It began in 606 B.C.

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Forget all the nonsense you have ever read about this subject; let’s see what the Bible has to say, and where the Holy Spirit leads us. The year 790 B.C. After the death of King Sardanapalus, the Assyrian Empire ended. It was divided into three empires: the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Median Kingdoms. In the year 626 B.C., Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, began his rule in Babylon. In 606, King Nebuchadnezzar co-ruled with his father Nabopolassar. In 606, Nebuchadnezzar entered Israel and took captives back to Babylon. The King took certain children of Israel with him, four of them were, Daniel, Hananiah, (Shadrach) Mishael, (Mishael) and Azariah (Abednego). 606 B.C. was the first year of the 70 years of punishment the Jews were to suffer under the captivity of the Babylonians for not resting their land. All twelve tribes of Israel were released in 536 B.C. by King Cyrus of Persia as prophesied.

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar’s father in 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar became sole ruler. In 603 B.C., the King had a dream of an image of a man. The head was of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet and toes of (potters' clay), or ceramic clay.” Ceramic clay is usable by a potter. But here the King James Bible goes further; in verse 41 it speaks of “iron mixed with miry clay.” Miry clay is not unusable for making vessels and is usually discarded by the potter. The image of kingdoms and kings will be crushed when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and sets up his kingdom, this is still in our future.

From the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in 605 B.C., the image of his dream will cover more than 2600 years. As of today, 2630 years have passed.
Babylon was defeated by Darius and Cyrus in 536 B.C. The Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. After Alexander’s death, the empire was divided among his four generals, Lysimachus, Cassander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. Two would eventually rule, Ptolemy in Egypt, and the Seleucids in the Middle Eastern nations and Asia.

After King Seleucid was murdered, the empire fell into the hands of his son. The family of Antiochus would rule for the next 218 years, from 281 B.C. until 63 B.C. It was then the 4th kingdom emerged in Rome. Rome officially fell in 476 A.D. They are to be followed by 10 kingdoms that had their roots in the Roman Empire. There was the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne, and the Popes of Rome. The German Empire, the Russian Empire, England, France, Spain, Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, and Islam. The United States of America was settled by the people of all of the above nations.
Today, once Christian America has become a nation of “miry clay.” Divided by politics, religion, and gender identity. A nation whose fabric is being torn apart by drugs, booze, porn, corrupt judges and politicians. And the Christian community, with its one friend Israel, is falling under Islamic and Atheist attacks.
Your thoughts:

[placebofactor]

Forget all the nonsense you have ever read about this subject; let’s see what the Bible has to say, and where the Holy Spirit leads us. The year 790 B.C. After the death of King Sardanapalus, the Assyrian Empire ended. It was divided into three empires: the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Median Kingdoms. In the year 626 B.C., Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, began his rule in Babylon. In 606, King Nebuchadnezzar co-ruled with his father Nabopolassar. In 606, Nebuchadnezzar entered Israel and took captives back to Babylon. The King took certain children of Israel with him, four of them were, Daniel, Hananiah, (Shadrach) Mishael, (Mishael) and Azariah (Abednego). 606 B.C. was the first year of the 70 years of punishment the Jews were to suffer under the captivity of the Babylonians for not resting their land. All twelve tribes of Israel were released in 536 B.C. by King Cyrus of Persia as prophesied.

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar’s father in 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar became sole ruler. In 603 B.C., the King had a dream of an image of a man. The head was of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet and toes of (potters' clay), or ceramic clay.” Ceramic clay is usable by a potter. But here the King James Bible goes further; in verse 41 it speaks of “iron mixed with miry clay.” Miry clay is not unusable for making vessels and is usually discarded by the potter. The image of kingdoms and kings will be crushed when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and sets up his kingdom, this is still in our future.

From the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in 605 B.C., the image of his dream will cover more than 2600 years. As of today, 2630 years have passed.
Babylon was defeated by Darius and Cyrus in 536 B.C. The Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. After Alexander’s death, the empire was divided among his four generals, Lysimachus, Cassander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. Two would eventually rule, Ptolemy in Egypt, and the Seleucids in the Middle Eastern nations and Asia.

