THE FOURTH VISION: THE 70 SEVENS
(9:20-27)
The fourth vision came to Daniel
after an intense season of prayer (9:1-19).
Daniel prayed for a relenting of God’s judgment on His people, the city
of Jerusalem, and the Temple. His prayer
was on the basis of God’s mercy, not on the righteousness of himself or his
people (9:18). He implored God to
forgive and to act (9:19).
Daniel’s
prayer was answered through the angel Gabriel (though called a man, verse
9:21). Gabriel came to him “in swift
flight.” Here was an occasion when
angels flew. One is put in mind of
Superman streaking through the sky to rescue people in trouble. Gabriel explained that, as soon as Daniel
began his prayer, “a word went out,” and Gabriel came to deliver that word
(9:23). Gabriel introduced the message
as follows (9:23): “Therefore consider
the word and understand the vision.”
Note that this message is a verbal description of events, but it is called
a “vision.” It appears to me that a
“vision” in Daniel is a revelation from God by whatever means—a dream, a
presentation of visual material to an individual who is awake, or an oral
description from a heavenly messenger, as in this case.
To
what degree Daniel understood the vision (9:23), we do not have much of a
clue. There is no interpretation of the
material. It is quite brief and has more
meaning as we look back on it than it would for someone looking at the future
through this lens.
The
framework of the “vision” is “seventy weeks” (ESV) or “seventy sevens”
(NIV). These seventy weeks are “about”
(ESV) or “for” (NIV) “your people and your holy city.” These seventy weeks or sevens are generally
interpreted as a time frame, since a week refers to a span of time. This time frame is given as the time in which
certain things would be accomplished, as follows (9:24):
·
“to finish the transgression”
·
“to
put an end to sin”
·
“to
atone for iniquity”
·
“to
bring in everlasting righteousness
·
“to
seal both vision and prophet”
·
“to
anoint a most holy place”
These six actions divide in
half. The first three focus on the sin
issue. The first two goals are to end
humanity’s rebellion and sinful actions.
What is envisioned is a hammer-blow to sin that will crush its power for
all time. In the third accomplishment,
iniquity is covered over, just as the blood of the sacrifice covered the “mercy
seat” in the Temple on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 16). Thus, redemption from sin is accomplished in
the first half of these goals. (See
Miller, 259-260.)
Once
redemption takes place, then three more goals can be completed. With sin no longer a human reality, “everlasting
righteousness” can be reality. Moreover,
visions and the prophetic activity will be sealed. This can be understood both as a closing up
of that which is no longer needed as well as a “seal of approval” through the fulfillment
of prophecy. (Miller, 260-261.)
The final goal is “to
anoint a most holy place.” Miller takes
this to be an anointing of the Temple that will be used in the Millennium. He believes that the Temple that is described
in Ezekiel 40-43 will be the Temple of the Millennium. (Miller, 261-262) I have some reservations about this
interpretation, but I shall not address them in this article.
The goals or purposes
that are to be accomplished in these 70 weeks are awe-inspiring. Within the span of a single verse, we are
presented with the plans and purposes of God’s redemptive program.
A week was a basic unit
of time that was based on God’s original work of creation (Genesis 1) and that
was given to people as the cycle of work and rest (Exodus 20:8-11). Moreover, seven years was given to the land as
the cycle of tilling and lying fallow (Exodus 23:10-11). After seven of those seven year cycles, the
fiftieth year was to be a year of jubilee, when land would return to the family
and indentured servants would go free. If
seven sevens are multiplied by another “perfect number,” ten, then one gets 70
weeks, 70 X 7 or 490. If the idea—that the
“weeks” are weeks of years, or seven-year periods—is accepted, then the total
time span is 490 years.
Some have considered that
the “weeks” refer to time periods, but not specific time periods. Thus, some have understood the first seven
weeks occurred before Christ and the remaining weeks were after Christ until
His Second Coming. By this accounting,
the first seven weeks covered about 550 years.
If the following 62 weeks were proportional, then Christ is due in AD
4871! However, these interpreters did
not understand this passage to be parsed in a mathematical way. (Miller, 255-257) Another group of interpreters also abandon
proportionality in order to “fit” their interpretation of the 70 weeks from
Cyrus to AD 70. (Miller, 254-255) Another group of interpreters understood the
490 years to fit between Daniel’s time and the time of the cleansing of the
Temple in 163 BC. This group confuses
the issue by either starting at 605 BC or 586 BC. In either case, the 490 years is too
long. The interpreters blame this on the
author of Daniel (who they believe wrote in the Second Century BC and who, they
believe, was mistaken in his history).
