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                  DANIEL'S PROPHECY OF THE

                       SEVENTY WEEKS

                        A Term Paper

                        Presented to

                      Dr. T.M. Strouse

                   In Partial Fulfillment

             of the Requirements for Completion

                     of BI 416 Prophecy

                             by

                   Curtis LaRue Cantrell

                         April 1989





As one looks into the prophecy of Daniel's seventy weeks, he

finds that the above statement is in fact a conclusive

observation.  This particular prophecy is probably more

crucial in the field of Biblical apologetics than any other

single prophecy.  As mentioned by Alva J. McClain, "The

prophecy of the Seventy Weeks has an immense evidential
                                               1.
value as a witness to the truth of Scripture."   Denial of

the inspiration of the Bible has become widespread. This

is greatly due to a lack of teaching the prophecies of

Scripture.  Prophecy gives the clearest and most conclusive

evidence that the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word

of God.  As it will be seen, the first 69 weeks of the

prophecy has already been accurately fulfilled. It is in

fact nothing more than a simple mathematical equation.

    The prophecy itself is found in Daniel 9:24-27.

However, before attempting to interpret it, the circum-

stances surrounding the prophecy must be taken into

consideration as background in order to make sure the inter-

pretation is in proper context.

    First, the prophecy was given at a time of great pre-

plexity in the mine of the prophet Daniel.  Daniel was a

great student of the Word of God, and in verse 2 of chapter

9 it is read the Daniel "understood by books the number of

the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah

the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the

desolations of Jerusalem."  From this Daniel knew that the

                                                          2.

Babylonian captivity was almost over. It began in 606 B.C.

when Daniel was a young man, and now 68 years of the 70

years had past.  However, on the other hand Daniel under-

stood the vision of the four wild beast and the vision of

the ram and the he-goat.  Through these visions he had

learned that there would be a long period of dispersion for

the people of Israel.  How was Daniel to reconcile in his

mind that there was only two years remaining until the

climax of the captivity, and yet before the people of Israel

could be restored to their land, according to the visions,

there would have to come and go four world empires.  At the

time the prophecy of the 70 weeks was given only Babylon

had risen and fallen.  The thing Daniel was going to have to

learn was that the seventy years of captivity was only a

type of a longer dispersion that was going to last seven

times as long.

     Next, there are several very obvious things that must

be observed from the prophecy itself.  The points to keep in

mind are as follows:

  1.  The whole prophecy is about Daniel's people and

Daniel's city.  That is to say, the nation of Israel and the

city of Jerusalem.  This is found in verse 24.  No where is

there found any thing in reference to the gentile people.

This prophecy is to and about the Jewish nation.

  2.  There are two different princes mentioned in the

prophecy.  One is called "Messiah the Prince."  This is

found in verse 25.  The other is described as the "Prince

                                                          3.

that shall come," and this prince is mentioned in verse 26.

These two Princes are two different people and should not be

confused one with the other.

  3.  The sum of the time-period detailed is enumerated as

Seventy Weeks. This is pointed out in verse 24.  It is

further seen that these seventy weeks are subdivided in

three minor periods.  The first is a period of seven weeks.

The second is a period of three-score and two weeks, and the

last is a period of one week.

  4.  The beginning of the entire seventy weeks starts at

the "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build

Jerusalem".  If the time that this took place can be

obtained then the beginning date of the prophecy can be

known.

  5.  The event that will mark of the end of the seven weeks

and threescore and two weeks will be the appearance of

Messiah the Prince of Israel. This is in verse 25.

  6.  At some time after the threescore and two weeks

Messiah the Prince will be cut off and Jerusalem will be

destroyed by the people of the other prince, the prince who

is to come. The destruction of the city and the temple is

found in verse 26.

  7.  The last week will commence after these two eminent

events, and at the establishment of a covenant between the

prince to come and many of the Jewish nation.  The confir-

mation of this covenant is described in verse 27.

  8.  Then in the middle of the last week he will cause the

                                                          4.

Jewish sacrifices to cease, breaking his covenant with the

people. Then he will pour out upon the people a season of

wrath and indignation that will last until the consummation

or end of the week.

  9.  Lastly, it must be kept in mind why this prophecy is

given to the nation of Israel. From verse 24 it is seen

that the reason is sixfold, as follows:

    1.  To finish the transgression,
    2.  To make an end of sin,
    3.  To make reconciliation for iniquity,
    4.  To bring everlasting righteousness,
    5.  To seal up the vision and prophecy, and
    6.  To anoint the most Holy.

The 70 weeks are determined upon the nation in order that

these 6 distinct things be accomplished.

