Textual Variants Daniel’s 70 weeks, Susanna, Prayer of Hananiah, Bel and the dragon

Textual Variants in the Book of Daniel

70 weeks | Susanna | Prayer of Hananiah | Bel and the dragon

Introduction:

1. Outside the variants discussed herein, the book of Daniel is essentially identical between the Masoretic text (MT) and the Septuagint (LXX).

a. The Greek (LXX) translation of Daniel would have been very early in the production of the Greek Tanakh (probably before 200 BC) after the Torah was completed in 282 BC.

b. Susanna on the other hand, was created around 100 BC based upon internal evidence.

2. Catalogue of Variants in the book of Daniel:

a. The addition of the prayer Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael in Dan 3:24-90 (LXX)

b. Two apocryphal books added as an appendix after chapter 12: Susanna, Bel and the Dragon.

c. The alternate text of Daniel 9:24-27 of the messianic prophecy of the 70 weeks.

3. These additions, however, were read by the early church and included in the first full edition Bible’s we know of: Codex Vaticanus 350 AD.

4. We find two different prophecies in the Bible for 490 years:

a. The Babylonian captivity of 70 years was computed because Israel had not kept the land sabbath since the destruction of Shiloh in 1094 BC down to the beginning of the captivity in 605 BC (490 years). The 70 years of continuous land Sabbaths compute to 490 years where every seventh year was a land sabbath never kept. It was EXACTLY 490 years!

b. Daniel’s 70 weeks began in 458 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes’ 7^th year (Ezra 7:7-26). 33 AD is the year Christ was crucified and rose from the dead and this is EXACTLY 490 years!

5. The Assumption of Moses (written in 10 AD) has the Messiah coming in 29 AD, an exact match for Jesus Christ to begin his ministry in 30 AD.

I. Archeological and literary details about the manuscript of Daniel:

1. “In the [Hebrew] Masoretic Text, Daniel is recorded in two languages. Daniel 1:1–2:4a and chapters 8–12 are in Hebrew, while Daniel 2:4b through the end of chapter 7 (7:28) is in Aramaic. This is one of the biggest puzzles in Daniel because the language divisions are not where one might expect. As noted earlier (see “Genre”), the natural division is between chapters 6 and 7, because chapters 1–6 are stories about Daniel and his friends told in the third person; chapters 7–12 are Daniel’s visions, mostly in the first person. Based on literary analysis, then, one would anticipate that if two languages were to be used, the first six chapters would be in one language and the last six chapters in another. However, it is not that way. Surprisingly, the first story is in Hebrew but the rest are in Aramaic. Likewise, the first of Daniel’s visions is in Aramaic but the rest are in Hebrew.” (UBCS, Daniel, W. B. Nelson, p 20, 2013)

2. “The Septuagint (LXX) inserted a lengthy apocryphal passage after Daniel 3:23, known as the Song of the Three Young Men. The apocryphal Susanna appeared in the LXX as a thirteenth chapter and the twin narratives Bel and The Dragon as a fourteenth chapter.” (The College Press NIV Commentary: Esther and Daniel, M. Mangano, p 133, 2001 AD)

3. “The Qumran fragments attest the same combination of Hebrew and Aramaic as the MT. The shift from Hebrew to Aramaic at 2:4b is attested in 1QDan^a. The shift from Aramaic to Hebrew is attested in 4QDan^a and 4QDan^b. The Hebrew prayer in Daniel 9 is attested in the fragmentary 4QDan^e, but the text of chap. 3 in 1QDan^b did not contain the prayers that are found in the versions (this is also true of 4QDan^d). The Qumran fragments also generally support the consonantal text of the MT. Most of the variants are orthographic, phonological, or morphological. There are some cases, however, where the scrolls enable us to correct the MT” (Hermeneia, Daniel, J. J. Collins, p3, 1993 AD)

4. “None of the lxx additions to Daniel are represented in the Qumran texts, and since they were not in the Hebrew/Aramaic mss either it has been assumed that they originated outside Palestine, possibly in Egypt. This would easily explain their acceptance in lxx, which was translated in Alexandria.” (TOTC, Daniel, J. G. Baldwin, p 78, 1978 AD)

5. “It has generally been held that the Greek versions which contain the deuterocanonical or apocryphal “Additions to Daniel”—Greek 3:24–90 and the narratives of Susanna, Bel, and the Dragon—represent only the Old Testament list of sacred books accepted by Jews in Egypt where the LXX was translated. But since, as already shown above, Theodotion-Daniel was produced in Asia Minor or Palestine (or possibly Syria-Mesopotamia) in pre-Christian times, and since both the LXX and Theodotion-Daniel contained the “Additions”—there is no cogent evidence to the contrary—then the canonical status of the longer Greek form of the book among Jews should be re-examined and re-evaluated. Indeed, it would appear less than accurate to speak of the “Additions” as being sacred only in Egyptian Jewish circles while in fact the fourteen-chapter Theodotion-Daniel was published and undoubtedly received as a holy book also by many Jews in Palestine or Asia Minor during the first century b.c.” (AYBC, Daniel, L. F. Hartman, p 83, 2008 AD)

II. Daniel: The 70 Weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 from Codex Vaticanus

A. Correct interpretation of Daniel 9:24 and the 70 Weeks: 490 years to the solar day

1. The 70 weeks = 7 x 70= 490 years

a. It started with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in April 458 BC (Ezra 7:7-26)

b. The last week is the resurrection of Christ in April 33 AD

2. Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead 490 solar years to the very day Artaxerxes issued his decree:

a. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem in Ezra 7:7-26 records Ezra departing Babylon for Jerusalem on 1^st Nisan (first month in Jewish Calendar) in the 7^th year of Artaxerxes in 458 BC which translates to 8^th April 458 BC (Julian calendar) and to 3^rd April 458 BC (Solar/Gregorian Calendar).

b. The resurrection of Jesus was on 16^th Nisan 33 AD (Jewish Calendar) which translates to 5^th April 33 AD (Julian calendar) and to 3^rd April AD 33 (Solar/Gregorian Calendar).

c. The solar calendar (Gregorian Calendar) is God’s Calendar for a year because it is the exact time it takes the earth to orbit the Sun.

d. Today we use the Julian Calendar which requires leap years to keep it is in sync with God’s solar calendar. The 490 years of Daniel’s 70 weeks is exactly 490 solar years to the very day.

