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4.
Daniel's 70th Week (Seventieth Week)
The seventy weeks of Daniel, was a message delivered to
Daniel from God, through the angel Gabriel. The message
contained a blueprint for world events, revolving around
Daniel’s people, the Jews, and his holy city,
Jerusalem. In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel informs Daniel with
the completion of the 490-years on his people and city
(70 Weeks), the Messianic Age[
will have begun. However, before the Messianic Age,
Messiah the prince will be killed or “Cutoff”.
According to the qualifiers, specified by Gabriel, the
Messiah is cutoff on Passover, 33 A.D. (See
Daniel’s Timeline. #1) This corresponds with the
close of 69 weeks[2]
(69x7) or 483 years. From the command of the King of
Persia, Artexerxes, who gave word to Nehemiah (Neh. 2:8)
to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem (Daniel
9:25), to The killing of Messiah the prince, was
69 weeks or 483-years. In Daniel 9:26, Gabriel informs
Daniel after the Messiah the prince is killed the
Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed by a group of
people, descendents of The prince who is to come.
The people who came were the Romans, linking the future
prince or ruler to the Roman empire.
The 69th week closes with Messiah the
prince being cutoff, but the 70 weeks are not yet
complete. The killing of the Messiah, stopped the
prophetic clock, before it was completed. There is one
week or seven-year period remaining. This seven-year
period begins with the confirming of a covenant with
many regarding a future Jewish Temple.
The 70th Week of Daniel’s 70 weeks is
a seven-year period, which begins with the agreement
between the prince who is to come, a descendent
of the Roman armies, and Israel allowing the Jewish
Temple to be rebuilt. Before the 70th week
can be examined we need to understand its context to
other events.
The Gap between the 69 and 70th week.
Gabriel informed Daniel, that a specific time period was
determined (Daniel 9:24) on his people and his city. The
Hebrew word for determined is Jt'j,
chathak
meaning to divide. The time divided, 490-years upon
Daniel’s people, the Jews and his holy city
Jerusalem.
A question is often asked, regarding the 70 weeks, why
is there a gap between the 69th and 70th
week? Why is the time not continuous? This is
prophetic compression, where the time gap between
one prophecy in one verse and second verse is separated
by time, but the time is not revealed. Two good examples
of this is Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10 and Isaiah 9:6 and
9:7. In verse Zech. 9:9, Messiah is seen entering
Jerusalem on a donkey while in verse 10 He is seen
ruling over the nations, compressing the first and
second coming. In Isaiah 9:6 a child is born, a son
given, in Isaiah 9:7 He is ruling on David’s throne over
the nations. Both Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 9:6 refer to
the first coming of Messiah, and Zechariah 9:10 and
Isaiah 9:7 refer two the second coming. Daniel 9:26 is
referring the first coming of Messiah, the 70th
week is completed with the second coming.
Those who argue, there is no gap between the 69th
and 70th week argue the “He” who
confirms the covenant in 70th week is
Jesus the Messiah, who with his death after 3 ½ years
of ministry caused the Temple sacrifice and offering to
cease, because they no longer served a purpose.
This interpretation contrives the text to say what it
does not. There are several reasons a time-gap is
clearly in the context of Daniel’s Seventy weeks.
·
Daniel
9:26
indicates Messiah the prince will be cutoff or
killed at the end to the end of the 69th
week.
·
After Messiah’s death, the
Temple
and city are destroyed, 37 years later.
·
The 70th week is not in the context of their
destruction.
·
Following the death of Messiah the prince the
Temple is destroyed, but in the 70th week, a
7-year covenant is confirmed requiring a Temple for
sacrifice. Therefore, a future
Temple
is required.
·
Daniel
9:27
indicates the Prince who is to come is a covenant
breaker, not a covenant keeper. To break a covenant puts
the covenant breaker under the curse of the agreement.
Jesus would not break a covenant he confirmed.
·
Daniel
9:26
indicates the Prince who is to come is future,
and the people who destroy the city as precursors to the
prince who would come following the death of Messiah
the prince.
·
If there were no time gap, then the 490 years
would be complete leaving the 490-years unfulfilled,
because the period was determined on Daniel’s people and
city, the Jews and
Jerusalem.
The Jews and Jerusalem have not yet experienced the
events of Daniel 9:24.
