Details Of The 70 Weeks

JUNE 28, 2020 STUDY NOTES SERIES: SECOND COMING SUBJECT: DANIEL’S SEVENTIETH WEEK BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES DETAILS OF THE 70 WEEKS (Daniel 9:25-27) INTRODUCTION Daniel’s vision covered a period-of-time called “Seventy Weeks,” (70 sevens or 490 years) Dan 9:24 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. Six divine objectives are to be fulfilled within the “Seventy Weeks” (490 years) Much of which has already literally been fulfilled within the first 69 weeks (483 years) The rest will literally be fulfilled within the final seven-year period yet to come The end of Israel’s chastisement and suffering has not yet come The end of sins and the Kingdom of Righteousness is yet to be fulfilled The complete fulfillment of Daniel 9:24 requires the final 7 years which is yet to come Which means that there is a time-gap between the 69th week and the 70th week Gabriel’s presentation indicates the gap, 7+62+1=70, we are still in the time gap Dan 9:25 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. Know therefore and understand, Gabriel was sent to Daniel that he might “know and understand,” Dan 9:23 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 For us to know and understand we must compare scripture with scripture We are told what Daniel was to understand, he was given the details of the 70 Weeks (490 years) that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem The 490 year-time period begins with the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem There are several decrees related to the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of their homeland But there is only one decree that agrees with the text of Daniel The decree was specifically to rebuild the city and the rebuilding would include plaza and moat And it would be built, in times of distress, in Nehemiah we find such a decree The first-time permission was granted to rebuild the city is found in Nehemiah 2:1-8 Which was in a time of distressful circumstances and the Jews rebuilt the city The building of the streets and walls of Jerusalem was “in troublous times,” Neh. 2:16-18 Comparing these scriptures, you can accept a literal interpretation, and a literal fulfillment The end of the first 69 weeks will be the appearance of Messiah as the Prince of Israel unto the Messiah the Prince Andrew identified Jesus as the Messiah, Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah, He is “The Christ,” Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The title Christ identifies Jesus as the promised Messiah, Christ is His official title “Messiah the Prince” is identifying Jesus as the King over Israel But the question is, at what point in the life of the Messiah upon earth ends the first 69 weeks The reference has-to refer to some official presentation of Jesus as “The Prince” There appears to be only one answer, when Jesus proclaimed to Israel that He was King Which is exactly what Jesus revealed at the time of His “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was a fulfillment of prophecy (Zech. 9:9-10) Zechariah 9:9 was literally fulfilled with the first coming of Christ, Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. A prophetic passage announcing the advent of Israel’s King and Savior The command is for Israel to rejoice and shout because “thy King cometh unto thee” He is predicted to be just, and He will show Himself as Savior proving His righteousness He will come “riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” Which was fulfilled at the “Triumphal Entry” of Christ into Jerusalem, Mat 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Mat 21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. We are told why it was done, Mat 21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. Daniel’s prophecy, “unto Messiah the Prince,” was also fulfilled at the triumphal entry Which is the event that ends the first 69 weeks and then we have the time gap There is also a time gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10 Zechariah 9:10 will not be fulfilled until the second coming of Christ, Zec 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. When Jesus returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He will establish His Kingdom of Peace His Kingdom rule will be “from sea to sea,” and to “the ends of the earth” AN INTERESTING STUDY (“The Coming Prince,” by Robert Anderson, Kregel publications) A British Bible scholar, Robert Anderson, researched thoroughly the time-period of the 69 weeks His study was in 1881, he calculated the 70 weeks of Daniel into days Beginning the 69th week, March 14, 445 B.C. Which was a historical documented date that he had to work with The date of Artaxerxes’ decree to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2) He counted each day and came to April 6, A.D. 32, which is another historical day Whether Robert Anderson’s exact day calculation is correct or not, scripture is correct The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was the day of opportunity for Israel, Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. “Thy day” which was the day for Israel, the day that Jesus proclaimed His Messiahship to Israel The day which literally fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel chapter 9 The day had come for the presentation of Jesus to the Jewish people as the Messianic Prince They did not see or accept the truth of who Jesus was, they rejected Him They only wanted a King who would deliver them from physical oppression They did not see a Savior who would deliver them from their sins and give them an eternal life Daniel’s prophecy was predicted over 500 years before and was literally fulfilled to the very day Who else could have predicted such an event other than God? Where else could it be found other than in the Word of God? THE TIME PERIOD (Note the emphasis) Dan 9:25 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. Dan 9:26 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. Dan 9:27 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 until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel’s vision of 490 years is divided into three periods of time (Daniel 9:25-27) The first is a period of seven weeks which equals 49 years, the first phase of the 490-year period The second is a period of threescore and two weeks, which adds up to 62 weeks Sixty-two weeks which equals 434 years Therefore, the first two periods of time, equals 483 years, 49 + 434=483 So, phase one and phase two cover 483 years Which leaves a final period of 7 years to complete the 490 years Phase one and phase two have been completed, a period of 483 years Most scholars agree that the decree to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was fulfilled in 445 B.C. The coming of “Messiah the Prince” was fulfilled on Palm Sunday, April 6, A.D. 32 Then we have the events that were to occur following the 483 years and before the final 7 years THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST Messiah would be cut off “AFTER” the 69 weeks (Daniel 9:26) Which is Israel’s rejection of Jesus and the crucifixion of Jesus The 69th week would come to an end before the crucifixion of Jesus At the time of the crucifixion of Jesus the first 69 weeks had been fulfilled But the cross of Jesus did not occur within the 70th week, the final 7 years of the 490 years Jesus was not crucified during or within the 70th week, but before the 70th week So, there is a time-gap between the 69th week and the 70th week There is another prophesied event within the time gap THE PRINCE WHO IS TO COME (The future Antichrist) The “prince” who is to come is identified in, Dan 9:27 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 until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Jesus identified the abomination of the future Antichrist as taking place within the 70th week, Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) The abomination of desolation will be the beginning of the “great tribulation” Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Jesus’ description agrees with Daniel’s vision of the “overspreading of abominations” Also, with the “little horn” (Dan.7:25) The “king” (Dan. 11:36) The “beast” (Rev. 13) Also, the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thess. 