The interpretative scheme
that is best known is one that seeks to follow the text in Daniel very
closely. In that text, there are three
groups of weeks—a group of 7, a group of 62, and a group of 1—to make a total
of 70 weeks. If one follows the text
closely (9:25), one notes that the first two groups, the group of 7 and the
group of 62, are accounted for before the “anointed one, a prince.” The translations of verse 9:25 vary
considerably among the versions. Some
capitalize “Anointed One” or translate it as “Messiah,” and some do not. There is no definite article with the word,
so its meaning is somewhat up in the air.
The more significant variation among the translators is the two groups
of weeks. (Thanks to www.biblegateway.com .) At least two versions (ESV and New Revised
Standard Version) translate the two sets of weeks as applying to two
parts of the sentence:
·
7
weeks from the word to rebuild until the coming of the anointed one
·
62
weeks during which the rebuilding goes on
The other versions that I looked at
apply both sets of weeks to the first period: 7 weeks and 62 weeks from the word to rebuild
until the coming of the anointed one.
The remaining part of the sentence is additional material. To make this clear, please compare the
following two quotations:
·
Know
therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and
build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be
seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares
and moat, but in a troubled time. (ESV)
·
Know and understand this: From the time the word goes
out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes,
there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with
streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. (NIV)
My knowledge of
Hebrew is insufficient to critique these alternatives. I favor the latter translation (NIV as one
example), which applies the two groups of seven to the first period of time,
from the word to rebuild until the Messiah.
I base this on three reasons, as follows:
·
The Hebrew puts the two time periods (seven weeks and
sixty-two weeks) together and then separates the following material—“it will be
rebuilt…”—from the earlier part of the sentence by “and.”
·
The Septuagint understands the two groups to apply to
the earlier part of the sentence and translates consistent with the second
(NIV) translation.
·
It does not make much sense to apply the longer period,
sixty-two weeks, to the time for rebuilding, especially since it is mentioned
second. Miller understands the earlier
period of seven weeks (49 years) to be the main time of rebuilding during the
time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Miller, 266).
Verse
9:26 is even more complex than 9:25 and contains a huge amount of
material. The second period, the
sixty-two week period, is mentioned, but not the seven week period. Consistent with the NIV translation of verse
9:25, this second period would be a period after the rebuilding effort, as
follows:
·
First period of seven weeks: the rebuilding effort described at the end of
verse 9:25: “It will be rebuilt with
streets…”
·
Second period of sixty-two weeks: a non-descript period, after the seven week
period, until the Anointed One, the Prince comes (9:25).
·
After the second period, the Anointed One will be cut
off and have nothing (9:26).
This sentence, which
begins verse 9:26, seems to be understood as a forecast of the death of the
Messiah (the Anointed One). Was this one
of the Scriptures Jesus used on the walk to Emmaus to explain why He had to die
(Luke 24:25-27)? Next comes a sentence
that can throw one off balance without careful reading, because it begins to
describe another ruler: “And the
people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” (9:26b, ESV)
Note that it is not “the prince,” but the “people of the prince” who
destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Consider how we (and Daniel) are whipsawed by these prophecies. First, there is a word going forth to
rebuild. Then, there is a
rebuilding. Then, the Anointed One
comes. However, he is cut off. Then, what had been rebuilt is destroyed by
an obscure “people of the prince who is to come.” This latter prince cannot be equated with the
former prince or ruler who is the Anointed One, because it does not seem
consistent that an Anointed One would be party to the destruction of the city
and the sanctuary. The best “fit” for
this prophecy is the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 by the
Romans. Now, we tie the Romans to the “prince
who is to come.”
Now, there is mention of the “end”
(9:26c). The latter part of 9:26 is
translated several ways. I shall not
delve into the details of the differences among these. There are actually two “ends” in 9:26c. The first “end” is translated either as the
end of the city, the end of the prince who is to come, or “the end.” The majority view seems to be that the first “end”
is the end of the city and sanctuary—which comes like a flood. This would be a characterization of the AD 70
destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
The second “end” is viewed by most translators as an end equivalent to
the last days (“the end”). I believe
that it is the “end” that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:14 (ESV): “And this gospel of the kingdom will be
proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then
the end will come.” The period until “the
end” is characterized by war and desolations.