3. Hebrew, Julian, Gregorian conversion equivalents:

Daniel 9 computes 490 solar years to the day ending in the resurrection
	Calendar conversion equivalents
Daniel 9:24	Hebrew calendar	Julian calendar	Gregorian/solar calendar
70 weeks start: Decree: Ezra 7:9	1^st Nisan 458 BC	8^th April 458 BC	3^rd April 458 BC
70 weeks end: Resurrection	16^th Nisan AD 33	5^th April AD 33	3^rd April AD 33

4. The year in the Gregorian calendar is 365.2425 mean solar days long. “This approximation has an error of about one day per 3,030 years”

5. Scientific calculations of 490 Solar/Gregorian years from 8^th April 458 BC to 5^th April AD 33 (Julian)

a. 1 Mean Tropical Solar Year = 365.2421897 days. 490 years = 178968.672953 days (365.2421897 x 490). Rounded off, there are 178,969 days in a solar year.

b. In AD 1849, John F. Herschel created a universal astronomical day count that he hypothetically began on 1^st January 4713 BC as his “day 0” and 4712 BC as his day “1”. His numbering system then counted forward from 4713 BC up to the present. Herschel’s system assigned 8^th April 458 BC as day 1,554,236 from 1^st 4713 BC, and 5^th April AD 33 as day 1,733,206 from 1^st 4713 BC. The difference is exactly 178,970 days from 8^th April 458 BC to 5^th April AD 33 (Day 1,733,206 – day 1,554,236 = 178,970 days).The difference in the calculation between the Mean Tropical Year and Herschel is only 1.33 days. (178970-178968.67 = 1.3 days)

	1^st January 4713 BC	8^th April 458 BC	5^th April AD 33
Herschel day	Day 0	Day 1,554,236	Day 1,733,206
Days in 490 years		178,970 days

c. All modern scientific calculation methods prove it is exactly 490 solar years (± 1.33 days) for both the Gregorian and Julian calendars between 8^th April 458 BC to 5^th April AD 33 (Julian) and 3^rd April 458 BC to 3^rd April AD 33 (Gregorian).

	Days in 490 Solar years
Herschel calculation	178968.67 days
Tropical calculation	178,970 days
Difference	1.33 days

B. Post 70 AD false NON-MESSIANIC interpretation invented by Jews about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD:

1. Daniel 9:24-27 was a major irritant to the non-believing Jews who rejected Christ because it had been universally interpreted as a messianic prophecy for the messiah to come in 33 AD AND the Christians pointed this out as proof on a regular basis.

a. It was one of two texts that ushered in the Messianic fever from 31 BC to 33 AD.

b. Jews at the time of Christ universally interpreted the ending of the last of 70 weeks around 33 AD.

2. After 70 AD: Josephus was the first Jew to redefine the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 in a non-messianic interpretation.

a. Josephus said: “But now, what did most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle (Dan 9:24) that was also found in their sacred writings, how, “about that time, one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth.” (313) The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular and many of the wise men were thereby deceived in their determination. Now, this oracle certainly denoted the government of Vespasian, who was appointed emperor in Judea.” (Josephus Wars 6.312–313)

b. Josephus downplays the passage by calling it “ambiguous”. Whereas all the Jews before the birth of Christ viewed Dan 9:24 as a messianic prophecy, Josephus paved the way for all Jews after him to remove any messianic notion from Daniel’s 70 weeks.

c. Josephus says that Roman Caesar Vespasian (69-79 AD) was the object at the end of the 70 weeks of Daniel. No connection is made with the messiah in any way. Josephus equated the “anointed man” with Vespasian (at the hands of Titus) in 70 AD. Keep in mind that Josephus was under hire by the Romans as their “official war historian”. Making Vespasian the “anointed” of Dan 9:27 would flatter the Romans, and given no other options, chose to reinterpret the prophecy in a non-messianic way.

d. “Whom, then, does JOSEPHUS take to be 'the anointed one, the prince' who came at the end of the 70 weeks, between 63 and 70 A.D.? In Wars of the Jews 6.312-213, he interprets the Son of Man who comes in the fourth world-empire and becomes ruler of the world (Dan. 7, 13) as the emperor Vespasian. The date is exactly right for 'the anointed one, the prince' to be interpreted in the same way. However, Vespasian was not 'cut off', as the 'anointed one' was, so can hardly have been viewed by JOSEPHUS as fitting this role also. (Daniel 9 and the date of Messiah's coming in Essene, Hellenistic, Pharisaic, Zealot and early Christian computation; Roger T. Beckwith, Revue de Qumrân, Vol. 10, No. 4, p 535, 1981 AD)

3. 160 AD: Seder Olam 100% redefines the 70 weeks of Daniel in the most anti-Christian way possible:

a. Seder Olam sought to disconnect Jesus Christ from the fulfillment of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24. Daniel’s prophecy of 70 weeks is redefined from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the Messiah to the period between destructions of the first and second temple. The actual period is 587 BC + 70 AD = 657 years not 490 years. Seder Olam must erase 167 of their own Jewish History to make the 70 weeks of Daniel fit their new, non-biblical interpretation. The Jews must have held a grudge against the Persians because they got their kingdom rule slashed from 205 years down to a ridiculous 52 years (actual is 539-333 BC) in order to disconnect the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 from ending the year Jesus was crucified in 33 AD. All Jews today believe Seder Olam is the truth, when it is a lie, a fabrication and a fiction that directly contradicts the Jewish Hebrew Torah in regard to Daniel’s prophecy in Dan 9:24.

c. “Up to A.D. 70, the different Pharisaic dates for the coming of the Messiah, and the different reckonings of the 70 weeks which they implied, must have existed among the rabbis as three rival interpretations. After A.D. 70, however, when the Messiah had not come as expected, but the desolation also foretold in Daniel 9 (verse 26-27) had, it was natural both to tie the end of the 70 weeks to A.D. 70 and also to adopt a non-Messianic interpretation of the prophecy. This is precisely what we find in Seder Olam Rabbah. In consequence, the dates of A.M. 4000 (242 A.D.) and A.M. 4231 (473 A.D.) for the coming of the Messiah became the only ones still current, but, as the 70 weeks were now tied to 70 A.D., the rival interpretations of the 70 weeks associated with these other dates were dropped, and the dates were simply retained by themselves, as unexplained traditions.” (Daniel 9 and the date of messiah's coming in Essene, Hellenistic, Pharisaic, Zealot and early Christian computation; Roger T. Beckwith, Revue de Qumrân, Vol. 10, No. 4, p 536, 1981 AD)