After King Seleucid was murdered, the empire fell into the hands of his son. The family of Antiochus would rule for the next 218 years, from 281 B.C. until 63 B.C. It was then the 4th kingdom emerged in Rome. Rome officially fell in 476 A.D. They are to be followed by 10 kingdoms that had their roots in the Roman Empire. There was the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne, and the Popes of Rome. The German Empire, the Russian Empire, England, France, Spain, Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, and Islam. The United States of America was settled by the people of all of the above nations.
Today, once Christian America has become a nation of “miry clay.” Divided by politics, religion, and gender identity. A nation whose fabric is being torn apart by drugs, booze, porn, corrupt judges and politicians. And the Christian community, with its one friend Israel, is falling under Islamic and Atheist attacks.
Your thoughts:

After Alexander's death, the Ptolemies and Seleucids controlled ancient Israel. It was at this time that the Jews adopted Greek customs, philosophy, names, and their language, leading to a cultural divide between traditionalists and Hellenized Jews. The influence of Hellenism was strong in urban centers, where Greek cities were established. The LORD was preparing Daniel’s people to receive their Savior and his word. The New Testament was to be written in Greek, the language of the common Jew.

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[Replying to placebofactor in post #2]

Where the book of Esther meets Daniel Esther’s part in Daniel’s prophecy:

Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9 takes place in the year 521 B.C. The story of Esther begins in 486 B.C. At that time, the Persian Empire had four capital cities; the two prominent ones were Persepolis and Susa. Daniel’s vision of the destruction and defeat of Babylon took place in Shushan, also called Susa. “Persepolis” is derived from the word "Parsa" which means “City of the Persians.” The other two capitals may have been Nineveh and Hakmatanch/ Ecbatana.

Susa was the winter capital for the Persian Kings, who occupied it from January to March. King Ahasuerus also known as Xerxes the Great, was the father of Darius the First and Artaxerxes Longimanus (long arm). Xerxes was crowned King in 486 and died in 465 B.C. Xerxes appears to have had several wives/Queens, Amestris and Vasth-ti. Vash-ti resided in Shu-shan or Susa, as did Queen Esther, see Esther 1:11.

In 483 B.C., Amestris, Xerxes' wife/Queen lived elsewhere. I cannot pinpoint exactly where, but it wasn’t in Susa during the winter months where Vasth-ti and Easter resided. Ahasuerus (Xerxes) occupied Susa in January, February, and March. The distance between Persepolis and Susa is 437 miles. A caravan traveling at a speed of 2 or 3 miles per hour for 12 hours would have taken them two-and-a-half to three weeks to journey.
In the summer months, the temperature in Susa averages 113 degrees. So, in the nine summer months of the year, Persepolis, or one of the other two capitals, is where the King resided with his other wife/Queen, who was never seen in Susa.

The book of Esther opens in Susa in the year 483 B.C. That year, Queen Vash-ti sat at the King’s side. Esther was a young Jewish maiden and believed to be between twelve and fourteen years of age when first brought before the King as a possible successor to Vashti. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, raised Esther as his daughter. Mordecai was taken from Israel in 599 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar. When the story opens, he is an old man and an old-school Jew. Jewish law allowed young girls to marry when they turned twelve. Mordecai allowed Esther to be brought before the king at this young age. According to Bible chronology, Mordecai had to be over 120 years of age when these events took place.

After Esther’s first appearance before the King, she was taken away for 12 months, a period referred to as ‘The time of purification.’ After twelve months, in the year 482, she was brought back to stand before the King.
It is written in Esther 2:17, “And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight. --- so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vash-ti.” I suppose when it said “All the woman,” it would have included his other wife and Queen, Amestris. In the seventh year of his reign, the consummation of Esther and Ahasuerus’s marriage occurred in 479 B.C. Esther would have been somewhere between 18 and 21 years of age. This was the year she was taken to the King's house.

The Lord Almighty put Mordecai and Esther in a position of influence with King Xerxes and his Son, Artaxerxes Longimanus, to fulfill Daniel's prophecy, found in Daniel 9/25. Some researchers believe Esther may have been the mother of Artaxerxes because of what is written in Nehemiah 2:6, the year 445 B.C. “And the king (Artaxerxes Longimanus) said unto me (Nehemiah), (the queen also sitting by him,)” But this is speculation. We do know that Esther was Artaxerxes Longimanus's father's wife, and he had great respect for her. If it were Esther, she would have been in her early fifties.

