DANIEL’S 70 WEEKS

        THE VISION EXPLAINED – DANIEL 9:24-27

 

 

OVERVIEW

 

VERSE 24 begins with 70 weeks (one week equals 7 years) which totals 490 years, a continuous period in human history.  This is divided into A) 7 weeks (49 years)

B) 62 weeks (434 years) in Verse 25 and C) 1 week in Verse 27.

 

A)    7 weeks.  It took 49 years to rebuild the wall and the city of Jerusalem.  This period in History was 457 B.C to 408 B.C and is recorded in the books of Nehemiah and Ezra.

B)     62 weeks.  The 434 year period from 408 B.C to 27 A.D.  At this date the Lord Jesus was 30 years old, having being born in 4 B.C.

C)    1 week.  This 7 year period began with the anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River, empowering Him at the commencement of His public ministry.  Halfway through the 7 year week – 3 ½ years – the Cross took place.  Over the next 3 ½ years (31 – 34 A.D) the Jewish disciples proclaimed the New Covenant to the Jews.  This 7 year period ended with the formal rejection of Christ by the Sanhedrin and High Priest and sealed by the martyrdom of Stephen, recorded in Acts Chapter 7.   From Acts Chapter 8 the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom was taken by the believers to all nations.

Refer to: The Chronology Of The Prophecy Chart.

 

VERSE BY VERSE ANALYSIS

 

VERSE 24.  Seventy weeks (490 years) have been decreed concerning the Jews – “your people” and Jerusalem – “Your Holy City” where and when the following six things will be accomplished: 

  1. Finish the transgression – Isaiah 53: 5 “ He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 43:25.
  2. Make an end of  SIN – 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all SIN.” John 1:29.
  3. Make RECONCILIATION for iniquity – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.  “And all things are of God, Who has RECONCILED us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; Romans 5:10.
  4. Bring in everlasting RIGHTEOUSNESS – 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He has made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in Him.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.
  5. Seal up the vision (Hebrew “chazon” meaning revelation) and prophecy – John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, IT IS FINISHED: and He bowed His head, and He gave up the ghost.” Matthew 5:17.
  6. Anoint the Most HOLY PLACE – Hebrews 9:11-12 “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not

       made with hands, that is to say, not of this building: Neither by the blood of bulls

       and goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the HOLY

       PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Isaiah 61:1; Acts 4:27.

             THE LORD COMPLETELY FULFILLED ALL THESE PROPHECIES

             ON THE CROSS.

 

 VERSE 25.  We are to clearly understand that from the issuing of a decree by

            King Cyrus (Artaxerses) in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:6) to the restoring and rebuilding of

            Jerusalem and the coming of Messiah the Prince will be 7 weeks plus 62 weeks.                                                                                         

            During this time of restoration there will be difficult times, as described in the 

            Book of  Nehemiah.          

 

 VERSE 26.  After the total of 69 weeks the Messiah will be “cut off” and be alone

            as He dies on the Cross during the 70th week.  The second part of this verse

            is in parenthesis and refers to the historical event in 70 A.D when the “people”,

            troops of the “Prince”, being the Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem and

            the Temple.  During this great tribulation period Josephus the Jewish historian

            recorded  that over 1 million people died and almost 1 million were taken prisoner

            by  Rome.  The Lord Jesus referred to this horrific time in Matthew 24:15-22

 

 

 VERSE 27.  “And He will confirm the covenant with many for one week” refers

            to the Lord Himself ministering to the Jewish nation and confirming the New

            Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah 31:31-34

   

            “and in the middle of the week He will cause the sacrifice and the grain

            offering to cease.”   This refers to Jesus the Lamb of God putting an end to all

            animal offerings for sin as well as all other offerings by shedding His own blood

            on the cross after 3½ years ( half a week) of public ministry.  That is why He

            could declare “IT IS FINISHED!”  John 19:30.

            The New Covenant was sealed with Jesus’ own blood and permanent access

            granted as a grace gift into the glorious presence of a loving Heavenly Father.

            Matthew records this by stating that as Jesus cried out with a loud voice and

            yielded up His Spirit the veil in the temple (separating mankind from God’s

            presence) was torn in two from top to bottom.  Matthew 27:50-51

            The second half of this verse 27 reads as follows in the King James translation :

            “and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even

            until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the

            desolate. ”

 

  IMPORTANT.  This same second half of verse 27 translated directly from the

            Septuagint Version (a translation of the Hebrew into Greek completed around 300

            years B.C.) reads “and upon the temple shall be the ABOMINATION OF

            DESOLATION; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation”

 

 

            The Lord Jesus Himself referred to this verse in Matthew 24:15 when describing

            the future destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple ( which took place in 70 A.D).

            “When you therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,

            spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever readeth,

            let him understand).”

 

            These verses from the Book of Daniel focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and the

            finished work of the Cross -- the climax of all the ages-- as well as the

            destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, not on some world events still to

            take place.

            It is the most powerful Christological prophecy in all of Scripture.

            What happened during those 7 years (A.D.27-34) decided the destiny and                                           

            redemption of mankind. It predicts the period of the manifestation of God in

            the flesh, His forgiveness and removal of sin via His death on the cross for all     

            who believe, Him conquering satan, His resurrection and the coming of the

            Holy Spirit to empower the Church and open the Kingdom of God to all!

            Around these verses revolve the entire plan of Almighty God for the human

            race. Small wonder satan has used every smoke-screen possible to blind and

            confuse people.

            You are challenged to search the Word of God for yourself.

            The Truth bears examination and will make you free. (John 8:31-32)