One of the hotly debated issues of Biblical eschatology is the correct interpretation and understanding of Daniel's prophecies contained in Daniel 9:24-27. The understanding of these passages is critical in understanding God's plan. There are varying schools of thought on how Daniel's 70 weeks should be interpreted, but, if you refer back to Scripture and you take the Word for what it says, the correct interpretation becomes self-evident.

This study will start with some of the foundational material necessary for understanding this important prophecy. Once these concepts are discussed we will look at the basic timeline as lined up historically, and then finish with a complete look at Daniel 9:24-27.

Setting the Stage

Daniel received this message from the angel Gabriel while praying over Israel. Daniel knew that the end of Israel's 70 year period of captivity was almost complete (Dan 9:2 and Jeremiah 25:11-12)

70 Weeks or 70 Weeks of Years?

The first item of note is that Daniel 9:24 calls for 70 weeks. The question is whether Daniel is talking about 7 twenty four hour periods or something else.

This space of "seventy" weeks is not to be understood in terms of weeks of days. Primarily it is too short a time for the fulfillment of so many events as are mentioned nor were they fulfilled within such a space of time.

If one looks at the literal translation from the Greek it is "seventy sevens". Early translators therefore copied it as "seventy weeks". But when you look at the Hebrew and it's meaning it changes how we should understand it.

Weeks - H7620 שׁבעה שׁבע שׁבוּע shâbûa‛ shâbûa‛ shebû‛âh shaw-boo'-ah, shaw-boo'-ah, sheb-oo-aw' Properly passive participle of H7650 as a denominative of H7651; literally sevened, that is, a week (specifically of years): - seven, week.

Therefore they are to be understood as weeks of years, and "seventy weeks" in turn then makes up four hundred and ninety years; within which time, beginning from a date after mentioned, all the things prophesied were accomplished.

Is there any precedence set by Scripture for this understanding of a week? Yes. These verses give clear reference to the understanding of a week representing seven years and maintaining the same context. Gen 29:27, 28; Lev 25:8.

The Jewish Prophetic Calendar

Next, we all know that the current western calendar is a 365.25 day year solar calendar. However is that how a "year" should be understood as it is defined in the Bible? No. By searching the Word it becomes clear that the Bible lays a year out as a period of 360 days. This is set by passages as follows: Gen 7:11,24: Gen 8:3-4; Rev 12:6,14; and Rev 13:5.

The Commandment to Rebuild

Dan 9:25 sets the start point of beginning of the 70 weeks at the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. We will look at this first by looking at the Word to find the varying commandments to rebuild while Israel was in exile.

There were three commands to rebuild the Temple and or Jerusalem given in that time period. The first command was given circa 536BC to Ezra by Cyrus (Ezra 1:1) to rebuild the temple, the second command was also to Ezra by Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:1) giving Ezra authority in the temple and the finances to furnish it. The third command was given to Nehemiah by Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem and the wall (Neh 2:1-8).

When compared to Dan 9:25 it becomes apparent which decree is being referred to, it is the decree by Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and Jerusalem. For Dan 9:25 does not call for the rebuilding of the Temple (which was to Ezra), but again it was to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem.

This gives us the start point of the 70 weeks "in the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes". So the next question is when did Artaxerxes start his reign. I checked with various sources and it varies a little but it gives a range of dates around 465BC. When is 20 years into his reign? Around 445 BC.

The Timeline of Daniel's 70 Weeks

Now, let's look at the time periods Daniel lays out in Dan 9:25.

First the 7 week period which we know is 49 years. Multiply that by 360 (since we're converting from Jewish Prophetic to Western) and divide by 365 (to get to Western years) and you get 48.3 years.

Now do the same for the 62 week period and you get 428.05 years (434 x 360 then divide by 365).

Add those together and you get the total WESTERN time for the 69 weeks which is 476.4 years. Now take 30 ( the approximate time of Christ's crucifixion) and subtract 476.4 and you get 446.4 BC. Now keep that in mind and lets compare it as follows:

Let's start with the crucifixion of Christ at AD 30 (the end of the 62 weeks portion) Dan 9:26 -"And after 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself" and we start backing up 428.05 years (the 62 weeks) and this brings us to 397 BC. Go back now the additional 48.3 years (the 7 weeks) Dan 9:25 that brings us back to 445.3 BC. Who was King in 445 BC? Artaxerxes was. Now look at Neh 2:1-8 and what does it say? In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes reign (Neh 2:1) comes the decree.

Here's another way to understand it. Look at this spreadsheet and follow the steps through the process:

Now, there are three variables to consider in all of this that can cause these dates to flex. So instead of showing every possible outcome I picked the most common.

Variable #1: The 20th year of Artaxerxes reign (Neh 2:1-8 - the command in question). I've seen 3 dates for this 446BC - 444 BC. For the purpose of this exercise I chose 445BC.

Variable #2: The age of Christ at His baptism. The Bible in Luke says he was about 30. Is that 30? 29? 32? For the purpose of this exercise I chose 30, 31 and 32.

Variable #3: Pertains to the actual day and month of those two events occurring. This exercise doesn't take the day of the year into account but rather the year as a whole. The impact of this variable could affect the time depending on when it occurred within the year.

Regardless of those three variables it clearly shows that the literal interpretation of Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy passes muster as the beginning and the end of the first 69 weeks aligns scripturally and historically. Not a coincidence!!

