THE GREATEST PROPHECY EVER GIVEN

Daniel 9:24-27 has been called “The Greatest Prophecy Ever Given”. It is commonly referred to as “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel” because it was given through the prophet Daniel.

Daniel 9:24–27 (NKJV)
24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

Seventy weeks is more literally “Seventy sevens”. The Jews had units of seven days called weeks, but they also had units of seven years. They were to observe seven-year cycles with every 7th year being a Sabbatical year in which the land would REST (cf. Lev. 25:3-6, 20-22). What is in view here in Daniel 9 is seventy units of 7 years, as shown by the context. Daniel has been thinking in terms of years, as seen at the outset of the chapter in Daniel 9:1-2. There are various Scriptures that intersect with the final 70th week which consistently show that 360-day years are in view (cf. Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 12:7; Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 14; 13:5). 70 units of 7 years are in view and each of these years is 360 days in duration. 70 x 7 equals 490. So, 490 years, in accordance with the Jewish 360 day calendar was determined for Israel.

Note this very carefully! These 70 weeks according to Daniel 9:24 apply to “your people” - that is Daniel’s people (Israel/Jews), and to “your holy city” (Jerusalem). The things in view don’t apply to the Church or to the Gentiles at all! What is in view here is God’s program for Israel ONLY. This simple reality is a major prophetic MARKER. And if you don’t get it right you will be messed up on a whole bunch of prophecy related to the Church.

The first 69 weeks (483 years) were ALL fulfilled ONLY in relationship to Israel, so logical consistency says that the final 70th week – the last 7 year period also applies ONLY to Israel. This is the KEY reason to think that the entire 7 year Tribulation Period (the 70th week) has nothing to do with the Church. It specifically says it is for Daniel’s people (Israel) in relation to Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem). This is completely Jewish. All 70 weeks are completely Jewish in orientation! This involves 70 weeks (490 years) of God's special dealings with ISRAEL!

To come along later and try and insert the Church in here and say that somehow the 7-year tribulation (the 70th week of Daniel) has application to the Church is just not consistent with the text. The text itself leaves no wiggle room here for that. As far as God’s people, this targets specifically God’s people Israel and NOT the Church. Keep this basic MARKER in place and you will properly keep the Church out of the Tribulation Period. This involves basic interpretation in terms of rightly dividing the Word consistent with what the text literally and actually says.

The 6 things listed in summary fashion in verse 24 are all in reference to Israel concluding with the anointing of the Holy of Holies. This is NOT Church Truth, but truth that pertains essentially to Israel. Verse 24 mentions six things that will be accomplished in reference to these 70 weeks.

Repentance

1. To finish the transgression.
2. To make an end of sins.
3. To make reconciliation of iniquity.

Restoration

4. To bring in everlasting righteousness.
5. To seal up vision and prophesy.
6. Anoint the Most Holy.

The phrase “Most Holy” (or Holy of Holies) is used 39 times in the OT and is always used in reference to the Jewish tabernacle or temple. In view here is the kingdom temple which will be established at the completion of the 70th week.

By the time the 490 years of special dealings with Israel is complete, all six of these things related to the removal of sin and the restoration of righteousness will be fulfilled. But it will involve a process involving 70 weeks of years before it is complete. Again, Daniel’s people Israel in view. This is God’s program for Israel.

Verse 24 gives a comprehensive overview of all 70 weeks and where it will conclude with the completion of SIX things, but then Daniel breaks it down into three segments, as seen in verse 25, verse 26, and verse 27.

Note the DOUBLE emphasis on understanding in verse 25. He says, “know” and “understand”. God wants us to get this! The 70-week (490 year) period would begin when the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is only ONE command given in the OT to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and that is found in Nehemiah 2:1-8 when the Persian king Artaxerxes authorized Nehemiah to rebuild the city. This happened on March 5, 444 B.C. On this very day the divine prophetic clock started ticking on 490 years of special dealings that God has determined for Israel.

From the time this command to rebuild Jerusalem was given UNTIL Christ was officially presented to Israel as her King at the time of His triumphal entry was exactly 69 weeks or 483 years. It is stated with the formula of “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” which makes for a total of 69 consecutive weeks or 483 years. Evidently the qualifier “The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times” applies to the challenging conditions that were in place for the 49 years (7 weeks) that the city was under construction and being rebuilt. But following that would be another 62 weeks (434 years) making for a total of 483 consecutive years UNTIL Messiah would be presented at His triumphal entry. Note there is NO GAP between the 7 and the 62 weeks, so the 69 weeks here happened consecutively.

“Until Messiah the Prince,” is clearly a prophecy about Jesus Christ the Messiah. This marks the time when Jesus was officially presented to Israel as a PRINCE (that is, the anointed ruler) at the time of His Triumphal Entry (cf. Ps. 118:26, Zech. 9:9, Lk. 19:28-44). From the time of the command in Nehemiah 2 until Jesus’ Triumphal Entry was a period of 62 plus 7 weeks, or 69 weeks, which equals 483 years. In terms of days, that tallies to exactly 173,880 days.

Mark Hitchcock is a prophecy scholar and a pastor. But before he was a pastor he was a lawyer. Mark is so good on prophecy because he pays attention to minute detail. He says, "This exact period of time, which is 173,880 days, is the precise number of days that elapsed from March 5, 444 B.C. until March 30, A.D. 33, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem for His triumphal entry (Lk. 19:27-44). The precision with which this prophecy was fulfilled is staggering! That’s why I call it the greatest prophecy ever given. It stands as a monumental proof of the inspiration of the Bible." – Mark Hitchcock, The Amazing Claims of Bible Prophecy – p. 46

The Triumphal Entry in Luke 19:28-44 is the occasion when Jesus was officially presented to Israel as Messiah the Prince.

Psalm 118:26 (NKJV)
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)
9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus, in Luke 19:42, emphasized THIS DAY; and in verse 44, that this was THE TIME of their visitation and yet they did not realize it. The absolute exact precision fulfillment of this prophecy, which was given over 500 years in advance to the very day is absolutely incredible. Only God could do this! That is why it is called THE GREATEST PROPHECY EVERY GIVEN. And yet there is MORE! To be continued...