C. Daniel 9:24-27 from the Septuagint, LXX, Codex Vaticanus:

1. Comments by Steve Rudd are Red in (brackets)

2. “Seventy sevens (490 yrs) have been decreed upon your people and upon the city, Zion, to complete the guilt, to deal with the unjust offenses and to wipe away the injustices (blood/cross) and to fully understand the vision (not seal up) and to establish everlasting righteousness and to complete the visions (fulfill) and the prophet and to delight in the holy of holies. (church) And you will know and understand and rejoice, and you will find commands to respond, and you will build Jerusalem, the city, for the Lord. (Ezra 7:7-26. Start 1st week at decree: 1 Nisan 458 BC) And after (ie. during messianic window 26-33 AD) seven periods of seven (458-409 BC) and sixty-two periods of seven (409 BC - 26 AD), an anointed place will be removed, and it will not be. (Physical Temple abolished, veil torn: Col 2:14). And a kingdom from among the nations (Rome) will despoil the city (Jerusalem) and the holy place (temple) along with the anointed one, (Christ) and his end will come (cross) with destructive anger (Ps 2) until the set time of the consummation. (Resurrection) There will be war upon war. (Rev 12: War in heaven while Christ in grave) And the covenant will be made strong for many, and it will recover again, (Resurrection) and it will be built up in breadth and length. And at the end (not the middle of week 70) of the appointed times, and after seven periods of seventy appointed times and sixty-two years during the set time of the consummation of war, then the desolation will be taken away (resurrection) when the (new) covenant prevails for many weeks (after the 70 = eternity). And at the completion of the period of seven (end, not middle at 3.5 yrs), offering and drink-offering will be taken away, (Old covenant abolished) and upon the holy place (physical temple) there will be an abomination of desolation (considered unclean) until the end (33-70 AD). And a determined final destruction (Extinction of Mosaic Judaism in 70 AD) will be rendered upon the one (Jews killed Messiah) making desolate. (Codex Vaticanus, 350 AD)

D. Variants Between Christian LXX and Jewish MT in Daniel 9:24-27

1. The textual variance in Daniel 9:24-29 is irrelevant today because it has already served God’s original purpose of generating “messianic Expectation” at the time of Christ.

a. "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

b. Jesus said “Scripture cannot be broken!” John 10:35

c. God provided multiple copies of His original word today in both the original language of Hebrew and the translated Greek.

d. So when the Jews corrupted the text of Daniel 9:24-29 for anti-Christian purposes, it was 150 years too late because God designed the text to create expectation for the coming of the Messiah between 31 BC and 33 AD and it “accomplished what God desires” (Isaiah 55:11)

2. Christians have always had difficulty how Daniel 9 prophecies the crucifixion of Christ in the middle of the 70^th week, 3.5 years) before the end.

a. The most common interpretation is that the conversion of Gentile Cornelius was the final event prophesied by Daniel. In other words, salvation is brought to the entire world only after Acts 10. The problem with this, is that Acts 10 dates to 39/40 AD and should be abandoned.

b. However, when you read the text from the Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus, Jesus is crucified at the end of the last week, not in the middle. This solves everything.

c. The text in Vaticanus LXX actually reads shockingly opposite to the Hebrew Masoretic text in all of our Bibles.

3. Summary of Variants:

Summary of Variants Between LXX & MT in Daniel 9:24-27
	Septuagint: Vaticanus (350 AD)	Masoretic Text (1008 AD)
v24	and to fully understand the vision	to seal up vision and prophecy
v25	(Instead of “Messiah the Prince” the object is the Jerusalem Temple.)	Messiah the Prince
v26	an anointed place will be removed (following v26 the temple not Christ are going to be removed)	the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing
V27	(Sacrifice removed after completion of the 70^th week) And at the end of the appointed times, and after the 69 weeks, and at the completion of the 70^th week offering and drink-offering will be taken away	(Sacrifice removed in the middle of the 70^th week) in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering

4. Variants between Septuagint Codex Vaticanus vs. Masoretic Text

Variants Between Christian LXX and Jewish MT in Daniel 9:24-27
Septuagint: Vaticanus (350 AD)	Masoretic Text (1008 AD)
²⁴Seventy sevens have been decreed upon your people and upon the city, Zion, to complete the guilt and to deal with the unjust offenses and to wipe away the injustices and to fully understand the vision and to establish everlasting righteousness and to complete the visions and the prophet and to delight in the holy of holies.	²⁴ Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.
²⁵And you will know and understand and rejoice, and you will find commands to respond, and you will build Jerusalem, the city, for the Lord.	²⁵ “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
²⁶And after seven periods of seven and sixty-two periods of seven, an anointed place will be removed, and it will not be. And a kingdom from among the nations will despoil the city and the holy place along with the anointed one, and his end will come with destructive anger until the set time of the consummation. There will be war upon war.	²⁶ “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
²⁷And the covenant will be made strong for many, and it will recover again, and it will be built up in breadth and length. And at the end of the appointed times, and after seven periods of seventy appointed times and sixty-two years during the set time of the consummation of war, then the desolation will be taken away when the covenant prevails for many weeks. And at the completion of the period of seven, offering and drink-offering will be taken away, and upon the holy place there will be an abomination of desolation until the end. And a determined final destruction will be rendered upon the one making desolate.” (Daniel 9:24–27, LXX, Vaticanus)	²⁷ “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.”" (Daniel 9:24–27, MT)

E. The Jewish corruption of Daniel 9:24-29 in their Hebrew Masoretic Text: 160-200 AD

1. The Jews specifically targeted the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 for redefining in a non-messianic way with the specific purpose to make it impossible for Jesus Christ to fit the prophecy. Josephus was first shortly after 70 AD, then Seder Olam in 160 AD.

