THE SEVENTY WEEKS Dan. Chapter 9 Vs. 1-27

 

Daniel 9:1-27

THE SEVENTY WEEKS

This chapter is occupied with the prayer of Daniel, and with the famous vision of the seventy weeks which has led to such interminable controversies, but of which the interpretation no longer admits of any certainty, because accurate data are not forthcoming.

The vision is dated in the first year of Darius, the son of Achashverosh, of the Median stock. We have seen already that such a person is unknown to history. The date, however, accords well in this instance with the literary standpoint of Daniel.

The Occasion of the Vision

Again it was now the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede. On the identity of this Darius see Dan. 6:1. This was 539 b.c., 66 years after Daniel had been exiled.

The overthrow of the Babylonian Kingdom by the Medo-Persians was indeed a momentous event. It had been revealed to Belshazzar through Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall Dan. 5:25-28, 5:30. The Babylonian overthrow prepared the way for liberation of the Jews who had been in exile since Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Jerusalem in 605 b.c. Besides predicting the overthrow of the people Jeremiah had also predicted that Israel’s sojourn in Babylon was to last 70 years Jer. 25:11-12.

The vision is sent with perplexities suggested by Daniels study of the Scriptures; and nothing is more natural for the fact that the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire should have sent a Jewish exile to the study of the rolls of his holy prophets, to see what light they threw on the exile of his people. Evidently moved by Darius’ victory Daniel searched the Scriptures to understand the events of which he was a vital part. He understood Darius’ victory meant that the termination of the 70-year Captivity was near. Thus these significant events became even more momentous for Daniel.

He understood from the books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishing of the desolation of Jerusalem, even seventy years. Such is the rendering of our Revisers, who here follow the A.V. I understood by books, except that they rightly use the definite article. Such too is the view of Hitzig. Mr. Bevan seems to have pointed out the real meaning of the passage, by referring not only to the Pentateuch generally, as helping to interpret the words of Jeremiah, but especially to Lev. 26:18; 26:21; 26:24; 26:28. It was there that Daniel discovered the method of interpreting the seventy years spoken of by Jeremiah. The Book of Leviticus had four times spoken of a sevenfold punishment a punishment seven times more for the sins of Israel. Now this thought flashed upon Daniel like a luminous principle. Daniel, in who wrote, had arrived at the period at which the literal seventy years of Jeremiah were on some methods of computation upon the eve of completion; Jeremiah had prophesied that the nations should serve the King of Babylon seventy years, Jer. 25:11 after which time God’s vengeance should fall on Babylon; and again, Jer. 29:10-11 that after seventy years the exiles should return to Israel, since the thoughts of Jehovah towards them were thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give them a future and a hope.

Daniel saw, nearly four centuries later, that after all only a mere handful of the exiles, whom the Jews themselves compared to the chaff in comparison with the wheat, had returned from exile; that the years which followed had been cramped, dismal, and distressful; that the splendid hopes of the Messianic kingdom, which had glowed so brightly on the foreshortened horizon of Isaiah and so many of the prophets, had never yet been fulfilled; and that these anticipations never showed fewer signs of fulfilment than in the midst of the persecuting furies of Antichrist, supported by the widespread apostasies of the Hellenising Jews, and the vile ambition of such renegade high priests.

That the difficulty was felt is shown by the fact that the Epistle of Jeremiah Dan. 9:2 extends the epoch of captivity to two-hundred and ten years (7 X 30), whereas in Jer. 29:10 seventy years are distinctly mentioned.

What was the explanation of this startling apparent discrepancy between the sure word of prophecy and the gloomy realities of history?

Daniel saw it in a mystic or allegorical interpretation of Jeremiah’s seventy years. The prophet could not he thought have meant seventy literal years. The number seven indeed played its usual part in the epoch of punishment. Jerusalem had been taken B.C. 588; the first return of the exiles had been about B.C. 538. The Exile therefore had, from one point of view, lasted forty-nine years i.e., 7 X 7. But even if seventy years were reckoned from the fourth year of Jehoiakim B.C. 606? to the decree of Cyrus B.C. 536, and if these seventy years could be made out, still the hopes of the Jews were on the whole miserably frustrated.

