Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24–27)
“24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand 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 streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate” (Dan. 9:24–27, NASB)
Daniel likely gave this prophecy around the time the Babylonians destroyed the first temple (Solomon’s Temple) in 586 BC, yet before the second temple was built/dedicated in 516 BC. And Daniel said six specific events would happen within a “seventy-week” period (v. 24), which would begin at “the decree to rebuild Jerusalem” (v. 25)…and “end with a flood” at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (v. 26).
Most conservative scholars agree that this decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given somewhere around 500 to 400 BC,[1] which means this is when the seventy-week period began. Most scholars also agree that “seventy weeks” refers to a period of 490 years (70 “weeks” of years × 7 = 490 years).[2] Therefore, logically, the seventy-week period must have ended in the first century. This timing fits perfectly with Daniel’s reference to Messiah’s arrival in the first century (v. 25), Messiah being “cut off”/killed in around AD 33 (v. 26), and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70 (vv. 26–27).
Incredibly, though, some commentators—usually dispensationalists—assert that the seventy weeks still has not ended after 2,500 years…even though they admit it began around 500 to 400 BC, and that it refers to a period of around 490 years! How do they justify this math? They argue there is an unstated two-thousand-plus-year gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. Imagine an Uber driver saying your destination is 490 miles away, yet failing to mention an additional two thousand plus miles between mile 420 and 421. I think we’d all agree something fishy was going on. Yet this is essentially what dispensationalists want us to believe regarding Daniel’s seventy-weeks prophecy. This is a great example of eisegesis, reading one’s preconceived views and biases into a passage in order to make it fit one’s doctrine, as opposed to exegesis, letting the text speak for itself. Daniel says nothing about such a gap!
Another insurmountable problem for those who say the seventy-week period has still not ended is that Jesus and the apostles specifically said that the various elements mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy were fulfilled in the first century. Compare the various elements of Daniel’s seventy-weeks prophecy to statements Jesus and the apostles made in the New Testament:
Daniel 9:24 – “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing [finish the transgressions, NKJV], to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place”
Finishing the wrongdoing/transgressions: By killing Jesus and persecuting his apostles, Israel “filled up [finished] the measure of their sins [their wrongdoing]” before their judgment hit in AD 70 (see 1 Thess. 2:14–16). In AD 30, Jesus had said the Jews of his day were “filling up the measure of their fathers’ guilt” and their judgment would happen within a generation[3] (Matt. 23:32, 36). As judgment day approached, Paul said in AD 62/63 that he was “filling up what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Col. 1:24). God had determined to allow a certain amount of suffering to happen to Jesus and his apostles before he judged those responsible; and by AD 65, the apostle John described Israel as having a cup full of abominations…drunk with the blood of the saints/Christians (Rev. 17:4; see also Matt. 23:35), and Israel was about to be repaid double for her sins (Rev. 18:6). By this time, in AD 65, Israel had just about finished her wrongdoing/transgressions, and her judgment was about to happen (Rev. 22:10).
Making an end of sin: Jesus made an end of sin (for God’s people) in the first century. “But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26).
Atoning for guilt: Jesus atoned for guilt in the first century. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, italics mine; see also Rom. 5:8–11).
Bringing in everlasting righteousness: Jesus brought in everlasting righteousness in the first century. “For He [God] made Him who knew no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21; see also 1 Pet. 2:24 and Rom. 3:21, 25–26).
Sealing up vision and prophecy: Vision and prophecy were sealed up in the first century. According to a broad spectrum of commentators—premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial alike—the term “to seal up vision and prophecy” means that miraculous signs and wonders, which God used to confirm his prophets, will end because the Bible’s prophecies will have finally been fulfilled.[4] And when would this happen? Jesus said in AD 30 that all prophecy would be fulfilled within a generation: “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled…Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place” (Luke 21:22, 32, italics mine).[5] In fact, Jesus specifically linked the fulfillment to the destruction of the temple (v. 5), which happened in AD 70. Since all prophecy must have been fulfilled by AD 70, then this is when vision and prophecy must have been sealed up (ended) too.
