I wanted to offer, as concisely as I can, what I believe is the correct interpretation of Daniel’s 70 weeks for people’s consideration. I think if you read this you will find it worth your time.
Daniel prays throughout Chapter 9 for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins as well as his own. Gabriel is sent to give him the answer to this prayer.
Daniel 9: 24-27 is poetic in its structure. Verse 24 sets up this poetic structure which continues down through verses 25-27. Looking at in the Hebrew makes this obvious in my opinion.
It revolves around “your people” and “your holy city” mentioned in verse 24. “Your people” is two words in Hebrew. “Your holy city” is three words in Hebrew. Gabriel mentions 6 things to be accomplished within the 70 weeks in verse 24.
The first 3 things have to do with the “sins of the people” that Daniel was praying about. All 3 of these things are also 2 words each in Hebrew just like “your people”.
The last 3 things are all 3 words each in Hebrew just like “your holy city”. This sets up the poetic structure of the prophecy which continues through verses 25-27.
So each verse has a “part A” and a “part B”. The first half of each verse is about “your people” and the second half of each verse is about “your holy city”.
We also see that the first half of each verse is dealing with the “sins of the people” that Daniel was praying about. This is tied to the Messiah who is mentioned explicitly in verse 25A and 26A and implied in verse 27A. The 70 weeks are tied to this figure because He accomplishes those 6 things Gabriel mentions in verse 24.
The second half of each verse is talking about “your holy city”. In 25B we see, “the street and wall shall be built in troubled times”. In 26B and 27B we read about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.
It is here where many people err in understanding the prophecy in my opinion. They think that verses 26 and 27 are chronological and have a 2,000 year gap and counting. They are not chronological. They are the same event. Verse 26 is being retold in verse 27 giving more details. This is called recapitulation and happens all the time in prophetic passages in the Bible. To prove this is true let me give an example:
The seals, trumpets and bowls in Revelation are all describing the same event. It goes from the beginning all the way to the end and then starts over and retells it again with more details.
The sixth seal, the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl are all the same event which is the second coming of Christ. Rev 19: 17-21 as well as Rev 20: 7-10 are also describing the second coming of Christ. You have it retold or recapitulated 5 times in the book of Revelation. Also, the seven trumpets and seven bowls mirror each other very closely but give more details. More evidence of recapitulation. This happens many times in the Old Testament too. Ezekiel 39 is retelling Ezekiel 38. They are the same event. There are not two Gog and Magog wars.
The sixth seal describes in Rev 6: 12 that there is a “great earthquake” and in verse 14, “every mountain and island were moved out of its place”.
In the seventh bowl you get the same description. Rev 16: 18 says there was a “great earthquake” and in verse 20, “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found”. If a person insists these are not the same event but chronological you have every island and mountain moved out of their place twice. Twice? Seems a bit hard to believe.
These are the same events being recapitulated (or retold) with more details. You will also notice that Rev 11: 15-19, which describes the second coming of Christ at the seventh trumpet, immediately goes back to the beginning and Christ’s birth in Rev 12: 1 and following.
There are many more examples of prophecy in the Bible not being chronological but “retelling” the same events with more details. I believe this is also the case with Daniel 9: 26 and 27.
26A and 27A are the same event. Christ’s crucifixion. 26A says “after 69 weeks messiah shall be cut off”. 27A says “in the middle of the week (the 70th week) He shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease”. “After 69” and “70” are the same thing when the prophecy has a limit of 70 weeks. They are synonyms.
This is why Gabriel said that those 6 things would be fulfilled in 70 weeks. Not 42 weeks, or 57 weeks or 69 weeks plus 2000 years plus another week. Gabriel said 70.
If you look closely at verses 26B and 27B they are also the same event. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.
Some people teach that the 70th week is still future. This is not possible according to what Gabriel tells Daniel in Dan 9: 24. He says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks.
Some teach that the 69th week ended on Palm Sunday and 5 days later Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. If that is true, Jesus was crucified OUTSIDE the time frame of the 70 weeks.
In that system He is crucified AFTER the 69th week has ended and before the 70th week has begun. This is not possible because Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks.
I mention this because many Christians are still looking for a “70th week” that begins when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. In my opinion this will never happen because the 70th week was when Christ was crucified.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some people will say that Jerusalem and the temple were not destroyed during the 70 weeks so your interpretation can’t be right either. They will say that it suffers the same problem as someone who has the 70th week still in the future. This is not true.
Gabriel says only 6 things will be accomplished for Daniel’s people and city WITHIN the 70 weeks. The destruction of the city and the temple is not one of those 6 things mentioned! Many people miss that.
I believe my interpretation of the 70 weeks prophecy fits nicely and seems to have no problems that I can see.
Those that believe in a future 70th week have a fatal error in their interpretation. Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks time frame. If Jesus is crucified AFTER/OUTSIDE the first 69 weeks, and He is also not crucified WITHIN the 70th week since that is still future, then He is not crucified WITHIN the time frame of the 70 weeks.
That is not possible. Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks. One of those 6 things is “atoning for iniquity”. That is the gospel message. Christ must do that on the cross WITHIN the 70 weeks. Verses 26A and 27A tell you He does it in the middle of the 70th week.
Any interpretation that moves the 70th week to the future contradicts what Gabriel says in Dan 9: 24.
I offer my interpretation because I think it fits the prophecy and has no issues as far as I can tell.
To those who are still looking for a 7 year treaty between Antichrist and Israel, in my opinion, it will never happen. Daniel 9: 27 is the only verse they get that from but they have misinterpreted it.
