the angel Gabriel in the early years of the Medo-Persian empire. Thus the historicist system of interpretation sees in the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation the hand of Divine Providence moving across the ages, overruling events to bring about the fulfillment of God's purposes.
The "stone," which will ultimately destroy these and all other human, political entities, is the eternal kingdom that "the God of heaven will set up" at the end of human history (see verses 44, 45, R.S.V.).* Its parts came to form the nations of Western Europe-symbolized by the strengths and weaknesses of the feet and toes composed of iron and clay. the empire of Rome in the West was fully broken up. In the latter part of the fifth century A.D. History records that these were Medo-Persia, Grecia, and the "iron monarchy" of Rome. It was to be followed by three successive world kingdoms corresponding to the three different metals. 2:35).ĭaniel clearly identified the golden head as symbolizing the empire of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar (verses 37, 38). As the wind blew these metallic elements away "like the chaff of the summer threshing floors," the stone "became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Dan. The dream concluded with a large stone, mysteriously quarried without human assistance from the side of a mountain, that fell with devastating force upon the statue, smashing it to pieces.
In his dream the king saw an image of a man composed of various metals of descending values: golden head, silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, iron legs, feet and toes made of iron and clay. This historicist view (also known as the "continuous historical" view) sees the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation unfolding at various points in historical time, often encompassing the sweep of history from the times of Daniel and John (the human authors of these books) to the establishment of God's eternal kingdom.Ī Biblical illustration of this unrolling of the prophetic scroll along the continuum of human history is the prophetic dream given to the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and its interpretation by the prophet Daniel (see Dan. Seventh-day Adventists arrive at their interpretations of Bible prophecy by employing the principles of the "historicist school" of prophetic interpretation. In these apocalyptic prophecies Adventists have found their times, their identity, and their task. The real distinctive frame holding together the picture of truth as perceived by Seventh-day Adventists is their understanding of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. That is true, but the perspective is larger.
What is a Seventh-day Adventist? A common description is that a Seventh-day Adventist is a Christian who observes the seventh-day Sabbath and who is preparing for the Saviour's second coming.
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