SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL CHAPTER 9

Is the Seventieth Week of Daniel Still to Come?

PART 1

Daniel9:23-24  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.

In Daniel 9:24-27 we read of a period of time referred to as seventy weeks.  The Lord gave this information to Daniel in answer to his prayer for enlightenment.  Daniel considered the prophecies of Jeremiah who spoke of Israel being captive in Babylon for seventy years.  He sought the Lord because he was in the midst of that very period of captivity as foretold by Jeremiah.  In grief and sorrow over the plight of God's people, Daniel prayed a prayer of forgiveness for the people, confessing himself as among the whole who have sinned.  He prayed and admitted that Israel deserved this judgment.  Then he asked God to deliver them as He delivered them from Egypt in generations past.

In verse 20 we read that, after Daniel gave us his prayer, Gabriel appeared during that prayer.  It is interesting what Gabriel spoke to Daniel.  Daniel prayed about the seventy years of captivity as foretold by Jeremiah, but Gabriel spoke about seventy "weeks" determined upon Israel.

Here is Jeremiah's prophecy:

Jere 25:11-12  And this whole land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, [that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 

Why did Gabriel refer to "seventy weeks" when Daniel consulted the Lord about the "seventy years?"

It seems that the Lord considered Daniel's request concerning redemption from Babylon during the seventy year captivity, and thought to reveal to Daniel an even greater, in fact the greatest, redemption that would come.  This indicates that Israel's captivity in Babylon was like a microcosm of the great captivity that mankind is in.  Instead of "seventy years", "seventy weeks" of years are the issue of the greater redemption.  After seventy years Israel was freed from Babylon.  But after seventy weeks of years, that is, each week being seven years -- with seventy of such groups of seven totaling 490 years -- a great deliverance would occur.  Jesus Christ would bring deliverance to Israel.

It was at the time of the sacrificial Evening Offering that Gabriel came to Daniel.  The Evening Offering typically represented Christ's sacrifice.  That was the time when Gabriel was sent to answer Daniel's prayer.  A sacrifice from Daniel moved God to speak of the great sacrifice of deliverance to come through Jesus Christ.
 

THE FULL PROPHECY

 "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 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 overspeading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate" (Daniel 9:24-27).

We read of seventy weeks, being weeks of years, or sets of seven years, because Gabriel spoke using the "year-for-a-day" principle that was used in Numbers 14:34.  Sets of sevens are called heptads.  So 70 heptads would occur.

After israel escaped from Egypt under Moses' leadership, the people surveyed the land of Canaan for forty days and returned in unbelief.  God judged them to spend forty years due to their faithlessness.  A year of wandering would be given for each day of searching Canaan.  Because of unbelief, the Israelites were to wander for 40 years in the wilderness, a year for each day of searching Canaan.  Ezekiel also mentioned this principle.

FUTURIST INTERPRETATION

Most understand that the first sixty-nine weeks brought Israel to the advent of Jesus Christ.  However, most depart from this point of belief and head into various directions of interpretation.  They believe that God's time-clock that clocked off the seventy weeks stopped ticking at the end of the sixty-nine weeks, although nothing in the text of Daniel 9 assumes this in any manner whatsoever.    Nothing exists in this chapter that indicates anything to do with stopping the clock.  They teach that the Church age began and will continue until the rapture, when Israel begins offering sacrifices again in the temple, causing God to start the time-clock ticking again to finish up the 70th week, or the final seven years.  It is primarily from this assumption that people believe in a future seven-year tribulation period.

So there is a gap, they say, between the 69th and the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy, and it is called the Church Age.  They reason that the Church has nothing to do with God's dealings with Israel, so the clock must stop for the church to be born and exist, since the clock deals with Israel alone.  And after the church is removed, the time-clock again ticks away counting time for the period that God foretold He would deal with Israel. This means that there are some whom God never intended to become part of the Church, and that He has two groups of people -- the Church and another group of natural Israel.  Such an idea is horrendously incorrect!  It makes it as though the Church is not God's ultimate purpose.

The idea of a gap between the last two weeks of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 is called the "futurist" interpretation. The gap has been, so far, they say, two thousand years.

FULFILLED INTERPRETATION

Then there is the "fulfilled" interpretation. This understanding teaches that there is no gap whatsoever between any of the weeks, let alone the last two weeks.  The series of weeks and years continued unbroken until they were totally fulfilled.

