The 70 weeks of Daniel is a prophecy
The 70 weeks of Daniel is a prophecy given in the Old Testament book of Daniel. The prophecy is about the coming of the Messiah and the end times.Daniel was a Jewish prophet who lived in the 6th century BC. He was taken captive by the Babylonians and lived in Babylon for many years.
While in captivity, Daniel had a vision from God. In this vision, God gave Daniel a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah and the end times. The prophecy is often called the “Seventy Weeks Prophecy” because it talks about seven different periods of time, each lasting for seven years.
The first 69 weeks of the prophecy are fulfilled by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The 70th week is still future and will be fulfilled during a 7-year period known as the Tribulation. The Tribulation will be a time of great trouble on earth. It will be preceded by a 7-year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies. This treaty will be broken in the middle of the Tribulation, and that’s when all hell will break loose!
The 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy are as follows:
Week 1: 7 weeks (49 years) for God to restore Jerusalem after its captivity. This period began with Artaxerxes’ decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25) in 445 BC and ended with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-44) in 33 AD.
Week 2: 62 weeks (434 years) until Messiah would be cut off (killed). This period began with Artaxerxes’ decree and ended with Jesus’ death on the cross (Daniel 9:26; Luke 24:46).
Week 3: 1 week (7 years) for God to deal with sin {during the Tribulation}. This period has not yet begun, but will begin when Antichrist breaks his 7-year peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 6:1-8).
The 70 weeks of Daniel are an important prophecy because they tell us when Jesus would come and what would happen at his first coming, as well as what will happen during his second coming {the Tribulation}.
It is found in the book of Daniel chapter 9
70 weeks of Daniel explained
Daniel 9 is a pivotal chapter in the book of Daniel. It contains the well-known prophecy of the seventy weeks. This prophecy is crucial to an understanding of end-time events.
The 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy is a timetable that God gave to Daniel for the coming of the Messiah and the 70th week, which is the final week of Daniels timeline. This prophecy has been a great source of debate and speculation over the years. Some believe that it has been completely fulfilled, while others believe that it is yet to be completely fulfilled.
There are a few different interpretations of this prophecy, but the most common view is that the first 69 weeks (483 years) were fulfilled when Jesus was crucified. The final week has not yet happened, and will occur during a future 7-year tribulation period. This view reasons that since there was a gap of almost 2000 years between the 69th and 70th weeks, then the 70th week must befuture.
The prophecy is about the coming of the Messiah
The prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 is often called the 70 weeks prophecy. It is a detailed prediction about the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.
The first part of the prophecy (9:24-26) describes the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. The second part (9:27) describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in AD 70.
The 70 weeks prophecy has been a source of much debate among scholars. Some believe that it was fulfilled completely in Jesus’ ministry, while others believe that it is still being fulfilled today.
It is divided into 3 parts:
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The seven weeks (49 years)
- The first seven weeks: To be born again (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34).
- The second seven weeks:To be filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:1-13).
- The third seven weeks:To be used by God (Acts 13:1-3; Galatians 5:16-26).
The sixty-two weeks (434 years)
After the sixty-two weeks, the Anointed One will be put to death. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.””
The sixty-two weeks (434 years) were divided into two parts. The first part (7 weeks or 49 years) was from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince (Jesus Christ) came. The second part (62 weeks or 434 years) was from Messiah the Prince until He was cut off (crucified).
The one week (7 years)
Many cultures around the world have a tradition of Rock, Stone, or Boulder rolling. The most famous example is probably the Sisyphus story from Greek mythology. In brief, Sisyphus was a man who was punished by the gods for his hubris by being condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for all eternity.
The Japanese have a similar tradition called O-Fune-Piki. It is said that if you can roll a stone from one side of a river to the other, your wish will be granted.
There are many variations of this folktale, but they all contain the same basic elements: someone tries to roll a large rock or boulder from one side of something (usually a river) to the other, and despite their best efforts, they are never able to succeed.
The first part of the prophecy is about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem
Daniel’s prophecy begins with a reference to the Persian king Cyrus, who conquered the Babylonian empire and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. The “seventy weeks” of Daniel 9:24-27 are thus primarily concerned with events that would happen in and around Jerusalem.
The first part of the prophecy is about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The “seven weeks” (of years) in verse 25 refers to the 49 years it took to rebuild the city walls (from 536-483 B.C.), and the “sixty-two weeks” refers to the 434 years from then until the Messiah would come and be “cut off” (killed) (from 483-29 B.C.). So, 69 weeks of years (or 483 years) after Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, Jesus Christ—the Messiah—would be crucified there.
The second part of the prophecy is about the coming of the Messiah
The second part of the prophecy is about the coming of the Messiah. It says that he will be cut off (killed) but not for himself. This predicts the death of Jesus Christ on behalf of all humanity. The prophecy also foretells the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of Israel.
The third part of the prophecy is about the great tribulation
The “great tribulation” is the final 7 years of this age, during which the Antichrist will reign. It begins when he confirms a covenant with “many” for one week (7 years). After the first 3½ years, the Antichrist breaks his covenant, stops the daily sacrifices in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and sets up an image of himself to be worshipped. For the remaining 3½ years, he makes war against the “saints” and persecutes them.