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According to the traditional understanding of the Gospel, Christ was crucified and ascended at the age of 33. Artaxerxes' edict to rebuild Jerusalem is issued in 457 BC. If we add the 33 years of Jesus' life to the years that span the time from the issuance of the edict to the time of Jesus' birth, we arrive at a period of time equaling 490 years as prophesied by Daniel: 457 years + 33 years = 490 years (71:1) The date for the time of Christ is also given by Daniel in another way. 'Abdu'l-Baha explains: (71:2) But in the twenty-fifth verse of the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel this is expressed in another manner, as seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; and apparently this differs from the first saying. Many have remained perplexed at these differences, trying to reconcile these two statements. How can seventy weeks be right in one place, and sixty-two weeks and seven weeks in another? These two sayings do not accord. (71:3) But Daniel mentions two dates. One of these dates begins with the command of Artaxerxes to Ezra to rebuild Jerusalem; this is the seventy weeks which came to an end with the ascension of Christ, when by His martyrdom the sacrifice and oblation ceased. (71:4) The second period, which is found in the twenty-sixth verse, means that after the termination of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the ascension of Christ, there will be sixty-two weeks; the seven weeks are the duration of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which took forty-nine years. When you add these seven weeks to the sixty-two weeks, it makes sixty-nine weeks, and in the last week (69-70) the ascension of Christ took place. These seventy weeks are thus completed, and there is no contradiction. (Some Answered Questions 41 ) (71:5) 'Abdu'l-Baha clearly affirms the authority and inspiration of Daniel's vision. He sees no contradictions but, rather, a reliable prophetic chronology accurately revealing the first advent of Christ. Written out mathematically, 'Abdu'l-Baha's explanation is as follows: 62 weeks = (62 x 7) = 434 years-- 7 weeks = (7 x 7) = 49 years-- 69 weeks = (69 x 7) = 483 years
(71:6)
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