Daniel's "seventy weeks"?

Question

Does anyone know what the meaning is of the division of the first 7 weeks from the following 62 weeks?

Answer 1

According to noted O.T. scholar J D Pentecost the first two segments ran consecutively with no time between them. Some think the first "7" referred to the time when Jerusalem was rebuilt.

Answer 2

First, it's important for you to know that the Hebrew word usually translated as "week" actually means "seven."

Overall, the seventy sevens are subdivided into three units: seven sevens (the subject of your inquiry); sixty-two sevens; and one seven (referred to by Christians as The Tribulation). The second part of verse 25 speaks of the first 69 sevens, combining the first two of the three subdivisions – the seven sevens and the sixty-two sevens.
The first subdivision, the "seven sevens," is a total of 49 years, and refers to the 49-year period that it took to rebuild Jerusalem, by Cyrus' decree.

It is this part of the prophecy that points to the birth of the "anointed one," who Christians and Messianic Jews believe is Jesus Christ. Jesus is documented to have died after the 62 sevens began, just as the prophecy tells us.

I hope this helps. Peace.

Answer 3

It is indicative of when christ was born, some people believe that the last week is still to be fulfilled, but it is not, it was already fulfilled with the coming of christ.

Interresting to note is that some jewish people believe it a sin to read Daniel 9:24, and are prohibited to read it under the punishment of death, since this prophesy was fulfilled with the coming of the messiah Jesus Christ. Strange enough they didn't believe in Him

Answer 4

You have it backward I there is a seperation between the first part and the last 7. Because the first has already been fulfilled the last 7 weeks have yet to be fulfilled.

Answer 5

There is not enough space to answer your question in full so i will refer you to a book called "How close are we" by David Hunt also check out the berean call website or Jacob Prasch's web site moriel ministries.org

Answer 6

Think this link gives the whole outline.

http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/weeks.htm

Answer 7

The word rendered "Messiah" in verses 25 and 26 is "moshiach", which in modern Hebrew does mean "Messiah" but which in ancient Hebrew meant simply "anointed". All throughout the rest of the scriptures, wherever "moshiach" appears, it is rendered "anointed". The priests are called "moshiach"; all the kings are called "moshiach"; King Cyrus, a Gentile king, is called "moshiach" in Isaiah 45:1; and David consistently refers to Saul as "moshiach" even after the spirit of G-d departs from Saul. It wasn't until around the second century BCE - a couple of centuries after the time of Daniel - that "moshiach" began to be used to refer to the Redeemer who is coming at the end of days. Also, the phrase rendered "but not for himself" is "v'ein lo", which really means "and he shall have nothing" (the King James lists this as an alternative translation). We see, then, that there is no real reason to suspect that the anointed one is the Messiah or that his being cut off will atone for our sins.

What about the time that this anointed one was to be cut off? Christians will tell you that the word rendered "week", "shavuah", could also be rendered "unit of seven", and indeed it is as common in Hebrew to speak of a week of years as a week of days. Thus far they are in agreement with Jewish commentators. But then they cite Artaxerxes II's letters to Nehemiah (Neh. 2:1-6) authorizing the rebuilding of Jerusalem as the point at which the countdown was to begin. By secular chronology, this decree took place in the middle of the fifth century BCE (historians differ on the exact year, and dates range from 445 BCE to 465 BCE). Seven weeks and threescore and two weeks is 69X7=483 years; picking one of the dates for Artaxerxes's letters to Nehemiah and adding 483 years puts you around the time of Jesus's death. (Those who hold to the date of 445 BCE believe in something called the "prophetic year". This doctrine, which says that a year in symbolic prophecy is really 360 days, isn't mentioned or even hinted at anywhere in Scripture [this includes the New Testament]. Nor can it be held that the Hebrew year is 360 days long. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, which means it has 6 months of 29 days each and 6 months of 30 days each, for a total of 354 days; but every so often there is a "leap month" of 30 days, so that on average the year contains 365-1/4 days.)

There are two problems with the above exegesis. The first and most obvious is that of the seventieth week. After the anointed one was cut off, the prince who was to come was to make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but break the covenant in the midst of the week, causing the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and at the end of the week a complete destruction was to be poured out upon the desolate. None of this happened within the first seven years after Jesus's death, no matter what date you settle upon for his death. However, the High Priest was removed from office, "cut off", in 63 CE. Nero, the emperor at this time, made an agreement with the Jews not to prevent them from offering sacrifices in the Temple; but he broke this agreement in 66 CE, when the Jewish Wars began. In 70 CE, the Temple was destroyed, along with all of Jerusalem, and the Jewish nation was dispersed. This sequence of events mirrors Daniel's seventieth week exactly.

