Prophecy of 70 Weeks

[reddogs]

In the Seventh-day Adventist interpretation of the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks in Daniel chapter 9, the 490 years is an uninterrupted period starting from "the time the word goes out to rebuild and restore Jerusalem," of Daniel 9:25 and ending 3½ years after Jesus' death. The starting point identified with a decree by Artaxerxes I in 458/7 BCE to provide money to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. Now there where two earlier decrees by Cyrus and Darius’. So why don't these two decrees qualify to start the prophecy of Daniel 9:25? Well lets take a look at these two decrees. The first is the decree of Cyrus, given in his first year (probably 537/536 B.C.) which is recorded in Ezra 1:1-4. An undated decree of Darius (but falling about his second year, 520/519 B.C.) which is found in Ezra 6:1-12 merely reconfirms the decree of Cyrus. however, the first two decrees are about the temple, and its reconstruction, whereas the statement in Daniel 9:25 is concerned with the decree that resulted in the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The first two decrees can be omitted from consideration, because they deal only with the building of the temple, and not the rebuilding of the city and restoration, "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." So we can see that the third decree of Artaxerxes is the one that started the prophecy of Daniel 9 and was implemented in September/October 457 B.C

The appearance of "Messiah the Prince" at the end of the 69 weeks (483 years) is aligned with Jesus' baptism in 27 CE. The 'cutting off' of the "anointed one" is applied to the Jesus' execution 3½ years after the end of the 483 years, bringing "atonement for iniquity" and "everlasting righteousness". Jesus' death is said to 'confirm' the "covenant" between God and mankind by in 31 CE "in the midst of" the last seven years. The end of the 70th week is associated with 34 CE when the gospel was redirected from only the Jews to all peoples

Christian historicism, which is what unveils these verses from scripture, interprets prophecy as an overview of the history of the Christian church, asserting connections between historical events and statements in the Bible, and distinguishing between prophecies considered already fulfilled and those still to come. The Jews of biblical times, had taught this view in the many prophecies to be fulfilled, which were pointing to the Messiah such as those by the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. The early church and the precursors to the Reformation used it, Jerome in his 'Commentary on Daniel' went into the kingdoms that Daniel predicted. Many Protestant Reformers were interested in historicism and the day-year principle, and used it assigning prophecies in the Bible to past, present and future events. It was prevalent in Wycliffe's writings and taught by Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, and Sir Isaac Newton and many others.[ George Whitefield, Charles Finney, C. H. Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and Bishop Thomas Newton also are considered as advocates of this view. Modern proponents of historicism include historian Edward Bishop Elliott, theologian Francis Nigel Lee, and denominations in derived the 19th century Millerite movement, including Seventh-day Adventists.

 

[reddogs]

In the historicist view of the 70 weeks (generally interpreted as 490 years according to the day-year principle), Antiochus IV Epiphanes is considered irrelevant, and the period is instead applied to the Jewish nation from about the middle of the 5th century BCE until not long after the death of Jesus in the 1st century CE. The seven and sixty-two-week periods are generally understood as consecutive, non-overlapping periods starting with an event during the reign of Artaxerxes I and ending with Jesus' baptism. The specific event during the reign of Artaxerxes I varies by denomination. References to "most holy", "anointed" and "prince" and Messiah are interpreted as speaking of Jesus, and the reference to an anointed one being "cut off" at Daniel 9:26 is identified with the death of Christ, generally marking the midpoint of the seventieth week. The Jewish expectation of the fulfillment of the many Messianic prophecies was well known at the time of Jesus and the apostles. The "abomination of desolation" that Jesus refers to in the Gospel of Matthew adds a direct reference to this prophecy as being from the Book of Daniel, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet…" (Matt 24:15). Jesus predicted that at this time spoken of by Daniel, every stone of the Jewish Temple would be “thrown down” (Matt 24:2), and it was fulfilled when the temple was destroyed by the Romans during “The First Jewish War”

 

[Dave L]

Thanks for the presentation. I believe if we look for Revelation's symbols to appear, we miss the message. But if we look for what the symbols represent, we see the historic fulfillment along with history repeating itself in the present and future.

 

[reddogs]

This forum is only for Seventh Day Adventist members. Only members can post here, if you want we can take it to the discussion forum. Traditional Adventists-Discussion Zone

Now lets get back to the topic of the seventy weeks prophecy, here is a good explanation: "Prophecies are couched in symbolic language that needs to be unraveled before the meaning of the words can be understood. Prophetic time is used as a symbol to be interpreted in the light of Scripture.

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years (Numbers 14:34 NKJV).

I have appointed thee each day for a year (Ezekiel 4:6).

These two texts provide the key—the day-year principle. This principle takes prophetic days and converts them to actual years. Applying this principle to the 70-week prophecy will show that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.

