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If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 49
The
70 Weeks
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Let's pray together, before beginning this lesson:
O Lord,
The first long prophetic period that we will study is the seventy weeks, which You
presented to Your prophet Daniel.
Please guide us during this lesson, so that our understanding of this valuable prophecy
may be appropriate, and that our confidence in Your Word may be strengthened.
In Jesus Christ our Savior we pray.
Amen.
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Daniel 9:1
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans (...).
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The prophecy of the seventy weeks is found in chapter 9 of the
book of Daniel.
Before starting on the content of this prophecy, let's look at its historical context.
The events described in chapter 9 took place in 538 B.C., shortly after the conquest of
the kingdom of the Chaldeans (Babylon) by the Medes and the Persians.
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Daniel 9:1-3
In the first year of Darius (...), in the first year of his
reign, I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of
the Lord, given through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in
the desolations of Jerusalem.
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications.
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Studying Jeremiah's prophecy, Daniel saw that his people would be
slaves in Babylon for 70 years.
These 70 years were now over, and Babylon had fallen, but the reconstruction of Jerusalem
was still delayed.
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Daniel 9:4,5,18
And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said,
«O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him,
and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have
done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. (...)
O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city
which is called by Your name.»
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Daniel thought that the delay in beginning the reconstruction of
Jerusalem was caused by the wickedness of his people.
So he prayed to obtain God's forgiveness.
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Daniel 9:20,21
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me.
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While Daniel was praying, Gabriel appeared.
Thirteen years before, this angel of God had given him the vision of the 2300 days, which
will be the subject of our next lesson, but this vision still remained unexplained.
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Daniel 9:22,23
And [Gabriel] said,
«O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you,
for you are greatly beloved.
Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.»
----------------------------------------------------
The angel said he had come to explain the vision. But which
vision?
The prophet Daniel had received no vision since the beginning of chapter 9, so we must
conclude that the explanation referred to his last vision, that is, the 2300 days, which
will be the subject of our next lesson.
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Daniel 9:24
«Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city.»
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The Hebrew word «chathak», translated here by «determined»,
means literally «cut off».
Thus Gabriel informed Daniel that a period of 70 weeks had been cut off for the people of
Israel.
Now, this period of 70 weeks (or 70 x 7 = 490 days) could only be cut off from a longer
period, that is, the 2300 days.
In this lesson, we will look specifically at this period of 70 weeks.
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Daniel 9:25
«Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem (...).»
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The starting point of the prophetic period of 70 weeks is «the
going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem».
When was the command given to restore and build Jerusalem?
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Ezra 7:8,11,13,20
In the seventh year of the king, (...) this is the copy of the
letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe (...):
«I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in
my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. (...)
And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to
provide, pay for it from the king's treasury.»
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In the seventh year of his reign, Artaxerxes, the king of Persia,
issued the decree ordering the restoration of Jerusalem.
It was in 457 B.C.
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Daniel 9:25
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.
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The prophecy tells us that there are 69 weeks (7 + 62 = 69)
between the decree ordering the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah.
Let's try to understand what a period of 69 weeks means in Bible prophecy.
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Numbers 14:34
The number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years.
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Ezekiel 4:5,6
For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to
the number of the days, (...) you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty
days.
I have laid on you a day for each year.
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First, let's remember the principle of equivalence «1 day = 1 year», recognized and applied by most Bible prophecy students.
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So, we can place the following prophetic milestones:
«From the going | ° Starting
point of the 70 weeks prophecy:
forth of the | Artaxerxes' decree.
command to re- | Year: 457 B.C.
store and build |
Jerusalem un- | ° 7 weeks later, that is, 49 years (7 x 7 = 49 years):
til Messiah the | Restoration of Jerusalem is
completed.
Prince, there | Year: 408 B.C. (-457 + 49
= -408)
shall be seven |
weeks and six- | ° 62 weeks later, that is, 434 years (62x7=434 years):
ty-two weeks.» | The coming of Messiah the
Prince
(Daniel 9:25) | Year: A.D. 27 (-408 + 434 = 27)
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Let's note the following point:
Some may point out that -408 + 434 =
26, not 27. But we must note that there is no year 0 (zero). To illustrate this, let's
look at the following example:
================================= You
might think that between
Year |-4 |-3 |-2 |-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -4 and 4, there are 8
years.
================================= But
year 0 does not exist,
Length |-1-|-2-|-3-|-4-|-5-|-6-|-7-| so there are only
7 years.
So to the addition (-408 + 434 = 26), we must add a year since there is no year 0 (26 + 1
= 27). For the example above, we get: -4 + 7 = 3, and then 3 + 1 = 4.
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Daniel 9:25
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.
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Knowing that the first 69 weeks (7 + 62), or 483 years (49 + 434), lead to A.D. 27, we must find out what happened that year concerning «Messiah the Prince».
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John 4:25,26
The woman said to [Jesus], «I know that Messiah is coming» (who
is called Christ). «When He comes, He will tell us all things.»
Jesus said to her, «I who speak to you am He.»
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Acts 10:38
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
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The word «Messiah» comes from Hebrew «mashiach» (in Greek,
«christos»), which means «the anointed one».
The New Testament declares that Jesus is «the Messiah», «the Christ», «the anointed
One».
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Luke 3:21,23
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus
also was baptized. (...)
[He] began His ministry at about thirty years of age.