Surely then so thought Daniel the real meaning of Jeremiah must have been misunderstood; or, at any rate, only partially understood. He must have meant, not years, but weeks of years Sabbatical years. And that being so, the real Messianic fulfilments were not to come till four hundred and ninety years after the beginning of the Exile; and this clue he found in Leviticus. It was indeed a clue which lay ready to the hand of any one who was perplexed by Jeremiah’s prophecy, means, not only the week, but also seven, and the seventh Lev. 25:2; 25:4 and the chronicler had already declared that the reason why the land was to lie waste for seventy years was that the land was to enjoy her Sabbaths; in other words, that, as seventy Sabbatical years had been wholly neglected and indeed unheard of during the period of the monarchy which he reckoned at four hundred and ninety years therefore it was to enjoy those Sabbatical years continuously while there was no nation in Israel to cultivate the soil.

Daniel introduces what he thus regarded as a consoling and illuminating discovery in a striking manner. Daniel, coming to understand for the first time the real meaning of Jeremiah’s seventy years, set his face unto the Lord God, to seek prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

The Prayer of Daniel

Confession

Daniel’s study of the Scriptures led him to turn to God and to pray a prayer of confession Dan. 9:3-14 and petition Dan. 9:15-19, with fasting. Wearing sackcloth and/or ashes was evidence of mourning in grief or repentance cf. Gen. 37:34; Neh. 9:1; Est. 4:1, 4:3; Isa. 58:5; Jer. 49:3; Eze. 7:18; Joel 1:8; Mat. 11:21).

Moses revealed the principle on which God would deal with His covenant people: obedience would bring blessing, and disobedience would bring discipline. One form of discipline was that Israel would be subjugated to Gentile powers Deut. 28:48-57, 28:64-68. Israel’s experience in Babylon was the outworking of this principle.

Then Moses revealed the basis on which the discipline would be lifted, and the nation would be restored to blessing Deut. 30:1-20. She would have to return to God and obey His voice; then God would turn back her Captivity and restore the people to the land from which they had been dispersed and shower blessings on them.

Daniel evidently was fully aware that the years in Babylon were a divine discipline in Israel. Knowing that confession was one requisite to restoration, he confessed the sin of his people, identifying himself with their sin as though he were personally responsible for it.

Daniel noted that blessing depends on obedience, for God… keeps His covenant of love ḥeseḏ, loyal love with all who love Him and obey Him. Even a covenant people cannot be blessed if they disobey. Four times Daniel acknowledged that his people had sinned Dan. 9:5, 9:8, 9:11, 9:15. Their sin was a sin of rebellion cf. Dan. 9:9 against God and in turning away cf. Dan. 9:11 from the Word of God His laws; cf. Dan. 9:10-11 which they knew. God in grace had sent prophets cf. Dan. 9:10) to exhort the people to return to Him but they had refused to heed their messages we have not listened. Kings and people alike stood guilty before God.

Daniel then acknowledged that God is righteous cf. Dan. 9:14, 9:16 and just in disciplining Israel for her unfaithfulness, for which she was covered with shame Dan. 9:7-8 and dispersed or scattered into foreign countries. God’s discipline did not mean that He had withheld mercy cf. Dan. 9:18 and forgiveness from His people, but it meant that He, being righteous, must punish people’s rebellion and disobedience Dan. 9:10. They refused to keep God’s laws Dan. 9:10; cf. Dan. 9:5 for they transgressed His Law Dan. 9:11 and turned from God cf. Dan. 9:5, being obstinate in their disobedience refusing to obey.

His prayer is thus given: -

It falls into three strophes of equal length and is all alive and aglow with a pure fire of genuine repentance, humbly assured faith, and most intense petition. At the same time, it is the composition of a literary writer, for in phrase after phrase it recalls various passages of Scripture. It closely resembles the prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah and is so nearly parallel with the prayer of the apocryphal Baruch that Ewald regards it as an intentional abbreviation of Bar. 2:1. Ezra, however, confesses the sins of his nation without asking for forgiveness; and Nehemiah likewise praises God for His mercies, but does not plead for pardon or deliverance; but Daniel entreats pardon for Israel and asks that his own prayer may be heard. The sins of Israel in Dan. 9:5-6, fall under the heads of wandering, lawlessness, rebellion, apostasy, and heedlessness. It is one of the marked tendencies of the later Jewish writings to degenerate into centos of phrases from the Law and the Prophets. It is noticeable that the name Jehovah occurs in this chapter of Daniel alone in Dan. 9:2, 9:4, 9:10, 9:13, 9:14, 9:20; and that he also addresses God as El, Elohim, and Adonai.