Six Messianic Tasks
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 (Daniel 9:24).

“Thy people” were God’s chosen people Israel. Seventy weeks resolves into 490 days. Applying the day-year principle, 490 days become 490 years.

The 490 years were appointed to the Jewish nation for these six reasons found in Daniel 9:24:
1. to finish the transgression
2. to make an end of sins
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness
5. to seal up vision and prophecy
6. to anoint the most Holy

These six issues could only be fulfilled in and through the Messiah. Who else could make reconciliation for iniquity or bring in everlasting righteousness?

Jesus Fulfills the Prophecy
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.

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.

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 9:25-27).

The angel gives a breakdown of the 70 weeks as follows:

7 weeks of years for rebuilding of Jerusalem (verse 25)

62 weeks of years to the Messiah (verses 25-26)

1 week of years to the close of the period (verse 27)...

The 2300-day prophecy, of which the 70-week prophecy is a small part, was to begin at the command that effected the restoration of Jerusalem. This command went forth under King Artaxerxes Longimanus in the year 457 BC (Ezra 7:12-13).ii

From this starting point, we can determine all the other time markers of the prophecy. Seven weeks were allotted for the restoration of Jerusalem. True to the prophecy, Jerusalem was rebuilt 49 years after 457 BC, which was 408 BC.

Seven weeks (49 day-years) for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and another threescore and two weeks (62 weeks or 434 day-years) brings us to "the Messiah the Prince." Beginning in 457 BC and applying the day-year principle, we can determine the passing of 483 years from 457 BC which brings us to 27 AD (allowing for the conversion from BC to AD being one extra year).

In 27 AD, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit on the occasion of His baptism which marked the beginning of His ministry (Luke 3:21-23). This baptism marked the event in Daniel’s prophecy “unto the Messiah the Prince.” When Christ proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15), He was referring to this part of the prophecy.iii

The end of the prophecy is 34 AD, 7 day-years after the baptism:
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease (Daniel 9:27).

Christ would confirm the covenant made with Israel for one prophetic week (7 years), but oblation (offerings) would cease in the middle of the week (3 ½ years after 27 AD). This mid-point brings us to 31 AD—the year Christ was crucified. It was at His death that he put an end to the system of offerings practiced by Israel for so many years. "The 70-Week Prophecy | Daniel 70 Weeks Prophecy

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

This forum is only for Seventh Day Adventist members. Only members can post here, if you want we can take it to the discussion forum. Traditional Adventists-Discussion Zone

You can post the topic there and participate openly in the thread, so you don't have your posts here deleted by the moderators as non member posts.

so sorry to not recognize the specific forum I jest read the questions and answer

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

Hi Im sorry I did not recognize that this was a closed topic for a specific groupl. I just read the question and answered.

 

[reddogs]

so sorry to not recognize the specific forum I jest read the questions and answer

No problem

 

[caecilius]

Can you believe it? I found this chart on Pinterest. It is from a non denominational group--Body of Christ Gospel Assembly!!!

 

[reddogs]

Can you believe it? I found this chart on Pinterest. It is from a non denominational group--Body of Christ Gospel Assembly!!!

Very nice find, and here is another good explanation on this..
"It starts out with, well, 70 weeks. The angel Gabriel says that “seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city” (Dan. 9:24, NKJV).

So, it begins with 70 weeks, 490 days.

Gabriel then says that “from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (verse 25).

So, seven weeks plus 62 weeks comes to 69 weeks, or 483 days. Thus, 69 of the 70 weeks are immediately accounted for. Plus, this gives us the starting point of the 70 weeks.

All that remains is one week, the last, the seventieth.

That week immediately appears in the next verse, when Gabriel says, “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself” (verse 26).

After what 62 weeks? The 62 weeks of the previous verse, which follow the seven weeks. Thus, after the seven weeks and the 62 weeks, that is, after 69 weeks, the Messiah will be “cut off.” And because only one week remains in the prophecy, this verse is referring to the seventieth week, the last seven days.

This final week is depicted again: “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (verse 27).

In the midst of the last week, or in three and a half days, the “sacrifice and offerings” will cease.

So, to review.

We have the 70 weeks.

Then 69 of the 70 are immediately depicted; only one week, the last week, or the last seven days, remains.

Then three and a half days through the last week “the sacrifice and the oblation” will cease (verse 27, KJV).

What does this all mean?

First, the command to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem,” its starting point, was in 457 B.C, one of the firmest dates in biblical antiquity...

So from 457 B.C to the “Messiah the prince,” Jesus, was how long? The text said 69 weeks, 483 days, or about one year and four months. That length, of course, can’t be correct, because it would have the Messiah, Jesus, coming almost half a millennium before He did. But if one applies the day-year principle, the 69 weeks, or 483 days, becomes 483 years, which brings us to A.D. 27, the year that Jesus was baptized. The ministry of Jesus Himself proves the validity of the day-year principle.

