The Prophecy - Daniel 9:24-27 - Daniel's 70 Weeks - Overview |
Old Testament Prophecy |
24) 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. 25) 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. 26) Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, 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. 27) 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. |
New Testament Fulfilment |
69 of the 70 weeks of this prophecy have been fulfilled. At the end of week 69, our Messiah Jesus was crucified or to use Daniel's prophetic language he was be "cut off." The prophecy fulfillment pauses here and we are now in -between week 69 and week 70. When the prophecy resumes - sometime in the future - possibly very soon - the 70th week will begin. This 70th week, (a 7 year period) is often referred to as The Time Of Jacob's Trouble and The Tribulation Period, and once started will bring this prophecy to its full intended fulfillment. |
This communication of God delivered by the Angel Gabriel is a prophecy that deals with a specific section of time covering 490 years, along with a description of prophetic things that will happen during this 490 year span. It uses a measurement of time known as a heptad (a group or series of seven). In this prophecy the Angel Gabriel reveals to Daniel who then tells us the prophetic time clock for the first coming of the Messiah. He also reveals things to come concerning the Time Of Jacob's Trouble. Presented below is a verse by verse commentary with links to separate pages explaining some of the key details in a slightly greater depth. This page of JewishRoots.Net is not intended to be a comprehensive study. There is more than one interpretation of understanding concerning this section of the Bible. The viewpoint of Jewishroots.net is shared here. Viewers are encouraged to do an independent study on their own using prayer and the information presented here as a starting point. Enjoy seeing God's prophetic plan being put into action.
God blessed Daniel as he was confessing, praying, and showing concern for all of Israel.
69 of the 70 weeks have already been fulfilled. There is one week (7 years) of this prophecy still to come. Since the first 69 weeks of Daniel were subject to literal fulfillment, it is a powerful argument that the final seventieth week will have a similar fulfillment.(1)
Since the prophecy is considered partially but not fully fulfilled yet, we are in between week 69 and week 70. This is like a prophetic clock time out or a pause and no one knows for sure how long this pause will be. We only know when week 69 was completed and that week 70 contains events that have not happened yet so it hasn't started yet.
The prophetic clock could start ticking again at any time to begin the final week or final 7 year period of Daniel's 490 - 70 week prophecy.
Dan. 9:24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
3 Negative Sacrifice of the Messiah (His Death) |
3 Positive Sovereignty of the Messiah (His Reign) |
The three negative promises are most likely blessings for those who believe in Messiah's 1st coming, crucifixion and resurrection. They were fulfilled in principle at Christ's first coming and will be fulfilled in full at His return. The three positive promises are most likely blessings surrounding Messiah's second coming. All 6 promises will be fulfilled in full when Messiah returns. Jesus first coming did not fully usher in all the blessings listed in Dan. 9:24.
This prophecy embraces everything from Daniel's day to eternity.
The first three goals relate to the sins of national Israel; the final three regard her salvation. Thus the period for the fulfillment of all the goals must be seen in conjunction with Messiah's mission to Israel, which historically encompasses both advents.(2)
Dan. 9:25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
Verses 25 and 26 are about two different princes who should not be confused: the first is named Messiah the Prince (v25) referred to by Isaiah as the Prince Of Peace, and the second is described as the prince that shall come (v26).(3)
Dan. 9:26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
Dan. 9:26 gives us a timetable for the arrival of the prophesied Messiah. It also foretells of the coming destruction of the Second Temple. The end of the verse is still active in our present time. This is exactly where we are at now, waiting for week 70 or the last 7 years of this prophecy (next verse-Dan.9:27) to begin.
Dan. 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Dan. 9:27 brings this prophecy to fulfillment. After the covenant is signed or made strong, the last week will begin, bringing with it an unprecedented time of distress and trouble for the world, but especially for Israel. The rebuilt Third Temple will be standing and functioning with a return to the sacrificial system for Judaism. At the end of this prophetic time known as The Time Of Jacob's Trouble, Jesus Returns to judge the nations that have come against Israel and set up His Millennial Kingdom.
This one seven concerns the last and final Seventieth Week of Daniel's prophecy.
Jesus teaches about the future fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy after His death in Matthew 24:15. For a more in depth look at the abomination check out Understanding The Abomination Of Desolation.
In the predictions of the Seventy Weeks, we have the indispensable chronological key to al New Testament prophecy. Our Lord's great prophetical discourse recorded in Matthew and Mark fixes the time of Israel's final and greatest trouble definitely within the days of the Seventieth Week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15-22; Mark 13:14-20). And the greater part of the Book of Revelation is simply an expansion of Daniel's prophecy within the chronological framework as outlined by the same Seventieth Week, which is divided into two equal periods, each extending for 1260 days, or 42 months, or 3 1/2 years (Rev.11:2-3; 12:6; 14; 13:5). Therefore, apart from an understanding of the details of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel, all attempts to interpret New Testament prophecy, must fail in large measure.(1)
Next page in the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy study is Seventy Weeks
This prophecy came over 500 years before the events occurred.
The Expression "week of years" occurs in the Mishna (Sanh.v.1.)(4)
Here are some links that have been created to help move around inside of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy.
Other links of interest include:
1). Things To Come J. Dwight Pentecost (McClain) p. 238-240
2). Randall Price (Israel My Glory Feb/March 2000).
3). Alva J. McClain Daniel's Prophecy of Seventy Weeks.
4). The Soncino Books of the Bible; Daniel-Ezra-Nehemiah p.77
Midnight Call Oct-2005 p.11
John MacArthur Study Bible p.1218 and The Future of Israel (Grace to You 6-28-2006).
Messiah in the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. p.204
Randall Price (Israel My Glory Feb/March 2000).
Randall Price is President of World of the Bible Ministries, Inc., an organization involved in research and publication of information related to ancient and modern Israel and the Middle East.