The big difference between both interpretations is found in verse 27 in which we read that a certain individual, only described as "he," confirms a covenant for seven years, stops the sacrifices three and one half years after "he" confirmed it, and one would come to make desolation due to abominations.  It then reads that wrath would be poured out.

Those who believe the seventieth week has not yet been fulfilled feel that the "he" is the ANTICHRIST.  They believe Antichrist, noted as "the prince that shall come" in verse 26, will make a covenant with Israel for seven years.  Antichrist will break his own covenant three and one half years after confirming it, by committing the abomination of desolation in claiming to be god while standing in the physically rebuilt temple of God.  They feel a temple in Israel will be rebuilt because there must be a temple in which the antichrist stands and declares himself to be God for this to be fulfilled (2 Thess. 2).  With the recent plans in Israel to indeed rebuild a temple, they feel they are right on the mark!

The "fulfilled" league of interpreters feel that the "he " in Daniel 9:27 is not antichrist, but is the Messiah, Jesus Christ , as mentioned in verses 25 and 26.

Jesus Christ came after 69 weeks and confirmed the New Covenant in His blood with Israel.  Three and one half years after Jesus came and first ministered, He ended sacrifices by being the final sacrifice, Himself.

The great question is:  Who is the "he" of Daniel 9:27?  Is he Jesus Christ or antichrist?

After careful, prayerful, evaluation of the picture, it should be evident that the fulfilled interpretation is the correct one, and that the seventy weeks are already completed since long ago.   Grammar structure proves that the he of verse 27 must be the subject of verse 26, Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Let us begin at verse 24 and explain:

PURPOSE OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS DANIEL 9:24

Daniel9:24  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.

Let us break down each purpose noted in verse 24 for the existence of the seventy weeks.  The first point is that the seventy weeks were determined "to finish the transgression."

1. "TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION".

    The Israelites were held in captivity in Babylon, where Daniel received this prophecy, due to not honouring the sabbaths.  That was their transgression. God said the land would rest for 70 years since Israel did not allow it to rest.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
(Lev 25:2-7)

God warned Israel of breaking the sabbaths for the land as follows:

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.
(Lev 26:27-35)

2 Chronicles notes that breaking this law was cause for God to send the King of Chaldee to Jerusalem and devestate it and take Judah .

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.
(2Ch 36:17-21)

Jeremiah noted this would occur in his prophecy.

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished , that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
(Jer 25:9-12)

Daniel noted this as the reason for his prayer to the Lord which prompted God to give him the prophecy of the 70 weeks.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem . And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
(Dan 9:1-3)

490 more years are given to Jerusalem again after this captivity.  

And what is so interesting is that  according to Leviticus 26, we read that the people would experience four sets of sevenfold judgments from God.  In Lev 26, we read the mention of the land resting for her sabbaths that would not be honoured through disobedience to Law.   It is a fact that the Book of Revelation notes four sevenfold judgments in fulfillment of Leviticus 26.  (1) Seven seals, (2) Seven trumpets, (3) Seven thunders, (4) Seven vials.  And these words of Revelation refer to Jerusalems destruction in 70 AD.  So we learn that Israel was given a second chance at not transgressing the law concerning the sabbaths of rest for the lan, itself, after they were released from Babylon.  However, the rejection of Jesus brought on the four sets of sevenfold judgments of Leviticus 26 as witnessed in the book of Revelation.  Very interesting connection!

2.    "TO MAKE AN END OF SINS."

    The thoughts of finishing transgression is repeated by the mention of "to make an end of sins."  What was the purpose of the cross?  We read that Jesus came "to save his people from their sins", and "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Mt 1:21 Heb 9:26).  "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins... But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever... hath perfected forever them that are sanctified... And their sins... remember no more" (Heb. 10:4-17).  Animal sacrifices were insufficient to remove sins, but Jesus did take them away when He was sacrificed, as Daniel foretold!

Jesus was "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).  Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3).  He "bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24) and "hath once suffered for *sins*" (3:18). "He was manifested to take away our sins" (1 John 3:5).  Was this not accomplished at Calvary, 2000 years ago, or is it still unfulfilled?  To say that the seventieth week of Daniel is not yet fulfilled is to say these things are not yet accomplished, when the New Testament teaches that they clearly are fulfilled!  Did Jesus not complete the issue of sins for those who believed and accepted His work on the cross?

People still commit sins, but at the cross Jesus paid the price for our sins we would commit even after the Lord died on the cross.  It is for past, present or future sins.  Only the cross made it possible for this to have occurred.