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Jesus was baptized at the age of 30.
Then, why does prophecy tell us that this event would take place in A.D. 27? When the
Christian Era was first calculated, an error of four years was made.
It is obvious that Christ was not born in A.D. 1, since at His birth Herod the Great was
still alive, and Herod died in 4 B.C.
Therefore Jesus was born in 4 B.C., and baptized in A.D. 27, at the age of 30 (that is,
since there is no year zero: -4 + 30 + 1= 27).
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Mark 1:9,14,15
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (...)
Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying,
«The time is fulfilled.»
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Jesus was well acquainted with Bible prophecy, and knew that the
year of His baptism (autumn of the year 27) represented an important date.
This is why He declared that the time was fulfilled, in accordance with His Father's
calendar, which we studied in our previous lesson.
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Daniel 9:26,27
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off. (...)
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he
shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
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Now let's look at the seventieth week.
Prophecy tells us that in the middle of this last week, «Messiah shall be cut off»,
bringing «an end to sacrifice and offering».
The middle of the week means 3½ years (7 years ÷ 2). By adding these 3½ years to autumn
27, we get spring 31.
What happened in the spring of A.D. 31?
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Daniel 9:27
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week.
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Matthew 26:27,28
Then [Jesus] took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to [the
disciples], saying,
«Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins.»
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The «covenant with many», which Christ had to confirm, is the covenant He sealed with His own blood by His death on the cross, for the salvation of all those who would accept His sacrifice for the remission of their sins.
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Daniel 9:26,27
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off. (...)
In the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
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Matthew 27:50,51
Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up
His spirit.
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
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Exactly at the predicted time, in the middle of the seventieth
prophetic week, in the spring of 31, Jesus, the Messiah, died on the cross, thus bringing
to an end the temple's sacrificial system.
This is why the veil of the temple was torn in two.
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Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, 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.
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After Jesus' death and resurrection, «making an end of sins and
bringing in everlasting righteousness», half a week (3½ years) was still remaining
before the end of the 490 years of probation set aside exclusively for the people of
Israel, who now had to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Did they accept Him?
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Luke 24:46,47
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
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During the 3½ years following the ascension of Jesus to heaven, the apostles, by preaching and working miracles, invited the people of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
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Acts 7:56-58
[Stephen] said,
«Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!»
Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
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Unfortunately, the Jewish nation rejected the apostles' call.
The end of the 70 weeks (490 years) was marked, in autumn of the year 34, by the stoning
of Stephen, approved by the religious leaders of Israel.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr killed by the hand of the Jewish nation itself.
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Acts 13:45,46
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy;
and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said,
«It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you
reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the
Gentiles.»
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With the stoning of Stephen in A.D 34, the Jewish nation conclusively rejected the gospel, putting an end to their 490 years of probation.
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Daniel 9:26,27
The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary. (...)
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the
consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.
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The prophecy of Daniel 9 ends tragically, with the announcement
of the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
Again the prediction was rigorously accurate: in A.D. 70, the Roman army, led by Titus,
destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and entirely demolished its temple.
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Matthew 23:37,38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you were not willing!
See! Your house is left to you desolate.
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In addition, Jesus had foretold, less than forty years before, that the rejection of the gospel by the Jewish nation would bring about the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
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An interesting observation: the literary organization of Daniel 9:25-27
The first part of each of the three
verses speaks about the works of the Messiah, and the second part speaks about the fate of
Jerusalem. See:
Verse 25, Part 1: Seven weeks and sixty-two weeks until the Messiah.
Part 2: How Jerusalem will be
rebuilt.
Verse 26, Part 1: The Messiah shall be cut off.
Part 2: Jerusalem and the sanctuary
will be destroyed.
Verse 27, Part 1: The covenant and the sacrifice of the Messiah.
Part 2: The abomination of
desolation in Jerusalem.
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Daniel 9:22,23
And [Gabriel] said,
«O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you,
for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.»
----------------------------------------------------
As we have seen, the period of 70 weeks aimed, among other
things, to explain the vision Daniel had received before, that is, the 2300 days.
Since these two visions are closely linked, and since we now understand the prophecy of
the 70 weeks, we will be able to start on the 2300 days in the next lesson.
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Summary of the 70 weeks prophecy:
+--- «70 weeks are
determined for your people.» (DANIEL 9:24) ---+
|
|
Decree Restoration
Baptism
Crucifixion Stoning
of king of
of
of
of
Artaxerxes Jerusalem
Jesus
Jesus
Stephen
|----------------|-----------------|--------------|--------------|
Autumn Autumn
Autumn
Spring
Autumn
457 B.C. 408 B.C.
A.D. 27
A.D. 31 A.D. 34
|---- 7 weeks ---|---- 62 weeks ---|--- ½ week ---|--- ½ week ---|
|--- 49 years ---|--- 434 years ---|-- 3½ years --|-- 3½ years --|
|
|
+------------ 70 prophetic weeks, that is, 490 years ------------+
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Let's thank God for His help:
Father,
The prophecy of the 70 weeks didn't aim only at satisfying the curiosity of its students.
Its main goal was to announce the coming of the Messiah, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
We want to take this moment to renew our covenant with Your Son and our commitment to Him,
by the precious blood He shed on the cross for each one of us.
Please continue to guide us, as we start on the prophecy of the 2300 days.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 49 is waiting for you!