God’s Prophetic Timetable for Israel, Jerusalem, the Messiah, and the Coming Kingdom
Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks is one of the most important prophetic passages in the Bible. Found in Daniel 9:24–27, these four verses reveal a divine timetable concerning Israel, Jerusalem, the coming of Messiah, the destruction of the city and sanctuary, a future covenant, the stopping of sacrifice, a period of desolation, and the final judgment of the one who brings that desolation.
This prophecy is not isolated from the rest of Scripture. It connects with Israel’s captivity, Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the first coming of Jesus Christ, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the future Tribulation, the Antichrist, and the return of Christ.
The passage must be studied carefully. Scripture states certain truths plainly, while some details concerning dates and the exact placement of events require interpretation. Wherever the wording allows different conclusions, those conclusions should not be presented as though they were the inspired words themselves.
The central facts, however, are unmistakable:
- The seventy weeks concern Daniel’s people and Daniel’s holy city.
- The prophecy contains seventy prophetic “weeks,” or groups of seven.
- Messiah would come after sixty-nine of those weeks.
- Messiah would be cut off.
- Jerusalem and the sanctuary would later be destroyed.
- A coming prince would confirm a covenant for one week.
- In the middle of that week, sacrifice and oblation would cease.
- Desolation would continue until God’s determined judgment was completed.
The prophecy demonstrates that God rules over history. Kingdoms rise and fall, cities are built and destroyed, rulers make decrees, and nations go to war, but God’s Word continues toward its appointed fulfillment.
The Historical Setting of Daniel Chapter 9
Daniel received this prophecy while Israel was in captivity. Jerusalem had been conquered, the temple had been destroyed, and many Jewish people had been carried away to Babylon.
Daniel chapter 9 opens by identifying the time.
Daniel 9:1–2 (KJV)
“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
Daniel was studying the written Word of God. He understood from the writings of Jeremiah that Jerusalem’s desolations would last seventy years.
Jeremiah had warned Judah that its persistent disobedience would bring judgment.
Jeremiah 25:8–12 (KJV)
“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.”
Jeremiah also gave a promise of restoration.
Jeremiah 29:10–14 (KJV)
“For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”
Daniel believed the prophecy. He knew the time of captivity was drawing toward its conclusion. Yet he did not respond with carelessness. He responded with prayer, fasting, confession, and repentance.
Daniel’s Prayer of Confession
Daniel did not blame God for Jerusalem’s condition. He acknowledged the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of the people.
Daniel 9:3–5 (KJV)
“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:”
Daniel personally lived faithfully in Babylon, yet he identified himself with his people by saying, “We have sinned.” He did not pray with pride. He approached God in humility.
He continued:
Daniel 9:6–10 (KJV)
“Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes ,and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.”
Daniel understood that captivity was the result of covenant disobedience. God had warned Israel through Moses and the prophets. The people refused to hear, and judgment came exactly as God had declared.
Daniel appealed to God for mercy.
Daniel 9:16–19 (KJV)
“O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God :for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”
Daniel’s prayer centered on Jerusalem, the sanctuary, and the people of Israel. This setting is essential because Gabriel’s answer also centers on those same subjects.
Gabriel Comes with the Answer
While Daniel was still praying, Gabriel came to give him understanding.
Daniel 9:20–23 (KJV)
“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”
Gabriel did not come to answer a question unrelated to Daniel’s prayer. Daniel had prayed about his people, Jerusalem, the holy mountain, and the desolate sanctuary. Gabriel’s prophecy addressed those very matters.
The prophecy begins in verse 24.
Daniel 9:24 — The Purpose of the Seventy Weeks
Daniel 9:24 (KJV)
“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.”
“Seventy Weeks Are Determined”
The word translated “weeks” refers to groups of seven. The passage does not say seventy ordinary seven-day weeks. The events described could not be fulfilled within 490 literal days.
The seventy weeks are therefore understood as seventy groups of seven years, totaling 490 years.
This use of groups of seven is not foreign to the Old Testament. The law used cycles of seven years in connection with the land.
Leviticus 25:8 (KJV)
“And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.”