3.      "TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR INIQUITY."

    The Hebrew term for "reconciliation," which is "KAPHAR",  is also translated as "ATONEMENT" in the Bible .  And this is available right now, and has been ever since Christ died on the cross.  It was part of the work of Christ to finish transgression and make an end of sins.  This is not yet unfulfilled, but has been fulfilled for two thousands years.  And Daniel was told it would take 70 weeks to see this accomplished.  This means the seventy weeks are fulfilled.

4. "TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS."

    Has this not happened yet, also?  Is this still unfulfilled?  Isaiah said "My righteous servant shall make many RIGHTEOUS."  Does this righteousness pass or fade away as man's righteousness does?  Isaiah said that our righteousnesses fade away as a leaf (Isa. 64:6).  But Jesus told us we can seek God's righteousness, and that never fades (Matt 6:33).  It is everlasting.  Paul said, "By the righteousness of one... shall many be made RIGHTEOUS... unto eternal life by Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17-21).  Jesus came "to fulfill all righteousness" (Mt 3:15) and "loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" , was "anointed" of God (Heb 1:9) and "made unto us wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).  "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto RIGHTEOUSNESS" (1 Peter 2:24).  "Even the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God... through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his RIGHTEOUSNESS for the remission of sins" Rom 3:21-26.  "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor 5:21).  "Everyone that does RIGHTEOUSNESS is born of him" (1 John 2:29).

5. "TO SEAL UP VISION AND PROPHECY".

    In Hebrew, this literally reads, "to seal up vision and prophet."  In Old Testament times, "to seal" meant to authenticate a thing to be genuine and real.  (see 1 Kings 21:8; Jer 32:10,11; cf. John 6:27; 1 Cor 9:2). Jesus Christ "sealed" all Old Testament prophecy concerning Himself by fulfilling what was written of him.  The work is finished.  The mystery hidden from ages is fulfilled and made known.  All the purpose of the Old Testament was to prepare us for the great deliverance that Gabriel made known to Daniel.  Throughout the Gospels we read "...that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets."

Jesus said  6.  "AND TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY"

    Jesus Christ is the Most Holy.  In Revelation we read that the New City has no temple, for God and the Lamb are the temple of it.  The Greek term here for temple is actually best translated MOST HOLY PLACE.  Therefore, it should be read as the Lamb and God are the most holy place.  Jesus is the Most Holy.  Gabriel announced to Mary: "The HOLY thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Lk 1:35).  Peter refereed to him as "the HOLY ONE" (Acts 3:14).  John refereed to him as "the HOLY ONE" (1 John 2:20).  Even demons had to recognize him as "the HOLY ONE of God" (Mk 1:24).

WE READ:

Jesus came 483 years after the temple was initiated under Cyrus' rule.  He was anointed as the most holy when the Spirit descended upon Him during His baptism.

Jesus said:

Anointed by the Spirit he began preaching deliverance -- the greatest deliverance that would ever be made known to mankind.  Little did Daniel realize the deliverance Gabriel would show him. Act 4:27 mentioned Jesus as the "holy" one that the Lord "ANOINTED."

And Peter mentioned that

Christ, or Messiah, means ANOINTED ONE. Therefore, He is the Most Holy that was anointed.
 

DANIEL 9:25

Daniel9:25  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.

1.  "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."

    This is commonly understood to be the period that led up to Jesus Christ.  69 weeks.  The beginning of the 70 weeks are dated from the decree of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem.

2.   "the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

    Ezra speaks about the very time they began to build and how troubles came their way in the book of Ezra.

DANIEL 9:26

Daniel9:26  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.

1. SHALL MESSIAH BE CUT OFF.

    We read mention of 7 weeks and threescore and two weeks.  This is 7 plus 62 -- and that amounts to 69.  Messiah was cut off after the 69 weeks, in the midst of the 70th week.  This does not mean during the 69 weeks, or as part of the 69 weeks.  It means AFTER the 69 weeks.  So if it is after 69 weeks, then it can only occur in the final week, the 70th week.  He would be cut off, or MURDERED .  The same terminology is mentioned in reference to Christ's crucifixion in prophecy found in the Old Testament.