     After considering these preliminary details, one must

ask several important questions about the prophecy.  The

first question is, what is the measure of time designated by

the "weeks" of the prophecy?  To the English reader, week

means only one thing, 7 days.  Yet, the Hebrew words

translated "seventy weeks" in the authorized King James

version should be more precisely understood as "seventy

sevens." The following is noted by one commentator.

          The word "week" is used because we have no word in
          the English language that is the exact equivalent
          of the Hebrew word which signifies seven, and the
          translators of our King James version used "week"
          instead of "sevens."  2.

Thus, after understanding that the Hebrew word shabua

means seven, it is seen that the precise reading of the

24th verse simply declares that "seventy sevens are deter-

mined."  Now the meaning of these sevens must be determined
                                                          5.

from context and from other Scriptures.

    In determining what is meant by the seven, it must first

be noted that the Jews had a seven of years as well as a

seven of days and that the week of years was just as

prominent to the Jews as the week of days.  Secondly, the

prophet Daniel had been thinking in terms of years and more

specifically in a definite multiple of sevens, as seen in

Daniel 9:1-2.  Next, it can be observed that if the sevens

were speaking of days that the entire prophecy would only

last for 490 days or a little over a year.  That would mean

that the city would have to be rebuilt and then destroyed in

that small time, which historically has not happened.

Lastly, outside of this prophecy the Hebrew word shabua is

only found in one other place in the book, Daniel 10:2-3,

"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks."

          "Now, here it is perfectly obvious that the
          context demands `weeks' of days, for Daniel would
          hardly have fasted twenty-one years!  And signifi-
          cantly, the Hebrew here reads literally `three
          sevens of days.'  Now, if in the ninth chapter,
          the writer intended us to understand that the
          `Seventy Sevens' are composed of days, why did he
          not use the same form of expression adopted in
          chapter ten?  The quite obvious answer is that
          Daniel used the Hebrew shabua alone when ref-
          erring to the well known `week' of years, a cust-
          omary usage which every Jew would understand." 3.

Thus, through every rational and sound rule of interpre-

tation, the seventy sevens must be understood as seventy

sevens of years, or 490 years.

    The second question that needs to be answered is, what

are the length of the years?  There are many different

calendars from nation to nation, and each one has years of
                                                          6.

different lengths.  If the exact calculation of the prophecy

is to be known, then the length of the years must also be

known.  If this information was not furnished by the

inspired Word of God then it would be impossible to come up

with a correct answer.  However, there is verification to

show that the prophetic years are composed of 360 days.

     First, it can be argued historically.  In Genesis 7:11

it is recorded that the flood began, on the seventeenth day

of the second month, and according to Genesis 8:4, it came

to an end on the seventeenth day of the seventh month.  This

is a time interval of exactly five months.  Now look in

Genesis 7:24 and 8:3.  The length of the same interval is

given in terms of days, 150 days.  Here in this example is

the length of the earliest known Biblical year.  Twelve of

these months would give a 360 day year.

     Secondly, it can be argued prophetically.  In Daniel

9:27 the Bible mentions a time of persecution that begins in

the "midst" of the 70th week and last until the "end".  This

period last for three and one half years. Daniel 7:24-25

also speaks of the same Roman prince and the persecution.

However, there the time is referred to as "a time and times

and the dividing of time."  If the time is understood as one

and times is understood as two then the dividing of time

would be understood as one half.  Thus, here again is the

three and a half years.  In Revelation 13:4-7 the great

political ruler and the persecution of the Jews is again

found.  In this reference the time is referred to as "forty

                                                          7.

and two months."  In Revelation 12:6 the time period is

referred to as "a thousand two hundred and three score

days", or 1260 days.  Here in the Scripture is the same time

period expressed in three different ways, 3 1/2 years, 42

months, and 1260 days.  It is apparent that the length of

the prophetic year is 360 days.

     The next question to be asked is, when did the time

period of the seventy weeks begin?  The 25th verse of

chapter 9 tells that it started at "the going forth of the

commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem."  The ques-

tion is then, when was such a commandment given?  There

are several times after the Babylonian captivity that

commandments were given to return to Jerusalem for the

rebuilding of the temple, yet there is only one commandment

that satisfies the prophecy.  That is the commandment of

Artaxerxes Longimanus to Nehemiah.  In Nehemiah 1:1-4 and

2:1-8 it should be noted that the concern is for the city.

Now this date, as sighted by Sir Robert Anderson in his

great work, "can be definitely ascertained- not from elabo-

rate disquisitions by biblical commentators and prophetic

writers, but by the united voice of secular historians and
               4.
chronologers."   The Encyclopaedia Britannica even dates the

accession of Artaxerxes as 465 B.C.   The book of Nehemiah

states that in the twentieth year of his reign the

commandment was given.  That would be 445 B.C.  Again, Sir

Robert Anderson asserts,

             "The Persian edit which restored the autonomy
          of Judah was issued in the Jewish month of Nisan,
                                                          8.

          but no other day being named, the prophetic period
          must be reckoned, according to a practice common
          with the Jews, from the Jewish New Year's Day.
          The seventy weeks are therefore to be computed
          from the 1st of Nisan 445 B.C.... And accordingly
          the 1st Nisan may be assigned to the 14th of
          March."  5.

