DANIEL 9: SEVENTY WEEKS OF YEARS WERE PREDETERMINED
21 Yea, whiles I [Daniel] was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
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.
We generally hear about Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Weeks, but in fact it was the angel Gabriel who gave this revelation to Daniel as instructed by God, since only God knows the end from the beginning. So what do we learn from this prophecy that is relevant for today as well as for the future of this earth?
1. There will universal and perfect peace and eternal righteousness on earth after Christ establishes the Kingdom of God on earth.
“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.”
In Hebrew it is “seventy sevens” (shabua = heptads) or weeks of years that are predicted. That means 490 years, but since there have been over 2,600 years since this prophecy was given, it should be clear that what is stated above will be in the future, and that there will be a wide time gap between the 69th and the 70th week of Daniel. Therefore anyone who claims that this prophecy has been already fulfilled is lying.
2. Seventy weeks began with the first year of the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and will end after the Second Coming of Christ
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem...”
It was Cyrus the Great who gave this commandment to restore and build Jerusalem: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up”. (2 Chron 36:22,23, cf. Ezra 1:1-4)
It has generally been postulated (according to the chronology of Ptolemy) that the first year of Cyrus was 536 BC. But since this prophecy of Daniel puts 483 years between this proclamation and the crucifixion of Christ in 30 AD, that date is incorrect. Therefore the proclamation of Cyrus could not have gone out earlier than 453 BC. This is based on this statement: ...the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks... And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.
Seven weeks = 7 x 7 years = 49 years
Three score weeks = 3 x 20 x 7 years = 420 years
Two weeks = 2 x 7 years = 14 years
49 + 420 + 14 = 483 years
490 - 483 = 7 years
This still leaves one week or 7 years which have been unfulfilled since the crucifixion of Christ.
3. The Antichrist is “the prince that shall come” and his coming is in the future to bring desolations upon the earth
“...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.”
The key to understanding this prediction is “desolations”, meaning that the earth is made desolate through divine judgments. And the connecting link to these desolations is the Abomination of Desolation: And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.(Dan 11:31 cf Mt 24:15; Rev 13)
The Antichrist will set up an animated idol within the future temple at Jerusalem and demand that the whole world worship this image, just as Nebuchadnezzar made an image and demanded that all his subjects worship that image. This image and this worship will be extremely abhorrent to God (hence called an “abomination”). Therefore God will send judgments upon the earth to make it desolate, as we see when the 7th seal is opened and the seven angels sound their seven trumpets (Revelation 8 & 9).
4. The Antichrist will make a false covenant of peace with Israel, then desecrate the future temple at Jerusalem
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.”
The Antichrist is called “the prince of the covenant” (Dan 11:22), but the covenant to give peace to Israel and allow the temple sacrifices will be totally false, and after 3 ½ years, that covenant will end, sacrifices will cease, and the Abomination of Desolation shall be set up. This will trigger the desolations which will come upon the earth.
We know from other Scriptures that the Antichrist will be utterly destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and only after that will the Christ’s Kingdom on earth be established in order to fulfil this prophecy.
21 Yea, whiles I [Daniel] was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
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.
We generally hear about Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Weeks, but in fact it was the angel Gabriel who gave this revelation to Daniel as instructed by God, since only God knows the end from the beginning. So what do we learn from this prophecy that is relevant for today as well as for the future of this earth?
1. There will universal and perfect peace and eternal righteousness on earth after Christ establishes the Kingdom of God on earth.
“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.”
In Hebrew it is “seventy sevens” (shabua = heptads) or weeks of years that are predicted. That means 490 years, but since there have been over 2,600 years since this prophecy was given, it should be clear that what is stated above will be in the future, and that there will be a wide time gap between the 69th and the 70th week of Daniel. Therefore anyone who claims that this prophecy has been already fulfilled is lying.
2. Seventy weeks began with the first year of the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and will end after the Second Coming of Christ
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem...”
It was Cyrus the Great who gave this commandment to restore and build Jerusalem: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up”. (2 Chron 36:22,23, cf. Ezra 1:1-4)
It has generally been postulated (according to the chronology of Ptolemy) that the first year of Cyrus was 536 BC. But since this prophecy of Daniel puts 483 years between this proclamation and the crucifixion of Christ in 30 AD, that date is incorrect. Therefore the proclamation of Cyrus could not have gone out earlier than 453 BC. This is based on this statement: ...the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks... And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.
Seven weeks = 7 x 7 years = 49 years
Three score weeks = 3 x 20 x 7 years = 420 years
Two weeks = 2 x 7 years = 14 years
49 + 420 + 14 = 483 years
490 - 483 = 7 years
This still leaves one week or 7 years which have been unfulfilled since the crucifixion of Christ.
3. The Antichrist is “the prince that shall come” and his coming is in the future to bring desolations upon the earth
“...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.”
The key to understanding this prediction is “desolations”, meaning that the earth is made desolate through divine judgments. And the connecting link to these desolations is the Abomination of Desolation: And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.(Dan 11:31 cf Mt 24:15; Rev 13)
The Antichrist will set up an animated idol within the future temple at Jerusalem and demand that the whole world worship this image, just as Nebuchadnezzar made an image and demanded that all his subjects worship that image. This image and this worship will be extremely abhorrent to God (hence called an “abomination”). Therefore God will send judgments upon the earth to make it desolate, as we see when the 7th seal is opened and the seven angels sound their seven trumpets (Revelation 8 & 9).
4. The Antichrist will make a false covenant of peace with Israel, then desecrate the future temple at Jerusalem
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.”
The Antichrist is called “the prince of the covenant” (Dan 11:22), but the covenant to give peace to Israel and allow the temple sacrifices will be totally false, and after 3 ½ years, that covenant will end, sacrifices will cease, and the Abomination of Desolation shall be set up. This will trigger the desolations which will come upon the earth.
We know from other Scriptures that the Antichrist will be utterly destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and only after that will the Christ’s Kingdom on earth be established in order to fulfil this prophecy.
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