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High Top Media
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For
July-September 2003
Volume 6 Number 3
The Seventy Weeks Prophecy: Does It Lead to Jesus?
To whom does Daniel 9:24-26 refer? Christendom needs to take a new look at one of its most misunderstood prophecies.
PART I The Removal of Sin
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The widely held Christian interpretation of Daniel 9:24-26, called the Seventy Weeks Prophecy, is that it fixes the year in which the Messiah was to appear. Some bible students use this prophecy to determine the start of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and on that basis establish the year of the Crucifixion. For some this interpretation is confirmation of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah. Does the extant evidence support this conclusion?
The prophecy, which includes three periods of time�7 years, 62 years, and 1 year, describes four specific outcomes:
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The beginning point is with the issuance of the word or command given for the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25);
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The city, its walls (often translated moats), and the Temple will be rebuilt (Daniel 9:24-25);
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An anointed one, a "messiah", would be put to death (Daniel 9:25-26); and
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The army of an invading leader shall again destroy both Jerusalem and the Temple (Daniel 9:26).
Apparently Daniel came to understand the prophecy in Jeremiah fixing the 70 years.
Daniel 9:20-27 tells of the angel Gabriel appearing to Daniel while Daniel was in earnest prayer on behalf of the holy mountain of God, i.e., Zion, the site of the destroyed Solomonic Temple in Jerusalem. The prayer dealt with the holy place where God had set his name for his temple and the offering of sacrifices. Gabriel, who brought the response to Daniel's petition, informs him that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem that it not only will be built again with plaza and moat but with an anointed Holy of Holies (the most holy place in the Temple) as well. The prophecy at Daniel 9:24-25 is a forceful statement. In the NASB it reads:
Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy {place.} So you are to know and discern {that} from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince {there will be} seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. (Daniel 9:24-25 NASB.)
Consider this passage in the Tanakh:
Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city until the measure of transgression is filled and that of sin complete, until iniquity is expiated, and eternal righteousness ushered in; and prophetic vision ratified, and the Holy of Holies anointed. You must know and understand: From the issuance of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [time of the] anointed leader is seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it will be built, square and moat, but in a time of distress. (Daniel 9:24-25 Tanakh.)
These are rather different renderings of the Hebrew text. The former looks to Messiah the Prince (Jesus of Nazareth) appearing about 26 CE while the latter to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and sanctification of the Temple. Most analysts approach this passage centering on the meaning of the seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. There are two basic lines of thought on their meaning but there are many minor views of little or no scholarly value. These usually are eisogetic arguments with which the internet abounds. In this article I propose we look at the three most probable explanations of this prophecy as:
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Hypothesis 1�Fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, |
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Hypothesis 2�Fulfilled in the Maccabeans, and |
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Hypothesis 3�Fulfilled with the Kingdom of God. |
This analysis begins with the six elements, set forth in two triads (Triad 1−the removal of sin and Triad 2−the restoration of righteousness), to be realized by the covenant people and the holy city. This is set forth in the chart below. Later we will look at who it was that would issue the decree.
Three Hypotheses for Fulfillment of the Six Elements of Daniel 9:24 |
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Hypothesis 1�The 70 Weeks Prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth |
Hypothesis 2�The 70 Weeks Prophecy was fulfilled in the Maccabeans |
Hypothesis 3�The 70 Weeks Prophecy will be fulfilled with the Kingdom of God |
The Removal of Sin |
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1 |
"to finish the transgression" (NASB); "the measure of transgression is filled" (TANAKH) |
If all humanity is the referent, then Jesus did not end transgression as sin continues in the lives of human beings to this day. In a global sense until the time of Revelation 24, in the post-Great White Throne Judgment context, when only those born into the Kingdom of God remain there will be no end to iniquity. Jesus did not fulfill this element. |
The culmination of the appointed period of years ends with the concluding of the pagan iniquity at the holy place on Mt. Ophel (the temple site. Judas Maccabeus took the temple site from the pagan Greeks. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
At the time pictured in Revelation 21 there will be a new heaven and a new earth and no more death. The incorrigible wicked will have perished. Arguably until this point in history human sin remained so in a sense the Kingdom of God fulfills this element. |
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2 |
"to make an end of sin" (NASB); "and that of sin complete" (TANAKH). |
While Jesus became the propitiation for sin, evil yet remains in the lives of humanity. Sin exists, it has neither ended nor is it complete. There is no sociocultural system on earth where righteousness abounds. Even in Christianity, where the vast majority are only nominal Christians, we find little godly righteousness today. Jesus did not fulfill this element. |
The pagans holding the holy place on Mt. Ophel are to be removed. The Jews under Judas Maccabeus drove the pagans from the temple but the Greeks continued to occupy the Citadel. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
At the time pictured in Revelation 21 there will be no more sin. Once the incorrigible wicked perish in a lake of fire there is no more human sin or physical human beings. In a sense then the Kingdom of God does fulfill this element.
