Daniel’s Seventy Weeks — What We Actually Know
(These really need to be read in order you can start with part 1 here)
For the past three articles, we’ve been discussing calendars.
Prophetic years.
Lunar calendars.
Leap months.
Ancient chronology.
At this point some readers may be wondering when we’re finally going to talk about Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.
The answer is: now.
But before we start counting years, calculating dates, and debating timelines, I think we need to do something important.
We need to separate what Daniel actually says from what later interpreters have attempted to calculate.
Because while there is disagreement about some of the details, there are several things in Daniel’s prophecy that are remarkably clear.
The Setting
Daniel chapter 9 opens with Daniel studying the writings of Jeremiah.
He realizes that the seventy years of exile spoken of by Jeremiah are nearing completion.
As a result, Daniel begins praying.
He confesses the sins of his people.
He seeks God’s mercy.
And while he is praying, the angel Gabriel arrives with an answer.
That answer becomes one of the most discussed prophecies in all of Scripture.
The Seventy Weeks
Gabriel tells Daniel:
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…” (Daniel 9:24)
The word translated “weeks” literally refers to groups of seven.
Most interpreters understand these to be seventy sets of seven years.
Whether one agrees with every aspect of that interpretation or not, it has been the dominant understanding for centuries.
The prophecy then describes what will occur during this period.
The Goal of the Prophecy
Before discussing dates, notice what Gabriel says God intends to accomplish.
Daniel 9:24 speaks of:
- Finishing transgression.
- Making an end of sins.
- Making reconciliation for iniquity.
- Bringing in everlasting righteousness.
- Sealing up vision and prophecy.
- Anointing the most holy.
Those are enormous promises.
The focus of the prophecy is not merely chronology.
The focus is redemption.
The prophecy is ultimately about what God is going to do.
Messiah Appears
Gabriel then gives Daniel a starting point.
He speaks of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
From that point, a specific period of time will pass.
And then something extraordinary happens.
Messiah appears.
Notice what makes this prophecy so remarkable.
Daniel is not merely predicting future events.
He is predicting the arrival of a person.
A specific person.
The Messiah.
Centuries before Jesus was born, Daniel tells us that Messiah is coming.
Messiah Is Cut Off
Then the prophecy takes an unexpected turn.
Daniel says:
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself…” (Daniel 9:26)
Think about that statement.
The Messiah arrives.
Then the Messiah is cut off.
The prophecy does not describe a conquering king establishing an earthly throne.
It describes a Messiah who suffers.
A Messiah who is removed.
A Messiah who dies.
And remarkably, Daniel tells us this centuries before the crucifixion.
Jerusalem Is Destroyed
The prophecy goes even further.
Daniel predicts that Jerusalem and the Temple will eventually be destroyed.
Again, history records exactly that.
The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.
Daniel saw it centuries before it happened.
What We Can Know With Confidence
At this point, I think it is important to pause.
Because regardless of where one lands on the details of the chronology, there are several things we can say with confidence.
Daniel predicted:
- The restoration of Jerusalem.
- The coming of Messiah.
- The death of Messiah.
- The destruction of Jerusalem.
Those are not small details.
Those are astonishing predictions.
And they deserve our attention.
The Temptation
Whenever we encounter a prophecy this precise, there is a temptation.
We want to know more.
We want exact dates.
Exact years.
Exact days.
And honestly, I understand the desire.
I share it.
But before we start calculating timelines, let’s not miss the obvious.
The greatest miracle of Daniel 9 is not that people can argue over calendars two thousand years later.
The greatest miracle of Daniel 9 is that Daniel saw the Messiah coming centuries before He arrived.
That should never cease to amaze us.
Looking Ahead
In the next article, we’re going to turn our attention to a question that often gets overlooked in these discussions.
What calendar are we using when we perform our calculations?
Because Daniel did not use the Gregorian calendar.
Jesus did not use the Gregorian calendar.
The apostles did not use the Gregorian calendar.
In fact, the Gregorian calendar would not exist for many centuries.
And that raises an important question.
If we are going to use modern dates to calculate ancient prophecies, how confident should we be in the calendar system we inherited?
That is where we’ll go next.
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