How many times do we have to forgive somebody? The KJV translates it as: “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” But the NIV says: “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” Compare Matthew 18:21-35, to Daniel 9, to Genesis 4:24. Meditate on whether Jesus was comparing us forgiving to: God's forgiveness of those in exile (70 x 7 years = 490 times), or to unforgiving wrongheaded revenge (70 sevenfold = 77 times). Then consider Matthew 18:15-19 Why allow someone to sin against you 490 times? Or 77 times? Or 7 times? Wise up and stay away from that person. Forgive them then avoid them. Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT) Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Daniel 9: 1&2 and 20-24 (NLT) - Period of Captivity was increased from 70 years to 490 years It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.... I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision. “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place." Rabbi Jason makes the case for 490: Hebrew is alphanumeric. Every word has a numerical value. Words with the same numeric value are often connected in some way and communicate deeper spiritual insights. 490 is the number of the word “tamim” which means “complete,” “perfect,” or “finished.” A person who can’t forgive lives an imperfect, and incomplete life lacking a true understanding of the “finished” gracious work of the cross. 490 is the number of the Hebrew phrase “Let your heart be perfect” (1 Kings 8:61). The word nativity and Bethlehem both individually add up to 490. Jesus was born to so that we can be forgiven. Dr. Lois Tverberg makes the case for 77 (not 490). The Revised English Version commentary explains the controversy: "Although the Greek reads in a way that means seventy times seven in regular Greek, Matthew 18:22 may not be “regular” Greek. The Greek in Matthew 18:22 is the exact wording of the Septuagint (LXX) of Genesis 4:24, where Lamech is bragging to his wives about the vengeance he will take on his enemies: “77” times. The Hebrew text of Genesis 4:24 is very clear: 77 times, and very noted linguists assert that the accepted translation of the LXX came into Greek usage such that what in classical Greek meant “70 times 7,” in this biblical context of revenge and forgiveness it meant “77.” If this is the case, Jesus was contrasting the vengeful Lamech, who stated he would avenge himself “77 times” with the behavior of a godly person, who should forgive “77 times.” ...Scholars who assert that the number should be “70 times 7” play down the association with Lamech and assert that the standard reading of the Greek should apply here." Frank Viola interprets Daniel's 70 weeks as 490 - and 490 is Jesus: ![]()
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