A “week” in Daniel 9 is therefore best understood as a period of seven years. Seventy such periods equal 490 years.
The word “determined” means that the period was set apart or decreed by God. These events were not left to chance. God had established a prophetic timetable.
“Upon Thy People”
Gabriel told Daniel that the seventy weeks were determined upon “thy people.”
Daniel’s people were Israel. Daniel had just confessed “the sin of my people Israel.” Therefore, the natural meaning is that the seventy weeks concern Israel.
The Church did not yet exist when this prophecy was given. Nothing in the immediate context changes “thy people” from Israel to the Church.
This does not mean that Christ’s work has no importance for the Church. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the foundation of salvation for all who believe. However, the specific prophetic timetable in Daniel 9 is directed toward Israel.
“Upon Thy Holy City”
Daniel’s holy city was Jerusalem.
Daniel had prayed:
Daniel 9:16 (KJV)
“O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.”
Therefore, the seventy weeks concern Israel and Jerusalem. Any interpretation that removes both Israel and Jerusalem from the prophecy overlooks Gabriel’s direct words.
Six Purposes of the Seventy Weeks
Daniel 9:24 gives six purposes that God will accomplish in connection with this prophetic period.
1. “To Finish the Transgression”
Israel’s history included repeated rebellion against God. The nation rejected the law, resisted the prophets, and ultimately rejected the Messiah at His first coming.
To finish the transgression points toward the bringing of Israel’s rebellion to its appointed conclusion. It does not mean Israel would never sin again in any possible sense, but that God would deal decisively with the national transgression described throughout the prophets.
Zechariah speaks of a future time when Israel will look upon the pierced Messiah.
Zechariah 12:9–10 (KJV)
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
A future national recognition of Christ will bring Israel’s long rejection of Messiah to an end.
2. “To Make an End of Sins”
Sin was dealt with judicially at the cross. Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin.
Hebrews 9:26 (KJV)
“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
However, the full visible removal of sin’s rule from the earth awaits Christ’s kingdom and the final completion of God’s redemptive program.
The phrase in Daniel points toward the completion of God’s purpose in dealing with sin. The Messiah’s first coming provided the sacrifice. His future reign will bring righteous government to the earth.
3. “To Make Reconciliation for Iniquity”
Reconciliation for iniquity was made possible through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah foretold the suffering of the Messiah.
Isaiah 53:4–6 (KJV)
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
The New Testament explains that reconciliation comes through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:18–21 (KJV)
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Daniel’s prophecy therefore points directly toward the redemptive work of Messiah.
4. “To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness”
Human kingdoms are marked by corruption, injustice, violence, and sin. The Messiah’s kingdom will be marked by righteousness.
Isaiah prophesied:
Isaiah 9:6–7 (KJV)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Jeremiah also spoke of the righteous Branch.
Jeremiah 23:5–6 (KJV)
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Everlasting righteousness is found personally in Christ and will be displayed publicly under His rule.
5. “To Seal Up the Vision and Prophecy”
To seal up the vision and prophecy points toward bringing prophecy to its intended completion. God’s promises will not remain forever unfulfilled. Every prophetic word will reach its appointed end.
Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17–18 (KJV)
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
When God completes the purpose of the seventy weeks, the prophetic vision concerning Israel and Jerusalem will be fulfilled.
6. “To Anoint the Most Holy”
The expression “the most Holy” has been understood in more than one way. Some understand it as a reference to the Messiah, while others understand it as the anointing of a future holy place or sanctuary.
In the Old Testament, the phrase “most holy” is frequently associated with holy things and the sanctuary. For example:
Exodus 30:26–29 (KJV)
“And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.”
Because Daniel’s prayer concerned Jerusalem and the desolate sanctuary, the anointing may point toward a future consecration connected with the Messianic kingdom.
The verse itself does not give every detail. What it does establish is that God will complete a holy purpose at the end of the appointed period.
Daniel 9:25 — The Commandment and the Coming of Messiah
Daniel 9:25 (KJV)
“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.”
Verse 25 gives the starting point and the first sixty-nine weeks of the prophecy.
