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. |
Until: Until used in this context helps to define Daniel's prophetic timeline. The until defines the events that will take place to bring the seven sevens and sixty-two sevens (69 weeks (of years) = 483 years) to a close. Specifically this verse is saying that the 69 weeks will not come to an end "until" the Anointed One, the ruler comes. The word Messiah literally means 'Anointed One."
Niv Note - Comes: In this passage some texts include the word "comes" (niv) to help with an understanding of the context. Until what? Until the Messiah comes. This word is connected to the phrase until. Until the "Anointed One, the Ruler" comes. This takes us to the final week of the 69 week (483 year timeline). The first week being the issuing of the Royal Decree and the last week being the time when the Anointed one (Messiah) comes.
Jesus arrived on the scene exactly when Daniel said he would. This may be one reason why Judaism was looking for the Messiah to come at this time.
It was not a secret that the Messiah was to come. Jesus was "cut off" or crucified shortly after the end of the 69th week. That began a gap or a kind of time out in-between week 69 and 70.
This time out has lasted for almost 2000 years. When The Time Of Jacobs Trouble begins, the 70th week will begin as well.
The beginning of the 69 weeks starts with the Royal Decree. From then through or until the arrival of the Anointed one will be 483 years.
There are those who believe there may be a connection between Luke 19:42 and this part of the prophecy. They believe that the "this day" Jesus spoke about in Luke referred to not only the end of the 69th week but the end of the 483 years to the day. Regardless of the intent of "this day" either one 24 hour period or "this day" meaning a season of time, this day was foretold.
"If thou also hadst known, even on this day, the things which belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes!" (Luke 19:42).
For more on this possibility please read 69 Weeks To The Day.
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:
