69/70 WEEKS PROPHECY
Daniel 9:24-27This work is completely independent of any existing religions denomination, church, organisation or group.
A voice from a wilderness, correcting wrong Bible understandings, removing false religious traditions, smoothing the way.
BACKGROUND
Two overlapping 70 year periods occurred during the days of Daniel. The first was a God imposed 70 year easy servitude period on many nations, including Israel to the Babylonian world power which ascended in 609BC. This world controlling Babylonian dynasty God decreed would last exactly 70 years before it was ended by the Persians in 539BC.
"In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yhwh: 2 “This is what Yhwh has told me, ‘Make for yourself straps and yoke bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Then send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon ... 4 “This is what Yhwh of armies, the God of Israel, says; 6 And now I have given all these lands into the hand of my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon; even the wild beasts of the field I have given him to serve him. 7 All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until his own time comes, when many nations and great kings will make him their slave.’ 8 If any nation or kingdom refuses to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and refuses to put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence,’ declares Yhwh, ‘until I have finished them off by his hand.’ 11 But the nation that brings its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will allow to remain on its land,’ declares Yhwh, ‘to cultivate it and dwell in it. Jeremiah 27:1-11.
Israel ignored Yhwh's command to serve Babylon and rebelled three times, the first by Jehoiakim in 605 when Babylon takes the aristocracy of the Jewish nation, including Daniel into Babylonian exile, (Daniel 1:1-7). The second time, Jehoiakim rebels in 598, this time, 7,000 of the best of the nation were taken into exile along with Ezekiel and Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:7-20). The third time was when Zedekiah rebels against Babylon in 589. Three rebellions! Enough was enough for Nebuchadnezzar, with Yhwh's approval, after this third rebellion in 587 he totally destroyed the city of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25).
A second 70 year period begins at the time of the full desolation or wasting of Jerusalem. Seventy years later, in the first year of Darius's rule, some 22 years after the Babylonian world power had come to its end, Daniel investigates the ending of this second 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem.
"In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus a descendant of the Medes who had been made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of years mentioned in the word of Yhwh to Jeremiah the prophet to fulfil the desolation of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years" Daniel 9.
Babylon had fallen to Cyrus the Persian in 539BC and the 70 year period of servitude of the nations to Babylon ended, Jeremiah 25:11. The 70 years of servitude runs between 609 and 539, the 70 years of devastation between 587 and 517.
TWO 70 YEAR PERIODS
Babylon become Babylon dynasty
world power Ends
609 FIRST 70 YEARS 539
| |
| All surrounding nations |
|<----- 70 years easy servitude ------->|
___|_______________________________________|587 |
| |
Jerusalem 1st year Darius
destroyed Daniel calculates
desolation starts 70 years ended
587 SECOND 70 YEARS 517
| |
| unnecessary wasting of Jerusalem |
|<-------- 70 year desolations -------->|
_____|_______________________________________|___
In 517BC, Daniel, believing that the 70 years of Jerusalem's devastation had been completed, becomes anxious about the future of the ruined temple building in Jerusalem. He takes up the matter with God in prayer, his inquiries are recorded at Daniel 9:3-19. He enumerates the just reasons why God had caused this ruined condition of Jerusalem to come about, then makes a plea to God not to delay in restoring the temple and Jerusalem.
Daniel was probably looking for some communication to come back on the subject. What he got was a whole lot more than that. While he was talking to God, a powerful angel was dispatched and travelled a great distance to reach him to answer his questions. It must have been really important for this high ranking representative of Yhwh to make such a special rushed trip. Angels were usually only dispatched to communicate directly with humans over matters of high priority. Not only that, but Gabriel was one of the highest ranking angels, entrusted with some of the most important assignments in God's plan. This was an important meeting! Gabriel said, "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:" (Daniel 9:23 New King James Version).
DANIEL'S 70 WEEKS TIME PROPHECY
Gabriel tells him "There are 70 weeks that have been determined upon your people and upon the holy city, in order to terminate the transgression and to finish of sin (Adamic) and to make atonement for error and to bring in righteousness for times indefinite and to imprint a seal upon vision and prophet and to anoint the Holy of Holies. And you should know and have insight that from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the leader, there will be seven weeks also sixty-two weeks (69). She will return and be actually rebuilt, with a public square and moat but in the straights of the times.
After the seven plus sixty-two weeks (after 69) Messiah will be cut off with nothing for himself And the city and the holy place the people of a leader that is coming will bring to their ruin. And the end of it will be by the flood and until the end there will be war: what is decided upon is desolation's. And he must keep the covenant in force for the many for one week and at the half of the week he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease" (Daniel 9:24-27).
Daniel was seeking information on the then ruined city of Jerusalem. What he got was far more important; details on the future building of a heavenly Jerusalem referred to later by Paul at Hebrews 12:22-24 when he was talking to adopted 'Sons of God' "you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant".
The words of Gabriel were a time prophecy setting the future dates of Christ's birth, baptism and death given some 500 years before the events. It was a time calculation leading to events connected with the coming Messiah and his starting to build heavenly Jerusalem. The start of the prophecy was set when a specific command for "the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem." The bible places this command in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, the year 455BC (Nehemiah 2:1). Calculating from the command in 455 the Christ would appear after 7 plus 62 or 69 weeks of years, 69 x 7 = 483 years "there will be seven weeks also sixty-two."
Adding 483 years to 455 BC, brings us to 29 AD (no year Zero) when Christ first steps onto the world stage in October 29 AD and is baptised by John. Then, the 70th last week of 7 years commences. Halfway through this last seven year period or after 3 1/2 years, Christ died in April 33 when Jewish sacrifices under the Mosaic law covenant became obsolete, superseded by his better perfect human sacrifice "at the half of the week he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease".
Chart 1a.
70 WEEKS OF YEARS
Messiah cut off
Messiah End of Animal Jewish Covenant
Appears Sacrifices Extensions cease
AD 29 Oct' AD 33 April AD 36 Oct'
69 weeks of | Cut off | |
Years 483y | 1/2 week of years | 1/2 week of years |
-------------->|<----3 1/2 years ----->|<------3 1/2 Years ---->|
_______________|_______________________|________________________|___
Starts | | |
455 BC <--------------|<--------- One 7 Year week of years ----------->|
| | |
Jesus appears Jesus sacrifices non-Jews enter
Baptised by John his human body Kingdom covenant
For a further three and a half years after Christ's death (+1/2 a week of years from April 33 to October 36), an additional period of special favour was extended to the Jews, allowing them exclusively to take advantage of God's promises to Abraham and become first in line for the new Kingdom covenant. Non-Jews were first invited to enter into the New Kingdom covenant in 36, three and a half years later.
From Jesus' baptism in 29 until 36 covered a full seven years of exclusive special favour to the Jews living at that time, applying these benefits of the maturing Abraham covenant to them. After this last seven year period of exclusive payouts to the Jews, it ended. Non Jews, the first of whom was Cornelius, and his household were invited to enter the Kingdom contract from October 36 (Acts chapter 10). Daniel's time prophecy of sixty-nine weeks of years set the dates for this important last seven year period 29 to 36. What Daniel requested over the desolated state of Jerusalem's city, was answered with a time prophecy, which related to the start of building God's new heavenly Jerusalem.
The Kingdom covenant is still active and in force today. The 70 weeks prophecy revealed important starting dates in building the Heavenly Jerusalem, a new heavenly city. It is still in the process of construction with human living stones. New information again pinpoints important dates soon to occur in its construction. Further information see KINGDOM OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS