The 70 Weeks of Daniel

Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler
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THE OLD TESTAMENT (TENACH) TEXTS


The Original Hebrew Text (Vorlage)
- It was translated into Greek (known as the Septuagint) around the 3rd century BC, because many, if not most, Jews did not speak/read Hebrew at the time (Greek was the world language)


Septuagint Translation (LXX)
- 285-270 BC, Ptolemy Philadelphus II commissioned about 70 top scholars at Alexandria to translate the Hebrew Tenach (Old Testament) into the common Greek of that day
- It is the primary quoted text in the New Testament (The New Testament was written in Greek)
- It was finished 300 years BEFORE Jesus quoted from it


Masoretic Text
- It was derived from the Council of Jamnia in 90 AD


JESUS' CONFIDENTIAL BRIEFING
Matthew 24, 25
Mark 13
Luke 21
- 4 disciples asked Jesus about His Return (or 2nd coming): Peter, James, John, Andrew.
- This occurred on the Mount of Olives.
- Jesus points them to Daniel 9 as the key to end-time prophecy.
- Jesus opens and closes His response with the same warning: Let no man deceive you (Matthew 24:4).


Matthew 24:15-16
- Who wrote the Book of Daniel? Daniel. How do we know? BECAUSE JESUS SAID SO.
- Jesus also identifies Daniel as a prophet.
- Jesus said when we SEE the Abomination of Desolation, we’ll know it is the end of times.
- We do not know exactly how we can “see” this occurring, but we know several things: 1) Only the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies, and this occurs only once a year; 2) There hasn’t been a temple since it was destroyed in 70 AD. Therefore, this suggests two things: One, the temple will be rebuilt; and two, this is a major political move. And with our media today, major television companies will capture this for the world to “see.”


Matthew 24:17-20
- Let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Why only those in Judea?
- When the Abomination of Desolation occurs, FLEE and FLEE NOW.


Abomination of Desolation
- The erection of a pagan idol in the Holy of Holies
- Occurred once before in 167 BC


ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL


Historical: Daniel 1-6
1: Daniel deported as a teenager (606 BC)
2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (602 BC)
3: Bow or Burn: the Fumace
4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride
5: The Fall of Babylon (539 BC)
6: The Lion’s Den/Plot of Magi


Visions: Daniel 7-12
7: Time of the Gentiles (556 BC)
8: The Ram and the Goat (554 BC)
9: The Seventy Weeks (538 BC)
10: A Glimpse of the Dark Side
11: The Silent Years (in advance)
12: The Consummation of All Things


Daniel 2-7 was written in Aramaic, not Hebrew, because this was written to the Gentiles. This is very unusual because the Bible generally views the world from the Jewish perspective!


Daniel 8-12 switches back to Hebrew, meaning the focus shifts back to the Jewish people.


Chronological Order
1: Daniel deported as a teenager (606 BC)
2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (602 BC)
3: Bow or Bum: the Fumace
4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride
7 (prophecy): Time of the Gentiles (556 BC)
8 (prophecy): The Ram and the Goat (554 BC)
5: The Fall of Babylon (539 BC)
6: The Lion’s Den/Plot of Magi
9 (prophecy): The Seventy Weeks (538 BC)
10 (prophecy): A Glimpse of the Dark Side
11 (prophecy): The Silent Years (in advance)
12 (prophecy): The Consummation of All Things


DANIEL 9: THE INTERRUPTED PRAYER
- Daniel 9:1-19, Daniel started his prayer
- Daniel 9:20-23, Gabriel interrupted Daniel’s prayer by visiting him
- Daniel 9:24-27, Gabriel gave Daniel the prophecy of the 70 weeks


Daniel started his prayer (Daniel 9:1-19)
"In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years" (Daniel 9:2).


Jeremiah 25:11-12
This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the LORD, “and will make it desolate forever.”


Jeremiah 29:10
This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.


Daniel 9:2-19
Daniel took Jeremiah LITERALLY (not allegorically!) and was able to calculate that the 70 years of captivity were almost up. He was excited, but he didn’t just sit back and relax. He was proactive in his preparations, and he prayed! He prayed not just for himself but for his people and his people’s land!


