The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 – A Messianic Prophecy

In 605 BC, Daniel and others in Jerusalem were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and his army and were then taken to Babylon. Here
God called Daniel to be a prophet. The prophecies that God gave to Daniel are recorded in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament.
Our study will be on Daniel chapter 9 but we will begin by referring to chapter 8 in order to get the background.

In chapter 8, Daniel has a vision of the rise and fall of nations. A ruler will arise that will pervert the worship of God, persecute God's
people and desecrate the Sanctuary. The question is then asked: “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the
transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?” (vs. 13)*. The answer is given:
“For two thousand three hundred days [lit. evenings and mornings]; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” (vs 14).

The angel Gabriel gives a rather detailed explanation of the vision. But concerning the 2300 days he says: “And the vision of the
evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.” (vs. 26). Then
follows Daniels reaction and the conclusion of the chapter: “And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went
about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.” (vs 27).

Daniel obviously realized that the 2300 days referred to 2300 years. He is perplexed. Had not God, through the prophet Jeremiah
promised (see Jer. 29:10) that the captivity in Babylon would last for only 70 years? In the first part of chapter 9, we find Daniel
confessing the sins of his people under fasting and prayer. Then the angel Gabriel again comes to Daniel to give him insight. We will
now turn to the words of Gabriel and study them in some detail.

Daniel 9 Notes
23 At the beginning of your supplications the ”understand the vision” What vision? There is no vision in chapter 9, so Gabriel
command went out, and I have come to tell you, is here referring back to chapter 8, specifically to the vision concerning the 2300
for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the days that no one could understand.
matter, and understand the vision:
24 “Seventy weeks 70 weeks = 490 days. If we follow the principle that a day represents a year (see
are determined eg. Num 14:34; Eze 4:6) it makes 490 years. The word translated “determined”
For your people and also have the meaning of “cut off.” Cut off from where? From the 2300 days.
for your holy city, “Your people” refers to the Jewish nation and the “holy city” to Jerusalem.
To finish the transgression, People were to stop their rebellion, but through the Messiah the sin problem
To make an end of sins, would be dealt with at its root. Only Messiah would be able to bring
To make reconciliation for iniquity, reconciliation and “everlasting righteousness.” The 70 week prophecy would
To bring in everlasting righteousness, also confirm the veracity of the “vision and prophecy” of chapter 8.
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy. In the desert, God asked the Israelites to build a sanctuary (Exo 25:8). When the
structure was completed, everything connected with the sanctuary was anointed
(Exo 40), before the regular services began. The services of the earthly sanctuary
pointed toward Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. After Christ's
ascension the Heavenly Sanctuary was inaugurated where he now serves as our
High Priest, our mediator (Heb 1:3; 4:14-16; 8; 9).
25 “ Know therefore and understand, The decree that best fits the prophecy is the one given by Artaxerxes I in 457 BC
That from the going forth of the command and recorded in Ezr 7. The issue here is not so much building as restoring the
To restore and build Jerusalem functional infrastructure, such as appointing “magistrates and judges.” But they
Until Messiah the Prince, did begin to rebuild the city as well (Ezra 4:12), though the process was fraught
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two with difficulties (Ezra 4; Neh 2-7).
weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall, From this decree in 457 BC until the coming of the Messiah there would be 7 +
Even in troublesome times. 62 weeks = 69 weeks. This would equal 483 prophetic days i.e. 483 years. If we
add things up (and take into account that there is no year zero) we reach 27 AD.
Messiah means “anointed.” In 27 AD Jesus was baptized (Luk 3:1, 21) and he
was anointed by the Holy Spirit that came over him in the form of a dove (Acts
10:38; Luk 3:22). Jesus now began his public ministry and proclaimed: “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel” (Mark 1:15 cf. Gal 4:4).
26 “ And after the sixty-two weeks At some time after 27 AD the Messiah would be killed.
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come Here is described the Roman army under the leadership of Titus that entered
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Jerusalem like a flood in 70 AD and destroyed both the city and the temple. Jesus
The end of it shall be with a flood, predicted this event about 40 years earlier (see Matt 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21).
And till the end of the war desolations are
determined.

* The ”New King James Version” throughout.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for The last week which represents 7 years, brings us from 27 AD to 34 AD. Earlier
one week; we found that the Messiah would die at some point after 27 AD. This verse goes
But in the middle of the week into more detail. Here we read that it would happen in the middle of the 7 years
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. which brings us to 31 AD. This is the year when Jesus, “the lamb of God,” died
on the cross for the sins of humanity making the animal sacrifices that had been
And on the wing of abominations shall be one but a shadow of this event, useless (See eg. Heb 9). Then the verse again brings
who makes desolate, us forward to the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD. In Matt 24:15 and
Even until the consummation, which is Mark 13:14 Jesus refers to this very text. The Roman power would develop over
determined, the years as Dan 2, 7, and 8 predicted, but even that power will finally come to
Is poured out on the desolate.” an end. It will itself be made desolate.
But what happened at the end of the 70th week in 34 AD? The Jewish leaders waited for the Messiah, but when their Messiah came
they rejected him and had him killed. In 34 AD they had Stephen stoned to death when he showed them that Jesus was the
fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies and thus they confirmed their rejection. Those who believed in Christ were now persecuted
and they spread around the message of the Messiah wherever they fled. About this time, Paul was also converted. He became known
as “an apostle to the Gentiles“ (Rom 11:13). Jesus, the Messiah came to save everyone, Jew and gentile alike, and those who commit
their lives to Him become members of the true Israel of God (Rom 2:28, 29; Gal 3:26-29).