The 70 weeks of Daniel: One of the most interesting parts of prophetic information provided by the Bible, is given in Daniel chapter 9. In this chapter Daniel was given a basic timetable for the world. Not only does it give the year for Christ’s death and details of the Jewish rejection of their Messiah but also the rise of the Antichrist or Beast of Revelation 13, who will terrorise the world during the Tribulation time.
In looking at the prophecy of the 70 weeks or seventy weeks of years, it must be realised that the years accounted for are Solar years and as such follow the Chaldean lunar-solar year length of 30 days, making a year of 360 days. This length of year refers to all Biblical narratives such as Noah in the Ark, and the length of the Tribulation. If we note that Daniels prophecy begins with “From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem [Dan 9:25]. This command to restore Jerusalem was issued by King Artaxerxes of Persia in the 20th year of his reign, during the month of Nisan. This corresponds in Daniels prophecy to 445BC. Bear in mind that 7 weeks are equivalent 7 years or 2540 days. This makes it fairly simple to work out the rest as Daniel splits it up into weeks or years.
The prophecy starts; and there will be a period of 7 x 7 years, and 62 x 7 years. This gives a total of 69 weeks of years which if multiplied out comes to 483 Biblical years. As the Prophecy was given to start at 445 BC if we add 483 years this gives the fulfilment of the 483 years [or 173880 days] ending while allowing for leap years etc., to end at the time of the Lords Crucifixion. Within a few years of the Crucifixion of Christ and the Jews rejection of the Messiah, as prophesied; “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”. [Dan 9:26 KJV]. In 70AD after a rebellion in Israel, the Roman General Titus was sent with an army to quell it. Jerusalem was destroyed the Temple burned down and the Jewish people exiled. The Sacrifice was stopped and from that day to this, the Jewish people have not had a Temple in Jerusalem and no priests or sacrifice. Since 1948 when Israel was created there has been war and desolations for Israel. They will continue until the that glorious day when their Messiah comes in all His glory, the people repent, and turn to the one who always was their Messiah, Jesus Christ. [Zech 12:10-14 & 13:1].
What of the 70th week? Between the end of the 69th week and the 70th the Jewish people had their sceptre taken away and during this gap between the weeks, which length is unspecified, the Christian Church has been formed and spread throughout the world. The 70th week will commence when the Church is taken up in the Rapture and the Antichrist or Beast from the sea [Rev 13], will be revealed. For many years of the Otterman Empire, Israel was overrun by Turkey and its people unable to develop as a nation. With the liberation of Jerusalem by General Allenby’s army in 1917, Israel and Jerusalem came under the mandate of rule by the British on behalf of the “League of Nations”. Some British politicians thought the territory should be given to the Jewish People. However over the years things did not go quite like that and instead of Jordon being for the Arabs and Palestine being for the Jews. It didn’t quite work out as originally planned. The area of Palestine left after Jordon was given to the Arabs was again divided between the Jews and Arabs. After a war between the Jews and Arab invaders in 1967, Israel was formed in its present form. It is a long story and one in which there are many opinions. However God in the end will restore Israel to the size it was, more or less in David’s day and the Temple rebuilt and Jewish rituals return. This is prophesied in numerous Scriptures throughout the Old and New Testaments. [Zech 14:1-21][Ezek 37:1-28][Isa 49:8-23][60:1-22] and many many more.
As we look at the world today we feel that it is becoming unmanageable. Every country owes to every other nation Billions of dollars and they are totally incapable of paying it back. Politicians serve their term and leave it to the next guy to follow on and hope he can sort something out. Meanwhile the world watches and wonders and tries not to think about the mess. As long ago as the 1950’s, politicians could see trouble coming and longed for a miracle worker. NATO’s Paul Henri Spaak said in 1957, “We want a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliance of all people and lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil we will receive him” The Bible says this man will come. When the Church is Raptured out of this world [1 Thess 4:13-18], The Antichrist or Beast will be revealed. [2 Thess 2:1-12]. The Tribulation will be initiated by the revealing of the Beast. For the first three and a half years things will go well for him. He will right a lot of wrongs and by shear presence and power he is given by Satan will set the world’s economy in motion once again. Those who do as they are told will become rich but those who go against him will be, as in all totalitarian states be removed. Those who belatedly accept Christ will be beheaded [Rev 20:4]. Satan will take over this man and control him. We will deal in more detail with this Antichrist later. But the Antichrist or Beast from the Sea [Rev 13:1-10], his assistant the False Prophet or Beast out of the Earth [Rev 13:11-18], will in conjunction with Satan become an earthly Imperfect trinity. “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is a man’s number. His number is 666. [Rev 13:18].
Brian D. Papworth