Why?


2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.


Gabriel interrupted Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9:20-23)
Daniel wasn’t done praying but was interrupted by Gabriel. Gabriel is one of the archangels. There are 3 named archangels in the Bible: Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. Gabriel, whenever he’s mentioned in the Bible, is always announcing something about the Messiah. Michael is always presented as a warrior, fighting on behalf of God. And Lucifer, well, he’s Satan. Enough said.


“Evening sacrifice” (Daniel 9:21)
During Daniel’s time, there was no Temple. There would have been no scheduled evening sacrifice. Yet, we can see that in Daniel’s mind, there is still a Temple, and he continues to worship the Lord even though there was no physical temple. There is a lot to be learned from Daniel’s reverence to God!


Gabriel gave Daniel the prophecy of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27)
- Daniel 9:24, The Scope
- Daniel 9:25, The 69 Weeks
- Daniel 9:26, The Interval
- Daniel 9:27, The 70th Week


Daniel 9:26 is the longest interval in the Bible! It’s been going on for 2000+ years, and it’ll keep on going until Jesus returns!


THE SCOPE (DANIEL 9:24)
70 weeks are determined upon the Jews and Jerusalem to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies).


“Weeks”
- Weeks of Days: Example, Sabbath is on the 7th day (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11)
- Weeks of Weeks: Example, the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-16)
- Weeks of Months: Example, Nisan to Tishri (Exodus 12:2; Leviticus 23:24)
- Weeks of Years: Example, the sabbatical years for the Land (Leviticus 25:1-22, 26:33-35; Deuteronomy 15; Exodus 23:10-11; 2 Chronicles 36:19-21)


The Jews failed to keep the Weeks of Years ordained in Leviticus 25 and turned out to “owe” God 70 weeks of years (= 7 x 70 = 490 years)! And God explained why the Babylonian captivity was 70 years in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21.


Here, in Daniel 9:24, the “weeks” is weeks of years.


THE 69 WEEKS (DANIEL 9:25)
From the commandment to restore Jerusalem to the arrival of the Messiah the King was prophesied to be 69 weeks of years (483 years).


Decrees to Rebuild Temple/Jerusalem
1. Cyrus, 537 BC (Ezra 1:2-4)
2. Darius (Ezra 6:1-5, 8, 12)
3. Artaxerxes, 458 BC (Ezra 7:11-26)
4. Artaxerxes, 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:5-8, 17, 18)


Those who have been following my blog posts on the minor prophets that I recently went through by following Pastor Terry Gray’s teachings would remember that the rebuilding of the Temple was very difficult during Ezra’s time. However, it set the stage for Nehemiah, who was able to set it going with more success. Why is this significant? The first 3 decrees dealt with only the rebuilding of the Temple. Only the last decree, issued during Nehemiah’s time, dealt with the rebuilding of the Temple AND Jerusalem! Furthermore, Daniel said it himself that he knew of the times by referring to Nehemiah’s documentation, so that ought to also authenticate the event.


Thus, the commandment to restore Jerusalem is the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus, issued on March 14, 445 BC.


How many days in a year?
- The Bible used 360 days in a year (Genesis 7:24, 8:3-4; Daniel 9:27, 12:6; Revelation 11:2-3, 13:5)
- Ancient calendars were also based on 360-day years: Hebrews (obviously) Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Chinese, Mayans, Hindus, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Teutons, etc.


The Coming of Messiah was prophesied to the EXACT DAY
Coming back to Daniel 9:25, where he prophesied that from the commandment to restore Jerusalem to the arrival of the Messiah the King was 483 years or 173,880 days (483 x 360), we could calculate when Jesus officially presented Himself as the King of Jews (Zechariah 9:9): A day where Jesus personally arranged for His presentation to take place! (Prior to this day, when the crowd would urge Him to be their King, Jesus would slip away saying His time had not yet come.)


Jesus’ Triumphal Entry occurred on April 6, 32 AD, exactly 173,880 days after the decree! Gabriel’s margin of error was ZERO! Gabriel told Daniel the PRECISE day that Jesus would present Himself as King and Messiah!