“Know Therefore and Understand”
Gabriel wanted Daniel to understand the prophecy. Biblical prophecy is not given merely to create fear or endless speculation. God gave it to reveal His plan.
The command to understand also reminds us that careful study is necessary. Dates, decrees, historical events, and the wording of the passage must be considered in their proper order.
“From the Going Forth of the Commandment”
The prophetic count begins with a commandment to restore and build Jerusalem.
Several decrees concerning the Jewish return and rebuilding appear in Scripture.
Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God.
Ezra 1:1–4 (KJV)
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel,(he is the God,)which is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
This decree focused specifically on rebuilding the temple.
Later, Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah permission and authority connected with rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.
Nehemiah 2:1–8 (KJV)
“And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever:why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And I said unto the king, If it please the king ,and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
And the king said unto me,(the queen also sitting by him,)For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
Moreover I said unto the king, I f it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.”
Because Daniel 9:25 specifically mentions restoring and building Jerusalem, including the street and the wall, many understand the decree connected with Nehemiah as the starting point.
The exact dating of ancient decrees has produced different calculations among Bible students. However, the central prophetic point remains clear: a command to restore Jerusalem would begin a measured period leading to Messiah the Prince.
“To Restore and to Build Jerusalem”
The prophecy does not speak only of rebuilding the temple. It names Jerusalem.
The city would be restored, including its streets and defensive structures. This explains why the rebuilding work in Nehemiah is especially relevant.
Nehemiah described the condition of the city.
Nehemiah 2:17–18 (KJV)
“Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”
The prophecy required an actual restoration of Jerusalem, and Scripture records that restoration beginning.
“Unto the Messiah the Prince”
The count would lead to “Messiah the Prince.”
This is one of the clearest Old Testament references to the coming Messiah within a prophetic timetable.
The Messiah is not described merely as a teacher. He is “the Prince,” a title of authority and rule.
Jesus is the promised Christ. When Andrew found Peter, he said:
John 1:40–42 (KJV)
“One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”
Messiah and Christ refer to the same Anointed One.
“Seven Weeks, and Threescore and Two Weeks”
The sixty-nine weeks are divided into two sections:
- Seven weeks
- Sixty-two weeks
Seven plus sixty-two equals sixty-nine weeks.
If each week represents seven years, sixty-nine weeks equal 483 years.
The first seven weeks equal forty-nine years. This period is often understood to include the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The following sixty-two weeks continue from the completion of that first period until Messiah the Prince.
Why Gabriel divided the sixty-nine weeks into seven and sixty-two is not fully explained in the verse, but the division appears connected with the rebuilding period followed by the longer waiting period leading to Messiah.
“The Street Shall Be Built Again, and the Wall”
Jerusalem would be rebuilt as a real city. Its streets and wall would be restored.
The rebuilding happened despite opposition. Nehemiah records enemies mocking, threatening, and conspiring against the work.
Nehemiah 4:7–9 (KJV)
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”
The prophecy said the city would be rebuilt, and history recorded the fulfillment.
“Even in Troublous Times”
The rebuilding would not occur in peace and ease. It would happen in trouble.
Nehemiah’s workers had to build while remaining prepared to defend themselves.
Nehemiah 4:16–18 (KJV)
“And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.”
Daniel 9:25 accurately described the character of the rebuilding period.
Daniel 9:26 — Messiah Cut Off and Jerusalem Destroyed
Daniel 9:26 (KJV)
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
This verse reveals two major events occurring after the sixty-nine weeks:
- Messiah would be cut off.
- Jerusalem and the sanctuary would be destroyed.
“After Threescore and Two Weeks”
The sixty-two weeks follow the first seven weeks. Therefore, “after threescore and two weeks” means after the entire sixty-nine-week period.
The verse does not say Messiah is cut off during the sixty-two weeks. It says “after.”
This places the cutting off of Messiah after the completion of the sixty-nine weeks but before the seventieth week described in verse 27.
“Shall Messiah Be Cut Off”
To be “cut off” speaks of death.
The Messiah would come, and then He would be put to death.
This agrees with Isaiah’s prophecy.