Christ was crucified during the 70th week and there is no future week.
Daniel prays throughout Chapter 9 for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins as well as his own. Gabriel is sent to give him the answer to this prayer.
Daniel 9: 24-27 is poetic in its structure. Verse 24 sets up this poetic structure which continues down through verses 25-27. Looking at in the Hebrew makes this obvious in my opinion.
It revolves around “your people” and “your holy city” mentioned in verse 24. “Your people” is two words in Hebrew. “Your holy city” is three words in Hebrew. Gabriel mentions 6 things to be accomplished within the 70 weeks in verse 24.
The first 3 things have to do with the “sins of the people” that Daniel was praying about. All 3 of these things are also 2 words each in Hebrew just like “your people”.
The last 3 things are all 3 words each in Hebrew just like “your holy city”. This sets up the poetic structure of the prophecy which continues through verses 25-27.
So each verse has a “part A” and a “part B”. The first half of each verse is about “your people” and the second half of each verse is about “your holy city”.
We also see that the first half of each verse is dealing with the “sins of the people” that Daniel was praying about. This is tied to the Messiah who is mentioned explicitly in verse 25A and 26A and implied in verse 27A. The 70 weeks are tied to this figure because He accomplishes those 6 things Gabriel mentions in verse 24.
The second half of each verse is talking about “your holy city”. In 25B we see, “the street and wall shall be built in troubled times”. In 26B and 27B we read about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.
It is here where many people err in understanding the prophecy in my opinion. They think that verses 26 and 27 are chronological and have a 2,000 year gap and counting. They are not chronological. They are the same event. Verse 26 is being retold in verse 27 giving more details. This is called recapitulation and happens all the time in prophetic passages in the Bible. To prove this is true let me give an example:
The seals, trumpets and bowls in Revelation are all describing the same event. It goes from the beginning all the way to the end and then starts over and retells it again with more details.
The sixth seal, the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl are all the same event which is the second coming of Christ. Rev 19: 17-21 as well as Rev 20: 7-10 are also describing the second coming of Christ. You have it retold or recapitulated 5 times in the book of Revelation. Also, the seven trumpets and seven bowls mirror each other very closely but give more details. More evidence of recapitulation. This happens many times in the Old Testament too. Ezekiel 39 is retelling Ezekiel 38. They are the same event. There are not two Gog and Magog wars.
The sixth seal describes in Rev 6: 12 that there is a “great earthquake” and in verse 14, “every mountain and island were moved out of its place”.
In the seventh bowl you get the same description. Rev 16: 18 says there was a “great earthquake” and in verse 20, “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found”. If a person insists these are not the same event but chronological you have every island and mountain moved out of their place twice. Twice? Seems a bit hard to believe.
These are the same events being recapitulated (or retold) with more details. You will also notice that Rev 11: 15-19, which describes the second coming of Christ at the seventh trumpet, immediately goes back to the beginning and Christ’s birth in Rev 12: 1 and following.
There are many more examples of prophecy in the Bible not being chronological but “retelling” the same events with more details. I believe this is also the case with Daniel 9: 26 and 27.
26A and 27A are the same event. Christ’s crucifixion. 26A says “after 69 weeks messiah shall be cut off”. 27A says “in the middle of the week (the 70th week) He shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease”. “After 69” and “70” are the same thing when the prophecy has a limit of 70 weeks. They are synonyms.
This is why Gabriel said that those 6 things would be fulfilled in 70 weeks. Not 42 weeks, or 57 weeks or 69 weeks plus 2000 years plus another week. Gabriel said 70.
If you look closely at verses 26B and 27B they are also the same event. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.
Some people teach that the 70th week is still future. This is not possible according to what Gabriel tells Daniel in Dan 9: 24. He says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks.
Some teach that the 69th week ended on Palm Sunday and 5 days later Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. If that is true, Jesus was crucified OUTSIDE the time frame of the 70 weeks.
In that system He is crucified AFTER the 69th week has ended and before the 70th week has begun. This is not possible because Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks.
I mention this because many Christians are still looking for a “70th week” that begins when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. In my opinion this will never happen because the 70th week was when Christ was crucified.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some people will say that Jerusalem and the temple were not destroyed during the 70 weeks so your interpretation can’t be right either. They will say that it suffers the same problem as someone who has the 70th week still in the future. This is not true.
Gabriel says only 6 things will be accomplished for Daniel’s people and city WITHIN the 70 weeks. The destruction of the city and the temple is not one of those 6 things mentioned! Many people miss that.
I believe my interpretation of the 70 weeks prophecy fits nicely and seems to have no problems that I can see.
Those that believe in a future 70th week have a fatal error in their interpretation. Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks time frame. If Jesus is crucified AFTER/OUTSIDE the first 69 weeks, and He is also not crucified WITHIN the 70th week since that is still future, then He is not crucified WITHIN the time frame of the 70 weeks.
That is not possible. Gabriel says all 6 things will be accomplished WITHIN the 70 weeks. One of those 6 things is “atoning for iniquity”. That is the gospel message. Christ must do that on the cross WITHIN the 70 weeks. Verses 26A and 27A tell you He does it in the middle of the 70th week.
Any interpretation that moves the 70th week to the future contradicts what Gabriel says in Dan 9: 24.
I offer my interpretation because I think it fits the prophecy and has no issues as far as I can tell.
To those who are still looking for a 7 year treaty between Antichrist and Israel, in my opinion, it will never happen. Daniel 9: 27 is the only verse they get that from but they have misinterpreted it.
Christ was crucified during the 70th week and there is no future week.
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That's fine, but I was pointing out that "before