| The Prophecy - Daniel 9:24-27 - Daniel's 70 Weeks |
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. |
1). The entire prophecy has to do with Daniel's "people" and Daniel's "city," that is, the Nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:24).
2). Two different princes are mentioned, who should not be confused: the first is named Messiah the Prince (Dan.9:25); and the second is described as the Prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26).
3). The entire time-period involved is exactly specified as Seventy Weeks (Dan. 9:24); and these Seventy Weeks are further divided into three lesser periods; first; a period of seven weeks; after that a period of three-score and two-weeks; and finally, a period of one week. (Dan. 9:25,27).
4). The beginning of the whole period of the Seventy Weeks is definitely fixed at "the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" (Dan. 9:25).
5). The end of the seven weeks and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks) will be marked by the appearance of Messiah as the "prince" of Israel (Dan. 9:25).
6). At a later time, "after the threescore and two weeks" which follows the first seven weeks (that is, after 69 weeks), Messiah the Prince will be "cut off," and Jerusalem will again be destroyed by the people of another "prince" who is yet to come (Dan. 9:26).
7.) After theses two important events, we come to the last, or Seventieth Week, the beginning of which will be marked by the establishment of a firm covenant or treaty between the Coming Prince and the Jewish nation for a period of "one week: (Dan. 9:27).
8). In the "midst" of the Seventieth Week, evidently breaking his treaty, the coming prince will suddenly cause the Jewish sacrifice to cease and precipitate upon this people a time of wrath and desolation lasting to the "full end" of the week (Dan. 9:27).
9). With the full completion of the hole period of the Seventy Weeks, there will be ushered in a time of great and unparalleled blessing for the nation of Israel (Dan. 9:24).
Things To Come - A Study in Biblical Eschatology by J. Dwight Pentecost p.241
