RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-02-03	What Are The Seventy Weeks of Daniel? (Da.9:24-27)
		Dan 9:24  "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. Dan 9:25  "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. Dan 9:26  "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. Dan 9:27  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." In the Bible Daniel's seventy weeks is known as a key Messianic prophecy concerning the future of the nation Israel (Da.9). The prophecy is given in the context of Daniel and Israel in exile. Israel went into captivity under the Babylonians in 606 B.C. Daniel prays for Israel acknowledging the nation's sins against God. He asks for God's mercy (Da.9:1-5) It is now 537 B.C. and Daniel understands that the exile was to last for 70 years (Da.9:2; Je.25:11; 29:10). So the exile is about to end and he wants to know God's plan for Israel. While he is praying the angel Gabriel comes to bring an answer. The vision begins in verse 24 giving us the WHAT. It describes 70 weeks that are determined for the people Israel and the holy city Jerusalem. Daniel is told about “seventy weeks” or better “seventy sevens”. For several reasons described below, the “sevens” concerns years. So we are looking at “seventy sevens” of years which is 490 years (70 times 7 years). Verse 24 also gives us the WHY by telling us that by the end of the 70 weeks 6 things will be accomplished: (1) finish the transgression; (2) make an end of sins; (3) make reconciliation for iniquity; (4) bring in everlasting righteousness; (5) seal up the vision and prophecy; (6) anoint the most Holy. In verse 25 the vision tells Daniel WHEN this 70 weeks, or 490 years will begin. The starting point for this period of 490 years is essential to the correct understanding of the prophecy. Gabriel says the 70 weeks begins with the “command to restore and build Jerusalem” From history we understand this to refer to the decree of Artaxerxes of Persia in the month of Nisan in 445 B.C. This rebuilding is chronicled in the book of Nehemiah (Ne.2:1-8). This is the starting point for the 70 weeks (490 years). Garbiel breaks the 70 weeks into two smaller units The prophecy divides the 70 weeks into “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” So the “seven weeks” (49 years) brings us to the end of the Old Testament canon (397 B.C.) Then the “sixty-two weeks” (434 years) would conclude the 69th week which is the year Jesus was crucified (32 A.D). This refers specifically to the day of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem the week of His death on the cross (Matthew 21:1-9). At this point 69 of the 70 weeks have been fulfilled precisely to the day! Verse 26 continues the prophecy predicting that “Messiah shall be cut off” (32A.D.). Again, this is the year Jesus was crucified. It further tells us the “people of the prince who is to come” will also destroy the city of Jerusalem. The city was destroyed about 38 years after the death of Jesus in 70 A.D. by the Romans. But this event is after the 69 weeks but before the 70th week begins indicating a GAP of time between these “weeks.” We are living between the 69th week (483 years) and 70th week (7 years). The prophetic clock has been paused, as it were. Verse 27 will now tell us about the last week of 7 years. Verse 27 continues with what shall happen in the FUTURE during that 70th week (7 years). The 70th week will begin when “he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week”. Most understand this to refer to the Antichrist making a covenant with the nation of Israel for 7 years. But in the “middle of the week” (3 1/2 years later) he will break this covenant which will begin a period of tribulation for Israel. This prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel is complex but also amazingly detailed. This is a VERY brief sketch of this passage. It is because of this prophecy that we understand there will be a 7 year period we call Daniel's 70th Week. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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