Date of Award

1993

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Religion, Old Testament Studies PhD

First Advisor

Gerhard F. Hasel

Second Advisor

Jacques B. Doukhan

Third Advisor

Abraham Terian

Abstract

This study attempted to investigate the chronological issues of Dan 9:24-27. Its main objective was to provide an interpretation based on textual, linguistic, literary, grammatical-syntactical, structural, and contextual study of the major terms and expressions in Dan 9:24-27.

Chapter 1 surveys the chronological interpretations of Dan 9:24-27. Four major schools of interpretation emerged (Historicist-Messianic Interpretation, Historical-Critical Interpretation, Futurist-Dispensational Interpretation, Historical-Critical Interpretation, Futurist-Dispensational Interpretation, and Symbolic-Amillennialist Interpretation) under the main categories of continuous and noncontinuous interpretations. Major chronological issues emerged from these interpretations and set the stage for this study.

Chapter 2 examines major Hebrew expressions and terms that affect chronology (sabu im sib nehtak, dabar, lehasib welibnot, tasub wenibnetah, rehoh weharus, masiah, nagid, berit). The term dabar, determines the terminus a quo of the Seventy Weeks to be computed continuously and sequentially, and is itself contextually defined by three pairs of parallel terms, namely, (1) lehasib welibnot, "to restore and build," which designates political "restoration" and physical "rebuilding" of Jerusalem; (2) tasub wenibnetah, "it shall be restored and be built," which provides comparative support for thefirst word pair, and (3)rehoh weharus, "square and decision-making," which stresses further that the "word" is about the restoration of Jerusalem as a religio-political self-governing entity with the rights to judicial decision-making. The three expressions, "Messiah, the Prince" (vs. 25), "Messiah" (vs. 26a), and "Prince" (vs. 26b), refer contextually and structurally to the same personality.

Chapter 3 investigates the historical-chronological correlates of the events stipulated in Dan 9:24-27. The decree of Artaxerxes I given to Ezra is the only terminus a quo that fits the stipulations of the text of Dan 9:25 and the chronological outline of Dan 9:24-27. The events of the "seventieth week" relate to the Messiah and are properly fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

Finally, a summary and conclusions bring together the various chronological issues of Dan 9:24-27. This study has provided new evidence that shows that the Historicist-Messianic interpretation emerges from the text as the viable view for the chronology of the passage.

Subject Area

Bible. Daniel 9:24-27--Criticism, interpretation, etc

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/120/

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