It is noteworthy that in both occurrences of the word "Messiah" in the King James, the word is "moshiach", *an* anointed one, as opposed to "hamoshiach", *the* anointed one. Christians must claim that the two anointed ones are both the Messiah; but it makes no sense, after having already introduced the Messiah, to refer to him as "an anointed one". It would make far more sense to say something like, 'An anointed one is coming etc., and after the sixty-two weeks *the* anointed one shall be cut off and have nothing." The absence of the definite article proves that the two anointed ones are different people. This fact helps to explain why Daniel wrote, "seven weeks and sixty-two weeks", rather than simply, "sixty-nine weeks". The compression of the seven weeks with the 62 weeks is a rather recent development among Christian translators. In the 1611 edition of the King James Bible, the beginning of the prophecy reads, "Know therefore and vnderstand, that from the going foorth of the commandment to restore and to build Ierusalem, vnto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seuen weekes; and threescore and two weekes, the street shall be built againe, and the wall, euen in troublous times." Other respected translations, such as the New Revised Standard Version and the Anchor Bible, follow suit in so translating the passage that the first anointed one is clearly coming at the end of seven weeks and that the second anointed one is clearly coming 62 weeks later. It wasn't until 1885 that the revisers of the King James saw fit to change the text so that it appears as if there is only one anointed one. Why was this change made? Because if there are two anointed ones, and the first one is clearly not Jesus (because he came way too early), and nothing special is said about the second anointed one (in fact, it is only the first anointed one who is called a prince), then there is no real reason to suspect that the second anointed one is Jesus either.

In the beginning of the prophecy, where Gabriel says, "from the going forth of the word", the Sages have held since Daniel's day that the "word" referred to is not the word of any king, but Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer. 29:10), given immediately after the inhabitants of Jerusalem were exiled, that the Babylonian exile would end after 70 years. This makes sense: "from the going forth of the word, to restore and to build Jerusalem unto an anointed prince shall be seven weeks". Which word? The word foretelling the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem unto an anointed prince. Secular chronology, as used in the Abington Bible Commentary, dates the issuance of Jeremiah's prophecy and the exile of Jerusalem at 586 BCE and the rise of Cyrus the Mede, whose decree ended the exile (2 Chronicles 36:22-23), at 538 BCE. Taking 586 to be the first year and counting forward yields 538 as year 49, the end of the seventh week. It is clear, therefore, that Cyrus is the first anointed one.

It should be mentioned here that, around this time period, there is a 166-year inconsistency between secular history and Jewish ecclesiastical history, with the secular dates earlier. Thus, the ecclesiastical history dates Jeremiah's prophecy and the exile of Jerusalem at 420 BCE and the rise of Cyrus at 372 BCE. I submit that the Jews were there and know exactly when these events took place, whereas the secular historians must extrapolate from the archaeological evidence at hand. Given that the Jews kept detailed genealogical records it is difficult to see where we could have simply misplaced 166 years of our history; therefore I hold to the ecclesiastical history. Continuing to count forward from 420 BCE and remembering that there was no year 0, we see that the 490th year, the end of the seventieth week, is 70 CE, the year Jerusalem was destroyed. This is the Jewish explanation of Daniel 9, and it is far more consistent than the Christian explanation. (If the reader is Jewish or has been exposed to Judaism, then he/she will recall that the First and Second Temples were both destroyed on the 9th day of the Hebrew month Av, fulfilling the prophecy right down to the day.)

At this point, the Christian should recall that in Matthew 24, when Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, he makes reference to "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet", a reference to Daniel 9. Thus it appears that Jesus agreed with the Jewish interpretation of Daniel 9.

Answer 8

In Daniyl Chapter Nine, the Prophet Daniyl was referring to a seventy week prophecy in which Yahweh's Plans include making an end of sin, the sacrifice of the Savior, and bringing to holiness those who would repent of sins and convert to keeping Yahweh's Laws.

