Episode 52 focuses on the “end times” prophecies in Daniel chapter 9. It discusses and explains Daniel’s prophecy of the “seventy weeks” and the 7-year covenant of the antichrist.

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The Future of the Teachings of Jesus
The “End Times” in Daniel Chapter 9 (Ep. 52)
The Seventy Weeks and the Seven Year Covenant

April 2025

         The end times scenario. Recent podcasts have outlined the coming of a devil powered, evil conqueror, a “beast,” who appears at the end times, causes fearful destruction and death, conquers most of the world, gains dominance over Israel, and proclaims himself God. The apostle John identified this figure as the antichrist. Four phases of his history may be identified. The first phase is his appearance and initial rise to power. The second phase is his conquest and rule. The third phase is his destruction by divine forces and the fourth phase is the replacement of his rule by the coming of the kingdom of God.

Numerous Biblical references to the end times. There are numerous references in the Bible to the end times and its conqueror ruler. By examining these references we may fill in important details of the end times scenario. One such reference is the prophecy of the 70 weeks and the 7-year covenant found in Daniel chapter 9.

Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy and Daniel’s prayer. At the time of Daniel chapter 9, he, and his people are held captive in Babylon, while Jerusalem and its sanctuary lie in ruins.  Daniel notices that Jeremiah prophesied that 70 years “must pass before the end of the desolation of Jerusalem” (Dan 9:2). Daniel then prays to God confessing the many transgressions, sins, and iniquities of Israel, which have resulted in the calamity which has befallen his people. He prays for forgiveness, mercy, and the restoration of Israel, Jerusalem, and its sanctuary (Dan 9:3-19). While in prayer, the high celestial being, Gabriel, appears to Daniel and delivers his famous 70 weeks prophecy. Gabriel states:

Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…and to anoint a most holy place” (Dan 9:24).

70 weeks of years. In this prophecy we may first note that Gabriel is putting a new twist on Jeremiah’s prophecy that 70 years “must pass before the end of the desolation of Jerusalem.” Instead of 70 years, Gabriel is telling Daniel that 70 “weeks of years,” (490 years), are decreed “concerning your people and your holy city.” It is evident that Gabriel is not just telling Daniel when the Jewish captivity in Babylon will end or when Jerusalem and the sanctuary will be rebuilt.

The end times and everlasting righteousness. Gabriel is referring to something much bigger. He is referring to the time when the Jews will, “finish the transgression,” “put an end to sin,” and “bring in everlasting righteousness.” The phrase “to bring in everlasting righteousness” is a sure sign that this is a reference to phase 4 of the end times scenario–the time when the kingdom of God will assume everlasting rule over the kingdoms of men. We may also notice the occurrence of the phrase, “to anoint a most holy place.” Here Gabriel is referencing the fact that the everlasting rule of God over the nations of the world will have its capitol at Jerusalem, the “most Holy place.”

The starting date. To understand the prophecy of the seventy weeks, we must first find the starting date. When do the the seventy weeks of years begin? Here is what Gabriel says:

from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks (KJV-Dan 9:25).

The decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC. The decree issued by the Persian king, Artaxerxes who lived from 465 to 424 BC to Ezra (Ezra 7:11-28) authorized Ezra to “appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people” (Ezra 7:25). This established Jewish law as the basis of local government and gave Jerusalem its legal rebirth. If we take this decree to be the command referred to by Gabriel, we may date the beginning of the seventy weeks at 457 BC.

The meaning of the prophecy. “Seven weeks and three score and two weeks” equals sixty-nine weeks of years which is 483 years. Thus, the prophecy is telling us that 483 years from the starting date of 457 BC, the Messiah will appear. 483 years from the starting date of 457 BC gives us 27 AD as the date of the appearance of the Messiah, that is Jesus. This date is in close harmony with the historical record. By modern reckoning Jesus lived on earth from 7 BC until 30 AD and proclaimed his gospel of the kingdom from 26 to 30 AD.

The prophecy continues:

And after [the seven weeks and] the 62 weeks an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing and the people of the Prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Dan 9:26; my insertion).

         Interpretation. This prophecy tells us that after the 69 weeks, Jesus, the “anointed one,” will be “cut off,” that is killed, and Jerusalem and the sanctuary will be destroyed. In accordance with the prophecy Jesus was crucified after the 69 weeks in 30 BC. Also, after the 69 weeks the Romans, under Titus, who are “the people of the Prince who is to come,” destroyed Jerusalem and the sanctuary in 70 AD. Thus, Gabriel predicts that Jesus will appear in 69 weeks of years (Dan 9:25) and be crucified after the 69 weeks of years (Dan 9:26).

After the sixty ninth week the prophesy skips forward to the seventieth week. The advent of the sixty ninth week, which marked the coming of Jesus, his crucifixion, and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary, is a major inflection point in the prophecy. After this point the prophecy skips forward from the sixty ninth week, over two millennia, to the last week, the seventh week. This seventh week is the last 7 years preceding the time of the end, the time of the destruction of the kingdoms of men, and the antichrist ruler. Here is what is prophesied:

And he [the antichrist end times ruler] shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Dan 9:27; my insertion)

The covenant. This verse provides an expanded revelation of phase 3 of the end times scenario–the destruction of the antichrist conqueror ruler. This person, who is here referred to as a “desolator,” will make a covenant with many, including Israel, for “one week” of years (that is seven years), then break it “in the midst of the week,” that is after three and one-half years. He will cause the sacrifice to cease and set up the abomination that makes desolate by proclaiming in the sanctuary that he is God.

The decreed end of the desolator. However, after the three and one-half years of the antichrist’s desolation of the sanctuary he will be brought to an end. As the prophesy states: the antichrist ruler will make desolate ­”until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator” (Dan 9:27). God will allow the antichrist to desecrate the sanctuary for three and one-half years and then bring about his end by divine intervention. This will be the end of purely human rule and will be followed by a new age characterized by the coming of the kingdom of God to assume everlasting rule over the nations.

 

 

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