Proof #2:

We can work the process of Proof #1 in reverse.  Consider that the maximum extent of the lifespan of Jesus that is in agreement with most authorities ranges from 7 B.C. to 33 A.D. (with a few holdouts for 34 A.D.)   Now, let us work backwards.  Go back 483 years (69 weeks of years) from the beginning, and the end of Jesus' life, and create a time range.  If 457 B.C. is the only date that can fit inside of that range, then you know that the king issued the decree on that date.  Use solar years for the length of each year (365.2422 days per year).

Let us begin with the start of the life of Jesus, using the earliest possible date of 7 BC.  Because you are not crossing the B.C. to A.D. date line, do not use the formulas.  Instead, here is the math: seven (from 7 B.C.) + 483 (years backwards from the 69 weeks of years prophecy of Daniel 9) = 7 + 483 = 490 B.C.  Therefore, for the earliest date, one could use 490 B.C. using the 69-week prophecy from the start of the life of Jesus. This means that if the decree marks the beginning of the life of Jesus, not the public ministry in which he was doing the work of the Messiah, and then going forwards from 490 B.C. forwards 483 years would take you to 7 B.C.

For the end of his life, use the formula B.C. Date = A.D. Date - Number of Years - One because you are crossing the BC to AD date line.  It works like this:  33 (for 33 A.D.) - 483 years - 1 = -451 = 451 B.C.   This means that if you count the end of his life as the time when He comes, then going backwards 483 years would carry you to 451 B.C.

What this boils down to is that the 483 years to the Messiah MUST BEGIN somewhere between 490 B.C. and 451 B.C.

Now, the dates of the decrees are as follows:

     King               Decree Date 
   ----------------------------------
   Cyrus II               536 BC 
   Darius I               519 BC 
   Artaxerxes I           457 BC 

   

   

As you can easily see from the table above, the range of time from 490 B.C. to 451 B.C. contains only one of the decree dates - the 457 B.C. date. The other two decree dates occur before the range calculated.

Therefore, this method at least gives a reasonable time range for the decree and narrows the decrees to one only, the 457 B.C. decree of Artaxerxes I.

Mansell finds a calculation similar to this in his book Open Secrets of the Antichrist, but that author uses 70 weeks.  The author of this web page believes that 69 weeks is a better calculation because it does say in the prophecy that it was 69 weeks until the Messiah.