Daniyl 9:24-27—
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon your people, and upon your holy city, to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Holiest of the Holy People.
25 Know therefore, and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Yerusalem, to the Messiah the Prince, will be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; the street will be rebuilt again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off, without a successor; and the people of the prince that will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end will be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week; seven years, and in the midst of the week, he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; instead, he will cause the prevalence of The Lord of Heaven even until the destruction that is determined will be poured upon the desolator.

Yahweh shows seventy weeks of years from a starting point of the command to restore and rebuild Yerusalem to the Messiah's death and the destruction of Yerusalem and the sanctuary (temple). All of these prophecies took place in sixty-nine weeks of years (seven weeks and sixty-two weeks). This left one week or seven years, spoken of in Daniyl 9:27, to be fulfilled.

For full details concerning the seventy weeks and the missing week, get the taped sermon, The Missing Week of the Seventy Years. Also get our book, In Search Of A Savior. Chapter Two takes you step by step through the prophecies showing what is fulfilled and what is yet to be fulfilled. In this book, you will also find where the place of protection is and what you must do to live through the next fourteen months.

We are in the last three and one-half years of the missing week of Daniyl 9:24-27 known as the divided, severed, or cut short time. This last three and one-half year prophecy of action started April 13, 2004; it will end October 13, 2007.


The seven year (one week) plan was confirmed with Rabin September 13, 1993 and began October 13, 1993. Rabin was assassinated as Daniyl's prophecy shows. Shimon Perez took his office for a short while until an election could be held. Benyamin Netanyahu was elected the next Prime Minister of Israyl. He shut the seven year plan down after it was in action only three and one-half years (one time)—in the midst of the seven years.

Remember, this plan is shown to bring us to "the end" and the destruction that is prophesied for the end.

Daniyl 9:27—
And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week; seven years, and in the midst of the week, he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; instead, he will cause the prevalence of the Lord of Heaven even until the destruction that is determined will be poured upon the desolator.

With the above information in mind, go to Chapter 12 of Daniyl where we see the severity of this burning destruction spoken of in Daniyl 7:11-12, plus the end time.

Daniyl 12:1-2—
1 And at that time will Micahyah stand up, the great ruler who stands for the children of Your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation to that time. And at that time your people will be delivered, everyone who will be found written in the Book of life.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

This time of trouble—time of the earth's burning, the greatest time of trouble ever—and the resurrection, which take place just after this three and one-half years referred to as a "time," takes place during the time prophesied as the end.

Now notice carefully the end shown in:

Daniyl 12:4-7—
4 But you, O Daniyl, shut up the words, and seal the book to the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and knowledge will be increased.
5 Then I, Daniyl, looked; and behold, there stood two others, one on this side of the bank of the river; and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who on that future day is teaching: How long will it be to the end of these wonders?
7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who on that future day is teaching, when he held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and vowed by Him Who lives forever, that: It will be for a time, times, and a half, when Yahweh will have accomplished pouring out His power through His holy people, all these things will be finished.


Yahweh again shows us the end, in a time—three and one-half years, that is filled with destruction. The first time (3½ years) was the first half of the seven year peace plan that was stopped in its midst (Daniyl 9:27). Then Yahweh shows us times in Daniyl 12:7. One time is 3½ years; times is 3½ years plus 3½ years, which equals 7 years.

The seven year peace plan started October 13, 1993, shut down April 13, 1997 after three and one-half years of action. The seven year peace plan stayed shut down for a duration of two times, that's seven years and was signed back into action on April 13, 2004 on the very day prophesied.

President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon restarted the seven year plan on the very day Yahweh showed it would go back into action.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


We Are Now In The Last Three and One-half Years (Time) Of Man's Governments Of And By The People

Daniyl says it will be the greatest time of trouble ever.

Daniyl 12:1—
And at that time will Micahyah stand up, the great ruler who stands for the children of Your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation to that time. And at that time your people will be delivered, everyone who will be found written in the Book of life.
The Savior says the same.

Mattithyah 24:21-22—
21 For then will be great tribulation, such as has not come to pass since the beginning of the world to this time—no, nor ever will be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, there would no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

In this same time period there is extreme hatred among the nations. For proof of this, all you have to do is watch the world news.

Mattithyah 24:7—
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, and pestilences; disease epidemics, and earthquakes in place after place.

Then comes the nuclear wars that will darken the sun.

Mattithyah 24:29—
Immediately, but after the tribulation of those days will the sun be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Now learn a parable so you will know when this time is at hand.

