It takes a page or two of explanation because some love to throw unnecessary confusion into matter of fit of Daniel’s seventy weeks. Alternative theories aside, the accuracy of the vision as is amazing. With a little history, and some middle-school math Daniel foretells the year of Christ’s crucifixion at week 69. Week 70 seems fit for our time as it has been two millennia until the rebirth of Jerusalem and the desire of the Orthodox to rebuild the temple.
In short, at least as short as I can make it:
Daniel prophesies 70 weeks (sebuim or sevens). Seven and sixty-two take us to Messiah. The seventieth week comes later in history as can be discerned from Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 12. The seventieth week is where a restored temple exists in the future after its destruction at the time of the death or Messiah, Daniel 9:26. The sacrifice is cut off in the middle of the future week 70, Daniel 9:27. Chapter 12, set in the end time, takes this up telling us that the abomination of desolation, profaning the temple, is set up at 1,290 Days. This is a month after the middle of the week where the sacrifice is stopped which was at 1,260 days. The point of all this is that the half-week is 1,260 days. This confirms the whole week is 1,260 +1,260 days or seven prophetic years. What is a prophetic year? Jewish years were calculated on 360-day periods with occasional corrections every so often. Prophetic years do not use the correction. They are also used by John in the Book of Revelation. So, the middle of the week is 1,260/360 = 3 ½ years. One week is therefore seven prophetic years.
Daniel 9:25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’
Now, the 7 and 62 weeks until Messiah can be calculated. Well, almost. First, why use 7 and 62 until Messiah? Why not just 69 weeks and go? According to many, it has to do with how long it will take to restore and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The prophecy begins at the time of this order to rebuild the city according to Daniel 9:25 above. This will give us our starting point. Now, there were two orders. Which do we choose? One was in 457 B.C. and the other in 444 B.C. Well, the first failed because the population that existed in Jerusalem, before the exiles returned to rebuild, did not want the wall of the city rebuilt. Thirteen years later Artaxerxes sent a letter along with Nehemiah commanding it to begin once more. This is found in Nehemiah 2. The successful date will be the one we make use of.
We are now ready for our math:
Step 1: (7+62) x 7yrs/week = 483 prophetic years
Step 2: 483 x 5 days (missing in prophetic years) = 2,415 days
Step 3: 2,415/365 day/year = approx. 6.6 years – round to 7 for convenience
Step 4: 483 years – 7 years = 476 actual years until Messiah
Step 5: -444 B.C. + 476 years = 32 A.D.
Step 6: There was no year 0 A.D. so we add 1 – 32 A.D. + 1 year = 33 A.D.
This is the year Messiah was to be cut off. Pretty amazing!
THE CHRONOLOGY MAKES A BREAK
Where then is week seventy? As previously mentioned, it is not set in chronological order with the 7+62 weeks. There is a gap. Daniel’s vision makes this clear:
Daniel 9:26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (70A.D.). The end will come like a flood: War will continue (more history) until the end, and desolations have been decreed (at the end time, Daniel 12:4).
The seventieth week reveals a time when the temple is rebuilt, and therefore we infer the city will have been restored to the Jews (1967).
Daniel 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he (a future ruler) will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
It is the firm resolution of the Orthodox that one day they will be allowed to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They have made many preparations of the furniture and vessels required in worship within the sanctuary. Political tensions are currently preventing the rebuilding.
Daniel leaves us with so many questions unanswered. We learn in chapter 12 of the abomination is set up in place of the sacrifice but that this time of trouble leads to the purification of many. We learn in chapter 9 that the leader (prince) who brings the abomination will meet his end. We beg for details. This is the time we reach for The Apocalypse of John.
When do you think the 70th week will occur?