The Vision of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9 and Its Proper Interpretation

During the church age, the age of mystery, Christ is building up the church to be His bride (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:16; Rev. 19:7-9).

The most precious portion in the book of Daniel is in chapter 9:24-27, where we see God’s response to Daniel’s interceding and supplicating for the people of Israel. God revealed to Daniel the entire future history of the people of Israel, all encapsulated in the vision of the seventy weeks.

Throughout history, there have been many who interpreted this vision, and the Jews have a certain interpretation, while among the Christians there are other interpretations.

It is good to know the prophecies and to seek to understand them in the light of the entire Bible because – and only if so – the prophecies speak of Christ!

The seventy weeks is actually “the seventy sevens” – the word for weeks is “seven” – and it defines the scope of the prophecy. The end points of the prophecy are the closing of the transgression, the end of sins, the propitiation for iniquity, the bringing in of the righteousness of the ages, the sealing of the vision and the prophet, and the anointing of the Holy of Holies.

In this article I will try my best to express something from what I understood from the Bible, the footnotes, the ministry, spiritual books, and brother Andrew Yu’s speaking concerning the vision of the seventy weeks.

May we be open to the Lord to really see and understand this very precious and important vision, which is the key to understanding all the prophecies in the Bible!

In understanding the great tribulation, the truth concerning the second coming of Christ, and the truth concerning the rapture of the believers, a proper understanding of the vision of the seventy weeks is very important.

Seven Weeks: From the Issuing of the Decree to Restore and Rebuild Jerusalem to the Completion of the Rebuilding

The seventy weeks are divided into three parts (plus a gap), the first of which is the seven weeks (forty nine years), which are apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding of the city (see Dan. 9:25; Neh. 2:1-8).

The beginning point is the issuing of the decree of the rebuilding of Jerusalem – referring NOT to Cyrus when he issued the decree for the Jews to go back, but when Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (445 BC), 100 years after Daniel saw this vision. This has been fulfilled, and it is agreed by both the Jewish Rabbi’s and the Christian scholars / theologians / seeking ones.

Sixty-Two Weeks: From the Completion of the Rebuilding of Jerusalem to the Cutting Off of the Messiah

Through His death on the cross, Christ terminated the old creation. Then in His resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit to germinate those whom God has chosen and make them a new creation (life-study of Daniel, pp. 87-88).

The second part is composed of sixty-two weeks (434 years), apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off (the crucifixion) of the Messiah (Dan. 9:26).

The beginning point is the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the endpoint is the crucifixion of Christ, the Messiah. All Christians agree on this, but the Jews don’t (since many of them refuse to believe that Jesus Christ the Nazarene was and is the prophesied and promised Messiah, the Savior of the world).

But we can see clearly from the Bible and from history that the Jesus is Messiah, the promised One. And after living 33.5 years on earth, He died – He was crucified, and He had nothing!

Since the vision of the seventy weeks refers to mainly the outward history of the people of Israel, when Christ died on the cross He had nothing. But spiritually, Christ terminated the old creation in His death and germinated God’s new creation through His resurrection!

Now we all are the many believers in Christ, the many members of the spiritual Body of Christ, and the many citizens of God’s spiritual divine kingdom, God’s new creation (Dan. 9:26; Mark 9:12; 1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Matt. 16:19, 28).

Hallelujah, we Gentiles have now the privilege of believing in Christ, receiving God’s life, and becoming God’s spiritual people on earth!

P.S. Many Bible scholars, theologians, Jewish Rabbi’s, teachers of the law, and atheists seem to find it difficult to match up the years of the 62 weeks (434 years) from 445 BC to the death of Christ. There are some hints that may help in the calculation, like: the year Christ was born is not clearly determined, the Jewish calendar has 360 days (and no 365), so… the calculations eventually will match up.

A Gap of Unknown Duration: the Age of the Church, the Age of Mystery, the Age of Grace

The third part of the seventy weeks is the last week, which refers to the end of this age (since it ends up with the coming age of the kingdom, the millennium). Since the vision of the 70 weeks had mainly to do with the Jews and God’s earthly people – Daniel was praying for Jerusalem – the “gap” or the age of mystery is not mentioned.

But after the sixty-ninth week, there is a gap of unknown duration, which is the age we live in today, lasting for almost 2000 years now.

