70 Weeks
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Introduction
Introduction
-As we look at the end of Daniel chapter 9 and pay a little more attention to the details, it made me sit back and wonder why God allows Bible-believing Christians to hold such vastly different views on some theological matters while everyone still stays within the realm of orthodox Christianity. We hold to the same essentials of the gospel message (virgin birth, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection) and we hold to belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. And yet, Christians who believe all those primary beliefs hold differing views on things that we would call secondary or even tertiary matter—they don’t make a difference for salvation, but they do filter your view on various things in Scripture. These are matters by which you interpret the rest of Scripture. So, whether you hold to Reformed or an Arminian view of salvation will be the way you filter all of Scripture. And the way that lean with regards to end times will actually filter the way you interpret the rest of Scripture.
-So, why all the differences? I think that God allows it so that it would push us to go further into Scripture ourselves. This is part of the journey—we go forth seeking for the truth, and we never stop seeking. And even though on important matters we know the truth without equivocation (Christ died, Christ rose, Christ ascended, Christ will return), God gave enough room for us to seek the proper interpretation of His Word over time—it forces us to seek Him and rely on Him to try to find the right interpretation. And therein is where the issue lies—the interpretation. The Word of God is inspired and infallible, but mankind is not infallible, and even the redeemed mind can close itself off from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
-So, until Christ returns, we are going to have these different interpretations about what is going to happen and when it’s going to happen. Everyone agrees with what’s going to happen afterwards, it’s just a matter of getting there that’s a little bumpy. And after it happens, no one is going to care whether they were right or wrong about their end time views, they’ll just be glad it happened. But Daniel 9 is one of those passages that has numerous interpretations. I want to consider the verses at the end of the chapter, and consider what we know, what we don’t know, and how it has been interpreted over time.
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.
26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
-Daniel was praying about his people because Jeremiah’s prophecy about 70 years of captivity was about up. Daniel was concerned about what came next. So, God sent Gabriel to Daniel to give him an answer. 70 weeks are decreed for the people and the holy city. Literally 70 sevens have been decreed by God for something to happen to the Jews and Jerusalem. We know that the weeks/sevens refer to years. What’s going to happen after 70 sevens, or 490 years?
-It says that toward the end of the 490 years transgression would be finished—the word more literally means restrained. It is not saying transgression would cease to exist, only that it would be restrained somehow. There would be and end to sin—it literally says to seal up sin, again some sort of restraint. There would be an atonement for iniquity—God’s wrath would be appeased for sin and iniquity—this is how sin would be sealed up. Everlasting righteousness would be brought—an eternal righteousness would be made a reality, where God’s righteousness would prevail. Vision and prophecy would be sealed—the same word used when translated put an end to sin—vision and prophecy would be sealed as in authenticated, but it could also mean that vision and prophecy would be brought to an eventual close. To anoint a most holy place might mean to prepare a place for everlasting holiness.
-It is interesting that what happens after 490 years has nothing to do with a nation and politics per se. Instead, after 490 years something spiritually amazing and unheard of will come about. And what it all means depends on the filter that you use.
-Premillennial Dispensationalists will say that this verse has to do with what God will do with the Jews right before or at Christ’s second coming. The 7-year period of the 70th week will usher in Christ’s millennial kingdom where the Jews will finally believe in Jesus and have their sin atoned for and they are made righteous. On the other hand, amillennialists believe that it speaks of Christ’s first coming. It is through Christ’s death and resurrection that transgression will be restrained and sin will be securely locked up through His atoning work. Through Christ, God’s kingdom has come and therefore His righteousness has penetrated a sinful world. It is through Christ that the visions and prophecies of the Old Testament will have their fulfillment. And through Christ believers and the church are made holy and are made the temple wherein is God’s presence—the new holy of holies. From either view, verse 24 is somewhat of a summary verse.
-V. 25 gets a little more specific about what is going to happen in that 490 year period of Israel’s history. This verse focuses in on the first 483 years—or 69 weeks/sevens. There would be a decree that would go forth regarding the rebuilding of Jerusalem which will start the clock for this 69 weeks/sevens period. And it says that the end of that 69 weeks/sevens would include the coming of an Anointed One, a Prince. The word for anointed one would be Messiah. So, from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until there would be a Messiah would be the 483 years. What happens in the meantime within those 483 years? Jerusalem is rebuilt in the first 49 years (7 weeks/sevens) and then in the 62 weeks some more things will be completed for the city, but it will also go through some troublesome times.