Isaiah 53:8–9 (KJV)
“He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
Jesus Christ was crucified. He was rejected and put to death, exactly as Scripture foretold.
“But Not for Himself”
The phrase “but not for himself” has been understood as indicating that Messiah would have nothing, would not receive the kingdom at that time, or would die for others rather than for His own wrongdoing.
The last truth is unquestionably supported throughout Scripture: Jesus did not die for His own sins. He had none. He died for sinners.
1 Peter 2:21–24 (KJV)
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Jesus was cut off, but His death was substitutionary. He died for our sins.
Romans 5:6–8 (KJV)
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The cutting off of Messiah was not a failure of God’s plan. The cross was central to redemption.
“The People of the Prince That Shall Come”
After Messiah is cut off, “the people of the prince that shall come” destroy the city and sanctuary.
The verse carefully distinguishes between:
- The people
- The coming prince
The people would destroy Jerusalem. The prince connected with those people would come later.
Historically, Jerusalem and the second temple were destroyed by Roman armies in A.D. 70. Therefore, the people identified in the prophecy were Romans.
The future prince is consequently connected with the people who destroyed the city and sanctuary. Many understand this coming prince to be the final Antichrist ruler arising from the territory or political heritage of the Roman world.
The text itself does not say that the prince personally destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. It says his people did. Verse 27 then describes what “he” will do in relation to the final week.
“Shall Destroy the City and the Sanctuary”
The city is Jerusalem. The sanctuary is the temple.
Jesus warned that the temple would be destroyed.
Matthew 24:1–2 (KJV)
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
This occurred after the death and resurrection of Christ. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70.
The order in Daniel 9:26 is exact:
- Messiah comes.
- Messiah is cut off.
- Jerusalem and the sanctuary are destroyed.
That order fits the first coming and crucifixion of Jesus followed by the later Roman destruction of Jerusalem.
“The End Thereof Shall Be with a Flood”
The word “flood” often describes an overwhelming invasion or destruction rather than necessarily literal water.
The destruction would come like a flood: forceful, sweeping, and devastating.
Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. The siege brought terrible suffering, death, and destruction. The city and temple were overwhelmed.
“Unto the End of the War Desolations Are Determined”
Jerusalem’s troubles would not end immediately after the Roman destruction. Desolations were determined.
The city would continue to experience conflict, foreign domination, scattering, and warfare.
Jesus also spoke of Jerusalem being trodden down.
Luke 21:20–24 (KJV)
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 did not complete every prophecy concerning the city. Jesus said Jerusalem would remain under Gentile pressure until an appointed time was fulfilled.
The Prophetic Pause Between the Sixty-Ninth and Seventieth Weeks
Daniel 9:26 describes events that happen after the sixty-nine weeks but before verse 27’s final week.
Those events include:
- Messiah being cut off
- The destruction of Jerusalem
- The destruction of the sanctuary
- Continuing desolations
This shows that the seventieth week does not automatically begin the instant the sixty-ninth week ends.
A pause exists in the prophecy.
This should not be considered unusual. Old Testament prophecy often places two events next to one another even though a period of time separates them.
For example, Isaiah 61 speaks of both the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance.
Isaiah 61:1–2 (KJV)
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;”
When Jesus read this passage in Nazareth, He stopped before “the day of vengeance.”
Luke 4:16–21 (KJV)
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Jesus fulfilled the first portion at His first coming. The day of vengeance awaits a future fulfillment.
In the same way, Daniel 9 presents Messiah’s first coming and death, Jerusalem’s destruction, and then the future seventieth week.
The Church Age and Daniel’s Timetable
Daniel’s seventy weeks concern Israel and Jerusalem. After Israel rejected Messiah, the Gospel went out to the nations, and God began forming the Church.
This does not mean God permanently rejected Israel.
Paul wrote:
Romans 11:1–2 (KJV)
“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,”
Later he declared:
Romans 11:25–27 (KJV)
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
Israel’s blindness is partial and temporary. God’s covenant purposes remain.
The pause between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks allows for the present work of God through the Church without canceling His promises to Israel.