The Triumphal Entry and the Rocks that Never Cried Out (Luke 19:38-40)
- Luke 19:38 quotes Psalms 118
- The Pharisees were worked up about this, telling Jesus to rebuke His disciples (Luke 19:39). Why? The people were just singing Psalm 118. However, the Pharisees knew that when the people sang Psalm 118 under those circumstances (with Jesus riding in on a donkey), they were declaring Jesus their Messiah, the King. And since the Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus was indeed their King, they naturally thought Jesus wouldn’t want His disciples to blaspheme God’s name and thus wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples! Never did it occur to them that perhaps the people knew what they were talking about, that perhaps Jesus IS the KING!
- Jesus therefore answered, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).


Judgment Declared (Luke 19:41-42)
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as he approached it, saying, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”


Jesus expected His people to KNOW this day would be THE day, because Gabriel had been so precise. But they didn’t. And so, they’ve had their chance. Moving forward, the Israelites would be forever blinded UNTIL the fullness of Gentiles would come in (Romans 11:25).


Jesus continued, “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”


And indeed, 38 years after Jesus said that, millions died from a siege, while others died of famine. And of course, in 70 AD, Jerusalem fell. Why did Jerusalem fall? “Because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you,” said Jesus to His people!


Jesus held His people to know prophecy! They may not know the exact day (thought that information was precisely given to them), but they should have at least recognized the circumstances. And because they didn’t, their city was destroyed!


THE INTERVAL (DANIEL 9:26)
- The Messiah will be killed (karat), not for Himself, but for us.
- “People of the prince shall come” = Romans and the Antichrist (We know it’s Romans because they destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple 38 years after Jesus was crucified, in 70 AD)
- Remember that there are two parts to the Roman Empire: Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire (Isaiah 10, Micah 5)
- According to rabbinical teachings, the Messiah had to be executed prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD (Yalkut, Vol. II, 32b, p. 79, Nazir edition), and the Messiah had to exit Jerusalem before 33 AD (Midrash Berishit, p. 243, Warsaw edition).
- This interval is also mentioned in other Scriptures: Luke 4:18-20 (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2, take care to note where Jesus stopped reading and commented what He had fulfilled in the people’s presence that day); Revelation 12:5-6; Isaiah 54:7; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:10-11; Acts 15:13-18; Micah 5:2-3; Zechariah 9:9-10; Luke 1:31-32, 21:24.
- This interval has been defined: Luke 19:42 until Romans 11:25 (Israel, as a nation, will be blind to the Truth until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in).
- This interval is the period of the Church, an era that was kept a secret in the Old Testament (Matthew 13:34-35; Ephesians 3:5-9).
- The Church was born at Pentecost (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16).
- There were prerequisites for this interval to take place: 1) Atonement of sins by Jesus (Matthew 16:18-21); 2) Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:20-23); and 3) Ascension of Jesus into Heaven (Ephesians 4:7-11)


THE 70TH WEEK (DANIEL 9:27)
- “He” = the Prince shall come”
- This ruler will enforce a covenant (peace treaty)—The start of this treaty defines the beginning of the 70th week.
- This peace treaty appears to restore Jewish sacrificial ceremonies for atonement of sins.
- However, in the middle of this week, this ruler would cease these ceremonies. This event essentially resembles the time when Antiochus Epiphanes caused an abomination of desolation in 167 BC. Jesus referred to this event when talking about a future event.


Feast of Dedication
- Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:2) occurred in the Autumn
- Zerubbabel’s Temple (Ezra 6:15-16) occurred in the Spring
- The Rededication of the Temple occurred in the Winter, during the 25th of Kislev. This was the Feast of Dedication that John referred to in John 10:22. This is the Feast of Dedication that took place during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. This is significant, because Jesus alluded to Epiphanes’ abomination of desolation to show that a similar event will take place in the future.


