The Eradication Of Sin

We long for the day when sin will be finally and fully eradicated. At that time we will live in perfection in all our relationships—with God, ourselves, one another and the world. This Day is the Day when Our Lord Jesus Christ Returns. This will be the Day when God will triumph over sin in His People and in His Creation.

Romans 8:18–25 ESV “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Our Glorification in the Resurrection

Glorification is the final step in the application of our redemption, including the redemption of our bodies as well as our souls.

Romans 8:29–30 ESV “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

The Old Testament promises our resurrection and generates hope. It prepares us for the full revelation of its reality in the New Testament with Our Lord Jesus Christ. Such passages as these: Job 19:25-26; Psalm 16:11; 49:15; 73:24-25; and others.

Isaiah 26:19 ESV “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” 

Daniel 12:2 ESV “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

The New Testament brings clarity to this long standing testimony of hope from the Old Testament. Jesus Christ’s teachings on this topic are abundant in the Gospel accounts. His own Resurrection of course being the greatest testimony and hope ever! As a result, the New Testament is filed with encouragement to look to this hope at the final Day. Such passages as these: John 11:23-24; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Hebrews 11:16-19; and others.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 ESV “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

This teaching of the reality of the resurrection is one of great hope and comfort, and for encouragement to persevere and please God. We will be like Christ in glory, fully renewed in strength, beauty and spirituality. We will be recognizable, being same person in body and soul. All of this is a celebration of God’s triumph over sin

Colossians 1:19–20 ESV “For in him [Christ Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

We are not fully capable of explaining how this will work with our limited scientific minds. This will be a different type of existence, in full righteousness. There will be a renewal of the creation in perfect harmony. We will be embodied, enjoy society and work, all in an endless perfection of God-centeredness.

Jonathan Edward’s Meditations

Heaven, as Jonathan Edward’s taught, is God’s “fixed abode of manifestation” along with His angels and His saints. We cannot exaggerate its glory, and there we will “swim in an ocean of love and be swallowed up by the bright light of infinity.” 

In 1740, Edwards preached a famous sermon on heaven entitled “The Portion of the Righteous.” It is a captivating sermon. John Gerstner referred to Edwards as “the rhapsodic seer” of this beatific vision and summarizes the sermon in this way:

In his sermon, Edwards describes how Christians will behold God with their souls’ eyes, as an experience of their whole being, in the beatific vision of pure love. They will continually grow in perfection with ever new discoveries of God and one another as His saints, like lovers. And they will enjoy blessed fellowship in perfect love together in perfection and perpetual youth.  

Even now, those glorified in heaven are interested in the saints still on earth, for there is One Church of God. But in glory, all the saints of God will be rewarded for their works in Christ according to their capacities, each being full, and yet our blessedness will increase forevermore as we delight in one another’s blessedness. As the stars vary in degrees of brightness we will differ in glory but each being satisfied, according to 1 Corinthians 15:41.

Five Applications

Here are five ways we can apply the coming reality of our glorification and the eradication of sin that will impact our lives today.

1. Actively anticipating heaven and glorification will build up our hope. John Calvin said, “Meditation on the future life is a primary mark of a Christian.”
2. Reflect on the deaths of Christians, especially those you know. Consider their present existence and experience, and let joy of glory fill your soul!
3. Truly hoping for the Day of Christ will have observable effects in our lives. It will actually work to change us and make us more like Christ! (1 John 3:2-3)
4. We are to live out the future we know is secure. We need to keep renewing our minds in thinking this way so that we live this way. (Colossians 3:1-3)
5. Read Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “The Portion of the Righteous.” It will thrill your soul like nothing else you have probably ever read about heaven! It will take you to new heights of praise, delight, and worship!

Behold The Glory Of Christ

The night before His death, Our Lord Christ prayed to the Father and prayed for us as His followers. He prayed that we would behold His glory. This is the greatest blessing for us from Christ, to see Him.

John 17:4–5, 24 ESV “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. . . . Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

This summer my two teenage sons and I are reading and discussing together The Glory of Christ by John Owen. This short book encourages us to behold the glory of Christ now by faith, with the assurance that later we will behold His glory by sight. 

John Owen opens his series of teachings and meditations by saying, “The glory of Christ is the glory of the person of Christ.” He encourages us to consider three aspects of this.

Person of Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the One Triune God, who became man. He is fully God and fully human. This mystery of His one person in two natures is glorious. Beholding this glory by Bible reading, prayer and meditation brings joy and amazement, satisfying our souls over and over again.

Character of Christ

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God. Through Him we know God and what God is like. His earthly life and ministry recorded in the Gospels show us the true character of the true God. We see His love, mercy, grace, as well as His truth, righteousness and just judgment. Beholding this glory revealed and recorded in Scripture by prayer and meditation fills up our souls.

Work of Christ

Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins, rose from the dead for our justification, and ascended to glory. He accomplished redemption and brings the full blessings of salvation into our lives through the Holy Spirit. Soon He will return with the fullness of the Kingdom. Beholding this glory which is beyond all human strivings and hopes, written from the beginning to the end of Scripture, is yet again seen by faith through prayer and meditation.