Daniel 9:27 — The Final Week
Daniel 9:27 (KJV)
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Verse 27 describes the seventieth week, the final seven-year period.
Who Is the “He” in Verse 27?
The nearest masculine ruler in the preceding verse is “the prince that shall come.”
Therefore, the most natural grammatical connection identifies the “he” of verse 27 with that coming prince.
The verse does not say Messiah confirms the covenant and then breaks it. Messiah has already been cut off in verse 26.
The coming prince is connected with the people who destroyed Jerusalem. This prince makes or confirms a covenant with many for one week.
This is understood as the future Antichrist.
“He Shall Confirm the Covenant with Many”
The future ruler will confirm a covenant with many.
The verse does not explain every detail of this covenant. It does not explicitly call it a peace treaty, though it evidently involves an agreement strong enough to affect Israel’s worship and sacrificial system.
Because sacrifices are later stopped, the covenant likely permits or protects Jewish worship for a time.
The phrase “with many” may refer to many within Israel or a broader group of parties involved in the agreement.
What Scripture clearly states is that the prince confirms a covenant for one week.
“For One Week”
The final covenant lasts one prophetic week, or seven years.
This is the seventieth week of Daniel.
Other prophetic passages divide the Tribulation period into two equal halves.
Revelation speaks of forty-two months.
Revelation 13:5 (KJV)
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”
It also speaks of 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:6 (KJV)
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
Daniel describes a period as “a time and times and the dividing of time.”
Daniel 7:25 (KJV)
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
These expressions each describe three and one-half years:
- Forty-two months
- 1,260 days
- A time, times, and half a time
Together, two such halves form seven years.
“In the Midst of the Week”
The covenant is broken in the middle of the seven-year period.
The midpoint comes after three and one-half years.
This division is extremely important because Jesus and Revelation both describe a dramatic escalation of events connected with an abomination in the holy place and the persecution that follows.
“He Shall Cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to Cease”
Sacrifice and oblation imply that a Jewish sacrificial system is operating.
For sacrifice to cease, sacrifice must first be taking place.
This points toward a future restoration of Jewish worship connected with a sanctuary or temple setting.
The Antichrist permits or tolerates this worship during the first half of the covenant. Then, at the midpoint, he stops it.
Daniel 8 contains similar language concerning the actions of a wicked ruler.
Daniel 8:11–12 (KJV)
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.”
Daniel 8 had a historical fulfillment connected with Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated the Jewish temple. Yet that event also serves as a pattern helping us understand the future abomination described by Jesus.
“For the Overspreading of Abominations”
An abomination in Scripture is something detestable before God, often connected with idolatry and false worship.
The coming ruler will not merely stop sacrifice. He will bring abomination and desolation.
Jesus referred directly to Daniel’s prophecy.
Matthew 24:15–22 (KJV)
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,(whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
Jesus placed Daniel’s abomination of desolation in a future setting connected with great Tribulation.
He spoke of:
- A holy place
- Judaea
- Sabbath-day concerns
- Sudden flight
- Unmatched Tribulation
This confirms that Daniel 9:27 has a future fulfillment connected with Israel and a holy place.
The Man of Sin in the Temple
Paul also described a future ruler entering the temple and claiming divine authority.
2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 (KJV)
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
This perfectly fits the abomination of desolation.
The Antichrist will oppose God, exalt himself, sit in the temple, and present himself as God.
His covenant will be exposed as deception. The ruler who appeared to protect worship will stop worship and demand worship for himself.
The Image of the Beast
Revelation describes the false prophet causing an image of the beast to be made and worshipped.
Revelation 13:14–15 (KJV)
“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
The image, false worship, and the Antichrist’s claim to deity fit the prophetic warning concerning the abomination of desolation.
“He Shall Make It Desolate”
The Antichrist’s actions bring desolation.
His reign will be marked by blasphemy, persecution, false worship, and violence.
Revelation describes his war against the saints.
Revelation 13:6–8 (KJV)
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
His authority appears global, but it remains temporary and permitted. He cannot continue beyond God’s appointed limit.