Thus, it is clear that the beginning date of the prophecy

was 14 March, 445 B.C.

     This now leads to the issue, when did the first 69

weeks end?  The Scripture tells that the first 69 weeks of

the prophecy will last "unto Messiah the Prince." In order

to find the date, an event in history that would satisfy

these words will have to be determined.  The Gospel narra-

tives gives only one event that would qualify as fulfilling

the condition "unto Messiah the Prince."  That event was the

day of the triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Throughout the ministry of Christ, he had shunned all public

recognition as the Messiah.  In fact, at times, He even told

his disciples not to make him known, yet at this time the

Lord accepted the praise of the crowd.  It was the day that

Messiah the Prince would come into the city as prophesied by

Zechariah.  Again here is the chronological calculations of

Sir Robert Anderson.

          "In accordance with the Jewish custom, the Lord
          went up to Jerusalem upon the 8th Nisan, `six days
          before the Passover.'  But as the 14th, on which
          the Paschal Supper was eaten, fell that year upon
          a Thursday, the 8th was the preceding friday.  He
          must have spent the Sabbath, therefore, at
          Bethany; and on the evening of the 9th, after the
          Sabbath had ended, the supper took place in
          Martha's house. Upon the following day, the 10th
          Nisan, He entered Jerusalem as recorded in the
          Gospels.
              The Julian date of that 10th Nisan was Sunday
                                                          9.

          the 6th April, A.D. 32."  6.

    Now in order to see whether the two events afore men-

tioned are in fact the beginning and ending events of the

first 69 weeks, a mathematical equation must be worked out.

There are 69 weeks of 7 years each.  These contain 360 days.

Therefore, the equation would be 69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880

days.  Now, to match this number of days against the time

between March 14, 445 B.C. and April 6, A.D. 32, there are a

couple of factors that must be concedered.  First, from 1

B.C. to A.D. 1 is not two years, but one.  1 B.C. should be

referred to as 0 B.C.  The next detail concerns the number

of leap years between the two dates in question.  A.C.

Gaebelein has meticulously reckoned in his book the time

elements involved.

          "As the Julian year is 11 m. 10.46 s., or about
          129th part of a day, longer than the mean solar
          year, the Julian calendar has three leap years
          too many in every four centuries.  This error is
          corrected by the Gregorian reform, which reckons
          three secular years out of four as common years.
          For instance, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were common
          years, and 2000 will be a leap year."  7.

There are four centuries involved, so three of the leap

years become common years.  With all this in mind, the lay-

out of the Julian computation is as follows:

445 B.C. to 32 A.D.     =   476 years
476 years x 365 days    =   173,740 days
Add for the leap years  =   119 days (- 3 in 4 centuries)
March 14 to April 6     =   24 days
                   _____________________
                      Total   173,880

Therefore, it is seen that the first sixty-nine weeks of the

prophecy ran their course to the very day!

                                                         10.

     The 70th week starts after the culmination of the first

69.  There are two schools of thought as to the exact chron-

ological relation of the 69th and 70th week.  One is that

the seventieth week follows the sixty-ninth without any

break in time.  The other is that there is a break between

the sixty-ninth and seventieth week forming a great paren-

thesis between the two.

     Those who maintain the first view afore mentioned

"believe that christ died in the middle of the Seventieth

Week and therefore this last week must have ended three and
                                 8.
one-half years after the cross."   Charles Boutflower is

one such author who adheres to this view.  In his book, he

interprets Daniel's passage in this way.

          "26-33 A.D. is the last or seventieth `week' end-
          ing with the death of Stephen, during which the
          Messiah will `make firm a covenant with the many.'
          30 A.D. is the middle of this last `week' when
          Messiah by offering Himself on the cross will
          `cause sacrifice and oblation to cease'."  9.

This view springs from the fact that the future of the

Jewish people is not considered.  When in history has the

tremendous events of verse 24 been fulfilled?  They have

not.  If the 70 weeks were continuous, they came to an end

some time in the early part of the book of Acts.

