Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks – Part 2

“‘Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.’” (Daniel 9:24)

In this second part of a series, I would like to explain what is to take place over the course of the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (or countdown to the end of the world as I like to call it). (To read Part 1, click here.)

DEFINITION OF “WEEKS” REDUX

And just to remind you, one “week” in the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks equals seven years. And “seventy weeks” of the prophecy equals 70 x 7 years or 490 years.

And it just so happens that 69 of the 70 weeks (sixty-nine “sevens” of the 70 x 7 years) are encompassed from the Decree to rebuild Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day (March 14, 445 B.C.; Insight on the Life and Dreams of the Prophet from Babylon by Cho, pg. 131) to Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a colt (April 6, 0032; Cho, pg. 131, Richards, pg. 448). Isn’t that something?

That leaves one “week” to go in the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (which I will develop shortly).

GOD’S PURPOSES DURING THE SEVENTY WEEKS

But before that, we’re talking about various things (6 to be exact!) that are to be accomplished during the seventy weeks (across the entirety of 490 years / countdown to the end of the world).

The details of God’s purposes during the seventy weeks are found in Daniel 9:24. They are: (1) to finish transgression; (2) to make an end of sin; (3) to make atonement for iniquity; (4) to bring in everlasting righteousness; (5) to seal up vision and prophecy; and lastly (6) to anoint the most holy place.

One commentator believes the first 4 things were accomplished by Jesus on the cross ~ and you can see how they all have to do with atoning for sin and making things right. (Insight on the Life and Dreams of the Prophet from Babylon by Cho, pg. 129) He goes on to say that number 5 (the sealing up of vision and prophecy) happened after Christ paid for sin on the cross. And then finally number 6 (anointing the most holy place) will happen when Jesus returns again ~ He will assume His rightful place as ruler over mankind.

SEVEN WEEKS AND SIXTY-TWO WEEKS

Continuing on now in Daniel 9:25 we find important date-markers given in detail and as they relate to the seventy weeks of the countdown to the end of the world…

So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. (Daniel 9:25)

And so we have the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day in the verse (Nehemiah 2:1-8) and then the reference to “Messiah the Prince” is Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a colt. These are “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” long from one to the other (69 weeks total). It took 49 years for Jerusalem to be rebuilt as begun in the days of Nehemiah which is the time period of the seven weeks in the verse. (Cho, pg. 131) “Sixty-two weeks” after that Messiah arrives (the first coming of Christ). Then the last part of Daniel 9:25 refers back to the rebuilding of Jerusalem already talked about as initiated by Nehemiah and what accompanies it (“it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress”).

CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

Continuing on now in Daniel 9:26 (the first part of the verse) we find some more important date-markers given in detail…

Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. (Daniel 9:26a)

This is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

RANSACK OF JERUSALEM

And the verse goes on…

[A]nd the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood. (Daniel 9:26b)

These “people” are of the Antichrist (“the prince”) who is to come. The Romans, the verse is referring to, completely ransack and devastate Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

WAR AND DESOLATIONS

And the verse goes on…

[E]ven to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:26c)

This last part of Daniel 9:26 is true for the period that is to follow the completion of the 69th week.

And so the entirety of Daniel 9:26 takes place after the 69th week is over, but not during the 70th week. The 70th week comes later. (Wycliffe Commentary, pg. 794)

WHAT OF THE GAP?

Certainly a question arises that must be answered. What of the gap between Christ’s being “cut off” (crucified) and the ransacking (destruction) of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70 (some 40 years later) and the final “seven”?

This “gap” is the gospel/church age which has nothing to do with God’s dealing with the Jews, per se. The Jewish nation is God’s timepiece. When speaking to Daniel the Lord only shows Daniel history as it pertains to the Jews and not history as it pertains to the church. (Actually, God does show Daniel history as it pertains to the church. He just shows it to him in veiled fashion.)

THE FINAL “SEVEN”

And so we come now to the 70th week, the final “seven” in Daniel 9:27 (the church age has ended)…

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

The “he” who makes a firm covenant (we might call it a peace treaty) is Antichrist. The “many” he makes the covenant with are the Jews. (Wycliffe, pg. 795) The length of the covenant is one week (7 years). (“Evidently the covenant is to be made between Antichrist and Israel when the Jews are back in their homeland in the last days” ~ Wycliffe, pg. 795. Israel became a nation again in 1948, some 65 years ago!)

In the middle of the seven years (at the 3.5 year point), basically, all hell is going to break loose as Antichrist shows himself for who he really is. In Daniel 9:27 here, we find “summary information concerning the final ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’ (Jeremiah 30:7 and context) set forth rather more fully in Daniel 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation 13; 14; and other passages.” (Wycliffe, pg. 795) The “abomination of desolation” is referred to again here as Antichrist will set himself up in the Jewish temple to receive worship. (Daniel 11:31, 12:11; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14) And his ultimate destruction is also forecast in this verse.

And so we have the pinpoint accuracy of this countdown to the end of the world.

It’s so close.

(Antichrist picture above is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license: click here.)