Chapter 2
The 70 Weeks
Around 538 B.C. the prophet Daniel was waiting upon God for possible special orders that God might have for him. Daniel realized that the seventy years of Babylonian captivity were about over. Suddenly, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel.
In Daniel 9:24 Gabriel declared that seventy weeks (literally, "sevens", representy 7 periods) were determined upon thy people (Israel) and upon they holy city (Jerusalem) "to finish the transgression, to make an end to sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy [i.e., to complete or fulfill the visions and prophecies], and to anoint the most Holy."
The angel went on to say that fromt eh time that commandment would go forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah the Prince would be 7 sevens and 62 sevens, or a total of 69 sevens. Since each seven represents a 7 year period, 69 sevens would be 483 years.
In his book, The Coming Prince,* Sir Robert Anderson explains that this period would have to be predicated on the Babylonian calendar of the 360 days per year. Thus, 483 years would be 173,880 days. On March 14, 445 B.C., King Artaxaerxes of Persa gave the commandment to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. 173,880 days later brings us to April 6, 32 A.D. This was the date when Christ made His triumphant entry to the city of Jerusalem (according to Anderson's calculation).*
The first part of the prophecy given to Daniel was fulfulled literally to the day. But the angel went on to say that the Messiah would be "cut off, but not for Himself [literally, 'without receiving anything for Himself"]: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." The sestruction of the city refferred to the attack upon Jerusalem under Titus in 70 A.D. Titus was the general of the Roman legions, but he wasn't the prince of the people. Nero was the prince who ordered the destruction, though he died before the ravaging of Jerusalem was completed.
The city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary of the people were destroyed as the angel declared, and the Jews were dispersed. Thus far, we see the marvelously accurate fulfillment of this prophecy in history. However, Gabriel said that 70 sevens were determined upon Israel. The Messiah was cut off after 69 sevens. Where then is the seventieth seven?
In Daniel 9:27 the angel speaks again about the prince, using the pronoun "he." "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week." The 69 "weeks" were to last from the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of Jesus Christ.
As predicted, the Messiah was "cut off" without receiving the kingdom, and the Jews were dispersed. The seventieth and final "week" of Daniel is still in the future.
Jesus referred to this prophetic "week" in Matthew 24. The disciples asked Him about the signs of His coming and the end of the age.
In verse 15 Jesus said, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountians: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house."
Then Jesus predicted a time of "great tribulation" such as the world has never seen before or will ever see again. This abomination that triggers the deslolation takes place in teh middle of the seventieth seven.
Daniel speaks of this "abomination of the deslolation" in chapter 9. The prince of the people will "confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years]: 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 deslolate, even until the comsummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
Since Jesus referred to this final seven-year period as yet future in His day, and inasmuch as the Antichrist hasn't yet made the covenant with Israel, we must conclude that it's still in the future. The fact that the Antichrist makes that covenant for seven years indicates that it's signed at the beginning of the final seven-year period.
Halfway through the seven years the Antichrist will break the covenant with Israel, as he causes the daily sacrifices adn oblations in the Temple ot cease. According to Daniel 12:11, from that precise day until the end will be 1,290 days. Then Jesus will return again with His church in the clouds with great glory.
Paul said, "And when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory."
The chruch age fits between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy. According to Paul in Ephesians 3:5 this mystery was hidden from the Old Testament writers.
At the present time God has poured out His Spirit of grace upon the Gentiles, from whom He is drawing a bride for His Son. Whe the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, God will then catch up His church, the waiting bride. This is commonly called that rapture of the church.
*1. Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince (Grand Rapids: Kregel publications).
*2. The days are calculated in the following manner: 445 B.C. to 32 A.D. is 476 years. Mulitply these years according to the Julian clendar of 365 days per year. This amounts to 173,740 days. Add 116 days for the corrected number of leap year and the difference of 24 days between March 14th and April 6th (reckoning inclusively according to Jewish practice). Thus, the total amounts to 173,880 days.