Mattithyah 24:32-33—
32 Now learn a parable from the fig tree: When its branch becomes tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 In the same way, when you see all these things, know that His coming and the end of the age is near, at the very door.

http://www.yahweh.com/Newsletters/nl08-06.htm

Answer 9

Who Is the Messiah of the Book of Daniel?

ABOUT twenty-five centuries ago the angel Gabriel revealed to Daniel a vital truth. It was that an “anointed one” or “messiah” would come at the expiration of a prescribed number of “weeks,” not ordinary weeks but “weeks of years.” The fact that an angel conveyed this message of itself suggested that the arrival of this “anointed one” would be an event of highest importance, an event that could have a profound effect upon mankind.

What did Gabriel tell Daniel? According to the translation of the Jewish Publication Society of America (copyright 1917), he said:

“Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place. Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times. And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.”—Dan. 9:24-26.

The rendering of this translation makes it appear that the “one anointed, a prince” would come after “seven weeks,” whereas another “anointed one” would be “cut off” after sixty-two “weeks.” Does history confirm this understanding of matters?

Jewish Views

According to Jewish commentators, the “word to restore and to build Jerusalem” went forth when the prophet Jeremiah foretold that the city would be rebuilt after having been desolated by the Chaldeans. For example, Jeremiah 30:18 states: “The city will actually be rebuilt upon her mound.” This allows them to interpret the “seven weeks” as designating the seventy-year period of desolation that ended with the return of a Jewish remnant from Babylonian exile. Proceeding further, certain Jewish commentators would link the “one anointed, a prince” with King Cyrus, who issued the decree that permitted the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and Jerusalem. Others favor identifying the “one anointed” with Governor Zerubbabel or High Priest Jeshua, both of whom returned from Babylonian exile after Cyrus’ decree was issued.

And what of the “threescore and two” or sixty-two “weeks”? Jewish commentators apply these to a period of 434 years, during which time Jerusalem was to be fully restored. Some believe that the “anointed one” that was to be “cut off” (Dan. 9:26) designates King Agrippa (II), who lived at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 C.E. But others consider the “anointed one” to be High Priest Onias, whom Antiochus Epiphanes deposed in 175 B.C.E.

So Jewish commentators are by no means certain about the significance of Gabriel’s words. In fact, there are inconsistencies in the explanation. Whereas the “seven weeks” are understood to be of ten years each, totaling seventy years (7 x 10), the ‘sixty-two weeks’ are considered to be of seven years each, totaling four hundred and thirty-four years (62 x 7). Thus these Jewish commentators have actually manipulated the time features in an effort to force an explanation of Gabriel’s words.

An Added “Stop” Changes the Meaning

Surprising as it may seem to some, Jewish copyists and a number of Jewish translators have made additions to the original text of Daniel 9:25. The scribes known as Masoretes accented the Hebrew text at Daniel 9:25 with an ’Ath·nahh´ or “stop” after “seven weeks,” thereby dividing it off from the ‘sixty-two weeks.’ Additionally, a number of Jewish translations add “for” or “during” before the ‘sixty-two weeks’ of years to make it appear that Jerusalem would be fully restored in that period. If it were not for these adjustments in the text, Daniel 9:25 would read: “You should know and have the insight that from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks. She will return and be actually rebuilt, with a public square and moat, but in the straits of the times.” A similar rendering is found in many non-Jewish translations.

This rendering makes it quite plain that a “messiah” or “anointed one” was to arrive, not at the end of seven “weeks,” but at the end of seven plus “sixty-two weeks,” that is, at the end of sixty-nine “weeks.” Therefore, the “messiah” that was to be cut off sometime after the “sixty-two weeks” would be the same one as was foretold to arrive at the end of “seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.” Did an “anointed one” make an appearance at that time?

Time for Messiah’s Appearance

To determine the answer to this question, we must ascertain when the command went forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Reasonably we should expect such a command to go forth when action could be taken to follow through on the command rather than in the time of Jeremiah’s prophesying before the city was destroyed.

Although a Jewish remnant returned to Judah and Jerusalem from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E., the wall of the city and its gates were not rebuilt or repaired until years later. In describing the city, a delegation of Jewish exiles told Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer of Persian King Artaxerxes (Longimanus): “Those left over, who have been left over from the captivity, there in the jurisdictional district, are in a very bad plight and in reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its very gates have been burned with fire.” (Neh. 1:3) Some months after receiving this report, Nehemiah was commissioned by King Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. This was in the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes’ reign. (Neh. 2:1-6) The best historical evidence indicates that the Nisan of that twentieth year fell in 455 B.C.E. So it was with Nehemiah’s arrival at Jerusalem a number of months later in 455 B.C.E. that the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem could take effect.

