The seventieth week

Daniel 9:24-27 contains a prophecy of seventy weeks of years, 490 years, that was given to Daniel to show what lay ahead for his people the Jews and for the city of Jerusalem.

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 

Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.

And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

After 69 weeks, 483 years, “an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.” This was fulfilled by the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. You would expect this to be followed immediately by the 70th week and the beginning of his reign on earth. This didn’t happen because the nation of Israel refused to acknowledge him as their king. They were the ones who incited the Romans to crucify him. When he was on trial before Pilate they declared that they had no king but Caesar. As a result God passed judgment on them by destroying their city and their temple and scattering them throughout the earth. “And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.“

Something like this has happened before in Jewish history. After God rescued them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the land he had promised to give them they were afraid to enter and were condemned to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Because they refused to acknowledge the king God gave them they spent 1900 years wandering throughout the world without a nation of their own. We are now living between the 69th and 70th weeks.

Eventually their time of wandering will end and the 70th week will take place. “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.” Who is the “he” spoken of here? Some think it is the anointed one spoken of earlier but in fact it is the coming prince whose people destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. He will make a treaty with the Jewish people which will allow them to rebuild the temple and resume making the sacrifices Moses commanded. In the middle of the week he will end the sacrifices and demand that they worship him.

Here is how Paul describes this event. “For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4)

Chapters 4 to 19 of Revelation give a detailed account of what will happen during this time. There are frequent references to a period of 42 months or 1,260 days, which amounts to 3 1/2 years. This time will end when Jesus returns and destroys the usurper and the Jews finally acknowledge that he is their Messiah.