Some figures for us to wrap our minds on.
Daniel 9
24 “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.
25 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.
“Seventy weeks are determined" upon thy people and upon thy holy city for
these specific events:
1. to finish the transgression, and
2. to make an end of sins, and
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
6.. to anoint the most Holy.
NOTE carefully that the city's destruction is NOT within the seventy weeks
determined upon city and people.
The command to restore and build Jerusalem was given by Cyrus the Persian in
456 B.C.
The 70 weeks is divided up into three parts: 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week.
The 7 weeks (49 years) of rebuilding Jerusalem by those who returned from exile
are covered by Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi.
Then, it was followed by the 62 weeks (62x7=434years) of intertestamental
silence and darkness. The appearance of John the Baptist broke the long dark silence;
his appearance also signalled the imminent appearance of the promised Messiah, the Prince.
The 70th week commenced with the public appearance/ministry of the Messiah. In the
midst of the week (30AD), the Messiah was cut off, having fulfilled all the six
things stated in 9:24.
At the beginning of the 70th week, some spiritual-minded Jews, understood from
Daniel's 70-week prophecy, were expecting the imminent appearance of the
Messiah. See Luke 3:15.
456 BC (the years Cyrus issued the imperial edict) + 483 (69 x 7) = 27AD
The Messiah was sent into the world at His water baptism in 28AD (28 comes
after 27).
Jesus's ministry lasted around 3.5 years; then He was cut off in the midst of
the last week of 7 years.