2:3-4) All of which will be fulfilled in the 70th week with the coming of the Antichrist THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY ARE DESTROYED (Daniel 9:26) The “city” is Jerusalem and the “sanctuary” is the Temple in Jerusalem In the “Olivet Discourse” Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Jesus points out the temple in-order to tell them of the future events concerning Israel The great, magnificent structure that they were looking at would one day be destroyed It will all be torn down, totally destroyed, not even two stones will be left together The words of Jesus were fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the Temple Jerusalem was literally destroyed by the Roman General Titus and the Roman Empire The Roman army destroyed Jerusalem, burned the Temple, and killed more than a million Jews Which occurred about 40 years after the end of the 69th week of Daniel’s prophecy of 70 weeks The time gap between the crucifixion and the destruction is approximately 40 years Other prophecies concerning Jerusalem extend the time-gap far beyond 40 years The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and has not yet been rebuilt Yet sacrifices will be allowed according to the future covenant of Daniel 9:27 Which requires a place of sacrifice to be rebuilt in the time of the future covenant Which requires a time-gap between the Temple’s destruction and the future covenant So, there is a time-gap between the 69th week and the 70th week THE END THEREOF SHALL BE WITH A FLOOD (Daniel 9:26) The word “flood” may be a symbolic term referring to an overflowing destruction A figurative term indicating overwhelming circumstances such as continuous desolation Israel has experienced a steady stream of desolation ever since their destruction in 70 A.D. Israel has often faced severe persecution, kings and nations attempting to destroy them Including Hitler’s demonic Nazi holocaust, but according to Daniel, the end is not yet Israel will continue to face trouble, war, and desolation at the hand of Satan His attempt is pictured as a flood that destroys everything in its path Satan will continue his attempt to destroy Israel until “the end,” the final 7 years of the 70th week Satan will put forth an all-out effort to destroy the nation of Israel within the final 70th week Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. The “serpent” is Satan, the “woman” is Israel, the “flood” is Satan’s destructive attempts According to Jesus, the war and desolations unto the end have not yet occurred Which is thoroughly covered by Jesus within the “Olivet Discourse” (Matthew 24) The war and desolations unto the end are also presented in Revelation as yet-future OTHER PROPHECIES IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL The future work of Satan is identified in other prophecies found in Daniel And there must be a time gap between the 69th week and the 70th week according to Daniel In chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a great statue Daniel’s interpretation of the dream revealed 4 Gentile world powers There is a time-gap between the Old Roman empire and the future “revived Roman Empire” The 10 Toe Stage is yet to be fulfilled (Daniel 2:24-49) In chapter 7, Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts, also representing 4 Gentile world powers In Revelation, these Gentile world powers are identified as Satan’s Beast Empires Satan’s Beast Empires are the Gentile nations that have opposed and persecuted Israel In Daniel 2 & 7, the empires are identified, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome All of the prophecies related to the persecution of Israel were not fulfilled within the 69 weeks The greatest persecution of Israel is yet to come, it will be within the 70th week The most severe persecution of Israel will come in the time of the “Great Tribulation” The beast with ten horns (Antichrist) will persecute God’s people (Daniel 7:19-25) The future “little horn” is the Antichrist who will come in the end (Daniel 8:23-25) According to Jesus the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem will continue to face persecution, Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. “The times of the Gentiles” describes the times of Gentile persecution over Israel The prophetic verses in Daniel all present the same end of the 490 years in Daniel 9 They all direct us to the same conclusion, the end of the age is the same CONCLUSION History is the promises of God that He Has already fulfilled The future is God fulfilling the rest of His promises Daniel’s vision covered a period of 490 years, 483 years have been fulfilled The first 483 years of the seventy weeks have been fulfilled The last seven years have yet to be fulfilled The final seven years is yet to come, there is a time-gap between the 69th and 70th week Within the last seven years all of the prophecy related to Israel’s salvation will be fulfilled We are still living within the time-gap, the time-period known as the “Church Age” The NT Church is identified as the “Body of Christ” made up of Jews and Gentiles There are those who teach that there is no time-gap found in Daniel’s prophecy In-order to back up their no gap theory they must teach that God is finished with Israel Nothing within scripture teaches that God is finished with Israel or Jerusalem God has not forsaken Israel, He will not forsake them in the future Israel has yet to receive the fulfillment of the promises given to them Many scriptures reveal that all of God’s unconditional promises to Israel will be fulfilled All promises within the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled The Abrahamic covenant, Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. The Davidic Covenant, 2Ch 21:7 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever. And the New Covenant, Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: The “New Covenant” is with the whole united Israelite nation (Israel and Judah) Israel will be restored in the last days, at the second coming of Christ The theory that God has transferred those promises from Israel to the Church is not true Those that teach that theory identify the Church as “spiritual Israel” Israel is Israel in the OT and Israel is Israel in the NT The God of the OT is the God of the NT, He is the God who is in control today He controls the events of today in-order to fulfill the prophecy of the 70th week of Daniel That is why we can sing—HYMN #422, “SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY” “Shall follow me all the days of my life”