·
The word determine means, dividing, the time was
divided on Jerusalem and the Jews, meaning the 490-years
are segmented ( 7 weeks+ 62 weeks + 1 week= 70 weeks).
·
The stopping of the sacrifice and offering
at the Temple causes God’s judgment not blessing. The
word consummation means complete destruction,
this destruction poured out on the desolate,
results from the abomination on the
Temple.
Therefore, this event is separate from Christ’s death
and covenant.
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and
offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one
who makes desolate, Even until the consummation,
which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:27b
Preparations for the 70th Week
1.The Gathering of Scattered Israel (See Daniel’s
timeline #3)
Following the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.
Josephus records Titus’ order to destroy the city,
 NOW
as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to
plunder, because there remained none to be the objects
of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had
there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave
orders that they should now demolish the entire city and
temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing.[3]
According to Josephus, over one million people perished
during the destruction of
Jerusalem,
in 70 A.D. Many fled to
Arabia,
and
Persia escaping Rome, while others were exiled to
outskirts of the
Roman Empire.
Fifty years later, in 132 A.D. Emperor Hadrian attempted
to place a
temple
of Jupiter on the Temple Mount, the Jews revolted and
rallied around Bar Kokhba, who Rabbi Akiva hailed as the
Messiah. Three years later, in 135 A.D. 580,000 Jews
were massacred by the Roman legions. The city was
renamed Aelia Capitolina, and Judea was renamed
Palestine, Jews were forbidden from entering the city.
The remaining Jews were exiled to the outer parts of the
Roman Empire.
The Covenant curses of Deuteronomy were active, the Jews
were scattered throughout the world. The result of
Messiah’s the prince’s rejection (Daniel
9:26)
64“Then
the Lord
will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the
earth to the other, and there you shall serve other
gods,
Deuteronomy 28:64a
God’s word also promised a day of gathering, when the
Jewish people would be gathered back into the land of
promise. In order for the 70th week to take
place, Daniel’s people the Jews need to be in
Jerusalem. Gabriel, informed Daniel that the 490-year
period was determined on his people and his city. There
are still seven-years to be completed. They will be
completed after Israel is in the land.
The gathering of dispersed Israel, is a consistent theme
in the Old Testament. Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Hosea, Amos, Micah and Zechariah all wrote about a
future day when Israel would be gathered.
3“that
the Lord
your God will bring you back from captivity, and have
compassion on you, and gather you again from all the
nations where theLord your
God has scattered you. 4“If any of you
are driven out to the farthest parts under
heaven, from there theLord your
God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.5“Then theLord your
God will bring you to the land which your fathers
possessed, and you shall possess it. He will
prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.[4] Deuteronomy 30:1-3
'For behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'thatI will bring back from captivity My people
Israel and Judah,'
says the Lord. 'And I will cause them to return to
the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall
possess it.'…..'Therefore do not fear, O My servant
Jacob,' says the Lord, 'Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For
behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from
the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have
rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid. 11.
For I am with you,' says the Lord, 'to save you; Though
I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered
you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you
go altogether unpunished.' Jeremiah 30:4,10-11
8“After
many days you will be visited. In the latter
years you will come into the land of those brought
back from the sword and gathered from many people
on the mountains of
Israel, which had long been desolate; they were
brought out of the nations, and now all of them
dwell safely. Ezekiel 38:8
These are a sampling of the scriptures regarding
Israel’s restoration. The events foretold are unique in
Israel’s history and are taking place in the present not
in the past. The verses speak about a long period of
desolation in the land, confirming the words of Daniel
9:26, “till the end of the war desolations are
determined”.
2. The need for a Jewish Temple (Daniel’s Timeline #4)
In addition, to the need of the people to be in the
land, prophecy also requires a future Temple to initiate
the 70th week. Before a Temple can be built,
the people need the will to build a Temple. Presently
the Dome of the Rock stands in the way of a
future Temple. Over 1.2 billion Muslims hold this
location sacred, believing Mohammad ascended up to
Heaven from the top of Mt. Moriah in 622 A.D.
 The
Muslim world has already threaten World War if the
Dome of the Rock is destroyed, and the Muslim world
is braced for such an event. The building of the Temple
will cause a world wide conflict pitting Muslim nations
and their allies against Israel and her allies.