In the first division of the prayer Dan. 9:4-10 Daniel admits the faithfulness and mercy of God, and deplores the transgressions of his people from the highest to the lowest in all lands.

In the second part Dan. 9:11-14 he sees in these transgressions the fulfilment of the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses, with special reference to Lev. 26:14; 26:18, etc. In spite of all their sins and miseries they had not stroked the face of the Lord their God.

The third section Dan. 9:15-19 appeals to God by His past mercies and deliverances to turn away His wrath and to pity the reproach of His people. Daniel entreats Jehovah to hear his prayer, to make His face shine on His desolated sanctuary, and to behold the horrible condition of His people and of His holy city. Not for their sakes is He asked to show His great compassion, but because His Name is called upon His city and His people.

Such is the prayer; and while Daniel was still speaking, praying, confessing his own and Israel’s sins, and interceding before Jehovah for the holy mountain yea, even during the utterance of his prayer the Gabriel of his former vision came speeding to him in full flight at the time of’ the evening sacrifice. The archangel tells him: that no sooner had his supplication begun than he sped on his way, for Daniel is a dearly beloved one.

Therefore he bids him take heed to the word and to the vision: -

1. Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people, and upon thy holy city

1. to finish or restrain the transgression.

2. to make an end of or seal up, Theodot. sins.

3. to make reconciliation for or to purge away iniquity.

4. to bring in everlasting righteousness.

5. to seal up vision and prophet; and

6. to anoint the Most Holy or a Most Holy Place.

7. From the decree to restore Jerusalem unto the Anointed One or the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks. For sixty-two weeks Jerusalem shall be built again with street and moat, though in troublous times.

   Because of her rebellion and disobedience Israel was experiencing the curses and… judgments written by Moses cf. Dan. 9:13 in Deut. 28:15-68. In spite of the severity of the discipline, including great national disaster Dan. 9:12, the nation was not turning from her sins and submitting to the authority of the Law, God’s truth. This disaster, the fall of Jerusalem, was because God is righteous cf. Dan. 9:7, 9:16) and Israel had not obeyed Him cf. Dan. 9:10-11.

   Petition

Daniel began his petition Dan. 9:15 by mentioning two of the same things with which he began his confession Dan. 9:4-5: God’s greatness and the people’s sin. Daniel spoke of God’s delivering Israel out of Egypt by His great power with a mighty hand. God was glorified through the deliverance of His people. But because the nation had sinned Daniel’s fourth time to state that his people had sinned; cf. Dan. 9:5, 9:8, 9:11 she had become an object of scorn to those nations around her. In prayer that God, in keeping with His righteous acts cf. Dan. 9:7, 9:14, would turn away His anger and… wrath from Jerusalem, Daniel was asking that God’s discipline might be lifted and the people freed from their present bondage. Jerusalem is God’s city; cf. Dan. 9:24, and His holy hill; cf. Dan. 9:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zeph. 3:11.

Once again Daniel attributed the nation’s present status to her past sin, the sins and… iniquities of our fathers cf. Dan. 9:6, 9:8.

Having prayed for the negative, the removal of God’s wrath Dan. 9:15-16, the prophet now prayed for the positive, God’s favor, mercy, and forgiveness Dan. 9:17-19. Daniel asked that God hear his prayers and restore look with favor on the sanctuary the temple in Jerusalem for His sake cf. Dan. 9:19. And he wanted God to hear his request give ear and to see open Your eyes the city’s desolation. Interestingly Daniel did not specify what God should do; he only asked that God look on the sanctuary and see the city, both in desolation for many years.

Daniel based his requests on God’s great mercy cf. Dan. 9:9, not on the nation’s righteousness for she had none. But because God is merciful and forgiving, he prayed, O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! Concerned for God’s reputation, Daniel wanted the Lord to act quickly do not delay on behalf of the city and people that bore His name. All this would bring glory to God for it was for His sake cf. Dan. 9:17.

