Daniel's 70 Weeks
“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city,
to finish the transgression, to make and end of sins, to make reconciliation
for iniquity; to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand that from
the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah
the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks. The street shall be
built again, and the wall even in troublesome times.
And after sixty two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of war
desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one
week. He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation which
is determined is poured out on the desolate.”
-
Daniel 9:24-27
The prophet Daniel receives the
answer to his prayer from the angel Gabriel. The following is what God will
accomplish for Israel initially, and ultimately to all nations that believe in
God.
1. To
finish the transgression – God will deal with Israel’s rebellion. He will in
His timing put an end to the nation’s evil.
2. Make
and end of sins – Sin will be judged with finality by God
3. Make
reconciliation for iniquity – This is reference to Jesus dying on the cross as
a perfect offering for mankind’s sins. By accomplishing this act, all those who
believe in what Jesus accomplished will be forgiven of their sins forever.
4. To
bring in everlasting righteousness – Those whose sins Christ died for will
receive righteousness on their accounts in this life, and will retain that
righteousness for eternity.
5. To
seal up the vision and prophecy – Once the revelation of Israel’s future is
complete along with the future of all mankind, there will be nothing left to
disclose.
6. To
anoint the Most Holy – Some versions say the most Holy Place. Scholars have
said the Most Holy makes reference to the future millennial temple described in
Ezekiel chapters 40-48. Others are referencing the Messiah as the one being
anointed.
The things that Gabriel is
describing to Daniel are for him (i.e. Daniel) future and end time promises
surrounding Israel. It was the nation Israel (his native people) Daniel was
interceding for. Gabriel gives the prophet relief from his stress and anguish
in prayer by answering his supplication (vs. 19-23).
Now, I want to break down the seventy
weeks. They are in three intervals. Understand when the text says seventy
weeks, these are seventy weeks of years; in other words seventy times seven
(490 years). The word seven in the Greek is heptad. The first 7 weeks
or 49 years were for the rebuilding of the walls which took only 52 days (Neh
6:15). During those 49 years the streets were repaired as well even in
troublesome times (Dan 9:25). These 49 years also would have included the
prophecies of the last O.T. prophet Malachi. The sixty two weeks or 434 years are
consecutive with the first 49 years or 7 weeks for a total of 483 years of 360
lunar[1]
days per year equals 173,880 days. The same days compute when we use the
following formula: 173,880 divide them by a solar year[2]
– 365 days = 476.38356164 years. When multiplying 476.38356164 by 365 = 173,880
days. This discovery was first made by Sir Robert Anderson in his book
entitled, “The Coming Prince” (1894). These 483 years began with the decree by
the Persian king Artaxerxes Longimanus (465-424 B.C.) to Nehemiah to go and
rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince; that is when Jesus Christ rode on a
donkey into Jerusalem fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. This decree occurred in
Artaxerxes twentieth year of his reign (Neh 2:1-8). The Julian date was March
14, 445 B.C. The date given for Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem are 9
Nisan 32 A.D. or on our calendar April 6th, 32 A.D. This occurred on
Palm Sunday, five days before Jesus was crucified on Passover the 14th
of Nisan or April 11th (i.e. He was cut off, Dan 9:26). Nisan is the
first month of the Hebrews' religious year. Nisan corresponds to our March/April
months. The last week or seventieth week – that is the last seven years deals
with the antichrist in the book of Revelation setting himself as the Messiah
and making a false covenant of peace with Israel for seven years then breaking
that covenant 3½ years into it. He then creates an image of himself and demands
the world worship him or be killed. These horrific events occur in the last
week of years – the Tribulation years yet future (Dan 7:25;9:26;2 Thess 2:4;
Rev 13:5-7).
What is so amazing about these
prophecies is the specificity of them. Daniel predicts to the very day from the
decree to rebuild the walls and streets of Jerusalem until Jesus presenting
Himself as the Messiah. Daniel also predicts Jesus death (Dan 9:26) and the
coming of the antichrist. Contrary to the critics who claim Daniel recorded
these events after they occurred, do not know their history very well. Daniel
recorded his prophecies prior to the decree of King Cyrus allowing the Hebrews to
return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-10). The year was 538 B.C.
Daniel was dead by the time Artaxerxes issued his decree to rebuild the walls
which once again was March 14th, 445 B.C. which proves Daniel
predicted the events before they happened.
The dates above have been
debated. For instance, other dates that have been used are:
538 B.C.; this date does not work
for the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem because it was the date when King
Cyrus of Persia gave the declaration to the Hebrews to rebuild the temple led
by Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:1-10). Another date given is 458 B.C.; this date marks
the second return to Jerusalem under Ezra. To indicate the 458 B.C. date was
given to rebuild the city and streets of Jerusalem would be too early of a
date. The 458 B.C. was during King Artaxerxes 7th year in the first month
of Nisan to the fifth month (or March/April – July/Aug); the time Ezra returned
to reinstate the law and religious reform in Jerusalem (Ezra 7). So the date
that is left is the March 14th, 445 B.C. when Nehemiah returned to
rebuild the walls.
Why did the nation Israel have to go into captivity
for seventy years?
In the book of Leviticus chapter
25 verses 1-7 God through Moses commanded the children of Israel not to till
their land on the seventh year. They were to allow the land to have a Sabbath rest
every seven years. For 490 years Israel failed to obey this command. Along with
disobeying the Lord regarding the Sabbath rest of the land, the Hebrews refused
to obey any other commands of the Lord resulting in their deportation (Jeremiah
25:11). First in 605 B.C., second in 597 B.C., and finally In 586 B.C. when Jerusalem was sacked and the temple burned to
the ground by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:19;Jeremiah 52:12-15).
The seventy years of captivity
beginning in 605 B.C. and ending in 536 B.C. when the returning Hebrews began
to rebuild the temple allowed the land of Israel to have 70 years of Sabbath rest
that it did not enjoy due to Israel’s disobedience. Simply put, Israel owed God
70 years which they served in exile in Babylon.
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