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus also talked about the
Temple and its end-time significance. In Matthew 24:2
Jesus refers to the stones of the Temple, before the
Roman destruction in 70 A.D.
2And
Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things?
Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be
left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Matthew 24:2
Later Jesus, after referring to a series of events
leading to his return, refers to the book of Daniel and
the Temple-Mount and events taking place in Jerusalem
prior to his glorious return.
14“And
this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end
will come. 15“Therefore when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let
him understand),
Matthew 24:14-15
The book of Daniel refers to the Abomination of
desolation in four chapters, ( Daniel 8:13,
9:27,11:30 and 12:11). In each case, the abomination
refers to the desecration of the Temple by placing an
Idol, in the Most Holy, or Holy of holies.
Jesus is taking about a future desecration
at the end, corresponds to Daniel’s 70th
week, where the Temple sacrifice is stopped, and an
abomination, that brings desolation is set
up. This is a future not a past event.[5]
In order for this to happen there needs to be a Temple,
and the desire to build a Temple.
Today in Israel, there is a growing Temple
movement, who’s goal is to reestablish the Temple,
destroy the Dome of the Rock, and construct theThird Temple[6].
In addition to the prophetic reason there is also a
practical reason for Israel to establish the Temple.
The only claim Islam has on Jerusalem is the
Temple-Mount where they claim Mohammed ascended into
Heaven. As long as this claim is maintained, Israel and
Jerusalem will always be subjected to Muslim territorial
demands. The Temple will eliminate their claim to
Jerusalem.
3. The Rapture, Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation or
Post-Tribulation?
The word rapture is not found in the Bible, but is Latin
and means “Caught up”. The words “caught up” is taken
from I Thessalonians 4:16-17. The event referred to is
the resurrection of saved individuals, and how God will
deal with those who are alive at the time. When Christ
receives his church, what happens to those who did not
die and are living at the time? The rapture explains the
order of events. For those who believe the Bible is
the inspired word of God, the rapture orresurrection of the saved is not at question,
only the timing of the event.
16For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of
God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then
we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
Those read the Bible literally, believe in the
establishment of a Millennium[7],
a one-thousand year period of time, when the Messiah
will reign over the earth. Since this is a future
event, and we live prior to its fulfillment, we live in
a Pre-millennial age. The return of Christ, will
be the start of the Millennial Age when the
saints will be rewarded for faithful service.
Prior to the return of Christ, the Bible refers to a
period of conflict, this period is known as the
tribulation period, according to the 70th
week of Daniel, the period will last 7-years, some
see the period lasting 3 ½ years. This period is period
unique in the history of the earth, unparalleled in evil
and brutality, never to occur again, the time is also
known as Jacob’s trouble. (See also Daniel 12:1,
Jeremiah 30:7)
21“For
then there will be great tribulation, such as has not
been since the beginning of the world until this time,
no, nor ever shall be. 22“And unless those
days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for
the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24:21-22
And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was
since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that
time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is
found written in the book. Daniel 12:1
The question is when does the rapture happen in
relation to this time of trouble, the tribulation?
There are three main views of the timing of these
events, Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation
and Post-Tribulation.
Pre-tribulation:
believes before the tribulation period, Christ calls his
church out of the world, so they will
not suffer the wrath of God’s judgment with the world.
Mid-tribulational:
The belief that the rapture will occur at the midpoint
of the tribulation period, prior to the great
tribulation when God pours out his wrath on the earth.
Post-tribulational:
The belief that Israel and the Church will both go
through the Tribulation period, and when the period is
complete, before Christ returns to judge the world he
catches up His church.
Israel and the Church
One of the main question regarding the rapture is the
relationship between Israel and the Church.
God’s relationship with the church and natural Israel
are separated by different dispensations[8].
The church is grafted into Israel’s covenant during thechurch-age[9].
In the future, God will again deal with Israel, the
descendents of Jacob. This future dealing with Israel
will be during the 70th week. The
prophetic clock will start again when the fullness of
the Gentiles is complete.
25For
I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant
of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own
opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is
written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He
will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27For
this is My covenant with them, When I take away
their sins.”