2. Seder Olam (160 AD) was written in Zippori in 160 AD by Rabbi Yose ben Halafta

a. The Seder Olam (160 AD) was a corrupt new chronological system designed to counter the Christians use of Old Testament prophecy against Jews. Jews hated it when Christians used their own Jewish writings against themselves. They were REALLY IRKED.

b. Seder Olam changed the starting the ending points to the literal 490 year period between the destruction of Solomon’s (587 BC) and Herod’s temple (70 AD).

c. The Jews retained the literal 490 years of the Christians, even though they could have chosen to try to spiritualized it all away.

d. The actual period is 657 years not 490. So they simply created a Mother Goose fairy-tale version of world history by reducing, in one of many examples, the Persian empire from 205 years down to 52 years.

e. They cut and chopped and hammered away the years until finally they came up with a way to make the period between the temple destructions EXACTLY 490 YEARS. How clever they were!

f. Now here it the kicker! All Jews today use Seder Olam for their Jewish calendar down to the present year! (Just type into Google JEWISH CALENDAR DATE and in 2017 the date given is 5777 AC (After creation) This number contradicts the chronology of their own Bible (Tanakh) and comes directly, TO THE VERY YEAR, the Seder Olam Rabbah chronology.

3. The corruption of the Hebrew Bible by Jews in 160 AD:

a. Rabbi Yose ben Halafta lived in Zippori and is the author of Seder Olam.

b. Rabbi Yose ben Halafta is also one who contributed huge amount to the writing of the Mishnah in 200 AD at Zippori.

c. This is the period of time, 160-200 AD that the Jews took it one step further and corrupted their own Hebrew Bible.

d. These corruptions remain in all the Old Testaments used by Christians today.

4. Two specific changes made in the Hebrew proto-Masoretic Text (or Pre-corrupted Hebrew text) at the end of the 2^nd century AD:

a. Following EXACTLY the chronological numbers in the corrupt Seder Olam chronology they altered the Genesis chronologies in Gen chapter 5 and 11. The net result is a reduction in the age of the earth from 5554 BC down to -4174 BC. This is a 1380 year reduction that came in very helpful in disconnecting Jesus Christ from the “Messianic Window” of Old Testament prophecy.

b. Following EXACTLY the Seder Olam version of Daniel’s 70 Weeks (490 years) ending in 70 AD, instead of 33 AD they REWROTE the text of Daniel 9:24-29 in their Hebrew Tanakh. The new corrupt version of Daniel’s 70 weeks makes it impossible for Christ to be crucified at the end of the last week. Instead, he is crucified in the middle of the last week creating confusion and havok for Christians to explain. Their corruption is found in every Christian Bible today.

5. When you read the Septuagint LXX, codex Vaticanus, the text reads very differently because the messiah is crucified at the end of the 70^th week in 33 AD, which is the exact perfect fit the Jews in 160 AD wanted to avoid.

F. Masoretic Text: Cut off in the “Middle” or the “half” of the week: Dan 9:27

1. Proper translation of: “in the middle [חֲצִי hatsi]of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering”.

a. The Hebrew word “hatsi” should be translated “half” not “middle”.

b. חֲצִי [hatsi] is translated: Half: 76 times, Half-tribe (Ephraim/Manasseh): 33 times, Middle: 6 times, Midnight: 3 times, Midst: 2 times, One-half: 2 times.

2. Bibles that translated “hatsi” as “half” in Dan 9:27:

a. “Forsothe he shal conferme the couenaunt with manye oo weeke, and in the half of a weeke oost and sacrifice shal fayle” (Wycliffe Bible, Translated from the Latin Vulgate, 1382 to 1395 AD)

b. “He shall make a stronge bonde with many, for the space of a weke: and when the weke is half gone, he shal put downe the slayne and meatoffringe.” (The Holy Scriptures, Myles Coverdale, 1535 AD)

c. “And he shall confirm the covenant with many, in one week: and in the half of the week the victim and the sacrifice shall fail” (Douay-Rheims Bible, 1609 AD)

d. “And he made strong the covenant to many one week: and half the week he shall cause the sacrifice and gift to cease” (The Holy Bible, Julia E. Smithtran, 1876 AD)

e. “And he will make a strong covenant with the many for one week; and in the half of the week will he cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (The Twenty-Four Books of the Holy Scriptures: Carefully Translated according to the Massoretic Text, Isaac Leeser, 1891 AD)

f. “Now one week shall confirm a covenant for many and in the half of that week my sacrifice and libation shall be taken away.” (The Old Covenant, Translated from the Septuagint, S. F. Pells, 1904 AD)

g. “And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and for the half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the obligation to cease” (American Bible Union Version, American Baptist Publication Society, 4^th edition, 1913)

h. “He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease” (NRSV)

i. “And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and for the half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (English Revised Version)

j. “He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will pause both the sacrifice and grain offerings.” (International Standard Version)

k. “And he will make a strong covenant with the many for one week, but in half of the week he will let cease sacrifice and offering” (The Lexham English Bible)

l. “He will fortify a covenant with many weeks, for one and at the half of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering will be removed.” (The Lexham English Septuagint)

3. Jewish Bibles translated “hatsi” as “half” in Dan 9:27:

a. “And he shall make powerful a covenant for the many for one week: and half a week he shall cause sacrifice and oblation to cease” (Jewish School and Family Bible, A. Benisch, 1852–1864 AD)

b. “And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease” Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic Text, 1917 AD)

c. “During one week he will make a firm covenant with many. For half a week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the meal offering.” (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Masoretic Text, The Jewish Publication Society, 1985 AD)

d. “He will make a strong covenant with leaders for one week [of years]. For half of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the grain offering.” (Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh, David H. Stern, 1998 AD)

4. Premillennialism/Dispensationalism collapses when it is properly translated from the Hebrew MT.

a. Daniel 9:27, the best translation is not that sacrifice and oblation ceased “in the middle of the week” but “in one half of the week” meaning “sacrifice and oblation will cease in the second half of the 70^th week”.

b. The half week is not specified, so it can mean either the first half or the second half.

c. Since the prophecy ends at the Resurrection of Christ, the “Messiah will be cut off” therefore during the period of the last 3.5 years, specifically at the end.