In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, 453 B.C., in Shushan (Susa) Nehemiah went before the king. Now, let’s consider the following. If Artaxerxes Longimanus favored Esther, it would have given Nehemiah the courage to go before the king with his request to return to Israel. Artaxerxes appears to be sympathetic toward Nehemiah’s cause. Nehemiah 2:6, “So it pleased the king to send me (Nehemiah);”

Artaxerxes Longimanus was crowned in 465 B.C.; he died forty years later in 425 B.C. Artaxerxes Longimanus was the author of two decrees. Both would have allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, to rebuild the Temple, and dig out the moat around Jerusalem. The first came in 457 B.C., Ezra 7:7-8; the second in 444 B.C. The King’s first decree is the one that fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy found in Daniel 9:25. “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: the street shall be built again, and the wall (moat around the city) even in troublous times.” The word "wall" refers to a dry moat, not a stone wall, look it up. The Israeli authorities last year dug up a moat around the ancient city of Jerusalem. I will expand on that later.

So, the year 457 B.C. gives us a starting point for the 490-year prophecy found in Daniel 9:24-25. Verse 24, “Seventy weeks (490 years) are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression, and make an end of sins,” Verse 25, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandments to restore, and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (483 years).” In my next post, I will put this on a timeline and test it Biblically and historically.

[historia]

From the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in 605 B.C., the image of his dream will cover more than 2600 years.

Where did you get this idea from?

Seventy weeks (490 years)

Why do you think that seventy weeks is 490 years?

[placebofactor]

From the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in 605 B.C., the image of his dream will cover more than 2600 years.

Where did you get this idea from?

Seventy weeks (490 years)

Why do you think that seventy weeks is 490 years?

Nebuchadnezzar's dream consists of four great kingdoms, and 10 smaller kingdoms. When everything is said and done, and Jesus returns, (still future) he will crush all the kingdoms to powder. No get your calculator out,

The first kingdom, Babylon, with Nebuchadnezzar as sole King, began in 605 B.C., the head of gold. Now add 605 B.C. years to this year, 2025 A.D., = 2630 years. Why add the two together? because Jesus has not returned to destroy the image, therefore, until he returns, and the image is destroyed, the clock continues to click.

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[Replying to placebofactor in post #5]

Read Daniel 9:24-25 carefully. Make sure you break down each period and each event concerning this prophecy.

Verse 24 speaks of 490 years concerning the Jews and Jerusalem (the Holy city).

The prophecy ends when transgression ends, and when there is an end to sin. We know both still exist, telling us the prophecy is still ongoing. 490 years have been determined. The first question, when did the commandment by Artaxerxes Longimanus go out to send the Jews back to Israel and to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah was made known to the people?

The year 457 B.C. gives us a starting point for the 490-year prophecy found in Daniel 9:24-25. Verse 24, “Seventy weeks (490 years) are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression, and make an end of sins,”
Verse 25, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandments to restore, and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (483 years).”

Let’s test this by putting it on a timeline.
Daniel’s prophecy is broken down into four periods: the first 49 years were to be followed by 434 years, with seven years remaining. Now the seven years were divided into two 3 ½ year periods.
Malachi, the last prophet of the O.T. begins his book in 436 B.C. According to Daniel’s prophecy, the first 49 years that began in 457 would have ended in 408 B.C. at the end of Malachi's book. This was to be followed by a second period of 434 years, which would have ended on October 27 A.D. This was the year and month John the Baptist, Andrew, and Peter announced, “We have found the Messiah,” fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy found in verse 25. We know this because Jesus was born between the 15th and 30th of October, 4 B.C., two years before Herod the Great died. Jesus was baptized at the age of 30, Luke 3:23. That puts Jesus at the river Jordon with John the Baptist between the 15th and 30th of October, 27 A.D.

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment (457 B.C.) to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince (27 A.D.) shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (483 years):”
Now, two periods of 3 ½ years remain. Christ was declared Messiah sometime between the middle to the end of October, 27 A.D. Therefore, the first 3 ½ years would end the day before Passover, in April of 31 A.D., after the Lord’s death. So, what remains to this day are 3 ½ years. I will cover that next.