November 2, 2021

Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9:24-27

A Prophecy of the end of days (or end times) of the desolations of Jerusalem

by Raphael Paz

 

Introduction

In the first year of Darius (= the Persian King Cyrus) (426 B.C.) son of Ahasuerus (= Astyages). Daniel reads and understood from the book of Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 25:11-14; 29:4-10) that the "desolations of Jerusalem" would last "seventy years" (Dan. 9:1, 2). At this time, the "desolations" had already lasted for fifty-three years, and had yet seventeen years to run before they were accomplished.

The "Desolations of Jerusalem" commenced with the beginning of the third (3rd) and last siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylon) in 479 B.C., and cover a period of "seventy years", ending in the second year of Darius Hystaspis (King of Persia) in 409 B.C. [479 minus 409 = 70].

This "seventy years" which is also referred to in (2 Chronicles 36:21), is the fulfilment of Lev. 26:32-35, and has reference to "the Land".

Daniel's concern about the "seventy years" of Jeremiah and the prayer that follows, resulted in God's response to his prayer by sending the angelic messenger Gabriel and giving him the prophecy of the "seventy weeks of years" (490 years) regarding Israel's future contained in Daniel 9:20-27, which is a period seven times longer.

The Seventy "Sevens" (490 years) - Daniel 9:20-27

The prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 is divided into 3 parts. The first part is the seven "sevens" (49 years) before the commencement of the seventy "sevens" (490 years). This 49 years started from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem and ends at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The second part is the first part of the seventy "sevens" (490 years), which is the sixty-two "sevens" (434 years) commencing from the dedication of the temple and ending in the Messiah being cut off. The third part is the last seven years of the seventy "sevens" (490 years). This can be seen more easily in the structure that follows:

Please click here to view the structure in PDF.

"The seventy-sevens cannot commence until Jerusalem is rebuilt and the curse removed; this makes clear the reason for the division of the years into seven sevens and sixty-two sevens. The seven sevens or 49 years represent the time occupied in the rebuilding of the wall and street of Jerusalem by Nehemiah in time of trouble, and the period ends at the dedication of the temple (Ezra 6:16-18)." - Charles H. Welch, The Testimony of Daniel or The Time of the End, in Chapter 3, Daniel 9 - Part 3 - The 'Lo-Ammi' Principle, p. 75

Scripture reading:

Daniel 9:20-27

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word (Heb. dabar = the command) went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

Dan. 9:24 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.

Key:

"..upon thy people and upon thy holy city.." = at the time Daniel received the revelation of the "seventy weeks" prophecy from the angel Gabriel, in the first year of Darius (426 B.C.), the Jews was still in exile. That same year, the first group of the Jews returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel. When they returned, the wall was already built but the foundation of the temple is not yet laid. (Ezra 3:6). The foundation of the temple was laid on the second year and second month of their return (425 B.C.). (Ezra 3:8-13). Twenty years after laying the foundation, the temple was completed and dedicated and the priests installed. (Ezra 6:16-18).

The "Seventy weeks" (490 years) therefore cannot start until the children of Israel (Jews, Benjamites and Levites) was already fully returned into their own land, in their own City (Jerusalem) and the Temple already built and anointed (405 B.C.). This is the time when they become a people before God in their own land and upon their holy city. This is the time when and where the "Seventy weeks" (490 years) of the prophecy commences.

Dan. 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment (Heb. dabar) 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. (King James Bible)

Key:

..from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.. = the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (the great king, i.e. Astyages) 454 B.C.

commandment = word. Heb. Dabar (Referring to a Divine word rather than to a royal decree).

Messiah: (Heb. Mashiach = the anointed or the one anointed with oil). In the Old Testament, Only Kings, Priests, articles of the tabernacle and the Temple are anointed to sanctify or consecrate, to set the anointed object or person apart as holy. Even the angel Gabriel spake of it of a "place" in Dan. 9:24 (..to anoint the Most Holy [place]). It is forbidden to anoint ordinary person with the holy anointing oil. (Exo. 30:22-33).

the Prince: (Heb. Nagiyd = a Leader, a Prince, princely Things, or the Beginning)

Similarly in the New Testament, Cf. Col. 1:18 "the beginning" (Gk. arche), Rev. 3:14 "the beginning" (Gk. arche) of creation, Acts 3:15 "Prince" of life (Gk. archegos)

Dan. 9:25 Septuagint (LXX) (Gk. igoumenu) G2233 "leading, to go before, or lead the way, to be a leader"

Dan. 9:25 "'Here is what you must understand: From the time the word (Heb. dabar) goes out to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Anointed Leader, there will be seven sevens. The rebuilding will take sixty-two sevens, including building streets and digging a moat. Those will be rough times. (The Message Bible)

There are candidates here for the 'Messiah the prince' or 'Anointed Leader'.