5. Sacrifice will also stop during the second half of the last week. This could be interpreted two ways, which are both equally true.

a. Sacrifice was abolished at the beginning of the second half of the 70^th week when Jesus was baptized and was officially anointed as the lamb of God. His body was not only the true Temple, but the True sacrifice of that temple of God. Once Jesus began his ministry, his body became the only true sacrifice, essentially nullifying and obsoleting all other sacrifices. In this interpretation, sacrifice does stop at the exact middle of the last week corresponding to the Baptism of Jesus. "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ”" (Hebrews 10:4–7)

b. Sacrifice was made obsolete, extinct and void when the entire Law of Moses was nailed to the cross: Col 2:14-17; Heb 8:6-7; 8:13-9:4. In this interpretation, sacrifice ceases when the Mosaic Law is nailed to the cross, at which time, the Messiah is cut off at the end of the second half of the last week. This agrees what the Codex Vaticanus (LXX) except for the huge difference that Septuagint says nothing of the Messiah being “cut off” but instead says the “messiah will finish his word at the end of the 70^th week.

6. “Cases where hatsi is properly translated as “middle” include Ex 27:5 and 38:4, where the ledge or grating is at the middle of the altar (NIV: “halfway up the altar” in both cases). But, as just mentioned, the usual meaning is half, as properly translated in 109 instances vs. less than one-tenth of that number where “middle” is suitable. An example of the more common usage of the word is in 1 Kgs 16:21, where it is used three times in the same sentence: “Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri” (NIV). Another example is Is 44:19: “The half I burned in the fire”” (Rodger Young, Email, 2019 AD)

7. “In Dan 9:27, if the Holy Spirit had intended to specify in an unambiguous way that the middle of the week was intended, the word tavek would have served that purpose. Gesenius defines tavek as “the middle of a thing.” It occurs about 411 times in the Hebrew Bible. The consequence is that no doctrine should be built on a translation that interprets Dan 9:27 as saying that sacrifice and oblation are taken away in the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week. The proper translation of hatsi as “part” does not absolutely rule out this interpretation, but that the removal occurs at just the midpoint would have to be established by other texts. The proper translation allows that the removal could be at any time in the “half” of the week. In particular, it could occur at the very end of the week, or as a process that continues during the half-week and culminates at its end. This last possible interpretation is entirely compatible with the 3 ½ year ministry of Christ, culminating in His death and resurrection. Long ago, Humphrey Prideaux understood Dan 9:27 in this way. I will quote from Adam Clarke’s commentary: “But Dean Prideaux thinks that the whole refers to our Lord’s preaching connected with that of the Baptist. וַחֲצִי vachatsi says he, signifies in the half part of the week; that is, in the latter three years and a half in which he exercised himself in the public ministry, he caused, by the sacrifice of himself, all other sacrifices and oblations to cease, which were instituted to signify this.” (Rodger Young, Email, 2019 AD)

G. The other 490 years of the Old Testament: Destruction of Shiloh to Babylonian captivity

1. 490 years: from Destruction of Shiloh to the beginning of the Babylonian captivity in 605 BC

a. We are talking about the 7^th year land sabbath not the weekly sabbath.

b. The 70 years of continuous land Sabbaths compute to 490 years where every seventh year was a land sabbath they missed.

2. Jeremiah 7:12-14; 26:4-9

a. "“But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. “And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh." (Jeremiah 7:12–14)

b. "“And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ” The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die! “Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord." (Jeremiah 26:4–9)

c. "‘For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes." (Leviticus 26:43)

d. "to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete." (2 Chronicles 36:21)

3. Reverse computation: 490 years began when in 1094 when Shiloh was destroyed.

a. One continuous Land sabbath of 70 years translates to 70 x 7 weeks = 490 years.

b. The Babylonian captivity started in 605 BC and ended in 536 BC.

c. So Israel had not been keeping the sabbath for 490 years before 605 BC

d. 605 BC + 490 years = 1094 BC (inclusive counting)

e. 1094 BC is the exact date that Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines.

4. The first period of 490 years between Shiloh and the Captivity was represented in the 70 year Babylonian captivity.

a. This set of chronological numbers were never corrupted by the Jews and read exactly the same in the Septuagint as they do in the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

b. The Seder Olam Chronology that Jews use to date Shiloh.

5. Duration of Tabernacle at Shiloh:

a. The Seder Olam has the Tabernacle set up at Shiloh as 1257 BC and its destruction in 888 BC with an occupation period of 369 years total.

b. The Septuagint and Masoretic text agree that the setup date was 1399 BC, the first sabbatical year after Joshua crossed the Jordan in 1406 BC and the destruction date was in 1094 with a total occupation period of 305 years.

6. 490 years duration from destruction of Shiloh to beginning of Babylonian Captivity:

a. The Seder Olam has the Tabernacle destroyed in 888 BC and the Babylonian captivity beginning in 439 BC which computes to a total of 449 years.

b. The Septuagint and Masoretic text agree that the Shiloh tabernacle was destroyed in 1094 BC and the Babylonian captivity began in 605 BC which computes to EXACTLY 490 YEARS!

The 490 Year Land sabbath rest: 605-536 BC The land will Sabbath rest for 70 years to make up for the 490 years of no Sabbaths 490 years from destruction of Shiloh to the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity
Event	Masoretic and Septuagint	Seder Olam
Founding of Tabernacle at Shiloh	1399 BC	1257 BC
Destruction of Shiloh	1094 BC	888 BC
Beginning of Babylonian Captivity	605 BC	439 BC

G. Negative consequences of the Jewish corruption of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 on Christians theology:

1. The original text (as seen in Vaticanus) had Jesus crucified at the very end of the 70 weeks, but the Jewish corruption in 160 AD had the “messiah cut off in the middle of the 70^th week.

