Reason 20: The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (70 Weeks)

25-ReasonsReasons-to-believe-in-Jesus

Jesus-70-Weeks-Arch-of-TitusReason 20: 70 Weeks of Daniel: The Timeline of Jesus over 500-years before his birth

Daniel lived 600 years before the birth of Jesus, yet Daniel foretold one of the most profound prophecies about Jesus and the end of the age.  Daniel in the 9th chapter of his book gave us to the day the time Jesus would be “cut off” by Jewish leaders.  Daniel then proclaimed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple would follow. He then gives us details of the final period of this age, the tribulation, when the Jews would build a third Temple in Jerusalem.

            Daniel was in his eighties, when the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision and set forth the timeline for his people and the city of Jerusalem. He informed Daniel, when the Messiah would be rejected, and what would follow after.

 

Daniel 9:24-27

(24)  "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

(25)  Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

(26)  And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

(27)  And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."

 The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

 Dome-of-the-rock-Temple-siteGod has a 490-year plan involving the Jewish People and Jerusalem.

  • We are told Jerusalem would be rebuilt with walls, and streets
  • The Messiah would be killed 483 years after the command to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls and streets is given.
  • The rebuilt temple would be destroyed by the descends of a future world leader
  • A future world leader who is descendant of the armies who destroyed Jerusalem would make an agreement to build a Third Temple.
  • The Temple would be rebuilt and sacrifices stopped after 3.5 years.

Daniel’s 70 Weeks

Super-natural Evidence ( An Example)

539 years before the Birth of Jesus, the exact day, month and year Jesus is rejected is foretold

 

Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem is foretold

 

The future rebuilding of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount is foretold

 

The future desecration of the Third Temple is foretold

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."  Daniel 9:24-27

Prophetic-Clock-Daniel-9-24

Background

The Prophecy takes place in 539 B.C., in the First year of Darius the Mede.  Daniel an old man, between 83 to 90 years old. As a boy He was taken captive by the Babylonians in 605 B.C. In 586 B.C. The Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.  Jeremiah foretold a 70-year period of desolation on the city for their sin.  Daniel was praying for the city to be restored since 67 years had now passed.

      Gabriel the angel was sent to Daniel to answer his prayer and tell him God’s time plan for his city, Jerusalem and his people.

 

24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

 

Seventy weeks[1] are determined[2]  (7 x70=490) A 490 year period of time is established on “ Your city” Jerusalem and “Your People” the Jewish People.

Seven events happen within these 490 years.

  1. Finish Transgression
  2. Make an end of sins
  3. Make reconciliation for iniquity
  4. Bring in everlasting righteousness
  5. Seal up vision and
  6. prophecy
  7. Anoint the Most Holy.

Super-Natural Objective Evidence

  • The focus of Jerusalem and the Jewish People

 

25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 

 

The 490-year period begins with the command to “Restore” and “Build Jerusalem” including the walls and streets in the times of trouble.

The command to rebuild the walls and streets takes place in March/April 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:8) Nehemiah is given orders to build the walls of Jerusalem, and access to the King of Persia’s resources.

Gabriel tells Daniel from the command given (March/April 444 B.C.)  Until Messiah the Prince will be 7-weeks (49 years) and 62-weeks (434-years) totaling 483-years[3]. (7 Weeks + 62 Weeks=69 Weeks)

(69 x 7=483)  From the Command given in March/April 444 B.C. to until Messiah the Prince is 483 Jewish years[4].  Our equivalent to Daniel’s calendar is 476 years and 24 days.

The Command was given in March/April 444 B.C. 476 years and 24 days later is March 29th 33 A.D. the Jesus Christ was “Cut off” by the Jewish Priesthood. (John 19:6)

     Super-Natural Objective Evidence

  • The Exact month and Year of Messiah Death 500 years before his birth

 70-Weeks-Timeline-days

70-Weeks-Clock

 

    

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

 

Gabriel tells Daniel after the 62 Week (434 year) Messiah the Prince is cut off. Not for Himself, Messiah dies for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53).

Following his death Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed again, after they were rebuilt, following Daniel’s prayer.  The people of a prince who is to come, destroy Jerusalem and Temple 37 years after the death of Jesus Christ. Daniel foretold of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem over 600-years before the event.

Gabriel Tells Daniel the desolations on Jerusalem and the Jewish people will continue to the end.

       The Dome of The Rock, the third most site in Islam occupies the Temple-site.  The Temple-Mount is the center of world focus pitting the world of Islam and Judaism against each other.  There is a growing movement to rebuild the Temple. The problem is 1.3 billion Muslims hold the Dome of the Rock as their sacred site.

The 490-year clock stopped at the death of Messiah at the end of the 69th Week, as desolations were determined till the 70th week.

    Super-Natural Objective Evidence

  • The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple following the death of Christ
  • The continual desolations that befell the Jewish People after the Temple

 Roman-Destruction-Jerusalem-Seventy-Weeks

 

 

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

70-Weeks-Daniel-9-24-27-Third-Temple

Gabriel tells Daniel, a future 7-year agreement will allow the Temple to be rebuilt allowing sacrifice and offering to take place. He is the prince to come, descended from the people who destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem, the Romans.  Rebuilding the Temple is a growing movement in Israel, for a several reasons.

  • Growing religious movement, looking for the return of Messiah
  • Removal of Muslim claims to Jerusalem
  • Establishment of spiritual and cultural identity

 Gabriel tells Daniel, In the midst of this agreement 7-year agreement, 3.5 years, the Prince to come breaks the agreement and stops sacrifice and offering, until the consummation, or destruction which falls on those destined for Judgment.

Super-Natural Objective Evidence

  • The future problem of the Temple-Mount site
  • The rebuilding of the Temple
  • The need of a peace-agreement to allow the Temple to be rebuilt

 

 

 



[1] The Hebrew word for seven is Shabuwa means seven, or period of seven and could be 7 days or years.  Year of Jubilee takes place on the 50th year after 7 periods of 7. Leviticus 25:8.

[2] The Hebrew world for determined is Charats and means to cut, sharpen, decide, a 490 year period has been  ‘Cut” on Jerusalem and the Jewish People.

[3] A Jewish Biblical year was 12 months of 30 days per month and based on a lunar calendar. Genesis 7-8, Noah’s arc was in the water 150 days, 5months (See Genesis 7:11,24,8:3,4)

[4] 483 Jewish years =476 years and 24 days with our Solar calendar.  1. 360x483=173,880  2. 173,880/365.242= 476.06792 years 3.  444 B.C. -476 years=33 A.D. 4. March 15th was Nisan 1st that year, Add 24 days for .06792x 365=24 days. 5. Messiah cut off March 29th 33 A.D.