All that remains, then, is the last week, or the last seven years. In the midst of the week, or three and half years later, which comes to A.D. 31, “the sacrifice and the oblations” are brought to an end. At the death of Jesus, that is, when the Messiah was “cut off” in A.D. 31, the veil in the temple was torn apart, from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38), signifying the end of the purpose of the sacrifice and oblations because what they all pointed to, the death of Jesus, had been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, it said that He, the Messiah, will confirm a covenant “with many for one week” (verse 27), the last week, which ended in 34 A.D. with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7) and the gospel now going to Gentiles as well as Jews.

So in short, there are 70 “weeks.” Sixty-nine of the 70 bring us to Jesus. The last week remains; in the midst of that week, or three and half “days,” Jesus is crucified,” then the prophecy ends."

Read more at: Cliff's Edge––The 70-Weeks Made Simple | Adventist Review

And here is even more, including how it connects overall to the 2300 years prophecy ending in 1844...
"Seventh-day Adventists believe that "the commandment to re store and to build Jerusalem" (Dan. 9:25) marks not only the beginning of the 70- weeks prophecy of that passage, but also the beginning of the 2300 days mentioned in Daniel 8:14- We believe that this latter prophecy reaches down to 1844, and thus points us out as the people God raised up on time to proclaim the last message of warning to the world. If we are correct, we ought to be able to justify our claim by producing evidence that will support it.

Three Persian decrees played roles in the restoration of God's people from the captivity the Babylonians had instituted.1 Confirming our interpretation of these important prophecies of Daniel depends on identifying and dating the decree with which God intended the time calculations to begin.

Cyrus issued the first decree in the first year of his Babylonian reign, which was 538/537 B.C. (see Ezra 1:1; 6:1; and 2 Chron. 36:22, 23). The Bible does not indicate when in the first year of his reign this decree was given, so we do not know whether the year involved was 538 or 53 7 B.C. Nor does the Bible tell us when Zerubbabel's party left Babylon and when they arrived in Jerusalem, so we do not know when this decree became effective. The Bible's vagueness about these details argues against this being the all important decree. Furthermore, Cyrus's decree says nothing about the restoration of the city. It speaks only of the rebuilding of the Temple.

Another evidence that this is the wrong decree is that it simply doesn't work with the Daniel 9 prophecy of the time of the arrival of the Messiah, the anointed one. With the date of this decree as a starting point, the 483 years Daniel spoke of do not reach anywhere near Jesus' time, never mind identifying the year of His baptism--His anointing--which took place in A.D. 27.

Scripture gives no date at all for the second decree, that of Darius the Great. All we know is that it was given in the early years of his reign, because, as a result of it, the Temple was completed and dedicated.2 And, like Cyrus's, Darius's decree was concerned with the restoration of the Temple, not of the city. Obviously, for establishing a starting point for the prophecy this decree is not of much use either.

If God intended either of these decrees to mark the beginning of a time prophecy as important as that of the 2300 days, then certainly He would have seen that the details needed were recorded in the Bible.

ARTAXERXES' DECREE​

It is in connection with the third decree--that of the seventh year of Artaxerxes, recorded in Ezra 7:8, 9--that we have the information necessary to locating in time this important prophecy. Regarding this decree we are told that Ezra left Babylon on the first day of month 1 of the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and that he and his group arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of month 5 of the same year. For no other decree is such detail given. This itself should alert us. Surely God is saying something to us when His Word is so explicit regarding this decree and so vague regarding the other two.

Furthermore, this decree provided for the restoration of local government on a scale not mentioned in the other decrees (note Ezra 7:21-28). It empowered the judiciary to punish wrongdoers, even granting the authority to impose the death sentence. And as a result of this decree Ezra began to build the city--see the letter to Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.

However, perhaps the strongest argument of all is that when we calculate the Daniel 9 prophecy using the date of this decree, 457 B.C., as marking its beginning, the prophecy reaches exactly to the baptism of Jesus. In fact, Daniel 9:24 suggests that the events that take place within the 70 weeks set God's seal of approval on the whole of the prophecy. They show that the prophecy was divinely given, and thus absolutely dependable. And no other date even begins to satisfy the demands of this prophecy.

Obviously, then, the decree God in tends us to use is that of Ezra 7 the one issued in the seventh year of Artaxerxes. God has given us details about when it was issued and when it went into effect. And the precision with which it relates to Jesus' baptism marks it as authentic. It is just too accurate to be wrong!

