Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy has been greatly misunderstood in mainstream teaching. Because of that misunderstanding, I wrote a very short paper which teaches its true meaning.
Here is what I have been shown concerning it:
Dan 9:24-27 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy is God’s timeline to accomplish the “restitution of all things”:
Acts 3:20-21 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Seventy weeks of years (490 years) are given to “bring an end to sin” and “bring in everlasting righteousness” for mankind. Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to accomplish this great work:
1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
THE 70TH WEEK
At the start of the 70th week (483 years), Christ, now being 30 years of age, “confirmed the covenant” He made with Abraham.
Gen 15:5-6 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
This confirmation took place when Christ was baptized by John the Baptist.
Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli…
Matt 3:13-15 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
At that time, the final 7 year “week” commenced which would bring an end to sin, make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness. To complete this mission, Christ willingly went to the cross at the 3 ½ year mark (He was “cutoff”). His sacrifice purchased mankind’s sin debt and provided the pathway of salvation for mankind. As a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, the Old covenant of Law ended and the New Covenant of Grace through Faith began. This change is shown to us by verse 27:
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Christ’s death on the cross caused the “sacrifice and the oblation to cease”. No longer could mankind approach God through the Old Covenant of Law. Now the only approach to God is through Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ who dwells in His new temple not made with hands. That new temple is mankind.
Mark 14:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
However, mankind, who being carnally minded, prefers the Old Covenant of Law over the New Covenant of Grace through Faith.
Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Our carnal nature has a built in desire to show God that our “works” can make us acceptable to Him. So when a Called Out believer attempts to combine their own “works” with Grace through Faith, they “fall away”. This “falling away” is also combined with the deceptions of Satan who masquerades as Christ. When Satan’s deceptions run their full course within a Called Out believer, a worsened carnal state is developed.
Mat 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
The “seven other spirits” is a spiritual term that represents the complete deception of Satan. It is the spirit of antichrist.
This worsened carnal state is called the “Man of Sin” by Paul:
2Thes 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that MAN OF SIN be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Once this worsened carnal state occurs within a Called Out believer, it causes the “overspreading of abominations” which makes the Lord’s temple (themselves) desolate. This is the “sin that leads to death”.
1John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
This abomination of desolation is what Christ refers to in this verse below:
Matt 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
THE REMAINING 3 ½ YEARS
The New Covenant of Grace through Faith is a spiritual covenant and it cleanses the inside of mankind. It is not bound by literal time. The New Covenant of Grace through Faith is represented by the remaining 3 ½ years which will put an end to sin. This 3 ½ years consists of two ages of time - the Church age and the Lake of Fire age (my terms). This 3 ½ years is also presented in scripture as Time, Times and half a time, 1260 days, 42 months and finally 3 ½ days.
The remaining 3 ½ years period
starts within a believer when they are first Called Out from the world. This is the time of the Early Rain of the Spirit.
Jam 5:7-8 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
James says a lot in these two verses and its meaning is hidden in spiritual language.
Christ is the Husbandman who is a farmer. The Precious Fruit of the Earth is the New Man in Christ who is to be harvested from the Earth. The Earth represents the carnal & sinful world. The farmer “hath long patience for it” because birthing many new Sons of God is a long process and is now just getting started with the harvest of the First-Fruits in this present age.
Christ even said:
Luke 12:49 I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
“Fire” is a spiritual term for the judgment of God. Without His judgment, no one would be saved. In the above verse, Christ longs to start that process of judgment upon mankind (The Elect first, then all others) but the time was not yet at hand. Since before the creation began, Christ has been waiting patiently for that day - the Day of the Lord. It is no wonder that “patience” is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
At the end of verse 7, James says that the growing season for Christ’s harvest of mankind starts with the Early Rain. It is at this point in time that a new believer will enter the Church. The Early Rain represents the receiving of the down-payment of the Holy Spirit. However, the Early Rain of the Spirit is not sufficient for us to grow to maturity and produce fruit. It leaves the new believer carnally mind and spiritually blind. It is at this time that Satan comes to us and causes us to accept His lies. We quickly fall away and spiritually worsen into a “Man of Sin”. This is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and Christ.
