Daniel 9:24-27 (“70 Weeks”)
- 526-457 B.C.* Babylonian Captivity
- 459 B.C. Daniel 9 ~
- 9:1-3 (Jer. 25:11-12): 70 years captivity/desolation ending
- 9:4-19: Prayer for desolate city, sanctuary
- 9:20-23: “sin…Gabriel…sacrifice” (cf. Luke 1:19, 26)
- 9:24-27: 70 “sevens” (490 yrs) end sacrifice, atone sin, anoint temple:
- 457 B.C.: BEGINS: Cyrus (“messiah”) commands Jerusalem/temple restoration (2 Chron. 36:17-23; Ezra 1:1-4; Isaiah 44:24-45:13)
- 408 B.C.: 7 “SEVENS” (49 YEARS) LATER: Ezra/Nehemiah/Haggai/Zechariah – Jerusalem/temple rebuilt
- A.D. 26: 69 “SEVENS” (483 YEARS) LATER**: Jesus anointed as Prince/King, ministers 3.5 years
- A.D. 30: MIDDLE OF 70TH SEVEN: Jesus, “will be put to death…confirm a covenant with many…put an end to sacrifice and offering,” (Dan. 9:26-27; cf. Matt. 15:24; Luke 1:72; 22:20; Heb. 8:13; 10:14-18)
- A.D. 34: END OF 70TH WEEK: For short time (3.5 years?), gospel shared only with Jews (changes in Acts 10-11)
- 9:26-27: “the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…there shall be war. Desolations are decreed…on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate…” (Matt. 24:15 = Mark 13:14 = Luke 21:20; cf. Matt. 22:7)
- A.D. 70: Jerusalem temple destroyed by Romans, 40 years after Jesus died.
Matthew 24-25 (Temple Destruction & Christ’s Return)
Matt. 21-23
- Jesus comes to Mt. of Olives, “Hosanna…Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (21:1-11)
- Jesus purges temple; some shout “Hosanna”, some enraged (21:12-17)
- Jesus condemns Jews for rejecting Him (21:18-23:39)
- “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (21:43)
- “He [Jesus/God] sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.” (22:7)
- “Upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth…this will come on this generation…Look, your house is left to you desolate…you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus left the temple’” (23:35-24:1)
Matt. 24-25
- 24:3 – Three questions: (1) when will temple be destroyed? (2) sign of Jesus’ coming? (3) sign of end of age?
- 24:4-25:46 – Jesus answers:
- 24:4-14: Things will happen before Jesus returns
- 24:15-26: A.D. 70 Temple destroyed as Daniel (9:27) warned, before Jesus returns
- 24:27-31: Jesus’ return will be evident when it happens (but after all these things)
- 24:32-35: Temple destruction will be evident before it happens: in “this generation” (24:34)
- 24:36-25:46: Jesus’ return will not be evident before it happens: “that day and hour no one knows” (24:36)–always be faithful!
* Dates (in red font) match Philip Mauro’s, Wonders of Bible Chronology (outlined at Free Bible Study Lessons, BibleChroAdvance, retrieved June 8, 2021) and, The Seventy Weeks and the Great Tribulation.
** The ESV is in the minority of translations that re-words Dan. 9:25 as Messiah coming after 7 “sevens” (but before the 62 “sevens”). However, (A) other translations overwhelmingly outnumber ESV in seeing it as 69 (7 + 62) “sevens”, (B) even the ESV acknowledges the 69 (7 + 62) numbering as an alternate translation in their footnote, (C) having Messiah appear between the 7 and 62 sevens seems virtually indefensible biblically and historically, (D) the reasons chosen for ESV’s translation involves some speculation regarding Hebrew “accents” (symbols), what they mean, and what bearing they had on the original text of Dan. 9:25.
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