Romans 11:25-27
This church-age is in the letters to the
seven-churches in the book of Revelations chapters 2
and 3. In Revelation, the seven-churches, can be divided
into seven church periods, covering the span from the
Apostolic Church to the Lukewarm Church, prior to the
return of Christ.
The Prince to Come
(Daniel’s Timeline #4)
The 26th verse in Daniel 9, introduces us to
the prince who is to come and his descendents who
destroy
Jerusalem and the Temple. The prince who is to come
is a descendent of the Roman Empire. In addition,
Daniel informs us the individual will make a covenant
with many for seven-years. We know from the context of
the verse, the covenant will regard a Jewish Temple, the
Third-Temple.
Scripture, specifically the books of Daniel and
Revelation tell us additional information about this
coming world leader.
·
He will come as the leader of a powerful nation, which
will guarantee Israel’s right to build the Temple on the
third most holy location to Islam. (Daniel 9:27)
·
He will be both a military and spiritual leader.
(Revelation 13)
·
He will persecute and kill those who do not submit to
his system. (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:15)
·
He will have a false-prophet who will do signs to
deceive the nations. (Revelation 13:13)
·
He will be a friend to
Israel
at the beginning. (Daniel 9:27)
·
He will invade
Israel,
and conquer the city Jerusalem and desecrate the New
Temple after 3.5 years. (Revelation 11:7, Matthew 24:15,
Zechariah 14:2)
This individual will at the end of the 70th
week period, lead the nations of the world against
God, by gathering the world’s armies to the
land
of Israel. The gathering point is the hill of Megiddo
and known as Armageddon.
The 70th Week
The positioning of
Israel to begin the 70th requires several
important steps before this period can begin. Some
steps are implicitly stated in scripture, some inferred
and others we can only speculate. This we clearly know
from scripture must happen before the 70th
week can begin.
·
Israel
must be restored to the land
·
There will be a conflict between the Islam and the
Israel, before the 70th can begin.
·
Israel
must have the desire to rebuild the
Temple
·
The prince who is to come will be a world leader
and a descendent of Rome.
·
The Dome of the Rock must be removed to make way
for the Third-Temple.
The First Half of Daniel’s Seventh Week
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;Daniel 9:27a
(See Daniel’s timeline #5)
The tribulation period is a seven-year period,
the 70th seven of the 490-year period. The
prophetic clock stopped at the “Cutting off” of
Messiah the Prince. The clock starts again when theprince who is to come confirms the seven-year
agreement with many. The word “confirm” in Hebrew is
rb'G,
Gabar
and means to prevail, have strength, be strong, be
powerful, be mighty. This treaty’s is effective by
using force.
The only way a treaty like this could be confirmed would
be through military might, the use of force, the
prince who is to come will enforce peace through
military might. Revelation chapters 6 to 9 corresponds
with the first 3.5 years of Daniel’s 70th
week.
In Revelation chapters 6 to 9, we some significant
events occur during this period. In Heaven on the
throne is Christ, who is opening the seven-sealed
scroll, which no man could open, but Christ. When the
seals are opened, we see what is transpiring on the
earth.
The first four seals describe a false peace, followed by
war, one quarter of the Earth’s population dies during
this time. The series of events in these first four
seals describes a nuclear war, and its aftermath.
Christians throughout the world will die for their
faith. The world will go through geological and cosmic
disturbances.
In the first half of the tribulation period, Jews who
rejected Jesus Christ before will suddenly realize Jesus
is the Messiah and will begin to spread the Gospel
(Revelation 7:1-8). In
Jerusalem two strange individuals, will be proclaiming
God’s judgment on the Earth (Revelation 11:9-10). They
torment those living on the earth, by their
proclamations about Christ, they will be safe and secure
in Jerusalem for the first half of the tribulation.
Again, we see war break out on the world, in the
first-half of the tribulation and another 1/3 of the
population dies from war. Added to the problems of war,
asteroids and comets strike the earth destroying water
and food supplies. Earthquakes shake the foundations of
the earth. These earthly events correspond with the
blowing of the seven trumpets by seven angels in Heaven.
On earth, the two-witnesses, one being Elijah,
warn the earth of these judgments.
By the close of the first half of the tribulation more
then half the earth’s population has died.