Verse 9:27 begins with the activity
of a “he.” The antecedent of this “he”
would most likely be the “prince who is to come” who is mentioned in
9:26b. He will make a firm covenant with
“many” for one week. Since we have
accounted for 69 of the 70 weeks that were mentioned in 9:24, we assume that
the final week is now meant as the period of this covenant. Who are the “many”? It could be a vague term relating to lots of
people. The Greek “many” often relates
to the majority, but that is usually with the definite article, which is absent
in both the Hebrew and the Septuagint.
We might conclude that the “many” are enough people to bring the
covenant into effect. Though we are not
told who these “many” are, the rest of the verse would lead to the conclusion
that they are probably the Jews. That is
not a firm conclusion, however.
For “half of the week” (ESV, 9:27b)
is probably the most literal translation.
Other translations supply more information than seems to be there. For example, NIV says that “in the middle of
the seven…” However, we are not told when this half a week is, whether it is
after the first half or if it is a chunk out of the middle: say, one-quarter, then one-half, then
one-quarter. If one follows the
narrative, it makes sense that the half of a week is at the latter end of the
week. This conclusion is because it
appears that the actions during the half of a week are a betrayal. There is a firm covenant (9:27a), but then,
the prince puts an end to sacrifice and offering (9:27b).
The final part of the verse (9:27c)
seems to be very difficult to translate.
Some translators were influenced by the Septuagint (evidently) and
others follow the Hebrew. I surveyed
seven translations and they vary widely.
Most of them do not make a whole lot of sense. There is mention in all of them of some sort
of desolation or abomination. In some
cases, it involves the Temple and, in some, a wing of the Temple, but this is
not clear. With one exception, the
translations all mention that an end of the person or entity that causes the
desolation has been decreed. This verse
is often related to verse 11:31, which does mention the “abomination that makes
desolate.” That verse also mentions
taking away the daily sacrifice. So, the
two verses have much in common.
The following table is an attempt to
summarize this passage.
DANIEL 9:24-27
|
VERSE
|
BRIEF EXTRACT
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
9:24
|
70 weeks are decreed
for your people
|
70 weeks or 490 years
are forecast for Daniel’s people during which 6 goals are accomplished to
fulfill the redemptive plan of God.
|
|
9:25a
|
From decree to the
Anointed One, 7 weeks and 62 weeks
|
The period until the
Messiah will be 49 years plus 434 years (total of 483 years).
|
|
9:25b
|
Rebuilt with squares
and a moat
|
The city will be
rebuilt.
|
|
AFTER THE 483 YEARS (69 WEEKS)
| ||
|
9:26a
|
Anointed One cut off
|
Messiah will die (the
cross of Jesus).
|
|
9:26b
|
People of the prince
will destroy the city
|
A people of another
prince will destroy the city and the sanctuary (AD 70 destruction); its end
will be like a flood.
|
|
9:26c
|
War until the end
|
Until “the end” there
will be wars and desolation.
|
|
THE LAST 7 YEARS (70TH WEEK)
| ||
|
9:27a
|
He shall make a
covenant
|
The prince to come
will make a covenant with many for one week (7 years).
|
|
9:27b
|
½ week: end to
sacrifices
|
For the second half
he will end the sacrifices and offerings.
|
|
9:27c
|
Abomination and
desolation
|
Some sort of
desolation will occur and the desolator will be destroyed.
|
What is left for us to do is to try to
coordinate these 70 Weeks with known historical events. The vision is consistent with the following
events:
·
There were several decrees or words that can fit with
the “word” to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
·
The city was eventually rebuilt, especially in the
time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
·
Jesus, the Messiah, came and died on the cross.
·
The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD
70.
The first
issue is to decide what constitutes the beginning of the 70 Weeks. Jeremiah had given a prophecy that the
captivity—and devastation of Jerusalem—would last 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12,
Daniel 9:2). This period would be from
605 BC to about 537 BC, when Cyrus permitted the return of the exiles, or from
586 BC to 516 BC, the completion of the Temple under Zerubbabel (see NIV and
ESV Study Bible notes). This “word” of
Jeremiah could be the beginning of the 70 weeks. However, 69 weeks or 483 years later does not
lead one to the time of the Messiah (or anything else). The permission that was given by Cyrus in
538/537 BC also leads to an unsatisfactory result.
The two
“words” or “decrees” that are most likely to be the beginning of the 70 Weeks
are either the letter from Artaxerxes I to Ezra (Ezra 7:11ff) (458 BC) or the permission that Artaxerxes I gave to
Nehemiah to repair Jerusalem (444 BC).