The Response of the Lord

The message of Gabriel

Daniel’s prayer included confession of his sin and the sin of his people, and his request that God restore Jerusalem God’s holy hill. The answer to Daniel’s prayer was not delayed cf. do not delay, Dan. 9:19. For he was interrupted by the appearance of Gabriel, who had come to him earlier to interpret his vision of the ram and the goat Dan. 8:15-16. Gabriel came swiftly about the time of the evening sacrifice. This was one of the two daily sacrifices required in the Law Exo. 29:38-39; Num. 28:3-4; cf. evenings and mornings in Dan. 8:14. Even though the temple was destroyed so the sacrifices could not be offered for those 66 years, Daniel still observed that time of day as an appointed time of worship. Perhaps this was one of the three times he prayed daily Dan. 6:10.

Though Daniel did not refer to it in his prayer, he was evidently concerned about God’s program for Israel from that point on cf. Dan. 9:2. Jeremiah’s prophecy Jer. 25:11-12 had revealed God’s plan for the nation only up to the end of the 70-year Babylonian Captivity. Daniel wanted to know what would transpire after that. Daniel’s previous two visions Dan. 7-8 of forthcoming events dealt primarily with Gentile nations that would rise beginning with Babylon. So, Gabriel was dispatched by God to satisfy Daniel’s desire and to reveal God’s program for His people until its consummation in the covenanted kingdom under Israel’s Messiah. Gabriel would give Daniel insight into God’s purposes for His people. Because the prophet was highly esteemed cf. Dan. 10:11, 10:19) by God, Gabriel had received an answer for Daniel as soon as Daniel began to pray.

The program in the 70 sevens

Daniel was first informed that God’s program would be consummated in 70 sevens. Since Daniel had been thinking of God’s program in terms of years Dan. 9:1; cf. Jer. 25:11-12; 2Chtr. 36:21), it would be most natural for him to understand these sevens as years. Whereas people today think in units of tens e.g., decades, Daniel’s people thought in terms of sevens heptads. Seven days are in one week. Every seventh year was a sabbath rest year Lev. 25:1-7. Seven sevens brought them to the Year of Jubilee Lev. 25:8-12. Seventy sevens, then, is a span of 490 years. The 490 could not designate days about 1 years for that would not be enough time for the events prophesied in Dan. 9:24-27 to occur. The same is true of 490 weeks of seven days each i.e., 3,430 days, about 9 years. Also, if days were intended one would expect Daniel to have added of days after 70 sevens for in Dan. 10:2-3 he wrote literally, three sevens of days NIV, three weeks.

Also, since Israel and Judah had failed to keep the sabbatical years every seventh year the land was to lie fallow, Lev. 25:1-7 throughout her history, the Lord enforced on the land 70 sabbaths cf. Lev. 26:34-35. Thus 490 years would be required to complete 70 sabbatical years with one occurring every seventh year.

This span of time was decreed for Daniel’s people cf. your people in Dan. 10:14; 11:14 and the Holy City cf. Dan. 9:16, 9:24. This prophecy, then, is concerned not with world history or church history, but with the history of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. By the time these 490 years run their course, God will have completed six things for Israel. The first three have to do with sin, and the second three with the kingdom. The basis for the first three was provided in the work of Christ on the cross, but all six will be realized by Israel at the Second Advent of Christ.

1. At the end of the 490 years God will finish the transgression of Israel. The verb to finish kālā' means to bring something to an end. Israel’s sin of disobedience will be brought to an end at Christ’s second coming when she repents and turns to Him as her Messiah and Savior. Then she will be restored to the land and blessed, in answer to Daniel’s prayer.

In Old Testament days the highpoint in Israel’s festival calendar was the Day of Atonement Lev. 16:1-34. On that day the nation assembled before God, acknowledged her sin, and offered blood sacrifices to cover that sin. Though that sacrifice covered Israel’s sin for 12 months, it did not permanently remove that sin Heb. 10:1-3. It was necessary that a sacrifice be offered God that would permanently remove all the accumulated sins. This sacrifice was offered by Jesus Christ who by His death made payment for all sins that had not been removed in the past cf. Rom. 3:25. So His atoning work on the cross has made possible His future finishing of Israel’s transgression.

