I think most of us Doves agree that Daniel’s 70 weeks represents a total 490 years.  My studies of the scriptures lead me to believe that 69.5 weeks or 486.5 years were fulfilled the day Jesus was crucified which leaves only a half a week or 3 ½ years remaining to be fulfilled. I will try to explain how I arrived at my numbers by starting with Daniel 9:25-27 (KJV).

 

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.  Or 69 weeks unto the Messiah  (7+62).

 

26 And after threescore and two weeks (69 weeks) shall Messiah be cut off (crucified), but not for himself: and the people of the prince (Titus the Roman) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (fulfilled in 70 A.D.); 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.

 

Summary of verses 25-26

1. From the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince would be a total of 69 weeks.
2. Sometime after the 69^th week ended the Messiah was crucified.  Note: God’s word does not say the Messiah would be cut off at the end of the 69^th week, it clearly states after the 69^th week.

 

Verse 27 is a very interesting and one that I believe has been mis-interpreted by many.  I believe this mis-interpretation is one of the primary reason why many believe there is one week or seven years remaining to be fulfilled during a 7-year tribulation.  Matthew 24:15 is another verse that I think has also been misunderstood but I will talk about that one later. Let’s take a closer look at verse 27 to see if we can find the true meaning of Daniel 9:27. I contend that the “he” is Jesus Christ and not the antichrist.  Yes, I know that the word he in not capitalized but maybe the translators also thought the word he was referring to the antichrist or maybe it was just an oversight on their part.  Regardless of why the word he was not capitalized is irrelevant because substituting the antichrist for the word he would be completely out of context with what Daniel was writing about in Daniel 9: 25-26.  Many bible teachers and scholars believe that Jesus ministry lasted for 3 ½ years, I agree.  Jesus was confirming the Law for those 3 ½ years.  This is verified in Romans 15:8 when Paul said: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises/covenant made unto the fathers”. It was not until the night of the Last Supper that Jesus introduced the Covenant of Grace to his disciples.  Therefore, Jesus was confirming the Law to the Jewish people for 3 ½ years before he was cut off/crucified in the mist (middle of the week) leaving only 3 ½ years or 42 months or 1,260 days remaining to be fulfilled.  After the rapture, Jesus will confirm the Law to the Jewish people for the next 3 ½ years or 42 months or 1,260 days during the Great Tribulation.  Therefore, fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel 9:27 that He would confirm the covenant of the Law with the Jewish people for a total of one week.  Now let’s look at the next part of verse 27 which says that sacrifices and oblations will cease.  Before Jesus shed his blood on the cross and died for all sins, God required the Jewish people to atone for their sins by offering animal sacrifices.  After the cross there was no need for animal sacrifices, Jesus had atoned for the sins of the world, thus fulling the prophecy in verse 27 that sacrifices, and oblation would no longer be accepted by God.  

 

Many also try to tie Matthew 24:15 to Daniel 9:27 but Daniel does not mention the antichrist until chapter 11 and then it’s in an indirect way. Daniel does not call him the antichrist.

 

In Daniel 12: 8, Daniel is essentially asking when will the last half of the 70^th week end.  The man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river told Daniel that it would be for a time, times, and an half or 3 ½ years.  In Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 we see 42 months.  In Revelation 11:3 we see a thousand two hundred and threescore days or 1,260 days.  So, we have three different time measurements all saying the same thing – 3 ½ years which equals 42 months which equals 1,260 days and all three are referring to the last half of Daniel’s 70 week.

 

Based on the above, I have concluded there is only one-half week or 3 ½ years or 42 months or 1,260 days remaining to be fulfilled in Daniel’s 70^th week which starts the day Michael defeats and kicks Satan out of Heaven to planet Earth ends 1,260 days later at the Second Coming of Christ.  What is glaring missing from the entire Book of Revelation is any scripture about 7 years, 84 months or 2,520 days.

 

Doves, you may or may not know this, but there are always 1,260 days between Nisan 10 and Tishri 1.  God is trying to tell us something!

 

I would encourage my fellow Doves to take another look to see if the scriptures truly support the theory that the entire 70^th week remains to be fulfilled during a 7-year tribulation after the rapture occurs.

 

May God bless you forever.

 

Garry B.