The seventy weeks

Daniel 9

This is an amazing chapter. In it we find a powerful example of prayer and then one of the most astonishing prophecies in all of Scripture. Let’s consider the prophecy first and then, in a separate post, his prayer.

24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: 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 desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This is perhaps the most amazing prophecy in the Bible – He gave them a specific date. He said certain things would be done in 70 weeks and that after 69 weeks Messiah would come. Wow!

God is not opposed to giving specific dates. In Genesis 15:13-16 He told Abraham his seed would be in Egypt 400 years or four generations (and they were). He told Jeremiah (Jer 29:10) the Jews would be in Babylon 70 years and then return to the land (they were and did). And now He declares to Daniel when Messiah will appear – Seventy weeks are determined upon they people.

To Abraham and Jeremiah God said years, to Daniel he says weeks. How long is this 70 weeks? Nearly everyone, from the earliest Jewish comments on, has understood this to be weeks of years, that is, 490 years. All they had to know was when to start counting.

When do the 70 weeks begin?
from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince

That’s rather specific as well. And there is a book of the Bible that was written to provide this starting point. Israel’s captivity is described in Kings and Chronicles, Daniel (and Ezekiel) prophesied in Babylon, then the books of Ezra and Nehemiah relate their return to the land. I believe these were written not merely to tell the story of the return of the people to the land, but to also signal the beginning of the 70 weeks.

From the going forth of the commandment. There are three decrees revealed in Ezra:
Ezra 1 Cyrus decrees the Jews can return and rebuild the temple 536 BC
Ezra 6 Darius renews the decree of Cyrus – Let them build this house.
Ezra 7:11 Artaxerxes decrees that the Jews can return and rebuild the temple  457 BC

So which of these is the starting point? While there is no verse in Ezra that says, “Thus beginneth the 70 weeks”, it would seem that the decree of Artaxerxes in chapter 7 is it. The 70 weeks began 457 BC. Obviously the one keeping count was God, but the Jewish people were aware of the times.

The 70 weeks are divided into three groups: 7 weeks; 62 weeks (threescore and two weeks); 1 week. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.” It looks like it will be 69 weeks or 483 years unto Messiah the Prince. And 483 years after Ezra 7 Jesus was baptized by John Baptist and began his ministry with, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.” What time? The 69 weeks. And they knew it. You see, there were people before Jesus who had gone around saying they were Messiah (Acts 5:34-40). This was a highly charged time and the people were in great expectation.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. After Christ appears he will be cut off, but not for himself. This refers to the cross.

(See * below for comments on v 27 and the seventieth week.)

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city. What will be accomplished in these seventy weeks? This is the most important question and Daniel gives the answer. We know Christ will be manifested in 483 years, but what will he do when he comes?

In Dan 9:24 there are six events mentioned which will be accomplished by Messiah.

I. To finish the transgression – “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”

II. To make an end of sins - which our Lord did when he offered his spotless soul and body on the cross once for all. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

III. To make reconciliation for iniquity - make atonement for it; which was made by the sacrifice of Christ, by his sufferings and death; whereby the law and justice of God were fully satisfied; and this was made for all kind of sin (transgressions, sins, iniquities); which was the grand end of Christ's coming into the world

IV. To bring in everlasting righteousness - which is true only of the righteousness of Christ, by which all that believe in him are justified from all their sins; this Christ brought into the world by his obedience, sufferings, and death.

V. To seal up the vision and prophecy - all prophecy is sealed up in Christ, and by him; he is the sum and substance of it; the visions and prophecies of the Old Testament relate to him, and have their accomplishment in him; some relate to his person and office; others to his coming into the world, the time, place, and manner of it; others to the great work of redemption and salvation he came about; and others to his miracles, sufferings, and death, and the glory that should follow; all which have been fulfilled.

VI. And to anoint the Most Holy - the consecration or appointment of our blessed Lord, the Holy One of Israel, to be the Prophet, Priest, and King of mankind.

All of these were fulfilled at the cross. This is the greatest and most specific prophecy in the Old Testament. God told them exactly when Messiah would come. And He came at exactly the time prophesied! And by the cross he did exactly what it was promised he would do. This is a most amazing chapter. Christ has come and Jesus is his name. He made reconciliation and brought in everlasting righteousness. He came for me. He came for you. Believe in him and be saved!

* The seventieth week
26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: 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 desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Messiah is cut off after 69 weeks, leaving one week (seven years). That remaining week is spoken of in v 27. I admit this is slightly confusing. There are three main views on this 70 week:

1) There are those who see a gap between the 69th and 70th week who say the entire 70th week is future. This is the time of antichrist and the tribulation mentioned in Revelation.

2) There are those who believe Jesus began his ministry at the beginning of the 70th week and in the midst of the week he was cut off, leaving 3 ½ years. The last half of the week is the time of antichrist and the things spoken of in Revelation.

3) There are those who believe all 490 years were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ.

I am persuaded this prophecy is mostly about Messiah and therefore this refers primarily to the ministry of Jesus: He began the 70th week and confirmed the covenant with Israel by his teaching and miracles. In the midst of the week, 3 ½ years, he was cut off, crucified for our sins, thus causing the sacrifice and oblation to cease. The last half of the week is yet to come and is the time of antichrist. Daniel 7 and the book of Revelation speak of the reign of antichrist being 3 ½ years long. I believe this is the same 3 ½ years.

But the focus is clearly on Messiah the Prince, who came as and when promised! And you now what, the brethren who hold all three views see the focus on Christ. In my opinion this is a detail that doesn’t detract from this amazing prophecy.

Irenaeus
"And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God: And in the midst of the week, he says, the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation [shall be brought] into the temple: even unto the consummation of the time shall the desolation be complete." Now three years and six months constitute the half-week."

Hippolytus
"He says, therefore, They shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall; which in reality took place. For the people returned and built the city, and the temple, and the wall round about. Then he says: After threescore and two weeks the times will be fulfilled, and one week will make a covenant with many; and in the midst (half) of the week sacrifice and oblation will be removed, and in the temple will be the abomination of desolations.

For when the threescore and two weeks are fulfilled, and Christ has come, and the Gospel is preached in every place, the times being then accomplished, there will remain only one week, the last, in which Elias will appear, and Enoch, and in the midst of it the abomination of desolation will be manifested, viz., Antichrist, announcing desolation to the world. And when he comes, the sacrifice and oblation will be removed, which now are offered to God in every place by the nations."

Prideaux
"The beginning therefore of the seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, of this prophecy, was in the month Nisan of the Jewish year, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, king of Persia, and in the four thousand two hundred and fifty-sixth year of the Julian period, when Ezra had his commission [viz. b. c. 458] ; and the end of them fell in the very same month of Nisan, in the four thousand seven hundred and forty-sixth year of the Julian period [viz. a. d. 33], in which very year and very month Christ our Lord suffered for us, and thereby completed the whole work of our salvation, there being just seventy weeks of years, or four hundred and ninety years, from the one to the other."