1. Zerubbabel? (the next Royal line of Judah after the return from the captivity), Haggai 2:23 “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Note: no King was reinstated in Judah after the return from Babylon, therefore he cannot be "the annointed" of Dan. 9:25.
2. Ezra? - Jewish religious leader, a priest and a ready scribe (Ezra 7:6).
3. The first person chosen to be the High Priest after the return from the Babylonian captivity is Joshua the son of Josedech, already a High Priest in the second year of Darius (Hystaspis) (410 B.C.)(Haggai 1:1; Zech. 6:9-14), and (Ezra 3:1, 2)(426 B.C.) therefore already anointed many years before the end of the seven "sevens" (49 years).
4. Nehemiah? - Persian King Artaxerxes' cupbearer (455 B.C.), Jewish leader who supervised the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Later, Governor of Judaea (under Persian Empire)(Neh. 8:9[426 B.C.], 10:1, 12:26[403 B.C.]).
5. Cyrus? - King of Persia, appointed as King of Babylon by Astyages his father (426 B.C.)(Ezra 1:1), called the Lord's anointed in Isa. 44:28; 45:1. It cannot refer to Cyrus for he is a gentile and is already a King many years back before the end of the seven "sevens" (49 years).
6. Lastly, The Temple as "the anointed" leader [or beginning] - The Temple was the only thing anointed at the end of the seven weeks or seven "sevens" (49 years) of Dan. 9:25 (405 B.C.) at its dedication as recorded in Ezra 6:14-22 and Psalm 126

Special note:

The Lord gave us a key or a hint about the Temple, the' Temple' and 'Person' can sometimes be interchanged:

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (Here, the Lord is referring to Himself).

"seven weeks" or "seven sevens" = forty-nine years (454 B.C. to 405 B.C.)

Dan. 9:26 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.

"..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.."

This prophecy was fulfilled in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when the Roman military led by the Roman General Titus Flavius Vespasianus (under the then Emperor Vespasian) laid siege of Jerusalem during the first Jewish Revolt that culminated in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. Titus later became the Emperor of Rome in 79 A.D.

If Israel was not set aside in Acts 28 (64 A.D.), The 'prince that shall come' - could have come from one of the 10 horns (Dan. 7:7,8; 8:8,9; 11:21) under the Flavian dynasty in which Titus was the 4th Emperor.

But God's program for Israel was temporarily set aside as recorded in Acts 28:25-28 (64 A.D.) and therefore the prophetic clock of Daniel 9:24-27 which commenced from the dedication of the Temple in 405 B.C. also stopped at 64 A.D. leaving 21 years balance to complete the Seventy Sevens (490 years) of Daniel's prophecy.

Key:

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.. = 62 x 7 = 434 years (This was fulfilled at the crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at 29 A.D., (405 B.C. to 29 A.D. = 434 years). The fulfillment of these 434 years confirms the accuracy of the interpretation and the certainty of Daniel's prophecy and making the rest of the remaining years of this prophecy sure).

The People of the prince = The Roman people or armies

Flood = A figurative language describing the complete destruction that washed away the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as in Dan. 11:22 (flood of forces) and Dan. 11:26 (overflow).

Now, we see that the prohecy concerning 'the prince that shall come' can not be fulfilled at that time or be completed, it did not materialize because of the abrupt change in dispensation that occured in 64 A.D., as recorded in Acts 28:17-28. We can see therefore that the following clause below was only partially fulfilled and still awaits its final fulfillment in the very near future. But since we are now living in the last days of the present dispensation of the Mystery and the Grace of God (Eph. 3:1-13) and the signs are starting to manifest (i.e. we are now living in perilous times and the fallen Roman Empire is being revived speedily right before our very eyes) in preparation for the resumption of the remaining 21 years of the seventy weeks (490 years) of Daniel's prophecy, we are witnessing the world stage is being set for the resumption and completion of the prophecy.

"..and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

The above clause is rendered in the original language (Hebrew) as the following:

..up to the full end of the war (i.e. the end of the 7 years tribulation) desolations are determined.

Immediately after the above clause, follows verse 27:

Daniel 9:27 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.

There is no gap between the events of verse 26 and 27. These events are successive, it continues one after the other unto the end of the 7 years tribulation.

The 'prince that shall come' will be a future prince (the little horn of Dan. 7:8, 24-26; 8:9-12, 23-25), that is the subject of this clause, the prince (a vile person - Dan. 11:21), will again emerge in the future after the present dispensation of the mystery (Eph. 3:1-0), after the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:4) being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom (2 Timothy 4:1) to give way in the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple (King Solomon's Temple being the first, and Ezra-Nehemiah's the 2nd Temple) which again will be desecrated by the antichrist during the last 7 years of Daniel's prophecy, but he will be broken, and that by no human hand [but by the hand of God] Dan. 8:25.

Below is a timeline of the Seventy "sevens" (490 years prophecy):

Please click here to view the timeline in PDF.

Praise be to God for His manifold wisdom, foreknowledge and revelation.

August 21, 2022 (last updated)