So in the time frame I propose Artaxerxes decreed the rebuilding of Jersalem to Nehemiah and he went forth to build it. That is the start of the 70 weeks of Daniel.

This puts the end of the 69th week at the crucifixion of Christ.

Let's look at Dan 9:24-27 a little closer

Let's now tie all of these foundational facts together.

In Dan 9:25 the time period is broken into two parts, the first 7 weeks (49 years) which relates to the time from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem and it's walls to it's completion and then the second part is 62 weeks (434 years) which describes the length of time from the completion of Jerusalem until Christ is crucified in Dan 9:26 (a further description is provided in that verse)

Of note in Dan 9:26 is that there are three dinstinct passages of time periods within the verse, further signified by the use of the semi-colons in the verse. All three periods of time are separated by a period of time not described.

Starting with that first period of time laid out in Dan 9:26, after "threescore and two weeks" shall Messiah be cut off. Now, how should we understand the words "cut off"?

Cut - H3772 כּרת kârath There are 286 occurrances of this word in the Bible. 175 of them are translated in the same manner as in Daniel 9:26 (i.e. same context, structure and construction). All of them take on "A primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication to destroy or consume;" when in context of the surrounding verse.

Now keeping that in mind the verse then ties together. At the end of the 69th week the Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. Keeping "cut off" in context and considering that He is cut off not for himself, but rather to cover our sins it becomes abundantly clear that the crucifixion is described by this verse.

The second time period laid out in Dan 9:26 continues with the events of 70AD and the destruction of Jerusalem when the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. There is no doubt this event occurred under Titus at that time. Josephus confirms this....however...is Titus the prince that shall come? No. Are the people of the prince referring to the Jews? No. The temple was destroyed by the Romans, who left no stone upon another partly out of the fury of battle and partly to garner the inlaid gold in the walls throughout the temple. Apparently Titus made an attempt to stop them as they were "out of control".

So when combining these facts with Dan 9:27 we now start to see a picture of "things to come". In v27 it says "he shall confirm the covenant". Who is the "he"? He is the same as described in v26, the prince to come, he is also the rider of the white horse in Rev 6:2, John names him as the "antichrist".

Of note is the terminology used here, he shall confirm the covenant...this implies a covenant that at some point could have been already in place but he reinforces/reinstitutes it. Have we seen a 1 week (7 year) covenant with Israel and it's neighbors? Sure, the Oslo accords is an example...one that was started but never reached completion. This is speculation, but it makes sense.

As we continue, the covenant is confirmed with many for 1 week (7 years) of which in the midst (3 1/2 year mark) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease and the "abomination of desolation". The implications here are huge. First, the Jews, who didn't accept Christ as the Messiah do not oblige the New Covenant that He provided for us. Therefore they still fall under the Old Covenant. By the Old Covenant they were required to conduct sacrifices (the Day of Atonement) to cover the sins of Israel. However, ever since the temple was rebuilt that is the ONLY place that they are allowed to perform those rituals. With the temple destroyed they are unable to do that. Do orthodox Jews desire the Temple to be rebuilt? Yes. Do they wish to continue the sacrifice rituals? Yes. Can they without a temple? No.

By implication of the verse, the Temple will be rebuilt, thus causing the sacrifice and oblation to start again. Now, Daniel, Christ and John refers to the abomination of desolation in the Temple and the fact that Israel will abandon Jerusalem and head for the hills so to speak. When does this occur? At the midpoint of the Tribulation (Dan 9:27, Matt 24:15, Mark 13:14, Rev 13:5). Rev 13:5 places the event at the midpoint of the 7 year period as it says that the antichrist will blaspheme (the abomination of desolation) and be given the power to continue 42 months (3 1/2 years). Also, simulataneously in Rev 12:6 the Bible shows Israel fleeing and being protected by God for 1260 days (3 1/2 years) which is a result of the abomination of desolation. So now we see the time period for the second half of the Tribulation.

How long is the first "half" of the Tribulation? Rev 11:3 is the picture of the 2 witnesses that begin their "ministry" at the beginning of the Tribulation and they work for 1260 days until they are killed at the midpoint of the Tribulation. So we now see the first half of the Tribulation being 3 1/2 years.

The more I study the Word the less I believe in "coincidence"...it is not a coincidence that Daniel calls for a 7 year period with events that coincide with the Tribulation laid out by John. I fully expect these events to occur.

Conclusion

By following through with this study, it is clear that Daniel's 70 weeks started with Artaxerxes' commandment to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem circa 445BC. It took Nehemiah about 49 years to complete the rebuilding of the city. Then at the completion of the 69th week, around 33AD the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was cut off, crucified for us, to cover our sins.

What about the 70th week? My contention and firm belief is that it has yet to occur yet. The natural flow of the verses show that the destruction of the Temple occurs and later, after that, at some other time the "end would come".

Also, a 7 year covenant (the 70th week) is a part of the "the end". This 7 year period is in harmony with the time period John lays out in Revelation. Sticking with the literal interpretation of Scripture, and the historical fact that the obvious literal events to occur during the Tribulation have not occurred nor been recorded, and due to the fact that iniquity is still present in the world, the end has not yet occurred, but will come in the Father's time and will be preceeded by the signs of the times laid out by Christ in Matt 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13.

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Tags: 70 weeks | antichrist | covenant | Daniel | israel | jerusalem | tribulation