Notice that we do read mention of "a prince that shall come," whose people would destroy the city and the sanctuary.  Rome destroyed the temple in 70 AD.  So "the people" who were of "the prince that shall come" were Romans.  The prince that shall come was a Roman.  And this is who the futurists believe is the coming antichrist.  But, grammatically, this individual is a side issue and not the subject of the paragraph.  In fact, it is lesser a side issue than "the people" who would destroy the city and sanctuary.  So we read of the grammatical subject, the Messiah.  Then, as a side issue, we read of people who would come and destroy the city after the sixty nine weeks.  And as a further side issue, we read that these people are "of the prince that shall come."  The issue of the prince is not at all in view here, nor in the following verses.

The city and sanctuary were destroyed.  Verse 27 refers to the abominations that make something desolate.  It is wonderful to notice that Jesus referred to the sanctuary or temple and said this, when the nation rejected Him:

Their House, the Temple, was left to them DESOLATE.  The entire picture of the church is that of a temple built of lively stones who do not hold their peace, but cry out worship to Him, because natural Israel as a whole held their peace and refused to accept Jesus.  He would take their house and leave it desolate and raise up a new one of lively stones.

DANIEL 9:27

Daniel9:27  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. 

1.  "HE SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT."

    Instead of the antichrist, the "he" in verse 27 is Jesus Christ.  The reason this is so is due to the fact that grammatical structure of the verses 26 and 27 make it so.  The subject of the paragraph in verse 26 is MESSIAH.

Then verse 27 begins by saying, "He shall confirm the covenant."  Who is he?  He cannot be the prince that shall come because the prince is a side issue, and the subject has been the Messiah in verse 26.  Therefore, the "HE" must refer to Messiah according to the grammatical structure of the phrases.  Does the idea of confirming a covenant fit with Jesus Christ being the perpetrator of that confirmation?  Yes!

Jesus said ,

"Testament" is translated from the same word in the Greek from which  "covenant" is translated.

    Jesus is:

    His shed blood is called: Jesus Christ confirmed the covenant through his redemptive sacrifice at Calvary.

3.  "HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE."

There is no further need for blood sacrifices because Jesus made an end of them.  He caused them to cease by being the final one, Himself.   Nothing here mentions a sacrifice by an antichrist that would break the covenant confirmed with Israel by the antichrist, as futurists think and teach.  But over and over in the New Testament we read of each and every one of the points Daniel noted in his prophecy as being fulfilled by Jesus Christ.   All that we read about is that "He" causes sacrifice to cease.  Futurists tell us that antichrist breaks his covenant by stopping sacrifices in the temple and calling himself god.  This is adding to the scriptures.  All that we read about here is that "he" causes sacrifices and oblation to cease.  And we read that Jesus did just that when He died 3.5 years after He ministered the New Covenant Kingdom, just as Daniel 9:27 says that in the midst of the week the sacrifices would cease.

Israel continued offering sacrifices, but God did not nor ever will recognize them.  So, in reality, since God does not recognize any blood sacrifice since Calvary, later sacrifices were not truly "sacrifices" in God's eyes anyhow.

Jesus ministered for a period of 3.5 years.  John noted four Passovers during Jesus' ministry.  (John 2:13, 5:1, 6:4 13:1.)   Eusebius, a Christian writer of the fourth century, pointed these things out:

"Now the whole period of our Savior's teaching and working of miracles is said to have been three-and-one-half years, which is half a week.  John the evangelist, in his Gospel makes this clear to the attentive."
Augustine said:
"Daniel even defined the time when Christ was to come and suffer by exact date."
There was a precise point in time that Jesus would die.  Daniel noted 3.5 years after His ministry started. In John 2:4, Jesus said, On another occasion he said, Then just prior to his betrayal and death, he said, "My time is at hand" (Mt 26:18), and finally, "the hour is come" (John 17:1; Mt. 26:45).

Why mention this point of time so many times in the New Testament if there was no prophecy regarding a specific time Jesus must die?  Only one scripture in the entire Bible gave the prophecy of the exact time Jesus would die, as referred to in all the above examples.  That prophecy was Daniel 9:27.  This is totally missed and bypassed if we think the verse is speaking about some future antichrist.
 

CONTINUED IN PART 2 -- HIT THE RIGHT ARROW BUTTON TO READ THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS...
  • CONFIRMED TO ISRAEL FOR SEVEN YEARS
  • DANGEROUS IMPLICATIONS OF THE FUTURIST ERROR 
  • SINCE CALVARY, ONLY FAITH IN CHRIST MAKES US A PEOPLE OF GOD 
  • THE CHURCH -- HIS ONLY PEOPLE FROM CALVARY ONWARD


PROPHECY NEXT