“Even Until the Consummation”
The desolation continues until the consummation, the appointed completion.
The Antichrist’s rule has an expiration date determined by God.
He may appear unstoppable, but his end is already written.
Daniel 7 describes his destruction.
Daniel 7:25–27 (KJV)
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
The blasphemous ruler is temporary. God’s kingdom is everlasting.
“That Determined Shall Be Poured upon the Desolate”
God has determined judgment against the desolator.
The wording of the final phrase has been translated and understood in slightly different ways, but the central meaning is clear: the one who causes desolation will not escape divine judgment.
Paul describes the end of the Wicked one.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 (KJV)
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
Revelation gives the final judgment of the beast and false prophet.
Revelation 19:19–20 (KJV)
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
The Antichrist’s covenant, blasphemy, persecution, and false worship end in judgment.
The Seventy Weeks in Their Prophetic Order
Daniel 9:24–27 gives a clear sequence.
First: Seventy Weeks Are Determined
God appoints 490 years concerning Israel and Jerusalem.
Second: The First Seven Weeks
The first forty-nine years are connected with the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Third: The Following Sixty-Two Weeks
An additional 434 years lead toward Messiah the Prince.
Together, seven weeks and sixty-two weeks equal sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years.
Fourth: Messiah Is Cut Off
After the sixty-nine weeks, Messiah is put to death.
Jesus Christ fulfilled this through His crucifixion.
Fifth: Jerusalem and the Sanctuary Are Destroyed
The Roman people destroyed Jerusalem and the second temple in A.D. 70.
Sixth: Desolations Continue
Jerusalem experiences continuing trouble and Gentile domination.
Seventh: The Final Prince Confirms a Covenant
The coming Antichrist confirms a covenant with many for seven years.
Eighth: The Covenant Is Broken at the Midpoint
After three and one-half years, the ruler stops sacrifice and brings the abomination of desolation.
Ninth: Great Tribulation Follows
The second half of the final week becomes a period of unequaled persecution and judgment.
Tenth: The Desolator Is Destroyed
Jesus Christ returns, judges the Antichrist, delivers Jerusalem, and establishes His kingdom.
Why the Seventieth Week Is Future
Several facts support a future fulfillment of the seventieth week.
Jesus Spoke of the Abomination as Future
Jesus referred to Daniel’s abomination of desolation as something His hearers should watch for.
He connected it with great Tribulation unlike anything before or after.
The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was terrible, but it did not fulfill every detail of Matthew 24, including the visible return of the Son of man immediately after the Tribulation.
Matthew 24:29–31 (KJV)
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
These events did not occur in A.D. 70. Therefore, the prophecy looks beyond that destruction.
Paul Spoke of a Future Man of Sin
Second Thessalonians describes the man of sin entering the temple and being destroyed by Christ’s coming.
This goes beyond any historical ruler already judged in the ancient world.
Revelation Describes the Same Time Period
Revelation repeatedly uses forty-two months, 1,260 days, and three and one-half years.
These periods match the divided seventieth week of Daniel.
The Six Purposes Are Not Yet Fully Completed
Reconciliation was accomplished at the cross, but everlasting righteousness has not yet been established throughout the earth. Israel’s national transgression has not yet reached the conclusion described by the prophets. All vision and prophecy have not yet been completed.
Therefore, Daniel 9:24 awaits the full completion of God’s program.
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and the Rapture
Daniel 9 does not directly describe the rapture. The prophecy concerns Israel and Jerusalem, not the catching away of the Church.
However, the distinction between Israel and the Church helps explain why the rapture fits before the seventieth week.
The present Church age occurs during the prophetic pause after the sixty-ninth week. When God resumes the final week concerning Israel and Jerusalem, the Church will have completed its present earthly mission.
Paul wrote that believers are not appointed to wrath.
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (KJV)
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
The rapture is described in the previous chapter.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (KJV)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
From a pre-Tribulation understanding of prophecy, the Church is caught up before the seventieth week begins. God then resumes the final seven-year timetable concerning Israel and Jerusalem.