Paul affirmed this timing, too, in saying signs and wonders (a.k.a. vision and prophecy) would confirm the disciples until the end/second coming (1 Cor. 1:4–9). And when did Jesus say the end/second coming would happen? Within a generation (Matt. 24:3, 13–14, 30, 34). Therefore, this is when “vision and prophecy” must have ended.
Anointing the Most Holy Place: Jesus anointed the Most Holy Place in the first century when he entered the Most Holy Place, heaven, at his ascension (Heb. 9:12). Note: Some translations of Daniel 9:24 say: “Seventy weeks are decreed to anoint the Most Holy One [instead of Most Holy Place],” but this too was fulfilled in the first century. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He [God] has anointed Me” (Luke 4:18).
Daniel 9:25 – “So you are to know and understand 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 streets and moat, even in times of distress”
No matter when the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given, all Christians agree that Messiah the Prince came in the first century. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6, italics mine). Therefore, everything else in Daniel’s prophecy must have been fulfilled within this seventy-week (490-year) period.
Daniel 9:26 – “Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined”
Messiah will be cut off: Messiah was cut off (crucified) in approximately AD 33.
The city and sanctuary will be destroyed: The city (Jerusalem) and sanctuary (the temple) were destroyed in AD 70, per historians.
The end will come with a flood: In the Olivet Discourse in AD 33, Jesus compared his second coming to the flood: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:37). Jesus and the disciples also spoke about the end (vv. 3, 13–14). And Jesus said it would all happen within a generation (v. 34). In fact, Jesus specifically said he was referring to Daniel’s prophecy (v. 15), which means Daniel’s prophecy must have been fulfilled in the first century.
War and desolation: In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus predicted that war and desolation would happen within a generation: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near…Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place” (Luke 21:20, 32, italics mine). War and desolation happened during the Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70.
Daniel 9:27 – “And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate”
Note: Daniel is circling back to the time period leading up to the destruction of the city/temple.
He will confirm a covenant with the many: Jesus confirmed a covenant with the many on Passover in the upper room: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’” (Matt. 26:26–28, italics mine).
Note: Some people claim the Antichrist will confirm this covenant with the many, but the Bible says nothing about that. God and Jesus make covenants (Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:26–27)…not the Antichrist!
Abominations/Desolations: Abominations and desolations happened in the first century. In the Olivet Discourse in AD 33, Jesus had said, “Therefore when you [disciples] see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matt. 24:15–16, 34).
The evidence is overwhelming! Daniel’s seventy-weeks prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
For more about the topics discussed in this article, get The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available in bookstores everywhere Fall 2024.
By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, 10/10/24
[1] There are different views as to which decree Daniel is referring to. Some say it refers to Cyrus’s decree in 538 BC that allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem (2 Chron. 36:23, Ezra 1:1–4). Others say it refers to Artaxerxes’s decree in 458 BC to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7:11–28). Still others say it refers to Artaxerxes’s decree in 444 BC (Nehemiah 1)
[2] Some commentators argue that the term “seventy weeks” is more symbolic, rather than referring to exactly 490 years. They base this on Matthew 18:22, where Jesus said to forgive your brother “not seven times, but seven times seventy.” Jesus obviously meant this figuratively, so maybe Daniel did too?
[3] A biblical generation equates to approximately forty years (see Heb. 3:8–10, Num. 14:30–34, Neh. 9:21).
[4] Don Preston, 70 Weeks are Determined for…the Resurrection, (Ardmore, Ok: JaDon Productions, 2007), 97.
[5] Two possible objections: 1. Commentators sometimes argue that “all things writ ten” refers only to the prophecies in the Old Testament. However, this would not matter because the Old Testament prophesies about all the same things as the New Testament, including the second coming (Zech. 14:1-2), the resurrection (Dan. 12:2), the judg ment (Mal. 4:1-5), the new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65-66), and everything else. 2. Commentators sometimes argue that “all things written” (in Luke 21:22) refers only to the things written about the destruction of Jerusalem. But this would not matter either because the second coming and resurrection happen at the destruction of Jerusalem (see chapter 7: Old Testament Prophecies about the Second Coming and Resurrection).