The second, frankly, makes the most sense. However, there are some arguments that favor
the first.
·
The second was not a formal decree, which the “word”
in 9:25 implies.
·
Nehemiah’s work as governor was probably completed by
about 409 BC, since there is historical record that another person was governor
by 407 BC. Since 409 is 49 years after
458, the first period of seven weeks is accounted for. (Miller, 266)
·
In Ezra 4:7-23, the opposition to the Jews and their
rebuilding efforts resulted in a report to Artaxerxes I. This report was before the events in Nehemiah
1-2. Yet, the report described how the
Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
This means that the decree of Artaxerxes I in 458 implied permission
to rebuild the city as well as the Temple.
Due to the opposition, the effort was halted and what had been
accomplished was destroyed by fire (Nehemiah 1:3). (NIV and ESV Study Bible notes)
If one calculates
the 483 years of the first 69 Weeks from 458 BC, one comes to the year AD
25. This is very close to the time of
Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of His ministry.
There has been
another calculation that is based on the starting date of 444 BC, which was
developed by Robert Anderson (Pentecost, 245-246). He makes a very precise calculation, to the
very day, from the permission that was given by Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to the
triumphant entry of Christ on Palm Sunday.
He calculates this to be 173,880 days.
He then calculates that 483 years of 360-day years (“prophetic years”)
is equal to 173,880 days. There are some
problems with this elegant calculation.
·
First, he assumes that the year of the crucifixion was
AD 32, but most scholars believe it was earlier.
·
Second, he assumes that 360 is a “prophetic year.” I do not know where he arrives at that
decision. The Jewish calendar was a
lunar calendar. Six months were 30 days
and six were 29 days. This makes a 354
day calendar. Over a period of 19 years,
“leap months” were added in some years so the year would remain consistent with
the solar year. Thus, there was no
correspondence in Jewish practice with a 360 day calendar.
It was to be after the 69
Weeks that the Anointed One would be cut off (9:26a). This is consistent with the crucifixion in
about AD 30. At an indeterminate time
after that, the city and Temple would be destroyed by people of the prince to
come (9:26b). This is consistent with the
Roman destruction of AD 70. The war and
desolations (9:26c) have been going ever since.
The events of 9:27 are yet future.
The following table summarizes these conclusions.
THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL
|
WEEKS
|
DATES
|
REFERENCE
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Beginning of 70 Weeks
|
458 BC
|
Ezra 7:11ff, Daniel
9:25a
|
Letter from
Artaxerxes to Ezra granting permission to rebuild Temple and (implied) to
restore Jerusalem
|
|
First 7 Weeks
|
458-409 BC
|
Daniel 9:25b
|
Completion of the
work of Ezra and Nehemiah, including restoration of Jerusalem
|
|
Period of 62 Weeks
|
409 BC –AD 25
|
Daniel 9:25b, c
|
Includes end of Old
Testament period and period of the Maccabees; ends with the baptism of Jesus
|
|
After the 62 Weeks
|
AD 30
|
Daniel 9:26a
|
The Messiah is cut
off; Jesus is crucified
|
|
After the 62 Weeks
|
AD 70
|
Daniel 9:26b
|
The Romans destroy
Jerusalem and the Temple
|
|
After the 62 Weeks
|
AD 70 to the present
|
Daniel 9:26c
|
Wars and desolation
|
|
The 70th Week
|
?
|
Daniel 9:27a
|
The prince to come
will confirm a covenant with many.
|
|
The midpoint of 70th
Week and beyond
|
?
|
Daniel 9:27b, c
|
After ½ Week, the
sacrifice and offering will cease.
|
The 70 Weeks of Daniel is an
intriguing passages of Scripture. The
previous visions (Daniel 2-8) had given an overview of world history from a
Gentile perspective (for the most part).
The 70 Weeks vision gives an overview from a Jewish perspective. The conjunction of “people of the prince who
will come” (9:26b) with the fourth beast of chapter 7 (7:7ff) and the fourth
empire of the statue (2:33ff) brings these visions together. Throughout Daniel there is a pattern of
adding layer upon layer of insight and understanding. The vision of chapters 10-12 continue that
pattern as I hope to describe in the next article.
REFERENCES:
Crossway Bibles (2009-04-09). ESV
Study Bible. Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Miller, Stephen R. The New
American Commentary. Vol. 18. Daniel.
Nashville: Broadman &
Holman
Publ., 1994.
Pentecost,
J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publ. Co., 1958.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. International Bible Society.
Grand Rapids:
Zondervan
Publ., 1984.
