The 70 Weeks of Daniel

The 70 Weeks of Daniel

• Joe Hawkins
  
  

Few passages in Scripture are as precise, profound, and prophetically loaded as the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9. Though often overlooked or misunderstood, this single revelation forms one of the strongest chronological backbones in all of biblical prophecy. It explains Israel’s history, foretells the first coming of Messiah with astonishing accuracy, and sets the boundaries for the coming Tribulation—all while making one thing unmistakably clear: God is not finished with Israel, and the Church is not appointed to Daniel’s final week.

Daniel’s Prayer and God’s Answer

Daniel 9 opens not with prophecy, but with prayer. Daniel, now an elderly man living in Babylonian captivity, studies the writings of Jeremiah and realizes Israel’s seventy-year exile is nearing its end. Rather than celebrating prematurely, Daniel is broken. He prays a confession not only for the sins of the nation, but for his own. His prayer is saturated with humility, repentance, and reverence for God’s covenant faithfulness.

This matters. Daniel’s prayer becomes a model for believers today—intercessory, Scripture-driven, and grounded in God’s mercy rather than human merit. And while Daniel is still praying, God answers.

The angel Gabriel is dispatched with a message that reaches far beyond Daniel’s immediate concern. Instead of merely addressing the end of Babylonian captivity, God reveals His entire redemptive timetable for Israel—from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the Second Coming of Christ.

What Are the Seventy Weeks?

Daniel 9:24–27 introduces the prophecy:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…”

The phrase “seventy weeks” does not refer to days, but to weeks of years. In Hebrew usage, a “week” (shabua) simply means a unit of seven. Scripture itself establishes this pattern. Israel observed sabbatical years grouped into seven-year cycles (Leviticus 25), and Genesis 29 records Jacob serving “a week” of years—seven full years—for Rachel.

Seventy weeks, then, equals 490 years. These years are specifically “determined” for Daniel’s people (Israel) and Daniel’s city (Jerusalem). This is not a general prophecy for the world, nor a symbolic framework for the Church. It is a literal, chronological program for national Israel.

Why This Prophecy Is So Important

Many prophecy scholars regard Daniel 9 as the single most important passage in all of eschatology. It is the key that unlocks both Messianic prophecy and God’s covenant dealings with Israel.

This prophecy does several critical things:

• It accurately predicts the timing of Messiah’s first coming.

• It explains Israel’s rejection of Messiah.

• It anticipates the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

• It defines the future Tribulation period.

• It establishes a clear separation between Israel and the Church.

If Daniel’s seventy weeks are mishandled, everything downstream in prophecy becomes distorted.

The Purpose of the Seventy Weeks

Daniel 9:24 lists six divine objectives that will be accomplished during the 490-year program:

1. To finish transgression

2. To make an end of sins

3. To make reconciliation for iniquity

4. To bring in everlasting righteousness

5. To seal up vision and prophecy

6. To anoint the Most Holy
   

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