DANIEL’S 70-WEEK PROPHECY!

Sir,

In Daniel 9, we have the ’70 weeks’ prophecy. This prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.

The chapter begins with Daniel praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a vision of Israel’s future. In verse 24, Gabriel says; “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your holy city.” Seventy weeks are equivalent to 490 days; meaning 490 days were determined for the Israelites and the holy city.

In order to understand this prophecy one must recognise the day for a year principle. Critical to this understanding are two texts: (Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6). The day-year principle takes prophetic days and converts them to actual years. Applying this principle to the 490 days it shows that the prophecy is referring to 490 literal years.

Gabriel said the prophetic clock would start at the time that a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem (vs 25). From the date of that decree to the time of the Messiah would be 483 years. We know from history that the command to ‘restore and rebuild Jerusalem’ was given by King Artaxerxes of Persia in 457 BC (see Nehemiah 2:1-8).

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.

The prophecy ended in AD 34, seven years after the baptism of Christ. The Bible says; “And after 62 weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.

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

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 rose again and ascended to heaven, there were still 3 ½ years remaining in the prophecy. These ended in AD 34 with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:59-8:4). At that time the gospel was taken to the Gentiles. Paul, the one who consented to the stoning of Stephen, became the apostle to the Gentiles.

The prophecy of the 70 weeks is complex and amazingly detailed. This prophecy had been precisely fulfilled. Historical evidence is clear; Jesus was baptized and anointed in AD 27 and was crucified 3 ½ years later in AD 31. For centuries the Jews had slain the Passover lamb on Nisan 14, a Friday at 3pm. Jesus was crucified on the Passover Friday and died at 3pm.

Dear reader, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1:29. Jesus came ‘to atone for wickedness’. Indeed He accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross. What a mighty God we serve!

Bopoto Gwinyai
(+268 7663 8191)

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