2. God will put an end to sin. The verb ḥāṯam has the idea of sealing up. Here the thought is sealing something up with a view to punishment cf. Deut. 32:34; Job 14:17). This emphasized that Israel’s sin which had gone unpunished would be punished in or through Jesus Christ, her Substitute, who would bear the sins of the world on the cross. Then at Christ’s second coming He will remove Israel’s sin Eze. 37:23; Rom. 11:20-27.

3. God will atone for wickedness. The verb to atone kāp̱ar means to cover or expiate. This too relates to God’s final atonement of Israel when she repents at Christ’s second coming, as the provision for that atonement has already been made at the Cross. Israel’s Day of Atonement should be kept in view here too, as in the first of these six accomplishments. On that day God provided a just basis on which He would deal with a guilty people. The blood applied to the mercy seat the atonement cover, Lev. 16:14 over the ark of the covenant enabled Him to dwell among His sinful people. Similarly, Daniel’s prophecy promised that because of Christ’s blood shed on the cross God would deal with sinners, and here in particular, with sinners in Israel.

Being propitiated i.e., satisfied by Christ’s blood, God can atone for or expiate sin. The Greek words for atonement cover hilasmos; KJV, mercy seat and propitiate hilaskomai are related.

4. The second three accomplishments deal with positive aspects of God’s program. Being satisfied by the death of Christ, God will bring in everlasting righteousness. The form of the verb brings in here means to cause to come in. The word everlasting here pl. in Heb. means ages. Thus this phrase lit., to bring in righteousness of ages is a prophecy that God will establish an age characterized by righteousness. This is a reference to the millennial kingdom Isa. 60:21; Jer. 23:5-6.

5. God will seal up vision and prophecy. All that God through the prophets said He would do in fulfilling His covenant with Israel will be fully realized in the millennial kingdom. Until they are fulfilled, prophecies are unsealed. Seal translates the same verb, ḥāṯam, used in the second of these six accomplishments.

6. God will anoint the Most Holy. This may refer to the dedication of the most holy place in the millennial temple, described in Ezekiel 41-46. Or it may refer not to a holy place, but to the Holy One, Christ. If so, this speaks of the enthronement of Christ, the Anointed One Dan. 7:25-27 as King of kings and Lord of lords in the Millennium.

These six accomplishments, then, anticipate the establishment of Israel’s covenanted millennial kingdom under the authority of her promised King. The six summarize God’s whole program to bring the nation Israel the blessings He promised through His covenants Gen. 15:18-21; 2Sam. 7:16; Jer. 31:31-34.

The divisions of the 70 sevens

Important revelation was then given Daniel about the inception of this important time period and its divisions. The 70 sevens would begin, Gabriel said, with the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. This decree was the fourth of four decrees made by Persian rulers in reference to the Jews. The first was Cyrus’ decree in 538 b.c. 2Chr. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13. The second was the decree of Darius I 522-486 in 520 b.c. Ezra 6:1, 6:6-12. This decree actually was a confirmation of the first decree. The third was the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus 464-424 in 458 b.c. Ezra 7:11-26. The first two decrees pertain to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and the third relates to finances for animal sacrifices at the temple. These three say nothing about the rebuilding of the city itself. Since an unwalled city was no threat to a military power, a religious temple could be rebuilt without jeopardizing the military authority of those granting permission to rebuild it. No one of these three decrees, then, was the decree that formed the beginning of the 70 sevens.

The fourth decree was also by Artaxerxes Longimanus, issued on March 5, 444 b.c. Neh. 2:1-8. On that occasion Artaxerxes granted the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s city walls. This decree is the one referred to in Dan. 9:25.

The end or goal of the prophecy is the appearance of the Anointed One, the Ruler. This refers to Christ Himself. God the Father anointed Christ with the Spirit at the time of His water baptism Acts 10:38, but the anointing referred to here is the anointing of Christ as the Ruler in His kingdom cf. see anoint the Most Holy in Dan. 9:24. This prophecy of the 70 sevens, then, ends not with the First Advent of Christ, as some suggest, but rather with the Second Advent and the establishing of the millennial kingdom.