2. The Jewish corruption has created the very confusion for Christians that was originally intended by the Jews who designed the corruption.

a. This has created interpretation problems in both placing the exact timing of the 490 years and what do with the left over 3.5 years after the crucifixion of Christ.

b. Some premillennialists have Christ crucified before the 70^th week then stop the prophecy clock until the still future rapture.

c. The corruption has caused some Christians to interpret the prophecy is yet unfulfilled even in the present day.

d. In all these Christian theological scenarios, the prefect fit of the 490 years ending at the resurrection in 33 AD is lost.

e. The original text had the end of the 70^th weeks at the crucifixion but now this simplicity is replaced by an infinite variety of options of what to do with the remaining 3^1/2years or in some cases the last week!

f. One of the simplest and most powerful messianic prophecies have been lost through the Jewish corruption of Daniel in 160 AD.

g. The Jews are rejoicing their trick worked!

3. But God has left us a witness in the Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus of the original text of Daniel 9 which has nothing happening in the middle of the last week. Instead at the very end, Jesus is crucified and raises from the dead!

4. The false doctrine of Premillennialism uses the 3.5 years as a gap or extension that projects 2000 years into the future.

5. Some groups actually insert a “pause” or “gap” in the timing clock. Of course a time prophecy that extends beyond the 490 years has failed.

6. Others, as you can see from the chart below, have the cross at the end of the 69^th week and the prophecy clock stops until it is restarted at the Second coming and rapture. Then the 70^th week starts again with 3.5 years of peace and 3.5 years of tribulation followed by the third coming of Christ and the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. Full restoration of Mosaic temple sacrifices are restored in Jerusalem. The very idea of restoring animal sacrifices after the blood atonement of Christ is rank heresy. But we can thank the Jews in 160 AD for corrupting Daniel 9 so that the final week is divided up into two periods of 3.5 years.

II. Daniel: Textual variants: Susanna, Bel and the Dragon

1. Susanna:

View full outline on Susanna

a. View full outline on Susanna

b. This story is positioned after immediately after Daniel Chapter 12 and before Bel and the Dragon.

c. The story was not considered scripture but valued as a fictional novel that tells a story.

d. We know that Susanna is pseudepigraphal (falsely purporting to give a real historical account of Daniel of the 6^th century BC) because of the mature synagogue setting.

e. Synagogues began in Alexandria in 280 BC and did not exist at the time of Daniel. We know synagogues began after the translation of the Septuagint Torah in 282 BC.

f. The high level of synagogue organizational structure witnessed in Susanna gives us an earliest possible date of about 250 BC. While coincides nicely with the probable time Daniel was translated into Greek,

g. The internal evidence in Susanna through references, words and phrases dates the book to 100 BC. Obviously then Susanna cannot be inspired scripture, not because it was written in 100 BC, but because it has Daniel entering a synagogue 300 years before the first synagogue historically existed.

2. Bel and the Dragon:

a. The stories of Daniel Destroying the idol god Bel (see Isa 46:1) for the only reference to Bel in the Bible) and the idol dragon god, smack of fiction. It was not conserved scripture but was widely read as a fictional story.

b. This story is positioned at the end of the book of Daniel after both Daniel Chapter 12 and Susanna.

c. Here is the full text from the Septuagint: "Bel and the Dragon. From the prophecy of Habakkuk, the son of Joshua, from the tribe of Levi. A certain man was priest, whose name was Daniel, the son of Abal, a confidant of the king of Babylon. Now there was an idol, named Bel, that the Babylonians worshiped. And there was lavished upon it each day the finest wheat flour, twelve artabas of flour, and four sheep, and six measures of olive oil. And the king revered it, and the king went forth each day and prostrated himself to it. But Daniel prayed to the Lord. And the king said to Daniel, “Why do you not worship Bel?” And Daniel replied to the king, “I worship no one except the Lord God, who created the heaven and the earth, and the one who holds power and authority over all flesh.” And the king said to him, “This, therefore, is not a god? Do you not see how much is consumed for him each day?” And Daniel replied to him, “By no means let anyone deceive you! For this thing is on the inside mere clay, and on the outside it is bronze. I vow now to you by the Lord, the God of gods, that this has never eaten anything!” And having become angry, the king summoned the attendants of the holy place and said to them, “Show plainly the one who is eating the things being prepared for Bel! And if not, indeed you will die, or Daniel, who affirms that these things are not being consumed by him.” And they said, “Bel himself is the one who is consuming these things.” And Daniel said to the king, “Let it be just so. If I do not show that Bel is not the one who is consuming these things, I will die, and all those who are mine.” Now there were attached to Bel seventy priests, besides women and children. And so they brought the king into the idol’s temple. And the food was set before the king and Daniel, and mixed wine was brought in and set before Bel. And Daniel said, “You yourself see that these things are laid out, O king. You, therefore, set a seal on the keys of the temple when it is closed up.” And the arrangements were pleasing to the king. Now Daniel ordered those with him, after forcing everyone from the temple, to mark clearly the whole temple with ashes, with no one of those outside of it observing, and then, sealing the temple, he ordered them to seal it up with the signet ring of the king, and with the seal rings of some of the most notable ones of the priests. And so it was done, just in this manner. Then it happened on the next day that the king was present at the location. But the priests of Bel, by means of secret entrances, had entered in and eaten everything which had been placed beside Bel, and they had quaffed down the wine. And Daniel said, “Look closely at your seals to see whether they are still in place, O men and priests. And you yourself also, O king, take care lest something suspicious is going on in your opinion.” Indeed they found that the seal was unchanged, and they removed the sealed lock. And when they had opened the doors, they saw that all the things that had been set out were consumed, and the tables had nothing upon them, and the king was overjoyed and said to Daniel, “Great is Bel, and there is no deception with him.” Then Daniel laughed out loud and said to the king, “Come here! See the deception of the priests!” And Daniel said, “O king, these footprints, whose are they?” And the king replied, “Of men and of women and of children!” Then he went to the house in which the priests were living and found the food for Bel along with the wine. And Daniel pointed out to the king the secret entrances through which the priests would enter and consume the things that had been set out for Bel. And the king led them from Bel’s temple and handed them over to Daniel. And the expenses put out to run it he gave to Daniel, but he destroyed Bel. Now there was a dragon in the same location, and the Babylonians worshiped it. And the king said to Daniel, “You will certainly not say concerning this that it is merely bronze! Indeed, he lives and eats and drinks! Worship him!” And Daniel said, “O king, give me the power, and I will slay the dragon without sword or staff. And the king granted him authority and replied to him, “I give it to you.” And Daniel, taking thirty minas of pitch and hard fat and hair, boiled it together and made a lump from it and threw it into the mouth of the dragon. And, after consuming it, the dragon burst open. And he showed it to the king, saying, “Do not worship such things, O king!” And all the men from the provinces were gathered together against Daniel. And they asserted, “The king has become a Judean; he has overturned Bel and slayed the dragon.” Now when the king saw that the multitude from the country had gathered against him, he summoned his close companions and said, “I am giving Daniel over for destruction.” And there was a den in which seven lions were being fed. To them were given those plotting against the king; and there was supplied to them each day two bodies of those who had been condemned to death. And the angry crown threw Daniel into the den so that he would be devoured, and so that not even a burial would take place. And Daniel was in the den six days. Now it was during the sixth day that Habakkuk had prepared some bread, crumbling it into a bowl with some soup, and a jar of mixed wine, and he was proceeding into the field to the reapers. And a messenger of the Lord spoke to Habakkuk, saying, “These things the Lord God says to you, ‘The meal that you have prepared, deliver it to Daniel in the den of lions in Babylon.’ ” Now Habakkuk said, “Lord God, I have not seen Babylon, and as for the den, I do not know where it is.” And seizing Habakkuk by the hair of his head, the messenger of the Lord put him beside the den in Babylon. Then Habakkuk said to Daniel, “Arise, eat the meal that the Lord God has sent to you.” Then Daniel replied, “The Lord God, the one who does not forsake those who love him, has remembered me.” And Daniel ate, and the messenger of the Lord set Habakkuk down in the place from which he had taken him on the same day. And the Lord God remembered Daniel. And after these things the king went out mourning for Daniel. And stooping down into the den he saw him sitting there. And crying out loudly, the king said, “Great is the Lord God, and there is no other except him.” And the king led Daniel out from the pit. And he threw those responsible for his destruction into the den in the presence of Daniel, and they were devoured.” (Bel 1–42)

