The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: Daniel 9:21-27

I. Overview

A. Daniel’s prophecies

B. Millennial teachers will often refer to the prophecies of Daniel to support their doctrines. Daniel, a prophet during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, saw events that would take place far in the future. Some of these prophecies predicted the rise and fall of empires to precede the kingdom of God (Daniel 2, 7, 8).Other prophecies, like those in Daniel 9 and 11, anticipated the coming of the Messiah, or Christ, the anointed king of God’s people, and the future of the Jews.

II. Background of Daniel 9

A. In Daniel 9, Daniel realized that the seventy year period of captivity, prophesied by Jeremiah, was coming to an end (Jeremiah 25:11; Daniel 9:2).He prayed towards Jerusalem asking God to mercifully forgive the nation and return them to their homeland (1 Kings 8:46-53; Daniel 9:3).Gabriel, God’s messenger, tells David that God has heard his prayer and that he will fulfill his word and return the people to the land.

B. He then tells David what would happen until the Messiah would come.

C. This prophecy, in Daniel 9:24-27, has been the cause of much speculation. A detailed study will enlighten our understanding.

III. Seventy Weeks

A. Gabriel tells Daniel that seventy weeks have been determined for the holy people.

B. The holy people, of course, is the nation of Israel. The events also relate to the holy city, Jerusalem. Some texts render it as seventy sevens have been determined for the people.490 years will not fit any timeline relating to the events. The numbers have a greater symbolic meaning.

C. Symbolic significance of the numbers

D. Seven is a perfect number in prophecy for it represents the days of the week, the Sabbath day, the day God rested from creation, and other significance could be attached. Ten is another perfect number representing completeness or wholeness. God is designating the completeness of time determined for His people.

E. The Sabbaths and Jubilees

F. Seventy year captivity

G. Phil Roberts notes, in a lecture on the seventy weeks, that Israel had been in captivity for seventy years so the land could enjoy the Sabbaths that were forsaken by Israel when they inhabited the land, 2 Chronicles 36:21.10 [fullness/complete] x 7 [Sabbath] = 70 years

H. Seventy sevens

I. Every seven years was a Sabbath year. During the Sabbath year the land would lie fallow and the people would rest.

J. Jubilee

K. After every 49 years was the Jubilee year

L. The land would lie fallow Debts were forgiven Land returned to the original owners Year of rest

IV. Exegesis

A. During the seventy weeks the following things would occur:

B. Finish the transgression

C. Notice it is not transgressions generally, but finish the transgression. To transgress is to violate the law of God.

D. Matthew 23:29-36

E. The Jewish people rejected, persecuted, and killed the prophets, wise men, and scribes sent by God. They would ultimately kill Jesus, the greatest prophet sent. They would answer for the blood shed through all generations of the Jews. Hebrews 8:7-13 – The covenant with the Jews would be abolished

F. Bring an end of sins

G. Hebrews 10:1-5, 12 – Animal sacrifices could not remove it; Jesus did. Hebrews 8:12 – Under the new covenant, God would forgive sins

H. Make reconciliation for iniquity

I. Romans 5:11 – Reconciliation through Christ2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – Ministry of reconciliation

J. Bring in everlasting righteousness

K. Romans 5:19 – By Jesus many will be made righteous2 Corinthians 5:21 – We might be the righteousness of God Galatians 2:21 – Came through Jesus, not the Law

L. Seal up vision and prophecy

M. When one seals up something, he closes it; like sealing up a hole in a wall. It also means to make an end to something. The visions and prophecies would be fulfilled in Jesus and their purpose would be completed. There would be no further fulfillment of those prophecies. Luke 24:27, 44-48 – All things of Jesus fulfilled Matthew 5:17-18 – Law would pass when fulfilled The prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus and the kingdom. Revelation 10:7 – An end of the mystery of God

N. Anoint the Most Holy

O. Acts 2:30-31, 36 – Jesus made the anointed one, or Christ. Acts 4:47 – Jesus was anointed by God

P. Timetable

Q. It would be 69 weeks from the command to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah would come.

R. This shows clearly that the numbers must be understood symbolically.

S. First seven weeks

T. During this time the wall and the street would be rebuilt. We studied this during the period of the return when Nehemiah led the nation in rebuilding the wall. They rebuilt the wall even amidst opposition from the nations around about them (reference Nehemiah 4-6).This would be fulfilled immediately

U. After sixty nine weeks (7 weeks + 62 weeks)

V. Much later in time The culmination of events would occur which would accomplish the things promised in verse 24.

W. The 69 th week millenial interpretation

X. In the millennial theories, when the Jews rejected the kingdom, God stopped the prophetic time clock and the remainder is yet to be fulfilled. This is where they get the seven years of tribulation: one week (7 years) remains to be fulfilled. They teach that the desolations will occur in the future during this week, the final seven year period. It also explains why they teach that the temple must be rebuilt and the sacrifices must be reinstituted: because according to Daniel 9, in this last week sacrifice is stopped and the temple, the sanctuary, is destroyed.