The Midpoint of the Tribulation Period
But
in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations
shall be one who makes desolate. Daniel 9:27b
(See Daniel’s Timeline #6)
The midpoint of tribulation comes when the
prince who is to come breaks the covenant and places
an abomination or idol in the Temple and proclaims
himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). During this period thetwo witnesses, bringing down God’s judgments on
the world are killed by this world leader, who himself
was killed but came back to life (Revelation 11:7-9,
13:14).
In Heaven, at this time, and unknown to the inhabitants
on earth, Satan loses his position and access to heaven
and is cast out with all his fallen angels (Revelation
12:7). Satan then incarnates the individual known as
the prince who is to come, the beast
(Revelation 13:4, Daniel 7:11), the little-horn (Daniel
7:8), takes reigns of his earthly kingdom. He attempts
to totally destroy the Jewish people, Israel and anybody
who worships anybody but himself. He enters the Jewish
Temple and sets up an image of himself and demands the
earth to worship him. This is the abomination of
desolation Jesus spoke about.
God then opens an escape route, a sanctuary, for part of
the Jewish nation. Jesus warned Israel when you see the
abomination spoken of by Daniel the prophet, flee into
the mountains. (Mathew 24;15). A select group of Jews
respond and are preserved from Satan's plans for the
next 3.5 years in the mountains of Israel.
Satan’s rage is not stopped because he knows his time is
short. He unites the world, under his control and
creates a world economic system. Nobody can conduct any
type of commerce without first pledging support the
Beast, the prince to come.
The Last Half of the Tribulation Period
Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is
poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:27c
Following the escape of fleeing
Israel, Satan is enraged and plots to destroy
Israel,
by assembling the nations to
Israel.
He causes the survivors of the first half of the
tribulation, to pledge allegiance to him, but Satan, is
frustrated by God’s mercy. Before the world-wide marking
system (666) can be implemented, three angels are sent
to warn the inhabitants of the earth to reject the mark
and worship the creator alone. (Revelation 14:6-13)
All those who refuse to pledge allegiance
(Worship) the prince who is to come, the
Antichrist , are killed for their faith, but their
spirits are seen in Heaven. (Revelation 15:2) Then from
heaven, seven angels are seen with seven bowls, these
are bowls contain God’s wrath poured out on the Earth
inhabitants. This pouring out of wrath in the
second-half is what Gabriel tells Daniel what will
happen,
“Even
until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured
out on the desolate” Daniel 9:27c
God’s wrath is poured on the earth. Those
who chose Satan, and pledged their allegiance to the
Antichrist by receiving the mark (666), receive painful
sores. All the living creatures in the sea and in rivers
die. The sun scorches the inhabitants of the earth.
Those who are left of the nations then gather for
battle, against God in the hills of
Megiddo,
Armageddon.
Click to Expand the Chart Below
[1]
The Messianic Age is period when Messiah (Gr. Christ)
will rule on the earth. War will cease, the nature of
animal world will change (Isaiah 11:6-11), Messiah, Son
of David will reign over the earth from Jerusalem.
[2]
Week: means unit of seven, similar to dozen meaning 12
or gross meaning 144. Seven was a period of measure in
Hebrew, similar to 7 periods of 7 years followed by the
year of Jubilee on the 50th year.
[3]
Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 7, Chapter
1.
[4]The
Holy Bible, New King James Version,
(Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[5]
Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.), the Seleucid
king of Syria pillaged the Temple and set up an image on
the Temple-Mount, almost 200 years before Matthew 24:15.
Jesus is referring to a future event not a past event.
[6]
The periods of the Temple are divide in to Three
periods, the First is from Solomon to the Babylonian
destruction (960-586 B.C.), the Second from 516 B.C. to
70 AD, and the Third is a future Temple yet to be built
[7]
The Millennium is a 1000-year reign of Christ (Messiah),
Revelation 20:4-6, where the saints rule and reign over
the earth with Christ. This corresponds with Isaiah
11:6-9, Jeremiah 31:3
[8]
Dispensations means management of the house (Ephesians
1:10,3:2,).
[9]
When Israel
rejected Christ (The Messiah was cutoff), the kingdom
promised to Israel was inferred on the Gentiles until
the 70th week when Israel
will be restored and receive the Millennial blessings
promised in Daniel 9:24. (See Luke 14:15-23, Matthew
22:1-14)
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