This 490-year period is divided into three segments; (a) 7 sevens 49 years, (b) 62 sevens 434 years, and (c) 1 seven Dan. 9:27; 7:1-28 years. The first period of 49 years may refer to the time in which the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, permitted by Artaxerxes’ decree, was completed 444-395 b.c.. Though Nehemiah’s wall construction project took only 52 days, many years may have been needed to remove the city’s debris after being desolate for many decades, to build adequate housing, and to rebuild the streets and a trench.

The 62 sevens 434 years extend up to the introduction of the Messiah to the nation Israel. This second period concluded on the day of the Triumphal Entry just before Christ was cut off, that is, crucified. In His Triumphal Entry, Christ, in fulfillment of Zec. 9:9, officially presented Himself to the nation of Israel as the Messiah. He was evidently familiar with Daniel’s prophecy when on that occasion He said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace but now it is hidden from your eyes Luke 19:42.

Thus the first two segments of the important time period the 7 sevens 49 years and the 62 sevens 434 years ran consecutively with no time between them. They totaled 483 years and extended from March 5, 444 b.c. to March 30, a.d. 33. How can 444 b.c. to a.d. 33 equal 483 years? For an answer see the chart The 483 Years in the Jewish and Gregorian Calendars. For more details see Harold W. Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1977, and Alva J. McClain, Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969.

According to Dan. 9:26 the Anointed One was not cut off in the 70th seven; He was cut off after the 7 and 62 sevens had run their course. This means that there is an interval between the 69th and 70th sevens. Christ’s crucifixion, then, was in that interval, right after His Triumphal Entry, which concluded the 69th seven. This interval was anticipated by Christ when He prophesied the establishing of the church Mat. 16:18. This necessitated the setting aside of the nation Israel for a season in order that His new program for the church might be instituted. Christ predicted the setting aside of the nation Mat. 21:42-43. The present Church Age is the interval between the 69th and 70th sevens.

Amillenarians teach that Christ’s First Advent ministry was in the 70th seven, that there was no interval between the 69th and 70th sevens, and that the six actions predicted in Dan. 9:24 are being fulfilled today in the church. This view, however, (a) ignores the fact that Dan. 9:26 says after the 62 ‘sevens not in the 70th ‘seven, (b) overlooks the fact that Christ’s ministry on earth was three and one-half years in length, not seven, and (c) ignores the fact that God’s six actions pertain to Daniel’s people Israel and His Holy City Jerusalem, not the church.

When the Anointed One would be cut off, Daniel was told, he would have nothing. The word translated cut off is used of executing the death penalty on a criminal. Thus the prophecy clearly points to the crucifixion of Christ. At His crucifixion He would have nothing in the sense that Israel had rejected Him, and the kingdom could not be instituted at that time. Therefore He did not then receive the royal glory as the King on David’s throne over Israel. John referred to this when he wrote, He came to that which was His own i.e., the throne to which He had been appointed by the Father but His own i.e., His own people did not receive Him John 1:11. Daniel’s prophecy, then, anticipated Christ’s offer of Himself to the nation Israel as her Messiah, the nation’s rejection of Him as Messiah, and His crucifixion.

The 483 Years in the Jewish and Gregorian Calendar
Jewish Calendar (360 days per year)					Gregorian Calendar (365 days a year)
(7 x 7) + (62 x 7) years = 483 years					444 b.c. to a.d. 33 = 476 years†
		483 x 360	years years			476 x 365	years days
	173,880		days			173,740 + 116 + 24 173,880	days days in leap years†¡ March 5-March 30 days
See Dan. 9:27 for confirmation of this 360-day year.
† Since only one year expired between 1 b.c. and a.d. 1, the total is 476, not 477.
†¡A total of 476 years divided by four a leap year every four years gives 119 additional days. But three days must be subtracted from 119 because centennial years are not leap years, though every 400th year is a leap year.

