Interpretation of the 70 Weeks in Daniel 9:24-27
Daniel 9:24-27 (KJV):
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
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finish the transgression,
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and to make an end of sins,
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and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
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and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
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and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
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and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Six Key Purposes of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24)
The angel explains that the 70 weeks are determined for six specific purposes relating to the people and the holy city:
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To finish the transgression
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To make an end of sins
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To make reconciliation for iniquity
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To bring in everlasting righteousness
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To seal up vision and prophecy
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To anoint the Most Holy
The Events and Their Fulfillment Within the 70 Weeks
These purposes correspond to several significant events:
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The return of the exiled Israelites to their land
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The rebuilding of the Temple
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The destruction of the Temple by the Romans
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The placement of an abominable image in the Temple
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The cessation of sacrifices
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The confirmation of a covenant with some of the Israelites
The Messiah is central to fulfilling all six purposes. Through His sacrifice—the breaking of His flesh and the shedding of His blood—He finishes transgression, ends sin, makes reconciliation for iniquity, and brings everlasting righteousness.
The Anointing of the Most Holy
The completion of these works of salvation also “seals” the visions and prophecies. Christ’s baptism by the Holy Spirit marked His anointing as the Most Holy, as described in Luke 3:21-23:
21 When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As He prayed, heaven opened,
22 the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Jesus was about thirty years old, believed to be the son of Joseph.
This event publicly declared Jesus as the Messiah, fulfilling the prophecies foretold by the prophets.
Confirmation from John the Baptist (John 1:26-51)
John the Baptist confirmed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He testified that the Spirit descending on Jesus signified the chosen Messiah. This is further supported by the calling of the first disciples and their recognition of Jesus as the Christ, the promised King of Israel.
The Completion of the Seventy Weeks
The Messiah’s fulfillment of these six events was completed with His resurrection. Importantly, the 70 weeks are a fixed period with no transfer or extension to other times. God’s work is always complete and perfect; He never leaves His plans unfinished.
Biblical Parallel: The 400 Years in Egypt
This pattern of fulfilled prophecy is consistent elsewhere in Scripture. For example, God told Abraham in Genesis 15 that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land for 400 years. This was fulfilled in Egypt, where Israel sojourned for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). The additional 30 years included time for signs, wonders, and preparation for deliverance.
Addressing Apparent Chronological Discrepancies
For example, Moses lived 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7), yet some scriptures say he was 80 when he confronted Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). The extra 30 years represent a typological issue rather than a literal chronological contradiction. Similar complexities exist in interpreting the 70 weeks prophecy.
To know the very right age that Moses died, we have to do our mathematics right
Moses appeared before Pharaoh at the age of 80
Plus the ………………………………………………30 years in Egypt with the time of the plaques and exsodus
Plus his ………………………………………………40 years in the wilderness
Altogether makes………………………………….150 that Moses died because of typological reasons or the omission of the antichrists.
So is the same with Daniel 70 years from the baptism of Jesus Christ, His anointing by the Holy Spirit at His baptism to His ministry and His death amounted to 70 years exactly. The mistakes the the writers and the churches made was that they brought BC to AD which can never be done.