Using 455 B.C.E. as a starting point for counting the sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years), we find that a “messiah” or “anointed one” was scheduled to arrive in 29 C.E. Were the Jews expecting a “messiah” at that time? Did a “messiah” make his appearance then?

Alluding to Daniel chapter 9, a well-known rabbi of the seventeenth century C.E., Manasseh ben Israel, stated: “There are some who would accept those 70 cycles of seven as saying that after their end the Messiah would come. . . . Indeed, all of the Jews who took up arms against the Romans at that time were of that opinion.” Jewish scholar Abba Hillel Silver observes: “The Messiah was expected around the second quarter of the first century C.E.” The Babylonian Talmud, in its Tractate Sanhedrin, folio 97a speaks of the “seven year cycle at the end of which the son of David [the Messiah] will come.” So the Jews were expecting, not just any “messiah,” but the Messiah, the “son of David,” to appear at the very time indicated in Daniel chapter 9.

Messiah Identified

The only person who appeared as this Messiah in 29 C.E. was Jesus, a descendant of King David. The Bible, along with secular history, gives evidence that Jesus, in the fall of 29 C.E., came to John and was baptized. Immediately after his baptism “the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.’” (Matt. 3:16, 17) Upon his being anointed by God’s spirit, Jesus became the Messiah or Christ, which words mean “Anointed One.” From that time onward, the words of Isaiah 61:1 applied to him: “The spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to bring good tidings unto the humble.” (Jewish Publication Society) Three and a half years after his anointing Jesus was “cut off” in death.

Thus the evidence of Daniel 9:25 unmistakably points to Jesus as the promised Messiah. Acknowledged Rabbi Simon Luzatto (of the seventeenth century C.E.):

“This most outstanding text . . . has rendered the Rabbis so perplexed and uncertain that they know not whether they are in heaven or on earth. The result of continued investigation of this prophecy on our part could easily turn out that we would all become Christians. It cannot, indeed, be denied that Messiah’s advent has been clearly set out in it and that the time should be accepted as already having gone by.”

Evidently, therefore, because of their rejection of Jesus, the Masoretes added a “stop” at Daniel 9:25, thereby endeavoring to conceal the time factor that definitely identified Jesus as the promised Messiah. Professor E. B. Pusey, in a footnote on one of his lectures delivered at the University of Oxford (published in 1885), remarked on the Masoretic accenting:

“The Jews put the main stop of the verse under [seven], meaning to separate the two numbers, 7 and 62. This they must have done dishonestly, . . . (as Rashi [a prominent Jewish Rabbi of the twelfth century C.E.] says in rejecting literal expositions which favored the Christians).”

It should not come as a surprise that most Jews continue to reject Daniel 9:25 as applying to Jesus Christ. Their views have been greatly influenced by the Jewish scholars and thinkers who flourished between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries C.E. This period was a time when Jews suffered due to extreme anti-Semitism, the bulk of the hatred being fomented by persons claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ. This caused the name of Jesus to become a stench to most Jews. It is no wonder, then, that rabbinic Bible commentaries from that period deny the Messianic application of many prophecies that had obvious fulfillment in Jesus.

Numerous sincere Jews, however, have not let the evil carried on by persons hypocritically claiming to be “Christians” prejudice them against the name of Jesus. They have examined the evidence for themselves by reading the accounts concerning Jesus’ earthly ministry that were committed to writing by the Jewish evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They have also examined the Hebrew prophecies that identify Jesus as the promised Messiah. Their investigation has led them to believe that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.

If you are among the millions of Jews who do not believe that the promised Messiah has come, why not take the time to investigate the matter thoroughly? Certainly if Jesus is the Christ, as clearly set forth prophetically in Daniel chapter 9, you would not want to place yourself in opposition to him, with loss of blessing to yourself. So that you might be a recipient of the blessings of Messiah’s righteous rule, Jehovah’s witnesses will be happy to assist you in your examination of additional facts that point to Jesus as the Messiah.

[Footnotes]

See the book Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 237, 328-330.

See the book Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 920, 921.