Regularly beholding the glory of Christ by faith will transform your life and your ministry. I often give out The Glory of Christ by John Owen as a gift to ministers around the world, and they later testify to this reality. 

Take time daily to truly behold, to see and enjoy, the glory of Christ in the person of Christ. Do this by faith now, and know that soon we will behold Him with our very eyes!

When you read the Word of God, what do you discover and see about who Christ is? Stop reading and praise Him for who He is in the glory of His being. What do you see highlighted about what He is like as a person? Again, stop and behold His glory in adoration and enjoyment. What blessings are described as a result from Christ’s work on the Cross and in His Resurrection? Yet again, pause and use the very Words of Scripture in your worship of the Glorious One.

All The Bible Verses On Fasting

A number of years ago our church studied the Christian spiritual discipline of fasting. Over the course of 12 weeks we learned about the value of fasting and its many purposes. We practiced fasting, and even fasted together at times. 

As a result, we all grew closer to God through prayer and fasting. We enjoyed Christ and our salvation more deeply. And we developed a new pattern of Biblical spirituality that many of us previously lacked.

In one of the first lessons we took a look at the Biblical basis of fasting. In doing so, we examined all the passages in the Bible about fasting. Below is the list I compiled.

Biblical Terms

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew terms are tsûm/tsôm, or ‘innâh nephesh, meaning “to fast; a fast/fasting,” or “humble one’s soul.”

In the New Testament, the Greek terms are nesteuo (v.) and nesteia (n.), meaning “to fast” and “a fast/fasting.” Also nestis and asitos are used.

Searching for terms will find most of the references, but it will not reveal all of them. There are other ways of referring to fasting than just using the term itself, such as using a descriptive phrase like "not eating or drinking."

Selected Scripture Passages: An Overview

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’  So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” (Exodus 34:27-28; see Deuteronomy 9:9, 18)

“‘And this shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls, and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before the LORD.   It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.” (Leviticus 16:29-31; see Leviticus 23:14, 26-32; 29:7)

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.  For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, ‘The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.’  So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.” (Ezra 8:21-23)

“‘Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression, And to the house of Jacob their sins.  Yet they seek Me day by day, and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness, And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.  “Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?”  ‘Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.  Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.  Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed, And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?  Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?  Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.”  If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,  And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become like midday.  And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.  And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.’” (Isaiah 58:1-12)

“So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3)

“‘Yet even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.’  Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting of evil.  Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a libation For the LORD your God?  Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,  Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber.  Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, ‘Spare Thy people, O LORD, And do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, “Where is their God?”’” (Joel 2:12-17)

“Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.  When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes.  And he issued a proclamation and it said, ‘In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water.  But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands.  Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?’” (Jonah 3:5-9)

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2; parallel Luke 4:1-2)

“‘And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

“Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’  And Jesus said to them, ‘The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.  But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.  Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.’” (Matthew 9:14-17; parallel Mark 2:18-22 and Luke 5:33-39)

“And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’  Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3)

“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” (Acts 14:23)

The Rest of the Scripture Passages on Fasting

Genesis 24:33
Numbers 6:3-4; 29:7
Judges 20:26
1 Samuel 1:7-8; 7:5-6; 14:24-30; 20:34; 30:11-12; 31:11-13
2 Samuel 1:11-12; 3:35; 11:11; 12:15-23
1 Kings 13:8-25; 17:6, 14-16; 19:8; 21:4-16, 27
1 Chronicles 10:11-12
2 Chronicles 20:3
Ezra 9:5; 10:6
Nehemiah 1:4; 9:1-4
Esther 4:3, 15-17; 9:29-32
Job 33:19-20
Psalm 35:13; 42:3; 69:10-11; 102:4; 107:17-18; 109:21-25
Jeremiah 14:10-12; 36:6-7, 9-10
Daniel 1:12-16; 6:16-18; 10:1-3
Joel 1:14
Zechariah 7:3-5; 8:18-19
Matthew 11:18; 15:32; 17:21?
Mark 8:2-3; 9:29?
Luke 2:37; 7:33; 18:12
John 4:31-34
Acts 9:9, 19; 10:30?; 23:12-21; 27:9, 21, 33-36
Romans 14:21
1 Corinthians 7:5?; 8:13
2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27
1 Timothy 4:3

Daniel’s Seventy Sevens

Daniel 9:24-27 is one of the most fascinating paragraphs in the Bible. It promises a great and final hope for salvation from sin, while at the same time leaves us wondering about many details.

The purpose of Daniel 9 is not to provide a detailed eschatological chronology, but to provide certain hope in the restoration of Jerusalem during the post-exilic period and to link this hope to the unknown details at the time of the future triumphs of God’s Kingdom to come. (See my earlier blog: Stay On Track When Preaching Daniel.)

Seventy Sevens

Daniel 9:24 NASB, “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.”