3. The prayer of Hananiah and Azariah and Mishael: 68 verses between Dan 3:23 | 68 verses | Dan 3:24

a. The story section was not considered scripture but valued as a fictional novel that tells an embellished story and a song at the end.

b. This story is positioned at the end of the book of Daniel after both Daniel Chapter 12 and Susanna in the Septuagint.

c. The whole section of 68 verses found in the Septuagint is sandwiched between verses 23 and 24 of Daniel 3 in the Masoretic Text.

d. Another similar version of the same song is “Odes 10” (The Song of Our Fathers (Dan 3:52–88) found in the Septuagint.

e. The prayer and song dates to before Christ, was adopted and used widely sung in both synagogues and the early church. Think of this as sheet music in our songbooks rather than scripture.

a. After the story was read, the last section is actually a song, sung responsively in two or possibly three parts and possibly in multi-part harmony.

b. The song was structured with 6 lines of introduction sung solo by the leader, 32 lines sung responsively with the congregation and 6 lines of conclusion sung solo by the leader.

c. Two part responsive #1: “1. Bless, O all works of the Lord, the Lord, 2. praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!” The leader would sing the main part starting with “BLESS O” (Black text) and then the congregation would sing the response “Praise/Laud/Sing” (red text).

d. Two part responsive #2: 1. Bless, 2. O all works of the Lord, 1. the Lord, 2. praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

e. Two part harmony, Ladies lead #1: 1. Bless – sustain high note- descant, 2. O all works of the Lord, 1. the Lord – Sustain high note- descant, 2. praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

f. Two part harmony, Men lead #2: 1. Bless – sustain low note, 2. O all works of the Lord, 1. the Lord – Sustain low note, 2. praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

g. Three part responsive: 1. Bless, 2. O all works of the Lord, 3. the Lord, (all) praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

h. As you can see, the song was complex and a favorite for them to master. It would be a joy to sing when all the parts worked together.

f. There are several interesting sections in the story.

i. In the story section, the description of the large brick kiln with four fuels that produce flames as high as an 8-story building.

ii. In the song section, the conclusion connects the ancient story to the idea that the righteous will be saved from the flames of Hades by God. This ties in directly with the story of the men who died by stoking the fire and that that the flames of hades are therefore reserved for the wicked.

g. Here is the full text from the Septuagint of the story and the song: "In this manner, therefore, prayed Hananiah and Azariah and Mishael, and they sang to the Lord when the king commanded them to be thrown into the furnace. And standing still, Azariah prayed in this manner, and when he opened his mouth he acknowledged the Lord together with his companions in the midst of the blazing fire, the furnace having been ignited by the Chaldeans exceedingly with fire, and they said, “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and to be praised, and glorious is your name into the ages! For you are just concerning all the things you have done to us, and all your works are true, and your paths are right, and all your judgments are truthful. And you have carried out accurate judgments according to all the things you have brought upon us, and upon your holy city, the city of our fathers, Jerusalem, because in truth and in justice you have done all these things on account of our sins. For we have sinned in every way, and acted lawlessly by moving away from you, and we have done grievous wrong in every way. And we have not listened to the commandments of your law. Neither have we closely observed nor have we acted according to what you commanded to us, in order that it may go well for us. And now, everything, whatsoever you have brought against us, and everything, whatsoever you have done to us, you have acted in truthful judgment. Now you have given us over into the hands of our enemies, lawless and hostile rebels, and to an unrighteous king, even to the most wicked king in all the earth. And so now it is not permitted for us to open our mouth. Dishonor and disgrace has come to your servants, even those worshiping you. Do not utterly give us over on account of your name, and do not turn from your covenant. And do not remove your mercy from us on account of Abraham, the one loved by you, and on account of your servant Isaac and your holy one Israel. Just as you told them, saying that you would multiply their descendants as the stars of heaven in abundance and as the sand along the shore of the sea. For, O Lord, we have been reduced more than any of the peoples, and we are humbled throughout the whole earth today because of our sins. Now there is not at this time a ruler nor a prophet nor a leader nor a whole burnt offering nor any offering nor gifts nor an incense offering nor a place to give an offering before you and thus to find mercy. Yet, with a soul shattered and a spirit humbled, we might be accepted, just as though we came with whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls, and just as though we came with myriads of fat lambs. So may our offering be before you today, and our atonement be behind you, since there is no shame for those who put confidence in you and completely follow you. And now, we follow you earnestly with our whole heart, and we fear you, and we seek your face; do not shame us! But have mercy with us according to your goodness and according to the abundance of your compassion. And rescue us in accordance with your wonderful acts, and give honor to your name, O Lord. And may they be shamed, all those who show forth against your servants their evil acts. And may they be discredited from having any power, and may their authority be shattered! Let them know that you alone are the Lord God, and notable and glorious over the whole inhabited world.” Now the ones who threw them into the furnace, the servants of the king, those who were stoking the furnace, did not cease. And when they were casting the three, once and for all, into the furnace, and as the furnace was blazing hot in accordance with its increased sevenfold heat, and when they cast them in, those casting them in were above them, but those who fed the fire were below them with naphtha and flax and pitch and brushwood. Then the flame shot forth high above the furnace by over forty-nine cubits (84 feet). And so it broke out of control and burned those it reached from around the furnace from the Chaldeans. But a divine being of the Lord descended at the same time to the ones around Azariah, into the furnace, and dispersed the flame of fire from the furnace. Then he made the middle of the furnace like a moist wind gently whistling, so that it did not touch them at all; and the fire did not cause pain and did not trouble them.