In this age God seemingly doesn’t do anything with His people but rather put them aside, starting with the time “the prince” came and destroyed the city of Jerusalem (the Roman prince Titus came and destroyed Jerusalem completely, including the temple, in AD 70).

In the age of the church God is still working, but in a hidden way, spiritually, in the realm of mystery. The physical aspect of God’s work among His earthly people has been discontinued, and now God carries out His economy in a mysterious realm, secretly and not openly, mysteriously and not physically.

Today, the church is secretly and mysteriously being built by Christ in His resurrection to be the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ. Somehow every day all the believers in Christ are built up as God’s corporate expression on earth as His Body to become His bride.

Also, in this gap Israel has been suffering, especially by not having God physically and actively among them outwardly.

The Last Week: Antichrist will Make a Firm Covenant with the People of Israel

Soon, the gap will be finished, and we will surely know that there are seven more years left when the Antichrist will make a firm covenant with the people of Israel (Dan. 9:27).

There are some markers that the Bible speaks about which lead to this time, such as the gathering of the Jewish people to their homeland, the fig tree becoming tender (in 1948 the nation of Israel was restored), Jerusalem will be trodden until the time of the nations is fulfilled (in 1967 Jerusalem was returned to Israel fully), and the temple will be rebuilt.

When the last marker – the rebuilding of the temple – is fulfilled, we are at the end of this age. In that time Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel and with many for one week, but in the middle of that week he will break it and will cause the oblation and the sacrifice to cease – this will be the beginning of the great tribulation, which will last for the three and a half years (see Dan. 7:25; 12:7, 11a; Matt. 24:21; Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 14; 13:5).

The final sign for the Lord’s return and the last seven years of this age is the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (2 Thes. 2:3-4).

Then Antichrist will make a peace agreement with Israel, and there will finally be peace and prosperity on earth for 3.5 years. However, after 3.5 years of peace, Antichrist will change his mind, break the peace agreement, fight against God, and stop the sacrifice and the oblation.

This is the beginning of the great tribulation when the earth will no longer be a pleasant place to live, and the faithful Jews and Christians will suffer Antichrist’s persecution.

Before this time, we need to stay under God’s divine dispensing and grow in life unto maturity that we will be ripened and raptured when the Lord will secretly return to rapture His overcomers!

P.S. There has been much confusion again concerning who this man of lawlessness is, who will bring in the abomination of desolation. Some Jewish Rabbi’s say it was Antiochus Epiphanies (who desecrated God’s temple by entering there, putting his image there, and offering a pig on the altar when he conquered Jerusalem). Some Christian teachers say that this man was Titus, since he destroyed Jerusalem. But not ALL the prophecies in Dan. 9, 11, 12, and Matt 24 match for these two persons, especially since the end is the age of millennium  Antichrist is the one who was typified both by Antiochus Epiphanes and Titus (and Nero), and he will bring in the abomination of the desolation, he will make a covenant with Israel, he will cause the sacrifice to stop, he will persecute the Jews and Christians, and he will fight against God together with the humanity instigated by him.

O Lord Jesus! I am sure I left a lot of things out, and there are many more specific details and dates that I didn’t put in there, but this is something that I recently enjoyed concerning the vision of the seventy weeks.

The Chart of the seventy weeks and the coming of Christ, with the rapture of the saints.

This vision opens up and helps us understand the entire history of mankind and all the prophecies in the Bible. I recommend the outline and chart compiled and composed by brother Witness Lee concerning the seventy weeks – with verses and more details.

We need to prayerfully study these details and really be open to the Lord that He may unveil us to see where we are, who we are, and what should we do today. We need to be the overcoming ones in God’s spiritual people in the age of the church, those who hasten His second and who bring Him back sooner!

Lord Jesus, cause us to see the vision You showed Daniel. Save us from any heresy or natural understanding. Lord, enlighten the eyes of our heart and unveil us from any natural concept. May we see the seventy weeks, their meaning, and our position and portion! Make us those who live one with You today, those being built up in the Body of Christ to be Your overcomers who bring You back! Come, Lord Jesus!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from brother Andrew Yu’s speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (pp. 87-89), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 4 (entitled, The Vision of the Seventy Weeks and the Age of Mystery).
• Further reading: The Prophecy of the Four “Sevens” in the Bible, ch. 1; Life-study of 2 Thessalonians, msgs. 2-3.
• Pictures credit: both via, Inspiration Unlimited Facebook page, HWMR Daniel and Zechariah Quotes album.