During this time, the fallen away believer desperately needs the Latter Rain of the Spirit. The Latter Rain is also known as the Baptism of the Spirit which is the rain that produces our salvation. However, this rain will not fall upon a Called and Chosen believer until the 3 ½ years period is complete.
Later in James, he had this to say about this matter:
James 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
Note: The Early Rain falls upon the “sea” where unbelievers dwell. The Latter Rain falls upon the “earth” where the Called Out believers dwell.
Once the Latter Rain falls upon a Called Out and Chosen believer, they are “born again” and the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s prophecy is testified to be true.
The completion of this "3 ½ years" started with the Day of Pentecost when those in the upper room received the Latter Rain of the Spirit. And it has been happening over and over again down through this age to all of Christ’s chosen Elect. But they are ONLY the First Fruits of Christ’s harvest of mankind. After this age ends, all who remain lost will go through the same process in the final age. When the last person is saved, then the "3 ½ years" will be completed and these statements will be testified to be true:
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
1 Tim 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
THE 1290 DAYS AND 1335 DAYS
Dan 12:11-12 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
If Christ accomplishes our salvation upon the completion of the 1260 days, then what are the spiritual symbols 1290 days and 1335 days teaching?
One must remember that Christ’s words are spirit and they carry a spiritual meaning that is different than what man’s wisdom teaches:
1Cor 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Just as the 1260 days (3 ½ years) is a spiritual term which carries its own meaning, so are the terms 1290 days and 1335 days.
The 1290 days is a product of 1260 days and 30 days. When the 1260 days are completed, Christ’s Elect are born again. This starts them on a new path – the straight path with the narrow gate. The term “30 days” is symbolic of this new path. This is the time when Christ begins His judgment upon our His Elect, upon their Old Man who stills remains.
1Pe 4:17 For it is the ripe time for the judgment to begin with the house of God; but, if first with us, what shall be the end of them who yield not unto the glad-message of God?
As I pointed out earlier in this paper, Christ was said to be 30 years old when He started His ministry. He was traveling the path to be judged for the sins of the world and it took Him to the cross. Likewise, we too must pick up our cross and follow Him during our 30 days:
Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Once the 1260 days and 30 days are complete, we are considered “blessed” when we make it to the 1335 days. The 1335 days is a product of 1260 days, 30 days and 45 days. The term “45 days” is symbolic of the completion of Grace through Faith within us. It is the time when we produce spiritual fruit and are ready for harvest. All of Christ’s Called and Chosen Elect make it to the 1335 days.
CONCLUSION
Seventy weeks of years (490 years) were given for Christ to put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. After 483 literal years had passed, Christ started His ministry on earth when He was baptized by John the Baptist. At the mid- point of the last week of years (7 years), Christ was crucified and was “cut off”. This marked the change from the Old Covenant of Law to the New Covenant of Grace through Faith. This change caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease. This change also ended the literal time calculation of the 70 weeks of years with 3 ½ years remaining. Since the New Covenant is spiritual, the remaining 3 ½ years are also spiritual and are no longer literal years.
The 3 ½ years remaining occurs within a believer starting with the time when they are Called Out from the world. This happens when the Early Rain of the Spirit falls upon them as an unbeliever. It ends when the Latter Rain falls upon them as a Fallen Away Man of Sin under Satan influence. It is at this point that the person is “born again”. Then the process of judgment begins (1290 days) upon their Old Man and ends (1335 days) when the Old Man is destroyed and the New Man in Christ is spiritually mature and producing spiritual fruit.
This pathway of Salvation is 100% the work of Christ. He cannot fail since love cannot fail. When all is finished, Christ will deliver up the Kingdom of Heaven up to the Father and God will be “all in all”.
1 Cor 15:20-28 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the consummation, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Joe