Approaching a Jewish person with the Gospel

So how do you approach a Jewish person with the Gospel?

First of all, most Jews grow up in an environment of familiarity with the Old Testament, or at least, with the knowledge that it’s holy. They respect what is written in the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. They may not know, or understand, all that is written in the Tanach – the Old Testament, but they pay attention when scripture is quoted.

Learning of Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment in Yeshua – Jesus – is always intriguing to a Jewish person. So if you want to begin witnessing to a Jewish person, this would be a good place to start.

I remember that when I first read about Jesus, what captured me the most was the prophecy in Daniel 9:22-27. I wanted to share it with you, along with its fulfillment. This is a very good prophecy to talk about when approaching a Jewish person with the Good News.

The prophecy:

And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

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, even in troublous times.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The fulfillment:

In this passage, Daniel talks about seventy weeks: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city” (verse 24); in verse 25, he starts dividing the seventy weeks into segments of seven weeks and sixty two weeks (threescore and two weeks), and in verse 27, he adds another week – to complete the seventy weeks count.

In this prophecy, each day represents a year; and so, seventy weeks, which are 490 days, represent 490 years. In other words, according to Daniel’s prophecy, there are 490 years “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem”, to when “Messiah be cut off”.

According to (Nehemiah 2:1-8), the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem happened “in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes… “. This corresponds to the year 445 B.C. The month of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish calendar, is the beginning of spring – and corresponds to March or April. In other words, the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem happened in March/April 445 B.C.

The first segment of seven weeks equals 49 years.

The second segment of sixty two weeks equals 434 years

The two segments of verse 25 equal 434+49=483 years

if we count 483 years from 445 B.C., we arrive at 39 A.D. But, Daniel used the lunar Jewish calendar, and not the solar Gregorian calendar. The length of a lunar year is 360 days. A solar year is 365.242 days, which is the number of days it takes the earth to revolve around the sun and return to the same location.

480 years, times 360 days = 173,880 days

173,880 days divided by 365.242 = 476 years and 24 days

Now, counting 476 years from March 445 B.C, we arrive at 33 A.D. – The year Jesus was crucified, and Messiah was cut off.

I love this prophecy, and I love sharing it!

Stay blessed, and stay tuned…

Alpha Omega