This conclusion is an interpretation based on comparing prophetic passages. Daniel 9 itself does not use the word “rapture.” Therefore, the distinction should be stated carefully. What Daniel 9 directly teaches is that one final week remains in the prophetic program concerning Daniel’s people and holy city.
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and the Antichrist
Daniel’s prophecy reveals several facts about the final ruler.
- He is a prince connected with the people who destroyed Jerusalem.
- He confirms a covenant with many.
- The covenant lasts one week.
- He breaks the arrangement at the midpoint.
- He stops sacrifice and oblation.
- He brings abomination and desolation.
- He continues only until God’s determined judgment falls.
These details agree with other passages.
Daniel 7 describes a ruler speaking against the Most High.
Second Thessalonians describes the man of sin exalting himself in the temple.
Revelation 13 describes the beast demanding worship and ruling for forty-two months.
Revelation 19 describes Christ destroying him.
Scripture interprets the final prince not as a saviour but as a deceiver. He begins with covenant and ends with desecration.
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and Jesus Christ
The most important Person in the prophecy is not the Antichrist. It is Messiah the Prince.
The prophecy points to Jesus Christ in several ways.
He Is the Promised Messiah
Daniel foretold that Messiah would come.
The New Testament identifies Jesus as the Christ.
He Was Cut Off
Jesus was crucified after presenting Himself to Israel.
He Died for Others
He was not cut off for His own sin. He bore the sins of others.
He Made Reconciliation for Iniquity
His blood provides reconciliation and forgiveness.
He Will Bring Everlasting Righteousness
He will return and establish His kingdom.
He Will Destroy the Desolator
The Antichrist’s rule ends at the brightness of Christ’s coming.
Daniel’s prophecy therefore moves from the first coming of Jesus to His future victory.
What the Prophecy Teaches about God
Daniel’s seventy weeks reveal several truths about the character of God.
God Is Sovereign over Time
God does not merely know history. He directs history toward His appointed purpose.
God Keeps His Word
Jerusalem was rebuilt exactly as foretold. Messiah came. Messiah was cut off. The city and temple were destroyed.
Fulfilled prophecy gives confidence that the remaining events will also occur.
God Judges Sin
Israel’s captivity resulted from disobedience. Jerusalem’s later destruction followed the rejection of Messiah. The Antichrist’s blasphemy will bring final judgment.
God is patient, but He is also just.
God Provides Reconciliation
The prophecy does not speak only of judgment. It includes reconciliation for iniquity.
Jesus Christ provided that reconciliation through His sacrifice.
God Has Not Forgotten Israel
The seventy weeks concern Daniel’s people and holy city. Though Israel has experienced judgment and scattering, God’s prophetic purpose continues.
God’s Kingdom Will Triumph
Human kingdoms are temporary. The Antichrist’s authority lasts only for an appointed period. Messiah’s kingdom is everlasting.
Common Questions about the Seventy Weeks
Are the Seventy Weeks Literal Weeks of Days?
The events cannot fit within 490 days. The Old Testament use of groups of seven years supports understanding them as seventy periods of seven years.
Do All Seventy Weeks Run without Any Interruption?
Verse 26 places the death of Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem after the sixty-nine weeks. Verse 27 then introduces the final week. This allows a pause between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks.
Was the Entire Prophecy Fulfilled in the First Century?
No. Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation as connected with great Tribulation and His visible return. Paul described a future man of sin destroyed by Christ’s coming. Revelation describes a future forty-two-month reign of the beast.
Is the “He” of Verse 27 Jesus Christ?
The nearest grammatical ruler is the prince that shall come. The actions in verse 27—breaking the arrangement, stopping sacrifice, and causing abomination—match the Antichrist described elsewhere, not Jesus Christ.
Jesus did bring the Old Covenant sacrifices to their intended fulfillment through His death, but He did not establish a seven-year covenant and then desecrate the temple after three and one-half years.
Does Daniel 9 Predict the Exact Day of Christ’s Return?
No. The prophecy gives a structured timetable, but believers are not instructed to use it to set modern dates. Jesus warned that no man knows the day or hour of His coming.
Does the Prophecy Prove God Is Finished with Israel?