Having determined that it is Artaxerxes' decree that marks the beginning of these prophetic periods, we must now establish that the year in which he issued his decree actually was 457 B.C."
... Establishing the date 457 B.C

 

[reddogs]

Here is a breakdown by Prof. Walter Veith of the prophecy going to the end of the 490 years...
"The 70-week prophecy, the greatest proof of Jesus as the Messiah, is found in these verses. They predict the time of the Messiah's anointing, putting the issue beyond doubt.

Let us unravel the prophecy by allowing Scripture to be its own expositor.

The Day-Year Principle​

Prophecies are couched in symbolic language that needs to be unraveled before the meaning of the words can be understood. Prophetic time is used as a symbol to be interpreted in the light of Scripture.

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years (Numbers 14:34 NKJV).

I have appointed thee each day for a year (Ezekiel 4:6).

These two texts provide the key—the day-year principle. This principle takes prophetic days and converts them to actual years. Applying this principle to the 70-week prophecy will show that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.

Six Messianic Tasks​

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 (Daniel 9:24).

“Thy people” were God’s chosen people Israel. Seventy weeks resolves into 490 days. Applying the day-year principle, 490 days become 490 years.

The 490 years were appointed to the Jewish nation for these six reasons found in Daniel 9:24:
1. to finish the transgression
2. to make an end of sins
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness
5. to seal up vision and prophecy
6. to anoint the most Holy

These six issues could only be fulfilled in and through the Messiah. Who else could make reconciliation for iniquity or bring in everlasting righteousness?

Jesus Fulfills the Prophecy​

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.

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.

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 9:25-27).

The angel gives a breakdown of the 70 weeks as follows:

7 weeks of years for rebuilding of Jerusalem (verse 25)

62 weeks of years to the Messiah (verses 25-26)

1 week of years to the close of the period (verse 27)

The calculations are shown in the graph below:





The 2300-day prophecy, of which the 70-week prophecy is a small part, was to begin at the command that effected the restoration of Jerusalem. This command went forth under King Artaxerxes Longimanus in the year 457 BC (Ezra 7:12-13).ii

From this starting point, we can determine all the other time markers of the prophecy. Seven weeks were allotted for the restoration of Jerusalem. True to the prophecy, Jerusalem was rebuilt 49 years after 457 BC, which was 408 BC.

Seven weeks (49 day-years) for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and another threescore and two weeks (62 weeks or 434 day-years) brings us to "the Messiah the Prince." Beginning in 457 BC and applying the day-year principle, we can determine the passing of 483 years from 457 BC which brings us to 27 AD (allowing for the conversion from BC to AD being one extra year).

In 27 AD, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit on the occasion of His baptism which marked the beginning of His ministry (Luke 3:21-23). This baptism marked the event in Daniel’s prophecy “unto the Messiah the Prince.” When Christ proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15), He was referring to this part of the prophecy.iii

The end of the prophecy is 34 AD, 7 day-years after the baptism:
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease (Daniel 9:27).

Christ would confirm the covenant made with Israel for one prophetic week (7 years), but oblation (offerings) would cease in the middle of the week (3 ½ years after 27 AD). This mid-point brings us to 31 AD—the year Christ was crucified. It was at His death that he put an end to the system of offerings practiced by Israel for so many years.

Chiastic Structure​

Some modern interpretations confuse the 70-week prophecy by applying it to the Antichrist, who (according to this interpretation) would arrive at the end of the Christian dispensation some time in the future.

However, the prophecy in Daniel 9:26-27 has a chiastic structure, and if this is taken into account, the apparent confusion in its literary style is eliminated:



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. 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.

The chiastic structure is as follows:
* a. Messiah destroyed
* b. Sanctuary destroyed
* b1. Sacrifice terminated
* a1. Ruler destroyed

Verse 27 has an additional chiasm: “he—week—week—he,” again emphasizing the role of the Messiah. It can thus be said that the destruction of the Messiah caused "the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." The Messiah would also confirm His covenant with God’s people by His sacrificial death “in the midst of the week.”

John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and Isaac Newton all connect the 70th week with the Messiah. When Christ cried “It is finished,” the priests were officiating in the temple. It was the hour of the evening sacrifice, and as the Passover lamb representing Christ was about to be slain, “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:51).

After Christ died, rose again, and ascended to heaven, there were still 3 ½ day-years remaining in the prophecy. These ended in 34 AD with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:59-8:4). At that time the Gospel was given to the Gentiles by individual ambassadors from every nation. Paul, the very one who consented to the stoning of Stephen, became the apostle to the Gentile world. Israel ceased to be the recipient and channel of God’s truth. "...

The 70-Week Prophecy | Daniel 70 Weeks Prophecy

The ancient 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel proves without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. Let's take a look at the Chiastic structure of one of the most amazing prophecies in the Bible.

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