The Seventy Week Countdown

What is often referred to as Daniel’s prophecy of the “seventy weeks” is actually a recording of the angel Gabriel’s message to Daniel from God, which is found in Daniel 9:24-27. The significance of this message is seen in the events that are described, as well as in the end result of those events. At the very beginning of this message, Gabriel briefly explains to Daniel what the “seventy weeks” will result in, saying, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” (Daniel 9:24, NASB) Taken at face value, as well as out of context, one would think that these things would occur within “seventy weeks” from when Gabriel delivered the message to Daniel, placing their fulfillment just short of a year and a half later. Of course, none of the events described in Gabriel’s message, nor their end result occurred that next year. But that does not mean that the message was wrong in its timing, or in what it promised.

This message concerning “seventy weeks” is actually a gauge for timing the fulfillment of some of the most important prophecies of the Bible. At points this gauge is very precise in timing events, while at other points it is somewhat vague, but what is precise and what is vague are both clearly identified as such. This gauge provides a count down to events from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the coming of the promised Messiah. It also provides a basic time frame for the death of the Messiah, for a second destruction of Jerusalem, and for the coming of the ultimate enemy of God’s people, the Antichrist. But this gauge is useless, if one does not know how to read it.

The first key to understanding the “seventy weeks” is coming to understand that it does not refer to “weeks,” but rather “weeks” of years. In fact, the Hebrew word “shabua” that is translated as “weeks,” can be translated as either a time period of seven days or seven years. Most modern readers have never heard of a week of years, but God’s people were acutely aware of such a thing. A crucial part of God’s law, as well as their own national history, educated them in its meaning. God had told the Children of Israel to keep a “sabbath year” every seventh year, reminiscent of the “sabbath day,” but this time of rest was to be for “the land” (Lev. 25:2-4). God actually warned them that, if they did not obey His commandments, He would exile them from the land and that the land would then “rest and enjoy its sabbaths” in their absence (Lev. 26:34-35). When this judgment was soon to come to pass, Jeremiah warned them that they would be exiled to Babylon and that “the land” would be desolate for “seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). In 2 Chronicles 36:19-21, the Bible describes the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, pointing out that both the desolation and exile would last “seventy years” to account for each “sabbath year” that they neglected to keep. In other words, they were to be punished for “seventy years” because they neglected to keep the “sabbath year” for a total of “seventy weeks” of years.

That God chose a total of “seventy weeks” of years to count down the events of Daniel 9:24-27, reveals its indirect connection to Israel and Judah’s history. But there is also a direct connection between the seventy year exile and Gabriel’s message to Daniel. Gabriel delivered the message concerning the “seventy weeks,” when Daniel had been praying about his people returning from their seventy year exile (Daniel 9:1-19). In fact, the seventy-year exile would end when the “seventy weeks” started counting down, because what would trigger the countdown would also end their exile.

Daniel was given a very precise time for the occurrence of the first two events on the schedule. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “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.” (Daniel 9:25, NKJV) There is clearly a division between what would happen first in “seven weeks” and what would happen later in “sixty-two weeks.” The occurrence of the first event is the key to understanding when the second event was scheduled to occur.

The “…going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem…” would begin the countdown and is easily determined. There were actually three decrees issued that allowed the Hebrew exiles to return to Jerusalem, but only one qualifies to begin the countdown. The first decree was issued by Cyrus in 538 B.C., which called for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 36:22), but this decree did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Artaxerxes I issued a second decree concerning Jerusalem in 458 B.C., which called for the offering of sacrifices in the Temple and the beautification of the Temple, as well as for the renewed observance of God’s Law by the exiles who had returned (see Ezra 7:11-26), but this decree also did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The third decree to be issued was more of an official permission from the king than a new decree. In 445 B.C., when Nehemiah asked if he could lead more exiles back to Jerusalem and complete its rebuilding, Artaxerxes I gave him his permission to do so (see Neh. 2:5-6). The things that Artaxerxes I permitted Nehemiah to do for Jerusalem were simply in addition to those things that were commanded in the previous decree of 458 B.C.

If 458 B.C. is the correct starting point, then the first event would occur in “seven weeks” of years, or forty-nine years later. During this time period, Ezra led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the completed Temple, as well as to call the returning Jews to obey God’s Law. Within fifteen years of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah led another group of exiles back to rebuild its walls and fully re-establish the city. All of these efforts were completed by 409 B.C., or within forty-nine years of the decree given by Artaxerxes I concerning Jerusalem. Thus the “seven weeks” had been fulfilled right on time.