h. The song sung responsively or in harmony: Two-part harmony below: 6 introduction and 6 conclusion lines sung by leader. Two part: Black sung by congregation with long sustain notes [Bless, the Lord]. Red sung by leader during sustained notes by congregation. Roles might be reversed during the two part section where the Leader sings the “Bless the Lord” and the congregation sing the red verses. Another possibility is the men sing “Bless the Lord” and the women sing the red, or vise versa.

And lifting up their voices, the three, as if out of one mouth, sang praises and extolled and praised and exalted God within the furnace, saying:

Leader Intro 1: Blessed are you, O Lord God of our fathers, and praiseworthy and to be exalted into the ages.

Leader Intro 2: And Blessed is your glorious name, holy and praiseworthy, and to be exalted exceedingly into all generations.

Leader Intro 3: Blessed are you within the temple of your holy glory, and to be highly exalted and wholly glorious into the ages!

Leader Intro 4: Blessed are you upon the throne of glory of your kingdom, and to be praised and exceedingly exalted into the ages!

Leader Intro 5: Blessed are you, the one who sees into the abyss, who sits upon the cherubim, and are to be praised and magnified into the ages!

Leader Intro 6: Blessed are you in the firmament of the heaven, and to be praised and magnified into the ages!

Bless, O all works of the Lord, the Lord, praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O messengers of the Lord, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O heavens, the Lord, laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O waters and all above the heaven, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O all the power and hosts of the Lord, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O sun and the moon, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O stars of heaven, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O all storms and dew, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O all winds, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O fire and scorching heat, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O shivering cold and cutting cold weather, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O gentle dew and swirling snowstorm, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O frost and cold, the Lord, laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O hoar-frost and snow, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O night time and day time, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O light and darkness, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O flashing lightning and stirring clouds, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O earth, the Lord; sing forth and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O mountain heights and high places of the hills, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O everything that springs forth upon the earth, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O rainstorm and running waters, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O seas and rivers, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O huge creatures of the sea and everything that moves in waters, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O all the winged creatures of heaven, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O four-footed animals and beasts of the earth, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O sons of men, the Lord; laud and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O Israel, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O priests, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O servants, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O spirits and souls of the righteous, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O holy and humble ones in your heart, the Lord; sing a hymn and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Bless, O Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, the Lord; praise and exalt him exceedingly into the ages!

Leader conclusion 1: For he has taken us out of Hades, and has saved us from the hand of death,

Leader conclusion 2: and has rescued us from the midst of the raging flame, and from the fire he delivered us!

Leader conclusion 3: Acknowledge and give thanks to the Lord, For he is good, for his mercy continues into the ages!

Leader conclusion 4: Bless, all those who worship the Lord, God of the gods;

Leader conclusion 5: sing a hymn and acknowledge him fully,

Leader conclusion 6: for his mercy continues into the ages, even into the age of ages!”" (Daniel 3:24–90)

Conclusion:

1. We find two key time prophecies in the book of Daniel that are responsible for pre-Christian, Jewish expectation of the messiah to come between the window of 31 BC to 33 AD:

a. Daniel 2 has God’s kingdom (the church) coming during the Roman Empire (31 BC)

b. Daniel 9:24 times 490 years from 458 BC terminating in 33 AD, the death of Christ.

c. The Assumption of Moses (written in 10 AD) has the Messiah coming in 29 AD, an exact match for Jesus Christ to begin his ministry in 30 AD.

2. The three variant additions to the book of Daniel (Susanna, Prayer of Hananiah, Bel and the dragon) could not have been in the Greek Septuagint in 282 BC when it was translated because this predates the first synagogues in 280 BC.

a. Such a highly structured synagogue as in Susanna would be impossible in 282 BC.

b. Synagogue did not exist at the time of Daniel in 600 BC when he was in Babylon.

c. They are included in the Septuagint as historical books not canonical books.

d. However, some Christian churches today accept them all as canonical but this is a mistake.

3. The variant in the 70 weeks of Daniel is more serious.

a. The original text of Daniel 9:24-29 can be found in the Septuagint codex Vaticanus where Jesus is crucified at the end of the 70 weeks.

b. The Jews corrupted the text in such a way that it made is impossible for Jesus to be crucified at the end of the 70 weeks.

c. The Jewish corruption began with Josephus after 70 AD, the Seder Olam in 160 AD and finally the actual text of Daniel in the Hebrew Tanakh in 160-200 AD.

4. We find two different prophecies in the Bible for 490 years:

b. Daniel’s 70 weeks began in 458 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes’ 7^th year (Ezra 7:7-26). 33 AD is the year Christ was crucified and rose from the dead and this is EXACTLY 490 years!

5. The textual variance in Daniel 9:24-29 is irrelevant today because it has already served God’s original purpose of generating “messianic Expectation” at the time of Christ.

a. "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

b. Jesus said “Scripture cannot be broken!” John 10:35

c. God provided multiple copies of His original word today in both the original language of Hebrew and the translated Greek.