Antiochus IV Epiphanes
- Made Torah reading punishable by death
- Slaughtered a sow on the altar
- Erected an idol to Zeus in the Holy of Holies (The Abomination of Desolation, Matthew 24:15), which resulted in the Macabbean Revolt


The Macabbean Revolt
- Spanned 3 years
- Threw off the yoke of the Seleucid Empire
- Rededicated the Temple on the 25th of Kislev, 165 BC, which to this day is celebrated as Channukah (John 10:22)
Daniel 9:24-27 are aimed at Israel
- Israel and the Church have different origins, missions, and destinies.
- Replacement Theology denies Israel its place in God’s plan (Romans 9-11). Worse, it makes God a liar. It is also the basis for anti-Semitism.
- The “70 Weeks of Daniel” deal specifically with Israel; Gabriel made that clear up-front.
- Paul always dealt with God’s people in 3 categories: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church (1 Corinthians 10:32)


Mystery of the Church
- The Church has a body (Ephesians 3:3-9)
- The Holy Spirit indwells in every believer (Colossians 1:26-27)
- The Church is the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32)
- The Church will go through Harpazo (Rapture) (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)
- The Church is distinguished from the Jews and the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 10:32)


The Great Tribulation lasts time, times, and ½ time
Matthew 24:21-22
Daniel 12
- “Time” = 1 week of years (Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 12:14)
- This period of time is also known as 3 ½ years (Daniel 9:27; 12:7), 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; Daniel 12:6)
- This is the most documented period of time in the Bible
The Tribulation is a “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7)


Hosea 5:15
"Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."


This Scripture shows that Jesus has left His place in Heaven. Otherwise, how could Jesus "return" to His place, if He hadn't left it in the first place? Why did Jesus leave His place in Heaven? To become man so that He could die in our place and wash us of our sin! Today, Jesus has returned to His place in Heaven and will return ONLY WHEN the Israelites earnestly seek Him.


Titles of the Antichrist
- Seed of the Serpent (Genesis 3:15)
- Idol Shepherd (Zechariah 11:16-17)
- Little Horn (Daniel 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25)
- Prince that shall come (Daniel 9:26)
- Willful King (Daniel 11:36)
- Beast (Revelation 11:7; 13)
- False Prophet (Revelation 13)
- Antichrist (1 John 2:22)
- Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
- Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
- One come in his own name (John 5:43)
- Son of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Characteristics of the Antichrist
- Intellectual genius (Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3)
- Persuasive orator (Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2)
- Shrewd politician (Daniel 11:21; Daniel 8:25)
- Financial genius (Revelation 13:17; Ezekiel 28:4-5; Psalm 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43)
- Forceful military leader (Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 4:16)
- Powerful organizer (Revelation 13:1-2; 17:17)
- Unifying religious guru (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:3, 14, 15; Psalm 10:52, 55; Isaiah 10:11, 13-14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 18)
- Zechariah 11:17 is the only Scripture describing his physical characteristic


Is the Antichrist a Jew or a Gentile?
- He will be the Son of Satan (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation 13)
- Some believe this leader will be a Jew: 1) Scriptures referred to him as “another Jewish leader of the same kind” (allos, not heteros) (Ezekiel 21:25-27; 28:2-10; Daniel 11:36-37; John 5:43); 2) He will be received by Israel (John 5:43; Psalm 55).
- Some believe this leader will be a Gentile, because he will be a Roman Prince (among other reasons).



The Rapture precedes the Tribulation
- The 70th Week is defined by the covenant enforced by the Coming World Leader (Daniel 9:27).
- The Great Tribulation is the last ½ of the 70th Week.
- The Coming World Leader cannot be revealed until AFTER the Ratpure (2 Thessalonians 2:6-9).


Order of Events (2 Thessalonians 2)
1. The Rapture occurs (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (Some argue this is talking about the Apostasy. Missler believes this is talking about the Rapture)
2. The Restrainer is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
3. The Man of Sin is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
4. The Day of the Lord comes


Daniel and Revelation
- The Lampstands = The Churches (Revelation 1:20): The Lampstands are in Heaven when John arrives (Revelation 4:5).
- The 24 Elders are identified as the Redeemed (Revelation 5:9-10) and worship before the Lamb receives the Scroll.
- The Tribulation begins when the Scroll is unsealed. That is, BEFORE the Judgments are poured out on Earth, the 24 elders, representing the Church, are already in Heaven.
- The 70th Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27) is then detailed (Revelation 6-19).