thee skill and understanding." Dan. 9:22.]

THE PROPHECY FULFILLED

EVENTS OF THE "SEVENTY WEEKS" AND END OF THE 2300 YEARS

The angel explained to Daniel the events of the seventy weeks allotted
to Jerusalem and its people "to finish the transgression." Seven weeks
and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks) of the seventy were to reach to
the Messiah. The angel's words were:

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression.... Know therefore and understand, that from
the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two
weeks [69 weeks, or 483 days]." Dan. 9:24, 25.

The sixty-nine weeks, symbolic time, are 483 years, which were to reach
from the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to Messiah the
Prince.

The Time of the Messiah's Coming

The commandment of Artaxerxes to restore and build Jerusalem, as we have
seen, went forth in 457 B.C. Reckoning from that date, 483 full
years bring us to A.D. 27, when, according to the prophecy, the
Messiah should appear.

Messiah means "anointed." The anointing of Jesus, and His manifestation
as the Anointed One, was at His baptism:

"Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and,
lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from
heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Matt. 3:16, 17.

Thus Jesus was anointed as the Messiah (see Acts 10:38), and John
proclaimed: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world." John 1:29.

When did this baptism and anointing take place? The Gospel of Luke
supplies the historical facts for fixing the year:

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate
being governor of Judea," etc. Luke 3:1-3.

Tiberius followed Augustus, who died in A.D. 14. But before the
latter's death, Tiberius was associated with him on the throne. Some
modern historians date this appointment of Tiberius as Caesar from
A.D. 13; but the "History of Rome," by Dion Cassius, a Roman
senator, born in the second century, shows, under events of
A.D. 12, that Augustus recognized Tiberius as holding the
imperial dignity at that time. (Book 56, chap. 26.) Again, Dr. Philip
Schaff says:

"There are coins from Antioch in Syria of the date A.