-All views know that the 483 year period somehow leads to Christ, but they differ on where exactly it leads. In v. 25 where it talks of a decree to restore, the word could also mean return—so it might be one of the decrees that allow people to return to Jerusalem (such as the groups that went with Ezra or Nehemiah). Premillennial dispensationalists believe that the decree Gabriel refers to is Artaxerxes’ second decree given around 445 BC and leads to Christ’s triumphal entry. Amillennialists believe that the 483 year period starts from Artaxerxes’ first decree around 458 BC and it leads to Christ’s baptism. All roads lead to Christ, they just think the destination is a little bit different.
-It’s what happens after the 483 years that there is a big fork in the theological road. I want to remind everyone that this is not a matter of salvation, not a matter of the gospel, whichever way you roll with your view on end times. As long as you believe that Jesus is returning bodily and visibly and physically, you are in the same camp. What is also important is that your view of end times does not cause you to just sit around waiting for Christ to return, staring up in the clouds rather than going forth and fulfilling the mission that God has for you. Instead, your view of end times ought to cause you to be encouraged in reminding you that this world is not our home and its evils will not last forever. If your view of end times doesn’t cause you to run to Christ for comfort or cause you to run out in the world with the gospel, then maybe it is time to reflect on where your view of end times is taking you.
-That being said, vv. 26-27 talk about what happens after the 483 years, and whether any or all of what it says happens in the final seven years—the 70th week/seven. While v. 26 generally says what will happen after the 483 years, v. 27 seems to speak specifically about the 70th week/seven. V. 26 begins by saying that an anointed one (Messiah) shall be cut off and shall have nothing. It is interesting that the word translated “cut off” can mean both elimination and it is used in cutting/making a covenant, especially considering what is said in the next verse. Both views see Christ’s crucifixion in this, which happened to be what made a covenant with those who believe. Christ was cut off, and His cutting off cut a covenant with humanity. But He would have nothing. This might be an indication of His disciples abandoning Him. It might also indicate that His death, at the time and in the eyes of worldly humans, seemed to accomplish nothing.
-Then the end of v. 26 talks about a prince who will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Dispensationalists will say that this refers to the end times when the Antichrist will make war with the Israelites and enter the city and do unspeakable things in the temple and eventually devastate the city. Amillennialists believe that this refers to the destruction of the city and temple by the Romans in AD 70.
-V. 27 speaks about a covenant that is made. Dispensationalists believe this verse refers to the Antichrist having made a 7-year covenant with Israel, will break the covenant halfway through the covenant, will roll into Jerusalem and desecrate the rebuilt temple with pagan rituals that will cause people to worship him rather than God. This is when the Great Tribulation would begin.
-On the other hand the amillennialist sees v. 27 as a parallel to v. 26. The covenant referred to is the new covenant made through Christ. At the half of the week, 3 1/2 years into the 70th week (Christ’s 3 1/2 year ministry after His baptism) by His death and resurrection Christ put an end to the sacrificial system making it obsolete and thereby making worship at the temple unnecessary because anyone can worship anywhere at anytime. Again, the temple would be desolated in AD 70 putting an end to the obsolete sacrificial system.
-Although there may be disagreements about what these verses specifically lead to, what is interesting is what both views say about God, and maybe something you need to hear. God is moving history toward a goal—toward an intended purpose. But the road to get there is not easy. It is filled with trial and tribulation. But just because the world and life seems chaotic does not mean that it is somehow out of God’s control. And just because the road takes some twists and turns that we don’t like doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us, see us, or care. He promises to walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death—but He never says that we won’t walk through valleys. But wherever the road leads, God is the one behind the scenes moving it. We might not like the spot on the road we are in right now, but the further we go down the road, the more we are moving toward God’s goals and purposes. It’s when we decide to stop in the road and concentrate in the spot on the road where we are that we really have difficulties. Instead of brooding over the spot in the road/journey where we are at right now, rejoice that there is more road left for God to get us to our destination. Look forward to what God has in store for you and anticipate that He will get you to where He wants you to go—not necessarily where you want to go, but wherever He wants you to go is better than any place that you can think of. So, trust in Him while walking this journey.