The very first words, literally “seventy sevens,” create an enormous interpretive difficulty. What are these? Is this referring to a chronological or chronographic presentation? They could be a literal or approximate 490 years or 490 days (70 weeks), or 70 unknown prophetic units of seven or some sort of apocalyptic symbolism.

Regardless of one’s viewpoint, the people of God had received judgment from God for 70 years under Babylon, but now they would experience seven times this, i.e. “seventy sevens,” in mercy from God. The unmeasured mercy of God would be revealed in the redemptive work of His Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Six Most Important Things

In verse 24, six things are noted to take place in reference to the people of God and Jerusalem.  They relate most pointedly to Daniel’s concern over sin expressed in his prayer since the beginning of chapter 9.  

First, the decree of Seventy Sevens is to: (1) finish/restrain/conceal sin; (2) put an end to/seal/remove sin and (3) make atonement for/cover sin. All three of these speak of God’s dealing with sin in a uniquely decisive way. They speak of the atonement of Christ Jesus, forgiveness for sin, and freedom from sin. As it says in Hebrews 9:26 ESV “. . . he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

Second, the decree of Seventy Sevens is to: (4) bring in everlasting righteousness (its origin and duration); (5) seal up vision and prophet (fulfill and finalize) and (6) anoint the most holy (Messiah). All three of these speak of specific events that point to a unique time in redemptive history. They speak of the righteousness of Christ and His people, His fulfillment of the prophets and their messages and His multi-faceted role as Messiah.

Almost all interpreters assign the accomplishment of these things to the first advent of Christ and see in them a telescoping of history until the final Day of Redemption. The differences occur in working out the details of this history and seeing them in relation to verses 25-27.

More Difficult Details 

My understanding of the Seventy Sevens of Daniel is that they find their fulfillment in the time of Jesus. So then, here is an interpretive reading of how verses 25-27 might best be understood:

25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree [Cyrus in 538 BC] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince [Jesus] there will be seven weeks [time of rebuilding] and sixty-two weeks [until Jesus]; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 

26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah [Jesus] will be cut off [crucified] and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come [Romans under Titus] will destroy the city and the sanctuary [Jerusalem and Temple]. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war [history]; desolations are determined. 

27 "And he will make a firm covenant [Jesus will put in effect the New Covenant] with the many [people of God] for one week [the final period], but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering [make it obsolete by His sacrifice]; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate [Titus in AD 70], even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

Regardless of one’s detailed understanding of the Seventy Sevens of Daniel, the integrity of the book of Daniel and its message must be maintained. Daniel does not fill in the detail because that is not his purpose, or perhaps even within his ability. Rather, we are to observe the triumph of the Kingdom of God in the restoration of His people and their nation in the post-exilic era. This is the first stage of redemptive history in the New Covenant era. This is God’s gracious and merciful dealing with His people after His chastisement of them in the Exile.

Consider Other Options

But, there are many other ways to interpret Daniel 9:24-27. Here are some basic options, with my selections above noted with an asterisk (*).

24 "Seventy weeks¹ 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 holy² place.

1. a. Chronology: 490 years

b. Chronography*: stylized history, a lengthy period composed of several parts

2. a. Temple

b. People of God

c. Messiah*

d. Something holy

25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree³ to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah⁴ 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. 

3. a. Jeremiah’s word (29:10), 605 BC, or 594 BC

b. Fall of Jerusalem, 587/6 BC

c. Cyrus*, 538 BC

d. Darius, 521 BC

e. Artaxerxes, 458/7 or 446/5 BC

4. a. Cyrus

b. Jesus*

26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah⁵ 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. 

5. a. Onias III, displaced in 175 BC

b. Jesus*

c. Antichrist

d. Another one

27 "And he will make a firm covenant⁶ 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 desolate⁷, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

6. a. God, in His faithfulness to the Jews during the Antiochene crisis

b. Antiochus, in a deceitful covenant with the Jews

c. Jesus,* in effectual confirmation of the New Covenant

d. Antichrist, in a deceitful covenant with God’s people

7. a. Antiochus

b. Titus* and the Roman destruction in AD 70

c. Antichrist

Remember the Central Focus

Nevertheless, this period of vindication moves us to consider greater events that would transpire in the fulfillment of the New Covenant through the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Six of these things were mentioned in verse 24. And we especially, as members of the New Covenant community, glory in the reception of the blessings of the Cross and in the Spirit, while we await the return and presence of Christ Jesus and the full manifestation of His Kingdom.

Keep perspective on the six items related to the Messiah and the Gospel from verse 24, regardless of your interpretive position on the Seventy Sevens. In Christ, your sins are forgiven and your righteousness has come! This is the glory of the vision!

Our Messiah is a Messiah of two Comings. Keep up your hope of final and full redemption at the return of Christ, based upon the redeeming work of Christ on the Cross. Keep up your hope of final and full expression of the triumphant Kingdom of God at the return of Christ, based upon the inauguration of the Kingdom at the first coming of Christ.

The central focus of the 70 Weeks is Messianic. It is about Jesus Christ. It is the proclamation that the Lord God mercifully forgives the sin of His Covenant people through His Messiah!