¶ … Daniel's Seventy Weeks There are varying views about the meaning that should be ascribed to the Book of Daniel 9:24-27. This work in writing will review those various meanings and attempt to disseminate precisely what the prophecy in Daniel 9: 24-27 really mean and what these prophecies represent as relevant in today's world.

Daniel's Prophecies

The work of Floyd Hitchcock addresses Daniel 9:20-27 and states that Daniel did not understand the prophecies that were given to him however, God provided information on the subject through the archangel Gabriel who provided Daniel with an understanding of the seventy weeks, reported to be such that were "determined upon Jewish people." (nd, p.2) Daniel stated in the 9th chapter, verses 20-27 as follows:

"And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, while I 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. And he informed me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (cited in Hitchcock, nd)[footnoteRef:1] [1: Hitchcock, Floyd (1944) The Message of the Seventy Weeks. Retrieved from: http://baptistbiblebelievers.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ycQhY-28iNU%3D&tabid=139&mid=527]

II. Gabriel's Guidance to Daniel

In verse 24, Gabriel the archangel said to Daniel: "Seventy weeks are determined upon they people and upon they 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." (Hitchcock, nd)[footnoteRef:2] [2: Hitchcock, Floyd (1944) The Message of the Seventy Weeks. Retrieved from: http://baptistbiblebelievers.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ycQhY-28iNU%3D&tabid=139&mid=527]

III. The Seventy Weeks

These seventy weeks were not weeks such as are known to be comprised of seven days per week, but instead weeks lasting seven years each and ultimately the 490 years that were determined "upon Daniel's people the Jews and upon the Holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin 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." (Hitchcock, nd)[footnoteRef:3] Thomas Ice writes that those who interpret Biblical prophecy literally "must strike down the plain meaning of Daniel's prophecy in their failed attempts to strike down the prophetic precision found in biblical prophecy." (p.1) It is the belief of the writer of this present work, as well as the belief of Ice (nd)[footnoteRef:4] and DeMar (1999)[footnoteRef:5] that the seventieth week "is yet to be fulfilled." The Jewish people were "Sabbath oriented. It is for this reason that they counted time by parts of seven. Every seven years they had a year-long holiday. Every 49th year all of their debts were forgiven." (Ice, nd )[footnoteRef:6] These types of groups of seven are not unusual in the Scriptures. Leviticus 25:6 uses "seven weeks of years" in reference to the 49 years between Jubilees. (Ice, nd, p.1)[footnoteRef:7] [3: Hitchcock, Floyd (1944) The Message of the Seventy Weeks. Retrieved from: http://baptistbiblebelievers.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ycQhY-28iNU%3D&tabid=139&mid=527]...

Retrieved from: http://www.raptureme.com/featured/70-weeks-10.html] [5: Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church, (Power Springs, GA: American Vision, 1999), pp. 334-35] [6: Ice, Thomas (nd) The Seventy Weeks of Daniel. Retrieved from: http://www.raptureme.com/featured/70-weeks-10.html] [7: Ice, Thomas (nd) The Seventy Weeks of Daniel. Retrieved from: http://www.raptureme.com/featured/70-weeks-10.html]
Verse 26 introduces "the prince who is to come" and who is presented in contrast to the Messiah Prince. Verse 26 states as follows:

"…the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Daniel 9:24-27).Notice the actions of this one who is "the prince who is to come." It is he who will destroy the city and the sanctuary. It must be remembered that, at the time Daniel received this prophecy, there was no city or sanctuary. It had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. But Daniel says that it is going to happen again." (Finnegan, nd)[footnoteRef:8] [8: Finnegan, Vince (nd) Daniel 9:24-27. Retrieved from: http://lhim.org/gladtidings/articles/Daniel_9:24-27_by_Rev__Vince_Finnegan_issue_102.pdf ]

It is reported that this was fulfilled in A.D. 70 "When the Roman General Titus marched against Jerusalem and took the city after a siege of eight months. Since that time, the site of the Temple has been the site of desolation and a complete destruction. Today archaeologists even debate as to exactly where the original Temple was located." (Finnegan, nd)[footnoteRef:9] [9: Finnegan, Vince (nd) Daniel 9:24-27. Retrieved from: http://lhim.org/gladtidings/articles/Daniel_9:24-27_by_Rev__Vince_Finnegan_issue_102.pdf]

Daniel 9:25 and 26a state as follows:

"So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after [the restoring and rebuilding of the city] sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing… " (Finnegan, nd)[footnoteRef:10] [10: Finnegan, Vince (nd) Daniel 9:24-27. Retrieved from: http://lhim.org/gladtidings/articles/Daniel_9:24-27_by_Rev__Vince_Finnegan_issue_102.pdf]

It is stated that in view of various historical records that one can conclude "the exact time the decree was given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, with the most probable being when Artaxerxes did so (recorded in Nehemiah). From this time until the coming of the Messiah would be seven weeks of sevens (49 years) and sixty-two weeks or sevens (434 years). From the time of the decree to rebuild the city until it was complete, 49 years passed. From the completion until Christ was another additional 434 years, which is 483 years. Look at the chart for clarity. So, the first 483 of the 490 years spanned the time from Daniel until Christ, leaving seven more years. The last seven years correspond with the final years of this age right before Jesus returns." (Finnegan, nd)[footnoteRef:11] [11: Finnegan, Vince (nd) Daniel 9:24-27. Retrieved from: http://lhim.org/gladtidings/articles/Daniel_9:24-27_by_Rev__Vince_Finnegan_issue_102.pdf]

It is stated that prior to the advent of Jesus that those reading Daniel "…would most likely conclude that the 490 years would be consecutive. These verses among many others caused the Israelites to believe that the Messiah coming would bring a restoration to the holy city and his reign as the King of the theocratic worldwide monarchy. The gap of time between the 483 years and the last seven years, the age in which we now live, was purposely hidden by God as part of the great mystery. If God's intentions were known, the crucifixion of Christ and the redeeming results thereof would not have occurred. The age of grace in which we now live is in between the 483 and the final seven years." (Finnegan, nd)

Daniel 9:26b states as follows:

…and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined." (Finnegan, nd) The prince who is to come is referred to in Daniel as the little horn, in Isaiah as the man of lawlessness and in 2 Thessalonians 2 as the son of destruction, and in I…