Y. The 69 th week

Z. The Messiah would come and be cut off, or destroyed, for others

A. Isaiah 53:4-6 – God laid our iniquity on Jesus Romans 5:6-8 – Christ died for us

B. An army would destroy the city and the sanctuary

C. It seems likely that the prince of the people who is to come is the Titus, the son of the emperor Vespasian, for Daniel prophesied about the Roman Empire.

D. Vespasian began the attack on the Jews but had to go to Rome to take the throne when Emperor Vitellius died. Titus would become emperor at his father’s death..Premillennial writers believe that the Roman Empire will be revived so it can lead a battle against Jerusalem. This is necessary to fit in with Daniel’s prophecy.

E. It would be a war of great desolation and the army would sweep upon the city like a flood: sudden and catastrophic

F. Note that the desolation would be centered in Jerusalem and if those in Judea flee to the mountains, they will find safety. Eusebius: “The whole body of the church at Jerusalem…removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.” Ecclesiastical History, (Section 3, Chapter V), p.85.

G. Though it seems like there may be peace, the prince will end sacrifices and completely desolate the city and temple.

H. We do not have to speculate about this fulfillment. Matthew 24:15-16; Mark 13:14, and Luke 21:20 – The abomination of desolation=Jerusalem surrounded by armies

I. Matthew 24:9, 15-22 describes the tribulation of the destruction

J. Titus sent ambushes on those who escaped the city to find food. “…while they caught every day five hundred Jews; nay, some days they caught more. …So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest; when their multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies.” Wars, V.xi.1. Within the city: “And indeed the multitude of carcases that lay in heaps one upon another was a horrible sight, and produced a pestilential stench, which was a hinderance to those that would make sallies out of the city, and fight the enemy.” Wars, VI, i, 1. Regarding the temple: “Moreover, the hope of plunder induced many to go on, as having this opinion, that all the places within were full of money, and as seeing that all around was made of gold. …whereby the flame burst out from within the holy house itself immediately…and thus was the holy house burnt down.” Wars, VI, iv, 7. When Cindie and I were in Rome, we saw the victory arch of Titus which includes a relief of the army taking the treasures, most noticably the candlestick, out of the temple. Regarding the attack: “But they went in numbers into the lanes of the city with their swords drawn, they slew those whom they overtook without mercy, and set fire to the houses wither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them.” Wars, VI, viii, 5“…but they ran every one through whom they met with, and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies, and made the whole city run down with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of many of the houses was quenched with these men’s blood.” Wars, VI, viii, 5 Josephus estimates that 1,100,000 were killed and 95,000 were taken captive.“Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder…Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple… …but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited.” Wars, VII, i, 1.

K. The seventy weeks ends not with a glorious victory for Jerusalem, but utter destruction and desolation.

L. Daniel’s last prophecy ends the same way. Daniel 12:7 – When the power of the holy people has been shattered then all of these things will be fulfilled

M. Does it make sense:

N. To add a prophetic stop watch to make events fit in the future because one believes that God did not fulfill the events in the time that was expected? To add a prophetic stop watch because the Jews kept the prophecy from being fulfilled as prophesied, when no other nation or people, including the Jews, had ever been able to disrupt prophecy before? To rebuild things like the temple that were destroyed long ago, in the time that God said they would be destroyed, so that they could be destroyed again to fit in a time accomodated by a prophetic stop watch? To resume things that ended long ago, like the sacrifices, in the time that God said they would be ended, so that they could be ended again to fit in a time accomodated by a prophetic stop watch? To revive a long dead empire, the Roman Empire, to destroy Jerusalem, the same way they did in 70 A.D. to fit into a time accomodated by a prophetic stop watch? Doesn’t it make more sense to realize that the things that were prophesied in Daniel 9 were fulfilled in the exact time and manner that he prophesied, no stop watch needed?