No. The prophecy proves the opposite. One final week remains concerning Israel and Jerusalem.
The Spiritual Warning of Daniel’s Prophecy
The seventy weeks are prophetic, but they also contain a spiritual warning.
Israel possessed the law, the prophets, the temple, and the promises. Yet religious privilege did not prevent judgment when the nation refused God’s Word.
The coming world ruler will deceive many because people will prefer falsehood to truth.
Paul wrote:
2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 (KJV)
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
The danger is not a lack of evidence. The danger is refusing the truth.
A Word to the Unsaved
Daniel’s prophecy proves that history is moving toward judgment. The Antichrist will rise, the covenant will be broken, the abomination will occur, and divine wrath will fall.
But God has already provided salvation through Jesus Christ.
Messiah was cut off for sinners.
Isaiah 53:5–6 (KJV)
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (KJV)
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Salvation is received through faith in Him.
Romans 10:9–13 (KJV)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The proper response to prophecy is not fear without faith. It is repentance and trust in Jesus Christ.
A Word to Believers
Daniel’s seventy weeks should strengthen the faith of every believer.
God accurately foretold the coming and cutting off of Messiah.
He accurately foretold the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
He accurately foretold the destruction of the city and sanctuary.
Therefore, believers can trust what He says concerning the final week, the defeat of the Antichrist, and the kingdom of Christ.
Prophecy should produce holiness, watchfulness, and evangelism.
Peter wrote:
2 Peter 3:10–14 (KJV)
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
Prophecy is not given merely to satisfy curiosity. It calls believers to faithful living.
Conclusion: God’s Timetable Will Be Fulfilled
Daniel’s seventy weeks present God’s prophetic timetable concerning Israel, Jerusalem, Messiah, and the coming kingdom.
Seventy weeks, totaling 490 years, were determined upon Daniel’s people and holy city.
The first sixty-nine weeks led from the command to restore Jerusalem to Messiah the Prince.
After those weeks, Messiah was cut off.
Jesus Christ fulfilled that prophecy through His crucifixion.
He did not die for His own sins. He died for ours.
Afterward, the Roman people destroyed Jerusalem and the sanctuary, fulfilling the next portion of the prophecy.
The seventieth week remains connected with a future prince who will confirm a covenant for seven years. In the middle of that week, he will stop sacrifice and bring the abomination of desolation.
His action will begin the most severe period of Tribulation in human history.
Yet his rule will not last.
The Antichrist will be destroyed.
The desolator will face the judgment God has determined.
Israel will turn toward the pierced Messiah.
Jesus Christ will return.
Everlasting righteousness will be established.
Vision and prophecy will reach their completion.
The kingdom will belong to the true Messiah.
Daniel’s seventy weeks are not a story of human control. They are a revelation of divine sovereignty.
Kings may issue decrees, but God establishes the timetable.
Cities may be destroyed, but God preserves His promises.
Rulers may make covenants, but God determines their end.
The Antichrist may exalt himself, but Jesus Christ will destroy him with the brightness of His coming.
Messiah was cut off, but He rose again.
He was rejected, but He will return.
He came first as the suffering Saviour.
He will come again as the reigning King.
Every part of God’s prophetic timetable will be fulfilled.
Not one promise will fail.
If the Holy Spirit is convicting and pulling at your heart strings today, give in to Him and follow the prayer below for your salvation in Jesus Christ!
You may not ever get another chance to except Christ as your personal Savior and Lord! Your next breath is not promised!
Come! He’s Waiting on You!
Prayer to Salvation
Heavenly Father,
I come before You today admitting that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace.
Your Word says in Romans 10:9–10 that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved.
Today, I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior. I believe with all my heart that He died for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive me of all my sins. Wash me clean in Your precious blood. I turn from my old life and surrender fully to You.
Come into my heart, make me a new creature, and fill me with the Holy Spirit. From this day forward, I choose to follow You, live by Your Word, and walk in the new life You have given me.
Thank You, Lord, for saving me, for forgiving me, and for writing my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I give You all the glory, honor, and praise.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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