The prophecy continues with a description of the judgment that would come on the generation that rejected the Messiah. The city which contains the sanctuary, that is, Jerusalem, would be destroyed by the people of the ruler who will come. The ruler who will come is that final head of the Roman Empire, the little horn of Dan. 7:8. It is significant that the people of the ruler, not the ruler himself, will destroy Jerusalem. Since he will be the final Roman ruler, the people of that ruler must be the Romans themselves. This, then, is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem about which Christ spoke in His ministry.

When the leaders of the nation registered their rejection of Christ by attributing His power to Beelzebub, the prince of the demons Mat. 12:24, Christ warned that if they persisted in that view, they would be guilty of sin for which there would be no forgiveness, Mat. 12:31-32. He also warned the nation that Jerusalem would be destroyed by Gentiles Luke 21:24, that it would be desolate Mat. 23:38, and that the destruction would be so complete that not one stone would be left on another Mat. 24:2. This destruction was accomplished by Titus in a.d. 70 when he destroyed the city of Jerusalem and killed thousands of Jews. But that invasion, awesome as it was, did not end the nation’s sufferings, for war, Gabriel said, would continue until the end. Even though Israel was to be set aside, she would continue to suffer until the prophecies of the 70 sevens were completely fulfilled. Her sufferings span the entire period from the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 to Jerusalem’s deliverance from Gentile dominion at the Second Advent of Christ.

Daniel 9:27 this verse unveils what will occur in the 70th seven years. This seven-year period will begin after the Rapture of the church which will consummate God’s program in this present Age. The 70th seven will continue till the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Because Jesus said this will be a time of great distress Mat. 24:21, this period is often called the Tribulation.

A significant event that will mark the beginning of this seven-year period is the confirming of a covenant. This covenant will be made with many, that is, with Daniel’s people, the nation Israel. The ruler who will come Dan. 9:26 will be this covenant maker, for that person is the antecedent of the word he in Dan. 9:27. As a yet future ruler he will be the final head of the fourth empire the little horn of the fourth beast, Dan. 7:8.

The covenant he will make will evidently be a peace covenant, in which he will guarantee Israel’s safety in the land. This suggests that Israel will be in her land but will be unable to defend herself for she will have lost any support she may have had previously. Therefore she will need and welcome the peacemaking role of this head of the confederation. In offering this covenant, this ruler will pose as a prince of peace, and Israel will accept his authority. But then in the middle of that seven, after three and one-half years, he will break the covenant. According to Dan. 11:45, he will then move from Europe into the land of Israel.

This ruler will end… sacrifice and offering. This expression refers to the entire Levitical system, which suggests that Israel will have restored that system in the first half of the 70th seven. After this ruler gains worldwide political power, he will assume power in the religious realm as well and will cause the world to worship him 2Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:8. To receive such worship, he will terminate all organized religions. Posing as the world’s rightful king and god and as Israel’s prince of peace, he will then turn against Israel and become her destroyer and defiler.

Daniel was told that the ruler who will come Dan. 9:26 will place abominations on a wing of the temple. Christ referred to this incident: You [will] see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation Mat. 24:15. John wrote that the false prophet would set up an image to this ruler and that the world will be compelled to worship it Rev. 13:14-15. But then his end will come the end that is decreed is poured out on him. With his false prophet he will be cast into the lake of fire when Christ returns to the earth Rev. 19:20; cf. Dan. 7:11, 7:26.

This covenant could not have been made or confirmed by Christ at His First Advent, as amillenarians teach, because: (a) His ministry did not last seven years, (b) His death did not stop sacrifices and offerings, (c) He did not set up the abomination that causes desolation Mat. 24:15. Amillenarians suggest that Christ confirmed in the sense of fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant, but the Gospels give no indication He did that in His First Advent.

As stated, the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel at the beginning of the second half of the 70th seven, that is, it will be broken for three and one-half years. This is called a time, times, and half a time Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14. The fact that this is the same as the three and one-half years, which in turn are equated with 1,260 days Rev. 11:3; 12:6) and with 42 months Rev. 11:2; 13:5, means that in Jewish reckoning each month has 30 days and each year 360 days. This confirms the 360-day Jewish year used in the calculations in the chart, The 483 Years in the Jewish and Gregorian Calendars near Dan. 9:26. Since the events in the 69 sevens Dan. 9:24-26) were fulfilled literally, the 70th seven, yet unfulfilled, must likewise be fulfilled literally.