     This writer adheres to the principal that prophecies

are sometimes fulfilled in stages.  "Few laws are more

important to observe in the interpretation of prophetic

Scriptures than the law of double reference.  Two events,

widely separated as to the time of their fulfillment, may be
                                                  10.
brought together into the scope of one prophecy."    Christ
                                                         11.

himself demonstrated this principle.  Luke 4:17-21 tells the

account of Christ reading an  Old Testament prophecy from

Isaiah 61:1-2.  Notice after reading the first half of the

prophecy, He closed the book.  However, in verse 21 it is

read that He stated "this day this Scripture is fulfilled in

your ears."  Why was not the latter part of the prophecy

read?  Because there is a time gap within the prophecy.  The

time between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week has thus

far span 1900 years, and it is a "period concerning which
                                                      11.
we have absolutely no chronology in the Word of God."

After this indefinite period of unreckoned time the last

prophetic week will start up and run its course.

     After the ending of the 69th week, two events, which

were also prophesied, took place.  The first was the cutting

off of the Messiah.  This took place immediately upon the

close of the sixty-ninth week.  The second was the destruc-

tion of the city.  History tells that this took place 38

years after the death of Christ.  The city was destroyed by

the Romans under the rule of Titus Vespasianus in the year

A.D. 70.

     Thus far, it has been seen that the first 69 weeks of

the prophecy have been fulfilled to the smallest detail and

that the course of the 70 weeks have been interrupted by an

unreckonable length of time.  Now the question arises, what

about the 70th week of the prophecy?  The last week of the

prophecy will commence with the coming prince making a

covenant with many of the nation of Israel.  Now, this

                                                         12.

prince, as already seen, will rise from the core of the

Roman people, those who destroyed the city.

     In the beginning of this last prophetic week, it will

be the desire of the Jewish nation to again have the temple

and the sacrificial ceremonies.  This coming prince will

establish a covenant with "many", and under this covenant

the nation will be permitted to again build the temple in

Jerusalem.  "When the last seven years, so pregnant with

Jewish events, begin, the first thing will be that the Jews

look for protection to the great Man, who as a mighty prince

controls the affairs of the Roman empire brought together
                    12.
under him as head."    Notice that the covenant will only

be with "many" of the nation.  There will be some who will

not have anything to do with this coming prince.  All

throughout the prophetic Word, there has been the clearest

evidences of a remnant of Jews who will see through this

man.

     After the 3 1/2 year mark of this last prophetic week,

he will break the covenant with the Jews.  He will become

possessed by the power of Satan, and will introduce idolatry

and the most awful blasphemies.  "He shall speak great words

against the most High, and shall wear out the Saints of the

most High, and think to change times and laws, and they

shall be given into his hands until a time and times and the
                                         13.
the great tribulation dividing of time."    At this time

will be in force and the faithful remnant will pass through

the deepest waters of suffering.

                                                         13.

     How far away from now is this 70th week of the proph-

ecy?  Only God knows.  We are only commanded to watch, work,

and wait.  One can only rest assured that if the first 69

weeks came to pass just as foretold in the Scriptures, so

will the last week.  "It is the purpose of God to give the

near and far view so that the fulfillment of the one should
                                                   14.
be the assurance of the fulfillment of the other."


                           Notes



     1 Alva J. McClain, Daniel's Prophecy of the 70 Weeks

(Zondervan Publishing House, 1940), 9.

     2 Oliver B. Green, Daniel Verse by Verse Study (The

Gospel Hour, Inc., 1964), 351.

     3 McClain, 20.

     4 Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince (Kregel

Publications), 121.

     5 Anderson, 122.

     6 Anderson, 127.

     7 A.C. Gaebelein, The Prophet Daniel (Pickering and

Inglis, Printers and Publishers), 141.

     8 McClain, 32.

     9 Charles Boutflower, M.A., In and Around the Book of

Daniel (The Macmillan Co., 1923), 185.

     10 J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come (Academie

Books, Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), 46.

     11 H.A. Ironside, D.D., L.H.D., The Great Parenthesis

(Zondervan Publishing House, 1943), 10.

     12 Gaebelain, 146.

     13 Authorized King James Version Bible (Cambridge at

the University Press), Daniel 9:25.

     14 Pentecost, 47.


                       Bibliography



     Anderson, Sir Robert, The Coming Prince. Kregel

Publications.

     Authorized King James Version Bible. Cambridge at the

University Press.

     Boutflower, Charles, In and Around the Book of

Daniel. The Macmillan Co., 1923.

     Gaebelein, A.C., The Prophet Daniel. Pickering and

Inglis Printers and Publishers.

     Green, Oliver B., Daniel verse by verse study. The

Gospel Hour, Inc., 1964.

     Ironside, H.A., D.D., L.H.D., The Great Parenthesis.

Zondervan Publishing House, 1943.

     McClain, Alva J., Daniel's Prophecy of the 70 Weeks.

Zondervan Publishing House, 1940.

     Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Regency

Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1963.


Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Regency
Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing Ho