With the fulfillment of the “seven weeks,” the countdown continued on toward the second event. “Sixty-two weeks” of years from 409 B.C., or 434 years later, “Messiah the Prince” would apparently make His appearance. Therefore, the scheduled time for the Messiah’s appearance was to be the year 27 A.D. (note that there is no year 0 B.C. or year 0 A.D.). This year has a direct connection with Biblical events. Luke explains that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently started His ministry “…in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1, NKJV). Officially, Tiberius became emperor in 14 A.D., but he had reigned as a sort of co-emperor with Augustus since 13 A.D. Therefore, the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius began in the year 27 A.D., precisely when Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would make His appearance. It should not be surprising that “Messiah the Prince” would come right on schedule, nor that Jesus truly is the Messiah!

Concerning the next two events, Daniel was given a very vague time frame for their occurrence. There is clearly an interval of time between the first sixty-nine weeks of years and the last week of years, because the events that are supposed to happen in-between them cover a time period of much more than seven years. That is why the remainder of the message is worded the way it is. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “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.” (Daniel 9:26, NKJV)

The first event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the death of the “Messiah… but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:26a, NKJV). It must have been a shock to Daniel to hear that not only would the Messiah die, but that He would die on behalf of others. Before Jesus came, few if any understood that the Messiah would first come and suffer before He would come and conquer. But according to plan, Jesus the Messiah willingly died in the place of all sinners just three years after His scheduled appearance.

The second event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (“the city and the sanctuary”) by “…the people of the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV). At first glance, one might come to the conclusion that this coming “prince” is “Messiah the Prince,” whose coming was already promised in verse twenty-five. There are many problems with this idea, mainly because if it were the same “prince,” the “people” destroying Jerusalem and the Temple would have to be Christians fighting Jews. Also, the death of the Messiah occurred before this destruction. Clearly another “prince” would be coming and his “people” would be doing the deed.

To discover who “the people of the prince” are, once must simply look at what historically followed the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. In 70 A.D. a Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple within it. Though Jerusalem has been built, destroyed, and rebuilt many times since the first century, the Temple is still a desolation and will be a desolation “till the end of the war,” as God previously “determined” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV).

Though he would come from the Roman people, this “prince” can be identified by what was said that he would do in the final week of years. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “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 9:27, NASB)

The seven-year covenant, as well as the breaking of it after only three and a half years, characterizes the actions of the Antichrist, as described in the book of Revelation. The first three and a half years of this covenant are described in Revelation chapter eleven, where the Bible says, “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth… When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” (Revelation 11:1-3, 7, NKJV) Notice that the Antichrist (“the beast”) does not become violent toward God’s witnesses until after “forty-two months,” or “one thousand two hundred and sixty days,” which both work out to be three and a half years according to the 12 month, 360 day Jewish calendar. Also there are not any disruptions found inside of the Temple during this three and a half year time period.

The remaining three and a half years of the covenant are described in Revelation chapter 13, where the Bible says of the Antichrist, “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:5-8, NKJV) During this three and half year time period (“forty-two months”), the Antichrist would seek to stamp out the worship of God and replace it with the worship of himself. These acts of blasphemy by the Antichrist fit with what Gabriel said would happen after the breaking of the seven-year covenant, from the ending of all “sacrifice and offering” to the spreading of his “abominations” abroad. The actions of the Antichrist against “the saints” also matches what Daniel had seen in the vision of chapter seven (Daniel 7:21-22, 25-26), which included the final judgment of the Antichrist (Daniel 7:11). According to Gabriel, in the end of the “seventy weeks” of years, “…the one who makes desolate” will face “complete destruction” (Daniel 9:27b, NASB). In other words, God will win!

In conclusion, the overall goal of the “seventy weeks” of years should not be overlooked. Gabriel promised that the “seventy weeks are determined… 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” (Daniel 9:24, NKJV). Though Jesus already did all that was necessary “to make an end of sins” and “to make reconciliation for iniquity” the first time He came, the rest will not be fulfilled until the second time He comes to end the “seventy weeks” of years. In the meantime, readers of this passage in Daniel should stand in awe at the amazing fulfillment of it so far. Not only did this message get it right when it gave the scheduled time for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messiah, it also made clear that the Messiah would die on behalf of others and that Jerusalem would subsequently be destroyed. One should come away from this passage with a revived awe and respect for the Word of God, and especially for the One we call Savior, who is Jesus the Messiah.

"Lord Jesus, we thank You for the mission that you planned to undertake so long ago. We know that You came and carried out that mission, through giving Your life in the place of ours. Lord God, just as we know that You arose from the dead, we also know that You will return one day for us. No-one can prevent Your Kingdom from coming on this Earth, not even the Antichrist! We pray as you taught us to, saying, 'Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!' Amen."