This lesson follows on from our previous lesson about the 70 weeks in Daniel 9. There is a lot of interest in the times and seasons mentioned in prophecy, including the "seventy weeks" of Daniel. In this lesson we match the parts of the seventy weeks with the appropriate times and events in history, especially the crucifixion of Christ followed by his ascension into heaven to reign.

History and Daniel’s 70 Weeks

This lesson proceeds on the belief that the symbolic times and numbers of prophecy do not correlate to actual numbers of years. For example Daniel’s 70 weeks don't mean a literal seventy weeks, nor even a period of 490 years (as held by the popular year-for-a-day theory). Related to this, we interpret prophecy on the principle that the pivotal event of both history and prophecy is the cross of Christ.

1 The parts of the seventy weeks

In Daniel 9:24-27, after saying "seventy weeks have been decreed", Gabriel divides the seventy weeks as follows...

• seven weeks
• sixty two weeks
• one week( the 70th) in two halves

The climax of the seventy weeks

In the 70th and final week, the main events occur.

• The Messiah is cut off (in the middle of the week)
• The sanctuary is destroyed, sacrifices cease
• Messiah makes a firm covenant with many

Christ made a perfect once-for-all sacrifice that abolished all other sacrifices. His sacrifice became the basis for the new and final covenant.

2 The History Behind Daniel’s 70 Weeks

As a starting point, let’s correlate the seventy weeks of Daniel with actual historic events.

• Davidic kingdom in decline
• Destruction of Jerusalem
• Cyrus decrees the rebuilding. 70 weeks begin.
• Time of rebuilding and return of the remnant. The "seven weeks".
• The remnant awaits the Messiah. The "sixty two weeks".
• The Messiah comes. The 70th and final week begins.
• Preaching of the gospel begins. Making "a firm covenant with many".
• The crucifixion. The "Messiah cut off". The final half week begins.
• A stop to temple sacrifices in "the midst of the week".
• Destruction of Jerusalem
• Kingdom of heaven in ascendancy.

Seventy Weeks and Actual Years

Again let me emphasise that the symbolic times and numbers of prophecy do not correlate to actual numbers of years. The number seven (seven days in a week) and its derivations such as seventy (ten times seven) or three and a half (the half of seven) are put in place of actual years because "it is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority" (Acts 1:7).

It is not difficult with hindsight to match the prophecy with history, but what does not correlate is the spans in real time against the symbolic times in visions. Thinking of these times as some kind of code to break, so that you can derive a numbers of actual years from them, is not a proper way to interpret them. A lesson on Times and Seasons in Prophecy has more to say about this.

3 The Sixty Nine Weeks

As we learn in the Times of Israel series, the times of Israel consist of twelve periods. The seventy weeks in Gabriel’s prophecy to Daniel cover the last five of those periods as follows:

• The 8th period,
  Return of the Remnant (during the Medopersian empire)
  answers to the first 7 weeks of the seventy.
• The 9th period,
  Prophecy Unfolding (during the Grecian and early Roman empires)
  answers to the next 62 weeks of the seventy.

Part 2, The Seventieth Week