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3 |
"to make atonement for iniquity" (NASB); "until iniquity is expiated" (TANAKH). |
He covered iniquity through His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus fulfilled this element in the Crucifixion. |
Atonement is made by ritual cleansing and sacrifices pursuant to the Mosaic Code. Under Judas Maccabeus the priesthood cleansed the temple and offered sacrifices for the atonement of the people. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
Jesus covered iniquity through His sacrifice on the cross at least three thousand years before the time setting of Revelation 21. Jesus fulfilled this element in the Crucifixion, he will not fulfill it again as there is only a one time sacrifice for human sin (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 9:26; Hebrews 9:28). |
The Restoration of Righteousness |
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4 |
"to bring in everlasting righteousness" (NASB); "eternal righteousness ushered in" (TANAKH) |
Everlasting righteousness is not present anywhere on the earth. Even converted Christians, indwelled with the Holy Spirit, yet sin. Only when a person is born of God in the resurrection will he or she remain permanently righteousness. In terms of humanity this event will not begin until the resurrection of the dead in Christ and end at the close of the great White Throne Judgment. Jesus did not fulfill this element. |
The institution of a Jewish society wherein righteousness, justice, and conformity to the standards of the Mosaic covenant will prevail. The Maccabeans established a Torah-compliant Jewish state. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
At the time pictured in Revelation 21 there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Arguably until this point in history there was no everlasting righteousness so in a sense the Kingdom of God fulfills this element. |
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5 |
"to seal up vision and prophecy" (NASB); "and prophetic vision ratified" (TANAKH) |
The fulfillment of prophecy will not occur until after the Millennial rule of Jesus and the Great White Throne Judgment. Jesus did not fulfill this element. |
The fulfillment of the vision and "the prophecy" (KJ) to restore Jerusalem is complete. Jerusalem was once again under independent Jewish control and the prophecies predicting it were fulfilled. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
The fulfillment of prophecy will not occur until after the Millennial rule of Jesus and the Great White Throne Judgment. This will be the case in the time pictured in Revelation 21. In a sense the Kingdom of God fulfills this element. |
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6 |
"to anoint the most holy {place}" (NASB); "the Holy of Holies anointed" (TANAKH) |
Neither Jesus' life nor death resulted in the sanctification of the temple in Jerusalem. His life and Crucifixion did not impact the anointing of the Holy of Holies. Jesus did not fulfill this element. |
The anointing of "the most holy" (KJ) ends with the consecration of the temple of God. The Maccabeans restored the sanctity of the holy of holies. The Maccabeans fulfilled this element. |
In the context of Revelation 21 God will dwell with his resurrected children. The Kingdom of God does fulfill this element. |
Findings |
Only one of these elements have a fulfillment in the life and Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. |
All six of these elements have a specific historical fulfillment in the Maccabean period. |
All but one of these elements have a form of fulfillment in the Kingdom of God. |
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Conclusion |
Tentatively reject the hypothesis based on these data. |
Tentatively accept the hypothesis based on these data. |
Tentatively reject the hypothesis based on these data. |
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This analysis cannot end with these tentative conclusions. The three hypotheses also require examination in terms of the other information provided by Daniel 9. That is the next task.
Part II of this two part series will appear in the October-December issue of Perspectives
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